Sunday, November 16, 2014

Milk Chocolate Paté and Shortbread Cookies: A Perfect Holiday Party Dessert

Planning a holiday party but have no idea how to fill in the dessert table?  Chocolate Paté is an easy dessert that can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. For instance, you can buy gourmet oat and shortbread cookies (see one delicious suggested gluten-free brand below), or you can make the cookies from scratch (see my recipe below for buttery shortbread cookies).

This recipe is also very flexible; you can use fine milk chocolate or something commercial and from the cupboard - like sweet milk chocolate leftover from Halloween! I used up some mini Halloween Hershey's milk chocolate bars for this particular paté, but I have also at times used organic milk chocolate and high percentage (45%) milk chocolate for a less-sweet, richer-tasting paté.
 
Milk Chocolate Paté Recipe:

For the paté, you need:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 8 ounces of milk chocolate (about 20 mini Hershey's bars)
Instructions:

1. Line a small loaf pan with plastic wrap.


2. Break or chop your chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.

3. Chop up the butter and place it in a medium saucepan with the whipping cream.

4. Place your cream/butter mixture on the stovetop and melt together over medium heat.  Once mixed, heat the mixture just to a boil (do not let it boil, stop it just before), and immediately pour over the chocolate. 

5. Stir slowly and in one direction with a wooden spoon until completely melted. If you have a little trouble getting the chocolate to melt completely, place some water in your empty cream pot and heat it on the stove, then place your bowl over the pot and continue stirring slowly until it is completely melted and mixed.

6. Immediately pour the chocolate mix into your lined loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let set on the counter overnight or in the fridge for 4 hours.

7. Once firm, take off plastic wrap and trim edges (if need be) and place on a serving plate. Place shortbread and sugar cookies all around on plate.  Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.  Serve at room temperature.



Shortbread Cookies Recipe:

I used coconut sugar for my recipe, which gave the kids less of a sugar-high and also added the 'brown sugar' colour to the cookies - but granulated cane sugar works even better in this recipe, so use whatever you like!

You need:
  • 1 lb of butter (2 cups/454 grams) - cold
  • 3/4 cups of granulated, organic or coconut sugar
  •  4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the flour and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if you do not have a stand mixer) and briefly mix on low or stir until combined.

3. Chop the butter into 1 or 1/2 inch pieces and add to the butter/sugar mixture.

4. Using the paddle or dough attachment for your mixer, stir on low until it becomes crumbly and eventually moist and fully mixed (if no stand mixer, use a whisk or wooden spoon to pulverize the mix until it becomes moist, but be aware that this will take a while!).

5. Pour the dough onto the counter and kneed with hands until you have a large ball.  Roll it out until you have a long smooth roll. Sprinkle flour onto your counter and on your rolling pin, then roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness or thicker.

6. Use a round cup or cookies cutters to cut shapes.  I used the thicker back of mini cookie cutters to imprint snowmen and butterflies on the cookies.

7. Bake on centre rack for 12 to 15 minutes, and remove from oven just before the cookies start to brown.  If you have a cooling rack, transfer each cookie with a spatula to help them cool faster, and to reuse your pan and parchment to bake more cookies! Otherwise, let cool on the pan and then serve or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for later consumption.


This milk chocolate pate is very delicious sandwiched between
two cookies as an afternoon snack with tea.
Also delicious on these Scottish Nairns Oatcakes (www.nairns-oatcakes.com),
which I purchased at an Independent Grocer in Ontario - bonus, they are gluten-free.

38 comments:

  1. WOW! I want to male chocolate pate!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very nice information that you are sharing about events and thanks for sharing the information with us Chocolate dealer Vidyaranyapura

    ReplyDelete
  3. That’s what I was looking for! This Inexpensive but yummy holiday party desert ideas is awesome. It’s very creative too. Actually I am planning to throw a small holiday party at my home. Thanks for such a lovely recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nebosh course in Chennai
    Nebosh IGC course in Chennai
    Nebosh
    IOSH course in Chennai
    HABC course in Chennai
    OHSAS 18001:2007 Lead Auditor course in Chennai
    safety training institute
    fire safety training in Chennai

    ReplyDelete
  5. For a better education you should go with the best educational platform and if you resides in punjab and want the best education then there is only one i.e. SOIS. It is one and only college who provide the best education affiliated from the best mba colleges in usa.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an excellent post, thank you for sharing such a delightful post. I would be very much appreciated if you keep posting such great works frequently.
    If you are in search of Professional Makeup Courses or the best Beauty Courses in Mumbai, India, Please visit us.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Are you worried about the printing quality of uv printer? Don't worry about it. Go with PH UV Printer from where you'll get the best quality uv printer along with the best quality uv ink https://phuvprinter.com/product/uv-ink/ that will provide you the best quality at affordable prices.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you want to become the social worker? If yes then you should go for the official website of kricpy khera gillhttps://krispykhera.com/. Yes, there you'll find her biography and the social activities did for the society. But there are very negative comments are present over the internet as she always fight with the system for the society. There are some bad people who don't want this. Because of this she hired the best digital marketing company in chandigarh - digital expert solution. They work for the online reputation of kricpy khera gillhttps://digitalexpertsolution.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The information is really useful and truly motivating. I love this kind of blogs. It’s one of the best lifestyle blogs.

