Irish Foodies April 2011 Cookalong: Chocolate - Chocolate Bruno

If you are a regular reader you will know by now that the Irish Food Bloggers (and anyone else who fancies joining in) hold a monthly cookalong on the first Friday of every month.  We all cook a dish in our respective kitchens within a set theme and then post pictures and blog posts to Twitter and Facebook.  The evening is generally taken up with oooh's and aaaaah's and plenty of drooling as picture pop up and we admire each others efforts.  The theme for this months cookalong just had to be chocolate as Easter will fall later in the month. 

I had quite a few ideas in mind, what with me being a bit of a chocolate demon.  I wanted to bake a really yummy cake that my dad used to bake for special occasions.  He had pulled the recipe from a news paper but has lost it recently and so I had to go back to the drawing board.  On our recent trip to New York (more to come on this) Mr. Boo and I shared a dessert in the Blue Ribbon Bakery.  I remembered having had a decadent chocolate dessert there on a previous visit but couldn't quite remember what it was.  While perusing the menu the Chocolate Bruno caught my attention, there was no description to explain what it was so I enquired when our waiter returned to the table.  He explained that it "was a kind of flourless chocolate cake/mousse...."  He went on with his explanation but I don't remember anything after that.  Decision made. 

It was heavenly.  One of the best chocolate desserts I have tasted.  Ever.  As I have said on many occasions, I am a chocolate lover, Mr Boo not so much but he even managed a few spoon fulls.  A silky smooth, dense, almost buttery chocolate mousse set atop a white chocolate base with chunks of cookie.  We couldn't finish it, not even between the pair of us, as it was a very generous portion and I may have shed a tear as the leftovers were cleared from the table.  As I set my brain to thinking about a suitable offering for the chocolate cookalong on our return I decided I would try to recreate a version of the Chocolate Bruno to enjoy at home.

As I didn't have a recipe I had to go at it a little blind and hope for the best.  I was very pleased with my version and almost fell over when Mr. Boo volunteered the information that my base was nicer than the Blue Ribbon Bakery version.  He doesn't offer praise willy nilly where my baking is concerned, especially when it involves chocolate.  I was in Marks and Spencer the day before the cookalong and picked up one of their white chocolate Mountain Bars, white chocolate containing nuts and nougat (basically their version of a white Toblerone), thinking that would make a nice substitute for the white chocolate and cookie base.  These are really easy to make, they are basically a ganache with some egg & butter added for richness, but look really impressive and will certainly feature on dinner party menus in this house.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Bruno (my take on a Blue Ribbon Bakery dessert)
makes 6

100g White Chocolate Nougat Bar
285ml Double Cream
200g Plain Chocolate
2 Egg Yolks
20g Unsalted Butter

1.  Place a silicone muffin tray onto a flat baking tray (this makes it easier to transfer it to the fridge), or line 6 ramekins with clingfilm.
2.  Break up the white chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl.  Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt.

3.  Spoon the white chocolate into the bottom of the muffin tray/ramekins.  You just want a thin layer, approximately 3-5mm deep.

4.  Place the muffin tray/ramekins into the fridge and allow the chocolate to set.

5.  Place the cream into a heavy based saucepan and heat.  Remove from the heat just before it boils.
6.  Break up the plain chocolate and add to the cream.  Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

7.  Add the egg yolks and whisk in.  Allow to cool slightly.

8.  Add in the butter and stir until it has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

9.  Remove the muffin tray/ramekins from the fridge and pour the chocolate mixture over the white chocolate layer.  Return to the fridge and allow to set for at least 2 hours.

10.If you have used a silicone muffin tray you might find the plain chocolate mixture smears as you turn the Bruno's out to serve.  A little trick that I tried with great success was to pop the tray into the freezer for half an hour to make the 'mousse' nice and firm (cover the top with clingfilm or foil to avoid shards of ice falling onto the mousse), turn them out of the silicone tray and place on a flat tray and return to the fridge until you are ready to serve.  If you use ramekins lined with clingfilm simply lift the Bruno out using the clingfilm and peel the clingfilm away before serving. 

