Big Lebowski Inspired White Russian Truffles

By , 22 January, 2012, No Comment

White Russian Truffles

I am a bit of a party freak and love themed events, any excuse to dressed up and relive my youth I’m there.  Recently a friend asked for some ideas on a “Big Lebowski” themed party, obviously being the party queen she came to the right place.  Now if you haven’t seen the film I would recommend sitting down with some of these white Russian truffles and catching up with some popular culture viewing.

The white Russian is a favourite of Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, the main character of the film. It seemed only fitting as one of the main ingredients of a white Russian is cream to concoct a truffle recipe inspired by the cocktail.

White Russian Truffle
1 3/4 lb of Milk chocolate
1 cup Whipping cream
1/4 cup Kahlua

Chop 1lb of chocolate into fairly small pieces (to aid melting) and place into a large bowl.
Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just to the boil.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces. Gently stir until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add the Kahlua to the chocolate mixture then set aside and refrigerate until firm.
Grate the remaining chocolate and set aside.
When the chocolate truffle mixture is firm roll into bite size balls and roll in the remaining grated chocolate then lay on a baking sheet or tray.  Return the balls back into the fridge to firm up.
If the truffles are left at room temperature they soon start to squidge up, I personally like mine a little harder and eat them straight from the fridge. Enjoy.

If you fancy a cocktail to go with your white Russian truffles then why not stick with the theme and have one of these…

White Russian Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz Whipping Cream

Mix the vodka and Kahlua together then float the cream on top, mine always ends up looking a mess but hey ho, it still tastes good.  Add ice if desired.

New Beginnings

By , 19 January, 2012, No Comment

 

As people all over the world reflect on the last year and the beginnings of the new, I found a great little quote to hopefully inspire everyone.

"Live a life full of new Beginnings"

Fill your life with new beginnings, learn a new skill, volunteer your services to help someone in need, try a new recipe or new food.  Each new beginning could tern into a new passion, at the worst you end up filling your life with a heap of adventures.

Farewell 2011, Hello 2012

By , 1 January, 2012, No Comment

As we welcome in the new year talk around our party table turns to our new year resolutions. I wanted to be different this year and deviate from the typical lose weight, go to the gym more scenario and turned my thoughts to something I could actually achieve.  My news years resolution for 2012 is to be more creative.  It can be anything, cooking, drawing painting photographs or even an inspired blog post (I know these don’t happen that often enough!) but I aim to do something at least twice a week if not more.  In preparation I have a couple of blank crisp sketchbooks begging to filled with all my doodles and recipes and a room prepared and ready with all my creative stash.

If you want to do something similar I found an online challenge called “Creative Every Day Challenge” I have signed up and aim to use this as a catalyst to help me share my creativity and provide me with some inspiration.

So here is my button proudly displayed….until I figure out where to put it on my blog, lol.

Good luck to those who join in and a very happy healthy new year everyone x x x x

Christmas is coming, here is a simple chocolate calender

By , 24 November, 2011, No Comment

Christmas is a great time of year for my family, it is a time to get crafting together, bake crimbo goodies and generally just spend time together doing a heap of fun things. It isn’t a religious affair but more of a celebration of family and friends and “I LOVE IT”.

I love looking on the Internet at peoples crafty blogs and finding great ideas for crafts I can do with my family. Being slightly obsessed by chocolate I love advent calenders and this year I found a really nice simple idea for a handmade chocolate advent calender that’s so simple even the smallest children can help with.  If you want to make your own chocolate calendar without all the mess then this is the perfect pre Christmas project and best of all there is  no chocolaty mess.

http://madebyjoanne.blogspot.com

I found this crafty make on the blog “Made by Joanne” and although she has made her own papers with rubber stamps and things but this would work equally well with an assortment of wrapping papers or create a simple effect with brown paper and ribbon. Either way it is a super simple make that even the smallest of family members can get involved with.

Gross Earthworm Halloween Party Food

By , 9 October, 2011, 2 Comments

My preperations have begun, and the hunt for some unusual Halloween party food is well underway. My first find is a treat for kids and grownups alike, a gelatine earthworm recipe I found on http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/halloween-party-food.html . This is a really great site and has loads of recipes not just for halloween but loads of ocassions….it has promptly been added to my favourites list.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (6 oz) purple gelatin (raspberry or grape work well)
3/4 oz. unflavored gelatin
3 C. boiling water
3/4 C. whipping cream
green food coloring, as needed
100 plastic straws

Instructions: 1. In a medium, heat safe mixing bowl, stir together plain and flavored gelatin powders.

