The markets are being flooded with fresh spring produce and i make it my personal goal to use as much as possible in the next few weeks. The latest discovery were young, tender stalks of fresh rhubarb. I love rhubarb and i can’t think of enough ways to use it but combine it with white chocolate in a glorious soufflé and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll eat them sitting on the kitchen floor as they come out of the oven. I mean… not that i would ever do anything like that..

Of course that’s assuming the poached rhubarb in syrup even make it to the soufflé. It’s hard to resist eating them straight out of the syrup, a temptation you shouldn’t take lightly if you’re known for you legendary sweet tooth and lack of restrain. Not that i am alluding to myself one bit here…

And there’s the white chocolate ganache with fresh vanilla bean sitting in a bowl on the kitchen counter ready to mingle with the egg whites. The natural instinct in most people would be to pick up a teaspoon to have a little taste. The next natural instinct, for those of us lacking self-control, would be to pick up a bigger spoon to have a bigger taste, and so forth…

Now, how did i end up with only 4 tiny soufflé cups with a recipe that serves 8?

Err.. I plead the fifth!.. My lawyer! I want to talk to my lawyer!!

• Rhubarb-White Chocolate Soufflé

• 
• Adapted from Francois Payard in Chocolate Epiphany
• serves 8

• • Rhubarb-White Chocolate Soufflé Recipe:

  • 3 1/2 ounces white chocolate (preferably Valhrona), chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
  • soft butter for the molds
  • 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for the molds
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 5 large egg whites

  • Poached Rhubarb:

  • 8 ounces rhubarb, trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into chunks
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup sugar
• 

  • For the Poached Rhubarb:

  • Preheat the oven to 400′ F.
  • Put the rhubarb in a baking dish. In a saucepan, add the lemongrass, zests, sugar and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Pour the hot syrup over the rhubarb and place in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. Let it cool in the syrup.

  Rhubarb-White Chocolate Soufflé Recipe:

  • Put the chopped white chocolate in a medium bowl.
  • Mix the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
  • Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla bean + seeds and bring to a boil.
  • Pour a half of the hot milk into the yolk mixture and mix it well. Transfer back the yolk mixture to the milk and cook over medium heat for 1 minutes, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth. Pour the hot custard over the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth (if necessary, finish melting in a bain-marie). Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool to room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
  • Generously brush the ramequins with soft butter. Add sugar and swirl it around the ramequins to coat the sides and bottom. Pour out the excess sugar.
  • Drain rhubarb pieces on paper towels and place 3 or 4 chunks at the bottom of every ramequin. Refrigerate the ramequins until ready to use.
  • Whisk the egg yolks into the white chocolate soufflé base. Whip the egg whites on medium speed in a Kitchenaid. Gradually add the 2 tablespoons of sugar after they reach soft peaks. Whip until they reach stiff peaks.
  • Fold one scoop of the meringue into the soufflé base to lighten. Gently fold the remaining of the meringue until combined.
  • Fill the ramequins with the mixture, wiping off the butter and sugar from the rim with your thumb.
  • Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 400′F, until they have risen and golden on top. Serve immediately.

(Click on the picture for the food porn view)

In case you haven’t noticed, i have a giant sweet tooth. The same sweet tooth that caused me to lose about $40K in a dessert business venture a few years back but that’s a long story i rather not get into just yet. You would think that taking such a shower would permanently cure me from the sweet lovin’ side of me. Well, guess what? It didn’t.

As anyone with a giant sweet tooth chocolate plays a big part in my cravings. So i’ve been searching and searching for the ultimate chocolate dessert and today i can affirm this chocolate-banana tart is my all-time favorite. You may ask me again tomorrow and i may give you a whole different answer because err.. i change my mind a lot, but  i can assure you that this recipe will never be too far from the top of the list. Pinky swear!

Of course, pastry mastermind Pierre Hermé created this recipe. Who else would think of caramelizing bananas with a sliver of ultra hot habanero pepper and finishing them up with a few turns of black pepper? Who else would think of adding rum macerated raisins to this already brilliant combination? Who else does emulsify a chocolate ganache at such a precise temperature to create the silkiest, richest texture ever? Who else does wear his underpants upside down? err.. Oh no, wait, that was me yesterday.