Irish Foodies March 2011 Cookalong, Traditional Irish Part 2, Bailey's Chocolate Mousse

The monthly Irish Foodies cookalong rolled around on the 4th of March.  I have already posted a recipe for the potato scones I made on the day and here is my second offering.  The theme was traditional Irish to coincide with St. Patrick's Day which falls later this week.  While I am pretty sure chocolate mousse is not traditionally Irish, no one can argue that a pint of Guinness is, so I decided to dress my mousse up as a pint of the black stuff.  Add in a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream and sure St. Patrick himself would scoff the lot, to be sure to be sure.  Right that's enough of the Irishisms.

For the purpose of the photographs in this post I served the mousse in a tumbler glass and topped it with whipped cream.  This yielded 3 portions which I'm sure would prove a little on the large side for even the most ardent chocoholic.  Trust me, I gave it a good bash but it took two sittings to finish one off.  I would suggest that you serve the mousse in a tall shot glass or alternatively espresso cups.  You should yield 6-8 servings in smaller glasses.

Bailey's Chocolate Mousse
serves 6

285ml/0.5pt Single Cream
200g/7oz Good quality Plain Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
2 Large Eggs, separated
30ml/1floz Bailey's Irish Cream, or liquer of your choice

Whipped cream optional

1.  Place the cream in a saucepan and heat but do not allow to boil. 

2.  Remove from the heat and set aside for 1 minute before breaking in the chocolate.

3.  Stir until smooth and the chocolate has melted. 

4.  Beat in the egg yolks and Bailey's and stir until smooth.
5.  In a bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk to form stiff peaks.

 
6.  Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three stages.
7.  Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Macaroons (GF)

I have been known on occasion to allow the odd pack of Crimble's macaroons to wander into my shopping trolley.  I blame my sister.  She almost always has a pack loitering in her goodie press so I tasted them in her house and then started to buy them for myself on occasion.  I'm not sure exactly what it is I like about them, is it the dense and moist cakeyness of them, is it the texture of the coconut or is it a combination of both those things married with a little chocolate.  Regardless I will happily scoff a couple of them in a sitting and then long for more.

I am constantly watching food programmes on t.v.  If I have a lazy day to myself I would happily watch them from morning until night and it doesn't matter if I have seen them before, I always learn something new.  On one such lazy day recently I was watching Ina Garten and she made some coconut macaroons.  I didn't scribble down the recipe as it was fairly straightforward but later that day made my own batch using her recipe as a rough guide.  The result was amazing.  I had to stop myself from scoffing the lot and was so glad to see my husband tuck into a few with his evening cup of tea.  The more he ate the less that were left to go straight on my hips the next day.  They are super easy to make and so much nicer than the shop bought version (sorry Mr. Crimble).  I see many macaroons in my future.  Nom!

250g/10oz Dessicated Coconut
1 x tin (397g) Condensed Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
3 large Egg Whites
A pinch of salt
50g Milk Chocolate
50g Plain Chocolate

1.  Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.  Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
2.  Place the dessicated coconut, condensed milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix to combine.
3.  In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites and salt using a hand held electric whisk until they form soft peaks.
4.  Fold half of the egg whites into the coconut mix.  Fold in the second half of the egg whites.
5.  Using an ice cream scoop(or a couple of tablespoons) drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. 
6.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Turn the baking sheet and bake for a further 15 minutes. (You don't necessarily have to turn the baking sheet half way through but I found mine were going to brown down one side and not the other).  Remove from the oven when golden brown and allow to cool.

7.  Break the milk and dark chocolate into a heat proof bowl.  Melt over a pot of simmering water.  Stir when melted to combine and dip the base of each macaroon in until evenly coated.  Place back onto the baking sheet upside down until the chocolate has set.  Enjoy!

