A Dollop of That!: Diwali Special - Assorted Chocolates (feat.) Liquor & Honeyed-Pistachios

Hey everyone its Diwali or Deepawali on 11th November this year, and A Dollop of That! readers are in for a surprise treat. This Diwali special post is in collaboration with foodie and blogger Ms Sweta Biswal who blogs at Oriya Rasoi your one stop shop for lip smacking Oriya cuisine.

And Ms Saswati Hota who blogs at Potpourri.
Mrs Hota is an Airfore Officers wife, so you know her dinner parties and all the perfection in planning them are top notch!

Diwali, India's most loved and celebrated festival, the festival of lights, marked by a nip in the air, twinkling lights and tiny clay oil lamps dotting the windows of every home, shops decorated with finery, homes and colonies scrubbed squeaky clean, sounds of fire crackers being burst at a distance , Rangolis (limestone powder art) outside every home and establishment in bright cheerful hues and beautiful motifs to welcome goddess Laxmi (the Goddess of wealth), Kids on a two week "Diwali" vacation from school, most offices shut for four to five days and over all happiness and good cheer.

Families deck up in their best finery and head out to Diwali parties which are traditionally marked by playing a friendly game of cards, as is considered auspicious on Diwali day.

Sweets and snacks of all shapes and sizes are made by people at home during this festival, and happily shared with family, friends and acquaintances.

Indian sweetmeats flood markets and homes and are used primarily for gifting to friends and associates.

Establishments big or small gift their employees boxes of sweets, mixed dried fruits and nuts, biscuits with Indian flavours and more recently assorted chocolates.

Today lets take a look at a quick and easy method to make assorted chocolates at home at a fraction of the cost and filled with flavours to your liking.

Alcohol is strictly taboo during Indian festivals, but I like my chocolate bonbons to be slightly boozy, hence today's first variant is Brandy filled chocolate and for the second we'll take a slightly traditional route and make honey and pistachio filled chocolate.

Lets get started....

You will need:

For the shells
100 gms dark compound chocolate
100 gms milk chocolate

For Brandy filling
1/4 cup + 2 tsps milk
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsps sugar
1 tbsp brandy
5 drops vanilla essence

For honey-pistachio filling
10 pistachios roughly chopped
2 tsps honey

Method:

- Melt both the chocolates together over a double boiler or microwave (In case you are using a microwave, stop and stir every 20 secs for the first time and every 5 secs thereafter until completely melted)

- To make Brandy filling

Make a paste of cornstarch and 2 tsps of milk
Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan till the sugar completely dissolves
Now add in the cornstarch paste
Cook over a medium flame till the mixture is of thick pourable consistency
Remove from heat and add in vanilla essence and brandy.
Stir to combine and allow to cool to room temperature.
Set aside.

-To make Honey Pistachio filling

Roughly chop pistachios and add in honey, mix to combine and set aside.

Assembling the chocolates

Pour in melted chocolate into 1/3 of your chocolate mold

Next pipe in the brandy filling with a piping bag into the center of the poured chocolate till two thirds full.
Now top up the remaining space in the mold with melted chocolate again till full.
Tap the mold sheet on your contertop to release air bubbles and level the chocolate.
Freeze for 20-25 mins
Bring out from the freezer and gently pop out the chocolates by tapping on the counter.
Your chocolates are ready to devour and share with friends and family.