Best quality chocolate for homemade chocs, and flavour ideas

ncmc

I am interested in making my own chocolates; truffles, fudge, pralines etc and most recipes seem to call for very good quality chocolate (75% cocoa or higher). Can anyone recommend some good brands, it seems the better the chocolate you use, the better the result. Don't mind about cost.

Also, can anyone suggest flavours to add to truffles? A lot of the recipes suggest coffee or rum/baileys etc. I'm not a fan of boozy truffles, so just wondering if anyone had other suggestions?

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Green & Black is a good brand, owned by Cadbury's I think - yes, Cadbury's bought it, but then Cadbury's was bought by Kraft.

Although, the Lidl dark chocolate is decent too, and I use it all the time.

Do not use Bourneville.

Put Orange in, orange is awesome with dark chocolate

ncmc

Thanks Des, I was thinking orange flavouring would be nice alright. Do you just add orange essence? And how much would you add to get a good flavour?

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I've never made truffles, so I wouldn't know, sorry.

But, when I've made chocolate & orange cake before, I usef the juice and grated rind of one medium orange in the mix, and it does be delicious.

Acoshla

Yes use the 74% chocolate from Lidl, it's fab. Baileys truffles are gorgeous too, my mother makes them every year at Christmas, yum. Anything with nuts is good too.

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fancy sticking up your recipe?

Acoshla

Me? I don't have the recipe, sorry I just use that chocolate for everything myself and love it.

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Acoshla wrote: »

Me? I don't have the recipe, sorry I just use that chocolate for everything myself and love it.

no, the person who strated the thread, sorry:)

ncmc

Des wrote: »

fancy sticking up your recipe?

Well, I haven't made these yet, so can't account for the quality of the recipe, but here is a couple of recipes I was looking at.


http://www.best-chocolate-recipes-online.com/chocolate-truffles-recipe.html

http://www.best-chocolate-recipes-online.com/chocolate-candy.html

I had some nice fudge recipes too, but can't find them at the moment, they are on the history of my tablet at home, so i'll post those later!

ncmc

Here are the fudge recipes I was thinking of attempting, sound really yummy and suprisingly easy. I'll let you know how I get on!

http://www.homemade-chocolate-treats.com/chocolate-candy-recipes.html

fitzcoff

Acoshla wrote: »

Yes use the 74% chocolate from Lidl, it's fab. Baileys truffles are gorgeous too, my mother makes them every year at Christmas, yum. Anything with nuts is good too.

Do you have or know the recipe for the Baileys truffles

Acoshla

fitzcoff wrote: »

Do you have or know the recipe for the Baileys truffles

No I don't sorry, if I can get it I'll post it up.

phormium

This makes approx 30/40 depending on how big you make them.

7 fl oz cream

1 lb chocolate broken into pieces ( I use 50% cocoa solids, I would eat 70% but bit strong for most people))

3 fl oz alcohol of your choice, I use Baileys but anything can be used

Bring the cream just to the boil slowly, remove from heat, add chocolate, leave it for a few minutes to melt slightly, stir gently. When all chocolate melted add alcohol slowly. Leave to set a bit stirring occasionally.

Next bit is shaping them, lots of different methods, you could just take spoonfuls and roll between your hands, I put mix in piping bag and pipe blobs on baking parchment of the size I want, then I put them in the fridge or freezer to firm up a bit, when firmer I then roll them into balls. If they are starting to soften then I put them back in the freezer for a while, this is the real messy bit. When they are all in little balls I melt some white & dark chocolate, if it is still a little thick you can add a few drops plain oil to it to thin it. I cover some with white chocolate and some with plain chocolate. So now you have 2 lots of chocolate melted, you need to put this in narrow container so it is deep enough to dip the chocolates into and cover fully.

Make sure the little balls of mix are very cold, stick a cocktail stick in a ball, dip and swirl around in the melted chocolate, leave drip off for few seconds then stick cocktail stick in something to set. I use a big potato cut in half and placed on greasproof paper to catch the drips. Stick the cocktail sticks with the truffle on the end in the potato and leave if for a few minutes to set, it is important to take the truffle off the end of the stick as soon as it is firm and not set fully as otherwise the stick will get stuck in the hardened chocolate, there should still be a soft piece of choc where you pull out the stick, use the stick then to spread this across the little hole left by the stick which will seal the truffle filling. I know this sounds awful messing but I find it the easiest and quickest way to do it.

These will keep for couple of weeks in fridge, will be fine out of fridge for couple of days, nicer to eat at room temperature.

I usually decorate the tops of white ones with dark choc and vice versa, you can also roll the truffle straight after dipping it in choc in chopped hazlenuts, these are lovely too.