HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Skip dinner and go right to dessert and champagne for New Year's Eve! Indulge in Raspberry Chocolate Frangipane Sweets, Chocolate Brandy Truffle Balls, Sherried Meringue, and White Chocolate Bars with a Champagne Chocolate Drizzle for the utmost in sweet luxury on New Year's Eve.
Recipe from The Sophisticated Cookie by Jeanne Benedict. I've never cared for raspberry filling in between the layers of a cake, but a sheer raspberry glaze on a rich frangipane crust with a chocolate accent is the height of elegance.
- 1 Cup usalted butter
- 3 1/2 oz. almond paste (1/3 cup, packed)
- 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Raspberry Glaze
- 1/2 cup red raspberry jam
- 2 tablespoons Royale Chambord Liqueur de France
- Chocolate Zig Zag Accent
- 1/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon Royale Chambord Liqueur de France
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Add butter and almond paste into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Beat in sugar until smooth. Add flour and beat until combined. Pat dough in an even layer on bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make Raspberry Glaze. Heat raspberry jam and Chambord in top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until jam melts into liquid. Remove from heat.
- Remove cookie from oven and immediately pour glaze in an even layer over top surface. Cool to room temperature or until glaze sets.
- To make Chocolate Zig Zag design on top of raspberry glaze, melt chocolate, butter, and Chambord in top of a double boiler, stirring constantly, until smooth and combined. Dip a knife tip in the melted chocolate. Hold the knife 2 inches above the glazed surface. Quickly drizzle chocolate across glaze in a zig zag motion. Repeat process until a desired pattern is achieved. Allow chocolate to set. Cut into 2 x 2-inch bars.Makes 16 bars
Recipe from The Sophisticated Cookie by Jeanne Benedict. These Brandy Truffle Balls are extra moist and creamy due to the use of brownie crumbs in the recipe.
- 1 1/2 cups brownie crumbs
- 1 Cup pecans
- 1/4 Cup brandy
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Combine brownie crumbs and pecans in a food processor and pulse until just mixed. Add Brandy and corn syrup and process until combined. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder and process until mixture forms a ball.
- Sift together remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Form 1/2-inch balls. Place cocoa sugar in a shallow bowl and roll balls in sugar. Store in a wax paper lined airtight container at room temperature. Age a week or so for truly lethal balls.Makes 96 about balls
Recipe from The Sophisticated Cookie by Jeanne Benedict. My mother is a big fan of meringue, but I always found its flavor to be a bit too one-dimensional, until I spiked it with sherry. Most meringue recipes instruct you to let the cookies dry out in the oven for 30 minutes or so. This recipe has a 10-minute drying period and the result is a delicate crunchy coating on the outside with a moist sherry filled inside. These meringue cookies are extremely fragile, and may collapse when peeling them off the paper after baking, so be gentle.
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup cream of tartar
- 2/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons dry sherry
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and lightly spray paper with a non-stick cooking spray. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in sherry.
- Drop by heaping teaspoon 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Use back of spoon to form meringue into peaks. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Turn off oven and let dry for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly. Gently peel off paper. Store for 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature.Makes 36 cookies
Recipe from The Sophisticated Cookie by Jeanne Benedict. I chose to use shortening in this recipe, as opposed to butter, for a completely white bar. But, I couldn't live without the egg yolks so a hint of yellow is fine! These bars are heavenly and bake to a light, flaky texture on top with a rich, creamy inside.
- 1/2 Cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons Godet Belgium White Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup white chocolate chips
- Champagne Chocolate sd sd
- 1/2 Cup white chocolate chips
- 1 Teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon Champagne, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips in top of a double boiler. Cool for 5 minutes. Add chocolate and butter into a mixing bowl and beat smooth. Beat in sugar. Add eggs and White Chocolate Liqueur and beat well. Fold in flour until just combined. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.
- Spread evenly in prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- To make the Champagne Chocolate, melt chocolate in top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in champagne. Drizzle chocolate on cooled bars. Cut into 2 x 2-inch squares and serve.Makes 16 bars
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