Thursday, December 18, 2014

Dark Chocolate Mint Truffle Mini Bundts #BundtBakers

Homemade dark chocolate mint truffles make these darling little Bundts special. Start at least one day ahead to make sure the truffles have time to set and freeze before baking your little cakes. 

Technically this is not part of the official Christmas Week posts but, seriously, what is more Christmassy than mint? I'm thinking candy canes, After Eights, York Peppermint Patties and all manner of candy bark with crushed mints. I submit to you, nothing is! That is why I was delighted when this month’s Bundt Baker host, Laura from The Spiced Life chose mint as our theme. And since my younger daughter is now home for the holidays, I went with one of her favorites, mint and chocolate. From the time she was tiny, her favorite candy has been those York peppermint patties. It’s a classic combination.

Make sure you scroll on down to the bottom of my recipe to see the mint delights that all the other Bundt Bakers have created for you today.

Ingredients
For the truffles:
1/3 cup + 5 teaspoons or 100ml whipping cream
7 oz or 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I used one bar of plain dark and one bar of dark with mint to add more minty goodness.)
1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
Cocoa and/or powdered sugar, for rolling

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups or 190g plain flour
1 cup or 200g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 27g best-quality cocoa powder
3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup or 150ml sour cream

For the mint glaze:
1 cup or 125g confectioner’s or icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Method
First we need to make the truffles. They are super easy but the chocolate/cream mixture needs time to set before rolling into balls. And then you want to freeze them before adding them to the batter to bake. So, as mentioned in the headnote, start a day early.

The Truffles
Bring the cream just to the boil in a pan or in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave oven. Remove from the stove or microwave and stir in the mint extract and chocolate.

You could eat this with a spoon. Try not to. 

Stir until melted. Cool, then chill in the refrigerator until the mixture is solid, about 2-3 hrs.

Scoop out teaspoons of the mixture and roll into tiny balls with your hands, then roll the balls in cocoa or powdered sugar.

You want at least 24 balls (two per mini Bundt) but will probably get many more since they have to be small to fit in and on the little Bundts. Not to worry. They are delicious and any extras will get eaten. Freeze the truffles till you are ready to bake.

I did half cocoa and half powdered sugar. And yes, there are three big ones. I got tired of rolling when I had enough little ones. 


Okay, so it’s the next day now, right? And your tiny truffles are frozen. On to the cake!

This recipe is from Nigella’s Feast and could not be easier. She chucks everything straight in the food processor but I like to sift my dry ingredients (except the sugar) since sometimes they have lumps. Feel free to follow her method. Original recipe can be found online here.

The Cake Batter
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease and flour your mini Bundt pan or use that baking spray that has flour in it.

Measure your flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix well.

Put the rest of the cake ingredients - sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream - into a food processor. Sift the dry ingredients into the processor.



Process until you have a smooth, thick batter.

You could also eat this with a spoon. Try not to.


Put one scoop of batter into each cup. Press one mint truffle into the batter then top with the remaining batter. I put the powdered sugar ones in the cakes and saved the cocoa ones for on top.



Bake in your preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops are springy to the touch. Clearly the toothpick-in-the-middle test won’t work here.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes then turn the Bundts out to cool on a wire rack. I trimmed the overhanging edges off of my mini Bundts to neaten them up but you can leave yours on if you want.



While the Bundts cool, mix up your glaze.

The Glaze
Put the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl with the mint extract and one tablespoon of milk. Stir well.



Keep adding milk a 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you get the pouring consistency you desire. I like a thick glaze but some people prefer thinner so you have to be the judge.

When the little Bundts are cooled completely, pour or drizzle on the glaze. I like to use a piping bag because it’s less messy than actual drizzling and I have more control.



Top each mini Bundt with a little chocolate mint truffle.



Enjoy!

The truffle inside makes a nice minty,chocolate rich bite near the top of the mini Bundt.






Bundt Bakers Logo


Your Bundts with mint! We've got 'em!

What is Bundt Bakers? It's a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible Bundt cake recipes and inspiration.  You can find information and links to the recipes for each month in our  #BundtBakers page.

How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and the host gets to choose the theme/ingredient.

Would you like to join in the fun? If you are a food blogger, send an email with your blog name and url to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Mulled Wine Fruit Gums

For fans of those chewy little candies called wine gums, this is a Christmas version, full of the spicy flavors of mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple, pear, orange and lemon. Bonus: Your house smells divine as the fruit cooks down. Make these mulled wine fruit gums today!

Food Lust People Love: For fans of those chewy little candies called wine gums, this is a Christmas version, full of the spicy flavors of mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple, pear, orange and lemon. Bonus: Your house smells divine as the fruit cooks down. Make these mulled wine fruit gums today!

This recipe is based on one from the current Jamie magazine (Issue 54, December 2014) but can also be found online here. I didn't want actual bits of fruit in mine so I changed up the method. If you want bits of apple and pear in yours, do not add the sugar until after the fruit has broken down. I took a quick shot, holding the finish gum, before cutting into squares, up to the light and look how pretty the color is.



