Chocolate Cake for a Party

Chocolate Cake for a Party

LittleButton had her first big party: her christening. Everyone helped out to make it a spectacular day. We feasted on Mum’s turkey and ham, potato salad, coleslaw, mother-in-law’s bread, relishes, greens and reds. For teatime, we dined on fruit and chocolate cake. Why have one cake when you can have two?!

Anyway, to the chocolate part of the day! Two chocolate recipes combined to make a rich indulgent chocolate cake. And I thought since Himself was going to break his Lenten fast from chocolate it had better be good.

The cake itself is the trusty Naughty Chocolate Fudge Cake and the icing from Lorraine Pascale’s ‘I can’t believe you made that’ cake.

It took 2 and 1/2 packets of Cadbury’s chocolate fingers to cover the sides. The remaining 1/2 packet will disappear in jig time if you dunk them in tea:
- Bite off both ends of the chocolate finger
- Dip it into tea and suck until the tea comes thru the chocolate finger. Then pop the whole biscuit into your mouth!

By Gillian|March 21st, 2012|Cakes, Family Times, Featured|3 Comments

Chocolate Rice Pudding

Chocolate Rice Pudding

If hot chocolate is a hug in a mug then chocolate rice pudding is a bear hug in a bowl.

I have gone from detesting rice pud to absolutely adoring it. Maybe because I don’t treat it as a dessert now but a standalone snack. It is filling, warming and comforting. My favourite flavour is simply rice, milk and sugar but this chocolate one is a little weekend indulgence.

Chocolate Rice Pudding
~ serves 6
100g pudding rice
50g caster sugar
1200ml low-fat milk
30g cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 150C (130C Fan). Place the rice and sugar in a buttered ovenproof dish.
2. Mix 100ml of the milk with the cocoa powder until it forms a paste. Gradually mix in the remaining milk.
3. Pour the chocolate milk over the rice.
4. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve in individual ramekins with a dollop of strawberry jam.

By Gillian|February 19th, 2012|Featured, Recipe|2 Comments

Chocolate Pizza

Chocolate Pizza

HoneyB is taking birthday presents into her own creative hands. This is what she brought, or should I say delivered, to the latest birthday party. A 9″ chocolate pizza decorated with the obligatory Smarties then marshmallows which work really well with creamy milk chocolate.

Imagine the shock of the giddy birthday gang when she arrived with a pizza box?! I will have to stock up on more fun decorative ingredients so HoneyB can go wilder.

By Gillian|February 18th, 2012|Child Friendly, Family, Featured|3 Comments

Solid Chocolate Heart for Valentine’s Day

Solid Chocolate Heart for Valentine’s Day

Do we really need a whole day dedicated to saying ‘I Love You’ to the person you love? Well, if it gives us an excuse to make-and-do cards, eat chocolate and treats then bring it on!

Again, HoneyB is showing that she is more than just a cake mixer and decorater. Today she helped temper some chocolate with so much patience that it filled me with pride.

Her passion lies in decorating though, carefully sampling the colourful gems to see if they will fit into her taste and colour scheme. This 7″ wide chocolate heart is destined for her Dad and she knows she will get a decent chunk.

By Gillian|February 14th, 2012|Child Friendly, Events, Family, Featured|4 Comments

Here Comes the Bride

Here Comes the Bride

Here comes the bride, and the chocolate.

Weddings are wonderful events. I enjoyed every minute of our wedding. We finished work on a Friday, got married on Sunday and were on a plane to NZ by Tuesday. And there were no wedding jitters – I mean what’s to worry about? A day with all the family and friends. We should have more days like that!

Now via chocolate I can get a sneak peak into others’ wedding plans. I’m talking about wedding favours; those little treats bestowed on the guests at the wedding reception.

Anyhow, this wedding was special – a friend was getting married. I could not attend because I could not fit into my dress (ha!)and no makeup could hide the dark rings around my eyes but mostly because LittleButton is only a month old. So in my stead Himself brought some chocolate.

Packed in silver butterfly boxes were two milk chocolate truffles; milk chocolate and rose; milk chocolate and raspberry. It was a lotta work. Not only do the truffles have to be handmade, but then there’s the assembly, lining, packing and labeling of boxes, and then carefully delivering them.

But thankfully all the family helped. I made the truffles, Himself and HoneyB packed, LittleButton slept. HoneyB was so thrilled to be allowed help. Usually she is not allowed near ‘customer’ chocolate but this was a special order and she donned her white cotton glove with pride.

We wish all the very best in the world to the newly married couple! Thank you for letting us contribute to your very big day out.

By Gillian|February 14th, 2012|Family, Featured, Truffles, Wedding|2 Comments

It’s A

It’s a GIRL. A fabulously beautiful baby girl, healthy, happy and already ready to take on the world. It’s amazing that at only 4 days old one can have learnt so much.

Her hair is light brown, she is way longer than either Himself or I can take credit for, 7lb 14oz, long fingers that will be perfect for chunky jewellery, doe eyes that would melt the coldest heart, and a cry that no-one will ignore

The day before she arrived HoneyB had said ‘I think it’s a boy’ and had to do some quick modifications to her welcome-baby card. ‘Mom Mom don’t bring the baby in yet, I have to draw a dress’.

