The flavor combination of tart orange sherbet and creamy vanilla ice cream is classic and so nostalgic! A combination of tart, sweet, and tangy flavors creates the perfect balance. The ingredients in this cake recreate that childhood memory in a cake that won't melt in your hand! It is the perfect summer dessert. 

Ingredients

Orange juice concentrate: This ingredient is perfect for getting the most orange flavor into the cake. It is orange juice that has had a lot of the water removed, so the orange flavor is intense. This is why you add cold water to it when you make a pitcher of orange juice from concentrate. It adds a lot of flavor without too much liquid. You will need to cook your orange juice down if you are using fresh, to remove some of the water. 

Citric Acid: This is a weak, naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits and is what you taste on the outside of sour candies. A little bit adds some tartness, but you don't want to add too much as it will throw off the chemical balance of the cake. 

Orange zest: Orange juice adds a lot of flavor, but the zest is where the fragrant uniquely orange flavor and smell come from. Adding orange zest gives the cake another layer of flavor and has the whole house smelling like an orange grove

Cake Flour: This type of flour has a protein level of 9% or less, so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you’re located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

I love making sheet cakes because they don't require a ton of complicated decorating. Mascarpone frosting or stabilized whipped cream both go really well with this cake, it all depends on your preference. Top with some fresh orange slices and you're ready to serve!

Making Orange Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
2. Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
4. Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
5. Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
6. Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
7. Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
8. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
9. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 
10. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
11. Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.

Making Mascarpone Frosting

1. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
2. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
3. Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. 
5. Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

1. Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. 
2. Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. 
3. Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
4. Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.

FAQ

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Orange Creamsicle Cake

This orange creamsicle cake tastes just like the frozen ice cream bars I used to enjoy when I was a kid. The secret is using real orange juice concentrate, orange zest and a super creamy frosting. This orange creamsicle cake recipe will be a huge hit, having you humming the ice cream truck song all day long. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1097kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 9" x 13" cake pan

Ingredients

Orange Cake Ingredients

• 10 ounces cake flour
• 10 ounces granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon citric acid optional
• 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 7 ounces orange juice concentrate defrosted at room temperature
• 4 ounces milk warmed
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 1 zest orange
• 2 ounces vegetable oil
• 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
• 1 drop orange food coloring

Mascarpone Frosting

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Orange Cake

• Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
• Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
• Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
• Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
• Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
• Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
• Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 
• Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
• Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.

Making Mascarpone Frosting

• In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
• Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
• In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. 
• Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

• Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. 
• Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. 
• Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
• Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.

Notes

1. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
2. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
3. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
4. To prevent blueberries from sinking, I wash them (to get them wet) then roll them in flour. Then I add them to the batter halfway through baking
5. Do not fall for the "just add cornstarch to regular flour" trick. It does not work for this recipe. Your cake will look and taste like cornbread. If you can't find cake flour, use pastry flour which isn't quite as soft as cake flour but it's better than all-purpose flour. 
6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
7. If you're in the UK search for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. If you're in another part of the country, search for low protein cake flour.
8. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
9. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
10. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
11.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1097kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 2671IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Orange Creamsicle Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Chef Christophe Rull shows us how to achieve the perfect chocolate bonbons step by step. If you're a novice chocolatier and want to move into making your own flavored bonbons and ganache fillings, you don't want to miss this valuable information! Keep reading to learn how!

What is a bonbon?

A bonbon is a small molded chocolate candy. They are usually filled with things like ganache, sauces, liqueurs, or other sweet fillings. Remember those chocolate-covered cherries from Christmas? That's a kind of bonbon. But in my opinion, the worst version.

In this blog post, Chef Christophe Rull is going to show you how to make your own bonbons! Never buy stale Valentine's day candy again or start selling your own custom bonbon flavors. Once you get the basics down, you'll be making bonbons like crazy!

Chocolate bonbon ingredients

Since the main ingredient to bonbons is chocolate, make sure you're using very high-quality couverature chocolate. The better the quality, the better the taste.

To make these chocolate bonbons we are using really high-quality white chocolate from Cacoa Barry. This chocolate is really nice and thin and perfect for making a shiny, delicious chocolate bonbon.

Since vanilla is our main flavor, we're going all out and using a very fat and juicy Tahitian vanilla bean or you can save some money by using vanilla bean paste or even a good vanilla extract. If you use extract you won't have the pretty specs of vanilla bean in your shell but it will still taste yummy!

Another ingredient you might not have on hand is trimoline which is a form of invert sugar much like corn syrup. Trimoline prevents crystalization, adds sweetness, and gives the ganache a very smooth texture. The best substitutions for trimoline are molasses, honey, corn syrup, or glucose syrup.

Chocolate bonbon equipment

Every chocolatier is going to be familiar with these tools but if you're new to chocolate work, make sure you get these basic chocolate-making supplies before you attempt to make molded chocolates.

• Bonbon mold
• Immersion blender
• Bench scraper
• Heat gun
• Infrared Thermometer
• Acetate
• Fine strainer
• Large piping bag

How to make white chocolate vanilla bean ganache

It's extremely important to make sure you have properly tempered chocolate before you begin the bonbon process. If you need to learn how to temper chocolate you can watch Chef Christophe's previous video on tempering chocolate using the EZ Temper Machine or you can use my easy chocolate tempering method.

First, we want to make our white chocolate ganache. This needs time to firm up so you want to make it at least 6 hours or a day in advance.

1. Melt your white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments to prevent burning or over a double boiler until it reaches 104ºF (40ºC). Set it aside.
2. Add your heavy cream and trimoline to a medium saucepan.
3. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds by cutting down the center of the bean first and then scraping the seeds with the flat side of a knife.
4. Add the vanilla bean seeds to the saucepan.
5. Bring your cream to a simmer over medium-high heat (stirring occasionally) and let it simmer for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat. Don't boil the cream.
6. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any bits of bean pod.
7. Add half of the cream mixture to your melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Starting with half will help prevent separation.
8. Then add in the rest of the cream and stir until smooth. It may look curdled before it looks smooth and that is normal. Just keep mixing.
9. Cool your ganache to around 104ºF (40ºC) so it doesn't melt your butter.
10. Pour your ganache into a tall measuring cup or glass and add in your softened butter.
11. Use an immersion blender to mix the butter with the ganache. Hold the immersion blender at a slight angle under the surface of the ganache to blend. Do not incorporate any air.
12. Cool your ganache to 34ºF and add in your tempered cocoa butter from the EZ Temper machine. If you don't have an EZ Temper you can skip this step. The tempered cocoa butter will help the ganache set up much faster than untempered cocoa butter.
13. Place some plastic wrap on top of the ganache and set it aside to firm up (make sure your room is below 70ºF) or your ganache and chocolate may not set up. If your room is too warm you can place the ganache in the fridge but your room should be below 70ºF anyway to be working with chocolate.

How to temper the chocolate

Once again, we are using the EZ temper machine to temper our chocolate. If you do not have an EZ temper machine then follow the instructions for tempering in the microwave or the seeding method for white chocolate.

1. Melt 1000 grams couverature white chocolate to 100ºF-114ºF (45ºC) either in the microwave or on a double boiler.
2. Add the seeds of one vanilla bean pod (optional but looks and tastes amazing!)
3. Strain the melted chocolate to remove any large fibers
4. Cool the chocolate to 95ºF (34ºC) by adding small amounts of un-melted chocolate and stirring.
5. At 34ºC, add 10 grams of your pre-crystalized cocoa butter from the EZ temper machine.
6. Stir your chocolate continuously until it reaches 84ºF (29ºC). Stirring helps distribute the crystals and makes a stronger final product.
7. Test your chocolate by dipping a piece of parchment paper into the tempered chocolate and set it on the table. Your room should be colder than 70ºF.
8. If the chocolate contracts and sets within 5 minutes and has a nice shine and snap, your chocolate is tempered and you can move forward. If your chocolate is not tempered then add another 5 grams of tempered cocoa butter and stir until well combined and re-do the test.
9. It's helpful to have a Waring chocolate warmer to keep your chocolate tempered while you work on your bonbons, otherwise you will have to keep an eye on the temperature of your chocolate and warm it when necessary. Be careful not to over-heat it or you can break the temper.

How to make chocolate bonbon shells

1. Place some parchment paper onto your work surface to catch the chocolate and get your bench scraper ready.
2. Fill a large piping bag with your tempered chocolate and twist the top closed so the chocolate doesn't spill out.
3. Cut a small hole (⅛") in the tip for the chocolate.
4. Begin filling each bonbon cavity all the way to the top with the chocolate by pinching and releasing the opening of the piping bag. Watch the video to see Chef Christophe demonstrate this technique. This takes practice to be consistent with each mold.
5. Pick the mold up by holding the edges and try not to put your hands agains the cavities directly or the heat from your hands can ruin the temper of the chocolate shells. Tap the edge of the mold with your bench scraper to release any air bubbles.
6. Turn the mold over and tap out the excess chocolate to create a nice thin shell.
7. Scrape off the excess chocolate from the surface of the mold with your bench scraper.
8. Set your mold on its side for five minutes to help the chocolate to set evenly. You can see in this photo how even the chocolate is on all sides.
9. Place the mold cavity side opening down onto parchment paper for 20 minutes to crystalize. You can also scrape up your excess chocolate to use another time.

How to fill and close your chocolate bonbon

1. Fill your piping bag with your ganache and twist the top to make sure it doesn't spill out the top. Cut ⅛" off the tip of the piping bag.
2. Fill your bonbon shells with your ganache filling just shy (⅛") of the top of the shell using the same pinching and release method used earlier. This space is left so you can close the bonbon. The goal is to have the bottom of the shell the same thickness as the sides.
3. Let your bonbons crystalize at room temperature until the ganache has firmed up. It helps if your room is colder than 70ºF. You can put the bonbons in the fridge but you can risk adding condensation to the ganache which can compromise the integrity of the bonbon and mold can grow.
4. Once the ganache has set, pipe the tempered chocolate onto the back of the bonbon until it's ¾ covered using the pinching technique.
5. Place your acetate onto the back of the mold and use the bench scraper to scrape away the excess chocolate.
6. Place the bonbons into the fridge for 10 minutes. You will see the chocolate pull away from the mold as it contracts.
7. De-mold your bonbons by quickly turning the mold over onto parchment paper to release them from the mold.

