Best Hot Fudge Sauce!

Recently a friend of mine had a baby and mentioned that as her pregnancy advanced, so did her sweet tooth.  Her husband once called her before heading home from work asking if there was anything she needed.  She replied "Uh yeah, just pick me up a couple Peanut Buster Parfait's from Dairy Queen". When I heard this story, I found it so funny and all too familiar remembering the insatiable appetite that pregnancy can cause.  Subsequently, I mentioned this story to my husband and now anytime either of us asks the question "Do you need anything while I'm out at the store?"  we automatically respond with "Uh yeah, just me pick up a couple Peanut Buster Parfaits".

All this talk about ice cream got me thinking about hot fudge sauce and how delicious it is, but how I'd never really tried making it from scratch before.  So, I decided I was going to figure out how to make a delicious hot fudge sauce at home.  I started looking up methods and recipes online and cross referencing different ideas.  I knew that hot fudge must contain some kind of liquid sugar element such as corn syrup to keep the sauce soft when it hits the ice cream. Without this component, the sauce would turn hard when it cools, more like the coating on a chocolate covered ice cream bar. While there's nothing wrong with that; I'm looking for a molten, oozing, thick chocolate sauce that maintains it's texture.  However, I'm not a big fan of corn syrup and don't tend to use it much if at all. While hot fudge isn't exactly health food, obviously high fructose corn syrup isn't the best thing for you, so I tend to avoid it.  As well, I find it doesn't add anything in the way of flavour, just intense sweetness.  Thus, I decided to try golden syrup instead as it has a deep caramel flavour and colour which amps up the fudgey quality of the sauce.  I like Lyle's Golden Syrup because it's flavour and texture is really great and I can buy it from my local grocery store.  However, if you can't find it you could certainly just use corn syrup instead.

The first time I tried making hot fudge, I decided I wanted to make the recipe as simple as possible and basically put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until thick, smooth and luxurious. However, it didn't really turn out that way...  My initial concern was the sauce would be too hard (as mentioned above) or waxy upon being drizzled onto the ice cream, so to counteract that possibility I added some water to the sauce.  Now, I know what you're thinking...  Never add water to chocolate! That being said, if you add enough water to chocolate it doesn't actually seize or turn grainy.  True to form, adding water didn't cause the sauce to completely seize up into gritty ball and it looked smooth and lustrous.  However, when you tasted it, there was a granular quality which wasn't appealing at all.

After that, I decided to eliminate water from the sauce and make heavy cream the only liquid in the recipe. Therefore, I combined cream, golden syrup, brown sugar and cocoa powder together in a saucepan, brought the sauce to a gentle simmer and let cook until slightly thickened and very smooth. At this point, I added the chocolate, vanilla, salt and a little butter and gently mixed.  Bingo! This recipe and method worked perfectly!  The sauce turned out thick, smooth, and had in intense chocolate flavour, exactly what I had been craving and trying to create.

You may be tempted to remove the salt from this recipe, thinking it's not necessary.  I highly caution against this approach - I find sweet sauces and desserts really need a hit of salt.  Contrary to what you might assume; that salt would add a weird savoury taste which isn't appealing, in fact it actually intensifies the flavours of the recipe and balances out the sweetness.  I'm so accustomed to adding salt to my dessert recipes now, if I inadvertently forget about it, I instantly know something isn't right with the taste.  I recently made a batch of double chocolate cookies and when I tasted them knew, I'd forgotten the salt.  I ended up sprinkling some sea salt on top of each cookie because they just weren't very enjoyable without it.

Here's my recipe:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/3 brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate (I use chocolate chips)
2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter

Put the cream, golden syrup, brown sugar and cocoa powder (I sift it straight into the pan) in a medium to small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking until the ingredients start to combine, then switch to a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the pan (I tend to switch back and forth between a whisk and spatula).  Let the sauce heat up to a bubble and continue to stir with the spatula while the sauce cooks and thickens (adjust the heat as necessary or if bubbling up too much).  Allow the sauce to simmer away while stirring continuously until it's the consistency of a nice runny honey or a thin custard (this should take about 5 to 10 minutes depending on your stove). Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in salt and vanilla.  Now add the chocolate chips and let sit for a few moment to allow the chocolate to gently melt a little in the hot sauce.  Then gently stir using the rubber spatula until nicely combined and smooth.  Add the cold butter and whisk until melted into the sauce and combined.  At this point, the sauce can be served immediately on any ice cream of your choice or can sit a little while to continue to thicken.  As well, the sauce stores nicely in the refrigerator and re-heats beautifully as if it had just been made (I just scoop out some cold sauce into a bowl and microwave for 15 seconds). Alternatively, pour the finished sauce into a jam jar and give it away as gifts.

