Posted on Leave a comment

Baked donuts with chocolate glaze

I know, I know, we are in January, just after Christmas when everybody is supposed to start a detox diet, and I´m here with my post about baked, soft and yummie donuts, am I crazy or what? Well, if everything is about balance, I´m sure you can handle one of these, at least it will make long January a bit easier. Also they are nice to bake, I could find time during the weekend, rainy weekend, perfect plan to me 🙂

IMG_20160110_113135

IMG_20160110_112600

Easy recipe with simple ingredients. I put on a chocolate glaze top of the donuts with a touch of cognac but they are also very tasty without icing and fresh from the oven.

IMG_20160109_173535

Ingredients:

For the donuts:

3 teaspoons of dried instant yeast

500 g of flour

1 beaten egg

50 g of butter (room temp.)

160 ml of yogurt mixed with the juice of half a lemon

60 ml of warm milk

150 g of caster sugar

For the glaze:

100 ml milk

200 g dark chocolate

2 tablespoons of Brandy (optional)

150 g caster sugar

2 tablespoons of cinnamon

IMG_20160110_112244

Start making the dough: combine the warm milk with the dried yeast and a pinch of sugar, let it rest for a couple of minutes. Now mix the flour with the rest of the sugar, slowly add the yeast mixture, the yogurt with lemon, egg, butter and a pinch of salt. Keep kneading for at least 5 minutes or until you get a soft and elastic dough (it will be quite wet, that´s ok, don´t worry about that). Put the dough in a oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth, let rest in a warm place for at least 1 and a half hour.

IMG_20160110_113125

After that time, knead the dough on a floured surface and make a roll (like a sausage), cut into 10 equal pieces and knead making the shape of a ball and place on the oven tray lined with baking paper. Flatten each ball gently, using a dough cutter (3 cm) make a hole in the centre. Cover again with a clean cloth and let it rise for about 1 hour.

IMG_20160110_112506

Heat the oven at 200 ºC and bake the donuts for 8-9 minutes or until they get a light brown color. Take them out and let them cool on a rack. In the meanwhile prepare the chocolate glaze: put the chocolate in a saucepan, together with a spoonful of sugar and the Brandy, low heat and keep stirring until everything is melted. Let cool for a few minutes.

IMG_20160110_112611

IMG_20160110_112959

Mix the rest of the sugar with the cinnamon, brush the donuts with milk and toss the donuts in the sugar mixture. Then, slightly sink the donuts in the chocolate, place them on a rack and let dry (if you have the patience). Dig in!

You can keep them in the frigde up to 3 days. If you warm them up 30 seconds in the microwave they will taste so good!

 

Behind the scenes

 

Posted on Leave a comment

Chocolate brioche

I had some chocolate eggs left from Easter, so I thought I could use them to fill some nice brioches that I wanted to make, why not? They are perfect for a nice weekend breakfast, so I rolled up my sleeves and got started.

IMG_20150411_165111

IMG_20150410_163314

They are very simple to make, but you also have to be patient since the dough has to double its volume but it´s worth it seeing the final results. These have the shape of a muffin but is a sweet bread texture.

You will need the following ingredients:

55 gr of melted butter

250 gr of flour

a pinch of salt

3-4 tablespoons of sugar

1 sachet of baking powder

2 beaten eggs

dark chocolate

First mix the dry ingredients: sift the flour together with the baking powder add the salt, the sugar and mix well. With your hands make a hole in the middle and add the liquid ingredients: the melted butter and beaten eggs.

Knead well for a few minutes, make a ball and let it rest in a clean bowl for at least 1 hour and half until it doubles in volume.

After this time, knead again and then start making little balls and put them in the mold (previously greased), put a piece of chocolate on top and then make another ball with the dough to place it ot top. You can ´glue´ the two parts together using some milk.

IMG_20150410_172709

IMG_20150410_173030

Cover the brioches with plastic film and let them rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour and a half.

Brush the brioches with beaten egg, you can also put some sugar on top. Preheat the oven at 200º C and bake them for about 12-15 minutes.

You can put some sugar on top
You can put some sugar on top

IMG_20150411_164943

I love to eat them when they are still slightly warm and the chocolate inside is still molten!

IMG_20150410_190714

IMG_20150411_162536IMG_20150411_162447

IMG_20150411_162443

Have a nice day!

Posted on Leave a comment

Truffels

Valentine´s Day is coming soon and we are about to see screens and displays full of red and pink color. Since I´m not really a Valentine´s Day person, this time I wanted to make a nice bite with chocolate; I think it fits perfectly for those who really like to enjoy this day and it´s also nice as a present to give anytime.
Truffels! two ways of making them and very little chances that the result goes wrong. You will be the king or the queen of the Valentine´s Day with this nice chocolate treat.
Cookie truffels and chocolate truffels!
Ingredients to prepare cookie truffels:
500 g of caramelized biscuits
250 g of cream cheese
Dark and white chocolate to make the cover
Preparation:
First smash well the cookies until they are fine, then add the cheese cream and mix well until you get a smooth dough.
Place the dough in the frigde for at least 1 hour. After that you can start giving the truffels the round shape with the help of two spoons or with your hands.
Decoration: melt the dark chocolate and the white chocolate separately and deep the cookie balls inside.



Ingredients to prepare the chocolate truffels:
1 tablet of dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
200 ml of cream
 
Preparation:
Chop the chocolate and melt on low fire stirring well. In a saucepan aside, put the cream and warm it up. Take it out from the fire when starts cooking; then, add the chocolate to the cream and mix well, after that add the egg yolks and mix until everything is well integrated and the dough is like a smooth cream (hmmm).
Put it in the fridge for about 3 hours. After that you can start shaping the truffels with the help of two spoons.
The funny part starts now, you can decorate in million different ways: cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, coconut, chopped hazelnuts or almonds…
You can keep them in the fridge without problems and they are delicious! That is one easy recipe right? I hope you try it at home and have a good Valentine´s week!! Enjoy!
 
Posted on Leave a comment

Chocolate Cupcakes

For my first official post I have chosen something with extra chocolate! Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing. They are delicious and also something good to start the weekend 😉

In this case I wanted to give something especial to somebody, I think they are perfect as a little present.


The preparation is quite simple and easy, sure you can get better with practice 🙂 The ingredients are

Cupcakes:

85 gr butter

*  75 gr brown sugar
*  100gr white sugar
*  185 gr flour
*  2 eggs
*  20 gr cocoa powder
1´5 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
* 250 ml milk
* 1 pinch vanilla essence
120 gr melting chocolate
 

 

First we start melting the chocolate, stirring constantly until it melts completely.
In a bowl, we mix the cocoa powder, the flour, salt and the baking powder until all ingredients are well mixed.
In another bowl mix the butter (by hand or with electric mixer) then, we add both types of sugar and keep mixing until we get a soft mixture

 

We add the two eggs to this last mixture, separately, then we add the chocolate with the vanilla and continue mixing.
Now we add the cocoa powder and flour within three times and alternating with the milk.
Almost ready!!! now we fill the cupcake cups 2/3 and we put it in the oven preheated to 170º, let it bake 25-30 min.
 
Chocolate icing
50 gr butter
250 ml liquid cream
300 gr melting chocolate
 
Melt the chocolate and reserve it. 
Cook the liquid cream until is boiling, then add the chocolate (within several times) and mix well.
Finally we add the butter mixing well.
We let it cool down at room temperature several hours (leave overnight is the best). 
After this we mix it well until we get a smooth mixture.
Now we can decorate our cupcakes!!!
I hope you try this at home, the perfect cupcakes to enjoy with friends!!