Recipe

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White Chocolate Bonbons with Vanilla Bean Ganache

Learn to make shiny and professional-looking white chocolate bonbons with vanilla bean ganache with celebrity pastry chef, Christophe Rull. Christophe teaches us how to prepare a delicious ganache, how to make beautiful bonbon shells, and how to fill and close your bonbons.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Cooling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 52 minutes minutes

Servings 100 bonbons

Calories 15kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• bonbon mold
• heatgun
• acetate sheets
• Bench scraper
• fine mesh strainer
• infrared thermometer

Ingredients

For the white chocolate vanilla bean ganache

• 263 grams cream
• 67 grams trimoline
• 1 grade A vanilla bean
• 500 grams couverture white chocolate
• 100 grams white chocolate

For the bonbon shells

• 1000 grams couverture white chocolate
• 1 grade A vanilla bean
• 10 grams pre-tempered cocoa butter optional (see blog post)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the ganache

• Melt your white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments to prevent burning or over a double boiler until it reaches 104ºF (40ºC). Set it aside.
• Add your heavy cream and trimoline to a medium saucepan.
• Scrape the vanilla bean seeds by cutting down the center of the bean first and then scraping the seeds with the flat side of a knife.
• Add the vanilla bean seeds to the saucepan.
• Bring your cream to a simmer over medium-high heat (stirring occasionally) and let it simmer for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat. Don't boil the cream.
• Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any bits of bean pod.
• Add half of the cream mixture to your melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Starting with half will help prevent separation.
• Then add in the rest of the cream and stir until smooth. It may look curdled before it looks smooth and that is normal. Just keep mixing.
• Cool your ganache to around 104ºF (40ºC) so it doesn't melt your butter.
• Pour your ganache into a tall measuring cup or glass and add in your softened butter.
• Use an immersion blender to mix the butter with the ganache. Hold the immersion blender at a slight angle under the surface of the ganache to blend. Do not incorporate any air.
• Cool your ganache to 34ºF and add in your tempered cocoa butter from the EZ Temper machine. If you don't have an EZ Temper you can skip this step. The tempered cocoa butter will help the ganache set up much faster than untempered cocoa butter.
• Place some plastic wrap on top of the ganache and set it aside to firm up (make sure your room is below 70ºF) or your ganache and chocolate may not set up. If your room is too warm you can place the ganache in the fridge but your room should be below 70ºF anyway to be working with chocolate.

Chocolate bonbon shells

• Place some parchment paper onto your work surface to catch the chocolate and get your bench scraper ready.
• Fill your piping bag with your tempered chocolate and twist the ends so the chocolate doesn't spill out.
• Cut a small hole (⅛") in the tip for the chocolate.
• Begin filling each bonbon cavity all the way to the top with the chocolate by pinching and releasing the opening of the piping bag.
• Pick the mold up by holding the edges and try not to put your hands agains the cavities directly or the heat from your hands can ruin the temper of the chocolate shells. Tap the edge of the mold with your bench scraper to release any air bubbles.
• Turn the mold over and tap out the excess chocolate to create a nice thin shell.
• Scrape off the excess chocolate from the surface of the mold with your bench scraper.
• Set your mold on its side for five minutes to help the chocolate to set evenly.
• Place the mold cavity side opening down onto parchment paper for 20 minutes.

Filling and closing the bonbons

• Fill your bonbon shells just shy of the top of the shell to leave room to close the shell.
• Let your bonbons crystalize at room temperature until the ganache has firmed up. It helps if your room is colder than 70ºF. You can put the bonbons in the fridge but you can risk adding condensation to the ganache which can compromise the integrity of the bonbon and mold can grow.
• Pipe the tempered chocolate onto the back of the bonbon until it's halfway covered using the pinching technique.
• Place your acetate onto the back of the mold and use the bench scraper to scrape away the excess chocolate.
• Place the bonbons into the fridge for 10 minutes.
• De-mold your bonbons by quickly turning the mold over onto parchment paper to release them from the mold.

Video

Notes

EZ Tempering Machine

Waring Chocolate Warmer

Cacoa Barry Chocolate

Cocoa Butter Drops

Thermometer

• If you haven’t watched Christophe’s video on how to temper chocolate with the EZ Temper machine, you’ll want to watch that first.
• Also learn how to make beautiful chocolate decorations like curls, squares, discs, and a tiara in Christophe's easy decorations tutorial.
• No tempering machine? No problem! You can temper your chocolate in the microwave or use the traditional seeding method to get your chocolate tempered.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bonbon | Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

The post White Chocolate Bonbons With Vanilla Bean Ganache appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I can't resist peanut butter treats, and these are at the top of my list in the spring along with coconut cake and carrot cake. Creamy peanut butter mixed together with some powdered sugar and butter makes the magic happen. No tempering is needed to coat the treats in melted chocolate.

Peanut Butter Egg Ingredients

Creamy peanut butter: I use smooth peanut butter because I want them to be as close to authentic Reese's peanut butter eggs as possible. You could use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer some crunch in your bite. Any brand of peanut butter will do, If you choose to use natural peanut butter, or unsweetened peanut butter it will take more effort to mix as those types are stiffer.

Butter: The addition of butter helps the filling create a smooth texture that melts in your mouth. Without the butter, it will really just have the consistency of straight peanut butter.

Powdered Sugar: This is a confection after all, so it needs to be sweet! The powdered sugar adds sweetness without the grit of granulated sugar.

Salt: Just a little pinch of salt really brings together the flavors. Super sweet treats can fall flat on flavor without some salt. Peanuts and salt are a match made in heaven.

Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs

There are 4 easy steps to making this recipe, make the peanut butter filling, form it into egg shapes, chill them for 30 minutes, and dip them in chocolate. The trick is to work quickly with the peanut butter eggs after they're frozen, as they will dip easier when firm.

Making the Peanut Butter Filling

1. Add the peanut butter and butter to a large bowl and heat in the microwave until melted. Make sure the butter is warm enough to mix easily into the peanut butter.
2. Mix to combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. You can use a spatula, a whisk, or an electric hand mixer.
3. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar one scoop at a time and mix it all together until combined. This will make sure it doesn't poof all over the kitchen.
4. Scoop about 2 tablespoons in your hand and roll it into a ball. You could also roll out the mixture and use a cookie cutter to make the egg shapes.
5. Next, shape it into an egg shape by flattening the ball and making it thinner at the top and thicker at the base. You could use a cookie scoop to ensure they are all evenly scooped. Pro-tip: wear gloves to keep the peanut butter mixture from sticking to your hands, as it melts pretty quickly while handling it.
6. Lay the peanut butter eggs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place the sheet pan in the fridge or freezer for them to set up.
7. While the eggs are chilling, prepare your melted chocolate.

Preparing the Chocolate

1. In a deep heatproof bowl, add the milk chocolate chips.
2. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each to distribute the heat evenly as the chocolate begins to melt. This can also be done over a double boiler.
3. Once the chocolate is almost fully melted, stop microwaving it and stir slowly until the remaining chunks of chocolate have melted into a smooth and even consistency. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.

Dipping the Peanut Butter Eggs

1. Once your chocolate is melted and warm, but not too hot, take out the cold peanut butter eggs.
2. Using a chocolate dipping utensil, a fork, or inserting a skewer into the base of the egg, coat the egg in chocolate, gently tap off the excess, and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
3. The chocolate in the bowl will cool as you continue to dip, so after a few eggs, warm the chocolate again and stir to continue dipping. This will keep it from getting too thick on the eggs. If your eggs begin to soften, place them back in the fridge to stiffen back up.
4. Pour the extra chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the end, and drizzle across each egg for a textured design. This can be done with a Ziploc bag as well.
5. The copycat Reese's peanut butter eggs are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has set up.
6. Place the finished eggs in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or in the freezer if you plan to save them longer than 5 days.

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Peanut Butter Egg Recipe

Soft and creamy Reese's peanut butter eggs coated with sweet milk chocolate are my favorite treats! These peanut butter eggs are as good as the real thing, and are the perfect treats in an Easter basket! They can also be formed into any shape or size to fit all special occasions!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 eggs

Calories 423kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk chocolate for dipping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Peanut Butter Filling

• Add the peanut butter and butter to a large bowl and heat in the microwave until melted. Make sure the butter is warm enough to mix easily into the peanut butter.
• Mix to combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. You can use a spatula, a whisk, or an electric hand mixer.
• Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar one scoop at a time and mix it all together until combined. This will make sure it doesn't poof all over the kitchen. 
• Scoop about 2 tablespoons in your hand and roll it into a ball. You could also roll out the mixture and use a cookie cutter to make the egg shapes.
• Next, shape it into an egg shape by flattening the ball and making it thinner at the top and thicker at the base. You could use a cookie scoop to ensure they are all evenly scooped. Pro-tip: wear gloves to keep the peanut butter mixture from sticking to your hands, as it melts pretty quickly while handling it.
• Lay the peanut butter eggs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place the sheet pan in the fridge or freezer for them to set up.
• While the eggs are chilling, prepare your melted chocolate.

Preparing the Chocolate

• In a deep heatproof bowl, add the milk chocolate chips.
• Microwave the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each to distribute the heat evenly as the chocolate begins to melt. This can also be done over a double boiler.
• Once the chocolate is almost fully melted, stop microwaving it and stir slowly until the remaining chunks of chocolate have melted into a smooth and even consistency. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.

Dipping the Peanut Butter Eggs

• Once your chocolate is melted and warm, but not too hot, take out the cold peanut butter eggs.
• Using a chocolate dipping utensil, a fork, or inserting a skewer into the base of the egg, coat the egg in chocolate, gently tap off the excess, and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
• The chocolate in the bowl will cool as you continue to dip, so after a few eggs, warm the chocolate again and stir to continue dipping. This will keep it from getting too thick on the eggs. If your eggs begin to soften, place them back in the fridge to stiffen back up.
• Pour the extra chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the end, and drizzle across each egg for a textured design. This can be done with a Ziploc bag as well.
• The copycat Reese's peanut butter eggs are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has set up.
• Place the finished eggs in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or in the freezer if you plan to save them longer than 5 days.

Notes

1. If your filling mixture is slightly lumpy when mixing it together, microwave it for another 10 seconds to get it melted enough to become smooth. 
2. You can swap out the peanut butter for any type of nut butter you prefer. Almond butter or cashew butter would be delicious. Just remember that the consistency of other nut butter will vary, which could change the final outcome of the egg. You may need to add more sugar, as some other nut butter comes unsweetened. Just taste as you go until you reach the perfect combo and texture.
3. You could use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer some crunch in your bite. Any brand of peanut butter will do. If you choose to use natural peanut butter, or unsweetened peanut butter it will take more effort to mix as those types are stiffer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1egg | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Peanut Butter Egg Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Truffles are made from rolling ganache that has been set for a few hours. To make that ganache extra creamy we add a little butter for texture and flavor. Adding flavors to ganache is easy too, but the complex flavor results make them taste like a complicated process. Including rose flavor in the truffle is as easy as making tea! 

Rose Truffle Ingredients

Dark Chocolate that’s 64% or more is best for dark chocolate truffles. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate has the most cocoa solids and cocoa butter in it, but typically no milk. This will give you the firmest truffle, but the deepest most intense chocolate flavor. The slight bitter aspects of dark chocolate are what make it so interesting and pair really well with so many things from fruits to spices.

Heavy whipping cream has the highest percentage of fat, and the fat is what emulsifies with the chocolate creating a rich, smooth truffle. Lighter cream can be used, and even milk, however, the ratio of the chocolate will have to be adjusted to accommodate the change in fat content.

