Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (19 page)

4.
Add the corn syrup and peppermint oil and knead the mixture with your hands until it has the smooth consistency of dough.

5.
On a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Use a 2½-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place them on baking sheets and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

6.
Line a few baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Melt and
temper chocolate
.

7.
Dip each patty into the chocolate to coat completely. Place patties on baking sheets to set for about 1 hour.

Yield:

About 20 candies

Storage:

Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

General Description:

Not to be confused with the commercially made Italian candy Ferrero Rocher, rochers are a classic candy made of chocolate-coated nuts
. Slivered almonds are coated in sugar and roasted, then dipped in melted chocolate and formed into rough clusters. Rochers are traditionally found in fine French chocolate shops alongside
truffles
and
filled molded chocolates
, but they are much easier to make, making them a fine choice for the beginning chocolatier.

History:

Rocher
means “rock” in French, aptly describing the craggy appearance of this candy. Rochers may have evolved as a version of
dragées
or as yet another way French confectioners combined chocolate and nuts. The word
rocher
also refers to two other rustically shaped sweet confections in France: roughly piped meringues flavored with chocolate and almond and sweet coconut cookies that resemble American coconut macaroons.

Serving Suggestions:

Rochers can be made with different nuts and chocolates. Try milk or white chocolate with hazelnuts. For a very French chocolate tray, serve rochers with
mendiants
and
truffles
.

Candy-Making Notes:

Keeping the clusters small makes them easier to dip. Smaller clusters are also easier to form into mounds.

Recipe:

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.
Combine the almonds and vanilla extract in a bowl, stirring until the nuts are moistened.

3.
Add sugar and toss until the nuts are coated.

4.
Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the sugar has melted and caramelized around the nuts, occasionally turning the nuts with a metal spatula.

5.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

6.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.