Easter Chocolate Bark

I was after an idea for Easter gifts for the children we would be visiting over Easter...but it had to be quick and easy.
After looking around at ideas on Pintrest we came up with decorated egg cartoons and our own version of Easter Bark.

Isabella had a great time decorating the egg cartoons, although after 5 or 6 of them she lost a bit of interest.

The Easter Bark was simply a large baking dish lined with baking paper with a variety of lollies and treats poured in. We uses jelly beans, marshmallows, smarties and mini easter eggs.
Isabella poured them in and arranged them...eating a few along the way.
I then poured in melted white chocolate, cooled and then broke into rough pieces.
Simple, effective and the children (and adults)
loved them.

Mini Chocolate Cup Cakes and Whiskey Truffles

I found this recipe on the website Divine Baking. I needed something to make in advance for a family function.
I made the muffins and froze them and then made the ganache frosting and left it in the fridge, then warmed it slightly to make it easy to work with. I iced the cupcakes using a plastic bag with the corner cut off. I then dusted with cocoa.
The finished product was great to look at and to taste!

I had left over ganache frosting so I added whiskey, rolled them into balls and then rolled in cocoa powder. Despite not liking whiskey these little morsels were delicious!

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Frosting (note: if you like to generously frost your cupcakes, double this amount)

1 cup heavy cream8 ounces 60% chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
¾ cup whole milk

For The Frosting: 

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat, until it just begins to simmer. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for about 2 hours, or until it has thickened enough to frost the cupcakes. If you'd like the frosting to thicken faster, place the ganache in the refrigerator and stir every 5 minutes.

For The Cupcakes: 

 

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.

Stir together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until pale, light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately in two batches, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Continue mixing until the batter is uniform in color.

Fill muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes (if making mini cupcakes bake for about 10 -12 minutes) or until the cupcakes spring back slightly when pressed in the center.

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove and allow to cool completely on the rack.

Once the frosting has thickened, dip the each cupcake in it and twist as you lift it out, or spread a small amount of frosting on top of each cupcake (I used a piping bag to frost the cupcakes, because I like a lot!).

Makes 12 regular cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

Fudge For Christmas

A lovely friend of mine started the Christmas tradition of giving amazing platters of home made fudge laced with liqueurs presented with the liqueur and appropriate glasses. Her fudge is amazing.

Over the last few years I have tried a few different 'sweet treats' as Christmas gifts but really had to come back to the tried and true - Fudge.

The basic recipe is great as it is or can be embellished according on the occasion or who will be eating it.
For this years Christmas fudge is made one lot with white chocolate, macadamias and dried cranberries and the other with dark chocolate with pistachios. White chocolate with cranberries and pistachio looks really Christmasy too.
To add a liqueur or spirit flavour (baileys, brandy, whiskey are all good) just add a few drops to the mixture. Do only add a few drops or it won't be firm enough to set.

The recipe below is Nigella Lawson's Fudge recipe. Nigella's is kept in the freezer or fridge to keep it firm.
My friend's recipe is slightly different but I'm not going to publish that without her permission.

Chocolate pistachio fudge

Ingredients

• 350g dark chocolate, at least 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped -I use more - about 500g to make it set more firmly 
• 1 x 397g can condensed milk - I think a NZ tin is 400g
• 30g butter
• pinch salt
• 150g unsalted pistachios, shells removed - I use all sorts of different nuts or dried fruits

Preparation method

1. Place the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt into a heavy-based pan over a low heat and stir until melted and well combined.
2. Place the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into some large and some small pieces.
3. Add the nuts to the melted chocolate mixture and stir well.
4. Pour the mixture into a 23cm square tray, smoothing the top with a wet palette knife. I always line with baking paper to make it easy to get out
5. Let the fudge cool, then refrigerate until set.
6. Cut into small pieces approximately 3cm x 2cm. Cutting 7 x 7 lines in the tin to give 64 pieces best achieves this.
7. Once cut, the fudge can be kept in the freezer - there's no need to thaw, just eat straight away.