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January 2017 By i sugar coat it! 25 Comments

Roasted Leek Lentil Soup

Roasted Leek Lentil Soup. Root vegetables and lentils roasted and pureed for a warm, hearty bowl of comfort.

Here we are, one week into 2017 and already I have a sickening feeling about it. Literally! Ten days of flu virus hell...while on vacation no doubt. How's that for a crappy start to the new year. The upside, soup. Copious amounts of warm comfort, starting with this Roasted Leek Lentil Soup.

I am a soup all year round kind of girl, but there is something so comforting about a warm, hearty bowl of soup on a cold winter's day. More so when nursing the cold/flu.

I return to work tomorrow after almost three weeks off and I am sure you all know how that goes. I'll be expecting that tanned, shirtless guy to magically appear with oversized umbrella drinks just before noon, only to find myself standing at the water cooler. Let's hope I don't start disrobing for that mid-afternoon dip in the middle of a meeting. Really... no one needs to see that.

Um, yeahhhh...back to this Roasted Leek Lentil Soup. We made enough to feed a village, so it'll likely be lunch and dinner for the entire week. Plus, you know, a bowl or two for you. Dig in!

This is a free-form recipe (we aren't big on recipes for savoury dishes), so feel free to switch things up to match your taste.

Roasted Leek Lentil Soup. Root vegetables and lentils roasted and pureed for a warm, hearty bowl of comfort.

Print Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Roasted Leek Lentil Soup

Roasted Leek Lentil Soup. Root vegetables and lentils roasted and pureed for a warm, hearty bowl of comfort to warm up to.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main

Servings: 4

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Parmesan chips:

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

Soup:

4 leeks
3 large potatoes peeled and cubed
1 whole onion
1 small head of garlic we like lots
olive oil
1 cup green lentils cooked
vegetable stock
¼ cup parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chives to garnish

Instructions

Make the Parmesan Chips:

Preheat oven to 400F and line a small baking pan with a silicone mat.
Add the cheese to centre of the mat and lightly pat it down. Bake for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before breaking into pieces.
Store any leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make the Soup:

Preheat oven to 400F. Place parchment paper on a sheet baking pan.
Wash, trim and slice the leeks lengthwise. I used all of the green and white parts (very little waste).
Lay cut side up on the parchment lined sheet. Add the potatoes, garlic, onion and sprinkle with oil, a little salt and pepper.
Roast vegetables until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and peel skin off onion and garlic, once slightly cooled.
Place all the vegetables and lentils in a large pot and cover with broth. Bring to a light simmer, then use an immersion blender to combine until smooth and creamy. (Normally, I would do this part in the Vitamix, but this was a bigger batch than we typically make. If using your blender, you may need to do two batches).
Stir in freshly grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with Parmesan chips and chives and a side of garlic crostini.

January 2017 By i sugar coat it! 27 Comments

Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts

Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts are mini bites of sweet, tangy, creamy sunshine topped with clouds of vanilla bean meringue and candied oranges.

Happy New Year my fellow sweet fiends!!! Are you ready to attack that long list of resolutions like the boss you are? Me... I am just going to continue enjoying life and all it has to offer one moment at a time - these Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts included!

I am not going to lie, the last couple years were tough AF, so I find this 'new year/fresh start' business a little exciting. I am already making mental notes of all the places to visit and new things to learn and try. I also want to reignite some of my old passions - dancing and sewing (I used to design and sew my wardrobe as a teenager and through my uni years).

I am also working on knocking down some of those walls I built up to protect myself over the years and looking forward to repairing some relationships that I've let fizzle. It's going to be an interesting year, to say the least...

But first, let's get through winter. I think ya'll already know how much I dislike the season, and that's putting it mildly. The dark start and end to my days. Any number below zero and the layers and layers of attire it requires (although I do get some pleasure from slipping on my silk long johns - oh, the luxury). The snow - ok, not so much the snow, I think it is beautiful as it is falling and immediately after. All that changes when it starts to get slushy, dirty and melts to reveal all the trash those uncivilized idiots among us leave behind. I just can't deal!

Some things I do love about winter are my awkwardly, exhilarating downhill skiing attempts, sunny, albeit frigid, winter days that are made even brighter by the presence of the snow and most importantly, winter citrus!

