Mozartkugeln (Salzburg Mozart Balls)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor
• •Double boiler or heatproof bowl over saucepan
• •Cooking thermometer (ideally digital)
• •Parchment-lined baking trays
• •30 wooden skewers or long toothpicks
• •Sharp knife for chopping couverture

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pistachio marzipan

   Grind the blanched pistachios in a food processor until they become a fine, slightly oily paste. This takes longer than you think. Pulse first to break them down, then let the machine run for two to three minutes. You want the oils to release. If your pistachios are very dry, add half a teaspoon of neutral oil to help them along. Knead this pistachio paste together with the marzipan, sifted powdered sugar, and the rosewater or kirschwasser until you have a smooth, pliable dough. If you want the traditional pale green color, add a single drop of food coloring and knead it through evenly. The pistachio flavor should be distinct but not aggressive.

   Use the best pistachios you can find. Iranian or Sicilian pistachios have the deepest flavor and the brightest natural green. The color of your marzipan centers depends entirely on the quality of the nuts.
2. 2

   Prepare the nougat layer

   Gently warm the hazelnut nougat in a bowl set over barely simmering water until it softens enough to stir. Don't melt it completely. You want it pliable, like modeling clay, not liquid. Stir in the softened butter until fully incorporated. The butter gives the nougat a smoother texture and makes it easier to work with at room temperature. Remove from the heat and let it cool until it's firm enough to handle but still shapeable, about fifteen minutes at room temperature or five in the fridge.

   Look for Nuss-Nougat or gianduja at specialty chocolate shops. The supermarket hazelnut spreads won't work. You need a confection-grade nougat that holds its shape when cool.
3. 3

   Shape the nougat cores

   Pinch off small pieces of the nougat mixture and roll them into balls about 1.5 centimeters across, roughly the size of a hazelnut. This is the innermost layer. Place them on a parchment-lined tray and chill in the fridge for twenty minutes until they're firm. You'll need about thirty nougat cores. Don't skip the chilling. Soft nougat will push through the marzipan when you try to wrap it, and then you're starting over.

4. 4

   Wrap in pistachio marzipan

   Take a piece of pistachio marzipan about the size of a large cherry and flatten it into a thin disc in the palm of your hand. Place a chilled nougat ball in the center. Fold the marzipan up and around, pressing the seams closed, then roll between your palms until you have a smooth sphere about the size of a large walnut. The marzipan layer should be about four millimeters thick all the way around, even enough that you won't get a thick spot or a thin one that lets the nougat show through the chocolate later. Place each finished ball on the parchment-lined tray.

   If the marzipan sticks to your hands, dust your palms lightly with powdered sugar. Don't use flour. Flour will leave a gritty texture under the chocolate.
5. 5

   Chill before dipping

   Place the tray of marzipan-wrapped balls in the fridge for at least thirty minutes, until they're cold and firm to the touch. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into each ball about halfway down. This is your handle for dipping. The balls need to be properly cold before they meet the warm chocolate, or the marzipan will soften and the whole thing slides off the skewer into your chocolate bowl. That's a mess you don't want.

6. 6

   Temper the chocolate

   Chop the dark couverture finely and melt two-thirds of it in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring gently until it reaches 50 to 55 degrees Celsius. Remove from the heat. Add the remaining chopped chocolate in small handfuls, stirring constantly until the temperature drops to 31 to 32 degrees. This is tempering, and it's what gives the finished Mozartkugeln their clean snap and glossy shell. If you don't have a thermometer, test by smearing a little chocolate on a piece of parchment. If it sets within five minutes with a smooth, matte-to-satin finish and no streaks, you're there. If it stays soft and sticky, it's too warm. Keep stirring.

   If the chocolate thickens too much while you're working, warm it gently for ten seconds over the water bath. Don't let it go above 32 degrees or you'll break the temper and have to start again. A tablespoon of cocoa butter stirred in can help thin the chocolate without compromising the set.
7. 7

   Dip the Mozartkugeln

   Hold a chilled ball by its skewer and dip it into the tempered chocolate, tilting and turning until the entire surface is coated. Lift it out and let the excess drip back into the bowl, turning the skewer slowly. The coating should be thin and even. One smooth layer is all you need. Place the dipped ball skewer-up on a parchment-lined tray, or lay it on its side and gently twist the skewer free once the chocolate begins to set. Work at a steady pace. If the chocolate in the bowl starts to thicken, warm it briefly.

8. 8

   Finish and set

   Once all the balls are dipped, you'll have a small bare spot where the skewer was. Dab a tiny bit of melted chocolate over each hole with your fingertip or a small brush to seal it. Let the Mozartkugeln set completely at cool room temperature, about one hour, or fifteen minutes in the fridge if your kitchen is warm. When the chocolate has set, it should be smooth and glossy with a satisfying snap when you bite through. If you like, dust a few lightly with cocoa powder for a different finish. Arrange them on a plate or wrap individually in foil. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Temperature is everything with this recipe. Work in a cool kitchen if you can. If your kitchen runs warm, chill your hands under cold water and dry them before rolling. The marzipan and nougat both soften fast in a warm room, and once they do, you lose control of the shape.
• •The original Fürst Mozartkugeln use a wooden stick to dip, just like you'll do at home. This is exactly how they're made in the shop on the Alter Markt. You're not improvising. You're doing it the Salzburg way.
• •Don't substitute compound chocolate or chocolate chips for couverture. They contain vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter and won't temper. The snap and gloss of real couverture is half the experience of biting into a Mozartkugel.
• •These keep beautifully for two weeks stored in a single layer in an airtight tin at cool room temperature. Don't refrigerate them once they're finished. Cold fridges can cause condensation on the chocolate surface, turning it dull and chalky. A cool pantry is perfect.

Advance Preparation

• •The pistachio marzipan can be made up to three days ahead, wrapped tightly in cling film and refrigerated. Bring it to cool room temperature before rolling, about twenty minutes.
• •The nougat cores can be shaped and chilled a day ahead. Keep them covered in the fridge.
• •Fully assembled Mozartkugeln wrapped in marzipan (before chocolate dipping) can wait in the fridge overnight. Dip the next day when you have time to temper chocolate without rushing.
• •Finished Mozartkugeln keep for two weeks in an airtight tin at cool room temperature. They actually improve after a day or two as the flavors settle into each other.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 34g)