Mesquite

I combined smoked almonds and ancho Chile with dark chocolate to mimic the heat of the roasting process. The ancho Chile adds a subtle heat to the ganache, turning your mouth into a miniature cocoa bean roaster.

Level:: Medium
Makes:: 144 chocolates

90 g

water
216 g

sucrose
29 g

powdered glucose
14 g

sorbitol

Caramelise.

324 g

mesquite smoked almonds

Add to caramel. Pour onto Silpat baking sheet and leave to cool.

11 g

skimmed milk powder

Add to caramel-nut mixture in a food processor. Process until smooth.

74 g

Callebaut 845
80 g

Callebaut Cocoa - Cocoa Butter - 4kg Callets

Melt together at 40°C.

516 g

homemade smoked almond praline
20 g

M-7PAIL

Mix into previous mixture.

Leave on marble to crystallise to 23°C and cast into 5-mm-thick frame.
Allow to crystallise at 16°C for 1 hour.

272 g

36% cream
4 g

dried and ground ancho chile

Mix and boil. Infuse for 2 minutes. Strain and rescale heavy cream.
Add whole milk if needed to return to original weight.

43 g

glucose syrup DE 60
29 g

sorbitol powder
31 g

invert sugar

Dissolve in previous mixture. Leave to cool to 35°C.

21 g

clarified butter
221 g

Callebaut 70-30-38
94 g

Callebaut 845
40 g

Callebaut Cocoa - Cocoa Butter - 4kg Callets

Melt together at 40°C. Pour previous mixture over melted chocolate mixture and emulsify with food processor or immersion blender. Leave to cool to 32-34°C.

Pour ancho chile ganache in 5-mm-thick frame on top of smoked almond praline base. Allow to crystallise at 16°C for 12 hours. Cut to 25 x 30 mm and enrobe with dark chocolate Callebaut® 811. Decorate with ground ancho chile powder.