RASPBERRY, PISTACHIO AND SEA SALT DARK CHOCOLATE HEARTS

History has it that sweets were originally fed to the gods…a taste for mere mortals an afterthought. 

Let’s not forget how fortunate we are that chocolate is (usually) just moments away. These dark little beauties are ready almost as quickly, too. Check ‘em out.

Dark chocolate, pistachio, the ruby tang of raspberry and the counterpoint crunch of sea salt flakes, is a foursome Bacchus, Greek god of pleasure-seeking himself, would lust after. (If you stick around on Morning, Delicious long enough, you’ll see I have my own love affair with this flavour combo.)

This isn’t breakfast, obviously. But I like to eat a few handfuls afterwards alongside my latte of the season—and especially after a savoury brekkie, like this one.

Chocolate-making, or chocolatier-ing, can be an art, if you want it to be. But it can be easy, too. 

Start with a good quality mould—silicone works best for me for easy removal and durability. Next, have a double-boiler on hand. If you don’t own one, all you need are two pots of differing diameter, or one pot and a slightly larger heatproof bowl, like kitchen-grade metal or ceramic. 

For this loaded dark chocolate heart recipe, I simply melted chopped chocolate over a baby double boiler, spooned my trio of fillings into each mould cavity, and then poured over the molten chocolate. A quick tap to release any trapped air bubbles, and leave to set. 

There are two potential tricky bits when DIY-ing chocolates—

Explains The Kitchn—

“Fat bloom happens if the chocolate gets too warm. The cocoa butter melts and then re-solidifies, leaving those grey streaks.

Sugar bloom happens if the chocolate was stored in a damp area. Moisture collects on the surface of the chocolate and draws out the sugar. When the moisture evaporates, it leaves behind a grit of sugar crystals across the surface.”

To prevent either of the above (or both) from blemishing your little darlings, make sure you take it slow ‘n’ low with melting your chocolate. Don’t rush the setting process, either. Forget the fridge—store in an airtight container to prevent condensation and leave in a cool area to set. 

Tempering is another technique seasoned chocolatiers use to prevent bloom. Here’s a great little tutorial on how to temper chocolate.

Personally, if I’m not making chocolate as a gift, I ditch the tempering step and embrace the bloom. The taste isn’t affected one bit. (Plus, there’s nothing a little lustre dust can’t fix.)

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