HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CANDIES (CARAMEL, CRANBERRY, & IRISHE CREAM GANACHE)

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: coconut cream

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Coconut cream adds richness with fewer calories.

dark chocolate

🥗Healthier: dark chocolate with stevia

💰Cheaper: semi-sweet chocolate

Stevia reduces sugar content while maintaining sweetness.

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil is a healthier fat alternative.

chopped nuts

🥗Healthier: seeds

💰Cheaper: oats

Seeds provide a nut-free option with similar texture.

Melt dark, milk, and white chocolate using a double boiler or microwave.

Heat heavy cream to a simmer and add it to finely chopped dark chocolate.

Let the mixture sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt from the hot cream.

Mix the chocolate and cream together until smooth.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to thicken up.

Add melted dark chocolate to a piping bag and fill chocolate molds, tapping to remove air bubbles.

Turn the mold over onto wax paper and shake out excess chocolate.

Use an offset spatula to remove excess chocolate from the top of the mold and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden.

Once set, add ganache to the center of the chocolate, being careful not to fill to the top.

Fill in the top with dark chocolate, shake out excess, and freeze for another 10 minutes to harden.

Pop the chocolates out of the mold using plastic gloves to avoid fingerprints.

Pipe milk and white chocolate lines on top of the Irish cream ganache center.

Brush gold edible dust onto the bottom of the mold for milk chocolate caramels.

Add melted milk chocolate to the mold and follow the same steps as the dark chocolate candy.

Add homemade caramel to the center of the milk chocolate.

For white chocolate candy, blend cranberries and orange juice, then cook with sugar on low heat for about 10 minutes until thickened.

Strain the mixture to remove cranberry skins and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to thicken.

Add freeze-dried cranberry pieces to the bottom of the molds and brush with freeze-dried cranberry dust.

Add white chocolate to the mold, then add cooled cranberry jam to the center, and follow the same steps as the previous chocolates.

Use any leftover chocolate to make a marble chocolate candy without adding anything to the center.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens