Tag Archives: Entertaining

Jan13

Auberge Du Chocolate – Orange Dessert

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This chocolate is named after the ice cream and looks stunning when cut into. Any remaining fruit paste tastes fantastic dipped in bitter dark chocolate and any remaining ganache can be flavoured and used for truffles.

Auberge Du Chocolate

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 zest of one orange lightly crystallized
250ml double cream
600g dark chocolate, chopped or in pellet form
4ml rrange blosson oil
8ml Cointreau
2 oranges
40ml sugar
40ml water
500g dark chocolate, chopped or in pellet form for dipping

Preparation

1. Prepare the lightly crystallised orange zest and dry it out at 100°C – in the oven, turning once or twice. Store any leftover zest in an airtight container .

Making crystallized fruit peel and grated zest

Simply grate the zest of a citrus fruit of your choice, then dip it into a simple sugar syrup, made by boiling 1 part sugar in 1 part water until the sugar has dissolved.

Leave the dipped zest to dry, then place on top of just-dipped chocolates so the peel sticks as the chocolate sets.

2. Temper 150 g (5 oz) of dark chocolate and spread onto a sheet of baking parchment. When touch dry, cut out 1.5 cm (3/4 in) circles with a pastry cutter.

Tempering Chocolate

Melt the quantity of chocolate you need. Pour approximately two thirds of the melted chocolate onto the marble.

Use a large, flexible scraper to repeatedly pull the chocolate together and then spread it out. This causes the chocolate to cool quickly and to thicken. The chocolate now contains a number of ‘seed’ crystals. As the chocolate temperature drops, more crystals form. You want to get plain chocolate to about 29°C – check this by putting a tiny piece of the chocolate on your bottom lip. If it feels cool, it should be ready.

Once you reach the required temperature, quickly stir in the remaining third of the melted chocolate. This will melt or stabilize any unstable crystals. If this doesn’t work, it is possible that there are not enough ‘seed’ crystals in the first two thirds (for example, if the chocolate hasn’t been cooled enough) or the remaining third is too hot. Unfortunately, should this be the case you will have to start all over again. When tempered, transfer the chocolate to a bowl ready for use.

3. Warm the cream a little. Add the milk chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is incorporated. If you still have lumps of chocolate, warm the mixture for about 10 seconds in the microwave and stir again.

4. Stir in the orange blossom oil and the Cointreau.

5. Using a piping bag and a 1 cm (1/2 in) nozzle, pipe the ganache onto the dark chocolate circles and leave to set.

6 When set, dip each chocolate in the remaining tempered chocolate so it is fully sealed. Sprinkle the tops of the chocolates with the crystallized orange zest, then leave to set before cutting away any ‘feet’ from the chocolate.

Jan7

DREAM TREAT

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Irish Stout Cake with Bailey’s Ganache

I love that chocolate lovers share a universal flavor. This chocolate cake has become one of my favorites. Another “Chocolate On Steroids” recipe!

Irish Stout Cake with Bailey’s Ganache

Ingredients

Irish Stout Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsalted butter
1 12oz bottle of Guinness Stout beer
3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
1 Tbsp espresso powder

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting
6oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream
Bailey’s Ganahe
6oz high quality white chocolate (not white chocolate chips)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
White chocolate shavings (garnish)

Instructions

Irish Stout Cake
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Grease and flour 2 8in round cake pans. I also lined mine with parchment paper.

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the beer, cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth. Bring to a simmmer and let bubble 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool 5-10 minutes. While it’s cooling, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Once the chocolate mixture has slightly cooled, add 1-2 Tbsp of it to the eggs and milk and whisk until smooth. This is going to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble. Slowly pour the remaining chocolate in with the eggs and whisk until incorporated. Make a well in the flour and pour in the chocolate. Use a spatula to fold together until no more flour can be seen. It will still be clumpy at this point. With your whisk, quickly stir the batter 20 strokes. Do not over mix. The batter may still have a few lumps in it, but that’s okay.

Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. (I got about 2 3/4 cup of batter into each pan.)

Bake at 375 F degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 F degrees and cook another 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in the pans for 10 minutes until removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, trim the tops so that each cake is level and the same height. Wrap cake layers and freezer for several hours or over night.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting
Using your stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and shortening until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. Add the Bailey’s and salt and mix for 1 more minute.
Chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until firm and easily spreadable without being too soft.

Bailey’s Ganache
Run the white chocolate though the food processor until it is in very small, fine pieces. If you don’t have a food processor you can just chop the chocolate into very small, fine pieces. Place them in a medium glass bowl.

In a medium pot, bring the heavy cream, Bailey’s and butter to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Pour
cream over the chocolate and let it stand for 1 minute. Stir chocolate and cream slowly and smoothly until all the chocolate has melted. Do not over-stir the chocolate… you don’t want to create air bubbles. Place the bowl in a ice bath until it has come to room temperature. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until it has thickened.

Assembly

Place first layer of cold from the freezer cake on your cake stand, cut side up. Using all the cream cheese frosting, spread an even, flat layer across the top of the cake to the edges. Place the second layer of cake, cut side down on top of the frosting. Press down gently until the top is level. Put cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the cake from the freezer and spoon ganache on the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, GENTLY AND SLOWLY spread the ganache to the sides of the cake. Add more ganache when needed to create an even layer. You’ll want the ganache to slightly drip off the sides, but most of it to remain on top. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick.
Garnish the top of the cake with white chocolate shavings. Store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove 15-20 minutes before you want to cut the cake. Store in an air tight container up to 2 days.

