Monday, September 13, 2010

Chocolate Walnut Caramel Petit Fours

Pick a caramel, any caramel...

This is a quick post on some of the petits fours that I made for a joint French-inspired dinner the other week.  I thought I got off quite easily, with only the sweets and entree (of oysters) to prepare.  Until I decided to do three lots of petits fours...

Here is the first temptation: Chocolate-covered walnut caramels

{Deep voiceover}:
Experience the joy of tender, bite-sized pieces of gooey caramel, studded with walnuts and dipped in rich.dark.chocolate.  

Chocolate Walnut Caramels
makes about 50

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, chopped
385g (1 tin) sweetened condensed milk
1 tblsp golden syrup
160g soft brown sugar
3/4 cup walnut pieces (or walnut crumbs)
300g dark chocolate, melted

Method
1.  Mix the butter, condensed milk, golden syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved.  Increase heat so that the mixture slowly boils, and stir for 10 minutes until it leaves the side of the pan.
2.  Remove from the heat and stir walnuts into the caramel, then pour into a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin lined with baking paper. Leave to set at room temperature.
3.  After the caramel has set, remove from the tin and cut into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece into a log about 2.5cm (1 inch) thickness.  Place the logs onto a paper-lined tray and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
4.  Remove caramel logs from the fridge and cut into 2cm (3/4 inch) pieces.  Dip the pieces into the dark chocolate - use a fork to dip and drain. Place the caramels onto a paper-lined tray, top with some walnut crumbs, then refrigerate until the chocolate sets.

Caramels will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Recipe adapted from Petits Fours (Murdoch Books)

Ingredients

Look at all that sugar and condensed milk (dentists, look away).
The caramel will firm up, then it's rolled into wobbly logs (the caramel is quite soft).

I really didn't feel like dipping all those caramels, so some were wrapped in greaseproof paper.  Without the chocolate coating, the caramels are fudgey and moreish. 

An army of dipped walnut caramels.

These choc walnut caramels are perfect with coffee.

And here is a sneak peek of the other petits fours...
Something to look forward to!

22 comments:

  1. Oh Bel, these are so pretty! I want one so bad (smile). So you just used a fork to drip and drain, huh? I suppose that means your bowl of chocolate was pretty deep, non?
    I was thinking about dipping my date bonbons in dark chocolate. Now I might try it...XO, Stella

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  2. I've made hand-dipped choc truffles twice and I really don't think I could ever be bothered again! Dipping means getting chocolate everywhere for me =p But I agree that they do make for elegant looking petits fours!

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  3. Those hand dipped truffles are sexy! What a lovely end to dinner those would be.

    Can't wait to see the other petit fours, i'm intrigued by the flat one in the background.

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  4. oh i can totally hear that voiceover in my head... these sound divine. chewy caramel! yum!

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  5. I can't believe how many of these you made! You are a truffle master. These look fantastic, I love that they are caramel-infused.

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  6. Wow, homemade caramel candies...and covered with chocolate...what a lovely treat...and I sure like with walnut...

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  7. Bel these turned out perfect!!! They look so pretty and delicious!

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  8. These sound really scrumptious!! and great shots :)

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  9. OMG my mouth is drooling. These look pretty impressive Bel! Thanks for the recipe, I think I will knock some up soon :D

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  10. Everything in that list of ingredients is good good good! Stick it all together and you get way more than good^3 though. You get like, good^a million. Yep.

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  11. Questi cioccolatini mi fanno venire lacquolina...mmm devo essere squisiti bravissima!!!
    sono contenta che ti piaccia il mio nuovo gattino...grazie

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  12. OMG! This is wow. Chocolate and caramel are just the best combo, I am love love loving this. I am also making this right now. Off to the shops for some ingredients.....

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  13. Well done Belle! You'll be giving Zumbo's chocolates a run for their money! ;) I was kind of hearing the voiceovers as the Iron Chef ones :P

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  14. Very impressive! Make more and send some over next time :P

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  15. Three lots of petit fours! why not four?? haha....
    only kidding! These look so cute and pretty =) And yummy too!

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  16. i would love to have one of those petits fours !!pierre

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  17. Nice to cover the caramels with chocolate and yes, they are perfect with some black coffee!

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  18. Oh wooww very pro!! Mmm stuck-in-teeth caramel and chocolate yum!

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  19. Why wasn't I invited to the French inspired dinner?!? :) Just kidding! Bel, have to say your little petit fours are adorable. I've been meaning to make something like this since you gave me the lovely chocolates from Belle Fleur but never had the time and always thought you had to temper the chocolate... you make it look easy!

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