Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!

Greetings of the Season and Best Wishes for the New Year!!

Love to share a Birthday cake, homemade, decorated by me, Cute Monsters and Uglydoll Birthday Cake for my 8 year old son.
The cake was fantastic, chocolate explosion, layers of chocolate wonderland and chocolate mousse topped with chocolate ganache.
Theme was Little Cute Monsters inspired by the whole world of cartoon creations. I did my best and created few new characters with help from my kids, my biggest inspiration.

For more decorating ideas, themes, fondant decorations and toppers please visit my store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/petitfondantcreation

Happy New Year, best wishes from My Wandering Spoon!!

Advertisement

Chocolate Wonderland

I love chocolate, seriously….that is my favorite dessert, darker-better. Now, if chocolate has some fine nuts in it, even better but whole flavor has to be top notch.
Recently I was reading amazing cookbook “Al Fresco” written by Louise Pickford, with photography by Ian Wallace. Wonderful cookbook with beautiful light recipes and lovely photographs.
One recipe totally left impression on me- Refrigerator chocolate cake. I had to make it and I did. It is fantastic:)

As always I did few changes in ingredients, simply because I had them stocked in my pantry and to make lighten version.

Original Recipe, Refrigerator Chocolate Cake

14 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups Graham crackers, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup candied ginger, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
confectioner’s sugar, to dust, optional

Put the chocolate and butter into a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat gently until melted. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the confectioners sugar, then spoon into the prepared cake pan. Press the mixture well into the surface with a spatula. Cover with foil and chill overnight.

This is my light home version:)

5 oz dark chocolate chunks
1/4 cup non-fat half and half
1/2 stick sweet cream butter
1 cup animal crackers
1’2 cup pecans
1/2 cup pistachio, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried figs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

I had to try cake as soon as possible (it was 3 hours in the fridge) couldn’t wait longer, delicious. Super easy dessert to make any time especially for chocolate lovers. It is kids friendly recipe too, you can add your favorite ingredients, any time:)

Happy Valentines Day-Marzipan Meringue Chocolate Hearts :)

Happy Valentines Day everybody!
This is truly nice holiday to share little more love, warm smiles and few kisses.
Hearts are truly a theme & chocolate is the best ingredient ever.
This year I decided to make something from the heart to my hearts, homemade and delicious.
I love nice, good looking box of chocolates. That was my inspiration this year.

This recipe is very easy to make, doesn’t require lot of time just best quality ingredients.

You will need:

I pack of marzipan paste
1/4 cup semi sweet dark chocolate
1/4 cup white chocolate chunks
2 egg whites
4 tea spoons powder sugar
lemon zest
decoration paste, optional

Meringues are optional too. I like to add them inside of the marzipan because they add little crunch to it.
Using standing mixer whip well egg whites on high for few minutes, add sugar and little lemon zest.
On the cookie sheet, place parchment paper and using spoon make little meringues.
Oven should be preheated to 320F. Then dry bake little shapes for 20 minutes.
Using your hands or cookie cutter, make shapes with marzipan paste. This is the same type of dough as play dough, so same as kids- best thing to do is to use imagination.
Making chocolate dip or bath is fun process too.
In the smaller saucepan on the low heat add chocolate, few drops of milk and tiny piece of butter for the shine.
Mix well till chocolate is creamy not to watery. You can repeat process with white chocolate too if you like.
When meringues are done and cooled down you can press little chunks in to the candy shapes and then dip them to the chocolate.
Lay them on the baking rack to cool down. Decoration is optional too, anything that you like and have in your pantry at the moment would work.
Leave chocolates for an hour or so to sit at the room temperature and then you can wrap them for the gift or just enjoy them:)

Marzipan