Hazelnut Truffle Squares

Another great recipe find on my epicurious app, that's also free from any gluten-containing ingredients, is the decadent sounding Chocolate Almond Truffle Squares. But there were a few obstacles in my way when it came to making it. Namely, I didn't have any Amaretto. So I decided to use Frangelico instead. Since I wasn't using almond liqueur, I figured it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for me to use hazelnuts in lieu of the almonds. My body doesn't really tolerate a lot of dairy products these days, so I substituted coconut milk for the heavy cream. But hey, at least I stuck with one original ingredient: the chocolate.

Hazlenut Truffle Squares:
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 60%)
1/2 cup coconut milk (the thick, creamy part)
3 Tablespoons Frangelico
1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts (next time I'm going with the skinless)

The first thing you need to do is refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight or longer. This causes it to separate, and the thick cream will rise to the top. Then, you just have to scoop it out.

In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk just to the boiling point, and then whisk in the chocolate, stirring until it's all melted. Add in the Frangelico, whisk until smooth, and allow to cool.

Line the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan with wax paper. Melt the remaining chocolate and spread half in a thin layer over the wax paper.

Place the baking dish in the freezer for 5 minutes to set the bottom chocolate layer

Spread the truffle mixture evenly, then pour the rest of the melted chocolate on top, spreading lightly. 

Sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. I opted to toast mine first.

Let the whole thing chill for at least three hours. I turned mine out onto a chopping board, removed the wax paper, and cut into small squares.

Overall, I'm really happy with how these came out. They're very rich and have a delicious flavor, but I have to say that they're just a tad bit too boozy for my liking. I should have anticipated this and used less Frangelico. I'll know for next time, but at least I'm not tempted to gorge myself on them. Oh, and a wee tip: make sure the truffles are good and cold. Some of mine didn't want to cut cleanly.

Nutty Crust Peach Pie (Gluten Free)

Summer fruit rocks. Not too long ago I brought home 4 pounds of delicious peaches from the Farmers Market, and I decided to make a pie with them using the same gluten-free pie crust recipe that I usually put blueberries in. It's from the Whole Foods website: All Nut Crumb Crust. Only this time I used half almonds and half pecans because I was running low on almonds. It tasted awesome, with the pecans complementing the peaches nicely, even though I totally burned the edges.

I tried to make the filling recipe as healthy as possible by subbing maple syrup for the sugar and reducing the amount. I probably could have omitted the sweetener altogether. Seriously, these peaches were more than sweet enough. I also reduced the amount of corn starch, but that maybe wasn't such a great idea. These peaches were really juicy, and the filling liquid didn't thicken much. I actually had to strain some of it off, but that worked out fine as I then used it to flavor my plain yogurt.

Filling:
4 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (Do yourself a favor and blanche them for 20 seconds first. It makes them SO much easier to peel!)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 TBSP cornstarch (original recipe called for 3 TBSP, but 2 might do the trick)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

All you do is toss the sliced peaches with the rest of the ingredients and stir gently over medium heat until the peaches are cooked and the liquid thickened. Mine didn't really thicken much, but that's what I get for skimping on the cornstarch.

  

I let the filling cool before pouring it in the prebaked pie shell. Alternatively, you could combine the peaches and other ingredients and, instead of cooking on the stove, put the filling in an unbaked pie shell and bake everything at the same time in the oven. But, I was worried about this nut crust going all soggy, which it did after a day or so of assembly, so this isn't one to make ahead of time.

 

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Truffles (Dairy Free)

I recently found a dairy-free chocolate truffles recipe in The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook.Rather than having to melt chocolate and heat cream, these are quickly and easily made in a food processor. My only issue is that the recipe calls for almond pie filling. I assume they mean almond paste, right? I haven't been able to find almond pie filling anywhere.

I made two batches, one with hazelnuts and the other using almonds. They both turned out yummy, and the taste difference is pretty slight. Even when using hazelnuts the almond extract and paste still give these an almond flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole almonds or hazelnuts, toasted (hazelnuts pictured)
4 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon almond pie filling (no clue, so I used almond paste)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (I just dumped it in with the liqueur)
1 tablespoon strong hot coffee (which is not pictured below as it wasn't yet made)
1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

Toast the nuts and allow them to cool, then chop them in a food processor until coarsely ground. Remove half and set aside. Add the chocolate to remaining nuts and process until finely ground. Add the almond paste and extract, and process until the mixture starts to come together.

Add the coffee and booze while the food processor motor is running, and process until the mixture becomes slightly thinner and smoother. This mixture will need to chill in the refrigerator for an hour firm up.

  

Then, just roll it into balls, dredge them in the ground nuts, and they're ready to eat. Here is where having colds hands is helpful. I also dredged some of these in cocoa powder, but I ate all of those before I got around to taking pictures of the finished truffles. Also, I apologize for not having any pictures of the assembly process.

 

Inside their texture isn't quite as creamy as traditional truffles, but it's still pretty smooth. Keep these in the refrigerator, but don't plan on them lasting long.

I also made a Chocolate Torte Dressed in Berries from The New Intercourses, and it turned out delicious as well. The whole idea behind this cookbook is that the recipes all contain aphrodisiac ingredients. While there are some lovely pictures in it, none of the photos are of the finished recipes. I don't know why. I kind of like to know what I'm going for when making a new recipe. But, I've been very happy with the recipes I've tried so far.

Chocolate Torte Dressed in Berries

CAKE! That would be a moist, dense chocolate cake with yummy strawberries covered in a rich ganache. I've been wanting to make this recipe ever since seeing it in The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook (a word of warning here, since this is a family-friendly blog: this book contains tasteful photographs of people wearing food. I wouldn't call it nudity, as their relevant bits are covered up, but the pictures are consistent with the book's overall theme).

This recipe is for a flourless cake, so it's already gluten free, and I didn't bother to try and sub out the sugar because it's been a while since I've made something like this. A wee bit of butter and sugar from time to time is fine, in moderation of course. We all need our guilty pleasures.

For the Chocolate Torte:

1 cup toasted almonds, finely chopped
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Since I still don't HAVE a springform pan (any bakeware companies that want to send me one to review please feel free!) I used my 11-inch loose-bottomed tart pan.

Combine almonds and cocoa powder in small bowl. Place butter and sugars in mixer bowl and cream until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs (one at a time) and add vanilla.

Fold in almond-cocoa mixture and strawberries.

 

Spread into pan and bake about 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. It might be a good idea to put the cake pan on a cookie sheet, just in case there's any seepage.

Cool completely and remove sides of pan. Mine got a bit messed up around the edges from where the cake stuck to some areas of the tart ring, but that's easily covered up.

This cake is VERY moist and likely to fall apart, so leave it on the pan base and place it on a serving plate. Spread the top with the strawberry preserves.

Now, for the ganache topping you'll need:

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used coconut milk because I need it to be dairy free)
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used 60%)

Bring cream/coconut milk just to boiling in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until smooth. Pour ganache onto cake and spread over top. I had enough to also ice the sides, thereby covering up the tattered edges.

Decorate with strawberry slices and mint sprigs (which I didn't have, so I didn't use). Chill until serving.

Here's what it looks like on the inside. It's very moist. chocolaty, and gooey. A super easy recipe that's delicious. How awesome.