Pi Day, Pie Day

Pi Day, 3.14 or March 14th is a day to celebrate both the math in our lives and the great food in our lives. I can't think of another day that is really just about math and food. What an interesting mix. I think that all good baking requires a bit of math, making a pie on Pi Day seems to be a great way to celebrate.

I have procrastinated and I haven't picked my pie yet. I could always go to the store and BUY a pie, but that just doesn't feel right to me. There are so many types of pies, too. And of course, everyone in my family likes a different kind of pie. There are fruit pies and pecan pies and fluffy creamy pies. I'm leaning, this will be no surprise, to a pie that has some chocolate involved.

My husband, David, suggested I make a savory pie, like a quiche. That could be good, but I would probably be the only one in my family to eat it. It is too time consuming to make a pie that only I will eat.

Maybe I'll just have to make up a new pie. This one will be vegan, so that my Ella daughter can eat it, have fruit, so that my Ada daughter will eat it. Alas, it will have to have some chocolate so that I will want to eat it. I hope it turns out. Regardless, it's a great way to enjoy March 14th!

Yours in chocolate,

Emily
The Truffle Lady

Tuesday Tip: Bark at the Walls

It's January and you may find yourself snowed into the house. Do not despair because a chocolate moment is close at hand. Making bark may be one of the easiest things that you can do with a bag of chocolate chips. The idea behind this recipe is that I will give you inspiration and you will make the recipe to your taste. Therefore, the possibilities are endless. You can make one kind this week and another type next week (when you are snowed in again.) Feel free to experiment, it's that kind of recipe.

Emily's Bark

1 bag of chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup of (pick one):
roasted pecan pieces
roasted almond pieces
walnut pieces
peanuts
1/2 cup of (pick one):
dried cherries
raisins
shredded coconut

or
1 1/2 cup of your favorite cookie crumbled into pieces
i.e. oreos, chocolate chip, graham crackers, ginger snaps, etc.

or
1 1/2 cup of one of the following
pretzel pieces, crunchy cereal of your choice, granola,
thin mint candy or candy canes in small pieces

Take the bag of chocolate chips and empty into a large microwave safe measuring cup or small bowl. Stick into the microwave on power 8 for 1 minute. Stir and put back in and do the same. Stir until completely melted. Add your combination of ingredients. I made the roasted pecan and dried cherries version. Stir until all the ingredients are incorporated into the melted chocolate.
Take a square brownie pan and line with wax paper. Spoon your chocolate concoction onto the wax paper and spread out so it covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Refrigerate. It should be ready in about a half hour or so. Whatever you don't eat instantly,cut into squares and put into an airtight container and stick into the fridge so you have a nice treat after the next round of shoveling.

Note: *I made the bark with pecan pieces. It is also possible to make the bark with whole nuts. I would not recommend using ground nuts for this recipe.
*Mix and match ingredients according to your taste palette.

What combinations do you like?

Yours in chocolate,

Emily
The Truffle Lady

Tuesday Tip: Giving Chocolate

Give a friend, partner, child, parent or stranger a piece of chocolate and watch their face!

Yours in chocolate!

Emily
The Truffle Lady

And the winner is . . .

Hello Delhi submitted by Julie Torem of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to submit truffle names for this new Cardamom truffle. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness and creativity. It was not an easy decision. Some of the other names that we were debating are: Queen Cardamom, Cardayum and Cardamom Contentment.

Yours in chocolate,

Emily
The Truffle Lady

New Truffle Naming Contest

The new cardamom truffle is here! It is a smooth truffle made with semi-sweet chocolate and a hint of cardamom. It is decorated with a dab of green glittery sugar dust. It will be introduced with my holiday flavors for November and December, 2010.

Here is how the contest works. Please, send me your truffle name (one name per person). Consider the flavor and please keep the name pithy (not too long.) The contest will run through October 12th and we will announce the winner on October 13th. If you are the winner, you will receive one box of 10 truffles of this new flavor and one box of 4 truffles of your choice. The two boxes will be either shipped or delivered to you depending on your location and at the Chocolatier's discretion.

Email all truffle names to: yummy@TrufflesByEmily.com

Thank you for your participation and good luck!

Yours in chocolate,

Emily
The Truffle Lady

Tuesday Tip: In Honor of Chocolate

The last time I posted, I talked a bit about how to taste chocolate. I would like to talk about how I come up with my flavor combinations. When I first decided to start my chocolate business, I made a promise to myself that I would only make flavors that I would eat. So, for instance, I do not have a chocolate and peanut butter truffle because I don't like those two flavors together. I know that for some people, a peanut butter truffle would be "The Bomb." However, because I don't like the texture and flavor combination, I would never be able to do any quality control on this truffle. Therefore, I would not be able to give the world my best effort for that truffle. My rationale is that someone who loves these flavors will be able to do it better. I have decided to focus on flavors that I love, so I can make creations that imbue this feeling.

My most recent flavor is the Apples and Honey flavor which was inspired by the Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah. I knew that I wanted the truffle to have both the flavors of apples and honey, but the trick is figuring out how to get it into the ganache so the person eating it can actually taste all of that. My first couple attempts did not work for me. I was told that the truffle was tasty, but not one of my tasters could tell that it had apples in it. Since my goal was to get it to taste like apples, I had to figure out what was missing. I switched from apple jam to apple butter, but that was not enough. One of my tasters recommended that I use dried apples and since I was already using apple liqueur, I had the idea of soaking the dried apples into the liqueur and then adding it to the ganache. It worked! But then there was the honey. Honey is a bit tricky because if you use too much it will be too sweet and it will make the ganache too gooey. So, I added a little at a time until it seemed right to me. I could taste the honey in the finish. Success!

I must admit that I like my truffle flavors on the subtle side. I want the things I add to the chocolate to compliment it and not overpower it. In this way, I feel like I am honoring the chocolate and staying true to myself.

Have an ever so sweet New Year!

Yours in chocolate,

Emily
The Truffle Lady

Tuesday Tip: Enjoying your Chocolate!

Tuesday Tip: Enjoying your Chocolate!

Here is the scenario. You are holding an exquisite piece of chocolate in your hand. You are anticipating what it will taste like. You smell it and it starts to talk to you. The smell is giving you the first clue as to it's taste. Now, take this chocolate (preferably a Truffles by Emily truffle) and take a slow bite. Let the chocolate sit on your tongue, so you can fully taste all the flavor and richness your chocolate has to offer. You will find that the initial flavor will be slightly different than the flavor that you taste as it's melting on your tongue and then different from the flavor that you have in your mouth when it is mostly gone (the finish.) Try different flavors and notice how different chocolates will also have a different texture. I love to try other company's truffles and compare how they are using their flavorings. Are they bolder, milder or more subtle? Is the outer shell really hard or does it have a softness to it? Does it taste waxy? Are they using milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate? How are the flavors combining?

Have fun tasting your chocolate!

Forever Yours in Chocolate!

Emily
The Truffle Lady