Flourless Brownies(GF) & Gluten Free Baking

During my blogging year(and a bit) I have become much more aware of the food I eat.  Whilst I always appreciated a good meal and loved to cook up a storm in the kitchen I didn't always think about the food I was eating and it's journey to my table.  Now I am more adventurous in my choices, willing to try flavours and textures I would have refused before.  I also choose my ingredients with a lot more care and with more curiosity as to where it has come from.  I ask my butcher lots of questions about cuts of meat and am happy to try those cuts that for a long time have been out of favour.  I'm not sure why they became unfashionable as they are so delicious.  I also check labels when buying fresh fruit and veg to see if items are locally grown and where Irish grown produce is available it beats imported items into my shopping basket.

Not only am I more aware of the food choices I make but also those of others.  I read so many inspiring Irish and also international food blogs, bursting full of fabulous ideas and each with it's own unique style.  Some embrace food in all it's guises but others focus on food governed by lifestyle choices or dietary restrictions.  Through my blog I have become more aware of coeliac disease, and am quite surprised that the number of people affected is much higher than I had previously thought.  As it is something that I am not faced with in my day to day baking for family and friends I never really gave it much thought, but having encountered queries and comments relating to the blog I decided to educate myself a little so that I could attempt to offer some gluten free recipes on the blog.

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which affects the gut and other parts of the body.  It causes the body to attack itself when gluten is eaten.  Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley & rye, is what gives elasticity to bread and spring to cakes.  Some people can also be affected by oats.  To treat coeliac disease people diagnosed must stick to a gluten free diet and avoid foods such as breads, cereals, flours, pastas, pizza bases, biscuits, cakes and pastry as these are the most obvious sources of gluten.  It is also advisable to avoid oats as they can become cross contaminated with other grains. 

As most baked goods require flour in some shape or form those with coeliac disease can find the choice of baked goods very limiting.  On the side bar of the blog I have added a new 'Gluten Free Treats' button, if you click on it it will link to a page that contains all of the gluten free recipes from the blog so far.  I have only started to explore the world of gluten free baking but will make an effort to post some more gluten free options and also some specifically gluten free recipes throughout the year.  I hope this is of interest to some of you and I would love your feedback on this in the comments. 

For more information please check out Coeliac Society of Ireland.  Also, if you would like to try some gluten free baking I have found Seriously Good! Gluten Free-Baking by Phil Vickery to be a really fantastic book.  It is full of information and has a great range of recipes to keep you very busy in the kitchen. 

IMPORTANT
It is very important for you to check that the brand of certain products eg. baking powder that you use is gluten free as products can become cross contaminated during production.  If you are a member of the Coeliac Society of Ireland you will receive an annual Food List with details of gluten free products and brands.  Also you can check all ingredient lists on food packaging and avoid anything that clearly states it contains wheat.  Some products also provide allergy information on their packaging which would state if the item is gluten free. 

Flourless Brownies

I was going to start off with something boring like a bread or scones but as I haven't made it to my local health food shop yet to stock up on specialist flours yet I decided to see what I could rustle up with the contents of my baking press.  Luckily for you and me I settled on brownies as I knew that as they are a flat tray bake substituting ground almonds for flour shouldn't cause too many problems.  I was pretty impressed with the results and when I asked Mr. Boo's opinion and he said they were the best brownie's he had ever tasted I knew I was onto a winner.  He is my harshest critic, especially when it comes to chocolate treats so his was high praise indeed.  He enjoyed his taster bite so much he polished off 2 whole brownies with his cup of tea.  I hope you enjoy them just as much.  Be warned though, they are extremely gooey and delicious.

(makes 12-15 depending on the size you cut the squares)

200g/7oz Unsalted butter, diced
250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Ground Almonds
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Preheat the oven to 160C/F/Gas Mark .  Line a brownie tray with foil.
2.  Place the butter into a pan and set over a medium heat until melted.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring occasionally until melted.

3.  In a separate bowl whisk the caster sugar and eggs using a hand held whisk until creamy.

4.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and mix gently until well combined.

5.  Sieve in the ground almonds and the cocoa powder(you may need to give the last of the almonds a helping hand through the sieve) and again gently mix through to combine.

6.  Pour into the prepared tray and smooth out.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

  There should be a thin crisp layer on the top and the brownie should still have some wobble. 

