DIY Valentine's Truffles

A sweet Valentine's idea - stay in and make some decadent DIY truffles with your mate. So romantic (and decadent!) This is also be a fun party idea: have a mini 'make your own truffle' buffet. Serve with brandy, rum, red wine or whisky for the gentlemen. 

photo by David Lofus via Jamie Oliver

Amazing DIY Chocolate Truffles from Jamie Oliver

makes about 50 teaspoon-sized truffles

• 1 1/4 cups double cream
• a knob of unsalted butter
• finely grated zest from 1 clementine
• 10 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
• a pinch sea salt
• a splash of brandy
• a handful of mixed nuts (Brazil nuts, toasted almonds and hazelnuts)
• 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder, to serve
• 1 pack biscotti, to serve
• 1 bottle of Vin Santo, to serve

Put the cream in a pan over a medium heat and let it heat up. You don’t want it boiling, just hot. As soon as tiny bubbles start to appear, add the knob of butter and the clementine zest. Once the butter has melted, pour this hot mixture over the chocolate pieces, whisking as you go, so the chocolate melts nice and slowly. If the mixture splits slightly, don’t worry, you can bring it right by adding a splash of boiling water.

Add a pinch of salt to the mixture; the smallest pinch of salt actually makes chocolate taste even chocolatier! Stir in a splash of brandy.

Once completely melted and smooth, pour your melted chocolate mixture into a nice little serving dish or bowl. Pop this in the fridge for about 2 hours to set. You can always do this a few days before you need it if you want. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to make your truffles, pull the bowl out of the fridge and let the chocolate warm up to room temperature.

Put your mixed nuts into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to bash them up quite finely. Get some little saucers or bowls and put the nuts in one and your cocoa powder in the other. Put a teacup filled with boiled water on the tray and pop a few teaspoons in there for scooping the chocolate. Get everyone around the table to spoon their own truffles out of the serving dish and roll them in cocoa powder, crushed nuts or anything else you fancy. Or, you can let them smear their truffles over a biscotti like some posh Nutella! Serve with a few glasses of your chilled Vin Santo.

Inspiration Board: An English Garden Wedding Tea

Hello everyone! Its hard to believe I've been in London for almost a week and have another 10 weeks to go, I think surreal is the word I would use to describe the experience so far. Today is literally our first free day and we're thinking of doing a museum like the National Gallery or the Victoria and Albert, and tomorrow we take a day trip to Oxford, but I had to whip up something lovely to share with you all! Inspired by my new surroundings and the British love of tea - an English Garden Wedding Tea. The color palette is all spring - greens, peach, and just a touch of blush pink. I love the idea of an afternoon tea in a garden for a wedding reception - lush flowers, tea sandwiches, delightful cakes, scones with lemon curd and clotted cream... heavenly. In fact, I think in light of this board, we'll have to do an afternoon tea today! I've included a yummy orange-thyme madeleine recipe for you as well :)

Photo Credits: Clockwise from top left - tea and madelines {Tea Time magazine} 'dew drop' floral bolero {Claire Pettibone via Martha Stewart Weddings} hand-milled soap favors {Handmade Weddings} peach garden roses {Ariella Chezar, photography by Lisa Lefkowitz via Snippet & Ink} couple at garden gate {Melissa Musgrove Photography via Martha Stewart Weddings} dessert buffet {Nicole Hill Gerulat photography via Martha Stewart Weddings} apple, vines and garden roses table arrangement {Ariella Chezar, photography by Lisa Lefkowitz via Snippet & Ink} hanging lanterns {Lisa Lefkowitz via Snippet & Ink}

And for your own afternoon tea or shower, this madeleine recipe is perfection!

Orange-Thyme Madeleines

makes 2 ½ dozen

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 Madeleine pans with 2 tablespoons
butter. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 3/4 cup
butter until butter is brown and smells nutty, approximately 20
minutes. Strain butter through a mesh sieve lined with a paper
towel. Discard solids. Cool brown butter to room temperature.
Set aside.
• In a large bowl and using an electric mixer at medium-high
speed, combine eggs and salt, beating until thick and tripled
in volume, approximately 4 minutes. Increase mixer speed to
high. Add sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating until mixture
is thick and ribbonlike, approximately 3 minutes.
• Gently fold in thyme, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Fold in
reserved brown butter. Sift flour over egg mixture. Gently fold
flour into batter until just combined.
• Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling each well two-thirds to
three-quarters full. Bake until edges are golden brown, 12 to
14 minutes. Remove from oven, and unmold immediately onto
metal cooling racks. When cool, dust Madeleines with confectioners’
sugar.

recipe from Tea Time Magazine

Inspiration Board: Winter Citrus

Today's board is all about winter citrus with a punchy pink and a slate grey mixed in for some delightful juxtaposition. I love the time of winter when there is a bright spot of citrus in our homes, kitchens and recipes and I wanted to translate that into a wedding. Punchy, citrus colors in winter can make sense with this 'winter citrus' theme. The spark for this board came when I saw this orange blossom invite by Hello Hailey in the latest design challenge on Minted, and I knew it would go perfectly with the meyer lemon cake picture that I've been saving in a file for almost four years, just waiting for the perfect board to use it in.

