One month after… I missed it writing on my blog (bhe at this point I don’t know if we can still name it a blog!). Not that I stop cooking, on the contrary but I never found the time to finish an article. I cooked so many things, some that I already shared yet like the pie with apple carrots and goat cheese, dishes with pumpkin, soups (lot of soups), sage biscuits… some new ones like chicken meatballs with sage and parmesan cheese, a cream with banana and amaranth for Joséphine (and me) from the book « recettes bio pour mes enfants » d’Anne Brunner, some candied oranges and apples chocolate cereals bars…

I also worked on my macaron.it site and as the centurion said it I should stop changing the frame every single week. I did too, actually tried! some heart shape macarons for St Valentine. They not turned out that nice so I just used a pink-red color for classical rounded shape macarons (so much easier!). We might have find a local, now I have to work a lot on the business plan! Can’t wait to open my own lab!!! Soon! I am getting a little scared about that too, what will I do if it does not work?? Chaque chose en son temps (one step at a time). But let’s cross fingers!

Joséphine is growing up well, elle est jouette comme on dit à Liège (she loves playing, having fun). I do her « des poutous » (some noisy kisses blowing my lips on her face or neck) and she reciprocates, laughs at it and keeps going on. I just love when she is doing that and I just love to hear at her laughing. She is also showing everything with her finger and she says « chequiiii?? » or « la? » (what’s that or who is it/she/he?? or there?). She loves pushing buttons in the lift. She is screaming when it is bath time looking at the water flowing out from the tap and jumping. Since a week she has a doll that she is kissing it.

A month ago I learnt that my boy had/has gym at school every monday…since way before Christmas… And since way before Christmas I always sent him at school, dress up with shirt,  trousers, pull, the grembiule (pinafore?) and normal shoes (no tennis shoes). What unconfortable it might have been for him. But he never complained! Jack does not like to color. He is a Lucio Fontana kind of style… His technics evolved from one line to a hole in the middle of the draft I should not laugh at it but I can not. I had a talk with his teacher (he is 3 and I already have to listen to some « complain » from his teacher…). She showed me everything and I could not hide my smiles.

I share today the recipe for the pate à choux for some chouquettes. It is not easy at all to do the pate à choux. They often turn out fluffy. I tried several times, the first time they were just great (la chance du débutant!). I tried severals recipes and I think I managed to find the right way to bake them. Just be sure that the dough is dry enough (but not too much), change the position of the pates in the ovenl, and let them cool down in the oven. Well let me know how they come out!

Chouquettes

For thirty chouquettes

• 125 ml milk
• 125 ml water
• 140 g flour
• 115 g salted butter *
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 4 eggs very cold
• grains of sugar (see last picture on top)

* If you use unsalted butter, add half teasp. of salt

1. Preheat oven to 180 ° C (it should not be convection mode)
2. In a saucepan pour milk, water, powdered sugar. Add the butter cut into pieces. Heat until dissolved.
3. When the mixture is warm enough, remove the pan from heat and stir in the flour (in one time). Mix until the flour is completely integrated in the dough.
4. Replace the pan on the fire and stir in with a wooden spoon for one minute. The paste should dry out a bit (but not too much)
5. Pour the dough into a bowl. Stir to cool down (1 minute at most).
6. Add one egg. Mix briskly. When the first egg is well incorporated into the dough add the 2nd one. Repeat the operation for the last two eggs. It is very important to include only one egg at a time into the dough.
7. Knead the dough until it gets soft (the dough should start to do a ribbon).
8. Fill a pastry bag with a piping nozzle of size 14 (diameter in mm). Pip small rounds onto parchment paper spacing them by 2-3 cm at least.
9. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes. After 20 minutes if you have 2 plates in the oven, exchange their position and rotate the plates 180 ° C.
11. When chouquettes are getting browned, turn off the oven. Leave the door closed and after ten minutes opened it and lock it with a wooden spoon.
12. It’s by leaving the chouquettes cool down in the oven that they did  not collapsed on themselves.

If your dough is too dry in the pan, the dough will be harder to work and chouqettes may crack. On the contrary, if the dough did not dry enough in the sauce pan the chouquettes will fall collapse on themselves after cooking.

