I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas Hot Chocolate

My parents bought me an amazing milk frother in Italy this fall (for those who don't have parents in Italy to buy them a frother, see the end of this post). As a result, I have become a highly caffeinated version of myself-and those who know me, know I don't lack in energy! To calm my heart and allow me to fall asleep from time to time, I used my frother to update my favorite Christmas hot chocolate.

To make 4 mugs of hot chocolate:

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies (or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1-2 drops of red food coloring)
4 cups whole milk

1 cup skim milk
10 ounces good quality white chocolate (if preferred, dark is perfectly fine-Godiva, Ghiradelli or Lake Champlain are nice choices if you are feeling indulgent!)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red sprinkles to garnish

Chop up chocolate. In medium saucepan, bring milk to simmer and whisk in chocolate pieces until smooth. Mix in peppermint extract. Remove from heat.

While cocoa is heating, microwave 1 cup skim milk for 2 minutes, until very hot. Pour into milk frother, go nuts, and then fold in crushed peppermint candies.

Pour cocoa into 4 large mugs (a ladle helps here). Spoon milk foam over each mug. Garnish with red and pink sprinkles.

*Add Bailey's, Godiva Liqueur or Peppermint Schnapps for a grown-up version of this cocoa!

Vanilla Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Creme Anglaise

I have never been especially drawn to French cuisine - those who know me know Italian, Spanish and Caribbean occupy most of my heart and stomach - but lately I have found myself intrigued by the recipes in my Corden Bleu cookbook. This dessert is based off a similar recipe in my cookbook, altered for my convenience and taste.

For Creme Anglaise (adapted from Epicurious):

1 cup whole milk
1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar

Combine milk and vanilla in heavy sauce pan and bring to a simmer/boil. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain sauce into bowl. Cover and chill.


For Chocolate Sauce:

2/3 cup whole milk
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Bring milk and vanilla to a simmer in small saucepan. Add chocolate and turn heat to low, whisking until melted and smooth. Cool sauce to room temperature.


For Pears:

1 bottle white wine, such as Viognier
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Bosc pears

Core and peel pears.

Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla and zest into a large saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until the pears are tender but not mushy.

Remove the pears, stand them upright in a dish, and refrigerate.


To serve, scoop creme onto small dessert plates. Place pear upright over cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.


Happy Eating,


Caitlin

Peanut Butter Brownies

Before giving this recipe I have to warn you that these are highly addictive. They are gooey and sweet and salty and oh-so-delicious. It is nearly impossible to just eat one.

And I must give credit to my genius mother Alberta for coming up with the perfect recipe for these brownies. ...Happy Mom? ; )

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup(?) milk

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter with peanut butter. Use a beater to mix in brown sugar, egg and baking soda. Mix in flour and oatmeal (on slow speed).

Spread batter over lightly greased 9 by 13 glass baking dish. Cook about 20 minutes, this should be very soft when done (golden means it is drying out).

Spread chocolate chips over brownies and return to oven for 1 minute.

Mix remaining peanut butter with powdered sugar. Stir in milk until frosting is very creamy. Drizzle over chocolate and spread evenly over brownies with a spoon.

Raspberry-Almond Cream Tart with Chocolate Ganache

For Cashew Crust (crust recipe from Epicurious):
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk

To Make Crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cashews and brown sugar in processor. Add flour and spices; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Press dough over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.

For Almond Cream:
1 7-ounce package almond paste
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup raspberries

To make Almond Cream:
Blend almond paste, cream cheese and whipping cream in processor until almost smooth. Sprinkle 1 cup raspberries over crust. Spoon almond cream into center of tart and spread evenly. Bake 7 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

For Chocolate Ganache Topping:
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 ounces chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries

To make Chocolate Ganache Topping:
In medium sauce pan, heat cream over medium heat. Add chocolate and stir as it melts. When mixture is smooth and shiny, add vanilla and remove from heat. Cool 10-15 minutes, so that it is not hot but is still very pliable. Spoon chocolate ganache over almond cream and spread smoothly so that it covers entire top and touches the sides of the crust. Arrange raspberries atop chocolate.

Let stand until until chocolate reached room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Pineapple Napoleons with Coconut-Chocolate Glaze

5 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup whole milk or evaporated skim milk
4 large egg yolks
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
2 cans diced pineapple
1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets, about 17 ounces)
3/4 cup cream of coconut
8 ounces of chocolate

Mince pineapple or use a food processor to make into a slush. Cook with juice in saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until puree has thickened. Add 2 tablespoons sugar Cook on low heat an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Blend 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in medium sauce pan. Add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in remaining milk and yolks. Over medium heat, whisk occasionally until mixture is smooth, thick and is just starting to boil (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Add cream cheese and, using a mixer, beat until smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream and chill until cold.

Use mixer to beat in 1/3 cup pineapple puree so that pastry cream has an even, smooth appearance.

Roll out puff pastry sheets on wax paper-lined baking sheets so that they are about 1/8 inch thick. Prick all over with a fork. Bake about 10 minutes the cool on cookie rack. Once the pastry has cooled, cut them carefully (serrated knife works best) into three even parts, this should give you 6 pieces total.

Spread 1/2 of pineapple puree evenly onto 2 puff pastry pieces. Top each with 1/4 of pineapple cream (1/2 of total cream). Top each with another puff pastry piece. Spread remaining pineapple puree on top of both sheets. Top with remaining pineapple cream, and finally with remaining 2 puff pastry sheets.

