Tia Maria White Chocolate Truffles

Fits of laughter erupt from the kitchen. There's a thump, then there's giggles. Some one-glass-wonder has eaten too many white chocolate truffles, laced with Tia Maria, by the looks of things. My husband walks into the kitchen to find me writhing on the floor in fits of laughter.
Just kidding.
But sometimes I feel like I could end up like this at someone's party. An embarrassing moment when you have one rum ball too many. Honestly I wouldn't put it past myself, after being pregnant and not having alcohol for close to a year, I'm way out of practice, and even a few sips of wine now does my head in. I was already a one (or two) glass wonder to begin with.
Friends--don't be horrified if this happens at your house when you next get me around, I assure you it's unintentional. Bear with me while I get my liver going again, and I can have half a glass again without getting "tiddly."
But don't worry, there's very little liqueur in these delicious and easy and moreish truffles. There's just enough to make it taste delectably adult-only, with its coffee and slight rum taste that is Tia Maria, combined with the sweetness of the white chocolate and that bitterness of the cocoa powder each truffle is rolled in. It's dark, rich and handsome. And we all know that's a winning combination.

TIA MARIA WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (Adapted from Australian Good Taste Magazine, April 2013, pg 105)

200g white chocolate (I used cooking chocolate to ensure firmness)
1/2 cup thickened cream
1-2 tbsp. Tia Maria liqueur
1/2 cup cocoa powder to coat

Break up the chocolate into a medium sized, heat proof bowl. Add the cream and stir through the chocolate. Place this bowl in the microwave, and heat on high at 20 second increments, stirring between these periods until the chocolate is evenly melted. Add the Tia Maria. Thoroughly stir until the cream and the melted chocolate and liqueur comes together as one. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to firm up.
After this firming period, remove from the refrigerator and use a teaspoon to scoop out rough, walnut sized balls. Use damp hands to roll each portion into a smoother ball. Return to the refrigerator to firm up further if necessary, especially in warmer weather. Roll these balls in cocoa powder. Refrgerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 12

NOTES: After sitting in the refrigerator, often the cocoa powder will have absorbed some moisture. Just re-roll the truffles in a little extra cocoa powder before serving. Variation: use the same quantity of dark chocolate and add Cointreau to it in place of the Tia Maria.

Tim Tam Brownies

Possibly one of the most wicked brownies in existence. The Tim Tam brownie.

What exactly is a tim tam? You may wonder what this chocolate coated goodness is that I speak of.

Tim Tams are possibly one of the most wicked things that finds its way into my pantry. Trust me, a packet of those babies doesn't stay there long. They're compiled of two layers of chocolate biscuit wedged with a chocolate cream and then coated, or double coated in an outer layer of chocolate. Add brownie to that mix and you're in for a death by chocolate treat. 

Moist chocolate brownie, chocolate, chocolate malt biscuit, light chocolate cream, chocolate malt biscuit, chocolate, and moist chocolate brownie again. 

Add some ice cream for a quick dessert!

But wait, it gets better. Tim Tams come in all different flavours, as well as white, dark, milk and double coated varieties. Find yourself trying to decide between choc mint tim tams, caramel, rum and raisin, cookies and cream, black forest, (and the list goes on). It's a near impossible task to decide! So mix it up and make your choice of flavoured Tim tam Brownie! You wont regret it (but your waistline might)

TIM TAM BROWNIE

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 packet tim tam biscuits

Preheat your oven to 190C.
Melt butter and remove from heat. Stir through the cocoa and brown sugar until combined.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Next, blend in the flour and salt. Spoon a thin layer of batter into a lined dish. Arrange the tim tam biscuits on the top of this batter as desire. Cover the biscuits with the remainder of the mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, and  when cooled, cut into squares serve with ice cream.

OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR TIM TAMS:

1.Bite the ends off, and drink your coffee through its deliciousness.

2.Crush up tim tams finely and add enough cream cheese to be able to form balls. Coat in chocolate for decadent truffles.

3. Roughly break up tim tams and swirl through softened vanilla ice cream; refreeze. Tim tam Ice Cream? Yes please!

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

As promised, I have a few more delightful truffle and chocolate recipes to share. Here's a delicious white chocolate truffle, zesty with lemon accents and ever so creamy. Pop one of these in your mouth and you won't be able to stop.

WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON TRUFFLES (adapted slightly from Swapna's Cuisine)

500g white chocolate, chopped
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
1/3 cup cream
cocoa powder or caster sugar to roll

Combine the cream and zest a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to bubble, but not boil.
Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking quickly until the chocolate has melted and becomes thick and smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to form balls. Form rough balls using a teaspoon. Roll the truffles in caster sugar or cocoa powder and place in paper cases. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Rafaello Balls

