Heart Of Gold....And A Winner!

Happy Valentines Day! I've been a miner for a heart of gold.....a pure chocolate heart of gold with velvety bittersweet chocolate, just like love. Eureka, I found it! The chocolate came to me not from St. Valentine, but crossed the ocean from Belgium as a gift. Kate from Serendipity sent it to a group of bloggers to make a Valentine creation. I don't think I even thought about what I'd make, I just knew. When you have fine chocolate, it doesn't need much dressing up in a recipe. One of my favorite ways to enhance a flavorful quality chocolate is to make truffles. Since it is Valentine's Day, a heart shaped truffle only seemed befitting. Then like a lover's soft touch that glitters with warmth, I brushed a dusting of gold dust that looks like it came from love fairies themselves. I gave them away in small origami boxes that I make, tied with a pretty ribbon. I can't wait to see all of the creations from the other bloggers, for the "Chocolate Valentines" event. Thank you Kate for the inspiration and the very tasty chocolate. She sent 3 different types of chocolate, with suggestions on which one would be best for eating, baking or making a "wicked hot chocolate". I used the artisanal bittersweet chocolate from La Maison Saive for the truffles. Kate thought that would be the best eating chocolate. The rich dark color with a slight gloss shone through the cellophane. The bite into the bar was a firm crunch. It had a rounded cocoa flavor and as the name implies, a slightly bittersweet and smooth finish. I could tell from the first bite that this would be the one for the truffles. My instincts were right. I am no longer searching for a heart of gold!♥
Heart Truffles

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 ounces heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar to dust
cocoa powder to dust
round tipped watercolor brush (I used a #6)
edible gold Luster Dust*
*available mail order from kitchenkraft.com

Break the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces and process in a food processor until very fine. Heat the cream until just boiling and pour through the food processor feed tube in a steady stream, with the motor running. Add vanilla. Process just a few seconds, until smooth. Transfer to a bowl to firm. This should take a few hours at room temperature. You may also put it in the refrigerator. Once firm, using a 1 inch melon baller, scoop out balls of ganache and place on a parchment lined tray. Place in refrigerator to firm, about 30 minutes. Dust hands with powdered sugar and roll ball between your hands to smooth into a round ball. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Chill again until firm to touch, but not all the way through. If they are too cold, they will crack when forming into hearts. Holding a round truffle with one hand, hold the end of your paintbrush horizontally and make an indentation into the top, while pinching the bottom into a point. Try to do this quickly, since the chocolate melts with the warmth of your hand. Continue shaping into a heart. Each one will have it's own personality and don't need to be uniform with each other. Place on a clean parchment lined tray or silicone mat, and chill again until slightly firm. Finish forming by smoothing them into a final shape. Scoop out a small amount of the gold luster dust into a separate dish. Dip the paintbrush into the gold dust and brush the truffle with it. Layer until the color you prefer is achieved. Put into small individual candy cups and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 36.

Origami Boxes
Start with a square 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) origami paper. Flip the sheet so that the colored side is face down. Now make two mountain folds (a mountain fold is formed by folding the paper away from oneself) as shown. Using the mountain fold lines as guides, fold the four corners of the paper into its center. Then fold the right edge and the left edge into the center line. Fold the top edge down and the bottom edge up, as shown. Now undo the last two-and-a-half steps.Now comes the tricky part that makes the box. The center square will be the box bottom. Take the 2 small folded squares (just below and to the right and left of the top triangle), and fold in while folding the top part up, over and down. This will also bring the left and right sides up and form the sides and bottom of the box.Repeat on the other side. You now have the top of a 2x2 inch origami box! To make the bottom, do the same steps with a square piece of paper that is 1/4 inch smaller. I use sturdy paper, but not card stock. For the box above, I used origami paper, but I've made boxes from catalog covers, grocery bags, wrapping paper, greeting cards...just about anything. Recycle, re-use, repurpose. The paper has to be perfectly square for it to work, and have a non coated surface. I'd love to hear any of your ideas.

OK...now for the Valentine Giveaway of the Nordic Ware Platinum Rose bundt pan, sponsored by CSN. The winner is........lostpastremembered!! Congratulations! Also many, many thanks to everyone who left a comment. This was really fun to do and I hope to do many more. My heart always tugs, as I want to give each and everyone the giveaway. Just an old sap, I guess ;-) Please email your address lostpastremembered, and I'll pass it along to the folks at CSN to mail the pan to you.

Thanks again Kate at Serendipity for hosting the "Chocolate Valentines" event.

