Create Your Own Box Of Chocolates -

Sometimes the best way to say, 

“I Love You” is to just say it.

...

However, adding chocolate 

could help. 

 

You can create your own chocolates with a few steps that are so easy, even a toddler will enjoy making a family treat.

 

The choices of what you add to your chocolates can be unique and simple... 

...or as evolved and inventive as you prefer.   

 

In fact, why not make a party of the whole event?

Recipe: Choosy Chocolates

(makes about 12-15 chocolates, but the recipe can be increased as needed)

1 cup Chocolate pieces:

preferably a very good quality with high cacao and less sugar content.

One or Several choices according to your preference:

shredded coconut, dried fruit pieces, nuts, pretzel pieces, candied fruits, pine nuts, pepitas, salt crystals, flavored sugars, broken candy pieces, organic edible herbs and flowers, etc.

 1)   Gently melt the chocolate your favorite way: double boiler, microwave slowly, etc.

 2)   Spoon small dollops onto a parchment or silicon covered baking or cookie sheet pan. Use the spoon to create other shapes if you like, ie. a heart.

 3)   Sprinkle your toppings as desired, but leave mostly chocolate showing.

 4)  Allow to sit until cooled and hardened (if you have tempered your chocolate you can put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed the process.)

If life is like a box of chocolates, why not create your own choices!

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

The Matcha Green Tea Powder in these cupcakes and frosting make these baked goods a healthy way to have dessert. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.I've been enamored with Matcha Green Tea powder for a few years. I've used it in many meals, catering menus and food gifts. In this blog I've posted recipes for Matcha Green Tea Donuts, Green Tea Croquembouche, and Ice Cream Bombe. I also contributed a recipe for Matcha Green Tea Marshmallows in the cook book to benefit Japan's rebuilding, called Peko Peko.

Recently I made these Matcha Green Tea Mini-Cupcakes for a "Hollywood Benefit" and topped them with edible gold for a little glamour. Then, oops, I made a few too many, what will I ever do with the extra? I guess I'll have to just keep them here in case someone at home (ME) would want one (SEVERAL) for lunch (and ALL DAY.) It's okay, they're a "healthy" dessert. Sorta. Here's the true healthy part:

Matcha Green Tea is a special crafted tea from Japan. It is grown in an elaborate process involving tender plants covered at a certain time to protect the chlorophyll and keep the leaves soft and dark green. Then it's steamed, dried and ground by stone (and sometimes machine) to create the fine brilliant green powder. Matcha Green Tea is not just tea made from brewing the leaves in water, but you are actually drinking the powdered tea leaves, so the benefits are multiplied. Matcha is full of antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and chlorophyll. It can be used as a tea, or as an ingredient for baking, sauces and other drinks.

Matcha has a long history in Japan that includes traditional ceremonies and the correct way to whisk and serve Matcha Green Tea. As with all teas, there are degrees or grades of Matcha based on the age and processing of the ground tea leaves.Many people drink Matcha Green Tea every day. If you have never tried it, or think you didn't enjoy it the first time, keep one rule in mind: Preparation is crucial. Like all fresh quality tea, the temperature of the water, the timing of the brew and the handling of the preparation can make the difference between a delicious cup of tea or a bitter misunderstanding of the libation.As luck would have it, these were also made just in time for this month's LET'S LUNCH bunch. The theme is GREEN and you can't get much greener than Matcha Green Tea Powder. My growing group of virtual lunch pals from all across the globe have even more inventive GREEN food in store for you, so check them out on twitter at #LetsLunch (and a list to be here soon):

Monday Morning Cooking Club - Avocado Dip
A Cook and Her Books - Green Bean Soup
Cowgirl Chef - Notos Pesto
Hapa Mama - How To Brew a Better Pot of Tea
Spice Box Travels - Eat More Kale Chips
Burnt Out Baker - Even Greener Green Chorizo
Wok Star - Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts
Zest Bakery - Pandan Tapioca with Coconut Cream
Geo Fooding - Asparagus with Poached Egg
Maria's Good Things - Brussel Sprouts Slaw
Joe Yonan - Winter = Wood

Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
(makes about 48 mini-cupcakes)

