engrained: Crystallized Ginger Curry Truffles

During all of last week's frustration, we started the delicate art of tempering chocolate - something that, if you're not a patient person, or prepared to be working on one thing for an hour and up, you should probably just not even attempt. I like precise work like this, and am generally a pretty patient person, but even I would get frustrated when, despite that I'd followed the entire process to the 'T', the chocolate was still mysteriously not in temper, and then I have to start all over again. I'm pretty sure the word temperamental was coined by a chocolatier.

But, when it does come into temper it's a beautiful thing, and, thankfully, stays in temper for hours afterward. Then you get to have all the fun thinking of what you'll fill your chocolate molds with - my favorite part. I found a recipe for traditional madras curry truffles and adapted it from being in squares to being in molds, with the addition of crystallized ginger. It ended up being a delicious combination.

Also, a pro tip: it really helps if you pretend you're Vianne from Chocolat during the entire process.

There are a few different ways to temper chocolate, but the seeding method is the most accessible and least messy. You can learn more about it here and here or just ask me questions! Through all the times I had to re-start the procedure this week, I'm quickly becoming an expert.

C r y s t a l l i z e d G i n g e r C u r r y T r u f f l e s

160 grams Butter, very soft

1 tbsp Curry Powder (preferrably Madras)

350 grams White Chocolate, melted, tempered

190 grams Cream of Coconut

150 grams crystallized ginger

- - - - - - -

6 lb dark chocolate, melted, tempered - or as needed

I. Buff the insides of your chocolate molds and and brush your tempered dark chocolate onto the sides and the bottom. Ladle the dark chocolate into each mold until full and then promptly turn the mold over and let all the excess stream back into the bowl. The sides and bottom of the mold should be coated, but without a thick layer. Take a bench scrape and scrape the excess chocolate off of the sides and the surface of the mold. Place mold in fridge for a few minutes to let the shell set.

II. Now you can start on the filling. By hand, mix together the butter and curry powder until well combined.

III. Stream the white chocolate into the butter mixture while stirring, taking care not to allow chunks of chocolate to form.

IV. Stream in cream of coconut, stirring until mixture is homogenous.

V. Fill a piping bag with your the curry mixture and pipe into your set chocolate molds until they are halfway full.

VI. By hand, place the crystallized ginger on top of the curry white chocolate until the molds are 2/3 full, taking care not to have the ginger piled above the surface.

VII. Ladle the tempered dark chocolate so that it is overflowing out of each mold a bit and then take your benchscraper and scrape the excess chocolate off of the surface and sides of the mold, making sure to thoroughly scrape off any excess on the surface, especially in the area surrounding the candies.

VIII. Place your chocolates in the fridge for about 10 - 20 minutes or until set. You can check by flipping the mold over and looking to see if they don't appear to be sticking to the bottom.

IX. Take the chocolates out, flip them over, and bang the mold onto a parchment paper - the chocolates should pop right out with a few bangs!

And then you get to enjoy the sweet, savory combination of curry and ginger in dark chocolate c: