Valentine's Chocolates - What I'm Loving Right Now

Photo by Alexandria Grablewski

I love chocolate...usually dark. And since I make a lot of my own candies and Truffles, it is not typical for me to buy or even enjoy many of those that are available commercially. (For info on the luscious truffles above, you will have to wait till the end of this blog entry). Ah, but never say never, right? Every once in a while I will taste a candy that knocks my socks off. I want to introduce you to a few of them. I figured Valentine's Day is approaching and for those of you looking to purchase something new and different, I'd share my personal current faves.

Look at that pic! This is a romantic box of chocolates from Fran's Chocolates. It arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago quite unexpectedly. Every now and then a company will send me a product to sample and you know if you read this blog that I am not in the habit of "advertising" food products. I will only blog about the ones that I truly love. I opened the box right away; the sumptuous ribbon begged to be pulled open. Inside was a dark chocolate assortment that came with a handy color guide. I am a sucker for these! I want to know what I am eating Before I bite into it! I went right for the caramels the company is so famous for; I didnt need the guide for finding those. I approached the box in a restrained manner, eating only one or two at a time or the following week. After a few days the guide somehow was left downstairs and the box was upstairs; I grabbed a small dark square that had delicate lines of chocolate zig-zagging across the top. I was making dinner (yes, I know...I will eat chocolate anytime, anywhere) and I was moving quickly around the kitchen getting my pots and pans and ingredients together...and then...I literally Stopped in my tracks! The flavor in this particular truffle hit me like a ton of bricks. A welcomed, intense, velvety Raspberry ton of bricks! The flavor was undeniable. Still, I momentarily forgot about dinner and ran downstairs to retrieve the guide. Sure enough what was unfolding in my mouth was their new Raspberry Truffle. I loved it. The 64% bittersweet chocolate was a perfect foil for the fruit. This filling was incredibly rasberry-y (or is that raspberryeeeeee). Just fabulous. Another much appreciated aspect to this chocolate was the incredibly thin, fine, delicate outer shell. Its delicacy was fitting for such a lovely candy. The enclosed information informed me that the filling was made from chocolate and raspberries - no liqueur and no cream! I found this last omission to be quite interesting. Apparently the ganache filling is therefore made from chocolate and raspberries (well, perhaps there is butter) but by leaving out the cream they are allowing the pure berry flavor to come to the fore. Brilliant.

Here is another item I'm crazy about - Bissinger's Handmade Chocolate Covered Marshmallows. Drop one (or two) of these into your favorite hot chocolate and you will see what I mean. Or, if you want to eat them out-of-hand, they are conveniently bite-sized for easy eating. They are handmade in small batches in their St. Louis factory and keep well all winter long. I have a thing for marshmallows - they are very low calorie. And since dark chocolate is "healthy"....well you see where I'm going with this LOL. I am very good at figuring out how to mentally "allow" myself my chocolate indulgences and this one fits the bill. And they are Gluten Free to boot.

Speaking of raspberries and chocolates, Bissinger's makes one of my all-time favorites that I first tasted a few summers ago - Raspberry Caramels. On-line they are available in their chocolate covered caramel assortment (seen below) but if you call the catalog at 800-325-8881 you can order the larger ones in one-pound increments (and of course they can be found at their retail locations as well). I love caramel. I love dark chocolate and I love raspberry but I had never had them all in one candy before I sampled these. They reduce fresh raspberries to create a fruity concentrate, which is then blended with the caramel. The caramel takes on a ruby hue as well. And then a generous square of the caramel is drenched in dark chocolate....OMG. My mouth just started watering. They are chewy and fruity and chocolatey - a must for fruit and chocolate lovers and caramel lovers alike.

And of course if you want to make your own, please do refer to my Truffles book. The dark chocolate passion fruit ones and the dark chocolate lemon are particularly fabulous. Or, in my most recent book, Unforgettable Desserts, you will find my version of a raspberry truffle....featuring a whole berry in each truffle. Look for Chocolate Raspberry Bliss Bites in the index. And yes, these are the truffles featured at the top of the blog. A feast for your eyes, I hope!

