Andalusian tablet. Jesús Escalera at La Postrería

This recipe is enough to prepare 8 tablets.

Ingredients for sky blue paint

• 75 g of cocoa butter. *8 g of 31% white chocolate. *7 g of fat-soluble white coloring.
• 0.4 g of fat-soluble blue dye.

Ingredients for natural white paint

• 150 g of cocoa butter. *15 g of 31% white chocolate. *4 g of fat-soluble white coloring.

Ingredients for painting the molds

• Sponge. * Paint gun or airbrush.
• Polycarbonate tablet molds 11 x 11 cm in tile shape.

Ingredients for spice powder

• 5 g of cardamom. *5 g of juniper. *5 g of allspice.
• 5 g of star anise. *5 g of cinnamon. *5 g of cloves. *5 g of black pepper. *5 g of nutmeg.

Ingredients for creamy spiced toffee

• 210 g of sugar.
• 28 g of glucose.
• 2 g of spice powder (previous preparation). *1.5 g of salt. *126 g of cream.
• 50g of butter.

Ingredients for the praline: 60/40 fried almonds and olive oil.

• 120g of raw almonds.
• Frying oil. *1 g of fine salt.
• 80g of sugar. *12g of olive oil.
• 0.8 g of soy lecithin.

Ingredients for gianduja: fried almonds and olive oil.

• 164 g of fried almond praline (previous preparation).
• 600g of Peruvian chocolate 62%. (previous preparation).

Ingredients for Andalusian tablets

• 500 g d chocolate blanco 31%.
• Creamy spiced toffee (prepared previously). * Fried almond gianduja (prepared previously).
• Painted molds (previous preparation).
• Acetate.

Ingredients for unmolding the tablets

• Crystallized filled molds (previous preparation).

Preparation of sky blue paint

• Melt the cocoa butter to about 50°C and add the white chocolate. Add the colorings and emulsify with an immersion blender.
• Store in a covered bottle (or other sealed container) at room temperature.

Preparation of natural white paint

• Melt the cocoa butter to about 50°C and add the white chocolate. Add the white food coloring and mix with an immersion blender.

Preparation of the mold painting

• Melt the sky blue paint in the microwave (or a double boiler) at about 45-50°C and gradually lower the temperature by submerging and removing it intermittently in an ice water bath, stirring the paint constantly. It is important not to leave the paint submerged in the ice water for extended periods, as this will cause uneven crystallization.
• Lower the temperature to 27°C and microwave the paint for 5 seconds to slow the cooling process. Check that it has warmed up a few degrees to 28/29°C. If you don't stop the temperature drop with this brief microwave interval (or double boiler), the paint will continue to cool, making it difficult to work with the spray gun.
• Place in a container, lightly wet a sponge and press the sponge with paint onto the (previously polished) molds repeatedly to create a worn paint effect.
• Let it crystallize for at least 5 minutes.
• Repeat the tempering process with pure white paint and spray the entire mold when it is at 28/29°C.
• Scrape off the excess with a spatula and clean with a dry cloth to leave the mold as clean as possible. Let it crystallize.

Note: Painted molds can be stored covered with film in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Preparation of spice powder

• Blend the ingredients until pulverized and strain. Set aside.

Making the creamy spiced toffee

• Heat the cream to a gentle boil and add the scraped pod and vanilla seeds.
• Put half the sugar in a saucepan over the heat and make a dry caramel. Continue adding the rest of the sugar little by little as it melts until you get a caramel at 170°C.
• Add the glucose, mix well.
• Add the hot cream little by little over the caramel as you mix, and finally the butter.
• Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly to prevent caramel lumps from forming. Emulsify with an immersion blender and let cool.
• Use at around 28°C.

Preparation of the 60/40 praline from fried almonds and olive oil.

• Heat the oil to 180°C and add the almonds. Fry for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil, then sprinkle with salt.
• Make a dry caramel with the sugar, remove from the heat and add the fried almonds. Mix vigorously and pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool.
• Break up the caramel with almonds and put it in a food processor along with the olive oil and soy lecithin.
• Blend until you get a very fine paste. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Note: For a finer texture, it is recommended to make this praline in large quantities.

• Melt the chocolate and mix with the praline. Emulsify with an immersion blender until you get a homogeneous mixture, trying not to incorporate air.
• Store in a container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Production of Andalusian tablets

• Melt the chocolate at 45°C and temper using the desired method.
• Fill the tablet cavities of the painted molds using a piping bag or a ladle, and vibrate them by repeatedly tapping them on the table to remove air bubbles.
• Pour out and drain the chocolate, tapping the mold lightly with a spatula to create a thin layer of white chocolate.
• Still upside down, run the spatula over the surface of the mold to remove any excess. Let it crystallize.
• Warm the spiced toffee to 28°C and fill the mold halfway. Let it cool for 1 hour to set.
• Temper the fried almond gianduja and fill the molds completely using a piping bag or ladle.
• Place an acetate sheet over the chocolate, so that it fits the mold, and with the help of a spatula, press down, scraping the surface to remove the excess chocolate.
• Let it crystallize for at least 3 hours.

Demolding the tablets

• Refrigerate for about 10 minutes before unmolding to allow for proper crystallization and contraction of the chocolate. Avoid exceeding 20 minutes of refrigeration to prevent the chocolate from absorbing moisture.
• Place a tray over the mold and gently tap it to release all the tablets. Be careful not to hit it too hard, as this could break the tablets.
• Store in an airtight container, protected from heat and humidity.