Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1889) of Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin, KBE, English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona “the Tramp” and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death at age 88, and was marked by both adulation and controversy.

I just discovered that Chaplin’s favorite confection was marshmallow and coconut coated in milk chocolate and salted cashews, and in certain parts of New York State there is a bar (and dessert) called the Charlie Chaplin.  If you are in the vicinity, and have a hankering, you can go to the Broadway Market in Buffalo to get some, or use this website for a mail order: http://www.aletheas.com/shop/chocolate-menu/charlie-chaplin/

Or, you can make a version yourself.

Charlie Chaplin Chocolate

Ingredients

2 lbs milk chocolate wafers or morsels
2 cups salted cashews
1 cup coconut flakes
24 marshmallows

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Or use a bowl in a microwave, stirring every so often until the chocolate is barely melted.  Do not overheat.

Add the coconut flakes to the chocolate and mix them gently but thoroughly.

Butter the bottom and sides of an aluminum loaf pan, and add enough of the warm chocolate mix to coat the bottom and sides.  Work quickly so that the remaining chocolate mix does not stiffen.

Add the cashews to the remaining chocolate and mix.

Fill the pan with 12 marshmallows evenly spaced and then pour enough chocolate mixture over them to cover them and fill the pan about half way.

Add the remaining 12 marshmallows to the pan and pour the chocolate mixture over them to cover and filling the pan.

Chill several hours or until firm.  Dip the loaf pan in hot water and release the chocolate. Alternatively you can simply cut away the pan.  Even so it is a good idea to dip the pan in hot water first to make removal of the aluminum easier.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.