Truffle Tarts with Raspberries

 

 

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs (from Oreo cookies or chocolate wafers)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe follows, whipped but not shaped into balls
6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving
Directions :

Use a fork to mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tin with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diameter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you'll need this overhang to remove the tarts). Use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up to only about 1 1/2 inches. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off, fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
Dark Chocolate Truffles:

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored. Spread over the bottom of a baking dish and smooth the top. Refrigerate about 2 hours, until firm.

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl. Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of chocolate; place them on the plate with the cocoa powder and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with the cocoa powder. Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a parchment or waxed lined baking sheet.
                          

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Flourless Chocolate-almond Cake

 

ingredients

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE:

• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) margarine
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) sugar
• 9 eggs, separated

• 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, shaved (see picture below)
• 2 3/4 cups (10 ounces) blanched almond meal (also called almond flour)

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

• 1 1/2 pounds semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 cups Coffee Rich or other heavy cream substitute

• 4 tablespoons margarine

• Blackberries for garnish

Directions

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350degreesF with the oven rack in the middle. Grease a 13x18-inch baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Shave the chocolate using a box grater or the grater attachment on your food processor. It needs to be fine flecks of chocolate in order to blend well into the cake.

Cream the butter, sugar and yolks together, using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, on medium speed, until they are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the shaved chocolate and almond meal to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it is evenly distributed. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 1 more minute.

In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites on medium high until they are at soft peaks, about 3 minutes, but be sure to watch them carefully. If the egg whites are over whipped and curdled looking they will be difficult to fold into the chocolate mixture.

Mix a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture. This will lighten up the chocolate mixture so you can fold the rest of the whites in more easily. Add half of the remaining whites and gently fold them into the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining whites.

Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the mixture out, making sure it is very even.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely on a cake rack.

Once the cake is cool, run a knife around the edge to loosen it. Invert the cake onto the back of another baking sheet, covered with parchment or a cutting board covered in parchment. Peel the parchment off of what is now the top of the cake.

Pour 1/3 of the ganche over the cooled cake. Spread the ganache evenly over the surface. Refrigerate the cake and allow the ganache to cool completely.

Cut the cake into 3 equal pieces, cutting along the long side of the cake.

Stack the 3 layers together. Trim the sides so they are perfectly smooth and then cut the cake in half.

Stack the 2 pieces to create a cube. Place the cake on a cooling rack set over a baking pan, which will catch the dripping ganche. Pour the remaining ganche slowly over the top of the cake. It needs to be cool enough that the ganache clings to the cake and doesn't just drip off. You may have to go over it a few times to make sure the whole thing is covered smoothly.

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Mascarpone Whipped Cream

 

ingredients

MOUSSE:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 large egg whites

CREAM:

• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

For the Mousse: In a small saucepan over medium heat stir together the milk with the sugar and the espresso powder until the milk is hot, but not boiling, and the sugar is dissolved. Place the chocolate chips in a blender.

*Pour the hot milk over the chips. Run the blender on high until combined, a few seconds. Add the egg whites and run the blender on high until light, about 1 minute. Transfer the mousse to 4 small serving cups. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 3 hours.

For the Cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the
mascarpone cheese and the orange juice until smooth. Add the cream,
powdered sugar, and orange zest. Whip until the cream has soft peaks, about 1 minute. Whip the cream just before serving the mousse or cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

* When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

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  Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 -4 ripe bananas, sliced
vanilla wafer
Directions:

1 .Mix sugar and eggs together.
2 .Add salt, cornstarch, and milk.
3 .Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook until thickened.
4 .Remove from heat; add vanilla and mix well.
5 .In serving bowl, layer the wafers, bananas, and the pudding.

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Cold Zabaglione

Ingredients :

2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Prosecco
1/3 cup whipping cream
Semisweet chocolate shavings, for garnish, optional.

Directions :

Fit a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, and put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl.

Using an electric whisk, start whisking the yolks and sugar over the simmering water. The mixture should become pale and thick like super-aerated double cream, and by the end it should have at least tripled in volume and be exuberantly frothy. This could take up to 15 minutes.

Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the Prosecco; you should then have a soft, billowing mass. Remove the bowl from its pan of simmering water, and place on a cold surface or stand it in a pan of cold water, and whisk until cool. Then whisk the whipping cream and fold into the egg mixture. Pour into 2 glasses, garnish with chocolate shavings, if using, and serve.

 

 

 

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                                              DESSERTS RECIPES
 

Raspberry Ricotta Fool

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup(s) ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoon(s) sugar
• 2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 cup(s) heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 pint(s) raspberries
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh orange juice
• Garnish: toasted sliced almonds 
• Directions:
• Have ready 6 dessert glasses.
• Process first 4 ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Beat cream until stiff. Fold in ricotta mixture.
• Gently toss raspberries with orange juice to moisten.
• Spoon about half the ricotta cream into a large sturdy ziptop bag (refilling when necessary). Cut a 1-in. opening off 1 corner of bag.
• Put 3 or 4 raspberries in bottom of each dessert glass. Pipe on about 1⁄2 the ricotta cream. Top with remaining berries, then remaining ricotta cream. Garnish with almonds.

 

 

 

 

 

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