Melt chocolate in double boiler over medium heat (Do not allow to bubble/boil, as this will burn the chocolate). As it melts, whisk in coconut cream until mixture is shiny and smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool until sauce is no longer hot but still falls freely from spoon.

Drizzle chocolate coconut sauce diagonally over napoleons. Repeat in opposite direction to form diamond pattern. Slice napoleons according to personal preference (my servings tend to be a bit large...) and enjoy!

Red Wine Truffles

A conversation with my boss (we'll call her "Yulie" to protect her identity) about holiday treats made me realize that I would like to try to create red wine-flavored truffles (I already enjoy both ingredients, this just skips a step..) I set out on an Internet quest, looking for a such a recipe. The results were mostly about infusing red wine with truffle mushrooms (does that even sound good...?) or about BUYING chocolate truffles. Tasting each wine and chocolate before creating a finished product shall require strength and perseverance, but I suspect I'm up for the task. I'm posting below the only recipe found thus far. (I cannot eat hazelnuts thus my test-run will omit them). I'll post as to how these turned out, and then create a new, personalized version.

Merlot Hazelnut Cocoa Truffles
Makes approximately 40 bite-sized truffles with an enticing interplay of flavors.

Ingredients:
2 cups bittersweet chocolate (1 12-oz. bag of chips or 3 4-oz. bars chopped into small pieces)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup red wine, such as Merlot
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
½-1 cup cocoa, such as Scharffen Berger or Hershey's Dark

Place chocolate chips or pieces in a medium-sized bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream and butter to a boil. Immediately pour over chocolate. Stir with a whisk until chocolate has melted and ingredients are fully combined. Whisk in wine, and then hazelnuts.

Let mixture cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours or overnight, covered but not refrigerated. Or chill in the bowl in the refrigerator. Remove it every 5 minutes and stir well. Continue until mixture thickens slightly, 10 to 20 minutes.

Place cocoa in a small shallow pan or dish. Set aside.

Stir mixture well with a spatula. The filling should have a spreadable consistency. Pipe 1-inch ganache rounds with a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch round tip onto waxed paper, or scoop 1-inch rounds onto the paper with a teaspoon.

With gloves on, shape the filling in the palms of your hands to create a rounder appearance. Place into the pan that contains the cocoa and roll it in cocoa until fully covered.
Remove from the pan with a fork, knocking off any excess cocoa. Place onto a clean tray or plate.

They are best served at room temperature.

Truffles may be refrigerated for up to one week, or kept at room
temperature for up to three days. They will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

Triple Chocolate Cookies with Espresso Filling

Ingredients:
10 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (look for a minimum of 55% cocoa)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (if you only have salted butter, use that and omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, set out to warm to room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 dash cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant espresso (instant coffee, while not as good, is okay)
6 oz (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tub of mascarpone cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Stir chopped chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from over water. If you don't have a double boiler, use a small metal bowl set on top of a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat, let cool about 10 minutes.

Sift flour, cocoa , baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Use a mixer to beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after adding. Beat until mixture is light and creamy (give or take 5 minutes). Add melted chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of instant espresso and beat just until blended. Fold in dry ingredients, then chocolate chips. Chill the dough in fridge for 60 minutes

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter and roll into balls, flatten them slightly then place onto wax paper-covered baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until tops just begin to crack about 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets.

Add whipping cream to large mixing bowl. Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon of instant espresso and mascarpone. Beat until soft peaks form, add 1/2 tablespoon sugar, or to taste.

Spread mixture evenly over bottom side of cooled cookies, forming sandwiches. Refridgerate until ready to serve to prevent mascarpone mixture from softening.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche Mascarpone

This is my go-to dessert when I don't have a lot of time on my hands. It is easy to make-if you can stir and pour, you can make this cake. Also a gluten-free.

Ingredients:

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tub marscarpone
1 cup whipping Cream
1/2 cup dulce de leche, or to taste
2 8 inch round cake pans or cupcake liners and cupcake pans
Wax paper

Optional:
Instant coffee or espresso
Vanilla
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt chocolate and butter in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (If it bubbles, it is too hot, the melting should be gradual). When chocolate and butter have been melted, take off burner and set aside. Mix sugar and cocoa powder together in large bowl. Crack 6 eggs and put in separate bowl, whisk the eggs briefly. Add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture slowly, stirring until they have been incorporated. Add eggs and stir vigorously to incorporate. If you like, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a few shakes of ground cinnamon and mix in.

This recipe can make two 8 inch round layer cakes or about 20 cupcakes. If using cake pans, line the bottoms with wax paper to facilitate removal after cooking.

The cake takes about 30 minutes to cook, but check after 20-25 minutes. If a thin crust has formed on the top, it is done. Remove from oven and let rest on cookie rack for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake and flip onto plate.

The cupcakes take less time, 12-18 minutes, but check for the thin crust. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool on cookie rack.

Put large mixing bowl and whipping cream in freezer to chill for 5 minutes.
Scoop the mascarpone into the mixing bowl and pour in 1 cup whipping cream. Beat until soft peaks form. Add dulce de leche. Beat until stiff peaks form. Refridgerate.

When cakes have cooled, spread mascarpone mixture over the top of one cake layer. Place the second layer on top on press down gently. Spread remainder of masarpone onto top of cake. Refridgerate until serving. Toothpicks/kebabs can be used to ensure the top layer doesn't go anywhere before serving the cake! They also prevent cling wrap from sticking to the mascarpone.

For cupcakes, simply spread mascarpone on tops before serving.