Glossy Chocolate
Drizzle
KS Quotient
Easy: Modest list of ingredients. Easy preparation.
As its name suggests, this glaze has a beautiful sheen and looks wonderfully appetizing. Drizzle over any coffeecake or sweet bread that can benefit from a pleasantly chocolaty accent.
Yield: Enough to accent 1 large coffeecake
½ cup powdered sugar, plus more if needed
1½ tablespoons good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons hot water or fresh hot coffee
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 ounce (about 3 ½ tablespoons) finely chopped unsweetened chocolate or ultra-bittersweet chocolate
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a small, heavy saucepan. Stir in the water and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute; immediately remove from the heat. Place the chocolate in a small, deep bowl and pour the cocoa mixture over it; don't stir. Let the mixture stand for 3 to 4 minutes, until the heat melts the chocolate. Stir until completely smooth, then let cool to warm; it will gradually thicken and develop a drizzling consistency as it stands.
If it stiffens too much, thoroughly stir in a little warm water. Drizzle the warm mixture decoratively over the coffeecake or bread. Then let stand until completely cooled. The glaze will set up glossy and will firm up in about an hour.