7.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from the tray and cutting into yummy scrummy gooey squares of heaven.  Enjoy.

CPM: Chocolate, Peanuts & Marshmallow (GF)

*Before we get started, apologies for the atrocious pictures in this post, I was feeling a bit lazy. Soz!*

I was watching Food Network the other day, not like me I know, when this popped up.  It was one of those snippets of a Food Network chef talking about 'The best thing I ever tasted...'.  You know the ones I mean.  The theme for this particular one was sugar and Chef Duff from Charm City Cakes was in the hot seat. 

I wasn't paying too much attention to him as I was also scribbling something or other onto a piece of paper at the same time.  I very rarely just do one thing at a time, I always have one eye here and t'other there.  It's just the way I like to roll.  Even when I look like I am only concentrating on the task at hand my brain is generally 2 hours ahead thinking of the next thing I intend to do.  Anyhoo, I digress.  My attention turned solely to the tv when the chef who had created Duff's favourite dessert started to describe it.

First you pop 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream into the bottom of a glass, then you scatter on some sweetened peanuts, follow that up with a layer of chocolate ganache and then top the lot with some warm marshmallow fluff.  Naturally at that stage I found myself on my knees licking the tv screen. (Note to self, dust the tv.) 

I was giddy with excitement at the prospect of recreating this sweet confection and kept dreaming about it for the 24 hours that followed, so last night I gave in and made it before dinner.  I know, I shouldn't have but I was alone in the house and it was a good hour and a half before dinner so I did it.  This is one of my favourite things about being an adult, you can decide what to eat and when and if you want to eat dessert before dinner, you can go right ahead and do it!

As this was not part of an actual cookery show there was no recipe to accompany it.  The following is a rough guide:

CPM: Chocolate, Peanuts & Marshmallow
(the following quantities are for one serving but can very easily be multiplied)

*** NB Check that the brand of marshmallows you use are gluten free if making for someone with coeliac disease***

2tbsp Salted Peanuts
A squeeze of Honey
A handful of white Mini Marshmallows
4tbsp of Milk
3 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
3-4tbsp of Chocolate Sauce

1.  An hour in advance of assembly place the peanuts into a small bowl.  Squeeze over just enough honey to coat them all evenly.  Cover and set aside until required.
2.  Place the mini marshmallows and milk into a small saucepan and set over a low heat to melt.

3.  While you are waiting for the marshmallows to melt remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften slightly.
4.  Once the marshmallows have melted remove them from the heat. 

5.  Place the 3 scoops of ice cream into the glass.  Flatten down with the back of a spoon.  Spoon the peanuts on top of the ice cream.  Cover the peanuts with the chocolate sauce.  Finally, cover the chocolate sauce with the melted marshmallow. 

6.  Grab a BIG spoon.  Lock yourself in a room on your own and dig in.  It is very important to get a bit of each layer in every spoonful.  Trust me, you will be glad you did.  Enjoy!

Notes:

• I had no vanilla ice cream in the house so used a homemade honeycomb one I had been meaning to taste.  It worked perfectly and I will post the recipe for that soon.
• Marshmallow fluff is not something that is readily available here.  I know Avoca sell a jar of pink marshmallow fluff but I think the melted marshmallow I used worked perfectly well.  Actually, I know it worked perfectly well because it was feckin delicious.
• I used a shop bought chocolate sauce but feel free to make your own ganache if you wish.  If I was serving it as a dessert I would most probably opt for a homemade version.

Natasha's Living Food: Raw Dark Chocolates with Sweet Chillis

On Saturday Mr Boo and I decided to head into the Temple Bar Market in Meeting House Square.  It had been a while since we were last there and a few changes had occured.  The main one being the large marquee or canopy that now shelters the majority of the area from the elements.  There were also some new stall holders present and the one that caught my eye was Natasha's Living Food.

