Chocolate Strips (cake decorations)

One day I was thinking of how could I do a simple, fun and delicious decoration for a cake, so I came up with this one, Chocolate Strips covered with sugar crystals or sprinkles.

Ingredients

200 grs. semi-sweet chocolate

your favorite sugar sprinkles (as much as desired)

How to

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper

 melt the chocolate and with a little spatula try to apply a thin layer of chocolate

then sprinkle the sugar and take them to the fridge until set

carefully peel off the chocolate strips.

arrange strips all over the cake

ready!!

Crema Catalana Sticks

I found this delicious "Turrón de Crema Catalana" an Spanish Specialty which we love, I dicided to do something about the last two packages I had so here´s the recipe and how-to, I hope you like it, my family loved it, in fact they´re very nice and almost always like what I do ha ha ha, its a fun way to make something out of delicious treats and left overs we enjoy during Christmas Season

First you have to find this Turrón, there are other brands, you can always use "Turrón de yema" too

it looks like this when you open it

you cut it in sticks wide or narrow ,that depends on how you like them

Prepare a chocolate ganache, I did a small portion, 100grs of semi-sweet chocolate and 3 Tbsp of whole milk, you heat the milk and add the chocolate in pieces, you integrate both with a spoon and the ganache is ready! you can always add( butter, 1/2 a tsp. and rum 1Tbsp, instead of 2 Tbsp. of milk)

cover half the sticks with the chocolate ganache

I also had some leftover chocolates, so I cut them in small pieces, you can also use walnuts, almonds, pistachios or dried fruits

and you sprinkle some chocolate pieces over the chocolate ganache and arrange them over some lined paper so when the chocolate sets you can put them somewhere else

S´mores Truffles

S´mores Truffles.... mmmm I can´t think of anything yummier!
I had some truffle ganache left over and wanted to try this recipe long time ago, where marshmallows are covered with creamy chocolate ganache and covered with  graham crumbs. I´m always trying to develop recipes which can offer something intresting, in this case I think the different textures play an important role.

I always recomend to use high quality chocolate for great truffles

  This recipe yields about 2 dozen truffles.

Ingredients:
9oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (about 1.25 cups)
2/3 cup cream
4 graham cracker sheets
1/2 cup miniature marshmallow

How to

1.Crush the graham crackers in a food processor

2.Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and scald it until bubbles being to appear around the sides of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften and melt the chocolate for one minute.

3.using a whisk, gently stir to combine the cream and chocolate.

4.Cover the truffle mixture with cling wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate it until it has the texture of semi-firm cookie dough, about 90 minutes.

5.to form the truffles, make sure you have all of the ingredients (ganache, graham crumbs, and marshmallows) set out.

Using a small spoon, scoop up a ball of ganache about the size of a large marble. Press one or two mini marshmallows into the center of the ball, and scoop out a little more ganache with the spoon, pressing it over the marshmallows to cover them completely with chocolate.

6.Drop the truffle into the bowl of graham crumbs. Roll it around until it is coated with crumbs

7.Truffles can be served immediately, or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Bring them to room temperature before serving.

enjoy!

Chestnut Pound Cake

This pound cake is really good, it's so soft and moist. Great with a cup of coffee or tea anytime.

I had french chestnut puree so I decided to use it and it came out very good. Chestnut puree is easy to find, the best comes from France

 Hope you like it.

POUND CAKE

225 gr. butter

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

439 grs. chestnut puree

   1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbs. vanilla

2 cups flour

DECORATION

 powder sugar

HOW TO

Cream butter in mixer

Add sugar

Add eggs, mix

Add vanilla, mix

Add Chestnut Puree

Add baking powder

Add flour

Bake for 45 minutes on medium heat.

Let stand for 30 minutes

Sift some powder sugar for decoration.

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

This post is specially created for all of you my friends that share with me the passion of baking and creating. 

 I enjoy so much having this blog and thinking what to do and the best way to show it,but most of all I´m happy to share with you the little things that make me happy.

I also want to thank each one of you who have taken some time to write a comment, I´m grateful.

I wish you all a Happy New Year,

 may you be all blessed

Magali

Orange Truffles

I´m a big fan of truffles, have always been, I love this kind specially because they´re rich and creamy, with a delicate orange flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/ 4 cup butter, chopped

1/3  cup whipping cream

7 oz, semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp.Grand Marnier

semisweet cocoa powder.

HOW TO

In a small saucepan, combine butter and cream. 

 Cook on low heat until butter melts

 and cream bubbles around the edge.

Remove from heat, add chocolate.

Cover and let stand until chocolate melts.

Stir until smooth.

Add grand Marnier. Chill until firm.

Form into balls. roll in cocoa.

They´re ready to be carefully packed.

Enjoy!!!!

Moon Sables

I made this cookies for my daugther´s school work of ¨the moon phases¨ at the end she and her friends offered them to the parents and they just dissapeared

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

 pinch of salt

 1/4 cup of sugar
1/2finely ground almonds
peel of 1 lemon
1/3cup butter,softened
2egg yolks

Glace
powder sugar with a few drops of lemon juice, and 1 drop of blue food coloring  

How to

Grease several baking sheets with butter or lined paper

Stir flour, salt and sugar in medium size bowl

mix in almonds and lemon peel

Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Add egg yolks and mix to form a soft dough.

Roll out dough on a floured surface, using a moon cookie cutter cut out the figures.

Place slightly apart

Refrigerate unbaked for 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 350F

Bake Moon Sables for 15 to 20 min or until light brown.

Remove, when cool, decorate with a pipe and the colored sugar icing.

Enjoy!