Truffles

 

Did you know that today is National Truffle Day?  There is a special food day for every day of the year.  I've had this post in the works for months now, but once I heard Truffle Day was coming up I had to finish it off.  I wanted to make truffles for Valentine's Day this year, and I wanted to make more than one flavor so I scoured the internet for a few different recipes.  I wanted at least a rolled and a dipped type of truffle.  I wasn't even thinking about taking a class, but I happened to find out that the Viking store and Loretta Paganini's School of Cooking were both offering a truffle making class.  I ended up taking the Truffle Love class taught by Stephanie Paganini.  I picked up some good recipes and tips that I used a few days later when I made a full day out of making truffles.  The flavors I made were (in order of appearance above) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Dark Chocolate Strawberry Balsamic, Heath Bar and Champagne Truffles.  The recipients of these truffles were giving me rave reviews so I'll definitely make them all again.

 

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles tasted pretty close to eating chocolate coated raw cookie dough, but without the "danger" of raw eggs.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Adapted from Paula Deen

Makes about 5 dozen truffles

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 1/2 lb chocolate bark candy coating, melted

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels and pecans, mixing well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.  Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill 2 hours.

Melt chocolate bark candy coating in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 

Don't be afraid of the balsamic vinegar in these truffles!  The combination of the balsamic, strawberry and dark chocolate flavors is amazing, and you wouldn't even guess it contained balsamic vinegar if you didn't know ahead of time.  I thought these were really great, but the feedback I got from the truffle recipients was that these were their least favorites, and I think I know why.  I noticed that after a few days, the taste started to get a little wonky.  Since all the truffles were mailed to people and/or eaten more than a few days after I made them, then they would have had that odd flavor too.  These truffles need a second chance so I'll have to make more and make sure that they get eaten within a few days.

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Balsamic Truffles  

Adapted from The Loretta Paganini School of Cooking Truffle Love class

Makes about 24 truffles

8.5 oz quality dark chocolate, choppped

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp strawberry extract (subtle strawberry flavor) or strawberry oil (packs more of a strawberry punch)

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

To finish truffles:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup red sugar (or more for more sparkle)

1. Place chocolate in a large bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a small non-reactive saucepan, heat cream just under boiling.  Do not over heat!
3. Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate.  Wait 1 minute to allow the cream to begin melting the chocolate.  With a heat resistant spatula blend together chocolate and cream.  (If the chocolate is not melted completely, place bowl over simmering water, and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted.)  Add the balsamic vinegar and strawberry extract and combine.
4. Place chocolate mixture (ganache) in the refrigerator to chill.  (You can pour onto a cookie sheet to chill it faster if necessary.)
5. Combine cocoa powder and red sugar in a shallow dish and set aside.
6. Once the ganache is chilled, scoop balls out of it with a 100 size ice cream scoop.  Briefly roll ball in hands to form a smoother ball but note; truffles should be rough looking.
7. Roll ball in dish with cocoa mixture to coat truffles and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Chill finished truffles for a minimum of 15 minutes.

It would be so hard to choose a favorite because all four of these truffles were great.  I'm leaning toward these Heath Bar ones though.  The outside crunch of the toffee with the soft melt in your mouth chocolately goodness in the center . . . Mmmm!

Heath Bar Truffles

Adapted from NPR

Makes about 36 truffles

1/2 cup pecans, crushed

12 ounces quality semisweet chocolate, chopped (2 cups)

3/4 cup heavy cream

5 snack-size Heath bars, crushed

In a small food processor, grind the pecans into bits. Put in a bowl and set aside.

Place chocolate in a medium metal bowl. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring cream to a simmer (tiny bubbles should appear around the edges). Pour over the chocolate and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is smooth and silky. Add the processed pecans and whisk until just incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until the truffle mixture is firm.

In the food processor, grind the Heath bars into bits. Put in a bowl and set aside.

Line two large baking sheets with waxed paper. Using a 1-inch melon baller, form a truffle and roll in your hands until round. Place on the lined baking sheet. Chilled truffles are easier to work with, so place the sheet of truffles in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Drop one chilled truffle at a time in the bowl of crushed Heath bits. Roll the truffle around in the bowl until fully coated.  Lightly press the Heath bits until they adhere, then place on a freshly lined baking sheet and chill for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm.

Truffles can be made 2 days ahead. To store, layer between pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking, and place in an airtight container. Serve truffles on a plate or in candy-sized paper cups.

