Earl Grey Lavender Chocolate Truffles Food

EARL GREY LAVENDER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the butter and the cream, and heat over medium heat to melt the butter. Bring the mixture to a light simmer, add the tea, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes to infuse the cream with the tea flavor.
• In the meantime, pulse the dark chocolate pistoles in the food processor to grind the chocolate. Transfer the ground chocolate to a metal bowl.
• When the tea has steeped sufficiently, strain the cream mixture over the chocolate, pressing the tea leaves into the strainer to extract all the cream. Whisk the cream/chocolate mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it for about 2 hours until the mixture is firm enough to scoop and roll into truffles.
• Toss each truffle in the cocoa powder to coat it, tapping off the excess.
• Store the truffles in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE EARL GREY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Bring cream and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and stir in tea leaves. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto chocolate, pressing on and discarding tea leaves, then whisk until smooth. Chill ganache, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.
• Spoon level teaspoons of ganache onto a baking sheet. Put cocoa in a bowl, then dust your palms lightly with it. Roll each piece of ganache into a ball (wash your hands and redust as they become sticky). Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa and turn to coat. Transfer as coated to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper.

EARL GREY-SPIKED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the creme fraiche and tea and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, put the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl. Strain the hot creme fraiche mixture into the bowl. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cover and let rest in a cool place overnight. The mixture will become firm but not hard.
• The next day, using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe bite-size "kisses" (like Hershey's Kisses) of the mixture onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate briefly just until set, about 30 minutes. Use your palm to gently press down the point that sticks up on each truffle. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until hard, 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the semisweet chocolate. It should be liquid, but not so hot that you can't touch it; if it is too hot for you, wear disposable surgical gloves. Spread the cocoa powder out on a sheet pan with sides.
• Working in 2 batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan of cocoa, dip the frozen truffle centers 1 at a time into the melted chocolate, shake off any excess, and set them down in the cocoa. When all the truffle centers are dipped and the chocolate has started to set, gently but thoroughly shake the sheet pan to roll the truffles around in the cocoa until coated. Carefully remove to another sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. (You can sift the unused cocoa and use it for another purpose.)
• Transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled until almost ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving.

EARL GREY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (2 probably needed depending on size of sheets). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

LAVENDER-EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Steep Earl Grey tea bag in hot milk in a bowl.
• Mix sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Mix in egg. Remove tea bag from hot milk; add milky tea mixture to batter. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and lavender; mix dough until well combined.
• Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are light brown and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.
• While cookies are cooking, stir lemon juice and water together in a small bowl. Add sugar, lavender, and lemon zest and stir until combined. Brush or spoon glaze onto cooled cookies.