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About truffles
Chocolate truffles are a group of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate or cocoa powder, usually in a spherical, conical or curved shape. Other fillings may replace the ganache: cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, almonds, berries or other assorted sweet fruits, nougat, fudge or toffee, mint, chocolate chips, marshmallow and popularly liquor. They are named for their resemblance to the truffle fungus.
There are three main types of chocolate truffles: American, European, and Swiss:
1. The "American truffle" is a half-egg shaped chocolate-coated truffle, a mixture of dark or milk chocolates with butterfat and, in some cases, hardened coconut oil. Joseph Schmidt, a San Francisco chocolatier, and founder of Joseph Schmidt Confections, is credited with its creation in the mid-1980s.[1]. A Canadian variation of this, known as the Harvey truffle, includes the addition of graham cracker crumbs, and peanut butter.
2. The "European truffle" is made with syrup and a base made up of cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other such ingredients to create an oil-in-water type emulsion.
3. The "Swiss truffle" is made by combining melted chocolate into a boiling mixture of dairy cream and butter, which is poured into molds to set before sprinkling with cocoa powder. Unlike the previous two kinds of truffles, these have a very short shelf-life and must be consumed within a few days of making.
INGREDIENTS
Makes about 36
For the basic truffle mixture
150 gm / 5 oz dark chocolate with 70-75% cocoa solids
150 ml / 5 fl oz thick double cream
25gm / 1 oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt
For the plain truffles
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1. For the basic truffle mixture, break the chocolate into squares and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Switch on and grind the chocolate until it looks granular, like sugar.
2. Place the cream, butter and rum or brandy in a small saucepan and bring these to simmering point.
3. With the motor switched on, pour the mixture through the feeder tube of the processor and continue to blend until you have a smooth, blended mixture.
4. Add the yoghurt and blend again for a few seconds.
5. Transfer the mixture, which will be very liquid at this stage, into a bowl, allow it to get quite cold, then cover it with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. Dont worry: it will thicken up after several hours.
6. Next day, make sure you have all the little paper sweet cases opened out ready before your hands get all chocolatey.
7. Sift the cocoa powder on to a large, flat plate, take heaped half teaspoons of the truffle a rough, rock-like appearance, or dust your hands in cocoa and roll each piece into a ball and then roll it in the cocoa powder if you like a smoother look.
8. Place the truffle immediately into a paper case. Obviously, the less handling the better as the warmth of your hands melts the chocolate.
9. Arrange the truffles in a box or boxes and cover. Keep them refrigerated and eat within three days. Alternatively, truffles are ideal for freezing.
**From The Delia Collection Chocolate and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia **
Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
About Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
This original recipe is from Larkin Warren, a wonderful American chef, and adapt by Delia Smith, the author of The Delia Collection Chocolate. It is quite simply one of the most brilliant hot puddings ever invented. Its so simple but so good and even better prepared two days in advance. Serve in small portions because it is very rich.
About dark rum
Dark Rum, also known as black rum, classes as a grade darker than gold rum. It is generally aged longer, in heavily charred barrels. Dark rum has a much stronger flavour than either light or gold rum, and hints of spices can be detected, along with a strong molasses or caramel overtone. It is used to provide substance in rum drinks, as well as color. In addition to uses in mixed drinks, dark rum is the type of rum most commonly used in cooking.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6
150 gm / 5 oz dark chocolate with 70-75% cocoa solids
9 slices, each 5 mm / ¼ inch thick, good-quality white bread, one day old, taken from a large loaf
75 gm / 3 oz butter
425 ml / 15 fl oz whipping cream
4 tablespoons dark rum
110 gm / 4 oz golden caster sugar
a good pinch of cinnamon
3 large eggs
To serve
double cream, well chilled
1. Lightly buttered a shallow, ovenproof dish, 18 X 23 cm / 7 X 9 inches, and 5 cm / 2 inches deep.
2. Remove the crusts from the slices of bread, which should leave you with 9 pieces about 10 cm / 4 inches square. Cut each slice into 4 triangles.
3. Place the chocolate, butter, whipping cream, rum, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, being careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.
4. Wait until the butter and chocolate have melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and give it a really good stir to amalgamate all the ingredients.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then pour the chocolate mixture over them and whisk again very thoroughly to blend them together.
7. Spoon about a 1 cm / ½ inch layer of the chocolate mixture into the base of the dish.
8. Arrange half the bread triangles over the chocolate in overlapping rows.
9. Pour half the remaining chocolate mixture all over the bread as evenly as possible.
10. Arrange the rest of the triangles over that, finishing off with a layer of chocolate.
11. Use a fork to gently press the bread down so that it gets covered very evenly with the liquid as it cools.
12. Cover the dish with clingfilm and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
13. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 24 (but preferably 48) hours before cooking.
14. When youre ready to cook the pudding, pre-heat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF.
15. Remove the clingfilm and bake in the oven on a high shelf for 30-35 minutes, by which time the top will be crunchy and the inside soft and squidgy.
16. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving with well-chilled double cream.
**From The Delia Collection Chocolate and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia **
Egg White and Banana Pudding
INGREDIENTS
100 ml milk
1 egg white
30 gm sugar
1 banana
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Place milk, sugar and egg white in a mixing bowl, mix well. Set aside.
3. Peel and section banana, brush on some lemon juice.
4. Put the lemon coated banana in the middle of mold.
5. Add milk mixture to the mold.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove pudding from mold and dish up.
**From Next Magazine**
September 30th 2008 06:30
September 25th 2008 06:40
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