2 cups Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces Butter (soft or room temperature)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolks
2/3 cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea

1) In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Hold.
2) In a cup, mix the milk and Matcha together. Hold.
3) In a Mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
5) Add the flour mixture and the milk/tea mixture to the batter, alternating and beating well after each one.
6) Spoon out into cupcake papers placed in muffin baking tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes (a little less if making mini-cupcakes)Recipe: Matcha Green Tea Butter Frosting

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks) soft
1/4 Cup Cream
4 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea
4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar

1) Mix the Matcha with the Cream into a paste.
2) Beat the butter until light and smooth, then add the Matcha paste.
3) Sift the Powdered Sugar and beat into the butter mixture 1 cup at a time until it reaches the spreading consistency desired.

Nutella Spiral Bread called Povitica (Po-va-teet-sa) - Daring Bakers

Nutella Povitica

Just a few quick notes about the sweet tender addictive bread called, Povitica (Po-va-teet-sa):

Cinnamon Walnut Povitica

1) It's a traditional Eastern European dessert bread that is often served at holiday.

2) Original recipes included a spiced walnut spread. 3) The dough is rolled out so thin you can see a picture through it.


4) The Nutella was my idea, don't blame or credit the masters of this form.

5) The recipe looks more complicated than it is. Make an afternoon or night of it and enjoy the process.


This is one of the many inspiring recipes from the monthly "sorta online baking club" called, The Daring Bakers. I've posted many of the monthly challenges, but haven't talked about how it all works in a while.
One obvious proof that this "virtual baking group" works is in the numbers. In 2007 there were only 7 members, now there are thousands. I know, right? There are no fees, no drama, no giant commitments past your own personal desire to be challenged and grow. Each month a chosen member will post on the forum a particular recipe along with information, sometimes history and a very extensive pictorial guide to a certain baked good or procedure.

Then, on a certain day everyone posts their spin and journey with that recipe. You don't even have to have a blog for it, you can just participate and play along on your own.

Some of the challenges have been homemade Croissants (here), Dobos Torta (here), Macarons (here), Canoli (here), Nanaimo Bars (here), and Orange Tians (here) just as a start. The list goes on and on, and includes some fun holiday ideas, too. Just do a search on this site for Daring Bakers and it will come up with many many more. Here's why I'm telling ya this - YOU can join, too. At least check it out if you enjoy baking or cooking (there is one just for cooking called, Daring Cooks.) There's nothing in this for me by telling you about it, except someone told me and it's been a giant ball of fun and real challenge (in a great way.) Let me know if you try it, so I can come check out your post, too and see our spin on next month's recipe. That's another fun part, they don't reveal the next recipe until a certain day. You can read all about it there (here) - but for now, how great is this bread, huh? The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk.

Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat! ***The recipe as given and developed by our sweet hostess this month would make 4 loaves of bread. I used her "Half Batch" recipe for making two loaves (a move I would regret as I was eating the last crumbs of the second loaf and wishing I had another in the freezer.) To make 4 loaves, just double.

Recipe: Povitica with Nutella Spread (and one with Walnut Spread)
Half Batch Dough Ingredients (Makes two loaves each 1.25 lbs/565 grams)

To activate the Yeast:

1 Teaspoon (5 ml/4 1⁄2 gm) Sugar
1⁄2 Teaspoon (21⁄2 ml/11⁄2 gm) All-Purpose (Plain) Flour
1⁄4 Cup (60 ml) Warm Water
1 Tablespoon (15 ml/7 gm/1⁄4 oz/1 sachet) Dry Yeast

Dough:

1 Cup (240 ml) Whole Milk
6 Tablespoons (90 ml/85 gm/3 oz) Sugar
11⁄2 Teaspoons (71⁄2 ml/9 gm/1/3 oz) Table Salt
2 Large Eggs
1⁄4 Cup (60 ml/60 gm/1⁄2 stick/2 oz) Unsalted Butter, melted
4 cups (960 ml/560 gm/193⁄4 oz/11⁄4 lb) All-Purpose Flour, measure first then sift, divided (** I found I needed almost a 5th cup because the dough was too sticky**)

