Magically Chocolate

“Featured in this photograph is Paris Brest with a rich chocolate sauce, chocolate tart and chocolate macaroons. The ideas for chocolate are endless.”

There are certain days that I will not be satisfied until I have eaten chocolate. I’ve heard it gives the sensors in the brain a similar feeling of being in love. That is satisfying! I cannot be alone in this desire for chocolate that entices me when he beckons. Chocolate must be a male because it’s tall, grown on trees. Dark, the cocoa bean is deepest brown. And handsome … well, I’ll call any chocolate dessert or truffle that. Its delicious scent and flavor are other factors to consider. Sadly, all chocolate products are not the same. The ratios of cocoa bean, to oils and fats (that’s a gigantic story) but they are relevant to the finished product. The processing plus the quality of the ingredients makes for the taste you saver (if it is good), versus the inferior which leaves an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth. I have only gone to that place as a child, back when I was mad for candy, or if I had chocolate cravings and had no other choice but to use the cheap variety. I do try to avoid being in this position.

Brownies are my favorite. Mousse is second and third, a rich chocolate syrup for my milk. The kid will never leave me and yes, I still pour spoonfuls of the chocolate milk into my mouth. This actually drove my late Father a little crazy, leaving him short-tempered by the persistent clanking of my spoon against the sides of the glass. I am ever so careful not to clank now that I am grown and enjoy my glassful using my learned techniques and dainty maneuvers.

I rather enjoy watching videos about the growing of chocolate, the harvesting and shipment to the factories, where it will undergo the transformation to become splendid things. A vacation to a chocolate factory would indeed be something I would love to do. I really should book myself one of these excursions and later explore the endless possibilities of this desirable food. There is a candy shop downtown in my city and I am going to phone them to see if I might pop-in soon and make truffles with them … just for the fun of it. I miss the professional kitchen.

History: This pastry was created in 1891 to commemorate the Paris–Brest–Paris bicycle race.

Made from two large, double rings of piped choux paste, with sliced almonds on top. It is baked and after about thirty minutes, the temperature of the oven is lowered to about 250 degrees in order to gently dry the inside of the pastry, completing the baking process. It is then cooled completely on a wire rack. Carefully sliced in-half, it is filled with decoratively piped hazelnut and praline pastry cream. The top is replaced and 10X sugar is sprinkled over the whole dessert. A rich ganache-based chocolate sauce is traditionally served in a compote, which is placed into the center of the ring. If you wish to impress at your next dinner party, bake this.

Relax … Bake Something

This is what I would like to be doing this weekend.

Charlotte Royal

Take the time to read through recipes to better comprehend what you will be doing. Figure out the order in which you will begin preparing the recipes. Like most French desserts, many times they are complicated in that they take time, and there are usually many steps to take, in order to bring about results such as this specialty cake. If you want to impress them this is a great place to begin. Consider making three or four and freeze them. This way you can pull them out of your freezer, allow them to come to refrigerator temperature, and them finish them just prior to serving to your family or guests. You can also make mini royal cakes. Either way you’ll be applauded and the flavors are ooh-la-la tres bon!

Bavarian // Charlotte Royal

Use a traditional Charlotte Mold for this cake if possible, or a large dome-shaped bowl. Any cake lined with a roulade, jaconde or lady finger siding is called a royal. 

Grease mold and line with sheet of plastic wrap allowing it to extend past the edges.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bake the cake, spritz, fill and roll up, the day before you assemble the cake!

Cuisine Connection

"The Real Deal"

The Real Deal is the quality of the freshest products and the precision of method used by the French in creating the finest displays of mini pastries. It literally takes hours to produce these results and are the quintessential beauty of using the tried-and-true French method of baking and decor. A mini pastry is one that is no more than three bites, this way you can try a few different ones.

Palais Raisin

Today being National Raisin Day, I thought I would provide you with a delicious French recipe for this piped cookie. 

Speciality Cakes

On the left side (middle) we have a marjolaine and to the right side a roulade. the marjolaine is composed of wafers of … (I’ll write about it tomorrow) Ha!  Directly in the middle are baba savarins, then an assortment of cookies, macaroons, tartlets, mini Paris Brest, choux buns filled with pastry cream, and in the back-left, a frangipane tart. Down in the very center are coco-covered chocolate almonds. In the very back is a sugar showpiece, by World Renowned Pastry Chef Anil Rohira.

