Mickey Mouse Macarons & Disney Princess Macarons (GF)

I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing -

 that it was all started by a mouse. 

-Walt Disney

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Walt Disney World with my sisters. Our trip had three main purposes... First, to have an awesome sisters weekend! Second, to cheer and support my sister Jennifer as she ran the 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon. And third, to experience actual Walt Disney World for the first time!  

right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Yes, we twenty-something ladies had never before been to Disney World! And I had never attended a race anything remotely like the Disney Princess Half Marathon. 25,000-ish runners!  Wow!  So inspirational to see all the runners, many in costume, complete such an impressive feat! 

photo credit: Jennifer Vein

It only made sense to also concentrate on doing as many princess-y things as possible during the trip, since the race was princess themed, and after all we are ladies who grew up watching princess movies.  We may have looked a little silly as adults with no children standing in lines to meet & take photographs with the princesses, but seriously, you only get to experience your first Disney visit once (even if you are a grown up).

I also wanted to take along a special Disney-themed treat for the three of us to eat while in FL... Something that was gluten free, since a couple of us have been watching our gluten intake. I settled on one of my favorites: French Macarons, but not just plain ones….

I created 5 special macaron styles: Mickey Mouse shaped and 4 varieties inspired by our favorite Disney princesses. Unintentionally, we happened to take pictures with these 4 favorite princesses during the trip too!

Cinderella-inspired Macarons: blue shells with spiced pumpkin filling

Inspired by Cinderella's carriage turning into a pumpkin at midnight! 

right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Beauty and the Beast-inspired Macarons: yellow shells with chocolate ganache

Inspired by Belle's party dress

left photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Mulan-inspired Macarons: green shells with cherry almond filling

Inspired by Mulan's touching conversation with her father in a cherry blossom orchard following her humiliation at the matchmakers. 

 right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Sleeping Beauty-inspired Macarons: pink shells with raspberry cheesecake filling

Inspired by Aurora's dress & her explorations in the forest (where she could have foraged for berries)

left photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

After photographing the macarons at home, I carefully packaged them in bubble wrap and a sturdy box & transported them in one of my carryon pieces of luggage. They made a great extra treat during our stay (and were also something that didn’t cost a fortune to buy within the parks).

photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

The trip itself was magical.  “Magical” is such a common cliche when referring to Disney, but honestly, I can’t think of a better, more applicable adjective. 

We knew the time would be short and that marathon activities (as well as preparations before and recovery afterwards) would take precedent. With less than three days of active park time, there was no possible way to see everything, so we concentrated on the Magic Kingdom (the quintessential Disney experience) and Epcot.  

I cannot say enough good things about MyDisneyExperience (which also is an app for your phone!!) and the new FastPass+ system/Magic Bands. Through MyDisneyExperience, we pre-scheduled a few FastPass+ options for the really popular things (i.e. Enchanted Tales with Belle, Peter Pan’s Flight, Under the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mission: Space, Maelstrom, etc...). Because we were a little late in trying to make dining reservations (oops!), we ended up winging it and doing more quick service/casual dining options instead. But winging it allowed us to share small items at many different places as we walked through the parks. Like Micky Mouse shaped cake pops and rice krispy treats :) My one food regret from the Magic Kingdom is not trying a Dole Whip--the line was too long.  

Throughout the Disney parks, there is no shortage of Mickey Mouse-shaped things, food included...

In several of the bakeries/gift shops we were able to watch cast members prepare some of the desserts, like dipping the cake pops and caramel apples.

My favorite non-Micky Mouse-shaped food experiences came in the World Showcase area of Epcot. We visited Epcot for a few hours on our last day before flying back to our respective cities. 

We only saw just an overview of all the countries, but we were able to take a few food breaks.  In the Morocco area, we stopped for some much needed caffeine and to share a tangerine sponge cake roll.  In the England area, we shared fish and chips for lunch. 

Just before leaving, I dashed back to the France area to pick up a few items from the Les Halles patisserie.   

