Cinnamon Apple French Toast

One of the perks of being home on break is being able to cook for myself. Today I decided to make cinnamon apple french toast.

I sliced one granny smith apple and sauteed the pieces in butter until they were soft and turning brown (about 10 minutes). I stirred the apple slices together with some cinnamon and sugar. I made the french toast batter with one egg, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. We only had plain white bread, which was fine.




One slice of french toast, topped with the apples, and then the other piece, all drizzled with warmed honey. Served with orange slices and a couple of maraschino cherries. The perfect breakfast!

Truffles II

Everyone loved the first truffles so much, I thought I would try again. I had a lot of extra DBA this term, so I used some up to buy Hershey's special dark chocolate kisses and some semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used the dark chocolate for the middle and the semi-sweet for the coating, and followed the same recipe as before. This time the middle stayed softer, even after refrigeration, and was very, very smooth. I don't know what was different, except for the chocolate, but I preferred these to my first attempt. The middle was slightly more difficult to work with because it was softer, but definitely worth it. Yum!


I also decided to use a different glaze on these. Well, the same powdered-sugar-and-milk glaze, but colored with one drop of blue and one drop of red food coloring. Pretty purple, and yummy truffles.

Truffles!

Yesterday I decided to try my hand at truffles, using this recipe. I have only made truffles once, with my mom, so I was a little nervous about how they would come out. I specifically wanted ones with a chocolate coating, rather than just the filling rolled around in cocoa, which is one of the reasons this recipe appealed to me. Unfortunately, I have zero talent for photography, so my photos do not do them justice. I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips for both the bittersweet and the semisweet chocolate. Instead of covering them with cocoa, I made a glaze with powdered sugar and milk and drizzled that over the top. I was using a ziploc bag, and I think I snipped too much off the corner because the lines are a little wider than I would like. Next time: smaller drizzle, and also I will color it slightly pink or light purple, just for fun. I also used chambord instead of brandy because, well, I like it. Also, the coating does not have the correct "snap" since I lack a candy thermometer. Still, they are rich, smooth, and sweet, with just a hint of raspberry from the chambord. Very, very yummy.



Alton Brown's Chocolate Truffles
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.
Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own in pie pan and set aside.

In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

Edit: A later thought: I could make these in multiple flavors with different drizzles over the top to differentiate. For example, some with a hazelnut filling (add some frangelico?) with a milk chocolate drizzle. Or mint, with white chocolate chips instead of the bittersweet, a little mint extract, and a green drizzle. The possibilities are endless! Yum yum!

Welcome

This is a place I will come to write about food. Probably mostly about recipes I find that are good and foods I try that are yummy. I love reading food blogs, and especially looking at pictures. Unfortunately, I have very little talent for blogging, so this is likely to be a collection of notes just for me. So, anyway, welcome! Won't you join me?