Chocolate Recipes Part 2

Video HERE

Two of these recipes were demonstrated for the Sugarcraft Guild in March, although I didn't get to show the whole process in that video... The third I 'borrowed' from Ann Reardon, her recipe has certainly overcome - some of - my sugar-phobe tendencies.

 Cappuccino

This recipe is one of my most popular chocolates, light and whippy with a rich slug of coffee and a boozy edge. This technique is also a quick and easy way to make a rich chocolate mousse. You'll find it easiest with a handheld mixer - with removable blades or make space in your fridge for the whole thing. This batch will make about 60 moulded or rolled chocolates.

150g Milk Chocolate
50g Plain Chocolate
50g Butter
120ml Double Cream
Pinch of Salt
2tsp Instant Coffee*
2-3tbsp Coffee Liqueur
Gold or Bronze Lustre Dust
200g White Chocolate

1. Break the chocolate into a large jug with the butter, cream, salt and coffee and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time.
2. Stir well to combine - make sure the butter is completely melted - then stir in the liqueur and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Blend - or whisk - for a couple of minutes until frothy. Leave the blades in the jug and transfer to the fridge for 5 minutes.
4. Blend once more until lighter in colour, then chill again for 5 minutes.
5. Repeat twice more** until very light, then transfer to piping bags and keep at room temperature until ready to pipe. Or, return to the fridge for 45 minutes -1hr until firm enough to roll.
6. If moulding, brush the moulds with lustre dust, tapping out the excess, before filling with white chocolate.

*I started making this recipe with fine ground coffee, but found the grittiness unpleasant, so I tried a good quality instant instead and had no real difference in flavour. If hand-rolled you should dip these in white chocolate and top with ground coffee for garnish instead of lustre. IMHO
**Be careful in the later stages of this process, this can separate and become unpleasant. Only beat until lighter in colour, don't attempt to make a light mousse - you can fold in some whipped cream if you want that texture instead.

Water Ganache

This one breaks the rules of chocolate work - but if you choose a really posh, strong chocolate they'll be dairy-free and ideal for your vegan friends. This makes about 30-40 balls, depending on how generously you roll them.

170ml Water
50g Dark Muscovado Sugar
225g Plain Chocolate (70% Cocoa +)
Cocoa Powder
Coco Nibs (Optional, but delicious)

1. Put the water and sugar into a small pan and bring to a simmer.
2. Roughly chop the chocolate and tip into a small-ish bowl,* then pour over the water and whisk until smooth.
3. Cool to room temperature, then chill for 1-2 hours.
4. Scatter some cocoa  and a few nibs onto a plate. Roll spoonfulls of the ganache into balls and drop onto the plate, shake to coat.
5. Chill until needed, but best served at room temperature.

*I find that this works best in a bowl 1/2 filled with chocolate, that way all the heat from the water melts the chocolate rather than heating the bowl.

Raspberry Caramel

I have historically been useless when it comes to hot sugar recipes (other than salted caramel). Whether fudge or toffee I have yet to find a recipe that works first time - or any time when it comes to fudge - but I had a specific order for a raspberry filled chocolate so I had to bite the bullet, as it were. I saw this recipe on Ann Reardon's You Tube channel and, as the other recipes I'd borrowed from her blog had all been successful I thought I'd give this one a go. The video here is my first attempt - and was a complete success! Has the sugar-phobia been overcome... only time will tell. This recipe filled 90 moulded shapes!

200g Raspberries (defrosted if frozen)*
60ml Double Cream
25g Butter
300g Sugar
30ml Glucose Syrup
75ml Water

1. Blend the berries with the cream and sieve out the seeds (I left some in, by accident really, the sieve wasn't very fine, but it added to the flavour). Chop the butter into cubes and add to the fruit then set aside.
2. Heat the sugar, glucose and water until melted, then cook until golden.
3. Remove from the heat then add the berry cream and butter. Stir until combined.
4. Return to the heat and bring to 230F(110C)** then pour into a bowl to cool.

*I expect this would work with any fruit, but I have yet to try different variations.
**This temperature gave me a thick jam-like consistency, the second batch I heated closer to 115C and it was much more caramel-like, although it was a bear to pipe into moulds once cold.