INGREDIENTS
Sugar-coated pecans
80 ml water
110 g caster sugar
105 g pecans
Pecan caramel
Vegetable oil spray, for greasing
160 ml fresh cream 35% fat
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
¼ tsp salt flakes
80 g caster sugar
25 g liquid glucose
30 g unsalted butter
10 g honey
¼ tsp bi-carb soda
40 g good quality dark couverture chocolate
50 g sugar-coated pecans, from above
Ganache
100 ml fresh cream 35% fat
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
250 g good quality milk couverture chocolate
Finishing
Vegetable oil, for greasing
700 g good quality milk couverture chocolate, for dipping
Miele Accessories
METHOD
Sugar-coated pecans
- Preheat the oven on Intensive Bake at 160°C.
- Place the water and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, induction setting 5.
- Add the pecans and continue to boil for 3 minutes.
- Strain the pecans and transfer them onto a lined baking tray.
- Bake in the preheated oven on shelf position 1 for 15 minutes, until dry and crisp.
- Allow to cool completely before roughly chopping.
Pecan caramel
- Lightly grease a 10.5 cm x 21 cm loaf tin with vegetable oil and line it with baking paper.
- Place the cream, vanilla and salt into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, induction setting 6. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- On medium-high heat, induction setting 7, caramelise the sugar to a light golden colour while gently stirring with a spatula.
- Carefully pour the boiled cream over the caramel then add the glucose, butter and honey.
- Whisk continuously and bring the caramel to 118°C with a food thermometer.
- Turn off the induction cooktop then add the bi-carb soda and chocolate. Whisk well until completely combined.
- Lastly, add the sugar-coated pecans and mix to incorporate.
- Pour the caramel into the prepared tin and allow to set at room temperature.
Ganache
- Place the cream and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat, induction setting 8.
- Pour the boiled cream and vanilla over the chocolate then whisk to combine.
- Pour the ganache over the prepared pecan caramel and allow to set overnight, or until firm to the touch.
Finishing
- Using an oiled knife, cut the caramel and ganache into 10 even bars, approximately 2 cm thick.
- To temper the chocolate, place it into a saucepan on medium heat, induction setting 4. Stir continuously until you have 50% solids and 50% liquid. Remove from the heat and stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
- Dip each bar into the tempered chocolate and sprinkle with the remaining sugar-coated pecans.
- Allow to set at room temperature.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Kirsten Tibballs
Kirsten Tibballs, proclaimed by MasterChef Australia as ‘the Queen of Chocolate’, is one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally respected pastry chefs and chocolatiers.
With a desire to pass on her knowledge to other passionate food lovers and professional pastry chefs, Kirsten established Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in 2002 in Brunswick, Melbourne. Savour creates an opportunity for students to learn from and work alongside their award-winning chefs. It boasts a state of the art kitchen and hosts a number of renowned international pastry chefs each year.
