I have a confession.
After reading that several of you were going to make the life-changing maple snickerdoodles last night, I got insanely jealous. Because, generous and silly me gave away ALL of the maple snickerdoodles I made last weekend. Besides, I had all the ingredients on hand 😉 Somehow, some way, I limited myself to 2 maple snickerdoodles and pulled out a grueling 50 minutes on the elliptical last night. In: 158 calories…Out: 434 calories. Victorious.
But that’s not where this story ends. The baking bug bit me for the third time this season and after maple snickerdoodles, I made Chocolate Truffles. Oops.
Chocolate Truffles adapted from Tartine Cookbook, seen on A Chow Life
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup cocoa powder (substitute with topping of your choice e.g. crushed nuts, grated coconut)
Directions:
Place the chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the cream and corn syrup and heat to just under a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a minute or two. Stir with a rubber spatula in a circular motion until the chocolate melts. Add the butter and stir until it is incorporated. Let the mixture firm up in a cool place 0r place in the refrigerator to speed the process.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place small spoonfuls of the batter on the parchment. Roll each piece between your palms into an irregularly shaped truffle and then roll between your palms. Once the truffles are shaped, place the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl or small pile and roll each truffle in the cocoa coating evenly. The truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Yield: 55 small truffles.
Nutrition Information (per truffle): 61 calories; 5 g. fat; 4 mg. cholesterol; 2 mg. sodium; 4.7 g. carbohydrate; 0.8 g. fiber; 0.6 g. protein
Result: So rich, creamy, and delicious! Truffles intimidated me, but not anymore! The original recipe involved a pastry bag and whole bunch of (in my opinion) unnecessary steps. These were quick and easy and certainly impressive without too much effort or time. I also used bittersweet chocolate for the first time and it is amazing. I went for the Ghirardelli and mmm mmm mmmm!! Enjoy!
New totals — +2 truffles. 280 calories in goodies consumed and 434 burned. Good thing dinner was a mere 200 calories of chicken noodle soup and raw veggies!!
And lastly, 2009’s favorite holiday cookie: Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies!
Chocolate & Peppermint Bark Cookies from Cookin’ Canuck
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red & white candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
2 oz. high-quality white chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract and egg yolk. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix.
Scatter the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press it, with slightly moistened fingers, to form a flat layer. Prick all over with a fork.
Bake the cookie layer until golden brown and slightly puffed, and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25-30 minutes. Place on a cookie rack and immediately sprinkle chopped bittersweet or semisweet (or a combination of the two) over the cookie layer. Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer over the surface of the cookies. Immediately sprinkle 3 ounces crushed red and white peppermint candies, or candy canes, over the chocolate layer.
Place chopped white chocolate in a medium metal bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate over the peppermint candies. Chill for approximately 30 minutes.
Gripping the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cookies out of the pan and place on a work surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the cookies into irregular pieces (I made triangles). Yield: 40 pieces.
Nutrition Information (per piece): 115 calories; 6.1 g. fat; 5 mg. cholesterol; 18 mg. sodium; 15 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 0.7 g. protein
Result: Like I mentioned already, these were last year’s favorite holiday cookie. Co-workers, too, raved about these cookies. They combine a sugar cookie bottom and a peppermint bark-like top. What’s not to love?! These are a bit more labor intensive, but worth the added effort! And they are stunning as a gift or on a cookie platter — they just LOOK like Christmas! Enjoy!
Whew. You’d think I would be sick of sweets, but I’m not. I’ve never loved baking before and now, I can’t get enough of it! Scary!!! Ohio is frigid and baking in my warm kitchen just hits the spot…problem! Why don’t roasted veggie recipes appeal to me like baking? 😉
Mr. Prevention and I are off to Albuquerque this weekend to visit friends — I’ve never been to New Mexico! I have decided to leave my laptop at home and unplug for the weekend. It will give me lots of time on our flights to focus on going through curriculum for the nutrition class I’ll be teaching in a few weeks and maybe even finish the book I started 4 months ago! And when a computer is around, I can be far from productive!
Question: What’s one US state you haven’t been to but want to visit? What US state is your favorite?
P.S. Happy 28th wedding anniversary to my mom and dad!! XOXO!
Desert-bound,
I’m the same way!! Baking has never been my thing, but for some reason I’ve been LOVING it lately!
I LOVE peppermint bark but these look even better, I can’t wait to try them!!!
I thought I was just about done with my baking…but then you keep posting such wonderful looking cookies, I think I need to keep going! haha I LOVE baking…which is a problem, because I LOVE eating it too! lol
It will be nice to get out of Ohio for awhile….and enjoy some moderate temps. I can’t really think of any one state I haven’t been to, but want to visit. I think my favorite state is South Carolina, as we have vacationed there every year for the past 10 years, and I have so many wonderful memories there! PLUS…its warm and no snow! lol
Baking is my first love and I never get tired of it. Lately I’ve been on a bit of a cooking kick, trying new recipes and really enjoying it. By the way, I made the kale gratin and it was delicous!
