sporadic ramblings

We continued the adventure by making these cute biscuits. The recipe says it makes 60, I ended up making 75 biscuits. I guess it depends how big you make them!

Baci di dama

[Makes 60]
Ingredients:

250g soft unsalted butter
110g icing sugar, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250g plain flour
50g cocoa
105g hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and finely ground

Filling:
125g dark chocolate, chopped
30g unsalted butter
75g hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and finely ground


Method:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy, then add vanilla. Sift together flour and coca and stir into butter mixture with ground hazelnuts until mixture is well combined. Take heaped tablespoons of mixture and, using your hands, roll into balls, then place on baking paper-lined oven trays and flatten slightly with your fingers. Refrigerate biscuits for 2 hours or overnight, then bake at 180C for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
2. For filling, melt chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then remove from heat, add ground hazelnuts and stir to combine well. Spread a little filling onto half of the cooled biscuits, then top with remaining biscuits. Leave in a cool place for filling to set.

Filled biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.



Aren't they cute?

Nothing satisfies the craving for chocolate except chocolate. That is undebatable truth. And that was me on Sunday.

Alicia and I embarked on this baking adventure, thanks to the Australian Gourmet Traveller Chocolate cookbook (that sweet sweet feifei gave me for Christmas last year). My girlfriends rock.

Here's us after a mighty successful attempt at Chocolate Souffle which tasted heavenly!



It was delicious, warm, comforting, crusty on the outside, moist and soft on the inside. Here's the recipe which you HAVE TO try. It's very simple.

Chocolate Souffle

[Serves 4]
Ingredients:

50g soft butter, plus extra, for greasing
2 tablespoons caster sugar (for coating ramekins)
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup milk
75g caster sugar, extra
75g dark couverture chocolate, chopped
4 eggs, separated
icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Grease four 1-cup-capacity ramekins, coat with caster sugar, shaking out excess, then place ramekins on an oven tray.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan until foamy, then add flour and cocoa and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in milk until combined, then stir continuously over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add the extra sugar and stir until dissolved, then transfer mixture to a bowl.

3. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then stir into milk mixture with egg yolks until well combined.

4. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir one-quarter of the egg whites through chocolate mixture to lighten, then, using a large metal spoon, fold in remaining egg whites until just combined. Divide mixture among prepared ramekins and smooth tops. Cook at 190C for 18-20 minutes or until puffed.

5. Serve immediately dusted with icing sugar.

Mother's Day this year was rather nice. I took mum to the Bluewater Grill. We spent a good few hours there eating good food and coffee and enjoying the company as well as the beautiful scenery there.



The weather was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was partly hidden by the clouds, so it was semi sunny, not too windy, and a glorious 30 degree autumn day in Perth. There was a really beautiful wedding being held just behind the restaurant where we were sitting, and it was a small and beautiful wedding. I would love to have a wedding like that.


All in all, I really enjoyed myself, my tummy did too, and I sure do hope my mum enjoyed herself.