Pomegranate chocolates

Lately I have been really into pomegranate. I eat one a day and I absolutely love them. The crunch and the sweet-sour combination is the best. Pomegranate is also very healthy, they have a bunch of important nutrients and antioxidants. Although eating it with chocolate it's probably not the healthiest way, the combination is delicious.

I made a dark chocolate ganache and added fresh pomegranate juice. Don't by store bought juice but try and peal the fruit and blend the seeds with immersion blender. Pour the juice through a sieve and discard the seeds.

I made two chocolate shells. One were dark chocolate and the other white chocolate that I colored with red food coloring. I was hoping to get red chocolate shells but it turned out pink which was fine too.
There is not a strong pomegranate taste but it gives the chocolate some acidity and interesting flavor. Both combinations are great but I prefer dark chocolate shells to white chocolate.

Pomegranate chocolates

(Makes about 40)

Time:

Preparation: 45min

Cooking: 10min

Setting: 20-30min

For the chocolate shells:

• 400g dark chocolate
• or 200g dark chocolate+200g white chocolate and red food coloring

For the pomegranate ganache:

• 50g heavy cream
• 50g pomegranate juice
• 25g glucose syrup
• 140g dark chocolate
• 25g butter
• freeze dried raspberries (optional)

Making the pomegranate ganache:

Chop the chocolate in small pieces and place it in a heat-proof bowl, add glucose. Pour the cream and pomegranate juice in a small sauce pan and heat until boiling. 

 Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes.

Stir until smooth and glossy. Cut the butter in small pieces and add it to the ganache one by one while blending with immersion blender. Pour in a piping bag and place in the fridge to set.

Making the chocolate shells:

First you need to temper the chocolate

For dark chocolate:
Chop 125 grams of dark chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 75 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside. Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 125 grams of chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 45-48°C (113-118°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently and cool the chocolate until it reaches 27°C (81°F). When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 30-31°C (88-90°F). 

For white chocolate:

The same process applies but with different temperatures. First 40-45°C (104-113°F) second 27°C (81°F) and third 29-30°C (84-86°F).

Now the chocolate is at the ideal working temperature, and you must work quickly.

Fill the mold with chocolate, tap the mold a few times so that the air bubbles pop. Make sure the mold is fully covered in chocolate then flip the mold over the bowl of remaining chocolate so that the excess of chocolate drips off back into the bowl. The whole process is a bit messy but try to save as much of the chocolate in the bowl for later. Smooth off the chocolate from the mold with the palette knife. Flip the mold upside down on the cooling tray to ensure an even coating then put the mold in the fridge to set, it should set fairly quickly.

Pipe the ganache halfway up. Add a small amount of freeze dried raspberries in each chocolate. Add more ganache on top but leave room for another layer of chocolate.

Pour the remaining chocolate over the mold and smooth out with the palette knife, tap the mold a few times on the bench to make sure that there is no air inside. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Unmold and enjoy!