Alcohol/liqueur-filled molded chocolates

[Desiderio]

I was wondering, if I want to use two different alcohol with two different proof, should I add the two proof and calculate form the sum of the two? Like one is 40 the other is, say, 30, should I calculate them as 70? I hope I am making sense here LOL!

[patris]

I was wondering, if I want to use two different alcohol with two different proof, should I add the two proof and calculate form the sum of the two? Like one is 40 the other is, say, 30, should I calculate them as 70? I hope I am making sense here LOL!

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I'd think you'd have to do an average - say if you're using half 30 proof and half 40 proof, you'd average it out to 35 proof. If you're using different percentages, like 30% of 30 proof and 70% of 40 proof, then you're just trying to make my head explode.

[Johan Sjöberg]

If you're using different percentages, like 30% of 30 proof and 70% of 40 proof, then you're just trying to make my head explode.

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In your example, you would calculate it like this: Final proof = (0.30 * 30 proof) + (0.70 * 40 proof) = 37 proof.

[patris]

If you're using different percentages, like 30% of 30 proof and 70% of 40 proof, then you're just trying to make my head explode.

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In your example, you would calculate it like this: Final proof = (0.30 * 30 proof) + (0.70 * 40 proof) = 37 proof.

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Thank you. I left my math in my other pants this morning.

[Johan Sjöberg]

Thank you.  I left my math in my other pants this morning.

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Good thing I brought mine

Regarding coating the insides of the shells, how about a layer of edible paraffin wax (a.k.a. baker's wax or canning wax)? Unless it's dissolved by alcohol, it might be able to separate the liquid from the chocolate. It's already used on many commercial chocolates to create a glossy finish. It's non-digestible, but assuming it works, you would just chew it apart when you eat the chocolate, thereby releasing the liquid within. On the other hand, if it did work, I guess someone would have tried it already.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Johan Sjöberg (log)

[John DePaula]

Thank you.  I left my math in my other pants this morning.

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Good thing I brought mine

Regarding coating the insides of the shells, how about a layer of edible paraffin wax (a.k.a. baker's wax or canning wax)? Unless it's dissolved by alcohol, it might be able to separate the liquid from the chocolate. It's already used on many commercial chocolates to create a glossy finish. It's non-digestible, but assuming it works, you would just chew it apart when you eat the chocolate, thereby releasing the liquid within. On the other hand, if it did work, I guess someone would have tried it already.

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chocolate + wax = big big, bad bad

[Kerry Beal]

chocolate + wax = big big, bad bad

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Couldn't have said it better myself!

[John DePaula]

chocolate + wax = big big, bad bad

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Couldn't have said it better myself!

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Personally, I'd rather have thin tiles of chocolate with a snifter of liqueur on the side...

[Lior]

Why don't you want to use the sugar syrup method? Too sweet? I think that would still be better than the waxy taste. Have you tried it with the pre -made truffle balls?

[Johan Sjöberg]

I'm very much a novice when it comes to making chocolates. I mean, I've made truffles now and then, but that's about it. So forgive me for saying potentially obvious or stupid things.

Why don't you want to use the sugar syrup method? Too sweet? I think that would still be better than the waxy taste. Have you tried it with the pre -made truffle balls?

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Well, mostly it comes down to the fact that I want to avoid the sweetness. I'd like just chocolate and liquor, if possible. I guess I could try the sugar syrup method, though. In that case, I have an 80 proof (40%) liquor that I'd like to try. So I would need:

1500 gr sugar

0.5 L water

150gr alcohol/liquor

150gr liqueur (does this have to be liqueur, or can it be alcohol as well?)

Or would I need more sugar to compensate for the high alcohol content of my liquor?

Also, what would the shelf-life of these chocolates be?

Edited February 12, 2009 by Johan Sjöberg (log)

[David J.]

Is there any way to put the liquor into chocolate "shells" without mixing it with sugar or heating it? I would like to preserve as much of the original taste of the beverage as possible, so ideally, there would only be pure liquor inside the chocolate shells.

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If you start with one of the round truffle shells, you can pipe to booze into it, place a small disc of chocolate over the hole and glue it into place with tempered chocolate. They don't have much of a shelf life - a few days, before the liquid finds a way to seep out.

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I used this method many weeks/months ago and I stashed a few away to test this. I believe I finally tossed them a couple weeks ago (I'll have to verify), but at that time I didn't notice any leakage.

I am going to be using a different method this week to close cherries with undiluted brandy. Some time ago there was a thread where we discussed spraying cocoa butter onto the filled mold to form a stiff enough layer that could support a normal closing. I finally received my oversized molds last week so I'm going give it a shot. I can let you know how it goes and how long they last without leaking.

