Thursday 22 August 2013

We Should Cocoa: Lemon Creams

This months We Should Cocoa is hosted by Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary who has challenged us to make chocolates and truffles. Last month's ice cream challenge round up can be found on Choclette's blog here. You can learn more about We Should Cocoa on Choclette and Chele's blogs.

Peppermint creams get a bad rep for being banished to appearing with your bill at restaurants or in huge quantities at Christmas. Plus, it's near on impossible to buy Poppets now.

I've always had a soft spot for their minty goodness. Maybe it's because I grew up in a town housed a sweet factory and the air by the river was often perfumed with Eau de Trebor Mints.

However, it's summer and I just gorged on a packet of Clarnico Mint Creams that I found in the kitchen cupboard so it is time the sweet little fondants got a sunshiny makeover. And also a new chocolate coating.

Ingredients
1 medium egg white
350gr icing sugar (plus extra)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Lemon extract (to taste)

75gr melted dark chocolate for dipping

Method
1, Whisk the egg whites to medium stiff peaks.
2, Slowly add in the icing sugar in batches with the lemon zest, juice and a couple of drops of extract. You can save a pinch of lemon zest for decorating the finished fondants.
3, You're aiming for a stiff fondant that could be rolled out. You might have to add more icing sugar but this depends on the size of your egg. Add more lemon extract to taste.
4, When you have a ball of stiff fondant, roll it out to a thickness of around 1cm and cut out shapes of your choice. Cover loosely with cling film and leave to dry for at least 12 hours or overnight.
5, Dip the dried fondants in chocolate. Either half or go hard and dip the whole thing. You might need more chocolate. Or sacrifice some of the plain ones to "taste testing"...

10 comments:

  1. These little lemon creams are utterly adorable! They look very tempting with their little half-coatings of chocolate. Mmmmm! I bet they'd make a lovely gift, packaged up all nicely. Thank you for sharing with We Should Cocoa!

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth - I was thinking of doing a little selection of them for christmas in different flavours. (Sorry, I forgot to add my link to your linkytool on your blog - I've just added it!)

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  2. So pretty Hannah and I love the idea of sweet zesty creamy fondant covered in dark chocolate - a lovely combination and a nice change from mint. Thank you for entering these into We Should Cocoa.

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    1. Thank you Choclette :) they were a lovely change from mint, might branch out and do some rose ones before summer is out too!

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  3. My wow aren't you clever! i must admit i cannot imagine lemon with chocolate. gosh - what lovely gifts they would make. or indulgence for yourself :-)
    I have to head over and check out a fellow E's blog...! h

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    1. Thank you E, the lemon was really nice as it cuts through the overly sweet cloying fondant. I love lemon with white chocolate for the same reason!

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  4. These are so sweet, would make a lovely gift.
    I have seen rose and peppermint creams before which never appealed but lemon sound lovely!

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    1. Thank you Nelly. They were really delicious, would definitely make a perfect gift for someone.

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  5. So cute! I really like lemon and chocolate together but it isn't very common.

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    1. Thank you Rebecca, I agree you don't see lemon and chocolate together enough - I love those white chocolate and lemon mousse bars M&S sell!

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