Tablier taché

The most elegant way to declare your love to someone is with chocolate. The warmth and deliciousness of the chocolate has been never comparable to the diamonds. The chocolate is an art creation. Fine senses and strong feelings are needed for understanding this pure food of Heaven.  Self-made chocolate truffles are best present for St. Valentine. They are very easy to make - the only skill needed is ... love. for the truffles: 220 ml whipping cream 30 g sugar 250 g bittersweet chocolate 37 g unsalted butter for the coating: 250 g dark chocolate (72% cocoa solids), tempered cocoa powder (optional) prepare the molds: polish the mold with a clean soft cotton cloth prepare the truffles : Bring the cream and sugar to boil. Have the chocolate chopped in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stay for 5-7 min. Stir with a flexible spatula to homogenize well until glossy mixture of ganache is formed. Pour the...

12 days till Christmas! And the snow has just arrived!!!  It is so clean out there...  It is white! It is quiet! Our every day running is slowing down - our hearts beat normal. Our worries got buried under the heavy blanket.  The Earth is moving at a normal pace. The air is so crisp and clean - the children's laughter is ringing, the tree branches are singing, the birds wings are drawing pictures in the clouds. The chimneys' smoke is knitting a sweater to the wind. The footprints are writing a poem. It is so white! Our souls are sparkling white! We are better people! It feels like rebirth and a white beginning. It feels like a fairytale. It feels like a miracle. 12 days till Christmas! The white canvas out there temptingly invite us to write our story, to make our wishes, because the magical season has started.  Happy Christmas, everyone! What did you wish for today? My seasonal Christmas cake - surely very much chocolaty, and garnished wi...

Another Thanksgiving, another day to share the things we are thankful for. How unfortunately late this autumn is! I was barely able to find colourful leaves in my garden. Only the roses are ready for their winter relax. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thank you for visiting! IN

December 9th, the Eastern Christianity celebrates St. Anne. The name comes from Hebrew "Channah", meaning "favour" or "grace". St. Anne, mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus is an emblem figure, keeper of the families, guardian angel of all mothers.  It happens, that we celebrate this name holiday, because of a special little family member. Our Ana is blessed with her name and we are blessed to have that magnificent creature for a daughter. I am sure her name suits her perfectly.  What Ana loves the most as a dessert? Chocolate, may be some chocolate and a bit of chocolate, garnished with chocolate. I decided to make this truffle cake for her and knew it will become her favourite. What is truffle cake without truffles? I am very happy to use the formidably looking and delicately delicious truffles from Ferrero Rocher. They complete my recipe perfectly.  for the cake: 60 g chocolate 100 g unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla ex...

for the yellow cake: You will need half recipe of Genoise Cake You will need one recipe of chocolate ganache   for the chocolate cake: 4 egg whites 180 g sugar 200 g butter, softened 3 g vanilla extract  180 g all purpose flower 40 g cocoa 1 tsp baking powder Heat the oven to 170. Prepare a round 6" cake form. 1. Beat the egg whites with 2/3 of the sugar, until firm. 2. Beat the butter with rest of the sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.  3. Combine the dry ingredients. Add 1/3 of it to the butter. Beat slightly. 4. Add half of the egg white mixture. Mix. Add the second third of the dry ingredients, followed by the whites, finishing with the last part of the flour. 5. Bake in the prepared pan for about 30-40 min, or until dry centre. Tailoring: 1. Cut the cooled cakes in two layers. The chocolate cake is cut in three layers. Cut the third layer in small pieces and store in an air tight container. Have the pi...

You will need: one recipe  Genoise cake one recipe Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache , in which almonds are substitute for pecans two recipes Pumpkin Cream Mousselin one recipe Pecan Paste a lot of chocolate leaves for the Pumpkin Cream Mousselin: 250 ml whole milk 1/2 vanilla bean 3 egg yolks 100 g brown sugar 30 g corn starch 30 g white flour 5 g cinnamon  130 g butternut squash - rosted  120 g unsalted butter, softened  1. Roast the pumpkin the day before. Peel the butternut squash and cut in small pieces. Roast on a parchment paper, until softened. Let it cool. Work the pieces in a blender, until purée consistency. Close in a box and refrigerate.  2. Scale the dry ingredients in a bowl. 3.  Beat slightly the egg yolks and two thirds of the sugar . Mix in the dry ingredients. 3.  Scrape the seeds from half vanilla bean into the milk, add the last third of the sugar and bring to boil.   4...

What is better than chocolate cake? I, truthfully, couldn't think of anything. When my sweet angel decided that she wants a chocolate cake for her celebration, I remembered, that she found a Queen Elizabeth's favourite cake recipe posted  in Tweeter earlier this year, and thought that this would be a nice coronation for her sweet 16th birthday. I copied the recipe, with slight change of the technic. My birthday girl wanted strawberries, so I added a ring of fresh strawberries. The cake is worth every effort. Every bite is heavenly delicious. Here is the original  recipe. Chef Darren McGrady used "Ghirardelli" dark chocolate. I couldn't find any, but to keep the classy taste, I decided that "Lindt" is not any worse (if not even better). for the filling: 285 g heavy cream 227 g dark chocolate Lindt for the cake: 6 egg yolks 2 eggs 114 g sugar 57 g flour 30 g cocoa 57 g butter for the topping:  285 g heavy cream 227 g dark...

My beautiful "Marguerite" made this for a friend. I was just an adviser on some details and a provider of the ingredients.  She is an amazingly gentle, beautiful and innocent flower (she has always been) and I have always called her my Marguerite. She is special, special, special - clumsy and passionate in her actions, thoughtful and impulsive, pedantic and chaotic, joyful and gloomy... she is a constant opposite to herself and I adore her devoutness to everything she loves. My best friend, my little, grown up daughter...  for the brownies: 90 g butter 170 g dark chocolate 40 g Dutch cocoa powder 60 g flour 30 g corn starch 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 eggs 180 g sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract Nutella topping: 80 g Nutella 1 Tbsp cream cheese 1 Tbsp whipped cream prepare the brownies: 1. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt together the butter + chocolate + cocoa powder. 2. In a bowl, mix together the flour + baking powder...

for the cupcakes: (makes 9) 160 g egg whites 180 g sugar 200 g unsalted butter at room temperature 120 g almond meal 140 g all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 3 g vanilla extract for the chocolate ganache: 300 ml heavy cream 300 g dark chocolate 20 g sugar prepare the cupcakes: 1.  Preheat the oven to  170 °C.  2. Beat the egg whites and 2/3 of the sugar until firm peaks are formed. 3. Beat the softened butter with the rest of the sugar. 4. Sift the flour in a bowl. Add the almond meal and the baking powder. 5. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the butter, Beat until well homogenized. 6. Add one third of the egg whites. Beat well. 7. Follow with the rest of the ingredients, finishing with the egg whites. Stir to homogenize. Work very gently, to keep the volume of the whites. 8. Distribute the batter in 9 cup cakes forms.  9. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 min. Check wit...