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1
Prep for your chocolate molds: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
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2
Place a cooling rack on top of the parchment.
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3
Make sure your chocolate molds are clean and dry.
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4
Make the Brazil nut butter: In large (dry) skillet over medium heat, toast the chopped brazil nuts until they are fragrant - 6 minutes or so.
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5
Like pine nuts, these nuts are high in natural fat, and they will burn and go to black in a heartbeat if you don't keep an eye on them.
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6
let the nuts cool for a few minutes and transfer them to a food processor (hand blender doesn't do a good job here, I tried).
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7
Add the macadamia nut oil and puree the nuts for a minute or so.
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8
The nuts will turn to a paste and then into a nice spreadable butter.
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9
Add the sugar and blend.
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10
Now add the salt a few generous pinches at a time, to taste.
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11
You need the salty aftertaste to highlight the subtleness of the Brazil nut flavor.
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12
This is where I put a few pinched of smoked serrano chile powder in as well.
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13
Transfer to a piping bag, or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off and set aside.
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14
Temper the chocolate: (this is how you get that nice shine on your chocolate).
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15
Place 3/4 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler to melt.
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16
I stir once every few minutes, but try not to dote on it.
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17
When the chocolate is nearly melted, remove it from the heat and add the rest of the chocolate a bit at a time, gently stirring in each addition until completely melted.
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18
Smear a bit of the chocolate on your parchment paper, if it sets in a couple minutes, you are in business.
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19
Fill your molds: Partially fill each individual cup with chocolate, pick up the mold and tilt it around so the chocolate coats the sides of each cup from top to bottom.
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20
Turn the entire mold upside down and place it on the cooling rack to let any excess chocolate drip down onto the parchment (you can reuse this later).
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21
Let the chocolate set 20 minutes or so before flipping and piping the brazil nut butter into each cup (3/4 full), don't fill all the way to the top or you won't be able to seal the cup closed.
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22
After filling with the nut butter, pour another layer of chocolate across each cup to seal in the filling.
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23
Gently rap the mold on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.
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24
I pulled a straight edge across the molds to level out the chocolate, but it sort of messed up the temper on the bottoms a bit when I turned them out (maybe there is a better way of doing this?).
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25
Let the cups set in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
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26
Turn them out.
