Almond Praline Truffles

I had been resisting myself, but the Chill breeze stimulates my taste butts for hot coffee with dark chocolate.

But, this time wanted the bitter and sweet combination. Praline Truffles is pretty simple to make, but great to taste.

 Ingredients : ¼ cup of praline powder    ;    150 gms of Tempered chocolate (60 % Coco or above)     ;     1 tbsp of heavy cream     ;      1 tbsp of Chocolate spread (nutella)

 You may refer the praline making procedure from here.  Check here for Chocolate tampering procedure.

In the food processor, add praline powder, heavy cream, nutella to make a praline paste.  In a silicon/plastic mold using small spoon pour the tempered chocolate into each mold and spread it evenly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the mould from fridge and fill with ½ tsp of praline mixture and again refrigerate for about 30 min and close the molds with tempered chocolate.

Once again refrigerate for an hour.  Serve it with coffee or serve them at the end of dinner.

The hard bitter dark chocolate crust melts in the mouth and release the sweet praline…… Imm……Divine. 

Nutella Truffles with Hazelnuts

I can’t resist myself anymore, it time to melt the chocolate. I don’t know, why I addicted so much to this dark Devil (chocolates)

I wanted to make Truffles for this weekend to treat one of my friends, who is currently on visit.

Truffles crust is made with tempered chocolate (but, it will melt on the mouth) just below the crust creamy chocolate with roasted whole hazelnuts.

Sounds good right ?   Believe me its mesmerizing, when the Truffle melts in the mouth.

It’s not complicated recipe to make. Wiki says, Truffles born in France.

To do this magic, we need Just three ingredients,        ½ cup Nutella Chocolate spread     ;     15 No’s  of whole hazelnuts    ;   100 gms  of  tempered chocolate (60% and above COCO)

Before going in to the kitchen, let me share few things about chocolate.
 

Chocolate are made in two different ways, expensive and inexpensive. What is the difference ?:

If Large percent (60 and above) of coco solids, and 100% coco butter are used to make a chocolate then it’s called Real Chocolate. Both coco solids and Coco butter are made from crushed cocoa bean. These Chocolates can offer extraordinary rich, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth (at body temp) it often known as dark chocolate.  

Less percent (below 60)  of coco solids, vegetable fats / Oils, and sweeteners (in place of coco butter) also used to make Chocolates. But, these are not real. Having waxy texture and over sweet, also doesn’t melt in the mouth. It often known as Compound chocolate  

Next time when you buy, just pay attention on the Chocolate cover. Now, you know why I’m mad at dark Chocolate. I prefer to use always <70% and above.

Okay, Now the Truffle making process………. Roast the whole hazelnuts in the oven about 6 – 7 minutes at 120ºC. Once cooled, remove the thin skin by rubbing the nuts and set aside.

On the silicon Chocolate mold, scope the Nutella Chocolate cream and squeeze a hazelnut in. Level the mold top with knife.

Keep the silicon chocolate mold in the freezer for overnight.

Next day morning, it will be hard enough to remove from the mold. Meanwhile, let’s temper the chocolate in the microwave. To do so, Chop the chocolates and keep it in the microwave safe bowl at high power for about 30 seconds. Most of the chunks would melt few remaining will be melted by stirring. But do not over heat. If you are not sure with microwave, use the Double Boiler.

Now, Remove the Chocolate from the silicon mold and Dip it into the tempered chocolate. Then, using the fork to scoop it out (from the tempered Chocolate) and tap it on the side of the bowl to get off any excess chocolate.

Marble French Macarons

I’m supposed to make these Marble French Macarons couple of weeks ago for Home Bakers Challenge, host by Siri Nuggehalli. I do not know why I deferred so long. Somehow, I managed to make those “Fragile and Crispy” Macrons last week. 

Macarons are pretty close to biscuits but falls under Confectionery group. Because, its Sugar based. Though the macaron is a  French  origin, it’s quite popular in Swiss and Italian cuisine. 

The key Ingredient to make macarons is Egg White (Protein) and also the perfect formation (Consistency) of meringue. 

The Macarons are commonly filled with ganache, butter-cream or jam fillings. Here, I used  Nutella  Ganache. (Ganache is a French word, nothing but glaze or cream usually made of chocolate, to fill pastries)

Macaron Recipe sources from  joyofbaking  and nutella ganache Recipe sources from here.

The Ingredients’ required for macaron are :  100 grams ground blanched almonds  ;   180 grams confectioner (icing) sugar       ;       100 grams "aged" egg whites, at room temperature    ;     35 grams superfine  white sugar.   ;     Food Color of your choice, I used Blue (Option)

Ingredients’ required for Ganache filling  :    ½ cup of Cream    ;    1/4  cup of nutella hazel nut spread     ;  ¼ cup (≈30 grams) of  dark chocolate (chopped)

Macarons making process :  Process the ground almonds and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor until its blended very well without any lumps and set aside.

With the help of whisk attachment of the electric mixer, beat the aged egg whites on medium speed until foamy.

What are aged egg whites? It’s storing the egg whites (of course, after separating the yokes) in fridge for about 48 hrs in an airtight container. For what ? To make stiffer meringue.

Okay, now gradually add the sugar to the foamy egg white and continue to beat it, on medium speed, until the meringue just holds stiff peaks.  i.e. if you  slowly raise the whisk the meringue should stay straight up, should not droop. (This consistency level is known as 'beak').

Now, add the ground almond/sugar mixture into the meringue and do the folding, by cutting through the meringue and then fold up and over until the almond mixture is completely folded into the meringue. The batter should fall back into the bowl as a thick ribbon.  This is the right consistency for  perfect macarons.

Now the coloring part, in a pastries or a piping bag (fitted with 1 cm nozzle) just draw the strips (inside) using the food colour. (I used, blue) by kitchen brush. (used only for edible purposes)

Fill the piping bag with macarons mixture and pipe out small mounds of the mixture, as evenly sized onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. (You may place a parchment sheet on the paper, where desired size circles are drawn as a reference) the batter may not  spread much so leave a space between them.

Gently tap the cookie sheet firmly onto the counter top, this will flatten them slightly and will remove and ridges or peaks on them.

Allow Macarons to stay at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes  or until the tops of the Macarons are no longer tacky.

Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, at 325°F (160°C) in the preheat oven. Don’t forget to flip Macarons, about halfway through baking. Remove from oven and allow it to cool.

Ganache filling  :   Boil the Cream in bowl and add nutella spread, dark chocolate into it. Stir until chocolate melts and blend with cream and spread.

Now, take one Macaron, spread the Ganache lavishly, but only in the middle. And place the another macaron on top of the ganache gently press. Make sure the ganache should remain in the macaron, should not spread out.

I am sure kids will love crispy and fragile macarons and luxurious Ganache filling.