Still a few days left (5 days from now that Iam writing these few lines) and there is one little girl that is still not decided to show up her face…just nothing at the monitoring a sleepy baby and a kind of tired mum. Hopefully A. and my mother are here to give an hand, most [...]]]>

Still a few days left (5 days from now that Iam writing these few lines) and there is one little girl that is still not decided to show up her face…just nothing at the monitoring a sleepy baby and a kind of tired mum. Hopefully A. and my mother are here to give an hand, most of all keep Jack busy.

It’s the 4th birthday within a month,the one of A. for this week end. His mother prepared some farrotto with pumpkin, same than a risotto but with farro instead of rice, parmesan, almonds and nuts. Good! I recommend it. It is a nice way to change from the classical risotto, and actually the farro gives a stronger taste with the pumpkin than the rice. As a dessert (actually two!) a chocolate mousse without eggs according to a recipe from Pierre Hermé and a meringue lemon pie based on a recipe from Christophe Felder in the last Elle à Table. This chocolate mousse is quite original as it does not contain any eggs but whipped cream, but also has crunchy pieces of caramel.

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Chocolate mousse without eggs

4 to 6 servings

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 300 ml cream
• 90 g sugar
• 30 g salted butter

1. Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl
2. Put another bowl in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Then whipp in it the cream.
3. In a pot cook the sugar until it caramelized (light brown). Remove the pot from fire and add it the butter with 2 tablespoons of whipped cream. Mix.
4. Pour the sugar on the chocolate in 3 times. Mix in between.
5. Add the cream to the melted chocolate when it is tiepid and mix softly.
6. Pour the chocolate mousse in cups or glasses and keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Mousse au chocolat sans oeufs

4 à 6 personnes

• 100 g chocolat noir
• 300 ml crème fraiche liquide
• 90 g sucre
• 30 g beurre demi sel

1. Hacher finement le chocolat et le réserver dans un saladier
2. Placer un autre saladier au freezer pendant au moins 15 minutes. Y monter ensuite la crème en chantilly.
3. Dans une casserole caraméliser (brun clair) le sucre.  Retirer la casserole du feu et arreter la cuisson en ajoutant le beurre et 2 c. à  soupe de crème chantilly. Mélanger.
4. Verser le caramel sur le chocolat en 3 fois.
5. Lorsque le chocolat fondu est tiède, y incorporer la crème chantilly.
6. Verser dans des coupes individuelles et réserver au frais pendant au moins 2 heures.

Mousse al cioccolato senza uova

4 a 6 persone

• 100 g cioccolato nero
• 300 ml panna liquida
• 90 g zucchero
• 30 g burro salato

1. Tagliuzzare finemente il cioccolato e metterlo in una ciotola.
2. Mettere un’altra ciotola in freezer per almeno 15 minuti. Montatevi poi dentro la panna.
3. In un pentolino caramellate lo zucchero (non troppo scuro). Levate il pentolino dal fuoco ed arrestate la cottura aggiungendo il burro e due cucchiai di panna montata. Mescolare.
4. Versare il caramello nel cioccolato in 3 volte (mescolando ogni volta).
5. Quando la mescola di cioccolato e caramello è tiepida, aggiungetevi il resto della panna montata.
6. Versare in dei contenitori monoporzione e lasciarli in frigorifero per almeno 2 ore prima di servirli.

That was the dessert I did when my friend N. came over for lunch. I remember I did my first tarte tatin when Iwas still in Liège. Although I thought I did it completely wrong as it turned out that the butter I bought was from goat and not cow, the tart was just just great. [...]]]>

That was the dessert I did when my friend N. came over for lunch. I remember I did my first tarte tatin when Iwas still in Liège. Although I thought I did it completely wrong as it turned out that the butter I bought was from goat and not cow, the tart was just just great. I tried several times to redone it, same kind of butter or mix between different kinds, it was impossible to get the same.

Anyway all tries turned out to be good, and this time I did it with a pate sucrée from a Pierre Hermé recipe (better to be done the day before) and added some vanilla and lime juice to the apples. Just delicious!

