Milk and Dark Chocolate Rochers – chocolate covered almond clusters topped with caramel sugar and sea salt. These easy chocolate treats come together so quickly and make a wonderful holiday treat or gift!While tempting, I don’t recommend making or storing the caramel sugar in advance, as it has a tendency to clump and get more chewy over time. Once sprinkled on the rochers, it stores well at both room temperature and in the fridge.
INGREDIENTS :
300 g chocolate spread
50 g almond powder
50 g shortbread cookie
50 g of toasted almonds
200 g milk chocolate
50 g crushed toasted almonds
PREPARATION
1* Put the almond powder in a preheated oven at 170°C for 10 minutes to brown it slightly.
2* Mix the almond powder with the chocolate spread and let it harden in the refrigerator.
3* Crush the shortbread cookies and set them aside.
4* Melt the milk chocolate in a double boiler and stir in the crushed toasted almonds.
5* Make balls with the chocolate spread and stuff them with the whole roasted almonds.
6* Dip the balls in the crushed cookie and then in the melted chocolate and place them on a grid or sheet of parchment paper.
7* Allow to harden, then arrange the chocolate rochers in paper cases.
Instructions
- Prepare Caramel Sugar: Line a rimmed half sheet pan with a silicone mat and set aside. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium-low heat. Without stirring, cook the sugar until it turns a medium-amber color. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot caramel (be extremely careful) onto the lined sheet pan into an even, thin layer. Allow the caramel to cool completely until it has completely set and is very hard. Break the sheet of caramel into small shards and place in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until the sugar is pulverized and it is in very small pieces, similar to sanding or demerera sugar. Place the sugar in a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl and sift to separate the caramel sugar from any discard sugar powder (discard or use in another recipe). Set aside the caramel sugar while you prepare the chocolate rochers.
- Prepare Chocolate Rochers: Line a half sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside. Place the milk and dark chocolate in two separate microwave-safe bowls. Working with one chocolate at a time, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals, stirring with a spatula after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and melted evenly. Repeat with the remaining chocolat. Add 6 ounces (170 grams) of toasted slivered almonds into each bowl of melted chocolate and stir with a spoon to coat the almonds evenly in chocolate.
- Using a small spoon and your fingers, portion the chocolate coated almonds into small, tight clusters (roughly a tablespoon or so per serving), setting them an inch apart on the lined baking sheet. They will be slightly jagged and rustic in size and shape, but that is to be expected. Sprinkle the tops of the clusters with sea salt and caramel sugar. Set in the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow the chocolate to chill and set before serving or packaging.
