Liberty Chocolates
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 21 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- Splash Grand Marnier
- Liberty molds
- 16 ounces white chocolate, tempered
- Heat the heavy cream in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.
- Make sure you chopped the chocolate as finely as possible to allow it to melt quickly and easily.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Make a ganache by pouring about 1/2 of the hot cream over the chocolate and letting it sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
- Then, slowly whisk until smooth and homogenous.
- Do not add all of the hot cream to the cold chocolate at once.
- The shock of the temperature extremes will cause the fat in the chocolate to separate.
- As the chocolate melts, you will see some elasticity if there is no fat separation.
- This means the chocolate still has an emulsion; the fat molecules are still holding together.
- If the ganache separates, it loses its elasticity, collapses, and becomes very liquid.
- I use a hand-held immersion blender to ensure a smooth ganache and to keep the emulsion of the chocolate.
- Add the remaining cream gradually and mix until all of the hot cream is incorporated and the ganache is smooth and homogenous.
- If the ganache separates, it is very easy to fix.
- Simply add a small amount of cold cream and whisk well.
- This will bring the ganache back together.
- The ganache should be thick, shiny, and smooth.
- Add the desired flavoring and mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the ganache onto a plastic wrap-covered baking sheet and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
- Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and allow it to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature.
- I usually make the ganache at the end of the day and let it cool overnight.
- As it cools, it will thicken and set.
- Use a ladle to fill the mold with white chocolate.
- When it is full, empty it into the bowl of chocolate.
- The inside of the mold should be evenly coated with chocolate.
- Wipe the edge of the mold clean on the side of the bowl and place it upside down on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.
- Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, scrape the edge clean with a paring knife.
- When the chocolate sets, it shrinks or retracts from the sides of the mold.
- A clean edge will keep it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks.
- You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden.
- Use a spatula to spread some of the cooled ganache into the chocolate mold.
- Fill it just short of the top so there will be room to close the chocolates.
- When finished, use a spatula to spread tempered white chocolate over the ganache.
- Allow this to set.
- When the chocolate has set completely, unmold the chocolates.
- Tip: If you have extra ganche, you can make truffles.
- Let the ganache cool until it is the consistency of toothpaste.
- Then roll it into balls.
- Use a chocolate dipping fork to dip the ganche balls in tempered chocolate until completely covered.
- Set the dipped truffles on a parchment paper lined sheet pan until set.
heavy cream, bittersweet chocolate, grand marnier, liberty molds, white chocolate
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/liberty-chocolates-recipe.html (may not work)