White Chocolate Caramel Ganache Cookies

After the Chicken Farm Baker's Project: Valentine Chocolate ! I still have a White Chocolate Caramel Ganache in my fridge, and I know that I have to find the way to use it. So I adapted this recipe from: ................

The original recipe is called Alfajores de Dulce de Leche, which is the cookie with Dulce de Leche filling. But I think the cookie that use this kind of sweet filling can be a good companion to White Chocolate Caramel Ganache too.

So, I change the filling, (I think that if you can't buy already the Dulce de Leche in a can, my filling is easier and take less time to make too). The cookie is very easy and take very little time to make, and the dough is very easy to handle, you can reroll it without making them become tough. I use the egg wash to make the cookie's color better, because the dough use very little sugar, the color will be too pale. But if you feel a bit lazy to do it, just sprinkle the sugar is enough to give a cookie an extra sweetness.
Anyway, I add the Dulce de Leche recipe, just in case that you really want to make it, ^ ^.
If you use the White Chocolate Caramel Ganache filling, it will be better to keep the cookie in the fridge after filling it, because the ganache will melt in hot climate.

White Chocolate Caramel Ganache Cookies

Makes 84 couples

Cookies
540g	all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
50g	confectioners’ sugar
340g	chilled salted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup	water
	Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Egg wash (optional)
1	Egg yolk
1tbsp	Water
White Chocolate Caramel Ganache
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g)	granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g)	heavy cream (35% fat content)
¼ tsp	Salt
5 oz (135g)	white chocolate, finely chopped

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat (such as Silpat).

Sift together flour and confectioners’ sugar. In a food processor, pulse together flour mixture, sugar, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. With machine running, pour in the water in a slow stream, and process just until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds.

Form the dough into two flattened disks and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. On a well-floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a scant ¼-inch thickness. Using a 1½ inches round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other disk of dough. Gather up the scraps from both batches, and reroll and cut.

If using egg wash: mix the yolk with the water, then pass through a sieve. Pour the mixture into the bottle with spray nozzle.

Spray the egg wash over the cookies rounds.

Sprinkle the rounds with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the White Chocolate Caramel Ganache:


Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, and put in the bowl.

1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color.
2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream and the salt until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.

3. Pour the hot caramel-cream mixture over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4. The chocolate should be smooth and shiny, let the ganache cool completely before using.

About 30 minutes before serving, spread 1 teaspoon of the cold White Chocolate Caramel Ganache (or the Dulce de Leche) on the cookies. Place the sugared cookies on top to make sandwiches. Serve immediately. Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Optional: Dulce de Leche filling

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

Empty milk into the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until the milk is thick and amber in color, about 5 hours. Remove from heat, and beat with a wooden spoon to smooth out. Transfer to a clean bowl, and refrigerate several hours or up to 3 days

White Chocolate Caramel Ganache Cookies

Chicken Farm Bakers' Project #6: White Chocolate with White Chocolate Caramel Ganache and Macadamia Nut

Love, love, love, the Valentine Day is coming. The Chicken Farm Baker's Project host of this month, Jib, she wanted us to be prepared for this event. So, the Chicken Farm Bakers’ Project # 6 is Valentine Chocolate !
I never make the chocolate before, so this is the real challenge for me. Chocolate tempering is not hard but I can't say it's easy. It need a lot of attention, so don't let other people bothering you , haha, or your chocolate will be over heat.
The tempering is the way to melt the chocolate bar (or block), without overheating it. Due to the different fat groups in the chocolate, the high temperature will melt the fat with high melting point and distribute it throughout, this fat is the first one that will solidify when the chocolate cools, and give the glossy look (from: The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry by Bo Friberg).
So, if you heat too much all the fat will melt and separate, you can see from the white lines when the chocolate cool.
This recipe is my own combination, White Chocolate Caramel Ganache is an adaptation from the December 2008 Daring Bakers Challenge #25: A French Yule Log!!!.
When combine with the nut, the white chocolate will be less sweet and I love the lightly salt flavor of the caramel too, this chocolate is very addictive, you can't stop with only one piece.
Well, this is my first chocolate, and it is not sweetest. But it's mixing with a lot of flavors, just like love, you need a lot of many factors to keep it alive !

