Chocolate Wood Grain Recipes

Steps:

• Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Spread white chocolate onto an 8-by-12-inch food-safe plastic wood-grain texture mat using a small offset spatula. Scrape off excess chocolate, using spatula, until the thinnest layer possible is left on mat. Transfer mat to a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Mix in almonds. Spread mixture onto white chocolate in an even layer. Refrigerateuntil firm, about 1 hour. Peel away mat.

Steps:

• Adjust two oven racks to the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add the flour and oats to a food processor and pulse until the oats are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk to combine. Whisk together the egg, applesauce and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or to a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the applesauce-egg mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the flour-oats mixture in two batches, mixing until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed in the batter.
• Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. All the batter won't fit on the two sheets; cookies will need to be baked in batches. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Once the lined baking sheets are cool, repeat with the remaining batter. Store the cookies at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Cut a thin piece of acetate into a 13 1/2-by-16-inch rectangle, and place on a clean work surface, with a long side facing you. Coat surface of faux-bois tool well with a thick layer of white chocolate. Starting at the left side and working from top to bottom of acetate sheet, rock coated tool back and forth while dragging it in one swift motion to make vertical striation. Continue making striations until the entire sheet is covered. Transfer acetate, chocolate side up, to an inverted rimmed baking sheet; refrigerate until set, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, temper bittersweet chocolate: Melt two-thirds of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water until it registers 118 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove bowl from heat, and add remaining chocolate to the bowl; stir with a rubber spatula (avoid using a wooden spoon which can impart other flavors) until the chocolate cools to 84 degrees. Remove any unmelted pieces; discard. Return bowl to pan; stir until the chocolate reaches 88 to 90 degrees.
• Immediately transfer acetate to work surface; pour bittersweet chocolate over the top. Quickly spread evenly over the entire surface with an offset spatula. Try not to spread it too much or white chocolate will smear. Use immediately.

Steps:

• Combine white chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until remaining chocolate is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.
• In a small bowl, combine matcha with cold water, adding one teaspoon at a time to reach same consistency as white chocolate ganache. Add green tea mixture to ganache; stir until incorporated. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. If ganache remains too loose to pipe, briefly stir over an ice bath until thick enough to pipe, being careful not to let it become too firm.

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
• Pour melted chocolate onto the back of a clean 11-by-17-inch baking pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into a thin even rectangle, covering the pan.
• Place pan in refrigerator to chill until chocolate sets up slightly, about 15 minutes. Holding the pan vertically, score the chocolate down the middle with a metal bench scraper. Starting on the left side and holding scraper at a 45 degrees.angle, gently push away from you for about 2 1/2 inches, forming a curl or straw. Repeat making straws down side of pan and on the other side, for a total of twelve straws. If the chocolate gets too soft, chill 5 minutes. Store straws between parchment layers in an airtight container, refrigerated, until ready to use.