Alcohol/liqueur-filled molded chocolates

[jturn00]

I just got back from montreal and stopped by suite 88 a chocolate shop on St. Denis St. They had some really interesting chocolates which were delicious. One category was chocolates filled with different liquors /cocktail combinations.

I didn't actually realize this until after I got them and she asked if I knew how to eat them. I said I think so and she then mentioned that I bit a portion and "drink" the liquor and then eat the shell or eat them in one bite. (I had thought they were ganaches).

How would one get the liquor into the molded chocolate?

[cocoa-lulu]

We use a hollow ball mold and cocoa butter to seal the hole. I have some recipes using chocolate cups and an alcohol and sugar syrup that crystalizes and forms a seal. I can post later if interested.

[jturn00]

I would be curious about the alcohol and sugar syrup combination. Is it like a cordial cherries recipe where fondant is used?

[SweetSide]

We use a hollow ball mold and cocoa butter to seal the hole. I have some recipes using chocolate cups and an alcohol and sugar syrup that crystalizes and forms a seal. I can post later if interested.

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I'm interested as well. I have some nice cups that I bought and have been wondering what I would like to do with them. These are small -- just the right size for a 1/2 shot. They look like little shot glasses with an opening about 3/4 inch across the top, assuming these would be appropriate for your recipes.

[cocoa-lulu]

I've never tried makig them this way, but it looks simple enough. i'm not certaian of the rules about posting recipes. Let me know if i need to pull this post. This is a Roger Geerts' recipe. I'll post in metric and converted. I'm not so hot at converting so double check.

1500 gr sugar

0.5 L water

150gr alcohol

150gr liqueur

i think converts to:

3 lbs 5 oz sugar

2 cups water

5 oz alochol

5 oz liqueur

pour spirits into a 4L or a gallon pot.

bring sugar/water to a boil , washing down sides

pour sugar syrup into alcohol mix and cover for 15min, now pour the mixture into another pot, back and forth, until compleely blended. DO NOT stir!

Allow alcohol syrup to cool to 85 degrees.

The next step is to place all your chocolate cups as close together as possible. It is important to fill the cups 4/5ths full in a continuous uninterupted flow. The directions call for an adjustable liqueur funnel, but I think one of those large red tip squeeze bottles would work fine.

Takes at least a day for enough of a crust to form so you can top seal with chocolate.

The cocoa butter seal works so well. I don't know if all this work is worth the bother, let me know if you try it.

[jturn00]

Thanks cocoa-lulu. I have his book so I will have too look at it more closely when I get home. Since I don't have the book infront of me at the moment, Do you know why he asks to be so careful with the not stirring and filling in a continuous uninterupted flow?

[Trishiad]

These solutions crystalize really easily. You want it to crystalize on the outside to form the shell but remain uncrystalized within so that you have that liquid liquor center. The more movement, the more potential for crystals.

You can use this syrup in a starch box too.

[David J.]

I have been reading Jean-Pierre Wybauw's book "Fine chocolates Great Experience" and I've run into a problem deciphering the ingredient list for the liqueur centers.

On page 75 under the recipe for sugar crust in molded pralines he lists:

1,500 g sugar, 500 g water, 50 g glucose,

150 g liqueur concentrate 60° , 150 g alcohol

First, does 60° mean 60 degrees proof? And is that measurement different in the US than in Europe?

Second, what kind or proof is the 150 g of alcohol?

Or do I have it all wrong and the 60° refers to the sugar content in degrees Baume or Brix?

[dejaq]

hey David,

that is a concentrated liquor, that is available from commercial supply houses. One word of caution though locally here in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area the Montgomery County Liquor board, along with the ABC laws in Virginia, have essentially "outlawed" all over the border interstate commerce sales of that stuff, I even heard of the Pentagon Ritz getting "busted" a few years back, and having to dump all of their stocks in one shot. Before you proceed, check if, you can get it, check it you can use it, and not get in trouble. Your in Michigan, correct?, see what your local laws have to say first.

