To me, making edible gifts can be as fun as enjoying them.These are some of my favorite recipes from my recent Edible Valentine's Treats class at L'academie de Cuisine. This year, why not surprise your sweetheart with one or all of them?
This recipe is the perfect edible gift. In addition to the winter holidays, it is perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries. Truffles can be made weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Makes about 20
1/2 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 tablespoons orange liqueur, or orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
Preparation
Stir first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Whisk in orange liqueur or juice and zest. Cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Line baking sheet with foil. Place cocoa powder on plate. Scoop chocolate mixture by very generously mounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheet, forming 1-inch mounds. Dust hands with cocoa powder; roll mounds between palms, forming smooth balls, then roll in cocoa powder to coat lightly. Return to sheet. Cover with foil; chill truffles until firm, at least 2 hours. (Can be made ahead. Chill in covered container up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.) Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened before serving.
Cardamom Shortbread Heart Cookies/ Biscotti Casarecci di Cuore
Overview:
The dough for these “rolled” cookies is so buttery that you could actually press it out with your hands, instead of using a rolling pin .
Makes approximately 3 dozen
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
1 1/8 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
Preparation:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift flour and sugar together.
Make a hole in the center. Add the cardamom, baking powder, eggs and butter.
Stir to combine. Mix well to form a very smooth dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Sprinkle a little flour on the rolling pin and on top of the dough.
Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
If the dough breaks, place a little flour on top and press it back together.
Dip the cookie cutter into flour.
Press down into dough to make shapes.
Using a thin edged, flexible spatula, carefully slide the cookies onto the spatula and transfer to baking sheets with a thin spatula and place a few inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until cookies are cooked through.
Chocolate Spice Truffle Cookies Cookies
These cookies are known as tetu in Sicilian dialect and are also served when remembering deceased loved ones on the Day of the Dead and at Christmas time. They cookies freeze well. Makes: Approximately 3 dozen
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup cocoa
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
½ cup chocolate chips
Frosting:
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
¼ teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso
¼ cup chopped walnuts, or sprinkles, for garnish
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix all cookie ingredients together.
Roll cookies into equal-sized 1-inch balls and place ¼-inch apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Mix all frosting ingredients together.
Using a butter knife, spread frosting on the tops of cooled cookies.
Sprinkle tops of cookies with walnuts or sprinkles. Allow to cool.
Makes 1 pound caramelized walnuts
Recipe is from: Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture. It is said that Cleopatra used sugar extravagantly, even though it was extremely expensive in antiquity, because the Egyptians had just been introduced to the sugar cane crop via the Persians whose victory over the Egyptian armies led ended the Pharaonic era in 525 BCE. Walnuts, which were another important agricultural crop for the Persians, are the other main ingredient in this recipe.
The original version of this recipe is said to have been deciphered from hieroglyphs, and it is believed that their high energetic value was used to restore the spirits both Caesar and Mark Anthony. It is important to note, however, that in Egyptian culture, walnuts are considered important in stimulating mental activity, and sugar at the time, was a status symbol. I believe that this recipe represented the sweetness of not only love, but intellect, strength, and power as well.
Ingredients:
½ cup ground blanched almonds
1 ½ cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon orange blossom water*
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 pound walnut halves
Preparation:
Mix ground almonds with ½ cup sugar, orange blossom water, and orange juice in a medium bowl. Place a small amount of paste over the flat inside of a walnut half. Press the flat inside of a second walnut half on the top and press down lightly to seal. Place on a work surface covered with wax paper.
Melt the remaining 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons water over low heat. Once it melts, increase the heat to medium high, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until it turns amber colored (approximately 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir well as caramel continues to darken in color. Be very careful not to touch or splatter caramel at this point, as it can cause serious injury.
Using a spoon, carefully drizzle caramel over the stuffed almonds. Allow to cool. Walnuts can be stored in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
No comments:
Post a Comment