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Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli

Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.

Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.This post for Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster was created in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods LP.

Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli

With the holiday season upon us, so are office parties and other gatherings to celebrate the lead-up to the big day. For larger gatherings, I like the finger foods and scattered cocktail tables approach - easier for me to sneak off without anyone noticing (I am really shy and awkward).

For more intimate gatherings with close friends, I tend to go the sit down and enjoy a few light courses approach. The conversations (ahem...debates) almost always focus on politics, religion, social injustice and whatever happens to be breaking news.

We are a very opinionated group from diverse professions, with very differing beliefs and opinions. Mutual respect and good food (and limited drinks) help to keep things civilized.

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Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.Sous Vide Smoked Pumpkin

This Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli dish was enjoyed at such a gathering, back in October. I used some of the smoked pumpkin from this post, to make the ravioli stuffing. Instead of a smooth puree, I mashed a portion of the sous vide pumpkin and combined it with some lobster, herbs, seasoning, olive oil and cheese.

It was likened to lobster bisque, stuffed inside fresh, homemade pasta!

Quick & Easy Homemade Pasta

We really enjoy making pasta from scratch - it requires very little ingredients, is quick, easy and deliciously fresh. For the ravioli dough, I used two ingredients, '00' flour, but all purpose would work and whole eggs. With the help of our pasta roller attachment, we rolled out thin, uniform sheets to hold our filling.

Oddly, this is only our second time making fresh ravioli - the first was years ago with a pumpkin and sage filling. We normally make just the various noodles - spaghetti, linguini, pappardelle, ribbon pasta for lasagna- and the occasional farfalle (bow tie).

The texture of the pasta was good, but I wasn't pleased with the bumpy appearance of the cooked ravioli. A friend later suggested that I brush the dough with egg prior to filling - I used water to help the layers stick. Maybe one of you pasta experts reading this can enlighten me!

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Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.Sous Vide Lobster

I used Cleawater Seafoods raw, frozen lobster knuckle and claw meat - same deliciousness as their live lobsters, but without the killing, blanching and shelling. Totally convenient for a lavish midweek meal.

If you caught (no pun intended :)) my last post, then you already know how we like to cook our lobster. Lobster is one of those things that can easily go from fancy dinner intentions to overcooked unpalatable-ness. It's delicate nature, makes it a perfect candidate for sous vide bath.

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Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.Pulling It Together

We finished this dish with a generous drizzle of homemade, sage-infused oil, cheese and crispy sage. I think I first saw the idea for crispy herbs in Modernist Cuisine, and it became an immediate hit for the Dude and me. Simply wash, pat dry and fry in shallow oil for a few seconds.

There is something very satisfying about about creating a meal from scratch and sharing it with those you love. My grandmother cooked and baked from scratch when we were kids and still does to this day. I didn't always appreciate it, but as I get older I am beginning to fully understand and embrace this labour of love.

I hope you will find some time over these hectic holidays to prepare a meal or two from scratch for those you love most.

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Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli

Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Resting Time45 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Sous Vide
Keyword: lobster, ravioli, sous vide
Servings: 8
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 455 grams sous vide smoked pumpkin
  • 3 pieces sous vide poached lobster claw and knuckle
  • 1 cup grana padano cheese shaved
  • 1 shallot finely diced
  • 2 leaves fresh sage or tarragon finely sliced
  • 1 spring fresh thyme leaves only
  • 1 clove garlic finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta:

  • 198 grams 00-flour
  • 2 eggs

For the garnishes:

  • fresh sage leaves fried in shallow oil for a few seconds
  • olive oil infused or plain
  • cheese shaved

Instructions

Make the filling:

  • Mix all the ingredients until well combined and is able to hold its shape. Adjust seasoning to your preference. Scoop with a small ice cream scoop and chill for 1-3 hours.

Make the dough:

  • Break the eggs into a small bowl and whisk lightly to break up the yolks. Make a well in the flour, add the eggs and work it into the flour until combined. Knead the dough until smooth, shape into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  • If manual labour doesn't interest you, use a stand mixer to prepare the dough. Simply add all the ingredients and use the paddle attachment to combine on low speed. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on medium, until smooth. Wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Once rested, lightly  flour your work surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough ball. Set the pasta roller to '0' and pass the dough through. Fold the end of the dough over each other, like an envelope (see video) and pass through the roller, still set to '0'.
  • Continue to pass the dough through the roller, adjusting the setting to a higher number each time. If the strip of dough become unmanageable, use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it in half or thirds and continue to setting '7' or '8'. You' will need two sheets for dough to make the ravioli.
  • If using a ravioli kit, drape one sheet of dough over the metal base and use the bottom of the plastic mold to create wells. Add the chilled filling to the wells and cover with second sheet of dough. Pass a rolling pin over the ravioli to perforate the dough. Separate the ravioli packets.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ravioli for 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

Plate and serve:

  • Place 2-3 ravioli in shallow bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with crispy sage and shaved cheese.
Sous Vide Lobster Smoked Pumpkin Ravioli with poached lobster and smoked pumpkin stuffed in homemade ravioli and served with crispy sage.

