I am a chocoholic, and I have always wanted to try making homemade chocolates, so I was pretty pleased with this month's Daring Baker's Challenge.
The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!
My first choice was to make filled chocolates using tempered chocolate. I made the passionfruit caramel given in the recipe sheet to fill my chocolates, but it was too runny to work, even though I tried. Here is the first batch of chocolates I tried- the shells are just solid chocolate, but the handbag and shoe are simply hollow shells that I had tried to fill with the runny passionfruit caramel:
I salvaged as much chocolate as I could (it was Green and Blacks 70% - not cheap here!), and made another round of filled chocolates, this time using my homemade lemon curd:
I was happy with the gloss on my tempered chocolate. However, wanting to experiment a little, I brushed my chocolates with lustre dust and edible glitter:
I don't think I liked the look of them as much after that! Of course, they still tasted good.
My other candy choice was the orange pate de fruits, again using the recipe provided in the Daring Bakers recipe sheet:
These were disappointing because they didn't set as firmly as I would have liked, and they were uber-sweet, even for a lolly lover like me. I think I would try a different recipe if I made them again.
Thanks to Mandy and Lisa for hosting us this month, and finally giving me the motivation to make homemade chocolates. Now I know how easy it is, I will make these again. To see a kaleidoscope of different candies and chocolates, view the slideshow on The Daring Kitchen website.
Today's song: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles, in honour of Brian Epstein, who passed away on this day in 1967.
21 comments:
I think all your sweets look fantastic. I can't wait to try tempered chocolate. It is expensive thought, isn't it!
Okay, I won't lie and say those chocolates look wonderful because you would know I was lying, right? Not a fan of chocolate in any way, shape, or form. HOWEVER, those orange pate de fruits are something that leave my mouth watering just looking at them...so pretty! You made those just for me, right? So that when I came over to visit I wouldn't have to try to think up nice things to say about a chocolate post, that instead I would have these lovely orange candies to look at and ooohhh and aaahhh over! I thought so! Thanks!
The tempered chocolates look divine! Great job on both candies!
Wow! Cakelaw look absolutely delicious!!! glria
Oh, man! These look fantastic! I love the little lady's shoe!
I really enjoy a filled chocolate every once in a while. I can't keep them in the house, though! Too rich and tempting! I really like the idea of using lemon curd as filling (especially homemade lemon curd). Sounds fabulous.
wow I am so impressed with these - esp the tempered ones with lemon curd - and I love the shoe
Using lemon curd sounds amazing! I just love all the ideas people are coming up with for this challenge!
Your tempered chocolates have a perfect level of shine to them, and I love the idea of trying a little dust over them!
The turnout of the chocolates look great!
Your treats came out so beautifully. I love the look of your chocolates :), what a great challenge!
*kisses* HH
Love these homemade candies! I have only made toffee but I would love to try these candy coated chocolates...yum!
Oh how beautiful, your a gem making such wonderful treats like that, and at home too. I've never made my own choccies. It seems I really must. :) Great challenge.
wow - your tempering was a huge success; such glossy chocs!
I'm so late with mine this month but I was determined to do it!
What a great job, you've done, those chocks look great and have a lovely shine. Tempering chocolate is not something I've been game enough to try.
What a fun challenge! Your candies all look great, and I really like the little shoe mold!
Wow, good effort! These look great! I would love to try making pate de fruit. Perhaps with figs and eat them with cheese! (I worked for a cheese magazine which sold the two of them together)
The thoughts of your runny passionfruit caramel and homemade lemon curd are definitely making me salivate... mmmm!
Your fruits look delish and am interested in your lemon curd chocolates. I love that combination!
Your fruits look delish and am interested in your lemon curd chocolates. I love that combination!
In my opinion this looks like a delicious recipe and i think that it is not so difficult so i will try it very soon. I will post again after i will try it, thanks for sharing.
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