Heart Truffles recipe, click here.

For The Love Of Macarons♥

I love macarons. About 12 years ago, I tried my hand at making them. I used a recipe that was touted as being from the Queen of French macarons, Lauderee. I painstakingly followed the recipe and they came out like pancakes, with no pied, or foot and a grainy taste. Making them was put on the back burner since there had to be some secret that wasn't spelled out in the article. Since I love them so, I wanted to try making them again and did some research. I bought a book just on macarons and then after reading reviews of it on Amazon, I decided not to use it. My journey took me to Tartlette's blog and I devoured her article "Demystifying Macarons." She gives a full tutorial, which I followed almost to a T. I say almost because she calls for grinding your own almonds and I had already bought almond flour/meal, so I used that. They came out perfectly! They have the required pied, height and a nice glossy crust. Since Valentines' Day is approaching, I made some of them in a heart shape and the rest I made round. I filled them with 2 different fillings. One is a simple dark chocolate raspberry ganache, and the other is a white chocolate raspberry ganache. Both are equally delicious. The heart shapes are charming and easy to make, with the right movement of the pastry bag. I have tasted many a macaron all over Paris throughout the years. Recently I couldn't resist popping in when I saw McDonalds had a McCafe within their fast food venue right in the heart of Paris. I had to try one of their chocolate macarons, just out of curiosity. It was OK...dense with no depth of flavor.... and if I didn't know of the rich and delicate taste of an expertly made macaron, I may have even liked it...well, sort of.A few months ago after a full course meal with dessert at a favorite restaurant in Paris, the waiter brought my friends and I a plate of sweet delicacies. Oh, la, la...meringues, financiers and macarons. We all somehow found room. I, of course, had the macaron....the chocolate one! Have I mentioned I love macarons?

I Love...therefore I am!

Tartlette (thank you!) has such a wonderful article with a tutorial on making the macarons, that I will link to that article here. Just look for the a small box that has a "Desserts" magazine cover to the right on the page underneath archives and click on it. It is in pdf format.

I weighed all of the ingredients, since measuring can yield different amounts each time. After making the macaron batter, to make the hearts, start out making a small circle, lessen the pressure of squeezing the bag as you pull the bag down diagonally and toward the center. Repeat by making a mirror image just next to it, so they connect. Make them small, since they spread. I used a large #6 piping tip. They came out to be about 2 inches long. If you have the tail at the bottom of the heart go one way, you'll need one to go the other way to match up when they are paired together. I made the White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache from Tartlette's recipe, but used less raspberry jam. To make Dark Chocolate Raspberry, just substitute dark chocolate for the white chocolate, and again I used less jam. I think you'll love them! I will be announcing the winner of my giveaway of the Rose Cake Pan on Valentine's Day.....so if you haven't left a comment there to enter, you still have a few days.♥

Chocolate Rose Cake, Love and a Giveaway!

February is the month of Love.....it's my favorite Hallmark holiday time of the year! It makes me remember shoebox Valentine boxes decorated with lace doilies and conversation heart candy. Then there is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate....love, love, love...what's to not like? If you're lucky, you might even be bestowed with a dozen or so roses. Or a Chocolate Rose Cake. I bought Nordic Ware's Platinum Rose bundt pan a few years ago. The first ones to use it were my daughter and son when they surprised me with a chocolate rose cake, dusted lightly with powdered sugar. It took my breath away. So when the kind folks at CSN stores contacted me to offer a giveaway of my choice from one of their sites, I perused their cookware site. While looking at the bake ware, I saw this pan and remembered how lovely the cake was.They have so many wonderful products that I nearly fell off of my kitchen bar stools while looking. It was hard to decide, but since this is the month of Love, Chocolate and Roses, I went with one of my first thoughts. I wanted a special recipe to make in it and share, and came up with a recipe inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum. My dear friend Christine, stopped by a few weeks ago with a gift of "Rose's Heavenly Cakes." (Thank you, Christine!) I found a deep chocolate bundt pan recipe in it, tweaked it a little and was very happy with the results. I hope you will be too. You can make the cake in any bundt pan, but for a chance to win the Platinum Rose Pan, leave me a comment with thoughts of Love. If you are a Follower, leave a second comment stating that you are, and you'll have another chance to win. And...if you are a fellow blogger and have me on your blog roll, let me know in another comment and you'll be entered yet again! CSN has generously opened the giveaway to residents of the US and Canada and will ship it directly. You gotta Love that!