I took the liberty to slightly simplify this recipe. Should you trust someone who wears his underpants the wrong way, you asked? Well, i see your point my friends but i know how to take a shortcut when i see one, plus i was already late for work.. err.. which has nothing to do with this chocolate tart. Essentially, i used my own (simpler) version of pate sucree, increased the amount of habanero and i doubled.. yes, doubled the amount of banana used in the original recipe. There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing in my opinion. I didn’t mess with the ganache recipe though. It’s sacred.

Once again, let’s bow to the King who created this recipe and to Dorie Greenspan for bringing it to the English-speaking public in “Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé“, which i highly recommend.

Enjoy!

• Chocolate-Banana Tart

  Adapted from “Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé” by Dorie Greenspan
• serves 6
• 

  • For the Sweet Tart Dough:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg

  • For the Raisins & Caramelized Bananas:

  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 3 tablespoons dark rum
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 1/2 habanero pepper, or to taste
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

  • For the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valhrona Gastronomie 61%), finely chopped
  • 4 ounces butter (unsalted), cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 large egg (room temp’)
  • 3 large egg yolks (room temp’)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
• 

• • For the Sweet Tart Dough:

  • Sift together the confectioners’ sugar, flour and salt into a bowl.
  • Place the butter into a food processor and process until smooth.
  • Scatter the flour mixture over the butter, add the egg and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not overmix.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for an hour.
  • When ready, line a greased 9 inch tart pan with half the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Keep the rest for another use.
  • Preheat oven to 375′F. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, dry rice or beans.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then remove the aluminum + weights and return the tart to the oven for 5 minutes more.
  • Let the tart shell cool on a rack.

  • For the Raisins & Caramelized Bananas:

  • Combine the raisins, rum and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow them to macerate a few hours.
  • Slice the bananas and cut them into 1/8 inch thick rounds. Toss them in the lemon juice.
  • Melt the butter with the habanero pepper in a large nonstick saute pan. Remove the pepper when the butter starts to bubble (leave it longer for spicier results). Add the banana slices to the pan (avoiding to crowd the pan too much) and sprinkle the sugar over the bananas. Cook until they’re a nice golden brown and flip them over to caramelize the other side. Add the black pepper. Cook one more minute and transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

  

  • For the Chocolate Ganache & Finish:

  • Fill the crust with the caramelized bananas (putting 6 slices aside for decoration) and macerated raisins.
  • Melt the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie in 2 separate bowls. Let them cool to 104′F (measured with an instant-read thermometer). This is a crucial step to achieve the creamy, silky chocolate texture.
  • In a mixing bowl, gently stir together the egg yolks, egg and sugar. Be careful not to beat too much air into the eggs. When the chocolate is at 104′F, gently stir it into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula the same way you would emulsify a mayonnaise, with steady, gentle concentric circles. When the chocolate is incorporated repeat the same operation with the butter at 104′F. When the mixture is smooth and shiny, pour it into the crust to cover the caramelized bananas and raisins.
  • Bake the tart at 375′F for exactly 11 minutes. It will be still a little jiggly but that’s normal.
  • The tart is ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven. It was just as good a few hours later. And it was amazing the next day as well. Do not refrigerate it!

  

I posted a chestnut mille crêpes recently and at this point you’re probably thinking that i’m obsessed with crêpe cakes, and that i need help. Sure, i’m obsessed with eating them but unfortunately my insurance company doesn’t reimburse this kind of therapy yet. While this mille crêpes looks similar to the last one i made, each version is quite unique and this might be my favorite of the two with its chocolate crêpes layered with orange pastry cream and the drizzle of orange caramel. It’s a pretty incredible dessert, if i dare to say so myself. And i think it deserves a little post.

I like to trick people into thinking mille crêpes are a lot of work to make while in fact, they’re quite easy. Apparently, i’m not the only one. Some well-known bakeries are not afraid to charge up to $85 for a cake like this. I wonder if that makes me a big doofus for revealing the recipe? Just give me 25¢ on the slice and a hug if you decide to open your own bakery featuring this recipe. I’m easy.

