Venizelika - Chocolate fondant

Whenever Mrs. Evangelia made them, there was a "war" at home !!

Young and old were wandering around looking for the cupboards to find where Mrs. Evangelia had hidden them. You had to catch up…. Ha, Ha, Ha, war !!!

It is a recipe that has its roots in Lemnos since 1934 when Venizelos visited the island.
Venizelos tried various delicacies offered to him by the islanders, including "some almond balls". Venizelos was very enthusiastic about these "sweets without a name" and asked to try again. Since then these sweets have been named "Venizelika".
A follower of Venizelos took the recipe and confided it to grandmother Sofia Polychronidi and she to her daughter Mrs. Evangelia (Polychronidi-Basia).
We reveal the recipe to you:

Servings: 15 pieces
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Quite expensive

Recipe ingredients:

• 500 gr. peeled almonds, coarsely chopped
• 180 gr. couverture chocolate (55% chopped cocoa content)
• 200 mL cod or orange liqueur
• 550 mL brandy

For the icing

• 350 gr. Vanilla submarine

For the syrup

• 220 gr. granulated sugar
• 230 mL water

Procedure

Grind the almonds in the Multi taking care not to become powder.

Put the almonds in a bowl and then add the chocolate. Mix the ingredients well so that there is chocolate and almonds everywhere and then add the orange liqueur.

Make the syrup. In a large saucepan pour the water and sugar, and put it on low heat for 8΄, until the syrup sets and becomes quite heavy. At the end, slowly add the syrup. Pour as much syrup as needed so that it becomes a thick mass.

After mixing everything well together, wet your hands with brandy and make balls with the mixture. Spread oil paste on a baking tray and rest the balls. Allow the balls to dry well for 24 hours.

Once dry, glaze them with vanilla submarine that you have already heated. (Heat the vanilla in a saucepan until it is liquid or in a ben-marie ). Throw the balls one by one and turn them to include the vanilla icing. Be careful not to boil the vanilla. If you see that it starts to boil, slide the pot off the fire

Take them out one by one and place them on a tray that you have put a greaseproof paper. Garnish with a thin line of vanilla on top. After they dry, put them in paper molds.