Remember in this crazy world, All There is, is Love...Love is All There is. It's not just a Hallmark Holiday. Spread the word.♥

Chocolate Rose Cake

1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar*
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft at room temperature
*click here for information on turbinado sugar

Prepare a 10 cup bundt pan by spraying with baking spray with flour.

Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees or 325 degrees if using a dark pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa,eggs, and vanilla until smooth.Mix the ground almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the cocoa mixture and continue beating. Slowly add the ground almond, flour, sugar,baking powder, baking soda, and salt mixture and continue beating for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while beating. The batter will be thick. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched lightly.

When done, place the cake on a wire rack. Poke the cake all over with a wooden skewer and brush with cocoa syrup (from recipe below).

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and brush the rest of the syrup over the cake.

Cocoa Syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional:
2 teaspoons Kahlua*
2 teaspoons dark rum*
*you may use 4 teaspoons of either rum or Kahlua if desired

In a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Add the boiling water and bring to a full boil, while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Add the vanilla and liqueur if using. Brush on cake while the syrup is still hot.Chocolate Rose Cake recipe, click here.

Many thanks to CSN stores.

Curried Carrot Soup with Gingered Apple Chips

On a recent visit to La Table de Nana's blog, I saw a pure and creamy Cauliflower Soup topped with Spiced Pear Chips. If heaven made soup, this is what it would look like. I was still thinking about it's beauty when a friend posted on Facebook that she was making Curried Carrot soup. A match made in heaven (again!) came to mind. I used my friend's recipe as a jumping off point and made a velvety carrot soup with almost no fat, and packed with vibrant vitamin rich vegetables. I thought apple would be a taste that could balance the curry and spice, and it did. I used a cinnamon-ginger-cayenne spice on the apples and deepened the color with paprika. The next day I took some to work for my St. Thomas trip, and added shredded chicken to it. It was a full well balanced meal in a bowl. Taking a bite, as we flew through the clouds, I did feel a little closer to heaven. ♥ Thanks Monique and Anne for your inspiration!

Curried Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons canola oil
12 ounces carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups sweet potatoes, cut into ¼ inch cube, about 1 medium
1 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium*
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1-1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro, stems included
1 teaspoon good quality curry powder (or more to taste)
4-5 cups chicken broth
pinch of cayenne
salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, sweet potato, onion, ginger and celery and saute until soft. Stir in curry powder and add cilantro. Add 4 cups chicken broth and stir thoroughly. Add the cayenne and salt to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes until all of the flavors have combined. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree until smooth. Add more chicken broth, if needed until desired consistency is reached.

Makes 6-7 cups or 4-1 ½ cup servings.

Garnish with Gingered Apple Chips.

*To slice onions without tears, light a candle nearby.

Gingered Apple Chips

1 large Granny Smith apple, washed with stem left on
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine ginger, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne together in a small bowl. Slice the apple into slices about 1/16 inch thick. Place the apple slices in a single layer on the parchment lined sheet. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the apples. Place a layer of parchment paper over the apples and put another baking sheet over it to weigh it down. Put in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to see how fast they are baking, by carefully lifting the paper. The apples on the edge bake faster than the ones in the center. Bake until they start to dry around the edges. Carefully lift the parchment off slowly being careful the apples don't stick to the top layer. Continue baking for about 15 minutes longer, until they are just golden, dry and crisp.

Curried Carrot Soup recipe, click here

Gingered Apple Chips recipe, click here

Saturday Blog Showcase, Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts

I knew when I saw this tart on Thilbeault's Table blog that I was in trouble...big trouble! I didn't want to wait for an occasion to try it, but couldn't justify making such a decadent tart just because I wanted it now! So I made small tarts in 4 inch tart pans that I bought at E. Dehillerin's in Paris. I did need to break them in...didn't I?? So now I am only in a little trouble ;-) And, I can give the others away. So for this Saturday's Blog Showcase I am making Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts. This recipe has traveled like a chocolate chain letter, with each person adding their own signature. I made Ann's dough using all butter in the food processor. Ann at Thibeault's Table substituted the corn syrup with maple syrup in the tart. I substituted it with organic raw Blue Agave Nectar.....now it's healthy, right?!

Don't break the chain...add your signature and pass it on! I'm showcasing three blogs this week, Thibeault's Table, Rollin in the Dough, and Annie's Eats.

Thanks Ann at Thibeault's Table, and Lori at All That Splatters for hosting this showcase.