Let me give you a little background story on how this mille crêpes came to be. Once again this is a ‘recycled’ recipe that i created with the leftover batter from the chocolate crêpes suzette with pistachios i made at work last week. If you haven’t seen the recipe i posted almost 2 years ago, click on the link, take a look and be prepared to get hypnotized (i also updated the photography on that post). I lost a few people in the wilderness that day so be careful it doesn’t happen to you.

I found myself with quite a bit of chocolate crêpe batter left and improvised this mille crêpes the next day. It requires a bit of obsessive-compulsiveness to neatly assemble this cake but i have plenty of that in store. That’s what happen when you train with fancy French chefs. Besides that, there’s nothing complicated here. Try it for yourself.

• Chocolate Mille-Crêpes with Orange Pastry Cream, Orange Caramel & Candied Zest

• serves 8
• 

  • Chocolate Crêpes & Orange zest:

  • 1 large orange: 1/2 zest removed and julienned; 1/2 zest finely grated
  • 1/3 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut (or almond) flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 2 cups milk

  • Orange Pastry Cream:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons butter, at room temp
  • zest of 1 orange

  • Orange Caramel & finish:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup pistachios, for garnish

  • Chocolate crêpes & Orange zest:

  • Bring a small saucepan of cold water and the julienned orange zest to a boil. Drain. Return the orange zest to the saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Cool the zest in the syrup.
  • Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk together the flour, hazelnut flour, cocoa, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and the eggs until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, followed by the rum, grated orange zest, and milk, just until each ingredient is incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Make the crêpes in a non-stick 8-inch pan over medium high heat, brushing the pan with melted butter in between each crêpe. As the crepes are made, stack them on a plate (you will need 12 to 14 crêpes for a cake). When the crêpes are cool, place a crepe on a serving platter (or cake board) put an equal amount of the orange pastry cream in the center and spread evenly all around with an offset spatula. Top with another crêpe and repeat the operation 12 to 14 times. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

  • Orange pastry cream:

  • In a small saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean (pulp and pod) to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover the pan and let it infuse for 10 min.
  • Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl. Drizzle a quarter of the hot milk and whisk vigorously. Pour the rest of the milk and keep whisking. Discard the vanilla pod and pour the mixture back in the pan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while whisking energetically for 1 or 2 minutes.
  • Set the bottom of the pot in a ice-water bath to cool, stirring frequently so that the mixture remains smooth. Cool to 140′F (warm to the touch) and stir in the butter and the orange zest until completely incorporated. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

  • Orange caramel & Finish:

  • Warm a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar into the saucepan a little at the time, and as the sugar melts, add more while stirring. When the caramel has turned a dark-amber color, add the orange juice, heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes.
  • Pour some orange caramel over the mille crêpes and serve with candied zest and pistachios.

All i wanted was an excuse to make a pistachio frangipane. The obsession started after i came across Tartelette’s and Melanie’s versions of galette des rois with pistachio frangipane. It looked so delicious i lost sleep over it. As i was laying in bed awake i flipped through the pages of Pierre Hermé’s chocolate book and came across his chocolate puff pastry recipe. I thought..”Heck.. I can’t really go wrong with a flaky, buttery chocolate puff pastry filled with a rich pistachio frangipane and griotte cherries, or can i?” It worked like a punch in the face. I slept like a baby afterward.

I made the mistake not to read Pierre Hermé’s recipe thoroughly before launching operation choco puff. And that’s the equivalent of a jumping off a cliff without a parachute, my friends. My experience with puff pastry so far has been what i learned in cooking school. Make the dough, incorporate the butter, roll, give it two turns. Rest for 20 min. 2 more turns. And repeat for a total of 6 turns. In one and a half hour, including resting time, you have a perfectly delicious puff pastry made from scratch. At least that’s what i believed until i tackled Pierre Hermé recipe…

I don’t know how to break the news to you but Pierre Hermé has planned YOUR day differently. Try one turn. 2 hours rest. One turn. 2 hours rest etc..  If you include the initial rest and baking time that’s a total of 14 freakin’ hours, umm.. and that’s after letting the dough rest overnight. Just tell your dinner party guests they will receive their dessert via messenger service… within 2 days!

