Our Wedding Day Ooh la la - Le Trousseau's blog

Chocs away!

Chocs away! Little Miss Luxe celebrates National Chocolate Week (like we need an excuse!)

Selecting the perfect favours for your wedding guests can be a tricky ol’ job, though as a newly betrothed lady, it’s one I’m very much looking forward to. Myself and my handsome H2B have numerous ideas as to the best way to thank our friends and family for helping us to celebrate... And one of them includes chocolate!

So, in celebration of National Chocolate Week, what better time to consider indulging those in attendance (and yourself!) with a homemade piece of choccy heaven?

Making your own chocolate is a lot easier than it sounds... Especially as we're not talking about making them from scratch! You can create some amazing sweet and tasty treats with just a few ingredients. And to prove it, here are some of my own favourite ‘recipes’ - why not have a play and make some yourself in honour of this week?! Worst case scenario, you get to eat a whole heap of chocolate whilst 'perfecting' your craft!

White chocolate with cranberry

Ingredients:
1 silicone ice cube tray or silicone baking sheet
1 bar of white chocolate
Handful of dried cranberries, chopped into small pieces
(Makes around 10-15 chocolates depending on the size of your moulds)

Method:
Melt the chocolate either in a bowl over a pan of water or do it my way, in the microwave (it normally takes around a minute but heat it in 15 second bursts and check so it doesn't burn, especially with white chocolate). Once melted, stir through the cranberries and then using a teaspoon dribble the chocolate into the moulds. Don't over fill them, if you do then use a palate knife to smooth the melted chocolate across into the other moulds. Once they are all filled, put them in the fridge and leave them to set. You can also make shards by spreading the mixture onto a baking sheet and breaking the hard chocolate into spiky pieces once solid. It normally takes an hour or so to set, but its best to leave them for longer, ideally overnight. Yummy variation: White chocolate and raspberry...as above but using dried raspberries in place of cranberries.

Milk chocolate with banoffee

Ingredients:
1 silicone ice cube tray or silicone baking sheet
1 bar of milk chocolate
A handful of banana chips or dried banana rounds, chopped into small pieces
A packet of shop-bought fudge or toffee, chopped into small pieces
(Makes around 10-15 chocolates depending on the size of your moulds)

Method:
As before, melt the chocolate, then stir through the banana and toffee/fudge. Pour onto your tray or fill your moulds and use a palate knife to make sure you've not wasted any precious drops. You could also use your hands, but don't eat more than you are making! It's a slippery slope... As above, leave the chocolates in the fridge for a few hours to set. Milk chocolate also works well with chopped hazelnuts. Yummy variation: Milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts or milk chocolate with strawberry shortcake (using bashed up shortbread and dried strawberry).

Dark chocolate with apple cinammon

Ingredients:
1 silicone ice cube tray or silicone baking sheet
1 bar of dark chocolate
A handful of dried apple pieces (or freeze packed snacking apple bites), chopped into small pieces
A teaspoon of ground cinnamon
(Makes around 10-15 chocolates depending on the size of your moulds)

Method:
As previously, melt the chocolate before stirring through the apple and cinnamon. Pour onto your tray or fill your moulds then pop in the fridge for a few hours to set. Yummy variation (and my favourite version of this recipe): Chilli and lime (instead of apple and cinnamon, add a handful of dried chilli flakes and the zest of a lime). Nom, nom, nom.

Truffles

As well as homemade chocolates, you can also make scrumptious truffles at home too. What wedding guest wouldn’t be delighted upon receiving a jar of such deliciousness? My personal favourites are adapted from the lovely Jamie Oliver's recipe for deconstructed truffles.

Simplified, and adapted slightly, you will need:
Pot of double cream (300ml or ss)
A knob of unsalted butter
An orange, you'll need the zest and some juice
2-3 bars of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more) broken into pieces
A dash of brandy
A pinch of salt
Cocoa powder
Cocktail sticks
2 bowls

Method:

  • Warm the cream until it starts to bubble slightly, add the butter and stir through.
  • As soon as the butter has melted, add the orange zest and pour the mixture over the broken up chocolate bars until they all melt into a chocolaty gooey loveliness (if it splits add a few drops of boiling water).
  • Resist temptation to just eat it as it is whilst watching Mad Men.
  • Add the salt, a few drops of the orange juice and the brandy.
  • Drink the rest of the orange juice, claim it as one of your five a day to offset the gargantuan amount of chocolate you will be eating tomorrow.
  • Once smooth pour it into a bowl and pop it in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight if that's easier.
  • Take the mixture out around 30 minutes before you want to make the truffles so the mixture can cool slightly, then using a spoon, scoop out some truffle and roll it around in your hands to make it into a rough ball shape (don't worry about getting it too perfect, and yes you will end up with filthy chocolaty hands).
  • Top Tip: When you're not using it, pop the spoon in a mug of boiled water to warm it and make it easier to get the mixture out.
  • Once you've got all the balls made, pop them on a silicon tray or on some baking paper.
  • Then pop your cocoa powder into a shallow bowl and using a cocktail stick, ensure each truffle is covered with the powder (you can also use icing sugar or chopped nuts).
    Store them back on the tray/paper again and if you're planning on serving them in groups you might want to pop them back in the fridge to harden slightly, that way they won't stick together into one giant truffle if you bag them up (although is that really such a bad thing?!).

    Presentation
    Should you manage to save any of the above for your wedding guests (!) how about filling our Love Heart Sweetie Box and using as a decadent favour, stacking high in our Silvered Stem Goblet or complementing your treats table in our Scalloped Glass Boîte de Bibelot?

    Whatever your plans make sure you celebrate National Chocolate Week in style! If you've got any favourite foodie favour recipes to share then why not email me at littlemissluxe@letrousseau.co.uk

    Love, as always,

    Little Miss Luxe x