Chocolate, booze and icecream-February DB Challenge

It is time again to show off our masterpieces for the monthly DB challenge, but this month, even if I baked it some time ago, I did not get to write the post but at the last moment. So it will be short.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

I had in mind all kind of variants, but I went with small cakes topped with mint Baileys cream and a scoop of sour cherry ice cream.

For the cake
Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

For the Mint Bailey cream

120gr mascarpone
20gr powdered sugar
60 ml Mint Bailey
75 g whipping cream

Mix mascarpone and sugar until creamy and smooth. Then add the booze and the whipped cream.

For the ice cream

500 ml whole milk
6 egg yolks
150 g brown sugar (you can use more, as the initial recipe required 200 g)
250 g whipped cream
1 vanilla bean
sour cherries (as much as you like, I even tried it 1:1 ratio with the vanilla ice cream and it is great)

Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Take off the heat, cover and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the yolks and the sugar.
Reheat the milk, and pour it over the yolks in a steady stream to temper them. Place on low heat and bring the mixture to 73-74 degrees C (it should not go over this as the eggs will scramble). Place the mixture on an ice bath, scrape the vanilla bean.
When cool enough, mix in the cream. Place in the refrigerator.
Puree your fruit with some sugar (depending on your taste and on the tartness of your fruit). Mix the fruit and the ice cream and churn it in your ice cream machine. If you do not have a machine, place it in the freezer, but mix it every hour or so to have a creamier ice cream.

A strong cake and a birthday- Matcha&chocolate

I love birthdays! I always did, but for some time I have a new reason to love them: the best occasion for inventing special sweet gifts and for baking them.
Today it was my bosses birthday (he is more a friend than a boss) and of course the special cake project had to happen.
This time it was not a hard choice: a strong cake for a strong man. What could be stronger than a mix of chocolate, Matcha and Earl Grey. This combination is a knockout. I loved every minute of making it and spent quite some time just staring at it (I am not insane, or at least I don’t know I am).

For the cake layers
I doubled this recipe and baked it in 4 24 cm pans lined with parchment paper.

For the syrup
240 ml water
8 g Earl Grey leaves
100-150 g sugar depending on your taste

Bring water to a boil. Off heat, add the tea leaves, cover and let sit for ten minutes. Drain, add the sugar, boil again to dissolve the sugar.

For the chocolate caramel ganache
240 ml heavy cream
10 caramels (about 100 g and preferably home made)
280 g bitter sweet chocolate

Bring the cream and caramels to a boil making sure the caramels melt. Add this mixture to the chopped chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes and then stir to obtain a smooth ganache. Set aside.

For the matcha mousse

I tripled the mousse and added 30 g matcha powder (you can use more or less depending on how strong you like it).

To assemble

Place one cake layer, brush with syrup, spread 1/4 of ganache and then 1/4 of the mousse. Continue with all cake layers and finish the top as every layer.

Prepare a strip of parchment paper having the length and height of your cake. Temper 200-300 g bitter sweet chocolate (you can use any temper method you are used to). Spread a thin layer of chocolate on your paper and coat the cake with it. Place in the fridge to set and then take off the paper.

For the top I used crashed macaron shells (I suffered a bit when crushing them). For chocolate macarons I replaced 15 g of powdered sugar with cocoa powder. For the matcha macarons, I added 1 tsp of matcha powder to the nut sugar mixture.

Men that inspire or Herme’s Meringue d’Automne

Ever since I started my culinary adventure, I tried to read as much as I could, to compare different methods and recipes for every thing I wanted to bake. After months and months of studying and comparing and baking, I was struck: MEN ARE INSPIRING ME THE MOST. The best recipes, the most spectacular results I got were by following tips, advice and work procedures written by men.
The men that I admire the most: Pierre Herme (today’s post, with some changes was inspired by him, the croissants we enjoy so much are also his), Peter Reinhart (he introduced me to his excellent bagels, and also to lots of breads that we love), Dan Lepard (with the best foccacia I have ever tasted – the post will be coming soon), Stephan Glacier (who inspired the Iced Delight).
I admire their talent, their dedication their ideas.

