Turmeric and Sesame Cookies with Chilli chocolate

Hi dolls :D

Those cooking shows will kill me *sigh*

I was so inspired by the Indian food featured in an episode of  'the f-word' that I had to run into the kitchen and do something.I still had one batch of eggless cookie batter left in the freezer,so I though maybe some unusual spices would bring a little piece of India into my cookies.
The recipe for the eggless cookie dough can be found HERE 

I added :
-1/2 generous teaspoon turmeric
-a dash of nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
-1/2 teaspoon ground star anise

For the decor:
200 gr milk chocolate
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
a tiiiny dash of salt
50 gr sesame seeds

Before baking I sprinkled the cookies with sesame seeds

What can I say? They came out amaaaaazing!

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Peanuts

Hello fellow chocolate zombies,

Last night I had one of those 'late cooking sessions',which are perfect to get rid of any stress that may have build up during the day.The result was a chocolate mousse cake with chunks of snickers bar inside,caramelized peanuts and white chocolate on top.

For the base you need:
250 gr petit beurre biscuits or digestive biscuits
1 tablespoon sugar
125 gr butter

Melt the butter and the sugar,stir until the sugar dissolves.In a food processor turn your cookies into fine crumbs.Add the crumbs to the melted butter and remove from the heat.
Press into a cake tin.

For the mousse you need:
200 gr milk chocolate (broken into pieces)
200 ml vegetable fat/oil based whipping cream (but normal cream will also do)
50 gr sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
+ extra 150 gr/ml vegetable fat based whipping cream or frozen whipped topping (thawed)
+2 snickers bars

In a medium size pot warm up the vegetable based whipping cream and melt the chocolate,sugar and cocoa powder over very low heat.It should be just above body temperature.Add a pinch of salt and stir slowly for 5 minutes.Let the mixture cool down for 1 hour.The freezer does miracles when you want to cool down liquids quicker.
Beat the 150 gr vegetable based whipping cream until almost stiff.Slowly add the chocolate mixture and keep on beating.If you are using whipped topping,just fold the chocolate mixture in.Chop up your two snickers and add them to the mousse.Chill for 2 hours,or 30 min freezer)


For the topping you need:
100 gr unsalted peanuts
200 gr white chocolate
20 gr sugar


Coarsely chop the peanuts up in your blender/food processor and toast them in a very hot not stick pan.Once they start to get color,add the sugar.Let the sugar melt and caramelize,then add half of the white chocolate and stir.
Pour on top of the mousse and spread evenly.Melt the rest of the white chocolate and add it on top.This is totally optional.


Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Vegetarian Eggless Cookies

Halleluja!

Dolls,you can't imagine how good this baking session felt!
We are officially back to cooking and baking.

These cookies are for the nice builders that are fixing our roof.They are really good people...and as you might know,I show my gratitude with food gestures.To my surprise the dough beats the basic cookie dough recipe I use,because the texture of the final cookie is finer,and somehow closer to those fancy cookies you can buy from a patisserie.

You need:
220 gr margarine (butter flavored margarine is even better)
130 gr icing sugar (sifted )
250 gr flour (sifted)
50 gr corn flour
the juice of an orange or lemon (I used orange),You may need more,so buy 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
a dash of salt
200 gr chocolate of your choice (I used 75% cocoa dark chocolate)
a piping bag or a sturdy plastic bag with

Soften the margarine by stirring it,add icing sugar,vanilla extract and salt.Beat with the electric mixer until fluffy.Now slooowly add the juice and beat again ,then you gradually add the corn flour mixed with the flour.
If the dough is too stiff (It has to be piped),add more orange juice.
Take a small amount of dough and put it in the piping bag to check if it is pipe-able.If not,add more juice.
If you don't have a piping bag,just take a freezer bag,fill it with dough and snip off a tiny edge on the bottom.
But be careful: The dough should not be too runny.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 190*Celsius/Medium high heat.
Pipe the dough onto the parchment paper and create any shape you like.
Bake for 10-15 min with no air !!

Let the cookies cool for 2 hours
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and decorate the cookies.

