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Truffled sunday

Today I volunteered myself to house arrest and devoted my sunday to laziness…
A laid morning over a late breakfast and a slow afternoon between the couch, the truffles and the bed…

Caramel truffles:

Makes 34 (11 g each):

100 g sugar
20 g butter at room temperature
125 g cream
142,5 g dark chocolate, chopped
85 g milk chocolate, chopped
Cocoa

Caramelize sugar with a bit of water.
Add the butter then the warm cream.
In a bowl, pour the toffee over the chocolate and stir until creamy.
Cover the bowl with wrap film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Put the cocoa on a plate.
With greased hands make small balls with the truffle mixture and gently roll each truffle in the cocoa to coat.

November 16, 2008 | Filed under chocolate, petit-fours | 13 Comments 

Quindins

This post was already published on the portuguese version of flagrantedelicia.com but I’ve never found time to translate it.

They speak for themselves…


Quindins

Makes 12:

5 egg yolks
25 g coconut, grated
75 ml coconut milk
100 g sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 140º C.
Grease 12 small pans with plenty of butter and sugar.
Sieve the egg yolks.
Add the remaining ingredients and combine well.
Fill 2/3 of the pans with this mixture.
Bake in a double boiler covered with aluminum foil for about 45 minutes.
Unmould while slighly warm.

November 15, 2008 | Filed under petit-fours | 16 Comments 

Gnocchi for Fall

Romantic and melancholic, Fall always tastes like sunset…
The decline of days in a warm colours degradé and bigger nights escort my increasing sleep.
Cold’s arrival doesn’t cheer me up… I always feel some ceremony with coats and unconfortable with this restart.
Nevertheless I can’t avoid the dry leaves crackling, some rain kisses and my crush on chestnuts…

Chestnut gnocchi with hazelnut and milk chocolate sauce

Makes 65 gnocchi:

250 g chestnuts, peeled
250 ml whole milk
10 g butter
50 g wheat flour
30 g sugar
12 g manchego cheese, grated
1 egg yolk

Water to cook the gnocchi
1 vanilla bean
25 g butter
40 g icing sugar

Combine the butter with the vanilla seeds.

Bring the chestnuts and milk to low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked.
Purée the chestnuts.
While warm combine the chestnut purée with all the other ingredients.
Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface.
Roll out the dough into a 3 cms wide rope. Cut this rope into 3 cms pieces.
Gently place the tines of a fork over each gnocchi.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Add the gnocchi.
Gnocchi are cooked when they start to float.
Sauté with butter and vanilla and sprinke with icing sugar.

Hazelnut and chocolate milk sauce

200 g milk chocolate, chopped
100 g cream
50 g hazelnuts

Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC.
Spread the hazelnuts over a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
Wrap the hazelnuts with a kitchen cloth and scrub to peel.
Grind the hazelnuts while warm to paste.
Combine the hazelnut paste with chocolate.
Bring the cream to boil.
Pour the cream into the hazelnut chocolate mixture and stir well.

Place the gnocchi on a plate and serve with the hazelnut and milk chocolate sauce.
Decorate with roasted hazelnuts.
Serve immediately.

November 13, 2008 | Filed under chocolate, desserts, puddings and soufflés | 9 Comments 

Arbutus’ praise

“Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower.”

Albert Camus

Arbutus’ cake

Serves 6-8 (22 cm diameter pan) or 5 small pans (11 cm diameter)

250 g sugar
150 g cake flour
50 g cornstarch
150 g butter, softened
5 eggs
about 40 arbutus

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Grease and flour the pan.
Combine well butter and sugar until creamy.
Add the egg yolks while mixing.
Gently fold in the flour sieved with cornstarch and at last the whipped egg whites.
Pour half of the dough into the pan and spread the arbutus.
Pour the remaining dough.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (small pans) or 45-50 minutes (large pan).

November 9, 2008 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines | 8 Comments 

So simple…


Almond biscuits

Makes 30 (15g each):

250 g wheat flour
125 g light brown sugar
125 g butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
Egg yolk to brush

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together butter and sugar.
Add the egg and at last the flour sieved with the baking powder.
Shape the biscuits and place them on the baking sheet.
Put one almond on top of each biscuit and brush with the egg yolk dissolved in a bit of water.
Bake for 15 minutes.

November 5, 2008 | Filed under cookies, biscuits and tuiles | 14 Comments 

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