Praline Chocolate Hearts

Ingredients

• 200 ml Heavy cream (Heat then add cold liquid to speed up cooling)
• 200 g 70% dark chocolate (Break into pieces before pouring over the hot cream)
• 50 ml Cold heavy cream (Added to the ganache to cool it faster)
• 150 g T55 flour (Sift before incorporating into the mixer)
• 50 g Powdered sugar (For a fine texture in the dough)
• 30 g Almond powder (Provides softness and a nutty flavor)
• 20 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (Choose a high‑quality cocoa)
• 100 g Unsalted butter (At a spreadable temperature)
• 1 pinch Fleur de sel (Enhances the chocolate flavor)
• 1 Egg (At room temperature)
• 150 g White chocolate (Melt in two parts, one with coloring)
• 0.5 g Red chocolate‑soluble coloring (Must be soluble in chocolate, not a regular food coloring)
• 20 g Praline (caramelized hazelnut paste) (Optional, to dot the ganache with small amounts)

Instructions

1. Prepare the dark chocolate ganache

   Heat 200 ml of heavy cream in a saucepan until boiling, immediately pour over 200 g of broken dark chocolate, stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then incorporate 50 ml of cold cream to speed up cooling.

   Time: PT12M

2. Cool the ganache

   Transfer the ganache to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours (or overnight) until it thickens.

   Time: PT4H

3. Make the chocolate sweet pastry dough

   In the mixer bowl, add the flour, powdered sugar, almond powder, cocoa powder, softened butter, fleur de sel and the egg. Run the Bosch robot’s “shortcrust pastry” program (about 5 minutes).

   Time: PT5M

4. Dough rest

   Form a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

   Time: PT1H

5. Shape the hearts

   On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to about 5 mm thickness, cut hearts with the cookie cutter, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Time: PT10M

6. Bake the hearts

   Bake the hearts at 180°C for 12 minutes until lightly golden.

   Time: PT12M

   Temperature: 180°C

7. Cool the baked hearts

   Let the hearts cool on a rack for 10 minutes before handling.

   Time: PT10M

8. Melt and tint the white chocolate

   Divide the white chocolate into two bowls. Melt each half in a bain‑marie or microwave (30 s on medium power, stir, repeat). Add the red chocolate‑soluble coloring to one bowl and mix well.

   Time: PT5M

9. Set the white chocolate

   Pour the melted white chocolate onto a parchment‑lined sheet, spread into an even layer, then place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.

   Time: PT30M

10. Whisk the chilled ganache

    Transfer the very cold ganache to the mixer bowl, attach the whisk and whisk, gradually increasing speed (tri‑speed → quad‑speed → C) until a firm, airy texture is achieved.

    Time: PT5M

11. Fill the hearts with ganache

    Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the whipped ganache, pipe generously onto each heart covering the entire surface. Add small dots of praline on top if desired.

    Time: PT5M

12. Cut the white chocolate and assemble

    Remove the hardened white chocolate from the freezer, cut two hearts with the cookie cutter (pre‑heated in hot water to ease cutting), place each white chocolate heart onto the ganache‑filled hearts.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

450

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

30 g

Fiber

3 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Heavy cream: Fresh cream
• Instead of 70% dark chocolate: 60% dark chocolate
• Instead of Cold heavy cream: Whole milk
• Instead of T55 flour: All‑purpose flour
• Instead of Powdered sugar: Very fine granulated sugar
• Instead of Almond powder: Almond flour
• Instead of Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch‑processed cocoa powder
• Instead of Unsalted butter: Vegetable margarine (for lactose‑free version)
• Instead of Fleur de sel: Fine salt
• Instead of Egg: Organic chicken egg
• Instead of White chocolate: Couverture white chocolate
• Instead of Red chocolate‑soluble coloring: Red powder coloring specially for chocolate
• Instead of Praline (caramelized hazelnut paste): Hazelnut paste, Almond caramel paste

Equipment Needed

• Bosch Kitchen Machine Series 6 Stand Mixer
• Mixer bowl
• Mixer whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Rolling pin
• Heart‑shaped cookie cutter
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or silicone mat
• Oven
• Pastry bag with plain tip
• Heat‑proof bowl (for white chocolate)
• Freezer
• Refrigerator

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Cool the ganache in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
• Use the mixer’s “shortcrust pastry” program to obtain a homogeneous dough.
• Whisk the ganache until a firm texture.
• Use a chocolate‑soluble red coloring to avoid lumps.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Lightly dust the hearts with powdered sugar before serving for an elegant effect.
• For a stronger flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the ganache.
• Use 80% dark chocolate for a more intense ganache.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the filled hearts in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freezer: Unfilled hearts can be frozen for 1‑2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before filling.

Room temperature: Avoid leaving at room temperature for more than 2 hours, the white chocolate may melt.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the ganache the day before and keep it refrigerated.
• The dough can be made 2 days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge.
• Baked hearts keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, fill just before serving.