Chouquettes

Pour une trentaine de chouquettes

• 125 ml de lait
• 125 d’eau
• 140 g de farine
• 115 g de beurre demi sel*
• 2 c. à s. de sucre en poudre
• 4 oeufs bien froids
• du petit sucre perlé

*Si vous utilisez du beurre non salé ajoutez une demie c. à c. de sel

1. Préchauffer le four à 180°C (il ne doit pas etre en mode de chaleur tournante)
2. Dans une casserole verser le lait, l’eau le sucre en poudre. Ajouter  le beurre coupé en morceaux. Chauffer jusqu’à dissolution.
3. Lorsque le mélange est bien chaud, hors du feu verser en une seule fois la farine. Fouetter.
4. Reposer la casserole sur le feu et mélanger avec une cuillère en bois pendant une minute. La pate doit s’assécher un peu (mais pas trop)
5. Verser la pate dans un saladier. Mélanger pour la refroidir (1 minute pas plus).
6. Ajouter un oeuf. Mélanger vivement. Quand le 1er oeuf est bien intégrer à la pate ajouter le suivant. Il est très important de n’intégrer qu’un seul oeuf à la fois à la pate.
7. Travailler la pate jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit assez souple.
8. une fois prete la verser dans un sac à poche munie d’une douille de 14 mm. Sur du papier sulfurisé, façonner des petites boules de pate en les espaçant de 2-3 cm.
9. Saupoudrer de sucre finement perlé les petites boules de pates.
10. Enfourner pour 30-35 minutes. Au bout de 20 minutes si vous avez 2 plaques de petits choux, échanger leur position et tourner les plaques de 180°C.
11. Quand les chouquettes sont en dorées, éteindre le four. Laisser la porte fermée, au bout d’un dizaine de minute entrouvrir la porte et la bloquer avec une cuillère en bois.
12. C’est en laissant les chouquettes refroidir dans le four qu’elles ne se sont pas affaissées sur elles memes.

Si votre pate a trop sécher dans la casserole, la pate sera plus dure à travailler et les chouqettes risquent de se fendiller. Par contre si la pate n’a pas assez sécher les chouquettes vont retomber après la cuisson.

Chouquettes

Per trenta chouquettes

• 125 ml di latte
• 125 di acqua
• 140 g di farina
• 115 g di burro salato *
• 2 cucchiai di zucchero
• 4 uova freddi
• Zucchero perlato

* Se si usa il burro non salato, aggiungere mezzo cucchiaino di sale

1. Preriscaldare il forno a 180 ° C (non dovrebbe essere la modalità calore a convezione)
2. In una casseruola versate il latte, acqua e lo zucchero. Aggiungere il burro tagliato a pezzi. Scaldare fino alla dissoluzione.
3. Quando l’impasto è abbastanza caldo, togliere la pentola del fuoco e versarci la farina in una volta. Mescolare bene.
4. Rimettere la pentola sul fuoco e mescolare con un cucchiaio di legno per un minuto. La pasta deve asciugare un po ‘(ma non troppo)
5. Versare l’impasto in una ciotola. Mescolare per raffreddare (1 minuto al massimo).
6. Aggiungere un uovo. Mescolare energicamente. Quando il primo uovo è ben integrato nel impasto aggiungere il seguente. E ‘molto importante includere un uovo solo alla volta nel impasto.
7. Lavorate la pasta fino a quando non è abbastanza fluido senza essere troppo liquido.
8. Una volta pronto versare in un sac à poche dotata di un beccuccio di 14 mm. Sulla carta forno, fare dei dischi di impasto spaziati tra di loro di 2-3 cm.
9. Cospargere con lo zucchero perlato.
10. Cuocere in forno per 30-35 minuti. Dopo 20 minuti scambiare la posizione delle piastre forno tra di loro (se ne usate due) e ruotare le piastre di 180 ° C.
11. Quando le chouquettes sono rosolati, spegnere il forno. Tenere la porta chiusa e dopo dieci minuti aprire la porta e bloccarla con un cucchiaio di legno.
12. Lasciare le chouquettes raffreddare in forno che non se crollano su se stesse.

Se la vostra pasta è troppo secca in padella, la pasta sarà più difficile da lavorare e le chouqettes potrebbe incrinarsi. Invece, se l’impasto non è abbastanza asciuto les chouquettes cadrono dopo la cottura.

A little break from Italy and macaron recipes. This time I enjoy summer, its fruits and colors festival to do some marmelade and experiment unexpected flavors (at least for me). Doing a foodblog is a little challenge: you have to write a lot (not my case ) but at least you always have to consider what you are going to cook or to bake. So you read you pay more attention of what’s going on on the » blogosphere » and you experiment. Example this recipe, an apricot marmelade is quite classical but add it some rosemary! the taste is just surprising, sweetness of the fruits and freshness from the rosemary.