White Chocolate with White Chocolate Caramel Ganache

and Macadamia Nut

Makes about 21 -25 pieces (depend on the size of your mold)

300 g	White chocolate
White Chocolate Caramel Ganache	(you will have a lot more than you need, but it's easy to make the full batch)
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g)	granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g)	heavy cream (35% fat content)
¼ tsp	Salt
5 oz (135g)	white chocolate, finely chopped
	Macadamia nut

First make the White Chocolate Caramel Ganache:


Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, and put in the bowl.

1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color.
2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream and the salt until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.

3. Pour the hot caramel-cream mixture over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4. The chocolate should be smooth and shiny, let the ganache cool completely before using.

Roast the nut until golden.

Temper the white chocolate:

Divide the chocolate into 2 part, 250g and 50 g.
Put the 250g chocolate into the bowl, then place the bowl over the simmering water.
Heat the chocolate until the temperature reach 40°C, then take the bowl out of the heat.

Pour the 50 g chocolate into the melted chocolate, stir until the temperature drop to 25°C.
Place the bowl over the simmering water, again heat until the temperature reach 29°C.
The chocolate is now ready to use (if the chocolate cooler, heat it again but don't let the temperature higher than 29°C).

Pour the chocolate into the mold, rotate to cover all the molds.
Turn the mold upside down, to release the chocolate.
Let the chocolate cool, (you can put the mold in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to speed up the process).

When the chocolate is harden pipe the White Chocolate Caramel Ganache into the chocolate.
Place the nut inside.
Cover with another layer of the chocolate. Then let the chocolate cool, (you can put the mold in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to speed up the process).
Softly push the mold, the chocolate is now ready to serve.

White Chocolate with White Chocolate Caramel Ganache and Macadamia Nut

Simple Cupcake with Italian Meringue Buttercream

I can't have enough of cupcake recipe, or the truth is I always want to try anytime that I see it. I think making cupcake is fun, easy and lovely too, and everyone love it. You don't need many equipments to making it, so if you are new to the baking world, you still can make it !

I got this recipe from ................ (the same book from French Fruit Tart) Actually I feel a bit lazy (again, haha), but I had to bake something for the party.
But I'm lucky that the recipe is great (if the book is not around, I didn't have a chance to try it). The cake is soft, moist, and very easy to make, with a short list of the ingredients.
I might have a lot of cupcake recipe but this one is the shortest and straight forward both in ingredients and instruction. So, if you want to make something special but don't want to be nervous, this recipe is for you.
For the buttercream, you can use other kinds or other recipe which you like, but for me, Italian meringue is great both for the texture and taste, it's not overly sweet and not melting at arm temperature, too.

Simple Cupcake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
Makes 12 standard size cupcake tins

200g	Cake flour
2 tsp	Baking powder
100g	Unsalted butter
	A dash of salt
140g	Caster sugar
2	Eggs
120cc	Milk
½ tsp	Vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Sift the flour and baking powder together, set aside.

Line the cupcake tins with paper cup.

Cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 3 to 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract, then beat to combine.

Add the flour and milk alternating by starting with the flour and end with the flour.
When the batter is homogenize, pour the batter into the prepared tins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

75 g	Egg Whites
140 g	Sugar
1/8 cup	Water
225 g	Unsalted butter

To make the sugar syrup, place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and heat the water and 120 g of sugar over medium-high heat. Partially cover with a lid to capture the evaporating water this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

With the mixer on high speed, begin whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. When the peaks are stiff, with the mixer still running slowly pour the remaining sugar into the meringue.

Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245°F, if it is not there already. When the syrup is at 245°F, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue.

After 1 to 2 minutes reduce the mixer speed to medium for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated.