Frédéric Bau, École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona

Bittersweet Chocolate Bars, Salted Butter Caramel, and Crystallized Almonds

Name: Bittersweet Chocolate Bars, Salted Butter Caramel, and Crystallized Almonds
Prep time: 3 h 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 5 h 5 min
Yield: Makes 15 bars
Ingredients: 1 pinch salt; ¼ cup (⅔ oz./20 g) ground blanched* almonds; 2 eggs; Cake flour, divided: ¾ cup (2 ½ oz./70 g) plus 2 ½ cups (8 ¼ oz./230 g); 12 ⅔ oz. (360 g) bittersweet chocolate, 60 percent cocoa; 12 ⅔ oz. (360 g) bittersweet chocolate, 60 percent cocoa; 3 tablespoons (2 ¼ oz./60 g) honey; 1 ⅓ tablespoons (20 g) butter; 1 ⅓ tablespoons (20 g) butter; Generous ⅔ cup (185 ml) whipping cream; Generous ⅔ cup (185 ml) whipping cream; 3 tablespoons (2 ¼ oz./60 g) glucose syrup; 3 ½ tablespoons (1 ¾ oz./50 g) salted butter; Scant ½ cup (3 ¼ oz./90 g) granulated sugar; Scant ½ cup (3 ¼ oz./90 g) granulated sugar; Scant ½ cup (3 ¼ oz./90 g) granulated sugar; Generous ⅓ cup (90 ml) water; 9 oz. (250 g) whole almonds; A little long pepper; 1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) milk chocolate, 40 percent cocoa; 1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) milk chocolate, 40 percent cocoa; Scant ⅓ cup (70 ml) hazelnut oil

Preparation info

Makes
15
bars

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
6 hr

Appears in

Encyclopedia of Chocolate

By Frédéric Bau and École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona

Published 2017

About

Ingredients

Almond shortcrust pastry

1 ¼ sticks (5 ¼ oz./145 g) butter
1

Chocolate
Vegetarian

Method

Prepare the salted butter caramel. Place a square frame on a lined baking sheet. Bring the cream to the boil and set aside. Bring the glucose syrup gently to the boil in a large saucepan, then gradually add the sugar. Continue simmering until it forms a light caramel. Carefully add the salted butter, making sure it does not splash and burn you. Then stir in the hot cream and continue cooking un