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Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster

How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes!

This post for Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster was created in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods LP.

OK, I'm just going to put it out there... if you are not cooking your lobster sous vide, you haven't yet experienced lobster at its best. Granted, I played around with a few temperatures before I settled on what I liked best, but that's part of the beauty of cooking sous vide.

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How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes! How To Prepare The Lobster

The hardest part of preparing live lobsters is the killing. As a kid I remember the first time I saw my grandfather kill, boil and pluck a chicken and swore I would never eat meat. Or the that time I skipped dinner because I could not bear the screeching of the lobsters as they morphed from black to red in a pot that could easily double as a mini pool.

Those things traumatized little me, but clearly not enough to swear them off permanently.

Apparently sticking a knife between the eyes of the lobster guarantees a quick and humane death. The Dude and I went back and forth for a good hour about who would do it. Finally, I lost the coin flip and gained a butcher knife. Humane? Still questionable. Quick? Not really. The tails kept fanning and flapping for a good thirty-plus minutes after the so-called humane death.

If dealing with live lobsters is all too much for you, then go with raw, frozen lobsters. Clearwater Seafoods offers packages of tail or claw and knuckle meat, and they ship well.

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How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes! How To Bag & Bath Your Lobster

Once you have killed, blanched, shocked and shelled the lobsters, it's bath time. I like a little thyme or tarragon and butter in the bag with my lobster. Butter is easier to vacuum seal than oil, and, along with the added aromatics, imparts a better flavour to the finished lobster. if you don't have a vacuum sealer, use food-safe freezer bags and the water displacement method.

I've tried a few different temperatures for cooking the tail and claws, and my preference lies closer to those recommended in my copy of Modernist Cuisine.

  • Tail - water bath heated to 50ºC and cooked for about 20 minutes to a core temperature of 49ºC for a soft, buttery melt-in your mouth experience, best enjoyed as-is. 54ºC will take you to the firm, succulent stage, perfect for lobster rolls.
  • Knuckle and Claw - water bath heated to 55º and cooked for about 30 minutes to a core temperature of 54ºC at the low end. Or, for a firmer finish, 60º to 65ºC.

Once cooked, you can enjoy them straight from the bag, or added to your favourite dish. If the plan is to use them later, remove the bags from the water bath after cooking and immediately shock in ice water to quickly drop the temperature. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, no longer than a couple days.

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How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes! 
Ways To Enjoy Your Perfectly Cooked Lobster

Now that you have flavourful, succulent lobster, you can go ahead and eat it straight from the bag (no judgement here), or serve it up in a more civilized manner. Below are a few ways we enjoyed it back in the summer:

  • Lobster roll burgers - we tossed some claw and knuckle meat in a simple homemade sauce and piled them high on homemade, toasted brioche buns. Make slider versions to serve at your next gathering!
  • Lobster tacos - a spicy mix of knuckle and claw meat with avocado, served on chipotle Charras with a side of legs. Throw some together for your next taco Tuesday!
  • Lobster Plate - butter-poached lobster tail and claw, served alongside sous vide corm on the cob, fingerling potatoes, asparagus, tomato and homemade dipping sauce (a.k.a. flavoured buttah). So freaking GOOD!

I have a few more recipes coming your way made with Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster, that would be great for holiday brunch, an intimate dinner and a week-night family meal.

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How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes! 
Sous Vide Resources

I like to come up with flavours and recipes on my own, but the pros have done the work around timing and temperature for cooking sous vide. Still, I like to play around to get a texture/taste that suits my palate. More importantly, always check the internal temperature of your food to ensure it is safe to eat.

A lot of books are available on 'how to cook sous vide', some from folks who fancy themselves experts, without any real expertise. If purchasing, choose a book from a reputable chef/author. Two of my most used resources and where cooking sous vide started for me, are my copies of Modernist Cuisine and Under Pressure.

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How to make the most flavourful, Succulent Sous Vide Poached Lobster to add to your favourite lobster dishes! 

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Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart

Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up.

Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up. I Sugar Coat ItI wanted to share this Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart with you back in the fall, as an alternative to the ubiquitous pumpkin-laden everything. I made them at night and the photos were pretty crappy, so I canned the post and waited for another opportunity to make and share them.

It still hasn't sunk in that we are in December and only a few weeks away from Christmas. HOW? If the calendar hasn't convinced me, the string of upcoming get-togethers, office parties and gift-shopping sure will. SIGH...