 I couldn’t resist trying one of their raspberry macarons, (though I do think I preferred my macarons to theirs).

Sadly, all great things must come to an end, including this fantastic sisters trip. Already, I’m dreaming of going back... I’m hoping to participate in one of the in the next couple of years? Perhaps not the half marathon, but maybe the 5k or the 10k. I even bought a race shirt to help motivate me to train. And there are still parks left to explore (we didn’t even try to go to Hollywood Studios or the Animal Kingdom or any of the water parks). In addition to starting training, I’d better start scheming another Disney dessert for the future trip! Until next time, Disney World… You were truly magical and inspirational. 

Disclaimer: This post has absolutely no official affiliation with Disney.  All thoughts are purely my own. Photos taken by Disney were personally purchased through their Memory Maker program. No compensation was received for this post, other than the magical memories :) 

Macaron Base

Note: If you want to make all 4 colors, plan to make this recipe twice. Cut each batch in half and color each half of a batch one color. 

It is VERY IMPORTANT to have ALL YOUR MIS-EN-PLACE in place BEFORE beginning.... Ingredients measured, pastry bags/tips prepared, sheet pans lined (with printed out guides underneath the parchment paper, food coloring out, spatulas/bowls/scales handy etc....

180g Almond Flour

240 g Confectioners Sugar

3 g Meringue Powder

2 g Salt

80 g Sugar 

140 g Whites, room temperature 

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or other oil-free flavoring) 

AmeriColor Gel Paste Food Color

Blue shells (Cinderella) 2 drops sky blue 

Green shells (Mulan) 7 drops lemon yellow, 2 drops leaf green 

Yellow shells (Belle) 5 drops lemon yellow

Pink shells Aurora) 2 drops deep pink 1 small drop ivory 

1. Prepare sheet pans 5 half sheet pans (or 4 half sheet pans, plus two quarter sheet pans) by lining them with parchment paper. Place guides for 1) full Mickey heads, (print this file) 2) Regular macarons (print this file) underneath the parchment paper. 
2. Prep 4 piping bags. Fit one with a large round tip (I used an Ateco 804) Note: I only have one 804 tip, so I had to wash it between colors. 
3. Combine almond flour and confectioners sugar in food processor and pulse to combine & break up any larger almond particles. Divide the dry ingredients into two bowls, each weighing 210 g. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the meringue powder, salt and sugar. Mix well to incorporate all the meringue powder. 
5. Whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix first on medium speed.  Once the whites begin to get foamy, gradually add the sugar/meringue powder/salt mixture, and then increase the mixer speed to high.  Mix until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla bean paste & mix until just combined. 
6. Remove the meringue from the mixer and divide into two bowls, each weighing around 112 g.
7. Add the desired color to one meringue bowl and briefly swirl in with a spatula. Add one bowl of the divided dry ingredients at once and mix until everything is completely combined into a shiny mass & the mixture forms ribbons that will dissipate.  Remember, you can always add more folds later, but you cannot take them back!  
8. Test the mixture by piping a test shape.  If the piped shape holds a peak (like a hershey's kiss) that will not dissipate after you bang the sheet pan on the counter, the mixture needs a little more folding before the rest of the shells are piped. 
9. Pipe shells onto the appropriate sheet pans. Bang the pans of piped macarons on the counter. 
10. Repeat steps 7 to 9 with the second bowl of bowl of meringue. Then, repeat the whole recipe again to make 2 more colors, if desired. 
11. Allow the shells to dry 45 mins to 1 hr, depending on the humidity. The shells are ready to bake when they have developed a skin and are dry on top. 
12. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake one pan at a time.  As soon as the pan is placed in the oven, drop the temp down to 300 F. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and bake another 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the shells. The pans with the smaller ones will take less time than the pans with the full Mickey heads. 
13. Allow the shells  to cool on the sheet pan. 
14. Fill with appropriate filling (see recipes below) and refrigerate at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to meld. Macarons filled with the fillings below will keep over a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Filling Recipes

• I had roughly 8 oz of Swiss Meringue Buttercream leftover from the Pistachio Raspberry Cake, but if you don't have leftover icing, I've included the recipe at the bottom.  
• If you plan on making all fillings, I suggest making them in the order I've listed here. 
• I created a fifth hybrid filling by mixing leftover Belle Ganache with leftover Aurora Raspberry filling. It was super delicious & I used it to fill the macarons that had different colored tops & bottoms you see in the below image. 