The very nice lady in attendance explained the concept behind the food and offered us some samples to try.  I decided to buy a box of chilli choRaw Dark Chocolates with Sweet Chilli to try out at home later on.  As I may have mentioned once or twice I am a huge chocolate fan but I am more drawn to milk varieties for eating, saving plain varieties for baking, so I was very interested to taste the little box in my hand.  The chocolates are made from Organic Raw Cacao Beans, a rich source of antioxidants.  All of the ingredients used are organic.  They are gluten and dairy free so suitable for vegans and those with a gluten intolerance.

The box contained 4 chocolates and cost €5.  Mr Boo treated me.  At €1.25 a piece you might be thinking they are a bit on the pricey side but I think once you read the list of ingredients inside you can justify that.  The packaging is very nice, clean and simple.  The information card contained within the box is very comprehensive and gives a great overview of the ingredients contained within the product.  The chocolate themselves look very tempting with a nice hint of the chilli within visible on the top of each sweet.

Now for the taste test.  The chocolate is slightly bitter, with a sweetness that comes through as it melts on your tongue.  The bitter and sweet together combine to give a great depth of flavour.  The chilli comes through as an after taste almost, and is not at all over powering.  The texture fell somewhere between a truffle and a solid chocolate.  Not quite soft enough to be classed as a truffle but yet, a little too crumbly to be a solid chocolate.

I think fans of bitter plain chocolate (70% or more) would really enjoy these chocolates.  I am a big fan of the chilli/chocolate combo so these get a thumbs up from me.  If you are a chocolate lover who is trying to cut down on consumption I think these would make a great treat option.  I have found 1 of these a day has been enough to satisfy my insatiable chocolate cravings.  I bought them on Saturday and still have on left (has never happened EVER in this house).  An added bonus is that they are choc full of healthy ingredients with health benefits so a win win situation if ever there was one.  I will definitely treat myself to a box the next time I visit the market.  If you try them out I hope you enjoy them too. 

Lemon Curd (GF)

The weather has been glorious this week in Dublin and so I have been pushing heavy chocolatey recipes to the back of my mind in favour of zesty, fruity flavours perfect for the sun.  (Although I might sneak in a light chocolate something or other at the end of the week.)  Anyhoo, having enjoyed the delicious pineapple and mint concotion I made the other day I decided something similarly fresh and zesty would be very welcome while temperatures remain in the high teens.  I wanted something quick and easy to make that I can keep in the fridge to whip up simple desserts while the sun keeps us company.  This hit the spot perfectly, it was made in 15 mins and only required one pot so there was minimal washing up required.  Serve with scones, pancakes, ginger cake, meringue, mix into some icecream, smear on some brioche or biccies.  The possibilities are endless. Enjoy.

Lemon Curd
Makes 3 x 1lb/350ml Capacity Jars

Grated Zest & Juice of 4 large, juicy Lemons
4 Large Eggs
12oz/350g Caster Sugar
8oz/225g Unsalted Butter, at room temp and cut into small pieces
1 Heaped tbsp Cornflour

1.  In a medium sized saucepan whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients and place over a medium heat.
3.  Use the balloon whisk to whisk continuosly until the mixture thickens.
4.  Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for a further minute, continue to whisk.
5.  Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the hot sterilised jars.*
6.  Cover with waxed discs (you can buy these in baking supply stores but if you don't have any use some greaseproof paper), seal while still hot and allow to cool before labelling.

7.  Store in a cool place and this will keep for weeks.

* Wash the jars in hot water and then dry out in an oven at 100°C/212°F/Gas Mark 1/4 for 15 mins, fill and seal while hot to create a sterile vacuum seal.  Alternatively wash on a hot cycle in the dishwasher without detergent.

I halved the above recipe without a problem and used 1 jar, I did mean to fill the jar with water and measure it's capacity but forgot in my excitement and only remembered after I had sterilised it.  I was too lazy and impatient to sterilize the far again so didn't take the measurement, sorry.  I am going to give this jar to my dad as part of his Fathers day presents as I know he will love it, so I will make another half quantity of the above recipe to live in my fridge for a few weeks.

