Do-it-yourself Valentine's Day Chocolates

This recipe is the classic embodiment of black truffles , extremely chocolatey, to the point of bitterness . The use of dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa beans makes the chocolate taste richer and brighter. And rolling truffles in cocoa powder emphasizes this richness of chocolate as best as possible .

If you are not ready for super-chocolate taste and aroma, you can replace 72% chocolate with 61%. And you can roll the truffles in a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered sugar, which will also slightly soften the saturation of the chocolate .

Ingredients for 30 truffles

• Extra dark chocolate 72%, chopped into pieces - 119 g.

• Fat cream - 1/2 cup.

• Corn syrup (can be replaced with regular sugar syrup) — 2 tsp.

• Butter, softened - 1 tbsp.

Ingredients for coating truffles

• Cocoa powder - 266 g. 

• Dark chocolate 61%, melted — 453 g.

Cooking technology

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the cream, corn syrup, or sugar syrup in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate . Leave for 2 minutes. Stir thoroughly so that the chocolate is completely melted. When the mixture has cooled to 35 degrees (use a kitchen thermometer to check), add the butter and mix well again. Leave the mixture for 45-60 minutes until it thickens. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a piping bag or a spoon, pipe the truffle mixtureon a baking sheet in small portions (drops). Leave overnight at room temperature so that the candy blanks dry a little. After that, give the truffles a spherical shape with your own hands.

To cover the candies , prepare two vessels: one with melted 61% chocolate , the other with cocoa powder. One by one, dip the truffles one at a time in the melted chocolate , and then roll them in the cocoa. Leave the truffles in the bowl with the cocoa powder until the chocolate hardens.

Delicate white chocolate vanilla candies have an extremely sweet and creamy taste and aroma. 

Finding good and fresh vanilla beans can be quite a challenge. Pay attention to loose and soft beans - these will contain the most aromatic seeds, and try to avoid dry and brittle ones. If you cannot find high-quality vanilla beans, it is better to use pure vanilla extract.

Ingredients for 28 candies

Ingredients for the chocolate shell

• White chocolate 29%, melted - 906 g.

Ingredients for vanilla mass

• Vanilla bean seeds (open the beans and scrape the seeds with a knife) — 2 pcs.

• Butter, softened - 1.5 tbsp. (21 g).

• White chocolate 29%, chopped into pieces - 182 g.

• Fat cream - 1/3 cup (77 g).

Ingredients for the bottom layer (base) of candies

• White chocolate 29%, melted — 224 g.

Cooking technology

We are preparing a form for candies with chocolate shells. For this, take an ice mold. Using a ladle, fill it with melted white chocolate . After that, turn the mold over the vessel so that the excess chocolate drains, and only part of it remains on the walls of the mold.

Let's start preparing the vanilla mass. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream and vanilla. Cook the mixture over medium heat. When the mixture begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave for 15 minutes. Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil again. Then pour the mixture over the chocolate through a sieve (to remove the vanilla seeds. Leave for 2 minutes. Stir so that all the chocolatemelted and all ingredients mixed. Allow the mixture to cool to 35 degrees (use a kitchen thermometer to check). Then add oil and mix well again. Using a piping bag or a spoon, spoon the mixture into the prepared shell pan, filling each shell 3/4 full. Leave the candies overnight at room temperature to harden.

To finish making candies and form their base, we do the following. Pour the melted white chocolate into the mold , spread evenly over the entire surface using a spatula or spoon. Take the remaining chocolate back into the bowl. Place the form with the candies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes so that the chocolate hardens. After that, turn the mold over and take out the candies .

The spicy taste of balsamic vinegar counteracts the sweetness of strawberries, creating an unforgettable experience. In fact, when you eat the candy , you will mainly feel the taste of strawberries, but the aftertaste and aroma of balsamic vinegar will not make you wait. Also, if you like this combination, you can try it in other desserts. For example, cut up some strawberries for ice cream, sprinkle with a little sugar and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Ingredients for 42 candies

Ingredients for strawberry puree

• Fresh or frozen strawberries - 453 g.

• Powdered sugar - 7 tbsp. (42 g).

Ingredients for strawberry jelly

• Strawberry puree - 9 tbsp. (140 g).

• Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup (119 g).

• Pectin - 2 tbsp. (14 g).

Ingredients for balsamic fondant

• White chocolate 31%, chopped into pieces - 63 g.

• Cream - 2.5 tbsp. (35 g).

• Corn (or sugar) syrup — 1 tsp. (7 g).

• Balsamic vinegar - 1/4 cup (49 g).

• Granulated sugar - 1 tbsp. (14 g).

• Cocoa butter, melted and cooled to a temperature of 32 degrees — 7 g.

• Butter, softened - 1.5 tsp. (7 g).

Ingredients for the bottom layer (base) of candies

• Dark chocolate 64%, melted - 147 g.

Ingredients for the glaze

• Dark chocolate 64%, melted - 906 g.

Cooking technology

To make the strawberry puree, blend the strawberries with the sugar in a blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a separate bowl. Refrigerate until use.

Next, we prepare strawberry jelly. Place the strawberry puree and half the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Mix the rest of the sugar with pectin. Heat the puree with sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture boils, add pectin and sugar to it. Continue to stir thoroughly until the mixture boils a second time. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Pour the mixture into a square mold covered with cling film. Spread the puree evenly over the entire surface. Put the form in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, then take it out and leave it at room temperature.

Let's start preparing the balsamic fondant. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the cream, corn or sugar syrup, balsamic vinegar, and sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture boils, pour it over the chocolate . Let sit for 2 minutes and stir to melt the chocolate and combine all the ingredients. Cool the mixture to 35 degrees (use a kitchen thermometer to check). Then add butter and cocoa butter. Pour the mixture into a mold on a layer of fruit jelly. Spread the mixture over the entire surface with a spatula or spoon. Place the mold in the freezer for 1 hour.

Prepare the bottom layer (base) for candies . Remove the blank for our candies from the mold together with the cling film. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate . Apply a thin layer of melted chocolate on the workpiece, then place in the freezer for 1 hour.

After that, we start cutting our candies . Remove the workpiece from the freezer, turn it over on a board lined with parchment paper. As a result, the chocolate layer should be on the bottom. Remove the cling film. Using a sharp knife, cut the mass into equal squares. Place the candies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave overnight.

To finish making the candies , prepare a large bowl of melted chocolate . One by one, dip the candies in the melted chocolate and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave until the chocolate hardens completely .