Louise the Baker

The nice folks at Viking are giving away 100 copies of The Late Bloomers’ Club over on Goodreads!

“The preserves tasted like summer, the frosting like childhood, the cake like a promise.”–The Late Bloomers’ Club will be in bookstores on July 17th!

The paperback edition of The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living is coming out in just 3 weeks, on Novemember 7th! I was slicing pies in the kitchen when this copy arrived. I am over-the-moon in love with the new cover, and can’t wait for it to be out in the world.

Louise Miller aka Louise the Baker spoke at the Wellesley Free Library last night about writing, entering the apple pie contest at the Topsfield Fair, and growing up in Wellesley. 

Lorna recommends you give her debut novel a try.  “ This romantic-comedy debut novel has family, friendship, baking, and a dog named Salty.  After I finished it I found myself wanting to drive to Vermont to find The Sugar Maple Inn. This is a sweet read for all New England romantics.”

We have autographed copies of her debut novel The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living available while supplies last.

It’s not out in paperback until November 7th, but I am IN LOVE with the cover!

Bourbon Chocolate Truffles

If you are looking for something rich and chocolately to make for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, here is my favorite truffle recipe. They are super easy to make, and are decadently delicious. No matter how you spend February 14th, I hope it’s filled with sweetness. 

Bourbon Chocolate Truffles

yields about 20 truffles, depending on how big you make them and how much filling you eat while rolling them

Ingredients

 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped*

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

about 1# melted, tempered** chocolate

Directions

Place the chocolate and the butter in a medium-sized bowl

Bring the cream almost to a boil. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE CREAM. Cream loves to either scorch or boil over, which will ruin your truffles.

Pour the nearly boiling cream over the chocolate and butter. Let stand for a minute, then whisk together. Whisk in the bourbon (or any booze you like!)

Pour the truffle base into a shallow dish (a pie dish could be perfect) and let chill in your fridge until firm, about 2-3 hours.

Fill a shallow dish (another pie plate perhaps?) with the cocoa powder

With a small scoop (or a teaspoon) scoop the chilled filling. With cocoa covered hands, roll the filling into a ball, then roll it into the cocoa powder. Place in a clean pan.

When you are finished shaping, let the truffles chill again for a little bit while you prepare the chocolate.

Dip each truffle into the tempered** chocolate, and let set on a cookie sheet.

Truffles should be stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will be good for about a week!

*a note about chocolate. Truffles are little more than chocolate ganache dipped in more chocolate. You want to make sure you use chocolate you like eating. I love Callebaut, Scharffen Berger and Valrhona, but any chocolate will do as long as you find it delicious.

**Tempered chocolate means chocolate that has been brought through a process changing temperatures to ensure that it will be shiny, crisp and smooth. There are various methods to tempering chocolate but here is the least scientific, easiest way—

take 1 pound of chocolate and divide it into 3 parts.

in a double boiler (or in a steel bowl over, not in a pot of boiling water, melt 2/3 of the chocolate, stirring occasionally.

When it has completely melted, remove from heat, and stir in the additional 1/3 of chopped chocolate. Use immediately.  

My life-long dream of getting to be a judge at an apple pie baking contest came true last night at the Collins Branch of the Cambridge Public Library! All the pies were delicious and the people were delightful. A perfect night!

pie in the window

Yeasted apple cider donuts 

Glossy Pink Donut