Christmas Candy 2010

As usual I have cooked up som Christmas gifts for the lucky ones.
This year I dropped some licorice in everything
- because I just bought some licorice syrup from Johan Bulow (http://lakrids.nu/) the other day and had to try it out.

The fruit bars are almost guilt-free - no fat added!

Fruit bars with a hint of licorice
100 g walnuts (31/2 oz)
100 g almonds (31/2 oz)
100 g dried dates (3 1/2 oz)
100 g dried apricots
75 g prunes (2 1/2 oz)
75 g dried cranberries (2 1/2 oz)
1 dl dark brown sugar (6 TBSP)
1 dl flour (6 TBSP)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract

Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper and preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F).
Chop the nuts and fruit (except cranberries) coarsely and toss everything together with flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk the egg together with the licorice syrup and mix it thoroughly into the fruit and nut mixture.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for about 35 minutes.
Let it cool 20 minutes in the pan and then lift it out onto a cutting board.
Cut in desired bar-size and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Sesame candy
(80 candies)

250 g sesame seeds (9 oz/11/2 cup)
400 g cane sugar (2 cups)
150 g honey (1/2 cup)
100 g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Brush two large sheets of baking paper with oil or use silicone mats.
Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are golden (5-8 minutes). Pour them into a bowl.
Melt the cane sugar, honey and brown sugar in the pan. Add the licorice syrup, cinnamon and ginger and stir well.
Turn the heat off and stir the seeds into the caramel with a wooden spoon.
Scrape the mixture onto one paper sheet (oil-side up) and place the remaining sheet (oil-side down) on top. Roll the mixture with a roller pin into a square about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the candy into 1-inch squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.
Let the candy cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

French Macarons

Se my beautiful French Macarons

The yellow ones are filled with lemon curd, the blue with white chocolate cream with candied violets, the orange with white chocolate cream with finely grated orange rind, the green ones with white chocolate cream with fresh mint and the rosa ones with white chocolate cream with raspberry puré.

PS. The photo is taken by the master photographer Thomas Hergaard: www.hergaard.dk

Okay okay - here is the recipe:

French Macarons

11/2 cup almond flour
21/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (about 5)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Filling:
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces white chocolate
1/2 cup butter
Flavor (for example fresh raspberry puree or jam, chopped mint leaves, chopped pistachio, chopped candied violets, finely grated orange or lemon rind
Color (for example red, green, blue, orange yellow)

Heat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 C).

The cookies: Sift the almond flour and the confectioners' sugar together.
Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the whites form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites form stiff and glossy peaks. Gently fold in the almond mixture with a rubber spatula.

Now, if you want to make more than one color, you can divide the batter and add colors.

Transfer the batter(s) to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheets with baking paper.

Bake, one sheet at a time: Put the baking sheet in the hot oven (360 degrees F) and turn down the heat to 285 degrees (140 C). Bake 12-15 minutes, until the tops appear dry. Repeat with remaining baking sheets/cookies.

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The filling: Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Add flavor and color (divide if you are making more than one kind) and let the chocolate filling cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape.

Spread the chocolate filling on the flat side of half of the macarons. Top with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches.
The macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

This years Christmas present

Chocolate Panforte

A rich sweet Christmas cake filled with lots of almonds, hazelnuts and dried fruit.

(2 cakes)
150 g hazelnuts (1 heaped cup)
150 g almonds (1 heaped cup)
225 g dried figs (1/2 pound)
225 g dried apricots (1/2 pound)
150 g dried dates (1/3 pound)
90 g semolina flour (3/4 cup)
1 dl cocoa (1/2 cup)
1 orange
1 lemon
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsk ground coriander
1/4 tsk ground black pepper
200 g cane sugar (1 cup)
225 g honey (1 cup)
100 g melted dark chocolate (3 ounces)
Confectioners' sugar

Roast the hazelnuts on a pan or in the oven 10 minutes and place them in a clean cloth. Rub the skin off of with the cloth.

Soak the almonds in boiling water for 3 minutes and nip the skins of.

Cut all the dried fruit into small pieces and mix them with the nuts, the flour, the cocoa, the grated orange and lemon rind and all the spices.

Put the sugar and the honey in a pot and stir it over the heat until the sugar has melted. Cook it without stirring about 5 minutes – until it reaches 120 degree C (248 degree Fahrenheit).

Pour it into the fruit and nuts and mix it well. Ad the melted chocolate and pres the “dough” in to 2 cake pans buttered and lined with baking paper.

Put the pans in the oven at 150 degree C (300 degree Fahrenheit) for 1 hour.

Turn the cakes out of the pans and remove the paper. Dust the cakes on both sides with confectioners' (powdered/icing) sugar.

Cool the cakes and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or paper and store in a cool, dry place.
Well wrapped the cakes will keep at least 1 month.