Mulan’s Cherry Almond Filling

4 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream, room temperature

3 oz Cherry Preserves

1/4 tsp Almond Extract

2 drops Pink coloring (optional) 

1. Mix all ingredients well. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes. Mix. If the filling has thickened enough to pipe, place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a green macaron. Top with a second macaron & press lightly to adhere. 
2. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Aurora's Raspberry Cheesecake Filling

2 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2 oz Seedless Raspberry Jam

1/2 tsp Cream Cheese Emulsion

1.  In a small microwave safe bowl, heat the buttercream and raspberry jam until melted. Stir until well combined. Add cream cheese emulsion.  
2. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator & chill for 20 minutes. Mix. Refrigerate 20 more minutes.  If the filling has thickened enough to pipe, place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a green macaron. Top with a second macaron & press lightly to adhere. 
3. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.
4. Mix leftover raspberry filling with leftover ganache for an amazing hybrid filling. 

Belle's Chocolate Ganache Filling

4 oz Heavy Cream 

4 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped {I used 60% chocolate} 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it just simmers. 
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for a minute, then whisk until all the chocolate is melted & the mixture emulsifies into one mass. 
3. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes. Mix. If the ganache has thickened enough to pipe, place it into a a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a yellow macaron. Top with a second macaron & press gently to adhere. If the ganache is still runny, refrigerate longer, stirring every 10 minutes. 
4. Refrigerate the filled macarons for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.
5. Mix leftover ganache with leftover raspberry filling for an amazing hybrid filling. 

Cinderella’s Spiced Pumpkin Filling

3 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream, room temperature 

0.35 oz Brown Sugar

3 oz Canned Pumpkin Puree

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg, freshly ground, if possible

1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

1. Mix all ingredients well. Place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a blue macaron. Top with a second macaron & press gently to adhere. 
2. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 oz Egg Whites

8 oz Granulated Sugar

12 oz Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature 

splash Vanilla Extract

1.  In a very clean metal mixing bowl (preferably one that attaches to a stand mixer), whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. 
2. Place the mixing bowl over a small sauce pan of simmering water to make a double boiler.  Continue whisking the whites and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches at least 140 F on an instant read thermometer.  
3. Remove the top bowl (being careful not to burn yourself on the hot metal of the bowl or on any drips from the hot condensation on the bottom of the bowl) & attach to a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until a fluffy meringue forms & the bowl cools to room temperature. 
4. Once the meringue cools completely, lower the speed of the mixer to medium and begin adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time. 
5. After the butter has all been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Mix on medium high speed just to ensure everything is combined. 
6. Hold the icing at room temperature until ready to use. 

GF Pistachio Raspberry Cake & FBS 2014 Recap

“You can’t have your cake and eat it too”

Though I’m not exactly sure why, this post has been one of the hardest for me to write . But it must be the right thing for me to write, because it scares me a bit.....  And I’ve recently been learning that fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Writing this post has required much more personal reflection than I anticipated and a good deal of vulnerability...

It was a somewhat last minute decision when we decided I should attend Food Blog South 2014 in Birmingham, AL. I had been dreaming of attending a food blogging conference for years, but either the timing was off, or the conference just didn’t fit into the budget. Food Blog South had been well recommended by my friends Helene and Tami, and in the month prior to the conference date, I just couldn’t get the idea of attending out of my head.