A Japanese cheese tart place called Pablo (because of the owners' admiration for Pablo Picasso) opened near my office about a year ago. I've tried a couple of their shakes and a few mini cheese tarts - Matcha and Okinawa being my faves. They were the inspiration for my Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart made with a silky batch of my Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree.

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Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up. I Sugar Coat ItNo-Bake... Not Really

I talk a bit about the various types of purple tubers, which variety I use and how I prepare them to yield maximum colour and flavour in this post.

The tart shell requires turning on an oven, but the filling is no-bake. For a full no-bake version, you can pair it with a pre-made or quick gingersnap or graham cracker crust. Or, like I have done below, you can go the deconstructed route and serve in dessert cups with a crumble and matcha whipped coconut. The Dude really liked that version.

If  you want to practice and show off your pastry making skills, the tart shells can be made in advance and frozen. I normally make much more than I need and freeze the extras, when it comes to some types of pastries. It makes life a little easier when you can simply grab a few croissants or a tart shell from the freeze in a pinch.

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Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up. I Sugar Coat ItHow To Stencil on Desserts

I've done a great deal of stencilling on desserts on my blog and in my kitchen, as far back as 2012. Clicking the preceding link will take you to tall cakes stencilled with buttercream or cocoa butter, cookies stencilled with royal icing, small cakes stencilled with cocoa or freeze-dried fruit powder, brownies stencilled with icing sugar, cake boards with food colour and my favourite cheesecake stencilled with matcha green tea powder.

Here's a tip that I shared in this tutorial from 2014 - for perfectly stencilled image transfer, I treat the sugar, cocoa and matcha like I would ganache, buttercream or royal icing - I smooth it on. For the latter three mediums, I use a scraper to smooth and scrape away excess. For the former (sugar, cocoa, matcha), I use an offset spatula to spread and press - this results in a sharper, well-defined pattern.

If I am going for a more organic look, then I skip the spatula and simply sprinkle and lift. You can see the result of each technique in the second photo above and in the video below.

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Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up. I Sugar Coat ItAlso, you want to fill and level the tart shell as close to the top as possible. This provides a great working surface for stencilling. I sometimes make my own stencils using my Cricut, but get much better results with pre-made stencils. I have a bunch from Designer Stencils that they sent me back in the day. This is not an affiliate plug, they just have some really cool designs. You can also check your local craft store, or Amazon.

As mentioned earlier, if fuss-free is your main goal, then dessert cups are your friend. Pour or pipe halfway, top with a crunchy topping (I used some chocolate crumble leftover from chocolate bar inserts I made) and finish with a dollop of matcha or vanilla whipped coconut.

We thoroughly enjoyed these Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tarts and plan to make the quick cup version to entertain over the holidays. If you get a chance to whip up a batch of your own, I would love to see and share them. Tag #isugarcoatit and I will share on my Instagram story!

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Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart

Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up.
Prep Time30 minutes
Chill1 day
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cheesecake
Servings: 10
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • one recipe of pate sucree

For the filling:

  • 225 grams mascarpone cheese also works with cream cheese
  • 235 grams 35% whipping cream
  • 340 grams purple sweet potato puree
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 160 grams confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 grams ground cinnamon

For decorating:

  • matcha green, confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder

Instructions

Make the pastry:

Whip up the filling:

  • Add the mascarpone cheese and whipping cream to a medium bowl and beat until fully combined.
  • Add the purple sweet potato and vanilla to the cheese/cream mixture, and sift in the sugar and cinnamon. Beat until well combined and fluffy.
  • Pour into prepared pastry shells up to the edge of the shell and refrigerate for 8-10 hours, or overnight for best results. Pour remaining filling into dessert cups, about half full. Cover cups with plastic wrap and chill.

Decorate:

  • Remove tarts from refrigerator, once set, and use a paper towel to tap away any condensation from the tops. Place a stencil on the surface of the tart and sift match green tea or confectioner’s sugar over stencil. Use a small angled spatula to spread and smooth before lifting the stencil.
Stunning stencilled Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Tart is a light, creamy, easy addition to your holiday dessert line-up. I Sugar Coat It

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Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree

Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.

Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.Bringing you a jewel-toned batch of  Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree for this instalment of #sousvidesista. A sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your holiday pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.

Instead of having to trek around the city, popping into a series of little shops and markets for my favourite ingredients, I now have a one-stop place that pretty much covers the globe. No, this is not a sponsored post.

I am especially pleased with their seafood section - I found conch there in the summer... FRESH CONCH!! The conch shell is pretty special (my sister and I spent many hours playing phone with them at my grandparents'), but the real treat is what's inside.

The sweet, tender meat is great raw in salads and ceviche, but my favourite conch dish is gumbo. And man did my uncle make a mean gumbo growing up. I also had a conch empanada a few years back on vacation and that's a pretty close second.

All the drools right now just thinking about them, but I digress...

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Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.Sweet Potato or Yam?