[Tweet "Get your #wintercitrus fix with these mini Candied Cara Cara Orange Curd Meringue Tarts!"]

Cara Cara Orange, Minneola Tangelo, Meyer Lemon, Pomelo, Blood Orange, to name a few, make the long winter haul a touch more bearable. I like to tear them open with my hands and devour a few in one sitting, but sometimes I hold off instant gratification and neatly cut them into salad, press them into a fresh glass of juice, or stare at them with just enough ~~lust~~ love in my eyes to make even an inanimate object uncomfortable. TMI?? LOL

Oh, they are also great in curds!

Upon first meeting, the Cara Cara exhibits the appearance of good old orange. However, the flesh is much prettier and the flavour sweeter/less tart than your standard orange. Plus, they are seedless! They are the perfect candidate for cocktails, vinaigrettes, or even the unexpected - like these Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts. The only downside is that gorgeous colour isn't captured in the recipes. 🙁

I found a great recipe for cara cara orange curd over on theKitchn. Great, because the orange juice is reduced to allow the flavours to intensify and shine. The only way to make it better, in my opinion, was to add some Rodelle vanilla beans. I also played around with folding in some ground up candied orange, but wasn't completely satisfied with the results this time around.

I refrigerated the curd overnight. I always find curd tastes better the next day. Is that just me? I filled my little pastry shells, piped a pretty pillow of vanilla bean meringue, torched it and topped with candied cara cara wedges. Voila!

These Caramelized Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts would make a delightfully, sweet addition to your New Year's brunch celebration, or any weekend brunch for that matter! Don't be intimated by the length of the recipe. Each component takes very little to prepare and the pastry and curd can be made ahead of time. I normally make quite a bit of tart shells and freeze them for future use.

I hope that all you dreams and plans come to fruition in 2017. I am off for a much needed break, but look forward to our continued sweet affair when I return.

Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts are mini bites of sweet, tangy, creamy sunshine topped with clouds of vanilla bean meringue and candied oranges.

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts

Candied Cara Cara Curd Meringue Tarts are mini bites of sweet, tangy, creamy sunshine topped with clouds of vanilla bean meringue and candied oranges.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Candied Oranges:

1 cara cara orange
355 grams water 1 ½ cups
192 grams granulated sugar 1 cup
59 grams orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier ¼ cup

Cara Cara Orange Curd (adapted from kitchn.com):

118 grams cara cara orange juice ½ cup
zest from one orange
15 grams fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
1 large egg
2 large yolks save the whites for the meringue
48 grams granulated sugar ¼ cup
57 grams unsalted butter, cubed and softened 4 tablespoons,
½ vanilla bean scraped
pinch of salt

Swiss Meringue:

150 grams liquid egg whites ⅔ cups
250 grams grams sugar 1 cup
3 grams ½ teaspoon Rodelle vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Make the pate sucre:

Use this (or your favourite) recipe. Instead of the tart rings, use a scalloped cookie cutter to shape the pastry and fit into the wells of the lightly greased tart pan using a pastry tamper, or your fingers.

Candy the oranges:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. Set aside.
Give the orange a good wash and remove the ends. Use a sharp knife to slice the orange into ¼-inch slices.
In a large, shallow saucepan, heat the water and sugar on medium-high to dissolve the sugar.
Bring to a gentle boil without stirring, add the orange slices and cook for 20 minutes.
Lower the heat, add the liqueur, flip the slices and continue cooking on medium-low heat for an additional 20-30 minutes.
The orange slices are ready when the syrup thickens and the peels appear translucent/glassy.
Transfer the slices to the wire rack to cool.

Make the curd:

Add the orange juice to a small saucepan and bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, until reduced to ¼ cup. Pour into a measuring cup to check that it has been reduced enough, if not return to pot and heat some more. This took me just over 5 minutes (original recipe indicated 2-4 minutes).
Pour the juice in a measuring cup and combine with the zest and lemon juice. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, yolks and sugar. Pour the juice mixture into the egg mixture in a steady stream, while whisking. By adding the warm liquid slowly to the eggs, you are tempering the eggs to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs.
Place a sieve over a clean bowl and set on the counter close to the stove. You will need this for the curd as soon as it reaches the desired temperature.
Pour the juice and egg mixture back into the saucepan and set it over medium heat. Gently stir the mixture constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, or reaches 180ºF.
Remove from heat and pour through the sieve into the prepared bowl. This removes any chunky bits of eggs and zest. If you want the finished curd to have the zest, add fresh zest to the strained curd.
While still warm, stir in the butter, salt, vanilla beans and candied orange (optional)
Allow to cool, then transfer to an airtight jar. The curd will keep in the refrigerator for about a week (but I guarantee you it will not stick around for that long)