Apples tarte tatin

Pate sucrée

• 1 vanilla bean
• 150 g soft salted butter
• 95 g icing sugar
• 250 g flour
• 1 egg
• 30 g almonds flour

1. Slice the vanilla bean and scratch the seeds. Add them to the sugar.
2. Keep the vanilla bean for step 2 of next phase (preparation of the tart)
3. In a salad bowl, sieve the flour and add the butter cutted in pieces. Rub between the hands butter and flour until it gets sandy.
4. Dig in it a hole and add the egg, sugar and almonds flour. Mix softly.
5. Squeeze the pasta, roll it and keep it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Tarte

• 7-8 apples (reinette or golden kind)
• 1 lime
• 60 g salted butter
• 150 g sugar

1. Warmup the oven at 170°C
2. Blend the sugar with the vanilla bean
3. Cut the butter in pieces and put them in a muffin pan
4. Cover it with sugar and put in the oven
5. Wash and peel the apples. Slice them in quarters.
6. When the caramel is ready (light brown color) take the muffin pan out of the oven.
7. Dispose the apples on the muffin pan, rounded part on the pan. Squeeze to the maximum the apples slices between them.
8. Sprinkle with lime zest and with a little of lime juice.
9. Roll out the pasta and cover the apples with it. Get the pasta edge inside the muffin pan.
10. Put in the oven for about 40-45 minuts.
11. Let it cool down before turn out.

Tarte tatin aux pommes

Pate sucrée

• 1 gousse de vanille
• 150 g de beurre demi sel mou
• 95 g de sucre glace
• 250 g de farine
• 1 oeuf
• 30 g de poudre d’amandes

1. Fendre la gousse de vanille, gratter les graines et les ajouter au sucre.
2. Conserver la gousse pour réaliser la tarte tatin (étape 2 de la phase suivante).
3. Dans un saladier tamiser la farine et ajouter le beurre coupé en morceaux. Frotter entre les mains le beurre et la farine pour obtenir un mélange sableux.
4. Creuser un puits au milieu de ce mélange et ajouter l’oeuf, le sucre vanillé et la poudre d’amandes. Mélanger du bout des doigts sans trop malaxer.
5. Ecraser la pate, la rouler en boule et réserver au frais au moins 4 h.

Tarte

• 7-8 pommes (type reinette ou golden)
• 1 citron vert
• 60 g de beurre demi sel
• 150 g de sucre

1. Préchauffer le four à 170°C.
2. Mixer la gousse de vanille avec le sucre.
3. Couper le beurre en morceaux. Les déposer sur un moule à manquer.
4. Couvrir avec le sucre et mettre au four.
5. Laver et éplucher les pommes. Les couper en quartiers.
6. Quand le caramel est pret (couleur brun clair), sortir le moule du four.
7. Poser les quartiers de pommes, surface bombée sur le plat. Serrer au maximum les quartiers entre eux.
8. Parsemer de zestes du citron et d’un filet de jus de citron.
9. Etaler la pate sucrée et en recouvrir les pommes. Ranger les bords de la pate entre les pommes et le moule.
10. Enfourner pour 40-45 minutes.
11. Laisser refroidir à la sortie du four avant de démouler.

Tarte tatin con le mele

Pate sucrée

• 1 baccello di vaniglia
• 150 g burro salato morbido
• 95 g zucchero al velo
• 250 g farina
• 1 uova
• 30 g farina di mandorle

1. Fendere il baccello di vaniglia e grattugiare i semi. Le aggiungere allo zucchero.
2. Tenere il baccello per la torta (tappa 2 della prossima fase)
3. In una insalatiera setacciare la farina e aggiungere il burro. Sfregare dentro le mani il burro e la farina finché il composto sia sabbioso.
4. Scavare e aggiungere l’uova, lo zucchero con la vaniglia e la farina di mandorle. Mischiare con le mani ma non impastare troppo.
5. Schiacciare la pasta, rotolarla e tenere nel frigo per minimo 4 ore.

