Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Petits Fours Galore

I am very honored to be the part of FoodBuzz's 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Posts again. This month, the theme was New Years Eve and I chose to show you assorted truffles and petits fours that I made for the occasion :) Here are 31 recipes, 31 mini desserts, 31 great tastes.

Lemon Vodka Praliné, Marzipan Bombs, Cream truffles,
Marzipan & pistachio confetti, Rum truffles

1. Lemon Vodka Praliné - Mix 100 g melted chocolate with 100 g ground toasted hazelnuts, grated lemon zest, 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 6 Tbsp vodka. pipe into paper cups and decorate with grated lemon zest. Original recipe by Broccoli.

2. Marzipan Bombs - Sprinkle 200 g sour cherries with some rum. Mix together 100 g marzipan, 1 tsp lemon juice and 50 g powdered sugar. Shape into small balls and place 1 cherry inside each of them. Dip into chocolate glaze.

3. Cream truffles - Melt 80 g margarine with 150 g white chocolate in a double boiler. Stirring constantly add 150 g powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp cognac and 40 g grated coconut. Leave in the fridge overnight. Shape into balls and dip into white chocolate glaze.

4. Marzipan & pistachio confetti - Knead 200 g marzipan with 1 egg white. Add 60 g powdered sugar, 50 g ground pistachios and 2 Tbsp kirsch. Pipe into paper cups and decorate with pistachios. Original recipe by Broccoli.

5. Rum truffles - Mix 150 g ground lady fingers biscuits with 150 g melted white chocolate and 7 Tbsp rum. Leave in the fridge overnight and later shape into balls. Roll them into grated dark chocolate.

Coconut & Vanilla Balls, Mini Baklava Nests

6. Coconut & Vanilla Balls - A great recipe from Arabic Bites.

7. Mini Baklava Nests - Jenn's baklava shaped into nightingale's nest.

Advokaat & Nougat Praliné

8. Advokaat Praliné - Heat 80 ml heavy cream with grated zest of 1 lemon. Beat 3 egg yolks with 100 g powdered sugar, add cream and 70 ml egg liqueur. As soon as it starts to harden pipe into paper cups. Original recipe by Broccoly.

9. Nougat Praliné - In a double boiler melt 50 g milk chocolate and 300 g nougat chocolate with 150 ml heavy cream. Add 50 ml cognac. Let cool for an hour in the fridge and then fill paper cups with it.

Chocolate & sugar glazed chestnuts, Coffee Bean Truffles

10. Chocolate Glazed Chestnuts - Cook chestnuts. Dip into chocolate glaze.

11. Sugar Glazed Chestnuts - Cook thick syrup of sugar and water. When it cools it should be of a honey consistency. Dip cooked in it.

12. Coffee Bean Truffles - Cook 250 g sugar and 75 ml water into thick syrup. Stir in 125 g butter to melt, 100 g ground walnuts, 100 g ground Plazma biscuits, 80 g melted chocolate and 2 tsp ground coffee. Mix everything well, then shape into balls, press with a toothpick, dip into chocolate glaze and press with a toothpick again. Original recipe and step-by-step photo by Mignonne.

Sweet Kisses, Poppy Seed Crescents, Chestnut Puree

13. Sweet Kisses - Boil 100 ml heavy cream, 50 g honey and 2 Tbsp sugar. Remove from heat and add 2 Tbsp flour. Boil again and add 200 g almonds cut into leaves and 50 g candied cherries. Bake in a preheated oven on 175°C for about 10 minutes.

14. Poppy Seed Crescents - Mix 170 g flour with a little baking powder. Add 85 g powdered sugar, 1 bad vanilla sugar, 2 egg yolks, 140 g cold margarine and 70 g poppy seeds. Knead everything, shape into crescents and bake in a preheated oven on 200°C for about 7 minutes. Dip into white chocolate.

15. Chestnut Puree - I had these cuties in a patiserie once. They are sweetened chestnut puree dipped in chocolate.

Walnut & Rum Balls

16. Walnut & Rum Balls - Melt 300 g white chocolate. Add 150 g powdered sugar, 150 g ground walnuts and rum to taste. Let cool and then shape into balls. Top each ball with a half of a walnut.

Pineapple & Chocolate Cones, Pâte de Fruit Truffle

17. Pineapple & Chocolate Cones - Melt 150 g dark chocolate with 150 ml heavy cream. Add finely chopped candied pineapple. Let cool overnight. Beat with a mixer and fill paper cups or cones with it. Decorate with ground pistachios.

