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Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients (6 portions)
500 gr. double 00 flour * 13 eggs * 3 spoons rum * 2 spoons lard *
2 lemons (+ peel) * 500 gr. sugar * 300 gr. burnt sugar
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This particular cake is composed by a white part and a black one.
The following recipe is for the white part. So, if you want to add the
black one, follow the same indications written below but replace the
lemon-peel and juice with 100 gr. black chocolate, melted in
bain-marie. After all, put the two parts in one (side by side) on
a single dish.
- Knead the flour with the 13 eggs (keeping apart just 5 albumens
which will serve for the ice glaze), rum and lard.
- When the paste will be very soft and well mixed, cut it in small
pieces that you must extend as bread-sticks. Then cut those
sticks into one centimeter pieces.
- Spread with butter a pie-dish and put the small pieces into the oven
for a little time at a moderate temperature.
- As soon as they assume a golden hue, take them out of the oven and
knead them with the burnt sugar, the 5 albumens (already whipped),
lemon juice and also grated lemon-peel.
- Make a little pyramid with this kneading on a dish and let it
solidify.
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Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients (6 portions)
30 Cream Puffs * 2 Yolks of Egg * 1 tea spoon essence of vanilla *
100 gr. Black Chocolate to be minced thick * 6 dl Milk 15 gr. maizena *
80 gr. sugar * 3 dl whipped cream * 30 gr. castor sugar
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- Dissolve chocolate in bain-marie.
- Boil part of milk keeping 3 dl of it apart.
- Whip yolks with maizena and sugar. Always stirring, add both cold and hot milk.
- Pour the mixture in a saucepan and make it hot 'till it starts to boil.
Leave it from the fire, add melt chocolate and leave it cool.
- Add castor sugar and the essence of vanilla to the whipped cream.
- Fill up every puff with whipped cream.
- Make a pyramid of all the puffs and pour the chocolate cream on it.
- Decorate with whipped cream as your taste pleases.
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Preparation Time: 3 hours
Refrigeration Time: at least 6 hours
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Ingredients (16 portions)
Walnut brownie cake:
cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising) * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 2 cups
packed light brown sugar * 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
* 1/4 cup water * 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped * 3 large eggs, at room
temperature * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
White chocolate mousse:
1/4 cup water * 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin * 1/4 cup cornstarch, lightly spooned
into measuring cup and leveled with the straight edge of a knife * 2 cups milk, divided *
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk * 1/3 cup granulated sugar * 6 ounces Swiss white
chocolate, finely chopped * 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes *
2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1 3/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
White and dark chocolate triangles:
5 ounces Swiss white chocolate, coarsely chopped * 5 ounces Swiss dark chocolate, coarsely
chopped
Dark chocolate curls:
One 6-ounce chunk dark chocolate, about 3/4-inch thick
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Make the walnut brownie cake:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the
bottoms and sides of two 9-by-1 1/2 inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with circles of
baking parchment or waxed paper. Dust the sides of the pans with flour and tap out the
excess.
- In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt, until
thoroughly blended. Sift the flour mixture onto a piece of waxed paper.
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook, stirring occasionally
over medium heat until smooth. Continue cooking until the sugar mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate to the saucepan. Let the mixture stand for
thirty seconds to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a
large bowl and cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until tepid.
- Using a wire whisk, stir in the eggs one at a time, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Using
a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until combined. Stir in the walnuts until blended.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth it with a spatula. Bake
the cake layers for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted two inches from the edge of
the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool the cake layers in the pans set on wire racks for 15 minutes. Run a thinbladed knife
around the edges of the cake layers to loosen them. Invert them onto wire racks. Peel off the
paper circles and leave them loosely set so that they are right side up. Cool the cake layers
completely.
Make the white chocolate mousse:
- Put the water in a small heatproof cup. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let the
mixture soften while you prepare the mousse.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth. Whisk in
the eggs and egg yolk until blended.
- In a heavy, medium, noncorrosive saucepan, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk
and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around the
side of the pan . Gradually whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the cornstarch/egg mixture until
blended. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan.
- Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to form
bubbles. Continue stirring and boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Add
the chocolate and gelatin mixture. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the butter until blended.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Place the bowl
over a bowl of iced water and stir for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool. Remove the white chocolate
mixture from the bowl of iced water.