This is a is a roulade decorated to look like a log. It is called a Busche de Noel. Speciality Cakes are unique and very tempting. One of my favorites is called Frasier (not to be confused with the sit com). It looks complex from the outside, but one you understand the construction, it seems like an assembly even a good home baker could try.

* Remember the acetate liner is measured, cut and fitted inside the cake mold.

Photograph one:

Reveals the inside of the Frazier, just before the chilbouste cream is piped in. On the bottom is a round layer of rum syrup-soaked vanilla genoise cake. Large fresh strawberries have been lined up (middles pressed up against the sides of the acetate-lined cake mold) facing outward. Whole strawberries are positioned inside.

Photograph two:

Shows Chef Mark (Pastry Instructor @ L’Academie de Cuisine) has already piped Chilbouste Cream in between the strawberries, and then he uses a mini spatula to smooth the cream evenly. Another rum syrup-soaked vanilla genoise cake round is placed gently on top. This little masterpiece is moist and full of loveliness.

Photograph three:

After the cake round goes on, Marzipan is colored light green, rolled out pretty thinly and cut to fit over the top. The name Frasier is written by fine piping dark writing chocolate on top. One strawberry is sliced part way through and fanned out, then placed on top. The acetate is removed from the cake and Voila!

Here is the recipe for chocolate or vanilla genoise cake. This is fragile batter, so treat it with respect.

Here is the recipe for    

Valentine’s Dessert

This dessert is a speciality cake. I have the recipes and assembly instructions for you here. Hope you enjoy it!

Joy of Macaroons

If you have never tasted one of these almond based cookies, you are in for a treat. Their exterior is crunchy and once it had been breached, the next sensation is that of chewy into the center an the combination is sheer joy. They come in many flavors and much of the time the buttercream centers have been flavored with a paste, such as; pistachio or hazelnut. Also used for the center is ganache` and a geléed jam, like raspberry.

The recipe is simple to make, but the technique is what will make or break your cookie … your little macaroon. They come tiny and large, too. Either way, you will want to eat lots of them because they are perhaps France’s most perfect cookie.

On My Menu: Beef Wellington

Chef Gordon Ramsey is always having his Hell’s Kitchen cooks make Beef Wellington. Never made it before and I went  searching on the computer the other day for a recipe. It uses duck liver pate and I don;t want to use this in my recipe. So I kept looking. I noticed this photo and saw that Chef Paula Dean has a recipe that teaches us to make an oyster pate. Now I can go for this.

Just planning ahead as my sister will be coming in from the West Coast after the baby is born (our niece is the Mother-to-be), and I want to try some new recipes before she gets here. Being prepared is like band rehearsal, I practice so I will know the best way to fix the dish. For instance, if I’ll use frozen puff pastry sheet, or if I go the whole route to make real puff pastry or a quick puff. I also want to make brioche, and I can prepare the doughs I’ll need for other foods, and in many cases freeze them. Like croissants … she likes the apricot and pain au chocolate ones.

There are quite a few recipes I want to experiment on at least once before she arrives. I can present some well-planned dinners and should be full-proof, because I planned ahead and tried new things. I also want to make Savarin and eclairs and custards and mousse and Paris Brest. I’ll take photos so there will be evidence. I really miss being a student in culinary school. Perhaps I should apply for a scholarship and become a full-time student. I know I graduated already, sshh … I want to go back and make all those French desserts. Students only get to taste a little but really, the most important part is making it.

Romantic Desserts

Cloud 9.5, originally uploaded by silverlily.

One day I plan to have an owner operated French Bakery and the windows and cases will be filled with gorgeous desserts, like this one. Here is my recipe for Chocolate Pate Sucree.

Chocolate Pate Sucree

This is a strong beginning for a chocolate dessert. It can be used baked or raw.

3 oz 10 X sugar
6 oz butter softened
1 t orange zest
2 oz egg beaten
7 oz cake flour
1 oz cocoa
1 pinch of salt
1 dash of vanilla

1) In a mixing bowl with the paddle attached, cream the butter.
2) Add in a little 10 X and continue beating.
3) Add zest, vanilla and mix. Add egg.
4) In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa together.
5) Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the mixing bowl. Continue this process until all the flour has been added.
6) As soon as the dough is just formed turn off the mixer.
7) Place dough onto a lightly floured surface. Frisage to distribute the butter evenly.
8) Shape and cover in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Shape and put into a 9″ tart pan. Chill before baking another 30 minutes.
Bake 350º for about 18 minutes. Blind or docked. Cool completely on rack before filling.