[Johan Sjöberg]

I am going to be using a different method this week to close cherries with undiluted brandy.  Some time ago there was a thread where we discussed spraying cocoa butter onto the filled mold to form a stiff enough layer that could support a normal closing.  I finally received my oversized molds last week so I'm going give it a shot.  I can let you know how it goes and how long they last without leaking.

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Please do! That would be very nice.

What do you think about using agar to make a gel out of the liquor, and then coating the gel pieces in tempered chocolate? I don't know, but chocolates filled with liquor gel may have a longer shelf life than those filled with liquid liquor. Has anyone tried this, or is it a bad idea?

One possible caveat is that agar has a melting point of 85°C, while ethanol has a boiling point of 78°C, so perhaps a little bit of the alcohol would be lost.

[Tri2Cook]

Agar has to be heated for a short time to hydrate properly but you can do that with a small percentage of the booze then add the rest to minimize alcohol loss. It's powerful stuff though, doesn't take much to end up with a short textured gummy instead of a soft gel. You could blitz it in a high speed blender to end up with a thick fluid gel ala Alinea.

[Lior]

Oh I know you can use that glace- I don't know the proper name but I know callebaut, calet and valrhona carry it- it is like a jelly like consistency and you add the liquor to it. I have a friend who does this. I will try to find out the name of this-maybe glace?

[John DePaula]

Oh I know you can use that glace- I don't know the proper name but I know callebaut, calet and valrhona carry it- it is like a jelly like consistency and you add the liquor to it. I have a friend who does this. I will try to find out the name of this-maybe glace?

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Are you talking about a neutral glaze? I think that's a great idea and certainly worth a try!

[Lior]

I emailed my friend and she will email the name of this substance and method tomorrow- my time, so I will get back to you. I think it may have been "nappage/nappazj..." It is a jellyish gel-ish material. neutral and she uses from valrhona, but caullet also has it.

I best wait till she gives me the info so I don't mess things up!!!

[John DePaula]

I emailed my friend and she will email the name of this substance and method tomorrow- my time, so I will get back to you. I think it may have been "nappage/nappazj..." It is a jellyish gel-ish material. neutral and she uses from valrhona, but caullet also has it.

I best wait till she gives me the info so I don't mess things up!!!

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Yeah, sounds like 'nappage neutre' or 'neutral glaze.'

[Lior]

Yes that is exactly what I remember!! Because one time they only had an apricot flavour and she wanted neutre. I will get the recipe 2morrow. I suppose it is different texture wise. But easy easy...

[schneich]

nappage neutre = neutral glaze

although the simplest way would be to do a fondant with the alcohol and some invertase, after a few days you will have a liquid filling.

cheers

t.

[prairiegirl]

Yep, starch molding seems to be the way to go for that type of liquid center. That or fondant/invertase/booze or boozed fruit (I'm assuming if it works for cordial cherries then it will work for any boozed fruit, I haven't actually tried it). I'm working on a different type. Similar to the liquid truffles at Moto which are done with a frozen center that is dipped then allowed to thaw in the cooler. The problem I'm having is that I want to incorporate alcohol so that I basically end up with a cocktail in a chocolate shell and the alcohol makes getting a frozen center difficult since I don't have access to liquid nitrogen. I'm going to try doing it with a -100 f. bath. It should work if I can get it to freeze enough to be able to scoop balls of the filling into the bath. The only potential downside to these is they can't sit on a shelf, they have to stay in the cooler.

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Wow. Sounds complicated but very fascinating!!

[Lior]

Finally my friend got back to me. She uses valrhona's Absolu Crista, which I am quite sure is nappage neutre. She uses equal quantities of the absolu crista and liqueur, pipes it into a chocolate truffle ball. I cannot tell how it tastes.

[Johan Sjöberg]

Finally my friend got back to me. She uses valrhona's Absolu Crista, which I am quite sure is nappage neutre. She uses equal quantities of the absolu crista and liqueur, pipes it into a chocolate truffle ball. I cannot tell how it tastes.

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Where does she buy that? Is it available online?

Also, do you know how long those chocolates last before they go bad?

[Lior]

We have a Valrhona distributor here so she gets it from him. Caullet also has nappage neutre, I guess you need to ask your chocolate source or someone in your area- maybe a nice bakery? I will ask her about storing and shelf life.

[Lior]

Well my friend says that she makes them just like regulare bonbons, not in a ball shell... In any molded bonbon. She stores them like any truffle and even sometimes freezes. A good few weeks shelf life. I have not tried this.

I hope this helped! Good luck-let me know how it goes.

[Kerry Beal]

Got a container of the Valrhona neutral nappage this weekend (thank you Brian) and Patris and I did a little experimenting with it. Haven't made any actual chocolates yet - but mixed it with some Cointreau and we were very pleased with the result. It's viscous enough to stand up as a filling and the flavour of the Cointreau came through clearly.