Celebratory cupcakes for the all star nutrition graduate team....PB and banana chocolate delights~!

Recipe is here to be examined..for these nuggets of delight!

~ PB and banana chocolate delights ~

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup (2 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon salt
2 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup yogourt  (Non-Greek style)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped walnuts and peanut butter for decor
Chocolate Ganache Topping - recipe follows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake pans and set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, yogourt, and vanilla; mix to combine. Scoop evenly into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. 
4. To decorate, spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the center of the cupcakes, pipe the chocolate ganache topping over the PB, and decorate it with a chopped Walnut.

Bon Appetit~!

~ Chocolate Ganache Topping ~

5 oz good quality dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Chop dark chocolate into small chunks and set aside in a glass bowl.
2. In a small saucier, heat heavy cream just until it comes to a boil, and pour onto the chopped chocolate. Stir the mixture gently and incorporate the chocolate into the cream until it comes together into a velvety consistency (do not over mix). Allow it to set to soft butter consistency inside the fridge (check every 15mins).
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the semi-set chocolate ganache until it is the consistency of whipped butter. It is now ready to fill a piping bag and used to decorate your cupcakes!

A little spice to "uniquify" a beloved treat....Cinnamon Ginger Cocoa Rice Krispies Treat with Toasted Almonds~!

Wanting to spice up my dear friends with this treat....perfect for post moving rejuvenation!

~ Cinnamon Ginger Cocoa Rice Krispies Treat with Toasted Almonds ~

6 tbs Unsalted butter
2 x 10 oz package Miniature marshmallow
8 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
8oz slivered almonds, toasted (this can be easily replaced with your favourite nut or unsweetened toasted coconut flakes)

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the spices and salt.
2. Stir in the cereal and nuts until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into a well buttered 13 x 13 x 2-inch pan. Allow the mixture to cool.
4. Allow it to solidify prior cutting into desired sizes and shapes.


 ~ Bon Appetit!

Infuse a little fragrance into a ganache tart for celebration....Saffron Ganache Tarte with caramelized nuts!

A friend's graduation/summer celebrations always deserve some extra jazz! Among those glistening jewels of caramelized hazelnuts and pecans that dressed a tart with flaky buttery crust, your friends will be dazzled by a molten rich ganache that excites your olfactory nerves with lingering perfume.



~ Saffron Ganache Tarte with caramelized nuts ~

Ingredients:

Pre-baked homemade French pate sucree tart shells, glaze the interior with melted chocolate
Caramelized nuts (a combination of your favourite nuts..hazelnuts, pecans, almonds!)
Saffron chocolate ganache:
6 oz dark chocolate (66% to 72% cacao), chopped
1 tbs honey
1 cup heavy cream
1 generous pinch of good quality saffron


1. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and honey. Set a fine strainer over the bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-high heat until simmer. Add saffron and allow it to seep for 5 minutes. Pour the cream through the strainer into the chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula and gently stir the cream into chocolate with minimal agitation until the chocolate melts.

3. Pour the cooled ganache mixture into glazed tart shells, allow the ganache to set in refrigerator before decorate the tarts with caramelized nuts.


Bon Appetit~!

Glam-up the traditional Rice Krispie Treat with Earl Grey for a Fetus Fiesta~!

a.k.a., a gender-friendly Baby Shower that just won the Best Title Award!


As the time runs short, I allowed my favourite flavour and aroma to guide through a mysterious venture, giving me the inspiration to dress up an ordinary treat in a savoury couture.


~ Earl Grey Rice Krispie Treat ~



3 tbs Unsalted butter
10 oz package Miniture marshmallow
6 cups Cocoa Rice Krispie
Earl Grey Ganache
- 4 Earl Grey tea bags
- 10 oz Chocolate couverture (60-71% cacao), chopped finely and place in a bowl
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
Melted white chocolate for final touches, French silver dragees optional


1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in the cereal until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Allow the mixture to cool.

4. Pour Earl Grey Ganache (recipe below) and spread evenly over the treat. Allow it to solidify prior cutting into desired sizes and shapes.

5. Drizzle the pieces with white chocolate.


Earl Grey Ganache:

1. In a small sauce pan, bring the heavy cream to a slow simmer.

2. Add the Earl Grey tea bags and allow them to seep in the cream for 5 minutes.

3. Remove the tea bags and bring the heavy cream back to a boil.

4. Pour the boiled cream over the chopped chocolate, allow the chocolate to melt undisturbed for 1 minute.

5. Stir the cream and chocolate mixture gently until chocolate has completely incorporated into the cream.


For further information on Earl Grey tea, please check out my other post:
"Earl Grey....from an obsession to a devotion...."


Bon Appetit~!

A Christmas cookie exchange sparked the integration of my favourite ingredients....Earl Grey Infused Dark Chocolate Cookie!