Bon appetit!

Apple and Shallot Pork Tenderloin

Truly, there isn't much I don't like about pork and have to say it's one of my favourite meats to cook with.  While I often cook with cuts such as pork belly, a full pork roast, or even making a lovely ham; I definitely find myself most often cooking with the tenderloin. It's a really great go-to cut of meat that's versatile, much quicker to cook than a traditional pork roast, and doesn't dry out as easily as a pork chop.

For some reason though, pork can often get forgotten in the weekly meal cycle or overshadowed by bacon (not that I mind).  Many of us find it all too easy to get caught in a rotation of chicken and beef themed dinners week in and week out.  However, I find the possibilities are endless when cooking with pork; it's subtle taste works with many different flavour profiles and ingredients.  I often do a dry rub of jerk seasoning, stuff the tenderloin with mushroom duxelles (which is finely diced mushrooms sauteed with shallots and herbs), wrap it in prosciutto or bacon (pork on pork, how could that be bad), or just a simple marinade which could consist of any number of flavours. However, in this case I decided to put a new twist on the classic combination of pork and apple.

When I was growing up, my mom liked to make pork chops and serve them with applesauce. My updated version of this idea starts by browning the outside of the pork tenderloin in a heavy bottomed cast iron skillet (or any oven proof pan), then remove the pork, saute the apple shallot mixture in the same pan, and finally return the tenderloin to the pan to then be finished in the oven.  Right before it goes into the oven, I slather the tenderloin with some honey and garlic mustard to add another dimension of flavour and depth.

This results in the pork being deeply caramelised on the outside and juicy and tender within. As well, the apples retain their shape, develop a very rich and almost umami like savoury quality with just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the tenderloin.

Here is my recipe:

1 Pork Tenderloin with silver skin removed
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 Apple (Granny Smith or any firm apple which won't turn to mush when cooking) skin left on, chopped into chunks
2 Shallots roughly chopped
1 clove of Garlic roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh Oregano finely chopped
1/4 cup of garlic Dijon Mustard (or plain Dijon mustard with some garlic grated in or finely diced)
2 tablespoons of honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Clean the pork tenderloin by removing the silver skin with a sharp thin bladed knife and blot with paper towel to dry (this step ensures the meat browns nicely in the pan, excess moisture can cause the meat to braise rather than sear).  Sprinkle some salt and pepper over all sides of the tenderloin and set aside while you heat a cast iron skillet or pan.  Once the skillet is hot, add some olive oil to the pan and sear the tenderloin on all sides until nicely browned but not cooked all the way through.  Remove from the skillet and let sit on a plate while you saute the apples, shallots and garlic in the same pan, until softened.  Add half of the fresh herbs into the pan with the apple mixture and reserve the remainder. While the apple mixture is cooking, mix together the Dijon mustard honey and the reserved herbs (if you don't have or cannot find garlic Dijon mustard, just finely chop or grate a small clove of garlic into the mustard),   Then coat the resting tenderloin with the mustard mixture on all sides and then nestle the tenderloin onto the cooked apple mixture in the pan and place in the oven to finish cooking the pork.  Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat is firm to the touch, opaque with a slightly pink tint in the centre.  Remove the tenderloin from the pan to a plate to rest while you finish the sauce.  Place the skillet back onto the stove top on a medium heat mixing the apple mixture to reduce slightly and combine the bit of mustard mixture that has fallen into the apples.  Serve by cutting the pork into medallions and drizzle some of the apple on and alongside the pork.  As well, many different side dishes pair very nicely with this pork recipe - roast potatoes and a vegetable (as pictured) or a rice pilaf and a salad.  The options are abundant.