Rose is a flavor that can be a wonderful addition or it can totally ruin everything. Floral flavors have the capability to make things taste like perfume, so you want to go slow with the addition of them. I used edible rose petal tea and the addition of Amoretti rose extract to achieve a subtle light but recognizable flavor of the flower. If you choose to use your own rose petals, make sure they haven't been sprayed and have been cleaned. 

Making Dark Chocolate Rose Truffles

1. Microwave the heavy cream in 20-second sessions until the cream is steaming. Mix between sessions so that it heats evenly. You can also melt the chocolate and cream over a double boiler if you do not have a microwave, or heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the rose petals and let them “steep” for 5 to 10 minutes. 
3. Reheat the cream so it is steaming again, this should only take another 10 seconds in the microwave. 
4. Pour the hot cream through a strainer over the bowl of chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. Discard the strained rose petals.
5. Let the chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt. 
6. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
7. Add in the butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache smooth.
8. Add the rose extract, 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting the ganache between additions. Be careful to not over-flavor the ganache. 
9. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap, making contact with the surface of the ganache (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let it rest until it has cooled completely and become firm, this could take 1-2 hours. With dark ganache, you can chill it in the refrigerator, but it will be more difficult to scoop if it is cold. 
10. Using a cookie scoop, melon baller, or spoon, measure a scoop of ganache to your desired size. This made about 25, 0.5 oz and about 1-1.5” wide truffles.
11. Place the ganache scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and let them sit for 10 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
12. While the ganache is resting, set up the bowl of cocoa powder for coating the truffles. 
13. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball. Pro-tip: Wear gloves or make sure your hands are clean and cold. 
14. Roll the truffle in cocoa powder and shake off as much excess as you can.
15. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let it set up for another 10 minutes. 
16. Use a small touch of ganache to make a rose petal stick to the top of each truffle. I used what was left in the bowl that held the ganache.
17. The finished truffles are now ready to eat, package or store. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan on saving them for longer than 4 days.

FAQ

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Dark Chocolate Rose Truffles

Flavoring your truffles is easier than you may think, and definitely more affordable than a trip to the chocolate shop. Rose-flavored dark chocolate truffles come together in a couple of hours with just 5 ingredients! Roll them in cocoa powder or customize them however you'd like!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 25 truffles

Calories 81kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dark chocolate (64-72%)  (1 ⅓ cups) Chopped if using a bar
• 4 ounces heavy whipping cream (½ cup)
• 1 ounce unsalted butter (2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tablespoons Edible dry rose petals Or rose petal tea (3 Tbsp)
• 2 teaspoons Rose extract I like Amoretti
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

Makes: 1inch1 x 1inch round

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Microwave the heavy cream in 20-second sessions until the cream is steaming. Mix between sessions so that it heats evenly. You can also melt the chocolate and cream over a double boiler if you do not have a microwave, or heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the rose petals and let them “steep” for 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Reheat the cream so it is steaming again, this should only take another 10 seconds in the microwave.
• Pour the hot cream through a strainer over the bowl of chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. Discard the strained rose petals.
• Let the chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt. 
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
• Add in the butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache smooth.
• Add the rose extract, 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting the ganache between additions. Be careful to not over-flavor the ganache. 
• Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let it rest until it has cooled completely and become firm, this could take 1-2 hours. With dark ganache, you can chill it in the refrigerator, but it will be more difficult to scoop if it is cold. 
• Using a cookie scoop, melon baller, or spoon, measure a scoop of ganache to your desired size. This made about 25, 0.5 oz and about 1-1.5” wide truffles. 
• Place the ganache scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and let them sit for 10 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
• While the ganache is resting, set up the bowl of cocoa powder for coating the truffles. 
• Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball. Pro-tip: Wear gloves or make sure your hands are clean and cold. 
• Roll the truffle in cocoa powder and shake off as much excess as you can.
• Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let it set up for another 10 minutes. 
• Use a small touch of ganache to make a rose petal stick to the top of each truffle. I used what was left in the bowl that held the ganache.
• The finished truffles are now ready to eat, package or store. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan on saving them for longer than 4 days.

Notes

1. If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate and cream over a double boiler, or heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it’s steaming and then pour it over the chocolate.
2. High-quality chocolate will result in much better-tasting results and will be much easier to work with than cheaper imitation chocolate. Some of the brands I like are Lindt, Cacao Barry, and Ghirardelli. 
3. You can make these vegan by using dairy-free chocolate and heavy coconut milk. 
4. Flavor your truffles by steeping tea or herbs in the cream, adding extracts, or mixing in liquors. 
5. If your truffles aren’t set up, chances are you haven’t given the ganache enough time to solidify. Place the ganache in the fridge for a while. If it still remains loose when it is cold then the measurements were probably off. If it is too loose, warm it slightly and add more melted chocolate to it, if it is too hard, warm it up and add more cream.
6. Use my traditional chocolate truffle recipe to find the ratios for milk and for white chocolate. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Dark Chocolate Rose Truffles appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

The truffle gets its name because it looks like the mushroom-like fungus that is highly sought after and difficult to find. Chocolate truffles are easy to make and a fun way to get creative in the kitchen with different flavors. Classic French chocolate truffles are rolled in unsweetened cocoa powder, which is a delicious place to start, but I had a lot of fun looking through my pantry for fun things to pair with chocolate.

Chocolate Truffle Ingredients

Dark Chocolate that's 64% or more is best for dark chocolate truffles. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate has the most cocoa solids and cocoa butter in it, but typically no milk. This will give you the firmest truffle, but the deepest most intense chocolate flavor. The slight bitter aspects of dark chocolate are what make it so interesting and pair really well with so many things from fruits to spices. 

Milk Chocolate has made by combining cocoa solids and cocoa butter with sugar, and milk. Sometimes an emulsifier, such as soy lecithin, is added to enhance its smoothness. The definition of milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor and 12% milk, this is why it is much sweeter than dark chocolate. 

White Chocolate is typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids. So technically it isn’t real chocolate, but a very close cousin. There are many confections out there claiming to be white chocolate, but if there is no cocoa butter in the ingredients, it isn’t white chocolate. It will not perform the same as white chocolate when trying to make truffles. 

High-quality chocolate will result in much better-tasting results and will be much easier to work with than cheaper imitation chocolate. If you are going to put in the time and effort to make truffles, don’t waste your time or money on lower-end ingredients. Some of the brands I like are Lindt, Cacao Barry, and Ghirardelli. 

Heavy whipping cream has the highest percentage of fat, and the fat is what emulsifies with the chocolate creating a rich, smooth truffle. Lighter cream can be used, and even milk, however, the ratio of the chocolate will have to be adjusted to accommodate the change in fat content.

Making 3 Types of Chocolate Truffles

The process for dark, milk and white chocolate truffles is the same. The only difference is that there is corn syrup added to the dark chocolate ganache to help make an extra-creamy texture.

Making Dark Chocolate Truffles

1. Measure the heavy cream and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl, then mix briefly and microwave in 20-second sessions until the cream is steaming. Mix between sessions so that it heats evenly.
2. Pour the hot cream over the heatproof bowl of measured chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream.
3. Let the chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let it rest until the ganache has cooled completely and becomes firm, this could take 1-2 hours. With dark ganache, you can chill it in the refrigerator, but it will be more difficult to scoop if it is cold. 
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
8. Using a cookie scoop, melon baller, or spoon, measure a scoop of ganache to your desired size. I chose to make truffles that are 0.5 oz and about 1-1.5” across and this made about 25 truffles. The ganache will warm up quickly in your hands, so handle the chocolate as little as possible. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and refrigerate them for 10 minutes. 
10. While the ganache is resting, set up your desired ingredients for the coating of the truffles. 
11. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice. Do one topping at a time so that you do not cross-contaminate the toppings into other bowls. Pro-tip: Wear gloves or make sure your hands are clean and cold. 
12. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 10 minutes before serving and storing.  

Making Milk Chocolate Truffles

1. Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming.
2. Pour the hot cream over the milk chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache and set aside for 1-2 hours until the ganache is cooled and firm. You can chill milk ganache in the refrigerator. It is a softer ganache so if it is slightly cool before rolling, it will be less likely to melt in your hands.
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on. 
8. Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 15 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
10. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice.
11. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 15 minutes before serving and storing.

Making White Chocolate Truffles

1. Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming. 
2. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let rest until it has cooled completely and become firm, this could take up to 1-2 hours.
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on.
8. Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 20 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
10. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice.
11. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 20 minutes.

Storing Chocolate Truffles

The finished truffles are now ready to eat, package or store. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan on saving them for longer than 4 days. If you are giving them as a gift, remind the recipient to eat them within 4 days or keep them in their refrigerator. 

How to Flavor Chocolate Truffles

The possibilities are endless when it comes to flavoring truffles. Rolling the truffle in a fun coating is one way, but you can also flavor the ganache itself. 

Here are 3 ways to do it:

1. Steeping the Cream: To make rose-flavored truffles, I chose to use edible dried rose petals to steep in the cream to add flavor to the ganache. You can use teas or different spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or chili powder.
2. Add Extracts: For rose truffles, I added a teaspoon of the rose extract by Amoretti. Add the extract after you have emulsified the ganache, while it is still warm and liquid. Start slow with a teaspoon and taste the ganache after the addition to get the flavor to where you want it. Lemon extract, vanilla extract, and raspberry extract are also good options.
3. Flavored Liqueur: Start with adding a teaspoon at a time and tasting, but don’t use more than 2 Tablespoons altogether for this recipe ratio. The additional liquid will throw off the ratio and will change the final texture of the ganache. I like using Chambord, Bourbon, or Grand Marnier for boozy truffles.

Check out my rose-flavored dark chocolate truffles blog post for the full recipe. 

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Chocolate Truffles Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Truffles sound so fancy (because they are), but this dark, milk, and white chocolate truffles recipe can be made at home in a snap! Quicker and more affordable than a chocolate shop, whoever is lucky enough to get these rich indulgent treats as a gift will be begging for more.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 75 truffles

Calories 90kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Truffles (25)

• 8 ounces dark chocolate (64-72%) (1 ⅓ cups) chopped if using a bar
• 4 ounces heavy whipping cream (½ cup)
• 0.5 ounce corn syrup (1 Tbsp) or glucose
• 1 ounce unsalted butter (2 Tbsp)

Milk Chocolate Truffles (25)

• 8 ounces milk chocolate (1 ⅓ cups) chopped if using a bar
• 3 ounces heavy whipping cream (⅓ cup)
• 0.5 ounce unsalted butter (1 Tbsp)

White Chocolate Truffles (25)

• 8 ounces white chocolate (1 ⅓ cups) chopped if using a bar
• 3 ounces heavy whipping cream (⅓ cup)
• 0.5 ounce unsalted butter (1 Tbsp)

Optional Toppings

• ½ cup sprinkles
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries crushed
• ½ cup cocoa nibs
• ½ cup pistachios crushed
• ¼ cup shredded coconut

Makes: 1inch1 x 1inch round

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Note: Each recipe makes 25 chocolate truffles at 0.5 oz or 1 Tablespoon in size. You will have the best results by weighing your ingredients with a food scale.

