Easter Orders

Want something for Easter?? Email me by Thursday 4/21 @ 3 pm =)

My Favorite Sweets

Go to my My Favorite Sweets page and check out some of my favorites! Let me know if you like anything =)

A Second Dash of Cinnamon

Here's my second cinnamon truffle recipe.  It's a simpler version but just as delicious! I made these with my twin sister during Christmas time and we loved them.  If I remember correctly we ate at least two each while making them.  We used the excuse that we wanted to make sure it tasted good; we use that QUITE often =)


Like the Cinnamon Streusel Truffles, the ganache is best started the night before to make sure you infuse as much cinnamon flavor into the cream as possible.  So take the extra time, it's worth it!


Cinnamon Truffles


Ganache:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 6-8 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped or chips (if using chips, measure between 1 and 1 1/4 cups)

Coating:

• 11-12 ounces of white chocolate, chopped or chips
• Graham cracker crumbs, optional

To Prepare the Ganache:

(Prepared the night before)

1. Combine heavy cream and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat and bring to boil.  Remove from heat, transfer to a heat proof bowl and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Ganache Continued:

(Prepared  the next day)

1. After completely chilled, remove from the refrigerator and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
2. Place semi-sweet/milk chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
3. Bring infused cream to a boil, then remove from heat and pour over chocolate.
4. Allow to set for 2 minutes, then whisk to combine.
5. Set the ganache aside at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, about one hour (It is okay for ganache to sit overnight and covered next day).
6. After ganache has set, using a small scoop or a teaspoon measurer, scoop out balls from the ganache and set on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Chill until ready to use.

For Chocolate Coating:

1. To Temper -- Bring 2-inches of water to a boil, take off heat and melt 2/3 of the chocolate over a double-boiler in a heat-proof bowl until it has reached 118-122 degrees fahrenheit.  Remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate by handfuls, stirring to melt, until the temperature has reached 85 degrees for milk chocolate OR 89-90 degrees for dark chocolate (this is called the "seeding" method).  If chocolate becomes too cool as you add the rest of your chocolate, you can set it back over the double boiler for 5-second intervals to get it to the desired temperature.  (You can test the temper by using the edge of parchment paper or knife to dip in chocolate, set aside to cool for about 2 minutes until dry and shiny).
2. As you are finishing the temper, remove the ganache from the refrigerator, put on tight rubber gloves and place a small pool of the melted chocolate in your palm and quickly rub the balls of ganache in the chocolate to put apply a thin first coat, then place each on parchment to part-dry. 
3. Do only a few more with the remaining ganache to ensure that the first coat only partly dries in preparation for the next coating.  This will be your first batch.**
4. Take the freshly coated truffles and add a second coat by using a fork to drop in the tempered chocolate to coat and tapping the fork on the edge of the bowl to take off excess chocolate and carefully roll onto parchment to dry.  *If the chocolate becomes too cool, reheat to the right temperature mentioned earlier.
5. If desired you can melt extra milk chocolate to pipe decorations on the outside, or sprinkle with some graham cracker crumbs!

**Optional: After first coat, roll wet truffles in graham cracker crumbs to coat.  Then place on parchment to dry.

These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

A Dash of Cinnamon

I promised you another truffle recipe and here it is!  I was lucky enough that my chef stayed after class with me to show me how to properly temper chocolate and dip truffles, so I couldn't wait to try out a new truffle.  I wanted to make a cinnamon ganache but I wanted to add another texture to the truffle.  The first thing that came to mind was a streusel.  I thought the buttery and crispy texture of the streusel would be perfect for texture contrast in the truffle, so I got to work on developing this recipe.

I started out with a basic cinnamon ganache using white chocolate and folded in nice chunks of streusel with cinnamon and almonds.  I covered the truffles in semi-sweet chocolate and topped it with a sprinkle of more streusel, and rolled the truffles in a thin layer of semi-sweet chocolate then covered in streusel crumbs.  Both ways are great!  Below is the recipe for these yummy truffles and check out the next post for a simpler cinnamon chocolate truffle.

Hope you enjoy them!

