Black & White cookies ( gluten free version using rice flour )

 

Black & White cookies ( gluten free version using rice flour )

Just wanted to break the routine, at the same time don’t want to overshoot my blood sugar / insulin. Hence, baked “limited edition” cookies to satisfy my (also my son) sweet tooth. For me, baking is a relaxation and Cookies are my favourite choice to bake. This “limited edition” cookies were a “kind of” experiment, using rice flour and rice flour is gluten free and it turnout to be good.

Ingredients : 113 gms – butter ; 1/2 cup – granulate sugar ; 1/2 cup – cane sugar ; 1 egg ; 1/2 tsp – vanilla essence ; 1 & 1/4 cup – rice flour ; 2 tbsp – cornflour or tapioca flour ; pinch of salt ; 1/4 cup – chopped white chocolate ; 1/4 cup – dark chocolate chunk.

Beat the butter along with sugar, cane sugar, egg & vanilla essences kept aside. Mix all the dry ingredients rice flour, corn flour & salt ,keep aside .

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. ( If need add more FLOUR UNTIL THE DOUGH PULLS AWAY from sides ) separate the dough into two equal portion then add 1 & 1/2 tbsp of coco powder to the one part of the dough then add chopped white chocolate chunk keep aside .

Then add chopped dark chocolate chunk to the another half of dough Scope the plain cookie dough & chocolate cookie dough together using ice cream scoop and arrange it in the greased baking tray. 
In to the pre heated oven for 180 degree and bake the cookies for 12 min.

Easter Eggs

Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Good Friday) and then rose on following Sunday.(Easter)

Traditionally, ostrich or chicken eggs are decorated as part of Easter celebration. Easter eggs or Paschal eggs are the symbol of resurrection. Decorated eggs were hidden and children were asked to discover the same on the Easter morning. (Easter egg hunt)

But nowadays, chocolate eggs are quite popular among the kids. In fact, I made around six eggs and kept in the fridge to set and went for a nap. When I open the fridge for white chocolate decoration, I found only two! Yes, my son played egg hunt with me! 

Ingredients :    Tempered dark chocolate  (egg shell)    ;     5 no’s of crushed any chocolate cookies  and  3 tsp of ganache or Nutella (egg yoke)      ;    Melted white chocolate (for decorating)   ;   Empty kinder egg chocolate cover (as mold)

Using tempered chocolate (using double boiler) pour it on the kinder egg toys mold and coat thoroughly. (Make sure a thick chocolate coat. So that it’s easy to remove without breaking) keep it in the fridge for about an hour.

In food processor crush the cookies (Chocolate Ragi Cookies or Rye flour Chocolate Chip Cookies) and add the ganache mix and combine well and make ball shape. Transfer into fridge to set.

Now assembling the egg, De-mold the chocolate from the kinder egg toy mold and keep the cookie balls inside the egg and close the egg. Carefully seal with melted chocolate and decorate with melted white chocolate. 

 

Caramelized white chocolate truffles

Caramelized white chocolate truffles……………for a cloudy, lazy weekend morning :-)

Ingredient  :      100 grams of white chocolate (with 30% coco butter)    ;   3 to 4 tbsp of heavy cream    ;    200 grams of temper dark chocolate 

First need to caramelize white chocolate, chop the white chocolate spread on the rimmed baking sheet  and heat in the preheat the oven at 120°C for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and spread it with a clean, dry spatula and heat / bake further for 15 – 20 min. stirring every five min intervals will help to smooth out and caramelize.   Continue to heat / bake until the white chocolate is deep-golden brown.

Once it’s become lumpy, scrape it into a bowl and smooth it out with a food processor and add heavy cream to make it smooth paste and keep aside. (Note: if the white chocolate doesn’t have 30% coco butter, it won’t caramelize)

In chocolate mold spread the tempered chocolate and keep it in the fridge to set. Once it sets well on the mold, remove from fridge and fill it with caramelized white chocolate and transfer to fridge to set. Finally, cover the filling with tempered chocolate and once again to the fridge to set.