Making Dark Chocolate Truffles

• Measure the heavy cream and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl, then mix briefly and microwave in 20-second sessions until the cream is steaming. Mix between sessions so that it heats evenly. 
• Pour the hot cream over the heatproof bowl of measured chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream.
• Let the chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt. 
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
• Add in the butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache smooth.
• Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let it rest until the ganache has cooled completely and becomes firm, this could take 1-2 hours. With dark ganache, you can chill it in the refrigerator, but it will be more difficult to scoop if it is cold. 
• Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
• Using a cookie scoop, melon baller, or spoon, measure a scoop of ganache to your desired size. I chose to make truffles that are 0.5 oz and about 1-1.5” across and this made about 25 truffles. The ganache will warm up quickly in your hands, so handle the chocolate as little as possible. 
• Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and refrigerate them for 10 minutes. 
• While the ganache is resting, set up your desired ingredients for the coating of the truffles. 
• Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice. Do one topping at a time so that you do not cross-contaminate the toppings into other bowls. Pro-tip: Wear gloves or make sure your hands are clean and cold. 
• Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 10 minutes before serving and storing.  

Making Milk Chocolate Truffles

• Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming. 
• Pour the hot cream over the milk chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
• Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
• Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
• Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache and set aside for 1-2 hours until the ganache is cooled and firm. You can chill milk ganache in the refrigerator. It is a softer ganache so if it is slightly cool before rolling, it will be less likely to melt in your hands.
• Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on. 
• Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
• Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 15 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
• Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice. 
• Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 15 minutes before serving and storing.

Making White Chocolate Truffles

• Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming. 
• Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
• Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
• Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
• Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let rest until it has cooled completely and become firm, this could take up to 1-2 hours.
• Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on. 
• Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
• Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 20 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
• Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice.
• Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 20 minutes.

Notes

1. If you don't have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate and cream over a double boiler, or heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's steaming and then pour it over the chocolate.
2. Roll in one topping at a time so that you do not cross-contaminate the toppings into other bowls.
3. High-quality chocolate will result in much better-tasting results and will be much easier to work with than cheaper imitation chocolate. Some of the brands I like are Lindt, Cacao Barry, and Ghirardelli. 
4. You can make these vegan by using dairy-free chocolate and heavy coconut milk. 
5. Flavor your truffles by steeping tea or herbs in the cream, adding extracts, or mixing in liquors. 
6. If your truffles aren't set up, chances are you haven’t given the ganache enough time to solidify. Place the ganache in the fridge for a while. If it still remains loose when it is cold then the measurements were probably off. If it is too loose, warm it slightly and add more melted chocolate to it, if it is too hard, warm it up and add more cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chocolate Truffles Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Marzipan is a sweet almond paste made of ground almonds similar to fondant or modeling chocolate. It can be colored and shaped into marzipan fruit, used for marzipan cookies, or even rolled out to cover a cake. It’s commonly used in the UK, Italy, and Germany and is like a really good-tasting smooth dough. Store-bought marzipan is super fine and smooth, so people often buy it because they want an extra smooth texture.

Marzipan Ingredients

Blanched (peeled) almonds or finely ground almond flour are the main ingredient in homemade marzipan and will result in a smoother texture than raw (unpeeled) almonds. It’s more cost-effective to grind your own whole almonds but to save time you can buy finely ground almond flour.

Powdered sugar adds sweetness without adding grit.

Almond extract or vanilla extract is used to bring out that yummy almond flavor. Rose water is also commonly used to add flavor but it is totally optional.

Corn syrup or honey is used as a binder to hold the almond mixture together. Any liquid sweetener like simple syrup, agave, or maple syrup will work.

How to Make Homemade Marzipan

Making Almond Flour

1. Use blanched almonds without the skin so that your flour is nice and pale.
2. Grind your almonds in a food processor by pulsing in bursts.
3. Sift your almonds through a strainer to remove any large bits of almond.
4. Return the larger pieces to the food processor to grind up again.
5. Repeat the process until you have enough finely ground almond flour.

Making Marzipan

1. Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until combined. You can also mix this by hand with a spatula.
2. Add the corn syrup and extract and mix on low for about 1 minute until the dough starts sticking together. If it comes together when you squeeze it with your hand, it’s done mixing. If your marzipan seems dry, add another teaspoon of corn syrup and keep blending.
3. Place the butter on top of the marzipan and knead it together on the counter. The butter is optional but it will help make your marzipan smooth.
4. Wrap the marzipan in plastic wrap and seal it in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least an hour before forming it into shapes. Fresh marzipan keeps in the fridge for 6 weeks or freezer for 6 months or more.

How to Use Marzipan

• Tear the marzipan dough into pieces and use a modeling tool to form it into fun shapes like pears, apples, or pumpkins.
• Coloring marzipan is pretty easy as long as you use gel food coloring instead of liquid. I like to wear gloves when I'm coloring marzipan so that it doesn't stain my hands.
• You can also dust the marzipan with edible food powder to add some realism.
• To color the marzipan dark brown, I add a bit of cocoa powder to the marzipan and then my brown food gel.
• To keep the marzipan from sticking to my hands, I put some butter on my fingertips and kneaded it through the marzipan until it wasn’t sticky anymore.
• You can cover your cakes with marzipan as an excellent alternative to fondant. Keep in mind that marzipan is not as stretchy as fondant but it tastes really good. You'll need about two batches of this recipe to cover a three-tiered wedding cake.

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Easy Marzipan Recipe

The best homemade marzipan recipe comes together in 10 minutes with only 4 ingredients! This recipe is very cheap to make and has less sugar than store bought. Traditional recipes use egg whites, but this vegan marzipan recipe uses corn syrup as a binder instead

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 14 ounces

Calories 65kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Food processor

Ingredients

• 5 ounces fine almond flour
• 6 ounces powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla or rose water
• 3 ounces corn syrup
• 1 Tablespoon butter (optional for kneading)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Almond Flour

• Use blanched almonds without the skin so that your flour is nice and pale.
• Grind your almonds in a food processor by pulsing in bursts.
• Sift your almonds through a strainer to remove any large bits of almond.
• Return the larger pieces to the food processor to grind up again.
• Repeat the process until you have enough finely ground almond flour.

Making Marzipan

• Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until combined. You can also mix this by hand with a spatula.
• Add the corn syrup and extract and mix on low for about 1 minute until the dough starts sticking together. If it comes together when you squeeze it with your hand, it’s done mixing. If your marzipan seems dry, add another teaspoon of corn syrup and keep blending.
• Place the butter on top of the marzipan and knead it together on the counter. The butter is optional but it will help make your marzipan smooth.
• Wrap the marzipan in plastic wrap and seal it in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least an hour before forming it into shapes. Fresh marzipan keeps in the fridge for 6 weeks or freeze for 6 months or more.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 1mg

The post Easy Marzipan Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

The first time I made Christmas crack I didn't use a candy thermometer. I just kind of eyeballed it. This resulted in a slightly runny caramel and not so much "crack". The next time I used my handy candy thermometer and it was a lot easier! So if you have one, you should def use it for this! Takes all the guesswork out of it.

What this Christmas cracker recipe actually reminds me of is a homemade TWIX candy. The saltine cracker turns into a wonderfully crisp, almost cookie layer. The caramel is firm but not so firm that it hurts to bite into. The chocolate and salty cracker really sends this candy into the next dimension and is TRULY hard to stop eating! This was the first Christmas candy I made with my family and now it's officially a tradition. 

Christmas Crack Ingredients

With only five ingredients (including sprinkles) this recipe is hard to mess up! The true hero is using a candy thermometer to cook your caramel so you get the perfect crack! If you don't have a candy thermometer then make sure you boil the caramel for a full 5 minutes.

If you don't have any chocolate chips on hand, you can chop up a bar of chocolate, and that works just as well! Experiment with flavored chocolates to make your Christmas crack recipe your own!

How To Make The Toffee

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and line your pan with a silicone mat, tinfoil, or parchment paper coated with pan spray or cake goop. I used cake goop around the edges of my pan and silicone mat.
2. Line the bottom of your pan with crackers in an even layer. I had to trim my last layer to make it all fit. Set the pan with crackers aside.
3. Place the brown sugar, butter, and salt into a medium saucepan on medium heat and stir it until the butter is melted. Use a silicone or wooden spoon to prevent your sugar from crystalizing.
4. Increase the temperature to medium-high and continue to cook the caramel. You will want to cook it until the temperature reads 280ºF (138ºC) on your candy thermometer which takes about 5 minutes. Watch the sugar cook and stir regularly to keep the butter from separating from the sugar. While a candy thermometer isn't required, it will help ensure the success of your Christmas cracker recipe.
5. Once the toffee reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat.
6. Pour the toffee over the crackers and spread it with a spatula to coat the crackers evenly.
7. Place the crackers into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until they start to bubble again. Then, remove them from the oven.

Christmas Cracker Recipe Assembly Instructions

1. Spread the chocolate chips evenly over the hot cracker toffee.
2. Place them back in the oven for 1 minute to melt the chocolate. Or let sit on the countertop for 5 minutes until the chocolate gets soft and looks glossy.
3. Remove the pan from the oven, and slowly spread the chocolate chips evenly over the toffee with your offset spatula.
4. Dust the sprinkles over the top or add any kind of toppings you want like chopped nuts, toasted coconut flakes, pretzels, or even candy!
5. Put the Christmas crackers into the freezer for at least 20 minutes or let them sit at room temperature overnight to harden.
6. Since you used a silicone mat and/or goop, the crackers will lift out of the pan easily and then you can crack the bar into pieces! This is the fun part!

What is Christmas Crack?

Christmas Crack, which is also referred to as Christmas cracker candy, is a type of candy made up of saltine crackers coated in caramel or toffee and topped with melted chocolate. This tasty treat has many nicknames including Christmas Crack, cracker candy, and even caramel bark.

Christmas Crack has a nice crunch to it, and the ingredients you will need to make it may already be in your pantry!

The perfect bite of salty and sweet, Christmas Crack is a festive holiday treat the whole family can enjoy. It's also a delicious, homemade gift you can prepare in large quantities to wrap and give to your coworkers, friends, and family around the holidays. Did someone say holiday cookie exchange?

FAQ

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Christmas Crack Recipe

This Christmas cracker candy (also known as Christmas Crack) is highly addictive and CRACKS when you bite into it! Follow this foolproof recipe for the perfect candy every time in less than 20 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 35 pieces

Calories 47kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 18"x13" ½ sheet pan
• candy thermometer (optional)

Ingredients

• 1-2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 45) make sure they are salted
• 12 ounces dark brown sugar (packed) (1.5 cup packed)
• 12 ounces unsalted butter (1.5 cup)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (2 cups)
• ½ cup decorative sprinkles or alternative topping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and line your pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper coated with pan spray or cake goop. I used cake goop around the edges of my pan and silicone mat.
• Line the bottom of your pan with crackers in an even layer and set it aside.

