Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles & Amy Atlas

Do you have an idea book?

You know, a binder where you store all of the great ideas you see in magazines?  Kinda like retro Pinterest.
{Remember life before Pinterest?}

Here's ONE of my idea books.  Food & Wine did a feature on dessert tables by Amy Atlas waaaaaaay back in 2009.
{Remember 2009?}

I had never seen anything so pretty in my whole life.  A color-coordinated dessert table?!?  It went immediately into my idea book.  Well, it's 2012 now...and Amy Atlas, queen of gorgeous dessert tables, has a beautiful new book called Sweet Designs.

The book is filled with dessert tables like this one:

{Oh, how sweet!}

And this one:

{Oh, how fun!}

 In Sweet Designs, you'll find all of the instructions for baking the desserts (plus short-cut options), crafting the displays, and styling the table.

It makes you want to have a party.

Amanda from i am baker gathered several of us together celebrate and to make one of Amy's recipes...I made the Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles.

In the book, they are actually part of a Halloween table, but the beauty of the ideas is that they are so easily adaptable.  I made them for spring.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

{adapted with permission from Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas}

3/4 cup hazelnuts
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Nutella
6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350.  Lay hazelnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.  Transfer immediately to a dish towel, cover and steam for 1 minute.  Rub vigorously with the towel to loosen the skins.

Chop the hazelnuts (don't worry about an skins that are still on the nuts), and measure out 1/2 cup.  (Eat or save any excess.)

Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.

 

{Side note: I am never without these chocolate chips.  Throw a handful in a container of Fage 2% Greek yogurt.  Lunch=done.}

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and Nutella.  Stir in the chopped hazelnuts.  Refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until scoopable.

{At this point, I contemplated grabbing a spoon and parking myself and the bowl in front of The Young & the Restless.  Be strong, my friends.}

Place the sprinkles on a rimmed plate. Scoop the chilled chocolate mixture by the tablespoon into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball. Roll the truffles in the sprinkles. (You'll probably need to wash your hands several times during this process.)

Place on a cookie sheet and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Amy would love for a Bake at 350 reader to have a copy of her book!  Yay!  All you have to do to enter is, leave a comment right here on the blog.  That's it!  Any comment...well, any polite comment. ;)

{Giveaway runs through midnight, April 30th.} 

***giveaway closed! congrats to lizy b.!*** 

 

 

Aaaaand, there's more.  All of those bakers celebrating Amy today?  Well, we're ALL giving away a copy of Sweet Designs.  So, for more chances to win, go visit these lovely ladies:

Amanda Chocolate Cupcakes {Amy Atlas Giveaway}

The Adventure of Sweet Sugarbelle: Amy Atlas Book Giveaway  

TidyMom: Honey Panna Cotta

Two Peas and Their Pod: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweetapolita: Pink Eclairs

Sweetopia: Chocolate Beehive Cupcakes

My Baking Addiction: Banana Whoopie Pies

Bakingdom: Mini Strawberry Trifles

{Please forgive me for 2 posts in a row with giveaways. I just didn't want you to miss out on either chance to win...} :)

Pot 'o Gold Popcorn

 

My dad instilled in me a great love for popcorn.  He'll pass up sweets, cookies, cakes in favor of a big ol' bowl of salty, crunchy popcorn.  Don't even mention microwave popcorn in his presence.  It's just not done.

So, popcorn makes me happy.  Popcorn with GOLD and CHOCOLATE makes me very happy.
{I'm sure dad would prefer his plain, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.}

First, you'll need some gold "buttons."  I found mine at Fancy Flours after seeing this beautiful Sprinkle Bakes post.  I needed them.

Here's what they look like on the inside:

They're basically a gold m&m.  Very, very fancy.

 {It's so fluffy!!!}

You'll also need popcorn.  FRESHLY POPPED popcorn.  We'll be adding butter and salt, so if you do use microwave popcorn...
    A. don't tell my dad,
    B. omit the butter and salt.

After you pop the popcorn and toss it with the melted butter and salt, you'll lay it out on cookie sheets.

Then you'll drizzle on melted chocolate....sigh.

