Hazelnut Rum & Raisin Chocolates

Inspiration

Birthday

It was my birthday and I received a very generous gift from my friend Jo, who has been an occasional sampler of my chocolate experiments. After asking what combination of flavours she would like, I then had to decide on the quantity of each to get a balance. Half of each seemed a simple enough start point, and in the end proved ideal.

Roasting nuts

The smell of roasting hazelnuts is an experience in itself, and I’ve started doing this ever since reading it from a recipe in a book. Who knew it could do so much for the flavour? Not only that, but that smell. Just … wow.

Classic flavour

Just what is it about rum and raisin too? Well, the simple addition of 50ml of rum really brought out the flavour of the raisins. That said, upon eating the result, I’d actually put a little more rum in, if these were for me. Thing is, they were for Jo, so I’d put my preference for intense flavours on hold. This way I can make something that is more appealing for more people.

Let’s get the blend right

I’ve tried blitzing raisins in a blender before, with the result being something that is tricky to work with, or even remove from the blender! The mass just becomes so sticky so quickly, and impossible to work with. So this time, I simply got the biggest knife I could find, gathered them all together on a chopping board and chopped them up. The result – this was less destructive, and gave me a raisins that weren’t so sticky, but could still be distributed.

Ease of dipping

The other thing I wanted get right in this recipe was to make the filling easy enough to dip at room temperature. That’s because, in recipes past, all too often the filling is just too soft at room temperature to hold its shape. This is where the breakfast biscuits come in. They soak up some of the moisture, and add a little bulk to the filling, as well as improving the texture.