Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Equipment:
- 1 oz scoop
- Parchment paper
- 1 lbs 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (you can purchase five 4 oz. bars; Callebaut chocolate is ideal)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup almond meal (ground almonds)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 6 large Eggs
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tbl. Honey
- ½ c. sugar
- ¼ c. cocoa powder
- ¼ c. white chocolate, melted (for decoration; use pastry bag or Zip Lock bag with a tiny hole cut in corner)
- Melt Butter and Chocolate in a water bath and set aside.
- Mix Cocoa powder, almond meal and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs, honey and sugar until smooth ribbons are formed when beater is slowly raised from bowl.
- Combine ½ c. sugar and ¼ c. cocoa powder into a third bowl and set aside.
- Fold chocolate into eggs 1/3 at a time, then fold in dry cocoa mix. Scoop into 1 inch balls and let them set. Next, roll each ball into sugar and cocoa powder, then freeze.
- To bake, take out what you need and place on a parchment covered sheet pan and bake at 350° F for 8 minutes.
- Cool and decorate with ribbons of melted white chocolate, if desired. Enjoy.
About Alan Carter:
Alan Carter decided to pursue his lifelong passion for baking after years in the financial services industry working for Merrill Lynch. A hobby since he was a child cooking alongside his grandmother on their rural Mississippi farm, Alan made the leap into a professional baking career when he entered the California Culinary Academy pastry program in 2002.
Upon graduating from CCA, Alan joined Chow restaurant in San Francisco to gain the experience necessary to one day fulfill his dream of opening his own bakery.
He soon became head pastry chef for all three Chow restaurants, rewriting and creating recipes for their pastry and dessert program. His affinity for the science of baking is essential to his ability as a baker. "By knowing the chemical properties of your ingredients and listening to them, they will tell you what to do," says Alan.
After three years at Chow, Alan left for Paris in 2005 to immerse himself in the pastry capital of the world. "I wanted to know proper flavor, not from recipes, but by experiencing the work of the master pastry chefs in their own patisseries."
Returning to San Francisco, Alan spent several months developing and refining his recipes, using the flavors of Paris as a taking off point, guiding the quality he was trying to achieve. After painstaking experimentation, he felt ready to finally realize his dream.
Mission Beach Café opened in early 2007 and featured Alan's pastries and desserts while also highlighting his talent as a savory chef. Within months Carter had won a devoted following for his handmade, artisan creations featuring his unique cannelés, blueberry ginger muffins, chocolate almond croissants, chocolate truffle cookies, signature angel food cake, classic pies, and noteworthy Californian, New American cuisine.
He has won critical acclaim from San Francisco and 7 x 7 Magazines for the best cannelé, best turnover, best pie, and best brunch in San Francisco.
Adding to the baking lexicon and demystifying the baking process drive Alan to innovate and share his knowledge. His engaging demonstrations and community involvement are vital components of Alan's dedication to his craft.
Recent engagements include Bloomingdale's flagship San Francisco store, Macy's Cellar, and the "Inside the Kitchen" program at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.
He also teaches baking interns, and works with Jeffrey Smith's "From the Garden to the Table" program for healthy food choices for inner city youth.
Mission Beach Café
198 Guerrero St. (at 14th)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-861-0198
Website: www.missionbeachcafesf.com
