Vessy's day » Candy

Baileys home-made candy

Vessy — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:32:13 +0000

These 5 ingredient homemade bonbons are absolutely delicious, can’t be easier to make and take like no time!
Once you have the batter prepared and all balls formed, you can cover them in pretty much anything – shredded coconut, cocoa, powder sugar, melted chocolate, chopped nuts. I love them most when covered in chocolate and served cold out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
400 grams (14 oz) digestive biscuits or cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 can condensed milк (400 grams/14oz)
125 grams (4,5 oz) butter, melted
Baileys (optional)
Chocolate for dipping (melted in a double broiler)

Add biscuits to a large bowl. Add cocoa powder and sugar. Stir to combine. Add butter, condensed milk and baileys (if you want) then stir using a rubber spatula until all combines into a batter.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour.
Remove from the fridge and shape into small balls, using a spoon and your hands, as you wash them when get sticky.
* Make sure to have a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper prepared befor you start forming the balls.
You can dip the balls in melted chocolate, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, coconut flakes or crushed nuts.
Once dipped, place back in the fridge for about 30 minutes. When chocolate is set you can cover in another layer of chocolate or just sprinkle with some extra chocolate & nuts.
Serve cold, out of the fridge.

Save

Chocolate peanut butter bars

Vessy — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 20:38:04 +0000

This recipe is easy to make, no-bake and basically ready in 10 minutes. If you love peanut butter and chocolate, then you have to try these delicious peanut butter bars.

They are great pretty sweet, so they would go perfectly with a cup of coffee, or you can pack them for a day at the park. They are a great after dinner dessert, that you can make a day or two ahead, believe me, they will taste as good as if just made.

The best of all is that you can store them in the fridge up to 2 weeks, although I am sure they will be eaten pretty much the day you make them.

I would recommend to use dark chocolate for this recipe. The base is very sweet, so dark chocolate balances the sweetness perfectly. I used chocolate with 60% cocoa.

If you are not totally convinced about the peanut butter and chocolate, you can check out one of my favorite recipes for no-bake bars – Coconut dulce de leche bars.

In case you don’t mind turning the oven on, then you could as well try these beautiful and delicious strawberry bars.

Ingredients:
115 grams (4 oz) butter
190 grams (7 oz) creamy peanut butter
200 grams (7 oz) graham cracker or your favorite biscuits, finely crumbled
100 grams (3.5 oz) powdered sugar
200 grams (7 oz) dark chocolate
3 teaspoons butter

In a small bowl combine butter and peanut butter. Heat over medium heat until butter melts and peanut butter softens. Stir to combine.
In another bowl add cracker crumbs or biscuits and sugar, pour peanut butter mixture and stir to combine or until it resembles moist sand.
Cover a small baking dish or a deeper tray with baking paper (8×8 inch/20x20cm).
Pour the biscuit mixture and even out with a spoon by pressing it tightly to the sides and bottom of the tray.
Melt chocolate and butter together, then pour over the biscuit base and even out with a spoon.
Sprinkle some caramelized peanuts on top or shredded chocolate.
Place in the fridge for a few hours to firm.

Orange chocolate truffles

Vessy — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:43:32 +0000

These are one of the easiest truffles ever. Super quick recipe, perfect for the upcoming holidays, mostly because you can prepare them in advance and not worry about dessert, when having more important things to do and spending time with your family.

Ingredients:
150 ml. coconut milk
200 grams dark eating chocolate (45% cocoa)
2 table spoons butter
A few drops of coconut extract
50 grams candied orange peel, finely chopped
Cocoa powder for dusting

In a small saucepan heat coconut milk, chocolate and butter until chocolate and butter melt and mixture is smooth and glossy. Add coconut extract and orange peel and stir. Put in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up then roll into small balls and ust with cocoa powder.
Store in the fridge.

Coconut tartlets with chocolate mousse

Vessy — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 11:19:13 +0000

Crispy coconut cups, filled with creamy chocolate mousse.

I remember preparing these coconut tartlets and thinking how flavorful they are. I was drooling all over from the minute I mixed the batter. Somehow just a few simple ingredients can turn your whole kitchen into a dream of coconuts, palm trees and blue skies. Well, no matter what the real view from your kitchen window is, these coconut bites will make your day a little brighter and flavorful.

Recipe is easy and pretty quick, so there’s no reason not to have these on your table tomorrow.

