Recipe: Chocolate Truffles

Now these were good, and very easy to make!

Cooking grade: A-

They were very simple to make. However, you do have to leave these in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours at least. I left them in for almost 24. Also, when you are rolling them into balls, they can get a little messy. I had to constantly wash my hands and wash the little scoop I was using since the chocolate was constantly sticking and it would melt easily in my hands so I couldn't form a ball. Other than that, though, I thought they were pretty fun to make. Also, I think they have a lot of potential with the coatings. It just depends on how much time you are willing to put into them.

Taste grade: B+

I give them a B+ because I didn't quite find a coating that I was completely satisfied with. I tried the unsweetened cocoa. Poor choice. The bitterness dries out your mouth. I tried the crushed hazelnuts. This was the best combination, in my opinion. I also tried confectioners' sugar. I haven't quite tried these yet, but I guarantee you I will be.

These are so rich and creamy. The semi-sweet chocolate makes the truffles taste so rich. I think the best part about these is that I actually want to eat these.


I would definitely serve these with coffee and for a dessert at a party. Since they are so easy to make, you can make a bunch of them in no time.

And now for the recipe:

Chocolate Truffles (Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

3/4 cup double (heavy) cream
1 egg yolk, beaten
10 oz plain (semisweet) Belgian chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli's)
2 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter, cut into pieces
2-3 tbsp brandy (optional-I didn't use it)

For the coatings:

(unsweetened) cocoa powder
finely chopped pistachio nuts or hazelnuts
14 oz plain (semisweet), milk, or white chocolate, or a mixture

Bring the cream to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat and beat in the egg yolk. Add the chocolate, then stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the butter and the brandy, if using, then pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Using a very small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons, form the chocolate mixture into 20-30 balls and place on the parchment. Chill if the mixture becomes too soft.

To coat the truffles with cocoa, sift some powder into a small bowl, drop in the truffles, one at a time, and roll to coat well. To coat them with nuts, roll the truffles in finely chopped pistachio nuts or hazelnuts.

To coat with chocolate, freeze the truffles for at least 1 hour. Ina small bowl, melt the plain, milk, or white chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth, then leave to cool slightly.

Using a fork, dip the frozen truffles into the cooled chocolate, one at a time, tapping the fork on the edge of the bowl to shake off the excess. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and chill. If the melted chocolate thickens, reheat until smooth. All the truffles can be stored, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.


Over all grade: A-

I was very impressed.

Recipe: Greek Chocolate Mousse Tartlets

I was also very disappointed in these. These little buggers were a b*%&# to put together. It was an hour and a half from hell, and quite frankly, for results that were average at best. There was a lot of clean up, a lot of waste, and a lot of work in making these. All I have to say is- lesson learned.

Cook grade: D+

They were horrific to make. The only thing that I can say is that I learned what "baking beans" are and I earned a little bit of experience with pie dough.

Taste grade: C

I thought the taste was average at best. I just was not impressed at all. Even after I had gone through all of the trouble of making them, I had a strong feeling that this was going to be the case. I think I also over worked the pie dough since the crust was pretty hard when I tried them. Also, the yogurt in the filling makes it taste like liquor is in it, which I did think was pretty cool.

My mother suggested these should actually be made into bite-sized tartlets rather than the 4 inch ones that I made/was suggested in the recipe. If that's the case, I would serve these at a party after dinner with coffee. They could be served at a small party even as 4 inch tartlets with coffee, but for all of the trouble, I again stress small party.

If you really want to torture yourself, here's the recipe:

German Chocolate Mousse Tartlets (Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

Crust:

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) plain (all purpose) flour
2 tbsp (unsweetened) cocoa powder
2 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar
1/2 cup of butter

Filling:

7 oz white chocolate
1/2 cup of milk
2 tsp powdered gelatine
2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated
9 0z or generous 1 cup Greek (US strained plain) yogurt

Preheat the oven to 375. Sift the flour, cocoa, and icing sugar into a large bowl.

Place the butter in a pan with 4 tbsp water and heat gently until just melted. Leave to cool, then stir into the flour to make a smooth dough. Cover with clear film (plastic wrap) and chill until firm.*

Roll out the pastry and use to line six deep 4 in loose-based flan tins (tart pans).

Prick the base of each pastry case (pie shell) all over with a fork, cover with greaseproof waxed paper weighed down with baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper, return to the oven and bake a further 15 minutes, or until the pastry is firm. Leave to cool in the tins.**

Make the filling. Break the chocolate into squares and melt in a heatproof bowl (double boiler) over a pan of barely simmering water. Pour the milk into a pan, sprinkle over the gelatine and heat gently, stirring, until the gelatine has dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.

Whisk the sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolks in a large bowl, then beat in the chocolate mixture. Beat in the yogurt until evenly mixed.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until stiff, then fold into the mixture. Divide among the pastry cases and leave to set.

Drizzle melted chocolate over the tartlets to decorate. ***


*I left the dough in the refrigerator for about an hour.

**Lentils or dried beans can be used instead of baking beans. I used risotto rice, although, I wouldn't suggest this since a bunch of steam/smoke came flooding out of the oven when I opened it after 10 minutes.

***I used semi-sweet chocolate.

Over all grade: C-

Recipe: Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

I was not impressed. I thought it was extremely quick and simple to make, however, I thought the finished product wasn't all that hot. I mean, it was OK, but I didn't go wild over it. It may have also been better had I not substituted some of the ingredients for others (particularly, I put in onion instead of the shallot that it called for). Over all, I think it needs a bit more to it before it is perfected.

