As much as I love this time of the year, I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. This year has gone way too fast with its ups and downs and I’m wondering what next year will bring. I have a few baking plans for the year to come and I hope to keep bringing great desserts to this blog in the months to come as well. 2015, I’m coming for you!

Until then though, what I have for you today is a chocolate petit fours recipevored with just a touch of ginger to keep it in tone with the festive season. I’m mesmerized by individual desserts, I find them to be cute and practical, although not the easiest to make. However, as long as you keep things simple like I did with this recipe, nothing stops you from enjoying some moist, fragrant, delicious petit fours that look like you’ve worked hours to make. The highlight of these petit fours is the moist, delicate sponge – loaded with chocolate, the sponge is incredibly versatile as well. I chose to flavor it with a touch of ginger since it’s that time of the year, but you can add cinnamon, cardamom or even freeze dried fruits or keep it simple with more vanilla if you want. I wouldn’t add fresh fruits or nuts since the batter is quite runny and chances are that heavy additions will sink to the bottom. Once the sponge is done, all it needs is a glaze – which is the simplest ever – melted dark chocolate, plus sprinkles and royal icing to decorate.

{Ginger Petit Fours} - Petit fours cu ghimbir

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Serves:: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:

Ginger Cake:

• 370g hot water
• 95g dark cocoa powder
• 455g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 500g white sugar
• 5g salt
• 15g baking soda
• 375ml buttermilk
• 255ml vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Sprinkles to decorate
• Royal Icing to decorate

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F - 175C and line a large baking pan (square or rectangle) with baking paper.
2. Combine the hot water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium flame. Cook the mixture for 2 minutes then remove from heat and let it cool down slightly.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 10 minutes.
4. Mix the flour, ginger, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Add the flour into the egg mixture, alternating it with the cocoa syrup.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool down completely then level it up with a shapr knife and cut it into small squares.

Chocolate Glaze:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a hot water bath.
2. Stir in the oil then pour 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate over each square of cake.
3. Decorate with sprinkled or royal icing and let the glaze set before serving.

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ROMANIAN!

Oricat de frumoasa e aceasta perioada a anului nu pot sa nu ma simt usor nostalgica. Anul asta a trecut incredibil de repede si a avut si bune si mai putin bune si ma intreb cum va fi 2015. Am suficiente planuri pentru anul ce vine, inclusiv pentru acest blog, asa ca stati pe aproape.

Reteta de azi e una ciocolatoasa rau cu o aroma delicata de ghimbir. Deja am dat cuiva reteta si am inteles ca va deveni traditie de Craciun caci le-a placut la maxim asa ca nu mai stati pe ganduri caci chiar sunt bune mini-prajiturelele astea. In plus, asa, gatite de sarbatoare sunt eprfecte pentru perioada asta a anului. Daca nu va place ghimbirul il puteti inlocui cu cardamom, scortisoara sau doar vanilie, dupa plac. E o reteta versatila, destul de simpla, dar delicioasa!

Ingrediente:

Blat:

• 370ml apa fierbinte
• 95g cacao neagra
• 455g faina alba, cernuta
• 1 lingurita ghimbir macinat
• 500g zahar
• 5g sare
• 15g bicarbonat
• 375ml lapte batut
• 255ml ulei vegetal neutru
• 4 oua
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie

Glazura:

• 250g ciocolata neagra, tocata
• 2 lingurite ulei vegetal
• Bombonele pentru decor

Mod de preparare:

1. Preincalziti cuptorul la 175C si tapetati o tava mare de cuptor cu hartie de copt.
2. Combinati apa fierbinte cu cacaoa intr-un vas si dati in clocot pe foc mediu. Fierbeti siropul timp de 2 minute apoi dati deoparte sa se racoreasca.
3. Amestecati faina cu zaharul, ghimbirul, sarea si bicarbonatul intr-un bol.
4. Combinati laptele batut, uleiul, ouale si vanilia intr-un bol si mixati timp de 10 minute.
5. Incorporati faina, alternand cu amestecul de cacao.
6. Turnati blatul in tava pregatita si coaceti timp de 20-30 minute sau pana trece testul scobitorii.
7. Cand e gata, scoateti din cuptor si lasati sa se raceasca apoi nivelati blatul daca e nevoie si taiati in cuburi mici.
8. Pentru glazura, topiti ciocolata pe baie de aburi sau in cuptorul cu microunde apoi adaugati uleiul.
9. Turnati 1-2 lingurite de ciocolata topita peste fiecare cub de blat si decorati cu bombonele, dupa imaginatie.
10. Lasati glazura sa se intareasca intr-un loc racoros.