Spiced Apple Brown Butter Cake

I love the words "brown butter" and find myself instantly drawn to recipes with it included in the title.  I'll often stop and read a recipe in full if I see it mentioned in a cook book or magazine. So, I can honestly say I've tried dozens of recipes advertising the nutty deliciousness of brown butter - chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, shortbread cookies, various cakes, biscotti, Madeleines and the list goes on.  However, while a lot of the recipes I've attempted indeed lived up to the hype, some have been disappointing by ending up a little dry or the nutty flavour of the browned butter was lost in the mix. Essentially, I find the balance between brown butter and the other ingredients in a recipe (such as flour, sugar and eggs etc) must be just right.  Considering brown butter or beurre noisette (hazelnut butter) as it's called in French, is made by melting butter and letting it cook until nicely browned - some of the moisture evaporates as it cooks which can cause some dryness when baking with it.

My recipe for Spiced Apple Brown Butter Cake definitely ticks all the boxes I'm looking for when baking with brown butter.  The cake has a deep buttery flavour, is moist and rich without being heavy or too intense.  As well, the addition of spiced apples nicely compliments the brown butter without overpowering it.  I also like to make a pecan brittle topping to sprinkle over the top of the cake before baking, as I find this adds a really nice crunch and enhances the flavour of the cake.

Nonetheless,  the recipe still turns out wonderful with just a sprinkle of turbinado sugar over the top or simply nothing at all.  Despite the fact that this cake has a decidedly wintry list of ingredients and spices, I really find it to be a season-less recipe.  While apples are technically in season during the fall, I can find great apples almost all year long.  As well, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg etc., are the quintessential season-less ingredient since that's exactly the point and purpose of drying and preserving herbs and spices - using them all year long.    

I'm well aware this recipe has a lot of components to it and may seem like a lot of work for a simple loaf cake.  Notwithstanding, the finished product is so deeply spiced and buttery you'll be dreaming of this cake after eating it.  While I love a simple recipe that has minimum effort for maximum benefit, I'm more than willing to put in a little effort for a such a splendid cake.  

Overall, I find this recipe is a nice addition to my loaf cake recipe roster considering I often find myself in a perpetual Banana Bread cycle.  It's exciting and refreshing to have a new and fabulous loaf cake recipe on hand for those times when you want to wrap up an extra special homemade treat to bring to a friend's house as a gift.  I can think of nothing more charming that a homemade cake wrapped in parchment paper and tied with string to surprise a friend with.

Pecan Brittle Topping:
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped to a small dice
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon of melted butter

Combine all the ingredients together and spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 350 F oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and toasted and the maple syrup and butter have slightly caramelised.  Set aside to cool and then transfer to the fridge to cool completely.

Spiced Apples:
4 granny smith chopped into a medium dice
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly ground nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
Pinch of ground star anise
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chopped apples and saute until they start to brown.  Lower the heat to medium low, add the brown sugar and spices tossing the apples until they're are evenly coated.  Continue to stir and cook the apples until they have softened and reduced down quite a bit (you need about 1 cup of spiced apples to be added to the cake recipe). Then add the maple syrup and stir into the apples letting the liquid reduce slightly. Transfer the spiced apples to a dish and place in the fridge to cool.

Brown Butter Loaf Cake:
5 ounces of unsalted butter (browned)
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup spiced apples (see recipe above)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice
Freshly ground nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg)
1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans tossed with 1 tablespoon of flour

Grease a standard 9 by 5 inch loaf tin with butter and line with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 F.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat and continue to let it cook until it's nicely browned. As the butter is browning, stir often help it brown evenly and prevent it from burning. Once the butter has turned a caramel colour, pour it into a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Once the butter has cooled to room temperature, mix with the brown sugar and beat well until combined, then stir in the vanilla, eggs and yogurt.  Add in the cooled spiced apples and stir everything well.  Add the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, Chinese 5 spice, and nutmeg.  Then add the toasted pecans (which have been tossed in 1 tablespoon of flour, which will prevent the pecans from sinking to the bottom of the loaf) and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle with the pecan brittle that has been broken into small pieces.  Bake

for 45 to 60 minutes or until the loaf is fully cooked through (a toothpick or skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean).  Let cool in the tin and then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper until ready to eat.

Welcome back with a fresh spring pea risotto and lemon salmon.