The change I made to Herme’s recipe was using my over tested chocolate mousse recipe instead of the buttercream he suggested (I kind of hate prefer not to use butter based creams or mousses for my desserts).

For the meringue disks

4 egg whites
200 g sugar
vanilla extract

The disks are to be baked at 125 degrees Celsius.
For baking the disks, you will need to draw 3 24 cm circles on parchment paper. Turn it upside down to avoid transferring the pencil to your disks. For piping the meringue, use a plain tip (1-1.5 cm).
Place the egg whites in big, clean/ dry bowl and whip them to soft peaks. Gradually add half of the sugar and continue whipping them until firm peaks form and the whites are glossy. At this point, add the vanilla extract.
The other part of sugar will be added by hand (please do not proceed otherwise). Gradually fold the sugar into the whites, with a large spatula: you should be fast but delicate (you do not want to deflate the whites).
Place the meringue into your pastry bag and start piping the disks from the middle describing a spiral. I would advise dividing the batter in 3 from the beginning, to ensure equal thickness to all layers. The disks are supposed to be about 8-10 mm high.
While baking the disks, keep the oven door slightly open (use a wooden spoon). They should be baked for 1.5-2 hours, until they are light brown and firm. Depending on how your oven works, feel free to rotate the pans to ensure even baking.
After baking the disks, dry them for about 8 hours in the oven with the door closed (I dried mine out of the oven overnight). I strongly recommend peeling the paper off the disks as soon as possible to avoid too muck sticking the next day (be very careful as they are fragile and brake easily – the missing piece does not appear in the photos).

For the mousse

6 yolks
7 g gelatin
200 ml water
200 g sugar
1 vanilla bean
480 ml heavy cream
170 g bitter sweet chocolate

Place the water, vanilla bean and sugar in a covered pan over medium high heat and bring to a rolling boil. When boiling, uncover, lower the heat and cook to 238 degrees F.
In the meantime soften the gelatin with some cold water, whip the cream and in a separate bowl whip the yolks. Melt the chocolate over a pot of hot water.
When the sugar syrup is almost ready, melt the gelatin (in a microwave or over hot water). Remove the bean and scrape it over the yolks. Pour the syrup over the yolks in a slow stream while mixing on high. Next add the gelatin and continue beating until the mixture cools and thickens. Add the melted chocolate and fold it gently. Then add the cream and incorporate it slowly as well.

For the icing

80 ml cream
100 g bitter sweet chocolate
30 g butter
7 Tbps chocolate sauce (recipe follows)

Bring the cream to boil. Remove it from the stove and gradually add the chopped chocolate stirring to melt it. Place the mixture over a pot of hot water until it reaches 140 degrees F. At this point gently mix in the butter and chocolate sauce. Use the glaze when it gets to 114 degrees F for best results.

For chocolate sauce

32 g bittersweet chocolate
60 ml water
30 ml cream
15 g sugar

Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to boil over medium heat. When boiling, lower the heat to low and continue until the mixture thickens a bit and coats the back of a spoon (10-15 minutes).

To assemble

Place one disk (flat side down) on a cardboard circle. Spread 1/3 of the mousse. Place the second disk over, spread half of the remaining mousse. Top the cake with the last disk and spread the remaining mousse on the top and sides of the cake.
Place the cake on a wire rack and pour the glaze over. As it runs down the sides use a spatula to smooth the glaze.
Enjoy it either now or after the glaze settles in the fridge.

Life in black & white

I have always been advised to stop being so “black or white” kind of person. My mom, teachers, all “advised” me try and see that there are also shades of gray in life. I tried listening to them (I swear I did try), but I am still not successful every time. I even drive a gray car, but it does not help, I still want all or nothing for me. I hate compromise, I want it black or white.

Look at this cake, for example, the black is black and imposing, the white stays white and gracious. They do not mix, they do not get gray.
Am I incoherent? Don’t be grayish, say it: yes you are.

