How to make the perfect chocolate truffle

680g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
226g milk chocolate finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, scraped
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cocoa powder
(mixtures makes 117 truffles)

Directions
Line a 24cm rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap; set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt 230g bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate together.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat; heat until cream just comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Let cream mixture cool; remove vanilla bean and discard.
Remove chocolate mixture from heat and add to cream mixture.  Using a spatula, mix together, starting from centre of the saucepan and working your way to the outer edges until mixture is emulsified.  Add butter and mix until well combined.  Pour mixture into prepared baking sheet, evenly spreading mixture with a spatula.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down gently on chocolate mixture to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Line the back of another 24cm baking sheet with parchment paper.  Uncover chocolate and invert onto parchment paper; remove plastic wrap.  Using a pizza cutter or sharp knive, cut chocolate into 3cm squares.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  Roll each square of chocolate between your hands to form a smooth ball.  Transfer chocolate balls to baking sheet; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Melt remaining 450g bittersweet chocolate in heatproof bowl,set over (but not touching) simmering water.  Place cocoa powder in a shallow dish.  Place some of the melted chocolate in the palm of your hand and roll chocolate ball in the melted chocolate to coat, then roll in cocoa powder.  Repeat process with remaining chocolate balls.  Transfer truffles to an airtight container.  Bring truffles to room temperature just before serving.

There's an air of excitment in our office today.  It's a day away from the Cape Town Good Food and Wine Show and we can't wait!  This show is a true haven for foodie veterans so be sure not to miss out!

Moms are priceless...

We are preparing these silky buttermilk creams to spoil our moms this Mother's Day.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup unflavoured gelatin
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
450g strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
1.  In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 3 tablespoons cold water.  Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.  Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin has dissolved, about 30 seconds.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup sugar with buttermilk until dissolved.  Whisking constantly, add gelatin mixture in a very thin stream.  In another large bowl, beat cream and 1/4 cup sugar until soft peaks form.
3.  With a rubber spatula, gently stir half of whipped cream into buttermilk mixture; fold in remaining whipped cream.  Divide among eight ramekins.  Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours (or up to 1 day, covered with plastic wrap).
4.  When ready to serve, toss strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water.  Let stand until juicy, about 5 minutes.  Run a paring knife around edge of each ramekin and dip each briefly in steaming hot water; invert buttermilk creams onto serving plates and top with strawberries.

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie - Tenneva Jordan"

Burger Fun

 The Vampire Burger

 The Chicken Burger



 The Apocalypse Burger

 The Thanksgiving Burger



 The James Bond Burger

The Ice Cream Burger

Happy Easter

Easter has officially arrived in our kitchens and we're baking up a storm in preparation for the lovely long weekend ahead.

Today we're making these gorgeous little Bird's Nest Cookies  

Ingredients (makes 24 cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted

170g semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

2 cups shredded coconut, lightly toasted until golden in colour
1 bag Woolworths speckled candy-coated eggs

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 170 degrees celsius.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar and butter.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and cocoa powder.  Add flour mixutre to butter mixture; mix on low speed just until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes.  Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

2.  Place chocolate, heavy cream and espresso powder in a bowl.  Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.  Remove bowl from heat and set the chocolate ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

3.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to a 6mm thickness.  Using a 5cm cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies; place them on lined baking sheet.  Chill cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.

4.  Bake cookies until set, about 14 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  When the ganache has cooled to room temperature, whisk until it becomes stiff enough to pipe.  Transfer ganache to a pastry bag and pipe around the perimeters of the cookies.  Dip each cookie, ganache-side down into toasted coconut.  Fill the "nests" with candy-coated eggs, 2-3 eggs per nest.

This is very interesting!

  The pictures below represent calories in different foods.  Each portion represents 200 calories.  Statistically, the average adult only needs between 2000-2500 calories per day to survive.

After nibbling on all the yummy things in the kitchen all day....guess what's on our menu for dinner...

broccoli and celery :)

 385g of apples = 200 calories

 75g of beef burger = 200 calories

 588g of broccoli = 200 calories



 51g of gummy bears = 200 calories

 1425g of celery = 200 calories



 41g of chocolate bar = 200 calories



and finally, not good news for our beloved butter

28g of butter = 200 calories

Spoil your Valentine with these delectable Chocolate Covered Strawberries



Ingredients

227g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

450g large strawberries (about 20), washed and dried well

1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios (optional)

Directions

Place chocolate in a bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmer water.  Stir occasionally, until melted, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  One at a time, dip each strawberry in chocolate, twirling to coat; then sprinkle chocolate covered portion with pistachios, if using, and place on waxed paper.

Chill chocolate-dipped strawberries at least 15 minutes to set chocolate.  (Strawberries should not be stored in refrigerator longer than 1 hour as condensation may collect on the chocolate).