It's been a while since I last posted here on Cleverlicious and I must say I've missed this quite a lot. I've been happily cooking away in my kitchen and wanting to post my latest recipe or creation, but never quite getting there.  Taking up most of my time is a busy toddler, hungry husband, cuddly dog and a lazy cat - but probably most hindering of all, a broken camera lens.  Nonetheless, spring has now sprung bringing with it all kinds of ingredients I haven't cooked with in a while, leaving me feeling revitalised, excited to cook and post.

When I think of spring, ingredients such as peas, asparagus and glimpses of fresh herbs starting to peak out of my perennial herb garden come to mind.  As well, I live in British Columbia where salmon is abundant and the season is now kicking off, bringing with it endless delicious recipe ideas. One of those ideas is fresh spring pea risotto served with lemon salmon.

The idea of making risotto can be scary and send most people running in the opposite direction.  If you're a fan of the reality show Top Chef, you'll know that a bad risotto has sent more than a few chef's home. However, I find cooking risotto to be a very soothing and therapeutic exercise that I relish.  As well, it's really not complicated to make; it requires attention and a little bit of time, but not that the cook be a professional chef.

Here is my recipe:

Spring Pea Risotto:

Before I list the ingredients and method; I just want to make a point of mentioning that I never measure my ingredients exactly when making risotto.  As opposed to baking, cooking doesn't need to be quite so precise for the most part.  I cook by tasting and adapting as I go, so the ingredients I've listed here are just a rough guide and in some cases I've listed things in approximate or rough measures.

As well, in the ingredients list I mention using white wine or Vermouth.  I must explain that I overwhelmingly use Vermouth because I keep a bottle of it on the counter next to my stove top ready to use any time a recipe calls for white wine.  It has the same flavour as dry white wine and can sit out at room temperature for weeks.  I hate opening a bottle of wine just for one recipe, unless I'm having guest over and I know the wine will get used up.

Few tablespoons of olive oil
Tablespoon of butter
1 small or medium yellow onion chopped finely
1 clove of garlic finely minced or grated
Pinch of salt
Black pepper
Few sprigs of fresh thyme, or a sprinkle of dried thyme
Roughly 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli Rice
Splash of dry white wine or Vermouth
Roughly a litre of chicken stock or water
Squeeze of lemon juice
Large dollop of butter
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
About of cup of fresh or frozen peas

Start by chopping the onion and garlic and set aside while you heat a medium to large sized pot (I find my Le Creuset dutch oven works really well) over medium to high heat.  In another smaller saucepan or pot, add the chicken stock or water and heat on a medium to low heat for later. Add the olive oil and butter to the pan and then saute the onion and garlic and add in the thyme.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper and saute the onion mixture until softened and translucent.  Then add the Arborio or Carnaroli rice stirring in with the onion mixture allowing the rice to be coated in some oil and butter.  Then add a splosh of white wine or Vermouth and stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  Next, add a ladle full of the warmed chicken stock or water to the rice mixture and continue stirring as the liquid absorbs into the rice.  Once most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, add another ladle full of stock.  Keep going this way until the rice has absorbed most or all of the stock and has become swollen and has released it's starch into the mixture.  This creates the most luscious and creamy rice dish - almost like a savoury rice pudding.  Now stir in a squeeze of lemon juice, dollop of butter and grate over some fresh Parmesan cheese (I would be remiss if I didn't mention that using true Parmigiano Reggiano makes a world of difference with this recipe).  At this point, I taste the mixture to see if it needs more salt or pepper and adjust as necessary.  Add your peas and serve (if using frozen peas I would add them just before the lemon juice, butter and cheese)

Risotto is best when served immediately after being prepared - if it sits out for a while it tends to clump together and you lose that oozing quality.  I tend to put my salmon on to cook when I'm roughly half way through the risotto.

Salmon recipe:

Four small to medium pieces of salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons of olive oil
Tablespoon of butter
Lemon juice and zest

When the risotto is about halfway through, start heating a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan on high heat.  Add the olive oil and butter and then add two of the salmon filet's to the pan (it's important not to overcrowd the pan, otherwise the salmon will end up braising instead of searing). Allow to sear for roughly three minutes before flipping to finish on the other side.  I know the salmon is done by gently pressing on the top of the salmon and it feels firm but not hard to the touch (I do this towards the end of cooking before removing from the pan).  You could also pierce the flesh with a knife to see if the inside is still raw.  Remove the salmon from the pan to a plate so it can rest while you finish the risotto.  Just before serving, sprinkle some fresh lemon juice and zest onto the salmon.