Huggies
Cookingchinchillas

Chocolate Junkie Exclusive

Hi dolls,

Once in a while you have to reward yourself with a little treat.In my case it's a large treat made out of all those good things like 2 kinds of chocolate,peanuts,corn flakes cereal and chewy caramel.
You need:
200 g white chocolate
200 g milk chocolate
2 1/2 hands full of corn flakes (may need more)
150 g full of coarsely chopped peanuts
+the ingredients for the caramel from the link
Optional: Sprinkles

butter
wax paper

Medium sized square or rectangular shaped heat proof dish
For the caramel I followed a recipe I found online
http://www.grouprecipes.com/109154/chewy-caramel.html


Line your dish with non stick wax paper,but make sure to grease it well with butter and sprinkle the coarsely chopped peanuts on the bottom
Follow the instructions of the caramel,but instead of letting it cool,you mix it with the corn flakes.Pour the caramel cornflakes mixture into the dish.
Now melt the white chocolate and pour it over the caramel,do the same with the milk chocolate.If you wanna add smarties or sprinkles on top,go ahead!!!
Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours.Remove your treat from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature in order to cut the treat into squares.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Chocolate mousse

Hi dolls,
It was time for a late night chocolate mousse!I like cooking at night,because my head is empty enough to be able to create.The recipe is easier than it looks :)

You need:
200 gr milk chocolate (broken into pieces)
200 ml vegetable fat/oil based whipping cream (but normal cream will also do)
50 gr sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt

350 gr/ml vegetable fat based whipping cream or frozen whipped topping (thawed)
5 tablespoons icing sugar
chocolate syrup

In a medium size pot warm up the vegetable based whipping cream and melt the chocolate,sugar and cocoa powder over very low heat.It should be just above body temperature.Add a pinch of salt and stir slowly for 5 minutes.Let the mixture cool down for 10-15 min.

Beat the 300 gr vegetable based whipping cream until almost stiff.Slowly add the chocolate mixture and keep on beating.If you are using whipped topping,just fold the chocolate mixture in.

If you beat with a balloon whisk,you won't have to feel guilty eating the mousse,because you already had a work out.

In another bowl beat the remaining 50 ml/gr of veg based cream/whipped topping with icing sugar until stiff.

Now you can decide how you wanna serve this.I chose a glass
Layer mousse,chocolate syrup,whipped topping etc.


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Microwave fudge

Hi dolls,

I always wanted to try home made fudge,so after my last attempt turned into a big sticky lump of chocolate goo,I went with the fool-proof version that you can find Here.

The result was sooooooooo yummy! And it took me like 10 minutes.I replaced the semi sweet morsels with 340 gr (12 oz ) of milk chocolate.
Here is the result:

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Truffle madness

Phew!

I made two batches of truffles one with peanut,vanilla,cream and caramel fudge flavor and the other one with peanut,vanilla,white chocolate and  raspberry.

For the vanilla,caramel fudge ones I used (I can tell you approximately only.My kitchen scale ran out of batteries :( )
approx 200 gr unsalted peanuts (finely ground in the blender)
approx 40-70 g of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
approx 40 gr caramel fudge (finely chopped)
100 gr white chocolate
1 tablespoon margarine


For the coating :
300 gr milk chocolate
Bring the condensed milk and the vanilla extract to a boil and add the white chocolate.Melt it over very low heat.Add the peanuts,salt and fudge.If the mixture is too runny,you need more peanuts,if it is too thick,add more condensed milk.The filling should be thick and not too sticky.To get rid of the stickiness,fold in some margarine.
Place in the fridge and check on the mixture every 10 min.It should be thick and knead-able and not completely loose it's shape when rolled into a ball.

When you reached that point roll maaany little balls and put them in the fridge again for 20 min.
Then you can cover them with chocolate


For the raspberry filling,I switched fudge with 3-4 tablespoons of raspberry jam and I added another 100 gr white chocolate.
I added the raspberry jam to the condensed milk and brought it to a boil and then continued as explained above.