Yield 1 9″ shell.

French Cooking School

This is the French mini pastry buffet we students prepared for the dedication of The Roland Mesnier Pastry Kitchen, at L’Academie de Cuisine, February 2005. He worked as the White House Executive Pastry Chef for twenty-six years before he retired, and he also created the pastry curriculum for this French culinary school. L’Academie de Cuisine is one of the top ten culinary schools in the United States. It ranked number four when I attended.

I miss my school and preparing the most beautiful, delectable pastries and desserts, cakes, breads, butter creams, ganache and puff pastries, among other things. LAC is run by Chef Francois Dinot, owner and dean of his school. It is top-notch, and a wonderful choice for professional culinary and pastry pursuits. Plus they offer recreational classes, for the sometimes home chef.

Studying there is an honor and it is quite intense. It is “yes chef, no chef”, Never, ever any back-talk to chef. His or her word is the only opinion, the final say. You must obey and follow all directives. You will learn and you will do your homework and you will arrive early, before class. That’s right. There is studying and typing recipes from your workbook, where you hand wrote them earlier in the day. It is research and hands-on in class, after chef demonstrations. You have to be dedicated.

Our Pastry Arts Course was created and directed by Chef Mesnier, and it reflects his high regard for his profession, the importance of doing it correctly and precisely, and the perfection of presentation. You learn a lot during the daytime class 6:45 AM to 3:00 PM, your uniform is freshly laundered and pressed. You wear your hair up and fastened, so not a hair is out of place. You scrub your hands, and work areas and continue in this daily habit, until before you know it, it is time to search for a place for your externship. This is all part of the course. Students learn a tremendous amount in a very short amount of time.

When you get to the internship you find they do not do things the way you have been taught. Usually their standards are not anywhere close to the ones you have been learning and you must adapt to the way of the chef, baker, restaurant lead cook, etc. and you must keep your mouth shut, your apron on and never quit. No matter how intolerable this first position is. You are overworked, underpaid, studying, getting ready for your final buffet and final exams and not getting much sleep. Did I mention it was intense and grueling?

You may not sit down, nor may you ever lean upon your work table. You might get a 30 minute break to eat inferior food (it’s free) and rush to return to your station. Then there is the travel home, homework, laundering, home chores, (I also took care of my Mother during this time) and then you try to sleep until the alarm goes off about 4 AM. I averaged four to five hours sleep a night. It was tough for me, and also for my husband and my Mother. It was an incredibly tense time.

Midnight Snack

I brulee’d in the dark and didn’t get around the edge. I was in a hurry to climb the spiral stairs to the loft. This is now an empty dish. Even Bobby, my kitty, licked the bottom clean. this dessert is so easy to make … easier to eat. Yummy!

 

Creme Brulee

This is one of the most satisfying desserts ever.  The creaminess of the custard and the crunch of the caramelized sugar is fantastic.  Topped with some fresh fruit and wow!

2 c heavy cream (heated a little)

4 egg yolks

2 1/2 oz sugar

flavorings: (extracts, coffee beans, zest, etc., after infusion, strain & remeasure the liquid)

1) Heat heavy cream, but not too hot.

2) Mix yolks and sugar together and temper with warmed liquid.

3) Fill au gratin dishes 3/4 full.

4) Prepare water bath.

Bake 325º 20 to 30 minutes.  Cool and remove dishes.  Refrigerate.

Serve by filling the top of the dishes with sugar white or brown and torching it.

Yield is eight servings.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Japonaise Praline Gateau

2  9″ japonaise or dacquoise round  disks, fully baked (see below)

1  9″ 1/2″ slice genoise cake

1/2 butter cream recipe

3 T praline paste (to taste)

2 cups rum syrup = simple syrup 1 part sugar x 1 part water boiled then add dark rum

3 c toasted sliced almonds

pink fondant for decor

Assembly:

1) Anchor nut meringue to plate.  Spritz with rum syrup.

2) Spread praline butter cream over bottom layer.

3) Spritz genoise both sides and place onto filling.

4) Add another layer of praline butter cream.

5) Cover with top layer of nut meringue.

