This past week I flew into New York to spend a few weeks visiting my parents. I had decided to wait to do my Sugar High Friday entry with my mom since I figured that it would be a great first project for the two of us. Plus, for some reason, things always seem to taste better when they come out of your childhood kitchen.
We very quickly decided on one of my mom's best "For dinner parties-To impress" recipes: Mocha chocolate mousse with raspberry liqueur compote in chocolate shells. Everyone who has ever tasted this dessert, even those non-chocolate lovers, has succombed to its chocolatey wiles. Not only are you knocked out by the double duo of chocolate and raspberry, but the presentation itself is pure seduction.
Huddled over the stovetop we listened as the weather channel reported on the biggest snow storm of the century (well, sort of). We were hoping that the seductive smell of warm molten chocolate would ward of winter's angry ways or that ruby red berries would at least conjure up distant memories of long forgotten summer afternooons. It seemed that the more we stirred, the more the snow came tumbling down. The end result was enough chocolate mousse to feed Emperor Qin's army and snowbanks as long and as high as The Great Wall of China.
Snowbound and hungry, we lavished our plates with this decadent dessert and seduced ourselves sick.
Mocha chocolate mousse with raspberry liqueur compote
Mousse:
1 lb. special dark chocolate1/4 cup salted butter2 tsp. espresso powder1/3 cup water2 egg yolks1/3 cup Kahlua4 egg whites4 Tbsp. sugar1 cup heavy cream
In a double boiler, melt together the first four ingredients, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Mix together egg yolks and Kahlua.
Whisk together egg mixture and melted chocolate mixture. Cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add in sugar and continue beating until firm moist peaks form. Spoon over cooled chocolate but do not mix in.
In the same bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate and egg whites into cream.
Pour into bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When scooping mousse dip the scoop in hot water.Honey lemon tarts for my honey
By Esther Valjean at 16:46 - Something sweet - Permalink
2 whole eggs1 egg yolk3/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice1 tsp lemon zest1/8 cup mountain honey2 Tbsp salted butter1 sheet puff pastry
Start by making the shells. Place tartelette pans on the rolled out puff pastry. Trace a circle of dough about 1/4 inch larger than the tin around each one. Turn over and mold pastry dough to the tin. Using a fork, perforate the bottom of each individual crust and weigh down the bottom with beans.
Place unbaked crusts on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 175°C or until golden brown. Once the crusts are removed from the oven, get rid of the beans, remove the crusts from their tins and let cool.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, yolk, lemon juice, zest and honey. Cook the lemon mixture for about 6 minutes over a bain marie being sure to whisk the entire time. Once the lemon mixture has thickened to a nice custard, remove from heat and whisk in butter.
Let the curd cool a few minutes and then spoon into individual crusts. Don't let the curd cool too much otherwise it will lose its silky consistency and will be harder to spread. Chill tarts for at least 2 hours.
Decorate with fresh figs or berries and serve.
Makes 8 tartelettes.
Lime soufflé
250 cl of milk75 grams sugar + 1 Tbsp sugarJuice and zest of one lime1 egg yolk3 egg whites2 tsp cornstarchpinch of cream of tartar
Heat milk, sugar and zest in a saucepan. First combine the lime juice and cornstarch then add to milk mixture and thicken. Then remove from heat and add egg yolk. Let cool.
Beat egg whites, 1 Tbsp sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff. Fold in milk mixture.
Butter molds and fill 3/4 full.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes.
Makes four soufflés
Note: The soufflé had great flavor but I would prefer cutting the sugar so as to better highlight the lime.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét