Marzipan Truffles

Posted February 14, 2016

Filed under candy. chocolate, chocolate/ candy, dessert, Fleximolds, heart tray, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

What is Valentine’s Day? A day where we are given the chance to express our love, and feelings to a person who may know, or not know about us. It is a day where people flock to stores to buy boxes of chocolates, flowers and cards. We are brought to think that we have to buy things to show our love when we should just do things to show our love. Valentine’s Day should be a day to spend with your loved ones. It is having tea with your grandparents, going to the gym with the person that cares about you. It is cooking dinner from scratch with everyone!!! Not just you in the kitchen. It is going for a jog and then going for brunch. It is so many things…

It does not have to be fancy as long as it is with your loved ones, as long as it is planned.

Valentine’s day at our house was not fancy … We did not dress up. We did not buy fancy things..

I spent my week-end making things for my love ones. I made Raspberry, Banana, Pistachio Macarons for my in-laws, Pralinés and Marzipan chocolates for my husband. And my husband and I, we shopped together for what we were going to cook together.

My husband most favorite thing to eat, besides POTATOES ( kidding lol), is marzipan. It is very hard to find good ones in the States. And if you do find some,they are very expensive. Do you know that it is actually very easy to make some. So I actually decided to make some heart-shaped chocolate truffles for today. I thought I would share.

Ingredients for about 30 truffles:

about 4 oz. of ghiradhelli dark chocolate chips of coating
about 3 oz. of ghiradhelli White chocolate for decoration
1½ cup blanched almond
1½ cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp quality pure almond extract
1/2 tsp rose-water
1 egg white

Warm up the chocolate into a small bowl for 90 seconds and with a pastry brush, brush the sides of each heart.
place the tray in the fridge so that the chocolate will cure. Meanwhile prepare the marzipan.
Place the almond in the chopper and chop them until you have a powder mixture.
Add to it the powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up.
Add the almond extract and rose-water and mix to combine.
Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the dough is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. It will firm up once it is refrigerated however.
Take the marzipan dough onto the roul’pat and knead a few times.
Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Take the log out, cut some pieces out.
Place one piece in each opening. Press down so that the marzipan is filling completely the chocolate heart.
Place the tray in the fridge to cool.
Warm the chocolate and close up the chocolate heart.
Place the tray back in the fridge.
gently remove the heart from the tray.
You may need to trim the edges of the heart with a knife for smoother edges.
For added decoration, decorate the chocolate with colored chocolate.
Place the chocolate onto the roul’pat together.
Place about 3 oz. of white chocolate of Ghiradhelli into a small bowl. Place it into the microwave and melt it for 90 seconds. Add some coloring of your choice. I used a dot of burgundy Wilton.
Place the chocolate into a small plastic bag and drizzle over the chocolates.
Let the chocolates cures before touching them.
Package the chocolates at your likings. Et voila!!!

Marzipan Truffles

Servings: 30 people
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients for about 30 truffles:

about 4 oz. of ghiradhelli dark chocolate chips of coating
about 3 oz. of Ghiradhelli White Chocolate Chips for decorating
1½ cup blanched almond
1½ cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp quality pure almond extract
1/2 tsp rose water
1 egg white

Warm up the chocolate into a small bowl for 90 seconds and with a pastry brush, brush the sides of each heart.
Place the tray in the fridge so that the chocolate will cure. Meanwhile prepare the marzipan.
Place the almond in the chopper and chop them until you have a powder mixture.
Add to it the powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up.
Add the almond extract and rose-water and mix to combine.
Add the egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the dough is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. It will firm up once it is refrigerated however.
Take the marzipan dough onto the roul’pat and knead a few times.
Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
take the log out, cut some pieces out, and place one piece in each opening. press down so that the marzipan is filling completely the chocolate heart.
Place the tray in the fridge to cool.
Warm the chocolate and close up the chocolate heart.
Place the tray back in the fridge.
Gentlty remove the heart from the tray.
You may need to trim the edges of the heart with a knife for smoother edges.
For added decoration, decorate the chocolate with colored chocolate.
Place the chocolate onto the roul’pat together.
Place about 3 oz. of white chocolate of Ghiradhelli into a small bowl. Place it into the microwave and melt it for 90 seconds. Add some coloring of your choice. I used a dot of burgundy Wilton.
Place the chocolate into a small plastic bag and drizzle over the chocolates.
Let the chocolates cures before touching them.
For added decoration, melt more colored chocolate and drizzle over the chocolates.
Package the chocolates at your likings. Et voila

