Categoria: Candy

Pistachio Praline

5/5/2020

Taken from Philadelphia's pie boutique Magpie, this candy was surprisingly easy to make and makes a deliciously crunchy garnish!

5 tbsp / 63 g granulated sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
1 cup / 100 g roasted, salted shelled pistachios

Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease a baking sheet.
Combine the sugar and corn syrup with 3 tsp water in a small saucepan. Stir together, then set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, undisturbed. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture takes on a light golden color, 3 - 5 minutes.
Take the pan off heat and quickly stir in pistachios, mixing until the nuts are well coated with syrup. Pour the mixture out onto silicone mat and let cool completely. Transfer the praline to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Keep praline in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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I'm actually not a fan of mint myself (not because of the taste, but because they can give me headaches), so I've never taste-tested these myself. But I had some friends request some over the holidays, and all reports I received from them were that it was AMAZING, so this recipe appears to be a raging success!

8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
25 peppermint candies, crushed (or if you buy the candies already crushed, just scatter as much as you'd like throughout)

Line a 9" x 9" inch pan with foil or parchment paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside.
Place the semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate layer. Put in the refrigerator while you make the second layer. (Note: Leaving it a little tacky instead of chilled rock-hard will allow the two layers to bond more completely, so that they don't separate when you break up the bark.)
Place the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate directly over the semisweet chocolate layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. Refrigerate until completely hardened.
Remove from pan and peel off the paper or foil; break into small pieces to serve.

Notes: Do not let any water - even the steam from the bottom of the double boiler - get into the chocolate, as this may cause the chocolate to seize. White chocolate has a lower melting point than regular chocolate; I recently had a batch become thick and lumpy when I tried to put it over the same heat settings as I had melted the dark chocolate, and it would never become liquid. You can try and "save" it by adding some fat to re-emulsify it - I happened to have some cocao butter on hand from some other projects, and this seemed to do the trick. Otherwise, you can try regular butter or some vegetable oil. It may be a ratio of as much as a tablespoon for every 6 oz of white chocolate, but add a little at a time first and see how it goes.

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Ganache Filling for Chocolate Truffles

4/8/2015

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8 oz chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 tbsp extracts (optional)

Servinges: 60 candies or so

Scald cream and pour over chopped chocolate.
Let sit and then stir until smooth. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Use extracts to flavor.

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Tempering Chocolate

4/8/2015

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Chocolate candies are a messy, messy business. Remember when it comes time to clean up, that it will never come off with cold water - best to run the faucet warm or hot.

1 lb chocolate (dark, milk, or white)

Servings: enough to coat about 60 candies

Melt the chocolate: Heat in a bain marie until 115-120 degrees.
Cool the chocolate: Leave at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches low 80's (or is neutral to the touch).
Reheat the chocolate: Raise the temperature of the melted chocolate over the bain marie to 88-91 degrees for dark chocolate, 86-88 degrees for milk and white chocolate. If you overheat, start over again.

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Pistachio Praline

Peppermint Bark

Ganache Filling for Chocolate Truffles

Tempering Chocolate

Sweet Enough

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