Cinnamon Streusel Truffles

 Ganache:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 Cinnamon Sticks
• 6-8 oz. of white chocolate, chopped (I love Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate; if using chips measure between 1 and 1 1/4 cups)
• 11-12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, for coating

Streusel:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped into small pieces (you can use any type of nut you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To Prepare the Ganache:

(Prepared the night before)

1. Combine heavy cream and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat and bring to boil.  Remove from heat, transfer to a heat proof bowl and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight. 

To Prepare the Streusel:

(Prepared the day of)

Baked Streusel

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix to just to combine.
2. Add the melted butter and mix just until the streusel comes together.
3. Spread the streusel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for 15 min, or until firm.
4. Remove from refrigerator and crumble with your fingers and chill until ready to bake.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned, rotating the pan halfway.
6. Set aside to cool at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a quart container or shallow bowl.

To Finish Ganache:

Ganache (after step 5)

Ganache (after step 4)

(Prepared the day of)

1. After completely chilled, remove from the refrigerator and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, set aside.








2. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler, stirring.  Once melted, remove from heat and gently whisk in the infused heavy cream.
3. Fold in 3/4 cup of streusel (big chunks are the best!) and reserve the rest of the streusel for use later in an airtight container.
4. Set the ganache aside at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, about one hour (It is okay for ganache to sit overnight and covered next day).
5. After ganache has set, using a small scoop or a teaspoon measurer, scoop out balls from the ganache and set on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Chill until ready to use.

For Chocolate Coating:

1. To Temper -- Bring 2-inches of water to a boil, take off heat and melt 2/3 of the chocolate over a double-boiler in a heat-proof bowl until it has reached 118-122 degrees fahrenheit.  Remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate by handfuls, stirring to melt, until the temperature has reached 85 degrees for milk chocolate OR 89-90 degrees for dark chocolate (this is called the "seeding" method).  If chocolate becomes too cool as you add the rest of your chocolate, you can set it back over the double boiler for 5-second intervals to get it to the desired temperature.  (You can test the temper by using the edge of parchment paper or knife to dip in chocolate, set aside to cool for about 2 minutes until dry and shiny).
2. As you are finishing the temper, remove the ganache from the refrigerator, put on tight rubber gloves and place a small pool of the melted chocolate in your palm and quickly rub the balls of ganache in the chocolate to put apply a thin first coat, then place each on parchment to part-dry. 
3. Do only a few more with the remaining ganache to ensure that the first coat only partly dries in preparation for the next coating (continue with one of the options below). This will be your first batch.

Option 1

First Option:

1. Take the freshly coated truffles and add a second coat by using a fork to drop in the tempered chocolate to coat and tapping the fork on the edge of the bowl to take off excess chocolate and carefully roll onto parchment.  
2. When still wet, sprinkle with remaining streusel and let sit to dry completely. Repeat with the remaining ganache, in batches. *If the chocolate becomes too cool, reheat to the right temperature mentioned earlier.

Second Option:

Option 2

1. Simply dredge the thinly coated still wet truffles in the streusel crumbs and set on parchment to dry completely. 

These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Food Stop Update - Brooklyn Flea Market

Check out the Brooklyn Flea Market on My Favorite Food Stops Page!

Food Stop Update - Trois Pommes Patisserie

Check out Trois Pommes Patisserie on my Favorite Food Stops page!

Trois Pommes Patisserie Internship!

Yesterday I had a trail at a great patisserie in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Trois Pommes Patisserie.  The pastry chef, Emily Isaac, is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute and has worked in the food industry for years in well-known restaurants like Union Square Cafe (which I love), and has been all over publications such as NY Magazine.  I was attracted to this bakery not only for it's experienced pastry chef/owner, but for it's variation of delectable treats.  Not only are there cookies and cakes, but there is ice cream, macarons, TRUFFLES, tarts, and more!  And everything is home-made; I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into and learn about what the bakery had to offer.

I arrived at the bakery around 7:30 a.m.  and got straight to work.  The bakery was super busy that morning; people were constantly coming in for their coffee and a yummy breakfast bread or pastry; the Banana Bread was really popular, it had to be refilled 3 times! 

The first thing I did was get to work on icing some Black & White Cookies. After that I carried out the recipe for Trois Pommes' Key Lime Pie filling.  I love a good citrus punch in my desserts so I was really excited to do this recipe.  After separating over a dozen eggs and combing all the delicious ingredients, the custard was finished and ready to be baked!  I didn't get to taste it but I definitely will eventually.