Credits: Clockwise from top left - dessert buffet by Coco and Fig photo by Amy Majors Photography via Style Me Pretty, citrus arrangement from Design*Sponge, DIY branches ceremony arch from Martha Stewart Weddings, citrus cocktail bar from Martha Stewart Weddings, meyer lemon cake from Domino Magazine, bouquet from Design*Sponge, lemon cordial favors from Wedding Style Guide, orange blossom invitation by Hello Hailey via Minted

And I had to leave you with the delicious recipe for that meyer lemon cake from my favorite magazine, Domino.

Meyer Lemon Cake

From Domino Magazine, January 2007:

"A Meyer lemon cake is like a spot of sunshine at the end of a meal. We call this incredibly moist, dense cake "Pucker." There's lemon in the batter, the glaze and, of course, on top, so it's super-tart. And it's great the next day for breakfast."

Ingredients

For the cake

8 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated
1¼ cups sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 tbsp. Meyer lemon zest
2 cups cake flour
1¼ tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
For the glaze
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 and 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
For the candied Meyer lemon slices:
2 Meyer lemons
2 cups sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.

2. Melt butter in saucepan. Cool and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks with 1 cup of the sugar until thick and light in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in buttermilk, Meyer lemon juice and zest.

4. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.

5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Then add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half the flour mixture into egg-yolk mixture, followed by half the egg white mixture—so you don't deflate the batter. Repeat with remaining flour and egg white mixtures.

6. Take about 1 cup of the batter and stir it into melted butter. Gently fold butter mixture into the rest of the cake batter. Pour into a buttered and floured 9-inch cake pan or Bundt pan, and bake for about 50 to 60 minutes until cake is lightly brown and pulling slightly away from the edge of the pan.

7. While cake is baking, make glaze and candied Meyer lemon slices. For glaze, combine Meyer lemon juice and the confectioners' sugar in a saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. For the candied slices, cut Meyer lemons widthwise, in ¼ inch slices, and discard end pieces. Remove seeds. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer five minutes. Add lemon slices and simmer about five more minutes, until fruit is soft but not falling apart. With a slotted spoon, remove slices and place on waxed or parchment paper.

8. When the cake is baked, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then invert onto a cooling rack. With a long toothpick, poke the top of the cake to make about two dozen small deep holes. Slowly spoon the warm glaze over the cake, allowing to sink in before adding more. Poke extra holes if needed, eventually using all the glaze. Arrange the candied lemon slices in a random pattern on top. Cool the cake completely and serve.

Inspiration Board: Fall In Love

While looking for tablescape inspiration for Thanksgiving, I got inspired to do a fall/Thanksgiving wedding inspiration board instead. The color scheme is autumn splendor -golds, reds, oranges, yellows and greens, all the colors of nature in the fall, with a lovely cream and peach thrown in for good measure. I love the warm feel even though the air is crisp, hence the bride's adorable sweater. During cocktail hour guests are served apple cider martinis, goat cheese crostinis with apple and bacon jam and mini candied lady apples, before sitting down to a family style fall feast.

Credits: Clockwise from top left - boutonieres from Martha Stewart Weddings, bride in sweater photo by Cameron Ingalls Photography, leaf place cards via Martha Stewart Weddings, couple photo by Cameron Ingalls Photography, bouquet photo via Martha Stewart Weddings, buffet table from Martha Stewart, mini candied lady apples from Martha Stewart Weddings, leaves photo from Style Me Pretty.

I had to leave you with this yummy apple cider martini recipe, which I think would make the perfect pre-Thanksgiving dinner drink with appetizers.

Apple Cider Martini

makes 8 martinis

Ingredients

16 ounces apple cider

16 ounces vodka

8 ounces apple brandy (I like Laird's Apple Jack)

8 ounces Cointreau

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

8 cinnamon sticks (for garnish)

Instructions

Combine martini ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well.

Fill martini shaker with crushed ice and fill with martini mixture.

Shake and strain into two martini glasses.

Repeat three times for 8 martinis.

Garnish each martini with a cinnamon stick.

recipe and photo via Buttery Books

Sweet Treats: Citrus Cupcakes

I am feeling like making some summery cupcakes today. Here's some citrus recipes I might try... The lemon cupcakes are actually on the diet I'm attempting, so I'll most likely be making those. They could be great for a shower or bridesmaid's luncheon!

