Dark Chocolate Bao?

[Bicycle Lee]

I am making desserts for this woman's wedding reception and she is serving Chinese food, so I thought that it might be nice to have a chocolate bao... She said she wanted to incorporate dark chocolate and fruit together in the dessert, so I was thinking about what I could do. A dark chocolate bao stuffed with a fruit mixture would be cool, I think....but I don't know how possible that is. Anybody have any input?

[laurenmilan]

I am making desserts for this woman's wedding reception and she is serving Chinese food, so I thought that it might be nice to have a chocolate bao... She said she wanted to incorporate dark chocolate and fruit together in the dessert, so I was thinking about what I could do. A dark chocolate bao stuffed with a fruit mixture would be cool, I think....but I don't know how possible that is. Anybody have any input?

Maybe a chocolate dough, with a fruit compote center? A few tablespoons of fruit per bao should suffice (think summer pierogis, that are filled with peaches, strawberries, blackberries, plums or blueberries).

[FoodZealot]

Maybe a chocolate dough, with a fruit compote center? A few tablespoons of fruit per bao should suffice (think summer pierogis, that are filled with peaches, strawberries, blackberries, plums or blueberries).

I like this idea, but FWIW I'd suggest 2 or 3 different fruit flavored/tinted doughs with chocolate filling & some fruit component. I'm thinking about the visual appeal - kinda like those pastel colored Japanese mochi - rather than brown buns...

Edited January 27, 2004 by FoodZealot (log)

[Bicycle Lee]

yeah, FZ...that would be nice...what fruit do you think would be suitable? And what form of that fruit would you use to tint and scent the dough? Juice?

[laurenmilan]

I like this idea, but FWIW I'd suggest 2 or 3 different fruit flavored/tinted doughs with chocolate filling & some fruit component.  I'm thinking about the visual appeal - kinda like those pastel colored Japanese mochi - rather than brown buns...

Pastel fruit-flavored doughs? That WOULD be beautiful!

Maybe a rich chocolate filling like a bittersweet ganache (think chocolate truffle filling) mixed with chopped dried fruits, or fruit juices, or layered underneath a thick fruit layer? Sky's the limit here...

When I think of bao, I think of those sweet buns filled with sweet red bean paste, so the consistency of ganache would be similar to that. The various ideas that have cropped up so far sound so good I may try 'em myself...

Edited January 27, 2004 by laurenmilan (log)

[alanamoana]

depends when the wedding is. i guess you can get berries all year round, but you could also buy purees which work well with chocolate ganache and you could add a little bit to the dough to color it as well...

i'm thinking very traditional here with raspberry: pink dough and raspberry ganache with chambord?

passion fruit: orangey-yellow dough and pf ganache

on a side note, i worked at a restaurant in hawaii this past summer that made their jin dui (the chewy sesame coated balls) sort of sweet: they colored the dough pink (just food coloring) and filled them with a relatively sweet filling of duck and dried apricot...they were delicious as a dessert and typically asian in that it still contained savory ingredients!

[Louisa Chu]

I was picturing a white bao with a dark chocolate center - very cool and dramatic. I don't think I like the visual of a chocolate bao - and I'd think the fruit filling would get lost. Look forward to hearing how it goes.

[FoodZealot]

I think this could be a very cool thing. It made me think of a place in LA called Din Tai Fung, where we've held an eG lunch, and had these bao with sweet black sesame filling. Note the black sesame on top as garnish and to help identify the filling.

Sometimes on regular bao, you see a mark to distinguish it by the ink color or Chinese character. Maybe you could play on this with a bit of candied fruit or zest, or something similar to indicate what the dough is flavored with. Japanese wagashi candies are sometimes decorated in a similar manner.

For dough/ganache flavorings, I think alanamoana is right on the mark; go seasonal if you can. I don't know what is/will be available to you, but I might add to that list coconut, green tea, persimmon, pine nuts or cashews (almost like a gianduia?). Another thing to consider is using flavored Chinese rice wines - I've seen lychee and plum - but I have no idea if they taste good. There was also a green tea bao dough at Sea Harbour.

Colored dough, a little fillip on the top, and the ganache filling - sounds pretty cool to me. Plus I think you'd be pulling in enough Asian elements to overcome any steadfast traditionalists. Good luck!

[Bicycle Lee]

I have seen at my local oriental supermarket dreied orange zest which is particularly potent...I could perhaps incorporate this...

I am thinking the use of purees would be nice to tint and scent the dough. Perhaps strain them, take the juice and add in lieu of the liquid in the bao dough, and then fill them with a ganache... I am a little leary of adding fruit to the filling because of the availability of fruits this time of year (the reception is Friday)... Although I could do a fruit element on the side.(?)

Thank you so much for all of your help. Add anything more that you like...I will post pics if I can.

[alanamoana]

something relatively asian that i thought of: candied kumquats. they make a nice ganache also.

[Bicycle Lee]

so I am planning on using a 2/1 chocolate/cream truffle filling mixture for these...whaddya think?

[Bicycle Lee]

OH MAN! The bao were so damn good! Thank you to all who helped me with inspiration! They were like the best molten cake I have ever had....soft, sweet dough that exploded with this rich dark chocolate ganache.... then I soaked the fruit in port and the combo of the chocolate and port was great...

so the plate was: some of the reserved ganache drizzled, a small spoon of fruit and the port sauce and my homemade fortune cookies which were a slight pain in my gluteus but ended up being delicious, beautiful and hilarious.

a small sampling of the fortunes:

you are being watched

2 minus 3 equals negative fun

You are a winner. Redeem your prize at Cosmic Central

If you come to a fork in the road, take it

Help! I'm being held prisoner in a Chinese bakery

As far as consistency goes, choose inconsistency

There's no "I" in fortune cooky

You're not crazy, everyone's just trying to steal your magic bag

If something is boring for 2 minutes, try it for 4

This fortune is false

and finally....

FNORD!?

thanks again, yall