Magic Chocolate ball

 I remember my first rendezvous  with this dessert at Hakkasan, a high end restaurant in Mumbai; and wished to try recreating it ever since. The dessert is a chocolate lover's delight and you are sure to be in chocolate coma. The dessert is an experience meant to be enjoyed on a special occasion.
The chocolate sphere is the main hero of this dessert. Inside it is a piece of chocolate brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - this is the classic combination.

I adapted this recipe  for the chocolate ball. Chef Byron has explained the recipe wonderfully and I would strongly recommend reading the recipe in detail before proceeding.

1. Using a double boiler method, heat 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips ( I used regular store bought brand). 
2. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil to the chocolate chips while they are melting. Coconut oil makes the melted chocolate runnier, thus  easier to spread the chocolate in the mold. Also it makes it easier to unmold it and imparts a nice sheen to the chocolate 
3. Once the chips have fully melted, remove the bowl from the boiler and mix using a spatula thus helping the chocolate to come to room temperature. 
4. Wash and dry a ornamoldOrnament Ball before filling it with chocolate. 
5. Now fill one half of the mold with melted chocolate, approximately a quarter of the way up. Secure the other half and gently roll the ball in all directions to coat all the sections of the mold. If you feel the chocolate is a little thick, you can gently tap the ball to help the melted chocolate spread. Make sure there are no gaps.
6. Now place the ball in the freezer for minimum of 30 mins, flipping every 2-3 mins  ( for the first 10 mins )to ensure the chocolate cools evenly.
7. Remove the mold from the freezer and gently open it. If the chocolate has cooled well, the mold will easily open. 
8. Next heat up a stainless steel plate and gently press the ball on to the dish , in order to melt the bottom part of the sphere. The opening should be just enough to be able to fit onto your piece of brownie. 
9. Now put the sphere in the fridge until ready to use.
10. In a shallow dish , place a small piece of chocolate brownie, topped with a scoop of vanilla icecream and place the sphere on top . Garnish with raspberries or strawberries on the side.
11. Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream in microwave until hot and pour on top of 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 mins and then stir well until the cream and chocolate is well combined.
12. You may want to strain this mixture for a smoother sauce, 
13. Before serving heat the sauce in the microwave at 30 sec intervals until hot. 
14. Pour the hot sauce on top of the sphere and watch the magic happen.