Patent Leather Icing Glossy Chocolate Food

GLOSSY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, sugar substitute, cocoa and cornstarch. Add water and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cupcakes or cake while frosting is still warm.

CHOCOLATE PRALINE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; buttter a 10x15 jelly roll pan; set aside.
• Stir together pecans, brown sugar and 4 T. whipping cream; spread in prepared pan; bake for 20 minutes (coating will be slightly crystallized); stir one time; remove from oven; stir the whole works (should be of "chopped nuts texture/consistence"--will be used for rolling the truffle/chocolate in later on) and cool.
• Microwave the chocolate chips and remaining cream in a large bowl--about 3-4 minutes; whisk several times until smooth (microwave at 15-second intervals to prevent burning); whisk in the butter pieces and the almond liqueur; let stand 20 minutes.
• Beat the chocolate mixture with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until SOFT PEAKS form (do not overbeat!); cover and chill at least four hours.
• Shape chocolate into one-inch balls, roll in pecan-sugar; cover and chill up to one week (who are we kidding? these will NOT last for one week!) or freeze for up to a month (seriously!?).

ORANGE COINTREAU CAKE

Steps:

• For genoise: Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
• Beat eggs and sugar in large, heatproof bowl until well-blended.
• Place bowl over low heat and whisk mixture by hand 40 times (about 1 minute).
• Return bowl to mixer and beat until cool and quadrupled in volume.
• Gently fold in flour, then butter, do not overmix.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and top feels springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes.
• Invert onto rack and let cool.
• For custard: Finely grate zest off the 2 oranges; reserve oranges.
• Blend yolks, sugar, cornstarch and flour in medium bowl of mixer until smooth and lemon-coloured.
• Scald milk.
• Whisk thin stream of hot milk into yolk mixture and pour custard back into saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Add peel.
• Place plastic wrap directly onto surface and cool completely.
• To assemble: Cut cake into 3 even layers using a long, serrated knife.
• Brush each layer with some of the Cointreau.
• Set 1 layer on a cake plate and spread with half of custard.
• Repeat with second layer.
• Add third layer.
• Frost top and sides with whipped cream.
• Thinly slice and remove membranes from sections of reserved oranges.
• Try to make attractive pieces.
• Decorate top of cake with these if desired.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MEATBALLS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Stir egg, onion, salt and pepper together in bowl. Add bread crumbs. Stir.
• Add ground beef. Mix. If too soft, add a touch more crumbs. Shape into 1 inch balls. Arrange on broiler pan. Broil for about 10 minutes each side or bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Turn into ungreased 8 x 8 inch pan.
• SAUCE: Measure barbecue sauce and jam into small bowl. Stir. Spoon over meatballs in pan being sure to get some on every one. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Makes 13 meatballs.
• Company's Coming Cooking for Two.