The produce section is pretty amazing too - from Ume to fresh sugar cane to Ube, Japan, the Caribbean and the Philippines fit deliciously into my shopping cart.

I would be lucky if I could find one variety of purple sweet potato at some of the other shops, here I found three - Stokes, Ube and Okinawan. A couple years ago, I was under the impression all purple sweet potatoes were Ube, but a friend's mom schooled me on the differences. In short:

  • Stokes - grown in the USA, purple skin, intense purple flesh (= higher anthocyanins), dense texture and lovely sweet flavour. I love adding them to a tray of roasted potatoes, soups and desserts for a pop of colour.
  • Okinawan (or Hawaiian Sweet Potato) - grown in Japan and Hawaii, beige skin, soft purple flesh that resembles lavender, creamy texture and less sweet flavour.
  • Ube - a staple in the Philippines (where my friend's mom is from), a scruffy, less attractive skin, lilac or purple-speckled white flesh, sweet, nutty flavour. While the two above are categorized as sweet  potato, Ube is a yam proper. It is almost impossible to find here, so I normally purchase it in grated, frozen form and use it to make ice cream and other desserts.

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Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.Why Sous Vide?

As I touched on here, we love preparing vegetables sous vide. We achieve perfect doneness every time, with pronounced purity of flavour. Vacuum sealing reduces the effects of oxidation, so the colour of your veggies remain vibrant, sometimes intensifies. Even the most delicate vegetable stays intact.

Green vegetables don't seem to fare so great in the colour department, when treated to a sous vide bath, as I touched on here. Like us humans, they seem to thrive in the presence of oxygen.

SO... I used the Stokes for my Sous Vide Sweet Potato Puree, because... look at that colour! The colour of this particular sweet potato generally intensifies when cooked and even more so when cooked sous vide. Plus, it's the best colour of the three. My Ube ice cream is usually an underwhelming greyish-purple, but with this it is a mouth-wateringly, brilliant purple.

Here's a quick video of how I made Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree. Check back in a few days to see how I used this batch.

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Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree

Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, earthy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: How-To
Keyword: puree, purple sweet potato, sous vide
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

  • 4 purple sweet potatoes

Instructions

  • Heat water bath to 84ºC/183ºF.
  • While water bath is heating, wash, peel and cut potatoes into ½-inch rounds, or cubes. Arrange in single layers among 2-3 vacuum bags and vacuum seal. Submerge in heated water and cook for 90 minutes.
  • When ready, remove bag from water, cut open (work carefully, it's hot) and add the contents to a high-powered blender, or food processor. Blend on low, or pulse for a few seconds, then increase and blend on high until smooth. Allow to cool and use in your favourite pumpkin or sweet potato dish. 
  • If not using immediately, shock the potatoes in an ice bath right out of the sous vide bath. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then refrigerate or freeze.
Sous Vide Purple Sweet Potato Puree is a sweet, creamy, stunning substitute for your pumpkin or sweet potato dishes.

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Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars

Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.

Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.HAI! Sometimes Wednesday requires a little sumin-sumin to get over that mid-week hump. I got you covered with one, or fifteen, Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars! Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.

This is a super simple recipe for anyone new to molded chocolate and the absence of cream or other liquids in the filling, gives these bars a longer shelf life.

So, grab your favourite chocolate, mold, music and lets get started!

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Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.Prep Your Mold

Starting with a clean, polished mold is a great way to help obtain a beautiful shine for your tempered chocolate. As explained in this post, I use cotton pads and 94% alcohol to polish my molds. Of course, polishing on its own won't guarantee the shine and snap of a well-made chocolate - tempering will.

Working with a mold that isn't too cold or warm will affect the outcome. I was taught to work with molds that are at a 18 to 22ºC temperature range. Too cold and the cocoa butter and chocolate will cease on contact, too warm and they are taken out of temper.

Temper, Temper - Cocoa Butter

For these bars, I wanted a rusted, metallic finish. I used ready-made, coloured cocoa butter because they were easier to find, than the powder to make my own. I started by layering antique gold and brown, using a small brush and then an airbrush to evenly apply a light coat of caramel satin, which has a gemstone finish.

You want to work with cocoa butter that is consistently at a temperature between 31-33ºC. Some chocolatiers simply heat the cocoa butter to that temperature and let the airbrush do the rest, but I was taught to temper first.

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Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.Temper, Temper - Chocolate

Tempering chocolate is a precise and fascinating science that continually amazes and captivates me. In the intro to chocolate section of the Chocolatier program, we tempered religiously for twelve weeks so that it would become second-nature.

I'll save the science-laden explanation for another post I have planned as part of how-to series and share a fast and simple chart you can reference:

Chocolate Tempering Temperatures - I Sugar Coat It

The above information is based on the chocolate I use most, Valrhona. Always check the guidelines included with the brand of chocolate you use for best results.

