Chocolate Truffle Linzer Heart Recipes

LINZER HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in almonds. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. From the center of half the cookies, cut out a 1-1/2-in. heart or round shape. , Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool., Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam over the bottom of the solid cookies. Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar; carefully place over jam.

CHOCOLATE LINZER HEARTS

Steps:

• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, or mix with spoon. Beat in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except jam and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (dough will be sticky).
• Heat oven to 375°F. Roll one-fourth of dough at a time between pieces of waxed paper until 1/8 inch thick. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut with 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Cut small heart shape from center of half of the 2-inch hearts if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam on bottom of whole heart cookies; top with cutout heart cookie. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

CHOCOLATE LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Roll out remaining dough; cut with a 2-1/2-in. floured doughnut cutter so the center is cut out of each cookie. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., Spread melted chocolate over the bottoms of solid cookies. Place cookies with cutout centers over chocolate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each cookie.

EASY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.
• To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto baking parchment.
• Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on baking parchment. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with baking parchment. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.
• To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to give them. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days, or frozen for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE LINZER HEART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven. Set cookie sheet on rack and preheat to 375°F. Remove bottom from 10 1/2x9 1/2-inch heart-shape tart pan with 1-inch-high sides and removable bottom. Place bottom on parchment and trace heart shape.
• Finely chop nuts with sugar in processor. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger. Process just to blend. Add butter and cream cheese to processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 egg and chocolate. Process, using on/off turns, until large moist clumps form.
• To form top crust, transfer 1 1/3 cups dough to pastry bag fitted with no. 4 (3/8-inch diameter) plain tip. Refrigerate remaining dough. Pipe 7 parallel diagonal lines about 3/4 inch apart across heart outline on parchment. Pipe border around edge of heart inside traced line, touching ends of diagonal lines (some dough may be left over in pastry bag). Freeze 10 minutes. Brush dough with some egg white. Slide parchment with heart onto heated cookie sheet and bake until crust is golden and edges are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Run long thin spatula between crust and parchment to loosen crust. Slide parchment with heart-shape crust onto rack and cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• Return removable bottom to heart pan. Press remaining dough onto bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan, using plastic wrap if necessary to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Freeze until dough is firm, about 10 minutes. Brush lightly with egg white. Set pan on heated cookie sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and sides are beginning to pull away from pan, about 23 minutes. Spread bottom crust evenly with 1/3 cup jam. Bake 3 more minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.
• For filling:
• Stir chocolate, butter and cream in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until chocolate and butter are melted and mixture is smooth. Mix in 2 tablespoon jam. Cool slightly. Pour filling evenly into bottom crust; smooth top. Chill until filling is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Spread remaining 1/3 cup jam over filling and outer edge of bottom crust. Carefully place cooled heart-shape top crust atop jam. Press gently to seal. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)
• Remove torte from pan. Transfer to platter. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes. Arrange raspberries in row in first space between crust lines. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe row of small rosettes in second space between crust lines. Continue, alternating rows of raspberries and whipped cream rosettes between crust lines.