Make the meringue:

Fill a heavy duty pot about a quarter of the way with water and place on the stove over medium heat to simmer.
Add egg whites and sugar to your stand mixer's bowl and place on top of the pot, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water in the pot.
Whisk the sugar and egg white mixture constantly, but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F.
Once at the correct temperature, remove from heat, wipe away the water from the underside of the bowl and transfer to your stand mixer.
With the whisk attachment, begin to whip the meringue until it is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl is no longer warm to the touch.

Notes

Sweet Tip:
Don't discard the remaining syrup. You can refrigerate for a few days and use it to soak cake, add to a cocktail, or vinaigrette.
When making meringue, always use grease-free utensils and bowls to achieve a fluffy, stable meringue.

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 16 Comments

Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne

Make a bubbly entrance to 2017 with Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne. Rose-infused pearls and your favourite bubbly for a delightfully refreshing toast!

GUUUYS... only a few more days before 2017!! How do you plan to ring in the new year? If you are free, we could make a bubbly entrance with Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne in each hand! You with me?

Is it weird that I get way more excited about the new year than I do about christmas? Maybe it's all the booze and mini bites, or just the idea of starting over, or both. I am not talking resolutions and the like, but just that clean slate feeling that a new year seems to bring. So fresh and so clean. 🙂

Speaking of fresh and clean (I know...cheesiest segue, ever), this Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne is just that. It delivers aromatic, rose-infused pops of flavour against a crisp, clean champagne backdrop. Totally new year ushering in worthy!

[Tweet "Make a bubbly entrance to 2017 with Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne!"]

If you haven't yet dabbled with molecular mixology, spherification is a good place to start. Not only is it easier that it seems, it is loads of fun, especially in the presence of a few ooohing-awwwing friends. The sodium and calcium additives are fairly easy to come by, as well. You can get everything you need in available kits like shared below, or shops like Modernist Pantry.

I made this Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne back in the summer when I was experimenting heavily with all things molecular gastronomy. Ok, maybe not all - I've only just scratched the surface, really. 🙂

If one of your resolutions if to step outside your comfort zone and try new things in the kitchen, I hope molecular gastronomy/mixology will be one of the things you try. The end results are a real ego booster for wanna-be science geeks. 😉

I have one more post scheduled to take us into the new year, so see you back here in a few!

Make a bubbly entrance to 2017 with Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne. Rose-infused pearls and your favourite bubbly for a delightfully refreshing toast!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne

Make a bubbly entrance to 2017 with Molecular Rose Caviar Champagne. Rose-infused pearls and your favourite bubbly for a delightfully refreshing toast!

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Drinks

Servings: 4

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Caviar:

500 millilitres water 2 cups
192 grams granulated sugar 1 cup
30 culinary rose petals
2 grams sodium alginate

Bath:

1 litre water 4 cups
5 grams calcium lactate
an additional bowl of plain water for rinsing

Cocktail:

1 bottle Champagne
45 millilitres rose water 3 tablespoons
culinary rose buds and toothpicks to garnish

Instructions

Make the rose mixture:

Add water, sugar and rose petals to a pot and blend with a hand blender. Bring mixture to a boil.
Line a sieve with cheesecloth, or a large coffee filter and filter the mixture.
While the mixture is still hot, add the sodium alginate and combine with a hand blender to dissolve the powder.
To get rid of any air bubbles, set the mixture aside for at least 30 minutes.

Make the bath:

Add the remaining 4 cups of water to a bowl and dissolve the calcium lactate by stirring with a spoon.

Make the caviar:

Add the rose/alginate mixture to a pipette and drip droplets into the calcium lactate bath.
After a couple minutes, remove the rose caviar from the bath with a slotted spoon or sieve.
Use the sieve to rinse the caviar in the bowl of clean water.

