RIGHT, it’s the ganache! How can you go wrong with a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream? Whether used as icing or filling, ganache plays a major role in making these brown (and red) beauties so delicious.
BELOW, “candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker,” said Dorothy Parker. She obviously never opened a box from Chocolats du CaliBressan.
unconventional combinations: blackcurrant white chocolate ganache, curry coconut, Earl Grey dark chocolate ganache, rum banana, ginger lemon, and Sichuan pepper orange, for starters. All the sumptuous flavors are made with natural, fresh ingredients. Spice, fruit, vanilla bean, citrus peal, Champagne ... each is infused into fresh cream then folded together with luscious chocolate to form the flavorful ganache that fills each candy. Another key ingredient ... “Each chocolate
is made with love,” says CaliBressan’s owner, whose culinary career originated in his native France. The creation of every delightful candy is a
three-day process. First, the chocolate for the shell is melted to 87.8ºF (31ºC) and then poured into molds made of polycarbonate plastic or met- al. The shell is then tempered, and chilled over- night in a 63°
F (17.22° C) refrigerator until solid.
Once cooled, the shell is filled with ganache and again tempered. The final step is to seal the bottom. The choco- late is poured over each candy, the excess re- moved, and the divine little morsel is again tem- pered over night. The result is an exqui- site treat for the palate. Each month the
chocolatier features a seasonal flavor. In October, it was a white chocolate bonbon filled with a pumpkin
pie ganache shaped like a pumpkin. For Thanks- giving, Carré thought perhaps an eggnog truffle. As to December’s flavor and shape, the French- man exchanges a knowing look with his business partner and wife, Jill Marie, and says “this year, the December chocolate is a surprise.” Chocolates inspired by the unexpected are
found in CaliBressan’s customized offerings—for a wedding, a miniature turtle filled with succu- lent blackcurrant ganache, custom logo choco- lates for businesses and individuals, or bonbons filled with a red wine ganache. Working with Santa Barbara County wineries, such as Lincourt and Foley, Carré creates origi- nal logo chocolates as unique and complex as the wines themselves. Cabernet sauvignon or petit syrah infused ganache tantalize the taste buds with the unmistakable subtlety of a fine wine. Offered monthly, the chocolate tour at CaliBressan is an intimate look into the intricacies of a chocolatier. Greeted by a glass of champagne and ushered into the sparkling kitchen, tour participants are treated to a taste of each grade chocolate, Carré’s expertise, and lastly, a bonbon or two.
As to the much debat- ed question: White chocolate, is it really choco- late? Carré answers, “There are two kinds of white choco-
late. One made with hydrogenated vegetable oil, this one is not chocolate, and one made with cocoa
fat from the cocoa bean. This is the one I use, this is chocolate.Ӣ
WINTEr2010 53
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