Chocolate truffles

This is a really easy recipe that was given to me by a colleague at work. The success of these truffles depends solely on the ingredients used.
First decide on the type of chocolate - milk or dark? sweet, semi sweet or white. Whatever your preference try and get the best quality possible.
Next is your choice of the alcohol you will be using. If you want a coffee flavour, tia Maria or Kahlua mixed with some strong coffee powder should do the trick. Grand Marnier and some orange zest should make great orange flavoured truffles....and so on....use your imagination!

A quick note, you don't have to use alcohol - you can also use jam or fruit puree instead.

The truffles will then be rolled in powdered chocolate/cocoa powder - again, choose a good quality chocolate.You can also re roll in chocolate sprinkles.

The ingredients are just a few:
8 ounces (227 grams) chocolate, cut into small pieces. My preference is for semi-sweet
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons alcohol (or jam)

Orange zest, coffee or whatever you have decided to use.

Powdered chocolate/chocolate sprinkles

Way to go
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. You could also sue a food processor but don't grind too finely.
Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Stir with a whisk until smooth.
If desired, add the alcohol or flavoring
Cover and place in the fridge until the truffle mixture is firm .This can take a couple of hours so I find its sometimes better to leave overnight and continue the next day.

Shape the Truffles.

Decide on your coating - chocolate powder, can also just be icing sugar, again, imagination comes in handy! Put the coating in a large flat plate.

Remove the truffle mixture from the fridge

Here is the fun part... form the chocolate into round bite-sized balls, using your fingers - the faster and less contact with warm hands the better!

Roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or tray.

Cover and place in the fridge until firm.

Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

You can also place them in letter paper cups for presentation. They look so professional and are so yummy that they also make a great gift.

here in Arizona i can only do that in winter - its way too hot!!!

Time for some biscotti!

These classic twice baked cookies can be made in a variety of ways - you can use pecans or walnuts instead of the almonds, you can add dried apricots, cherries or blueberries....anything is possible! The whole-wheat flour in this case gives them an extra crunch.

They can also be drizzled with chocolate for extra sweetness.

This recipe is a lower fat alternative - there are only 79 calories per 3 cookies! part of my lose weight but eat well project!

Ingredients.

3/4 cup wholewheat flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs (beaten)

1/4 cup low fat milk (or soy milk)

2 1/2 tbs canola oil

2 tbs honey

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds.

Method.

Pre heat oven to 350F

Combine The flours, sugar and baking powder.

Add the eggs, milk, canola oil, honey and almond extract and mix well

Add the almonds.

Mix until the dough is well blended

(I use my hands here-easier and more fun!)

Put the dough on a long sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a flat log about 12" long, 3" wide and 1" thick. You will need the plastic cos the dough is rather sticky.

Lift the wrap and transfer the dough to a non stick baking sheet.

Bake for about 20-30 mins until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven, put onto another baking sheet or a cutting board and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly.

Cut crosswise on the diagonal using a serrated knife and cut slices of about 1/2" thick.

Put the slices back on the baking dish, cut side down and bake for another 15-20 mins or until crisp.

When cool, you can dust with powdered sugar (or not!)

They keep well in an airtight container and are delicious with a cup of coffee!

Garibaldi Biscuits

I am yearning for these biscuits - i must have ate a zillion kilos of them as a child....difficult to find in the states...
The Garibaldi biscuit consists of currants in a plain biscuit, best enjoyed with tea or coffee. They are also called dead fly biscuits, because the currants resemble dead flies!!They consist of a dry, not too sweet dough, a shiny glazed top,  squashed currants and the brilliant device of leaving strips of five biscuits joined together, like perforated cardboard. This biscuit is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general and leader in the fight to unify Italy. It was first manufactured by Peak Freans in 1861 after Garibaldi visited England.

I actually found them for sale here in the Vermont Country Store

Had a shot at making them....not quite the same thing but they will do for now!

Ingredients:

7oz plain flour
1oz cornflour
2oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
2oz butter
1 egg yolk
a little milk
4oz currants
egg white to glaze

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare a baking sheet. Sift the flour and cornflour into a bowl with the sugar and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Squash the currents with a fork

Add the egg yolk and mix to a stiffish dough with sufficient milk. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out thinly to a long thin rectangle. Trim the edges square and sprinkle one half of the dough evenly with currants.

Fold over the dough and press the edges together. Roll with a floured rolling pin to about ¼ inch thick, cut into convenient squares or rectangles and brush with egg white to glaze. Prick with a fork to make the little holes.

Place on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Eggplant Parmigiana

This is a super easy dish thats tastes divine! I sometimes make a bechamel sauce for the top but since I am trying to diet I have omitted that this time! You can also grill the eggplant to lessen the calories (why does fried stuff taste so good?) You can use your favourite seasonings as well, or a touch of fresh basil.

Ingredients

1 Kg egg plant(aubergine)

100 gr. grated parmisan cheese

200 gr. mozzarella- grated

2 cans tomatoes

2 onions

Garlic

basil

Olive Oil

Method:

Cut the eggplant lengthwise, salt slightly, place aluminum foil on top and a weight ( a cook book!)

Let stay for about an hour.In the meantime, fry onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and herbs and let simmer for about 30 mins.

Pre heat the oven to 180C or 380F

Rinse the egg plant and fry gently untill almost cooked.

Layer the vegetables with mozzarella, sauce and grated cheese ending with a layer of mozzarella

Bake for about 30 mins

YUMMY!!!