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Chocolate Cereal Bar

Posted October 12, 2013

Filed under breakfast, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

This year I turned 41, yep, 41 and though I still feel like I am in my 20’s, there are days my body reminds me that i am no longer 20. You start feeling aches you never felt before, and you start gaining weight in places you never had problems before.

And it is a bit frustrating. I can do with aching, there is always that good tylenol or Aleve that will do its trick, but there is little to do with those pants that are getting tighter when you think that you are already doing the right thing.

Since i already exercise everyday, eat balanced meals everyday, watch my carb intake, I decided that it was time again to work with a trainer. Maybe he would have the answers i did not have. And so i have been working with him for a few weeks now.

I will tell you that it has been nice to have new routines for my work-out. At least it is not so boring!

Besides that I have not really learned anything new. He did reiterate that i eat small meals and that i eat every 2 to 3 hours, something that i had not been doing since it is not really in my nature to snack. But I have been following his advice.

If at first, i started buying those protein bars for snacks, i quickly decided that I was going to make some again because 1. they taste better, 2. I know what is in them and 3. it is less expensive to make them yourself.

I made this batch last week, and Lisa’s boyfriend took one and really enjoyed them. I hope that you will too!

Ingredients for about 16 bars;

1 cup of sunflower seed
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 cup of almond
1 cup of oats
1 cup of hazelnut
1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of almond butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Depending how you like your protein/cereal bars, you will need to decide if you like them very fine or if you rather have big chunks of seeds or nuts.

Turn the oven to 400.
Place all the ingredients in a chopper and pulse a few times.
In a small saucepan, warm up the honey and the almond butter until the mixture is becoming very liquid.
Pour this hot mixture in the chopped nut mixture and stir well so as to coat the nuts with the almond honey mixture.
Transfer this mixture into a deep flexipan that you would have placed on a perforated sheet.
Cook the mixture for 10 minutes.
remove from the oven and let it cool completly, before peeling the “big Bar” off the flexipan and cutting in 1 1/2 ” x 3 ” bars.
Keep these bars in an airtight container so that they will stay fresh, and hard.
Et voila!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Raspberry Chipotle And Almond Coated Salmon

Posted December 13, 2012

Filed under entree, seafood, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

You should see my fridge, or my fridges. There are so many jars of various sauces, or jelly that it is hard to find room to place any food in there;-) or my left-overs. Well this evening, I wanted to cook a piece of salmon and since i did not want to use any of my old recipes, I searched for something I could use to coat the salmon. And eureka I found the raspberry chipotle sauce.

Ingredients for 2:

1 salmon filet of about 1 lb.
3 tbsp of raspberry sauce
3 tbsp of almond slivers
salt and pepper

Place the salmon on the silpat or the flexipat that you would have previously placed on a perforated sheet. Saeason the salmon with salt and pepper. Then place the raspberry chipotle sauce and the almond in a small chopper and pulse to chop and make a coarse paste.

With a spatula, spread this paste all over the salmon. And cook the salmon for 6-9 minutes or until it is cooked to your liking (i like mine medium rare).

I served the salmon with steamed corn and roasted green beans.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Pear Tart with Frangipane (Almond Paste)

Posted November 26, 2012

Filed under dessert, fruit, Tarts and Pies, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I sure did even though I spent a lof of my day in my kitchen. But then again, it makes me happy. Unlike many of you, I did not host the Thanksgiving dinner. My sister-in-law did. As the only true-born American in our family of immigrants, she always has the honor to host Thanksgiving dinner. And the rest of us, get to help her out by bringing dishes. I was in charge of appetizers and desserts.

