Cocoa Choco Mini Bites

 One fine day, I stepped into a local kitchen-ware shop to buy some regular steel stuff and unknowingly chanced on these tiddly cute looking moulds. My eyes literally got struck there and I didn't know how to pull my nerves back. I asked the shopkeeper for what they were, and he replied, 'These are aluminum moulds for making sweets'. My first reaction to this was 'wow'! And the next thought to win my brain was that I could use them for making small tarts, chaat papdis and then of course these tiny cake bites. I had been waiting for days which felt like ages, just to bang on these moulds and give my experiments a go-green signal. Finally the day came and I settled on baking some coffee chocolate based mini cake bites. They came out perfect with the coveted texture, the sensuous appeal, and the liberated aroma sought for. I ornamented them with some Hershey's Chocolate Sauce and scrumptious they went. 

Cocoa Choco Mini Bites

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Baking Time: 15-20 minutes

Makes 8 tiny bites

Info Meter:

• Cocoa beans are the fruit of the cacao tree. Cocoa beans are called cocoa beans and not cacao beans due to a spelling mistake made by English importers in the 18th century when chocolate first became popular.
• Chocolate is made by grinding the kernels of cocoa beans to a paste called chocolate liquor. This is hardened in moulds to make chocolate.
• Cooking chocolate is bitter. Eating chocolate has sugar and, often, milk added.
• Cocoa powder is made by squeezing the cocoa butter (fat) from chocolate liquor and then pulverizing it.
•  It takes about 400 beans to make a pound of chocolate.
• Cocoa and chocolate are rich in minerals that the body needs, including magnesium and iron. 

 

Ingredients:

1. APF/ Maida: 1/2 cup 

2. Powdered Sugar:  1/2 cup

3. Cocoa Powder: 1/4 cup

4. Coffee: 1/2 tsp

5. Butter: 1/4 cup

6. Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp

7. Baking Soda: 1/4 tsp

8. Egg: 1

9. Warm Milk: 2 tbs

10. Salt: a pinch

11. Walnuts: a handful

12. Hershey's Chocolate Sauce

13. Butter/oil for greasing or cooking spray 

Method:

1. Sift the maida/all purpose flour with the cocoa powder, coffee, baking Powder and baking soda/Eno.
2. Grease and dust the baking tin and keep it aside.
3. Pre-heat the oven on 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
4. Take the butter and beat sugar with it till it goes light and fluffy. Do not melt the butter, rather keep it at room temperature.
5. Beat the egg separately and blend it well with the sugar butter mix.
6. Now fold in the flour, applying the cut and fold method.
7. Make sure you get a ribbon consistency while folding it. If you find the batter thick, adjust it with addition of milk.
8. Chop the walnuts and mix them gently with the batter.
9. Now transfer this mixture into the greased tiny moulds and bake them on 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
10. Check the cake bites after 15 minutes by seeing if the cake edges have left the corners; if so, then insert a tooth-pick at the center and see if it comes out clean. When this happens, your cake bites are ready.
11. Take the moulds out and let them cool for 10-15 minutes. Once they have cooled down, invert the mini cocoa bites on a plate, making sure they don't break.
12. Decorate them with chocolate sauce and go as creative as you can.
13. Before you grab a piece, make sure it is warm; warm cocoa bites are the yummiest. :)

Suggestions:

1. Always cut and fold the mixture in a single direction. Cutting and Folding is nothing but mixing the cake in a circular fashion (like how you make a circle) and then cutting this circle into half and again circling.
2. Do not invert the cake bites before they cool down else they would break.
3. Do not over-bake else the chocolate will burn, and the cake will become hard, too.
4. You can top the yummy bites with chocolate frills or swirls too.
5. They can be stored for a day or two, but make sure you microwave them for 15 seconds before giving them the permission to enter your mouth. 
6. In case you don't have small aluminium tart/cake moulds, then you can always use the regular muffin mould. The only difference being that I got 5 different shapes instead of getting the same boring cuppy ones. 
   

 “Giri Choco” is a japanese custom which means “duty chocolate.” It calls for employees to give chocolates to their managers as a token of loyalty. :)

This post takes off to:

My event: Cooking Made Easy With Chocolates/Cocoa
Bake Fest started by Vardhini guest hosted by Archana  
Show Me Your Dessert  by Pari Cash

Kid's Delight Potluck Party by Srivalli
Dish it out hosted by Foodomania