Confectionery glaze is a viscous, sweet, thick liquid based on powdered sugar with the addition of some other components, intended for coating various confectionery products (cakes, sweets, etc.). The composition of the glaze can include water, chocolate, cocoa, various fruit fillers, flavors, (preferably if natural), sometimes add milk, cream, butter. Chocolate glaze is very good for lining eclairs, cakes, pastries and sweets.
The standard chocolate glaze is considered to be a mixture consisting of not less than 25% of the total dry residue of cocoa products, including at least 12% cocoa butter.
Here are some recipes for making chocolate glazes .
An important point. For home-made chocolate glaze from cocoa (according to any of the recipes) it is better to use natural cocoa powder, rather than the so-called, alkalized or "Dutch".
A simple chocolate glaze recipe for cocoa cake
Ingredients:
- cocoa powder - 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
- powdered sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- water - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- rum, liqueur or cognac - 1-2 tsp.
- some vanilla or cinnamon (but not together);
- butter or creamy natural or fat thick cream - about 20-30 g (or ml).
Preparation
First, mix the cocoa powder with the sugar powder so carefully that there are no lumps. It would be nice to sift this mixture through a strainer. We rinse a small container of cold water and pour the water in the right amount. Place the small container in a shallow saucepan with boiling water, that is, a water bath. At temperatures above 85 degrees C we lose a lot of useful substances. We add a powder mixture of cocoa with sugar powder. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
The density of the glaze can be adjusted by adding powdered sugar and / or cocoa powder (or starch, however, this method is more suitable for public catering establishments). You can include a little ground nuts (or nut flour). If you add too much, you will get a cream rather than glaze. When adding various fruit juices or syrups, you can give chocolate glaze additional flavor overtones. Cocoa glaze for the cake is ready!
Inclusion of finished chocolate in the glaze (better than black with a high content of natural cocoa) also does not damage, but will only improve the taste and texture of the glaze. To the reducible proportions (see above) it is enough to add about 50 g of chocolate.
The recipe for chocolate glaze on milk is practically the same as the previous one (see above), but instead of water we use milk, best of all, medium fat, pasteurized.
The recipe for chocolate coating on sour cream
This version of the glaze is also closer to the cream, but sour cream can give the glaze a special taste.
Ingredients:
- cocoa powder - 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
- powdered sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- water - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- sour cream is thick - 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
- rum - 1 teaspoon;
- vanilla or cinnamon.
Preparation
Mix the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and sift this mixture so that there are no lumps. Pour water into a small container, add rum, vanilla and a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa. Small capacity is placed in a large one with boiling water and then heated in a water bath for about 20 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add sour cream and warm up to the desired degree of thickening. Chocolate glaze is, of course, very tasty for most of the people, but you should not get too involved in this wonderful confectionery mix, as well as other confectionery products, after all, it's carbohydrates + fats, and, in general, high-calorie.