This comes straight from my workbook at George Brown – slightly adapted of course. I want to tell you, we took a lot of baked goods home from these classes. I would come home every evening with boxes of breads, cookies, cakes – if we baked it, we took it home. Then some went to the office, family, neighbours and my priest (much easier to pray on a full stomach!). I don’t really have a sweet tooth, that’s my wife and her side of the family (although my mum was notorious for hiding food under her fork and spoon, knowing we’d be having dessert :)).
I’m giving you the recipe as is, but telling you where I stopped and what I ended up doing with it. Instead of Cassis Sticks, I made Cassis Truffles. The difference is the sticks get piped on to a baking tray the next day, then covered in chocolate, not once – but twice, and finally doused in icing sugar. Clearly when I took this batch home from baking class, the box was significantly lighter then when I packed it in school. That wonderful taste of Cassis, the dark and milk chocolate combination – too much for even me. I had to give you this as one of my cookies. When you go to buy Cassis, they typically only have large bottles (and really, when was the last time you heard someone order a Cassis and anything?!). So look for Creme de Cassis, a smaller bottle near the checkout – that’s what I used. It worked fine. I tried it to see if I should cut down on the amount used, but the dark chocolate offset that sweetness and I ended up adding the quantity as specified in the recipe. Can you use other liquors – absolutely, but try this once.
I used partially ground sweetened coconut, cocoa powder and icing sugar for my coatings. Keep it simple, I used Lindt chocolate and it really doesn’t need too much embellishment. Of course, you can use chopped nuts, coarse sugar etc. if you like. So easy to make, so delicious to eat. Again, small is the key. Out of this batch, I got about 60 truffles. As always – enjoy!
175 g. 35% cream
20 g. sugar
30 g. butter
180 g. dark chocolate
300 g. milk chocolate
60 g. cassis
Chop dark and milk chocolate – add to a medium mixing bowl
Boil cream, butter and sugar
Add the cream to the mixed chocolate
Mix together – if not totally melted place mixture over water bath to melt – stir
Add cassis – this is where you can decide how much to put – start with 40g then move up to 60g – and mix to incorporate
Refrigerate overnight – I didn’t do the steps below, I’m including them for you as you really must try this at least once as is
Next day pipe cassis into logs on a back of a flat try, lined with parchment paper and chill (#6 plain tube)
Brush cooled logs with melted dark chocolate until covered on all sides
Cut into individual pieces 3 cm. each and cover thinly a second time with chocolate
Roll in icing sugar, when finish rolling all in icing sugar, brush off excess sugar
Store in an airtight container in the fridge – the steps that follow are what you see pictured below!
Continuing on with my conventional shaped Truffles
Remove the chocolate mixture from the fridge
Set up three bowls – put your choice of coatings in each one, I used cocoa powder, icing sugar and flaked coconut
Using a teaspoon take a small amount of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a ball – drop it in one of the bowls – ensure the truffle is properly coated, place in individual designer cups or on a plastic lined tray
When done, store in an airtight container in the fridge and just walk away! (put wax paper between layers)
For best taste, bring to room temperature before serving