For the cake

110 g butter
200g brown sugar
45g cocoa powder
2 eggs
185g flour
5g baking powder
5g espresso powder (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
2.5g baking soda
250ml warm water

You can use 2 20-22 cm pans for the above amount. I have used a 24×32.5 cm pan for this one and cut out 7.5 cm circles out of it that I have used to make 3- layered mini cakes.
Preheat your oven at 165 degrees Celsius. Butter the pans you plan to use and line their bottom with greased parchment paper.
Cream together the soft butter and the sugar to get a creamy mixture. With your mixer on low speed add the cocoa powder gradually. When the cocoa is properly blended in, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the previously sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and espresso powder and slowly blend everything while gradually adding the water to the mixture. Divide the batter between your pans and bake for 30-40 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean). Let the cake cool in the pan for a while and then remove it and let cool on a wire rack.

For the mousse

2 egg yolks
2.5 g gelatin
66 g sugar
66 ml water
160 ml heavy cream
vanilla bean

Place the water, sugar and vanilla bean in a pan, cover it and bring to boil over medium high heat. When it boils, uncover it, lower the heat and let it cook to 238 F. In the meantime soften the gelatin in some water and whisk the yolks. Place the softened gelatin on a water bath or in the microwave and melt it.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 238 F, remove the bean (you can scrape it later into the mousse), and with the slowly pour the syrup over the yolks while mixing. Next, pour the gelatin over the yolks and continue mixing until the mixture increases the volume, thickens and cools.
Add the whipped cream and carefully fold it into the yolks.

For the syrup

Baileys liqueur
water
sugar

The ratios are up to your taste.

To assemble

I have used a 9 cm round cutter and made as many circles as I could. I cut each circle in 2. Then I used a round mold to build the mini cakes: placed the first layer, brushed syrup, piped mousse, topped with the 2nd layer and so on. You can leave the minicakes like this, or you can “dress” them up with mousse, chocolate icing or chocolate whipped cream.

Coffee addiction and a new twist on tiramisu

“Coffee falls into the stomach … ideas begin to move, things remembered arrive at full gallop … the shafts of wit start up like sharp-shooters, similes arise, the paper is covered with ink …”
~ Honoré de Balzac~
I love coffee, the smell of it tingling my nostrils wakes my senses and gives me comfort for the whole day. Lately though, my life has been so hectic that coffee not only pleases my senses in the morning but it keeps me moving.
The funny thing is that my little girl enjoys the smell of coffee as much as i do and loves biter sweet desserts. If she were to choose between a milk chocolate cake or mousse and biter sweet/ coffee ones she would definitely go with the last ones.

Coffee and bittersweet chocolate are also part of many desserts we make at home. This time we tried a twist (not the first one) on the classic tiramisu: we used a flour less chocolate genoise paired with the coffee mascarpone divine cream.

For the cake layers
*the amounts are for 2*24cm pans. When I use them for a more festive cake, I make 4 layers so I double everything
170 g bittersweet chocolate , chopped
3 tablespoons water (~30ml)
6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
130 g sugar
10 g unsweetened cocoa powder (to sprinkle on the baked cakes to prevent sticking)

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Grease 2 24 cm pans and line bottoms of circles with a piece of parchment paper.

Place the water and chopped chocolate in a clean, dry pan and melt it over very low heat. Let it cool and in the mean time, beat the yolks with half of the sugar until they are thick and pale in color (about 5-8 minutes). If chocolate cooled, add it to the yolks.

Beat the whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar gradually to the whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of whites into the chocolate/ yolk mixture taking care not to deflate the batter.
Fold in the rest of the whites.

Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake for 15-18 minutes (the top of the cake must be dry to touch).

Before removing the layers from the pans, sift cocoa powder on top. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, place it over the pan and invert the cake onto it. Repeat with the 2nd layer. When completely cool, place the cake layers in the freezer for about an hour to firm up.

For the mascarpone cream
Use the frosting from here, but double it.

To assemble

Take the cake layers out of the freezer. Place the first one with the cocoa side up, spread half of the cream over. Place the second layer, still cocoa side up. Spread the rest of the cream and decorate as you see fit (I used chocolate shavings).
Place in the fridge and enjoy.