I would love to go to any of the states I haven’t visited yet, especially Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming. They all seem so beautiful!
I am going to have to make sure that I try out your favorite recipe from last year–it always seems like we have similar tastes with cookies, so I am sure I’d love it too! 🙂
I adore baking… especially this time of year. Everything that is emerging from your kitchen looks scrumptious :).
Enjoy Albuquerque! My brother lived there for a while, and although I’m not in love with the city, New Mexico is a gorgeous state. If you can get out to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for a hike, I definitely recommend it.
I’d love to get to Washington at some point. The Pacific Northwest is at the top of my list of continental U.S. states to visit. I’d also like to get to both Hawaii and Alaska at some point.
In terms of my favorite U.S. state, I have to say my beloved Massachusetts tops the list along with Wyoming (where my husband and I honeymooned), Colorado, and Maine.
Have a great trip!
I’ve only made brownies thus far, but I’m fighting off the baking bug. It will conquor tomorrow, for sure. These are on my short list! I really really want to visit Maine and Oregon. I’ve heard both are amazingly beautiful. My favorite state would be Alaska–amazing!
haha I love that you got jealous of the cookies!! Thats adorable – and SO something I would do. 🙂
All I have to say is yum yum yum! These both look delish!
And hey you deserved a treat for all that you burned on the eliptical!
I have never been to Florida (and want to go to Disneyworld) so maybe one day I will make it there!
Have fun in New Mexico! I’ve never been there either. I really want to visit Colorado! My cousins lived there for some time and absolutely raved about. They are actually trying to get re-located back to Denver because they miss it so much.
Ohhhh, have so much fun on your trip! I have always wanted to go to the Southwest. My favorite state would be Indiana! hahaha j/k of course, but I do have nothin’ but love for my homestate. 🙂 My favorite state would definitely be Colorado. Over 300 days of sunshine, mountains, snow but also warm summers, no humidity, beautiful trails/parks….I would move there in a heartbeat!
All of that looks good, but I still might pick the snickerdoodle over the others. I’ve never been to Alaska but I’d love to go. I don’t think I could live there, but the land looks beautiful. My favorite may be the state I grew up in: MA.
OH i love all of your treats!!! the snickerdoodles sound incredible.
I love baking, I love reading about baking, I love looking at your baked goods pictures! I think I may have a problem… 🙂
California or New York is my favorite. I am very much a city girl. I’d love to visit Louisiana, or Hawaii though.
You’ve got the baking bug like me!! I’ve been baking non-stop, but I unfortunately do not have your will power to restrict myself to just two cookies. 😉
I’d like one (or two!) of each please 🙂 All your holiday baking is inspiring – I need to get with it!
beautiful and perfectly done..
I hope you are enjoying your trip!
The bark cookies do look/sound amazing. I haven’t heard of such a thing. Nick’s sister makes bark every year, which is always to-do-for, but cookies?! I love that!!
Cya on Wednesday!! When you get back e-mail or call and we will decide times 🙂
That peppermint bark looks amazing – I may make it but have 1/2 with peppermint, 1/2 without – my husband hates peppermint!
Nice work on the baking. I have to be careful this time of year because mint makes its way into a lot and I am allergic. It is one of those things that can hide and I usually smell it, but sometimes I don’t. I ate a mint chocolate by accident (ok spit out really) the other day. Poor vision led me to believe mint chocolate said milk chocolate and then the wrapper was green but I assumed for the holiday season. I was wrong.
My favorite US state is probably Nevada since I lived there and I call that home (Baltimore is really my home, but it is too cold there), and I have never been to Alaska. Happy Anniversary to your parents.
It is so hard to avoid the baking bug this time of year, huh? Everything you make looks delicious!
I love baking, but keep it to healthy things for both mine and my husbands benefit! They all look delightful !
Your baking adventures look tempting!
I love the look of those peppermint bark cookies. I think Virginia is a beautiful state and love that it has so much to offer from mountains to beach to heritage and a fabulous university. I’ve never been to Kentucky and would love to see it.
Mmmm, they all look yummy. I’d take them all please! I love baking around Christmas time. And there are always so many good ideas on the blogs. 🙂
I’ve never been – but really want to go – to Hawaii.
Snickerdoodles yum–I can see where you would be frustrated.
So sorry I haven’t visited you for a bit, but so glad it was today that I did! Yum!!! I love snickerdoodles and make a half a batch so they are gone very quickly.
The holiday peppermint bark looks awesome! I wasn’t going to make sweets this year because I don’t care for them all that much and have no one to help me eat them, but I might have to make an exception for that bark!