Memorable Gathering!!

                                              A memorable gathering of family and close friends.
                                              They had all just eaten my Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child's version),
                                              and for dessert I served a choice of apple pie or All-in-One Chocolate Cake
                                              with Chocolate Fudge filling and Chocolate Ganache frosting(NY Times Dessert                            
                                              Cookbook).*See previous blog on this recipe!*

Chocolate Caramel Tart #32

                                  Chocolate Caramel Tart

With mixer combine 4 ounces butter, 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa. Beat until smooth.

 Add one egg yolk and 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract, and beat until blended.

Sift 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour into the dough mixture.

Beat on low speed of mixer until combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 11-inch circle. Fir dough into a 10-inch tart pan. Bake 15 minutes until pastry is browned. 

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups granulated sugar and 1/4 cup light corn syrup to a boil. Stir occasionally, until mixture is a deep caramel color.

Carefully mix in remaining butter ((4 ounces),and 1/2 cup heavy cream until smooth.

Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set for 30 minutes. 

Place 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate-chopped into medium bowl. 

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil. pour over the broken pieces of chocolate in the bowl. Whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over tart. allow to set for at least an hour. Serves 12-16.

 Review: like a snickers bar with a chocolate crust! Wonderful!

                       


                                 Chocolate Caramel Tart (page 291)




            This will be my next recipe!

                                Kathy at the Nurses Memorial in D.C.

Molten Chocolate Cakes #33

                                                       Molten Chocolate Cakes (page 35)

                                 
                                       Butter and flour 4 half-cup souffle dishes                                     

                                    
                                      Melt bittersweet chocolate and 6 Tbsp butter

                         
                              Add sugar, and stir until melted. 
                              Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

                               
                               3 large eggs

    
                              Beat eggs until whites and yolks are 
                              blended.

        
                              Stir in 1/3 cup flour until smooth. 

       
                              Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture 
                              until well blended. 

  
                             Melted chocolate fully incorporated into
                             beaten eggs.

         
                             Divide among souffle dishes.

                              Bake cakes until puffed and dry on surface
                              but still soft in center, about 6 minutes.
                              Serve hot or cool. The centers of these cakes
                              are soft or "molten". Delicious!

                                                            The front lawn of the White House


            The next dessert that I will be making  will be Molten Chocolate Cakes (page 35).
 

            This dessert is baked in individual ramekin souffle dishes -sorry for the sideways pic!

            *This dessert is easily made ahead of time, and then refrigerated for several hours before serving, brought to room temperature, then baked at the last minute.*

       

                                              Review of Granny's Chocolate Cake:

Moderate chocolate flavor, not over-powering, fine texture with just the right amount of sweetness.
The raspberry coulis filling is perfect with this chocolate flavor! The cream cheese frosting gives a good balance to the overall taste. I think a chocolate frosting would take away from the flavor of the cake...there truly can be too much of a good thing sometimes.

cake topped with raspberry coulis before adding top layer

Granny's Chocolate Cake #33

   
                                                          GRANNY'S  CHOCOLATE CAKE  (page 26)

          Prepare cake pans

         Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.

 In large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in two or three additions, beating well after each addition.

Mix in the melted chocolate until well blended.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth top of batter with spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks.

Filling; RASPBERRY COULIS 

1 pint fresh raspberries

3 Tbsp. sugar, or more to taste

Cook berries and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool.

Frosting: CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (page 530)

Happy Baking!

Kathy

Granny's Chocolate Cake

                               Granny's Chocolate Cake  (page 26)


After spending time with our 5 year-old granddaughter recently, I came home from the D.C. area and decided that my next recipe will be another chocolate cake. I don't like the name "Granny" as in my mind it conjures up an old-looking woman....such as Granny from the 60's "Beverly Hillbillies" TV show! I am "Cookie" to our granddaughter...which I think fits me perfectly.


This is a triple-layer cake, and I am looking forward to surprising my family with it for dessert tonight!  Pictures to follow!

French Butter Cookies #34

                                                                  French Butter Cookies  (page 133)

These cookies are not your standard sugar cookie dough.The main ingredient is butter... 5 ounces of it!

This delicate, buttery taste, and fine texture, give these cut-out cookies an elegance...no wonder the recipe originates from Poilane-a chain of bakeries in Paris.

These butter cookies would go well as an Easter dessert, with a cup of tea or coffee.

                                                                           Apple Crepes

I made these crepes yesterday for an after-school snack for my family. Putting the apple slices that are first lightly sauteed in butter, right into the crepe batter makes for a delectable dessert! Sprinkle the crepes with cinnamon and sugar, and add a dollop of whipped cream. The recipe is on page 201.

These crepes disappeared so quickly that I wasn't able to capture them on film, so all I can show you is an empty plate!

*The plate design is "Cinderella" by Lenox, which I inherited from my husband's family.*

All-in-One Chocolate Cake #35

                                All-in-One Chocolate Cake

     This cake was really good with an elegant chocolate , which was complemented by a wonderful
     fudge filling and chocolate ganache frosting. I made this cake for dessert last night, and the one piece
     that was leftover, was eaten this morning. I call that a success!

     I didn't serve the cake with port wine, but that would be a good choice. Also, for those who like to read about food I have a book recommendation: Best Food Writing 2007-it is "a literary feast of the finest culinary prose from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites". It also includes recipes such as: Supercrispy Pan-Fried Chicken, Albondigas in Salsa, or Carmelized Onion Latkes.

Two other great food related books: Appetite For Life: The Biography of Julia Child, written by Noel Riley Fitch, and My Life in France,written by Julia Child.

 
     I will be skipping around a bit in the NY Times Dessert Book, as too much chocolate cake in one week dulls the taste buds. No worries chocolate lovers, I will come back to chocolate cakes in the near future!  
     So, next I will be baking The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 139.

Happy Baking!
Kathy