Scarlett WChocolate Fruit and Nut Cases
January 2nd 2009 06:00
Chocolate Fruit and Nut Cases
About glacé cherries
The cherry is pitted, and then processed. It has a bright color added to make it appear festive. The common colors are red and green. To keep the fruit longer, it is coated in a frutose slur which gives it a candied covering. this is usually done with a heated sugar mixture that dries and condenses as it cools. When you bake it is common to use the glacé cherries as a sweetener and moisturizer for your cakes and cookies. It also adds a spot of bright color to the wonderful baked goods.
About blanched hazelnuts
Blanched hazelnut is obtained by separating hazelnut from the skin and partly whitening them. It is used in chocolate industry and salty hazelnut production.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 18
110 gm / 4 oz dark chocolate with 70-75% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
50 gm / 2 oz raisins
50 gm / 2 oz whole blanced hazelnuts, if you don’t want to use nuts, replace with the same weight of dried cranberries or dried cherries
2 tablespoons golden syrup
50 gm / 2 oz butter
60 gm / 2½ oz cornflakes
For the topping
18 glacé cherries
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF. Prepare two 12 hole mini-muffin tins, and 18 holes lined with mini-muffin cases.
2. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes, using a timer.
3. Then remove to heat and allow to cool.
4. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
5. When everything has melted, stir it all together until blended.
6. Remove the bowl and leave to cool a little.
7. In a large bowl mix together the raisins, hazelnuts and cornflakes.
8. Pour in the chocolate mixture and do a bit of gentle stirring and folding until the chocolate has completely coated everything.
9. Spoon about 2 dessertspoons of the mixture into each muffin case, and top each one with a cherry.
10. Chill the whole lot in the fridge for about 1½ hours to firm up. If you happen to have any left over, they will keep for about 2-3 days.
**From “The Delia Collection Chocolate” **
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