Topping: 1⁄4 Cup (60 ml) Cold STRONG Coffee
1 Tablespoon (15 ml/14 gm/1⁄2 oz) Granulated Sugar
Melted Butter

Half Batch Filling Ingredients
(enough filling for the two loaves)

3 1/2 cups (840 ml/560 gm/1 1/4 lb/20oz) Ground English Walnuts
1⁄2 Cup (120 ml) Whole Milk
1⁄2 Cup (120 ml/115 gm/1 stick/4 oz) Unsalted Butter 1 Whole Egg, Beaten
1⁄2 Teaspoon (21⁄2 ml) Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Cup (240 ml/225 gm/8 oz) Sugar
1⁄2 Teaspoon (21⁄2 ml/2 gm) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1⁄2 Teaspoon (21⁄2 ml/11⁄2 gm) Cinnamon

****MY OWN NUTELLA FILLING (enough for one loaf) 1 cup Nutella 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup Heavy Cream Whip all ingredients in a bowl until smooth and fluffy. Spread on the thin rolled out dough, following same directions as the Walnut Filling.
*****

To Activate Yeast:
1. In a small bowl, stir sugar, flour, and the yeast into 1⁄4 cup warm water and cover with plastic wrap.
2. Allow to stand for 5 minutes

To Make the Dough:
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk up to just below boiling (about 180°F/82°C), stirring constantly so that a film does not form on the top of the milk. You want it hot enough to scald you, but not boiling. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 110°F/43°C.
4. In a large bowl, mix the scalded milk, sugar, and the salt until combined.
5. Add the beaten eggs, yeast mixture, melted butter, and about 1/4 of the flour.
6. Blend thoroughly and slowly add remaining flour, mixing well until the dough starts to clean the bowl.
7. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead, gradually adding flour a little at a time, until smooth and does not stick.
8. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces
9. Place dough in 2 lightly oiled bowls, cover loosely with a layer of plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and let rise an hour and a half in a warm place, until doubled in size.

To Make the Filling
10. In a large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cocoa.
11. Heat the milk and butter to boiling.
12. Pour the liquid over the nut/sugar mixture.
13. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
14. Allow to stand at room temperature until ready to be spread on the dough.
15. If the mixture thickens, add a small amount of warm milk.

To Roll and Assemble the Dough:

16. Spread a clean sheet or cloth over your entire table so that it is covered.
17. Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons to a handful of flour (use flour sparingly)
18. Place the dough on the sheet and roll the dough out with a rolling pin, starting in the middle
and working your way out, until it measures roughly 10-12 inches (251⁄2 cm by 301⁄2 cm) in diameter.
19. Spoon 1 to 1.5 teaspoons (5ml to 7 1⁄2 ml/4 gm to 7 gm) of melted butter on top.
20. Using the tops of your hands, stretch dough out from the center until the dough is thin and uniformly opaque. You can also use your rolling pin, if you prefer.
21. As you work, continually pick up the dough from the table, not only to help in stretching it out, but also to make sure that it isn’t sticking.
22. When you think it the dough is thin enough, try to get it a little thinner. It should be so thin that you can see the color and perhaps the pattern of the sheet underneath.
23. Spoon filling (see below for recipe) evenly over dough until covered.
24. Lift the edge of the cloth and gently roll the dough like a jelly roll.
25. Once the dough is rolled up into a rope, gently lift it up and place it into a greased loaf pan in the shape of a “U”, with the ends meeting in the middle. You want to coil the dough around itself, as this will give the dough its characteristic look when sliced.
26. Repeat with remaining three loaves, coiling each rope of dough in its own loaf pan.
27. Brush the top of each loaf with a mixture of 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of cold STRONG coffee and 2 tablespoons (30ml/28 gm/1 oz) of sugar. If you prefer, you can also use egg whites in place of this.
28. Cover pans lightly will plastic wrap and allow to rest for approximately 15 minutes.
29. Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
30. Remove plastic wrap from dough and place
into the preheated oven and bake for
approximately 15 minutes.
31. Turn down the oven temperature to slow 300°F/150°C/gas mark 2 and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until done.
32. Remove bread from oven and brush with melted butter.
33. Check the bread every 30 minutes to ensure that the bread is not getting too brown. You may cover the loaves with a sheet of aluminum foil if you need to.
34. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes.
35. It is recommended that the best way to cut Povitica loaves into slices is by turning the loaf upside down and slicing with a serrated knife.

