Peanut Butter & Jelly Truffles: National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day!

When I was growing up, if a child didn't eat the school or camp lunch, out came the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Gluten and peanut allergies were never considered. But, I was a finicky eater as a child, and I didn't like peanut butter and jelly. I often went without lunch, although I never said anything. I just gave the sandwiches away. Plenty of kids wanted them. Even now, although I love jelly, and I love peanut butter, I don't like the combination. Unless, of course, there's chocolate!

So for today's food holiday, National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day, here's a simple recipe for Peanut Butter & Jelly Truffles. There are other recipes out there, but I love this one!

PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY TRUFFLES

Ingredients
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup grape jelly
Chopped peanuts

Directions
Put cream cheese in bowl.
Melt chocolate and stir into bowl of cream cheese.
Add peanut butter.
Mix together on low speed.
Put mixture into square 8" dish. Spread evenly and chill in fridge for an hour.
Using melon baller or spoon, scoop out and then roll with hands into a ball.
Make a deep depression with thumb in each ball and fill with 1/4 tsp jelly.
Smooth over to seal jelly in ball.
Roll truffles in chopped peanuts.
Place on waxed paper and chill.
Keep in refrigerator until ready to eat.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE BROWNIES: 4 Recipes

If you observe Passover, you won't be eating any leavened food products during the holiday which lasts 8 days. So in terms of chocolate baking you need to tweak some things, starting with not using flour. This doesn't mean you can't have Chocolate Cake, Brownies, or Cookies ..  it's just an adjustment. And, if you're gluten-free, you'll love the first recipe. Baking without flour shouldn't be a problem (there's always matzo meal), and these recipes are great any time, not just for Passover.

So for Passover week, here are 4 different recipes for Passover Brownies. Try all the recipes and let me know which you like best. Do you have your own favorite recipe for Passover Brownies? Be sure and share in comments.

These first two recipes I adapted from recipes I found on Chowhound in 2008.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #1

Ingredients
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (not chocolate chips)
8 ounces finely chopped or ground almonds (or almond flour)
Pinch of salt

Directions
Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in egg yolks.
Melt chocolate over double boiler (or over saucepan over saucepan with simmering water). Cool and add to butter mixture. Add finely ground almonds.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter.
Pour into 9" square greased baking tin.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45-50 min.
Cool and cut into squares.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #2

Ingredients
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup of matzo cake meal
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup DARK cocoa
3 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Mix oil and sugar.
Add eggs and mix again.
Sift matzo cake meal and cocoa together and add to mixture.
Fold in nuts and mix thoroughly.
Grease 8 x 8 pan and pour in batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cool and cut in squares.

This third recipe is originally from Gourmet 2000 ( Epicurious). It calls for a Chocolate-Wine Glaze, and you might want to try that. I like my brownies unadulterated, but I've tried the chocolate-wine glaze, and it's delicious. Nothing quite like Chocolate and Manischewitz!

Passover Chocolate Brownies #3

Ingredients
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted margarine (if keeping brownies pareve) or butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 tsp finely grated fresh orange zest
3/4 cup matzo cake meal
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with wax paper or greased foil.
Melt chocolate and margarine (or butter) in metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Beat eggs, sugar, and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on high until pale and thick. Beat in chocolate in 3 batches on low speed. Stir in zest, matzo meal, and nuts just until blended.
Spread batter in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until firm and tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on rack, then invert onto a platter and remove paper or foil.
Cut into Squares.

Passover Chocolate Brownies #4

Ingredients
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, chopped)
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
2 Tbsp unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
2 Tbsp potato starch
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch square baking dish.
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler or in saucepan on top of another saucepan with simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
In mixing bowl, stir together cake meal, cocoa powder, and potato starch.
Combine eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until light and creamy – about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth, then add cake meal mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Batter is thick.
Fold in chopped nuts and spread in prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or just until entire surface has puffed slightly. Brownies will still be moist in center.
Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

I especially love Passover Brownies #4--very, very fudgy!!! Of course, always use high quality chocolate! It really makes a difference!!!

APRIL FOOL'S DAY GARDEN TRUFFLES!

