Chocolate Profiteroles (Cream Puffs)

In order not the waste the packet of whipping cream, I decided to make cream puffs with them. These classic profiteroles as they are called are quite easy to make though I still need to master the skill of piping the puffs.

(Recipe adapted from "CHOCOLATE GALORE" by Caroline Barty)

Ingredients:

• 120g Plain Flour
• 1 tbsp Icing Sugar
• 200ml Water
• 75g Butter (Diced)
• 3 eggs (Beaten)
• 300ml Double Cream
• 2 tbsp Drinking Chocolate Powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Sift flour and icing sugar in a small bowl.
3. Place water and butter in a saucepan and heat gently until butter has melted. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat and quickly add the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
4. With an electric mixer, gradually beat the eggs into the mixture to make the cream choux pastry. Fit a piping bag with a plain tip and fill with the paste. Pipe rounds onto a non-stick baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden - about 18 to 20min.
5. Cut a slit in the middle of the profiterole and leave to cool on wire rack.
6. Whip the cream with the chocolate powder until stiff. Fill a new piping bag with the chocoalte cream and pipe carefully into the hole of each profiterole.
7. Refrigerate for best results

(Yields approx. 12~14 puffs)

Cappuccino Truffles

Another truffles creation! This time Instant Coffee Powder is used to give it a strong coffee taste!

This time round, the truffles are more or less normal sized and they do looks rounder. Hee...hee...

(Recipe adapted from "TRUFFLES" by Dede Wilson)

Ingredients:

• 135ml of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 30g finely ground Instant Coffee Powder
• 227g Milk Couverture Chocolate (Finely chopped)
• 14g White Chocolate Block
• 1 tsp Cocoa Powder
• 20 small fluted paper cups

Method:

1. Place cream and coffee grounds in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and let sit for 10min. Reheat to a simmer, remove from heat and immediately sprinkle chopped milk chocolate into cream. Cover and allow to sit for 5min letting the heat melt the chocolate. Stir very gently until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight or refrigerate until firm about 4hours.
3. Grate white chocolate and toss with 1 tsp cocoa powder in a bowl. Coat hands with cocoa and roll ganache into balls
4. Toss truffles in grated chocolate coating and place in fluted paper cups.
   

(Yields 20 normal-sized truffles)

Chocolate Chippie Mint Cookies

This is a recipe which churns out soft-baked cookies. Not the crispy ones that I expected. It was somewhat a cross between a cookie and a cake. However, it still taste as good if one does not mind the softness of the texture. I've added chocolate chips and omitted the pecan halves for the recipe. And in order to hasten the rolling of the soft dough, I've mixed the chopped Andes Mint Chocolate and the chocolate chips into the dough instead of placing the Andes Mint Chocolate in the centre of each rolled dough.

(Recipe Adapted from http://www.southernfood.about.com)

Ingredients:

• 110g Caster Sugar
• 100g Light Brown Sugar
• 170g Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 2 tbsp Water
• 375g Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Some Andes Chocolate Mint (Chopped)
• Some Chocolate Chips

Method:

1. Cream sugar and butter. Add in eggs, vanilla essence and water. Beat well.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture gradually to the egg mixture, stirring well to mix.
4. Chill dough for at least 4hours or overnight.
5. Add chopped Andes Chocolate Mint and Chocolate Chips to the dough and mix well.
6. Roll into small balls and place on baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in preheated oven at 190C for approximately 10mins or till cookies turn golden brown.
7. Cool completely on cooling rack before storing.

(Yield approx. 58 cookies)

Cola Marshmallows Muffins

This muffins have been on my bake list for a very long time. It was only until today that I get a chance to bake them! Not yet taste them at this point of time but they do smell good!

(Recipe Adapted from Aunty Yochana & the book "MUFFINS GALORE")
Ingredients:

• 250g Self-raising Flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 130g Caster Sugar
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 6 tbsp Cornoil
• 150ml Coca-Cola
• 36 mini marshmallows

Method:

1. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl
2. In a seperate bowl, mix together the egg and corn oil. Mix thoroughly, then add in coca-cola and mix till even
3. Pour the cola mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined
4. Spoon large spoonfuls of batter into muffins cups, add 3 marshmallows and topped with a heapful of batter.
5. Bake at 190C for about 20min or till cooked
6. Remove and let cool before serving
   

Milk Chocolate Truffles

This is my first attempt at making truffles. The process is actually quite simple with few ingredients, however the refridgerating part needs quite a bit of time (nearly 4 hours). But the end result is truly satisfying. Although the shape of the truffles do not look promising and needs a heap more practise but the soft garnache centre was truly addicting! My family couldn't keep their hands off the truffles! I made 1/2 the recipe and it yield 54 mini truffles.

(Recipe adapted from the book "TRUFFLES" by Dede Wilson)

Ingredients: - Yield 54 mini truffles

• 162.5ml Heavy Whipping Cream
• 454g Milk Couverture Chocolate (very finely chopped)
• Cocoa Powder
• Fluted paper cups

Method:

1. Place cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle 227g of chocolate into the cream. Cover and allow to sit for 5 min. The heat will melt the chocolate. Stir very gently until smooth
2. Pour mixture into a bowl, cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and put into the refridgerator for about 4hours or until firm to roll
3. Coat hands with cocoa powder and roll ganache into 3/4-inch balls. Place in a single layer on a flat pan and refrigerate until firm
4. Temper remaining chocolate. Line another pan with aluminium foil, shiny side up, smoothing out any wrinkles and dip truffles into the melted chocolate. Alternatively, roll in chocolate between palms, making as thin and even a coating as possible.
5. Place truffles on prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.
6. Place truffles in fluted paper cups and serve at room temperature