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Happy Valentine’s Day! Any one else hopelessly alone this Valentine’s Day? If you are, that’s ok because you know what will always love you and never let you down? Chocolate!
So make this lovely dessert this Valentine’s Day. One for you and one for a date or just one for you or make both and eat them both to yourself. Valentine’s Day is a day of love and that include yourself. So many people forget that. So treat yourself! You deserve it!
This dessert is basically a deconstructed ice cream cake. A hard chocolate done covering up a fresh scoop of ice cream and is melted by a warm raspberry chocolate ganache.
Let’s Break It Down
Chocolate Raspberry Iced Cream Dome: Tempering the Chocolate
For this chocolate dome, you could use whichever kind of chocolate you like. I used semi sweet chocolate but you can use white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whoever you like. Dark chocolate works really well with fruit because it offsets the sweetness.
There are a million different methods that could be used to temper chocolate. But they are all really difficult or time consuming.
But then I learned this method that is pretty quick and very easy. All you have to do is place the chocolate in a microwave safe plastic bowl ( It’s always good to use plastic bowls to temper when possible because metal and glass bowls hold onto heat) and melt this for 30 second initially and then 15 second until it melts.
Make sure to stir the chocolate in between because heat can get trapped in the chocolate as it melts and stirring releases it.
Now why am I giving you these little tips to watch out for heat? Because it is crucial that this chocolate never goes above 93 degrees. If you do, you have broken the temper and your chocolate sphere won’t be shiny and actually might not come out of the mold at all.
So keep a thermometer handy and make sure that your chocolate isn’t too hot. Just to make sure I am always in temper, I never go above 90 degrees. That way if I make a mistake and go to 91 let’s say, I’m still ok.
I go into greater detail on this in my homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups blog. Check that out for more information. And also for more information on tempering check out my “How to work with chocolate” post.
Chocolate Raspberry Iced Cream Dome: Ice Cream
There are a few options for ice cream. One is store bought ice cream which I chose but you could also make homemade ice cream in an ice cream maker to churn ice cream.
The ice cream mixture or ice cream base/custard flavor that you use is totally up to you. I used vanilla ice cream but you could use chocolate ice cream, raspberry ice cream, or even chocolate chip ice cream. All these flavors and more can create the perfect scoop.
Chocolate Raspberry Iced Cream Dome: Raspberry Sauce
To create the raspberry sauce that decorates the plate for this dessert I just very simply made a raspberry compote.
For this you can use fresh raspberry or frozen raspberries. Whatever you have.
Chocolate Raspberry Iced Cream Dome: Chocolate Raspberry Ganache
For this ganache, you first need to get some juice from some fresh raspberries and set that aside.
Now just simply make the ganache like normal and then add the sauce. If you need a refresher on how to make ganache. Click here.
Other Toppings
You could also whip up some fresh heavy whipping cream into whipped cream use fresh berries or also use nuts.
My Dome Won’t Melt. What Do I Do?
If your dome won’t melt, it is likely that one of two things have happened. Either you have let your ganache cool off too much so it isn’t hot enough to melt the chocolate dome.
The other possibility is that you made your chocolate dome a little too thick. Try to shoot for 2 coats of chocolate for each dome.
You want it in that sweet spot between so thin that it cracks when you go to take it out of the mold and so thick that it won’t melt when you pour the ganache over.
Products That I Used
And that’s about it! Pretty short and sweet. I like to keep these posts only to the information that is needed. I don’t want to bore my readers with a bunch of information that isn’t necessary. But please by all means, if I missed something or you have a question, please do not hesitate to shoot me a comment. I hope you all enjoy this recipe and I will see you all in the next one. Bye guys.
Valentines Day Chocolate Dome Dessert
A half sphere of semisweet chocolate is melted with chocolate raspberry ganache to reveal a scoop of creamy and rich vanilla iced cream.
Ingredients
Chocolate Dome
- 2 oz of Semisweet Chocolate
Chocolate Raspberry Ganache
- 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
- 4 oz of Semisweet Chocolate
- 2 Tbsp of Raspberry Juice
- 1/2 Cup of Raspberries
To go on the inside
- 2 Scoops of Vanilla Iced Cream
Decoration
- Chocolate Raspberry Ganache
- Raspberry Compote
Instructions
Chocolate Sphere
- Temper the chocolate by melting the it in the microwave, in a plastic bowl for 30 seconds initially and then 15 seconds there after, stir in between intervals until melted. Check the temperature with a candy thermometer to make sure it never goes above 90 degrees.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the chocolate onto the inside of 2 half sphere silicone milds. Leave on the fridge for 5 minutes to set.
Raspberry Compote
- Place 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh raspberries in a small sauce pot and cook them down on medium low heat until you get a sauce.
- Run the sauce through a strainer to catch all the seeds and collect 2 TBSP of juice. Set aside.
Raspberry Chocolate Ganache
- Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a small sauce-pot. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Once the cream is at a simmer, shut it off and add in the chocolate chips. Make sure they are all submerge and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir until smooth.
- Add in the juice and stir to incorporate.
- Set adide
Assemble
- Carefully take the chocolate sphere out of the mold.
- Place small dots of ganache and compote all around the plate in a circle.
- Drag a spoon through each, pulling the spoon in towards the center.
- Place a scoop of iced cream in the center. Cover with the half sphere of chocolate.
- Drizzle the hot ganache on top of the ball until you get your desired amount.
Notes
Half Sphere, ganache and compte can be made up the night before.
If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, message me on instagram, facebook or leave me an email.