Chocolate Salty Caramel Balls

 I'm less and less convinced by silicone moulds for cake, chocolate however is a whole other story. If you have a small dome silicone mould, you can easily make fantastic chocolate balls, which in this instance I'm filling with salted caramel. I made a version of this as a desert component at Christmas. It was one dome filled with a little bit of salted caramel and a small scoop of five spice ice cream. You can fill the chocolate balls with a range of fillings, maybe half caramel, half peanut butter, or a boozy ganache, possibilities are endless. Since making chocolate covered potato chips I've become a complete convert to the microwave method of tempering chocolate, it is fast easy and the results are really good.

Ingredients

Salted caramel

• 100 g sugar
• 40 g butter
• 60 ml cream
• salt to taste

Chocolate balls

• bar of white chocolate
• bar of dark chocolate

Step 1

Since you need the caramel to be at room temperature or colder before filling the chocolate balls, it is best to prepare it in advance. Put the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and patiently wait for it to caramelize. Do not stir... however tempting. I find I do get away with a bit of a swirl of the pan near the end. 

Step 2

As soon as all the sugar has caramelized you can add the butter sliced in a couple of pieces. The caramel will start to fizz up, keep stirring until the butter is dissolved. 

Step 3

Now add the cream, it will once again bubble quite violently, just keep stirring. Let this cook for about 2 minutes and take off the fire. Now add about a quarter teaspoon, or big pinch of salt and stir through. Dip the back of a cold spoon into the caramel and let cool, now taste. I personally like a little more salt so I add an extra pinch. The caramel is now done and can be poured into a heatproof bowl. Set aside while you make the chocolate balls. 

Step 4

Chop your chocolate finely with a big sharp knife. Take three quarters of the chocolate and put in a microwave save dish. You want it to be mostly melted with perhaps one or 2 chunks left. White chocolate takes the least time to melt, one minute for me, dark chocolate can have a little more, 90 second or so. Take the chocolate out half way to see how its going and give it a little stir. Take out of the microwave and add the rest of the chocolate and stir until this chocolate has melted. A couple of chunks left in the chocolate is fine, and guarantees your chocolate has never been too hot.  

Step 5

Take a teaspoon of the molten chocolate and let it drip of your spoon, once it is a small ribbon use this to go Jackson Pollock on the mould. 

Step 6

Now temper the contrasting chocolate in the same way. The white chocolate needs 10 minutes to set and the dark chocolate you use as the main dome can also cool off a little during this time. Now take a teaspoon of chocolate and drop into the middle of the mould. Use a teaspoon to spread out. Let cool in a cool place that isn't a fridge to harden. Once set just pop the chocolate out of the mould.

Step 7

Now take a teaspoon of caramel and fill the domes, press together to make the balls. 

PS, below is a link to the baking sheet I used.