Ingredients for the coconut cups (makes 24 mini cups):
125 grams (4,5 oz) gluten free biscuit crumbs
1 table spoon rice flour
50 grams (1,8 oz) almond meal
30 grams (1 oz) coconut flakes
2 table spoons raw sugar (muscovado)
100 grams (3,5 oz) butter, melted
Ingredients for the chocolate mousse:
100 grams (3,5 oz) dark eating chocolate
60ml. + 80ml. sweetened heavy whipping cream
1 egg yolk
20 grams (0,7 oz) Muscovado sugar
1/2 tea spoon vanilla extract

To make the coconut cups:
Preheat your oven to 180C (350 F).
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until butter is evenly distributed and mixture looks like moist sand.
Grease a 24 mini muffin tin with vegetable oil. Distribute the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Using your fingers gently press the mixture onto the sides and bottom of the muffin cups, forming small “baskets”. This is the part where you will want to eat the biscuit mixture before even baked, cause it smells so good, coconut-y and sweet.
Bake for about 15 min or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely then put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the cups are firmed in the freezer, it will be easier to remove them from the muffin tin. Use a small spoon or a knife to take them out of the tin. Arrange all cups on a serving platter and set aside until ready to filled with the chocolate mousse.

To make the chocolate mousse:
In a small bowl combine the chocolate and 60 ml. of heavy whipping cream. Heat t in the microwave oven until cream is so hot that the chocolate starts melting. Stir with a small spoon until the chocolate melts and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan whisk the egg yolk and sugar until pale. Add vanilla extract and start cooking on medium / medium-low heat (depending on how strong your stove is). Whisk almost constantly until sugar dissolves and the egg yolk mixture is hot to the touch. Cook egg yolks on medium low heat until you temper them, then you can turn the heat up a bit and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Make sure to whisk often to avoid curdling the eggs.
Once the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thickened, remove from the heat and add the chocolate-cream mixture. Stir until all combines and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
In a medium-size bowl whip 80 ml. of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Don’t over-beat the cream, you need it with soft peaks in order to get a smooth and light as an air mousse.
Fold in the heavy whipping cream to the chocolate mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula.
Fill in a piping bag with a tip of your choice and pipe the chocolate mousse over the coconut cups.
Serve immediately.
NOTE: On their own, coconut cups have a crispy texture, but once filled with the chocolate mousse they soften a bit and loose their adorable and super delicious crispiness, so I would recommend you to fill the cups with the chocolate mousse just before serving, in order to keep the cups crispy. I believe this is one of the great things about this recipe – it combines crispy, flavorful base and smooth, creamy mousse.

Raw cocoa bon-bons

Vessy — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:31:46 +0000

If you are looking for a healthy and delicious recipe for an easy dessert, then this is your recipe – chocolaty bon-bons with raw nuts and dry fruits.
You will need one bowl for this recipe, where all ingredients are mixed together and then rolled into small bon-bons.
Feel free to use different kind of nuts or fruits…improvise as you feel it.

Ingredients:
250 grams pitted dates
100 grams raw cashues/almonds or hazelnuts
50 grams dried blueberries
50 grams fine oats
5 tea spoons cocoa powder
4 tea spoons honey
Additional finely chopped nuts for rolling

In a food processor blend all ingredients until you get a fine, sticky paste.
Add more or less honey until the mixture is sticky enough that when rolled in chopped nuts they stick to the balls.
Using your hands make small balls from the dough and then roll in nuts, coconut flakes or cocoa powder.
Keep in the fridge.

Chocolate bon-bons

Vessy — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:00:50 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to make perfectly shaped bon-bons at home? Easy – using silicone chocolate molds. This is my latest discovery in the kitchen and I am so excited, that I want to make all kinds of bon-bons. It is actually very easy candy to make, all you need is good quality chocolate and molds in different shapes. Today I will share a recipe for chocolate bon-bons filled with orange-chocolate ganache – absolutely delicious and amazing chocolate treats!

I used piping bag for filling the molds, which turned to be super easy and clean way to work.

Additionally, I prepared one of my favorite candy with biscuits, baileys and chocolate.

Here is the recipe and my tips and tricks to make your chocolate day easier!

Chocolate orange ganache

100 grams chocolate
1 tea spoon orange liquor
Juice from 1/2 orange

Chocolate bon-bons:

You will need fine, real chocolate (I used about 1 kg. for 130 bon-bons) – melted in a double broiler
Silicone molds for bon-bons

For the chocolate-orange ganache:
Melt the chocolate and set aside.
Add the orange juice in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat, until it gets hot and starts to thickens.
Pour the orange juice over the chocolate, add the orange liquor and mix well.
I used only orange juice, but you may add the zest of half orange. Just make sure to strain the juice and zest before you add it to the chocolate.
Place the ganache in the fridge and let it cool and thicken for about an hour.

Making the bon-bons:

Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag. You could use a spoon, if you don’t have a piping bag, but this is the easiest and cleanest way to make the bon-bons. Cut the tip of the piping bag and you are now ready to fill the chocolate molds.

If you have different types of chocolate use different piping bags, fill them one after another and set aside when not using. Don’t worry, the chocolate will not cool off and thickens as faster as you think.

Now, you may prepare all kinds of chocolates – half milk, half white chocolate, all dark/milk or white chocolate or with more layers.

I made some of my bon-bons, filled with the orange-chocolate ganache.

In order to do that, using a chocolate in a piping bag, pour chocolate into the chocolate mold – half filled.

Using a spoon and your hands, make small balls from the orange-chocolate ganache and place them in the middle of the bon-bon mold, on top of the poured chocolate.

Fill the rest of the chocolate mold with chocolate. In order to take out all air, that may have hide in the chocolate, gently bang the mold on your counter. You will see small bubbles coming out of the chocolate. Bang the mold until the bubbles stop coming out. Place in the fridge for an hour/half an hour, until the chocolate firms up and the bon-bons are ready to be taken out.

You may fill your bon-bons with nuts, different cremes, ganache or jam.

If you are making bon-bons with different layers of chocolate, make sure to pour one layer at a time, let it firms up in the fridge and then pour the second/third layer.

Voila!

Save

Marshmallows and S’mores pie

Vessy — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:01:21 +0000

I am not the biggest fan of St. Valentine’s day for many reasons, which I will not bore you with, today.
Nevertheless, last week was St. Valentine’s day, and I wanted to prepare something sweet and romantic, at least in shape and taste, not for me, but for everyone who is looking for fresh ideas for desserts. That is why I posted the Creme Brulee recipe last week, of course baked in heart shaped remekins. I also prepared marshmallows in the shape of hearts and S’mores pie. Unfortunatelly I did not have a chance to share the recipes before Valentine’s day, but better later than never.
I decided to sprinkle some of the marshmallows with coconut flakes, which I highly reccommend! You can keep your home-made marshmallows in an air-tight container for up to two weeks, which gives you enough time to decide on the S’mores pie. I saw an interesting article about S’moes pie, and the author claims that those who do not like S’mores pie are probably from another planet … I am sorry but.. it’s true! S’mores pie is one of the most delicious desserts I have ever tasted and I don’t undesrtant how can anyone does not like it. Just try it! Give it a chance!

Marshmallows:
Ingredients:
240 ml cold water, divided in two cups
21 grams gelatin
400 grams (14 oz) granulated white sugar
240 ml light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Line with with baking paper a small baking pan. Then sift the bottom of the pan with powdered sugar or coconut flakes (whatever you prefer).
Place 120 ml cold water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until you need it.
Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining cold water in a saucepan, over medium heat until sugar dissolves and comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and let it boil until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F (115 degrees C).
Slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin mixture, with your mixer running at low speed.
Increase the speed to high and beat until mixture has tripled in volume and is very thick and stiff, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. The mixture will be very sticky so just smooth it out as best as you can. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with powder sugar and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature about 12 hours.
Remove the marshmallow from the pan and place on a large cutting board. Cut the marshmallow into squares or use cutters in different shapes. Store the marshmallows in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to two weeks.

S’mores pie
Crust:
200 grams graham cracker crumbs
50 grams melter butter
Chocolate cream filling:
200 grams (7 oz) chocolate (chopped)
500 ml. heavy whipping cream
2 eggs
1 tea spoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180 C).
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Press on the bottom of your baking pan (or individual shallow baking dishes).
Put the chocolate in a large bowl.
Add the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Gently whisk in the eggs until combined.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the graham cracker crumb crust and bake about 25 minutes.

This dessert needs to be served warm – the marshmallows need to be lightly soften, lighly brown and caramelized.
So, you could either pre-bake the pie and then use the macrowave to heat the pie before serving or you could bake it just before serving.
Just add marshmallows on top of the chocolate and bake for 5 minutes.

Healthy and easy rum candy

Vessy — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:10:11 +0000

I would like to share with you another great holiday recipe… well, I could eat these all year long…

Ingredients:

80 grams (3 oz) mixed raw walnuts and almonds (all other nuts could be used) – finely minced/shredded/crushed

80 grams (3 oz) graham cracker biscuits (vanilla)

60 grams (2 oz) powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey

30 ml rum (baileys or other alcohol of your choice)

Nutmeg (Optional)

Cinnamon (Optional)

Mini chocolate chips (Optional)

Toppings:

Powdered sugar

Finely chopped nuts

Coconut flakes

Cocoa powder

Melted chocolate

Add the nuts and biscuits to a large bowl.

To this mixture add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, the corn syrup and the rum and mix well.

Chill the batter for 30 minutes in your fridge and then shape into small balls.

Then roll the balls in sugar, finely chopped nuts, coconut flakes or cocoa powder or dip them in melted chocolate.

Place the chocolate covered balls on a baking sheet and transfer in your refrigerator until the chocolate has set.

Tip: You can sprinkle the dipped chocolate balls with coconut flakes, shredded chocolate or other topping, but make sure to do that while they are still coated with the melted chocolate, before you place them in the fridge.

Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Makes about 40 small balls.