Mint Pineapple (GF)

I paid a visit to my local supermarket yesterday afternoon to pick up some ingredients for dinner.  When I walked in the door a gaggle of pineapples all bunched together on display caught my attention, so I decided to give one of them a home.  Donal Skehan had put thoughts of a scrummy chicken and broccoli pasta dish with creamy sauce into my head for dinner and I thought a nice light sweet treat would be perfect afterwards.  I had spotted a recipe for pineapple with mint a while back and as the weather was so fabulously sunny I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Mint Pineapple
Serves 4

1 Ripe Pineapple
4 Heaped tbsp Caster Sugar
1 Handful Fresh Mint

1.  Cut the pineapple into rounds. 
2.  Take each slice and trim off the skin. 
3.  Cut into halves and then quarters. 
4.  Remove the harder core area from each quarter piece. 
5.  Cut each quarter in half again.  Arrange the pieces on one large serving dish or individual plates.
6.  Place the caster sugar into a pestle and mortar.
7.  Roughly chop the mint and add to the pestle and mortar.
8.  Pound the sugar and mint in the pestle and mortar for approximately 1 minute, the sugar will change colour and a delicious aroma will be released.
9.  Sprinkle the mint sugar over the pineapple and enjoy.

This is really delicious, light and refreshing.  It would make an ideal dessert to round off a heavy or a spicy meal and would be perfect on hot summer days or nights.  This would also be a lovely day time snack as it would feel like a treat without any of the guilt of being calorie laden (imagine how lovely it would be to open your lunch box in work and find this inside).  It could also be served with natural yoghurt, greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.

Chocolate Macarons (GF)

Ever since Laduree set up camp inside the door of Brown Thomas I have been a little obsessed.  I have seen and heard of macarons many times before but not since coming face to glass with them have they been paid a second, third, fourth thought.  I still have not yet managed to purchase any.  This strange thing happens every time I walk through the doors and see them there all lined up, little pastel bundles of gorgeousness.  My brain ends up in a tizzy, not knowing which ones to choose and then all flustered I walk past into the beauty hall to buy myself another blusher or similar to calm my nerves. 

I have also been stalking them online, researching recipes and reading about all of the pitfalls that come with making them at home.  Some recipes and websites actually really turned me off attempting them at home but I persevered and found a recipe with no warnings of fatalities or other such atrocities just an easy breezy approach.  How difficult could it be so?

I tried the recipe yesterday and while they weren't a complete success in that they didn't have 'feet' and they didn't rise quite as much as I would have liked, they were completely yum and had the most delicious consistency.  The shell was not crisp, but not soft, kind of chewy but not a bad chewy.  Obviously I have no idea how to describe them properly other than to say 'feet' or no 'feet' they were totally scrumptious and devoured in no time. (I actually made myself feel a little sick because I ate too many)

If you fancy trying them out the recipe is below, let me know how you get on if you do try them.  I will make them again and update this post if and when I perfect them!

Chocolate Macarons

3 Egg Whites
2tbsp Caster Sugar
200g Icing Sugar
120g Ground Almonds
3tbsp Cocoa Powder

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread to sandwich the macarons together

1.   Preheat the oven to 130C/
2.   Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
3.   In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
4.   Beat in the caster sugar.
5.   Fold in the sifted icing sugar, ground almonds and cocoa powder.
6.   Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain tube.
7.   Pipe 30 small (approx. 3cm diameter) macaroons onto the lined baking trays.  Tap the baking trays on the work surface to spread the macaroons slightly.
8.   Lightly dust with cocoa powder and allow to sit for 15-20 mins to allow a skin to form on them.
9.   Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 mins.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for approx 5 mins before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
11. Once completely cooled spread some chocolate hazelnut spread onto them and sandwich two together.

Notes:

If you happen to be daydreaming when you are separating your eggs and forget that this is in fact what you are doing and throw the whole egg into the bowl, if the yolk remains intact simply use its shell to scoop it out without ruining your whites.  The shell makes this task much easier than a spoon.

If they come out of the oven and they have not risen sufficiently or do not have feet, DO NOT bin them, they will be perfectly delicious so enjoy them.

