Quite the process....

What makes a really yummy chocolate?

The centers of course. Although the chocolate is key... you can't go around covering yuckiness in chocolate and expect people to enjoy it.

Making the centers is a lengthy and complicated process. So much can go wrong - but when it goes right HOORAY!!


Fondant:
1/4 cube of butter
3 c. sugar
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. milk

Mix all items together in large sauce pan~ bring to boil.


When the mixture begins to boil- put in 2 tbs. of Karo Syrup. Crank up the temp on the oven and stir like a crazy person until your thermometer reaches 230 degrees.

Note~ * don't use a plastic spatula unless it is approved for high temperatures! My handy spatula is a pamper chef approved for using on the sun with minimal melting!

* be sure to calibrate your thermometer BEFORE making you candy. I made the mistake of not doing that the first time I made candy and my thermometer was off by 30 degrees. I made suckers instead of creamy centers.



Once it hits the right temp~ take the pot off the oven and immediately poor molten liquid onto a cool marble slab. DO NOT scrape the pan. Scraping the sides will result in a sugary product~we are shooting for creamy here, not grainy!


The liquid will become harder- kinda like taffy. When it is cool to the touch it's time to start creaming. This process takes about 15 mintues and provides an excellent upper body workout! I have an excellent scraper for creaming that I could not possibly live without. I picked it up at a candy convention~ okay... it was at a craft fair. Wouldn't it be neat to go to a candy convention? You can also use a paint scraper from the hardware store. Works excellent but rusts easy so take extreme good care of it.

So you mix and mix and the fondant becomes harder and turns from irridescent to creamy in color. You can add your flavor and color anytime during this process. Eventually it will become to difficult to turn with the scraper so you will knead it with your hands. The fondant usually hardens and then relaxes a couple of times during the process of creaming.

Once you are done~ wrap it up in cellophane followed by tinfoil. Place in the freezer until you are ready to use. Thaw~ form into balls and dip away. Once batch makes about 80 chocolates~ depending on how much tasting occurs during the process!

It is important to taste your product! If it is grainy- toss it- or eat it yourself but please don't waste good chocolate on a cruddy center. It makes me want to cry when I bite into a perfectly good looking chocolate only to be met by an ill made center.

2 batches done~ 6 more to go!