EPIPHANY CAKE: Mary Berry's Chocolate Twelfth Night King Cake!

The Twelve Days of Christmas comes to an end tomorrow with Epiphany. For many centuries this involved a feast, including the King Cake. Whoever found the bean hidden inside was the Lord of Misrule until midnight. 

This version of Twelfth Night King Cake is made from puff pastry and filled with almond and chocolate cream. Serve warm, decorated with a gold paper crown for the Lord or Lady of Misrule to wear for the night. This recipe for King Cake comes from the Queen of Cakes, Mary Berry! And, what's more fitting for a King Cake than Chocolate?

No time to make this? Make a chocolate bundt cake and put a bean or chocolate coin inside.  Use a 'castle' shaped Bundt pan.

MARY BERRY'S CHOCOLATE TWELFTH NIGHT KING CAKE

Makes one large tart: 

Measurements are UK..but you can easily convert to US with an online calculator

Ingredients:

750g ready-made butter puff pastry, chilled 

For the filling 

100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped 
100g unsalted butter, softened 100g caster sugar 
1 large free-range egg, plus 1 yolk, at room temperature 
100g ground almonds 
50g flaked almonds 
 ¼ teaspoon almond extract

100g sugar 
1 ceramic or dried bean  (or chocolate coin! After all, this is a chocolate blog!)
beaten egg, to glaze 
1 baking sheet, lined with baking paper 

Directions:

Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured worktop until slightly thinner than a pound coin. Cut out a round about 24 cm in diameter. Set on the lined baking sheet and cover with clingfilm. Roll out the rest of the pastry in the same way and cut a second round. Set this on top of the clingfilm, then cover the whole lot with clingfilm. Chill while making the filling. 

Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of steaming hot but not boiling water (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the hot water). Leave to melt gently. Remove the bowl from the pan. Stir the chocolate until smooth, then leave to cool. 

Beat the butter until creamy with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Beat in the sugar, then beat thoroughly until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Beat the egg with the yolk until just combined, then gradually add to the butter mixture a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. When the mixture is very light in colour and texture gently, stir in the ground almonds, flaked almonds and almond extract followed by the cooled chocolate. Cover the bowl and chill for 15 to 20 minutes. 

When ready to assemble uncover the pastry, and remove the top round and clingfilm. Spoon the chocolate filling onto the pastry round on the baking sheet, mounding it slightly in the middle, and leaving a 2 cm border uncovered all around the edge. Push the bean into the filling, not too close to the centre.

Brush the pastry border with beaten egg, then gently lay the second pastry round over the filling. Press the edges firmly together to seal. Holding a small knife blade at right angles to the side of the pastry, ‘knock up’ the edge all around by making small indentations in the pastry. Then scallop the edge by pulling the indentations in at 2 cm intervals with the back of the knife. Brush the top of the pastry very lightly with beaten egg to glaze and chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/425F/gas 7

Brush the top a second time with the beaten egg glaze, then score a diamond pattern with the tip of a sharp knife. Make a couple of small steam holes in the centre. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool slightly before serving. 

TIP: Remember to tell guests to look out for the inedible bean!

Cartoon of the Day: Biscuits

 

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES DAY: Recipes and History

Life is just a Bowl of Chocolate Covered Cherries! Because there's nothing quite like a chocolate covered cherry, I thought I'd post 4 recipes for Chocolate Covered Cherries Day. Don't have time to make these? Buy your favorite chocolate covered cherries to celebrate!

When I was growing up, I always wanted the chocolate covered cherries in the Whitman Sampler Box. Although there was a diagram on the inside lid of the box of the types of chocolates, my sister would often move the cherry ones, our favorites. Then, she'd leisurely eat them, knowing that they were mis-marked, without anyone claiming them. Oh, childhood!

Some history of Chocolate Covered Cherries: According to National Day, in the 1700s in England, cherries were enrobed in chocolate with a little kirsch liqueur. After finding their way to the United States, Americans received them quite well, delighting in the little bit of alcoholic cordial surrounding the fruit dipped in chocolate. Although originally made with the liqueur, cordials/chocolate covered cherries are more commonly made with a sugar syrup flavored with cherries. The pitted cherries have been cooked in sugar syrup and jarred.