Mulled Wine Fruit Gums

Ingredients
Vegetable oil or non-stick spray, for greasing pan
1 1/3 lbs or 600g apples
10 1/2 oz or 300g pears
2 1/4 cups or 530ml red wine
1 cup or 240ml orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons total, divided)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 star anise
3 1/2 cups or 700g golden granulated sugar
4 tablespoons liquid pectin

Plus 1 cup or 225g white finely granulated sugar, for dusting

Method
Lightly grease an 8x8 in or 20x20cm tin and line it with cling film, making sure to come all the way up the sides. I sprayed more non-stick spray on the inside of the cling film as well.

Measure your wine, orange juice and half the lemon juice into a heavy bottomed pot, along with the spices. Peel, core and roughly chop your apples and pears and put them directly into the wine pot.


Add in the golden caster sugar and cook over a medium high heat for about 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.


Strain the solids out of the pot with a heavy, heatproof sieve. Allow to drain completely, using a spoon or spatula to squeeze all the thick syrupy juice out.


Return the liquid to the pot and add the remaining lemon juice and the liquid pectin.

Boil over a medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 240°F or 115°C or test for doneness by dropping a scant 1/2 teaspoon slowly into a glass of cold water. The syrup should form a ball as it hits the water. If it doesn’t, give it a few more minutes on the stove and try again with a fresh glass of cold water.


Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and leave to cool.

Once it’s cool, cover the surface with another piece of cling film and leave to set for at least 12 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cut the squares apart, put your white sugar in a platter or pan with sides and tip the gum square into the sugar.

Coat it liberally with the sugar then use a greased knife or scissors to cut the squares, tossing the pieces in the sugar as you go along. I found that the scissors worked better than the knife, no matter how liberally I greased it.


As they are made, transfer the sugarcoated squares to a sheet of parchment sprinkled with a little of the sugar. This will give you more room to work at the cutting and coating.


Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Food Lust People Love: For fans of those chewy little candies called wine gums, this is a Christmas version, full of the spicy flavors of mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple, pear, orange and lemon. Bonus: Your house smells divine as the fruit cooks down. Make these mulled wine fruit gums today!


Enjoy!


Needing more sweet treats for Christmas? Have a look at today’s wonderful link list for inspiration:


Pin these Mulled Wine Fruit Gums!

Food Lust People Love: For fans of those chewy little candies called wine gums, this is a Christmas version, full of the spicy flavors of mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple, pear, orange and lemon. Bonus: Your house smells divine as the fruit cooks down. Make these mulled wine fruit gums today!

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Besitos de Coco - Coconut Kisses #CreativeCookieExchange

Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!

Food Lust People Love: Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!


This month’s Creative Cookie Exchange theme of International Winter Holiday Cookies challenged the group to make a cookie that is traditional at this time of year in a culture other than our own. I fear I have a distinct advantage here because of all the places I’ve lived, so choosing a cookie was pretty easy.

Venezuelans love their coconut and these little treats are popular, with or without the chocolate, which probably isn’t strictly traditional. But, since Christmas is coming, I thought it best to fancy them up. To that end, I also added a little rum. Delicious!


Besitos de Coco - Coconut Kisses

The recipe is based on one I found on Yo Soy Venezolano.

Ingredients for about 3 dozen cookies
3 1/2 cups or 300g flaked, desiccated coconut
1 can (14 oz or 405g) sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated milk.)
1/2 cup or 65g flour
1 tablespoon dark or gold rum
1 teaspoon salt

Optional for decorating: 3/4 cup or 150g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
Preheat your oven to 350˚F or 180˚C and prepare your cookie sheet by lightly greasing or lining it with parchment or a silicon baking sheet. If you have two cookie sheets, prepare them both.

 In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, flour, salt and rum.

Stir until well blended and you have a nice thick dough. If you are a fan of coconut and condensed milk, do not try the dough. It’s delicious and I cannot be responsible for how many cookies you end up with at the end.



Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets at least one inch apart. Try to keep them a bit rough looking so that the bits that stick out will brown first. A perfectly round ball won’t look as rustic or pretty.



Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the outside bits of coconut are toasted.



Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

If you are decorating with chocolate, warm the chocolate chips in a microwave, in a microwaveable bowl, by zapping them for 15-20 seconds at a time, until the chips are melted and you have a lovely drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the chocolate on the cooled besitos with a spoon or use a cake decorating piping bag.

Food Lust People Love: Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!


Allow the chocolate to set before storing the besitos in a cool covered container. These make a great gift! What better thing to give someone for Christmas than a bunch of sweet kisses?

Food Lust People Love: Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!
Yes, that's a Christmas deviled egg plate. Aren't you jealous?


Enjoy!



Check out all the other International Winter Holiday Cookies or what I've been calling Christmas Around the World in my head:
If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. 

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts. (You can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

Food Lust People Love: Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!
My "fireplace" in Dubai. It flickers and there is a switch you can turn on to make it blow hot air. 


Pin it! 

Food Lust People Love: Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!


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