Yippee - homemade chocolates

I love my friend Lu!

While I gave her a 1kg bag of locally stoneground organic flour and some homemade, not quite hot crossed buns (the paste was too runny) at Easter, she only went and got me a chocolate tempering machine!

I loved Willy Wonka when I was growing-up and have often tried to make my own choccies, but they always bloom because the chocolate hasn't been tempered properly.

Over Christmas I purchased an artisan chocolate-making book and have been waiting for thoughtful Mr GG to bring home a piece of marble so I could temper chocolate like a pro.

But now I don't need a slab of rock anymore because I have my miracle machine.

At the weekend, with my Hitachi tempering machine glistening at my left and my chocolate book at my right, it was time to jump into the realms of the confectioner.

First I made my very own gianduja (that hazlenutty, chocolaty paste) by roasting 200g of hazelnuts with 200g golden caster sugar until the sugar was molten.
I let this set and then blitzed it in the food processor with 200g melted dark chocolate, until the whole thing became a divine chocolate paste.

Then I set to work using the tempering machine by melting 200g dark chocolate on the highest setting and then setting it to low, which would maintain it at just the right temperature to work with.

I rolled the gianduja into balls and with a fork dipped them into the chocolate before allowing to set on greaseproof paper.

Quite simply it was a triumph. Instead of blooming or melting from being out of the fridge, the chocolates retained a crisp, shiny and professional-looking shell. They tasted great too.

Any friends wondering what they'll be getting for their birthdays this year should send in their requests now!

Oh and, by the way Lu, I really need an ice cream machine! Wink wink......