FARE

The Truffle Shuffle

‘I’d make a million trips to his lips

If I were a bee

Because he’s sweeter than chocolate candy to me

He’s confectionary’

~ Billy Holiday

I don’t know Billy…chocolate candy is pretty sweet.

Whether making truffles or listening to Billy Holiday, there’s a whole lot of shuffling going on. From the double boiler to the fridge shuffle shuffle; from the ganache centre into the tempered couveture shuffle shuffle; from the parchment to the taste buds shuffle shuffle. Yes. I shuffle, when I eat a truffle…I’d eat them in a box with a fox, in a house with a mouse, here or there or anywhere…

I just cornered the market on people who search Truffles, Billy Holiday and Dr. Seuss. That was not my intention. 

What was I saying?

I sure like chocolate.

Pistachio Apricot Chocolate Truffles

275g white chocolate

125g heavy cream

1 1/2 Tbls. apricot jam

85g ground pistachios

350g dark chocolate

In a food processor grind pistachios finely with some small chunks throughout.

To make the white chocolate pistachio apricot ganache, chop the white chocolate finely and place in a metal bowl with the apricot jam. In a heavy sauce pan bring cream just to the boil then pour it over the white chocolate jam, then cover immediately with plastic wrap. Let sit for 4-5 minutes before removing the plastic wrap. Stir the cream, chocolate and together until smooth. If there are still chocolate chunks, heat water in the heavy sauce pan and place bowl with chocolate over top, creating a double boiler to heat the chocolate until all the chunks are dissolved. Stir in the pistachios keeping some aside for later then cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The ganache needs to firm up.

Once the ganache is firm, remove from fridge and scoop out 1 teaspoon portions, roll into balls and place on a parchment lined cookie tray. Pop back into the fridge while you prepare the dark chocolate.

Now to temper the dark chocolate. Over a double boiler melt about 285g of dark chocolate to between 40-45 degrees Celsius. Take special care not to get water in the chocolate or it will seize and you won’t be able to use it to coat your truffles. Remove chocolate from heat and add the remaining 65g of dark chocolate, stir in until melted. Take the temperature of the chocolate and if it hasn’t reached 28 degrees Celsius then continue to stir until it has cooled to 28. As soon as it reaches 28 degrees Celsius place it back over the double boiler for just a few moments until you bring the heat back up to 31 or 32 degrees Celsius. Be sure not to go past 32 or the chocolate will not be tempered. You’ll want a good digital thermometer to do this unless you have years of chocolate tempering under your belt and you can do it just by looking at it.

Prepare another cookie tray with parchment paper and grab your firmed up ganache balls from the fridge. You’ll want to work fast so get a fork or candy dipping tool and get dipping. Drop your dipped balls onto the clean parchment, sprinkle right away with ground pistachios and try not to get chocolate in your hair. It’s going to get messy but that’s part of the fun.

The truffles are best enjoyed a day after they’ve been dipped. If they last that long. You can leave them at room temperature or pop them into the fridge. I don’t have a lot of moisture in my fridge and I didn’t have an issue with sugar bloom on my chocolate.

Makes 35-40

P.S. Incidentally, it was Dr. Suess’s birthday yesterday! 

Photos and recipe by Maggie Murphy

Where’s The Meat?

There isn’t an option for comments on this particular tumblr theme. It’s nice to get feedback but I’m also happy with the way my blog is set up in that regard. It’s like I’ve built a pretty building (that may have some faults) but every time the graffiti kids walk by, they’re all out of spray paint and I’m yelling out the window from the top floor, ‘Yesss! What’s up now?!! You…graffiti kids you!’

However, a good friend of mine asked me a while ago, ‘Where’s the meat? How about some bacon?’. This is a fair question. I like meat. I make it and I eat it. For some reason it hasn’t made much of an appearance here. I’ve thought about it, quite a bit actually. My fear of photographing meat is rooted in a stuffed chicken breast I made last year (it didn’t make it onto the blog). No matter what I did, it looked like I’d chewed it up and spit it onto the plate. I realize I owe meat another chance in front of the lens. This is why I’m dedicating some space to a few meat dishes, at some point, not too far away. Maybe even some raw meat photos - Whoa! Look out!

So umm, I hope you like these Carrot & Parsnip Fritters. They’re freaking delicious (delicious = the most over used word used to describe food, which should be avoided at all costs when writing about food).

