Chillies 2025

I don't make Chocolate cakes but I do make my own chocolates and always use the plain 80% cocoa bars sold for cooking. Lots of different fruit/nuts etc. but when I have melted choc. left over, I often put my dried grated chilli in. Jolly tasty .

Please don't give up @CanadianLori ........ it's always interesting to know what's what in different parts of the world

 

I use cocoa powder which im sure is identical everywhere. then just add some milk powder, or use milk as your liquid. a small bit of liquid coffee is a great add to bring out the chocolate flavour. dont skimp on the sugar in a chocolate cake either.

 

I too use Cocoa powder when making chocs. to "dust" before they go in a container. They keep for months.

 

Still going strong, first b&q bought scotch bonnets finally started to ripen, too late for up here unfortunately. the ones I sowed from seed have been producing for ages.

 

Good evening. What is the earliest month you have planted chilli seeds indoors in a heated tray. The reason I ask is that I preordered some chilli seeds as their web site said they would be delivered near the sowing month. They arrived today. Normally I plant them in February.

 

I start Boxing day.

 

Chocolate chilli cake first - there's a recipe on BBC Good Food that will make a good starter recipe - Chilli Chocolate Cake - and I will experiment on OH first. I usually bake with a mix of 100% cocoa powder and darke chocolate from 54 to 70% depending on the recipe.

@Goldenlily26 I hate dry cakes too and suspect you would enjoy chocolate beetroot or carrot cake.

Since we moved to Belgium in 1991 I haven't been able to eat UK chocolate made with vegetable oils rather than cocoa butter. I read recently that Lindt is now bypassing the USA and exporting direct to Canada so I know there's good chocolate available.

Back to chillies - I sowed several varieties with heat in January. Nothing. Repeat in February. Nothing again. Finally got some to germinate in March but theye were then very slow to grow on and have only just started setting fruits. I tend to freeze them, chopped, in ice trays then keep them in bags in the freezer. I've also made Chinese crispy chili oil, chilli oil and chilli jam.

@CanadianLori do you use fresh, frozen or dried chilli in you bread. I'd like to try that too.

 

If you dont have lights and lots of heated space starting any seeds before the days are lengthening rather than shortening is asking for trouble with most things IMO.

 

Yeah I start mine in January or February and use lights and temperature controlled heating mat

 

?? @Goldenlily26

 

Her reply is mixed up in your quote I assume, I've made that mistake myself at times.
Happens when you add to the quote rather than typing your message after the quote.

 

Unless I am using a chillie immediately, I chop and freeze them. I do not use picked chillies in any of my recipes so that I am only adding the heat and flavour of the fruit and nothing more.

 

I've never tried freezing my chillies - I make chilli oil with fresh ones but otherwise I just dry them and use that way. Last forever and a sprinkle or 2 is useful for a number of recipes.

 

You get the fresh flavour if you freeze them, although not the texture unfortunately