Toffee

• Place the brown sugar, butter, and salt into a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat and stir it until the butter is melted.
• Next, cook the caramel. You will want to cook it until the temperature reads 280ºF (138ºC) on your candy thermometer which takes about 5 minutes. Watch the sugar cook and stir regularly to keep the butter from separating from the sugar. While a candy thermometer isn’t required, it will help ensure the success of your Christmas cracker recipe.
• Once the toffee reaches the desired temperature, remove it from heat.
• Then, pour the toffee over the crackers and spread it with a spatula to coat the crackers evenly.
• Place the crackers into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until they start to bubble again. Then, remove them from the oven.

Christmas Cracker Assembly

• Spread the choocolate chips evenly over the hot cracker toffee.
• Place them back in the oven for 1 minute to melt the chocolate. Or let it sit on the countertop for 5 minutes until the chocolate melts.
• Remove the pan from the oven, and slowly spread the chocolate chips evenly over the toffee with an offset spatula.
• Add sprinkles over the top or any kind of toppings you want like chopped nuts, toasted coconut flakes, pretzels, or even candy!
• Put the Christmas crackers into the freezer for at least 20 minutes. You can also let them sit overnight at room temperature.
• Since you used a silicone mat and/or goop, the crackers will lift out of the pan easily. You will just lift and crack into them into your desired pieces.

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
3. While it isn't required, a candy thermometer will help you ensure the success of your recipe.
4. You will be working with hot sugar, so please make sure you are working safely.
5. There are so many ways to personalize this candy, have fun with the toppings and cracker combinations. Have everything ready to go before you start. Once the sugar starts cooking you don't want to walk away. It also cools pretty quickly, so it's best to be prepared to get through every step.
6. If you are using salted butter, then you can omit the added salt. If you are using unsalted crackers then use more salt, ½ tsp. You could also use flakey salt on top. 

Nutrition

Serving: 3pieces | Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Calcium: 2mg

The post Christmas Crack Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I was so excited to see how Christophe made this showpiece, I tried to make one of my own alongside his demonstration but I made mine into a rocking unicorn haha!

Chocolate Rocking Horse Ingredients

You want to start with tempered chocolate! This is super important for a strong and stable showpiece. So if you don't know how to temper chocolate, make sure you watch Christophe's tutorial on how to temper chocolate with cocoa butter or you can temper your own chocolate using a traditional seeding method or in a microwave.

Tools & Equipment

You can download your free horse template here.

Horse Template #1

Horse Template #2

Horse Template #3

Making The Chocolate Pieces

1. Lay your newsprint down onto the table and then place your large sheet of acetate over the top.
2. Arrange all your templates on top of the acetate to make sure you have enough space for all the pieces.
3. Make a border with your ¼" plexiglass spacers around the templates. Remove the templates and set them aside for now.
4. Fill your pastry bag with the tempered chocolate and glue the spacers down.
5. Fill the center of the square with tempered chocolate.
6. Use a ruler or straight edge to make the chocolate flat and even.
7. Once the chocolate starts to look slightly matte (after about 5 minutes) trace between the chocolate and the plexiglass border and remove the border.
8. Place the template on top of the chocolate and trace around it with your skewer to cut out the shapes. Work quickly before the chocolate fully sets.
9. You can make extra pieces just in case of breakage.
10. Remove the templates and discard them.
11. Place the chocolate pieces on top of a large sheet pan or plexiglass with parchment paper underneath. Put some parchment on top of the chocolate. Place a large piece of plexiglass or heavy sheet pan on top so as the chocolate sets in the cooler, it does not curl.
12. After 10 minutes you can take the chocolate out of the cooler.
13. Remove the chocolate pieces from the surrounding chocolate. If you have any cracked pieces watch the video to watch how Christophe fixes broken pieces.
14. Brush the chocolate pieces with a wire brush to create a wooden texture. Brush off the excess chocolate dust with a pastry brush.

Assembling The Chocolate Horse

1. Begin attaching the legs with tempered chocolate and set the pieces with cold spray. Pay close attention to making sure your pieces are straight. Turn the horse over and attach the legs to the other side.
2. Wipe off any excess chocolate with your fingers to keep the structure clean looking.
3. Attach the curved pieces of chocolate to the base with tempered chocolate and set with cold spray.
4. Attach all the cross pieces with tempered chocolate and set with cold spray.
5. Attach the horse to the base with tempered chocolate and cold spray, making sure the horse is straight up and down.
6. Attach the seat, rocking horse handles and tail and you're done! We used a food processor to blend the chocolate and form it into the handles, check out Christophe's chocolate flower for more information.

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Chocolate Horse Showpiece

A chocolate horse showpiece makes a great centerpiece for a fun party or event. Chef Christophe Rull shows us how to transform tempered chocolate into a strong and stable chocolate horse! You can use these same techniques for many different types of projects.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Assembly 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 528kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Newsprint
• Large and Small Acetate Sheets
• ¼" thick acrylic strips
• Horse Template
• Wire Brush
• EZ Temper Machine (optional)
• Cold Spray

Ingredients

For the tempered chocolate

• 1000 grams couverature chocolate
• 10 grams tempered cocoa butter paste (optional)

Instructions

Making the Chocolate Pieces

• Lay your newsprint down onto the table and then place your large sheet of acetate over the top.
• Arrange all your templates on top of the acetate to make sure you have enough space for all the pieces.
• Make a border with your ¼" plexiglass spacers around the templates. Remove the templates and set them aside for now.
• Fill your pastry bag with the tempered chocolate and glue the spacers down.
• Fill the center of the square with tempered chocolate.
• Use a ruler or straight edge to make the chocolate flat and even.
• Once the chocolate starts to look slightly matte (after about 5 minutes) and is slightly tacky but not fully set. You may need to start tracing in areas where it is set. The chocolate doesn't always set at the same time.
• Trace between the chocolate and the plexiglass border and remove the border.
• Place the template on top of the chocolate and trace around it with your skewer to cut out the shapes. Work quickly before the chocolate fully sets.
• You can make extra pieces just in case of breakage.
• Remove the templates and discard them.
• Place the chocolate pieces on top of a large sheet pan or plexiglass with parchment paper underneath. Put some parchment on top of the chocolate. Place a large piece of plexiglass or heavy sheet pan on top so as the chocolate sets in the cooler, it does not curl.
• After 10 minutes you can take the chocolate out of the cooler.
• Remove the chocolate pieces from the surrounding chocolate. If you have any cracked pieces watch the video to watch how Christophe fixes broken pieces.
• Brush the chocolate pieces with a wire brush to create a wooden texture. Brush off the excess chocolate dust with a pastry brush.

Assembling the Chocolate Horse

• Begin attaching the legs with tempered chocolate and set the pieces with cold spray. Pay close attention to making sure your pieces are straight.
• Wipe off any excess chocolate with your fingers to keep the structure clean looking.
• Attach the curved pieces of chocolate to the base with tempered chocolate and set with cold spray.
• Attach all the cross pieces with tempered chocolate and set with cold spray.
• Attach the horse to the base with tempered chocolate and cold spray, making sure the horse is straight up and down.
• Finally, attach the seat to the top of the horse.
• You can add more details like eyes, ears, handles or other decorations and details if you want.

Video

Notes

EZ Tempering Machine

Waring Chocolate Warmer

Cacao Barry Chocolate

Cocoa Butter Drops

Thermometer

If you haven't watched Christophe's video on how to temper chocolate with the EZ Temper machine, you'll want to watch that first.

No tempering machine? No problem! You can temper your chocolate in the microwave or use the traditional seeding method to get your chocolate tempered.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 5mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 34g

The post Chocolate Rocking Horse Showpiece appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Chocolate Raspberry Galaxy Bonbon Ingredients

Tools and Equipment

Every chocolatier is going to be familiar with these tools but if you're new to chocolate work, make sure you get these basic chocolate-making supplies before you attempt to make molded chocolates.

Before you begin

You must have properly tempered chocolate before you begin the bonbon process. If you need to learn how to temper chocolate you can watch Chef Christophe's previous video on tempering chocolate using the EZ Temper Machine or you can use my easy chocolate tempering method.

You also want to have a clean mold! I'm using a polycarbonate mold from Cacao Barry.

How to make the raspberry filling

1. Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and NH Pectin together.
3. Bring the raspberry puree to a boil, then slowly whisk in the sugar and pectin together. Mix thoroughly to ensure you do not have any lumps.
4. Boil for a few minutes to activate the NH Pectin (this will allow the raspberry puree to solidify and be ready to use in our bonbons).
5. Turn off the heat and transfer the filling to separate container
6. Put a sheet of plastic wrap on top so it's touching the surface and cool completely. Store this raspberry mixture somewhere that's room temperature (you don't want it to be too warm otherwise it will not firm up, and you don't want it to be too cold otherwise it may be too difficult to create your bonbons).

How to make the ganache filling

1. Add your chocolate to a heat-safe container.
2. Heat up the glucose in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
3. Add the heavy whipping cream and glucose into a sauce pan.
4. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat (stirring occasionally). Be careful not to boil or burn the cream.
5. Carefully pour the hot mixture over your chocolate. Mix together.
6. Add in your butter in chunks.
7. Use an immersion blender to mix the butter with the ganache. Hold the immersion blender at a slight angle under the surface of the ganache to blend. Do not incorporate any air.
8. Fill a large piping bag with your ganache filling and twist the top closed so the filling doesn’t spill out.
9. Cool the ganache in the piping bag to below 86ºF (30ºC). Pro-Tip: place your piping bag onto the counter to cool the ganache faster.

How to make cocoa butter colors

1. Melt the cocoa butter and white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments to prevent burning.
2. Bring the temperature down to 91ºF (33ºC) and add 1% of cocoa butter paste (See Christophe's tempering chocolate recipe) to temper the cocoa butter. This will make the bonbons shinier!
3. Cool the cocoa butter down to 86ºF (30ºC).
4. To color your own cocoa butter, stir in your cocoa butter flowers. Using Power Flowers is a great way to get really vibrant chocolate colors. (Our raspberry color- red 4 pieces of red, 4 pieces of white.) (Our purple color- 1 ¼ red, ¾ blue, and 2 ½ white)
5. Store this cocoa butter mixture at 86ºF (30ºC) until you're ready to use it. (it is not needed but you can easily achieve this using a Waring Chocolate Warmer.)
6. Repeat this process for any additional colors you want to use to create your galaxy bonbons.
7. For the black cocoa butter, I prefer the pre-made "Abyss" from Chef Rubber. Make sure to temper it by adding 1% of cocoa butter paste at 91ºF (33ºC) and cooling to 86ºF (30ºC) as well.
8. Pour the colored cocoa butters into new bowls over a cheese cloth which will strain any lumps and gritty pieces to give you smooth, cocoa butters that are ready to create chocolate bonbon shells!

