Monthly Flavors for December – Merry and Bright!
The end of the year already?! This year has really flown past. I am so excited to share a whole new year of wonderful flavors
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March heralds the (technical) start of spring! It is a kind of stepping stone month – it isn’t as cold as February, but certainly isn’t full spring warmth. The balance of the seasons in this month made me want to play with the balance of sweet and savory. All the flavors have at least one element of traditionally savory tastes. I had so much fun with these! Honestly, the more “out there” recipes are from some extremely well-known chocolatiers and not my own design. I don’t think I would have ever thought to put Parmesan in a chocolate! I do hope you enjoy the fun of these flavors as much as I do. Also, all the names this month are synonyms for “combination” as in the combination of sweet and salty or winter and spring!
Banana and 5 Spice Caramel
5 spice is a blend of spices from China. The traditional combo is star anise, fennel (or anise), Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. Some people will use bay leaf, ginger, or black peppercorns though this is not very common. This spice blend is used ubiquitously in Chinese food including in braised or roasted meats, fish, vegetables, marinades, and rubs. It is not used in desserts, though. I have made 5 spice cookies, and loved the way the spices worked with baking! The way the spices in this caramel are delightful. You get sweet banana up front, then the clove and cinnamon, a little bitterness from the caramel, and you are left with sweet anise and a little tingle from the Szechuan peppercorns.
Beet and Mandarin Milk Chocolate Ganache
Beets may seem like a bizarre (and maybe gross) addition to sweets, but I promise they aren’t. Your normal white sugar is usually a mix of sugarcane and beet! During war rationing, bakers used beets in their cakes for sugar and color. Also, beets help keep cakes moist. In this ganache, you get this lovely earthy sweetness from the beets, bright citrus pops from the mandarin, and a finish of smooth milk chocolate.
Almond, Hazelnut, and Oat Praline
Oats are often used in sweets, and oatmeal is often served with fruit and sugar to make a mostly sweet breakfast. They add a wonderful nutty earthiness in cookies and cakes, but I tend to find them a savory-ish food. I will admit that this chocolate is pretty borderline for my sweet and savory theme, but I love it all the same! The oats are caramelized separately then mixed into the almond and hazelnut praline. This allows the oats to stay crunchy, adding great texture to this deliciously nutty chocolate.
Passion Fruit White Chocolate Ganache with Basil EVOO
The ganache here is pretty straight forward. You get sweet white chocolate, tangy passion fruit, crunchy seeds. The fun twist is the second layer though. EVOO stands for extra virgin olive oil. There is actually quite a rigorous set of regulations to earn the “extra virgin” title. Made from the first pressing of olives, EVOO is generally delicately fruity and grassy. You actually shouldn’t cook with EVOO, as that will quickly denature all its subtle flavors. Instead, it should be used in finishing or salads, places it will really shine. Paired with basil, you get the lovely smoothness of the oil, the herbal basil and the grassy olives. The combination with the passion fruit is spring time in a mouthful.
Orange Ganache with Coriander and Almond Praline
It is no secret that orange and chocolate might just be best friends. I used milk and dark chocolate in the ganache, so you get a little bitterness, a little sweetness, and big citrus tang. The praline is a wonderful addition. Coriander is the seed of cilantro, and is a little floral, almost cumin adjacent. With the almonds, the praline is nutty, a touch bitter, and floral in unexpected ways. With the brightness of the orange in the ganache, the combination is wonderful!
Parmesan White Chocolate Ganache with Hazelnut Praline
This one is definitely the weird flavor this month. This recipe is from the amazing Melissa Coppel. Hazelnut praline is pretty straight forward – nutty, caramel-y, and delicious. The ganache is certainly unexpected. The white chocolate is caramelized to bring out deeper nutty notes and to cut down on the sweetness. The parmesan is infused in the cream for 2 hours so the salty, funkiness of it comes through beautifully. Honestly, I love this chocolate. It is so out of the ordinary I was immediately drawn to it. I love the savory-ness of this chocolate, and I hope you do too!
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Probably the most well-known food associated with Purim, these buttery cookies are folded around jam, chocolate, or nut fillings. While pistachio is not the most traditional filling, my goodness are these cookies delicious! A lovely twist on a tradition, these cookies are lightly floral and extremely addicting.
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More fun with salty and sweet! This recipe was created by Lost Bread Company in Philadelphia. The combo of salty and sweet is pretty perfect here, even finishing the cookies off with a nice mix of flaky salt and demerara sugar. The end result is buttery, salty/sweet, and a little tangy. So good they are hard to share!
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The end of the year already?! This year has really flown past. I am so excited to share a whole new year of wonderful flavors