Next I made the batter for a Flourless Chocolate Cake (it just kept getting better!).  After smelling  the delicious batter as it was being made, I filled individual molds and baked them off.  After that, I went on to the Red Velvet Cake batter for her ever so popular Red Velvet Twinkies with a cream-cheese filling, which of course I took a sample of home with me.  Lastly, I made the batter for Trois Pommes' Banana Bread, and who doesn't love a good banana bread?

I had a blast all day, I felt comfortable in the kitchen right away and Emily was so easy to get along with and so much fun!  The trail went really well and I was asked to start my internship as soon as I wanted.  I was especially happy since this bakery was my first choice. So starting next week I will officially be part of the kitchen as an intern!

For some pics and descriptions of some of Trois Pommes Patisserie's sweets, see my "Favorite Food Stops" page!

It's Chocolate Time (My Favorite!)

I can go for chocolate any day, any time, any where; I can never resist a truffle, a bon bon, or even just a chocolate chip when I'm using chocolate in a recipe -- I'll always leave some extra for myself to munch on to the side.

To satisfy my chocolate craving I decided to make chocolate truffles.  I've made truffles in the past and have always loved thinking of new flavors for ganache and other fillings.  This time I tried my hand in incorporating "praline" into the ganache, which is simply caramelized nuts. You can make the ratio of nuts to sugar however high you would like depending on how strong of a nut flavor you need (most of the time you see it either 1:1 or 2:1 nuts to sugar).  In this recipe I went with a 2:1 sugar to nut praline because I was able to get a strong nut flavor from infusing the roasted almond flavor in the heavy cream for the ganache.

Never have made praline before, I wasn't sure if I wanted to make it into a praline paste or grind it up and fold it into the warm ganache for some texture.  I tried to form a paste but wasn't very successful (I'm going to have to work on it), so I decided to use the ground nuts to fold into the ganache.

Tempering and coating truffles in chocolate has always been tough for me, I have yet to master either!  I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about tempering and what the best way to coat the chocolate is.  For this recipe I tried wearing tight rubber gloves, pouring a little puddle of melted, tempered chocolate (attempted) into my palm and rolling a ball of ganache into the chocolate to coat it.  I got the hang of it after a few but my coating still isn't the best; perhaps once I temper my chocolate well and get the technique down I'll finally get it!

While I work on getting this even better, try this recipe out! It combines praline and chocolate for a delicious bite.

Chocolate Almond Praline Truffles

Ganache:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup slice almonds (toasted until fragrant)
• 6-8 ounces of white chocolate, chopped or chips (if using chips measure between 1 and 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 11-12 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, for coating

Praline:

• 1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted, roughly chopped (preferably blanched, but it's okay if they have the skin on)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Water

To Prepare the Ganache:
(For best results prepare the night before the night before)

1. Combine heavy cream, almonds, salt, and honey in a saucepan -- bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 
2. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat and infuse the almond flavor by letting it come to room temperature, then covering and placing in refrigerator overnight (if you need to make them quick, have the cream at least rest for a couple hours).
3. When the heavy cream has chilled for long enough, strain the mixture through a chinois or a fine mesh strainer to remove the soaked almonds -- you should be left with around 1/3 - 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  Set aside.



Ganache (after step 6)



Ganache (after step 5)

4. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate over a double boiler then gently whisk in the heavy cream.
5. While still warm, quickly fold in 3/4 cup of the ground praline.  Set the ganache aside at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour to set.  
6. After well-chilled remove from refrigerator and using a melon baller scoop the ganache and roll each into balls, placing on parchment paper.  Repeat with rest of ganache and chill until ready to use. 

To Prepare the Praline:

Before preparing line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly oiled.

1. Caramel -- Combine the sugar and enough water to make a "sandy mixture" with the sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan.  Have a side bowl of water and a brush to wipe down the sides of the saucepan.
2. Cook the caramel over medium heat brushing splattered sugar from the sides of the saucepan with a wet brush as it cooks.



Ground Praline

3. Once caramel comes to a boil DO NOT STIR! It will recrystallize the sugar and take even longer for the caramel to form.  Let the caramel cook to an amber color, then quickly stir in the toasted almonds to coat, remove from heat, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.  Now you have your praline!
4. When completely cooled, break the praline into small pieces and grind in small batches in the food processor until ground to a fine meal.

