Chocolate Dried Fruit Log

I love dried fruits, and to mix them with almonds, walnuts and chocolate, and what more delicious than a touch of cognac to go with? it turned out not only beautiful but delicious

2 1/2 cups chopped assorted dried fruits 

1/2 cup brandy or cognac

1/2 cup peeled almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

300 grs. semi-sweet chocolate

long and narrow rectangular mold

waxed paper

plastic film

Place chopped dried fruit in a glass plate and pour the cognac or brandy all over them, let stand for 24 hrs.

Cover the base and sides of the mold with plastic film

Then cover only the base with waxed paper.

Place at the bottom all the dried fruit

Add the almonds and the walnuts

To melt chocoate place it on top of a double boiler or bowl set over a pan of simmering water, till chocolate is melted.

Pour chocolate over nuts and fruits, let it stand and refrigerate it for 2 hours.

Take it out and wrap it with waxed paper and plastic film if you´re not using it immediately

Ready to be enjoyed!!!

Best Chocolate Mousse

The question of whether or not chocolate is an addictive substance always rises discusion I can only say this chocolate mousse is addictive and delicious, have been doing it for years and always rises the same question, can I have just a little more?

300 grs semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces.

4 Tbsp brandy or Cognac

450ml. whipping cream

4 eggs, separated

chocolate curls for decoration

Melt Chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth

At the same time in a saucepan heat the whipping cream and pour it to the bowl just before boiling point.

Add chocolate little by little until completely incorporated

Add egg yolks one by one and beat until thick and creamy

Add brandy or cognac and continue beating

Separately beat the egg whites until frothy and soft peaks form

Using a metal spoon stir a quarter of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites

Gradually fold the remaining chocolate.

Pour into a serving bowl

Sprinkle chocolate curls

Refrigerate 1 hour

Serve and enjoy!

Flower Truffle Cake Recipe

This is a great cake with mousse texture,it's very easy and you can prepare it one of two days before, keeps it's texture and flavor for days, keep it in the refrigerator.

This recipe is a keeper really, you can also add a little color if you like with sugar crystals and glitters depending on the ocassion.

Serving it with a little scoop of fresh whipped cream might just be delicious.

TRUFFLE cake
150 grs semisweet chocolate
225. grs. butter
4 tablespoons of powder sugar
5 eggs
200 grs. chopped walnuts

CHOCOLATE Ganache
350 grs. semisweet chocolate
150 grs. whipping cream

Decoration
10 grs. dark cocoa (unsweetened)
10 grs. Hersheys cocoa
paper stencil (flower figures cut out of a sheet of paper)

PREPARE Mold
Cover a round mold with a damp cloth.

CAKE Preparation
Melt chocolate a bain Marie.
Cream butter, add sugar and add egg yolks.
Add the melted and cooled chocolate and the chopped walnuts.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, add the chocolate mix.
Pour into the mold.
Refrigerate at least for 12 hours.

CHOCOLATE Ganache

Heat the cream, then turn off the heat and add the chocolate chopped.
wait till the chocolate has melted.
Mix perfectly, and wait till cooled to decorate the cake.

Decoration
Unmold cake, cover with ganache.
Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Place the paper cuts on top of the cake.
Sift powder cocoa alternating colors.
Take out the flower papers

Brandied Applesauce Muffins

Winter is a marvelous season, I just love being with the family in many events and sharing not only time, talks, but also warmth and delicious treats, I created this muffins to please my love for apples and a delicate brandy glaçe.

muffins covered with brandy glaçe

Just add a delicate coat, you can help yourself with a spoon or a pastry brush

out of the oven

Muffins

1 cup applesauce

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

2 tbsp buttermilk

1tsp.ground cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Glaçe

1 cup powder sugar

2Tbsp. brandy

2Tbsp evaporated milk

How to

Preheat oven to 375f or 190c.

