Homemade Caramelised White Chocolate

Hello! I hope you are enjoying the easing of lock down restrictions this month. It certainly feels like we are heading in a positive direction, with us both having been vaccinated. This week in England we saw the opening of unessential shops, hairdressers and opening of outdoor eating at pubs. As someone who has shielded for a year after getting a severe bout of covid and long covid, I’m not feeling quite ready to be heading out to the pub just yet. However it’s wonderful to see them getting so much support after such a tough year. The recent lock down has easily been one of the hardest for us personally, with my own mums health significantly deteriorating, so she’s now in a nursing home. Due to lockdowns and weighing up risks I haven’t seen her since October, although I am hopeful they will ease restrictions and I can visit in the coming months. (So long as we remain on the positive trajectory) Finger crossed I miss her dearly!
Lots of positive changes going on in and around us too! The kids start a new school on Monday and we are finalising our exciting plans moving forward! So on that note I’m going to fill your head with my newly discovered caramelised chocolate. (New to me anyway)
I have a soft spot for, well, anything caramelised; caramelised biscuits, gold bars, caramac.. the list goes on. However that’s where my sweet tooth ends. I am not a fan of eating solid sweet white chocolate or bars of milk chocolate, (unlike my kids who absolutely adore it)I will do my upmost to avoid it. For me it’s either dark or caramelised as it’s a richer, nuttier, deeper flavour.
I admit I am no chocolatier and have never considered making my own until a video online caught my eye of someone much more experienced in this line just swirling this golden chocolate straight from the oven. I am happy melting, shaping and covering but I am not confident on full tempering.

This video, along with promising the girls we would have a go at making our own Easter eggs seemed the perfect opportunity to have a go. It’s a lengthy process of popping the chocolate over 30% cocoa solids is best. (mine was 22% so I thought that’s sort of near enough!!!) Pop the baking tray in the oven at 120c and wait 15 minutes. Then take it out and stir with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Repeat this process for the next 50 minutes and over that time you’ll see the colour change significantly in to a beautiful caramelised golden sheen.

Sounds easy huh? Well 30 minutes in I pretty much gave up as my chocolate looked like it had dehydrated and was lumpy and possibly burnt. However after much googling I saw someone had posted this was pretty normal and to just keep stirring and stirring. Low and behold after a good few minutes (seemed like forever) the consistency changed back to the gorgeous glossy melted chocolate. So I continued in and out of the oven stirring until I reached this beautiful colour. The taste says it all…
Although we ate most of it pretty rapidly we left one of the eggs for a few days. (believe it or not we often have eggs still uneaten at Christmas especially if they are milk!) This one started to bloom (little white spots) it’s not harmful it just the cocoa butter coming out (or something like that!) but it doesn’t look appetising. This was my impatience at cooling the chocolate too quickly and not tempering the chocolate to the right temperature first. So this left over chocolate will go into cookies.

If you can spare the time give it a go and see if you can resist just inhaling the chocolate straight from the baking tray with the gorgeous aroma and golden gloss!
Or just pour into a jar and use as chocolate spread; add marshmallows, biscuits and cherries for an amazing tray bake; or use to top a delicious brownie; dip strawberries and eat warm or let cool; or just leave to cool and break into shards and eat! Delicious… if indeed you don’t have the time or would just prefer to eat rather than make I hear you can buy variations of the internet. In the meantime I’m going to be working on some delicious rich chocolate, hazelnut, and caramelised white chocolate cakes…