February 2013 is such a festive month. With people here in Taiwan still enjoying their lunar new year's break, Valentine's Day is gradually approaching. Let's see what we can make to treat our valentines. (Yes, plural)
Pear infused chocolate truffles -
Ingredients (for about 18 to 20 truffles)?
200 grams of 70% dark chocolate
200 grams of heavy whipping cream
1/2 pear
Some chocolate powder
How?
Peel and chop the pear into small cubes. Pour the heavy whipping cream into a pot and turn to medium low heat. Add 1/2 of the pear cubes into that same pot.
Bring to a slight boil till the cream almost reach the bubbling state then lower the heat to keep it simmer gently for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure not to bring the mixture to a full boil, otherwise the texture of the cream will be changed and will not mix nicely with melted chocolate later on.
Once done, drain well and set aside. Don't waste the pear bits, I actually blend it with other fruits and some more milk, turned out to be another delicious juice creation.
Take a double broiler, or simply add some water into a pot and top it with a big bowl or plate. Make sure the upper container does not touch the water on the bottom. We want to create a steaming mechanism instead of cooking the chocolate directly.
Break the chocolate bars into smaller pieces and transfer onto the top container. Pour in the pear infused cream. Turn to medium low heat to gradually melt the chocolate.
Stir the mixture constantly and make sure the cream is fully incorporated into the chocolate. Turn off the heat and transfer this "ganache" mixture into a smaller container. Let it cool for a little bit then cover with foil. Into the fridge for about 2 hours, or till the texture hardens.
Meanwhile, sift some chocolate powder.
Can you tell I'm trying to use any tools I can find in my mom's kitchen here in Taiwan to make western dessert? Chopsticks instead of a whisk, tea leaf filter instead of a sifter.
When the ganache is ready, use a small spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the chocolate. Gently roll it into round shape if using a spoon. Dip the chocolate balls with the choco powder and set onto another container.
I prefer to transfer these just finished chocolate truffles back to the fridge for another 15 minutes before serving. Of course you can dig in right away.
The truffles should melt fairly quickly. You'll get that silky and smooth sensation once the melted truffles flow all over your mouth. You can also substitute pear with other fruits such as cherries or passion fruits. You can even jazz it up a bit adding a few drops of flavored liquor into the mixture. However, it's totally up to you how you would like to surprise your valentines. (**plural**)
Happy Valentine's Day!
I've been to Haagen Dazs stores many times in Taiwan ever since I was little. Unlike the ones in the states, which only sells limited items such as scoops of ice cream, cakes, and drinks; Haagen Dazs in Asia really kicks it up a notch. Let me show you how.
This is the DunNan store in Taipei, Taiwan. The entire Haagen Dazs takes up a three-story building located in a busy area where young people like to hang out for entertainments.
The first floor is mainly the display area, the second and the third floor are spacious seats for customers who want to dine indoor. Outdoor seats are also available.
Now that's what I'm talking about. You can actually get plated desserts here, and it's more than a pretty looking treats. Those fancy ice cream plates were actually created by three renown pastry chefs in the world - Jean Francois Arnaud, Anil Rohira, and Hiroshi Igarashi.
These three chefs specially created a series of eight different plated desserts using Haagen Dazs ice creams. Check out Haagen Dazs Taiwan's website for a list of these charming creations.
Before getting into details about the two plated desserts I devoured, let me briefly tell you what other items we have here for Haagen Dazs Asian stores. A good assortment of coffee and tea selections ranging from traditional Chinese tea to western herbal tea.
Other staple dine-in creations such as banana split, Belgian waffle, Lost in Manhattan (chocolate based ice cream selections served with warm brownie cake), Joyful Party (vanilla, green tea, strawberry ice cream, raspberry, mango sorbet, together with crispy almond meringue), and the list goes on.
Sounds delicious? These are merely the "regular" stuff we have in Taiwan. During winter months, Haagen Dazs even came up with Ice Cream Magic Fondue and ice cream teppanyaki style so that we can still devour these cold treats without freezing to death!
Back to my precious plated dessert,
Below is called Charlotte Kiss by chef Hiroshi Igarashi -
Main ingredients include all sorts of berries and berry flavored ice creams, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet, ladyfingers, chocolate swirls, and almond brittle.
Cologne Light -
Main ingredients include chocolate ice cream, cappuccino chocolate truffle ice cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel cream cookies, and black forest cake.
Each specially plated desserts costs around $13 U.S. If you know the price for one scoop of Haagen Dazs ice cream, you'll feel that these $13 for a well plated treats and a relaxing time with friends in such a cozy environment is totally worth it.
Come give it a try if you ever travel to Asia/Taiwan, then you'll understand why I keep saying Haagen Dazs in Asia is so much better than the ones back in the states.
Haagen-Dazs Taiwan (Taipei DunNan Store)
台北市大安區敦化南路一段173號
No. 173, Section 1, DunHua South Road, Daan District, Taipei, Taiwan 106
+011 886 (02) 2776-9553
Taiwan official website: http://haagen-dazs.com.tw/
U.S. office website: http://www.haagendazs.com/