~ Earl Grey Infused Dark Chocolate Cookie ~
Since I work at a nutrition research laboratory, to make these cookies just a tad healthier, grapeseed oil is used.


This recipe is an extension to a recent article on Earl Grey:
"Earl Grey....from an obsession to a devotion"


Makes 2 dozen cookies

135g grapeseed oil
100g light brown sugar
150g granulated sugar
55g unsweetened cacao
2 Earl Grey tea bags, grind finely with a coffee grinder
3 large eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
50g bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
180g all-purpose flour
7g baking powder
1 pinch salt
200g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped


1. Preheat oven to 350oF. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl with the grapeseed oil, stir in the brown and granulated sugars, then stir in the cacao and Earl Grey tea powder until incorporated.

3. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Scrape in the melted chocolate, and mix until incorporated.

4. Gradually stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions, do not over mix. During the final addition, add the chopped chocolate along with the flour.

5. Freeze the dough for 4 hours or overnight.

6. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough into tightly formed balls using a small ice cream scoop (size 24). Arrange the dough on the prepared baking trays, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes, then turn and bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove cookies from trays with a wide metal spatula and cool on wire rack.

Bon Appetit!

Earl Grey Macaron....new creation for The Macaron Series!

~Earl Grey Macaron~
with dark chocolate hazelnut praline ganache filling....


This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

Makes 20 macarons

Ingredients

Macaron:
65g Almond meal
80g Icing sugar
40g Castor sugar
50g Egg white
8g Earl Grey tea powder

Preheat your oven to 325oF
1. Stack two or three heavy baking trays. Line the top tray with Silpat.
2. Process the almond meal and icing sugar at high speed to achieve a fine powder. Incorporate the Earl Grey tea powder into this mixture and sift to break up any lumps of powder.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites until foamy and just at soft peaks. Gradually beat in the castor sugar, adding a little at a time. Beat on medium speed for a number of minutes until you have a firm, glossy and compact meringue.
4. Sprinkle half of the dry mixture over the meringue and fold in with a spatula using a circular motion around the bowl and under the batter. Repeat with the remaining powder. You don't need to be gentle, but the goal is to incorporate the dry ingredients quickly to avoid overmixing. *It's better to undermix than overmix.
5. The final batter should be the colour of pale brown, smooth and thick but flowing. A ribbon of batter dropped from a spoon onto the top of the remaining batter should take about 30 seconds to disappear.
6. Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 8-10 mm nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking paper. Mild peaks should settle back into the batter eventually. If they don't disappear, tap the tray repeatedly on a table until the peaks have largely disappeared.
7. Leave the piped batter to dry for anywhere between 20 mins and two hours.
8. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 325oF for 12 minutes.
9. At the 5 minute mark the shells should have lifted and developed 'pied' or the feet. At the 6-7 minute mark they should be starting to colour just slightly.
10. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a minute or two.
11. Once removed from the sheet, leave the shells to cool on a wire rack, face up.


Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Ganache Filling:


227g Valrhona 71% chocolate couverture
125mL Heavy Cream
114g Hazelnut Praline Paste (store bought or homemade)

1. Chop couverture finely and place it in a bowl.
2. Heat heavy cream in a saucier till almost boiling.
3. Pour the hot cream into the couverture, allow the couverture to seep in hot cream for 1 minute. Gently stir mixture until all the couverture has melted and incorporated with the cream.
4. Place in refrigerator and allow it to harden to form the ganache.
5. Whip ganache until it reaches a creamy consistancy. Gently fold in the praline paste.


Assemble the Earl Grey Macarons:
1. Place the whipped ganache with praline into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the ganache until the ganache just reaches the rim of the macaron.
3. Dust very lightly with cocoa powder if desired.

Bon Appetit!

Camel....the next big MOO?

A few days ago during my morning ritual of NPR/protocol, a short note on camels' milk and nutrition caught my attention.


Camels' milk is unlikely a familiar ingredient for the palates of the general consumers in the U.S., but half way around the globe people consider it a powerful tonic against many diseases like diabetes and cancer. The Gulf Arabs believe it is an aphrodisiac. Though such health claims would require extensive scientific research, some advocates are determined to bring forth camels' milk into the dairy aisle.


While slightly saltier than cows’ milk, camels' milk consists of almost three times as rich in vitamin C as cow’s milk. It is also known for its significantly higher levels in iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, manufacturing and marketing. One problem lies in the milk itself, which has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT treatment needed to make it long-lasting.

Milking them is yet another challenge; moody camels are known to spit and kick, and mares will give milk only when one of their offspring is nearby. Much respect would be involved when you have dealings with the camels, you can be most certain that they are not more stubborn than cows!


Despite all the hurtles, the world's first camel milk chocolate might be land at chocolatiers near you. The Dubai-based company is aimed to be the "Godiva of the Middle East", and I certainly wouldn't miss to savour a piece.