We tried it this morning on some petit pain au lait (small rounded brioche…a recipe that I will share soon)

Confiture d’abricots et romarin

• 600 g d’abricots
• 500 g de sucre
• le jus d’un demi citron
• 1 petite branche de romarin

1. Laver et dénoyauter les abricots. Les mettre dans un fait tout et les recouvrir du sucre et jus du demi citron.
2. Laisser reposer toute la nuit.
3. Le lendemain, chauffer sur feux moyen-doux pendant 20 mns.
4. Ajouter le romarin et laisser infuser 10-15 mns.
5. Retirer la branche de romarin et mixer légèrement avant de mettre en pot.

Apricot and rosemary marmelade

• 600 g apricots
• 500 g sugar
• the juice of half a lemon
• a small branch of rosemary

1. Wash and pit the apricots. Put the fruits in a high saucepan, cover them with the sugar and lemon juice.
2. Leave it aside for the all night.
3. The day after cook the mixture over low medium heat for 20 mn.
4. Add the rosemary and let infuse for 10-15 mn.
5. Remove the rosemary, mix gently before putting the marmelade in container.

Marmellata d’albicocche e rosemarino

• 600 g albicocche
• 500 g zucchero
• spremuta di metà limone
• 1 piccolo ramo di rosemarino

1. Pulire e snocciolare le albicocche. Metterle in una pentola alta e coprire con lo zucchero e la spremuta.
2. Lasciare riposare una notte.
3. L’indomani cuocere a fuoco basso-medio per 20 minuti.
4. Aggiungere il rosemarino e lasciare in infusione per circa 10-15 minuti.
5. Rimuovere il rosemarino, frullare un po’ prima di mettere la marmellata in barattolo.

This month turns out to be a macaron one, beside maybe a particular reason, my addiction is also back and I experimenting some new flavors, new presentation…

This one is really classic but very fresh, the ganache is made with butter and fresh lemon juice. I followed the recipe from Christophe Felder (I learned from his book, although I got the one of Pierre Hermé, Mercotte and browsed the web). The one of Pierre Hermé is quite closed but you have to scrub the sugar with the lemon zest, what I did not do, I added the lemon zest into the ganache.

Talking about browsing the web, I read in a blog (sorry I forgot about the name, but it is from an american girl who did a stage at Pierre Hermé lately and reveals most of the technical secrets about the macaron) that you have to wait at least 24 hours for ganache based with chocolate (that I know, minimum time even if it’s hard) and 48 hours for butter ganache. The reason??! if I remember well the butter has less water so it takes more time for humidity to get into the shell and do the perfect alliance with the ganache. Except…! this macaron, I was always surprised to notice that this macaron is always really soft even the crust even after 24 hours. I did it several times but no mistake ( I hope) it is always mellow…and good! The reason might come from the lemon juice (that could be check out with some orange macaron )

Lemon macaron

Ingredients for the macarons shells (around 30-40 macarons):

• 200 g dried almonds powder
• 200 g confectioners’ sugar (or ice sugar)
• 200 g sugar in powder
• 2 * 75 g eggwhites
• 50 ml water
• yellow colorant (powder)

1. Put the almonds and confectioners’ sugar together in the blender and mix. This «pasta» is called the tant pour tant (TPT) because there is as much as sugar as almonds powder. Reserve in a bowl.
2. In a pot pour 160 g of sugar in powder, add the water but do not mix. Bring to a temperature of 115°C.
3. Meanwhile beat the eggwhites (75 g) with the remaining sugar until stiff (the mix should be consistant but not too much, just avoid the beaten eggwhites form a beak)
4. Still beating the eggwhite, pour the boiling sugar. Mix until the temperature reaches down 40°C (or no temperature sensation on your finger). This process (2 to 4) is the so called meringue italienne.
5. At that moment add the remaining eggwhites (the unbeaten ones) and the colorant to the TPT. Mix gently. Add a third of the meringue to make it more supple. Mix gently and add the rest of the meringue. Mix softly. The final TPT should be quite soft but not liquid (literally it has to do a ribbon)!
6. Fill a pastry bag with a piping nozzle of size 6 or 8 (diameter in mm). Pip small rounds onto parchment paper. Space the shells (coques) by 2 cm at least (as seen in the following picture). Let them sit out at least 15-20 mns
7. Meanwhile warm up the oven at 150°C.
8. After 15-20 mns, put the macarons in the oven for 12-15 mns, depending of the size (1 parchement paper at a time or the shells break). Let cool before removing.