Yes, i did obey Pierre Hermé’s instructions like a good soldier. But i cursed, and i cursed.. Oh God.. you don’t want to know how much i cursed. Do i regret it? ..err.. no. It was good. Very good. I never doubt Pierre Hermé’s genius, i just have to plan ahead next time. The rich pistachio filling did a brilliant job as a supporting actor without ever overshadowing the star, the choco puff. Melanie’s idea of putting a griotte (i used griotte cherries in syrup) was the perfect surprise in the middle.

If you plan on making this recipe go ahead my friends, but make sure to stop taking your OCD medication, call in sick, cancel those gym appointments, make an extra pot of coffee and notify your dog he won’t get walked in the park that day. I hope he doesn’t bite!

• Chocolate Galette w/ Pistachio Frangipane & Griotte Cherry

• Chocolate puff pastry recipe adapted from Pierre Hermé
• Pistachio Frangipane inspired by Helene & Melanie
• 

  • For the chocolate puff pastry:

  • 420 grams all purpose flour
  • 185 grams cold water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 70 grams, unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 425 grams butter, softened
  • 50 grams cocoa powder, sifted

  • For the pistachio frangipane:

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup ground almond
  • 3/4 cup ground pistachios
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup griotte cherries in syrup

  

  For the chocolate puff pastry:

  • Place flour in a large bowl. Dissolve the salt into the  water . Make a well and add this to the center of the flour. Start mixing the flour and the water together with your hands until they form a mass. Add the melted butter.
  • Knead the dough for a few minutes and shape it into a rectangle (it won’t be very smooth but that’s ok!). Refrigerate overnight.
  • Cream the butter until smooth in your KitchenAid with the paddle attachment. Add the cocoa powder and combine. Wrap it in a slightly smaller rectangle than the dough and refrigerate.
  • The next day, roll the dough to a rectangle that is about 1/3 inch thick  and 12×7 inches. Place the chocolate butter on the bottom half of the dough. Let it soften to rolling consistency.
  • Fold the top of the dough over the chocolate butter, pressing down to seal the edges and create a packet. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • When ready to proceed, on a well floured surface roll out the dough to a rectangle that is 3 times wider than tall. 7×21 inches. Fold the dough like a business letter, bringing the top third over the middle and folding the bottom on top of it. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Take note that you made your first turn.
  • Repeat 6 more times, always giving it a quarter turn before starting rolling again (the side that looks like the binding of a book should always be to your left when you start rolling). Refrigerate the dough after each turn.
  • Keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week and up to one month in the freezer.
  • When ready to use, roll out the 1/3 of the dough (reserve the rest for other uses). Using a pastry cutter to make 16 circles. Garnish 8 of them with a heaping tablespoon of pistachio frangipane. Place a griotte in the middle. Brush some eggwash around the edges and press the top pressing around the edges to make it stick.
  • Preheat oven to 375″F. Bake on a silpat for 20 minutes.
  • 

  For the pistachio frangipane:

  • Place the butter, sugar, ground almonds, ground pistachios and the eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until emulsified and smooth. Add the flour and pulse until combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Chocolate soufflé is the ultimate chocolate dessert, yet people shy away from it because of all the last-minute work and the fear it won’t rise. Even some experienced home cooks i know are afraid of soufflés and claim this dainty dish is difficult to make, susceptible to colds, drafts, applauds or maybe even poltergeists. As a kid, i was once told it would deflate if i looked at it too much. See what we’re dealing with today?

Soufflé is one of those dishes that either turns out brilliant or a complete and utter flop but the truth is, it’s not hard to make at all. I like this chocolate soufflé recipe because there’s nothing, NOTHING that stands in between you and your chocolate. No monkey business here. French meringue + (high-quality) chocolate ganache = soufflé. I don’t even add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture. I use them in a Grand Marnier creme anglaise to serve on the side instead. The result is a soufflé that is pure chocolate bliss.