I can buy fresh cherries in January at Berkeley Bowl, my favorite produce market here in Berkeley, but if you're a locavore, you may not want to buy Chilean Cherries or maybe they're not available where you live, so I've also provided recipes for dried or maraschino cherries. If you decide to use maraschino cherries, be sure and dry them thoroughly or your chocolate will seize. And, if you're using maraschino cherries, save the juice from the jar to make the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail in this post! My favorite jarred cherries are Chukar Cherries. So many varieties. Any of these recipes would be great for Valentine's Day, so bookmark this page!

1. Chocolate Covered Fresh Cherries

Personally I like dark chocolate with cherries, but if you're a milk chocolate fan, go for it! As always, use the very best quality, organic, fair trade chocolate! Hint: If the melted chocolate starts to harden  before you’re done dipping, put it back on the stove for a few minutes and give it a good stir.

Ingredients
8 ounces chocolate (I use Guittard 65%)
1/2 pound fresh, sweet cherries

Directions
Wash and dry cherries.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or in saucepan over saucepan over simmering water.
Stir chocolate until completely melted and smooth.
Remove chocolate from heat.
Grab each cherry by stem and dip into chocolate. Swirl cherry clockwise, coating bottom 3/4. It's always nice to see the cherry showing at the top.
Place cherry on parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining cherries.
Place in refrigerator until chocolate hardens.
If not eating right away, put chocolate covered cherries in covered container and keep in refrigerator for a few days.

2. Chocolate Covered Marschino Cherries

Use the above recipe with maraschino cherries. Just be sure and dry cherries thoroughly before dipping.

3. Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries

Ingredients
8 ounces Dark or Milk Chocolate
1 cup dried Cherries (Chukar or Trader Joe's)

Directions
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in double boiler as above or glass bowl in microwave. Once melted, remove from heat.
Add cherries to chocolate. Stir until coated.
Remove clumps of coated dried cherries with two forks or slotted spoon (this works very well), shaking off excess chocolate on side of bowl. Transfer to lined baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.
Store in refrigerator.

Feel like something alcoholic to celebrate National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day? Want to drink your Chocolate Covered Cherries?

And here's a fourth easy recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherries from Santa Barbara Chocolate

4. Easy Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients
60 maraschino cherries with stems
3 tablespoons butter softened
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 pounds candy-making chocolate

Directions
Drain cherries thoroughly on paper towel. Combine butter, corn syrup, and salt. Stir in powdered sugar; knead mixture till smooth (chill mixture if too soft).
Shape 2 teaspoon of the sugar mixture around each cherry. Place coated cherries on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper (or parchment paper), chill.
In a heavy 1 quart saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly (use the microwave on low to melt more quickly). Holding by the stems, dip coated cherries, one at a time, into chocolate coating. Spoon chocolate over cherries to coat to ensure the center is fully encased. Place cherries on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper (or parchment paper). Chill. Store in refrigerator in a covered container. Let candies ripen in refrigerator for one or two weeks before serving.....If you can wait!

***

Want to drink your Chocolate Covered Cherries? 

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail

Fill a tall glass with ice.
Add 1/2 ounce Bailey's, 1/2 ounce Kahlua.
Add a few drops maraschino cherry juice.
Shake.
Strain into another glass with ice.
Add a Chocolate Covered Maraschino Cherry for garnish!

***

And here are some retro Chocolate Covered Cherries Ads.. Enjoy!

Cartoon of the Day: The New Leaf

NEW YEAR'S DAY: DEEP SOUTH PEANUT PIE: Retro 1940s Karo Syrup Ad

O.K. this is a very creepy Retro 1940s Karo Syrup Advertisement, but since it features the Karo Kid as a New Year's baby, I thought I'd post it. I love Peanut Pies. Add a Chocolate Cookie Crust, and I'm in heaven. Peanuts and Chocolate -- a great way to start the New Year.

DEEP SOUTH PEANUT PIE

Ingredients
2 eggs beaten
1 cup Karo Syrup, Blue Label (dark syrup)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup shelled, roasted peanuts

Directions
Roll pastry 1/8-inch thick. Line 9-inch pie pan. Mix remaining ingredients together, adding peanuts last. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in hot oven (400˚F) 40 minutes or until a silver knife inserted in center of filling comes out clean.

To make Peanut Tarts:
Follow above recipe for De Luxe Peanut Pie using 1 recipe pastry. Line 6 to 8 individual tart shells. Pour in filling. Bake in hot oven (400˚F) 20 to 25 minutes.