Edible Gifts - Kahlua Truffles

Kahlua Truffles

One of the benefits of working with a food blogger is that my colleagues sometimes get to taste the fruits of each weeks labour. This Christmas, I thought I would make something just for them. I decided to try out my own variation of rum truffles that I used to make as a kid, instead of rum, using Kahlua. The truffles are super rich so a few are plenty and one bite keeps your chocolate intake up over the holidays! They aren't exclusively a Christmas chocolate. In the past I've made them for Valentine's Day gifts and filled Easter Eggs with them, so they're pretty versatile - for any day of the year where Chocolate is an appropriate gift (read, any day of the year!) I chose a festive presentation and gave everyone a little box decorated in Christmassy style!

I learnt (the hard way) that a lower grade percentage of chocolate is better so used a 40% cacao, not higher (for the successful attempt!)

Kahlua Truffles
This makes about 70 truffles

600g dark chocolate
85g butter
6 egg yolks
6 teaspoons of Kahlua
Cocoa Powder (for decorating)
Truffle cases

• Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth;
• Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly
• Gradually add in one egg yolk at a time whisking as you go blending in the mixture so it's smooth and silky;
• After adding in the egg yolks, add the Kahlua gradually too whisking as you add;
• Chill in the fridge overnight;
• Using a melon baller or a small ice cream scoop, scoop out enough mixture to make into little balls;
• Roll in cocoa powder to lightly cover;
• Place in truffle cases.

Mont Blanc Meringue Nests

Chestnuts seem to be traditional in the UK more than in Australia around Christmas. The smells of hot chestnut sellers in the street are a common scent on the main street of Edinburgh, and for a break whilst Christmas shopping it's a treat to warm your hands on a bag of the smoky, soft nuts.

© Catherine Kennedy -
Beneath the Water

In Australia, "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" is just a line of a Nat King Cole carol, somewhat inappropriate for a scorching summer day, so the Aussies need a different way to enjoy chestnuts in December.

For this Sweet Adventure Blog Hop I thought I'd suggest a way....

...Mont Blanc Meringue Nests.

Supposedly named as the dish resembles the highest European mountain, Mont Blanc when referring to dessert, includes a chestnut purée and is usually topped with whipped cream (I substituted pouring cream in my dish).

The taste of the chestnut cream is very distinctive so when I ran my finger through the cream left on the food processor blades (yes, I still lick the bowl!), childhood memories were reignited of dinner parties round my parents table. The flavour is hard to explain, but a fabulous combination the nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness and a dash of sherry and it balances the sweetness of the meringue perfectly. The meringue nests are a perfect end to a December festive meal, generous and elegant but light at the same time.

Mont Blanc Meringue Nests (adapted from the recipe in an old favourite: Reader's Digest, the Cookery Year)

Serves 12

Meringue nests
6 egg whites
330g caster sugar
2 pinches cream of tartar (anyone wondering what this is and why you use it, here is a great post I found from A Pie for a Pie)

Chestnut cream
150g butter
100g caster sugar
425ml can of chestnut purée
35ml dry sherry

To serve
Pouring cream
Raspberries

Meringue nests

• Preheat the oven to 100°
• Spray oil and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Spray the top of the paper lightly too!
• Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 
• Gradually add the sugar and cream of tartar. 
• Beat well till all the sugar has been completely combined and the mixture is smooth and silky and holds it's shape.
• Take a large spoonful of mixture and use the back of the spoon to shape into a round base on the baking tray. You need to fit 6 rounds (about 10cm diameter)
• Repeat for all 12. You should still have plenty mixture left.
• Fill a piping bag with the remainder (using the large star nozzle).
• Pipe a ring of rosettes around the circumference of the meringue circles making a nest.
• Place trays in the oven and bake for 2 hours. Then turn off the oven and leave the meringues in there till the oven is cool, preferably over night.
• When I made mine, I sneakily (and v. carefully) moved them all after 2 hours so I knew they hadn't stuck to the baking paper before I left them overnight.
• Store in an air tight container until you serve them, or they might get soggy!

Chestnut cream

• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. 
• Gradually add a spoonful of chestnut puree and beat in well. Be careful not to add too much at once as the mixture might curdle.
• Keep beating until all the chestnut puree is combined.
• Next, add the sherry gradually, one teaspoon at a time, continuing to beat well to incorporate each spoonful. (The process of adding the puree and sherry is much easier in a food processor as I leave the motor running and drop the spoonfuls down the shoot!)
• You can either leave the cream aside or assemble the meringue nests straight away. Just don't assemble the meringue nests until you are ready to serve.

