It's All About Chocolate

Welcome to Foodie Friday hosted by Michael Lee from Designs By Gollum.

Be sure to stop by and check out her wonderful blog and all the participants' contributions.

This tablescape really is all about CHOCOLATE! You can skip all the other candies that

are traditionally offered for Valentine's Day and go straight to the chocolate for me!

This is a tablecloth I made last year that is also all about chocolate.  Vintage napkins, American

Directoire sterling, Pier 1 glassware, shown with Rose and Chocolate Post 86 Fiesta. The cutwork

chargers are Made In China, as is the little ribboned plate in the center.  The little cutwork compote is German, the underplates for the Chocolate Fiesta bowls are Rosenthal.

Once you've had your fill of chocolate

CLICK HERE for more Valentine Posts

If I were feeling really ambitious I would make Rick Bayless' mole sauce for Laquered Chicken,

but it makes a huge batch, takes all day, makes a huge mess and Mr. TLRT isn't crazy about it.

Instead here is a great twist on traditional Mexican Flan.

Mexican Chocolate Flan With Kahlua
This is Rick Bayless' recipe:
CARAMEL:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
CUSTARD:
2 cups half-and-half (or 1 1/2 cups milk plus 1/2 cup heavy cream)
2 cups milk
7 ounces semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped - Ibarra chocolate, if you can find it
1 cinnamon stick
2/3 cup sugar
10 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Set out 10 small custard cups, and a roasting pan large enough to hold the cups in a water bath.
CARAMEL:
Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Dvide the caramel among the custard cups, and tilt the cups to coat the bottom and sides. Set the custard cups in the roasting pan.
CUSTARD:
Pour the half-and-half (or milk and cream mixture) and the milk into a large saucepan. Add the chocolate, cinnamon stick and sugar. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, cover and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, Kahlúa, vanilla and almond extracts. Slowly beat the hot milk mixture into this. Strain all the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and throw out the cinnamon stick. Pour the mixture into the caramelized custard cups.

Place the roasting pan with the custard cups onto the center rack of the oven. Pour in enough hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups, and loosely cover the pan with foil.
Bake just until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the center, usually 20 to 25 minutes. They will firm more when chilled, so do not overbake.

Take the custards out of the water bath, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To unmold the flans, run the tip of a knife gently around the edge of each custard cup, then put a plate over the mold and flip over. Serve immediately.