As a child, did you always colour inside the lines?” asks a bemused Colm Healy, Kerry’s very own Willy Wonka, as I agonise over how to decorate a chocolate lollipop that’s the size of my head, at Skelligs Chocolate factory.
So I throw caution – or rather, a fistful of Smarties and all sorts – to the wind. Hhhmmm...the result is less Juliette Binoche á la Chocolat, more Helena Bonham Carter has a fling with Bertie Bassett. Maybe it’s best to leave this to the professionals after all.
“Olé... oh-lay, oh-lay, oh-lay,” chuckles Noreen Fitzgerald (who Colm quips is the chief hen at the chocolate factory on the Skellig Ring) as she scoops hazelnut praline into a milk chocolate egg.
“We have a special dispensation from the bishop during Lent,” jokes Colm, as he talks Irish Country Living through the rest of the Easter range, from orange and mint brittle to honeycomb and marshmallow cushioned shell eggs and white chocolate lambs, right up to a 7kg showcase egg.
Colm, who is originally from Dublin, took over Skelligs Chocolate 10 years ago, having previously worked in IT in Asia and Australia.
“The old adage of: ‘Go west young man.’ But I went slightly southwest,” he laughs, adding that Skelligs Chocolate is one of the few factories that doesn’t have the words “industrial estate” in its address. It’s located just a stone’s throw from St Finian’s Bay, with enviable views of the Skelligs.
In 2010, a devastating fire in the original building could have finished the business, but Colm set himself the challenge of being back on site within a year; and he made it with a week to spare. The current premises are a result of almost €800,000 of a redevelopment into a food tourism business. Visitors can see the chocolate being made and enjoy samples, treat themselves in the seasonal cafe (which boasts up to 15 different types of hot chocolate) and buy any of Skelligs Chocolate’s handmade range – as the sign under the till says: ‘The Aztecs used cocoa as a form of currency, but we prefer cash.’”
Half of the turnover is on-site, the rest is from web sales, export and other retailers, including Avoca, Sheridan’s and Harvey Nichols, and, most recently, a deal to supply the Dunnes Stores Simply Better range of truffles.
But enough of business. Back to the chocolate.
“There is a difference between tasting chocolate and eating chocolate,” advises Colm, as we chomp our way through the samples.
“Chocolate will melt at just under body temperature, so put a little bit on your tongue, move it around your mouth and let it melt.”
Skelligs Chocolate’s most popular flavours are strawberry and champagne, hazelnut and praline, vanilla ganache and Irish whiskey, but dreamily decadent combinations range from gin and tonic, lime and black pepper to rose and pistachio. Indeed, Colm is even experimenting with combining chocolate with bacon.
“It works,” he exclaims in response to our arched brow. “I’m trying to get a nice Irish supplier of bacon we can use. Chocolate is like wine, with regard to flavour notes, so salt brings out the flavours around the mouth.”
Bacon Easter egg anyone?
Skelligs Chocolate, The Glen,
Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry.
Tel: 066-947-9119
www.skelligschocolate.com
Try these tips at home this Easter
Start with the best quality chocolate bars you can buy (if you can’t get your hands on Skelligs Chocolate, try another Irish company like Ó Conaill’s, Áine’s etc.) and melt gently using the bain marie method, stirring slowly as it melts. Chocolate is very easy to work with, as long as it doesn’t mix with water. The only rule is to have fun.
Ice cube lollies and truffles: Pour melted chocolate into an empty ice-cube tray, pop in some lollipop sticks and place in the fridge to set. You can also add mini-marshmallows or chopped nuts to the melted chocolate, if desired.For a grown-up version, add cream (approximately 25% of cream to the amount of chocolate) for a smooth truffle consistency and a flavour, such as 2ml of high-quality vanilla essence, tasting as you go. Set using the ice-cube tray.
Hey Smartie: Place greaseproof paper on a baking tray and free pour melted chocolate into a large circle/lolly shape (use the back of a spoon to shape if it helps.) Place a lolly stick at the base, rolling it back and forth to cover it in chocolate so that it will stay put once set. Decorate with Smarties and set.
Chocolate brittle: A little food colouring goes a long way, especially with white chocolate. A simple technique is to melt some white chocolate and add food colour (eg red, yellow, green) and, taking a paintbrush, create a stroke/splash/splatter design on a piece of greaseproof paper placed on a baking tray. Allow to cool. Next, pour over a layer of melted white chocolate and, once set, break into shards for a chocolate brittle effect. This makes a lovely gift when packaged in a clear cellophane bag.
Pimp my egg: A very simple way to personalise a shop-bought Easter egg is to melt a bar of white chocolate and use a piping bag to write a name or message. However, if you can get your hands on a mould, why not try a polka-dot egg? After making sure the mould is clean and dry, melt white chocolate using the bain marie method and create a polka-dot effect in your mould using a piping bag. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
Next, melt your milk/dark chocolate and taking a few spoons, flood or swirl it around to cover the mould. Allow this layer to set (approx 15 mins), and repeat at least two-three times for a thicker shell.
Flavours: Experiment with flavour combinations. Adding one or two teaspoons of honey to melted chocolate, for example, will give a caramel swirl effect when hardened. Other combinations include milk chocolate with strawberry, dark chocolate with raspberry, white chocolate and cranberry etc.