With Saint Valentine's Day on the cards, I've come to ponder, what is romance? What is romantic? So I asked my husband what he thought and we both came up with the same thing.
It doesn't have to be a trip to Paris. It doesn't have to be anything sweep-me-off-my-feet movie style.
It's the little things, the thoughtful things, surprising things that are romantic in this house. I'm sure its different for everyone, but I don't need loud or extravagant gifts from my man to feel and know that he loves me.
So are you stuck for a St. Valentine's Day gift? What is romantic to you and your better half?
To be honest I swept my brow in relief to find out my husband had the same idea of romance as me. Truth be told, most couples probably share the same ideas on love and romance, otherwise they wouldn't be together.
So when I found myself stuck for a gift for my hubby, I started trying to think outside the box, and it brought me to the chocolate box. Whats that cacophony I hear? Oh its my readers...
Not a box of chocolates!
Oh hush. This isn't your ordinary box of chocolates. Its a designer box of chocolates.
So here's the idea. Its sweet, original, unique and hand made...nothing comes from the heart more than something home and hand made! It's relatively budget friendly too, if you can curb your wild creative side enough to stick within a budget.
So here it is...I am going to make a box of assorted truffles and chocolates. Each will be named after a special occasion that my husband and I have shared together eg. First Kiss, Wedding Day, Proposal, First Date, Honeymoon, you get the picture. You could also name the chocolates after pet names, places you've been on dates, or even things that spell romance to you. Each chocolate will have a little tag attached, a little story that goes with it. A box of memory chocolates! Reliving moments of romance over a box of chocolates...sounds pretty sweet to me!
So here I am, on the hunt for great chocolate and truffle recipes. I've found a few wonderful ones, so stay tuned!
Here's one for the Rafaello Fans. Ever wondered how to make your own Rafaello chocolates? Here's how. And you'll just fall in love with the simple decadence of these beauties. Coconut, white chocolate and vanilla wafer rolled around one roasted hazelnut. Divine.

WHITE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT RAFAELLO BALLS (translated and adapted from Din Bucataria Mea)

200ml condensed milk

3-4 tbsp. full cream milk powder

50g butter, room temperature

100g coconut flakes

50g vanilla wafer biscuits, crushed

toasted hazelnut, if desired

150g white chocolate, melted

150g coconut extra

Mix butter with condensed milk, add milk powder, coconut flakes, and crushed vanilla wafers. Mix until well combined. Roll into walnut sized balls; flatten in the palm on your hand and press a hazelnut into the centre. Re-roll so that the hazelnut is well covered and positioned in the middle of the ball. Repeat until all mixture is used.

Melt the chocolate. Put the extra coconut in a small bowl. Using a fork, dip each ball into the white chocolate and coat. Let the excess chocolate drain from the all before rolling it through the coconut, then place on a tray. Repeat until all the balls are coated and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTES: These delicious chocolates are just as delicious without the nut in the centre, and look marvelous boxed as a gift

HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Romantic Getaway Chocolates

My darling husband surprised me this weekend by booking a romantic escape for two nights up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.  It’s a long weekend, part of which is to be spent in front of a log fire in our own little wood cabin, nestled in one of my favourite parts of the world. It’s a beautifully romantic spot and I’m all geared up for it…babymoon here we come!

Does anything say romance than a few nights away from it all…and a box of chocolates?  Mind you the non-alcoholic bubbly will be coming along with us too (I tell you its just as good as the real deal) and plenty of these...

ROMANTIC CHOCOLATES

You will need:

A chocolate mold of some sort (unless you mean to make truffles)

Good quality chocolate for the cases

Any of the following filling ingredients.

THE BASICS:

What to know before starting:

Its worth getting good quality chocolate for your chocolate making adventure. Your chocolates will only be as good as the quality of the chocolate you begin with. Never rush the melting process. A good way to ensure even melting and avoidance of burning, is to have a bowl of boiling water sitting underneath another bowl containing your chocolate. Be sure the bowl containing your chocolate cannot fall into the water as this will curdle your chocolate.
Use of a pastry brush to obtain a good even coating of the bottom and sides of your chocolate mold is ideal. Place these chocolate shells into the freezer for quicker setting time and do not remove until you have filled them with the desired filling and sealed with a finishing layer of melted chocolate. Return to the freezer until set before removing.

EASY FILLINGS FOR MOLD CHOCOLATES:

An easy and quick way to fill chocolates is to make up some flavoured icing. Using icing sugar, food colouring and essence of your choice, mix with a small amount of water until you get a desired consistence. Fill the pre-made chocolate shells and seal with a layer of melted chocolate. The now flavoured, gooey centres with thicken slightly on setting and will look gorgeous upon biting!

USING LEFTOVER SWEETS AS A FILLING

Left over sweets such as cake are a lovely alternative filling, and a surprising one for the recipient. Moisten broken cake with a little cream and spoon into the chocolate shells. Seal with a finishing coat of melted of melted chocolate to finish and remove after further refrigeration.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (can also be used as a chocolate filling)

250g dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup cream

Bring the cream just to the boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and add the chocolate to the cream. Beat until the chocolate has melted and both ingredients are well combined. Place in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1-3 hours. 

You can use as a filling in prepared chocolate cases, finishing them off with a layer of melted chocolate to seal the bottoms. Alternately, you can use a melon scoop to make into ball shapes and then freeze until firm. You have lots of options such as coating in melted chocolate and decorating, or rolling them in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, coconut etc depending on your tastes. You can also add a flavouring such as peppermint essence to the ganache before refrigeration for a variation. Small chunks of apricot, nuts or mints also make interesting additions to your ganache.