Double Chocolate Pecan Tarts

For the filling:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
½ cup corn syrup, maple syrup or Agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup pecans halves
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Butter Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup butter, cubed
5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

Add the flour, sugar and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse. The mixture should be the size of peas. Pour the ice water into the feed tube of the processor, so that it drips down while the machine is running. Process until the mixture forms into a ball and stop. Any overworking will make the dough tough. For the tarts, cut into 8 pieces, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.

On a lightly-floured work surface, roll each of the 8 balls of the pie dough out into a round. Transfer the rounds to 4-inch tart pans. Trim the edges as necessary. Freeze the dough-lined tart pans until firm and very cold, about 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower middle position and heat the oven to 375° F. Remove the dough-lined pans from the freezer, press a sheet of foil inside the pie shell and fill with ceramic baking beads. Bake about 30 minutes, until the dough looks dry and light in color. Carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue baking the crust 5-6 minutes more, until light golden brown.

While the pie crust is baking, make the filling. Melt the butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the double boiler but maintain the simmering water. Stir in the sugar and salt with a wooden spoon until the butter is absorbed. Beat in the eggs, corn syrup (or substitution) and vanilla. Return the bowl to the double boiler and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is shiny and hot to the touch, about 130° F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans. As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 275° F. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Scatter the chopped chocolate pieces over the filling and press into the filling with the back of a spoon. Arrange pecan halves in a circular pattern around the tarts.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven about 50-60 minutes, until the pie looks set but slightly soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed with the back of a spoon. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 4 hours.

Makes 8-4 inch tarts or 1 large tart. The recipe may also be cut in half.
Double Chocolate pecan Tarts recipe click here.

Suprême of Old Hen, Or How I Fricasseed my Chicken...

Looking for a Chicken Fricassee recipe last week, I started in my "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. I wanted to update an old classic. Well, I got more than I bargained for! Right beside the Chicken Fricassee recipe, this caught my eye....Isn't that the ultimate, a good dish out of a poorish bird....an updated classiccreamed and rouged with a high plume and stylish shoes? I didn't end up using the "Joy of Cooking" recipe, but compiled the best of several different recipes, and think that this updated classic is more than an "acceptable morsel", it is supreme. For this old bird, the blush of vin rouge was the perfect companion.
Chicken Fricassee with Wild Mushrooms

2 1/2 pounds cut up frying chicken (I used chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 small bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon herb de Provence (mixed herbs)
20 pearl white onions, peeled (may use frozen)
12 ounces mixed mushrooms such as baby bella, shitaki, and chanterel, wiped clean
optional: 1 carrot and 1 stalk celery, cut in julienne
2-3 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1/2 cup heavy cream
few drops of lemon juice
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 sheet puff pastry

Rinse and dry chicken. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until tender. Remove from skillet, raise heat slightly and add the chicken. Turn several times to cook the outsides of the chicken, for about 5 minutes. Lower heat, return the vegetables back into the skillet, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and flour to coat evenly on both sides of the chicken. Cover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes more, turning once. Warm the chicken broth and add to the chicken, stirring to make sure the flour mixture is incorporated without lumps. Stir in the wine. Add the bay leaf and herbs and taste for seasoning. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside.
Slice the baby bella mushrooms into 1/4 in slices. Slice the chanterel mushrooms in half and leave the shitaki mushrooms whole. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pearl onions, mushrooms and the optional julienned carrots and celery. Saute until the vegetables are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook for just a few minutes more.

Meanwhile raise the temperature of the chicken cooking liquid to boil. Reduce liquid until it thickens and is reduced to about 2 cups. Strain through a fine sieve and return to skillet. Slowly whisk in the cream. Add the nutmeg, cayenne and a few drops of lemon juice. Add the mushrooms, onions and optional carrots and celery. Return to medium heat and heat through. At this point you may serve the fricassee or cool it and refrigerate covered until ready to serve. To reheat, put in a pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes until heated through.

Before serving, cut puff pastry into 3-4 inch diamonds. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until lightly browned. Top each serving with the puff pastry diamonds.
Serves 4.
While I was working on this post, I received a wonderful surprise in the mail. Linda, the first winner of my salt giveaway graciously sent a token of thanks...totally unnecessary, but joyfully received. It was a set of small cards that couldn't have been more appropriate than if I had chosen them myself. They went so well with my table setting that I thought if I ever used place cards with this, these small note cards would be perfect. I went to the website of the printer and just loved everything about her, from her products to her philosophy. Thank you Linda not only for the cards, but for introducing me to this artisan, Ruby Press.

Chicken Fricassee with Wild Mushrooms recipe click here.