Brewing Loose Tea - Every Pot Perfect

My last post was about my favorite tea timer, but there are several things that go into making the best possible pot of tea. It is not easy to get a great cup of tea out and about, which is why I go the coffee route on the road. When at home we can surround ourselves with the proper accouterments and brew a fabulous pot.

The techniques I use are not unique. In fact, this is the way I learned when I visited the esteemed Mariage Freres tea-house in Paris. Whether they have been doing it the same way since their inception in 1854 I have no idea, but one has to assume that they have come to use these techniques after trial and error, coming to the conclusion that it is the best way.

Let’s start with the pot. I have many, from a vintage cast iron tetsubin that my father brought back from Japan in the late 40’s, to a very modern clear glass pot made in Germany, but my favorite is my insulated pot (seen pic above) from Mariage Freres. The metal is lined with an insulated felt-like material and opens like a clam shell; there is a hinge on the back. You have full access to the ceramic pot, which comes with it, and your tea will stay hot. (I have to tell you a funny story here....the picture of the pot above was generously shared with me by Rebecca Varidel of InsideCuisine.com in Australia. Mine is, let's just say, well worn, and photo worthy. I found her image on-line, we became virtual buddies. Check out her blog for down-under, insider foodie info.)

The first thing I do is warm my pot with tap water that is as hot as possible. (I remove the pot from its insulated jacket and place in the sink). I have different pots, depending on what I am brewing: pots for black, pots for green and certainly separate pots for anything scented, like an Earl Grey. The flavors can certainly cross-contaminate from batch to batch, even thought the pot material might be glass or ceramic. While the pot warms, I heat the tea water and measure the loose tea.

I begin with double-charcoal filtered water, as I do not like the flavor of my well-water. We must start with excellent water, or you will not be able brew a tasty pot. I measure out 6-ounces of water per each scoop of loose tea. Note that this is Not “a cup” which is 8 ounces. A “cup” for making tea is 6 ounces. I then use an actual tea scoop to measure out the tea, seen here below:

The lighter and fluffier the leaf of the tea, the larger the amount of tea is used. I am very good at measuring "by eye" and know how big a scoop I want from whatever tea I am using at the time. This comes with practice and also by using the same scoop every day for over 12 years; my measurements have become fairly standardized. When brewed properly in every other way, if your tea is too weak, you have probably used too little of the loose tea – and the converse is true as well.

Right before the water is ready (described in next paragraph), drain the teapot of the warming water and place a cotton tea sock over the mouth of the pot. This is an unbleached cotton “sock” where the open end is attached to a wire ring, that can rest on the top of the pot. Photos courtesy of Upton Tea Imports

The sock will hold the tea leaves and eventually be submerged in the water. It allows for the full expansion of the leaves, which means their flavor will be properly released; tiny metal tea ball infusers do not allow for this expansion and I can also detect a metallic flavor that they impart. My method also allows you to easily remove the sock when the steeping time is up. So, drain the pot, put sock into place and measure the correct amount of tea into the sock. I have separate socks for green, black and flavored teas, again so the flavors don't cross over.

For my black teas the water is Just brought to a boil, but not allowed to boil for more than a moment, lest the water lose its life and end up tasting flat. For green teas, it depends on the tea, but many are brought to about 140 degrees F. A good tea purveyor should be able to make specific suggestions as to measurement amounts as well as brewing times.

Here are two of my favorite morning teas, both black tea, which I purchase from Upton Tea Imports. These images are from their site. Here is the Keemun Mao Feng (order tea ZK98):

You can see that the leaves are large and fluffy, so I measure a very generous scoop with this tea. I brew this Keemun for a full 8 minutes and it is a bracing morning cup, which I enjoy with milk. It hails from the An Hui province in China and is both mild yet complex. Here is another fave - Yunnan TGFOP (order tea ZY51):

This tea is slightly more compact and the scoops are a bit smaller as the tea is denser. I brew this Yunnan for a full 5 minutes. If you are a tea lover you must get Upton's catalog....there are over 300 teas from which to choose. They direct import and their prices are very reasonable. Their blender, Frank Sanchez, is very knowledgeable. Ask for him and tell him I sent you! He will be able to make recommendations to you based on your palate.

As soon as the steeping time is up, remove the sock and throw out the tea leaves. Your pot is ready! While I mentioned using milk with my hearty black teas, please do not use it with your greens!