    Java Training in Chennai

    Java Course in Chennai

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Nice Blog!! Thanks For Sharing!!! Wonderful blog & good post. Its really helpful for me. If you want to learn Digital Marketing, then attend Best Digital Marketing training in Gurgaon. 99 Digital Academy is the best Training Institute for Learning Digital Marketing. Join Today.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It is amazing and wonderful to visit your site. Thanks for sharing information; this is useful to student....

    SASVBA provides the best R Programming Training In Delhiusing the latest development environment and framework in Delhi. We constantly update our program to reflect the latest industry trends. SASVBA is one of the top deep learning teaching institutes at NCR in Delhi that assists students in interviewing tech giants. We educate both college students and schoolchildren.

    FOR MORE INFO:

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you, for this information
    The blog is very informative. looking forward to reading more from you thank you
    cbse class 10 tuition

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is very informative reading your blog. It’s really helpful for me,Laminates printing machine

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for sharing informative post. Are looking for best Tamil typing tool online, make use of our Tamil typing software to make translation faster. Thirumana Porutham in Tamil | Samacheer Kalvi Books PDF

    ReplyDelete
  15. thank you to your attractive infomation. It allows you to examination, acquire and lookup equipment drivers. It offers the greatest way to identify and up-date any ended driver in your program. Driver Navigator Key

    ReplyDelete
  16. pop over to this web-site replica louis vuitton bags look at this now replica ysl bags site here replica bags online

    ReplyDelete
  17. I appreciated your work this is superb i like it very much.
    Idm Crack

    ReplyDelete
  18. You have millions of customers, but you need their attention. You simply can’t engage with them all individually. You need to make a dramatic change at the back-end of your business and increase your sales and customer satisfaction with smarter SMS campaigns, instant OTPs, notifications, alerts and smart bulk SMS offers via web portal, APIs and other award winning bulk SMS services. RatSMS is the largest bulk SMS provider in India, boasting more than 5000+ customers in India. RatSMS provide simple and affordable solutions to send customized bulk sms to your customers—and their mission is helping businesses grow.

    click to get leads

    ReplyDelete
  19. "Thank you for sharing a valuable content.

    We are always happy to read about new and emerging trends in the market.

    As an SMS marketing platform, we have been in the market for more than 5 years. We have been serving hundreds of clients across India and abroad with our award-winning bulk SMS services such as Instant OTPs, Notifications, Alerts & Smarter Bulk SMS Offers via Web Portal, APIs and other bulk SMS services.

    Click to know more:
    bulk sms service provider
    sms gateway
    sms api
    "

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Great post! I loved your insights. Do you have any more to share on this? Looking forward to more!"

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your writing style is engaging, and the content is well-researched
    Best Home Maintenance Services in Dubai


    ReplyDelete
  22. This article is a valuable resource, thanks for sharing your insights.
    Best ISO Certification Services in Noida

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing this! I found the tips incredibly useful and easy to implement.
    builder in surrey

    ReplyDelete
  24. The UK healthcare sector is actively seeking qualified nurses to fulfill roles in various settings such as hospitals, clinics, and community care facilities. Applicants should possess a nursing degree and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Responsibilities include delivering high-quality patient care, medication administration, and supporting clinical teams. Ideal candidates are compassionate, with strong communication and teamwork skills. Positions cater to both new graduates and experienced nurses, offering competitive salaries and benefits. Opportunities for career advancement and professional development are plentiful. Embrace this chance to make a profound impact on patient care while advancing your nursing career in the UK.
    https://www.dynamichealthstaff.com/nurses-job-vacancy-in-uk

    ReplyDelete
  25. A perfect holiday party dessert can truly make the celebration unforgettable! Whether it’s a rich chocolate cake, festive cookies, or a delightful pie, the right dessert brings everyone together and adds a sweet touch to the festivities. Just as dessert elevates the holiday experience, quality vaping products can enhance your enjoyment during gatherings. The Best UK Online Vape Store provides a variety of premium e-liquids and devices, perfect for celebrating with friends and family. Here’s to sweet treats and smooth vapes that make every holiday party memorable!

    ReplyDelete