91Èȱ¬

Method

1. To make the ultimate salted caramel, place a saucepan over a medium-low heat, sprinkle in the sugar and with a heat proof spoon or spatula, stir the caramel until it becomes a golden, amber colour.

2. Turn the heat down and carefully add the cream, a third at a time, swirling with each addition to combine. Add the salt, then whisk in the butter a little at a time.

3. Once everything has combined, use a hand blender to emulsify, then pour into a heatproof container and cover to cool. Once cooled, place in a piping bag, ready to fill the chocolates.

4. To make the tempered chocolate, heat the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water to 45C, checking the temperature with a cooking thermometer. Carefully pour three quarters of the chocolate onto a clean cold work surface (not wooden), leaving a quarter in the bowl, and allow to cool to 27C (checking with a cooking thermometer). Add the cooled chocolate back into the bowl and mix thoroughly with the chocolate that was left in the bowl. The chocolate should now be between 30–31C.

5. With a ladle, pour some of the chocolate into your heart shaped moulds. Tap the mould to get rid of any air bubbles then quickly tip upside down, over the chocolate bowl, to release the excess chocolate. Place upside down on a piece of baking paper for around 3–5 minutes or until set. Scrape off any excess chocolate from the mould with a pallet knife.

6. Pipe the salted caramel into the chocolate moulds, making sure to leave a gap of 1–2mm at the very top to seal the chocolates. Pour some tempered chocolate onto the filled mould and, with a pallet knife, spread the chocolate over the salted caramel chocolates. Scrape off the excess chocolate from the mould and leave to set for at least 1 hour until the chocolates begins to release around the edges from the mould.