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Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.
Getting Creative At Home

When you learn in a professional lab, there are tools and equipment to make life so much easier. When creating from home, you have to get a little creative. That may mean:

  • seeding instead of tabling for tempering
  • using a heating pad, hair dryer, heating gun, or a pot of water to keep the temperature of the cocoa butter or chocolate within working range
  • using brushes and gloved fingers for decorating, in the absence of an airbrush
  • creating a spray booth using clean trash bags and your stove's exhaust fan, as I shared on an IG story a little while back
Super Simple Filling

You may have caught a sneak peek of me filling these Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars back in May, on my Instagram feed. Yup, I know... it took me seven months to get them on here. I spend so much time and have such fun creating, I often forget the sharing part.

These bars are packed with milk chocolate, paillete feuilletine, praline paste and espresso, wrapped in a dark chocolate shell - similar to these older bars here and here.

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Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.These Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars would make great holiday gifts to show off your newly acquired chocolate skills. If you make them, I would love to see your results. Tag @isugarcoatit on  Instagram and I will share on my Insta-stories!

As always, if you have any questions or suggestion, please leave me a comment below. My response may not always be immediate (work-work-work-work-work), but I love hearing from you guys! It let's me know I am not just over here talking to myself. 🙂

VIDEO


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Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars

Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.
Prep Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chocolate
Keyword: chocolate, how-to
Servings: 15 bars
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Equipment:

  • cocoa butter colours of your choice
  • paint brushes
  • airbrush
  • thermometer laser or instant-read
  • piping bag

For casting and capping molds:

  • 500 grams dark chocolate, 55-70%

For filling molds:

  • 150 grams milk chocolate I used Valrhons Jivara 40%
  • 100 grams almond praline
  • 2-3 grams espresso powder adjust to taste
  • 130 grams paillete feuilletine or rice cereal, if not available

Instructions

Decorate molds:

  • Clean and polish molds with cotton pads and alcohol. Ensure your cocoa butter is at working temperature, 31-33ºC and your molds are between 18-22ºC. Spray a thin, even layer and allow to set - the cocoa butter will have a matte finish when ready.

Temper and cast the chocolate:

  • See above chart, or consult the guidelines on the package of the brand you are using. Melt - cool - heat and test to ensure chocolate is tempered. Fill molds with working-temperature chocolate, tap firmly a few times to release air bubbles, then invert mold and tap out excess chocolate. Allow to set for about 15-30 minutes depending on room temperature. 

Fill molds:

  • Heat and melt the milk chocolate to 45ºC. Remove from the heat and while still warm, use a whisk to stir in the praline paste and espresso powder, until smooth. Allow to cool slightly and fold in the feuilletine, using a silicone spatula. 
  • Pipe the filling into the cavities, leaving a little space at the top for capping - use a small angled spatula to smooth and level, if needed. Cap the molds with the tempered chocolate from above - pour chocolate on one half of mold and use a scraper to spread, level and remove excess in one (or two) swipes. Filling the mold just right to achieve a thin and uniform shell all around takes practice, so don't beat yourself up if it isn't perfect. Just ensure a good seal. 
  • Leave to set for a couple hours, then pop in fridge (if needed) to help the chocolate contract and release easily. Gently tap the mold on a flat, clean,  counter to release the bars. Enjoy!
Snack-size Almond Coffee Crunch Chocolate Bars with a crunchy, coffee, milk chocolate filling, wrapped in 70% dark chocolate.

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Sous Vide Goat Shoulder

Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.

Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.Hey-hey! I am back with another mouth-watering installment of Sous Vide Sunday; featuring my slow-cooked-to-succulent-perfection Sous Vide Goat Shoulder. With a side of creamy polenta, sauteed garlic and wilted spinach for a little seasonal comfort!

If you follow me on Instagram, you likely saw me making this along with a goat leg,  just over a month ago. I've shared many of our sous vide dishes preparation over the years on my IG stories and feed, but have been a little slow getting them to the blog. So, I am playing catch-up.

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Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.

Goat meat has been enjoyed for decades (maybe even centuries), in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Asia. I grew up eating goat meat, more so than lamb, and usually curried. My grandmother would cook the goat meat to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, using either a screaming, spluttering pressure cooker, or a well-seasoned, blackened from open flames, silver-ish dutch pot.

The latter was my personal fave.  It was more flavourful and not as frightening to observe - watching that knob on the pressure cooker cover scream and splutter and sometimes launch into a trajectory, which always seemed directed at me, still scares the shit out of me to this day.

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Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.Goat Is Goat

Lamb and goat are both ovine, but that does not mean they are prepared the same. Goat meat is very lean, with fewer calories, compared to lamb, chicken, beef and pork. It is also said to be high in potassium and iron, even more so than beef.

