Monthly Archives: December 2016

Espresso Truffles 

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2016 has been a pretty busy blogging year for me….Trying new recipes, participating in recipe round-ups, collaborative posts, Gastroposts, etc.  I also took a few pastry courses to improve my knowledge and skills. It’s been fun and rewarding. To treat myself and write my last post for the year, I made these Espresso Truffles with two of my favourite things, coffee and chocolate ! These little balls are so yummy, just one bite can already put a smile on my face and they are surprisingly easy to make ! Looking ahead, I hope to continue to learn, create and share more recipes.  Have a Happy New Year ! Espresso Truffles

Makes about 16 truffles

    • 180 g semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped)
    • 60 g dark chocolate (70%, finely chopped)
    • 120 mL whipping cream
    • 3 g French Vanilla or other flavoured coffee beans (coarsely crushed)
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • toppings of choice : unsweetened cocoa powder, melted chocolate for dipping (about 8 oz for 16 truffles), sea salt, crushed nuts, shredded coconut, etcEspresso Truffles
  1. Pour whipping cream and crushed coffee beans in a non-stick pot over medium heat until simmering
  2. Pour hot cream through a fine mesh and over chopped chocolate, let sit for about 30 seconds, add vanilla
  3. Stir until smooth
  4. Cool, then put in fridge for about 2 hours
  5. With the help of a melon scooper or a teaspoon, shape about 2 teaspoons each into balls
  6. Roll over desired toppings or dip them in melted chocolate 
  7. Keep in fridgeEspresso Truffles
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Eggnog Panna Cotta with Frozen Sugared Raspberries

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We love panna gotta and we love eggnog. So Christmas seems to be a perfect time to combine them together!  It makes a great dessert for your holiday dinner.  It is super easy and you can prepare it the day before.  For the sugared raspberries, many recipes use raw egg whites which I am not comfortable with.  I think a simple syrup works just as good. I also like to freeze mine for a little crunchiness.  Have a Merry Christmas everyone !

Makes about 4 servings

For the sugared raspberries

  • 100 g raspberries (wash and dry)
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 60 g vanilla sugar (or you can just use granulated sugar)

For the panna cotta

  • 1 envelope (7g) unflavoured gelatin
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 30 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of nutmegSugared Raspberries
  1. For the sugared raspberries, prepare a simple syrup by dissolving 60 g of granulated sugar in 1/4 cup of boiling water, then let cool
  2. Gently brush raspberries with simple syrup and roll in a dish of vanilla sugar or granulated sugar
  3. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 or more hoursSugared Raspberries
  4. For the panna cotta, sprinkle gelatin over milk and let sit for a few minutes 
  5. Heat together eggnog, whipping cream and sugar in a non-stick pot over medium heat until sugar all dissolved and just starting to bubble, turn heat down to low 
  6. Add gelatin mixture
  7. Stir until gelatin all dissolved, add pinch of nutmeg
  8. Turn heat off, add vanilla extract
  9. Strain through a fine mesh twice
  10. Pour into ramekins or desired containers
  11. Let cool and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight
  12. Top with frozen sugared raspberries when ready to serve

Eggnog Panna Cotta

Marble Chocolate Bark 

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This is probably one of the easiest homemade Christmas treats that you can give to your friends and relatives. And there are so many different ingredients you can use.  All you need are three basics :

  1. chocolate, dark, milk, white or a mix
  2. something chewy, like dried fruits
  3. something crunchy, like nuts, seeds,toffee bits, crushed candy canes

I like mine very simple because I still like to enjoy the chocolate.  So here is my creation !

  • 240 g dark chocolate
  • 120 g white chocolate 
  • 30 g pistachios (remove shells and crush into small pieces)
  • 30 g dried cranberries 
  1. Melt chocolates in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
  2. Pour dark chocolate on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spread evenly with a spatula
  3. Drop spoonfuls of white chocolate over dark chocolate
  4. Swirl with a skewer or handle of a spatula to create marble effect
  5. Sprinkle dried cranberries and pistachios 
  6. Refrigerate until firm
  7. Break into pieces

 

 

Eisenbahner (Railroad) Cookies 

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This is a cookie that I learned at my pastry course earlier this year. It was one of my favourites. It’s beautiful, festive, delicious and has a cool name! It looks like a railroad track, hence the name Eisenbahner, which means railroad man in German. When I did a google search, almost all the recipes for this cookie are in German. So, I think it’s a great idea to share this in our Canadian Food Creatives and the Canadian Christmas Cookie Exchange round-up. There are 3 parts to this cookie, the base, the marzipan paste and the jam. Yes, it may seem a little complicated, but it’s definitely worth all the work. Hope you enjoy the ride !

Makes about 12 cookies

For the cookie base

  • 120 g cold unsalted butter
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 170 g cake and pastry flour

For the marzipan paste and jam 

  • 200 g marzipan
  • 20 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 30 g icing sugar
  • 30 g honey
  • 1 egg white
  • 100 g raspberry jam (You want the jam to be hot and runny, so you can put it in a bowl and sit in a hot water bath for a few minutes before using)
  1. To make the cookie base, mix together cold butter and sugar using a wooden spoon until no more lumps
  2. Add egg yolk, mix until blended
  3. Add flour all at once, mix then transfer onto a table or counter and gently knead dough together (do not overmix, just work until ingredients are mixed in)
  4. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight
  5. To make the marzipan paste, mix together marzipan, softened butter, icing sugar and honey into a thick paste (I found it easier to mix them with hands)
  6. Add egg white, mix until it has a stiff piping consistency (it looks like mash potato and you may not need the whole egg white)
  7. Put in piping bag with a star tip
  8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325ºF
  9. Take dough out from fridge and knead gently on a floured surface until pliable
  10. Roll it flat, about 0.3 cm in thickness (it’s OK if it cracks a little, just patch it back together)
  11. Cut into two 6 cm x 25 cm rectanglesEisenbahner (Railroad) Cookies
  12. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper until edges just starting to brown, about 8 minutes
  13. Cool, then brush a thin layer of hot jam in between the 2 sheets 
  14. Pipe marzipan paste along edgesEisenbahner (Railroad) Cookies
  15. Turn oven up to 425-450ºF at broiler setting
  16. Bake 2-3 minutes just to caramelize the marzipan paste (watch closely, as it can burn very quickly)
  17. Cool, then fill centre with hot jamEisenbahner (Railroad) Cookies
  18. Cool completely, cut into pieces, dust with icing sugarEisenbahner (Railroad) Cookies

Original recipe by Chef Marco Ropke at the Vancouver Pastry Training Centre.

Be sure to check out the links below for more cookie recipes from other Canadian Bloggers.  You can also find them on social media using the hashtag #CDNFoodCreatives . Many thanks to Laura Irvin at The Blue Nose Baker , Kacey Joanette at The Cookie Writer and Evelyne Budkewitsch at The Cultureatz for organizing.

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