Michael

[alanamoana]

dejaq is right. in new york as well, they can't sell the concentrates anymore. one of our purveyors still had them in stock but couldn't sell any to us due to the law. which stinks!

i feel like albert uster carried some...but i just looked on their website and it isn't listed.

[Kerry Beal]

Qzina in Toronto carries them, perhaps the San Francisco outlet does as well. But can you ship liquor in the states?

[David J.]

What is this stuff, Plutonium?

Just what is it? It seems from the recipie that it is mixed with more alchohol to make a standard liquour, so I would guess it has concentrated flavor rather than being nearly pure grain alcohol. For that matter how far off is it from vodka or some other high proof alcohol?

Is there some other way to make the end product? I'm only talking about your standard liqour filled chocolates. Jean-Pierre is going to teach us how to do this in his advanced chocolate class at the French Pastry school in November and I'd like to try it out beforehand so I know what questions to ask.

Unless of course the building is surrounded by SWAT teams until we surrender our chocolate...

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

I took a class with Jean-Pierre and we made these. As I recall, we didn't have any liqueur concentrate 60°, so we just used what we had, which happened to be kirsch. (I may be mis-remembering however.) But we did use Everclear. OMG...prepare yourself...I ate one first thing in the morning and felt like I was having an eye opener.

[Kerry Beal]

What is this stuff, Plutonium?

Just what is it?  It seems from the recipie that it is mixed with more alchohol to make a standard liquour, so I would guess it has concentrated flavor rather than being nearly pure grain alcohol.  For that matter how far off is it from vodka or some other high proof alcohol?

Is there some other way to make the end product?  I'm only talking about your standard liqour filled chocolates.  Jean-Pierre is going to teach us how to do this in his advanced chocolate class at the French Pastry school in November and I'd like to try it out beforehand so I know what questions to ask.

Unless of course the building is surrounded by SWAT teams until we surrender our chocolate...

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David,

The old time-life book "Candy" shows the liquour centres molded in cornstarch then dipped. It for me was a good way to understand the process. Let me know if you want to see it if you don't have the book.

[David J.]

David,

The old time-life book "Candy" shows the liquour centres molded in cornstarch then dipped.  It for me was a good way to understand the process.  Let me know if you want to see it if you don't have the book.

Kerry, I'd like to see that. Jean-Pierre writes about the cornstarch method in the book but doesn't have any pictures.

My big question remains however. What is the recipie for the liquid centers? Jean-Pierre writes that the sugar concentration is extremely important for proper crystalization - too much and you get a lump of sugar, too little and it doesn't crust over. The ingredient list is specific on the sugar and I can follow that, but I'm still confused about the alcohol content. Does it matter much what it is? Can I just grab a bottle of anything such as Irish Cream and pour it in? If so, how much? I have to believe that it matters given the specific weights given, and it seems that the alcohol content matters too, but perhaps not. I'm just trying to understand the formula for the centers. Not being a drinker and never having made these I don't know much about it.

[David J.]

I took a class with Jean-Pierre and we made these.  As I recall, we didn't have any liqueur concentrate 60°, so we just used what we had, which happened to be kirsch.  (I may be mis-remembering however.)  But we did use Everclear.  OMG...prepare yourself...I ate one first thing in the morning and felt like I was having an eye opener. 

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"150 g liqueur concentrate 60°, 150 g alcohol"

So you substitued 150 g of Kirsch for the liqueur concentrate 60° and used 150 g of Everclear for the alcohol?

If so, I can see that it would have some kick. Everclear is 95% pure grain alcohol.

I just did some Googling and found a book on making liqueurs and cordials,

"Cordials from Your Kitchen : Easy, Elegant Liqueurs You Can Make & Give ".

I could probably benifit from something like that.

