International Incident Party: Chocolate-Matcha Grissini With Anglesey Sea Salt

For a period when I was a teenager, we lived in a house right in front of the beach, with a view looking out towards the South China Sea. Even on the days when we didn't step onto the sandy shore, the saltiness of the sea permeated everywhere. We felt it and tasted it in the air we breathed, in the stickiness of our skin/hair/clothes, whenever we licked our lips. We also saw the destruction it caused, the most memorable of which was the premature aging of my bicycle, my then precious form of transport for explorations around the neighborhood. The salty air had quietly chewed away at the metal, leaving behind a rather sad, rusty frame.

Since then, I've had a 'frenemy' (love-hate) type of relationship with salt. My salt tolerance level is pretty low and I'm often wary of using too much salt in my cooking. On the other hand, very little of it will leave my tastebuds puzzled and yearning. For this month's International Incident Party (theme: Salt), I decided it's time I pay my respects to this most basic of flavorings. 

Lately, out of curiosity more than anything else, I seemed to have acquired several different salts to add to my pantry: pink, coarse Himalayan salt (origin: Pakistan), translucent white Anglesey Sea Salt (origin: Wales, UK) and flaky, pink Murray River Salt (origin: Australia). Now, which one to use for this party?

I'm more than a little obsessed by these pretty diamond shapes! Pity they're only salt crystals...

I decided to go with the Anglesey Sea Salt because my recipe is Matcha Grissini coated in dark chocolate, and the white, coarse sea salt would show up well sprinkled against the chocolatey backdrop. Anyone who has ever baked these crisp, Italian breadsticks will tell you they're a breeze to make, but the oriental matcha and decadent chocolate coat probably lends the illusion that it takes many moons to produce (instead of the 2 hours it actually took me). I've also added extra salt and black pepper to the grissini because these are the grown-up version, to tease our palates with their sweetness, saltiness, spiciness and slight bitterness due to the green tea. Kids will equally love to munch on these chocolate breadsticks, just leave out the matcha, black pepper and sea salt.

Eat them as a snack, dip them in hot chocolate or coffee, then sit back and watch the world go by. 

Usual thanks to Penny of Jeroxie - Addictive and Consuming Blog for hosting this great party!

Chocolate-Matcha Grissini With Anglesey Sea Salt

Makes about 25 pieces

Ingredients:
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tblsp salt
1 ½ cup bread flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 tblsp matcha powder
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ to 1 cup warm milk
1 tsp crushed black pepper
300g dark chocolate, melted
Anglesey Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Put the flours, matcha, yeast, sugar, black pepper, salt, olive oil and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm milk slowly, you may need only slightly less than a cup. With a dough attachment, mix until the mixture becomes a soft and elastic dough. The dough can then be kneaded by hand, it should be smooth and slightly moist, but not sticky.

2. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

3. Divide the dough into two. Take one piece and roll out into a thin rectangle (about 1/4 of an inch high). Using a pizza cutter cut the dough lengthwise into strips which are approximately 1/3-inch and 10-inch long. Do the same with the remaining piece of dough.

4. Twist each strip from both ends and place the strips on a greased or lined baking tray. Allow them to slightly puff up (about 10 to 15 minutes). Bake the grissini at 210C for about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack before coating with chocolate.

5. For the chocolate glaze: Chop the chocolate into 1/2 inch chunks and melt in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate onto a flat platter and proceed to dip and roll the grissini in it. Work quickly as the chocolate will harden halfway through this coating process. If it does, just warm it on medium heat in the microwave.

6. Sprinkle the sea salt on the chocolate-covered part of the grissini while it is still moist. Place grissini to dry on waxed baking paper. Serve immediately or else, store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 days.

Diet-Buster Chocolate Oats Bar

If you're on a diet, or under the illusion that you are (what the heck are you doing here then?), then look away. Click on one of my other healthier posts, because this one is going to ruin your regimented eating, or you - whichever comes first.

However, if you're a balanced eater, or an A-list superstar with a personal trainer as lenient as Jillian Michaels, then stay. Enjoy the pictures, at least, even if you don't ever get to make (or eat) these decadent bars. Now, let me warn you that aside from the oats and um, tomatoes, every ingredient in this recipe spells D-A-N-G-E-R. That reads as "happiness", by the way. *grins*

OMG-icious!

Wouldn't you be happy if you had peanut butter, chocolate, condensed milk and yes, healthy oats pass through your lips in one go? Don't rub your nose when you answer, because I'd be happy. Of course, I'd only have one slice of these bars, or perhaps two, then I'd be running my ass off on the treadmill/roads before I lose myself completely. And then I'd have a slice more. LOL. Come on, you only live once!

 

Diet-Buster Chocolate Oats Bar

Yields: 3kgs or 10lbs on the hips

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

2 cups graham cracker biscuits or Digestives, crumbed

2 cups organic rolled oats

1 can (400g) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped chocolate
¾ cup peanut butter

1/3 cup dried, candied tomatoes, chopped

Sea salt, to sprinkle

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Place the biscuits in a food processor to crumb them, then put in a bowl. Melt butter in the microwave and add to the biscuit crumbs. Mix with a spoon until combined.

3. Sprinkle biscuit crumbs into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan and pat down firmly with the back of a spoon to create an even surface.

4. Add oats on top of the biscuit layer, and pat down evenly as well.

5. Pour condensed milk carefully over the oats layer, and by tilting the pan gently towards the four corners of the pan, you will be able to spread the condensed milk fairly evenly.

6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

7. Before you take out the baking tin, melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Pour this mixture over the hot base, and tilt pan as before to ensure complete coverage by the chocolate. Sprinkle chopped dried fruits (I used candied tomatoes) and a pinch of sea salt on the chocolate layer.

8. Cool completely before chilling in the fridge for easy slicing.

9. Consume with a tall, cold glass of milk, and at your own peril!