This All Things Chocolate recipe contest was one of the hardest I’ve ever had to help judge! The first and second place winners were so close, and this third place recipe, Nestlé Crunch Bowls with Häagen-Dazs Sorbet & Sugared Mint Leaves, was right on their heels. Writing about the winning recipes, on the other hand, is easy. Because they are soooo delicious.
Thank you to Amy Di from Austin, Texas for this unique recipe for chocolate bowls made of Nestlé Crunch bars, filled with sorbet (we used mango and raspberry, but how good would these be with blackberry cabernet?) and topped with sugared mint leaves. This dessert has a really great flavor, and will delight the whole family. It’s also a great project for kids.
Nestlé Crunch Bowls with Häagen-Dazs Sorbet & Sugared Mint Leaves
Ingredients for 6 to 8 servings:
SUGARED MINT LEAVES
- 1 tablespoon powdered egg whites or 1 raw egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves or sprigs, washed and dried
- Granulated sugar
NESTLÉ CRUNCH BOWLS
- 6 to 8 small balloons
- 1 pound NESTLÉ CRUNCH Candy Bars, coarsely chopped
- Candy or instant-read thermometer
- 2 pints of your favorite Sorbet or Ice Cream
- 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 mango, diced
Directions:
FOR SUGARED MINT LEAVES: PLACE a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Slowly whisk together powdered egg whites and water until dissolved. Lightly coat mint leaves with egg whites using fingers or pastry brush, then coat each side with sugar. Place mint leaves on cooling rack. Leave on countertop to dry for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
FOR NESTLÉ CRUNCH BOWLS: BLOW up 6 to 8 balloons to the size of a small orange. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and clear a shelf in your freezer large enough to place the baking sheet so it will be level.
PLACE 2/3 of chopped candy bars in double boiler over hot (not boiling) water or set a large metal bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure no steam or water gets into chocolate. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of pan or bowl. Do not let the chocolate exceed 110° F. Use a spatula to stir chocolate thoroughly and regularly for about 1 minute or until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate and stir in the remaining 1/3 of chopped candy bars. This will lower the temperature of the chocolate. When the chocolate is about 84° F, place back on double boiler or saucepan to raise the temperature of the chocolate back to 86-87° F. Do NOT let the chocolate reach 88° F.
DIP the balloons into the melted chocolate and rock back and forth until the bottom 1/3 of the balloon is thoroughly coated. Check for thin areas and coat with more melted chocolate if needed. Place on prepared baking sheet as shown above and let sit in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
Use scissors to cut the top of balloons and deflate them, then gently twist and pull the balloon out of the chocolate bowl.
FILL chocolate cups with a scoop of your favorite Häagen-Dazs sorbet or ice cream. Garnish with sugared mint leaves, raspberries and mango.