I wanted to bring some appetizers that would be on a light side, and not too bad for you. My choices were:

Small tomato mozzarella
spinach dip with assorted crackers
brie en croute with fig jelly
quiches

And for desserts, I brought a caramel cheesecake and a pear tart. I wanted to bring a chocolate something, but one of the guest brought 2 chocolate desserts, so i decided on the two desserts mentioned above.

Today i will share the pear tart. It is really easy to make. And it is so yummy.

Ingredients for the pie crust for a 9″ round

You can buy an already pie crust in the refrigerated part of your grocery store, or you can make your own. The pie crust recipe is so much better than the store-bought. It is firmer so it will not break when you are trying to transfer the pie from the mold to a tray, and it tastes so much better than a store-bought.

1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking powder
4 oz or 115 gr. of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup of sugar
1 egg yolk
2-4 tbsp of water

Sift the flour and the baking powder in a large bowl, then add the sugar and mix well. Add the butter cut into small pieces and mix in it in the flour with your hands, rubbing your hands together. Little by little add a few drops of water and knead the dough. Roll the dough in a ball and refrigerate for 15 minutes or more.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place it on the roul’pat, and roll the dough out into a 10 inch circle. With the rolling-pin, lift the dough from the roul’pat and place it into the scalloped tart mold. With the fork, prick the pastry shell with a fork.

Ingredients for the pie:

150 gr or 2/3 cup of butter at room temperature
150 gr or 2/3 cup of powdered sugar
150 gr or 2/3 cup of almond mill
3 large eggs
1 tbsp of almond extract
3 pears ( bosc preferably or red) peeled.
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

First you will want to poach the pears. If you want to poach the pear the traditional way, you will need to poach the pear in a syrup of .

I did not do that, instead I used my round mold. So if you want to save time, do the same. PLace the pears in the large round mold, add 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and cover the mold with the octogonal silpat. Cook the pear in the microwave for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frangipane paste. In a bowl, beat the butter and the sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Then add the almond mill and the flour and mix well. Add the eggs, 1 tsp of almond extract and mix well. Spread this mixture inside the pie.

Then slice each pear in half. Scoop the seeds with a small spoon and slice the pear very thinly in tiny slices.

Place the pears on the frangipane paste as shown below.

Cook the pear tart for 30 minutes at 375 or until the pie is golden brown and fluffy.

This pie is wonderful warm, or cold.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Cranberry and Almond Bars

Posted March 17, 2012

Filed under deep flexipan, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, snacks, stainless steel cookware, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

Last week was my first time making nutty bars, and I will say that I liked them so much that I was looking for them for my snack time with much eagerness 😉 So much in fact that they were gone by this afternoon. So of course I was ready to make some new one this evening. You may have noticed that I liked to play with my food so of course I was not going to remake those bars from last week. Instead I used a little bit of what I had in my pantry: dried cranberries, almonds, Marcona Almonds.

Ingredients:

2 cups of marcona almonds,
2 cups of almonds,
1 cup of cranberries,
1/2 cup of agave syrup,
1/4 cup of almond butter,
1/8 turbinado brown sugar.

Place all the nuts on the flexipan and roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 375.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, mix the agave syrup, the turbinado brown sugar, the almond butter and mix well. Warm up this mixture over medium-high temperature and bring it to boil.

3. Remove the nuts from the oven and empty them into a chopper and chop them.

4. Pour in the agave mixture and mix well to coat the nuts mixture. 5. Empty this mixture onto the flexipan and cook at 375 for 12 minutes. Cool before cutting it. C’est tout!!!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Easy Nut Bars

Posted March 12, 2012

Filed under deep flexipan, Recipe with Demarle Cookware, snacks, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

It is not fun to get old. Everything goes to sh…..That’s not fair!!! I never really had a problem with managing my weight until the magic number of 30 came around. As soon as I hit that number, it seemed that if I looked at a cake, it would go straight to my hips and thighs:- ( and since I am a bit vain as far as appearances, I had to adapt and change my diet in order to fit in my pants:-). At that time, already 10 years ago, the Atkins diet was so popular that I chose to completely illuminate all white carbs and most starch from my diet. It worked so I have followed this lifestyle for the past decade. ( Yeah already…)

If at first it was difficult, after a few weeks, it was easy and I have not missed not eating those chips, potatoes or other starch.