Lemon ganache

• 2 g gelatin
• 3 eggs (medium)
• 130 g sugar
• 130 g fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
• lemon zest
• 175 g butter
• 30 g almonds flour

1. Put the gelatin in cold water
2. In a saucepan stir sugar and eggs
3. Add the lemon juice and whisk constantly at first simmer over low-medium heat.
4. Stir in the gelatin and lemon zest. Whisk for 1 minute.
5. Pour the lemon cream over the butter. Using a food mixer blend the cream+butter for 1 minute.
6. Stir in the almond flour and mix gently using a spatula.
7. Keep in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
8. When it is cold and consistant, fill a pastry bag with the ganache.
9. Pipe the ganache on the center of the shell and top with another one (if you don’t put enough ganache the shells will dry!)
10. Keep the macarons in the fridge for at least 24 hours

Macaron au citron

ingrédients pour les macarons au cacao (30 à 40 macarons)

• 200 g de poudre d’amandes sèche
• 200 g de sucre glace
• 200 g de sucre en poudre
• 2*75 g de blancs d’oeufs
• 50 ml d’eau
• colorant jaune en poudre

1. Préparer le tant pour tant (TPT): dans le bol d’un mixeur verser le sucre glace et la poudre d’amandes. Mixer à vitesse maximale. Réserver
2. Dans une casserole verser 160g de sucre et 50 ml d’eau. Ne pas mélanger! Porter à 115°C (de grosses bulles de sucre se forment unifornement dans la casserole)
3. Pendant ce temps, battre 75 g de blancs d’oeufs en neige en incorporant en 3 fois les 40 g de sucre restant. Ne pas battre les oeufs jusqu’au stade bec d’oiseau (ils sont alors trop fermes)
4. Ajouter alors le sucre cuit sur les blancs montés tout en continuant de battre. Battre jusqu’à ce que le mélange refroidisse (vers 40°C soit aucune sensation de température sur le doigt)
5. Incorporer les 75 g de blancs et le colorant (quelques grammes) restant au TPT. Puis incorporer 1/3 de la meringue au TPT pourla détendre. Incorporer le reste et mélanger doucement (du milieu vers les bords) jusqu’à ce que le mélange fasse ruban
6. Remplisser une poche munie d’une douille de 8 mm de ce mélange
7. Déposer des disques de pate espacés de 2 à 3cm sur du papier sulfurisé
8. Préchauffer votre four à 150°C et laisser crouter (sécher) les coques pendant 15-20 mns minimum
9. Enfourner une plaque à la fois pendant 12-15 mns
10. Laisser sécher avant de les décoller

Ganache au citron

• 2 g de gélatine
• 3 oeufs moyens
• 130 g de sucre
• 130 g de jus de citron frais (2-3 citrons)
• le zeste des citrons
• 175 g beurre
• 30 g poudre d’amandes

1. Mettre la gélatine dans un bol d’eau froide
2. Dans une casserole mettre le sucre et les oufs et les fouetter légèrement
3. Ajouter le jus de citron et fouetter sans cesse jusqu’aux premiers bouillons sur feu faible-moyen
4. Ajouter la gélatine et les zestes de citron et fouetter pendant une minute
5. Verser la crème au citron sur le beurre. Mixer à l’aide un mixeur plongeant pendant une minute
6. Ajouter la poudre d’amandes et l’incorporer avec une spatule
7. Conserver la crème au frigo pendant au moins 2 heures
8. Lorsque la crème est froide et consistante la verser dans une poche à douille (douille de 6)
9. Remplir les coques de ganache (déposer au centre des coques de la ganache) et recouvrir d’une autre coque (Il est important que la ganache arrive aux bords des coques sinon le macaron sèche)
10. Conserver les macarons au frigo pendant 24 heures minimum avant dégustation

Macaron al limone

Ingredienti per i macaron (da 30 a 40 macaron)

• 200 g  farina di mandorle secca
• 200 g zucchero a velo
• 200 g zucchero
• 2*75 g albume d’uovo
• 50 ml acqua
• colorante giallo (polvere)