Gingerbread Spice Biscotti

Gingerbread Spice Biscotti

There are times when smells, flavors, voices, songs or lighting can turn into your own personal time machine. Dipping one of these crunchy, not-too-sweet, toasted Gingerbread Spice Biscotti into a cup of tea/coffee/or hot chocolate while listening to Sounds of the Season and gazing at twinkling lights - well - it's your own little sleigh into blissdom.During the snowy, freezing winter months in North Carolina, very often my school bus would be late or gloriously weather bound. School would be canceled and my brother and I would be left to hang out by a warming stove at my Grandmother's farm house. That also meant we would be there for the morning biscuits - hot out of the oven. She would wrap one for each of us in a paper napkin, poke a hole through the top (steam billowing out like a little pastry locomotive) then she'd pour in a drizzle of black strap molasses. I've never had an Italian pastry that could compare or make me giggle as much as standing beside a wood-burning fire, wearing snow-soaked boots and sinking my teeth into that warm, sticky, sweet baked dough-ball.It's the molasses in this biscotti, along with the always smile-provoking spices of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon that make this little toasted cookie/biscuit so addictive. I'm not even a giant fan of gingerbread (to be honest), but the molasses have kept me making these and eating half of them myself for a few years now. They make great gifts and because they keep well you can make them ahead of time. As with most biscotti, these are baked twice: once as a long loaf, then sliced and toasted to create the crumble and snap that is so good for dipping. If you prefer them a little softer, you can skip the second baking - but at least try it once or with half the pastry.The word "Biscotti" is Italian and the Tuscan region gets credit for creating them. It means "cookie" or "biscuit" in Italian, but is literally a combo of the words "twice" and "cooked". The second baking helps to take out the moisture and is why they can last a very long time.

One of my favorite things about biscotti is you can eat it any time: as a snack, with a hot drink, as a dessert, or as a breakfast bread.RECIPE: Gingerbread Spice Biscotti

1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (4 oz.)
2 eggs
1/3 cup Molasses

2 1/2 cup AP Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

*optional- 1/2 cup sliced almonds

1) In a large bowl beat together the sugars and butter.
2) Then add eggs one at a time, beating well, then beat in molasses.
3) In another bowl: combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and all the spices.
4) Add the flour & spices, etc. to the butter mixture and beat on low until blended.
5) Stir in the almonds
6) Pull dough together; it will be quite sticky. Place on floured board and divide into small narrow loaves:7) Bake in a preheated oven set on 350 F, until firm ( about 20 minutes). Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove to cool on a rack for about 10 more minutes.
8) Cut into diagonals of about 1 inch or less slices. Return these slices to the pan, lower oven to 300F, and bake for 5-8 minutes on each side.
As the twice baked biscotti cool, they will become crunchy little cookies that act like tough guys until you dip them into warm coffee/tea/hot chocolate or a nice glass of Vin Santo. In the time it takes to get from the glass to your mouth, they will dissolve into a juicy little bite of spicy gingerbread. Enjoy!

Blackberry, Blueberry, Port Wine Jam - Sing it!

The path to my grandmother's house was through the woods. And, no matter how many times I was told as a kid to go straight through without stopping - I got distracted. A 2 minute walk turned into a 20 minute journey. Can you blame me? The path was lined with walls of wild blackberries.

BLACKBERRY, BLUEBERRY, PORT WINE JAM

This month's TigressCanJam ingredient was any product considered an "-erry". That meant strawberries, loganberries, blueberries, cranberries...get it? "-erries". Fun, right? It was almost TOO open for my easily distracted and multi-loving personality. I let the Farmer's Market decide for me, and when the "childhood memory" met with a great price, these black beauties won. But then, I got home to find my little Blueberry bush had turned into a it's own dark jeweled beauty and I couldn't resist having some blueberries join the jamming.
The Port seemed a natural mix and a way to sophisticate the flavors; I was hoping to actually create a jam for breakfast bread, but also a nice marinade or sauce addition to main entrees. I tried it on a nice lean Pork Tenderloin roast with mushrooms. It was the perfect addition to bring a little tang to the umami that was already there.
The recipe is a little from childhood memory (after a while, even Grandma recognized a good berry picker when she saw one), and a little experimentation. It's very simple and I've had great response to this jam as a biscuit topper and as an enhancer. Jam on!