In fact, even if I am starving at times, and potato chips or other ” not so good snacks” are around the house, they do not tempt me. I rather snack on nuts, fruits or protein bars. The problem is my sweet tooth. I like to snack on sweet things. Proteins bars have been a great substitute to candy bars. The problem with them is that you have to watch careful for the ingredients as most protein bars contain carbs, and sugars and they are high calorific. They are also very expensive and can taste so unnatural. This weekend as I could not find a protein bars around the house, and did not feel like running to the store, I decided that I could make my own nut bar. How hard could it be???? After perusing several recipes, and not having any ingredients that they were calling for ( rice syrup, dates, ) I decided to do the following: bind the nuts with almond butter and maple syrup ( what I had on hand).

Ingredients:

2 cup of raw blanched almond.
2 cups of pecan,
2 cups of almond,
1/4 cup of almond butter,
1/2 cup of maple syrup,
1/4 turbinado sugar,
2 tbsp of vanilla extract.

Place the nuts on the flexipan that you would have previously placed on a perforated sheet .
Cook them for 10 minutes at 375 to roast them. Stir the nuts a few times during cooking so that all nuts will be roasted on all sides.
When they are roasted and you can start smelling that nutty aroma coming out of your oven, remove the flexipan from the oven and place the nuts in a food processor to break them. They should be broken in pieces but not milled.
Then in a small saucepan, add the maple sugar, the almond butter and the turbinado brown sugar and bring to boil.
Add this mixture to the nuts and stir to coat the nuts.
Empty this content back into the flexipan and with a spatula, press hard to make the mixture an even flat bar.
Place the flexipan back into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes at 375. Et voila!!!

8. When the cooking time is up, remove the flexipan from the oven and let it cool.

9. When the nut bars is completely cool, peel the flexipan off the nut bar, and with a sharp knife cut 2x 1 inches nut bar.

10. Place those bars either in a ziploc bar or in an airtight container so that the bars will remain dry.

NB: You can really vary what you put in those bars. Next time i may add dried fruits and maybe chocolate morsels. I will let you know what happens. For now, i am happy with those bars, they taste pretty good, not too sweet and a good snack ( which was all I wanted;-)

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!

Florentines

Posted December 15, 2011

Filed under deep flexipan, What's Up in Cecile's Kitchen

Don’t you love the Holidays?!?! I love it all, the decorations, the smell of the evergreens in my house, and the cooking. Yes.. with Christmas comes baking. And how exciting is that:-) On Christmas I can cook all sorts of fun cookies and enjoy them or give them out. This past Sunday I offered a class on Baking Goods. Most of the recipes were really easy ones, and only took a few minutes to prepare and bake. The attendants were really happy to go home with new recipes and could not wait to try them at home. We made 6 different types of cookies and treats. Florentines were one of them. You will need:

For the crust: 1 1/2 stick of butter, 3 egg yolks, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tbsp of orange zest, 1 cup of flour, 1/4 tsp of salt.

For the caramel: 6 tbsp of butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of honey, 1 cup of sliced almonds, 1/2 cup of dried cranberry, 1 tbsp of orange zest, 1/2 cup of chocolate ( I used white).

You will need to beat your softened butter with the brown sugar and the zest until it is well blend. Add the eggs and beat again. Add 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and beat some more. Add the flour and the salt and mix well. Empty the content in the deep flexipan and cook in a warm oven of 350 for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in saucepan place the butter, honey, sugar and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. It should come to boil and start foaming. Cook until the mixture turns a very pale brown ( and the temperature should be 240 with a candy thermometer). Remove from the oven and add the cranberries, the chocolate and the almonds. Stir well and quickly spread it over the cake. Let it chill and then cut. Et voila!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!