I thought attending FBS could help me with some of the technical side of blogging and perhaps help me figure out how to monetize Sweet Treats. I don’t have advertisers or sponsors, so most of the time, everything seen on Sweet Treats is paid for out of my own pocket. I would love to generate some income from something I’m passionate about, like pastry and photography and teaching and documenting/telling stories....

So on a leap of faith, and a few prayers, I purchased my ticket for FBS, booked the hotel, and figured out my airline ticket.  Since Tami was also going to the conference (she and Helene were speaking at a couple sessions about food styling and photography), she graciously invited me to come to the Atlanta area before the conference and drive to and from Birmingham with her.  Little did we know that I would later get stuck in Georgia due to the snow storm, but I’ve already told that story.

I knew before the conference that I would be given a lot of of information all in one day, but I don’t think I quite understood just how huge that amount of info would really be.  So much information in one day!  By the end of it, I truly felt like my head may explode....  It felt like trying to drink from a firehose instead of a water fountain. 

Though I wish I could have attended multiple sessions at the same time, I decided to attend mostly “Technical Track” sessions. I took as many notes as possible & even live-tweeted a few of the sessions to help myself remember key points. But in the end, Food Blog South challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. I left with a lot of personal questions to contemplate and soul searching to do... Why do I blog in the first place? Who am I creating these posts for? Myself? Others? Potential advertisers/sponsors? I don’t have all the answers, even now that I’ve been actively pondering these questions for several weeks.

I realize now that my preconceived ideas about attending the conference were a bit naive. Of course there isn’t a magic button or a simple way to turn what I do into a business, if that’s even what I still want to do. And I realize that it was foolish to think I could keep Sweet Treats exactly the same as it has been & expect to turn it into a business.  Something would have to change, potentially quite drastically, and I’m not sure I’m quite ready to compromise what I’ve been building for over 4 years. That’s not to say that in the future there won’t be changes, I just know that I’m not ready now. I can’t have my cake and eat it too.

But one of the most profound, lasting effects of Food Blog South 2014 is that it has challenged me to think of myself, for the first time, as a writer. Even typing that sentence makes me a bit nervous. I’ve more often considered myself a pastry chef/photographer/educator, who happens to do a bit of writing on the side.... I’ve never considered myself good enough to be called a writer. But I’m realizing that the writing I do is just as important as the photos or the food.  My blog readership might not be large, but they are *readers* nonetheless.  FBS showed me that perhaps I need to explore this world of “writing” more than I have in the past. 

One final note, before I switch to cake..... I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Molly Wizenberg’s lovely keynote address at the end of Food Blog South. Her words were so inspiring and encouraging that I really feel they deserve their own recap in a future post.  In some ways, I think her talk helped me to have the courage to write this post. But, if you want a preview, author/writing coach/editor and FBS speaker Dianne Jacob transcribed a portion of Molly’s address, which you can read here.

As I’ve been trying to process my feelings and grapple with thinking of myself as a writer, my mind has continued to wander towards cake. I know, shocking, since I do have an insatiable sweet tooth.  I’ve been thinking about layer cakes & about how much I wanted to make one--also ironic, because layer cakes are usually more of a source of stress rather than joy. But there’s something almost meditative about the steps to make the cake, the icing and the assembly/decoration process. All the steps take time, giving a person a lot of time to think.

During the making and assembling of this delicious pistachio cake, the phrase “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” kept cycling through my head. It has been a good reminder to me and frankly a comfort too. I know the cake isn’t perfect (I’m a bit out of practice), but I appreciate it’s aesthetics, imperfections and all, and what the cake stands for.  And yes, I ate two slices :)  

Pistachio Cake with Raspberry Filling 
cake adapted from Epicurious.com
Design inspired by Seven Spoons 
Yields 2-6" cakes (approximately 8 to 10 servings)

I've been eyeing this cake design for several years. Though the original source sadly doesn't include the recipes (or any images of the cake interior), I found a suitable replacement on Epicurious. The pistachio cake just might be one of my new all-time favorite cakes!  