RECIPE: Blackberry, Blueberry, Port Wine Jam
24 oz. Fresh Blackberries (crushed)
8 oz. Fresh Blueberries
1lb 6 oz. organic sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup Port (Warriors is a good balance)

Add the crushed black berries, the blueberries and the sugar to a large, deep pot. Heat on low, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the lemon juice and bring the heat up to Med/High, stirring to blend.
Cook until the berry mixture reaches 220F. Carefully add the Port, stir and reheat to 222F (or check the jam set on a pre-chilled plate in the freezer. If a dollop of jam doesn't run on the pre-chilled plate, the set is good.)

Remove from the heat and let rest for 3-5 minutes so the berries can mix with the syrup. If any obvious hard blackberry cores rise to the top, remove them for a smoother jam.

Pour hot jam into sterilized jars, seal properly and finish with a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
If you don't want to can this jam, just follow the recipe and pour into refrigerator containers, let cool and keep air tight in refrigerator (for 2 weeks).

10 Minute Crackers - Simple Saturday

Sometimes I can't keep my opinion to myself. The other day, in the middle of the grocery aisle, I blurted out, "You have GOT to be kidding me" upon viewing a box of "gourmet" crackers for 8 bucks. It rattled a few of the cart pushers around me, but come on. You can easily make crackers that do NOT cost that much, and take less time than finding your car keys to drive to the store.

10 Minute Crackers

I will be the first one to gladly pay for top ingredients, divine technique, local farm produced pesticide free vegetables, and talented chef's creations. But sometimes, folks, it's just the packaging they're selling. There are wonderful recipes for Lavash, and Yeast crackers that are well worth the time and effort, but for just a quick basic cracker that you can turn into "Your Made Gourmet", this quick recipe rules.

I've added a few ideas to jazz it up, but just open your pantry and try stuff; it's the best way!

***Warning*** You may get hooked on experimenting with seasonings and toppings on these very easy and addictive crackers.
RECIPE: 10 Minute Crackers

1 cup AP Flour (but experiment with other flours, too)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup Butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. Salt
water (or milk, or experiment with other liquids)

1- In a Food Processor - Pulse the flour, salt, cheese and butter for about 15-20 hits until it's crumbly. (You can also do this by hand and work the butter in until the dry ingredients are crumbly.)

2- Add the water a little at a time, pulsing between additions, til a soft dough gathers up in the bowl. You may not need all of the water.

3- Place the dough on a floured surface and do either of these:

LOG, CHILL and SLICE:

1) Roll into a log the diameter you want your crackers to be.
2) Roll the log in seasonings of choice (ie, mushroom powder [recipe below], fleur de sel, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dry herbs, etc.)
3) Cover in plastic and chill the log for at least 1 hour
4) Slice into thin rounds
5) Place on a parchment covered baking pan and bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes depending how thin the crackers.
6) Cool and keep in an airtight container.

OR...

ROLL OUT and BAKE:

1) Roll dough out thin onto a parchment paper that you then place on a baking sheet.
2) Sprinkle onto the sheet of dough: seasonings (as mentioned above, or nuts, or seeds)
3) Score the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into squares or shapes as desired.
4) Bake in a 400F oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how thin the dough has been rolled.
5) Cool and keep in an airtight container.

RECIPE: Dried Mushroom Powder
Using Dried Wild Mushrooms - place in a coffee grinder or spice grinder and pulse for 30 seconds at a time until you reach a nice powder form. Use for rolling the cracker dough log in or for sprinkling on the rolled out cracker dough before baking.


You could easily design your own gourmet crackers and can you imagine what your friends will say when you tell them you MADE the crackers you're serving with cheese tonight. Probably something like, "You have GOT to be kidding me!"