How to make airbrush the bonbon shells

1. Place some parchment paper onto your work surface to catch the chocolate and get your bench scraper ready.
2. Dip a brush into one of your cocoa butter colors, and then flick the brush using your finger to create paint-like splatter across each and every one of the bonbon cavities. This will create the top layer of the speckles on your galaxy bonbon (I would recommend you use white cocoa butter for this step).
3. Once you are happy with your speckles, turn the bonbon tray upside down and wipe it across a paper towel to clean the excess cocoa butter.
4. Refrigerate the bonbon tray for about 5 minutes to allow it to set before you add in more colors.
5. When you're ready to add your second color (we used purple), use a spoon to add a small drop into each bonbon cavity.
6. Once you've added your second color to each cavity, use a cotton ball, a paintbrush, or your finger to wipe and swirl the color around. It does not need to be perfect but what you do not want is a thick layer of purple (otherwise you won't see the other colors).
7. When you're happy with your second layer of color, turn the bonbon tray upside down and wipe it across a paper towel to clean the excess cocoa butter.
8. Add your next colored cocoa butter (we used red) to an air gun. Be sure to check the temperature of the cocoa butter you are putting into the air gun and it should be about 86ºF (30ºC). If it is a little cold, you can heat it up in the microwave in 5 second increments until it reaches the desired temperature.
9. Airbrush the black cocoa butter on lightly to each and every bonbon cavity. Once you're happy with your third colored cocoa butter and are satisfied with the airbrushing, turn the bonbon tray upside down and wipe it across a paper towel to clean the excess cocoa butter. If you wish to add airbrush more color in, be sure to wipe the bonbon tray each time you add more color and clean it.
10. If you are working with one air gun, empty the air gun and add in your next color (for this step we used black cocoa butter). It's important to check the temperature of the cocoa butter you are putting into the air gun and it should be about 86ºF (30ºC).
11. Use a large airbrush to spray the black cocoa butter generously across the bonbon mold to fill each and every bonbon cavity (the larger airbrush will make this process go faster, but if you only have a small airbrush that is okay it may just take a little bit longer).
12. Turn the bonbon tray upside down and wipe it across a paper towel to clean the excess black cocoa butter from the mold.
13. Stand the bonbon mold tray on its side to allow the chocolate to crystallize for about 10 minutes.

How to make the bonbon shell

You must have properly tempered chocolate before you begin the bonbon process. If you need to learn how to temper chocolate you can watch Chef Christophe's previous video on tempering chocolate using the EZ Temper Machine or you can use my easy chocolate tempering method.

1. Place some parchment paper onto your work surface to catch the chocolate and get your bench scraper ready.
2. Melt your dark chocolate either in the microwave or on a double boiler.
3. Add in a few handfuls of tempered (chocolate comes tempered) chocolate to bring the temperature down. Stirring occasionally, cool your chocolate to 95ºF (35ºC).
4. Add in the cocoa butter and mix.
5. When you're ready to fill the bonbon mold with your filling, pour the chocolate into a piping bag and then cut a small hole in the piping bag (⅛") in the tip.
6. Once each cavity has been filled with filling, pick the mold up by holding the edges and try not to put your hands agains the cavities directly or the heat from your hands can ruin the temper of the chocolate shells. Tap the edge of the mold with your bench scraper to release any air bubbles.
7. Turn the mold over and tap out the excess chocolate to create a nice thin shell.
8. Scrape off the excess chocolate from the surface of the mold with your bench scraper.
9. Set your mold on its side for five minutes to help the chocolate to set evenly. You can see in this photo how even the chocolate is on all sides.

How to fill and close the bonbons

1. Check the temperature of your dark chocolate ganache filling inside the piping bag (ideally you want it to be between 77-84ºF (25-29ºC).
2. Pipe the dark chocolate ganache filling into each cavity about half way.
3. Refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.
4. Using a mixer, add the set raspberry jelly and mix it so that it is creamier in texture so that it is easier to pipe.
5. Fill a large piping bag with the raspberry filling, and then cut a small hole in the piping bag (⅛") in the tip.
6. Pipe the raspberry filling into each cavity in a tight, spiral motion on top of the chocolate ganache. The mold cavities should be almost full but not quite 100% full (there needs to be a little bit of room in order to close the bonbons).
7. Gently and carefully tap the bonbon mold on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
8. Let is set at room temperature for about 30 minutes. It helps if your room is colder than 70ºF. You can put the bonbons in the fridge but you can risk adding condensation to the ganache which can compromise the integrity of the bonbon and mold can grow.
9. When you are ready to close your bonbons, pipe tempered chocolate onto the back of the bonbon until it's halfway covered using the pinching technique.
10. Place your acetate onto the back of the mold and use the bench scraper to scrape away the excess chocolate.
11. Place the bonbons into the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour (Christophe prefers to allow them to crystallize for up to 24 hours).
12. De-mold your bonbons by quickly turning the mold over onto parchment paper to release them from the mold. Twist the mold back and forth to allow the bonbons to release from the mold and then tap the mold onto parchment paper again if they did not come out of the mold on the first try.

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Chocolate Raspberry Galaxy Bonbons

Learn how to make shiny galaxy bonbons with a raspberry chocolate center with chef Christophe Rull!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 50 bonbons

Calories 190kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• bonbon mold
• heatgun
• acetate sheets
• Bench scraper
• fine mesh strainer
• infrared thermometer

Ingredients

Raspberry Filling

• 250 grams raspberry puree Or make your own (see notes below)
• 25 grams granulated sugar
• 2.5 grams pectin NH

Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 440 grams heavy whipping cream
• 60 grams glucose or corn syrup
• 300 grams dark chocolate I use 64% extra bitter Guayaquil by Cacao Barry
• 120 grams unsalted butter (cut into chunks) 80% butter fat works best (Plugra, or European butter)

Chocolate Shells

• 1000 grams couverture dark chocolate
• 10 grams pre-tempered cocoa butter (optional) see blog post

Galaxy Design

• 100 grams cocoa butter
• 100 grams white chocolate I use Zéphyr 34% white chocolate by Cacao Barry
• colored cocoa butter or color your own using Flower Power cocoa butter colors

Instructions

Making the shell

• Before you start anything, make sure to CLEAN YOUR MOLDS! Polycarbonate molds work best to make the shiniest bonbons, but you have to temper your chocoalte and cocoa butter correctly. If your chocolate isn't tempered, the bonbons won't come out of the mold.

The raspberry filling

• Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan over medium heat. 
• In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and NH Pectin together. 
• Bring the raspberry puree to a boil, then slowly whisk in the sugar and pectin together. Mix thoroughly to ensure you do not have any lumps.
• Boil for a few minutes to activate the NH Pectin (this will allow the raspberry puree to solidify and be ready to use in our bonbons). 
• Turn off the heat and transfer the filling to a separate container.
• Put a sheet of plastic wrap on top so it's touching the surface and cool completely to room temperature.

The dark chocolate ganache

• Add your chocolate to a heat-safe container. 
• Heat up the glucose in the microwave for about 10 seconds. 
• Add the heavy whipping cream and glucose into a sauce pan.
• Bring it to a simmer over medium heat (stirring occasionally). Be careful not to boil or burn the cream.
• Carefully pour the hot mixture over your chocolate. Mix together.
• Add in your butter in chunks.
• Use an immersion blender to mix the butter with the ganache. Hold the immersion blender at a slight angle under the surface of the ganache to blend. Do not incorporate any air.
• Fill a large piping bag with your ganache filling and twist the top closed so the filling doesn’t spill out. 
• Cool the ganache in the piping bag to below 86ºF (30ºC).

  Pro-Tip: place your piping bag onto the counter to cool the ganache faster.

Making cocoa butter colors

• Melt the cocoa butter and white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments to prevent burning.
• Bring the temperature down to 91ºF (33ºC) and add 1% of cocoa butter paste (See Christophe's tempering chocolate recipe) to temper the cocoa butter. This will make the bonbons shinier! 
• Cool the cocoa butter down to 86ºF (30ºC).
• To color your own cocoa butter, stir in your cocoa butter flowers. Using Power Flowers is a great way to get really vibrant chocolate colors.

  (Our raspberry color- red 4 pieces of red, 4 pieces of white.) (Our purple color- 1 ¼ red, ¾ blue, and 2 ½ white)
• Store this cocoa butter mixture at 86ºF (30ºC) until you're ready to use it. (it is not needed but you can easily achieve this using a Waring Chocolate Warmer.) 
• Repeat this process for any additional colors you want to use to create your galaxy bonbons.
• For the black cocoa butter, I prefer the pre-made "Abyss" from Chef Rubber. Make sure to temper it by adding 1% of cocoa butter paste at 91ºF (33ºC) and cooling to 86ºF (30ºC) as well.
• Pour the colored cocoa butters into new bowls over a cheese cloth which will strain any lumps and gritty pieces to give you smooth, cocoa butters that are ready to create chocolate bonbon shells!

Video

Notes

EZ Tempering Machine

Waring Chocolate Warmer

Cacoa Barry Chocolate

Cocoa Butter Drops

Thermometer

• Raspberry puree: If you don't have premade raspberry puree, make your own by mixing together 250 grams of raspberries, 25 grams of simple syrup, cooking that down, mixing it with an immersion blender, and then cooking it down with the pectin. 
• If you haven’t watched Christophe’s video on how to temper chocolate with the EZ Temper machine, you’ll want to watch that first.
• Also learn how to make beautiful chocolate decorations like curls, squares, discs, and a tiara in Christophe’s easy decorations tutorial.
• No tempering machine? No problem! You can temper your chocolate in the microwave or use the traditional seeding method to get your chocolate tempered.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bonbon | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chocolate Raspberry Galaxy Bonbons appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Chocolate flower tools & equipment

These are the tools that Christophe used very often for making not only a chocolate flower but a lot of types of chocolate sculptures. You can purchase the petal mold here if you want to use this exact mold. Any silicone or polycarbonate sphere mold will work for the base. Here are some options on Amazon.

Some other things you might not have on hand that Chef Christophe uses.

EZ Temper Machine - A fantastic tool for tempering chocolate easily and quickly. You simply add in some unmelted cocoa butter the day before, let the machine bring it to the perfect temperature for proper crystalization then you can add that pre-tempered cocoa butter paste to melted chocolate (1-2% of the total chocolate mass) at 34ºC and then voila, tempered chocolate!

Waring Chocolate Warmer - If you don't have a chocolate tempering machine, keeping your chocolate in temper can be a challenge. The Waring chocolate warmer keeps your tempered chocolate at the exact temperature it needs to be to stay in temper which allows you to work with your chocolate for longer without the need to re-temper.

Chocolate flower ingredients

We are using Zephyr white chocolate from Cocao Barry which is a fantastic chocolate to work with but any white chocolate couverture is going to work great.

You will also need some colored cocoa butter. I got this from Chef Rubber which has a very extensive inventory of colored cocoa butter products.

We are also using tempered cocoa butter paste from the EZ Temper machine but if you don't have the EZ temper you can temper your cocoa butter using the traditional tempering method.

