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...

The things we learn from people are amazing! How important is communication, how enriching! This cake was mentioned to me last week. After six years of visiting Ana's violin teacher, I got to learn that his heritage is Icelandic. The Icelanders had the tradition of making this cake for Christmas. I only received a rough description of the cake, but got inspired to look for it - many layers of cake and dried-fruit filling is something that is worth researching. My research led to a crossroad. It was like opening the Pandora box. Instead of finding out the information and sinking into reading, I had to choose what road to follow. Apparently there are different variations of this cake. The original recipe is from sometime of 1860. The most interesting fact is, that today's Icelanders themselves have not heard of this cake. I guess, the tradition got lost in Iceland through the centuries, but very well kept here, in Canada, in the families with Icelandic heritage.  Wha...

for the cookies: 180 g unsalted butter 70 g vegetable shortening grated zest from two lemons 310 g sugar 5 g salt 1 large egg 8 g vanilla extract 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed  625 g flour 18 g baking powder prepare the cookies: 1. Cream the butter, shortening and the zest together. Add the sugar and beat until creamy fluffy. Add the salt. 2. Add the egg. Beat until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and half the lemon juice. Mix lightly. 3. Incorporate half of the flour, alternating with the other half of the lemon juice and the rest of the flour. Mix until the dough is formed. 4. Divide the dough in two. Roll it out between two pieces of wrapping foil. Place on a flat surface and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 5. With a round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. 6. Using a cookie cutter with a smaller diameter, cut the centre of half of the cookies to form a ring. Make the cut out centres into button cookies. 7. Place all the coo...

(recipe of chef Christophe Felder) for the macaroons: 200 g ground almonds (2 1/3 cups, 7 oz.) 200 g confectioners' sugar (1 1/2 cups, 7 oz.) 50 ml water (3 1/2 tbsp) 200 g granulated sugar (1 cup, 7 oz.) 150 g egg whites divided (about 5 eggs, 5 1/2 oz.) yellow food colouring Note: check my post for the chocolate macarons before start working on the lemon-basil ones 1. Combine the ground almonds and confectioners' sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Sift into a bowl.  2. Cook the water and granulated sugar in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the syrup to boil. If using a thermometer, the right temperature for the syrup should be 118C. Otherwise, boil for couple of minutes and do not let the syrup to thicken.  3. Beat half the eggs with a whisk attachment until soft peaks. Slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin stream, whisking at the highest speed of the mixer. Whip until the me...

These mini cakes are an impressive combination between heavy brownie base, light and nutty pistachio praline and fresh and juicy rainier cherries.  I used Irina's recipe for the brownies. I found her website a while ago and fell in love with her ambitious perfectionism and artistic skills. She is quite a collector of teasing recipes. I guess, we fall for similar baking products and confections.  for the Brownie Base: 45 g unsalted butter 85 g dark chocolate 100g brown sugar 45 g flour 20 g Dutch processed cocoa powder pinch of salt 4 Tbsp milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. 2. Butter 7 of the cavities of a whoopee-pie pan. Sift some cocoa powder. 3. Place the butter and chocolate together in a heavy bottomed pan over a low heat. 4. Add the sugar and stir to melt. Add the egg. 5. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Stir to combine well. 6. Sift over the flour, cocoa and salt. Stir. 7. Distribute ...

adapted from the recipe of Christophe Felder for the brioche: 250 g flour 30 g sugar 1 tsp salt 3 g dry yeast 3 large eggs 130 g butter, softened 1 egg, beaten, for the wash 1. Scale the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. 2. Add the yeast. 3. Add the eggs and knead to form a dough. 4. Add the butter piece by piece until well incorporated. 5. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours. for the huney-almond paste: 100 g honey 80 g butter 80 g sliced blanched almonds 1. Heat the honey and butter in a pan. Let it cook for about 10 seconds. 2. Add the almonds and stir to coat. Set aside to cool. Tailoring: 1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. 2. Take the brioche out of the fridge. Roll the dough 6 mm thick. 3. Using 8 cm round cutter, cut out the rolled dough in small brioches. Let them rise for 2 hours. 4. Give each brioche an egg wash. Spread a teaspoon of the honey mixture on top of every brioche. 5. Bake for about 10 min. Transfer on a wire rack to co...

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...

Some creations speak for themselves. Fresh puffs, filled with chocolate pastry cream are a classic dessert. for the chocolate pastry cream: 250 ml milk 3 egg yolks 50 g sugar 30 g corn starch 20 g Dutch processed cocoa 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Bring the milk to boil. 2. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, starch and cocoa without over beating.  3.  Pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly (dissolving the sugar). Pour the yolk mixture back to the pot where the other half of the milk is and place over medium heat.  4. Stir constantly with a whisk attachment, until thickens. 5. Place the pastry cream in a deep dish, cover it with cling foil, (the foil should touch the cream). Leave to cool at room temperature. 6. Stir the cream and fill a piping bag with a star attachment.  7. Cut "the lids" of the puff pots and fill with the cream. Cover with the lids. 8. Serve the same day.

with the glorious help of Chef Ani: Chef Ani made working on the Joconde sponge a pure satisfaction. She worked very passionately stencilling the shells in the following steps: 1. Prepare the Ribbon Sponge 2. Divide in batches. 3. Colour each batch. 4. Stencil. 5. Refrigerate. 7. Prepare the Joconde sponge, spread, bake and cut, following the instructions in Flower Power post. There are few early flowers in the garden. There are much more on the table. I can not wait to see my garden in full bloom.  The chocolate mini cakes are decorated in different colours and represent different flowers. All of them - great favourites of mine.  Which else to start with, but with the Queen of all flowers - the rose.... My childhood memories are always full of colours. Most favourite are the ones I built in the meadow, braiding head wreaths out of wild flowers. I close my eyes and I feel the sun rays, kissing the flowers around, I sense the...