Raspberry Dark Chocolate Ganache Chocolates

INGREDIENTS:

makes 48-64 chocolates, depending on mold size

for dark chocolate ganache:

(this recipe should make more ganache than necessary for these chocolates, but ganache is always a great thing to have around and it keeps very well in the fridge. Use the excess ganache for truffles, if you want, or save for more chocolates later!)

• 4 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used Gittard, but any good quality dark chocolate will do)
• 6 Tbspn heavy cream (preferably manufacturing cream, if you can find it)
• 1 Tbspn butter
• 1 1/2 Tbpsn Godiva chocolate liquor

METHOD:

1. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before boiling.  Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate in a bowl.  Allow this to sit for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir the chocolate and cream until a homogeneous mixture forms.  Stir in the chocolate liquor.
4. Place overnight in the fridge until firm.

for chocolates:

• 1 lb. dark chocolate, split into two half pounds
• dark chocolate ganache, recipe above
• raspberry preserves

METHOD:

You will also need plastic chocolate molds.

1.  Chop a 1/2 pound of the dark chocolate and place in a double boiler.  Melt this chocolate.  Turn off stove.
2. Add the other 1/2 pound WHOLE, without chopping!, to the melted chocolate in the double boiler.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  This is the easiest way to temper chocolate that I’ve found.  No need to mess with marble pastry boards or thermometers!  But, if you have your own method, feel free to temper the chocolate as you wish.
3. Once the chocolate is tempered, make sure to keep it only hot enough to keep it melted.  Turn on the stove to simmer the water in the double boiler if heat is needed.
4. Pour a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the molds one at a time. Once the chocolate is poured into one mold, use a paintbrush to spread the chocolate evenly to coat the inside of each mold.  Do not pour chocolate into all of the molds first and then spread later–your chocolate will cool!  Do this one single mold at a time.
5. Once the molds have been coated, place them in the freezer for about five minutes.  Be careful not to leave them in for too long–the goal is only to let the chocolate set.
6. Meanwhile, heat the raspberry preserves in the microwave until easily spreadable consistency.  Fill a pastry bag with the preserves, and set aside.
7. Remove the molds from the freezer.  Using the pastry bag, squeeze a small amount of raspberry preserves into the bottom of each chocolate mold.
8. Roll small pieces of the dark chocolate ganache.  Press the ganache into the chocolate molds on top of the raspberry preserves, leaving a tiny bit of space at the top of each mold.  Take care not to overfill the molds.
9. Pour melted chocolate into the molds to cover the ganache.  Jiggle each tray a few times, and tap them gently on the counter to allow the melted chocolate to settle and to release any air pockets.
10. Return the molds to the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remove from the freezer and turn out onto a cutting board.  If needed, use a round cookie cutter to trim the excess chocolate around the candies.
11. You should probably store the chocolates in the fridge, but since the chocolate is tempered, they will survive a bit of time outside the fridge as well, as long as it’s not too hot outside!

Ginger Carrot Dark Chocolates

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about 48 chocolates, with leftover ganache

• 8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbspn butter
• 2 heaping tspn ground ginger
• 1 Tbspn brandy
• 1 medium carrot (preferably organic), julienned into short and thin, thin strips*
• 16 oz. dark chocolate

METHOD:

1. Place 8 oz. chopped dark chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, butter, and ground ginger.  Stir and bring to just barely a boil.
3. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and pour over the prepared dark chocolate in a bowl.  Allow to sit for two to three minutes, then stir until the chocolate melts into the cream.
4. Stir in 1 Tbspn brandy into the chocolate ganache.
5. Add the cut carrots in the ganache.  Allow the ganache to set in the fridge overnight.
6. Chop 8 oz. of the remaining dark chocolate and place in a double boiler.  Melt this chocolate.  Turn off the stove.
7. Add the last remaining 8 oz. of dark chocolate WHOLE, without chopping!, to the melted chocolate in the double boiler.  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
8. Once the chocolate is tempered, make sure to keep it only hot enough to keep it melted.  Turn on the stove to simmer the water in the double boiler if heat is needed.
9. Pour a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the molds one at a time.  Once the chocolate is poured, use a paintbrush to spread the chocolate evenly to coat the inside of each mold.  Do not pour chocolate into all of the molds first and then spread later–your chocolate will cool!  Do this one single mold at a time.
10. Once the molds have been coated, place them in the freezer for about five minutes.  Be careful not to leave them in for too long–the goal is only to let the chocolate set.
11. Remove the molds from the freezer.  Roll small pieces of the ginger-carrot ganache–about the size of a small cherry.  Press the ganache into the chocolate molds, leaving a tiny bit of space at the top of each mold.
12. Pour melted chocolate into the molds to cover the ganache.  Jiggle each tray a few times, and tap them gently on the counter to allow the melted chocolate to settle and to release any air pockets.
13. Return the molds to the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.  Remove from the freezer and turn out onto a cutting board.  If needed, use a round cookie cutter to trim the excess chocolate from around the candies.

*I chose not to shred the carrots because then you don’t get the crunchy texture of carrot chunks that contribute so nicely to these chocolates.  Instead, I used a mandolin to slice the carrot, cut those into strips, and finally, chopped the strips into one-to-two centimeter long pieces.