YUZU JELLIES & PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES

YUZU JELLIES

• 1 cup apple juice

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons yuzu juice

• ¼4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

• 2¼ cups plus 3½ tablespoons sugar

• ½ cup light corn syrup

• 2 tablespoons apple pectin powder

• Granulated or superfine sugar for dusting

*You can substitute with other citrusy juice if you wish

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and set it aside.

Combine the apple juice, yuzu juice, water, 2¼ cups of the sugar, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Using a fine-mesh skimmer, skim off the foam and sediment that rises to the top. Continue to skim until the liquid is clear, about 10 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

Combine the apple pectin and the remaining 3½/ tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Add half the hot liquid, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar and pectin; continue to whisk until there are no lumps. Return this mixture to the saucepan.

Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the jelly has thickened and reached a temperature of

219°F. Immediately pour the jelly into the prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer, working quickly, before it begins to set. Let the jellies sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or until completely set.

TO COMPLETE: Cut the jellies into 1-inch squares and roll them in a bowl of sugar to coat them thoroughly. Store the jellies at room temperature.

PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES

• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

• 1 pound natural peanut butter (scant 2 cups)

• ¼ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 pound bittersweet or milk chocolate

• About ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

FOR THE TRUFFLE FILLING: Place the chocolate in a metal bowl, set it over a saucepan of hot water, and heat gently, stirring, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place the peanut butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor and blend for 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and process until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the softened butter; process until combined. Remove the truffle mixture to a container, cover, and refrigerate until firm. The filling (at any stage) can be kept for up to a week.

To shape the truffles, use about 2 teaspoons of the mixture for each truffle, and roll into balls between the palms of your hands. (This will make about 3 dozen truffles, but they can be made larger or smaller.) The truffles should be chilled before dipping; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pot of warm water, stirring until smooth.

Remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is at room temperature.

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator. Lift them one at a time, dip them in the melted chocolate, and place them on the parchment-lined pan to set. Should the bowl of chocolate become too cool at any point, return the bowl to the pot of hot water just to soften. When all the truffles are dipped and the chocolate is set, dip them a second time in the remaining chocolate.

Refrigerate the dipped truffles to harden the chocolate. This will only take a few minutes, but it can be refrigerated for several days.

TO COMPLETE: Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and, leaving them on the baking sheet, sift the cocoa over the top. Shake the pan back and forth to roll the truffles in the cocoa. You may not use all the cocoa; they should have a light dusting rather than a heavy coating. The truffles can be served immediately or can be refrigerated in a covered container for several days.

Recipe from The French Laundry Cookbook - Keller, Thomas