William Curley

Recipe – Infused Chocolates

This chocolate is a good bridge between the classic and the contemporary. You can expect to taste it at the Chocolate festivals.It works best with a peppery olive oil. Makes about 80 chocolates.

Ingredients:

• 1 quantity Chocolate Cocoa Butter Solution (see details below)
• 400ml whipping (pouring) cream
• 4g rosemary sprigs
• 60g Invert Sugar (see details below)
• 2g (1/4 tsp) sea salt
• 450g fine dark (bittersweet) chocolate (66% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 15g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and at room temperature
• 75ml olive oil
• 500g tempered fine dark (bittersweet) chocolate to coat
• Dried rosemary strips to decorate

Method:

1. Line a baking tray (sheet) with a non-stick baking mat and brush it liberally with the Chocolate Cocoa Butter Solution.
2. Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rosemary, then take off the heat, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to infuse for 2 hours.
3. Pass the infused cream through a fine sieve (strainer) to catch the rosemary. Return the cream to the saucepan, add the Invert Sugar and salt and bring to the boil again. Take off the heat and leave to cool until it reaches 65–70°C (149–158°F).
4. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie (water bath) to about 45°C (113°F) and gradually add the cooled cream to the chocolate. Continue to mix to form an emulsion. Add the butter and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Gradually add the olive oil and mix until smooth. Blend with a hand blender if necessary. Pour the infused ganache on to the prepared baking mat and leave to set overnight in a cool, dry area.
5. Brush the surface with chocolate cocoa butter solution and lay a sheet of silicone (baking) paper on top of the ganache. Place an acrylic sheet or baking tray (sheet) on top of that and, holding all three, carefully turn them over so that the tray (sheet) is upturned. Carefully peel away the non-stick baking mat. Score and cut the ganache. Secure each chocolate on a dipping fork and dip in tempered chocolate. Tap to shake off any excess and place on silicone (baking) paper.
6. Decorate by sprinkling with dried rosemary strips and leave to fully set for about 2 hours in a cool, dry area.

Recipe – Chocolate Cocoa Butter Solution

Makes enough to brush about 3 trays (sheets)

Ingredients

60g cocoa butter, finely chopped & 120g fine dark (bittersweet) chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

Method

Put the cocoa butter and chocolate in a bowl and melt gently over a bain-marie (water bath) until it reaches 45°C (113°F) on a thermometer. Leave it to cool slightly before using it to brush over non-stick baking mats as required. Leftover solution will keep in an airtight container for several months in a dry, cool area.