Boozy chocolate chillies

Chocolate and chilli is a classic combination, dating back to the Mayans spicing their cacao to make rich satifying drink. The chocolate & chilli kick of a red or black mole sauce is a staple of Mexican cuisine, and most luxury chocolate brands offer some kind of spicy confection nowadays. When I hear chilli I can't help but think of chocolate, and this is a pure combination of both flavours, with an extra hit of rum to really liven things up.

Steeped in alcohol, filled with a rich water ganache and covered in chocolate these chillies make a decadent dinner party dessert.

Step 1 Ingredients & Equipment

This is a simple recipe, with very few ingredients. The most it will cost you (besides the alcohol) is time, as the chilli peppers need to marinate for at least 12 hours before they can be filled and coated.

Ingredients:

Large, mild chilli peppers (recipe makes enough to fill six chillies)
Spiced rum
200 g good dark chocolate
Flavoured tea (optional to flavour the ganache filling)


You'll also need a small sharp knife, a saucepan, bowls, spoons, a seive, a clean jar/pot with a lid, piping bag, baking parchment.

Comments

[Paperduck]

I gave these a try yesterday and the water ganache did exactly what I thought it would before I read about it for the first time in this instructable: With the first spoon of hot water (tea) it instantly started to seize up. I tried to incorporate the water as best as I could, added another spoonful of water and kept going until after 5 spoonfuls or so it became to thick to be stirred. I continued to knead the paste with the back of the spoon and tried to work more water into it but after 7 spoonfuls it wouldn't absorb any more. Instead a good portion of the fat content of the chocolate started to separate. What I ended up with was a play dough like substance covered in liquid cocoa butter. Very much the opposite of a smooth, runny chocolate mix. I used 70% dark chocolate for this.
I don't know if I did anything wrong during the process but the water ganache recipe doesn't seem to offer too many possibilities to screw it up.
If I had to make a guess as to why it worked for you but didn't work for me it would be the following: Processed chocolate often contains lecithin (particularly soy-lecithin), used to stabilize the emulsion of oil and water. As far as I can tell this doesn't depend on the quality of the chocolate. Some manufacturer use lecithin, others don't. The chocolate I bought didn't contain lecithin. So, based on this experience, maybe water ganache only works with chocolate containing an emulsifier.

[boombronze]

Can you do this recipe without the rum? I have friends who don't drink alcohol

[sthompson15]

How long will these keep if I make them in advance?

[Chanio]

Your pictures are as perfect as your recipe!
It seems that you have enjoyed taking those photos...

Great work!
Thank you.

2 questions:
shouldn't the tea be hot when you mix it?
And does it blend well with the taste of the chocolate or does it make it less flavored?

Thank you again!
alberto

[Renee Zamora]

I'm so excited to make these! great photos and great idea!

[bjames winans]

OMG love the idea esp since we live in peper growing country... might make fridays games night way way more interesting!! WOOOT WOOOT

[saraed]

OMG!!!! this are definitely going to be on my prom night!! Thanks for the instructable!!

[eblisster]

This looks absolutely awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing it. I wonder how it would be to add some minced spicier chilies to the filling. Just a hint...
Not to the poster, I mean hint of spicey flavor.

[Polikor]

very nice

[l8nite]

I'll have to try the spiced rum peppers (and the rum) I soak habaneros in vodka, after a while the bright orange peppers fade to a greenish white and the heat is all in the alcohol, it makes a GREAT bloody mary and as a hot sauce for cooking (the alcohol cooks right out leaving just the heat)

[sunshiine]

This looks very good. Thanks for sharing.