{I tempered some bittersweet chocolate here (more on that in another post), but feel free to use chocolate candy melts or almond bark.}

Then, you add the gold.
{I know, I know...there are 3 pictures of these buttons...they're just so PRETTY!!!}


Voila!  Pot o' Gold Popcorn!  Perfect for your leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day!!!  

{The popcorn looks really pretty in little bowls or ramekins for a party, and is best served the same day it is made. It can be stored in baggies for 3-4 days; the popcorn will just lose a little of its crunch.}

Pot o' Gold Popcorn

ingredients:

10 cups freshly popped popcorn
2 TBSP salted butter, melted
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (candy melts or almond bark)
2 oz. gold buttons (or yellow M&Ms)

instructions:

Toss the popcorn with the melted butter and salt.  Spread onto 2 cookie sheets.

Melt or temper the chocolate (I used tempered chocolate here).

Drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn.  Sprinkle on the gold buttons.

Let the popcorn sit until the chocolate has set.  Gently break into chunks and pieces.

Marcona Almond-Sea Salt Toffee

Did you hear all of that yelling right before Christmas?!?  It was me!

I was yelling, "I DID IT!!!  I MADE TOFFEE!!!"

I've tried making toffee before...and failed.  Miserably.  Twice.  I'm not sure if it was the recipe, or my skill set, but it made me very sad.

So, this time, I used the toffee recipe from Sweet Confections and guess what?!?  It worked like a charm!

{The only bad part; we gave most of it away.  Sad face.}

Can we talk about Marcona almonds for a minute?   If you've never had them, let me describe.  Imagine crunchy little nuggets of salted butter.  Yep, that's pretty much it.

One of the grocery stores near me sells them in the bulk section...the other has them with the deli cheeses.  They're pricey, but oh-so-worth-it.  Try a few plain with a clementine for an afternoon snack.  Heaven.

Marcona Almond-Sea Salt Toffee
{adapted from Sweet Confections Toffee recipe}

1 TBSP water
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
1/2 cup Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
pinch flaky sea salt

Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

Combine the water, butter, cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Attach a candy thermometer, but don't let it touch the bottom of the pan.

{I have this one and love it.}

Bring the pan contents to a boil.  Stir slowly and continuously with a silicone spatula until the syrup reaches 300.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour onto the parchment paper.  Let stand one minute.

Sprinkle the chopped chocolate onto the toffee. Wait 3-5 minutes for the chocolate to melt.

{See it getting melty?}

With an offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly.

{{sigh}}

Sprinkle on the chopped almonds...

...then, a bit of the flaky sea salt. 

I was afraid to get too heavy-handed with the salt; you could totally add more.

Refrigerate until the toffee has set; about 45 minutes.

Break into pieces; I use waxed paper to touch the toffee to avoid fingerprints.

Store in an airtight container...if you don't eat it all immediately.

Go on; have a piece! ;) 

{psst...have you ever tried Marcona almonds?}

Promise me?

 

Promise me you'll make this?  Like tomorrow?  Or maybe for New Year's Eve?  Just promise, ok?  If you don't do alcohol, you are excused, but the REST of you...you must make it.

I had an inkling this would be good.  But, I wasn't sure it would be audible-sigh-with-every-bite-good.
It is.

This is the Don Draper of tarts, my friends.  Cool, smooth, rich, decadent, you-know-it's-not-good-for-you-but-you-want-it-anyway tart. 


Chocolate Kahlua Tart
{adapted from Martha Stewart Living}

for the crust:
2 cups whole blanched almonds
10 TBSP unsalted butter
Oreos (about half of a package)
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

for the filling:
1/2 cup Kahlua
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark)
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
pinch kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 TBSP unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup heavy cream
6 TBSP sugar

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 375.

Place the almonds on a single layer on the sheet and bake for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned.

Remove from the sheet and cool completely.

In the microwave, or on the stove over low heat, melt the 10 tablespoons of butter.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, you'll need to scrape some Oreos.  The original recipe calls for chocolate wafer cookies, but I couldn't find them.  And, you know, I think Oreos are pretty darn tasty.

Twist the Oreos and scrape out the insides.  You only need the cookie part.  What you do with the insides is between you and your kitchen.  You'll need about half the package.

