Smoking is a technique that is well used in a variety of savoury dishes, but why not add a little smoke to dessert or a sweet snack? Smoked chocolate is one of my favourite ways to add that little extra something to an otherwise standard cookie or cake. Think about a classic chocolate chip cookie made with smoked chocolate chips instead. Or even rich smoked chocolate ganache between the layers of your favourite chocolate cake recipe. Smoky brownies? Smoked chocolate sauce over ice cream. How about smoked chocolate lava cake? Okay I’ll stop, you get the idea. The possibilities are endless, so let’s get smokin’!
To smoke chocolate you will need to maintain a low temperature (below 60°F). The easiest way to sustain a low temperature in your Bradley Smoker is to use a Cold Smoker Attachment. This separates the heat source from the cabinet while still filling the cabinet with smoke. Alternatively, you can use your smoker as is with it set to the lowest heat level possible and with a tray of ice on the lowermost shelf. Using a regular hot smoker you will have to stand vigilantly by to open the door frequently and replenish the ice to maintain a low temperature. In my experience, you may still have your chocolate soften or melt using a hot smoker and it is definitely much less convenient than a cold smoker (but possible nonetheless!).
If you are going for the hot smoker method, I would only suggest using dark chocolate (melts at a higher temperature), but in a cold smoker you can smoke whatever type of chocolate you like. For chocolate, I find the milder woods to work best such as alder or apple. Woods such as hickory end up tasting too bitter. But try out for yourself, you may just find a great combination!
In order to smoke your chocolate you need to cut it down to size. Either use chocolate chips or chop chunks of chocolate into approximately 1” pieces. Avoid over-handling the chocolate as it will melt slightly. Place your chocolate chips/chunks into an aluminium baking tray. I pierce small holes in my tray as I am using a cold smoker and am certain I won’t have melted chocolate dripping through. Place tray of chocolate into your pre-smoking (not preheated!) cold smoker and wait.
The smoke time will vary on how much smoke you are producing, how much chocolate you have in your smoker and your personal preference for flavour. After 2 hours, give your chocolate a little taste test to see if it has the amount of smoke flavour you’re looking for. Then “taste test” a little more just to be certain. If you want more smoke, then give it more smoke. If you like it after 2 hours of smoking, then pull it out of the smoker and jazz up your baking!
Compliments of Bradley Smoker North America