flowerbug
Super Self-Sufficient
[edited to make more consistent units]
it is the colder season now so making chocolates becomes easier (less humidity) and it is also a good time to give some gifts and people always like them.
i hadn't been making these for some years and so i had forgotten my exact recipe so the first few batches i made a few months ago were not all that great (and one i'm sure siezed from the humidity that day - we used it for hot chocolate)...
i'll be making some more soon.
this recipe is simple, i use a thick glass bowl which helps hold the heat.
ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (about 237 mililiters)
- 1 pound of chocolate (about 454 grams)
- cocoa powder and/or other things for coating (we used chopped pecans and Heath Bar bits this last batch)
makes about two dozen, but you can increase the count if you make smaller ones. ours can get kinda big as we don't mind cutting them in half to share.
method:
bring the cream to just under a boil and pour over broken up chocolate (or put the chocolate in the bowl which is better as there is more heat). let it sit for about 5 minutes and then stir until no more lumps. i'm sure grating the chocolate first would speed this up, but as of yet i'm not into that, i just break it into chunks and go from there. if more heat is needed i use the microwave 10 - 15 seconds at a time. i don't want to get it too hot (burned chocolate is icky, but more importantly the hotter you make this the longer it takes to cool off again). once you have it smooth you can use the spatula/stirrer to wiggle the air bubbles out of it. cover the bowl and put in the freezer or fridge to cool for a few hours (2-3). use a small scoop to make blobs, roll them quickly and then coat, set on trays. store in freezer for longer term storage, fridge is ok for a few days.
discussion:
don't use cheap chocolate. you can substitute some of the liquid for flavorings/liquors, but i add those after i've got the chocolate melted. warm it up a little first as you don't want the mix to harden up when you mix it in. you can adjust how firm the result is by adding a bit more chocolate or reducing the liquid.
the blend of chocolate we use most of the time is about half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate, dark chocolate is thinner than milk chocolate and melts easier, but we like it all.
since chocolates do vary in how they melt and taste i always recommend doing smaller batches to test out before making a large amount. if the humidity is high you'll need a dehumidifier.
it is the colder season now so making chocolates becomes easier (less humidity) and it is also a good time to give some gifts and people always like them.
i hadn't been making these for some years and so i had forgotten my exact recipe so the first few batches i made a few months ago were not all that great (and one i'm sure siezed from the humidity that day - we used it for hot chocolate)...
i'll be making some more soon.
this recipe is simple, i use a thick glass bowl which helps hold the heat.
ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (about 237 mililiters)
- 1 pound of chocolate (about 454 grams)
- cocoa powder and/or other things for coating (we used chopped pecans and Heath Bar bits this last batch)
makes about two dozen, but you can increase the count if you make smaller ones. ours can get kinda big as we don't mind cutting them in half to share.
method:
bring the cream to just under a boil and pour over broken up chocolate (or put the chocolate in the bowl which is better as there is more heat). let it sit for about 5 minutes and then stir until no more lumps. i'm sure grating the chocolate first would speed this up, but as of yet i'm not into that, i just break it into chunks and go from there. if more heat is needed i use the microwave 10 - 15 seconds at a time. i don't want to get it too hot (burned chocolate is icky, but more importantly the hotter you make this the longer it takes to cool off again). once you have it smooth you can use the spatula/stirrer to wiggle the air bubbles out of it. cover the bowl and put in the freezer or fridge to cool for a few hours (2-3). use a small scoop to make blobs, roll them quickly and then coat, set on trays. store in freezer for longer term storage, fridge is ok for a few days.
discussion:
don't use cheap chocolate. you can substitute some of the liquid for flavorings/liquors, but i add those after i've got the chocolate melted. warm it up a little first as you don't want the mix to harden up when you mix it in. you can adjust how firm the result is by adding a bit more chocolate or reducing the liquid.
the blend of chocolate we use most of the time is about half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate, dark chocolate is thinner than milk chocolate and melts easier, but we like it all.
since chocolates do vary in how they melt and taste i always recommend doing smaller batches to test out before making a large amount. if the humidity is high you'll need a dehumidifier.
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