Midnight Mozart Recipes

Steps:

• For the hazelnut filling: Heat the chocolate chips and heavy cream together in a small microwaveable bowl for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth and homogenous. Stir in the hazelnuts and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the pistachio marzipan: Blend the pistachios in a food processor until they're finely ground (but don't overblend or you'll end up with pistachio butter). Add the powdered sugar, almond extract and salt and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the corn syrup and blend to form a dough. (It may still look crumbly in the food processor, but if you squeeze it in your hand it should stick together.) Pile it into a ball and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• For the almond marzipan: Combine the almond meal, powdered sugar, almond extract and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the corn syrup and blend to form a dough. (It may still look crumbly in the food processor, but if you squeeze it in your hand it should stick together.) Pile it into a ball and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• To assemble, divide both the almond marzipan and the pistachio marzipan into 12 equal portions. Keep the marzipan covered with plastic wrap when you're not working with it. Take one of the pistachio marzipan portions and smash it with your palm to make a flat round. Fold it over a rounded 1/4 teaspoon hazelnut filling and roll it into a ball. Smash one of the almond marzipan portions with your palm and fold that over the pistachio ball. Roll it into a ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining marzipan and filling and freeze the balls for 15 minutes.
• For the coating: Melt the dark chocolate either in a double boiler or microwave, heating in 30-second increments and stirring after each, until it is smooth and melted. Continue stirring until it is no longer hot to the touch.
• One by one, dip the marzipan balls in the chocolate to fully coat. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, and then place back on the parchment. Sprinkle with some sanding sugar. Harden them in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1 hour or up to overnight.

Steps:

• Brew coffee.
• Stir in liqueur's.
• Serve topped with whipped cream.

Steps:

• In a shaker, combine the gin, lime juice, simple syrup, orange liqueur and egg white. Cover and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Add ice to the shaker, cover again and shake vigorously until chilled and well frothed, about 10 to 15 seconds more. Double-strain into a small Collins or fizz glass without ice and top with soda water. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine spreadable fruit and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth; transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate until chilled., In a small pitcher, muddle mint leaves and lime juice. Add blackberry syrup and rum. Divide the mixture between 2 cocktail glasses. Stir in club soda; garnish with mint sprigs.

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix by using the on/off pulse function until the ingredients are mostly blended. Continue mixing, gradually increasing the speed, until the mixture is smooth. Pour the smoothie into a glass and garnish with a Chocolate Pirouette (see Great Garnishes), if desired.From SINFUL SMOOTHIES: more than 130 dessert smoothies & other indulgences. Copyright © 2004 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix by using the on/off pulse function until the ingredients are mostly blended. Continue mixing, gradually increasing the speed, until the mixture is smooth. Pour the smoothie into a glass and garnish with a Chocolate Pirouette (see Great Garnishes), if desired.From SINFUL SMOOTHIES: more than 130 dessert smoothies & other indulgences. Copyright © 2004 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, gradually adding granulated sugar.
• Next, mix in the egg yolks one at a time, just enough to combine.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and cornstarch; gradually & gently fold into the egg mixture to combine - be careful not to deflate the egg whites by overmixing.
• Line a large nonstick springform pan with parchment paper and fill with the batter.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F (175 C or gas mark 2) for 30 minutes - it will only rise up partway.
• Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup of the cream in a small pan over medium-low heat, then stir in the milk chocolate until it melts and is smooth(takes about 5 minutes.)
• Remove pan from heat and let cool for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Finely grate the bittersweet chocolate using a microplane grater and divide into two portions.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups of the cream until stiff peaks form.
• Stir chopped nuts and half (one portion) of the grated chocolate gently into the cooled melted chocolate mixture.
• Gently fold together the whipped cream and the cooled melted chocolate mixture until just combined.
• Remove ring from springform pan and carefully slice the cake into three even (very thin)layers using a large serrated knife.
• Place one cake layer on a large plate, spread with 1/3 of the chocolate ganache, then top with another cake layer, another layer of 1/3 of the ganache, followed by another cake layer.
• Spread the remaining chocolate ganache mixture all over the top and sides of the cake.
• Chill for 2 hours.
• Knead the marzipan(with enough powdered sugar to make it sweet if unsweetened) until well blended and soft like playdough, this takes about 5-10 minutes by hand (optional: you may use food coloring paste to dye the marzipan green if desired.)
• Place marzipan between two sheets of wax papper and roll out into very flat circle, about the size of your springform pan.
• Set a plate on top of the marzipan and use the plate as a guide to cut out a perfect circle; then cut circle into 16 triangles.
• Set the marzipan triangles in a spiral around the top of the chilled cake, pressing down slightly so they stick - there should be very narrow gaps between each triangle - if desired, curl up the pointy tips decoratively first.
• Coat the sides of the cake with some the remaining grated chocolate (save just a bit to sprinkle on top later).
• Beat the remaining 3/4 cups of cream with the vanilla sugar to taste until stiff peaks form.
• Shortly before serving, garnish cake with swirls of the whipped vanilla cream, the remaining chopped nuts, and sprinkle any remaining grated chocolate on top.