Hazelnut rochers
These luxurious chocolate treats are perfect for a special occasion. No-one will be able to resist the smooth praline centre and crunchy outer chocolate shell
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Prep:1 hrs 45 mins
Cook:50 mins
plus chilling - A challenge
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 129
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fat 10g
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saturates 4g
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carbs 8g
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sugars 8g
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fibre 1g
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protein 2g
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salt 0g
Ingredients
- 160ml whipping cream
- vanilla pod
- 150g Gianduja chocolate, finely chopped (available from Amazon.co.uk)
- 80g good-quality dark (bittersweet) chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 25g unsalted butter, softened
- 500g good-quality milk chocolate, chopped and separated into bowls of 350g and 150g
- 200g almonds, finely chopped and roasted
- 50g whole roasted hazelnuts
- 100g crushed feuillantine (available from souschef.com)
- edible gold leaf (optional)
Method
To make the ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod, along with the pod. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins. Strain the infused cream into a clean saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil.
Put the Gianduja and dark chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and mix until everything forms a thick melted chocolate mixture.
Add the butter and mix well until fully incorporated. Leave the ganache to set at room temperatire for 1-2 hrs.
To assemble, put the ganache in a piping bag fitted with a 12mm nozzle. Pipe small 'bulbs' of the ganache onto a lined tray. Put a whole rosted hazelnut into each bulb of ganache.
Pipe a larger bulb of ganache on top of each hazelnut and leave to set for 1 hr in the fridge.
Roll each bulb into a sphere and coat in feuillantine, then chill while you prepare the nutty chocolate.
Temper the milk chocolate by melting 2/3 of it in a bowl to 45C-50C set over a pan of simmering water. Add the remaining chocolate to allow it to cool to 26C-27C, then melt back to 29C-30C.
Add the almonds to the tempered chocolate. Remove the ganache from the fridge and use a fork to dip each into the nutty chocolate. If the chocolate thickens too much, warm it slightly.
Place each rocher on a lined tray to set for 1-2 hrs in a cool, dry area before decorating with gold leaf to finish, if you like. Will keep for one week stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
