Ganache, Soft Filling for Chocolates Etc...
"For a "team-building" day I went with colleagues to a Delft Chocolate shop where they hand make everything and they gave us lessons! Afterward I tried a cookbook Ganache recipe and it didn't work so I went back to this shop and they gave me the quantities that we'd used in our lesson and it works very well indeed !
NOTE: I have been making these recently using my silicone ice cube moulds, and they work FANTASTICALLY! (the smaller forms work best)...they are soft and flexible enough to make these really easily and it saves the fiddly business of having to peel away the mini muffin papers off the cocolates later too. I find that we like more liqueur in ours as the flavour as I was given it was not pronounced enough for us. I sometimes use white chocolate for my filling and add a few drops of red or yellow food colour to make a creamy pink or yellow filling, with or without strawberry, lemon or banana flavouring inside a dark chocolate outside case. Please see my step-by-step photos for further reference on assembling these.
200g = 7 1/8 oz, 120g = 4 1/4 oz, 60g = 2.1 oz, 140g = 5 oz, 25g = 7/8 oz. Yield depends on the size and shape of your silicone ice-cube forms."
photo by Lavender Lynn
- Ready In:
- 55mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Yields:
-
20-25 chocolates
ingredients
-
Chocolate cases
- 200 g dark baking chocolate or 200 g bitter baking chocolate
-
Ganache Filling
- 120 g cream
- 60 g butter
- 140 140 g milk chocolate (as preferred) or 140 g white chocolate (as preferred)
- 25 25 g Tia Maria (Baileys is the favourite of ours) or 25 g rum (Baileys is the favourite of ours)
- 2 -3 drops food flavoring (optional)
- 1 1 teaspoon strawberry flavoring (optional) or 1 teaspoon banana flavoring (optional)
directions
- To make chocolate cases: melt 200g ( 7 oz) chocolate over a pan of warm water, do not overheat, when three quarters of it is melted, remove from heat and stir vigorously, this should distribute the heat and melt the remaining chocolate without it getting too hot and going "grainy".
- Take a small teaspoon of melted chocolate and " paint" the inside of your mini muffin paper or the insides of your silicone ice block forms. If coverage is a bit skimpy don't panic. these set in the fridge in minutes and a second coat is easier and works better than trying to get one very thick coat. Put them in the fridge to harden. Reserve enough of your chocolate to cover the bottom of your forms once they have been filled with the ganache filling.
- Put butter and cream in a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring all the time.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate and liqueur.
- Stir well until smooth (heat of mixture will melt chocolate) leave to cool a little, then let cool.
- Use as soft filling for chocolates and tartes.
- This does thicken up over time, and good chocolate is never refrigerated, just kept in a cool dry place. If these are refrigerated the filling gets very firm over time.
- By now your ganache filling mixture should be cool enough to put into the chocolate cases, using a piping bag or a teaspoon, fill them with the ganache, (but not quite to the very top of the chocolate case) Then put them back into the fridge for a while, and once set a little solid, put a "top" of melted chocolate on them to seal them closed and refrigerate until the top too is solid. I like to keep these in the fridge for a least a few hours or somewhere nice and cool overnight before I try and get them out of the forms.
- If using mini muffin papers, peel away the papers from the chocolates (this can be fiddly, don't press too hard as you peel them or your chocolate will break), If using the silicone ice cube forms, GENTLY easy the chocolates out of the forms, they will just pop out -- plate up and amaze your guests with these divine triumphs !
Questions & Replies
-
Is it OK to store extra ganache by vacuum wrapping and keeping in the pantry? -
How long can these chocolates stay outside of the refrigerator? I want to to make these for a friend and want to tell her when she would need to toss them. Thanks!
Reviews
-
These were my first attempt at making molded chocolates, and they turned out perfect! I used amaretto rather than rum, but I'll be making both in the days to come.... in fact, I'm making them for x-mas gifts... if I can refrain from eating them all. -
Great flavor! I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate for the shell and semi-sweet Baker's chocolate and Baileys for the center. I used silicone heart shaped ice cube trays which were a challenge for an impatient novice like me. I need to make the shell thicker next time so they won't crack or break apart. Thanks for posting! -
Saw this at your demo and been wanting to try these. We used to make plain chocolates in specific candy molds, but yours is much better and easier! The idea of using silicone ice cube molds and your ganache filling's fabulous! So many options :) I used silicone molds and the madeleine mold for this and for the filling, I used rum. It's like having expensive fancy chocolates without having to pay much for it. And quick to make too! I zipped them in the microwave mostly when melting :D Thank you for this keeper, kiwidutch! I'll be using this recipe again and again. :D -
If Cuistot can give these as gift, more power to her. I'm keeping these pieces of heaven home with us! :) This is simpler than one might expect to make. I used milk chocolate morsels for all the chocolate. I added the heavy cream and Bailey's as directed, but left out the optional flavorings. We love Lundt chocolate truffles, and these are very similar as they are sinfully wondrous and way too addictive! Thanks for sharing the recipe kiwi, we are forever grateful. -
DD15, who posts on Zaar as MandyLovesPandys, mostly made these and it was a delight and an adventure. She used Wilton candy molds, which worked, and mini muffin tins, which didn't work quite so well. The filling is delicious and the slight accent of alcohol brings the chocolate flavor up to where it can do some good. Made for PRMR, Dec. 08.
see 1 more reviews
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
kiwidutch
Netherlands