Once a soufflé has fallen there is no way to make it rise again, not even with a bicycle pump. And believe me, out of despair, i tried. The only way to salvage a fallen soufflé, other than just serve it and tell them “Too bad!” is to fill the hollow with stuff. Where do you think the word “stuff” came from, anyway? From stuffing stuff into the blop where the bump was supposed to be; that’s where. Stuff it with whatever you can find but preferably with Grand-Marnier Creme anglaise or ice cream.

Bon appetit!

• The perfect chocolate soufflé

• Serves 4
• 

• • For the chocolate soufflé:

  • 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 3 ounces Valhrona Manjari or your favorite bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Valhrona
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 8 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Grand-Marnier Creme anglaise (replace the orange flower water with Grand-Marnier)

  • For the chocolate soufflé:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use a pastry brush (or your fingers!) to coat the inside of four 1 1/2-cup soufflé mold with softened butter. Fill the mold with granulated sugar, then pour out the excess.
  • Pour the half-and-half into a saucepan and heat over medium high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and make a ganache by adding the chopped chocolate. Stir well until combined and all of the chocolate has melted.
  • Make a double-boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. Place the ganache in the mixing bowl, add the cocoa powder and water, and whisk until very hot. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and make a French meringue by adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and whipping the whites to stiff but not dry peaks. Do not overwhip the egg whites! You can tell the egg whites are overwhipped if they start to separate and resemble scrambled eggs. Been there, done that.
  • Use a rubber spatula to gently fold about half the meringue into the warm chocolate mixture. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining meringue, being careful not to deflate the batter. The soufflé mixture should be homogeneous in color, but if you still see streaks of meringue in the batter, that’s okay.
  • Use a large spoon to gently place the soufflé mixture in the buttered and sugared mold. Fill to about 1/4 inch below the rim of the mold. Run your thumb around the rim to remove the excess butter and sugar.
  • Bake until the soufflé has risen to about 1 1/2 half-inch over the rim and starts to brown on top, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with a side of Grand Marnier Creme anglaise.

  

I know what you’re thinking. Molten chocolate cakes are so 1999 and yet it seems every restaurant in every corner of the world has some version or other on their menu. Sometimes you just wish the recipe could be put in a time capsule and sent to space for 10 years or so. Everyone needs a break sometimes but we can’t ignore the fact that, when done properly, these suckers can be quite incredible and so i thought i would give them a little makeover and feature them in a dessert that taste more like Nutella for grown-ups. Yes, you heard me right…

{{loud thump of people fainting}}

When i came across a delicious-looking block of dark Gianduja (or Gianduia) at Buon Italia in Chelsea Market there was no doubt in my mind, not only i was gonna make a molten gianduja cake but i was gonna serve it with nocciola (hazelnut) gelato and some homemade hazelnut brittle. Hazelnut three-ways if you prefer. One warm and gooey, one chilled and creamy and one crunchy and… extremely addictive. Gianduja is a chocolate originally made in Piedmont, Italy that contains about 30% hazelnut paste. It’s most popular incarnation is of course Nutella which wouldn’t work here because it’s been already processed into a paste with added crap you really don’t want. The ironic thing is that the cake batter taste almost like Nutella – without the hydrogenated oil. Hmm.

If you need more convincing just imagine the combination of warm melting Gianduja chocolate and the cold hazelnut gelato. These two were truly made for each other. You could also buy a good quality hazelnut gelato to serve with this dessert but i recommend keeping with the hazelnut theme because it really works. You trust me, don’t you? Yes?.. Can i have your wallet?

The hazelnut brittle is a foolproof recipe that you could adapt to pretty much any kind of nuts, except a nut like me. Scratch that. On second thought i wouldn’t mind being brittlelized.  I have to warn you though that you might find yourself getting up in the middle of the night to have a little snack. Hide the hazelnut brittle, my friends… hide it from yourself!

