Golden Chocolate Candies

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

To finish the year in a stylish way, here is a very simple recipe that make its little effect on the table. This is a chocolate shell enclosing a chocolate mousse under a layer of salted butter caramel.

That was a test and a total improvisation. This chocolate mousse deserves to be enhanced by an alcohol or coffee flavor for example. It’s up to you to add your personal touch!

Ingredient for 5 bars:

• 7 ounces (200 g) dark chocolate (64% cocoa) for the shells
•  2 1/2 ounces (70 g) of good dark chocolate
•  2 eggs
•  1 pinch of salt
•  5 cases of caramel sauce

Ingredients for salted butter caramel sauce:

(Quantity for a ramekin, just a few tablespoons for the recipe)

• 3/4 cup (100 g) sugar
• 12 cl of cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, salted (or unsalted butter with 2-3 pinches of sea salt)

Heat the dry sugar. When melted, add the cream that you have previously heated. Beware of projections, slowly pour the hot cream into the caramel to avoid burns (use a pan with high edges) then add the butter and let cook a few more seconds.
The caramel sauce will thicken as it cools.

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Instruction

Melt 7 ounces (200 g) of chocolate in a water bath.
Line mini cakes pans with the melted chocolate in a water bath, reserving the rest (I let my water bowl to prevent chocolate from hardening too quickly)
Allow the chocolate to harden (cool a few minutes) to fill the holes if necessary.

Meanwhile prepare the chocolate mousse:
Melt in the bath 2 1/2  chocolate ounces (70g)
Mount the two egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
Add two egg yolks to the melted chocolate and mix well. Gently fold the egg whites.
The foam is ready (you can add a fragrance, alcohol, coffee, candied orange peel before adding the egg whites)

Mounting:
Pour a case of caramel sauce (cold) at the bottom of each cavity (to form a 2-3 mm layer of caramel)
Divide the mousse into chocolate fingerprints (I had just the right amount for my 5 bars), ensuring not to mix the foam with caramel sauce. (If needed, cool the molds after pouring the caramel sauce in order to harden it a bit) When you put the chocolate mousse in, leave a little space, then put a layer of chocolate that will form the bottom of the lingot.
Let it all cool for 1/2 hour for the chocolate mousse solidifies a bit.
Return the remaining chocolate in a double boiler (if it has hardened) and cover the five ingots with a layer of melted chocolate (not too hot as this may melt the chocolate mousse)
Put in the refrigerator for at least 3h.

Turn out the bars very very gently.
Decorate bars with melted white chocolate or edible gold powder.

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com