Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans in baking

[gfron1]

I have a recipe that calls for chocolate covered coffee beans and also chocolate chips. I don't have chocolate covered coffee beans. Can't I just use regular coffee beans and add a bit more chocolate?

[dougal]

This might come down to "how do you like eating your regular coffee beans?"

[gfron1]

I don't, but then what's the difference? Or, is there a difference between the stuff they coat in chocolate v. a bean intended for drink. If there is no difference, then I should be able to substitute. I'm a cheapskate, but if I have to I'll just try a batch with some espresso beans.

[Tri2Cook]

I would think it would be fine. I sometimes grab a coffee bean or three from the bin and chew on them while shopping. The only difference I notice is that there was none of that nasty waxy chocolate usually found on the coated beans to deal with. That and I can choose which type of bean/roast I want to chew on.

[Kerry Beal]

Should be fine. When I make chocolate covered coffee beans I just use well roasted espresso beans.

[Chris Hennes]

I think the danger is the bite where there is no chocolate to counterbalance the bitterness of the espresso bean. The advantage of using chocolate-covered beans is that you can't run into that. Your tongue always gets a bit of sugar before the bitter hits. I know it's work, but have you considered just coating them yourself? It's not like you need them to be shiny (I assume...).

[Tri2Cook]

I'm thinking if it's going in a cookie, cake, etc. with chocolate chips along for the party that there will be plenty of sweet going on for that not to be a worry. Then again, I don't like sugar in my coffee so I could be wrong.

[Spring]

Id like to chocolate coat coffee beans, any tips?

[gfron1]

HERE'S a demo for you to use.

I made a batch of cookies this morning. No problem! As suggested, there was plenty of chocolate to balance the beans. I used Peet's Mocha Java whole beans (slightly crushed) in a chocolate walnut cookie. They were very good. Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

[Spring]

gfron; thanks for the link. Im looking more to dip them, yes, mega fiddly and probably going to look like rabbit cr#p but Ill give it a go anyway.

[pastrygirl]

gfron; thanks for the link. Im looking more to dip them, yes, mega fiddly and probably going to look like rabbit cr#p but Ill give it a go anyway.

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I think you should be able to coat the beans by adding a little tempered chocolate to the beans in a bowl and stirring until the chocolate hardens. Repeat as necessary to get the desired thickness. Of course this won't give you the shiny polished look of the coating pan and wax and polish. I've seen this method in a chocolate book somewhere but I have not actually tried it. I would try it before dipping, though!

[Chris Hennes]

I think you should be able to coat the beans by adding a little tempered chocolate to the beans in a bowl and stirring until the chocolate hardens.  Repeat as necessary to get the desired thickness.  Of course this won't give you the shiny polished look of the coating pan and wax and polish.  I've seen this method in a chocolate book somewhere but I have not actually tried it.  I would try it before dipping, though!

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This is how Greweling has you make Almond Dragees (my results can be seen here). It gives a very different look, but you still wind up with chocolate covered stuff, which is OK in my book .

[Spring]

pastrygirl: thanks for your reply. I was thinking about trying dipping, with a pair of tweezers (not eyebrow ones)

Chris Hennes: The Dragees look really nice. Thanks for the advice

Ill try dipping some beans next week and when I get a graphics program installed Ill post my results

[pastrygirl]

I think you should be able to coat the beans by adding a little tempered chocolate to the beans in a bowl and stirring until the chocolate hardens.  Repeat as necessary to get the desired thickness.  Of course this won't give you the shiny polished look of the coating pan and wax and polish.  I've seen this method in a chocolate book somewhere but I have not actually tried it.  I would try it before dipping, though!

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This is how Greweling has you make Almond Dragees (my results can be seen here). It gives a very different look, but you still wind up with chocolate covered stuff, which is OK in my book .

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Chris, that must have been the book I was thinking of! (On vacation away from my pastry library at the moment). Yours look good, how many layers of chocolate did you do? I might have to try some for the holidays.