- In a chilled large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the
cream until soft peaks begin to form. Do not overwhip the cream. Using a rubber spatula, fold
one-third of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the
remaining whipped cream.
Assemble the cake:
- Remove the side from a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Trim a 10-inch cardboard cake
circle so that it fits snugly within the curved lip of the bottom of the springform pan. Reattach
the side of the springform pan. Remove the paper from the bottom of the cake layers. Place
one of the cake layers into the prepared pan.
- Scrape 3 cups of the white chocolate mousse over the cake layer in the pan. Using a
small offset metal cake spatula, spread the mousse in an even layer over the cake. Make
sure that the mousse is evenly distributed within the narrow space between the side of the
pan and the edge of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer over the mousse. Scrape 1
1/2 cups of the remaining white chocolate mousse or enough mousse to fill the space
between the top layer of cake and the top edge of the pan. Spread the mousse in an even
layer over the cake using the rim of the pan as a guide. With a long metal cake spatula,
scrape off any excess mousse. Transfer the remaining white chocolate mousse to a small
bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the assembled cake and reserved mousse for
at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Make the chocolate triangles:
- Separately melt the white and dark chocolates. Line two flat baking sheets with
uncreased pieces of aluminum foil. Draw a 9-inch circle on each piece of foil. Tape the four
corners of each piece of foil to the baking sheets to hold it in place.
- Pour the melted white chocolate into the center of a traced circle on one of the foil-lined
pans. Using a small offset metal cake spatula, spread the chocolate evenly until it fills in the
circle. Refrigerate the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chocolate feels firm, but not
brittle.
- With a long sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 wedges. Using an offset metal cake
spatula, gently lift the wedges off the foil and transfer them to a waxed paper-lined baking
sheet. If the wedges become soft while you are cutting them, return the baking sheet to the
refrigerator briefly until the chocolate is firm again. You will have 4 extra triangles in case of
breakage.
- Repeat the above two steps to make 12 triangles using the melted
dark chocolate and the second foil-lined baking sheet. Before making
the dark chocolate triangles, spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the dark
chocolate onto the foil next to the traced 9-inch circle. Spread the
chocolate into a small circle that is about 1/16-inch thick. When the
chocolate is firm, use a 3/4-inch round cutter to make a circle to put
on the top center of the cake. Store the white and dark chocolate
triangles and the circle in the refrigerator until you are ready to
decorate the cake.
Make the chocolate curls:
- Warm the 6-ounce chunk of dark chocolate by placing it on a piece of waxed paper.
Microwave on MEDIUM (50 percent) power for 10-second intervals, until the chocolate starts
to soften slightly. This can take 3 to 6 tries, depending on the wattage of the microwave
oven, type and brand of chocolate and the temperature of the kitchen. The chocolate should
soften slightly, not melt. Alternatively, soften the chocolate by heating it with a portable blow
dryer. Turn the chocolate chunk every few seconds, until it begins to soften.
- Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Grip the chocolate chunk with a folded paper
towel so your hand does not melt the chocolate. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, scrape one
narrow side of the chocolate chunk in a downward motion, forming loosely shaped curls. As
you form the curls, let them fall onto the waxed paper. Refrigerate the curls on the baking
sheet until you are ready to decorate the cake.
Unmold the cake:
- Using a portable blow dryer or damp (not wet) very hot towel, carefully heat the outside
of the springform pan until the edge of the mousse melts slightly. Release the clamp on the
side of the springform pan and gently lift it up and remove it from around the side of the
cake.
Decorate the cake:
- Reserve about 3/4 cup of the chilled white chocolate mousse for piping on the top of the
cake. Using an offset metal cake spatula, spread a thin layer of the remaining white
chocolate mousse around the side of the cake to coat the exposed cake layers.
- Lift up the cake on the cardboard cake circle, supporting the bottom of the cake in one
hand. Use a metal spatula to lift up the chocolate curls and press them against the side of the
cake, working around the cake until the side is completely covered with curls. Put the cake
on a serving plate.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip (such as Ateco #4) with the reserved
3/4 cup of white chocolate mousse. Pipe 1 rosette in the top center of the cake and 16
rosettes evenly spaced around the top outer edge of the cake.
- Alternate 16 dark and white triangles around the top of the
cake. Place each triangle so that the widest portion rests at a slight
angle on a piped rosette at the edge of the cake. Place the chocolate
circle in the middle of the cake so that it covers the points of the triangles and the single piped
rosette. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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