Grease 20 muffin cups or line them with partchment paper

Combine the brown sugar with applesauce

add buttermilk

add ground cinnamon

add baking powder and flour

Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean

Remove from oven and cool

Glaçe

Combine the brandy with the powder sugar and the evaporated milk

just add 1 tsp. of it to each muffin

Add some white sugar sprinkles

Polvorones Sevillanos

Our family tradition is to make Polvorones Sevillanos in Christmas, this tradition comes from Spain.

You can wrap them in all kind of Christmas decorated tissue, and maybe offer them in little boxes as presents.

Ingredients
2 kg all purpose flour
•1 kg good quality lard
•1 kg powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp ground cinnamon
•1/2 cup powder sugar

How to do them
Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
Measure and pour flour out onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven and "toast" the flour. Occasionally move the flour around on the sheet, so that it toasts evenly. Leave in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
It has to be completely cool to start working.
Cream lard, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour .
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or other flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper. Carefully flatten it down to about 1/2 inch. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies the traditional one is round
Use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies from the waxed paper to a cookie sheet for baking they are very delicate
Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes at 300ºF.
Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before removing them.
Sprinkle with powder sugar when ready to serve.
Makes approximately 150 polvorones
ready to wrap
wrap them with tissue paper

Chocolate Cake with double Cheese Cream Frosting

What can I say, I just love chocolate and imagine a great chocolate cake combined with cream cheese frosting, irresistible I think, you can marble both frostings or just cover the cake with your favorite one, its just the combination of colors that makes it more appealing

FOR THE CAKE
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
200 grs. semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate melted
1/4 cup milk
6 egg whites
6 egg yolk
FOR THE FROSTING
Do one batch of plain vanilla and then divide it into 2
PLAIN vanilla
1 (3 oz package cream cheese)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sifted powder sugar
CHOCOLATE
Take the 1/2 vanilla frosting and add:
2 tbsp of cocoa
1 tbsp milk

FOR THE CAKE
Preheat oven 350 degrees,
Cream the butter until it has a lighter color, then add sugar, egg yolks, beat for one minute, then melted chocolate, give this 2 minutes and add milk.
In another bowl whisk the egg whites untill soft peaks form, then add it to the cake batter with soft revolving movements.
Grease a pan, medium size.
Put the cake in the oven for 35 to 45 min. or until it's done.
FOR THE FROSTING
beat the cream cheese at room temperature until softened, add butter, vanilla and then powdered sugar.
Divide into two parts.
take one part and mix in the cocoa and milk.
DECORATION
Use both frostings and use your creativity.

Chocolate Almond Torte

This season of the year is great talking about what kind of desserts you can make, ingredients such as chocolate and almonds have a special place, this is a simple tart, easy to do and a crowd pleaser of course.
Decoration plays a very important role, you can cover it with white chocolate ganache, with 3 chocolate shavings, or just serving it with a little scoop of whipped cream.

This time I chose powder sugar sifted over a paper pattern, you can even design your own, I really hope you like it and enjoy this season!!!

...

1 pie crust (your favorite recipe)

Filling
150 grs butter
1/2 cup sugar
150 grs. milk chocolate
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
8 eggs
200 grs. chopped almonds

Decoration
powder sugar

paper pattern

Line the dough for the crust and refrigerate for a couple of hours..
In a saucepan melt butter, and add sugar till it dissolves, then add chocolate and move until it dissolves too.
In the blender put the syrup, vanilla, and salt, then add the eggs one by one until perfectly blended.
Arrange the chopped almonds all over the crust.
Pour the mix.
Bake for 45 min.
Let it stand until completely cooled.
Decorate with any pattern you like, using powder sugar.
place it on the top, sift powder sugar
ready !!

Color Banderillas

I did this banderillas once for a birthday, they are so easy, they turned out not just colorful, but crispy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

500 grs. puff pastry
1 egg well beaten
200 grs. sugar
color sugar crystals

HOW TO MAKE THEM

preheat oven to 300 f. grease several baking sheets with butter
Roll puff pastry on a floured surface.
with a brush spread enough egg
sift some regular sugar and then the colored sugar
with a knife make straight long lines
or you can cut them into any shape
arrange them in the baking sheets giving a good separation
here we call them banderillas because they are cut long and narrow,
hope you like them!