For Chocolate Coating:

1. To Temper -- Bring 2-inches of water to a boil, take off heat and melt 2/3 of the chocolate over a double-boiler in a heat-proof bowl until it has reached 118-122 degrees fahrenheit.  Remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate by handfuls, stirring to melt, until the temperature has reached 85 degrees for milk chocolate OR 89-90 degrees for dark chocolate.  If chocolate becomes too cool as you add the rest of your chocolate, you can set it back over the double boiler for 5-second intervals to get it to the desired temperature.  (You can test the temper by using the edge of parchment paper to dip in chocolate, set aside to cool for about 2 minutes until dry and shiny).
2. As you are finishing the temper, remove the ganache from the refrigerator, put on tight rubber gloves and place a small pool of the melted chocolate in your palm and rub the balls of ganache in the chocolate to put apply a thin first coat, then place each on parchment to part-dry. Do only a few more with the remaining ganache to ensure that the first coat only partly dries in preparation for the next coating. This will be your first batch.   
3. Take the freshly coated truffles and add a second coat by using a fork to drop in the tempered chocolate to coat and tapping the fork on the edge of the bowl to take off excess chocolate and carefully roll onto parchment to dry completely. Repeat with the remaining ganache, in batches. *If the chocolate becomes too cool, reheat to the right temperature mentioned earlier.
4. If desired, melt extra white chocolate to put designs on the coated truffles.

These can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

More truffle variations coming soon...

Yummy Little Lemon Bars Recipe

On my off days from pastry class I tutor high school kids in math.  One of my students loves cookies so every time I go to tutor her I bring her a new cookie.  I was happy to hear this week that she shared my taste for lemon! There were a couple of lemon recipes I've wanted to try so I was thrilled.  I decided to go with Karen Demasco's recipe from her cookbook "The Craft of Baking" for Little Lemon Bars.  

It's a really simple recipe but the outcome is dee-lic-ious.  The crust is buttery and crisp and the filling is a perfectly tart custard that is reminiscent of a lemon meringue tart. Although the citrus punch of these little bars is not too bitter, the tartiness of the lemon can be too much for some people but as a huge lemon lover I ate a few of these up right after cutting them (how can you not?).  

My student's eyes lit up when she saw these bars and ate four in one sitting! I held myself back from finishing the last two and let her have the rest for later.  Be careful they're addicting.

Lemon fans enjoy!

Little Lemon Bars

Crust:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) chilledunsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

Filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons), strained
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

To Prepare the Crust:

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until light and fluffy and no chunks are visible (about 3 minute).  I like to beat the butter by itself a bit first before I add the sugar and the salt.  
2. Add half of the flour and mix just until combined; then add the rest of the flour and repeat.  
3. Form the dough into a 5 x 5 in. square, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour (or overnight).  It's really important that the dough is properly chilled, it makes it much easier to roll it out.
4. Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of an 8-in square pan with parchment and grease it with butter.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch square, about 1/8 in. thick.  To transfer it to the pan roll it up on the rolling pin and gently unroll it onto the pan.  Then fit the dough into the corners and sides of pan (the dough should come up about 1 inch on all sides of the pan).  Chill the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes (or well-wrapped for up to a month).  **It is very important to work quickly when rolling the dough, the colder it is the easier it is going to be to transfer the dough to the pan.  Also, this dough can be forgiving, so if it breaks a bit take the scraps and press it gently into the broken parts of the dough to patch it up.
6. Remove the crust from the freezer and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

To Prepare the Filling:

1. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture just to combine.
4. Remove the crust from the over and pour the filling into it.  
5. Return the pan to the over and bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the filling is golden brown on top and it is firm to the touch.  **Testing the firmness is a great way to check if it is done, under-baking will result in a runny filling and ruin the bars!
6. When done baking, remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 1 x 2 inch bars.  However, you can make them as big or small as you want!

These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temp. for up to 3 days.

Welcome to Live.Eat.Sweet

Welcome to Live.Eat.Sweet.  I'm Denise and this is my blog dedicated to living and eating SWEET.  Food has been a huge influence on me my entire life and I'd like to share that passion with you!  As a current student at the French Culinary Institute I am constantly inspired by what classic pastry has to offer.  I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes, experiments, favorite food stops, and more.  Hope you enjoy!