January 20, 2010

Decadent Cake Truffles

Posted by Chef Victoria under Cakes by Victoria, Catering by Victoria | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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Here’s another option for cake at your wedding!  Individual Cake truffles, sometimes called “cake balls,” are a delicious alternative or addition to a traditional wedding cake.  They make great gifts of love for Valentine’s & Mother’s Days too!

Whimsically decorated cake truffles for your sweetie.

If you are looking for another option to wedding cake, consider serving cake truffles at your wedding.  You can create a beautiful display, so inviting for your guests to dig into.  Cakes by Victoria is now offering cake truffles in a variety of flavors, colors and options.  They are a great accompaniment to a traditional ceremonial cake.  Some brides are opting to have both, allowing them ceremonial picture opportunities and serving ease.  It is quite easy to decorate your cake truffles according to your wedding theme and color palette.

Victoria will create cake truffles to your specifications.  However, the standard size cake truffles are  five ounce portions, dipped in your choice of dark, milk or white chocolate.  They can be topped with single pastillage flower, sprinkles or a contrasting chocolate color.  Wonderful to look at and delicious to eat, your guests will be delighted, and surely talking about your wedding dessert for some time to come.

Cake truffles are excellent dessert options for the rehearsal dinner, bridal or baby showers, and can double as favors on the dining tables.  Depending on your final design, cake truffles will cost just $1.75 to $3.00 per serving.  

 

November 2, 2009

CUT-OUT COOKIES!!!!

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes, breakfast | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Valentine Sugar Cookies

Soft, slightly sweet and super cute.

You can personalize your cookies with your own unique style and flare.  Create your own shapes, with a template and a sharp knife, or purchase them from the ever growing inventory of metal and plastic cutters.   This holiday season, cut-out some precious time with your favorite children.  If might be the most special memory you make.Halloween 09 016

Creating sugar cookie cut-outs with children is a wonderful time for them to find their creative side.  Depending on the age of the children you are working with, you may want to have them help with cutting out and baking the cookies, or perhaps just the decorating portion of the process.  You can assist them by icing the cookies, and allowing them to finish them with sprinkles, nuts or sugar crystals.  For older kids, help them learn a new technique with piping bags.  co's bmw susan g komen 2008 001

We have used sugar cookies to personalize catered events and tie them to a clients theme.  They make great favors and table decorations for weddings, client appreciations and special life milestone events.  We have created cookies with company logos, color schemes and special “cause” emblems to commemorate certain events.

With the Christmas holiday rapidly approaching, schedule a time to create some fun memories in your kitchen.  Below you’ll find some easy, delicious recipes to make everything at home.  For tinting your icing, we suggest color gel, but Lawry’s food dye works also.  Additional confectioner’s sugar will need to be added  when using a water-based dye.Wilton Food Color Gel

ROYAL ICING

6 oz. egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

8 cups powdered sugar

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, adding  powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  For “RUN-OUT” technique, you will need a slightly viscous consistency.  Piping requires a stiffer consistency. Piping a “dam” around the edge of the cookie first will help keep the run-out icing contained.  Allow your run-out to dry completely before piping additional icing over it.

Chef Note:  Royal Icing takes flavoring well.  Add 1/4 tsp. of peppermint, cinnamon, coconut or almond extract if you desire a flavored icing.

GINGERBREAD CUT OUTS

Classic Gingerbread Cutouts

2 stick butter, soft

½ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

2 eggs

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground allspice

½ tsp. ground cloves

¾ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups flourHalloween 09 004

Combine all ingredients.  Tightly wrap dough and chill  for 1 hour before rolling out.  Chill cookies (freezer) 10 minutes on cookie sheet before baking.  This will help them to keep their cut-out shapes more precisely.  Bake 8-10 minutes 350º.  Avoid over baking if you like to enjoy soft finished cookies.  Once cooled,  wrap cookies in stacks of 5 with plastic wrap, until ready to ice.  Finished cookies should be stored in an air-tight container.

Chef Note:  These cookies on their own have very little sugar in them.  Icing them with Royal Icing, or even a Vanilla Buttercream lends a sweetness that is just delightful, and a great accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee or even tea.

ROYAL ICING

6 oz. egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

8 cups powdered sugar

 

February 16, 2009

Valentine’s After-Wedding Party

Posted by Chef Victoria under Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes | Tags: , , , , , , |
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On Valentine’s Day, we catered a special event for a couple hoping to honor and celebrate the marriage of one of their three sons.  There were about 75 guests in attendance.  It was a very loving gesture.

