Sweet • Sour • Savory

Food blog on scandinavian style food done right.

Christmas

Tempering Chocolate

Christmas, Desserts, Holiday, Sweets and Candy, techniqueTove Balle-Pedersen1 Comment

Dark chocolate:

Chop the chocolate finely, set just under ⅓ of the chocolate aside, and add the rest into a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl on to a saucepan with very hot water. Let the chocolate melt while stirring. When the chocolate reaches 118-120℉ (48-49℃), take the bowl off the hot water. While stirring add the remaining chocolate in the warm chocolate. This will cool the chocolate. You need the temperature to cool to 80℉ (27℃). To make this process speed up, place the bowl in a bowl with ice-cold water for a short moment.   When the chocolate reaches 80℉ (27℃) put the bowl over the hot water again, and heat the chocolate to 88℉ (31℃), and now its ready to use for coating. It is Very important that the chocolate stays under 91.3℉ (33℃), if it does not, you need to start all over again.

TIP: If you keep an extra bowl with some warm chocolate, 118-120℉ (48-49℃), you can add small amounts of this, to the tempered chocolate if the temperature is getting to low while you are working with the chocolate.

Milk chocolate:  

You need to do the same steps with milk chocolate, as for the dark chocolate.

Heat to 116-118℉ (47-48℃)

Cool to  80℉ (27℃)

Reheat to 86℉ (30℃)

White chocolate:

You need to do the same steps with white chocolate, as for the dark chocolate. White chocolate is per definition not a real chocolate, 

Heat to 116-118℉ (47-48℃)

Cool to  80℉ (27℃)

Reheat to 84℉ (29℃)

How-to videos:

How to temper chocolate? Here is a video from CHOW, on how to do it. I also like this video, that gives you the science behind tempering chocolate. This warms a food chemists heart. ❤️

Hvordan temperer man chokolade? Her er en video fra Mette Blomsterberg, der viser hvordan hun gør. Blomsterberg køler ikke chokoladen til 27℃, for igen at opvarme chokoladen, til arbejdstemperaturen 31-33℃, som jeg ellers har lært. Men man må tro på at hun ved hvad hun gør. + jeg kan lide at hun har den lune chokolade klar, til at tilsætte lidt, for at holde temperaturen konstant, mens du arbejder med den.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

ChristmasTove Balle-PedersenComment

December 24th. 

Thank you for visiting my blog through out the year. It has been a blast, but also a busy year for me.  

Tonight I'll celebrate a traditional Danish Christmas Eve with my family. Even the christmas tree is decorated in the Danish way, with the national flag, Dannebrog.

The christmas creeped on me this year, I had to abandon my advent calendar, to get ready for the family christmas. Sorry about that, but it was the blog or my sanity. 

I wish you and your family a happy holiday.

Cheers!

Nougat

Christmas, Holiday, Sweets and CandyTove Balle-PedersenComment
Nougat

Nougat

December 22th.

I have always loved the white nougat made from honey, sugar and egg whites. This white nougat originates from Italy and is called Torrone, but there are different versions from different countries.  In Danmark we call this kind of candy for French Nougat, I really don’t know why. But it’s a great sweet candy, great for gifting. 

The temperature of the syrup determines the texture of the nougat. When the syrup is cooked to130℃ you get a very soft and runny nougat. Cooked to 140°C you get a chewy nougat. And if cooked to 150°C you get a hard nougat. 

 

makes 30-40 pieces, depending on size.

Ingredients:

Syrup:

  • 260 g sugar
  • 80 g water
  • 50 g light corn syrup/glucose
  • 160 honey

Egg whites:

  • 40 g egg whites
  • 40 g sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanillapaste

Filling:

  • 100 g pistachios
  • 100 g almonds

Directions:

Roast the almonds in a single layer in the oven at 350℉ (175℃), until they start to turn slightly golden, set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, honey and salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until all the sugar is melted, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in warm water, to prevent the sugar crystalizing on the sides of the pan. Attach the sugar thermometer to the pot and let the syrup simmer until it reaches 290°F (142℃), do not stir.

Remove saucepan from heat and place the base of the pan in the sink of cold water for 5 seconds, or until the bubbles subside, this stops the syrup temperature increasing. 

While heating the syrup, place the egg whites in a large, clean, dry heatproof bowl. Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Add salt and vanilla, whisk to combine.

While whisking on medium speed, slowly pour hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin, steady stream. Turn the speed up and whisk for 10-12 minutes.  

Pour the sticky nougat onto a Silpat® Non-Stick Baking Mats, or another silicone mat, use the mat to knead nuts into the nougat.

Place the nougat in a a parchment paper lined pan sprayed with oil. I used a loaf pan.  Set aside in at room temperature for 6 hours or until set.

Cut the nougat with a sharp knife, heated in hot water, and wiped dry. Toss the nougat pieces in some sifted confectionary sugar. Store nougat in a clean, dry airtight container, separating layers with a piece of parchment paper. Will keep in a cool, dry place for 1-2 weeks, or so I'm told.  ;0)

Enjoy!

 

Homemade Liquorice Fudge

Christmas, Desserts, Holiday, Liquorice, Sweets and CandyTove Balle-PedersenComment
Homemade Liquorice Fudge

Homemade Liquorice Fudge

December 21th.

Making the last few treats for the holiday celebration. 

Makes about 60.

Ingredients:

  • 397 g (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
  • 150 ml milk
  • 115 g (1 stick) butter (I used salted butter)
  • 450 g sugar
  • 4-5 teaspoons fine liquorice powder
  • 1-2 teaspoons raw liquorice powder

Directions:

Line a square baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan on a medium heat, heat the condensed milk, milk, butter and sugar, stirring regularly, until the sugar has melted. Let the fudge simmer until it reaches 240℉ (115℃) or until soft ball stage. You have to stir constantly, otherwise the fudge will burn and you end up with bitter fudge.

Transfer the fudge to the stand mixer bowl, add the liquorice powder, and beat for about 10 minutes, until it loses the glossy caramel sheen and you have a thick but soft fudge. 

Scoop the fudge into the prepared baking pan and press it into the corners and even out the top. Let the fudge cool completely. Cut it into squares.

The fudge will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for several weeks. I have never tested this, because the fudge always seems to disappear in the first few days, in my house.

Enjoy!

The Perfect Roasted Duck and Pork Roast.

Christmas, Dinner, Holiday, Meats, Poultry, PorkTove Balle-PedersenComment
A duck roasting in the oven.

A duck roasting in the oven.

December 20th.

Every year we look for guides to roasting duck and danish pork roast. Here is my take on how to make christmas dinner. We serve both duck and pork roast, but we only have one oven. A lot of people has this issue, and therefore they roast the duck the day before, but not in the house, that would be way to easy. ;0)

Danish Pork Roast

Danish Pork Roast

We make the pork roast in the grill/BBQ, on indirect heat, with a pan under to save the drippings, and this pan has to be refilled with water a couple of time while roasting. Other than that, its the same recipe as here:

Danish Pork Roast

 

 

 

 

 

By slow roasting the duck you get the most juicy duck ever. 

Slow-roasted Duck.

 

 

 

 

 

For the traditional Danish Christmas dinner serve with caramelizes potatoes and pickled red cabbage.