Turn your Paper Napkin into a Stationary

We (at least me) always buy this designed Paper Napkins when I saw then at the store. Most of the time I am looking for the good deal at the end of a season, then I buy for next year :)

The napkins do look good on your table , but what if you could expand this design you like from the napkin to all your table presentation.

Here it is ! You will learn how to transfer very easily the napkin design to a regular paper that you can use as stationary decoration for your table.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED ...

Your favorite designed napkins

White craft paper or printer paper

Plastic Wrap

A sketch book

An iron

Step 1

- Turn ON the Iron on max and turn OFF the steam

- Separate the layers of the napkin and keep the top 

  one with the design

  

Step 2

- Cut a piece of white paper that you want to transfer the napkin on

- Then cut the napkin a little smaller than this paper

Step 3

- Place the white paper in the middle of the sketch book

- Then place a layer of plastic wrap (be sure there is no fold)

- Top with the napkin

Cover the whole thing with 4 pages of the sketch book and iron on top.

Make 6 slow motions back and forth.

Lift the pages slowly to check if the napkin has transfered to the paper.

If a corner is still not transfered: cover back with the pages and iron on this spot for 4 seconds. Repeat if necessary.

You can do it with independent papers instead of the sketch book, but it is easier with it, since the pages won't freely move 

Step 4

Trim the papers to the border of the design napkin.

From here your creativity is infinite using scissors, punch, glue,....

In this sample I made a bottle wrap and 2 tags.

Pear Cake to Delicious Truffles ... (vegan)

For the recipe of the Pear cake, read previous post...

Turn your Pear Cake into Truffles

About 10 truffles

Crumble Pear Cake

Cut half of the cooled pear cake and place in a bowl.

With your fingers crumble the cake as picture below.

Set aside.

To make the crumble moist enough to roll into shapes we need to add some sweet buttercream to it.

To make vegan buttercream it is really simple.

Vegan Buttercream

2 tbsp vegan butter (earth balance)

4 tbsp powder sugar

1 tsp rice milk (any vegan milk)

Cream the butter with a hand mixer, add one tablespoon at a time the sugar and mix well after each addition.

Finally pour the rice milk and mix until well combined. Your buttercream is ready !

Now mix the crumble and the buttercream together.

You know your mixture is ready when you can roll ball without them breaking apart.

You can make any shape you want with the dough, here I choose to make pear shapes.

To do that, make a ball, then with your finger, thin the top of the ball.

Place the uncoated truffles on a tray and place in the freezer.

(it should not stay more than 15 min in the freezer)

Chocolate Ganache

5oz. vegan semi sweet chocolate (enjoy life)

1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar

3 tbsp vegan butter (earth balance)

Pour the chocolate chips in a small sauce pan over low heat.

Right away add the agave nectar which will make it shiny, and the "butter".

Stir constantly and take away from heat as soon as liquid.

Back to the truffles...

Cover a tray with wax paper. 

Take out the truffle from the freezer and directly dip into the chocolate ganache.

With a spoon grab the truffle and place it on the wax paper.

Repeat until all truffles are covered of chocolate.

Let the truffles set on the counter for 15 minutes and it will be ready.

If you like your chocolate to be cold you can put the tray in the fridge after these 15 minutes.

But I am too impatient for that :)

Bon Appetit !!!

Pear Cake to Delicious Truffles ... (vegan)

I had this 2 pears on the counter that were too done (soft) to be eaten alone. I am very bad at using all the fruits that I buy at time. It is so tempting at the store, it smells good. it looks good, and I end up buying too much. But I hate throwing away food so I had to come up with an idea to use these very mature pears.

The first thing I thought when I saw those pears, is to dip them into chocolate :) yummyyyyy.. but they were too soft :( I had to find an alternative !

Why not make a pear cake and with the crumble of the cake make truffles ? perfect I will have the pear flavor and my chocolate craving satisfied :)

Alternative found : Pear Cake Truffles ...

Pear Cake

one loaf pan

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp salt

1/3 cup dairy-free butter (earth balance)

1/2 light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer (mixed with 2 tbsp rice milk)

1/4 cup rice milk

2 pears 

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

In a bowl mix the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In the mixer , cream the butter for 1 minute. Then add the brown sugar and beat well.

In the mean time put the pears cut in pieces in a food processor with the lemon juice, pulse 6 times (it should be like a puree with mini pieces, but not too liquid). Add the cinnamon powder and fold into the pear puree with a spatula. Set aside.

The butter and sugar should be well combined by now :) add the egg replacer mixture and mix well. Then add the pear puree one spoon at a time.

Alternatively add the flour mix and the rice milk. The batter will become smooth  when ready.

Pour the batter in a "greased" loaf pan , smooth the surface with a spatula.

After 35 min, insert a knife in the cake , if it comes out clean, it is ready, otherwise bake for 5 more minutes and check again.

When ready, transfer the cake on a cooling rack. Let it cool completely.

Follow next blog post to turn your Pear cake into Truffles :)