2. Pour boiling water over, stirring until gelatin is fully dissolved.

3. Allow gelatin to cool til only slightly warm.

4. Stir whipping cream into the gelatin mixture. Stir in green food coloring (you’ll probably need 10 drops or more) until your gelatin gets that purpley-brown-grey color of earthworms.

5. With your 100 straws fully extended and snug in your chosen container, pour the gelatin mixture over the straws, filling the container.

6. Cover container and chill at least 8 hours. You can make them and store them this way up to two days in advance of your Halloween party.

7. Remove straws from their container (cutting or ripping a disposable container away is easiest).

8. With hot tap water running, place batches of 4-5 straws under hot running water for a couple quick seconds.

9. Remove “worms” from their straw casings, pressing with fingers. Set on waxed paper to set up.

10. Repeat until all worms are removed.

12. Chill, covered, on waxed paper at least 2 hours.

13. Serve in a chilled bowl, as pictured. Then watch all the kids gobble up this fun Halloween party food.

Recipe taken from http://www.divinedinnerparty.com

Halloween Chocolate Box

By , 1 October, 2011, No Comment

I love Halloween it’s a great time to get in the kitchen with the nippers and get making all kinds of goodies.  Chocolate is of course a Halloween favourite and you can buy some really great, themed chocolate moulds perfect for making your own Halloween chocolates to adorn your party table.

When making halloween chocolates the trick is to get the presentation just right, and this year I have been looking for a great way to give to my party guest my popping candy truffles and I stumbled acros a fantastic site full of halloween printable goodies, including these mini coffin boxes.

http://www.ravensblight.com/Box.htm

I really looking forward to making these. I’m going to add some truffles inside and maybe a few jelly worms just for effect. Halloween is a great opportunity to revert back to beeing a child, this is going to be our first Halloween party in Qatar and I want to make it really special for everyone. I’m having a little trouble with finding decorations out here but www.ravensblight.com has saved my skin, all I need is to top up on the printer ink and we are well away.

How to make Chocolate Lollipops with Molds

By , 16 August, 2011, No Comment

Chocolate Lollipops

The summer holiday in Qatar is sooooo long compared to back home in the UK, don’t get me wrong the time off from work is to be frank blissful, but finding fun things for the children to do while they are cooped up indoors isn’t easy.

Well it was my husbands birthday recently and we made some lollipops …plus a few extras just for Morgan and Joshua!

What you will need:

Chocolate lolly molds
Chocolate – your preference,
Lolly sticks,
Microwave safe bowl

 

  • Chop your chocolate up into pieces and place in a clean dry bowl.
  • Pop into the microwave at 10 second intervals, until all the chocolate has melted.
  • Gently stir trying not to get too many air bubbles into the chocolate
  • Spoon or pipe into your chocolate molds, place the lolly stick into place and gently knock the mold on the counter top to even out the chocolate and help remove any air bubbles.
  • Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes until set, the gently tap out.

I tend to melt chocolate in the microwave when doing things with the children, just because they have no patience, you can however use the double boiler method to melt you chocolate.

I used a wilton chocolate mold, bought here in Qatar at Tavola but I found them online at Amazon. The wilton molds are made from a thin plastic which bend easily, I wouldn’t say that they are professional quality molds but they do have a nice range.

I found a nice tutorial on youtube as sometimes pictures are better than words.  It really is very easy to make chocolate lollies with moulds so why not give it a try.

Chocolate Pasta Recipe

By , 16 August, 2011, No Comment

Chocolate Pasta Recipe

While sat at home with the children, waiting for the hubby to return home from a hard days slog at work(well that’s what he tell’s me anyway), I was trying to think of ways to get my two little monsters removed off the sofa and away from the Disney channel and engaged in some other kind of activity which actually involves using their brain cells.
As usual I thought of doing something in the kitchen with them, they both really enjoy helping me out ….Yes I did say helping even with broken eggs on the counter and flood the sink…still we all have to start somewhere!

I’m rambling…sorry

Photo www.flickr.com/photos/justinwkern

Anyway I asked the two little monkeys what they wanted to cook, one shouted pasta the other shouted chocolate…a EURKA moment…. with google to the rescue I found a recipe for yes Chocolate Pasta!

