Chocolate sticks with walnuts

3.5 oz (100 g) butter
3.5 oz (100 g) sugar
3.5 oz (100 g) chocolate
3.5 oz (100 g) ground walnuts
4 eggs
1 tablespoon flour

Glaze:
9 oz (250 g) sugar
2 oz (50 g) butter
1 cup (2 dl) water
1 tablespoon rum

Mix butter with sugar, add egg yolk, melted chocolate, ground nuts and flour. Finally stir in the egg whites firm. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350° F (180° C). In meantime, cook the sugar and butter in water and rum. Stir constantly. When boils, remove from heat and continue stirring until the glaze has cooled. Pour that glaze on baked cake. Cut it into long narrow pieces.

Cake with chocolate bananas

Biscuit:
6 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons walnuts
5 tablespoons flour
half package baking powder
20 "chocolate bananas"

Filling:
2 cups (4,5 dl) milk
5 tablespoons cornstarch
8 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla pudding
2 package vanilla sugar
9 oz (250 g) butter

Decoration:
Chocolate glaze

Cake baked in a larger pan and cut into two sheets. For the filling: cook in milk cornstarch, pudding and sugar with vanilla sugar, cool and add blended butter. On one sheet of biscuit spread on filling, put chocolate bananas on, then spread the remaining cream and cover with other sheet biscuit. Decorate top of cake with chocolate glaze.

Teuscher Boston: Walnut Gianduja

Everything has to come to an end. Even good things. Even really good things, like a box of chocolates from Teuscher. I won’t be able to write about their truffles, giandujas, or pralines for a while, because this walnut gianduja was the last piece from the box I picked up on my trip to Boston.

As I wrote yesterday, I’m not the world’s biggest walnut fan, and prefer other nuts, like hazelnuts and almonds. Since this gianduja is topped with a gigantic walnut half, the walnut flavor permeates the entire creation, including the smooth, milk chocolate coating.

Inside, the gianduja is sweet, but not too sweet, and carries a definite walnut flavor thanks to the finely-ground bits of walnut blended into the gianduja. While I don’t particularly enjoy walnuts, the incorporation of the walnut offsets the sweet gianduja and milk chocolate coating nicely, so the end result is a gianduja that is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.

Although I wouldn’t pick this gianduja for my next box because of my own personal preference, those who like walnuts and milk chocolate would likely find this quite pleasing. Now I must figure out when I will get my hands on that next box.

While I don't have a new box in my possession, I do have other great news to report: after all the discussion about using lavender in baked goods, Lauren from Once Upon a Brewhouse has some great ideas, including lavender-scented marshmallows in hot chocolate - you must read about it.

Teuscher Boston: Walnut Truffle

Normally, I’m not a big fan of walnuts. Other nuts, like hazelnuts and almonds, appeal to me a lot more, especially in combination with chocolate. This would explain why I’d never sampled the Teuscher walnut truffle before. But folks, I need to provide a review of the full line of Teuscher truffles. You know, for completeness. So I sacrificed. For you, my readers.

I ate chocolate. For you.

What I ate featured a strong, smooth dark chocolate coating with a lingering aftertaste that was fruity and woody in nature.

It also featured a ganache that was robust enough to stand up to the crisp dark chocolate coating, which meant I could bite into the truffle without creating a crumbly mess. Nicely done. From a flavor perspective, the walnut is noticeable but not overpowering, and a little added sugar compliments the walnut, cream, and dark chocolate quite well. Even though I don’t like walnuts very much, I enjoyed the strong texture of the ganache and was pleased that the walnut flavor wasn’t overpowering. I’d consider topping off a box with this truffle in the future, even though it wouldn’t be one of my first selections because of personal preference. Walnut lovers, on the other hand, must try this truffle. Must.