Chocolate Truffle Cake with Dark Rum and Strawberries!!!

Chocolate and Strawberries and whipped cream sounds and tastes sinful. Well I made a cake with all this combination on Valentines Eve. Perfect occasion and perfect Cake makes everything just right. I surprised my husband by making  a photo cake by adding one of our pictures to the cake. Nowadays photo cakes are in vogue so i tried to make it but in a totally different manner.
Though Valentine's Day was 2 months back i am posting this recipe a little too late as the photograph of the cake was lost due to some error. now gt them back so I am posting it finally.

Chocolate Truffle Cake with Dark Rum and Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 chocolate sponge cake
100gms Dark Chocolate
100gms Milk Chocolate
1cup Cream
100gms whipped cream
5-6 Fresh Strawberries
Sugar Syrup
20ml Dark Rum (optional)

Procedure:

• You can refer to the chocolate sponge recipe in my previous post. 
• You can make the sponge on the same day or 1 day before.

To make the sugar-syrup

• Mix together 10ml water + 10ml Dark Rum along with 2tbsp sugar.
• Stir well so that the sugar dissolves well.
• Keep it aside.

Marinate strawberries in sugar syrup and rum mixture for 1 hour before decorating the cake with it.

To make the Chocolate Truffle:

• Chop both the milk and dark chocolates. Keep it in a bowl.
• Now in a pan, heat the cream until it starts boiling.

• Do not overcook
• Switch off the gas, pour the boiled cream in the bowl of chopped chocolates.

• Fold it with spatula.
• Truffle is ready for the icing.

To whip the cream:

• Make sure the cream is really cold.
• Whip the cream with a beater till it forms stiff peak.

Assembling of the cake:

• Divide the cake horizontally into 2 parts keeping the lower part thicker than the top one.
• Keep the lower part of the cake on a cake board or on a tray place over a turn-table.

• Now sprinkle some liqueur (sugar+ rum) mixture over it. 
• Now spread the truffle sauce evenly.
• Now place the other part of the cake over it.
• Sprinkle some liqueur (sugar+ rum) mixture over it. 
• Pour in the truffle sauce spreading evenly.
• Decorate it with strawberries.
• Take a icicng syringe of ur choice. decorate it with whipped cream.

Rum Truffle Balls

An exotic flavour of rum and chocolate makes you crave for this truffle balls. if u r making for kids then you can exclude the rum from it.

Rum Truffle Balls

Ingredients:
30gms Butter
200gms Dark Chocolate
1/2 Cup Fresh Cream
2tbsp Rum
1 cup Cake Crumbs
50gms Chocolate Sprinklers

Procedure:

• Heat butter and cream together. (You can use double boiler or microwave it for a minute)
• Finely chop the dark chocolate.
• Pour the cream and butter mixture on top of the chopped chocolate.
• Mix well
• Now add in cake crumbs and rum.
• Mix it well.
• Refrigerate the mixture for 5-6 hours or if u r in a hurry you can keep it in the freezer for 1 hour till it becomes stiff.
• Now make it in the shape of a ball.
• Roll it over the chocolate sprinklers.
• Serve.

Basil Pesto Paneer Sandwich

I had this awesome sandwich, on the Indigo flight to Pune. Indigo has in my point of view the best assortment of foods and beverages. Basil Pesto Paneer sandwich was one among them.
Fresh basil pesto mixed with fresh homemade cottage paneer makes it a sandwich to die for. Its served cold along with ketchup or some may dressing.

Basil Pesto Paneer Sandwich

Ingredients:
3/4cup Basil Pesto
100gms Cottage Paneer
50gms Mozzarella cheese
1tbsp Chilly flakes
1tbsp Oregano
8-10 Sandwich bread slices


Procedure:

• Cut the Paneer in small cubes. 
• Take a bowl add in Basil Pesto + Mozzarella cheese + chilly flakes + Oregano + paneer cubes.
• Take bread slices apply 1tbsp full of basil pesto and paneer batter on one slices.
• Place a bread slice on top of it.
• Do the same with remaining bread slices.
• Serve with ketchup or cheese dip.

Basil pesto

Pesto is a green sauce originating in the Northern Italy. Made from Basil it gives a great flavour and a great smell too. The Pesto can be used as a dressing for salads, pasta, Sandwiches.
The pesto tastes great when made from fresh basil leaves. Its little difficult to get hold on fresh leaves, but few supermarkets do stock them.  Originally Pesto is made from Basil, but there are other variations also. You can use spinach also if Basil is not available.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:
3cups Basil
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Oil
3/4cup Parmesan Cheese
2 cloves of Garlic
1tbsp Black Pepper
1/2cup Pine Nuts
Salt to taste













Procedure:

• Take a processor, grind Pine nuts + Garlic.
• Now add in fresh bail leaves + Parmesan cheese + olive oil + black pepper + salt.
• Grind it well.
• If its too thick add in little water.
• It is ready
• You can store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• If pine nuts are not available u can use walnuts.