Coconut Truffle

 My neighbor is a very big fan of Bounty. She always picks bounty bars, whenever she go for shopping.  Just to surprise her, I want to do something pretty close to her favorite Bounty.

Bounty has desiccated coconut enrobed with milk or dark chocolate options. It’s not a big deal to reproduce the same at home. but, wanted to do better than Bounty. There is no much option at the coating (chocolate) part. But, there are options in Coconut filling. Instead of a simple desiccated coconut filling, I go with caramelized coconut filling.

This has given a different dimension to the Truffle.  We both were pleased with the final product and happy to share here.

Ingredients :  1 tablespoons corn syrup       ;        1/2 cups sugar        ;        2 tbsp of water            ;             1/4 cup of cream              ;               10 gms of butter  (melted)          ;        1 ½ cup of desiccated coconut             ;        Tempered chocolate 150 gms (60 % coco)         ;         melted white chocolate (optional)

Add sugar, corn syrup and water into a saucepan and heat the pan on high flame. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and wait until the syrup starts to turn light golden colour. Meanwhile, mix the cream and butter together and keep it ready.

Now, add the butter cream mixture into a hot sugar mixture. While doing this, please take care of yourself by standing back from the flame. (hot steam may rise suddenly)

Do not stir. With the help of candy thermometer, measure the mixture temperature. Wait until it reaches 110°Celsius.

Remove the pan from heat and add the desiccated coconut and stir well. Pour the mixture into a lined baking tray and allow it to cool at room temperature.

Once cooled remove from the tray and cut into heart shape small cookie cutter. (Like coconut burffi) Refrigerate the heart shaped caramelized coconut for at least an hour. 

Meanwhile, you can prepare the tampered chocolate using the double boiler. (if you don’t like dark  chocolate’s mild bitterness, you can go with semi-sweet chocolate)

Drop the chilled coconut bars into a tempered chocolate and allow it to coat all over. Then scoop out with the fork and tap on the side of the bowl so that the remaining /extra chocolate drops from the bar.

Place the chocolate coated coconut bars onto baking paper and transfer into the fridge for about 20 - 30 min.

As a final touch, just two lines on it with (melted) white chocolate with piping bag.  Once again, keep it in the fridge for about 30 min.

Chocolate with Caramelized Coconut, gives a chewy chocolate experience…. She Delighted.

Hazelnut-Butter Fudge

There was an enough intro / description given about Fudge, on my first Fudge posting. which was made with 100% Dark chocolate, for Dark Chocolate lovers like me. Later, with dark & white chocolate (50-50) combination to please, chocolate devotees.

This time with Dark chocolate and hazelnut butter combination, targeting Children and Teens. Also, want to make the fresh hazelnut butter for a rich aroma and taste.

Hazelnuts are rich in protein, ‘B’ vitamins and unsaturated fat. Dark chocolates are rich in antioxidants.

Ingredients for Fudge  : 1 cup of hazelnut butter  ;     4 tbsp of coconut oil    ;    1 ½ tbsp. of honey      ;     100 gms of dark chocolate (<60 %coco)

Ingredients for Hazelnut butter: 1 ½ cup of Hazelnut.

Procedure for H’Butter : Take 1 ½ cup of hazelnut and roast them in the pre heated oven at 200ºC for about 10 – 15 minutes (depends on the moisture level of the nut). Allow it to cool and remove the skin. The aroma of the roasting the Hazelnut is awesome.

Transfer the nuts into blender / food processor and run about 20 min or till the oil oozes out and turns the hazelnuts into a smooth, creamy butter. You many need to stop the blender time to time to scrape the sides of the blender.  (The butter may turn into firm consistency; it keeps in rest for long)

I am sure you will be mesmerized with the Aroma of the Hazelnut. With the same feel, using the double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and bring it to room temperature.

Procedure for H’Butter Fudge : In bowl mix hazelnut butter, coconut oil, honey until fully cooperated then add melted chocolate and mix well. Pour the mixture in a grease pan or on the bubble sheet and transfer in to fridge for about 45 minutes.

Slice them in a desired shape. Try the fudge with hot coffee or milk. Immm…..its Divine.