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White
Chocolate Candy Bars combine melted white chocolate with
dried fruits and chopped nuts. An easy confection to
make as the ingredients are just mixed together, spread into a pan, and left
to set. This recipe makes an 8 x 8 inch
(20 x 20 cm) pan of squares. You can cut them into any size you like, but I
find either thin long bars (shown in picture) or small squares to be very
nice.
White Chocolate has always been the mysterious
chocolate, treated differently because according to the FDA, 'officially'
it is not chocolate at all. That is because 'chocolate' must be made of
cocoa fat (cocoa butter) and nonfat dry cocoa solids, an ingredient that
is not found in white chocolate. So here we
are, everyone thinks its chocolate, calls it chocolate, but its really isn't
chocolate, its "white confectionery coating".
The one thing we must do is to choose
our white chocolate carefully, making sure that the label states that it contains
cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla, and lecithin. White
chocolate needs cocoa butter
as this is what gives it that sweet yet mellow flavor and
smooth and creamy texture. Inferior
brands use vegetable fat as its substitute and their flavor is very sweet and
artificial tasting. Another tell tailed sign its not good
white chocolate is its color. White chocolate containing cocoa butter is
pale yellow to ivory colored, whereas white chocolate containing vegetable fat is pure
white in color. My favorite brands are Lindt and Callebaut.
Dried fruits
are added to the melted white chocolate and while I have used dried
cranberries (or cherries) and apricots you can use other dried fruits.
Dried fruits have come a long way in recent years in both availability and
quality but there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your
fruit. First, try to buy in bulk from a grocery store or natural food
store that has a high turnover. Not only will the fruit be fresher, but you
can see, smell, feel, and often taste the fruit to make sure it is
fresh and of high quality. Pre-packaged fruit can also be excellent but it
is harder to tell the quality of the fruit through the plastic bag. Make
sure to check the expiration date on the bag. Always
look for dried fruit that is plump, moist, and has good color. Never buy
fruit that is dried out or moldy. There is a debate about whether to
buy 'sulphured' or 'unsulphured' dried fruits. Some like to buy 'sulphured'
which means that it has been treated with a sulphur dioxide solution. This
preserves the fruit's bright color and makes the fruit very soft and moist. The downside is
that some people can taste the preservative while others are allergic. Of
course, 'unsulphured' means it has not been treated before it is dried and
some say the flavor of untreated dried fruits is far superior. The downside is
that the fruit's color may be slightly faded looking, especially
dried fruits (like apples, pears, and bananas) that oxidize
quickly.
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