At Greek schools, there are no restrictions on mothers bringing a home-made sweet for a celebration. So I make all the treats that my children carry to school with them for their birthdays and school functions. Although I rarely make spectacular cakes in my own home (you would have seen them on the blog if I did), I have apparently gained quite a reputation among my children's school friends and their teachers as a maker of very good cakes.
I make (apparently, as rumour spreads) the best chocolate cake, the most amazing cupcakes, incredible muffins and the tastiest home-made birthday torte that my kids' schoolfriends have ever tried. My cakes and sweets rarely have a spectacular appearance, but they are all made with few ingredients and hardly any special techniques or tools; all the recipes can be found online.
Most parents in Crete would be very surprised to hear that home-made sweets are banned in many schools in places like the US. They would also be horrified to know that one of the reasons for this is due (apart from allergy problems) to the fear of low hygiene standards (don't all kitchens getmessy when we cook from scratch, whether they are home kitchens or industrial ones?) and the fear of children being potentially targeted or inadvertedly affected by via food poisoning. There is still some innocence left in us here.
For a Cretan twist to chocolate truffles - click here for a recipe for chestnut truffles.
©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.
Working with chocolate ganache can be messy - I prefer to use two spoons to scoop it out once it's set. Then I press it in the tin to give it a round shape, before rolling it in coconut or sugar hail. Using your hands to make perfect round balls means you'll end up licking them a lot.
I make (apparently, as rumour spreads) the best chocolate cake, the most amazing cupcakes, incredible muffins and the tastiest home-made birthday torte that my kids' schoolfriends have ever tried. My cakes and sweets rarely have a spectacular appearance, but they are all made with few ingredients and hardly any special techniques or tools; all the recipes can be found online.
I rolled the truffles in chocolate hail, grated coconut or coloured sugar hail, at the request of my daughter who thinks this will be the most popular truffle. The ganache was made using this recipe. I added crushed semi-sweet biscuits to the mixture before it set in the fridge to make the recipe go a bit further (I got 44 truffles; without the biscuits, I would probably have only 25-30).
Most parents in Crete would be very surprised to hear that home-made sweets are banned in many schools in places like the US. They would also be horrified to know that one of the reasons for this is due (apart from allergy problems) to the fear of low hygiene standards (don't all kitchens getmessy when we cook from scratch, whether they are home kitchens or industrial ones?) and the fear of children being potentially targeted or inadvertedly affected by via food poisoning. There is still some innocence left in us here.
For a Cretan twist to chocolate truffles - click here for a recipe for chestnut truffles.
©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.
What pretty truffles you've made; the rumors must be true that yours are the best!
ReplyDeleteI had to comment on your post, as you are correct. In the U.S. now, we have to buy the treats that are taken to school for birthday parties. So, instead of getting treats with quality ingredients, parents purchase cupcakes, or cookies from the local grocery store, which don't taste as good, and they are full of artifical ingredients that you may not want to eat. It is sad.
Your truffles look delicious! I can see why they're a favorite. After moving here from the U.S., I was surprised by the amount of goodies shared at the schools. Here, the typical kerasma are choco-frettas or Kinder chocolates. So when I bake cookies or brownies for my kids to share, they're very excited.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm....I guess we're behind the times at my school. I have never heard of such a rule. But...I better not say anything too loudly or SOMEONE somewhere will tattle on us. While it is true that 99%
ReplyDeleteof the awful little cupcakes kids bring to school for their birthday are from the supermarket, sometimes a mother who has the time will make them homemade. That is not to say that they are not from a box cake mix, however. I always graciously accept an offered cupcake and then later throw it in the trash. There is so much out there that is not very good and is made with substandard ingredients. Even our so called "improved" and "fresh" school lunches are still not very good, either.
Your homemade truffles look very good! I love the term you used, chocolate "hail." I have never heard it called that but it fits perfectly. I will now add that to my baking vocabulary! Thanks!
thank you caterina!
DeleteWhat beautiful truffles you've made, Maria! Adding crushed biscuits to the mix is a great idea, indeed!
ReplyDeleteMaya@Stories from Emona
Beautiful truffles, Maria! Crushed biscuits in the mix are a great idea indeed.
ReplyDeleteMaya@Stories from Emona