Chocolate Truffle Pound Cake In A Jar Food

CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A JAR I

Steps:

• Sterilize 2 (1 pint) straight sided wide mouth canning jars, lids and rings by boiling for 10 minutes. Keep the lids and rings in the hot water until needed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)
• In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water and cocoa powder. Heat and stir until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Pour into a large bowl.
• Stir in Flour mixture and blend. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla and beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts.
• Distribute evenly into the 2 prepared canning jars. Place the jars on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted deep into center of cake comes out clean.
• Using heavy oven mitts, remove cakes from oven one at a time. Place a lid, then a ring onto the jars and screw them down tightly. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to "ping" as they seal. If you miss the "ping", wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TRIFLE

Steps:

• For the pound cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the last egg, continue to beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in the heavy cream and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool the pound cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. (The pound cake can be made up to 2 days ahead; store at room temperature, well wrapped.)
• For the strawberries: Heat the strawberry preserves in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just warm. Add the strawberries and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer; simmer until the strawberries are just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Add a little sugar to taste if desired. Cool completely. (The strawberries can be made up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate in an airtight container.)
• For the cream layer: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until very smooth and light. Add a little bit of the cream, and beat to loosen. Beat in the remaining cream, a little at a time, until the mixture just holds stiff peaks, stopping occasionally to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.
• To assemble the trifle: Cut the pound cake into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Spoon a little more than a quarter of the cream into the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with a third of the pound cake, followed by a third of the strawberries and their juices. Repeat the layers, starting with cream, then cake, then strawberries. Top with the remaining cream and a few strawberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Crush the biscuits in a food processor until it is fine (like flour).
• Combine in a large bowl, the crush biscuits, 1/2 cup of fine desiccated coconuts and 2 tablespoons of cocoa. Mix the ingredients well.
• Then slowly stir in the sweetened condensed milk into the mixture. (Don't pour the whole content of the can, pour it in slowly as you only may need 340 grams of the can).
• You know you have the mixture right if the mixture is a dough ball. (If the balls are not holding shape then you may used too much sweetened condensed milk.) You should be able to roll them into a ball without being to hard or to soft.
• Shape the mixture into one-inch balls.
• Place the 1/4 cups of fine desiccated coconut into a flat plate (You may not need the whole 3/4 cups so just fill the flat plate when needed).
• Roll the ball into the fine desiccated coconut.
• Store in refrigerator until your ready to use.

LEMON-RASPBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Stir sugar and water for simple syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, about 20 minutes, then stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Toss raspberries in a bowl with 2 tablespoons simple syrup. Set aside about 3 ounces berries for top of trifle.
• Gently fold together whipped topping and lemon curd. Add to the vanilla pudding and fold until incorporated.
• In a large trifle bowl, layer 1/3 of the pound cake cubes. Spoon a couple teaspoons simple syrup over the cake layer, then add 1/3 of the berries and 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice more, then scatter reserved berries on top.