She also could not see the point in the ‘Its a girl’ balloons opting instead for a birthday balloon … the biggest one in the shop. Oh, what fun they will have … oh how empty Daddy’s pockets are going to be!

By Gillian|January 12th, 2012|Family, Family Times|11 Comments

Just taking a break baby!

Chocolate Here is taking a little teeny tiny break and with good reason! Our little person is due any day in January and everyone is excited in some shape or form: excited-anxious; excited-giddy; excited-fearful.

As a final post for 2011, with 2012 and new beginnings around the corner, I want to share this wonderful Poem for Expectant Moms and wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

These Last Few Hours

(Author: Unknown)

It is important to me
that I spend a part
of the next few hours here
alone with you in the darkness.

You and I will never be
this close again.
By morning you will be
a tiny person
all on your own.
No longer the kicking,
demanding bulge in my body
that I have grown to love so well.

I pray that God will safely guide you
on your journey tonight,
and I ask Him for the strength
to help you all that I can.

Again you signal,
your impatience
to be free…….

Time to wake your Daddy

By Gillian|December 30th, 2011|Family, Family Times|11 Comments

Kids Chocolate Class with Chocolate Biscuit Truffles

Kids Chocolate Class with Chocolate Biscuit Truffles

It is always advisable to have a practice run of a course before giving the real thing. And this is where HoneyB is proving that she is not just a pretty bowl licker. She proved to be my star student on a recent dry run of my Kids Chocolate Classes advising me on coating and bowl sizes for truffle making.

HoneyB was delighted with the brightly coloured sprinkles which she found easier to use than the icing sugar, sweetened cocoa or plain cocoa powder. The Cake Gallery in Ennis have a great variety of sprinkles. We used Shimmering Sugar too (bright pink!) unsuccessfully but I bet it will look da-biz on white icing.

Using this Chocolate Biscuit Truffle recipe, she produced a decent box of truffles and a decent mess. Both outcomes acceptable in my book.

Well Done HoneyB!

By Gillian|December 22nd, 2011|Child Friendly, Chocolate Course, Featured, Recipe, Truffles|0 Comments

Alice Medrich’s Shiny Decadence Cookies

Alice Medrich’s Shiny Decadence Cookies

It’s that time of the year where we are surrounded by shiny baubles, glittery tinsel and bling bling bling. So here are some cookies to match this glitzy season: Alice Medrich’s Decadence Cookies from Bittersweet.

There’s lots of dark chocolate in this recipe leading to a rich cookie – not for the faint hearted at all. They can be toned down with some sweeter chocolate.

Bittersweet Decadence Cookies
~30 cookies

1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
225g dark chocolate
2 tbsp butter (salted)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of your favourite nuts like pecans, walnuts, pistachio
175g dark, milk or white chocolate buttons/chunks

1. Preheat your oven to 180C. Line three baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
3. Melt the butter and 225g dark chocolate in a microwave at medium, stirring every 30 secs.
4. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla thoroughly. Stir them into the warm chocolate.
5. Stir in the flour mixture, chocolate and nuts.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking trays around 1 1/2″ apart.
7. Bake until dry on top but still gooey in the middle, 12-14 mins.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. A fish slice/pancake turner will help you here.
Enjoy!

By Gillian|December 22nd, 2011|Books, Featured, Recipe|2 Comments

Chocolate Course at Sarah Baker Cookery School

Here are are some recipes from my Chocolate Course at Sarah Baker’s Cookery School in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. I was very busy talking and making sure I did not leave out a single fact that I did not take one single photo of the event! For shame :-0

Aztec Inspired Hot Chocolate
~ serves 2

20g sugar
20g cocoa powder
50g dark chocolate
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Pinch of chilli (to taste)

1. Heat 400ml water, sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk until cocoa powder has dissolved.
2. Add the chocolate and whisk until emulsified.
3. Add the spices and whisk for a few minutes at simmering point.

Cappuccino Truffles
- approx 80 truffles

250ml single cream
20g ground coffee
450 milk chocolate, finely chopped
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Add the cream into a small saucepan, stir in the coffee and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Put the saucepan back on the heat and bring back to simmering.
3. Strain the cream through a sieve over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate has melted.
4. Allow the mixture to cool and stand at room temp overnight or 4 hours in the fridge before shaping the truffles. If using the fridge, remove 15 minutes before rolling the truffles.
5. Mix the cocoa powder and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Scoop a teaspoon of the truffle mixture, shape and roll in cocoa.
6. Store the truffles in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

And here is the recipe for Baileys Truffles I mentioned.

Thank you to Sarah and Olivia for helping with the course logistics. It is daunting to go into someone else’s kitchen but they made the transition from Ennis to Cloughjordan seamless.

And a big thank you to all those who travelled from near and far. It was lovely to meet you all and please feel free to contact me with any questions … particularly if you have questions about making those all important Christmas gifts.

Margaret from Oldfarm took lots of photos so I will update this post when she gets a chance to upload them. Now given that Margaret is up t her eyes in orders for their gorgeous Christmas hams, it will not be this side of Christmas.

By Gillian|December 11th, 2011|Chocolate Course, Events, Recipe, Truffles|8 Comments

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