Potato Chips in Milk Chocolate; Products to Try and Recipe to DIY

I purchased a Chuao Chocolatiers' kettle-cooked Potato Chip chocolate bar at Chapters-Indigo recently and was blown away by how enjoyable it was. With a rich 41% milk chocolate and a very distinct kettle-cooked chip flavour, a good amount of salt, and a very crunchy texture, this bar delivered on everything that the package promised. The deep-fried flavour that remains in your mouth after the chocolate melts away may leave you feeling guilty about eating this chocolate, but you can lose the guilt when you hear that it is all natural, with real vanilla, no hydrogenated oils or any other strange additives.

So when I bought the second bar (Yup, I did. But I shared), I got to thinking, why kettle cooked chips?  Well, for one, they are crunchier than regular chips and therefore should maintain their crunch once added to chocolate. Certainly that could be seen with Lays new Wavy Milk Chocolate covered potato chips. They are delicious with a good crunch, but slightly less than Chuao's chocolate bar. Lays chocolate-covered chips also have a natural ingredient list.

So that is when I had an idea. A wonderfully indulgent idea. Why not make my own milk chocolate bar with chips in it?  The result was delicious.  So I have decided to share it with you.  And if you do not have chocolate bar molds, you can turn it into a beautiful chocolate-and-chip bark that will keep your friends coming back for more.

Recipe: Kettle Cooked Chips in Milk Chocolate Bar (or Bark!)

You need:

• 16 ounces (454g) of milk chocolate, chopped (I used Camino 45% organic milk chocolate)
• 3.5 cups (3.52 ounces or 100g) of kettle-cooked chips (I used PC brand, which are very crunchy)

Instructions:

1. Place the chips in a large plastic zipper freezer bag, then using a rolling pin or tall straight glass, roll over the chips until they are fully crushed. Set aside.

2. Place your chocolate in a stainless steel (for double-boiler only) or glass bowl (for double boiler or microwave method). Melt and temper your milk chocolate. For detailed tempering instructions, click here. See the bottom of this post for a simple (but not always accurate) tempering method.

3. Once your chocolate is tempered (and at about 84 degrees Fahrenheit), pour the chips into the chocolate and stir until combined. Immediately pour onto a large piece of waxed paper, or imprint mats like the Cake Boss new mats (in Canada, see here), or into chocolate bar molds. If making bark, spread around to the edges of the mats, if chocolate bars, pour into middle and gently tap the mold until the chocolate spreads to the edges, then bang lightly on the counter to remove air bubbles.

4. Place in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours to let set, then when the edges are pulling away from the sides of the molds or waxed paper, you can take it out of the fridge and extract.  For the molds, flip upside down onto waxed paper. For the bark, break into pieces.

5. Let rest until the chocolate comes back to room temperature, then package however you like in sealed containers or bags.  Keeps for 6 months to 1 year.



After I made chocolate bars, I then made chocolate bark with
the new Cake Boss Imprint Mats to add a bit of fun
to the back-side of my chocolate bark.

Just after pouring the bark, let it set at room temperature for
just a few minutes (less than five), then cut various sizes of
rectangular pieces for a smoother, more professional edge.

Here is the final product with patterns made by the Cake Boss Imprint Mats.

Simple Tempering Method:
For a more accurate method, use a thermometer and follow the instructions here.

Step 1: Place your chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.  Melt for 2 minutes on HALF POWER.  Remove and stir until melted or nearly melted. Place back in the microwave for another 15 seconds to bring the temperature up to 115 F (if you do not have a digital candy thermometer, it should be slightly hot to touch) and stir until everything is melted.

Step 2: Add the cocoa butter to the chocolate and stir until fully melted, then continue to stir and reduce the temperature to about 82-84 degrees by placing the bottom of your bowl over a bag of frozen peas, frozen fruit or ice.  Stir until the chocolate is the same temperature or cooler than the back of your baby finger when dipped into the chocolate.