I love goat meat with bold Middle Eastern or Indian flavours, but I normally do it up in a Caribbean curry. This involved making a curry paste to use as a rub/marinade of sorts for the meat and bagging it for the cook with various herbs and spices. It is definitely NOT lacking flavour!

Low and Slow, Baby

Being lean, with little fat, makes goat meat well-suited for a low, slow cook to break down the collagen in the meat. A perfect candidate for sous vide, if you ask me... and even if you didn't.

So, I abandoned my grandmother's pressure-cooking (a.k.a NASA launch) method for this piece of goat and bagged it, sucked the air out of it and gave it a 24-hour bath at 57ºC. Whatcha gotta say about that, grandma? HUH?

You can enjoy this Sous Vide Goat Shoulder in all it's glorious juices straight out of the bag, but a little colour, via the oven, was in order. Cause you know what they say about going black... AHEM!

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Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.Simple Sides

Serve it on a bed of what the Dude calls polenta, but I know as cornmeal or cou cou with some add-ins. He always manages to get the polenta much smoother and creamier that I ever have, so that's usually his domain. Sautee some garlic and wilt some spinach and put it all together for seriously DEEEELISH comfort.

Tips for Sous Vide Goat Shoulder Success:
  • Start with a good piece of goat meat, preferably local and fresh from a butcher. I like the shoulder and leg, as they yield more meat. Ensure the goat is young - you'll be able to tell by the colour (pinkish).
  • If I've learned anything from my Caribbean heritage, other than flavour is KEY, it's to always clean the meat before cooking - and that has stuck. I clean all my meat/poultry/pork/fish with vinegar or lemon juice, usually fresh. They help to remove all the nasties.
  • For long cooks, such as this, I double bag if using freezer bags or double seal, if vacuum sealing. A little added protection never hurt no one...amiright?!?
  • I browned the meat in the oven after the sous vide and poured some of the bag juices over to keep it moist while browning. I prefer cooking it in its juicy sauce, but wanted to get a dark, dramatic finish, so went the sauce-on-the-side route.
  • Strain and use the juices from the bag to whip up some gravy, sauce or jus - you won't regret it.

You will notice that, unlike the dessert recipes I share on here, my savoury recipes don't always specify amounts. We rarely use recipes to cook - unless it is something completely new to us. The Dude and I usually cook together and it is always an adventure; sometimes disastrous, but more often, delicious! The idea is to adjust things to your taste!

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Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.
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Sous Vide Goat Shoulder

Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 day
Total Time1 day 30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Caribbean, Sous Vide
Keyword: goat, sous vide
Servings: 6
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

For the paste rub:

  • 3 tablespoons Caribbean green seasoning homemade
  • 3 tablespoons madras curry powder homemade or storebought
  • 3 tablespoons garam masala
  • 3-4 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil or water adjust as needed for preferred consistency

For the goat:

  • 2 kilograms bone-in goat shoulder cleaned and patted dry
  • salt to taste
  • Chinese five-spice homemade or store-bought
  • fresh thyme I like lots, but 3-4 sprigs is a good place to start
  • 7-10 cloves
  • curry leaves I usually put a small handful
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 stick cinnamon bark broken in half
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper if you're brave enough
  • neutral oil for the bag

For the sides:

  • sous vide polenta cooked in vegetable or beef broth
  • garlic sauteed in olive oil
  • spinach tossed in the garlic above

Instructions

Make the paste rub:

  • Mix all the ingredients for the rub until well-combined. Set aside.

Prepare water bath:

  • Heat the water bath to 57ºC. You can also do 83ºC for 16 hours.

Prep and cook the meat:

  • While the water is heating. Clean the meat with lemon juice or vinegar, wash and pat dry. Rub generously with curry paste on all sides. Season with a bit of five-spice and salt.

  • Make a collar at the opening of the bag and add the meat and aromatics and spices - thyme, cloves, curry leaves, bay leaves, cinnamon bark. Drizzle some oil into the bag. Seal with a vacuum sealer, or using the water-displacement method. Submerge in heated water bath and cook for 24 hours.
  • About 15 minutes before the cook is completed, heat the oven to 450ºF or heat an oiled skillet on high heat until smoking. Remove the bag from water bath and cut open. Use tongs to remove meat from bag, or strain the liquids from the bag into a small saucepan and cut the bag open for easier removal. Brown in the heated oven or sear in a skillet until a nice colour forms. (Pat the meat dry first, if searing, to avoid being burned by flying oil).
  • Heat the liquids from the bag over low heat with pepper, a little flour or cornstarch to make a gravy. 

Serve:

  • Make some polenta, mashed potatoes, freekah,  or other side of your choosing. Sautee some garlic and spinach and serve along side polenta with goat.
Slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone, succulent perfection, Sous Vide Goat Shoulder with Polenta, Wilted Spinach and Garlic delivers flavourful comfort.

