Almond Chocolates




Milk Chocolate
Almond Chocolates




One year, when I was dipping chocolates, I had some melted chocolate left over.   To use it up in some way that might be pleasing, I stirred in ground almonds, and shaped it into little balls—rather like the macaroon chocolates that some commercial assortments include.   They were reasonably successful, though a bit different in flavour from the proper sort, since I was using semi-sweet chocolate rather than milk chocolate.
        The following year, I modified the recipe.   Everyone enjoyed the result, so I have been making it for Christmas ever since.   There seems no inherent reason why it need be kept just as a seasonal recipe, though.   Basically, these are just a simple variety of homemade chocolate.



Ingredients


3 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups ground almonds
¾ pkg milk chocolate chips (or the
          equivalent amount of regular milk chocolate bar)



NOTE:   I have only once had this problem; but it is as well to forewarn you.
        For this recipe I simply purchase the almonds ready ground.   Usually, they are very fine in texture, and soft to the touch.   However, I did once purchase some that looked normal to the eye, but were slightly coarser and felt dry and gritty.
        These coarser ground almonds did not blend well with the melted chocolate; and, as a result, it was almost impossible to shape the centres properly.   So, when you buy the ingredients, be sure to get fine-textured ground almonds.






Directions


Initial Preparation
Place a piece of waxed paper on a baking sheet.   You will be putting the centres on this, and setting them aside for the chocolate to get hard; so you want the waxed paper to be supported by something you can pick up and move.

Preparing the Centres

  Melt the unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler.   Be careful not to scorch the chocolate, nor to get any steam in it.

  When both the kinds of chocolate are melted, stir them together.

  Remove from the heat.   Stir in the ground almonds.

  Let the mixture cool slightly, so you can handle it.   Then, using a teaspoon, scoop out a little of the mixture, and shape it in your palm into the form of a ball.   (You will probably find this easier if you dust your palm with ground almonds.)

  Place each finished centre on the sheet of waxed paper, a little apart from the others so they don't touch.

  Leave the centres in a cool place to harden.   They will keep fine for several days if necessary.

Dipping the Centres in Milk Chocolate

  Before starting, put the centres in a bowl.   That way you can reuse the waxed paper.

  Melt the milk chocolate in the top of a double boiler.   Be careful not to scorch the chocolate, nor to get any steam in it.

  Using a chocolate dipper or a fork, lift one of the centres and dip it into the milk chocolate.   (If you are using a fork, don't spear the centre with it, or it will crack in two.   Just slide the fork underneath.)

  Turn the centre so that it gets completely coated on both sides

  Gently remove the finished piece of chocolate, and put it on the sheet of waxed paper.   Repeat the process with the rest of the centres, making sure to set each a little apart from the others, so their chocolate coating doesn't touch.

  When all the centres have been dipped, set the chocolates in a cool place until the coating has hardened.

Storage
When the coating is hard, put the chocolates in a tin.   Store them in a cool place, such as a pantry or a lower shelf in the refrigerator.

Makes several dozen chocolates.





Return to Top
Main Recipe Homepage
Christmas Recipe Homepage
Home

The leather background graphics come from GRSites.com.
The other backgrounds come from 321Clipart.com, and had their colour altered at GRSites.com.
The small bullets came from www.free-graphics.com, and had their colour altered at GRSites.com.
The large bullet comes from GRSites.com.

All original material on this webpage copyright © Greer Watson 2006.