Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Mousse instead of Reindeer, oh my....

  

That is Chocolate Mousse, a dandy dessert, that is great at Christmas or anytime.  I got the recipe from The NY Times several years ago. It is easy to make and well, do I need to say it, tasty, too. Just make sure you have plenty of mixing bowls on hand.


Chocolate Mousse

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
¼ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I use brandy or cognac)

1. Place a double boiler or small saucepan over low heat, and melt butter and chocolate together. Just before chocolate finishes melting, remove pan from stove and beat chocolate with a wooden spoon until smooth. (a sauce pan works just fine, if you keep your heat on low.)
see no sticking!!


2. Transfer chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat in egg yolks with a whisk. Place bowl in refrigerator.

3.  Beat egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds peaks.


4. Stir a couple of spoonfuls of egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in remaining egg whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in cream and refrigerate until chilled. If you are in a hurry divide mousse in individual dishes.. It will chill much faster.
Serve with in a day or two of making it.


It is a creamy fun dessert.
Yield: 4 servings.

Quote of the Day:
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Marcel Proust

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Boston Cream Pie hits Topeka...

for a birthday bash.
My great niece, Cassidy,  turned 18 in November. We had a delayed celebration this week. I made Boston Cream Pie.




Here is the recipe:

Boston Cream Pie
Photo: Boston Cream Pie Recipe Total Time:
2 hr 0 min
Prep
1 hr 15 min
Cook
45 min
Yield:
8 to 10 servings
For the cake:
  • Unsalted butter, for the pan
  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the pudding:
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch-round cake pan. Fold a sheet of parchment paper into a square, then fold it in half into a triangle. Fold the triangle in half. Put the tip of the triangle in the center of the pan; trim the parchment, following the curve of the pan. Unfold the parchment circle and line the pan.
Make the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Beat the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until pale and tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Gently fold in the flour mixture in two additions using a rubber spatula, scraping down the bowl.
Add the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and beat with the mixer until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack. Invert again and cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the pudding: Heat the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and salt and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture.
Pour the egg-milk mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and pudding-like, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to push the pudding through. Let cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Stick toothpicks around the side of the cake as a guide for cutting two even layers, then slice the cake in half horizontally with a long serrated knife.
Place the bottom half of the cake cut-side up on a platter. Top with the pudding, spreading it to about 1/4 inch from the edge. Carefully place the other cake half on top, cut-side down, pressing gently.
Make the glaze: Heat the chocolate, cream, vanilla and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then pour over the cake and smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving.


Quote of the day: How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you are? Satchel Paige