French Dessert

Candied Chesnuts Tiramisu

You need for 6 to 8 servings :

4 egg yolks

3.2 oz granulated sugar / 90g

10.5 oz unsalted mascarpone cheese, chilled /300g

10.5 oz chesnut spread / 300g

10 candied chestnuts

4 tablespoons of heavy (double) cream

24 ladyfingers

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups hot coffee

unsweetened cocoa (chocolate) powder

You need 6 to 8 whisky glasses.

Make the coffee (strong).

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow.

In another bowl, mix (with a spatula) mascarpone, chestnut spread and

8 candied chesnuts (in small pieces). Add vanilla extract.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg yolks into the mascarpone mixture.

Add sour cream and mix again.

Put some hot coffee in a soup plate (you will re-fill it little by little).

Put 2 ladyfingers one by one in the bowl, very quickly so they do not collapse !

Arrange them in a single layer at the bottom of the glass and cover with 2 or 3 tablespoons

of the mascarpone/chestnuts mixture. Place 2 other "coffee" ladyfingers in a single layer.

Spoon again mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers to the 3/4 of the glass.

Repeat with the other glasses.

Cover and regrigerate at least 3 hours (one night is better).

Just before serving :

Pour some chocolate powder on top of the tiramisus and small pieces of 2 candied chestnuts.

Decadently Dark Chocolate Mousse

For 6 servings

9 oz Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

3.5 oz coffee beans

6 egg whites, room temperature

3 egg yolks

1.7 oz granulated sugar

Separate whites and yolks.

Put the coffee beans in a food processor and mix until you obtain a thin powder. Transfer this powder to a skillet and heat it over low heat. This will bring out all the flavours of freshly ground coffee. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in a « bain-marie » or the microwave over medium power. When melted and smooth, let cool a few seconds then add egg yolks (If you add the yolks when the chocolate is hot, they will cook).

Whip the whites with a pinch of salt, until they are stiff. They have to stand in peaks. Add sugar and continue beating.

Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate-yolks mixture. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining whites, very carefully, lifting rather than stirring. Finaly add the coffee powder, mix again and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Strawberry and Raspberry Tiramisu

For 6 servings :

4 egg yolks

150g (5 ounces) of sugar

250g (1 ½ cups) unsalted mascarpone cheese, chilled

4 tablespoons of sour cream

½ cup hot raspberry tea (or any flavour you like)

24 ladyfingers

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 kilo of fresh strawberries (2.2 lbs)

375g of fresh raspberries (13 oz)

Orange blossom

Pistachio powder (optional)

You need 6 whisky glasses.

Raspberry coulis :

200g of raspberries (9 oz)

½ lemon juice

2 tablespoons of sugar

Heat some water to make the tea.

Make the raspberry coulis : wash raspberries, put them on absorbing paper and then in a bowl.Add sugar and lemon juice.Put the mixture in a food processor. Press through a sieve.

Wash strawberries and cut them in two halves, then put them in a bowl with 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of orange blossom.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. In another bowl, beat mascarpone and sour cream. Add vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg yolks into the mascarpone mixture.

Put hot tea in a small bowl. Put the ladyfingers one by one in the tea bowl, very quickly so they do not collapse !

Spoon some mascarpone over the bottom of the glass. Then arrange 2 or 3 "soaked" ladyfingers in a single layer and cover with some raspberry coulis. Arrange strawberries around the edge and on top to cover.Place the remaining ladyfingers in a single layer over the strawberries and brush their tops with the remaining coulis. Spoon again the remaining mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers, to the 3/4 of the glass. Cover with film and refrigerate at least 3 hours. When the tiramisu is very cold (meaning when the cream is firm), arrange raspberries on top to cover completly.

Sprinkle some pistachio powder on top of the raspberries.

Individual Fudgy Dark Chocolate Cakes, Fresh Mango Coulis

You need for 6 servings :

150g (5 oz) dark chocolate

4 eggs

90 to 100g (3 oz) granulated sugar

70g (2.5 oz) all purpose flour

125g (4 oz) unsalted butter

50g grated chocolate

Mango Coulis :

1 ripe Mango (if not ripe, it will be almost impossible to make a coulis)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

You need silicon molds (6 muffins) or 6 individual ramequins (buttered and floured)

Make the Mango coulis : peel the ripe mango, remove the pulp and blend it.Add lemon juice, orange juice and sugar.Blend again. Press the mixture through a sieve.Refrigerate.

Melt chocolate and butter on half power in a microwave oven during 2 or 3 minutes (gently mix every minute).

In a medium bowl, whip the eggs and sugar with a hand mixer, until they are pale yellow. Then add flour. Mix again and add melted chocolate with a rubber spatula. Mixing the melted choclate with a rubber spatula gives a beautiful dark colour to your cakes. If you mix it with a hand mixer, some “air” (oxygen) will get into the mixture and the cake will not be as dark as desired.

Arrange the mold or ramequins on a baking sheet. Pour half the batter into each mold, then 2 teaspoons of the grated chocolate. Add the remaining half of the batter (to the 3/4). Let cool and refrigerate.

30 minutes before serving, pre-heat oven 200°C(400°F). When oven is warm, bake the molds for about 11 minutes. They have to be fudgy. Remove from the oven, unmold very carefully on a clean baking sheet and transfer on each plate, using a flat spatula. Serve warm with Mango coulis on top and Mango (or coconut) sherbet aside.