Domino cookie truffles: no messy business for Valentine's

Last year it was loaded-with-sugar-and-ready-to-kill pink marshmallows, this year I'm probably going to please my friends at school with these Domino cookie truffles on Valentine's Day. I just can't go empty-handed:)

Fazer's Domino cookies are a dream come true for many cookie lovers (not really for me...er...I'm not that much of a chocolate lover...well I can pretend; but their taste does kick ass for sure). And the taste of Domino cookies in a truffle...I guess I'll have more friends on Thursday than I ever imagined:D

Domino truffles
(inspiration from Bakerella's Oreo truffles; makes about 50)

350 g Domino cookies (2 small boxes)
175 g cream cheese
about 200 g dark chocolate

1. Crush the cookies into a fine powder in a food processor.
2. Add the cream cheese and process until the mixture is very creamy.
3. Place the mixture into the fridge to harden.
4. Form balls (or other shapes) from the mixture and place them into the fridge to harden for some more time.
5. Melt chocolate over a water bath, dip all truffles into the chocolate and place them onto a plate/cutting board covered with foil. Place into the fridge to harden.

No kidding, these cookies have the distinctive Domino cookie taste that will hit you as a wonderful surprise. They're chocolate-y, very creamy. Very creamy. Sweet enough and silky when melting on your tongue. Very creamy. The chocolate coating will remain slightly softer than on a usual chocolate truffle and stick loyally onto it.

...and there's one more great thing. THE GREATEST, if you ask me. Usually forming truffles is a messy business, chocolate sticking to fingers when warming up and stuff and stuff like that. I hate it (I mean - I don't hate licking my fingers clean all the time, that's great, but, everything else there is to it - I hate).

This truffle mixture ISN'T ANNOYINGLY STICKY.
I'm amazed.

Marshmallows for my Valentine

It's this time of the year again and this year there had to be something better than muffins with burnt bottoms. Something sweet. Something pink. Something...marshmallow. I did adore these sweets when I was little and bought them in those lovely plastic cornets whenever I had the money and chance to do so. Although food colourings are put far away at our house, Valentine's day means time for some red paint on luscious sugar candies. Because there has to be a time for that every year.



Marshmallows with a hint of rum

5 dl sugar
2 1/2 dl water
vanilla
1 dl water + 6 tsp gelatin
some liquid red food colouring
rum essence

for coating:
1 2/2 dl powdered sugar
4 tbsp starch

1. dissolve sugar in water
2. bring it slowly to a boil and boil, uncovered, for about 15 minutes
3. remove from heat and let cool a bit
4. soak gelatin in 1 dl water for some minutes and then warm it up (it's easiest to do it in the microwave, but you can use waterbath too). when the gelatin has dissolved let it cool a little.
5. mix together syrup, food coulouring, vanilla, rum essence and gelatin mixture. using an electric mixer, beat it up to form a thick mass (it took over 10 minutes for me).
6. pour the mixture into a baking dish (about 20 cm) that has been lined with film and let cool in the fridge.
7. when the mixture has jellied, cut it into pieces (put knife into hot water before cutting to make the process easier) and roll them in the mixture of powdered sugar and starch.

I'll take them to school with me along with Valentine's Day wishes. I would have never believed that marshmallows actually have almost nothing in them. Of course there is some really suspicious chemistry in the candies from these plastic scones, but...home-made...well-made. And marshmallows, especially home-made (and especially well-made) will hopefully catch smiles.