I guess I will follow up at some point with a posting on green teas and matcha.

My Favorite Tea Timer

OK I know this might sound esoteric...a timer just for tea? Yes! If you are a tea fanatic as I am, you know that brewing it at home allows for the most stringent control of your brewing techniques, yielding the best cup.

This fabulous timer allows you to time for Minutes as well as Seconds and the set-up is very intuitive. As you can see there is also a holder for a thermometer. This one has ranges on the dial, color coded, for different kinds of tea. The green tea ranges are indicated in a green color! How smart. Many green teas need water in the 140 degree F range; you will never again use water that is too hot. FYI the thermometer goes from 100 to 220 degrees.

You can find my favorite timer on-line from the company, WMF. Take a good look at the image above. It is sleek and attractive. This is form and function in one - something I find hard to resist. This is a perfect gift for the tea lover, or treat yourself. You will be brewing the best tea of your life in the press of a button.

Unforgettable Desserts Makes a Top 10 Cookbook List

A Huge Thank You to Kat Odell and her GoodBite blog for naming Unforgettable Desserts, my newest book, as one of her Top 10. I am thrilled to be in such company as David Chang and his Momofuku book as well as Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home and How To Roast a Lamb, by Michael Psilakis. What a nice way to begin the new year. As a nod to my readers, I would love to feature you on my blog with a photo of a dish you have made from my book. Send me a story about your baking experience in the kitchen with a photo of you and the dish - that you don't mind sharing! I am looking forward to seeing you and your pics.

Cookie Contests and Cousins

When you write a cookbook, you often wonder who is making your recipes, which ones they are choosing, how much they are enjoying them, and what have you. I love getting emails from fans and it is even better when they send pictures (Hint, Hint). Well, it takes the cake when you get an email, pictures AND it's from family! Unbeknownst to me, my cousin Mindy Ruby, who lives outside of Chicago, was quite a busy baker last week. The first I heard of it, she Facebooked me and mentioned that she had made some of my cookies and entered a contest. I had no idea which cookies, but I wished her good luck.

Next thing I know, she announces on Facebook that she's won! Well, you can imagine that a flurry of emails immediately went back and forth. I had to know which cookies she baked, info about her competition, all the details. First of all, LOOK at these fabulous, chocolate chip packed turtle cookies, made by my cousin Mindy.

Here she is, looking as proud as she should! Mindy, well done!

Mindy says it is a bunch of Moms whose kids went to school together. They have been holding the contest for seven years! She won for Best Tasting and Best Appearance. She did Not win the Best Disaster in the Kitchen, which is one of the categories. Phew! They all bring 5 dozen cookies, drink champagne, enjoy appetizers and everyone goes home with an assortment of all the various cookies. My kind of party.

Here are the competitors, by looks alone....well....I am a bit biased:)

And the recipe. Enjoy. It is from A Baker's Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies. Perfect for making this Xmas holiday with the kids home from school. It is one of those very tactile, project-y recipes that kids love to make.

Caramel Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Dough freezes well
Fun to make with kids

Type: Drop cookie

Description: These combine chocolate chip cookies with whole pecans, a layer of caramel and a bit of chocolate on top.

Field Notes: These look like little turtles, if you use your imagination! They are a take-off of caramel/chocolate/pecan turtle candies, but these incorporate chocolate chip cookie dough into the mix. Kids love to eat and to help make them.

Ingredients:
45 square Kraft caramels
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
3 2/3 cups pecans halves (you need 225 pecan halves; 5 per turtle)
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:
1. Unwrap each caramel (they are about 1-inch square and come individually wrapped) and press flat into a round shape to about 2-inches across using your fingers. You want to end up with a 2-inch flat circle about 1/4-inch thick; set aside.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and brown sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice; beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs. Add about one-third of flour mixture and mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in morsels. Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. (You may freeze dough up to 1 month; defrost in refrigerator overnight before proceeding).

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

5. Drop dough by generously rounded tablespoon 3 inches apart on cookie sheets. Press 5 pecan halves into each cookie mound so that about one-quarter of each nut is embedded in the cookie. You want to situate them so that they look like a head and four feet; the rounded side should face up and they should be flat on the sheet (see photograph). Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges and tops have just begun to turn light golden brown. Center a caramel circle on top each cookie and return to oven for about 4 minutes, or until cookie is golden brown and caramel has softened, but not melted, and is now part of the cookie (it should be attached and almost melted onto it).

