Making Filled Chocolates

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Published 1989

About

Filled chocolates are made in special molds, usually shaped as cubes, ovals or rounds. Tempered chocolate gives the best results, yielding a firm chocolate with an attractive gloss. A variety of soft fillings may be added such as nut pastes and softened fondant. Here, ganache is used.

Wipe the molds so they are perfectly clean and dry. Brush each hollow with a thin layer of melted, tempered chocolate. Using a ladle, fill the molds generously with more chocolate. Tap the sheet of molds on the work surface to eliminate all of the air bubbles.
After ½-1 minute, turn the molds upside down over the bowl of chocolate. Leave to set, 10-15 minutes, then run a spatula across the molds to scrape off excess chocolate.
Add filling to the molds, using a pastry bag or small spoon and filling them nearly to the top. Smooth the surface. Chill until the filling is firm, at least 30 minutes.
Ladle a thin layer of melted, tempered chocolate over the filling to seal the chocolates. Tap the mold lightly to remove air bubbles. Scrape excess chocolate back into the bowl.
Cool or chill the filled chocolates. When firm, turn the molds over and tap gently to release the chocolates. They should come out quite easily, because chocolate shrinks as it cools.