With Valentine's just around the corner I start to plan what menu items will I offer what should I teach in my classes, what will I do for my husband. to be honest it is one of the few occasion's I don't have to cook a big meal, we typically go out for a special dinner. I love looking over all the special menus that are planned for this holiday and take the opportunity to try new and exciting things. As with everything else this year will be different. I expect to spend this holiday at home. Not be able to go out an enjoy the festive menus doesn't mean I can have some amazing food, it just means I will be making it this year. in order to not spend the entire day cooking I m planning a simple elegant desserts. I love this recipe, it is simple enough for all levels of ability and can be elevated an adjusted to meet your prosomal preferences. Its a fundamental chocolate truffle recipe. Although chocolate can be intimidating it doesn't have to be. This recipe allows you to test your hand a chocolate without breaking the bank or taking up to much time. You can turn this into a romantic date night activity, a "Galantines" night( just add a wine!), or a fun family activity! This recipe calls for three ingredients, all of which can be substituted or adjusted to your preferences. this recipe Calls for canned coconut milk, semi-sweet chocolate, and powdered sugar. Lets start with substitutions for the coconut milk, you can use heavy cream or coconut cream for this. I know silk makes a heavy cream alternative but I have not tried it because I am allergic to soy. Next is the chocolate, use your favorite brand I prefer Guittard chocolate. If you like a sweeter taste swap the semi sweet chocolate for milk, or do have milk and have semi-sweet if you want it a little sweeter but not all the way to milk chocolate sweet. These are pretty dark, so you may need to adjust to your preferences. The last substitution option is for the powdered sugar, if your daring you can swap this with cocoa powder. That may be to rich for even me. Those of you looking for a middle ground can do half cocoa powder and half powdered sugar mixed together. If you want to be more fun and festive use sprinkles to coat you truffles. If you are comfortable with chocolate step up this recipe by infusing your cream with your favorite berry, tea, or spice if your are feeling adventurous. Dip your formed truffles in melted chocolate and top with festive sprinkles or a chocolate drizzle. As you can see this recipe has some many options to expand your creativity and allows for flexibility for special dietary request. This recipe can actually be Vegan if you use the right brand of chocolate and powdered sugar.
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Let me start by saying I love cookies. Growing up my mom made the best chocolate chip cookies on the first day of school each year. She did this through college and picked that habit back up when I became a teacher. She continued this tradition mostly because I would constantly remind her or "ask" her if she would be making cookies this year. Being that it is the holiday season and the best thing to give friends and family, in my opinion, is a cookie tray. This time of year, everyone gets in the spirit if they have a good sugar cookie. I'm going to share with you my sugar cookie recipe. It is a relatively easy recipe, and it has not failed me yet, even with the most ornate shaped cookie cutters. The key to most sugar cookie recipes is to chill the dough, but this is a pain. I mean, come on, you have to chill the dough for 30 minutes. Once the dough has chilled, it is too hard to roll out, so you have to wait 30 more minutes to roll it out. For this reason, my recipe does not call for chilling the dough before you roll it out. In my recipe, you will prepare the dough then roll it out to about 1/4 thick. Next, cut the dough into your shapes and chill the cookies before baking them. Sugar cookies should never be, rolled out, thinner than a 1/4 inch thick. If you roll them out thicker, you will have a beautiful cookie; that is crisp on the edges and just the right amount of soft in the middle. Be sure to bake the cookies all the way through. There is a difference between soft and raw in the middle. Sugar cookies have a higher sugar content, so they tend to brown, which will infuse a beautiful flavor but can quickly turn to burnt. I believe a sugar cookie, should be baked between 325 degrees and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I like my sugar cookies less crispy, so I bake them at a lower temperature for a few more minutes. Once your cookies are baked and completely cooled, it is time to start decorating them. Typically sugar cookies are decorated with royal icing. Which, can be made by using convenience products like a royal icing mix or the semi-homemade version using meringue powder and powdered sugar. It can also be made pretty easily, with egg whites and powdered sugar. This cookie is extra sweet. So, I like to replace the vanilla extract that is traditionally used with lemon or peppermint. This gives a nice contrast to the intense sweetness of the cookie and icing. The great thing about sugar cookies is they are a blank slate that allows for creativity to flourish. Yields about 12 cookies depending on the cutter. INGREDIENTS ½ cup butter ½ cup of sugar 1 large egg ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ¾ cups flour DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Mixing after each addition. Divide dough into 2 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a circle approximately 1/4 inch thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Cut using the desired shape, minimize reusing the dough by cutting shapes close together. Place cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Bake cookies on the same sheet pan at 350 for 8-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. *Tip: use a spatula to lift the cookies and check the color of the bottom of the cookie, once it is evenly browned, your cookies should be done. Sugar cookie bake times vary, based on the size and shape of the cookies. Time frames in this post are my best guess on average. |
AuthorChef Amanda Rose has been working in the culinary arts industry for over 10 years. She has a passion for this business and now includes teaching in her culinary tool box. Categories
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