They are lovely !

But I don't want to see any chocolate anymore for today.
I didn't count but I filled two large trays.Around 120-140 truffles.


Chocolate Hugs


Cc258

Nutella truffles

Howdy!

Finally! Making truffles was on my 'cooking goals' list for a long time.And various attempts were a sheer and utter failure.
But this time I finally got it right *Happydance*

For those yummy Nutella truffles with Hazelnut you need:

Filling:
300 gr semi sweet chocolate
140 gr Nutella
250 gr crushed petit beurre cookies or digestive cookies or Speculaas type cookies (Have some more on hand just in case)

100 gr toasted crushed hazelnuts
25-50 ml heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon shortening

Combine vanilla extract,salt and heavy cream.In a pot melt the shortening first then slowly melt the chocolate and nutella on very low heat.Stir in the hazelnuts and crushed cookies and add the heavy cream little by little.Mix Mix Mix.Once you have a very thick texture that is hard to mix,stop adding cream.
If the texture is still to gooey,add more crushed cookies.
Chill for two hours.

With latex gloves or greased hands shape little round balls and place them on non stick wax paper.
Once you are done,put them in the freezer for 10-15 min.


For the outside of the truffles:
400 gr semi sweet chocolate
nuts of your choice
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bain marie
With a bamboo skewer pick up the truffles with a fork or bamboo skewer and dip them into the melted chocolate.
Add your favorite nuts on top.




I just ate 5 of them and they are really good.They make perfect gifts too :D




Huggies from chocolate paradise
C.c258

White chocolate milk that will warm you up

Hello

Today it was rainy and cold.....Yay that mean hot beverage time! You can tell I love hot beverages.
I got this recipe from a friends mother years ago and it is just so wonderful for cold days,because the spices will make you warm.


You need for 2 cups:

450 ml milk (either soy or cow)
5 tablespoons almond blossom honey
3 tablespoons grated white chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
2 dashes ground nut meg
a dash of cayenne pepper
a dash of ground ginger
1 star anise
a tiny dash of salt
3 cardamom seeds

In a small pot add milk,vanilla,cinnamon,nutmeg,cayenne,ginger,anise,salt and cardamom seeds.
Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to low, and add the honey.Let it simmer slightly for 1 min.
Remove from the heat  and filter it with a coffee filter.Add the white chocolate and serve.


Huggies

Chinchillachannel258

Choco Chai with Baileys (Alcoholic)

Hello Cuties!

This is a quick alcoholic hot beverage perfect for gray days.

You need
200 ml milk or soy drink
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
a tiny dash of salt
2 cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
50 ml Baileys

sugar (you decide how much)
whipped cream for garnish

Bring milk to a boil and add all ingredients except for the Baileys.Boil and stir for 1 minute.
Pour the mixture through a sieve or a coffee filter.
Add the Baileys and finish off with whipped cream.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Choco Crunchies ( Revisited)

Hi from Chocolate Kingdom!

Remember the Choco Crunchies I did a while ago?
http://cookingchinchillas.blogspot.com/2010/07/choco-crunchies.html


I tried them with different ingredients
150 g whole almonds (roughly chopped,toasted)
200 gr baked muesli
150 gr digestive cookies (roughly crumbled)
a handful dehydrated,sugared cranberries
50 gr marzipan (rolled into tiny balls)
200 gr semi sweet chocolate
200 gr hazelnut dark chocolate


Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

the medicine for heart ache soul ache and pms

Dear chocolate zombies!

Although it is hot outside I had this craving for my favorite hot chocolate drink ever.It oozes chocolate and it is not suitable for those who count calories!It smells and tastes so good,that you will forget your heartache/soulache/pms-moodswings.

You need :
150 ml milk
50 ml heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1 drop vanilla extract
a dash of salt (tiny dash)
a dash of chili (tiny dash)
1 tablespoon cacao powder (not the sweetened or instant one)
a tiny dash of ground clove
1 teaspoon nutella
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup/chocolate sauce
whip cream spray or milk foam
ground cinnamon for the topping


Bring milk and heavy cream to a boil,while constantly whisking add sugar,vanilla,salt,chili,cacao powder,clove and nutella.Remove from the heat and pour into a mug.Add whipped cream or milk foam on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Drink it,smell it enjoy it
I know the pic is lousy.*Sorry*

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Choco Crunchies

Hello dear fellow chocolate zombies.

