Stacey Makes It

Recently, I decided to go on a diet, but I was going to let myself have a free day here and there.  This seems to have changed my outlook on what to make for events since I wanted to make things that only I cared about eating, and didn't care as much about my audience.  However, it appears that this recipe was a me-pleaser as well as a crowd-pleaser. Stacey's Super 4x Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients 1 1/4c granulated sugar, organic 1c brown sugar, organic 2.5 sticks of butter 1 oz 99% unsweetened chocolate (I used Scharffen-Berger) 2/3c unsweetened cocoa powder, organic (I used Dagoba) 2 eggs, organic 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 1/4c cornstarch 2 1/2c all purpose unbleached flour, organic 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 2/3-1c white chocolate chips (Guittard) 2/3-1c milk chocolate chips (Guittard) 2/3-1c semi-sweet chocolate chips (Guittard) Microwave the butter, unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder in a heat safe bo...

I started experimenting with chocolate mixtures in truffles and this is my new favorite.  And of course, since it's Valentine's Day, I had to put some hearts on them.  It's prettier to do once you dip in white chocolate, but really you can dip these truffles in any type of chocolate.  I did. :)  I dipped them in milk, white, and dark.  Dark and milk are my favorites, but I have to say white chocolate is the prettiest. Stacey's 2:1 Dark / Milk Heart Truffle Ingredients: 16 oz 64% Guittard dark chocolate couverture 8 oz 38% Guittard milk chocolate couverture 11.2 oz heavy cream, organic 3 oz glucose 1.5 oz (3 tbs) unsalted butter, organic, softened White 31% / milk 38% Guittard chocolate couverture for dipping The thing I love most about these truffle recipes is that you can make the whole thing only using a microwave. First I measured out all the chocolate in my 4qt pyrex mixing bowl and then put the cream and glucose in a 16 oz pyrex measuring cup. ...

It's that time of year again.  The time of year that people like to eat extra chocolate that isn't Easter or Christmas.  So I thought I'd put together some boxes again to sell to my mom's wonderful friends and my awesome co-workers so that I can keep deducting my ingredients from my taxes. Stacey's 2012 Mid-February (for those who hate Valentine's Day) Chocolate Boxes: Strawberry white chocolate hearts with crispies and milk chocolate bottoms Dark Chocolate Hearts with Candied Almonds Chocolate Bars:  Strawberry White Chocolate with Crispies White Chocolate with Dark Chocolate Drizzle Dark Chocolate with Candied Almonds Kahlua Truffles Two Ways: Dipped in Dark Chocolate with a White/Milk Chocolate Drizzle Rolled in Chocolate Sprinkles and Organic Turbinado Sugar And lastly, my pièce de résistance... The Walnut Meltaway in Milk Chocolate - this is my latest invention of which I am so proud.  I ate one of these and I swear I was transcended t...

Heading down to the mothership today for Halloween festivities at Yaboo! where I will get to see some of my co-workers kiddies all dressed up.  Thought I'd make a few kid friendly treats for the occasion. Stacey's Zoo Chocopops Ingredients: Guittard white chocolate couverture Guittard milk chocolate couverture Hardware: Zoo mold Lollipop sticks Chopstick First I tempered the milk chocolate.  For some reason I've found that if you go dark to light when applying chocolate, it will remain tempered but if you try and go light to dark (i.e. put white chocolate down first, then put dark chocolate on top of it), the lighter chocolate will become untempered and will have fat bloom.  In any case... I used the chopstick to apply milk chocolate for a giraffe's spots and a lion's mane.  Then I used all milk chocolate for a monkey and an elephant (applying the sticks to these).  Once I poured in the white chocolate to the giraffe and lion, I put the sticks there ...

For those few of you who have gotten to try these caramels, yes, this is THE caramel recipe. I had debated publishing this recipe, but then I decided that I'm never going to make money via my food creations, and really I want to be an author instead, thus exchanging one impossible dream for another. :)  So, without further ado... Stacey's Caramel Recipe : 1.5c heavy cream, organic 2.25c whole milk, organic 3c sugar, organic 1 vanilla bean 1.5c glucose 3/4 stick (6 tbs) of butter, organic Oiled parchment paper in 7x7" and 10x10" cake pans Candy thermometer First, a WARNING : Caramel takes forever to make.  So be ready to have at least 2 hours to do the first part.  Since I needed extra caramel, this is 1.5x my normal recipe where I would only fill the 10x10" cake pan.  I should also note that you need the really sturdy cake pans that won't warp.  If you use cake pans or jelly roll pans that warp, your caramel is going to be all different thickne...

