Pastry, part deux!

Pastry, we meet again.  I promise you sophisticated desserts that are insanely easy to make. Your dinner guests will be impressed! Friends will rave about your talent for days!  One of my favorite classes. Everything was exceptionally delicious and simple to make, i.e. easy to replicate at home.

On the menu: Flourless chocolate cake (rejoice my gluten free friends!)
                         Wild blueberry souffle, sans flour (yes, it’s possible)
                         Gateau de crepes (crepes cake aka heaven on earth)
                        

Terrine de chocolat, flourless chocolate cake

Ingredients:
8 oz. bitter sweet good quality chocolate
1/2 oz. espresso coffee (dissolve instant coffee w/ a little water)
1/4 oz. rum or amaretto
3 eggs
1.7 oz. sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
melted butter

Eggs and sugar are whisked together over a bain-marie (water bath). Make sure the water is not boiling or you’ll cook your eggs.   Your eggs are done when they’re mixed to a ribbon or you see the bottom of the bowl.  Seperately, also over a bain-marie, start melting your chocolate. Do not use less than 58%! Whip your (cold) cream. Add your amaretto/rum, coffee and melted chocolate to the eggs.  Now add the whipped cream and mix gently, careful not to over mix. Butter the bottom of a pan, then place parchment paper down or else you’ll never get your cake out. (trust me on this one) Butter the whole mold, pour in your batter and bake in a bain-marie at 300 degrees for an hour.  Dust with powdered sugar, maybe garnish with fruit and serve semi-warm because chocolate and sugar always taste better at room temperature. Gooey, rich, decadent. Your gluten free friends will love you.

Don't let the flatness fool you

 

 

 

Easiest souffle you’ll ever make

Ingredients:
1 cup blueberry or raspberry puree
1/2 oz. corn starch
4 oz. sugar
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
juice of one lemon
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar
melted butter & sugar for molds

Not quite as grand, but just as tasty

There are so many practical things I’ve learned in this class. For instance, if you have berries that are starting to go bad (I threw out half a pint of strawberries earlier this week) blend them with sugar and lemon juice and you have fruit puree. Genius! You can freeze your puree too. For this berry souffle you can use any kind of berries but try to stay away from strawberries because they have a little too much water. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, lingonberries…you get the point. We used blueberries. You might have to adjust the sugar depending on the type of berries you’re using and the ripeness. So, just taste. Whisk egg whites on a low setting so you’re not creating big bubbles – you know the drill. (remember you’re making a souffle, you don’t want it to collapse in the oven) Throw in a pinch of salt and cream of tartar. Butter and sugar your molds, then refrigerate until just before use. Mix your egg yolks and sugar well, then add cornstarch and blueberry puree. Fold in your egg whites gently. Incorporate into mixture so you have a nice even color, purple or pink or whatever. Pour into molds and bake at 375 degrees for exactly 12 minutes. Yes, 12, not 11 or 13. Because there is no flour in the souffle you can make and refrigerate beforehand (for about an hour or two) then pop in the oven before you’re ready to serve dessert. Your guests will be impressed - how often do people bother to make souffle? Light and delicious. Perfect for summer. Deeeelish.

Gateau de Crepes

 
I can dedicate a whole post to crepes because I.love.them.so.much. Easy and versatile, you can stuff these babies with anything.  I have a new favorite cake and you guessed it, it involves crepes. However, this version of crepes cake is different because you’re making a fluffy batter and only cooking them on one side. You will be fooled! You will think there is something creamy in between the layers but, there’s not.  Are you intrigued? Excited? Here we go.

Ingredients:

1 cup (whole please) milk
2.5 oz. butter

7 egg whites

7 egg yolks
3 oz. sugar
3 oz. flour
vanilla
pinch of salt

pinch of cream of tartar (can do without if you don’t have)

Boil your milk and the butter – boil until butter is melted.  Whisk whites with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar on medium. Don’t be scared, you’re not making a souffle. Throw in a little sugar towards the end.  Mix yolks and sugar until the sugar starts to dissolve.  Add flour, then start pouring hot milk and stir quickly.  Fold in the whites and mix well until no longer lumpy.  Add vanilla. You need two non-stick pans for this and one has to be larger than the other.  Spray the smaller one and laddle some of the batter.  Cook until the bottom is brown but not burnt! The browness will give it a rich flavor, not bitterness. Well, unless you burn it. With the help of a spatula peek at the underside of the crepe. Make an executive decision on the doneness – remember deep brown, not golden but not burnt either. Slide onto plate you will present the cake on.  Sprinkle generous, and I mean generous, amounts of sugar on the uncooked top part.  Repeat the process until you’re almost out of batter.  You have to top the cake with one big crepe that will cover the rest, creating a dome.  Use your big pan for this one and pop under the broiler to cook the top of the crepe because remember, you will not be flipping it to cook the other side since you’re making special crepes. When the top of the crepe is cooked as well (but no color here), flip over your stack of crepes. Quickly, with a clean kitchen towel move the crepes around to make a nice dome. Just feel around, making sure it has a nice shape.  Powdered sugar on top, some creme Anglaise or fruit puree or whatever you want to serve with and you’re done. AMAZING. It’s so easy to make, with so few ingredients and so very tasty. Why wouldn’t you make this?

Layers and layers of goodness

Faux filling

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