This little sweet treat is for everybody who loves chocolate,nuts and a good old crunch.
It is simple and easy and even children can help prepare those treats.

You need :
400 gr Chocolate of your choice (I used semi sweet)
100 gr white chocolate
200 gr mixed unsalted nuts (I used almond,hazelnut,peanut macadamia)
1 tablespoon sugar or vanilla sugar
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate cereal (Kellogg's chocos )
1/2 cup cornflakes
a pinch of salt

We start off by crushing the nuts in a food processor hit the button for one second two times.
Now you gotta toast the nuts.In a dry non stick pan slowly toast the nuts and as soon as they get color,add sugar,salt and cinnamon and keep stirring well.Once the sugar has melted,remove from the fire.
Now put both cereals in one bowl and crush them with your hands a bit.
Now melt 400 gr of chocolate (either in a bain-marie or in the microwave)
Once the chocolate has melted,add the nuts and the cereals and stir well so all the cereals and nuts are coated with chocolate.
With a spoon take little amounts of the chocolate mess and put them on a non stick baking paper/wax paper.
Once the chocolate has set,melt the white chocolate and decorate your choco crunchies with it.

You can also add dried fruit (bananas,raisins,apricots) to the mixture or use another cereal of your choice)

And now take the choco crunchies to a safe place and eat them all by yourself  *LOL*

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Nussecken (German )

Servus


Yay!! This is my 100th post

 

I saved the Nussecken recipe for this special occasion.This is my favorite sweet treat from Germany.
Nussecken means Nut-corners.

For the base:
300 gr all purpose flour
160 gr butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
150 gr sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Knead a dough from the above ingredients and chill the dough for 30 min.

For the topping:
2 egg whites (beaten to stiff peak)
200 gr butter
200 gr sugar
4 tablespoons water
400 gr ground hazelnuts or almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons apricot jam

400 gr chocolate of your choice

Spread the dough for the base on a large baking tray with a rolling pin or your hands.
Cover the whole base thinly with apricot jam.
In a saucepan melt the butter,sugar,vanilla extract and water and bring to a boil.Mix the ground nuts in and remove from the fire.
Now fold in the egg whites carefully and spread the nutty mixture on the base.

Bake on medium high temp (175 Celsius ) for 25-30 min.Now cut your treat into little triangles quickly while it is still hot.A pizza cutter works perfectly.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave and dip your triangles into the chocolate so that all 3 sides are covered in chocolate.

Instead of the apricot jam you can also use marzipan and spread it all over the base.

Huggies and goood luck

Chinchillachannel258

Question of the day: What is your favorite sweet treat??

Pineapple Banana Pancake

Salut!

Those of you who count calories should stop reading now!
This is for those of you who love to spoil they palate.

You need:
100 gr Yogurt
1 banana (dice half of the banana,keep the other half whole)
1 slice of fresh pineapple (diced)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
a pinch of salt
margarine to fry
ice cream of your choice (I used Pina Colada ice cream)
Nutella or chocolate syrup

Ok let the feast begin.
Combine Yogurt,flour,egg,cornstarch,vanilla extract,sugar,salt and the half un-diced banana in a blender until smooth.
Add the banana and pineapple dice and place the pancake dough in the fridge for 20 min.
Bake/fry your pancakes with margarine in a non stick pan and serve with ice-cream and nutella.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Chocolate covered Strawberries

Hi
Yes,I know Valentines day is over.Maybe that is the reason why I am posting the recipe now.
I am not a big fan of Valentines day anyway.But I have to confess that I do love the chocolate covered strawberries.
So while buying potatoes in a veggie market,I saw Strawberries.Yes Strawberries in winter/early spring!
Maybe that is nothing special in the USA,but here in Greece it is.
I thought that the strawberries would taste like nothing,but I was wrong.
They are as delicious as in April/May.