How to make the flower petals

Begin by making sure your chocolate is in temper. Chef Christophe recommends you always do a test to make sure your chocolate is properly crystallizing. Better safe than sorry! If you need a refresher on how to temper chocolate using the EZ Temper machine you can watch this video or you can use my method for tempering in the microwave.

1. Cut your acetate to be just a bit bigger than the petal mold
2. Fill your piping bag with some tempered chocolate and tie the opening to work clean.
3. Use the pinch and release method to fill the petal cavities with white chocolate.
4. Place the sheet of acetate on top of the mold and press to make sure your petals are completely filled.
5. Use your bench scraper to press the the chocolate flat and remove the excess chocolate from the mold.
6. Place the piping bag into the chocolate warmer to keep it at the proper temperature to use later.
7. Set the mold in the fridge to crystalize.

How to make the flower base

1. Use your piping bag to fill your 2" sphere mold (you only need 2 half) but you can make extras just in case.
2. Fill your 1.5" sphere mold to make two full spheres.
3. Place the spheres into the fridge to set while you work on the tendrils.

Making the chocolate tendrils

Did you know you can sculpt with tempered chocolate? I was amazed by this technique.

1. Start by adding your unmelted chocolate pieces into a food processor.
2. Turn the food processor on and blend until the chocolate forms a ball. Do not over-mix it. Now it's ready to sculpt.
3. Use your hands and your cake board to roll out some long tendrils.
4. Cut the end to the length you want it to be.
5. sharpen the tip and bend it into a nice artistic shape.
6. The chocolate will set as it cools and be very strong.

Assembling the chocolate flower

1. Turn your petal mold over (opening side down) and pull the mold off the petals so they don't break.
2. Unmold your spheres.
3. Use your spatula and kitchen torch to melt the top of the half sphere just a bit.
4. Place the second sphere on top and use the cold spray to set the sphere.
5. Working quickly, dip the rounded tip of the flower petal into the tempered chocolate, lay the petal against the base of the chocolate sphere and use the cold spray to set it. Arrange the petals at a slight angle to create movement.
6. Continue adding petals around until you have a few layers of petals.
7. You can pipe a little tempered chocolate in the center of the flower and use the airbrush to add texture to the center of the flower.
8. Glue another sphere on top of the 2" base at a 45" angle as we did before with the spatula and kitchen torch.
9. Attach you tendrils to the back of the base with some more tempered chocolate and set with the cold spray.
10. Attach the chocolate flower to the front of the sphere with melted chocolate and set with cold spray.

How to color the flower with cocoa butter

1. Melt your colored cocoa butter in the microwave. Cool to 30ºC.
2. Add your tempered cocoa butter paste at 29ºC to your melted colored cocoa butter.
3. Add the melted cocoa butter to your airbrush and you can color the flower.
4. Start with yellow and then add highlights with red.

Now your chocolate flower is complete! It can be attached to the cake with a little melted chocolate.

Chef Christophe uses a Waring dehydrator to store his airbrush and cocoa butter to keep it at the correct temperature for airbrushing.

Recipe

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Chocolate Flower Cake Topper

Chef Christophe Rull shows us some amazing chocolate techniques with this chocolate flower showpiece. Learn how to sculpt with tempered chocolate, assemble a chocolate flower and add color with cocoa butter. This chocolate flower makes an amazing topper for a wedding cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

cooling 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 flower

Calories 2271kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Sphere Molds
• Petal Mold
• Acetate
• Bench scraper
• infrared thermometer
• Piping Bag
• Air Brush
• EZ Temper Machine (optional)
• Waring Chocolate Warmer (optional)

Ingredients

• 200 grams tempered white chocolate https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/how-to-temper-chocolate-with-cocoa-butter/
• 200 grams white chocolate couverature
• 2 Tablespoons red cocoa butter
• 1 Tablespoon yellow cocoa butter
• 2 Tablespoons tempered cocoa butter paste optional, if you don't have the EZ temper then you will have to temper the colored cocoa butter and chocolate using either the microwave or traditional seeding method

Instructions

How to Make the Flower Petals

• Cut your acetate to be just a bit bigger than the petal mold.
• Fill your piping bag with some tempered chocolate and tie the opening to work clean.
• Use the pinch and release method to fill the petal cavities with white chocolate.
• Place the sheet of acetate on top of the mold and press to make sure your petals are completely filled.
• Use your bench scraper to press the the chocolate flat and remove the excess chocolate from the mold.
• Place the piping bag into the chocolate warmer to keep it at the proper temperature to use later.
• Set the mold in the fridge to crystalize.

How to Make the Flower Base

• Use your piping bag to fill your 2″ sphere mold (you only need 2 half) but you can make extras just in case.
• Fill your 1.5″ sphere mold to make two full spheres.
• Place the spheres into the fridge to set while you work on the tendrils.

Making the Chocolate Tendrils

• Start by adding your unmelted chocolate pieces into a food processor.
• Turn the food processor on and blend until the chocolate forms a ball. Do not over-mix it. Now it’s ready to sculpt.
• Use your hands and your cake board to roll out some long tendrils.
• Cut the end to the length you want it to be.
• Sharpen the tip and bend it into a nice artistic shape.
• The chocolate will set as it cools and be very strong.

Assembling the Chocolate Flower

• Turn your petal mold over (opening side down) and pull the mold off the petals so they don’t break.
• Unmold your spheres.
• Use your spatula and kitchen torch to melt the top of the half sphere just a bit.
• Place the second sphere on top and use the cold spray to set the sphere.
• Working quickly, dip the rounded tip of the flower petal into the tempered chocolate, lay the petal against the base of the chocolate sphere and use the cold spray to set it. Arrange the petals at a slight angle to create movement.
• Continue adding petals around until you have a few layers of petals.
• You can pipe a little tempered chocolate in the center of the flower and use the airbrush to add texture to the center of the flower.
• Glue another sphere on top of the 2″ base at a 45″ angle as we did before with the spatula and kitchen torch.
• Attach you tendrils to the back of the base with some more tempered chocolate and set with the cold spray.
• Attach the chocolate flower to the front of the sphere with melted chocolate and set with cold spray.

How to Color the Flower with Cocoa Butter

• Melt your colored cocoa butter in the microwave. Cool to 30ºC.
• Add your tempered cocoa butter paste at 29ºC to your melted colored cocoa butter.
• Add the melted cocoa butter to your airbrush and you can color the flower.
• Start with yellow and then add highlights with red.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 2271kcal | Carbohydrates: 248g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 137g | Saturated Fat: 84g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 1372mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 236g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 815mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Chocolate Flower Cake Topper appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

After I posted my candy apple recipe, I got so many requests for caramel apples. Not only are they a fun family project, but making them from scratch tastes so much better! The caramel is so rich, buttery, and smooth! You won't believe how tasty they are!

This sauce is similar to my salted caramel sauce recipe but much thicker which makes it perfect for dipping apples. You can even make this recipe into candies by pouring it into a candy mold, letting it fully harden, and then wrapping it in wax paper for some delicious homemade caramel candies!

Equipment you will need

These are all the tools and equipment you will need to make your homemade candy apples. Do you ABSOLUTELY have to have them? In my opinion, the only one you really need is the candy thermometer but the rest is just nice to have and will make life easier if you do have them on hand.

Candy thermometer - This handy dandy tool takes all the guesswork out of candy-making. Less stress, less mess, and more time for eating candy 😀

Heavy bottom saucepan - I prefer a saucepan with curved sides, makes dipping so much easier! The heavy bottom will help distribute heat more evenly and keep your caramel warmer for longer.

Wooden spoon - Wood is the perfect material for stirring hot ingredients because it does not conduct heat and will not shock your caramel which can sometimes cause crystalization.

Silicone mat - The best thing to place your apples onto after dipping. The apples will easily lift off. If you don't have a silicone mat you can use foil or parchment paper that has been lightly oiled to prevent sticking.

Caramel apple ingredients

You probably have everything you need in your pantry right now to make homemade caramel apples. All you need is butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla.

What's the best apple to use? In my opinion, a nice tart granny smith apple is the best apple to use because the tartness of the apple balances out the sweetness of the caramel so nicely! But honestly, use whatever apple you like!

The corn syrup is especially important because it not only keeps your caramel from crystalizing, it also makes the caramel stick to the apples. If you can't get your hands on corn syrup, glucose will also work.

I'm using vanilla to flavor my caramel but you can really use anything! Try adding in some pumpkin spice, cinnamon, almond extract, or even steep the heavy cream in some chai before adding it to the caramel. The possibilities are endless! You can even use browned butter in place of regular butter to add a richer depth.

How to prep your apples

I divide my work into two days. I prep my apples on day 1 and then dip them on day 2. This gives my apples time to dry fully after washing. Excess water can also cause bubbles in your caramel.

Day 1 - Wash your apples! The #1 problem people have is the caramel sliding off the apple after dipping. This is caused by the caramel melting the wax that apples are coated in when they are dipped and then the caramel has nothing to stick to.

1. Bring a large pot of water to almost boiling and then remove it from the heat.
2. Submerge your apples in the hot water for 1 minute, use a wooden spoon them to push them down or rotate them as needed.
3. Don't worry if your apples get discolored from the heat of the water. You won't be able to tell after you dip and they get discolored anyway from the hot caramel.
4. Remove the apples from the hot water and rub the surface with a clean towel to remove any wax residue. Pay special attention to the top and bottom stem area to remove water as well.
5. Twist off the stems from the apples.
6. Insert your candy apple sticks. I place my apple onto the work surface and then push the stick into the apple rather than holding the apple and pushing in the stick. This way you can make sure the sticks are all straight up and down. Make sure you are using apple sticks which are thicker and sturdier than wooden skewers which can break under the weight of the apple after dipping.
7. Place your apples onto a lined baking sheet (with a silicone mat or greased parchment paper) and then put them into the fridge to chill overnight.

How to make easy caramel apples step-by-step

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, salt, and butter. Mix to combine.
2. Over medium-high heat, stir constantly until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook the mixture without any further stirring.
3. Use a clean pastry brush with water to wash down the sides of the saucepan to prevent crystalization. If you don't have a pastry brush, skip to the next step.
4. Place the lid on top of the mixture and continue letting your mixture cook for 5 minutes. The condensation also helps wash down the sides of the pot to prevent crystalization.
5. Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pan and continue to cook the caramel until it reached 240-245ºF without stirring. Stirring can cause crystalization.
6. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla, taking care not to burn yourself as the caramel will bubble up when you add it.
7. Let the caramel cool down for 5-10 minutes. It will be ready to dip around 190-200º. If your caramel is too runny, allow it to cool for 5 more minutes, it will continue to firm up as the caramel cooled.
8. Use an oven mitt to hold your pot of caramel at an angle and gently roll your apple in the caramel until evenly coated. Make sure you go up to the stick or very close to the stick.
9. Let the excess caramel drip off the bottom and gently scrape the excess on the edge of the pan before placing the apple in caramel on the silicone mat to cool.
10. Let the dipped apples cool completely. Placing the apples in the fridge will speed up the cooling, however, you need to wrap them after coming out of the fridge or they will condensate. Apples will last in the fridge for a few days.
11. If you want to add toppings, immediately dip the apple into chopped nuts, candies, melted chocolate, or whatever you like before placing it onto the silicone mat to cool down.

