Click here to go to printable recipe: Chocolate Covered Corn Flakes

Today, I have a sweet story, the inspiration for my recipe, to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A Swiss chef named Jean Franco Arnoldi arrived in Mexico and opened his first store in August of 1968; the quality and uniqueness of his chocolate creations made a name for Chocolates arnoldi™ and it became the standard for the fanciest and most delicious chocolate in the land. The business has grown, and currently there are twelve stores in Mexico City and eight in Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco. My sister and brother in-law are visiting my niece and family more frequently, in Guadalajara, now that they have an adorable grandchild there. During their last trip, I asked them to drop by an arnoldi™ store, and take a few pics:

Their fine chocolates and pastries are sold pre-packaged, or they may be picked individually, by weight. I got a little sentimental looking at those photos: the pretty chocolate bonbons, the hot pink bows, and the sort of flower-power iconic gift bags and cardboard baskets. Back in the 1980s, I remember they were the rave, especially for Valentine’s Day, which in Mexico is not only for romantic love, but any kind of friendship. I had just started working as a high school teacher, and was finishing my undergrad studies, so I did not have a lot of money to spare; like many people, I would rather get just a few pieces of – the very expensive – arnoldi™ chocolate, than a whole box of any other brand, either when receiving, or giving. I have always favoured the dark chocolate selections, and in particular, their trademark chocolate covered corn flakes.

Chocolate Covered Corn Flakes – Corn flakes con chocolate

Printable recipe: Chocolate Covered Corn Flakes

Ingredients (for 8 pieces)

4 oz (114 g) dark chocolate
1 ½ cups corn flakes (cereal)

Cover a flat surface or baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place chocolate in a non-metal, heatproof container, such as a large glass measuring cup (photo below, left). Either melt and temper the chocolate over steam in a water bath (click here for details), or as I did, place cup in the microwave oven and process for one minute on HIGH. The chocolate should be just partially melted (photo below, right):

Remove from microwave and stir, so the solid chocolate will start melting with the remaining heat (photo below, left). Microwave for another ten seconds, then stir again, and repeat just until the last of the solids is almost fully melted, and the paste is very shiny (photo below, right):

Once the paste is uniformly melted, add the corn flakes and gently fold in:

Spread mixture on the prepared parchment paper:

Scrape any dregs left in the cup and add to the mixture. The mixture may be flattened to a thickness of two to three cornflakes, and left to cool down and solidify in one piece, then broken into pieces, or as I did, divide into eight mounds while still wet:

Once solidified, the chocolate should remain very shiny:

The structure should be strong enough that the chocolate will brake with a crisp crack, and the corn flakes will break too, rather than fall apart:

This February 14, nobody should be punished with a lack of arnoldi™-quality chocolate. Anywhere in the world, two simple ingredients make a fancy treat, worthy of being packed and finished with a hot pink bow:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

NOTE: I recently learned that most corn flakes are not gluten free since they contain malt, often derived from barley. For a guarantied gluten-free treat, use certified gluten-free corn flakes.

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