6) Ice the cake with butter cream.

7) Pat toasted sliced almonds covering sides and top of cake.

8 ) Pipe pink fondant on top and center of cake.  Add a cherry if desired.

Yield 20 slices.  Serve fresh.

Meringue / Japonaise

This is a nut meringue which is dry on the outside and inside as well.  It is used as a cookie, decor in cakes or included in other recipes.

Room temperature all ingredients:

8 oz egg whites strained

8 oz sugar

—————————–

4 oz sugar

4 oz almond flour (succes) or hazelnut flour (progres)

2 oz A. P. flour

1) Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.

2) Whip egg whites and sugar to stiff French.

3) Fold in light into heavy and heavy into light.

4) Pipe #5 tube 8″ disks onto parchment lined sheet pans.

Bake 350º for 20 minutes…reduce temperature to 300 for 40 minutes.  Cool on rack.  It is better to use the meringue in a recipe the next day.

Store stacked in freezer for up to a month. Wrap in plastic wrap.

Variations: Rothchilds pipe very small cigar shapes, bake, cool then fill with ganache placing another cookie atop it as a covering.  Sponge Buttons are piped domes which after baking are cooled and filled with ganache and topped with another dome.

Note* For more recipes leave me a message here or in my Blogcatalog Shout Box.

It’s January 2nd Already!

Umm … this would be so good to eat with morning coffee. Do I go down the spiral staircase to make this or not. Decisions, decisions. I do have a brand new rolling pin that Rachael and Will gave me for Christmas. Plus, I actually have everything on-hand to put this together. It is 4:19 AM now. Perhaps I should do it after I wake up and take my shower. Either way, it’ll be fantastic.

Genoise Chocolate

Genoise Chocolate, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Cakes

Genoise / Vanilla and Chocolate

This is a whole egg sponge cake. Genoise au Beurre is made with butter, has a richer taste and texture.

Genoise Ordinaire has no butter. Both are incredibly delicate and sometimes tend to fall or not rise at all.

4 large eggs strained
4 oz sugar
—————
4 oz cake flour
pinch of salt
vanilla to taste
—————
1/2 oz clarified butter (important that it is only tepid)

Variation: Chocolate Genoise sift 1/2 oz with the flour.

1) Eggs and sugar into mixing bowl. Whisk by hand over hot water bath for a few moments to liquify the eggs and melt the sugar. Do not cook the eggs!
2) Attach bowl to mixer and high speed to whip until quadrupled in size. When stops rising stop the mixer. You can deflate the eggs as they are very fragile.

Turn down speed to 1/2 speed and mix another 4 to 5 minutes.
3) the batter will deflate a little. The air bubbles get smaller and closer together, more uniform and the batter will increase in size once again and get smooth and shiny. Add the vanilla and mix 1 1/2 minutes more.
4) Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and “walk the batter”. this is the safe zone. and you can walk for a while before stopping the mixer.
5) Silt flour while continuously gently folding shake, fold, shake fold, etc. Be quite sure all of the flour is folded in prior to adding clarified butter.
6) Add the 1/2 oz butter in stages. Against the spatula and jiggle it to spread it over the entire batter. Fold in and repeat. Do not over mix.
7) pan the batter 8″ x 2″ well greased and lightly floured cake pans.

Bake 360º 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on reck 5 minutes before wrapping in plastic wrap.

Freezes for a month and best to use in recipe next day. Or, use today with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Yield 16 portions.

Viennoisserie Domes

Viennoisserie Domes, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Danish from the dough two blog posts down. You can make so many varieties of pastries. These have been depressed in the middle, pastry cream piped into the well and different fruits placed on top. Each one gets a different glaze and or topping. Yummy and so satisfying.

Puff Pastry Treats

mille-feuille, originally uploaded by super charz.

Puff Pastry is key in so many French desserts. When made by hand it literally takes hours to bring it to a point where it may be baked. I suppose this is the reason Pepperidge Farms makes so much money selling this pastry dough.

It can be used in savory and sweet dishes plus it is so versatile. After baking, it is either layered and filled or if baked in the shape of a shell or container, it is filled as a side dish or a main course. It is pretty easy to work with and even the most novice of cooks can be successful with this dough.  Here is a shorter version of puff pastry.  This is why it is called quick.

Laminated Doughs

Quick Puff

Also known as rapid puff or rough puff. You can make it flaky as well as tender if you make it well.