• Gianduja Molten Cake with Hazelnut Gelato & Brittle

• • Serves 6



• • For the molten Gianduja cakes:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 ounces dark gianduja chocolate
  • 2 large whole eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • For the hazelnut brittle:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup ground hazelnut
  • 1 pinch of salt

  • For the hazelnut gelato:

  • 8 ounces hazelnuts, skinned and toasted
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/4 cups half & half
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 
    

    For the molten Gianduja cakes:

  • Butter and lightly flour six 3-ounce ramequins.
  • Combine butter and Gianduja chocolate in a bowl and place on top of bain-marie; heat until chocolate and butter mixture has melted.
  • In a medium bowl beat together eggs, yolks, and sugar until light and thick.
  • Add melted chocolate mixture, and beat to combine. Add the flour until just combined and divide the batter among the ramequins.
  • Preheat oven to 450′F and bake until the sides are sets but the center remains soft. Between 6 and 9 minutes depending on your oven.
  • Gently invert ramequins on the plates to let the cakes fall off.
  • 
    

    For the hazelnut brittle:

  • Preheat the oven to 350′F
  • In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water, and the cream of tartar. Cook to a golden brown caramel. Pour onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking pad. Let it cool.
  • When cool, break into pieces and grind to a powder in a food processor. Stir in the ground hazelnuts.
  • Spread a thin layer of the caramel-nut mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking pad. You can give it the shapes you want. Bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool and keep it in a dry, cool place.

  

  • For the hazelnut gelato:

  • In a food processor grind the hazelnut to a paste (only use skinned hazelnuts)
  • Combine the milk and the half & half in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Whisk in the hazelnut paste and cover. Allow to cool completely.
  • Strain the hazelnut milk into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
  • In a bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar. Add the strained milk mixture while whisking.
  • Put the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on the lowest heat while stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Cool completely.
  • Freeze in your ice cream maker.

At an altitude of 8000 ft air is pretty thin causing headaches and shortness of breath, i had to hold on to my Tylenol bottle on the first day. It’s all worth it when you see the view, the picture above was taken from my kitchen window.

Pierre Herme serves this mousse with caramel pears, i went for the lighter option of simply poached pears. Enjoy!

Pierre Herme’s Chocolate-Caramel Mousse

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably Valrhona gastronomie), coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons salted butter

Note: This recipe won’t work if you don’t respect the temperatures in the recipe. Working with caramel can be tricky.

• Whip the cream until it holds medium peaks. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Set the chocolate to cool to 114′F.
• Rinse a bowl with warm water and keep in a warm place.
• In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, sprinkle 2 tbs of sugar into the center of the pan. When it’s melted and caramelized, add 2 more tbs of sugar. Repeat until all the sugar has been used and the caramel is a deep amber color. Reduce the heat and add the salted butter and 1/2 cup whipped cream. Be careful, the mixture will bubble. Stir the mixture until smooth, bring to a boil again and turn it into the warm bowl to cool to 114′F.
• When the caramel an melted chocolate are both 114′F, stir the chocolate gently into the caramel. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture (starting with 1/4 of it so it doesn’t shock it).
• Spoon into individual cups, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with poached pears or caramelized pears.

My job is done here. I’m going home, baby!

On wednesday morning i saw President Bush’s motorcade driving down Park Avenue (I couldn’t cross Park and was late to work. I even twittered about it. Thanks Mr President!). So i watched the long line of cars driving full speed in direction of the U.N thinking: ‘Damn! I want 20 cops on motorcycle to open the road for me too!’ So i decided on the spot to launch my own Presidential campaign, but for deeply selfish reasons. No more traffic jams for me! Whoever votes for me on November 4th gets free chocolate. Thanks peeps!

This is a recipe from Pichet Ong i found in The Sweet Spot, his interpretation of a Reese Peanut butter cups. For me, it was screaming for banana.. So heck! I added a brulee banana on top. There aren’t enough bruleed bananas in this world anyway. You’ll get that too if you vote for me.