Make the cocktail:

Add caviar to the champagne saucers or flutes and top with champagne.
Garnish with rose buds.
Cheers!!

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 5 Comments

Versailles Cocktail

Crisp and tart with a touch of bling, the Versailles Cocktail is a perfect way to bling in the new year!

With the sleep-inducing turkey, stuffing and sides behind us, I propose we ride out the rest of 2016 on a wave of cocktails. Let's kick off our NYE countdown with a trip to France via this Versailles Cocktail.

Tell me, what is the most you have ever paid for a cocktail? How about $69. USD? That's like $500 CAD in today's market (LOL)! If my memory serves me correctly, you can get access to the real deal - Palace of Versailles with a temporary exhibition thrown in - for a mere €15.

A slave to my curiosity, I paid the price and quite enjoyed the drink. How often does one get a cocktail served in a ring of 24-carat gold? That said, I love my money working for me, so a repeat is out of the question - unless the included gold comes with a guaranteed ROI.

[Tweet "Bling in the new year in a ring of gold with this crisp, tart Versailles Cocktail!"]

Plus, you can just as easily prepare the Versailles Cocktail at home, gold flakes optional; although the rim of bling really sets it apart.

I found two versions of Versailles Cocktail, while researching the drink. The one I am sharing in this post made with just three ingredients that I had on hand. The other is a more elaborate concoction of absinthe, pear brandy and juice, gin, apple juice, jasmine syrup and mint - more in line with the one I had at the bar. The next time I have absinth on hand, I'll definitely give it a try.

Until then, here is a quickie version of one I found on Pinterest. Cheers!!

Print Recipe

Versailles Cocktail

Crisp and tart with a touch of bling, the Versailles Cocktail is a perfect way to bling in the new year!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Drinks

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Garnish:

24- carat edible gold flakes

Cocktail:

ice
4 oz Cointreau
8 oz Remy Martin
4 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
generous splash of champagne

Instructions

To garnish the glasses:

Chill the glasses (4-6 depending on size)
Sprinkle gold flakes onto a plate.
Lightly moisten the glass rim with water or lemon juice and dip into the plate of gold flakes.

To make the cocktail:

Add ice and all ingredients to a cocktail shaker or jug and stir until chilled.
Strain into chilled, gold-rimmed glasses and top with champagne.
Enjoy!!

Notes

adapted from this PIN

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 6 Comments

White Chocolate Holiday Truffles

Christmas-themed white chocolate truffle shells filled with decadent eggnog, coconut rum and peppermint ganaches.

Merry Merry Christmas you lovely lot!!! You'll likely be busy unwrapping gifts when this post goes live, but these White Chocolate Holiday Truffles (or we can call them bonbons) will be here awaiting your visit when that sweet craving hits.

These truffles were the very last of my holiday edible gifts. They were to be packaged and gifted to my colleagues before I took off for vacation. My last day in the office was Tuesday and I planned to sneak in extra early on Wednesday morning and pull a Santa - leave a package of three on each person's desk and vanish before anyone arrived.

Unfortunately, my plans were crushed, literally! How, you ask... by the driver side tire of my car. 🙁 I am still not quite sure how this occurred - I blamed the Dude and he blamed me. Granted it was still dark, we weren't quite fully awake and we had our hands full trying to pack the trunk... but, really!?!

As he was behind the wheel, I still feel he should take the blame. Although, one might argue that I am to blame for forgetting the bag on the driveway. Also, ridiculous shit like this tends to happen to me, so there's that. But with a backup camera and all sorts of safety assist sensors that start screaming the second we get too close to the lines separating lanes, one would think this could have been avoided.

[Tweet "Minty Fresh Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles FTW!"]

Thankfully, it wasn't an animal or a child (a child on our driveway at 5am would be puzzling, to say the least). The upside...my colleagues had no idea these White Chocolate Holiday Truffles were headed their way, so I don't have to live with the guilt of disappointment.

I call these lazy truffles, because I didn't sit and paint over one hundred cavities with holly, snow flakes and evergreen. Instead, I used what are called blister sheets - disposable molds with the cocoa butter designs already painted on.

This was my first time using such molds (you may have caught my how-to behind the scenes on Instagram stories). Although they saved time from a design aspect, they were a pain to work with when it was time to flip and tap out the excess chocolate. Drama aside, the cocoa butter designs transferred onto the tempered chocolate beautifully and there was virtually zero clean-up after. YAAAY for that!