To fill your piping bag:
Place the nozzle into a tall glass and fold the ends back over the top of the glass.  This will give you a wider opening than if you simply spread it over your hand and as you fill the bag it will be easier to control it and stop it slipping from your hand.  If you are proficient at filling piping bags ignore me completely.

Peanut Butter Cups (GF)

Probably my favourite place in the world (aside from home) is New York.  I have been every year since 2004 and think were I confined to one holiday in a year that it would be my destination of choice everytime.  I don't think I could sum up it's attraction in one word or even 20 for that matter, it just has a hold over me that draws me back time and time again. 

The excitement at the moment the shiny black limo emerges from the tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan has yet to fade.  Stepping from the car to the pavement and taking that first glimpse of the sky high buildings all around, and being greeted by name by the hotels concierge, as though you are an old friend returned, fills me with a great sense of belonging to a city so far from home.  The city just intoxicates me.  Invades every ounce of my being and assaults each of my senses.  From the blinding lights of Times Square, the smell of pretzels wafting from the carts of street vendors, the noise of a million (well maybe not a million but close) honking horns emanating from yellow cabs, the heat rising from street vents above the subway and the (imagined) taste of delicious confections lined up in bakery windows as I pass by (we usually save sampling the wares for Billy's Bakery in Chelsea). 

I love to walk the streets of New York hand in hand with my gorgeous man, pounding the concrete of familiar block after block and spotting new little gems that have evaded our sight on past visits.  I have been in both the depths of winter, -15°C, and the height of summer, 28°C, but I cannot say which I prefer as both have their merits.  I love the ritual of layering up in winter before venturing out to snowy sidewalks, entering a bar or restaurant for some much needed heat rosy cheeked, stripping off the 50 million layers and savouring the warmth of the room and the people all around.  Equally, I love the freedom of waking in the morning during summer and slipping on a delicate flowing summer dress before venturing out into the stifling heat (serioulsy, not a breath to be had) and walking the streets frappucino in hand or braving the oven like temperatures (and rather unsavoury smell) of the subway.  The antidote to such extreme temperatures, an ice cold mojito guzzled on a roof top bar enjoying the cities skyline from a birds eye view.

Each visit is planned with much anticipation at the prospect of visiting favourite haunts yet again and also trying new eateries and bars and seeing the city from a slightly different angle.  One favourite haunt that is never snubbed in favour of a new and shiny upgrade is the Hershey store in Times Square.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of American chocolate.  I know, I know, I'm sorry to any stateside readers, but it is not to my liking.  It is a bit on the sweet side and doesn't possess that deliciously rich creamy luxury of it's European counterparts.  I am however, rather partial to a box of Milk Duds and a mountain or 3 of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  I know these are available in Ireland now but I still can't step foot back on the plane without at least a months stash safely stowed in my suitcase.  Between visits to tide me over sometimes, there is nothing else for it other than to whip up a batch with my very own hands.  For the know how keep on reading.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

for the base:

50g Soft Brown Sugar
200g Icing Sugar
50g Soft Butter
200g Smooth Peanut Butter

for the topping:

200g Milk Chocolate (chopped)
100g Dark Chocolate (chopped)

also required 45-50 paper petit-four cases (teeny tiny cup cake cases in other words)

1.  In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, icing sugar, butter and peanut butter using an electric whisk until the mixture is the consistency of a sandy paste.

sorry, forgot to take a picture of this mixed together

2.  Using clean hands place a teaspoon size disc of the paste into the bottom of the petit-four cases (I used a melon baller and a teaspoon to do this instead.  You should have enough mixture to fill between 45 and 50 cases).  Press the mixture down to form a smooth layer in the bottom of the case and place the cases into the indentations of a mini muffin tin (if you don't have a mini muffin tin place the cases onto a flat baking sheet).

3.  Melt both chocolates in a heat proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water).

4.  Stir the melted chocolate together to combine and set aside to allow to cool slightly.
5.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into the petit-four cases covering the sandy base.

6.  Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes before devouring.