Cook grade: A-

There weren't too many ingredients, and the cooking instructions were pretty straight forward. There also wasn't a lot of clean-up. It was very quick and easy. Also, it was very therapeutic during the beating of the chicken to make it thinner. I highly suggest it after a stressful week, haha.

Taste grade: C+

I think the taste was very simple and almost bland. However, I think it has a lot of potential to grow into something better.

I think I would serve this for a small meal. The book suggests serving it as tapas. I would tend to agree.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken with Lemon and Garlic (from Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

8 oz skinless chicken breast fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish
lemon wedges, to serve

Sandwich the chicken breasts fillets between the two sheets of clear film (plastic wrap) or baking parchment. Bat out with a rolling pin or meat mallet until the fillets are about 1/4 in thick.

Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken into strips about 1/2 in wide.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan or wok until it is very hot but not smoking. Add the chicken strips, shallot, garlic, and paprika and stir-fry over a high heat for about 3 minutes, until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through.

Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a warm platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnished with flat leaf parsley.


Over all grade: B

Recipe: Chocolate Chip and Banana Pudding

I loved this recipe. First of all, this wasn't a regular pudding. It was a bread pudding. The way it was made was soooo cool. It was baked by being steamed in a double boiler for two hours. It was so neat. I loved how moist it was, too. The banana taste wasn't too strong. In fact, I would argue that perhaps it was too light. I think it would've been better, also, with nuts. The glaze that was used for this was...interesting. I think I would've tried a different chocolate glaze. Over all, I thought this recipe was not only awesome to make, but it was really tasty.

Pros: Too cool. It was delicious. There was also very little clean up.

Cons: It took a very long time to make. I suggest making this first before you start on a main dish for dinner. It needs to steam for two hours on the stove top. Also, the glaze I didn't feel was the best.

I would serve this for a girls' night or an intimate dinner setting.

Here's the recipe (from Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

Chocolate Chip and Banana Pudding

1 3/4 cups self-raising (self rising) flour
6 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp plain (semisweet) chocolate chips
glossy chocolate sauce and whipped cream, to serve

Prepare a steamer or half fill a pan with water and bring it to the boil. Grease a 4 cup heatproof bowl. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Mash the bananas in a bowl. Stir them into the flour mixture, with the caster sugar.

Whisk the milk with the egg in a jug (pitcher) or small bowl, then beat into the pudding mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the mixture into the heatproof bowl, cover closely with greaseproof (waxed) paper and a double thickness of foil, and steam for 2 hours, topping up the water as required.

Run a knife around the top of the pudding to loosen it, then turn it out on to a warm serving dish. Serve hot, with the chocolate sauce and a spoonful of whipped cream.

Recipe grade: A

Recipe: Risotto Frittata

Technically, a breakfast food, I wound up serving this for dinner as a side dish with chicken. It reminded me of a Southwestern omelet without meat. It was delicious. The egg added a dynamic to the dish that was very complimentary. The risotto was also fantastic. I highly recommend this dish.

Pros: Delicious. The product is amazing (in fact, you can tell by the picture, I didn't actually get a photo before me and my family ate the dish, hahaha). It was also fun to make.

Cons: LOTS of clean up. It also takes a very long time to make too. Also, the egg was a bit of a hassle. The recipe says to just pour the egg on top and let it sit for a couple of minutes. My suggestion is to stir it through the risotto. It took much longer than a couple of minutes to cook the egg on top and as a result the risotto started to burn on the bottom.

I would serve this for a small brunch. I think it would be great for the holidays, as well.

Here's the recipe (from Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets, and Parties, 2009)

Risotto Frittata

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3/4 cup risotto rice
1 2/3-2 cups simmering vegetable stock
2-3 tbsp butter
2 1/2 cups button (white) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 eggs
salt and ground black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften but does not brown. Add the pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the rice and cook gently for 2-3 minute, stirring constantly, until the grains are evenly coated with oil.

Add a quarter of the vegetable stock and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir over a low heat until the stock has been completely absorbed. Continue to add more stock, a little at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid completely before adding more. Continue cooking and adding the stock in this way, stirring constantly, until the rice is al dente. This will take about 20 minutes.

In a separate small pan, heat a little of the remaining oil and some of the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook quickly over a medium heat until golden. Transfer to a plate.

When the rice is tender, remove from the heat and stir in the cooked mushrooms and the Parmesan cheese.

Beat the eggs together with 8 tsp cold water and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil and butter in an omelette pan and add the risotto mixture. Spread the mixture out in the pan, then immediately add the beaten eggs, tilting the pan so that the omelette cooks evenly. Cook over a moderately high heat for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a warmed plate and serve in wedges.

*My tip: When having the rice absorb the stock, you can cover the pan for a minute or so ONLY (less is preferable). Stir frequently. This helps the rice soak in the stock faster in my opinion.

Recipe Grade: B (due to timing inaccuracies)

Halloween Food, Fun, and Crafts: Summary

I know that unfortunately, I didn't get to all 10 of the recipes I wanted to make, however, I still have to say that I did like this book. I thought it included cute (and tasty!) recipe ideas for Halloween. I would indeed recommend this book for anyone looking for Halloween themed party ideas or who just is enthusiastic about the holiday. It gives a lot of fun ideas to take "ordinary recipes" and turn them into something special.

My next recipe book? Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets, and Parties