Guittard Luxury Chocolates
We spent an evening with master chocolatiers Guittard to discover their range of melt in the mouth marvels that will take your creations to the next level. Newly launched in the UK, they already have a number of celebrity fans including Paul A Young, who now uses Guittard chocolate throughout his range of confectionary delights, and Edd Kimber, winner of The Great British Bake Off, who who had this to say – “I was first introduced to Guittard at its home in San Francisco and was won over very quickly, the range is perfect for the home baker and the quality is excellent. I was excited to see them launch here in the U.K. as it really enables home bakers to up their chocolate game at a really affordable price.”
For any aspiring artisan bakers this range is an absolute dream to work with, smooth rich chocolate in the breadth of offering you would expect – powder soft cocoa, moreishly chunky chocolate chips, traditional slab form and dainty discs ideal for melting. However, if you’re like me, you will probably spend most of your time trying to convince yourself they’re ‘adult chocolate buttons’ with more making their way straight into my mouth than the mixing bowl. Ahem.
Four generations of chocolatiers have been creating this San Francisco Bay confectionary, having brought traditional French style tempering and techniques to the US back in 1868. As the oldest continuously family-owned and operated chocolate making business in the United States, they are now regarded worldwide as experts in their field. Excitingly for the GBBO-mad UK, are finally launching on these shores.
Their ranges comprise of fair-trade and organic chocolate as well as six signature blended bars, from 38% milk all the way to 91% dark. Beans are meticulously sourced from around the world, including South and Central America, West Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific. They have a great relationship with their growers, insisting on premium rates and a personal touch.
The chocolate bars are the ideal stocking fillers, as is the range if you’re friendly with a baking enthusiast, however If you’re looking for something to up your estimation I recommend this recipe for decadent (and easier than they look) chocolate truffles. Don’t panic, the beetroot will actually add sweetness and moistness to the final recipe and is a fantastic addition. With the additional Tumeric, you can prorbably pass them off as healthier than your average truffle, too!
Beetroot, Tumeric and Rum Truffles
Ingredients
120g cooked beetroot – not pickled!
220ml double cream
Pinch of tumeric
440g Guittard dark chocolate 58% wafers
25g unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp local honey
3 tbsp St Abbs XO Rum
Cocoa powder, beetroot powder, or crushed pistachio for dusting
Method
Blend the beetroot in a food processor until smooth, and heat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave. In a small pan, add the tumeric to the cream and bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then pour over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Mix in the warm beetroot pureé, honey and rum, and blend until completely smooth. Put the mixture into the fridge to set for 2-3 hours. When ready, use a melon baller to scoop out balls of mixture and drop them onto greaseproof paper. lightly dust your palms with cocoa butter and roll them into balls.
Gently roll the truffles in cocoa, beetroot powder, or smashed pistacio nuts until coated and place them in an air tight container. They’ll last for 3 days in an airtight container, or a month in the freezer.
Bon Appetit!