CHOCOLATE, IN THE FORM of cacao, is as old as time, with evidence of domesticated cacao trees dating back to thousands of years BC. But when it comes to the desirable, decadent treat we all know and love today, we can thank the Spanish – who sweetened bitter cocoa drinks with sugar – and Coenraad van Houten’s invention of the chocolate press in 1828 which enabled the separation of cocoa solids from cocoa butter. The first solid chocolate bar was made by Joseph Fry in 1847 by melting and mixing cocoa butter back into cocoa solids. And many millions of white, milk and dark chocolate bars have been enjoyed since.

Chocolate can of course be an everyday treat, by itself, in desserts and in baking, but it’s especially popular when it comes to celebrations – chocolates for Valentine’s Day, a chocolate birthday cake and of course everyone loves to receive a chocolatey Christmas present!

I’ve a few festive gift ideas for you, including the unlikely sounding chocolate salami – I was working in my restaurant, Kai, when Benny, one of my pastry chefs, asked if I’d heard of it, and I was like, ‘What the hell is that?’ And when he made it I was in awe. It’s a kind of boozy chocolate biscuit cake. I make this all the time now and give it away as gifts, especially at Christmas.

1 Tahini & Chocolate Brownie Swirls Heat oven to 180°C. In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water), melt together 280g cubed butter, 250g chopped dark chocolate, 150g caster sugar, 150g brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in 1 teaspoon instant coffee. Take off the heat and, one at a time, mix in 5 large eggs. Sift over 170g plain flour and 125g cocoa and fold through then pop the batter into a lined medium brownie tin. Dollop over 70g hulled tahini and use a wooden skewer to swirl into the batter. Bake for 25 minutes.

2 To make a Magic Shell to jazz up those summer bowls or cones of ice cream it’s as simple as melting together 200g dark chocolate and 100g of coconut oil in the microwave until evenly melted then drizzle over the ice cream. It’ll harden up into a shell so you can snap, crackle and enjoy!

3 For a sophisticated-sounding but super-simple gift of After Dinner Mint Candy Cane Bark, separately melt 250g dark chocolate and 250g white chocolate. Pour both onto a baking paper-lined flat baking sheet and swirl together then sprinkle over some broken-up peppermint candy canes. Leave to cool then break up into small shards, pop into a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon.

4 In need of a little chill-out time over the sometimes chaotic Christmas period? For a Boozy Iced Chocolate Milk I simply whisk 80g melted chocolate into 250ml full-fat milk and pop it in the fridge to chill it down again. Pour it into a cocktail shaker with 100ml Baileys Irish Cream, give it a shake and serve it over ice. If you’re feeling a bit fancy, garnish it with a chocolate-dipped cherry.

For seasonal feasting inspiration see our extract from Jess Murphy’s book The Kai Cookbook.
Wairoa-born Jess Murphy is chef-owner of Michelin-awarded restaurant Kai in Galway, Ireland. She was named Global Ambassador for 2024 at the Women in Food and Drink Aotearoa New Zealand Awards.