FAQ

The best caramel apple garnishes

If you want to add a garnish to your caramel apple that also adds a new flavor, you can drizzle your caramel apples with tempered chocolate or even dip them! Believe it or not, you can easily temper chocolate at home in the microwave! Tempered chocolate will stay shiny and stable at room temperature and tastes MUCH better than almond bark or candy coating.

In addition to adding chocolate, one of the best and easiest garnishes to add to your caramel apples is nuts. Peanuts, pecans, and even toasted coconut flakes are all excellent add-ons to elevate your homemade caramel apples.

You can also add crushed-up pieces of your favorite candy to your caramel apple, like Oreo, Butterfinger, or even M&M's. Sprinkles are also an easy and low-maintenance garnish to add to your candy apples.

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Recipe

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Easy Caramel Apples

Rich, buttery, and soft caramel apples are so easy to make! All you need are a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and 30 minutes! Easy caramel apples are great for serving as individual treats or during the holidays.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 567kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Candy Thermometer
• heavy bottom sauce pan
• Apple sticks
• silicone mat
• clean pastry brush
• wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 8-10 medium granny smith apples
• 15 ounces brown sugar
• 8 ounces corn syrup
• 2.5 ounces unsalted butter
• 10 ounces heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Day 1 - Apple Preparation

• Bring a large pot of water to almost a boil then remove it from the heat
• Submerge your apples in the water for 1 minute to remove the wax from the apples.
• Dry the apples well, rubbing with pressure to make sure all the wax is removed.
• Remove the stems from the apples by twisting them off.
• Place your stick into apples, making sure the apple stands up straight up. Give your apple a little shake to make sure the stick is secure.
• Place all your apples onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat and put them into the fridge to chill overnight or until you are ready to dip your apples.

Day 2 - Making Caramel Apples

• In a heavy bottom sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, salt, and butter.
• Over medium-high heat stir the mixture until butter has melted and then continue to cook the mixture without any further stirring.
• Use a clean pastry brush with water to wash down the sides of the pot to prevent crystalization.
• Place the lid on the saucepan and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes. The condensation will also wash down the sides of the pot to prevent crystalization.
• Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pan and continue to cook the caramel until it reached 240-245ºF
• Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla, taking care not to burn yourself as the caramel will bubble up when you add it.
• Let the caramel cool down for 5-10 minutes. It will be ready to dip around 190-200ºF. If your caramel is too runny, allow it to cool for 5 more minutes, it will continue to set up.
• Using an oven mitt to hold your pot of caramel at an angle, gently roll your apple in the caramel until evenly coated.
• Let the excess caramel drip off the bottom and gently scrap the excess on the edge of the pan before placing the apple on the silicone mat to cool.
• Let the apples cool completely. Placing the apples in the fridge will speed up the cooling, however you need to wrap them after coming out of the fridge or they will condensate. Apples will last in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.

Video

Notes

Caramel cooked 240-245ºF will result in a nice firm caramel that will not slide down the apple but will also be soft enough to bite into. 

It is recommended that you slice your apples before eating them

You can pour excess caramel into candy molds and wrap them in wax paper to make soft caramel candies. 

If your caramel starts to get too thick while you are dipping it, return it to medium heat until it's softened again and begin dipping again. 

To clean your saucepan, fill your pot with hot water and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. Set the pot aside and let it cool down then wash it as usual. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1apple | Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 92g | Vitamin A: 841IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Caramel Apples appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Chef Christophe has so many great tips and tricks for you in this blog post like how to clean your surface without water, and the best way to get gold dust to stick to chocolate! I can't wait for you to see them! So let's get our tools together and let's get started!

Tools & Equipment Needed

• EZ Tempering Machine
• Chocolate Warmer
• Offset Spatula
• Acetate Sheets
• Tiara Template
• Circle Cutters
• Cake Comb With Teeth (for chocolate curls)
• Bench Scraper
• Small Paring Knife
• Piping Bag (for tiara)
• 6" cake dummy or coffee can
• Grand Marnier (alcohol)
• Gold Luster Dust
• Airbrush
• Tape

If you haven't watched Christophe's video on how to temper chocolate with the EZ Temper machine, you'll want to watch that first.

No tempering machine? No problem! You can temper your chocolate in the microwave or use the traditional seeding method to get your chocolate tempered.

How To Make Chocolate Circles

1. Prepare your tempered dark chocolate and keep it in the warmer at 89ºF (32ºC). The working temperature for both white chocolate and milk chocolate is between 82ºF and 86ºF (29ºC and 30ºC).
2. Place your acetate on top of your work surface.
3. Spread your tempered chocolate over your acetate sheet very thin and as evenly as possible with your offset spatula.
4. Pick the acetate up carefully and move it over to detach it from the chocolate that went over the edges.
5. After a few minutes, the chocolate will begin to lose it's shine and look matte but is still soft.
6. Now is the time to use your circle cutter to cut some shapes. Work quickly.
7. You can also use a knife to free-hand shapes or use different size cutters.
8. Place the acetate and chocolate in between two pieces of parchment paper and sandwich between two sheet pans to fully crystalize. (About 10 minutes in the refrigerator.) This is to prevent the chocolate from curling.
9. Clean your surface with a bench scraper, not water so you do not contaminate your surface.
10. Carefully peel the acetate off the back of the squares and handle them with gloved hands so that you avoid leaving fingerprints.

How To Make Chocolate Squares

1. Prepare your tempered chocolate and keep it in the warmer at 89ºF (32ºC)
2. Place your acetate on top of your work surface
3. Spread your tempered chocolate over your acetate sheet very thin and as evenly as possible with your offset spatula.
4. Pick the acetate up carefully and move it over to detach it from the chocolate that went over the edges.
5. After a few minutes, the chocolate will begin to lose it's shine and look matte but is still soft.
6. Use a ruler to cut the lines in the chocolate to make your squares.
7. Place the acetate and chocolate in between two pieces of parchment paper and sandwich between two sheet pans to fully crystalize. (About 10 minutes in the refrigerator.) This is to prevent the chocolate from curling.
8. Clean your surface with a bench scraper, not water so you do not contaminate your surface.
9. Carefully peel the acetate off the back of the squares and handle them with gloved hands so that you avoid leaving fingerprints.

How To Make Chocolate Curls

1. Prepare your tempered chocolate and keep it in the warmer at 89ºF (32ºC)
2. Place your acetate (6"X18") on top of your work surface
3. Spread your tempered chocolate over your acetate sheet very thin and as evenly as possible with your offset spatula.
4. Use your cake comb to remove some of the chocolate from the acetate and make lines.
5. Pick the acetate up carefully and move it over to detach it from the chocolate that went over the edges.
6. Wait for the chocolate to lose it's shine and look matte but still soft
7. Carefully twist the acetate over onto itself.
8. Let it fully crystalize (5-10 minutes)
9. Carefully peel off the acetate from the curls. Some will break and that is normal and to be expected.

Now you can add the curls to the top of your tarts or cakes!

How To Make A Chocolate Tiara

1. Prepare your tempered chocolate and keep it in the warmer at 89ºF (32ºC)
2. Place your acetate over your tiara template and tape it down so that it doesn't shift.
3. Pour your tempered chocolate into your piping bag and snip off the tip, not too big!
4. Pipe the chocolate onto the acetate, following the lines of the template.
5. After your chocolate loses it's shine but is still soft, you can tape the tiara to the styrofoam dummy to give it a curve.
6. Allow the tiara to fully crystalize in the fridge for 5 minutes.
7. Mix 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier and 1 teaspoon super gold dust together. Grand Marnier makes the gold stick to the chocolate really well so that it doesn't rub off! So cool!
8. Add the gold mixture to your airbrush and spray your chocolate tiara.
9. Very carefully remove the styro from the paper by lifting the paper, not lifting the chocolate.
10. Bend the acetate off the back of the tiara carefully to release it from the acetate.
11. Now you can place the tiara on top of the cake!

There are so many fun ways to make tempered chocolate decorations and we're barely scratching the surface. we've got more fun chocolate projects coming to you from Chef Christophe so let us know in the comments what you want to learn!

More Chocolate Recipes & Tutorials

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Recipe

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Easy Chocolate Decorations

Chef Christophe Rull shows us how to make easy chocolate decorations including chocolate curls, circles, squares, and a beautiful golden chocolate tiara!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Cooling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 304kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• EZ Tempering Machine
• Waring Chocolate Warmer
• Thermometer
• Acetate strips and sheets
• Spatula
• Piping Bags

Ingredients

• 600 grams Chocolate https://www.cacao-barry.com/en-US/chocolate-couverture-cocoa/chd-p64ebpu/extra-bitter-guayaquil
• 6 grams Cocoa Butter https://ifigourmet.com/collections/chocolate-products/products/cocoa-butter-1

Instructions

How To Temper Chocolate

• Place your cocoa butter into the internal warmer of the EZ Tempering Machine the day before you need it. Let it warm overnight. If you don't have an EZ Tempering Machine, temper your chocolate using the traditional seeding method.
• Melt 600 grams of bittersweet chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler to 113ºF (45ºC) It's important to melt the chocolate to this temperature so that all the crystals in the cocoa butter are broken down properly and new crystals can re-form successfully.
• Add in a few handfuls of tempered (chocolate comes tempered) chocolate to bring the temperature down. Stirring occasionally, cool your chocolate to 95ºF (35ºC).
• At 89ºF (32ºC) add in 6-7 grams (1-2% of total chocolate weight) of your tempered cocoa butter paste from the EZ temper machine to the melted chocolate.
• Stir and cool the mixture to 32ºF. At this point, the chocolate is tempered but make sure you do a test to make sure your chocolate is in temper before using it.
• Carefully warm your chocolate to the ideal working temperature (usually found on the side of the bag if your chocolate is from Cacoa Barry) before using.

How To Make Chocolate Decorations

• After you've tempered your chocolate, you can do almost anything with it! Make sure to keep it at the correct working temperatures for the type of chocolate you are using.

  Dark chocolate: 89ºF (32ºC)

  White and milk chocolate: 82ºF and 86ºF (29ºC and 30ºC)
• Watch the video tutorial or read the blog post above for steps on how to make chocolate circles, squares, curls, and a tiara.

Video

Notes

Chocolate Tiara Template

EZ Tempering Machine

Waring Chocolate Warmer

Cacoa Barry Chocolate

Cocoa Butter Drops

Thermometer

If you haven't watched Christophe's video on how to temper chocolate with the EZ Temper machine, you'll want to watch that first.

No tempering machine? No problem! You can temper your chocolate in the microwave or use the traditional seeding method to get your chocolate tempered.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 31g | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Basic Chocolate Decorations With Chef Christophe Rull appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.