Assembly

• Spoon the chestnut cream into the meringue nest centre.
• Decorate the plate with raspberries and a drizzle of cream.
• Serve with the pouring cream on the side for those who want more!

Festive Stuffed Chicken Thigh - Easy Christmas Dinner!

I like to have my Christmas Cake and eat it too! What I really mean is that I don't like to limit my Christmas spread just to Turkey or Ham or Prawns or..... The trouble with cooking for so many people and wanting such a variety is the oven space. Inspired by Christmas recipes of stuffed, rolled birds, I designed an easy festive stuffed Chicken Thigh that we're going to serve as part of a banquet for the family on Christmas Day. The thigh is much more moist than the breast, which is why I chose that part of the chook, and is a small enough to be individual and big enough to roll and with some tasty stuffing inside! We also cooked it on the BBQ meaning that the precious oven space will be freed up for bigger (not necessarily better) things!

Chicken Thighs on the BBQ

Festive Stuffed Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

Chicken Thighs - 1 per person
Bunch of Sage
Prosciutto - 1 slice per thigh

Stuffing (this stuffed 8 Chicken Thighs)
350g. sausage meat
1 med onion (or 2 spring onions), finely diced
4 sage leaves, chopped
Salt & Pepper

Sauce
Craisins
1 cup Red wine
2 tbs Plain Flour
2 tbs Redcurrant Jelly

The raw unrolled Festive Stuffed Chicken Thigh

• Prepare the stuffing first - mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Divide into equal portions (as many as you have chicken thighs);
• Spread the Chicken Thighs out flat and lay them on a board;
• Cover the Thighs with cling wrap;
• With a rolling pin, or another hard implement (meat tenderiser would do too!) whack the Chicken Thighs till they are flat;
• Lay a slice of prosciutto on a piece of foil (enough to wrap the whole thigh)
• Place a sage leaf on the prosciutto;
• Lay the flat chicken thigh along the proscuitto on top of the sage
• Place a ball of stuffing on the thigh and roll it tightly
• Wrap the foil tightly round the rolled meat;
• Repeat for the other Chicken Thighs;
• Leave to rest in the fridge;
• Meanwhile, soak the craisins in the Red wine for the Sauce
• When ready to cook, heat the BBQ;
• Remove the thighs from the foil and carefully place on the BBQ;
• BBQ turning often until the roll is cooked through.
• While the Thighs are cooking, prepare the sauce by adding the craisins and wine to a small saucepan;
• Add the redcurrant jelly and bring to the boil;
• Add a dash or red wine to the flour and stir to make a paste. Add the flour to the sauce to thicken it and make it glossy.

Christmas on a Stick!

Home-made Christmas in July Pudding

Vicky has hosted her famous Christmas in July party for many years now, and it's come to be expected every July. Also expected and hoped for is my "Christmas on a Stick" a simple canapé that has become a favourite at the party. The remit for guests is to bring something that reminds you of Christmas in your home country and being hosted by a fellow Brit, it's a chance for us to remember our warming Christmas feasts from home. Being a cocktail party though, a fully fledge roast turkey, with stuffing and cranberry sauce isn't going to work, but that's why I designed this delightful bite. It's nice and easy, and can be adapted to suit your favourite Christmas stuffing flavours! You can also jazz it up as much as you like - mine have to be transported across town and heated in my friends oven, competing with the other guests' creations, so I'm less precious about the finesse (and no one cares, they just want to get to it!)

Christmas on a Stick

Christmas on a Stick - makes about 50-60 bite sized pieces

Small Pre packed cooked oven roasted turkey breast*

500g pack of sausage meat

1 onion

few sprigs of sage

cranberry sauce

parsley (or any other green leafy herb to decorate)

cocktail sticks

For the Stuffing

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C°;
2. Finely dice the onion;
3. Finely chop the sage;
4. Mix sausage meat, onion, sage in a bowl;
5. Shape into a square sausage shape and wrap in foil;
6. Bake for 35-45 mins until cooked through (you're going to cut it up anyway, so feel free to have a quick check!);
7. Cool the stuffing.

Assembling Christmas on a Stick

1. Cut the turkey breast into 1cm cubes;
2. Cut the stuffing into 1cm cubes;
3. Lay the turkey out on a baking tray, place the stuffing on top and skewer with a cocktail stick;
4. Heat for about 15 mins in a preheated oven (around 180C° - 200C°) till heated through;
5. When hot, lay out on serving plate;
6. Spoon a little blob of cranberry sauce on each;
7. Decorate with a festive little piece of parsley for greenery;

Serve and be prepared to heat another batch because they go quick!

*you can buy this all year round in the same section of the supermarket as the hams