 

These truffles were delicious, but they were kind of a pain in the butt compared to the others.  I had some trouble with getting the truffles out of the molds once everything was finished and chilled.  We had issues during the truffle class too, but at home only about 30% of the truffles came out without breaking apart.  I don't think it helped that I was using cheap, flimsy, plastic molds either.  But hey, I didn't want to make a huge investment if I was possibly only going to make them once (which I'm not).  The recipe below uses pre-made chocolate shells, so you don't even have to buy any molds.

I tempered chocolate for the first time when I was melting chocolate for the shell.  I think these were the most impressive of the four truffles just because of the shell.  The chocolate champagne filling was amazing, and seemed to get better with age.  I had tons of filling leftover that I used to fill cakes and cupcakes.

Champagne Truffles

Adapted from The Loretta Paganini School of Cooking Truffle Love class

Makes about 24 truffles

For Shell:

Semi-sweet chocolate shells

Golden luster dust (optional)

For Filling:

5 oz champagne

5 oz heavy cream

18 oz milk chocolate, chopped

2 oz unsalted butter, melted

1/8 tsp salt

For Coating:

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and tempered (if making your own shells, this should be enough for those too)

In a small non-reactive sauce pan heat cream, champagne, and salt.  Do not over heat.  Pour heated cream over chocolate in a large metal mixing bowl.  Stir until incorporated and chocolate is fully melted.  (If the chocolate is not melted completely, place bowl over simmering water, and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted.)  Add butter and stir until melted and fully incorporated.

Place ganache in a piping bag.  Pipe ganache in each chocolate shell until almost full.  Tap chocolate tray to release any air bubbles from the fillings.  Chill in the freezer to set or let sit at room temperature overnight.

Dip the open end of the truffles in melted chocolate and set on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.  When chocolate has hardened, brush with golden luster dust (if using).

Enjoy!

Blondies

I first made these blondies for Kevin to take to a nerd conference.  Him and a bunch of friends got a huge suite together, and I wanted to make a treat for them.  These bars were such a huge hit that I made them again the next week as part of my dad's "Treat of the Month".  (Off the Topic Side Note: I mail my dad some kind of homemade treat once a month.  I started doing this a few years ago as his Christmas gift.) The blondies are rich so you'll want to cut them small.  This recipe (and a lot of blondie recipes) use all brown sugar and no white sugar.  I think the flavor that the brown sugar lends is a big reason why I love blondies so much, another reason is the versatility, you can just throw in whatever you have in the pantry. Don't clog up these bars with too many add-ins because you'll want to taste the cookie part also.  Since there are 2 cups total of chocolate chips and pecans, I would use that as a guide when substituting other add-ins.  The batter is really thick so you'll have to fight it a little to smooth it into the pan.


Here are some words of wisdom from this recipe's directions that are very useful when making any type of bar cookie:

• When preparing the pan use foil or parchment paper to line the pan, this step allows you remove the entire contents and easily cut the blondies into individual bars.
• Don't over bake them.  Take them out of the oven when the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch.

Blondies
From Baking Illustrated
Makes 36 bars


1 1/2 C (7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 C packed (10 1/2 oz) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C white chocolate chips
1 C pecans, toasted and chopped coarse


1.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350.  Place two pieces of foil (or parchment paper) perpendicular to each other in a 9x13 pan, pushing the foil (or paper) into the corners, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3.  Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl until combined.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips and the nuts and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with rubber spatula.
4.  Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, 22-25 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Remove the bars from the pan using the foil (or parchment) handles and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars and serve.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

This is my first cake completed at the Wilton Cake Decorating Classes (Course 1, Lesson 2).  I'm actually pretty proud of it.  It's Chocolate Stout Cake filled with Chocolate Champagne Ganache (leftover from truffle making) and it's frosted in Buttercream.


Happy St Patrick's Day!

Culinary "To Make" List

I love lists!  They make me feel good when I cross things out, but more importantly, they help me remember.  In the back of my head I've always had a running list of things I want to make (or ingredients I want to use).  It wasn't until the other day when I told myself I really need to write my list down.  So here it is.  I'll add more items as I come up with them, and I'll mark things off as I make them. At some point, I want to make a spot on the blog that goes directly to this list so it's easier for me to check in and update.

