Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a soft, spiced chocolate filling made to be piped into small chocolate cups or dessert glasses. Calypso chocolate paste gives it a deep, dark chocolate base, while sherry, glucose and cinnamon loosen it into a smooth, glossy cream with a warm Christmas spice character.
It is very quick to put together and needs no baking. Because the paste is already sweetened and stable, the finished filling keeps its shape once piped, which makes it ideal for trays of small individual desserts, petits fours and after-dinner sweets served straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 67
Number of Units: 20
Unit Size: small chocolate cup or dessert glass, about 65 g each
|
|
|
WEIGHT
(grams)
|
ALTERNATIVE METRIC
|
INGREDIENT
|
IMAGE
|
CONDITION
|
|
A
|
1000 |
2.2 pounds
|
Calypso Chocolate Paste
Calypso is a dark, chocolate flavoured baking paste used by bakeries to deepen the colour and flavour of chocolate cakes and sponges. At home the same weight of melted dark compound chocolate, or a little extra cocoa powder loosened with warm water, will do the same job.
|
|
room temperature |
|
B
|
200 |
0.8 cup
|
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine from southern Spain, ranging from dry to sweet and nutty. In baking it is used to loosen and flavour chocolate pastes, creams and soaking syrups, much like rum or brandy.
sweet or cream sherry
|
|
|
|
C
|
100 |
3.5 ounces
|
Glucose Syrup
Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner's glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called "corn syrup", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat, and less often from barley, rice and cassava.
Glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation, but syrups used in confectionery contain varying amounts of glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade, and can typically contain 10% to 43% glucose. Glucose syrup is used in foods to sweeten, soften texture and add volume. By converting some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose (using an enzymatic process), a sweeter product, high fructose corn syrup can be produced.
|
|
warmed slightly |
|
D
|
30 |
1.1 ounce
|
Cinnamon
Cinnamon (/ˈsɪnəmən/ sin-ə-mən) is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods. While Cinnamomum verum is sometimes considered to be "true cinnamon", most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from related species, which are also referred to as "cassia" to distinguish them from "true cinnamon".
ground
|
|
|
|
|
1330
|
|
|
|
|
Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
|
STEP
|
ACTION
|
DETAIL
|
CONDITION
|
|
1 |
Prepare |
Set out the chocolate cups or small dessert glasses on a flat tray that fits in the fridge, and fit a piping bag with a star nozzle. |
Everything ready before mixing, as the paste firms up quickly |
|
2 |
Soften |
Beat A (Calypso chocolate paste) in a mixer with the paddle, or by hand with a spatula, until it is soft and workable. |
Smooth and pliable, with no hard lumps |
|
3 |
Warm |
Gently warm B and C (sherry and glucose syrup) together in a small pan or in the microwave, stirring until the glucose has dissolved into the sherry. |
Clear, runny and no more than hand hot |
|
4 |
Mix |
Add the warm sherry and glucose to the chocolate paste a little at a time on low speed, then mix in D (ground cinnamon). |
Glossy, smooth and evenly coloured, with no streaks |
|
5 |
Rest |
Leave the mixture to stand for a few minutes so it firms slightly, then transfer it to the piping bag. |
Thick enough to hold a piped shape but still soft enough to pipe |
|
6 |
Fill |
Pipe the filling into the chocolate cups or glasses, finishing each one with a swirl or rosette. |
Even, neat tops of the same height |
|
7 |
Set |
Refrigerate until firm, then keep covered in the fridge and serve at cool room temperature. |
Firm to the touch, holding the piped shape; bring out 15 minutes before serving |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 1.33 kg of filling, enough for roughly twenty small chocolate cups or dessert glasses at about 65 g each. The sheet carried no written method or finishing notes, so the steps above follow standard practice for a chocolate paste filling. The cinnamon is quite pronounced, which suits a Christmas dessert; reduce it if you want a milder spice. Keep the filled cups covered in the fridge for up to a week, and take them out shortly before serving so the chocolate softens. The mixture can also be rolled into small balls and dipped in chocolate if you do not have cups.
Tools & Arrangements
Mixer with paddle attachment or a bowl and sturdy spatula, small saucepan or microwave-safe jug, digital scales, piping bag with a star nozzle, small chocolate cups or dessert glasses, flat tray.
