Tuesday, December 16, 2014

TWD: Chocolate-Mint Nightcaps

Tuesdays with Dorie baking through Baking with Julia
by Dorie Greenspan
Contributing Baker: Marcel DeSaulniers




Ahh, I was so looking forward to making these!! Chocolate mint ganache, sandwiched between two chocolate cookies, and topped with even more ganache (to resemble a nightcap).

These treats are small, and are meant to be eaten with your fingers. However, a fork may have been better, for the cookies are like a small moist sponge cake, that stick to the tips of your fingers, and are quite messy.

These were a bust for me. The chocolate mint ganache had no mint flavor to it all. I should have went with my instinct to infuse the cream for a longer time - at least an hour, as I do when I make ice cream. It also was too firm to pipe. Well, it was perfect when I pulled it from the fridge, but as it sat out on the counter, while I baked my last set of cookies, it firmed up even more! I had to place the bowl of ganache over a waterbath to soften it back up. Unfortunately, the ganache was not as smooth after doing so.

I felt the cookies were too light for the heavy ganache. I'm thinking maybe brownies would work better, or maybe even meringue cookies for more of a textural difference.

I only made a few for the photo - the rest of the cookies are in the freezer, waiting for a recipe that calls for cake crumbs - they'll probably end up in the trash though. And the extra ganache? Who knows. Would hate to throw out all that good chocolate. Maybe I can make truffles with it, or stir it in to warm milk for hot cocoa. (It would be a lot of cocoa!)

To view how my fellow bakers fared with this recipe, click here to be taken to the TWD blogroll for their links.


8 comments:

  1. Too bad they weren't that good because they look delicious!

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  2. Agree with you on this one- a bust! Bummer.

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  3. What a shame! You photo is gorgeous, so my expectations were high... Maybe the ganache would be good for filling mint macarons?

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    1. I'm sure it would, David! Macarons are on my future to-make list. :)

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  4. MMMM - stir it into hot chocolate! That gets my vote :-)

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  5. That's a bummer! I'm glad I ran out of time! Your photo makes them look delicious!

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  6. I was tempted to try these as I like mint, but am glad I didn't. Your photo is great even if the cookies were a bust.

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  7. My sentiments exactly. These were a bust. Too bad. The description sounded so delicious, and I love chocolate and mint.

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