NOTE:  The updated list can be found on it's own page now:  Culinary "To Make" List

What's on your culinary to do list?  What else should be on here that every Cooker Girl (or Boy) should know?  Basic stuff and more exotic suggestions are welcome.  Thanks for your input!

Chili

When I was younger, I didn't like chili.  I liked the ingredients that went into chili, but put 'em together, I wasn't a fan.  I don't remember the first time I tried it again as an adult, all I know is that I like it now.  Usually when I make chili I just throw things together, which means no two batches will taste the same.  I've had good luck in that none have been bad, but sometimes you want to get back to a standard version.  The last time I made chili, I actually wrote down ingredients and measured things out.  As it turned out, this was our favorite one yet! 

I love to add corn and black beans to chili.  Kevin and I really enjoy the slightly sweet pop that corn brings to the dish.  I don't know if celery and carrots are traditional ingredients in chili, but I've started adding mirepoix (2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrots) to just about any soup, stew, black beans (for beans and rice), etc. because the combo adds a nice flavor.  Plus, it's hard to resist the smell of mirepoix cooking on the stove, it's so intoxicating.

Chili

Original Recipe
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken or sausage)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lg onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

Salt & Pepper

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp dried cilantro

1 can/bottle of beer OR 1 14.5 oz can low sodium beef or chicken broth

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped*

1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes w/ chilies, drained

4 oz can of chilies (optional if you want more heat)

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 15.25 oz no salt added corn, drained OR 1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 red pepper, chopped

In a stock pot or dutch oven, cook and drain the ground meat, set meat aside.  In the same pot, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrots, celery.  Once they soften a bit, add the garlic until it becomes fragrant, then clear a space and add the tomato paste.  Let the tomato paste cook a bit until it darkens in color (at least one minute to bring out the flavor).  Stir in the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and cilantro.  Add the beer or broth, the chopped, whole tomatoes with juice, the Rotel, (chilies if using) and the cooked meat into the pot.  Mix everything together and gently simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the liquid has reduced.  The simmering time will vary depending on the consistency you like.  Stir in the beans, corn and red pepper and cook for 10 minutes to warm everything through.  Taste and season accordingly.

*Chopping whole canned tomatoes:  With your kitchen shears, cut the whole tomatoes while they are still in the can.  It's a whole lot faster and cleaner than taking them out and chopping them on a cutting board.  An alternative is to pour the contents of the can into the chili pot and smash the tomatoes apart with a potato masher, but beware of the squirting tomatoes.  Or you could always crush them with your hands.

Chance to Win $2000 in Gift Cards

I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to the 2009 Food and Wine Celebration (a benefit for Veggie U at the Culinary Vegetable Institute).  You can read about my experience here and here.  I saw how incredible the facilities are and learned about some of the programs while I was there.  A local foodie is asking for our help to save the Veggie U program in schools in the Cleveland area.  Not only will your donation go to an excellent cause, but you'll be entered for a chance to win almost $2000 worth of gift cards for every $5 you donate.  See below for all the details.  To be entered into the drawing, you only have until February 13 to donate.  Please call (419) 499-7500 (don't forget to mention Cleveland Foodie to be entered into the drawing) to donate, and thank you in advance for your help.

The following text is taken directly from Michelle's post at Cleveland Foodie:

Do good. Eat good.

After writing this blog for nearly four years, I think I can safely make some assumptions about you, my readers. Assumption one: you like food. Two: you like food prepared by one of our many talented chefs. Three: You’re pro Cleveland and will always support local when able. Four: You care about this community and supporting others when in need. Five: You have $5.

(and I’m willing to bet you’d happily exchange that $5 for free dinner out the rest of the year.)

After meeting Farmer Lee Jones, I learned about the Veggie U initiative, a national program that promotes the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture. The program is embraced and loved by teachers and students alike. Locally, 150 schools in the Cleveland Metro School District have been using the 4th grade Veggie U science program. Unfortunately, they don’t have any funding to continue as $200 per classroom is needed to fund the kits.

On the way home from that initial meeting and fabulous dinner, we had an idea to try to help these students and teachers. Would you be willing to donate a minimum of $5 to help this cause? That’s your morning Starbucks. If we all help and spread the word, we have an opportunity to make a difference here. And if you’ve watched the news lately, you know Cleveland students can use a little bit of good news.