For the menu we chose crowd pleasing, hearty appetizers, such as scalloped artichoke hearts, tender meatballs in marinara, beautiful fresh fruit, varietal cheese tray, and crispy potato cakes with crème fraîche and smoked salmon.  The dessert buffet was stunning.  Mini mousse, in four luscious flavors, mini cheesecakes with raspberry coulis, dark, rich chocolate torte with soft whipped cream, dark and white chocolate~dipped strawberries, and heart~shaped pink sugar cookies.

Both the appetizer buffet and the dessert buffet were decorated in red satin,  pink sequinzed hearts and red votives. Beautiful clusters of red rose bouquets were placed around the kitchen, dining and living areas of the home.  Guests really seemed to have a wonderful time, enjoy the food, dessert and beverages.  Love was definitely in-the-air!

 

February 10, 2009

Seared Scallops with Roasted Garlic Zabaglione

Posted by Chef Victoria under Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , |
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A romantic, Valentine’s Day dinner for two doesn’t have to be difficult, or cost the proverbial arm and a leg.  You can avoid the crowded restaurant, and set a simple table for two, in the nook of your kitchen, or if you’re some place warm, on the the balcony of your place over-looking the city lights.

Zabaglione is a sexy, seemingly fancy sauce.  I love saying it’s name.  I love more the flavor and the feel in my mouth.  Fresh herbs are an absolute must to finish this.  This menu is easy, easy, easy. and quick cooking will leave you with plenty of time left-over to enjoy the presence of your lover.

(serves 4, main course)

By Victoria Queen, Executive Chef at Caffè

Suggested Wine: Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne, Champagne, France

Ingredients

2 heads of garlic
4 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/4 pounds sea scallops or bay scallops

Sea salt

Black Pepper

1/2 cup bottled clam juice
3 tablespoons dry vermouth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic heads on large sheet of foil. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over garlic and wrap loosely but completely in foil; place packet directly on oven rack and roast until very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic from skins into bowl. Using fork, mash roasted garlic until smooth.

Heat 3 teaspoons of olive oil, in heavy large skillet, over medium-high heat. Right before searing, drain and pat dry (with paper towel) the scallops. Sprinkle them with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. For sea scallops: Sear half at a time until brown and just opaque in center, about 1 minute per side. For bay scallops: Sauté half at a time until opaque, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Tent these scallops with foil to keep them warm.

Meanwhile, bring clam juice and vermouth to boil in small saucepan; remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. In a steel bowl that fits over a double boiler, whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons roasted garlic puree in large metal bowl until foamy. Gradually whisk in clam juice mixture. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water) and whisk until zabaglione is thick and creamy and thermometer registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in parsley, tarragon, and chives. Season with salt and pepper and serve over prepared scallops.

Serve this with a fresh, crisp mixed green salad with a light vinaigrette and some crusty bread for dipping in the extra zabaglione, and you have an easy, romantic meal. Try some Chocolate~Dipped Strawberries for dessert.

.

 

February 9, 2009

Decadence…Chocolate~Dipped Strawberries

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , |
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With Valentine’s Day nearly upon us, I wanted to share a simply delicious and sexy dessert.  The very thought of Chocolate Dipped Strawberries makes my mouth water.  Their aroma, and their beauty are matched only by their luxurious taste.  Whether you will be spending Valentine’s Day with your sweetie, or with other loved ones, these strawberries are an excellent way to share some love.  And these days, we  could all, use more love.

Chocolate~Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 12 + 4  ounces quality chocolate (32%+ cacoa) or couverture chocolate
  • 24 large, fresh dry strawberries
  • parchment paper
  • optional:  white chocolate, nuts, shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips

Process:

Finely chop 12 oz of chocolate and place in dry stainless steel boil of a double-boiler with simmer watering beneath.  Stirring continually, melt chocolate until shiny and smooth and 110 derees F.  Remove chocolate from heat.  Use a tempering method at this point.  This can be accomplished by adding another 4 ounces of finely chopped chocolate to the melted chocolate.  Stir vigorously until shiny and completely smooth.  If chocolate temperature has dropped significantly, you can return the steel bowl back to the simmering water of the double boiler.  Once chocolate again reaches 90 degrees F, you may begin dipping the strawberries in it.

Make sure your strawberries are free of sand and dirt.  I recommend brushing them gently with a clean cloth.  Washing berries with water will speed up the ripening process and cause them to become soft more quickly after chocolate dipping.

Holding the berries by the stem, dip them one by one, seven-eighths of the way into the chocolate.  Place the dipped berries on the parchment paper to set up.  If you opt for it, you can gently roll or dip the freshly dipped berries into any of the optional ingredients, or pipe the melted white chocolate on them in a streaky design.

Refrigerate berries after dipping until ready to serve.  Can be made 4 hours ahead.