A question about a recipe: Coconut Cajeta & Chocolate Fondue

I have a question about step 2 on the recipe "Coconut Cajeta & Chocolate Fondue" from hardlikearmour. It says:

"Add the chocolate, wait about 1 minute, then stir to incorporate. Once chocolate is fully melted, stir in the vanilla and optional liquor."

Something weird happened at this point. The caramel looked great - reduced after 20 minutes and left a little trail on the pan when I ran a spoon across it. But then I added the chocolate and it clumped. The chocolate and caramel wouldn't combine. Now I have clumps of grainy caramel in a pool of melted chocolate. What did I do wrong? :-(

tynitown
  • Posted by: tynitown
  • February 27, 2011
  • 3176 views
  • 9 Comments
Coconut Cajeta & Chocolate Fondue
Recipe question for: Coconut Cajeta & Chocolate Fondue

9 Comments

hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 27, 2011
Huzzah! So, so glad! I have a big sweet tooth, and I think it's basically liquid crack. Have a great party!
 
tynitown
tynitown February 27, 2011
Drumroll please...It was the coconut milk! You were absolutely right. I bought the 365 Whole Foods brand (they didn't have Chaokoh) and it worked beautifully. It has 120 calories/serving. I made sure to whisk it extra thoroughly this time too. Once I finished, I had to get it in the fridge quick or I might have put quite a dent in it before my guests arrived! It's outstanding and I can't wait to enjoy it while watching the Oscars - congrats on a FANTASTIC recipe! Thanks, too, for responsiveness! Good luck!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 27, 2011
Some internet research has led me to another possible culprit. In caramel making some people have stated difficulty when using beet sugar. I don't get why, but I'd say make sure to use 100% cane sugar just to be safe.
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 27, 2011
I'm home again, so hope to hear about your second results. You can message me directly if you'd like. In the Cooks Illustrated product review of coconut milks, the Goya broke in the soup they made. The Chaokoh has 42 g fat per cup and was voted the creamiest brand & the Goya has 36 g fat per cup. The Chaokoh also has less sugar than a lot of the other brands. (The WF brand wasn't included in the mix, but from what I can find online it seems to have a similar fat and sugar composition to the Chaokoh.) I think & hope it will work out with the new batch of coconut milk.
I also wonder if an immersion blender or regular blender could emulsify the first batch, like BlissfulBaker suggested.
 
Blissful B.
Blissful B. February 27, 2011
Do you have an immersion blender? I've seen both truffle & pudding recipes where the chef recommends using one if you run into this type of problem. I realize this is fondue, but thought the same trick might work?
 
tynitown
tynitown February 27, 2011
Please don't worry about it! I'm sure the next one will work! I also used Ghiradelli so I'm sure that's not it. The Goya stuff only has 93 calories - I'm sure I just need better quality coconut milk. I saw that A&M used the 365 WF brand, so I'll compare the labels and let you know the difference. :-)
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 27, 2011
I used the Chaokoh brand, full fat - has 120 calories from fat per serving & Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate. When Amanda & Merrill made it they chopped the chocolate really fine, and didn't need to wait to stir it in. I chopped it less fine, so waited a bit to allow the chocolate to melt and it really came together beautifully. I'm really sorry it's not working for you...I feel a bit sick to my stomach about it. I hope your second batch comes together for you.
 
tynitown
tynitown February 27, 2011
Yeah, that didn't work. Once I'm done making the pound cake to go with it I'm going to pop down to Whole Foods and get stuff to try again. I used Goya coconut milk (grocery delivery in Chicago - that was my only option). I'll pick up something else at WF. I'll keep you posted!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 27, 2011
That sucks. I honestly have no idea what went wrong. When I made it, it combined beautifully. Did you use regular or light coconut milk? What type of chocolate did you use? Try heating on low and stirring to see if it'll go together.
 
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