Sweet Sweet Sweet Sweet

The most surprising thing about the fact that I love chocolate, is that I didn't like chocolate until a few years ago. I'm hereby honored to add chocolate to the long list of Pregnancy and Kids' Side Affects. Until I was pregnant with my boy, I used to eat chocolate once a year or so. Somehow during the pregnancy, something in my body went wrong, and it's the same ever since.

So yes - I'm officially addicted to chocolate.

Lately, after 5 years or so of sweet addiction, I decided to finally take the next step and make pralines. Oh, well, not real pralines - I have no intention to check the chocolate's temperature every 5 minutes or so, but let's call them semi-pralines.

Before we begin, a warning: do not try to make them when your kids are around (or my husband, for that matter...)!!! Until you get to the filling, you'll find out you have nothing to fill. And I'm talking from experience.

So basically it's all very simple. All you need is simple ice trays, dark chocolate (I used 52%) and anything else that you want for the filling. I tried 4 different fillings - chili, pistachio creme, mint and coffee.

To begin, you need to melt the dark chocolate in a double saucepan (one pot with water on the stove, and inside it a saucepan with the chocolate). 100 g will get you around 10 semi-pralines. Btw, this is a very difficult part for the addicted chocolatier - the smell can drive you nuts!

Now wait a little bit, to let it cool, but not completely, and then pour the melted chocolate into the ice tray (I used a teaspoon). When you're done, you have to turn the ice tray over the saucepan and let the chocolate drip back. This way you get little bowls of chocolate in the ice tray. Put it in the freezer for 5 minutes and then scrub the leftovers on top.

Now for the fun part - the filling. You can fill the chocolate with whatever you like, any way you like it. I can't really give an accurate recipe for the fillings I made, because I just added whatever felt yummy. I mean, come on, IT IS chocolate. How bad can it be (a note for myself: have to try it with cabbage next time, just to prove my last sentence)?

So this is what I did, more or less:

Chili filling (careful not to make it too spicy. Add just a tiny bit at the beginning, taste, and only then add if you think it's not enough)
50 g dark chocolate
Chili (a little)
Butter
Cream
Heat it all together in your double saucepan until melted.

Coffee Filling
Some white chocolate
Some milk chocolate
Some cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
Some butter

Mint Filling
Some dark chocolate
Some milk chocolate
Mint leaves
Some cream
Some butter
After you melt it all in the double saucepan, use a blender to grind it all.

Pistachio Creme Filling
Peeled pistachios
50 g white chocolate
Some cream
After you melt it all in the double saucepan, use a blender to grind it all.



That's it. Now just fill it all, but not all the way.

Then let it cool a few minutes and cover with some more dark chocolate. After 15 minutes in the refrigerator, it's ready!