Chocolate Liqueur Shells Recipes

LIQUOR FILLED SUGAR SHELLS

Steps:

• The starch must be dry before you begin this recipe. I spread my potato starch onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and placed them in a slightly warm oven for a few hours.
• In the interim, determine or make your candy mold. You could use a Champagne cork that is cut in half. Insert a wooden dowel into the cork. I used another method. I filled a regular polycarbonate candy mold with chocolate. When the chocolate cooled, I unmolded the pieces and glued them to a flat piece of wood measuring 1-inch by 15 inches. I did it that way so I could make more indentations faster.
• Place the potato starch in a container that will allow you to have a layer of starch at least 1 1/2-inches deep. Carefully press the mold into the potato starch to make the indentation. Carefully remove the mold. Repeat as many times as your container will allow.
• Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and boil to 119 degrees C (246 degrees F). When it reaches that temperature, remove it from heat and add the alcohol. Pour the mix into the funnel tool and carefully fill the impression with the candy mixture. Carefully cover the filled impressions with more potato starch. Allow to set at warm room temperature for about 10 hours. If the candies do not have a strong setting, leave them for an additional 4 to 6 hours. Be very careful that the container is not moved or the candy mixture will not set. Be mindful of excess vibrations as well. After about 10 hours, delicately remove the candies from the potato starch. At this stage, they can be served or coated with chocolate. Serve.
• Jacques' tips: The candies can also be air-brushed with color.

MILK CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE CUPS

Steps:

• Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put 2 1/4 cups of the dark cocoa melting wafers and 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth; if any lumps remain, microwave again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the melted wafers into a paper liner and use a small pastry brush to brush the chocolate up the sides to the top of the paper. Make sure the paper is completely covered; if you can see paper through the coating it is too thin and needs to be spread more. Repeat with the remaining cupcake liners, reheating the melting wafers as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Put the remaining 1 cup dark cocoa melting wafers and 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 1 minute total. Stir until smooth. If there are any lumps, microwave again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
• Put the white melting wafers and remaining 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 1 minute total. Stir until smooth. If there are any lumps, microwave again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
• Pour the melted dark cocoa melting wafers onto the prepared baking sheet and spread with a small offset spatula until it is about 1/8-inch thick. Dollop the white melting wafers on top and use the spatula to swirl the white into the dark, creating a wave-like pattern. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• To make the filling, put the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Stir until smooth. If there are any lumps, microwave again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth. Allow to sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until just warm.
• While the chocolate cools, remove the chocolate shells from the cupcake liners. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.
• Stir the mascarpone and the slightly warm chocolate together in a medium bowl until no streaks remain. Combine the cream and the espresso powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed just until the cream holds firm peaks, about 3 minutes. Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, folding just until combined.
• Fill a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the mascarpone mixture. Pipe the mixture into each chocolate shell so that the filling comes above the edge of the cup. Break the chocolate bark into shards and stick a shard into the filling in each cup. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Reserve the extra bark for another use.

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR SOUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Thoroughly grease the the bottom and sides of four ramekins with the tablespoon of butter. Coat with sugar, tipping out any excess. If desired, place a raspberry and a drizzle of chocolate as a "surprise" at the bottom of each cup.
• Combine the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and a tablespoon of the sugar; set aside. Mix the butter and flour to form a paste. Lightly whisk one egg yolk in a heatproof bowl.
• Heat the milk to the boiling point in a heavy saucepan; whisk in the flour-butter mixture until it melts. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring the custard to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Cook and stir the custard until it thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth. Combine the three remaining egg yolks with the vanilla, liqueur, and the sugar-cocoa-cornstarch mixture. Whisk in the warm custard, cover, and set aside. (The custard can be made ahead of time up to this point and refrigerated for a day before proceeding with the recipe.)
• About 35 minutes before serving, whip the egg whites until they are thick and foamy and have quadrupled in volume. Gradually mix in the remaining 3 tablespoons of the sugar, whipping until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the custard to lighten it, using a whisk or rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining meringue.
• Immediately transfer the souffle batter into the prepared ramekins, making a smooth mound slightly above the rim of each ramekin. (If you have a piping bag, you may pipe the mixture into the ramekins.) Bake at once in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the souffles have risen and the edges are set. Serve hot, with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries to garnish, if desired.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Pour rum into large bottle; add vanilla bean halves and cocoa nibs. Close bottle; set aside for 3 weeks, shaking bottle every day to mix ingredients. Strain liqueur into another bottle.
• Bits of shell-roasted cocoa beans; available at many specialty foods stores and from chocosphere.com.

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Mix sugar, water, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, just until sugar and cocoa are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Pour into a clean 2-quart glass container. Stir in vodka and vanilla bean. Cover tightly; keep in a cool, dark place for 14 days, shaking container thoroughly every 2 days.
• Strain liqueur through a moist paper coffee filter into a clean glass container. Straining will take a couple of hours as residue is very thick. Change filter halfway through. If residue remains, strain again immediately.
• Cover tightly; let liqueur age in cool, dark place at least 1 month.