Chocolate Berry Truffles

You know when you make one of those fancy birthday cakes that requires you cutting the big cake into shapes to piece together to make something else... What do you do with all those off cuts of cake? Well this easy and decadent truffle recipe solves that problem. If you don't have 'offcuts' don't worry, any piece of leftover cake would work just as well. 

I'll be making these again for our Easter celebration. 

Ingredients (makes 30 truffles):

• 350 grams (approx) of leftover cake
• 1/4 c coconut cream, or milk
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 
• 1/4 cup of defrosted raspberries, or dried cranberries, or both
• 160 grams melted dark chocolate - try Whittaker's 72% Dark Ghana 
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut, to coat 

Crumble cake into a bowl and pour over the coconut cream. Add desiccated coconut, berries and melted chocolate. Mix well to combine. 

Put the 1 cup of coconut into a bowl. 

Use wet hands to roll into small balls. Drop each ball into the coconut and use two spoons to toss it to coat completely. 

Chill in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for one week.

Top: Chocolate Berry Truffles
Bottom Ginger Crunch and Afghans with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Afghans with chocolate fudge icing

Afghans are a classic taste of kiwi baking. They're a crunchy, crumbly, cornflakey cookie, covered in chocolate icing and topped with a walnut. If you're not a walnut fan, you can leave it off or substitute it for a little coconut.  The difference between these afghans and other recipes is that I use a boiled icing. Boiled icing is made similar to how you would cook custard, with milk, icing sugar, cocoa and a little butter. 

Ingredients (makes 36 small biscuits or 16 large):

• 200 grams butter, softened
• 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups of plain flour
• 1/4 cup of cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups of crushed cornflakes

Chocolate Fudge Icing

• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 1/4 cups of icing sugar
• 20 grams butter
• 1 cup of milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 70 grams of walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

To make the biscuits, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. 

Gently stir in sifted cocoa and flour. Once well combined stir in the crushed cornflakes. 

Use wet hands to roll small balls, arrange on the baking trays and press lightly with a wet fork. 

Bake for 12 minutes; or 18 minutes if making large biscuits. When cooked, cool on a wire rack. 

Once cooled make the icing. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a small saucepan. Pour in 1/4 of the milk and whisk to combine. Make sure their are no dry lumps, then pour in the rest of the milk and butter. 

Put the saucepan on a medium heat and bring the boil, stirring occasionally. Boil rapidly for 1 - 2 minutes till thickened a little. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence. 

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, you'll notice it thicken more and more as it cools. While still warm spread spoonfuls of icing on top of each cookie. Place a walnut half or a couple of pieces on the top of each cookie. 

Enjoy.

Top: Chocolate Berry Truffles and Spicy Oaty Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Bottom: Ginger Crunch and Afghans with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Lemon Coconut Dream

Another morning tea occasion called for more baking from the sparkmypantry blogspot. 
I've made this lemon coconut slice a few times now and it's delicious hot with ice-cream or cold (with whipped cream if you are feeling decadent) washed down with a cup of tea. 
The recipe uses fresh lemon juice and zest to make it really zingy. I'm tempted to try it out with lime next time too. 

What I like most about this recipe is it's simplicity. Even though I love baking, truth is I am pretty lazy about it. This slice requires melting of the butter rather than creaming it, meaning less utensils, less elbow grease and less dishes. In fact you can make the entire thing in the saucepan. 









Lemon Coconut Dream Slice 

Ingredients 

• 250g butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of plain flour (gluten free or almond flour would also work fine) 
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut 
• rind of 1 - 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• Icing sugar, to dust. 

Method

In a saucepan melt butter over a low heat. 

Meanwhile grease 20x30cm tin or line with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 

Once melted, remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. 

Sift in the flour and mix well. Stir in coconut, lemon juice and rind, mixing well, then pour into pan. 

Bake for 30 mins till skewer comes out clean. 

Put the kettle on. 

Get the ice-cream out and enjoy. 

Be warned - no batch of this ever lasts more than half a day.

Petit Fours ~ Chocolatey experimental goodness

Clockwise from top: Dark Chocolate Stuffed Dates; Dark Chocolate
Peppermint Truffles; White Chocolate Coconut & Peppermint Truffles;
Milk Chocolate & Lavender Truffles

I recently invited some friends for dinner. Commencing with nibbles of cheese and crackers, mains of slow-cooked lamb shanks I decided that a full blown dessert would be too much. 
Instead making my tried and tested dark chocolate coated stuffed medjool dates. A light, but deliciously satisfying option. 
However, ironically, this was not enough, so I decided I could make a white chocolate option as well.... and before I knew it I had four flavours of delicious chocolatey morsels for my guests to indulge in. 
I think the highlight for me was their astonishment that I had just 'whipped them up' that afternoon. 
But seriously, it took no time at all! 











Using only the best - Whittaker's - I made the following scrumptious treats.

• White Chocolate, Coconut & Peppermint Truffles
• Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Truffles
• Milk Chocolate & Lavender Truffles 
• Dark Chocolate coated stuffed Medjool Dates. 

For each truffle simply melt the following ingredients then allow to cool (fridge) and roll into balls. Dusting or rolling in the final ingredient. 

To melt chocolate, do so carefully in a double boiler - in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the melting bowl, and turn heat down or off as the chocolate is nearly melted. It is a delicate process not to be rushed. 

  

• White Chocolate, Coconut & Peppermint Truffles

85g White Chocolate 

30g Coconut Oil 

1 & 1/2 tbsp Peppermint Schnapps

Desiccated Coconut (for rolling truffles

• Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Truffles

85g Dark Chocolate (Whittaker's 82% dark if possible, but make sure to use a chocolate with at least 50% cocoa solids) 

20g butter 

1 & 1/2 tbsp Peppermint Schnapps 

Cocoa & Icing Sugar mix (for rolling truffles)

• Milk Chocolate & Lavender Truffles 

85g Milk Chocolate (I used Whittaker's 33%) 

30g butter

1 & 1/2 tbsp Lavender syrup (Cosset brand, but you could use any flavour syrup of preference) 

This one I dolloped into Mini-muffin trays while still melted, and once nearly set, dusted with cocoa, and sprinkled with Lavender flowers. 

• Dark Chocolate coated stuffed Medjool Dates. 

85g Dark Chocolate (as above) 

20g butter

10 Medjool dates (carefully pitted - leaving date intact) 

40 roasted coffee beans (roasted almonds work if you aren't a coffee fan, but the coffee beans are sensational in it. 

Stuff each date with 3 or 4 coffee beans, toss in melted chocolate and place on a baking paper lined tray to set. Prop an extra coffee bean on top, or dust with cinnamon if you have it.


Store in fridge and remove abut 20 minutes before eating. These should keep in a container in the fridge for at least a week or two, provided they don't get eaten first.