Truffles and Ganache

I made truffles with a simple ganache recipe I saw on 5 minute fix this weekend. These truffles are simply a chilled ganache rolled in toppings such as crush walnuts, cocoa powder, or sprinkles. The ingredients are simple: equal parts chocolate and heavy cream. I've used both 60% & 54% chocolate, both were delicious.

Ganache Instructions:
- Scald heavy cream by heating it on low heat until small bubbles roll up around the sides of the cream, but it doesn't come to a rolling boil.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler on medium/low. If you don't have one (I don't), just pour water into a pot and fill it partially with water, then put a glass mixing bowl that fits on top of the pot. You can also use this bowl for mixing and have one less dish to wash.
- Take the chocolate off of the heat once it's fully melted and pour in the scalded milk in three parts, folding it in between pours.
- Mix the chocolate and cream till they're fully mixed an you have a shiny emulsion.

This ganache recipe can be used for... anything you use ganache for.

Truffle Recipe:
- Chill bowl of ganache in the fridge until it's thick and hard, but still slightly moldable.
- Scoop out balls of chocolate with a cookie dropper onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it.
- Chill chocolate in fridge for about ten minutes.
- Roll chocolate between palms until they're smooth and round, then roll them in toppings.
- Re-chill chocolate and enjoy!

You can also dip the rolled truffle in melted chocolate (with no cream!) for a chocolate shell. : )

Peach Cobbler Recipe

So, last night Brian wanted some peach cobbler and since I owed him, I had to make it. I figured I would just pour some peaches in a pan and make up some jiffy mix and put it on top. Naturally, that didn't happen because our mix was bad. I'd never made peach cobbler before, but since I had to, I.. well, I had to. I found a recipe online but it was too plain for me, so I made it my own. Here you go!

Ingredients:
Bottom Crust-
1/2c (1 stick) unsalted butter.
1c all-purpose flour
1c white sugar
3tsp baking powder
1c milk
1tsp vanilla
Filling-
1 large can of peaches (30oz)*
1c sugar
2tsp lemon juice
1tsp lemon zest (jarred is fine)**
1 tbsp cinnamon
Top Crust- ***
1/2c flour
1/2c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2c milk
1tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit!!!

Step 1: Melt your butter in a cup or bowl and pour it in the bottom of a casserole dish or cake pan.
Step 2: Combine flour, sugar and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix them with a fork.
Step 3: Pour milk and vanilla into your flour mixture and stir until just combined. This will be lumpy.
Step 4: Pour your batter mixture into your baking dish, on top of the butter.
Step 5: Drain peaches and pour them into a medium bowl. Stir in the other filling ingredients (Sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice) and pour them on top of your batter in the baking dish.
Step 6: Follow steps 2 and 3 again with your top-crust ingredients and pour them on top of your peach mixture.
Step 7: Cook in oven for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden. About thirty minutes through, I brushed the top crust with butter and sprinkled it with sugar to make a golden, slightly shiny sheen on the crust.

* If you like a lot of peaches, you can add another 15oz can of peaches to your mixture.
** If you don't have lemon zest, you can just add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.
*** The top crust on this recipe is not necessary, but is delicious.