By Ron | September 24, 2025

Chocolate Pralines With Marzipan and Rum

Cuisine	Diets	Course	Servings
European		Deserts

Ingredients/Zutaten

Alcohol-soaked dried fruit (see recipe)

Marzipan (See recipe)

High-quality, dark chocolate (60-75% cocoa)

Optional: Dried fruits and nuts for decorating.

Optional: White chocolate for decorating.

Instructions/Zubereitung

1. For best results, work in a 65° - 70° F, low humidity environment.
2. When working with tempered chocolate, timing matters. Prepare all materials in advance.
3. Every chocolate brand has a unique ideal temperature for tempering. Practice makes perfect.
4. Don’t skimp on the amount of chocolate being tempered! A greater mass helps maintain critical temperatures. The chocolate can always be reused.
5. Never let water touch melted chocolate. Even a few drops can cause the chocolate to seize.
6. Never burn chocolate. The flavor cannot be removed.
7. Store chocolate in a cool, dry place. Never freeze it.

1. Chill candy molds in the refrigerator. (Not the freezer)
2. Gather all equipment and ingredients.
3. Cut parchment paper sections to size.

1. Chop or shave chocolate into even pieces no larger than a 1/2-inch square.
2. Fill the double-boiler lower pan with about 1-inch of water, and heat to a very gentle simmer. (Never add so much water that it can touch the bottom of the upper pan.)
3. Turn the heat off and place the upper pan into place.
4. FIRST MELT: Place two-thirds of the chocolate into the upper pan, and gently stir CONSTANTLY with a rubber spatula until it has melted completely and looks smooth. On the first melt, for bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, stir until it reaches 120°F/50°C, for milk or white chocolate, stir until it reaches 105°F/40°C.
5. SEED: Once the chocolate has fully melted and reached the correct temperature, remove the upper pan from the heat and add the remaining one-third of chocolate.
6. Continue stirring as the stable crystals in the added chocolate trigger stable crystal formation in the melted chocolate. Don’t stop stirring! Consistently agitating the chocolate now ensures the formation of smaller crystals.
7. COOL: Stir until the chocolate is at 90°F/32°C.
8. From now on watch the chocolate temperature carefully. Do not let it go above 90°F/32°C or below 86°F/30°C (dark and bittersweet chocolate) or 84°F/28.9°C (milk and white chocolate).
9. TEST: Dip a utensil into the chocolate and set it aside to cool. If the chocolate is in temper it will become hard and shiny(?) within 5 minutes. Once it hardens, touching it should not leave a fingerprint.
10. MAINTAIN: Frequently stir and monitor the tempered chocolate, maintaining it at about 87°F ± 3°F. Using a hair dryer is an easy way to gently increase the temperature.

1. Cover the work surface with a large section of parchment paper,
2. Using a piping bag, pour tempered chocolate into the chilled candy mold, filling each cup to just above the edges. Work quickly to avoid cooling the chocolate too much.
3. Scrape excess chocolate off the top of the mold onto the parchment paper.
4. After a minute or so pour the chocolate back out leaving thin shells in each cup.
5. Scrape the top of the form clean of chocolate, aiming for sharp chocolate edges on each cup.
6. Tap/vibrate the mold to remove air bubbles.
7. Turn the mold upside-down over the parchment paper and tap it with a spatula to release the chocolate, leaving thin shells in each cup.
8. Once chocolate stops dripping, use a spatula to scrape underneath removing under-hanging chocolate, then turn the mold right-side up and scrape a few more times to clean all surfaces.
9. Immediately place the mold upside-down on a clean piece of parchment paper and let rest about 5 minutes to cool to room temperature.
10. Place the mold in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

1. Form the marzipan into little balls that will fill the cups without going over the top.
2. If using alcohol-soaked fruit, drop a bit into each cup.
3. Drop a marzipan ball into each cup and (optionally) gently press down to set the marzipan in place. **Be very careful not to force alcohol up to the surface or to let marzipan come in contact with the edges of the chocolate.
4. Leave at least 1/16 inch space below the cup edges."

1. Hold the mold at a slight angle and pour tempered chocolate over the top three rows. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate down the mold filling each cup. Let the excess chocolate fall onto the parchment paper.
2. To fill any remaining gaps, run the spatula across the mold in the opposite direction.
3. Place the mold in the fridge for 20 to 60 minutes to cool and harden.
4. Remove the mold from the fridge, and gently turn it over onto a clean surface. If the chocolate was properly tempered, most candies will fall out. If they don;t, give the mold a few gentle taps.

1. While waiting for the candies to chill, cut dried fruit into small chucks.
2. Using a small tweezer, dip one side of dried fruit pieces into melted chocolate and glue onto the top of the candies.
3. Wrap each candy in an airtight wrapping.
4. Package in an airtight container.

1. Store in a cool, dry place. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
2. If the candies contain alcohol, partake within 2 weeks.

Equipment/Ausrüstung

Double boiler

Accurate digital thermometer and/or candy thermometer

Low heat source

Parchment paper, larger sections to cover the work surface

Parchment paper, 1 small section for each mold

Paper towel

Rubber spatula

Polycarbonate mold, well cleaned

Candy making tools, scrapers, tweezers, piping bags, spatulas, etc.

Candy wrappers and boxes

Hair dryer (optional)