Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Double Dark Chocolate Ganache Mini Cupcakes
School is out and I have been baking up a storm! As fast as I've been baking treats they've been eaten or given to friends and family, but I managed to get photos of a few things. I've been using Chocolate in most of my Christmas treats, Dan and I have become quite good at tempering chocolate and once it's in temper its very easy to use. It's also much easier if you use good chocolate, we bought a huge block of Callebaut. (Thanks again Marina for picking that up for me). To temper all you need is a good digital thermometer and a heat proof bowl. Dark Chocolate is at working temperature at about 32 degrees.
Easy Tempering:
Suspend the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to melt the chocolate (do NOT get water in the chocolate it will seize and be ruined). Take it off the heat and stir in bits of chocolate to lower the temperature, don't be afraid to add larger chunks. As it gets close to the right temperature add a large piece which will act as a seed to teach the sugar in the chocolate to crystalize, then stir, stir, stir. You'll feel it beggining to thicken when it is ready. If it gets too thick just put it back on the heat and repeat the process.
Oh and don't forget to set chocolate aside to stir in to cool and to act as large seed pieces, you will need to set at least 20% aside for this. (If you'd like to learn more about how work with chocolate you can always come take a class at the cookhouse where I work, Tomeq is a wonderful teacher.)
A word of caution: do NOT get water in the chocolate it will seize and be ruined. Also as soon as the chocolate is just about melted take it off the heat.
Recipe:
cupcake:
1 50ml bottle amaretto cream
200ml buttermilk at room temp'
1/2 cup dark dutch cocoa
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp' (1 1/2 sticks)
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg white at room temp'
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
Cream butter until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in the sugar gradually and add the vanilla. Add eggs one at a time just mixing until combined. With a spatula gently mix in the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk/amaretto cream alternately in three additions. Fill cups at bake at 300f (dark pan) or 350f (silver pan) until the tops will spring back when you touch them with your finger.
Ganache:
The bad news is I'm afraid I don't have a ganache recipe, I always just make it intuitively. The good news is it's easy. Melt some chocolate add a splash of liquer (I recommend Gran Marnier and a smidgen of pomegranate juice) and stir in room temperature heavy cream (whipping) until its nice and smooth. It should be silky and easy to spread. It may seem a little melty at first but it will harden up as the chocolate cools. Don't be afraid you can always add more chocolate or cream. Easy peasy, just follow your tastebuds.
Check back for the pictures of our chocolates!
School is out and I have been baking up a storm! As fast as I've been baking treats they've been eaten or given to friends and family, but I managed to get photos of a few things. I've been using Chocolate in most of my Christmas treats, Dan and I have become quite good at tempering chocolate and once it's in temper its very easy to use. It's also much easier if you use good chocolate, we bought a huge block of Callebaut. (Thanks again Marina for picking that up for me). To temper all you need is a good digital thermometer and a heat proof bowl. Dark Chocolate is at working temperature at about 32 degrees.
Easy Tempering:
Suspend the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to melt the chocolate (do NOT get water in the chocolate it will seize and be ruined). Take it off the heat and stir in bits of chocolate to lower the temperature, don't be afraid to add larger chunks. As it gets close to the right temperature add a large piece which will act as a seed to teach the sugar in the chocolate to crystalize, then stir, stir, stir. You'll feel it beggining to thicken when it is ready. If it gets too thick just put it back on the heat and repeat the process.
Oh and don't forget to set chocolate aside to stir in to cool and to act as large seed pieces, you will need to set at least 20% aside for this. (If you'd like to learn more about how work with chocolate you can always come take a class at the cookhouse where I work, Tomeq is a wonderful teacher.)
A word of caution: do NOT get water in the chocolate it will seize and be ruined. Also as soon as the chocolate is just about melted take it off the heat.
Recipe:
cupcake:
1 50ml bottle amaretto cream
200ml buttermilk at room temp'
1/2 cup dark dutch cocoa
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp' (1 1/2 sticks)
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg white at room temp'
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
Cream butter until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in the sugar gradually and add the vanilla. Add eggs one at a time just mixing until combined. With a spatula gently mix in the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk/amaretto cream alternately in three additions. Fill cups at bake at 300f (dark pan) or 350f (silver pan) until the tops will spring back when you touch them with your finger.
Ganache:
The bad news is I'm afraid I don't have a ganache recipe, I always just make it intuitively. The good news is it's easy. Melt some chocolate add a splash of liquer (I recommend Gran Marnier and a smidgen of pomegranate juice) and stir in room temperature heavy cream (whipping) until its nice and smooth. It should be silky and easy to spread. It may seem a little melty at first but it will harden up as the chocolate cools. Don't be afraid you can always add more chocolate or cream. Easy peasy, just follow your tastebuds.
Check back for the pictures of our chocolates!
posted by Kelly at 10:50 PM
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