Carrot & Parsnip Fritters with Lime Cilantro Yogurt

7 small-medium carrots

3 medium parsnips

1 medium sweet onion

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1 bunch fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic

4 eggs

3 Tbls. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying

In a small pan, toast cumin and coriander until fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Peel and grate carrots and parsnips. Combine them with the finely diced onion, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, cumin and coriander. Fold in the flour then add the beaten eggs, salt and pepper. 

Heat a saute pan to medium and add a glug of oil (about 2 Tbls). Place a large tablespoon of the carrot/parsnip mixture (do 3 at a time) into the hot oil and spread out with the back of the spoon. Fry the fritters on both sides until golden brown, crispy and cooked through. Keep in a warm oven until you’re ready to eat.

Lime Cilantro Yogurt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup cilantro

Zest of 1 lime

1/4 of the juice of 1 lime

Chop cilantro. Mix yogurt, lime zest, juice and cilantro together.

Dollop on top of fritters, garnish with capers and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Photos and recipe by Maggie Murphy

Cake Days

It was the week of cakes and the month of birthdays. From early January to early February there are a combined, seven birthdays in my immediate family, three of which land on the same day. Conveniently, cakes have been the focus at school these last few weeks. Since we have some practical cake baking and decorating exams coming up, I thought it best I get in a little practice.

One birthday guy got a girly cake, that despite my husbands astounding, opposing forces, homemade cake carrier creation, still fell over in the car when we turned off the highway. For about 5 minutes after that I imagined all the bakers of the world crying a little bit. 

It still tasted good. It’s the eating part that’s a cake walk.

Lemon Curd Sponge Cake

For the Genoise sponge cake:

5 eggs

132g sugar (berry or granulated)

95g cake flour

38g cornstarch

32g vegetable oil

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8” round pan with cooking spray. If you do not have a spring for version, be sure to cut out a piece of parchment to lay on top of the sprayed pan as well.

Over a Bain Marie, warm eggs and sugar to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the egg sugar mixture while it’s warming to avoid cooking the eggs. Once it hits 110, pour it into your mixing bowl and with the whisk attachment, whip on high speed for about 7-8 minutes or until the meringue is stiff, shiny and is no longer warm. Turn the mixer down to a medium speed and continue to whip for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Sift in the flour and cornstarch in 3-4 stages and gently fold it into the meringue mixture by hand, ensuring there are no flour clumps. Don’t be afraid about deflating the meringue as you work. You do want to have it deflate somewhat.

When the flour is fully incorporated, pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake immediately.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top. The cake is ready to be pulled from the oven when it is pulling away from the sides and it springs back after you touch it. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to cook on a wire rack.

You can store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks if it is well wrapped.

For the lemon buttercream:

1 cup sugar

5 large egg whites

3 sticks (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp lemon oil (to taste)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk egg whites and sugar constantly. Keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. You want the sugar to be dissolved and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream (temperature should be about 238-240F). Transfer the mixture to your mixing bowl and with the whisk attachment beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a shiny thick meringue, about 5-6 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time. When all the butter has been added and is fully incorporated add the lemon oil and vanilla extract. Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, about 7-8 minutes. Cover and set aside.

For the lemon curd:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbls unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

In a heavy saucepan, heat lemon juice and butter over medium-high heat. Bring it to barely a boil.

In a separate heat proof bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolk and sugar together until smooth. Slowly pour the hot lemon mixture into the sugar and eggs while whisking rapidly.

Return the lemon/egg mixture to the saucepan over a medium heat and stir constantly for the next 2-4 minutes. The curd will begin to thicken after about 2 minutes. To test whether the curd is ready, dip a spoon into the pot and draw your finger along the underside. When curd holds the trail pull it off the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Add the vanilla and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.

For the simple syrup:

200g sugar

250 g water

1 orange

In a heavy saucepan, heat the sugar, water and a few slice of orange. Bring it to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let it cool, then transfer it to a jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Assemble the cake:

Slice the cake into 3 equal pieces. Flip the middle and top pieces upside down to help flatten out the top of the cake. Brush the bottom layer with simple syrup then spread a good layer of lemon curd evenly. Place the middle cake round on top. Brush a coat of simple syrup on the second cake round and spread another good layer of lemon curd. Place the last cake piece on top and add a coat of simple syrup on top. Using the lemon flavoured buttercream, crumb coat the cake. 

Place the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes. 

When the crumb coat is set, pull cake from the freezer/fridge and cover with buttercream. Decorate however you like!

Serves 8

Genoise Sponge recipe from SAIT curriculum

Buttercream Recipe altered from Tartlette

Lemon Curd Recipe from Fine Cooking

Photos and cake inspiration by Maggie Murphy