You need
500 gr Strawberries (washed and dried)
200 gr semi-sweet chocolate
100 gr dark chocolate
optional: white chocolate or coconut shavings for the decoration.

Your strawberries should be 100% dry,otherwise the chocolate will go clumpy.
Break your chocolate into pieces and melt it either in a bain-Marie or in the microwave.
Melting the chocolate in a bain marie allows the choco to stay shiny.
As you can see my chocolate is melted in the microwave and has lost it's shine.
Once your chocolate is melted,dip in strawberries and place them on wax paper to harden.
Sprinkle with coconut shavings or white chocolate.

Done!
Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Mini donuts

Hello!

I have a sweet tooth and I turn into a chocolate craving zombie every once in a while.
Last night I wanted something rich and full of chocolate.

You need:
400 gr soft/pastry flour
100 gr whole grain flour (so we can pretend we are eating healthy XD)
active dry yeast suitable for 500 gr flour
50 gr melted butter
lukewarm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gr dark chocolate


Mix the flour with the yeast and add the sugar,salt,honey,vanilla and the butter.
Now slowly add water and keep on kneading until a smooth dough forms,that does not stick to the fingers.If it is too sticky,add extra flour.If it is too dry/hard,add water or butter.

Let the dough rise at a warm place for 30 min.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out little donuts with a small glass.
Pierce them with a wooden cooking spoon or with your fingers.
Place them on a floured tray and cover them with a clean towel.
Let the donuts rise for 30 min.

Now get your fryer ready on a medium high temperature.
When the oil is hot enough,fry your donuts until they are brown.
To drain access oil,place the donuts on paper towels to cool.

Now melt your chocolate either in a bain marie or in the microwave.You can also use other chocolate.
Dip in the donuts and let the chocolate cool for 2-3 hours.

If you don't want to mess around with doughs,you can use pizza dough from the supermarket and add icing/powder sugar to sweeten it.

Get creative with the frosting.Mine is simple and boring.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258

Chocolate cup cakes deluxe

Hello
Baking cup cakes is a science for itself.
Everybody has his little secret.I tried a lot of cupcake recipes with a lot of exotic frosting and ingredients.
BUT the best cup cakes are still the classic ones.
I took a basic cupcake recipe I found some years ago and I played with it.
Those cup cakes are for chocolate lovers who adore the bittersweet taste of cocoa.

You need:
150 gr Butter (room temperature)
50 gr sugar
50 gr brown sugar
200 gr all purpose flour
25 gr cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons Milk
100 gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cognac

For the frosting:
100 gr black chocolate
100 gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
25-40 gr icing sugar
100 gr white sliced almonds
a pinch of salt
a few drops cognac
cinnamon


The dough is pretty easy.Just mix all the ingredients except the dark chocolate.
With a dough kneading machine it takes 2-3 min.By hand it takes like 8.
Now smash the chocolate (either with a hammer on the cutting board or in a blender),but there should be still some chunks.Mix the chocolate in the dough.
Fill the dough into paper cups or a muffin pan.
Bake the cupcakes at 180 degree Celsius for 25-35 min.You can check if the cupcakes are ready.Simply take a toothpick and stab one cupcake in the middle.
If the toothpick comes out clean,the cupcake is done.
If there is still some dough sticking to the toothpick you should add baking time.
Let the cupcakes cool.

For the frosting first you have to toast the almonds in a clean pan until they get a really light color.Add the salt,cinnamon and the icing sugar.Let the sugar melt and caramelize and stir constantly.Remove from the fire and add a few drops of cognac.
Let the almonds cool and the roughly crush them with your hands.


Melt the chocolate either in a bain-marie or in the microwave.The bain marie has a big plus.The chocolate doesn't loose it's shine.But be careful:If just one drop of water falls into the melting chocolate,you can throw it.

Coat the cup cakes with chocolate and sprinkle some almonds on top.

Huggies
Chinchillachannel258