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!
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.
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.
You will need:
For the shells100 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.
- 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.
Enjoy!
Don't forget to check out Sweta's Chuda Ghasa Parfait recipe here
And Saswati's Labanga Latika here
Have a Happy and Safe Diwali everyone.....
I love boozy chocolates! These look delectable.
ReplyDeleteI love them too! Do try this brandy filling its really simple to make ;-)
DeleteThe chocolates look ready to be devoured Parinaaz and thank s for the Colab.
ReplyDeleteThank you my friend. Anytime dear ☺
DeleteLet's do it again for Christmas🎄