Recipe courtesy of Louise Chien

Turtle Spiders with Coffee and Pistachio Chocolate Spider Eggs

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  • Level: Advanced
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min
  • Prep: 45 min
  • Cook: 30 min
  • Yield: 24 pieces

Ingredients

Turtle Spiders:

Coffee Ganache:

Pistachio Ganache:

Chocolate Domes:

Directions

Special equipment:
24 small chocolate dome molds
  1. For the turtle spiders: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans evenly on a silicone mat on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until toasted, 7 to 10 minutes. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, salt, cream, light corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until the sugars dissolve. Add the baking soda, and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly. Cook the caramel to 244 degrees F. Immediately dip the bottom of the hot pan in an ice bath to stop the cooking of the caramel. Add the vanilla and rum. Scoop the caramel over the toasted pecans so that the caramel is splotchy all over the nuts. Let cool to room temperature. For the coffee ganache: In a small saucepan over medium heat, caramelize the sugar to a dark amber. Heat the cream, fleur de sel, and ground espresso in the microwave until it's hot to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add the espresso cream to the cooked sugar and bring it back to a boil. Be very careful this point because the sugar will bubble up as soon as the cream comes in contact with the sugar. Just keep pouring the cream in slowly and stirring the entire time. Place the chocolate, honey, butter, and coffee liqueur in a large bowl. Strain the caramel over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds, and then whisk to combine. Let stand at room temperature until the edges start to crystallize. For the pistachio ganache: In a small saucepan, bring the cream and light corn syrup to a boil. Place the butter, white chocolate, and pistachio compound in a small bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 10 seconds, and then whisk to combine. Fold in the chopped pistachios. Let stand at room temperature until the edges start to crystallize. Pipe into the other half of the chocolate shell dome. For the chocolate domes: Melt the coating chocolate and pour into the mold, let it sit for 30 seconds, and pour back out. Let it completely crystallize. Repeat with all the molds. Pipe the coffee ganache into the chocolate molds. Glue the 2 halves together with melted coating chocolate.
  2. This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.