Remembering someone special - Dark chocolate chestnut truffles

A year ago today, I lost my closest friend Jean-Michel Howland aka Micka (to me), after a very unfortunate accident left him battling for life in the Intensive Care Unit for 4 nights. I remember thinking, if part of my soul could bring him back to life, I would gladly surrender it and I am certain everyone who knew him would do the same... He was a great man with a warm soul and a true heart.

My heart truly broke the morning Micka left forever.

As a tribute to him, I made some dark chocolate chestnut truffles because like truffles, a true friend like him is rare, a real precious commodity and an acquired taste (he had a twisted sense of humour).

These truffles have a slightly different texture to classic dark chocoalte truffles. They seem less dense, more creamy - like a heavy mousse due to the high starch content of the chestnut puree.

dark chocolate chestnut truffles

200g dark chocolate min 70% cocoa

200ml pouring cream

150g chestnut puree

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp brandy

250g your favourite dark chocolate

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder

(makes 36 truffles)

melt 70% cocoa dark chocolate au bain marie

gently heat cream and add chestnut puree and honey stirring until a smooth consistency is achieved

add chestnut cream and brandy to melted chocolate and stir gently until well mixed and smooth

cover and place in fridge over night to set

melt your favourite dark chocolate in a water bath

using 2 teaspoons, portion ganache and place on a sheet of baking paper (alternatively, use a melon baller to shape the truffles)

coat the truffles with the melted dark chocolate then roll in cocoa powder

store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Midnight blueberry muffins

Mick used to go to bed rather late so whenever I had an urge to bake at midnight, he would always be there for me to bounce ideas off him. Sometimes he would ask for a progress report ("what is the consistency of the dough/batter?", "does it smell/taste/look good?", "when is it going to be ready?"), but he would always know of the outcome (by picture and word) before anyone else does.

Blueberry muffins have been on my "to-bake" list for a while now and after swimming with my nephew yesterday and seeing his cute little tummy spill over his board shorts like a generous muffin top, I decided I had to make some blueberry muffins when I got home.

The reason behind the lapse in decision making and executing, is that I have been doing a little bit of research on gluten-free (GF) baking and on how to replace sugar with agave nectar. Although there seem to be an inexhaustible resource on the internet on how to combine the both to produce delicious vegan and gluten-free muffins, I gave up my quest for tonight and decided to use a basic muffin recipe instead with some alterations made to accomodate the agave nectar, kamut and GF flour I intended to use.

Blueberry muffins

1/2 cup gluten free flour

1/2 cup kamut flour

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

(makes 6 medium sized muffins)

preheat oven to 180C

grease 6 holes on a 12-hole muffin tin

combine dry ingredients together in a bowl

beat together wet ingredients in a measuring jug

add wet ingredients to dry ingredients

**stir until just combined! **

fold in the frozen berries

divide mixture equally into the prepared muffin tin

bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

You Are My Sunshine Tart

Mick loved tarts. And yes, I am referring to the sort you eat with a fork as well as the other variety that don skirts resembling thick belts and walk like they know you are watching them with dirty in your eyes. He was rather disappointed when he missed out on the petit lemon meringue tarts I made for his brother Marc's wake last October and I kept saying I would make him some - but never got around to it, just like the chocolate mousse I promised to make for him since 2006! (Mick, I may be hopeless, but you left me too soon.)

Mick was quite adamant I watch the movie "Waitress" starring Keri Russell (with a poorly mimicked southern accent) as an embittered waitress working at a pie diner owned by an equally cynical old geezer. Mick said she reminded him of me because of the way she named and made pies after circumstances in her life which I thought I would list here for a little chuckle:

I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie (then renamed Bad Baby Pie) Quiche of egg and brie cheese with a smoked ham center
I Hate My Husband Pie “You take bittersweet chocolate and don’t sweeten it. You make it into a pudding and drown it in caramel…”

Baby Screaming It’s Head Off In The Middle Of The Night And Ruining My Life Pie New York style cheesecake, brandy brushed, pecans and nutmeg…

Earl Murders Me Because I’m Having An Affair Pie “You smash blackberries and raspberries into a chocolate crust.”