16 oz gold medal unbleached flour
1 t salt
8 oz water
drops of lemon
12 to 16 oz butter 1/2″ cubes (cold)
——————————————
1 c sugar (sacristans and palmiers)

Two double turns or six single turns. Rest 20 minutes in between.

1) Mixing bowl with paddle, combine all ingredients until just mixed.
2) finish by hand.
3) Roll out onto cold surface with lots of flour about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thickness.

Shape and rest in fridge before baking. 375º to 400º 18 to 25 minutes. There is nothing to cook in this puff pastry you are just browning the dough. Drying time. Cool on rack.

Shapes:
Sacristans…roll dough 1/8″ sprinkle with sugar and roll it into the dough. Turn dough over and repeat process. Cut 5″ x 1/2″ twist and press down edges into the sheet pan.
Palmiers…follow sugar application for sacristans. shape 8″ x 5″ fold in half to see the middle. Turn both edges in by rolling. Fold twice toward the center but only just shy of the center line. turn over and slice 1/2″ portions.

Bake 375º to 400º 12 to 15 minutes to brown the dough. Dry time, turn oven down. Cool on rack.

Laminated Doughs

Quick Puff Pastry

Cheese Straws

You can use freshly rolled puff or the scraps leftover after you have cut the puff dough.

1) Roll out the puff dough 1/8″ to 1/4″ thickness.

2) Egg wash.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

and cheddar cheese.  Roll ingredients into the dough.

3) Turn the dough over and repeat.

4) Cut 1/2″ strips.  Twist and put on sheet pan.

5) Cool in fridge about 30 minutes.

Bake 375º to 400º for about 18 minutes.  Cool on rack.  Enjoy.

Frangipane Tartlets

On Saturday I ground up almonds to make almond flour and prepared frangipane. I sealed it in a storage container and placed it into the fridge.  Afterward, I prepared pate brissee with egg, which is a flaky crust.  It may be used for quiches, pies, and tarts. Yesterday afternoon I rolled out the dough after I let it warm up from being in the fridge.  I tried using the largest cutter I had but was reduced to a creative stance by using the bottom of my little juicer container. Upside down I was able to map out the proper size dough rounds to line the small pans.  It wasn’t perfect but when you are not in a professional kitchen it seldom is. Well … not for baking anyway.  When it comes to deserts I really need room for the ingredients, mixers, pans, tools, etc.  Baking takes so much effort as you have to measure everything with the exception of whole eggs.

I chilled the raw crusts and then added seedless raspberry jam.  Atop that I used two smallish scoops of raw frangipane and then baked @ 350º for 19 minutes.  I made certain the bottom was baked thoroughly and that the frangipane was bubbling prior to it’s setting.  Out of the oven and I allowed them to cool completely before tasting.  It is hard for me not to taste food hot from the oven as I have often done.  By allowing them to cool down, it helps the middle continue baking and when it is time to cut portions they slice neatly.

By the way, I prepared eight portions and wrapped six in cling wrap.  I will bake them off two at a time as they are quite filling and very rich.  The frangipane is fine in the refrigerator for about three days.  Always remember to smell ingredients prior to adding them to your recipe.  Always be safe and serve only the freshest food.

Heated in the microwave a dab of vanilla ice cream or nutmeg creme chantilly tops this sweet pastry and is wonderfully delicious.

My Favorite Things

Raspberry Mousee & Charlotte Royale, originally uploaded by cupcakeamour.

French Pastry and Desserts are my favorite things. I have been toying with the idea of opening up my very own patisserie within a few years.  There is so much planning to go into this concept, including the fact that I should also want to incorporate a mini cooking school into the establishment.  It makes for more work.

To me there is nothing more appealing to my cooks eyes than something which has been beautifully prepared. Most of the time the special ingredient is passion, because loving what one does it what sets it apart from the norm.

Wouldn’t you just love to sink your teeth into one of these lovely and delectable treats? I can almost taste the Charlotte Royal knowing there is a mousse inside and that the tiny roulades were moistened with a liquor to flavor the simple syrup. Not many people understand just how much work goes into the development of this menu finale. The components take time to prepare and the assembly is the creative end to the pastry cook’s delicious ideas.

Hungry For French Connections

I need some of these.  Time to get to the kitchen and prepare some pate a choux.