As mentioned, I made these White Chocolate Holiday Truffles in three flavours:

holly = eggnog (you can find my recipe here)
snow flakes = coconut rum (will share recipe in a future post), and
evergreen = peppermint (see recipe below)

Have yourself a merry little Chistmas and see you back here soon for a few NYE drinks and bites scheduled to go live the week leading up to 2017!

White Chocolate Holiday Truffles - I Sugar Coat It!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Peppermint White Chocolate Holiday Truffles

White Chocolate Holiday Truffles - Christmas-themed white chocolate truffle shells filled with decadent eggnog, coconut rum and peppermint ganaches.

Prep Time1

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Servings: 30 truffles

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Truffle shells:

half sphere molds or a shape of your preference
400 grams white chocolate tempered

Ganache:

125 grams whipping cream you may substitute coconut cream/full fat milk, 35%
40 grams glucose
5 grams fresh mint leaves
240 grams white chocolate I used Valrhona Opalys 33%
40 grams unsalted butter softened
1 gram teaspoon mint extract adjust to your personal taste

Instructions

To make the truffle shells:

Temper the chocolate (see how here)
Cast the molds with the tempered chocolate, tap out excess chocolate from molds and scrape away excess.
Place face down on parchment paper to set, then place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and set aside until ready to fill.

To make the ganache:

Place the glucose, cream and mint leaves in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
While the mint is steeping, melt the chocolate partially over a double boiler. You can also do so using a microwave, but it's not my preference.
Remove from heat and pour the cream mixture through a sieve, over the partially melted chocolate. Use a whisk to stir (not whisk) until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool to about room temperature and stir in the butter and extract unit well combined. Allow to cool before piping.

Assembly:

Pour the ganache into a piping bag and snip a small opening at the tip of the bag.
Fill each mold with the ganache and allow to set (overnight is best, but 3-5 hours will also work depending on the temperature conditions in your home).
If leaving them as half spheres, be sure not to fill all the way to the top, so that they can be easily capped.
If joining the two halves, you can be a little more liberal with the filling. You will need to slightly warm the edges of each half sphere and gently press them together to create the spheres.

Notes

You likely won't be making hundreds of truffles, so I've scaled down the recipe to yield approximately 30 truffles.

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 12 Comments

12 Sweet Treats For Holiday Gifting

With Christmas on the horizon, round out your nice list with these 12 Sweet Treats For Holiday Gifting straight from your kitchen!

Happy Holidays! Apologies for being missing in action around these parts. Life got hella hectic and well, yada-yada-yada...I'm hoping to make it up to you with these 12 Sweet Treats for Holiday Gifting!

The big day is only a few days away and I am nowhere near prepared, so let's get to this list. Hopefully one of these sweet treats will inspire you to whip up one or twelve of these edible gifts for those special someones!

12 Sweet Treats For Holiday Gifting:

One or one dozen of these Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles with freshly grated nutmeg and a generous serving of bourbon will most certainly get any party started.
These little cookie crumble Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men stole a few hearts and have become a family and friends holiday favourite.
Gather the family and friends for an Ugly Sweater Cookie decorating party and be sure to set a few out for Santa. One size fits all!
The date caramel is the real star in these Hazelnut Linzer Cookies.
Personalize your Meringues Kisses with a little sugar stamp flair.
These gorgeous Baileys Salted Caramel Truffles are EVERYTHANG!!
Give that winter fresh feeling with a batch of Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties.
With just a handful of ingredients, these Hazelnut Rochers come together quickly and are deliciously addictive.
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Palmiers would be perfect for the PB&C lover on your list, or simply replace with cinnamon sugar for a more traditional pastry.
The ultimate holiday edible gift, this English Toffee is a real crowd pleaser.
One of my absolute holiday faves, these Chocolate Amaretti Cookies are the perfect companion to a cup of tea, or glass of milk for the dude in red.
The quickest of the bunch to make, this Pistachio Rose Bark makes the perfect last minute gift.

For the cookie lover on your list, whip up a batch of Easy Lemon Lavender Shortbread.

Or, these Piped Lemon Nutmeg Cookies.