If you donate $5 to Veggie U, you will automatically be entered to win more than $1,900 worth of gift cards to all your favorite eateries and shops. Want to increase your odds? Donate $10, $25, $50 or more (I promise you won’t miss $25). For every $5 you donate, you will earn another entry into the drawing. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You have until February 13 to donate and be entered. It’s easy – just call 419.499.7500; you must reference Cleveland Foodie (a winner will be picked using random.org). 

As soon as we worked out all the details with Veggie U, I reached out to the chefs and owners to share the idea and ask for support. Almost immediately I started to hear back. The backing of our food community and willingness to work together to help all sorts of causes beyond this is inspiring, admirable and personally greatly appreciated by myself. Thank you to everyone for your generosity and willingness to pitch in.

One incredibly lucky diner will spend the year eating and drinking their way throughout Cleveland: 

Western Reserve Wine / $50 gift card

Tartine / $50 gift card

Momocho / $50 gift card (Eric Williams also generously donated an additional $200 to fund one classroom)

Lola / $50 gift card

The Greenhouse Tavern / $50 gift card

Heinen’s / $100 gift card

Blue Canyon / $50 gift card

The Flying Fig / $100 gift card

Fire / $50 gift card

Erie Island Coffee / $50 gift card

Fahrenheit / $50 gift card

Miles Farmers Market / $50 gift card

Jekyll’s Kitchen / $50 gift card

Moxie / $200 gift card!!

Touch Supper Club / $50 gift card

Parallax / $50 gift card

L’Albatros / $50 gift card

Chinato / $50 gift card

Crop Bistro / $50 gift card

North End / $50 gift card

Hyde Park / $50 gift card

AMP 150 / $100 gift card

Muse (The Ritz-Carlton) / Farmer’s Market dinner for two

The Chocolate Bar / $50 gift card

Michaelangelo’s / $50 gift card

John Q’s Steakhouse / $50 gift card

Melange / $50 gift card

Bistro on Lincoln Park / $50 gift card 

And to top it all off, the winner will receive one ticket to their choice of upcoming dinners at The Culinary Vegetable Institute (you’re in for a real treat here) and The Chefs Garden will send you one of their e-commerce family boxes.

To kick it off, Jamie and I will donate $100 (we will not be counted for the drawing). Would you also consider making a pledge? I know times are tough for many, and if you can’t, it’s completely understandable. But if you’re able to give something back and if you’re a follower of this blog I can only assume it’s a greater cause that matters to you, please call. Let’s follow the lead of our chefs and local owners and show what the Cleveland food community can accomplish when we work together.

Thank You.

Update: Just learned that The Culinary Vegetable Institute will give a copy of the 2009 official cookbook of the Food & Wine Celebration to the first 40 people that donate $50 or more.

New York Times No Knead Bread

Last January the New York Times published a No Knead Bread recipe that everyone went crazy over.  Strike that!  Now that I'm checking the link, it was published way back in November 2006.  My time line is way off, I could have sworn it was just last year when people were talking about it all over the internet.  Wow.  Anyway, I didn't make the recipe when I first heard about it because I didn't have a dutch oven or any other covered cooking vessel that was large enough.  When I received a dutch oven for Christmas I didn't waste any time making this bread and have made it multiple times since.


I don't have much experience with yeast other than in the bread machine and pizza dough.  I can see why people are so enamored with this recipe because it's ridiculously easy and delicious, you just have to wait for the dough to develop.  It's taste like artisan bread you would get from a good bakery.  After it's cooled completely, and you finally cut into it, and have a taste, you'll find the crust to be crispy and the inside chewy.  It's absolutely addicting.


Couple of things to note: 

1. When you're transferring the dough out of the bowl, notice the beautiful dough web.  It looks like it's straight out of an episode of Baking with Julia. 
2. When you get to the step when you're putting the dough on a floured towel, flour it VERY liberally.  When I first made it, the dough "ate" through the flour and made the towel damp, creating a sticky mess.  I tried scraping off as much dough as I could, but I still had to send the towel through the wash twice.
3. This bread "sings" after you take it out of the oven.  It crackles noisily as it cools down.
4. This recipe is endlessly adaptable.  I look forward to experimenting with different flours and flavor combinations like roasted garlic and herb or cinnamon and raisin.

These are the bubbles you'll see after you've waited patiently and the dough is ready.

Look at this lacy goodness!

Seriously, this is bread making for dummies, you really can't mess it up because the hands on work is so minimal.

No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey at the Sullivan Street Bakery via Mark Bittman at New York Times
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising


3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.


1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.