Blueberry & Almond Snacking Bars

Method

A moulded snacking bar with four layers: a fruity blueberry pâte de fruit, a vanilla bean ganache, whole dried blueberries and an almond gianduja made with Keylink 100% Roasted Blanched Almond Paste. The perfect mini indulgence for those special, everyday moments of celebration. Or just with a cup of tea!

How to Make Blueberry & Almond Snacking Bars:

We used Chocolate World Chocolate Mould; Eclair Snack Bar (SMP3562).

Ingredients

Decoration and shell

• 450g Callebaut Dark Chocolate 811 (SCC1501)
• 25g Roxy & Rich Coloured Cocoa Butter; Blue Sapphire (SCR1324B)
• 6g Roxy & Rich Coloured Cocoa Butter; Violet Pearl (SCR1806B)
• 4g Roxy & Rich Coloured Cocoa Butter; Purple Garnet (SCR1426B)

Blueberry gel

• 200g Ravifruit Blueberry Puree (SCF0874A)
• 20g Belgosuc Invert Sugar Paste (SCA107)
• 50g Caster sugar
• 2.5g Pectin, Slow Set (SCA132)
• 160g Caster sugar
• 30g Confectionery Glucose Syrup DE60 (SCA120)
• 4g Tartaric Acid (SCA134)
• 4g Water, to dissolve the tartaric acid

Vanilla bean ganache

• 108g Callebaut White Chocolate W2 (SCC1541)
• 47ml KerryMaid Whipping Cream Alternative (SCM280)
• 9g Confectionery Glucose Syrup DE60 (SCA120)
• 9g Belgosuc Invert Sugar Paste (SCA107)
• 7g Cocoa Butter in Callets (SCC1413)
• 1/4 Norohy Madagascan Vanilla Bean (SCF0500)

To layer

• 55g SOC CHEF Blueberries with Dextrose (SCF0832)

Almond gianduja

• 100g Valrhona Jivara Lactee 40% Milk Chocolate (SCC5100)
• 100g Keylink 100% Roasted Blanched Almond Paste (SCM224)
   

Method

1. Warm the Blue Sapphire cocoa butter to around 30°C and paint it through the cavities as the main colour. Leave to set.
2. Flick the Violet Pearl over the top as splashes, then dot the Purple Garnet on with a nail dotter or a cocktail stick. Leave to set.
3. Temper the dark chocolate, cast the mould, tap out the bubbles, scrape clean and leave to crystallise.
4. For the gel, weigh all the ingredients out ready, and mix the 50g of caster sugar and the pectin together until fully combined.
5. Heat the blueberry puree and invert sugar to around 80°C. Add the pectin and sugar mix and whisk until fully combined, then bring to the boil.
6. Add the 160g of caster sugar in three or four stages, mixing well in between.
7. Heat to 104°C.
8. Add the tartaric acid solution and mix well before taking it off the heat.
9. Place in a plastic bowl to cool, then lay a sheet of cling film over the top and press it down onto the mixture to cover it fully. Leave to cool completely in the fridge.
10. Once fully cool, use a hand or table-top blender to create a gel that can be piped into a shell.
11. For the ganache, split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Bring the cream, glucose, invert sugar paste, the seeds and the split bean to the boil, then lift out the bean.
12. Pour over the white chocolate and the cocoa butter callets. Leave to sit for a few minutes, then stir gently by hand before blending to a smooth, glossy emulsion. Cool to around 27°C.
13. For the gianduja, melt the Jivara to around 40°C, stir in the almond paste until there are no lumps and cool to around 27°C.
14. Pipe a line of the blueberry gel into each shell first, then a line of vanilla bean ganache.
15. Using tweezers, place around 5 dried blueberries in a line and sink them halfway into the ganache.
16. Pipe a line of the almond gianduja, leaving enough room to cap.
17. Leave to crystallise, then cap with tempered dark chocolate and leave to set fully before de-moulding.

Enjoyed this recipe? You could swap the blueberry for cherry, which also tastes fantastic with almond. Use Ravifruit Morello Cherry Purée and chop up some Freeze Dried Sour Cherries to layer with the vanilla ganache and almond gianduja.