Lastly, the holidays aren't the same without a perfectly crisp batch of biscotti! They are perfect for enjoying with a cuppa, or gifting. Whip up a batch of Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti, or

these Double Chocolate Chunk Gianduja Biscotti!

Wishing you all a wonderfully sweet holiday season!

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 10 Comments

Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles

Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles are decadent, silky balls of white chocolate eggnog ganache, spices and bourbon. Perfect for gifting or NYE celebrations!

Be warned...these Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles are one-inch balls of party-time in your mouth! You can thank my heavy-handedness with the bourbon - it's that time of year, after all. 😉

Christmas is just around the corner and I feel so behind on ALL the things. BUT, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We woke up to a blanket of snow that didn't stick around, but the weather folks have forecasted lots of white over the coming weekend and throughout next week.

I'll never warm up to the cold. A little snow, however, really helps to put me in the holiday mood. I'll take it over rain most days - so much prettier. Plus, painful as it is for my behind, I get to practice my downhill moves. One never knows when the Olympics might come calling...NOT!

Enough of my drivel, let's talk truffles! Remember a few posts back, I mentioned I found a few forgotten photos? These Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles were among the bunch! Some might call it procrastination, but I'll go with perfect timing. Yeah, I like that!

For a professed dark chocolate lover, I sure am flooding my blog with a whole lot of the other white stuff these days. Unfortunately, I didn't quite like my test for dark chocolate and eggnog. Milk chocolate wasn't too far off, but it wasn't quite hitting the spot.

I used Opalys, which isn't overly sweet. Plus, I really boozed these babies up (two b-words that should probably never appear in the same sentence), enough to temporarily distract the white chocolate fence-sitters, who love booze more than they dislike white chocolate. 😉

For the eggnog haters, you can use cream instead of eggnog and add the spice and bourbon/brandy mixture to achieve that homemade eggnog-liciousnesss!

Like I said earlier, these Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles would make perfect gifts and would also work for your NYE celebrations. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you whip up a batch of your best truffles.

Making The Ganache:

Truffles are all about the chocolate, so quality is key - whatever your preferred brand or type (dark, milk, white).
You can add the warmed liquid to chocolate in its solid state, or you can also melt the chocolate. I learned both in school, but often use the latter. It's a little extra work, but I have found it produces better results and lessens any occurrence of breaking/splitting.
Stir (do not whisk) the ganache from the centre using a whisk or wooden spoon. Stirring from the centre evenly disperses the fats in the chocolate and cream to create a beautiful, smooth emulsion.
If the ganache breaks, don’t throw out all that amazing chocolate, simply scoop about ⅓ of the ganache into a clean bowl and add a bit of hot cream while whisking vigorously. When the mixture is smooth again, gradually reintroduce the rest of the broken ganache while whisking.

Coating Your Truffles:

For a professional finish, temper the chocolate. If the very word makes you break out in a sweat, you can coat your truffles in magic shell, or dip them in melted chocolate and pretty them up with powdered fruit, nuts, sprinkles etc. But, tempering is best!
If using block or bar chocolate, chop into small pieces for easier/quicker melting. Feves and pistoles can be melted as is. You can do this in the microwave, but I prefer the stovetop, double boiler method. Less chance of overheating and burning.
Weigh your chocolate. If you do not own a digital kitchen scale, I encourage you to invest in one for better accuracy.
Use stainless steel bowls - they are great heat conductors.
If your chocolate begins to get too thick during coating, try one of these tricks -
- place the bowl on a heating pad set to low, or
- place it over how water for a few seconds, or
- use a heat gun or blowdryer to warm gently warm the bowl.
Tap off excess chocolate after dipping, or use gloved hands dipped in tempered chocolate to coat the truffles. Feet are great on macarons, but less attractive on truffles.

Do you have any additional tips and tricks you use? Would love to hear them!

Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles - I Sugar Coat It!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles

Happy Hour Eggnog Truffles are decadent, silky balls of white chocolate eggnog ganache, spices and bourbon. Perfect for gifting or NYE celebrations!

