Tempering chocolate is a pain in the arse!

It takes a long time to do and the tiniest fraction of a degree over that elusive point where the cocoa butter crystallises into a more stable form, producing a glossy shine and “snap” to the finished chocolate product, then it throws a hissy fit and blooms!

Blooming being where the cocoa butter comes to the surface and leaves white streaks which look less aesthetically pleasing than properly tempered chocolate. If I had the choice between tempering chocolate or making macarons with Italian meringue as a pressure test, Bake Off style, I’d take the macarons any day of the week!

Creme BrΓ»lΓ©e Macarons

So whilst I was muttering swear words at my 3 Ingredient Homemade Rolos as I popped the batch out of the moulds which I intended to photograph, only to see bloomin’ bloom streaks across them, I decided life is too short to temper in the home baker setting!

If you have had more success than bravo – may temper your chocolate for this recipe. The other mere mortals amongst us can rest assured that you can produce some mighty fine Rolos without going prematurely grey at the having to start melting chocolate all over again because you blinked and the damn thing shot from 30 – 46˚C…

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Now onto those magic three ingredients. Two of which being chocolate! I’m thrilled to report, bloom or no bloom, my taste testers confirm that these do indeed taste like the Rowntree chocolate filled with caramel confection – Rolos!

The mix of dark and milk chocolate is spot on to balance the rich, milky, creaminess of the caramel middle. Speaking of which, I like to pop a can of condensed milk in my slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours then leave to go cold before opening and boom – homemade rich as you like dulce de leche is at your fingertips.

It keeps for weeks and weeks so pop the leftovers in the fridge in airtight tub or jar and you’ve got a pot of naughtiness to dip into as and when you feel the need πŸ˜‰

How to make dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk) in the Instant Pot

Having tried this with two flexible silicone rubber chocolate moulds that I picked up from a pound shop and in TK Maxx, I can confirm that it is much easier to use rigid plastic moulds (similar to ice cube trays) which are far easier to invert to let the melted chocolate drip back into the bowl and also get nice crisp edges on the finished chocolate.

A twist of the mould is all that is needed to pop them out. The problem is they are harder to find than the myriad of silicone chocolate moulds out there (really – if you are into food and the internet, you *must* have come across chocolate moulds for every conceivable occasion lately!).

No matter, the good thing is whichever type of plastic mould you end up using, they all tend to impart a beautiful shine to the set chocolate so you can fake tempering more convincingly. Sure, they won’t have the “snap” that chocolatiers pride themselves on achieving but I wouldn’t allow that to be a barrier to you making these super simple and delicious chocolatey treats!

And remember I warned you when you’re covered in chocolate and have to lick it off your forearms through trying to wrangle the flexible chocolate filled mould around (oh what a shame I hear you cry… πŸ˜‰ ).

Homemade Rolos-2

 

The only question that remains is… do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo? πŸ˜‰

3 Ingredient Homemade Rolos
These could not be easier nor more delicious. Perfect to make as edible gifts for Christmas, Valentine's, anniversaries or quite frankly because it's Monday and you have to go to work, not stay home and eat Rolos in your pyjamas... πŸ˜‰
Servings: 25
: 68 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
  • 200 g dark chocolate chopped
  • 100 g milk chocolate chopped
  • Approx 5 tbsp caramelised condensed milk*
Equipment
  • Silicone/polycarbonate chocolate moulds you'll need enough to make about 35 by 1 inch chocolates
  • A tray to but the moulds on to contain the mess!
  • A flat bladed spatula or cake smoother if not
  • A small piping bag or thick plastic food bag no nozzle required
Instructions
  1. Melt the dark chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water - do not allow it to touch the water or it will burn the chocolate.
  2. When molten, take off the heat and stir in the milk chocolate, stirring until fully blended in and no solid pieces remain.
  3. Pour approximately 3/4 of the chocolate into your silicone moulds (work with them on a tray to contain the mess!) and use a spatula to drag it across the surfaces to distribute it into all of the wells. Tap on the worktop to bring any air bubbles to the top.
  4. Invert the mould over the bowl you melted the chocolate in and allow the excess chocolate to run off - it will take about 20 seconds or so and you should have 1-2 mm chocolate left in the moulds.
  5. Turn the right way up and scrape any excess chocolate off into the bowl then place on the tray and leave at room temperature until set hard. Leave the remaining chocolate in the bowl.
  6. Place the condensed milk caramel into the piping bag/food bag and cut the corner off (an opening of about 5 mm will do) and pipe the caramel into the chocolate shells, stopping so you have 1 mm chocolate above the caramel layer to help you form a seal.
  7. Place the leftover chocolate back over simmering water until just melted then pour over the caramel filled chocolate shells, using the palette knife to smooth them off. Patch up any blow holes and cover any exposed caramel with chocolate. Leave to set at room temperature before popping out of the mould and serving.
Recipe Notes

*= Either buy a can which is ready caramelised OR pop an unopened can in your slow cooker for 8 hours fully covered with water OR pop into a pan and simmer gently on the hob for 3 hours, ensuring the water doesn't run dry - ensure the can is totally cold before opening.
Don't refrigerate the Rolos at any point to prevent the dreaded bloom setting in!

Having tried a lot of chocolate and researched prices, I find the best quality and best value can be found in bulk ordering your choccie. I love Callebaut and if you make chocolate cake, brownies, truffles, teacakes, Italian meringue buttercream or cupcakes more than once a month, then I really recommend ordering a big sack and storing in your food cupboard/pantry (not the fridge – beware the dreaded bloom!). I get mine from The Chocolate Trading Co (along with cocoa from them too) but you may be able to find it online or in shops locally – like Makro in the UK.

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