As a child, did you always colour inside the lines?” asks a bemused Colm Healy, Kerry’s very own Willy Wonka, as I agonise over how to decorate a chocolate lollipop that’s the size of my head, at Skelligs Chocolate factory.
So I throw caution – or rather, a fistful of Smarties and all sorts – to the wind. Hhhmmm...the result is less Juliette Binoche á la Chocolat, more Helena Bonham Carter has a fling with Bertie Bassett. Maybe it’s best to leave this to the professionals after all.
“Olé... oh-lay, oh-lay, oh-lay,” chuckles Noreen Fitzgerald (who Colm quips is the chief hen at the chocolate factory on the Skellig Ring) as she scoops hazelnut praline into a milk chocolate egg.
“We have a special dispensation from the bishop during Lent,” jokes Colm, as he talks Irish Country Living through the rest of the Easter range, from orange and mint brittle to honeycomb and marshmallow cushioned shell eggs and white chocolate lambs, right up to a 7kg showcase egg.
Colm, who is originally from Dublin, took over Skelligs Chocolate 10 years ago, having previously worked in IT in Asia and Australia.
“The old adage of: ‘Go west young man.’ But I went slightly southwest,” he laughs, adding that Skelligs Chocolate is one of the few factories that doesn’t have the words “industrial estate” in its address. It’s located just a stone’s throw from St Finian’s Bay, with enviable views of the Skelligs.
In 2010, a devastating fire in the original building could have finished the business, but Colm set himself the challenge of being back on site within a year; and he made it with a week to spare. The current premises are a result of almost €800,000 of a redevelopment into a food tourism business. Visitors can see the chocolate being made and enjoy samples, treat themselves in the seasonal cafe (which boasts up to 15 different types of hot chocolate) and buy any of Skelligs Chocolate’s handmade range – as the sign under the till says: ‘The Aztecs used cocoa as a form of currency, but we prefer cash.’”
Half of the turnover is on-site, the rest is from web sales, export and other retailers, including Avoca, Sheridan’s and Harvey Nichols, and, most recently, a deal to supply the Dunnes Stores Simply Better range of truffles.
But enough of business. Back to the chocolate.
“There is a difference between tasting chocolate and eating chocolate,” advises Colm, as we chomp our way through the samples.
“Chocolate will melt at just under body temperature, so put a little bit on your tongue, move it around your mouth and let it melt.”
Skelligs Chocolate’s most popular flavours are strawberry and champagne, hazelnut and praline, vanilla ganache and Irish whiskey, but dreamily decadent combinations range from gin and tonic, lime and black pepper to rose and pistachio. Indeed, Colm is even experimenting with combining chocolate with bacon.
“It works,” he exclaims in response to our arched brow. “I’m trying to get a nice Irish supplier of bacon we can use. Chocolate is like wine, with regard to flavour notes, so salt brings out the flavours around the mouth.”
Bacon Easter egg anyone?
Skelligs Chocolate, The Glen,
Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry.
Tel: 066-947-9119
www.skelligschocolate.com
Try these tips at home this Easter
Start with the best quality chocolate bars you can buy (if you can’t get your hands on Skelligs Chocolate, try another Irish company like Ó Conaill’s, Áine’s etc.) and melt gently using the bain marie method, stirring slowly as it melts. Chocolate is very easy to work with, as long as it doesn’t mix with water. The only rule is to have fun.
Ice cube lollies and truffles: Pour melted chocolate into an empty ice-cube tray, pop in some lollipop sticks and place in the fridge to set. You can also add mini-marshmallows or chopped nuts to the melted chocolate, if desired.For a grown-up version, add cream (approximately 25% of cream to the amount of chocolate) for a smooth truffle consistency and a flavour, such as 2ml of high-quality vanilla essence, tasting as you go. Set using the ice-cube tray.
Hey Smartie: Place greaseproof paper on a baking tray and free pour melted chocolate into a large circle/lolly shape (use the back of a spoon to shape if it helps.) Place a lolly stick at the base, rolling it back and forth to cover it in chocolate so that it will stay put once set. Decorate with Smarties and set.
Chocolate brittle: A little food colouring goes a long way, especially with white chocolate. A simple technique is to melt some white chocolate and add food colour (eg red, yellow, green) and, taking a paintbrush, create a stroke/splash/splatter design on a piece of greaseproof paper placed on a baking tray. Allow to cool. Next, pour over a layer of melted white chocolate and, once set, break into shards for a chocolate brittle effect. This makes a lovely gift when packaged in a clear cellophane bag.
Pimp my egg: A very simple way to personalise a shop-bought Easter egg is to melt a bar of white chocolate and use a piping bag to write a name or message. However, if you can get your hands on a mould, why not try a polka-dot egg? After making sure the mould is clean and dry, melt white chocolate using the bain marie method and create a polka-dot effect in your mould using a piping bag. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
Next, melt your milk/dark chocolate and taking a few spoons, flood or swirl it around to cover the mould. Allow this layer to set (approx 15 mins), and repeat at least two-three times for a thicker shell.
Flavours: Experiment with flavour combinations. Adding one or two teaspoons of honey to melted chocolate, for example, will give a caramel swirl effect when hardened. Other combinations include milk chocolate with strawberry, dark chocolate with raspberry, white chocolate and cranberry etc. 
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: