Chocolates, Chocolates, and More Chocolates!

My brother-in-law and hubby's best friend's families are staying with us for the holidays. It's so fun having everyone here. C and K are loving the extra playmates and overnight guests! While our company is here, I thought I'd show off my new chocolate skills! I posted the recipes below however please keep in mind that you need to have a good understanding of how to temper chocolate in order to make them. (It took me weeks to learn this!) The chocolates I chose to make are (from left to right): gingerbread with a little gingerbread man on top, molded salted caramel, minty lemony hand dips, and peppermint! I hope everyone enjoys them!




Gingerbread Rolled Truffles
3 ¾ oz. Heavy Cream
½ oz. Corn Syrup
Pinch Salt
4 oz. 72% Dark Chocolate, chopped finely
1 oz. 38% Milk Chocolate, chopped finely
¼ oz. (1/2T) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
¼ oz. (2t) Pumpkin Pie Spice

Combine and scald the heavy cream, and salt. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to combine the ingredients. When the temperature of the ganache falls to 95˚F, add the butter and spices. Emulsify with immersion blender or a whip. Let ganache firm at room temperature or by placing in cooler for short period of time. Scoop or pipe into desired size. Ideally, you would like the ganache to sit overnight to dry. Roll into round shape, place in cooler. Dip the truffles in 31 % white chocolate for a finish. (I dipped in dark chocolate.)

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Salted Caramel
1 ¼ oz. Granulated Sugar
1 oz. Water
3 ¼ oz. Heavy Cream
¼ oz. Corn syrup
1/8 oz. Sea Salt
5 oz. 31% White Chocolate, finely chopped
¾ oz. Butter, Unsalted, room temperature
¼ oz. Cocoa Butter, melted and cooled slightly

Mold the chocolate shells according to proper procedure. 58% Dark. Scald together the cream, corn syrup and salt. Caramelize the sugar. Add the cream mixture. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to combine the ingredients. When the temperature of the ganache falls to 95˚F, add the butter and cocoa butter. Emulsify with immersion blender or a whip. Let ganache cool to below 85˚ F. Pipe into pre-molded shells. Ideally, you would like the ganache to sit overnight to dry. Cap the molds with 58% dark chocolate, tempered.

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Minty- Lemony Hand Dipped Chocolates
5 oz. Heavy Cream
1 peel Lemon zest
45 Mint leaves, chopped finely
2 oz. Glucose
3 oz. Butter, soft
33 oz. White Chocolate, melted
4 oz. Lemon Juice, warmed to 105˚F
40 oz. 64% Dark Chocolate, tempered, for coating

Bring to a boil the heavy cream, lemon peel, mint and glucose. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Strain through a chinois. Add the butter to the white chocolate. Massaging in to combine. Pour the cream and the lemon juice into the white chocolate. Use an immersion blender to combine. Spread the mixture to appropriate thickness, ½ inch thick and let crystallize. Foot the product. Cut into squares or rectangles. Dip into chocolate. Apply texture.

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Peppermint Rolled Chocolates
2 ½ oz. Heavy Cream
3 sprigs Mint, Fresh, just the leaves
Pinch Salt
6 ½ oz. 31% White chocolate, chopped finely
½ oz. (1T) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
Splash Crème de Menthe, mint liqueur
2 to 4 drops Peppermint Oil

Combine and scald the heavy cream, mint leaves and salt. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain and re-measure the cream again. Warm the cream. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to combine the ingredients. When the temperature of the ganache falls to 95˚F, add the butter. Emulsify with immersion blender or a whip. Add the liqueur and the oil. Let ganache firm at room temperature or by placing in cooler for short period of time. Scoop or pipe into desired size. Ideally, you would like the ganache to sit overnight to dry. Roll into round shape. Dip the truffles in 31 % white chocolate for a finish. (I dipped them in dark chocolate.) Immediately after dipping, roll each truffle in the roughly chopped candy cane pieces. Let set before removing from candy.