Seeking Inspiration
February 14, 2021
I've been browsing my many recipe books, looking for new ideas and inspiration these last few weeks which has culminated in a splurge of activity in between markets.
Last week saw me topping up my regular flavours of chocolates whilst trying out some new ones. I've been looking to create a similar recipe to the very famous ' Ferrero Rocher' type chocolate for some time. So whilst I had some milk chocolate tempered I had a little play around. Here's my take - a hazelnut ganache, enrobed in milk chocolate with a crunchy wafer and nutty layer. Not quite the same but definitely delicious. If you're lucky it might even get promoted as a garnish for one of my desserts in the near future.
I often get asked where I look for inspiration for different ideas. If I find a recipe I like I quite often give it little twist of my own. Sometimes ideas happen by accident whilst I'm testing different flavour combinations and textures. A recent example of this was the Turkish delight truffle which came about after my wholesaler suggested I use carrageenan(also known as seaweed) as a substitute for gelatine in my recipe. It didn't work as I suspected, but it did allow me to pipe the cold Turkish delight mixture into chocolate shells, then coat it in milk chocolate.
One of this weeks new dessert ideas came from deciding what to make with seasonal blood oranges. Eventually I settled upon that classic combination of dark chocolate and orange using a tart case as a carrier. Take a look at my market menu to decide on some tempting treats
Next on my 'to do' list was to revamp a granola bar recipe I'd shelved a few years ago as, whilst it tasted fantastic I struggled to keep it in one piece without it breaking up. I eventually found this recipe from a book by the great pâtissier and chocolatier William Curley. It's packed full of nuts, seeds and dried fruit, coated in honey and brown sugar with a knob of butter and baked in the oven until golden. The base has been dipped dark chocolate and I just can't decide whether it needs it or not! I suppose it makes it less healthy, but given our current lockdown situation. I'm wondering whether a bit of dark chocolate might lift the spirit somewhat.
