Sticky ingredient ?

paralleloscope

paralleloscope

The Living Force
Hi I was wondering if any of you guys with cooking skills would have suggestions towards getting stuff to stick :)

I'd like to make some nut bars inspired by this brand. There's one with dates and cocoa topping, which I guess would be pretty straight forward; melting chocolate or cocoa nibs and pouring over a slice of datepaste. But what if only cocoa powder was available, what would one mix in to make a cocoa coating stick?

There's a chopped cashew and coconut bar, what could be a good sticking agent?
 
parallel said:
Hi I was wondering if any of you guys with cooking skills would have suggestions towards getting stuff to stick :)

I'd like to make some nut bars inspired by this brand. There's one with dates and cocoa topping, which I guess would be pretty straight forward; melting chocolate or cocoa nibs and pouring over a slice of datepaste. But what if only cocoa powder was available, what would one mix in to make a cocoa coating stick?

There's a chopped cashew and coconut bar, what could be a good sticking agent?
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Hi, parallel,

You could try blending the cocoa powder into melted fat, like butter or even lard. Sweeten it with xylitol and/or stevia, then pour it over the bars.

It should stick when they cool.
 
Thanks Jerry. It's mainly for two little nephews snacking in the heat so I can imagine butter all over the place, but I'll give it a try and see how solid the result.
 
There's a chopped cashew and coconut bar, what could be a good sticking agent?
Click to expand...

Jerry's suggestion about fat is a god idea (unsalted butter works best).
Some simple kitchen physics may also help - place the bar in a freezer for a few hours, then prepare the chocolate and allow it to cool to the point where it is sticky (5-10 minutes?) stirring occasionally. The temperature of the bar should help the chocolate stick. Placing it back in the freezer will help it set quickly.
 
Is baking chocolate not available? In the US baking chocolate is made of pure chocolate without any sweeteners, dairy or anything else. You just add butter (or some other fat), xylitol and/or stevia and when it cools it hardens.
 
nut flour mixed with egg and butter and then baked might also be an option, but it seems like it could be a lot of potential allergens there too.
 
Shane said:
Is baking chocolate not available?
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I'm going to visit family in France, and last time I checked in french supermarkets I saw no pure chocolate and health food stores were hard to find, but I don't really know. Just planning for a basic setup. Will have to ask my sister If the kids tolerate almonds. Thanks again for suggestions.
 
parallel said:
Shane said:
Is baking chocolate not available?
Click to expand...
I'm going to visit family in France, and last time I checked in french supermarkets I saw no pure chocolate and health food stores were hard to find, but I don't really know. Just planning for a basic setup. Will have to ask my sister If the kids tolerate almonds. Thanks again for suggestions.
Click to expand...

With the level of art the French have elevated pastry creation to, I would be extremely surprised if French supermarkets didn't carry baking chocolate ;) Check in the section with the flour and sugar and other baking supplies.
 
:) I wasn't aware that there was a global convention about not adding any sugar to baking chocolate, thinking that 100% choco was something rare and expensive.
 
We made chocolate covered strawberries, and cho covered bacon and drizzled the remainder on walnuts. Yum, yum! (we used the baker`s chocolate with stevia and or xyloitol and butter). Chill and serve. What great combo`s for a summer`s desert! P.S. I think the melted chocolate will stick to anything. :D
 
parallel said:
Hi I was wondering if any of you guys with cooking skills would have suggestions towards getting stuff to stick :)

I'd like to make some nut bars inspired by this brand. There's one with dates and cocoa topping, which I guess would be pretty straight forward; melting chocolate or cocoa nibs and pouring over a slice of datepaste. But what if only cocoa powder was available, what would one mix in to make a cocoa coating stick?

There's a chopped cashew and coconut bar, what could be a good sticking agent?
Click to expand...

Sounds great, but you might want to watch the carbs in the dates. There's plenty of sugar in them, and they will give your nephews just as big a buzz as any candybar. On the other hand, chocolate coating on home-made almond paste and cocoa nibs . . . . yum! :D
 
herondancer said:
Sounds great, but you might want to watch the carbs in the dates. There's plenty of sugar in them, and they will give your nephews just as big a buzz as any candybar. On the other hand, chocolate coating on home-made almond paste and cocoa nibs . . . . yum! :D
Click to expand...

Yeah I actually fell out of ketosis last week from munching too many dates, So maybe not the best idea to tempt myself with those while getting back on board. The idea was to offer a healthy but tasty alternative to the many cakes and pastry I know will be served if my parents are between their atkins-diet runs.

The most simple almond-paste recipe I found was:
Grind your almonds. In the second grinding add the xylitol. Gradually add your egg white working the mixture vigorously. Use dough hook in mixer or knead on a pastry board. The mixture should be firm & smooth when ready.

And then pop it in the fridge I suppose, but what about the eggwhite included- is that safe to eat raw and cooled?
 
parallel said:
Yeah I actually fell out of ketosis last week from munching too many dates, So maybe not the best idea to tempt myself with those while getting back on board. The idea was to offer a healthy but tasty alternative to the many cakes and pastry I know will be served if my parents are between their atkins-diet runs.

The most simple almond-paste recipe I found was:
Grind your almonds. In the second grinding add the xylitol. Gradually add your egg white working the mixture vigorously. Use dough hook in mixer or knead on a pastry board. The mixture should be firm & smooth when ready.

And then pop it in the fridge I suppose, but what about the eggwhite included- is that safe to eat raw and cooled?
Click to expand...

Is the recipe above meant to be used in baked treats? If so, then you might want to shape the bars, bake them, then do the chocolate coating after cooling them in the fridge. On the other hand, if the eggs are from a good quality organic farm, and the treats are kept chilled they will probably be ok. They're not likely to be hanging around for very long after all. ;)
 
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