No Knead Brioche filled with Chocolate Ganache

Makes one (1 lb.) loaf

Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

You and your friends are going to LOVE this rum-kissed chocolate filled pastry!  Serve this special dessert with hot tea or your favorite coffee. 

Special Equipment:  double boiler (or a heat proof glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water); rolling pin; pastry brush; plastic wrap; oil spray; cooling rack

1 pound (grapefruit-sized portion) No-Knead Brioche dough (defrosted overnight in the refrigerator, if frozen)

¼ pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon rum

5 Tablespoons corn syrup

Egg Wash:  1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

Granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

Make the ganache:  Melt the chocolate with 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter over a double boiler until smooth.  Stir until incorporated.

Stir the cocoa powder into the rum, add the corn syrup, and mix until smooth.  Add to the chocolate butter mixture.  Set aside.

Assembling the brioche:  Lightly butter a 9 x 4 x 3-inch nonstick loaf pan.  Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece.  Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball into a ¼ -inch-thick rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.

Spread ½ cup of the ganache evenly over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border all around.  Starting at the short end, roll up the dough being careful to seal the bare edges.

Gently tuck in the loose ends underneath, elongate into an oval, and drop into the prepared pan.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil spray.  Cover the dough loosely with the plastic wrap.  Allow to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes.  (The dough will rise just a little bit, but will rise even more as it bakes.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Using a pastry brush, brush the top crust with egg wash.  Sprinkle with the sugar.  Bake the brioche for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sugar caramelizes.  Due to the fat in the dough, brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust.  Remove from the pan and cool slightly; then drizzle the remaining ¼ cup of ganache over the top crust.  Cool completely and slice.

Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Marshmallows

Recipe from Food52 
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Oh, what fun these are to make and so easy too!  After eating these homemade marshmallows, you’ll never want to go back to the kind in the plastic bag. They make perfect gifts for the sweeties in your life.  Top off a steaming cup of hot chocolate with them or put them on a stick, toast them over a campfire and make s’mores that are to die for. Of course, they’re splendid to eat plain. You’ll need a candy thermometer and a very good heavy duty mixer to make them.  Be sure to see the suggestions for variations at the end of the recipe.  All the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli. 

1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cooking spray or oil

2.5 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I used bittersweet chocolate.)

1 cup water, divided

3 packets (.25 ounces each) unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup (I used dark corn syrup because that's what I had.)

1 large pinch kosher salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon to combine well; set aside.  Lightly grease a 9x9-inch metal baking pan (I used an 8” x 8” pan with great results) with cooking spray or oil.  Coat the pan with some of the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture; set aside the coated pan and the remaining powdered sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon mixture both of which you’ll need at the end of the recipe.

In mini food processor, chop chocolate 45 seconds, or until the chocolate is the size of teeny tiny pebbles; you could also use a knife and shred the chocolate. Set aside.

Place 1/2 cup water in a large bowl of electric mixer; sprinkle gelatin over water, distributing well. Let stand while you prepare the syrup.

In medium saucepan, combine remaining water, sugar, corn syrup and salt; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium; bring to a boil without stirring. Add candy thermometer; cook, without stirring, but brushing down sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until the mixture registers 240˚F (soft-ball stage).

Allow to stand for 1 minute.

Turn electric mixer on low speed. Carefully pour hot sugar mixture in a stream into mixer bowl; once the mixture is incorporated, gradually increase speed to high. Beat 12-14 minutes, or until mixture is opaque and very thick. Turn mixer off. Add vanilla extract; beat 30 seconds. Add chopped chocolate and beat 15-20 seconds more, or until just melted and swirled through, but not completely combined.  (My chocolate pieces didn’t quite melt completely, but that just meant that there’d be a tiny bit of chocolate crunch in the marshmallows.  That’s not so bad, is it? J )

Immediately transfer marshmallow mixture to the greased pan (use a greased spatula to transfer any that sticks to the bowl). Wet your hands and smooth top of marshmallow. Set aside, uncovered, until firm (about 2 hours).

Using scissors dipped in powdered sugar mixture, cut marshmallow into squares, tossing in powder and dusting off excess as you go. (They will be incredibly sticky, but as soon as you toss them in the sugar-cocoa powder mixture, they will be easy to package.) 

Marshmallows before they're powdered.

Package the marshmallows in an airtight container or gift bag that is tied very well.  The marshmallows will keep for a week to 10 days.

Other ideas and notes from reviewers who have tried this recipe:

·          To make thinner marshmallows, pour them into a 9 x 13 pan.

·          Make “Rocky Road Marshmallows” by adding some sliced almonds along with the chocolate.

·          Dip them in melted chocolate for an extra decadent treat.

·          Add a bit of peppermint extract along with the chocolate (omitting the cinnamon) and then finely crush some candy canes and dust the greased pan with some of the crumbs. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the candy cane crumbs.

·          Make “Mexican Chocolate Marshmallows” by adding ¼ teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder along with the chocolate.  (I husband-tested this in my kitchen and they were fantastic!)