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Ganache:
295 grams eggnog 1 ¼ cup, homemade or store-bought
2.5 grams freshly grated nutmeg 1 tsp
454 grams white chocolate 33%
30 grams mix of bourbon and brandy 2 tablespoons, adjust to taste or omit for a non-alcoholic version
Coating:
300 grams white chocolate tempered

Instructions

Heat the eggnog on a saucepan just until it starts to bubble around the edges
Remove from heat, stir the freshly grated nutmeg into the eggnog. Cover and allow to infuse.
While infusing, add chocolate to a metal bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Melt the chocolate slowly. (this can also be done using a microwave).
Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the heat and wipe any moisture from the bottom. Stir to melt any remaining pieces of chocolate and stir to cool.
Pour one-third of the cooled eggnog mixture onto the melted white chocolate and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, or a whisk (do not whisk, stir). Repeat with the remaining two-thirds.
Add the bourbon and stir until you have a homogeneous mixture.
If piping, allow to cool at room temperature, stranger to a large piping bag and fill truffle shells. Allow to set and cap shells with remaining tempered chocolate.
If rolling, allow the ganache to cool at room temperature, cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for four hours, or overnight. Use a measuring spoon or melon baller to scoop small ball shapes. Place the scooped ganache on a sheet pan lined with parchment or silicone mat. Return to the fridge for an hour.
To finish both versions, coat the ganache with a thin layer of tempered chocolate. Embellish with sprinkles and allow to set at room temperature.

December 2016 By i sugar coat it! 24 Comments

Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men

Perfect for gifting, these Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men are a quick, easy and adorable blend of Valrhona Dulcey Blond chocolate, filled with gingerbread cookie crumble.

Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men

It's December, ya'll!! WHAAAT?? Prepare yourself for an onslaught of all things edible and gift-worthy, starting with my little Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men.

These little guys are quick and easy to make and so much fun to gift! I used one of my absolute favourite chocolates - Valrhona Dulcey! Each time I've shared a recipe using this chocolate, a number of you have indicated you had not heard about it before and had questions about its taste etc.

The Give-Away!

Soooo, I thought your holiday baking deserved a little chocolate amazingness. Thanks to the kind folks at Valrhona, I have a special little package of all things Dulcey up for grabs! (See entry details and rules at end of post).

One lucky winner will receive the following:

500 grams Dulcey 32% Chocolate
50 grams Dulcey 32% Crunchy Pearls
250 gram Dulcey 32% Baking Bar
70 gram Dulcey 32% Snacking Bar

For those of you who aren't white chocolate fans, I truly believe this blond/caramelized version could sway you. It has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and an irresistible buttery caramel flavour. I've whipped it, dipped it, filled it, molded it and just plain licked it. 🙂

Back to these toasty little Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men. They are a layer of tempered chocolate molded and stuffed with spicy gingerbread cookie crumble. My paint job is pretty wobbly, but we'll say rustic. 😉

I used a mold so that I would have that 2-d effect, but these can easily be created with a cookie cutter. Simply spread an even layer of tempered chocolate on a flat surface covered with parchment, sprinkle with cookie crumble and when almost set, cut shapes.

If you choose, you can flip them over and decorate them to your liking - adding facial features and clothing even. As you can see, I like my men in the buff...

What I initially set out to do was place a cut out of the cookie in the molded chocolate, a thin layer of some other component and seal it. I could not, however, find a cookie cutter that was smaller than the mold in the exact shape and cutting them by hand was out of the question.

Another option would be to spread the chocolate evenly onto chocolate transfer sheet, place the baked cookie cutout onto the chocolate, and when almost set, use the cookie cutter to score the chocolate.

Now all that's left is to package these Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men for gifting... while trying real hard not to eat them all!!

Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men - I Sugar Coat It!

Print Recipe

4.80 from 5 votes

Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men

Perfect for gifting, these Caramelized White Chocolate Gingerbread Men are a quick, easy and adorable blend of Valrhona Dulcey Blond chocolate, filled with gingerbread cookie crumble.

Prep Time25

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

200 grams Dulcey 32% tempered
50 grams crumbled gingerbread cookies homemade or store-bought
¼ teaspoon gingerbread spice optional

Instructions

Prepare the mold and temper the chocolate as I did here
Pour into molds, tap out air bubbles and sprinkle with crumbled cookies and spices.
Allow to set and release from mold.
Gift or enjoy!!

Enter The Giveaway!

First, answer the following question in the comments below: What's your favourite holiday chocolate dessert? Then log into the giveaway app and complete the required social media steps!