1. Nel frullatore mettere insieme lo zucchero a velo e la farina di mandorle. Mescolare a velocità massima.
2. In una pentola mettere 160g di zucchero con l’acqua senza mescolare. Portare a  circa 115°C.
3. Nel frattempo, cominciare a montare 75 g di albume a neve aggiungendo in 3 volte gli ultimi 40 g di zucchero.
4. Sempre montando, versare lo zucchero fuso sugli albumi a neve e continuare a montare finche la temperatura sia di circa 40°C (nessuna sensazione di temperatura sul dito)
5. Incorporare gli ultimi 75 g di albume e il colorante al composto zucchero+mandorle.
6. Aggiungere 1/3 della meringa per ammorbidire l’impasto. Poi unire il tutto. Mescolare (dal centro verso i bordi) fin quando l’impasto è abbastanza fluido senza essere troppo liquido
7. Versare l’impasto in un sac à poche con un beccuccio di 8 mm.
8. Sulla carta forno fare dei dischi di impasto spaziati tra di loro di 2-3 cm.
9. Accendere il forno a 150°C.
10. Dopo 15-20 minuti mettere una alla volta le piastre del forno con i macaron a cuocere per 12-15 minuti.
11. Lasciare raffreddare prima di staccarli dalla carta forno.

Ganache al limone

• 2 g  gelatina
• 3 uova
• 130 g zucchero
• 130 g spremuta di limone (2-3 limone)
• la buccia dei limoni
• 175 g burro
• 30 g farina di mandorle

1. Mettere la gelatina nell’acqua fredda
2. In una pentola mettere lo zucchero e uova e mischiarle leggermente
3. Aggiungere la spremuta di limone e frullare in continuazione fino al primo bollore (fuoco basso o medio)
4. Aggiungere la gelatina e la buccia di limone e frullare per circa 1 minuta
5. Versare la crema al limone sul burro e con un frullatore elettrico frullare per circa 1 minuta
6. Aggiungere la farina di mandorle e incorporarla con una spatula
7. Tenere da parte la crema nel frigo per almeno 2 ore
8. Quando e fredda e ha della consistenza versare in un sac à poche (tasca per pasticceria con beccuccio da 6 mm)
9. Riempire i dischi con la ganache e ricoprire con un altro disco. E importante che la ganache arrivi sui bordi del disco altrimenti i dischi rischiano di seccarsi
10. Tenere da parte i macaron per 24 ore

It’s quite a time I read in many blogs pastries, cookies…from Martha Stewart.  Initially I thought it was a new foodblog fashion and it would not last, so I did not pay more attention than the one to remember the name.

Enjoying a quiet sunday afternoon last week I googled Martha Stewart and found her website…it is just amazing and contains so many recipes, video… I spent at least one to two hours and copied LOT of recipes (mainly cupcakes ones). I cannot wait to try some!

It is the case of the following one, the banana walnut chocolate chunk cookies. I remember from my trips in the States that cookies over there are just so good and it is never easy to find the same taste and consistency here. From the original recipe I just changed flours (I chose a chesnut one), nuts instead of walnuts and adapted quantities.

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Banana nut and chocolate chunk cookies

Adpated from Martha Stewart

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chestnut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup oats
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (about 2 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flours and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.
4. Add eggs; mix until combined.
5. Mix in banana.
6. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and nuts.
7. Using a spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes.
9. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Cookies banane, noix et chocolat

Adpaté de Martha Stewart

• 110 g de farine
• 60 g de farine de chataignes
• 2,5 g de bicarbonate de sodium
• 150 g de beurre demi-sel mou
• 115 g  de sucre
• 115 g de sucre brun ou cassonade
• 2 oeufs
• 2 bananes
• 60 g de céréales (type avoine)
• 230 g de chocolat noir haché grossièrement
• 120 g de noix hachées grossièrement

1. Préchauffer le four à 190°C.
2. Tamiser les farines et le bicarbonate de sodium. Réserver
3. Avec un fouet, mixer les sucres et beurre jusqu’à ce que le mélange blanchisse.
4. Ajouter les oeufs et mixer.
5. Ajouter les bananes. Mixer
6. Ajouter le mélange farines+bicarbonate. Mixer. Ajouter le reste des ingrédients. Mélanger.
7. Déposer à l’aide d’une cuillère à soupe de la pate sur du papier sulfurisé.
8. Enfourner et cuire 12 à 13 minutes jusqu’à ce que les cookies soient dorés.
9. Laisser refroidir sur une grille pendant 5 minutes avant de retirer les cookies.