6. Place sheets on racks to cool cookies completely. Melt chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler or in microwave and stir until smooth. Pour into parchment cone; this is a lot of chocolate, so you will probably need to use a few cones. Snip a tiny opening and decorate the tops of the turtles. You can make spirals, cross-hatch patterns, zig-zags, etc. Place sheets in refrigerator to firm up chocolate before storing.

Lifespan: 4 days at room temperature in airtight container in single layers separated by waxed (or parchment) paper

Yield: 45 turtles

Good Cookie Tip: Make sure your pecan halves are intact and not chipped, slivered or broken. “Whole” pecan halves will make the best “feet” and “heads”.

Classes at Draeger's with Bissinger's Chocolate

I recently had the opportunity to teach two chocolate classes at Draeger's Markets, one in Blackhawk and one in San Mateo. I was featuring Bissinger's chocolate and holiday desserts from my book Unforgettable Desserts - with lots of do-ahead tips for the holidays. These stores are fabulous, from the very well-stocked book department

to the huge housewares department and their well-known, backlit gourmet section

Bissinger's display was complete with their exquisite chocolate dipped glaceed oranges (seen at the top of the blog entry), special holiday packaging, standards such as their caramel selection (you Have to try the Chardonnay Salt Caramel) and even a gigantic Santa.

Here is the display we arranged in the fabulous glass-walled teaching studio. On the left are the chocolate covered mints, the middle plate has bite-sized caramels and chocolate coconut clusters. The plate on the right has the amazing chocolate dipped oranges, which I can eat all day long.

The class was well attended and the teaching kitchen is the best I have worked in. There are the two screens showing my handiwork up close and with a maximum of about 30 people, everyone can see and hear easily.

I taught Easy-to-Make Holiday Desserts, all from my new book, Unforgettable Desserts. I strive to always point out where you can make components ahead. Especially at the holidays, anything that helps the host/baker save time is a boon! We made Florentine Bars with Candied Orange and Cherries, Blackout Cake, Spiced Pear and White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle and Pomegranate Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Chocolate Sauce. The trifle first appeared on the 2007 cover of Bon Appetit magazine and you can find the recipe HERE. The photo was taken by Con Poulos (please check out his work) and my desserts have never looked so good.

Below in the foreground you can see the Blackout Cake in its entirety. I am whisking the pudding component in the pic. This incredibly rich, moist cake is super easy. The pudding, which acts as filling and "frosting", is made in one pot on the stove. The cake component can be whisked together in a bowl - no mixer needed. I'm telling you this is the Best birthday cake for chocolate lovers.

In this next picture you can almost see that I am using an offset spatula to spread the florentine topping on top of the par-baked shortbread base. Whenever you are spreading something in a pan like this, an offset spatula makes it a breeze.

Here I am sampling out the Florentine Bars (drizzled with Bissinger's 60% bittersweet chocolate) along with bite-sized samples of the panna cotta, here chilled in Bissinger's chocolate cups.

Try the Florentines today. They are also wonderful with bright red dried cranberries and candied lemon peel.

Florentine Bars with Candied Orange and Cherries

Makes 40 squares

Shortbread:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Florentine filling:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup sliced blanched almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup diced candied orange peel

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (such as Bissinger's 60%), melted

For the Shortbread: Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick spray, line bottom with parchment cut to fit, then spray parchment.

Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

Beat butter until creamy with flat paddle on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat, about 3 minutes at medium-high speed, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing just until blended, scraping down bowl once or twice. Pat crust into an even layer in prepared pan.

Bake crust about 20 to 25 minutes or until just beginning to turn very light golden brown along the edges; it should be dry to the touch. Prepare filling while crust is baking.

For the Filling: Place butter, sugar cream and honey in a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Turn heat to medium-high, bring to a boil and cook to 235 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir in nuts, fruit and flour until well combined.

Pour filling over partially baked crust and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is bubbling all over and has turned light golden brown all over. Color might be darker around edges. Cool pan completely on rack.