In a food processor, process the cookies until finely ground.  You'll need 1 and 1/3 cups of cookie crumbs.  Place in a large bowl and wipe the food processor bowl clean.

Process the almonds in the food processor...it's loud, you might want hearing protection...until finely ground.

Add the almonds to the cookie crumbs along with the espresso powder, salt and butter.  Stir to combine.

{This is what espresso powder looks like.  You'll find it on the coffee aisle next to the Sanka.}

Press the crust into and up the sides of a 10-11" tart pan with removable bottom.
{I used a heart-shaped pan and had some extra crust leftover.  Mr. E suggested using it as ice cream or yogurt topping.  Did I marry well, or what?}

Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temp to 325.  Bake the crust on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes.  Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk together the Kahlua, cocoa, egg yolks (reserve the whites), espresso powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Once melted, whisk in the Kahlua mixture.  Continue whisking and heating over the pan of simmering water until the mixture has thickened and reaches 160 degrees.  Set aside to cool completely.

Beat the cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Whisk the reserved egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl of a mixer over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reached 140 degrees.

Remove from heat and transfer the bowl to the mixer.  Beat with the whisk attachment, starting on medium speed and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is shiny and cooled.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites.  Then fold in the whipped cream.

 

Spread into the baked and cooled tart shell.

{You might have some left over.  Grab a spoon and dig in...but please sit down first as fainting may occur.}

Chill the tart for at least 1 hour.


Devour.

Remember at the beginning of the post?  You promised.  You must make it now.  Your life will be all the better for it...you have my word.

Desserts for Dudes : Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

If you happened to pop by Bake at 350 last June, you may have noticed that the entire month was declared "Desserts for Dudes month."  Well, I kinda dropped the ball this year, but I'm going to sprinkle this June with "Desserts for Dudes" every now and then.

Chocolate + Peanut Butter.  Dudes love it.
{OK, chicks love it, too....but let's focus on the dudes.}

I actually had a dream about these brownies last week.  It's apparently not enough that I think about food every minute of every WAKING hour....now I'm starting to DREAM about recipes.  Hey...that's a-ok with me!  It beats my reoccurring nightmare of forgetting to wear makeup to my own wedding. 

These brownies are super easy to make and they are super rich to eat.  And they are super quick to make me want to burn my bathing suit.

For the brownies, you'll just need a box of Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix (the BEST boxed brownie mix EVER), and...

...Nutter Butters.

Nutter Butter Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache

1 box Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
9 Nutter Butter cookies

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray or lightly grease an 8 x 8 metal pan.

Follow the instructions on the box by mixing the brownie mix, water, oil and egg just until combined.

 Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan.  Add 8 Nutter Butter cookies on top.


Add the remaining batter on top and smooth with an offset spatula.  Place one cookie on top.


Bake for 39-43 minutes.  The brownies may look under-baked, but will be fully cooked as they cool.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache
{adapted from The Culinary Life)

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 & 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural Super Chunk...'cause I like to say "super chunk")
pinch coarse salt

Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.

 
Combine the cream, peanut butter and salt over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Increase the heat to medium-low and, stirring constantly,  heat until bubbles form along the edges of the pan.


Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes.  {See how the chips look all melty?}


Gently whisk the chocolate chips until the mixture is shiny and combined. Over-whisking will cause the ganache to look bubbly and grainy, so stop once combined.


Let the ganache sit to thicken up to spreading consistency.  If you're in a hurry, place the bowl of ganache over a bowl of ice water.  Stir every 15-20 minutes or so until thickened.


This is called and "ice bath."  And with temperatures reaching 100 already, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Spread the ganache over the brownies with an offset spatula.  Hide the leftover ganache in the fridge...in the BACK of the fridge, because you'll be tempted to eat it all with a spoon.

Here's what kiddo said upon finishing his....
"That is the best dessert I've ever eaten. I'll be dreaming about that for the rest of my life."

See?  Desserts for Dudes! ;) 

{If you like Nutter Butters, be sure to try Homemade Nutter Butters! They're dreamy, too.}

I'm linking these to my friend Cheryl's "I'm Lovin' It" party.