Cardamom-Laced Truffles with Murray River Sea Salt

For a recent tasting event, I paired these decadent truffles with a delightful Colorado Cab Sauv from Settembre Cellars.  The bright snap of exotic spice beautifully accentuated the wine's aromatics. 

     These truffles are simple to make: infuse several cardamom pods in about 1/2 cup warm cream for at least 15 minutes.  Strain, and pour over 12 ounces good-quality chopped dark chocolate (minimum 60%) and let sit for a few minutes.  Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the cream and chocolate marry into a luxurious, silky ganache.  Bit by bit, add 1 T. soft butter, stirring gently between each addition.  Add a few drops of almond extract, let cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours until hard.  Cut into small squares and roll between palms to form balls.  Coat with cocoa powder, sprinkle with flake salt, pour a glass of wine, and indulge.

Roasted Tangerine and Chocolate Tart

A few weeks back, we decided to celebrate the solstice with a dessert and eggnog party.  What goes with eggnog, I pondered, while thumbing through recipe books, the gray skies of impending snow filtering through my kitchen window.  Alexander looks up.  Chocolate?, he asks, hopefully.  Sure, I could see that.  After all, the cafes have been selling out of eggnog lattes, the nog's rich spicy sweetness pairing perfectly with the bitter espresso.  Maybe truffles are just the thing.  But wait.  My stash of good chocolate is gone (blame holiday season stress), and i've just used my last drop of cream on a batch of cheddar sage scones.  Besides, I have all of these beautiful tangerines sitting cheerily on the counter, waiting to be enjoyed.

Here is the result:
Roasted tangerines, infused with a pinch of brown sugar, grace silky chocolate "ganache" in a crunchy almond crust.  

 
Ganache without chocolate or cream?, you ask astutely.  It's my new favorite recipe!  Ganache for the industrious.  Cocoa powder (a blend of raw and very dark dutch), a few hefty tablespoons of coconut butter (I imagine other nut butters would work here for a more flavored ganache), a dash of maple syrup, and a few pinches of good sea salt.  Blend.  A bit of coconut milk or more maple syrup could be added to thin if necessary.  This mixture will harden like traditional ganache when cool, making it ideal for frosting, tart filling, truffles, etc.   

The roasted tangerines are from one of my favorite dessert cookbooks, In the Sweet Kitchen, by Regan Daley.  Find this book, and find a spot for it right at hand in the kitchen.  It is my most loved baking reference. 
 

Raw Chocolate Mint Truffles

The meal on "Vegetarian Proteins" Day was delicious, and the finale even more so: raw chocolate mint truffles with spirulina.  To make them, just blend up some sunflower seeds, dates, coconut cream, spirulina powder (just a pinch or two), a pinch of salt, a few drops of peppermint oil and raw cacao powder.  Then add a splash or two of water until the mixture comes together.  Shape into balls and roll in flaked coconut, chopped fresh mint, or cacao.

Photo by my classmate Crystal at zen-eats.com