For the Topping: Place melted chocolate in a parchment cone and make a free-form zigzag pattern all over the bars. Chill to set chocolate; cut into 40 bars (5x8). Refrigerate for up to 1 week in airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Bring to room temperature before serving.

I could not have done it without the Draeger's staff. Check out their class schedule and sign up for classes if you can.

Peppermint Twist Cupcakes - Perfect for the Holidays

Here is a recipe for Peppermint Twist Cupcakes from my cupcake book, A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes. Great for bake sales, hostess gifts, school parties and snacks at home. Really great to make with kids home for the holidays. Please note that these cupcakes do not develop a large peak. Occasionally someone will write me and complain about the fact the cupcakes are flat-ish on top. I have developed my basic cupcake recipes to be this way deliberately as I think it is easier to frost and decorate them.

Peppermint Twist Cupcakes

Holiday/Event: Christmas/Winter

Description: These feature chocolate cake studded with bits of minty candy cane. Crowning the top is a swirl of white chocolate buttercream with more crushed candy cane sprinkled on top.

Field Notes: These are very simple to prepare, but look fancy. The best way to crush the candy canes is to place them in a sturdy plastic bag, then crush them with a rolling pin by alternately rolling over them and wacking them. You can try a food processor fitted with a metal blade, but it will make a huge racket!

Special Characteristics: Fun to make with kids, Extra fancy

Ingredients:

18 white or Christmas themed paper liners

1 batch Chocolate Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups crushed red and white candy canes (pieces should be no larger than 1/4-inch)

1 batch Italian Meringue Buttercream

7 ounces white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

Pastry bag

Large star tip

Directions:

1. Prepare Chocolate Cupcakes batter according to directions through step #3. Fold in 3/4 cup crushed peppermint candy canes. Bake as directed. Cool.

2. Prepare Italian Meringue Buttercream through Step #5. Beat in the 7 ounces of cooled melted white chocolate. Using pastry bag and large star tip, frost each cupcake with a large swirl on top. Sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes on top of cupcakes. Cupcakes are now ready to serve.

Yield: 18 minty cupcakes

Lifespan: Cupcakes may be baked two days ahead; frosted cupcakes are best served the same day. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sifted Dutch-processed cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 12-cup cupcake tin and one 6-cup cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice; beat in vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing. Add the flour mixture in four additions, alternately with the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat briefly until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition.

4. Divide batter evenly in pans. Bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center shows a few moist crumbs.

5. Cool pan on rack for 5 minutes then remove cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: 18 cupcakes

Lifespan: 2 days at room temperature in airtight container; 1 week frozen in airtight container'

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:

Scant 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup water

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Place 2/3 cup of sugar and water in a small pot. Stir to wet sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally. Dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down sugar crystals from the sides of the pot once or twice. Turn down heat to simmer gently.

2. Meanwhile, place the whites in your clean, grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy on low speed using balloon whip attachment to standing mixer. Add cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium-high. When soft peaks form, add 3 tablespoons sugar gradually. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form. (This is the meringue part of the buttercream and the frosting may be used as this point for a low fat, marshmallow like frosting; this must be used immediately).

3. Bring the sugar/water mixture to a rapid boil and cook until it reaches 248 to 250 degrees F. As syrup cooks look for visual clues to assess temperature. It starts out thin with many small bubbles over the entire surface. The water will begin to evaporate and the mixture will become thicker. The bubbles get larger and sticky and pop open more slowly. At this point the syrup definitely looks thickened, but it has not begun to color; this is the firm ball stage. If you drop a bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water it will form into a ball. When you squeeze the ball between your fingertips it will feel firm.

4. When syrup is ready pour a thin, steady stream over meringue, without pouring any on the rotating whip or the sides of the bowl. Whip meringue until cool. When the bowl is no longer warm, stop the machine and touch the surface of the meringue with your finger to double check that it is cooled. Turn the machine back on medium speed and add butter, a couple tablespoons at a time. Keep beating until the buttercream is completely smooth.

Yield: about 3 1/2 cups

Lifespan: May be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week or frozen up to 1 month (If frozen, defrost in refrigerator overnight and bring to warm room temperature before re-beating. In this case I highly suggest warming it in the microwave before whipping.)