[mrose]

Jacque Torres did something like this several years ago on his show. There are no pictures but it has instructions (brief as they are). Liquor Filled Sugar Shells

Mark

[Kerry Beal]

David,

The old time-life book "Candy" shows the liquour centres molded in cornstarch then dipped.  It for me was a good way to understand the process.  Let me know if you want to see it if you don't have the book.

Kerry, I'd like to see that. Jean-Pierre writes about the cornstarch method in the book but doesn't have any pictures.

My big question remains however. What is the recipie for the liquid centers? Jean-Pierre writes that the sugar concentration is extremely important for proper crystalization - too much and you get a lump of sugar, too little and it doesn't crust over. The ingredient list is specific on the sugar and I can follow that, but I'm still confused about the alcohol content. Does it matter much what it is? Can I just grab a bottle of anything such as Irish Cream and pour it in? If so, how much? I have to believe that it matters given the specific weights given, and it seems that the alcohol content matters too, but perhaps not. I'm just trying to understand the formula for the centers. Not being a drinker and never having made these I don't know much about it.

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David,

It's all out of books so I can't post online, but I'll fax it to you this afternoon when I get to work. I think I have 2 fax numbers for you, but give me a quick PM to confirm.

K

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

So you substitued 150 g of Kirsch  for the liqueur concentrate 60° and used 150 g of Everclear for the alcohol? 

Yup, that's what we did...quite what little whallop they packed.

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry, I'd like to see that.  Jean-Pierre writes about the cornstarch method in the book but doesn't have any pictures.

My big question remains however.  What is the recipie for the liquid centers?  Jean-Pierre writes that the sugar concentration is extremely important for proper crystalization - too much and you get a lump of sugar, too little and it doesn't crust over.  The ingredient list is specific on the sugar and I can follow that, but I'm still confused about the alcohol content.  Does it matter much what it is?  Can I just grab a bottle of anything such as Irish Cream and pour it in?  If so, how much?  I have to believe that it matters given the specific weights given, and it seems that the alcohol content matters too, but perhaps not.  I'm just trying to understand the formula for the centers.  Not being a drinker and never having made these I don't know much about it.

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After going through all the sources I have available, it appears that to make the right crystalline structure you need 50 grams of sugar for each 1 degree of proof. So if your liquor is 50 proof, for 1 litre you would take 50 x 50g = 2500 g sugar, add half as much water 1250 g. If the liquor is 40 proof you add 40 x 50 = 2000 g sugar, 1000 grams water. Then boil to 116 C.

[Aria]

Hi all!

I was just reading JPW's Fine choc. book and he says that using liqueurs ( Grand Marnier, etc ) is not recommended in chocolate...something about the alcohol breaking the chocolate down. He goes on to say that liqueur is usually thickened with sugar syrup to create a liqueur syrup. I have used liqueurs in my truffles and I have to say that I found them either too strong or not strong enough, it was hard to find a balance. Any thoughts??

[Kerry Beal]

I think Wybauw is referring to liquor chocolates rather than to liqueurs in truffles. If you pour straight liquor or liqueurs into a chocolate cup it will break down the chocolate fairly quickly and leak. If you add a saturated sugar syrup you get crystallization which aids in closing the chocolates and also prolongs the life of the chocolate holding the liquid.

[Desiderio]

Yes JPW is referring to the liquor filled chocolates , not truffles .

I do use liquor in some of mine truffle/chocolates and I think its only matter of finding the balance like you said,maybe try to follow a recipe and see how you like it.

Edited November 16, 2007 by Desiderio (log)

[schneich]

since our customers want truffles, we will start making them using valrhona dark chocolate shells. i want to do a series of liquid alcohol filled truffles. so my idea was to use basically the same recipe used for sugar crust chocolates, only not to fill in a starch mold, but fill it directly into the shells, let it grow a crust, and close it. does that work ?? does anyone have reliable recipes ??

cheers

torsten s.

[Kerry Beal]

Torsten, this topic covers a few recipes. I use the one from the Time Life Candy book. I can post that if you are interested but it makes no adjustment for proof.