I like to serve this dish in a shallow, wide bowl with the risotto on the bottom and a piece of salmon sitting on top.  In the pictures I've plated the salmon skin side down - I love to eat salmon with the crispy skin side up but my family usually end up flipping it back over.

Happy Spring and bon appetit!

Ultimate One Bowl Chocolate Cake for my Valentine

After the decadence of the holiday season, I find January is a month for cleansing and cutting back on sweets and treats.  However, heading into February and Valentines Day it's time for some well deserved chocolate cake.

When it comes to Valentines Day presents, I think gifts which are thoughtful and from the heart are the most memorable.  My way of being thoughtful is to make my husband a lovely dinner and special dessert on Valentines Day.  I haven't yet decided what to make for dinner, but for dessert I've had this Chocolate Cake recipe in mind for quite some time.

I tried this recipe out a few months ago when I needed a special dessert to bring with me to a dinner and wanted to make something impressive looking while still being delicious.  This cake was perfect - rich and decadent with a deep chocolate flavour and a silky smooth texture.  However, what I love most about this dessert is that it's incredibly easy to make, the ingredients are all mixed up in one bowl (no extra washing up), and doesn't require any special equipment.

I'm a big fan of the Australian food stylist and writer Donna Hay; her food is beautiful to look at, delicious and always simple to make.  When I came across her recipe for Ultimate One Bowl Chocolate Cake I had to give it a try.  Some of the ingredients in Donna's original recipe are scaled out by weight as opposed to measured in cups.  Therefore, I've adapted the recipe into volume (cups) and listed it below, but if you want to try the original recipe with some ingredients by weight here it is: Ultimate One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe and video.  The only other change I've made is in place of sifting cocoa powder over the top of the finished cake (which I think looks gorgeous), I drizzle a chocolate glaze instead .  I think it adds a really nice fudgey quality and one more dimension of beauty and silkiness to the cake.

Here is my adapted recipe and my recipe for chocolate glaze:

Cake:
1/2 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chopped or chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of milk
1 cup ground almonds
pinch of salt
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease a 9 inch spring form baking tin with butter on the bottom and up the sides.  Then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (for instructions about the tin with parchment paper, check out the recipe link above for the video of Donna's method).  Set aside the prepared tin while you make the cake batter.

In a large heat proof mixing bowl, add the butter and chocolate and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave (stop and stir every 30 seconds if using the microwave).  Once melted add the brown sugar, flour, milk, almonds and salt, mixing until well incorporated.  Then add the eggs and mix again until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and cover with a sheet of aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  When the cake is just every so slightly jiggly in the middle remove from the oven and let sit out on the counter to cool off a bit.  Then refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to fully cool and set up.

Serve with a dusting of cocoa powder and whipped cream or with my chocolate glaze recipe (below):

Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
3/4 cup of whole milk
1 tablespoon of butter
Dash of vanilla
Pinch of salt

Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan (or a heatproof bowl in the microwave) and melt the ingredients on low heat until combined, stirring often.  Then add the butter, vanilla and salt, whisking or stirring to combine.  Let cool slightly and then pour onto the baked cake and refrigerate as mentioned above.

Homemade Herbes de Provence

I've always dreamed of visiting the southeastern region of France, specifically Provence, and love the cuisine of the area.  When I cook Provencal inspired cuisine I feel like I'm getting a tiny piece of Provence in my own little kitchen.  As well, there's something so quaint and cosy to me about having a little jar of Herbes de Provence and sprinkling some on a chicken to be roasted in the oven, on a steak to be grilled or to roll a log of goat cheese in

This year I decided to dry bunches of Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage and Lavender and make my own homemade blend of Herbes de Provence.  Since I have a decent sized perennial herb garden and toward the end of summer and early fall, I end up with more herbs than I know what to do with, this was a perfect solution!  Also, it makes a wonderful gift with a really special homemade touch.

Air drying herbs is a lot more simple than people assume, all you need is some string, a few twist ties and a dry place to hang them.  I decided to hang my herbs out in my detached garage since it's a very dry, clean area without dust and out of the way.  I left my herbs out there for a few weeks to make sure they were really good and dried.  Once fully dried, remove all the leaves from the stems, combine and chop up in a food processor to make a fine ground mixture.

