Tuesday January 03, 2006

Collettes a sweet for New Year

Years ago I used to make these sweets every Xmas. I decided this year to renew doing so. Collettes are chocolate Petis fours. In France they are often decorated with gold leaf or pistachio nuts rather than the flaked almonds used here. Petis fours are so called because they were originally baked in small ovens. You basically start with melted chocolate ( do not over heat it or let water in it else it will turn fudgy) and drop a small amount into a small paper case (this gives the exterior its shape). A small paint brush is then used to paint the chocolate all over the inside of the case. This is repeated until a good thickness of chocolate covers the paper. I then leave them to set overnight. You then remove the paper leaving a chocolate case. I made about fifteen of these and for the filling you need:

100g chocolate
25g of butter
10 ml brandy
60ml double cream

You melt the chocolate, then add the butter and let it cool. Meanwhile whisk the cream until stiff. Pour the brandy into the butter/chocolate mix and stir in. Fold in the cream and stir in well. Leave until the mixture starts to set and put into a piping bag ( you can make one yourself using greaseproof paper - make it into the shape of a cone). Pipe the mixture into each case in turn; if you have a piping bag with a nozzle you can have more interesting patterns on the surface of the mixture. To finish off pop one flaked almond onto each Collette. Leave to set. Eat within a week. As my neighbour provided the piping bag I gave them some on New Years eve and I took the rest to the people who we stayed with on New Years eve.