Write for your audience—and a delicious recipe!

I’ve written on this topic before (see the links below), but it’s important enough to cover again.

This past weekend I went to a conference. I heard some great content, but a lot of it was either over my head or irrelevant to my needs. From what the audience said (a number were beginners), I think this was true for others.

Recently, I tasted a delicious candy that a friend of mine made and she gave me the recipe. I made it for a benefit concert’s bake sale and people raved about it. My son heard about it and asked me for the recipe.

I started typing it in an e-mail to him, but then I realized that, although he does a fair amount of cooking (and likes it), he’s still a beginner.

Here’s the recipe as I would have given it to a seasoned cook:

Ginger Chocolate Bonbons

• 1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 5 oz. chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1 c. roasted ground almonds, sprinkles, cocoa powder or coconut

Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds. Slowly add sugar and ginger and beat until smooth. Add melted chocolate chips and beat until combined. Chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape chilled mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. Roll in the chosen covering. Chill. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 24 balls.

Ginger Chocolate Bonbons for Beginners

Here’s the way I wrote it in the e-mail:

• 1 8-oz pkg (or container) cream cheese, softened (left out of the refrigerator for a while)
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar (I didn’t sift it, but it would be best to). You know the difference between powdered and granulated sugar? Also called confectioner’s sugar. It’s pure white and very fine.
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 5 oz. chocolate chips, melted and cooled (you generally melt them in a double boiler. That’s what I did. Cooled just means so they’re not hot. If you put them in the refrigerator, they get hard again) Ask me if you don’t know what a double boiler is.
• 1 cup toasted finely chopped or ground almonds, chocolate sprinkles, cocoa powder or grated coconut (I used ½ c. cocoa and ½ c. coconut and made half of the balls with each)-for rolling

Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds. Slowly add sugar and ginger and beat until smooth. Add melted chocolate chips and beat until combined. Chill about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape chilled mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. Roll in the chosen covering. Chill. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you can keep them that long, congratulations. I think they’ll be eaten in a few minutes! Makes about 24 balls.

See the difference? Let me know if you like them!