Raspberry buttercreams

I have nearly finished with the edible gifts. Just one more,  and we’re going out with a bang with these delicious raspberry buttercreams. I learnt my lesson making truffles, and so I  saved my sanity this time by setting these in a slab and then slicing them into squares. This seriously saves so much time and stress!

I am a big fan of freeze dried fruit. I often use it to flavour my kombucha or use it in jellies. The Fresh As range is amazing as not only do they freeze dry fruit, but also herbs which you can use to pack a punch to savoury dishes too. The freeze dried raspberries that I’ve used in these buttercreams give them a really intense fruity taste.

Actually, I have one more gift left to bake. My nana has requested shortbread so I’d better get cracking.

Ingredients

20g freeze dried raspberries (I used Fresh As), or ½c freeze dried raspberry powder
115g butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
420g icing sugar
3 tablespoons cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
400g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil
100g white chocolate (or candy melts)
Pink food colouring

Method

Grease and line a 9″ square baking tin. Set aside.
Using a small food processor or blender, blitz the raspberries until they’re a fine powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is soft and creamy.
With the mixer on low, add the icing sugar and raspberry powder and mix on low for 1 minute.
Add the cream and vanilla and increase the speed to high. Mix for around 3 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Cover with Gladwrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove from the fridge and transfer the slab of buttercream onto a chopping board covered in baking paper. Cut into even squares (about 40) then pop them into the freezer while you prepare the chocolate coating.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof boil and melt it in the microwave. I like to do 3 bursts of 30 seconds at 70% power, then 3-4 bursts of 30 seconds at 50% power. You could also use a double boiler.
Make sure you’ve got a clean platter or board lined with baking paper that you can place your dipped buttercreams on.
Dip each buttercream into the melted chocolate then place it on the platter. I use two forks and scrape the underside of each chocolate on the edge of the bowl before I place it on the board.

Pop them back into the fridge to set.

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (short bursts at 50% power) then stir in a couple of drops of pink food colouring.
Spoon the melted chocolate into a small ziplock bag and cut off a teeny corner.
Pipe the pink chocolate over the buttercreams.

Layer them on baking paper and store, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
• Recipe makes around 40 buttercreams.
• I recommend using a very dark chocolate to coat these as the buttercreams are quite sweet.

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