This Christmas...

... I will be cooking a goose. I will be making goose fat-roasted crunchy potatoes (one of the best kind of roasted potatoes, the recipe of which I definitely have to share with you sometime), glazed carrots and I will be baking my own bread.






I have already prepared a chicken liver parfait—parfait and not paté because parfait is simply smoother, creamier, better—, cranberry chutney and I will definitely be making a tray of tyropita (Greek cheese pie).
Yes, Christmas is going to be a full day in the kitchen for me.






But after that, I'm going to enjoy these little round-ish beauties. Because, let's face it, for a chocoholic like myself, no good meal can end without chocolate. And since I will have already stuffed myself with copious amounts of the aforementioned goose, potatoes etc, I thought I'd better keep dessert as small and simple as possible, for my own good.






I know they're not glamorous, extravagant or incredibly elaborate but they fit perfectly with my idea of a sweet and chocolaty Christmas treat. They are essentially ganache truffles (a simple cream and chocolate mixture) and they're cinnamon-infused, which makes them even more delicious, if that's possible. They are dense and rich and the cocoa powder that surrounds each little imperfect round, gives a welcomed bitterness and adds a contrast in texture.






During the following days I'll be catching up on my sleep, I'll be spending some much needed quality time with S, I'll be watching Christmas movies while drinking hot chocolate, I'll be eating leftover goose and chutney sandwiches, I'll be going for long walks around The Hague and I'll be staying away from my computer.






So I'll see you all next week!

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays!












Cinnamon-Infused Chocolate Truffles

Make these for an after-dinner dessert or to give away during this festive season as a gift to loved ones or to have in the fridge for those late-night chocolate cravings.

Use good quality chocolate and/or a chocolate whose taste you really like as it will make all the difference in the flavor of these truffles.

You can alternatively coat them with melted chocolate (see here how to do it) or with chocolate sprinkles.






Yield: 25-30 truffles

Ingredients
250 ml cream, full-fat
2 cinnamon sticks
410 g good quality dark 55% chocolate (you can also use 70% if you like the taste of bitter chocolate), finely chopped
A pinch of sea salt
100 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Special equipment: small saucepan with lid, sieve


Preparation
Place the cream in a small saucepan and add the cinnamon sticks. Heat over medium-high heat and just before the cream comes to the boil, turn the heat off. Put the lid on the saucepan and leave to infuse for 1 hour.

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large glass bowl.

Remove the cinnamon sticks from the cream and discard them. Turn the heat on to medium-high and when the cream starts to steam, pour it over the chopped chocolate. After 30 seconds, add a pinch of salt and stir the chocolate and cream with a spatula until the chocolate melts. If for some reason the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie) and melt it.


Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, until the ganache is very cold and set but still pliable. Don't allow the ganache to set too hard, otherwise it'll be difficult to roll into balls.

Using a tablespoon as a measure, scoop balls of ganache, roll them in your hands to create a rough ball (it doesn't matter if they're not perfectly shaped) and drop them into a plate filled with sieved cocoa powder. Roll them around gently in the cocoa powder and place them on a clean serving dish.

You can serve them immediately or you can place them in the fridge (in an airtight container) to become a bit harder.

You can keep them in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for a week. They will become harder but not rock-hard; they'll be fudgy and melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!