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Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars

Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!

Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!OK, so you really can't go wrong with rice krispie treats, especially when stuffed with homemade marshmallows, amaretto and nut couverture. You know, like these Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars!

One of my favourite treats to make on the fly is a gooey batch of peanut butter rice krispie squares - extra mallows and PB, please! And they disappear as quickly as they come together, thanks to the Dude. Alright, I am just as guilty. Sometimes I don't even bother to let it set - still warm, peanut butter-coated cereal caught in an elaborate web of melty marshmallow, scooped by the handful is the way to go. TRUST!

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Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!Cereal For Dessert

We rarely keep cold cereal in the pantry - it's never been my go-to choice for breakfast. I grew up in a Caribbean household, so a hot breakfast was the golden rule. Usually in the form of porridge (oat, corn, or cream of wheat) during the week and on weekends, eggs, salt fish (cod), plantains, the works. And fruits, lots and lots of fresh fruits.

The Dude, however, had a childhood filled with loops, crunch, snap, crackle and pop. These days we keep a box of Rice Krispies in the pantry for one reason only.

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Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!Make Your Own Mallow

Please tell me you have made marshmallow. At least once? I want to hear you say it, or I'll just end this post right here.... PHEW!! If you still haven't, it's about time already - you'll likely never buy another bag from the store. Plus, with homemade, flavour options are endless!

I made a batch of marshmallow to top hot chocolate, and cut up the leftover to add to my Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars.

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Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!Nuts About Chocolate

Alright, I use chocolate loosely here, but Valrhona's Almond Inspiration looks like, tastes like and can be used in the same way one would chocolate. However, it is referred to as a nut couverture, and like their fruit couverture, I am rather nutty about it!

Not only does it feel like silk on my tongue, it is all natural and naturally dairy free. I was fortunate enough to receive a bag from Valrhona!

To amp up the almond flavour and give these bars a little holiday touch, I added a splash of Amaretto baking extract. The flavour and aroma always take me back to Christmas as a child with my grandparents, so these Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars are a little slice of the holidays for me.

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Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars

Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Resting Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: almond, amaretto, rice krispie
Servings: 10
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

  • 80 garms Almond Inspiration Valrhona Nut Couverture
  • 30 grams butter
  • 65 grams marshmallow homemade or store-bought
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto Luxardo 70% or almond extract
  • 200 grams Rice Krispies cereal

Instructions

  • Heat the butter, chocolate and marshmallow until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the amaretto extract. Pour onto cereal and fold in until combined. Press into pan or mold and allow to cool and set. Slice and enjoy!
Savour the taste of the holidays in every bite of Almond Amaretto Rice Krispies Bars, packed with Almond Inspiration, homemade marshmallow and Amaretto!

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Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars {Video}

Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.

Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.Back in September, to my utter surprise and delight, I received a package of Valrhona's new Strawberry Inspiration to sample. I think you guys already know what a huge fan I am of their chocolate. Yeah? OK, I'll spare you the gush fest.

A few months prior to receiving the Strawberry Inspiration, Valrhona sent me samples of their, then new, Inspiration products - Passion Fruit and Almond. The Dude immediately fell for the latter, while I could not get my face out of the former. If you know anything about me, you know that I am a passion fruit addict. I ate so many in one sitting, as a child, I became physically ill. Didn't deter me one bit.

I am pretty crazy about yuzu too, if you hadn't already noticed, and heard it's next in line to be released!

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Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.So there I was thinking the passion fruit was the Inspiration holy grail, then along came strawberry. Competition got fierce AF. I lined up a few of my real life choco-loving friends and we taste-tested, for probably longer than was necessary, only to reach a stalemate. Personally, I place both on equal footing, but I can see why the strawberry might be more popular - it's a more familiar fruit and flavour to the masses.

I used some of the sample for a small batch ganache and what was left, to make a these Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars, along with another slight variation.

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Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.Solid bars like this and this and barks are a great way to use up leftover chocolate. They are also a less intimidating way to play with flavours, without having to worry about fillings, water activity, capping etc. Perfect opportunity to practice your tempering skills, if you're new to chocolate, as you can melt it and try again, if needed. Before adding any toppings, of course.

Speaking of toppings... I used freeze-dried yuzu that I picked up at a little Japanese shop. The crystallized/candied mint leaves I made in the dehydrator, then whizzed them briefly in a coffee grinder for smaller pieces. In the correct lighting, the larger pieces had the appearance of pieces diamonds glimmering through the red.

I added a small pinch of freshly ground peppercorn to a few and wish I'd added it to all. Winning combination, IMHO!

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Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.I've never been one to paint within the lines, although that would be a great skill to have in this case. If you are worried about using gold shimmer, use cocoa butter to add colour, instead. Can't find freeze-dried yuzu, citrus zest will do the trick.

