Chocolate Liqueur Shells Food

EASY CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix the sugar with water and cocoa and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cocoa is dissolved and the mixture thickens up slightly.
• Remove from the stove and cool at room temperature.
• Add the alcohol to the mixture.
• Pour the mixture into bottles and cover tightly.
• Keep in a cool, dark place for about 14 days and shake the bottles vigorously everyday.
• Strain liqueur through a cheese cloth or a wet coffee filter. The residue will be very thick so change filter halfway through.
• Pour in clean bottles and cover tightly. Let it age for at least a month in a cool, dark place.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Cut the vanilla stick in half
• Scrape the seeds into a jar
• Cut the pod into small pieces and add into the jar
• Pour over the alcohol
• Let the vanilla brew in the alcohol in a sealed jar for 1 month

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR SHELLS

Steps:

• 1. With a spoon, smear melted chocolate evenly over inside of 12 paper cups.
• 2. Turn cups upside down on a plate.
• 3. Refrigerate until set.
• 4. Gently peel off the paper.
• 5. Mousse: Slowly melt white chocolate.
• 6. Remove from heat; quickly beat in egg yolks.
• 7. Set aside.
• 8. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.
• 9. Divide egg yolk into three separate bowls and add 1 teaspoon of a different liqueur to each bowl.
• 10. Add a drop or two of green food coloring to bowl containing creme de menthe - if desired.
• 11. A drop or two of yellow coloring can be added to Cointreau mixture.
• 12. Gently fold a third of the egg whites into each of the bowls.
• 13. Spoon into chocolate shells.
• 14. Refrigerate 2 hours.
• 15. These shells should be consumed within 24 hours.
• 16. The chocolate cases can be made ahead of time and stored in a cool, dry place.
• 17. Makes 12 candies.

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.

CANNOLI WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir ricotta cheese with 1 cup confectioners sugar until combined. Add almonds, chocolate chips and almond liqueur.
• Carefully spoon into cannoli shells (or pipe from a pastry bag), filling from the center out.
• Sprinkle individual serving plates with powdered sugar and cocoa, or sprinkle on cannoli. Garnish plates with cherries.

MOCHA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Beat together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 1 minute. Heat milk in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. Add one third of hot milk to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour remainder of milk into yolk mixture, whisking, then transfer to saucepan. Simmer, whisking constantly, until very thick, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, liqueur, butter, and espresso powder. Let stand until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Force custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover surface of custard with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.
• Make tartlet shells while custard chills:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and vanilla in a food processor until dough is smooth and begins to form a ball (it will be soft, like cookie dough). Turn out dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball. Flatten dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours (overnight).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Break off 1-teaspoon pieces of dough and press evenly into molds with floured fingers to form shells about 1/16 inch thick, pinching off excess from rim and making bottoms slightly thinner than sides. Arrange molds 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan and chill until dough is firm again, about 30 minutes.
• Bake in middle of oven, rotating pan halfway through baking, until pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer molds to a rack to cool, then carefully remove shells from molds. Make more tartlet shells in same manner if desired.
• Assemble tartlets:
• Fill pastry bag with custard and pipe decoratively into shells.