Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bites

I know out in most areas spring is in full bloom, but here in the dessert, it feels a whole lot more like summer to me! It's in the 90's everyday and only getting hotter [I haven't decided if I find this thrilling or horrifying....] So I have been in such a huge summer-y mood this past week and I don't see that changing anytime soon. So in honor of this hot summer weather, I have started working on some new ganache flavors that are inspired by summer flavors: mainly refreshing fruits, juices, etc. So today I finally finished my newest creation and I am so excited to share it! A Chocolate Strawberry Bonbon! Everything you love about fresh chocolate covered strawberries, without having the chocolate break and fall off the strawberry before you can finish your first bite! :] This candy has a delicious strawberry milk chocolate ganache topped with a thin layer of refreshing, yet tangy strawberry gele. You can leave these centers un dipped if you please, because they are very beautiful; but if you chose to do this, then make sure you are going to serve them within a day or two because the pectin gele will dry out and become slightly fruit leather-ish. If you dip them in chocolate, this is not a problem and they will last much longer.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry

makes about 50

Strawberry Gele
adapted from Chef Rubber
Strawberry Puree [see below]: 70g
Sugar: 30g
Pectin: 7g * see note below*
Sugar: 30g

1. Combine the puree and first sugar in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil.
2. Combine pectin and second sugar and stir and add to the puree.
3. Boil the mixture for two minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Spread over wax paper with an offset spatula, in a very thin layer and allow to cool.

Ganache
Fresh Strawberry Puree [see below]: 60g

Butter: 10g

Milk Chocolate: 175g

1. Melt and temper your milk chocolate.
2. Mix in the cool strawberry puree until homogenous.
3. Stir in the very soft butter and then spread the ganache ontop of the cooled gele about 1/4 inch thick.

Strawberry Puree:

Strawberries hulled: 5 oz [about 6 average size]

Lemon Juice [fresh]: 1/2 lemon

-blend together until completely smooth 


Once everything has setup [allow overnight for best results] you can flip the ganache over and cut into whatever shape and size you like. I dipped my centers in dark chocolate because i didn't want to add too much sweetness ontop of the milk chocolate and natural sweetness in the strawberries.

* pectin is a naturally occurring gelling agent found in fruits. you can buy powdered pectin from many different companies and use to make your own fruit geles ["pate de fruit"]. I use pectin from Chef Rubber. Their product is specifically formulated and comes with a recipe for great pate de fruit. I used this recipe from their packaging, but modified it a little bit for my own needs!*

Basic Hot Chocolate

Since I have already touched on a few different flavored hot chocolates, I wanted to put up some easy, basic hot chocolate recipes that work for everyone's taste buds!! So...we are going to try the simplest hot chocolate recipe three different ways: White, Milk, and Dark Chocolate! Same basic recipe, just change the chocolate you use and you have three astoundingly different flavors.

Basic Hot Chocolate

makes 1-2 cups

Milk: 3 oz

Chocolate[white, milk, or dark]: 1.5 oz

Hot Water: as needed to fill glass

1. Boil milk

2. Pour over chocolate

3. Fill cup to top with hot water!

Milk and chocolate together make....

HOT CHOCOLATE

[L to R] Dark, Milk, White

The white hot chocolate is sweeter than a normal hot chocolate [just like white chocolate is much sweeter than milk or dark] It is something that I think younger children would enjoy, not too rich and just tastes like a sweet milk drink- this would be a great medium for you to flavor and turn into a very interesting hot drink! [I probably will use white chocolate to make a caramel hot cocoa- so stay tuned for that one tomorrow!]

The milk chocolate makes hot cocoa that I find to be very mild- sweet and chocolatey. It is basically the average hot cocoa that everyone is used to- so its good for a plain drink!

The dark chocolate cocoa makes for a very rich flavor and is definitely not very sweet. It is definitely for a chocolate lover. If you want a really deep, chocolate, and not overly sweet flavor, then try the dark chocolate! This would probably be a great choice if you wanted to add some liquer to your cocoa- kahlua, bailey's, etc....a sweeter liquer would make the other two chocolates overly sweet.

Cranberry Ganache

I am going absolutely cranberry-craycray [crazy] these past few days. Pumpkin Cranberry Jam, this cranberry milk chocolate ganache, and TOMORROW, a cranberry cheesecake bonbon! But in this Fall/Thanksgiving/AlmostChristmas season...how can you NOT be obsessed with everything cranberry? This ganache turned out VERY rich, even using milk chocolate, it is not very sweet and these little suckers pack a big chocolate/cranberry/tart punch. It almost reminds me of chocolate/raspberry, that same kind of flavor combination, which is one of my favorites! I used the same method to make this ganache as I did with the Sweet Corn Ganache. Enjoy!

Milk Chocolate Cranberry Ganache

Cranberry Puree: 40 g
Heavy Cream: 40 g
Cinnamon Sticks: 2 ea
Butter: 10 g
Milk Chocolate: 250 g


1. Boil cranberry puree with heavy cream and cinnamon sticks. Cover and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks.
2. Allow cream/cranberry mix to cool between 105 - 110F
3. Pour over tempered melted milk chocolate
4. Mix in your softened butter.
Pour into a "frame" and allow to set [at least one hour or overnight]. Cut into 1"X1/2" rectangles and dip in milk chocolate.

Creamy Cranberry mess!

Delicious Milk Chocolate Cranberry Bonbons!