November 2016 By i sugar coat it! 23 Comments

Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate

Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate bonbons are a smooth, thin layer of white chocolate filled with a silky, jewel-toned, blackcurrant ganache.

I am not an overzealous christmas type, but I do get great pleasure from the giving aspect of the holiday. Edible and homemade gifts, to me, are super special, so I am kicking off my edible gift-giving with these Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate bonbons.

Is it just me, or does time seem to speed up around this time of year? I want to pull on my onsies and tuck myself under billowy down covers until New Year's Eve. I will then emerge for that drink, or ten, throw some confetti around, blow a few kisses and slide back under the covers, drinks in tow. Hmmm... I am seriously considering this plan of action.

Really though, once the holiday parties get underway, I'll be aight!

If you caught the making of these Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate bonbons on my IG Stories, then you know that the first batch didn't end so well. It's the price one pays for filming while tempering. Yeah, I know...blogger problems.

If you missed it, I was so busy 'splaining the process and of course working with one hand, I didn't invert the mold quickly enough. All the tapping in the world wasn't going to unset the chocolate, so I was left with molded chocolate that was thicker than planned. Not gift-worthy in my books.

Shells corrected, it was time to fill these Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate. For this I used a fruit ganache. It has all the components of a ganache, minus the cream. You may have caught my IG story a couple months back, where I made raspberry kisses. This version replaces dark chocolate with white and raspberries with blackcurrants.

If you are not familiar with blackcurrants, they are a dark, intense bittersweet, tart berry, native to Europe and Northern Asia. In the U.S., they were once referred to as 'the forbidden fruit' and were banned as they were believed to have spread a fungus that killed pine trees. They are high in vitamin c, antioxidants and a number of other nutrients.

They are also the main ingredient in Creme de Cassis, a liqueur I've used a number of times on my blog - here and here to name a couple. It's also a great addition to cocktails - it is that time of year, after all.

On the topic of white chocolate, I wasn't always a fan. If you have been around here a while, you know that one of my favourite chocolate brands is Valrhona. I use their Guanaja 70% often and you have heard me sing the praises of their Dulcey 32%. If you are on the fence about white chocolate, I encourage you to try their Opalys 33%. It has a velvety mouthfeel with delicate vanilla notes - the perfect complement to the blackcurrant's tartness.

The rich, jewel-tone of the ganache is 100% natural - no added food colours or dyes. Something about it reminds me of the holidays. I thought I would stick to the theme and continue that jewel tone on the exterior with the help of a little cocoa butter (a mix of red and blue) and my airbrush. The molds were fairly thin and the filling a deep violet, so adding that design also helped to mask any ugly shadows.

I just love the way they sparkle and can't wait to package them up and gift them to a few unsuspecting friends!

Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate - I Sugar Coat It.

Print Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate

Cassis Blackcurrant Chocolate bonbons are a smooth, thin layer of white chocolate filled with a silky, jewel-toned, blackcurrant ganache.

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Servings: 36 bonbons

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Chocolate:

200 grams white chocolate for molding

Ganache:

50 grams blackcurrant puree
7.5 grams glucose
150 grams white chocolate couverture
21 grams butter room temperature
9 grams cassis liqueur

Instructions

Mold the chocolate:

Prepare your molds by buffing with cotton or cheese cloth.
Spray the mold, or use paint brush or your finger to add the coolour.
Temper your chocolate. I used the seed method - heated the chocolate to 45º, added the seed, stirred the chocolate until the temperature dropped to 26/27º and then brought the temperature back up to to 28/29º. (see my other chocolate posts for instructions if using milk, or dark)
Pour the chocolate into the molds and invert the molds to drain and scrape off excess.
Allow the molds to set.

Make the ganache:

Melt the chocolate partially and set aside.
Combine the glucose and puree in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and pour over the white chocolate. Let stand for about 30 seconds.
Stir to combine, add the butter and continue to stir until the mixture is homogeneous.
Stir in the liqueur until fully combined.
Assembly:
Transfer ganache to a piping bag and snip a small opening at the tip.
Pipe ganache into molds, leaving room at the top for capping.
Allow the filling to set, overnight, preferably, then use the leftover tempered chocolate from molding to spread a thin layer over the ganache. Scrape away any excess.
Allow to set, then place in the refrigerator to set for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove mold and invert on a flat, clean surface to release the chocolate.