Coffee schnapps pralines: dark coffee ganache with kirsch in a cocoa coat

Bring the whole cream to the boil briefly together with the mocha paste, then remove the pan from the heat.

In the meantime, chop the couverture into small pieces. This way it melts evenly in the hot cream.

Add the couverture pieces to the hot cream in the pan and stir everything with the whisk until a smooth mixture forms.

Stir in the kirsch and let the ganache cool to approx. 30 °C. It should not drop below 23 °C, otherwise the butter will no longer melt properly in the next step. It is best to work with a thermometer.

Add the soft butter. Important: it really must be soft. Stir until no lumps are visible.

Transfer the ganache to a metal bowl, cover the surface directly with cling film and let it cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the film and briefly mix the ganache with a Rubber scraper. This activates the cocoa butter, and the ganache then sets more quickly.

Fill the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a 14 Round piping nozzle and pipe narrow strips, spaced apart, lengthwise onto baking paper. Let the strips set for about 1 hour at room temperature.

Temper at least 600 g Dark couverture: melt it to 45 to 50 °C, cool it to 27 to 28 °C and reheat it to 31 to 32 °C. Spread a thin layer of the tempered couverture over the top of the set strips.

Warm a large, smooth knife with the Bunsen burner. This makes cutting easier and gives a clean cut edge.

Use a ruler to mark the cutting lines, then cut the bars into 3 cm wide pieces. Clean the blade after each cut.

Dip the praline, coated side down, into the tempered couverture of the tempering device.

Slide the 3-tine dipping fork under the praline and lift it out of the couverture. Tap several times so that excess couverture can drip off, then wipe the base of the fork against the edge of the device.

Dust a Baking tray with a low rim with Cocoa powder and set the pralines on it. Only dip 4 to 5 pralines at a time and set them down before you continue.

Then cover all the pralines at once with Cocoa powder. They should be completely covered.

Roll the pralines individually with the dipping fork through the Cocoa powder. Apply only light pressure with the lowest tines of the fork: this creates the grooved, tree-bark-like pattern. Then let the pralines rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once the pralines have cooled slightly, place them in a Flour sieve and sift off the excess Cocoa powder.

Your coffee schnapps pralines are ready, best of all enjoyed with an espresso.