Here's something fun to make for April's Fool's Day:

GARDEN TRUFFLES. These garden truffles are for planting - not for eating! April Fools!

I love to garden, and I love chocolate. These garden truffles are balls of clay, compost, and seed wrapped in a lovely "chocolate" package. They're perfect for the chocoholic--but don't eat them!

Seed balls aren't new, but this presentation is. The compost in the seed balls provides nutrients to the seeds and the clay holds it together and protects against insects. So toss them into the garden or indoor container. Find a sunny spot, add water, and watch them grow!

The first recipe is adapted from Heavy Petal, but I decorate differently. Since it's April Fool's Day, I love the idea of making 'faux truffles"today! It's a fun activity to do with kids, too!

GARDEN TRUFFLES #1

Ingredients
5 parts dry red art clay (you can buy this at the pottery store or nursery)
3 parts dry organic compost
1 part seed (wildflower, edible flowers, herbs? your choice-but use small seeds)
1 – 2 parts water
Candy cup/wrappers
Candy box
Ribbon
Coffee grounds or cinnamon (to roll some bon bons in--prevention against insects)

Directions
Measure out three parts of dry compost or soil. This provides a growing medium for the seeds.
Measure out five parts of dry powdered clay. Once mixed with water, the clay will hold the seed balls together.
Add one part seed.
Add one to two parts water, and combine. The mixture should be moist, but not wet. Add water as you go.
Roll the seed ball mix into balls 1-2 inches.
Roll some 'bon bons' in coffee grounds or cinnamon (good against insects and for variety in your 'display'
Set aside to dry (use cookie sheets) for a few days before storing or using.

To package: Put individual "Truffles" in candy cup/wrappers. Place in box and tie box with ribbon.

Don't have all the 'special' ingredients?  Here's another recipe!

GARDEN TRUFFLES #2

Mix up dirt from the garden with water so you have a smooth but grainy consistency. (kind of like cement).
Roll ball of mud and press into the shape you want with your gingers then poke a seed (seeds) into the center and seal with mud. Work into shape you want and smooth texture on top.
Put in candy wrapper cup.
Garnish: here's the fun part! Find some pieces of nature in the backyard and press in top (moss, leaves, etc)
Box up for presentation..

How to plant them? Just place them on top of the soil in a sunny location. Don't bury them!

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE WALNUT COOKIES: Passover or Any Time!

Here's a recipe I post every year. These Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies are Perfect for Passover -- or anytime for anyone who's looking for a great Gluten-Free cookie.

This recipe is from pastry chef Francois Payard It's a delicious simple recipe for Passover or any time, and these cookies are Gluten-free. As always the quality depends on the cocoa! Thanks, Chef Francois, for the recipe and photo!

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Makes about twelve 4-inch cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt
2-3/4 cups walnuts, toasted, and roughly chopped
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Place racks in upper and bottom thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Combine cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and walnuts in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.

With mixer running, slowly add egg whites and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until mixture has slightly thickened. Do not overmix or egg whites will thicken too much.

With 2-ounce cookie or ice cream scoop or generous tablespoon, scoop batter onto prepared baking sheet, to make cookies that are 4 inches in diameter. Scoop 5 cookies on each pan, about 3 inches apart so they don’t stick when they spread. If you have extra batter, wait until first batch of cookies is baked before scooping next batch.

Put cookies in oven, and immediately lower temperature to 320°F. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until small thin cracks appear on surface of cookies. Switch pans halfway through baking. Pull  parchment paper with cookies onto wire cooling rack, and let cool completely before removing cookies from paper. Store in airtight container up to 2 days.

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François Payard is a third generation pastry chef, who, after honing his skills by his family’s side and in the finest pastry kitchens in France, moved to New York where he was named “Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation. Francois Payard has won numerous awards, such as the “Ordre du Mérite Agricole” by the French Government in 2004, he became a member of Relais Desserts International in 2006, an association of the 85 best pastry chefs in the world and in 2010 received the Dom Perignon Award of Excellence. 

Not just a chef, François is also the author of the popular cookbooks Bite Size: Elegant Recipes for Entertaining, Simply Sensational Desserts and Chocolate Epiphany: Exceptional Cookies, Cakes, and Confections for Everyone and PAYARD DESSERTS.