I Can’t Have No Affair Because It’s Wrong And I Don’t Want Earl To Kill Me Pie “Vanilla custard with banana. Hold the banana…”

Pregnant Miserable Self Pitying Loser Pie “Lumpy oatmeal with fruitcake mashed in. Flambé of course…”

I have never been in a situation where I have found myself to be miserably pregnant and therefore have never felt any inclination to name my creations in such fashion. However, touched by sentimentalism, I decided to name my lemon meringue tart, the one I never got to share with Mick: You Are My Sunshine Tart. It is corny, I know, but indulge me in my emotional condition. I have a feeling Mick would have preferred it named Lusty Lemon Tart.

Perhaps You Are Lusty, My Sunshine Tart?

Anyway, to make this tart you will need the following recipe:

Lemon meringue tart

base

200g unsalted butter

40g sugar

80g icing sugar

3g salt

1 large egg

380g flour

lemon curd

4 eggs

250g sugar

160mls lemon juice, strained

zest of 2 lemons

300g unsalted butter, diced

meringue
80g egg whites

150g caster sugar

(makes 2 8-inch tarts)

prepare the base the day before by creaming butter, sugars and salt together until well combined before adding the egg. Add flour and incorporate until all the components just come together in a ball. Divide the dough into 2, flatten each portion into a disc, wrap with plastic film and refrigerate.

roll the prepared dough to 3-5mm thickness and line tart ring. Allow to rest for 30 mins.
pre-heat oven to 180C.

blind-bake tart base for 10 minutes, remove pie weights if using and bake base for a further 7 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the base to cool before filling with lemon curd.

prepare the lemon curd by placing the eggs, sugar and lemon juice and zest in a large stainless steel mixing bowl and whisking til sugar dissolves completely.

cook whisking constantly by placing the mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until the bubbles diminish, eventually disappearing and the consistency that of thick sour cream.

remove bowl from heat and at this point you may strain the custard to rid the zest if you want a smoother and more velvety finish. Allow to cool slightly.

whisk diced butter a little at a time. This process thickens and enriches the custard.

prepare meringue by whisking sugar into the egg whites gradually until a shiny and soft-peaked meringue is obtained.

finish by pouring the lemon curd into the prepared tart bases and tap gently to achieve a smooth flat top. Pipe meringue in a decorative fashion and flame gently with a blowtorch. Alternatively, preheat the grill in the oven and heat til a golden brown colour is obtained.

Mick used to love coffee, then he started drinking Earl Grey tea

J-M aka Mick, a frequent contributing editor, a selfless volunteer to my experimental recipes and my dearest close friend passed away 6 weeks ago. His departure was unexpected making it that little harder to come to terms with, but then again, I don't suppose there are easier means of confronting the loss of someone close to heart be it expected or not.

The following posts will be dedicated to Mick - a medley of foods, some inspired by the flavours he loved, some enjoyed in his company and some I just wish we had a chance to enjoy together.

I begin with shortbread imbued with the subtle citrus notes of Earl Grey tea, the brew of choice after Mick decided to give up his coffee. To finish and to sweeten these biscuits just a touch, I drizzled melted white chocolate after cutting them to size.

Earl Grey tea shortbread

220g unsalted butter

1 tsp fine salt

70g icing sugar, sifted

300g plain flour

4 Twinings Earl Grey tea bags

(makes 1 rectangular tart pan)

Preheat oven to 160C.

Beat butter, salt and icing sugar until light and creamy.

Add flour and ground tea, mix til just combined.

Pat dough into a fluted rectangular tart pan, prick at 1cm intervals with a skewer and sprinkle the entire surface with sugar.

Allow the shortbread to rest for 20 minutes before baking.

Bake the shortbread for 40-50 minutes, slightly coloured around the edges.

Remove from the oven and cut into fingers of desired width while still warm.

Return shortbread to oven, switch OFF the heat and leave the door ajar.

Remove shortbread from pan when completely cooled and garnish with drizzling of white chocolate if desired.