With the recipe in hand and the pasta machine dusted off, and with the help of an overly talkative 6 year old and teenagerish  9 year old, the chocolate pasta quest commenced.

Chocolate Pasta Recipe:

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 eggs
1tsp Vanilla extract (essence will be fine)
pinch of salt

  1. In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour and cocoa mix and break the eggs. With a fork combine the eggs to the flour bringing in the sides of the well a little at a time, add Tbsp oil and 1 tsp vanilla. Keep combining the ingredients until it forms a soft ball of dough.
  2.  When you have your dough, knead for 5-10 minutes on a floured surface until the dough is elastic and even in color. Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour before rolling.
  3. Roll the dough through your pasta machine if you have one or simply roll out with a rolling pin and using a pizza cutter cut out strips of pasta.
  4. When you are ready cook the chocolate pasta for about 6 mins in unsalted boiling water, drain and serve.

We served the chocolate pasta with fresh fruit, grated chocolate and whipped cream.

The Results:

I would probably give this another go but instead use dark chocolate melted into the chocolate pasta mix somehow.  It was sweet and a little stodgy but the texture was probably due to me overcooking it!  I always forget how quickly fresh pasta cooks!  My husband Simon was not a fan, he didnt like the texture and not having the biggest sweet tooth he found the sweetness a little to much!  The children on the other hand really loved the chocolate pasta so in conlusion RESULT!

A little oddball but this chocolate pasta recipe is so simple to make and my children loved getting their hands dirty making the pasta dough.  Perfect for a summer holiday activity with the children.

Marmite Chocolate Bar Review

By , 3 August, 2011, No Comment

Marmite Very Peculiar Chocolate Bar

On my last visit back to the UK my good friends Mr & Mrs Brooks had a treat in store for me and the hubby.  With a grin they produced a very peculiar chocolate bar…. a Marmite Chocolate Bar… now as a Marmite and chocolate advocate it would have been criminal of me not to try the unusual treat.

Marmite Chocolate Bar (not the best picture)

 

Marmite Chocolate

Marmite Chocolate

Naturally it had to pass the sniff test and yes it smelt wonderfully creamy and sweet with a sinister twist of Marmite,it had passed and I was suitably intrigued.  My hubby nonchalantly chomped a piece and claimed his cold had effected his sense of taste so couldn’t tell if it was good or bad!  That was it I had to bite a piece and although the chocolate wasn’t the best quality in terms of snap and all the other usual tell tale sign s of a quality product, I loved it.  The milk chocolate marmite concoction was delicious kind of slightly salty which actually probably made the the marmite chocolate bar taste better. My Marmite hating friend even admitted to liking the chocolate so the boffins at Marmite HQ have a possible convert …you never know!

I probably wouldn’t buy it as an occasional treat however as a stocking filler or gift for a Marmite lover or hater it is well worth the giggles.  It has got me thinking about playing around with my truffle mixture and see if I can make a home version that works as well as the shop bought bar.  I can feel a kitchen session coming on!

Watch this space for my chocolate marmite treats, lol.

Mocha Milkshake

By , 31 July, 2011, No Comment

Mocha Milkshake Recipe

The weather in Qatar to say the least is sunny, it was a skin blistering 47 today!  I decide to cool myself off with a mocha milkshake.

I used to have the Krups Nescafe Dolche Gusto machine which had a delicious mocha coffee pod but I had to part ways with my beloved coffee machine because I can’t find anywhere that sells the pods out here! When I move back to blighty it will be one of the first purchases I make.  I have to admit that I’m a little coffee spoilt in Qatar, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops here sampling all sorts of wonderful concoctions.

Back to  my thirst quenching mocha milkshake without the Krups Dolche Gusto machine. Not to worry though where there is a will there’s a way…and I was in the mood for Mocha hit.  So I got out my trusty blender and a rather well used caffettiera, …a quick blitz and voila I was sipping on my delicious mocha milkshake.

Ingredients:

1 generous scoop of vanilla
1 shot of espresso
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
Method:

Pop everything into the blender and whizz away until blended thoroughly. Pour into a glass and enjoy.  If you want to vary the milkshake use a different flavoured ice-cream, Chocolate or coffee flavoured would work really well.

The result you get is a really thick and creamy milkshake, if you want to be really indulgent add a squirt of cream and chocolate shavings on top, perfect!

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