Lemon Cupcakes with Citrus Icing from Flat Belly Diet Cookbook
** I just made these, and they are too delicious to be diet food!
INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKES
1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup safflower oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
ICING
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. To prepare the cupcakes: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine the oil, eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until lightly golden and the cupcakes are springy when gently touched. Place pan on a rack and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan, transfer to the rack, and let cool completely.
4. To prepare the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl and stir until smooth. Spread some of the glaze over each cupcake with a small spatula and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition per Serving : 316 calories, 3 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 183 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber

Key Lime Cupcakes from Bon Appetit
INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKES
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk
FROSTING
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner.
Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
FROSTING
Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.
**I would sprinkle key lime zest on the top of the frosted cupcakes for more flavor and for the prettiness factor.

Triple-Citrus Cupcakes from Martha Stewart
INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKES
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (from 2 oranges)
3 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, plus more for garnish (from 3 limes)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 large eggs, room temperature
CITRUS GLAZE
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest, such as orange, lemon, or lime
3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice, such as orange, lemon, or lime
Whisk all ingredients until smooth and combined. Use immediately.
PREPARATIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl every few minutes. Add citrus zests. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla. Add eggs, three at a time, beating until until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in four batches, beating until completely incorporated after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full; tap pans on countertop once to distribute batter. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
To finish, dip tops of cupcakes in glaze, then turn over quickly and garnish with zest. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.
Makes 36.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with Limoncello Frosting from Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS
CUPCAKES
1 box chocolate cake mix
Orange juice (instead of water in cake mix)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup diced candied orange peel (about 8 ounces)
FROSTING
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened (1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons limoncello (you can substitute with 2 tablespoons lemon juice for minors)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 orange, zested
1/4 cup finely diced candied orange peel, for garnish
Special equipment: cupcake liners, 2 muffin pans
PREPARATIONS
CUPCAKES: mix the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions, substituting orange juice for the water. Toss the chocolate chips with the flour. Fold the chocolate chips and the candied orange peel into the chocolate mixture. Line the muffin pan with the cupcake liners. Fill and bake the cupcakes according to package instructions. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hour on a wire rack before frosting.
FROSTING: combine all the ingredients except the candied orange peel in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Using a small spatula, place about 1 tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake. Top with a small sprinkle of candied orange peel.
Makes 24.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I wanted to share this adorable centerpiece idea (great not just for Easter but also a spring wedding) and my personal favorite recipe for Easter - Easter Pie.

The Spring In A Pot DIY Centerpiece

From Martha Stewart Living: No special flower-arranging skills are needed to make these centerpieces - just a few hallmarks of spring: blades of grass, muscari blooms, and a cache of pretty eggs.

Tools and Materials
Small glass or plastic container
Slightly larger flowerpot
Potting soil
Small flat of wheatgrass
Muscari (or other small flowers)
Wire mesh (or any other material to prop up eggs)
Quail eggs or ostrich eggshell (Quail eggs are available at specialty-food stores and localharvest.org; ostrich eggshells, at uniquelyemu.com.)

Centerpiece How-To
1. Place the small container inside the larger flowerpot. Fill in the gap between the two with potting soil, and water lightly.

2. Tear off small clumps of wheatgrass (gently, keeping soil and roots intact), and arrange them on top of the potting soil. Fill in with muscari.

3. Place a small ball of wire mesh in the small container, and pile quail eggs on top. (If using an ostrich eggshell, no mesh is needed.)

Easter Pie Recipe by Giada Di Laurentiis

An Italian tradition, "Easter Pie", as it is colloquially known, is a quiche-like, savory pie, filled with eggs, cheese, meat, and a variety of other possibilities. They can also be a sweeter version (like this one) and used as a dessert. In Naples, it is known as "pastiera," and is made with ricotta cheese and whole grains of wheat to symbolize rebirth. This is the fourth year my husband and I have celebrated Easter together, and I have made this pie every year for us to have our own Easter tradition. Happy Baking!

Ingredients
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cooked short-grained rice
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
6 sheets fresh phyllo sheets or frozen, thawed
3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.

Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.

Irish Soda Bread recipe

Today in honor of St. Patrick's day (I'm part Irish) my family had a traditional Irish dinner, and I made Irish Soda Bread and cupcakes. Here's the pictures of my bread and the recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe).
The Irish Soda Bread
The table my mom set - isn't it so pretty?!

Ingredients
Makes 1 loaf
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup apple-cider vinegar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/6 cup caraway seeds
1 cup (5 ounces) raisins
Salted butter and peel-free marmalade, both preferably Irish, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl, and let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add bran, caraway seeds, and raisins; stir to distribute.

Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; stir until dough just holds together but is still sticky. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat and press the dough gently into a round, dome-shaped loaf, about 7 inches in diameter. Transfer to prepared sheet.

Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. With a sharp knife, cut an X into the top, 3/4 inch deep. Bake, rotating halfway through, until loaf is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Soda bread is best eaten the day it is made; serve with salted butter.