18. Pâte de Fruit Truffles - Finely chop different colors Pâte de Fruits. Shape into balls. Kids love them!

Mocha, Aztec & Rum Truffles

19. Mocha Truffles - Mix 300 g ground toasted hazelnuts, 150 g marzipan, 100 g powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp of strong coffee and 150 g powdered chocolate. Add more coffee if needed. Shape into cones and dip into chocolate glaze.

20. Aztec Truffles - Mix 200 g powdered chocolate with 50 g cocoa. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp chilly powder. Add enough heavy cream to have good mass for shaping. Shape into balls and roll into cocoa.

21. Rum truffles: Mix 200 g grated chocolate with 200 g ground hazelnuts, 1 bag vanilla sugar, 2 beaten egg whites, 3 Tbsp rum, 2 Tbsp water. Shape into little balls.

Chocolate Salami, Caramel & Halva Truffles

22. Grandma Jela's Chocolate Salami - Melt 100 g dark chocolate with a few tablespoons honey. Add chopped nuts, raisins and cereals and wrap tight in a foil in a shape of salami. Leave in the fridge overnight. Grandma Jela is my uncle's mother and she makes all kinds of yummy treats. Remember her version of Torte Reform?

23. Caramel & Halva Truffles - Mix 300 g ground walnuts with 150 g powdered sugar. Add gradually some corn syrup to form a mass fit for shaping. If needed add a little margarine and lemon juice. Shape into small balls and place a small cube of Tahan Halva in the middle of each one. Pour some caramel on top of the balls. Original recipe by Mignonne.

Two-Color Oblande, Leftover Oblande

24. Two-Color Oblande - Yellow filling: Beat 250 g butter with 200 g powdered sugar and 8 egg yolks. Brown filling: Beat 8 egg whites with 10 Tbsp sugar. Carefully add 300 g ground Plazma biscuits and 100 g dark chocolate. Fill 1 package Oblande alternately with both fillings. Wrap everything tight in cling film, then in large piece of paper, and place in fridge. Press it with some kind of weight. Leave in the fridge overnight.

24. Leftover Oblande - I made these with all the leftover chocolate, heavy cream, ground nuts and caramel. Though looking messy, they were incredibly tasty.

Praline Truffles, Chocolate Baskets

26. Praline Truffles - First, make chocolate cups by melting dark chocolate and spreading two layers of it on the insides of small paper cups. Melt 200 g sugar. When it's melted, add 250 g hazelnuts and stir. Spread over baking paper and let cool. Grind in a blender. Reserve 50 g of praline for decorating. Mix remaining praline with 70 g raisins, 150 g butter and 150 g melted chocolate. Let cool a little and shape in to balls. Place balls in chocolate cups, coat with reserved praline and then remove paper from the cup. Original recipe and step-by-step photo by Mignonne.

27. Chocolate Baskets - Make chocolate cups like in the recipe above. In a double boiler melt 150 g milk chocolate, 100 g powdered chocolate and 150 ml heavy cream. Let cool a little and add 2 beaten egg whites. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Fill cups with filling, remove paper cups and decorate with grated white chocolate.

Rafaelo, Petit Fours, Chocolate Cups

28. Rafaelo - I can't imagine festivity without my mother's Rafaelo. These are a copycat version of Ferrero's Rafaello.

29. Petits Fours - Beat 20 g butter with 160 g sugar until foamy. Add 4 egg yolks and continue to beat. Add 3 Tbsp cocoa, 1 Tbsp sour cream, 70 g flour mixed with 3 g baking powder, 100 g ground hazelnuts, and at the end 4 egg whites beaten hard. Bake in a greased 30x40 cm baking pan in a preheated oven on 200°C for about 25 minutes. When it's done and cooled, cut biscuit in 2 equal pieces and spread a layer of a marmalade on top of one of them. Place the other biscuit half on top, glaze with chocolate glaze. Recipe form Coolinarka.

30. Chocolate Cups - These were made by my friend's aunt. Melt black and white chocolate separately with some heavy cream and pour together in cups. Let cool to harden.

Mini Baskets a la Lady Di

31. Mini Baskets a la Lady Di - In a double boiler melt 200 g white chocolate and 100 g butter. Add 100 ml heavy cream and 3 Tbsp Amaretto and stir well. Let rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Fill cup with it and decorate with fried coconut.

Basic chocolate glaze - In a double boiler melt 100 g dark chocolate with 3 Tbsp oil. Stir, let cool a little bit and use it for glazing truffles, petits fours etc.

Thank you again FoodBuzz! And Happy New Year everybody!

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