Peanut chocolate base:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Chocolate filling:

• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temp’
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel, or other mild sea salt
• 1 banana, for brulee
• 1 tablespoon sugar, for brulee

• To make the chocolate base: Grease a 9 by 4-inch loaf pan and set aside. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set over the saucepan. Turn off the heat. Stir the chocolate until melted, then add the peanuts, salt and oil and stir well. Pour into the loaf pan in an even layer. Freeze uncovered, until hard.
• Make the filling: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set over the saucepan. Stir the chocolate until melted then set aside.
• Whisk the cream in another bowl until medium peaks form.
• Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy, about 7 minutes. Scrap down the sides and add the melted chocolate. Once the chocolate is incorporated, gently fold the whipped cream.

• Spread the filling evenly on the frozen peanut chocolate base. Freeze until hard, about 2 hours.
• Tap the bottom to unmold. Spread peanut butter on top. Make a brulee banana by slicing a banana, sprinkling it with sugar and ‘brulee’ the top with a torch. Place on top of the peanut butter and sprinkle with fleur de sel and chopped peanuts.

[This is an updated post. It deserved better pictures and a few little changes. So here you go! And why don't you make this Chocolate Mille Crêpes with Orange pastry cream and caramel while you're at it!]

I have decided to do another mass-hypnosis experiment today using you, my beloved readers, as guinea pigs. You don’t mind, do you? Don’t be afraid, this won’t hurt a bit. You’re dealing with a highly trained professional who wants YOU to get a ‘taste’ of this uber-cool dessert in the comfort of your own home. See how innocent-looking this is…

Everyone, take a deep breath and look at the picture below. You are now feeling sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, sleepy… zzzzzzzzzz

You are mine now, you are all mine!!… Bwah ha!.. Bwah hahaha..

{Breath in..} Look at the picture of the chocolate crêpe. Take a bite and taste the hints of hazelnut, orange zest, the rum and the overtones of cocoa in the dough. Say yum. {..Breath out}

{Breath in..} Surprise! There is a thin layer of melted milk chocolate in the center of the crêpe but that’s not all… chopped pistachios. The pleasing crunch of pistachios in the delicate wrapping now takes you over. You are sweating profusely. {..Breath out}

{Breath in..} The sweetness of the orange-caramel sauce now kicks-in and marries perfectly the other flavors. The sharp candied orange zest adds depth to the experience. You are feeling tingling in your body. {..Breath out}

{Breath in..} All your senses now come together, you experience a deep moment of bliss also known as.. the Twilight Zen. Repeat this experience again, take another bite and enjoy the textures, the temperatures, the flavors and.. keep your clothes on for chrissake!! {..Breath out}

{Breath in..} You’re now feeling good and relaxed! No!..Feeling a cool breeze on your skin is not a good sign! Put some clothes on, would you! {..Breath out}

Enjoy!

• Chocolate and Pistachio Crêpes Suzette

• (Recipe adapted from Daniel Boulud in Daniel’s Dish)
• serves 8
• 

  • Chocolate and Pistachio Crêpes Suzette:

  • 1 large orange: 1/2 zest removed and julienned; 1/2 zest finely grated
  • 1 1/3 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 2 cups milk

  • Orange Caramel & finish:

  • 4 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
  • 
    

    Chocolate and Pistachio Crêpes Suzette:

  • Bring a small saucepan of cold water and the julienned orange zest to a boil. Drain. Return the orange zest to the saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Cool the zest in the syrup.
  • Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk together the flour, hazelnut flour, cocoa, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and the eggs until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, followed by the rum, grated orange zest, and milk, just until each ingredient is incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Make the crêpes in a non-stick 8-inch pan over medium high heat, brushing the pan with melted butter in between each crêpe. As the crêpes are made, stack them on a plate. When the crêpes are cool, put an equal amount of the chocolate and pistachios in the center of each one. Fold the crepes in half and then in half again to form a wedge. (They can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 1 day.)

  • Orange Caramel & Finish:

  • Warm a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar into the saucepan a little at the time, and as the sugar melts, add more while stirring. When the caramel has turned a dark-amber color, add the orange juice, heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes.
  • Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons on butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of caramel to the pan. Add half of the crêpes and rewarm, for about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and caramel. Serve with candied zest (or candied orange slices) and pistachios.