Friday 8 June 2012

Tipsy Raspberry Chocolates

White Chocolates with a Raspberry and Vodka
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Raspberries are one of my all time favourite pleasures. Their smell always reminds me of making jam with Dana when she was a little girl. We would buy fresh raspberries at the local market, bring them straight home and tip them straight into the jam pan, add the sugar and watch everything dissolve down into bubbling, bright ruby soup.
So for me, raspberries are one of those miracle foods that contain powerful magic that makes everything better.


Chocolate, of course, is another such food. Putting them together works wonderfully as I've discovered in various guises...
   > Raspberry Liqueur in hot chocolate - prepared with real chocolate of course
   > Pavlova with raspberries and mint chocolate chunks - my Mum's recipe

I've tried making the Tipsy Raspberry Chocolates without the 'Tipsy' bit but the raspberry vodka resuscitates the freeze dried raspberry in a truly marvellous fashion - the warm kick of vodka adds depth to the tartness of the raspberry and compliments the sensual vanilla in the white chocolate.

One of the things I'm trying to achieve with my recipes is a dynamic taste experience. Sounds a bit grand doesn't it but after all the pomp and ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee, I think I can get away with it!

In the case of these chocolates a 'dynamic taste experience' translates into the following:

  • Enjoying the look of the chocolate
  • Hearing the 'crack' of the chocolate as you bite it in half
  • Getting an immediate cool sensation on the tongue from the soft ganache along with that magic raspberry taste and the sharper initial vodka kick.
  • Then the warmth of the vodka coming through in the juicy raspberry pieces.
  • Then the melting, mellow vanilla in the white chocolate.
  • Finishing with a balanced flavour of raspberry and vanilla and the lingering warmth of the vodka.

I think I'll have to go and eat one now - is 09.30am too early for vodka?

Most importantly, the Tipsy Raspberry Chocolates  received a very good review from Aunty Margaret with clear instructions not to change anything in the recipe.

High praise indeed.

Mistakes this time?

Need to improve finishing the bottoms until there is no edge (this batch have a very slight edge if you look closely).

The transfer sheet didn't fully transfer but I suspect this is beyond my control as the chocolate was a good, warm temperature when it hit the mould.




3 comments:

  1. Not only do the chocolates look delicious but you have a way with words that make the mouth water even without the visuals!

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  2. Hi Cat, these are just amazing. Thanks for agreeing to make some for my lovely friend Mark - he has impeccable taste and thought your chocolates were very special, high praise indeed! Anne x

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    1. Thank you, Anne. What lovely feedback. I'm looking forward to putting a fine selection together for your friend. Of course I will need to hand them over to you - a great excuse to meet up xx

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