Pistachio Cake 
6 oz Raw Pistachios
4.25 oz / 1 cup Jeanne’s GF AP Flour Mix (or use regular AP if not GF)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 fl oz / 1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Almond Extract
4 oz / 1/2 cup / 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
7 oz / 1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter two 6-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper & butter the parchment. Set aside. 
2. Process the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground (but not so much that you create pistachio butter). 
3. Whisk together the finely ground pistachios with the GF flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk with the extracts. Set aside. 
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on low to medium speed until the ingredients have completely come together, have lightened in color and increased in volume.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Add the eggs in two additions, mixing on low speed after each addition.  
7. Add the pistachio mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the pistachio mixture. Mix on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove the bowl from the mixer & finish mixing by hand. 
8. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Smooth the tops well with a small offset spatula. 
9. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
10. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a cooling wrack to cool completely. 

Note: I had a few mishaps when baking the cake layers. The original recipe makes a single 9" cake, but when I was adapting the recipe, I increased the amounts too much, overfilled my pans & ended up with overflowing cake batter in the oven during the baking process. Coincidentally, the lava-cake phenomenon caused the middles to sink more than they normally would.  I have adjusted the cake amounts so that you shouldn't have the overflowing mess I had and hopefully the sinking middle is fixed as well :) And if you're looking for volume amounts instead of weights, see the original recipe link. 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 oz Egg Whites

8 oz Granulated Sugar

12 oz Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature 

splash Vanilla Extract

1. In a very clean metal mixing bowl (preferably one that attaches to a stand mixer), whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. 
2. Place the mixing bowl over a small sauce pan of simmering water to make a double boiler.  Continue whisking the whites and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches at least 140 F on an instant read thermometer.  
3. Remove the top bowl (being careful not to burn yourself on the hot metal of the bowl or on any drips from the hot condensation on the bottom of the bowl) & attach to a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until a fluffy meringue forms & the bowl cools to room temperature. 
4. Once the meringue cools completely, lower the speed of the mixer to medium and begin adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time. 
5. After the butter has all been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Mix on medium high speed just to ensure everything is combined. 
6. Hold the icing at room temperature until ready to use. 

Assembly

Pistachio Cakes (cooled)

6-ish Tbl Seedless Raspberry Preserves

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Fresh Raspberries & chopped pistachios for garnish 

1. Use a long serrated knife to level each cake layer and torte it into two separate layers. Set aside. I use a revolving cake stand to decorate. It isn’t necessary, but it does make the process much easier! 
2. Place approximately 1/4 of the icing into a piping bag, either fitted with a large plain tip or simply cut off the tip of the piping bag.
3. Place one cake layer onto a cake board. Use a small offset spatula to spread 1.5 Tbl to 2 Tbl of seedless raspberry preserves onto the top of the first layer, leaving the outside 1/2” free from jam. Use the icing in the piping bag to pipe a “dam” in the jam free edge. Top with a second cake layer press lightly to adhere. Repeat the process until all the last layer is placed on top. 
4. Crumb coat the cake, if desired, by spreading a very thin layer of icing over the top and sides of the cake, just to seal in any crumbs.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
5. After the optional crumb coat has chilled, give the cake a second, thicker layer of icing. Center the cake on the revolving cake stand, and add a generous dollop of icing to the top of the cake. Use a large offset spatula to spread a thick layer of icing over the top of the cake and down the sides.  Add additional icing to the side of the cake, if necessary.  Use a bench scraper (or the same large offset spatula) to remove the excess icing & smooth the sides (this process should also push the icing up to heights greater than the top of the cake).  Once the sides are smoothed, use the back side of a clean offset spatula to smooth the top of the cake. Come at the cake from a 45 degree angle & pass the back edge of the spatula over the top of the cake--this process should smooth the top and remove excess icing. 
6. Once the cake has been iced, decorate with chopped pistachios and fresh raspberries. 
7. Refrigerate the cake for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld, but allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture. 
8. Cover any exposed cake edges (after serving) and store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Or freeze, well wrapped, for longevity.  

