I tried out my first recipe for the Nouvelle's cooking section. Rose Gregoire submitted her chocolate raisin cluster recipe, which turned out to be a great starter project. It's pretty easy, as no baking is required, and quick to prepare. You essentially melt chocolate chips and then add in condensed milk, vanilla, salt and of course raisins. If you melt the chocolate chips over the stove, make sure not to turn the heat up completely, like I did, or you'll burn the bottom of the pot, again, like I did. But I suppose it's all part of the learning process and I don't think it really affected the end result.
Another general cooking/baking tip I learned was to always double check measurements before adding in ingredients. I accidentally added in a whole tablespoon of vanilla instead of a teaspoon, but luckily drained most of it out before it seeped into the mixture. Again, a lesson learned for next time.
The recipe calls for teaspoon-sized clusters, but I made mine a little bigger. I suppose this is a personal preference.
I brought the end result in for the Nouvelle staff to try and got some pretty impressive reviews. They left me anonymous comments such as “Kowa-bunga,” “Raisonalicious,” and “Chocolate-what's not to like!” The ratings ranged from 6/10 to 11/10; I was pleasantly surprised.
Suggestions for improvement revolved around the need for a crunch and adding peanuts. Gregoire later explained that nuts could be used as well as raisins, but originally gave me the raisin-only version, because many places are nut-free. I think this is a great treat for a nut-free environment or for someone with peanut allergies. I would likely prefer a nuttier version as I am slightly partial to raisins. I also wasn't too keen on the clusters because of how chocolate-y they are, although I think that's their appeal to most people. I find semisweet chocolate a little bitter, so perhaps milk chocolate would be tastier to me (although unhealthier, I suppose). But the clusters were a success with nine different people, so that's what counts.
I'm feeling pretty confident after this first cooking experience, and am looking forward to conquering some more demons in the kitchen. I'm feeling ambitious for next week's project and would like to try a pie of some sort. So send me your pie recipes this week and anything else you think I should try at [email protected] or drop them off at the Nouvelle office. And try the chocolate clusters for your family tonight. If they're anything like the Nouvelle staff, they won't last too long. Bon appétit Bonnyville!
Chocolate Raisin Clusters
Submitted by Rose Gregoire from The New World Encyclopaedia of Cooking (1975).
Directions:
1. Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper.
2. Melt 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips.
3. Blend in a can of condensed milk.
4. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. salt and 2 cups raisins.
5. (Optional: Replace 1 cup raisins with 1 cup finely chopped nuts).
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto paper-lined sheets.
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until firm.
