All Things Chocolate

Happy Sunday!  I'm not really into the whole Valentine's Day thing with the red heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and crazy candy bar bouquets at the grocery store, but I do think its a great excuse to make all kinds of chocolate treats!  This weekend I've been working on Tiramisu Truffles, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Valentine's M&M's, and Dark Chocolate Bark with Coconut and Sea Salt.

The Tiramisu Truffles tasted just like the actual dessert!  And with the cocoa powder on the outside they looked like it too.  I think I may try half white chocolate and and half dark chocolate for the ganache next time I make them for a little more intense chocolate flavor...

Tiramisu Truffles

(Inspired by a recipe from Not So Humble Pie)

Makes 20 -25 1 inch truffles

10 ounces high quality white chocolate, finely chopped (not white candy coating)

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

2 1/2 teaspoons Marsala wine

2 steaspoon instant espresso powder (recommend: Medaglia D'Oro), divided

½ tsp rum extract

1-2 ounces dark chocolate

1 tablespoon dutch-processed cocoa

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Set the chocolate aside and allow to cool until just lukewarm.

While waiting, dissolve half of the espresso powder in the Marsala wine.

When the chocolate has cooled a bit, whisk in the mascarpone until smooth then add the espresso Marsala and rum extract. Mix in the remaining powdered espresso, cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Grate the block of dark chocolate in a food processor.  Replace the grater with the blade and add the cocoa powder.  Process until fine. 

Scoop balls of the tiramisu ganache with a spoon or cookie scoop and roll quickly between your palms. If your hands get sticky quickly, dust your clean palms with a little powdered sugar between rolling.

To finish, roll the truffles in the shaved chocolate/cocoa mixture.

Store truffles in the refrigerator, but make sure you take them out and let them come to room temperature before eating.

For the chocolate chip cookies, I used my standard (but fabulous!) recipe and substituted Valentines M&M's for half of the chocolate chips.  

I also made some Dark Chocolate Coconut Bark with Chocolate-Infused Sea Salt...a deliciously simple treat!  All you do is melt dark chocolate (I used a 70% cocao from Calebaut) and add in some toasted coconut.  Then I sprinkle a little Chocolate Sea Salt on top.  The rich deep chocolate pairs so well with the buttery toasted coconut and slightly salty chocolate salt. 

And now after taste-testing all this chocolate, I'm going to go make myself a salad.....

Recipe: Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Happy Sunday!  I made a delicious gluten-free cobbler this weekend, so of course, I had to share the recipe with you!

Strawberry rhubarb cobbler is one of my favorite desserts!  Even though I make very elaborate desserts for clients, I really enjoy more simple fare...fruit cobblers with vanilla ice cream on top…Mmmm!  Unfortunately since I started limiting grains, especially wheat, from my diet, I haven’t been able to enjoy them….until now!  A friend sent me a delicious almond meal biscuit recipe, and I adapted it as a topping for my moms’s strawberry rhubarb cobbler.  

The result?  A fantastically delicious gluten-free dessert! I really don’t think anyone would know the difference.  My brother ate some plain biscuits I made from the leftover batter and he declared them delicious!

I started by combining the dry ingredients: almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Then added the wet ingredients: buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and honey.

Then mix it all together :)  The batter will be very thick…almost like cookie dough.

Once I had the biscuit dough ready, I started working on the filling…very simple: just strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and cornstarch.

Once that’s mixed well, pour it into a baking dish and dot with butter.  Then drop spoonfuls of the almond meal biscuit dough on top.  

Bake for about 55 minutes or until the biscuits are deep brown and the filling is thickened and bubbly.  Deliciousness!

Here's the recipe.....

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp cultured buttermilk

2 large eggs

12 oz sliced rhubarb, thawed

16 oz sliced strawberries, thawed

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and honey, until smooth. Add the buttermilk and eggs, whisking together until well combined. Using a spoon, stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly combined. 

Mix together rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.  Pour into a square baking dish.  Dot with butter.  

Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough on top and press lightly into filling.

Bake at 375 for about 55 minutes or until the biscuits are deep brown and the filling is thickened and bubbly.  

Happy baking!

Cooking Classes!

After many requests, I am introducing a serious of cooking classes! If you enjoy cooking, want to learn more about how to make delicious meal at home, or you just like eating, these classes are for you!  I promise you will enjoy yourself and leave feeling so much more confident.


All the classes will be hands-on...which means you will get your hands dirty :)  But you'll also get to taste everything we make and take home the recipes.  

 Making dessert during "Cooking for One or Two"

Email me at creativecrumbsnashville@gmail.com if you're interested or have any questions.  Space is very limited so sign up early!

Hip and Healthy

Monday, January 30, 6:00 – 8:00, $25

After all those holiday parties, everyone is trying to eat healthier this time of year.  Start the year off right with these winter favorites.

Low-Carb Butternut Squash Lasagna

Mixed Greens Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Easy Chocolate Orange Mousse

Easy Chocolate Orange Mousse

Gourmet Truffles and Chocolates

Thursday, February 9, 6:30 – 8:30, $25

Learn to make an assortment of gourmet truffles and candies and take them home in a beautifully gift-wrapped box.  Perfect for a Valentine's Day gift or a treat for yourself!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Cappuccino Truffles

Salted Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark

Chopping chocolate during "Cooking for One or Two"

Easter Brunch

Saturday, March 24, 10:00 – 12:00, $25

Cooking for a crowd is always a challenge.  But these brunch recipes will make your Easter brunch or any springtime event a delicious success.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Ring

 Hashbrown Quiche 

Sunshine Slushy

A Night in Paris

Friday, April 20, 6:30 – 8:30, $35

Take a mini culinary vacation and experience some of the finest flavors of France.

Mini Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tarts

Crepes with Creamy Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms

Crème Brulee

Bread Baking 101

May, Date TBD, $25

Who can resist the smell of fresh baked bread?  Come learn the more about the fascinating world of baking breads.

Crusty French Bread

Basic Muffins

Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

Girls night out!

June, Date TBD, $40

Brie with Rosemary-and-Bacon-Roasted-Dates

Ricotta Gnocchi with Vodka Cream Sauce

Molten Chocolate Cakes


I can do private in-home cooking classes for small groups too.  So if you have a group of friends interested in a class, let me know!  I can create a menu to please anyone!

Chicken with Creamy Sugar Snap Peas and Mushroom from "Cooking for One or Two"

20th Wedding Anniversary Cake

Happy Sunday!  Some family friends of mine celebrated their 20th anniversary in December, and I had the honor of catering their anniversary celebration as well as making a cake for the occasion!  I wanted to base the cake off of their original wedding cake, but update it as well.  Many of my friends know my position on wedding cake with columns, staircases, and fountains like this one!  They are SO early 90’s!

Thankfully this couple’s original wedding cake wasn’t nearly as over the top as you can see:

For their anniversary cake, I decided to stack the cakes directly on top of each other instead of separating them for columns and use fresh flowers in reds, burgundies, and different shades of greens to mimic the flowers on their December wedding cake.

The flavor was Red Velvet (yum!), so even the pieces of cake looked somewhat Christmas-y too!  

The finished cake featured red carnations, deep red roses, a few sprays of lime green flowers, baby's breath, and dark green leaves.

 Happy Anniversary to Les and Laura!