Delicious, decadent Nama chocolate, is easy to make at home with this Royce' copycat recipe. Smooth silky chocolate made simply with rich dark chocolate and cream.
When I travel to Japan there is a whole bag of edible goodies I bring home with me. My last purchase, before jumping on a plane back to Sydney, is always a few boxes of Royce' chocolates, from either Haneda or Narita Airports.
It's an addictive delight, but when you can't get to Japan it is easy to make Nama chocolate at home. Only four ingredients (three if you don't use the cognac). It is similar to ganache you find in truffles but in slab form. Cut up into bite size squares and dusted with cocoa powder.
What's in this post
Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Use full fat good quality cream.
- Hennessy: Hennessy Cognac is an option, you can leave the alcohol out if you wish. I suggest you don't as it's an essential flavouring for the nama chocolate. Once you have tried this recipe, why not try alternative liquors like Cointreau or even spirits like whisky or rum the next batch?
- Cocoa Powder: A light dusting of cocoa powder is the final touch to decorate the chocolate. It also helps hide any surface unevenness.
- Dark Chocolate: Use good quality dark chocolate that you enjoy eating. 70% cacao is my recommendation.
Recipe Walk Through
Using a sharp knife and chopping board chop the chocolate into small pieces. Alternatively use a coarse grater and grate the chocolate.
Line 15cm x 25cm (6 inches x 10 inches) rectangular container with baking paper. Please refer to notes below.
Place cream into the saucepan and warm over medium heat. Heat cream until it is just about to start boiling. Stir while heating to stop the cream catching on the base of the saucepan. It is ready to remove from the heat when you start to see small bubbles appear.
Remove cream from the heat and add the dark chocolate.
Stir until combined, chocolate has melted, and the mixture is smooth.
If adding the Hennessy, which I strongly suggest you do, add it after the mixture has combined.
Stir through gently.
Pour chocolate mixture into the prepared container. Give the container a couple of bangs on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles, and smooth the top with the spatula.
Place in the fridge to set for 3 – 4 hours.
Once the nama chocolate mixture has set, remove chocolate from the container and place on a chopping board.
Warm a sharp knife in boiling water or under the hot water tap. Dry well with a tea towel to remove all moisture.
Using a sharp knife trim edges if needed to form nice straight lines.
Warm knife again as above and cut the chocolate into 2 – 3 cm (1 inch) long slices. You will need to warm your knife a few times during this process to stop the chocolate sticking to it.
Once you have strips of chocolate, cut them across wise to form 2 – 3 cm (1 inch) squares. Sprinkle the top of the nama chocolate with cocoa powder.
Chocolate will keep in the fridge safely until the expiry date of the cream used. Alternatively, you can freeze the chocolate for a month.
Tips & Tricks
What to do if the chocolate mixture seizes?
You know that the mixture has seized if it becomes grainy/lumpy.Place the grainy/lumpy chocolate mixture in a saucepan directly on the stove over the lowest heat possible. As the chocolate mixture begins to melt, gently whisk continuously. Once the chocolate mixture has melted it will have come together again completely.
Dish to Set the Nama Chocolate
When picking a container to set the nama chocolate in there are a couple of things to take into consideration.
- You will need a container with flat sides that are at a right angle to the base. In other words not sloping out.
- Take into consideration how flat the chocolate will be. Think about when you fill the container with the nama chocolate mixture how far it will come up the sides of the container. The idea is to be able to cut pieces that are a nice mouthful size, and are of the same depth, width, and height. Basically nice squares. Or at least more height that length and width once cut.
The only real hazard with making Nama Chocolate is that this melt in your mouth delight is way too easy to eat. You will be reaching for piece after piece after piece. Consider that my warning to all those dieters out there.
I really hope you enjoy one of my favourite treats from Japan made in your own home. If we can't go there, we can always bring a taste of Japan to us.
Sara xxx
Printable Recipe
Nama Chocolate
Special Equipment
- chopping board + sharp knife (or a grater)
- 15cm x 25cm (or equivalent capacity) baking dish/slice tray (see notes)
- Small - medium saucepan
- Silicone flat edged spoon, or spatula
Ingredients
- 400 grams (14 oz) dark chocolate use good quality chocolate around 70% cacao
- 200 mls (¾ cup + 4 teaspoons) heavy whipping cream
- 20 mls (4 teaspoons) cognac optional
- unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife and chopping board chop the chocolate into small pieces. Alternatively use a coarse grater and grate the chocolate.
- Line 15cm x 25cm (6 inches x 10 inches) rectangular container with baking paper. Please refer to notes below.
- Place cream into the saucepan and warm over medium heat. Heat cream until it is just about to start boiling. Stir while heating to stop the cream catching on the base of the saucepan. It is ready to remove from the heat when you start to see small bubbles appear.
- Remove cream from the heat and add chocolate. Stir until combined, chocolate has melted, and the mixture is smooth.
- If adding cognac, stir this through now.
- Pour chocolate mixture into the prepared container. Give the container a couple of bangs on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles, and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Place in the fridge to set for 3 - 4 hours.
- Once the chocolate mixture has set, remove chocolate from the container and place on a chopping board.
- Warm a sharp knife in boiling water or under the hot water tap. Dry well with a tea towel to remove all moisture.
- Using a sharp knife trim edges if needed to form nice straight lines.
- Warm knife again as above and cut the chocolate into 2 - 3 cm (1 inch) long slices. You will need to warm your knife a few times during this process to stop the chocolate sticking to it.
- Once you have strips of chocolate, cut them across wise to form 2 - 3 cm (1 inch) squares.
- Sprinkle the top of the nama chocolate with cocoa powder.
- Chocolate will keep in the fridge safely until the expiry date of the cream used. Alternatively, you can freeze the chocolate for a month.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- You will need a container that has flat sides that are at a right angle to the base. In other words not sloping out.
- Take into consideration how flat the chocolate will be. Think about when you fill the container with the nama chocolate mixture how far it will come up the sides of the container. The idea is to be able to cut pieces that are a nice mouthful size, and are of the same depth, width, and height. Basically nice squares.
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
More Homemade Sweet Recipes
There are a few sweet recipes on Belly Rumbles including the below. I highly recommend my personal two favourites, Black Sesame Caramels and my Almond Roca Recipe.
Ara
What happens if the cream used is only single cream, not heavy or whipping?
Sara McCleary
Hi Ara,
What will happen is that the consistency of the mixture will change. If using single cream you would need to either reduce the cream amount or increase the amount of chocolate used. Unfortunately, as I haven't made nama with single cream I can't advise you on the correct measurements.
Cheers, Sara
ara
Thanks! I just remembered there's such a thing as water ganache and a blog I checked had a recipe that had a 1:2.5 ratio, water to chocolate. She said it becomes truffle consistency when refrigerated. I'll try it out.