Biscotti (cookies) con banana, noce e cioccolato

Ispirata da Martha Stewart

• 110 g farina
• 60 g farina di castagne
• 2,5 g bicarbonato di sodio
• 150 g burro salato morbido
• 115 g  zucchero
• 115 g zucchero di cana (o cassonade)
• 2 uova
• 2 banana
• 60 g cereale (avena)
• 230 g cioccolato nero tagliato a pezzi
• 120 g noce tagliate a pezzi

1. Riscaldate il forno a 190°C.
2. Setacciare le farine e bicarbonato di sodio. Tenere da parte.
3. Con una frusta, mischiare i zuccheri e burro finché il misto sia abbastanza chiaro.
4. Aggiungere le uova e mischiare.
5. Aggiungere le banane. Mischiare.
6. Aggiungere le farine e bicarbonato. Mischiare. Aggiungere gli altri ingredienti. Mescolare.
7. Con un cucchiaio lasciare un po’ di pasta sulla carta-forno.
8. Mettere nel forno e cuocere circa 12 a 13 minuti finché i biscotti siano dorati.
9. Lasciare raffreddare per 5 minuti prima di togliere i biscotti.

What else than being wake up with sweet flavours of warm freshly baked pain au chocolat… it is just remind me my years of student in Liège. I was living downtown, closed to a bakery (le pain quotidien) and I liked to go there in the morning (from time to time) before classes, enjoying fresh bread with some of their chocolate creams and marmelade, teas… sweet times.

Mornings here are definitely not the same, taking time is over, between the breast feeding, the cries, the biberon, diappers…and none of kids are going to school or kindergarden, yet! Every day has to be organized and re-organized according to these two little parts of me, which means that it is for the moment difficult to wake up and enjoy freshly warm pain au chocolat (or just before lunch time). Bah!

It is the second time I prepared these delicious pains au chocolat (from PH, who else ). The first time A. posted some picture on his FB account, which almost got a record of audience and tons of requests for the recipe. Enjoy!

Pain au chocolat

Adaptée du Larousse du chocolat de Pierre Hermé

Préparation (repos et réfrigération inclus): 9 h

pour environ une trentaine de petits pains:

• 12 g de levure de boulangerie fraiche
• 200 ml d’eau
• 100 ml de lait entier
• 600 g de farine
• 75 g de sucre
• 360 g de beurre demi sel mou
• une trentaine de barres au chocolat (environ 250 g)

Pour la dorure:

• 1 oeuf+1 jaune d’oeuf
• une pincée de sel

1. Diluer la levure dans l’eau.
2. Tamiser la farine. Ajouter le sucre, 35 g de beurre, la levure. Malaxer
3. Ajouter le lait si la pate manque de souplesse. Couvrir la pate et la laisser reposer à température ambiante (20-22°C) entre 1h et 1h30. Elle doit au moins doubler de volume.
4. Ecraser la pate du poing et la placer au frigo pour 1h environ.
5. Ecraser de nouveau la pate, la recouvrir d’un film alimentaire et la placer 30 minutes au congélateur.
6. Malaxer le reste de beurre en pommade. Retirer la pate du congélateur et l’étaler en forme de rectangle (3 fois plus long que large).
7. Poser la moitié du beurre sur le tiers inférieur et l’étaler avec la paume de la main sur les 2/3 supérieur. Rabattre le tiers inférieur sur la partie beurrée et refermer avec le tiers supérieur. L’emballer dans du film alimentaire et placer la pate au congélateur pour une demie heure, puis une heure au frigo.
8. Répéter l’opération 7.
9. Etaler la pate sur 2-3 mm d’épaisseur sur un plan de travail fariné. A l’aide d’un couteau y découper des rectangles de 10*4 cm. Y poser sur le coté le plus étroit une barre de chocolat et rouler la pate autour.
10. Poser les pains au chocolat sur des plaques à patisserie recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Laisser lever à température ambiante pendant 2 heures.
11. Préchauffer le four à 200°C.
12. Mélanger avec un pinceau l’oeuf, le jaune d’oeuf et le sel. En badigeonner les pains au chocolat. Enfourner immédiatement une plaque à patisserie à la fois et diminuer la température du four à 170°C. Laisser cuire une vingtaine de minutes.
13. Répéter la dernière opération avec les autres plaques à patisserie.
14. Laisser tiédir avant de manger.

