Chocolate Christmas Trees

  It is a sure thing that I will end up watching 'Home Alone' this year again. I am also sure that I will get really annoyed with hearing Christmas songs (now matter where I go) over and over again (is there nobody out there to write something new?) But can you imagine Christmas without it? 
  I am still not sure though what I will bake. Every year I am trying something different, something I haven't had before. 18 sleeps to go and I am still undecided!
This isn't really a recipe but just an idea of how to transfer ordinary white chocolate into something extraordinary?

All you need is 3-4 white chocolates (100g each) and some hazelnuts. I roasted them on a frying pan for 5 min. and then peeled the skin off. But you can buy blanched hazelnuts which will make everything so much quicker. Melt the chocolate over bain marie and add hazelnuts.  Now you have to try and make something resembling the star shape with your chocolate covered hazelnuts. Drawing a 3 different sizes of star shape on parchment paper will be very helpful. Wait until it is set and arrange as you wish. 
P.S. Kids love them!

Viennese Shortbread

Fancy a break from Christmas rush and all those complicated recipes? In 30 min you will end up with super delicious biscuits and if you are lucky, your children can do most of work for you ;)

190g unsalted butter
1 pinch salt
75g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
225g cake flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Soften butter and a pinch of salt until creamy.





Add icing sugar, vanilla extract and egg white. Mix well after each addition.

 Add flour to the mixture, stirring with wooden spoon until it comes together

Transfer batter to the piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the ribbons in a letter Z on a prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 min or until golden.

Dust with icing sugar. Make yourself a coffee, put your feet up and enjoy your biscuits.

Recipe comes from Laduree baking book :)

Apple Tart To Survive Autumn

  When the temperatures outside drop rapidly, so is my spirit. I understand that people love Autumn. I really do.  It can be beautiful indeed. Thousands of dancing  leaves, thin and crisp air, long walks with the dog in a morning mist and of course the colours right?  What about snuggling up in front of the fire?

 The way I see it though is not pretty. I am faced with constant rain and wind (that's 6 months of feeling freezing for me), the colours are only in shades of grey, it gets dark after 4pm and mentioning  size of spiders crawling into my house is not necessary.

There is one thing which helps me survive these awful times though.
  It's food of course!
Sweet potatoes, winter squashes, apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, hot chocolate etc. One-pot stew and apple tart is a must to survive what is coming!

APPLE TART CRUST

150g plain flour
50g ground almonds
30g icing sugar
100g unsalted butter
1 egg
pinch of salt

Put all the ingredients into food processor and create the dough. Do not overwork it. Wrap in a cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 1h. Prepare the tin and put it again in the fridge for another 1h (with the dough). Blind bake it in 180C for about 15min.Take it out of the oven and line with the filling.

CREME PATISSERIE

250ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
50g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
10g plain flour
10g corn flour

Bring the milk with vanilla to boil In a meanwhile mix egg yolks, sugar and both flours together. Now pour 1/3 of milk into egg mix, whisk vigorously. Then pour the whole think back to the pan with milk and continue whisking over a medium heat until pastry cream thickens for at least 2 min. Cool it down.

APPLES 3-4 it will depend on size. Any apples you have got on hand will do.

Spread pastry cream on tart shell, top it up with apple thins and sprinkle with sugar and some cinnamon. It needs to go back to the oven for another 20 min or until the pastry will be golden brown and apples will get some colour as well. I used a mandolin for slicing the apples which made everything so much quicker.
Big dollop of whipped cream on the top of it makes the horrible weather so much more manageable :)

 

White Chocolate and Coconut Mousse with Caramel - dessert in a glass

  Do you know what inspired me to make that dessert? My glassware :) They are not used to their full potential. Ever! Besides, dessert looking like this is an instant winner with your guests.
 Bit of a white chocolate and coconut mousse topped with a caramel and scoop of vanilla ice cream.

MOUSSE
125ml coconut milk
100ml milk
30g caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
15g corn flour
2g gelatine leaf
125g white chocolate
225ml whipping cream
Bloom gelatine in a little water. Coconut milk, milk and half the sugar warm gradually. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, corn flour and sugar until a little pale. Add that mixture to milk and boil  for a little while. You should have a medium thick custard at this point. Take it off the heat, add gelatine. Mix until dissolves. Now it is time for chocolate. Brake it into smaller pieces, it will melt quicker. Combine it with custard and mix until smooth. Cool down and at the end add whipped cream gradually.  Pipe it in glasses and refrigerate for few hours.

 When ready, top it up with some caramel ( shop bought in my case) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (also shop bought :) )
I also attempted spun sugar to decorate but ended up with something looking like pile of caramel needles instead. I don't have to mention that everybody thought of it as intended garnish!