Baileys Chocolates

· by · in Fudge and candy, Gift ideas. ·

Chocolates and gift box

Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift idea? Presented in a pretty gift box tied with ribbon, who wouldn’t be delighted to receive these homemade chocs?

To make 20 chocolates – 

WHAT YOU NEED:

– 7oz/200g milk chocolate

– 5oz/140g ready-made chocolate fudge icing/frosting, this is the one I used –

Tub of chocolate fudge icing

– 1 tablespoon Baileys (Or other liquor if you prefer. If you don’t want alcohol, then use half a teaspoon of some other flavouring essence such as orange or mint)

– 7oz/200g white chocolate

– 2oz/about 50-60g dark chocolate (it’s just for drizzling on top, so quantity isn’t precise)

– Mini paper cases, boxes and ribbon for packaging (I bought those pretty snowflake boxes and the red ribbon from the £1 shop).

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Break up the milk chocolate and melt it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring as it melts. I use a steamer pan…

Steamer pan

… and stand the bowl in the top to ensure it is kept away from the water.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the icing/frosting until well mixed. Add the Baileys and mix in well. Place in the fridge to chill for at least two hours.

3. Prepare a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Take your chocolate mixture from the fridge, and shape it into balls. I used approximately a large rounded teaspoonful for each one and ended up with 20. Place the balls on the tray, and then put the tray back in the fridge.

4. You now need to temper the white chocolate to cover the chocolates. You could simply melt the chocolate and use it like that, but tempering results in a smoother surface that is more resistant to getting sticky when the chocolates are at room temperature.

  • Break up the white chocolate and place three quarters of it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt it, stirring all the time, once melted check the temperature, keep warming it and stirring until it reaches 110F/43C.
  • Switch off the pan and remove the bowl. Add the remaining quarter of white chocolate and stir it in until it melts, keep stirring and checking the temperature until it cools to 87F/30C.
  • Place the bowl back onto your water pan, but do not turn the heat back on. The residual warmth from the pan of water will keep the chocolate just warm enough to avoid it setting while you use it.

5. Take the tray of chocolates out of the fridge. You will need something like a fondue fork to spear them individually.

Fondue fork

6. One by one, dip the chocolates into the melted white chocolate, ensure they are completely covered and then hold it over the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off, turn them as you do this. Stir the chocolate in between dipping each one.

Chocs dipping

7. Using the edge of a knife, carefully slide the chocolate off the fork back onto the greaseproof paper, gently lowering the area where the prongs where towards the bottom so that it is hidden almost underneath the chocolate. It’s a little fiddly, you’ll get the knack by the end!

8. Once they are all covered in white chocolate, melt the dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top to decorate.

9. When they are completely set, place them into individual mini paper cases and pack them into boxes. I suggest lining the boxes with greaseproof paper, enough to fold over the top and seal with a label on which you’ve written what they are and who made them. If you are using a box that fits more than one layer, as I have, then use a piece of thin white card to separate the layers.

Or just put them on a plate and eat them yourself, after all, it is Christmas!

Chocolates on plate

23 responses to “Baileys Chocolates”

    • Yes, they could be made for any occasion! I would probably use something other than Baileys if it wasn’t Christmas, but that’s the only difference. I’m nearly really ready, just a couple more bits to buy and wrap!

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      • Gifts bought. Need wrapping. Now house cleaning and cooking and I’ll be all set. BTW, Wish you an extra special Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I’ll be unplugging Tuesday night until the New Year.

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    • I really like the taste, obviously you have white, milk and dark chocolate there so you get the triple chocolate taste, with a subtle taste of Baileys. They’re quite smooth and luxurious inside, similar to more traditional truffles, but less rich which I actually prefer. The second time I made them, I doubled the Baileys quantity, i.e. two tablespoons rather than one, and that made them a little softer and even smoother inside which was better, but I think that would depend on which ready-made icing you used, the one I used was quite firm so it was ok, but if you used a Betty Crocker for instance which is softer, then it may be too much liquid, and so I’d probably stick to one tablespoon.

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  8. Truly scrumptious looking. You’re a sweet artist. Ha! 😀 But I’m one of those pure choc-aholics. I could do the chocolate and Bailey’s, but I get really irked when people call that white stuff “chocolate.” I know it’s cocoa butter, but there’s no cacao in it. Ah well, I’ll stop whining and get back to celebrating Christmas, now. Perhaps I’ll make these without the white chocolate. 😀

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    • Ahh yes, I know that white chocolate isn’t proper chocolate, but I love it! I don’t really like very dark chocolate, well a small piece is nice, but generally the lighter and creamier the better for me! Maybe you could reverse these, and use dark chocolate as the main covering for them, and then use a little white chocolate to do the drizzle decoration, then you’ll still get the pretty look, but with the taste you prefer!

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