Pain au chocolat

Chocolate bread

Adapted from Larousse du chocolat from Pierre Hermé

Preparation (time off and refrigeration included): 9 h

For about 30 small pain au chocolat:

• 12 g baker’s yeast
• 200 ml water
• 100 ml milk
• 600 g flour
• 75 g sugar
• 360 g salted butter
• 30 bars of chocolate (around 250 g)

For the brown:

• 1 egg+1 egg yolk
• 1 pinch of salt

1. Add and dilute the yeast into the water.
2. Sieve the flour. Add it the sugar, 35 g of soft salted butter and the yeast. Knead.
3. Add the milk if the pastry lack suppleness. Cover the pasta and let it rest between 1h and 1h30 (at a temperature of about 20-22°C). It should double in size.
4. Punch the pastry and put it in the fridge for one hour.
5. Punch it again, wrap it in cling film before putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. Cream the butter (325 g). Remove the pastry from the freezer and roll it out in a rectangulare form (3 times longer than larger).
7. Put half of the butter on the third below, and spread it to the 2/3 superior.  Fold up the 1/3 inferior on the butter part and fold up on it the 1/3 superior. Wrap it in cling film before putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then 1h in the fridge.
8. Repeat step 7.
9. Roll out the pastry on 2-3 mm thickness. With a knife slice rectangulars of  10*4 cm. On the narrow part put a chocolate bar and roll the pastry around it.
10. Put the chocolate bread on baking paper. Let the pastry rise upfor about 2 hours at 20-22°C.
11. Warm up the oven at 200°C.
12. Mix the egg, egg yolk and salt together. Brush the chocolate bread with it and put in the oven. Decrease the temperature to 170°C and let it cook for 20 minutes (1 plate one by one in the oven).
13. Repeat the previous step if necessary.
14. Let it cool down before eating.

Pain au chocolat

ispirata dal libro « Larousse du chocolat » di Pierre Hermé

Preparazione (riposo e refrigerazione comprese): 9 h

per circa una trentina di panini:

• 12 g di lievito per dolci fresco
• 200 ml d’acqua
• 100 ml di latte intero
• 600 g di farina
• 75 g di zucchero
• 360 g di burro semi salato morbido
• una trentina di barrette di cioccolato (circa 250 g)

Per la doratura:

• 1 uovo +1 tuorlo d’uovo
• un pizzico di sale

1. Diluire il lievito nell’acqua.
2. Setacciare la farina. Aggiungere lo zucchero, 35 g di burro ed il lievito. Mischiare il tutto.
3. Aggiungere del latte se la pasta non è abbastanza morbida. Coprire la pasta e lasciarla riposare a temperatura ambiente (20-22°C) un’ora o un’ora e mezza. Deve almeno raddoppiare il volume.
4. Schiacciare la pasta con i pugni e metterla in frigo per un’ora circa.
5. Schiacciare di nuovo la pasta, ricoprirla di pellicola alimentare e metterla nel congelatore per mezz’ora.
6. Mescolare il resto del burro come una pomata. Prendere la pasta dal congelatore e stenderla in forma di rettangolo (3 volte più lunga che larga).
7. Stendere la metà del burro sul terzo inferiore della pasta e stenderla col palmo della mano sui 2/3 superiori. Ribaltare il terzo inferiore sulla parte imburrata e richiuderla col terzo superiore (come si fa per imbustare le lettere). Richiudere la pasta nella pellicola alimentare e metterla nel freezer per mezz’ora e dopo per un’ora nel frigo.
8. Ripetere il punto 7.
9. Stendere la pasta fino a che raggiunge 2-3 mm di spessore su un piano ricoperto di farina. Con un coltello ritagliare dei rettangoli di pasta di circa 10×4 cm. Posare sul lato più stretto le barrette di cioccolata e rotolarci attorno la pasta.
10. Mettere i panini sulla piastra da forno ricoperta con della carta-forno. Lasciarli a temperatura ambiente per circa due ore.
11. Riscaldate il forno a 200°C.
12. Mescolate con un pennello l’uovo, il tuorlo d’uovo ed il sale. Spennellate i panini al cioccolato. Infornate immediatamente una piastra alla volta e diminuite la temperatura del forno a 170°C. Lasciate cuocere per una ventina di minuti.
13. Ripetere l’ultima operazione con le altre piastre da forno.
14. Lasciare intiepidire prima di mangiare.