Jan5

Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Welcome warmth on a chilly day, and if you are in the US, that’s just about everywhere this weekend. Easy to make and oh so good!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Serves: 6 Edit
Yields: 1 litre (1¾ pint)

Ingredients

1 litre (1¾ pint) semi-skimmed milk
(75g (3oz)) cocoa powder
75g (3oz) caster sugar
½-1tsp ground cinnamon
2 large pinches cayenne pepper

Method

Gently heat semi-skimmed milk until nearly boiling. In a bowl, mix cocoa powder, caster sugar, ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Add a little of the milk, mix until smooth, then put into pan, stirring, to reheat.

Top with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.

Jan4

Dream Treat Part Deux

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So nice, I thought I’d do it twice. For my #chocolate lovers, this is for you. It may not work for any #chocolate lover wannabe’s. Believe me, the CHOCOLATE GODS will know if you’re faking… Enjoy!

Iced Chocolate Bar Cake

Preparation time : 20 minutes Freezing time : 12 hours

Ingredients

1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2½ cups whipped cream
2 bars KIT KAT® CHUNKY
1½ tablespoons NESCAFÉ Instant Coffee, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

Preparation

Combine NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk and whipped cream in an electric mixer. Beat until thick and creamy.

Pour half of the mixture into foil lined 9in x 5in loaf pan. Place KIT KAT® CHUNKY bars in the middle and freeze for ½ an hour.

Add NESCAFÉ Instant Coffee to the remaining cream mixture and mix until combined.

Take out the cake from the freezer. Spoon over the NESCAFÉ mixture, cover with cling film and freeze for at least 12 hours until set.

Cut into slices to serve.

Dec31

Dream Treat

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Chocolate Hazelnut Zucchini Cupcakes (2)

Chocolate Hazelnut (Zucchini) Cupcakes

These cupcakes are moist and fudgy, but still light. And, they aren’t overly sweet, which means that there’s plenty of ways you could take them to that next level of decadence and still not be going completely nuts on sugar. You could fold in some dark chocolate chips or chunks before baking. I topped them with my whipped dark chocolate frosting using bittersweet chocolate. You could use a pastry syringe and fill with chocolate hazelnut “nutella” spread and use this “nutella” as a frosting. You could drizzle with a chocolate drizzle like in this recipe. You could do all of the above for a special, special treat.

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
• 2 large (or 3 medium) zucchini, grated (about 3 cups grated)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups Hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup Muscovado Sugar (or substitute Sucanat)
• 1/4 cup Palm Shortening (or substitute unsalted butter, ghee or lard)
• 1/3 cup Tapioca Flour (this is the same thing as Tapioca Starch)
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners, use Silicone Muffin Cups.or bake in a silicone muffin pan.
2. Grind hazelnuts in a Food Processor or Magic Bullet until they are super fine and almost turning into hazelnut butter..
3. Finely grate zucchini (you could even process in a food processor).
4. Combine ground ground hazelnuts, grated zucchini and the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. The batter is quite runny. That’s okay–that’s why these cupcakes are so fudgy.
5. As an alternative you can combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.
6. Pour mixture into prepared muffin pan and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before icing or serving. Enjoy!

Dec30

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bailey’s Milkshakes

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bailey's Milkshakes RecipeChocolate Chip Cookie Bailey's Milkshakes Recipe 2

OH YEAH!! This is how I want to end 2013. Here is another amazing chocolate adult beverage.

YIELD: SERVES 2

TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients:
· 2 1/2 cups coffee ice cream
· 1 1/2 cups milk
· 1/2 cup irish cream liqueur
· 2 large chocolate chip cookies + 1 more to crumble on top
· 6 ice cubes

directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and process until almost smooth, leaving some small pieces of cookie if possible. Pour in glasses and crumble more cookies on top. Serve and enjoy!

Dec21

Holiday Dream Treat

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GODIVA WHITE CHRISTMAS

-1.5 oz 360 Vanilla Bean Vodka
-3/4 oz of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
-1 oz cream
-1/2 oz of simple syrup (1:1 sugar & water boiled 8 mins)
-Dash of cinnamon
-Dash of vanilla extract
-Godiva Chocolate shavings (Peeler or zester to chocolate bar)
-Whip cream

Glaze martini glass with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. In a pint
glass combine all ingredients and shake light with ice for 5
seconds. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with whip cream,
dash of cinnamon and Godiva chocolate zest. Enjoy!

Dec11

The Accidental Vegetarian

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I recently discovered that there is an actual term for my sometimes insatiable cravings for vegetables, even preferring them over meat.  During my travels, I have opted for the vegetables on many occasions and continue to prefer them when I return home.  Meat seems to become less of an anchor for my meals these days and I go days without eating any at all.

According to Ask.com, that makes me a “flexitarian.”  What, exactly, does flexitarian mean? “Flexitarian” is used to describe a diet or a person who eats a “mostly” vegetarian diet, occasionally including meat. But what exactly does this mean? Does it mean once a week or once a day? It’s really up to you, as there is no standard agreement or definition, though perhaps someday there will be.

What I will admit is that I still love great barbeque, especially at “Bennie J’s Smoke Pit” in Huntsville, TX.  If you are ever traveling on Interstate 45 between Houston and Dallas, it’s worth the detour.    Bennie J's Smoke Pit

Dec10

TenaciousM “Chocolate on Steroids”

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This Coca-Cola Cake is simply one of the best sheet cake recipes on earth. The magical brew of carbonated cola is the secret to the tender texture.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coca-Cola
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • Coca-Cola Frosting
  • Garnish: 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

  1. Combine Coca-Cola and buttermilk; set aside.
  2. Beat butter at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.
  3. Combine flour, cocoa, and soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture; begin and end with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended.
  4. Stir in marshmallows. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Pour Coca-Cola frosting over warm cake; garnish, if desired.
  5. Note: Don’t make the frosting ahead–you need to pour it over the cake shortly after baking.

From Southern Living