MINI MERINGUE COOKIES
These delectable crispy bites of meringue goodness is bound to be
a crowd pleaser at any holiday event.
The taste of these cookies loosely resembles the taste of
roasted marshmallows without the mess of a campfire.
They are crispy on the outside but immediately melts in your mouth.
The contrast of the two textures makes for an exciting food journey in your mouth.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 egg whites
- 4 ml of vanilla extract
- 2 ml of cream of tartar
- a pinch of salt
- 150 ml of sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place egg whites in a small bowl, cover with saran wrap and let stand at room temperature for
about 30 min.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
3. Grind sugar in a food processor for about 30-50 seconds or until sugar granules are super fine
4. Add vanilla extract, salt, and cream of tartar to egg whites
5. Beat on medium speed until foamy.
6. Gradually add sugar, 15 ml at time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved.
7. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. ( about 7 min. )
8. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or a in a corner of a ziploc bag. Insert a star stip.
9. Transfer meringue to bag.
10. Pipe two inch diameter cookies, two inches apart from each other onto parchment paper.
11. Bake 40-45 min or until firm to the touch.
12. Turn off the oven ( DO NOT open oven door ) leave meringues in oven for an hour.
13. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheets before eating.
THOUGHTS/TIPS:
These mini bites of heaven are an absolute crowd pleaser! They have a nice crunch when you first bite into them but immediately melt away in your mouth seconds after. Careful, they do get addictive!
These mini desserts were super easy to make but in the process we did note on some things to be careful about. Firstly, before beating your egg whites make sure your bowl and your mixer ( whisk attachment) are CLEAN. There can't be any residue on it otherwise your egg whites won't form stiff peaks. :(
Secondly, you can use granulated sugar but we found grinding the sugar into finer granules really helps speed up the process of beating up the egg whites, and also creates a smoother meringue.
Thirdly, depending on the size of your meringue cookies the time in the oven will vary. Since we made ours relatively small, we let them bake for about 45 min and let them sit in the turned off oven for about 20 min more. If they are firm to the touch and are starting to get a little golden brown they should be just about done!
We hope you enjoy this recipe! :)
MINI PEPPERMINT CUPCAKES
Chocolate, whipped cream, and peppermint?
What else do you need in a winter holiday themed dessert?
These little babies are a two bite piece of heaven. The cupcake itself isn't
too sweet thus pairing perfectly with the sweet whipped cream.
The crushed peppermint sprinkled on top add that perfect
crunch and holiday spirit!
- 75 ml of all purpose flour
- 30 ml of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ml of baking soda
- 1 ml of baking powder
- 1 ml of instant espresso powder (optional)
- 20 ml of vegetable oil
- 50 ml of lightly packed brown sugar
- 75 ml of buttermilk
- 50 ml of whipping cream
- 30 ml of icing sugar
- 4 mini candy canes
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line or grease a mini muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Whisk well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. DO NOT OVER MIX.
5. Distribute batter evenly into prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until done.
7. Let cupcakes cool completely before icing.
8. In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream with icing sugar together.
9. Crush candy canes in a ziploc bag using a wooden rolling pin.
10. Ice cupcakes, and sprinkle candy cane over the top.
THOUGHTS/TIPS:
Who doesn't love eating mini sized food items?! These mini cupcakes are not only adorable but they taste great too! The cupcake by itself isn't very sweet at all, thus allowing you to really taste the richness of the chocolate in it. Adding a little espresso I find brings out the chocolate taste even more, although the espresso is optional I highly recommend it if you've never tried it before! I purposely made the whipping cream sweeter than usual just because the cupcake itself was little on the non sweet side. The sweetness from the whipped cream and richness of the bittersweet chocolate balance each other out perfectly.
The crushed candy canes on top are the perfect little accent to twist in some of that holiday spirit. I mean who doesn't associate candy canes with Christmas? The crushed peppermint candy canes add just enough of that cool, minty delightful-ness without overpowering the chocolate into these bite sized babies. The soft spongy cake base, and the smooth whipped cream paired with a lil crunch from the candy are a texture adventure for your mouth!
These cupcakes are also very versatile, you can follow the original cupcake base recipe and add whatever icing or topping you desire for any future events or season!
We hope you enjoy this recipe! :)
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate, a spoon, and a creamy texture?
Got to much chocolate leftover from the winter holidays?
Well this is an easy recipe perfect for any occasion.
It's delectable dessert that can be topping on anything.
Ingredients:
70g finely chopped chocolate
15g butter, diced
12 mL espresso or very strong coffee
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 large eggs, separated
15mL sugar
Directions:
1)Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.
2)Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot,
3) Stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
4) Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
5) When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.
6) spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes.
70g finely chopped chocolate
15g butter, diced
12 mL espresso or very strong coffee
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 large eggs, separated
15mL sugar
1)Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.
3) Stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
4) Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
Thoughts/Tips:
This recipe was super easy to make. It takes approximately 1 hour and anyone can make it. I personally think that its perfect if you have chocolate left over from the holidays. You can add any other toppings of your choice such as almonds or icing sugar to your finish product. If you have sponge cake or lady fingers, it'll be like chocolate mousse cake. I used bittersweet chocolate in my recipe and it was definitely a mistake. Unfortunately the chocolate and the espresso did not go well together. The product became to bitter. Careful when adding your espresso and choosing your choice of chocolate =|
We hope you enjoy your recipe!
Chocolate Truffles
Do you like chocolate, peppermint, and almonds?
What else can be better than chocolate truffles.
This rich, delicate dessert is perfect for the winter holidays.
Ingredients:
4 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped1/2 cup heavy cream
This recipe was super easy to make. It takes approximately 1 hour and anyone can make it. I personally think that its perfect if you have chocolate left over from the holidays. You can add any other toppings of your choice such as almonds or icing sugar to your finish product. If you have sponge cake or lady fingers, it'll be like chocolate mousse cake. I used bittersweet chocolate in my recipe and it was definitely a mistake. Unfortunately the chocolate and the espresso did not go well together. The product became to bitter. Careful when adding your espresso and choosing your choice of chocolate =|
We hope you enjoy your recipe!
Chocolate Truffles
Do you like chocolate, peppermint, and almonds?
What else can be better than chocolate truffles.
This rich, delicate dessert is perfect for the winter holidays.
Ingredients:
4 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped1/2 cup heavy cream
10g crushed peppermint candies
10g crushed almonds
10g crushed almonds
Directions:
1) Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate (uncovered) until somewhat firm, about 1 hour.
1) Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate (uncovered) until somewhat firm, about 1 hour.
2) Spoon mounds (2 level teaspoons each) of chocolate mixture onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Return to refrigerator 15 minutes
3) With your hands, roll mounds into balls. Place desired coatings in shallow bowls; roll balls in coatings, pressing in and covering completely. Return to baking sheet; chill until set, about 30 minutes.
Thoughts/Tips:
This recipe may seem easy, but it is not for beginners. It takes a lot of time and practice to make this recipe successfully, Personally this recipe was disaster for me :( my chocolate was burnt in the process of making the chocolate, making it close to impossible work with. It became very dry after refrigerating. The product itself was too bitter. I do not recommend this if you do not have experience with making chocolate. This is not a beginners recipe ):
This recipe may seem easy, but it is not for beginners. It takes a lot of time and practice to make this recipe successfully, Personally this recipe was disaster for me :( my chocolate was burnt in the process of making the chocolate, making it close to impossible work with. It became very dry after refrigerating. The product itself was too bitter. I do not recommend this if you do not have experience with making chocolate. This is not a beginners recipe ):
We hope you enjoy your recipe!
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