Swiss Cookies - Basler Brunsli

Basler Brunsli - Swiss cookies from Basle - A Swiss town which I  visited a couple of times when I lived in Switzerland. I love these type of cookies - they are so unpretentious and always delicious.I have used Amaretto di Saronno which is not the traditional way to make these cookies but I like the taste it gives.

Recipe adapted from, Küchengötter.de

50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
150 g dark chocolate
300 g ground almonds

200 g sugar

a pinch of salt

50 g flour

4 egg whites 

a generous shot Amaretto Di Saronno (about 3 tbsp)

Method

Chop the chocolate and melt over a bain marie, stirring all the time. Make sure no water gets into the chocolate. Some people manage to melt the chocolate in a microwave but I always end up with a burnt mess! This will be used as the main mixing bowl so make sure it is large enough.

In another bowl, mix the almonds, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and flourIn yet another bowl.....Beat the egg whites until stiff and add to flour mixture.Separate into two balls, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for about 1/2 hrs.
Preheat oven to 220C/430F.
Roll out dough on a floured board to about 1/4" thick and cut into  shapes. Place on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
Some traditional recipes suggest letting them dry on the tray for a couple of hours before baking them.
Bake for about 6 mins, in the middle of the oven. Cookies should be crisp on the outside with a soft center. If you prefer crisp cookies then just bake a bit longer.
Cool and store in an airtight jar

Kourabiedes - Greek cookies that taste of heaven!

I made these last Easter so this is a good time to try them out again. They are really delicious! The finished result does not look like much but they literally melt in your mouth!

Yield: 30 Pieces

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup icing/powdered sugar
3 Egg yolks
3 tbls Brandy
2 tsps Vanilla extract
6 cups Flour
1/2 cup Almonds (blanched), chopped
1 lb Icing/powdered sugar

Method
Beat the butter with the sugar until it becomes fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one by one, beating continuously.
Add the brandy and vanilla.
Blend in the almonds and the flour, a cup at a time. Use enough flour to get a firm dough (it may take a bit more or less than the amount mentioned in the ingredients list).
Use your hands to do the mixing, as an electric mixer will be useless after the first two or three cups of flour have been added.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Shape the dough into balls, about one inch in diameter, flatten them and place on greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven.
Roll each cookie (while it is still hot) in the powdered sugar and put it back on the cookie sheet.
Repeat this step once more, so that you get a thicker coating.
Place the coated cookies on a platter, liberally sprinkling each layer and the bottom of the platter with powdered sugar.
When you are done, there shouldn't be any sugar left.
Let them cool and they are ready to eat!

Savoury Biscotti

I really have the biscotti bug!

I bought some sun dried tomatoes and decided that i would make herb and tomato biscotti. They made a great accompaniment for my caprese salad!

The recipe is similar to my almond biscotti, with a few substitutes.

Ingredients.
1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs (beaten)
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs canola oil
1/2 tsp mixed herbs ( I used Italian Seasoning)
3 sun dried tomatoes (chopped)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method.
Pre heat oven to 350F
Combine the flours, and baking powder.
Mix the eggs, water, oil, tomatoes and herbs.
Add to flour.
Mix until the dough is well blended
Put the dough on a long sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a flat log about 12" long, 3" wide and 1" thick. You will need the plastic cos the dough is rather sticky.Lift the wrap and transfer the dough to a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake for about 20-30 mins until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven, put onto another baking sheet or a cutting board and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly.
Cut crosswise on the diagonal using a serrated knife and cut slices of about 1/2" thick.
Put the slices back on the baking dish, cut side down and bake for another 20-30 mins or until crisp.

Kipferl - Austrian Cookies

Another great recipe given to me by Nikki. These are rather short biscuits, great with coffee or a glass of wine. Very popular around the Christmas season. The central and northern European countries have great recipes for Christmas cookies...hopefully I will find some more!

Just a word of advice...these cookies are not the prettiest to look at...but they taste excellent! You can also dip one side in chocolate to make chocolate kipferl though i personally prefer the original type.

INGREDIENTS

250gms flour

1 egg plus one yolk, beaten

1 pack vanilla sugar

120gms grated, unpeeled roasted almonds

200gms butter or 100gms vegetable oil

grated peel of 1 lemon

METHOD

Sift flour and sugar.

Add almonds and lemon peel

Add beaten eggs and fats.

Form a dough then roll out strips, cut into about 3" pieces and curve to make 'moon shapes'

Cook at 180C or until brown (about 12 mins) take out of oven a dredge with powdered sugar. Let cool - then dredge with sugar again

Kourabiedes (Greece)

Kourabiedes - Greek cookies that taste of heaven!
Yield: 30 Pieces

Yield: 30 Pieces


Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup icing/powdered sugar
3 Egg yolks
3 tbls Brandy
2 tsps Vanilla extract
6 cups Flour
1/2 cup Almonds (blanched), chopped
1 lb Icing/powdered sugar


Method
Beat the butter with the sugar until it becomes fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one by one, beating continuously.
Add the brandy and vanilla.
Blend in the almonds and the flour, a cup at a time. Use enough flour to get a firm dough (it may take a bit more or less than the amount mentioned in the ingredients list).
Use your hands to do the mixing, as an electric mixer will be useless after the first two or three cups of flour have been added.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Shape the dough into balls, about one inch in diameter, flatten them and place on greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven.
Roll each cookie (while it is still hot) in the powdered sugar and put it back on the cookie sheet.
Repeat this step once more, so that you get a thicker coating.
Place the coated cookies on a platter, liberally sprinkling each layer and the bottom of the platter with powdered sugar.
When you are done, there shouldn't be any sugar left.
Let them cool and they are ready to eat!