This is my version of Jacques Torres' recipe... Stacey's Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients: 1 1/4c brown sugar, organic 1c + 2 tbs sugar, organic 2 1/2 sticks salted butter, organic 1 1/2 tbs vanilla bean paste 2 eggs, organic 1 1/4tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 2c unbleached flour, organic 1 1/2c whole wheat flour, organic 3 tbs cornstarch 1 1/4 lb semi-sweet Guittard chocolate chips (3 1/4c chips) Wilton Cookie Sheets First I preheated the oven to 350F.   I microwaved the butter a little so that it would be soft and then I added it and the standing mixer bowl with the sugar and vanilla.  I mixed until fluffy.  Then I added the eggs one at a time, and blended again until fluffy. You're supposed to blend all the dry ingredients separately, but I'm lazy so I just dump them all on top.  This is the amazing part that I just found out.  Change out the batter mixing attachment for the dough attachment and you don't ge...

I love mint, chocolate, and marshmallows so I decided to mash these all together for Father's Day and give it to my Dad.  I just used my Half Batch Marshmallow recipe , but I took out the vanilla and added 1 ounce of Creme de Menthe liqueur and a tiny bit (like a pinch) of blue powdered food coloring at about the halfway point during the aerating. The resulting slab was only slightly blue green, but once the chocolate was on it, the marshmallow seemed a bit more colorful for some reason. I put a layer of Guittard milk chocolate on one side, instead of cutting them and rolling them in the cornstarch/powdered sugar mixture, to make them easier to dip. Once the chocolate set, I turned the slab over onto the chocolate side and cut squares out for dipping. Then all the happy little cubes went for a swim, one by one into tempered milk chocolate  and I fished them out with my dipping fork. Once the coating set, I drizzled a little bit more chocolate on them for a nice...

AKA my new favoritest cake ever.  I bulked up the recipe for  That Chocolate Cake (added a bit more of all the ingredients except for the eggs - probably 1/8 extra since I was using two 9" square pans instead of two 9" rounds). Cake came out pretty big though, so you probably don't have to bulk it up, and just have thinner layers. Stacey's Chocolate Mint "Favoritest Cake Ever" Ingredients: That Minty Chocolate Cake 2c + 2 tbs sugar, organic 1c unbleached white flour, organic 1c whole wheat flour, organic 2 tbs cornstarch 3/4c + 1 tbs Scharffen-Berger unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/8 tsp salt 1 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 3/4 tsp baking soda 2 eggs, organic 1/2c + 1 tbs sunflower oil, organic 1c + 2 tbs whole milk 1c + 2tbs boiling water 2 tsp peppermint extract That Amazing Mint Ganache Frosting  10 oz El Rey white chocolate couverture 16 oz heavy cream, organic 1 oz Creme de Menthe liqueur, green Few drops of peppermint oil Chopped white...

I think most people don't recognize there is a difference between buttercrunch and toffee.  I blame See's.  See's Victoria Toffee is actually buttercrunch, at least, according to  Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner , which says that toffee has to have milk proteins in it.  As a result, "real" toffee sticks to your teeth, which is why I love buttercrunch.  It's crunchy, sweet, and rich, but doesn't hurt my old lady sensitive teeth.  I started with a recipe from the book, scaled it back a bit, and then added nuts to the buttercrunch portion.  The book recipe says to put the nuts on the chocolate, but I thought it would give the nuts a better chance at staying crunchy if they were inside the candy. Stacey's Chocolate Nutty Buttercrunch Ingredients : 2 sticks (8 oz) salted butter, organic 1c sugar, organic 1.5 oz water 2 tsp vanilla bean paste ~1.5c mix of raw (untoasted) peanuts and pepitos (pumpkin s...

Wow... there were a LOT of pictures for this post.  I hope you enjoy them. :) I haven't made slabbed chocolate truffles in a while, but I thought I'd try again in honor of St. Patty's Day.  When I used to do this commercially, I'd use a 12x12" frame, but this time I'm making a smaller batch and using my 10x10" cake pan. Stacey's Bailey's Irish Cream Truffle Ingredients : 6.25 oz heavy cream, organic 3 oz glucose 30 oz Guittard 38% milk chocolate couverture 3 oz Bailey's Irish Cream Pyrex measuring cup Pyrex mixing bowl Parchment paper 10x10" cake pan Scraper  Dipping fork Additional Guittard 38% milk chocolate couverture for slabbing and dipping (maybe 2 lbs?) First I measured out my chocolate and started putting it in the microwave at 30 second intervals to temper it. While my chocolate was heating, I measured out my cream and added the glucose to it. I thought it looked really neat on the bottom so I took a picture. ...