Note: If you’re new to cake assembly or would like to see techniques very similar to the ones I use to to ice cakes, visit Zoe Bakes or Sweetapolita for their instructional videos.  

Note: this post contains affiliate links

Chocolate Stout Truffles & GF White Chocolate Lavender Truffles

Chocolate and I..... we’re not the best of friends. It’s been a couple years since I’ve ventured much into the world of candy making (well, excluding my love of marshmallows and peeps and homemade candy corn). 

But Valentine’s Day is soon! Friday! I’ve been in such a cookie fog the past couple weeks.... Baking, decorating, packaging, shipping cookies to a few of my family members and the winner of the contest. So, instead of making more cookies, I decided to put aside my distain for working with chocolate and make truffles!  

I don’t mind the mess of bread dough, or cookie dough, or icing etc. But as soon as there’s melted chocolate in the mix, I tend to go a bit crazy. . Somehow, even though I try to keep things as clean and tidy as possible, chocolate making seems to be eternally messy.... Even the littlest bit of melted chocolate on my skin makes me instantly want to wash my hands... And don’t even get me started on tempering chocolate at home! My past attempts have been less than stellar.....  

But truffles are a little different....  They’re easy, yet still impressive! And they don’t require tempering chocolate!  yay!  Hot cream is poured over chocolate pieces and mixed to form a ganache--the ratio of cream to chocolate varies depending on whether white, milk, or dark chocolate is used. Once the ganache cools, it is portioned and rolled into bit-sized balls. After rolling, the truffle is usually coated in something (cocoa powder, nuts, coarse sugar, sprinkles etc.) and then it is ready to be served. Pretty simple, in the world of candy-making :) 

But you can customize them too, as I’ve done today.  I like to think of my two combinations as “His and Hers” truffles.  I’m not trying to actively give them gender roles... But I know my husband really enjoys my chocolate stout desserts, thus “his” is a chocolate stout truffle rolled in crushed pretzels--who doesn’t love a little salty with their sweet). “Hers” is the one created for me: gluten free white chocolate lavender truffles coated in sparkly sanding sugar. Due to some health issues, I’ve had to cross into the white chocolate camp, but I decided to make my white chocolate truffle a little more exciting by infusing it with one of my favorite scents/flavors: lavender.  

In addition to the essential ingredients of heavy cream and good quality chocolate--seriously, truffle-making is not the time to skimp on chocolate... buy the best quality you can find and/or afford)--I’ve added very small quantities of a couple additional items. Butter helps to enhance flavors, while keeping the truffle center smooth and firm with a good mouthfeel. Corn Syrup (or glucose would be even better, if you have access to it) binds with moisture particles, thus decreasing the water activity in the truffle and increasing the overall shelf life. It also reduces the risk of crystallization--a truffle should be creamy in the middle, not crunchy from sugar crystals. If you ever want to read more behind the science of chocolate, one of my favorite resources is Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner by Peter P Greweling. 

While I *technically* made these truffles for Valentine’s Day, don’t tell anyone if we start sampling them early. In addition to eating them outright, I intend to drop a couple into mugs of hot milk to make a somewhat “instant” hot cocoa :)  Even with the short amount of time before Valentine’s Day, you could still quickly whip up a batch of truffles for your loved ones :) 

Chocolate Stout Truffles

yields approximately 22 truffles 

inspired by  Edible Ireland & The Modern Cafe

1 c Stout, (I used Guinness Extra Stout) 

7 oz Milk Chocolate, finely chopped 

1/2 c Heavy Cream

1 Tbl Corn Syrup**

Pretzel sticks, for coating

1.  In a small sauce pan, bring the stout to a boil over medium high heat--watch it carefully, just in case it boils over. Once it boils, turn the heat down to medium and allow the beer to simmer until it is reduced to 1/4th the original amount (approximately 1/4 c). For me, the process took between 15 and 20 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate & place it into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Once the stout is reduced, heat the heavy cream in another small saucepan until it just barely simmers (some steam should be visible & there should be tiny bubbles around the edges of the pan). 
4. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until all the chocolate is melted.  Add the stout and the corn syrup & whisk until smooth. 
5. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill until the mixture firms, but is still pliable enough to mold. Stir every 30 minutes during the refrigeration process.  Mine took several hours to come to a cookie-dough-like consistency.  If it gets too hard to scoop, allow to sit at room temperature for a bit. 
6. Meanwhile, prepare the pretzel coating. Chop small pretzel sticks into small bits, using a very sharp chef knife. Alternately, a food processor may be used, but I find it pulverizes the pretzels a bit too much for my liking. Place the pretzel pieces into a small bowl. 
7. Use a small cookie scoop to portion the truffles onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Refrigerate the whole pan for 20 minutes, if the truffles become too soft. Otherwise, after the truffles are scooped, roll them gently with clean hands to make them round & roll them in the chopped pretzels.  
8. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to warm up (they’ll taste better that way) before serving. Know that the pretzels will begin to get soggy over time, so it is best to serve these as soon as possible.  

**The corn syrup helps to keep the truffle from crystalizing and also increases the shelf life.  Glucose is preferred to  corn syrup, but I don’t have any available to me where I live...  You can skip the syrup all together if it really bothers you to use it.

Gluten Free White Chocolate Lavender Truffles

Yields approximately 18 truffles 

Inspired by Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner

46 g Heavy Cream, plus extra, as needed

1/2 tsp Lavender Buds

250 g White Chocolate, finely chopped (I used Lindt White Chocolate)   

10 g Butter

10 g Corn Syrup**

1 drop Essential Lavender Oil 

Sanding sugar

Additional Lavender for decoration, optional 

1. Combine the heavy cream and lavender in a very small sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then cover & remove from the heat. Allow to steep, covered, for 20 minutes.  
2. Chop the chocolate into small pieces & place into a medium sized heat-safe bowl (such as stainless steel, tempered glass or ceramic) that fits over a medium saucepan. Set the chocolate aside. Fill the saucepan with 2”-3” of water, and bring to a simmer on the stove. 
3. After the cream has steeped, place the chocolate bowl onto the scale with a fine strainer in the bowl. Zero the scale with the strainer on it. Pour the liquid into the bowl, straining out any lavender buds. If the scale does not measure 46g of cream, add some additional fresh cream to make up the difference. Remove the strainer & discard the used lavender. 
4. Place the chocolate/steeped cream over sauce pan with simmering water to form a double boiler. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted. The mixture may look a little grainy or separated, but that is ok.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and corn syrup.  Stir until well combined. If the mixture continues to look separated, return to the double boiler system & stir constantly until everything has emulsified (i.e. come together) into a ganache. 
5. Remove the white chocolate ganache from the heat & taste a little bit of it.  If you prefer a stronger lavender flavor (which I did), add a drop of essential lavender oil. Only add a little bit--we don’t want it to taste like soap! Remember that when the chocolate is cold, the lavender flavor will not be as pronounced. 
6. Transfer the ganache to a separate bowl & chill in the refrigerator until it firms slightly, but still is pliable enough to mold. Mine took about an hour to set up. 
7. Use a 
8. 1 tablespoon scoop to portion the truffles onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Refrigerate the whole pan for 30 minutes. 
9. Once the truffles are chilled roll them gently with clean hands to make them round & cover each truffle in coarse sanding sugar. Press a single bud of lavender to the top of the truffle, if desired. 
10. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to warm up (they’ll taste better that way) before serving.

**The corn syrup helps to keep the truffle from crystalizing and also increases the shelf life.  Glucose is preferred to  corn syrup, but I don’t have any available to me where I live...  You can skip the syrup all together if it really bothers you to use it.