Strawberry Inspiration is one of a number of flavours from Valrhona's line of fruit and nut couvertures. It's made with freeze-dried strawberry, which provides an authentic strawberry flavour and eye-catching ruby red colour! AND, it is dairy-free.

I realize strawberry isn't the flavour of the season, but I think the colour of these Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are pretty festive. Maybe post-dinner keepsakes for your guests this holiday season!

Have you tried any of the flavours for the Inspiration line? If so, what's your fave?

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Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars

Prep Time25 minutes
Servings: 10 bars
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

  • 200 grams Valrhona Strawberry Inspiration
  • freeze-dried yuzu bits as needed
  • crystallized mint leaves as needed
  • edible gold shimmer to decorate mold

Instructions

  • Decorate the mold by mixing the shimmer with a little alcohol or vodka to form a paste. Apply to the patterned areas of the mold with a small brush. Or you may apply the shimmer dry with a soft, fluffy brush. 
  • Temper the strawberry inspiration and pipe or pour into the mold cavities. Tap the mold a few times to level the chocolate and remove any air bubbles.  
  • Sprinkle the yuzu and mint leaves over the surface, while still wet. Allow to set at room temperature. If needed, pop in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. This helps the chocolate contract and release easily form the mold. Enjoy!!
Strawberry Yuzu Mint Mini Chocolate Bars are a quick, easy way to use up leftover chocolate to make edible gifts for the holidays.

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Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder {Video}

My Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder, with green curry leaves, leek and coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful fall comfort.

My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.This post for Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder was created in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods LP.

Cool, damp, dark days call for hearty bowls of warm comfort. There is nothing quite like a steaming pot of soup to warm a frigid winter soul.

Take your standard clam chowder, replace the cream with coconut milk, the celery with leeks, add fresh curry leaves to amp up the flavour and seal the deal with sweet, succulent Arctic Surf Clams!

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My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.

No Can Do

Clam Chowder was not really a part of my childhood. The closest thing I could think of is seafood stew/soup, often made with fish head and without dairy. The first time I made it on my own, the scotch bonnet peppers burst and all hell broke loose. It was the type of inedible spicy that was destined for only one place... the trash. But, I digress.

The first time I had clam chowder was back in school, when a roommate busted open a can and heated it up for dinner. So disgusted, I was tempted to revoke her friend status. Instead, I ordered in.

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My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.Curry Leaves

I've only made clam chowder a couple of times before this batch. Mainly because I am not super crazy about cream/milk based soups - the dairy always seems to mask the flavours. I cook with curry leaves a lot and love the smoky, mild citrus flavour it imparts. I thought it would work well here with coconut milk in place of cream.

Curry powder is a blend of spices like tumeric, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, mustard and red chili, while curry leaves are a herb. The shiny green leaves are sold fresh, in large bunches, at Indian and Caribbean markets. It's widely used in East Indian cooking, but also popular in West Indian (Caribbean) cuisine.

In addition to adding loads of flavour, they are said to have a long list of health benefits. I love steeping a handful in hot water for a warming, comforting cup of tea.

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My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.

Arctic Surf Clams

The star of this Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder really is the Premium Wild Clam Blend from Clearwater Seafoods. They are chopped and ready to use, complete with their own clam juice, making this meal perfect for a quick midweek meal.

They are the chopped, canned version of the whole arctic surf clams I used in this post. The pieces are mixed with cockle clams and aren't as prominent in colour in their chopped state, but still deliver in the taste and texture department.

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My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.Top with a few pieces of oven-baked, crispy smoked bacon for a little crunch and a few pops of green and it's time to start shovelling warm, yummy comfort by the spoonful! I also topped mine with a pinch of smoked sea salt flakes and peppercorn for good measure. YUMMM!

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5 from 1 vote

Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder

Curried Arctic Surf Clam Chowder, with green curry leaves, leek and coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful comfort to combat these cool fall days.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Seafood
Keyword: artic surf clams, clam chowder
Servings: 10
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

  • 4 slices smoked bacon chopped
  • 60 grams butter
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • fresh thyme
  • 2 large carrots sliced
  • 3 stalks leek sliced thinly
  • 5 large potatoes cubed
  • parsley
  • bay leaves
  • curry leaves
  • 1 can Clearwater Chopped Arctic Surf and White Cockle Clams
  • clam juice from the canned clams
  • 250 millilitres coconut milk/cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon in a large heated pot with the butter. Add all the ingredients up to the curry leaves and sauté. 
  • Add the clams and cook for a minute or two, then add the clam juice. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
  • Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Then turn the the heat down and simmer for an hour.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve while hot. Garnish with crisp bacon and parsley and enjoy with toasted bread.
My Curried Arctic Surf #Clam #Chowder, with green #curry leaves, #leek and #coconut milk, delivers the perfect serving of flavourful #fall comfort.