Tarte

• 7-8 mele (renetta, golden o qui annurca)
• 1 limone verde
• 60 g burro salato
• 150 g zucchero

1. Accendere il forno a 170°C.
2. Frullare il baccello di vaniglia con lo zucchero.
3. Tagaliare a pezzetini il burro e metterlo in uno stampo rotondo a bordo alto.
4. Coprirlo con lo zucchero e infornare.
5. Lavare e sbucciare le mele. Le tagliare in 4.
6. Quando il caramello è pronto (di colore bruno chiaro) tirare fuori lo stampo.
7. Mettere le mele nello stampo con la parte convessa sul fondo. Serrare al massimo le mele tra loro.
8. Cospargere di buccia di limone e un po’ della spremuta.
9. Stendere la pasta e corprirne le mele. Mettere i bordi della pasta tra le mele e lo stampo.
10. Mettere nel forno per circa 40-45 minuti.
11. Lasciare raffredare prima di sformare.

This recipe comes directly from the book Larousse du Chocolat by Pierre Hermé. My favorite (the cook, the man named the Picasso of pastry). I wouldn’t say I tried them all but I baked a lot of my chocolate desserts from this book. Recipes are simple, clear, well explained. Bases are shown at the end [...]]]>

This recipe comes directly from the book Larousse du Chocolat by Pierre Hermé. My favorite (the cook, the man named the Picasso of pastry). I wouldn’t say I tried them all but I baked a lot of my chocolate desserts from this book. Recipes are simple, clear, well explained. Bases are shown at the end even with some pictures. The best book ever for beginners in pastry or more « professional »…

Apart from that, my needs (to be honest I should say desires) of chocolate is getting stronger and stronger. Idon’t know if it is linked to the end of the pregnancy, but one day without it and I could go crazy. It is simple, I was out with Jack, I had a nice lunch with some friends, well eating, even got some of that carnaval donuts before: castagnole (told you I am STARVING!), but I saw a nice shelf full of desserts in a tea room, and I dared to pay 8 euros for a slice of chocolate cake that Jake almost ate all. And it was not even worth to pay that price (consider that the tea was 8 euros, too… a glass of water was just enough!). Downtown Roma can be really expensive… So coming back home I stopped my frustration baking this so delicious brownie. The original recipe is with pistachio, but I replaced them with nuts and did some minor modifications (little bit more of chocolate and less sugar).

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English table

• 160 g dark chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 100 g nuts
• 120 g  flour
• 220 g soft butter (salted is even better)
• 240 g sugar

1. Warm up the oven at 170°C
2. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Add it to the butter and mix.
3. Add the sugar and eggs. Mix.
4. Add finally the flour and nuts. Mix.
5. Pour in a rectangular plate and put in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Let it cool down on a grill.

Brownie selon Pierre Hermé

• 160 g de chocolat noir
• 4 oeufs
• 100 g de cerneaux de noix
• 120 g  de farine
• 220 g beurre mou (de préférence demi-sel)
• 240 g de sucre

1. Préchauffer le four à 170°C
2. Faire fondre le chocolat au bain marie et l’ajouter au beure. Mélanger.
3. Ajouter le sucre et les oeufs. Mélanger.
4. Ajouter finalement la farine et les noix hachées. Mélanger.
5. Verser dans un plat rectangulaire et enfourner pour environ 30 minutes.
6. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Brownie secondo Pierre Hermé

• 160 g cioccolato nero
• 4 uova
• 100 g noci sgusciate
• 120 g  farina
• 220 g burro morbido (salato è meglio)
• 240 g zucchero

1. Accendere il forno a  170°C
2. Sciogliere il cioccolato a bagnomaria. Aggiungerlo al burro e mescolare.
3. Aggiungere lo zucchero e le uova. Mescolare.
4. Aggiungere infine la farina e le noci. Mescolare.
5. Mettere l’impasto in un piatto rettangolare ed infornare per circa 30 minuti.
6. Lasciare raffreddare su una griglia.