In their most recent issue (March 2010), Cook’s Illustrated included a taste-test of three different instant espresso brands in a batch of brownies (tasters still thought the real thing was best for drinking). Their favorite was Caffe D’Vita Imported Premium Instant Espresso, which had “dark, deep, fruity, toast-y” notes to it. They also liked Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee for it’s “rich fruitiness. The brand of instant espresso that I like to bake with, Medaglia D’Oro, was one that they liked although it was not their favorite. Tasters said that it added a “good complexity.” They won’t sell these in all markets (although I have seen them in Target before), but you’ll definitely find some of these brands at stores like Williams-Sonoma and specialty grocery stores.

Perhaps next time they’ll throw some Starbucks Via into the taste test. It’s not instant espresso, but it’s very easy to work with and does have a lot of complexity to it - especially when you compare it to other instant coffee products.

While there is nothing like a full-sized cake or pie, there is something very appealing about little desserts. They’re cute - a shrunken down version of their full-sized cousins - and can pack in a lot of flavor. Best of all, you can usually eat more than one without feeling guilty. So I’m easily tempted by miniature versions of desserts, and when I saw a picture of some miniature chocolate cream pies in a recent issue of Sunset magazine, I wanted to give them a try. A few tweaks to the original recipe and I had a whole batch of tasty, mini cream pies to enjoy!

These little pies have a great chocolate flavor to them, and a consistency that is very similar to chocolate pudding. They’re easy to handle because the filling is quite firm. In fact, it may start to firm up as you spoon it out into the mini crusts after preparing it. Don’t worry if the tops of the mini pies look a little irregular as they set. The whipped cream used to top the pies not only lightens up the chocolate, but it disguises any little imperfections in the filling. I used dark chocolate and the filling had a nice chocolate flavor that wasn’t too sweet. Use sweetened whipped cream to finish these if you like them a little sweeter, or simply substitute a semisweet or milk chocolate instead.

The crusts for these little pies are very easy to make. You’ll notice right away that, unlike many other graham cracker-type crusts, there is no butter in the recipe. Instead, the crumbs are held together with egg white. This makes for a crisper, firmer crust that is easy to take out of the mini muffin cups after baking, as well as for a crust that will hold up well to the chocolate cream filling without becoming soggy. Don’t worry if the crusts seem a bit hard after baking; just fill them up and chill them and they’ll be just right when you’re ready to eat! I added a little instant coffee powder (Starbucks Via, actually, since I really like that for baking) to my crusts to give them a hint of mocha flavor.

These mini pies can easily be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Add the whipped cream just before serving and give them a dusting of cocoa powder to finish them off. These are great for a crowd, and perhaps even better as a bite-sized treat to share with a loved one on a special occasion - with leftovers, of course!

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The book starts off with an introduction that covers the most important part of making truffles: choosing the chocolate you are going to work with. Since truffles are all about the chocolate flavor and don’t have as many ingredients as, for instance, a cake, it is crucial to use a high quality chocolate that has a flavor you like. The book goes on to describe chocolate from several high-end suppliers, including Valhrona and Callebaut, so you know what you’re in for with each. It then goes on to discuss truffle-making techniques, from rolling the centers to dipping the truffles in tempered chocolate for a smooth shell. There is even a page of troubleshooting tips to help you through any problems that might arise as you work.

The truffle recipes themselves are divided into chapters on chocolate flavors, fruit flavors, nut and spice flavors, and “grown-up” flavors, such as coffee- infused and liqueur-infused truffles. The technique is similar for all of the recipes, but the book ranges from classic ganache truffles that are made with cream, as well as truffles made with butter, creme fraiche and even soymilk, for those who don’t use dairy. There are more truffle-making tips and plenty of truffle photos sprinkled throughout the book, as well.

Homemade truffles are quite easy to make and fun to play around with for all occasions. You can start with some Mint Chocolate Truffles if that’s a flavor combination that you like. If you want to try your hand at making some other homemade candies, you can also take a look at the books Brittles, Barks and Bonbons and The Field Guide to Candy in addition to this book.

A slice of toast is always a great complement to breakfast foods, especially egg dishes, whether I’m eating at home or out at a diner. Whole wheat and sourdough make great toast, but I would have to say that cinnamon raisin bread makes better toast still. Most cinnamon raisin bread - including this homemade cinnamon raisin bread - has a buttery, sweet flavor to it to begin with and is just dense enough to soak up a lot of butter when you slather it onto a freshly toasted slice. It’s a small indulgence, but a good one.

Homemade cinnamon raisin bread is a great thing to make because you not only get to enjoy the taste of a freshly toasted slice, but you get to smell the bread while it bakes. The bread is easy to make and bakes in a loaf pan. You can do the initial kneading in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached if you don’t want to do it by hand, but you will need to clear some counter space to form the loaf by hand before its final rise. The dough is rolled out and spread with a brown sugar and butter mixture before being rolled back up into that final loaf. It’s a thin layer that only makes a small swirl in the finished loaf (it’s easy to see in person, however), but it does add a lot of flavor. I like to incorporate the cinnamon and the raisins into the bread dough, rather than trying to stick them only into the brown sugar swirl in the loaf so that they are well-distributed.

This loaf will keep well for a couple of days if you store it in an airtight container, or well-wrapped with plastic wrap on the kitchen counter. It is best to wait until it has cooled completely before slicing, but is easy to slice and makes a delicious piece of toast.
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You don’t need a specialty pan to bake a cake shaped like a heart. All you really need is a sharp knife and a regular cake pan and you can simply trim down a round or square cake to be a little more romantic. This is an easy fix if your kitchen space is limited and you don’t want to clutter it up with pans you don’t use often enough. If you do have room for another pan that would be ideal for Valentine’s Day and other romantic occasions, try picking up the Wilton Heart Tasty Fill Cake Set instead of an ordinary heart-shaped pan.

The Wilton Heart Tasty Fill Cake Set makes a fairly plain looking cake that has a surprise inside: a heart-shaped tunnel that can be filled with ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, frosting or any other filling you can dream up. The pan is designed to bake a round cake in two halves, one with the bottom point of a heart and another with the top domes. When the cake is baked and the pieces stacked together, you will be able to see the heart in every slice. Pretty sweet, isn’t it?