Pages

Friday, December 21, 2012

Recipe: Homemade Japanese Nama Chocolate

I first got my taste of Royce Chocolate when I was in my teens. A friend from Japan brought us some Royce chocolates as a gift, and we really loved it. Fast forward a few years, Royce was available in KL too and we would occasionally get a box of chocolates as a treat. A box of Royce Nama Chocolate costs RM45, so when I saw this recipe for homemade Nama chocolate on Nami's blog, I had to try it.

Christmas Gift Idea #1

Homemade Japanese Nama Chocolate

First time making, not so nice edges but still yummy!

"Nama" means “raw” or “fresh” in Japanese, as fresh (whipping) cream being used. This is incredibly easy to make and you only need 3 ingredients - heavy cream (whipping cream), chocolate and cocoa powder and alcohol is optional. The taste and texture is very similar to French truffles, except that Nama chocolate is cut into squares rather than made into balls. It is very rich and literally melts in your mouth. It is  recommended to use good quality chocolate, since that is the main ingredient and ultimately what you would be tasting/eating. You can make this up to 2-3 days in advance. They make perfect gift boxes for Christmas time or served as a petit four after your Christmas dinner.


A tip to my Malaysian readers as well as those living in hot climate countries:

Because of the hot Malaysian climate, I had to place these chocolates in the freezer to firm up rather than the fridge . It makes cutting them up much more easier and neater (clean cuts). When placed in the fridge, I could hardly get clean edges but it's possible when it's put in the freezer. The texture remains the same, still soft and melt in the mouth.

The first batch that I made weren't so nicely cut, but the second batch (put in freezer) turned out perfect. The kids received these Nama chocolates as part of their Advent Calendar gifting, and they really love it! I have also gifted this to a few friends and they also love it. It really makes a great gift, though you must remind your friends to keep these in the fridge at all times as there is fresh cream used. These Nama chocolates should preferably be eaten in under 5 days, but I think that shouldn't be much of a problem especially if you are a chocolate lover ;)

Advent Calendar time!

Big chocolate smile :)


Nama chocolate with dried cranberries and apricot for kids!


The second batch that I made for a potluck party yesterday and I managed to get them in perfect squares with clean edges

Practice makes perfect... I can get them nicely cut everytime now :)



Homemade Japanese Nama Chocolate
Recipe adapted from Just One Cookbook
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Makes 36 squares

Ingredients
400 gram good quality dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate (I used the latter)
200 ml fresh cream (heavy whipping cream)
Liqueur of your choice (optional)
Cocoa powder to coat the chocolate

Note: The ratio of Cream (ml) and Chocolate (gram) should be 1:2.

1. Cut the chocolate into smaller pieces using a knife so that they will melt faster and more evenly.



2. Lay parchment paper (baking sheet) on baking pan or any square tray (about 8"x8"). Choosing the right size tray is important as the height of chocolate is dependent on this.

3. Put cream in a saucepan and heat it up over medium low heat until it almost reaches a boil (ie as soon as you see 1-2 bubbles forming). Turn off the heat.

4. Add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate and cream are completely combined. Add liqueur of your choice (optional). Skip the alcohol if you're giving to kids, however you can add rum, Baileys or even champagne if you like. 

5. Pour the mixture into the tray. Smooth the surface and refrigerate until firm. If you are residing in a country with hot climate, it is advisable to place the chocolate in the freezer, covered loosely with a cling film to firm up for at least 12 hours. I usually make it the night before, and they're ready to cut in the morning.

6. Remove the chocolate from baking tray and chop them into cubes using a warm knife. Make sure to warm the knife after each cutting to prevent splintering. You can use hot running water but wipe it off completely before cutting. (You need to be very quick in hot climate or else the chocolate becomes "sticky" and difficult to cut).

7. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and serve it chilled. You can keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days but enjoy soon. If you store them in the freezer, they can last for up to 10 days.




Happy with her Advent Calendar gift :)

*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 17 April 2013.

28 comments:

  1. These chocolates look so yummy and pretty!Perfect for Xmas gift! :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Yen for letting us sampling your Nama choc. Delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  3. oo.. I love Royce Nama... and I didnt realize it was so easy to make... so gotta try this but first I need to clear my freezer for this.. lol... thks for sharing & Happy Holidays to You & your Family!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks so delicious and easy... putting on my to try list.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Baby Sumo, this chocolate sure taste heavenly. To live for and to die for kind, so chocolatey. Yummylicious!

    Have a lovely day ahead,regards.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chocolates! My fav! The steps looks simple.. Gonna try it.
    May I know what's the estimated costing for the ingredients above?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa, it depends on what chocolate you choose to use. But I would say its under RM20, half of what you would pay for a box of Royce choc.

      Delete
    2. Oh yeah, you get about 36 squares here... 3x what you get from a box of Royce also. ;P

      Delete
    3. Woah! Thanks... Think I want to make tml! *hopefully jadi to make*haha...

      Delete
  7. oooo, love nama chocolates. this does sound like a very cost-effective substitute for royce, which is great but so hurtful to the wallet :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yummy, i almost got down to making these last week but got distracted. Sounds so delicious. Merry christmas to you and family :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. aww how adorable!!!!! :) This would be perfect for a christmas lunch party!!! Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. These chocolates look so tempting and perfect for the season

    ReplyDelete
  11. I saw this on Nami's blog too and always wanted to try it! :D I've had Royce chocolate and it was so good :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. They look delicious ! And easy to make as well :)

    ReplyDelete

  13. Your food is awesome and the presentation ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great photos, and very extremely cute kids! I made these as a gift for my friend, and she and her partner were absolutely blown away! A never-fail recipe from Nami, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ya, this chocolate is additive, I am going to make this soon . After tried Royce, actually I prefer yours, hehehe ..thanks for sharing the tips, make me feel confidence to success on my 1st attempt!
    Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Definitely another reason to give in to the temptation of chocolates...how I loved them .

    ReplyDelete
  17. OH ! i super LOVE these chocolate! So decadent & tempting that I'm making some this week. Thanks for sharing this recipe. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope u enjoy it! I made it for some blogger friends and they really liked it :)

      Delete
  18. Hi, I went through your this post and found really interesting. I landed this page through internet search and found
    this page very good.I am a web designer and works in a web design company
    as a designer I liked the color of your blog also.

    Thanks,
    Papita Prasad

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Yen, what chocolate brand did you use? Where did you get it from?

    Cheers,
    Lydia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've used two types of chocolate for this before - Beryl's from baking supply shop and Hershey's from Tesco/giant

      Delete
  20. How long would you freeze the ganache for?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be hard enough to cut after being in the freezer for 2 hrs. You may find that after cutting half, you need to place it back in freezer again for 10 mins to let it harden slightly again so tht u can get clean cuts of your chocolate, esp in the hot weather.

      Delete

Please drop any comments or questions you may have here. Thank you so much for reading!