Herbes de Provence is really just a mixture of herbs that are readily available in the south of France. Different families and areas add different types of herbs to their own blends, but it typically contains Savory, Marjoram. Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano.  However, I don't have Savory or Marjoram in my garden so I used what I have at hand.  As well, contrary to popular opinion. Lavender is not traditionally included to the blend, but has become very common since Herbes de Provence has been commercially produced by spice wholesalers.  However, I have Lavender in my garden and while it doesn't add much in the way of additional flavour (that I notice at least), it really contributes a lovely aroma to the blend of herbs.

Here's the specifics/recipe:

Large bunches of fresh Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage and Lavender (or any combination of herbs you like or have available)
String for hanging herbs
Twist ties

Cut the fresh herbs from the plant when the weather is dry, since this will kick start the drying process (as opposed to cutting them when it's raining or dewy) and discard any brown leaves or stalks.  There's no need to wash the herbs if they're grown in your own garden, unless you use some form of chemical pesticide.  Secure the end which was closest to the roots with a twist tie.  This will allow you to easily tighten things up as the herbs dry and shrink, preventing wastage of loose herbs falling.  Loop the string around the bundle of herbs and attach to a wall or anything which you can hang the herbs from with good air circulation.  Leave to air dry for a few weeks to ensure the herbs are fully dried out.

After a few weeks when the herbs have completely dried out, remove the leaves from the stalks and combine together.  At this points you could jar the leaves just as they are or further chop them up to a fine grind in a food processor.  If you choose to process the leaves further, it's very important the leaves are completely dry, otherwise the leaves could start turning into a paste as they are chopped in the food processor.

Once processed to your liking, store in airtight spice jars or plastic food storage bags.  The dried herbs will keep for a year, maybe even longer since they're quite potent when homemade.

Bon appetit!

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

As a part of my usual Christmas baking routine, I always make White Chocolate Peppermint Bark and send it to my best friend.  We both love the combination of peppermint and white chocolate and it's become one of my favourite parts of the Christmas season.

Since my friend lives far away in another province, I send my Christmas presents for her and her family through the mail.  Therefore, it can be difficult to find recipes that transport well - not an issue with my chocolate bark recipe.

As with most recipes that call for white chocolate, I find using better quality chocolate really makes a huge difference to the end result of the bark.  I like to use Lindt white chocolate in my baking because the quality and flavour is very good.  I find lesser quality white chocolate doesn't melt very well and tends to have a strange aftertaste that is un-pleasant on the palette.  I also do not recommend using white chocolate chips as they usually contain vegetable oil and soy lecithin to help the chips keep their shape when baked in cookies.  However, these additives cause the chocolate not to set very firm after melting which isn't ideal for chocolate bark.

The peppermint component of the bark comes in the form of peppermint candy canes.  I use regular peppermint candy canes for this recipe, but avoid the small individually wrapped brands.  I find over time, they lose crunch and become soft and sticky, which doesn't work well for this recipe.

Once the chocolate bark is made and broken apart, it stores very well in a Christmas cookie tin or any food storage container.  I love using decorative cookie tins this time of year since they look lovely and festive.  As well, when I sent my bark to my best friend, I shipped it to her in a decorative tin which works really well.

Here's the recipe:

5 Lindt white chocolate bars (broken into pieces)
Few drops of vanilla bean paste
6 standard sized peppermint candy canes

Cover a baking tray with aluminium foil and set aside.

Put the candy canes into a large Ziploc bag or food storage bag and using a rolling pin, bash the candy canes in the bag until nicely ground up - some larger bits and some powdery.  Separate the larger pieces of candy cane from the powdery stuff and set aside.

In a heat proof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, add all but a handful of the white chocolate setting aside the excess.  Let the chocolate sit in the bowl gently melting until almost fully melted.  Then using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate a little to aid in fully melting.  Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the remaining white chocolate stirring to melt.  This tempers the chocolate helping to stabilise the chocolate and preventing it from seizing.  Not to mention, tempering the chocolate this way provides an ultra smooth texture to the finished bark.  Add the vanilla bean paste and the candy cane powder to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.

Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking tray and spread out evenly with a spatula.  Sprinkle the larger pieces of candy cane evenly over the chocolate and set the baking tray in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours to set up.  Once set, break the bark into pieces and store in the container of your choice.

Merry Christmas and bon appetit!