Liquorice Ghosts aka Liquorice Cream Puffs
These liquorice ghosts or cream puffs are called flødeboller in Danish. Directly translated it means cream rolls, even though there are no cream and no roll in them. Basically it’s a wafer, or cookie, with an Italian meringue filling, and covered with chocolate. It is so so yummy, it should be illegal to make or sell.
Growing up, flødeboller was the go-to treat to bring to share at school at your birthday. And it is easy to make up games eating flødeboller, but one thing for sure, it will be messy.
To make cream puffs it is recommended that you have a electric hand-mixer or even better a stand mixer, because you have to whisk vigorously for more than 15 minutes.
Makes 20 medium flødeboller
Ingredients:
Base:
200 g liquorice marzipan or regular marzipan
Filling:
100 g (little over ⅓ cup) pasteurized egg whites
200 g ( 1 cup) sugar
50 ml (a little under ¼ cup) water
2 teaspoons fine liquorice powder
Chocolate coating:
200-250 g white chocolate, a good one I used Valrhona
25 g dark chocolate
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Cut the marzipan log into 20 slices. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the marzipan for 5 minutes, let them cool completely.
Filling:
When making meringue it is very important that there are no fat residue on your bowl and whisk, otherwise the egg whites won't get fluffy.
The naked ghost
Whisk the egg whites until they just turn fluffy. Meanwhile heat sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and keep it simmering until it reaches 243℃ (117℃).
Pour in the scolding hot syrup into the egg whites while whisking. The meringue becomes pretty warm, but keep whisking for 15 minutes, until stiff peaks. Gently fold in the liquorice powder.
Add the meringue to a piping bag with a plain round tip. Pipe the meringue in a high peak.
Bake the cream puffs for 5 minutes, just until the surface sets, but haven't got any color. This makes it easier to cover in chocolate. Let the cream puffs cool completely.
Tempering the chocolate:
This is how I do it, but if you have your own way, that works for you, use that method.
Chop the chocolate finely, set just under ⅕ of the chocolate aside, and add the rest into a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl on to a saucepan with very hot water (don't let the bowl touch the water) . Let the chocolate melt while stirring. When the chocolate reaches 102℉ (39℃), take the bowl off the hot water. While stirring let the chocolate cool until it reaches 79-82℉ (26-27℃), add the rest of the chopped chocolate and stir vigorously until its all melted. Put the bowl with chocolate over the hot water again, and heat the chocolate to 84℉ (29℃), and now its ready to use for coating.
Coating:
Place the cream puffs on a wire rack. Drizzle the chocolate on top until the whole peak is covered with chocolate. Tap the wire rack on the counter to get the excess chocolate to run off. Place the cream puffs in the refrigerator for a few minutes until the chocolate has set.
Melt the dark chocolate and pipe eyes on the ghosts.
The liquorice ghosts will keep 3 days a 50-54℉ (10-12℃).
Enjoy!