For years I've wanted to participate in the Daring Baker's Challenge. It's a fancy pants baking group that montly post a challenge and then participants do their take on the it and blog about it. The blogs come out on the 27th. Hence today I'm blogging.

I'm so excited.

What I like about it is that I learn something that I otherwise might never have reason to know and I get my baking juju on.

The challenge for August was to temper chocolate. One had to mold chocolate or enrobe something and make a different candy.

Candied Mint

My first attempt was candied mint. I eggwashed and covered the mint leaves with superfine sugar. After that dried I coated it with tempered (seeded method) bittersweet chocolate. They were knock your socks off in flavor. The crunch from the sugar contrasted with the melty chocolate in your mouth.

Green Tea Coconut Truffle

I then made a green tea ganache and rolled that in toasted coconut. It made a lovely little candy.

Lilac jelly from the spring.

Lastly, I really wanted to make a molded candy. What you have is a peppered white chocolate filled with lilac jelly.

White Chocolate Black Pepper Lilac Candies