by sweetenuf | Aug 31, 2016 | Cookies and Biscotti
This recipe is straight from the Ghirardelli site. Light, crisp and filled with toasted hazelnuts this biscotti does not disappoint. Although I’m not usually a fan of chocolate biscotti (did I just say that?!) as I often find the biscotti taste just too one dimensional, the chocolate in this recipe adds another layer of flavour, along side the toasted hazelnuts and semi-sweet chocolate.
No hazelnuts or semi-sweet chocolate? Use walnuts or pecans but toast first to bring out the flavour. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate use white chocolate or dark chocolate. I used white chocolate chips along with the hazelnuts in my biscotti. Like all biscotti these will keep for a couple of weeks on the counter as long as they are well wrapped. Great to add-in to your school or work lunch. These sturdy cookies pack well!
Double Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti
Preheat oven to 350F. Parchment line 2 cookie sheets or 1 large cookie sheet.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa
4 ounces Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, ground chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate of your choice).
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla, and stir until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes, on medium, until the dough comes together. The dough should adhere to the beaters. Fold in the nuts.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and shape into 1 1/4-inch X 10-inch log and flatten slightly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Turn oven to 300F. Cut into 1-inch thick slices with a serrated knife and space slightly apart on cookie sheets. Return to 300F oven and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes.
If you prefer a softer biscotti remove from oven about 5 minutes sooner.
Cool and enjoy.
by sweetenuf | Aug 25, 2016 | Cakes and Cupcakes
These cupcakes are versatile and will become a favourite. Just because, or for your next special occasion, these are sure to fit the bill.
To take them over the top fold in about 1/2 cup of mini white chocolate chips before baking.
Dense without being heavy and flavourful as well as moist these cupcakes can be topped with the white chocolate buttercream I shared on the blog back in June or your favourite icing. Sprinkle with some Jimmies or top with Maltesers or chocolate sprinkles for added glamour.
I decorated each cupcake with a swirl of white chocolate buttercream and completed each one differently for fun. Let your creative side shine.
White Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing
(modified from Intensely Chocolate by Carole Bloom)
Preheat oven to 350F and paper line 18 muffin cups.
Ingredients:
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped or white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, to fold into batter before filling muffin cups)
Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave on low. Mix until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
With an electric mixer beat the butter until creamy about 1 minute. Add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
In a small bowl beat the eggs and vanilla together. Add this into the creamed butter/sugar mixture and mix in well.
Scrape down bowl and beaters. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cream in 3 additions and scrape down bowl and beaters again.
Add in the melted white chocolate and mix in gently to blend thoroughly.
Fill the muffin cups half full and bake for approximately 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Cupcakes are done when the tops spring back lightly when touched or a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool completely before topping off with your favourite icing and sprinkles.
by sweetenuf | Aug 17, 2016 | Sauces - Sweet or Savoury
Bad hair day (I have experienced just way too many of these to count this summer), happy day, sad day, hot day, hotter day, hotter the Hell plus humidity day or any day that ends in ‘Y’, is a great day for chocolate or chocolate sauce or fudge sauce or….well, I think you see where I’m going with this post.
In a matter of about 20 minutes you can cook up your own supply of fudge sauce. This simple and delicious recipe is from Fine Cooking and will yield you about 1 1/4 cups of rich sweet sauce to drizzle on pound cake, fresh fruit, whipping cream, ice cream or whatever else you are craving at the moment, like these homemade light as air and chewy marshmallows (another blog coming your way…). Did I mention the marshmallows were homemade, by me?!
Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup boiling water
Method:
In a small saucepan mix the cocoa with just enough hot water to stir into a smooth paste. Add in remainder of hot water and stir to dissolve the cocoa.
Add in the butter and cook over a low heat until butter has melted completely. Add in sugar and corn syrup and with a wooden spoon gently stir until combined. During this time have a pastry brush and small cup of water to clean off any crystals that form along edge of saucepan. Now bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat (you want to see bubbles along the edges but not the mixture boiling furiously).
As soon as you see the bubbles along edges set timer for 8 minutes and DO NOT STIR. Just let the mixture bubble away. YOU MAY NEED TO ADJUST HEAT TO KEEP IT SIMMERING.
Either wash or grab a clean wooden spoon as you don’t want to put any sugar crystals into your sauce and once mixture is off the heat stir in the vanilla. Let cool slightly before pouring into jar or containers.
Store in fridge and you can use chilled or heat gently over hot water or in microwave.
Below: Mango Sorbet drizzled with straight from the fridge sauce! Scrumptiously deliciously good!!
Recent Comments