CANDY CANE TRUFFLES: Two easy recipes for the Holidays

Candy Canes shout Christmas to me. I love chocolate and peppermint! You'll love these Candy Cane Truffles! What's better than homemade truffles? Here are two easy recipes for Candy Cane Truffles for gifts or to have around the house! And, if one recipe is good, two is better! Find the one you like best! As always, use the very best chocolate.

1. CANDY CANE TRUFFLES 

Ingredients
4 ounces soft cream cheese
2 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/3 cup crushed candy canes

Directions
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth.
Melt chopped chocolate in top of double boiler or saucepan over a saucepan over simmering water.
Add chocolate and peppermint extract to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and combined. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Scoop chocolate with melon baller or two spoons and hand roll into balls.
Roll balls in crushed candy canes.

And, here's a second Candy Cane Truffle recipe that I really love. It's from Hungry Girl por Vida. What's cool about it, besides the fact that the Truffles are delicious, is that it's made into little cubes rather than balls. Perfect for dropping into a hot cup of milk or cocoa! 

2. CANDY CANE TRUFFLES
 
Ingredients
4 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 candy canes, crushed

Directions
Line small loaf pan with parchment, set aside.
Put chocolate in medium bowl and set aside.
Heat cream in small saucepan over medium-low heat to scald (just before it boils, there will be little bubbles around the edges of the pan).
Pour hot cream over chocolate and cover for about 5 minutes.
Remove cover and stir until smooth.
Stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts until combined.
Pour chocolate mixture into loaf pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces and allow to cool to room temperature.
Chill in refrigerator until firm, 30-60 minutes.
Remove from pan and cut into cubes.

Cubes can be added to hot milk to make Cocoa or eat as you would truffles..or give as a gift to friends!

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CHRISTMAS CAKE

Who says Guinness is just for St Patrick's Day? Guinness has a long history as a Christmas baking ingredient -- from truffles to cupcakes to brownies to cake! I've posted several Guinness Cake recipes, but here's a new one for this year's holiday. As always use the very best ingredients. Decorate this fabulous chocolate cake with holiday designs or mistletoe (don't eat the mistletoe). Save the recipe for St. Paddy's Day!

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CHRISTMAS CAKE

Ingredients 

Cake 
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups Guinness
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream

Ganache 
16 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Guinness
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

Cake 
With rack in middle position, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour sides.
In  bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with beer and cocoa powder, stirring with whisk. Let cool. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar and salt. With whisk, add lukewarm butter mixture alternately with dry ingredients and eggs. Add sour cream and stir until mixture is smooth.
Divide batter between pans and bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of each cake comes out clean. Turn out cakes and let cool.

Ganache 
Place chocolate in bowl. Set aside. In saucepan, bring beer, cream and syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute. With whisk, gently stir mixture until chocolate has completely melted. Add butter and stir until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ganache is spreadable but not too thick. If needed, microwave a few seconds at a time and stir until spreadable.
Cut and discard rounded tops of each cake.
Spread one-quarter of ganache onto one layer. Top with second cake layer and frost with remaining ganache.
Decorate with holiday designs or mistletoe (don't eat the mistletoe-it's poisonous).

Happy Hanukkah! Shmaltz Brewing Company's Hanukkah Offerings

Here's something unique and fab for your Chanukah celebrations, and you'll have 8 days to try these!...and later, too.

Shmaltz Brewing Company officially turns 24 this Hanukkah season and celebrates with the national release of a brand new Golden Jelly Doughnut Pastry Ale brewed with 600 pounds per batch of real purees of Raspberry & Cherry with a generous slathering of pure vanilla. Hanukkah Beer is all new for 2020 and is a glorious homage to the beloved Sufganiyot dessert (now available in 12 oz. can 4-Packs and limited draft). 

In mid-December 2020, Shmaltz also launches HE'BREW: #RBG IPA, a tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a delayed International Women's Collaboration Brew Day along with Moustache Brewing.

This should perk up your Hannukah! 

Check out Shmaltz Brewing's Facebook Page for more fun! 

Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established Shmaltz Brewing in San Francisco in 1996. The first 100 cases of He'brew Beer® were hand-bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area from the back of his Grandmother's Volvo. Shmaltz Brewing now sells across 25 states, through 40 wholesalers and in nearly 5,000 retailers. 

 

CHRISTMAS CRISCO CAKE: Two Retro Ads with Recipes

Crisco was standard in our pantry when I was growing up, and I've posted about Crisco several times on this blog. Here's a Retro Crisco Christmas Cake Ad --but since this is a chocolate blog, I'm also posting the 'same' Retro Advertisemnt for a Crisco Chocolate Cake. Everything in the Ad is pretty much the same, except the color and frosting. Very Retro Advertising.

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CRISCO CAKE

STEP 1 — Measure (all measurements level): 2 cups sifted cake flour, 1-2/3 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons soda, 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup Crisco, 3 squares melted chocolate, 2/3 cup milk. Mix thoroughly by hand (300 strokes) or by mixer (medium speed) for 2 minutes.

STEP 2 — Add 2/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 eggs (2/3 cup). Mix thoroughly another 2 minutes. Pour batter into two 9″ layer pans (1-1/2″ deep) which have been “Criscoed” or lined with paper. (For smaller pans, fill half full, bake remaining batter in cup cakes.)

Bake in moderate oven 350°F. about 35-40 minutes.