It’s Spring in Sydney, and the mild weather is ideal for chocolate making. I love watching the shiny tempered blocks pop out of their moulds.
The large bar below was a birthday present for Tim, made from Belgian milk chocolate. Once you learn how to temper chocolate, you’ll never be caught short for a gift again. This gorgeous mould came from Candyland Crafts in the US and I’ve used it at least a dozen times, more than justifying the $1.99 I paid for it.
A bowl of tempered dark chocolate (Callebaut 811, 54% cocoa) became a chorus of chocolate frogs, studded with roasted cacao nibs…
…a cluster of plain dark chocolates in assorted shapes (each one small enough to be an acceptable accompaniment to morning coffee)…
…and some very special truffles, filled with a caramelised white chocolate ganache. The end result was reminiscent of a burnt caramel truffle. I’d offer more detailed tasting notes, but Big Boy ate most of them while my back was turned!
Trivia of the day:
Did you know that a group of frogs is known as a chorus, a colony or an army? By contrast, the collective noun for toads is a knot.
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 