(Guiltless) Chocolate Decadence

(Guiltless) Chocolate Decadence
Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2003

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 T granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 T butter
5 T flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semi or bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.
2. Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring just to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and stir until it melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.
3. Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

Tarte aux poires - Carmelized pear pie

5 pears
1 pie crust
2 tablespoons of sugar
50 gr (1.75 oz) of salted butter
1 teaspoon of almond powder
1 teaspoon of water

Wash and cut the pears in four pieces (take out the core). 

In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the pears, the sugar, and the water. Make it carmelized on medium heat - this should take 10/15 minutes.

Unroll the crust in a pie tin. Powder the almonds on the crust.

Put the carmelized pears on top of the powder.

Cook it for 25 minutes at 350 F.

BLT Spaghetti

BLT Spaghetti
Loosely adapted from Gourmet

6 to 8 Main Course Servings

1 1/2 pounds (675g) thick spaghetti
6 oz (170g) pancetta or thin bacon, chopped
1/2 med onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
1 1/2 cup (375ml) heavy cream
1 cup (225g) partially drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
3 handfuls baby arugula
3 oz (85g) finely grated parmesan (about 1 cup)


Cook pancetta in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Add cream, tomatoes, and bacon and simmer until cream is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.


Meanwhile, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta, arugula and cheese to sauce and toss to coat pasta, adding enough reserved cooking water to thin sauce as desired.  Enjoy with a salad and Sangiovese!

Zucchini Penne with Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe

For a dinner of 4 people :

2 small zucchinis
160 gr (6oz.) of fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons of creme fraiche
400 g (around 14 oz.) of good quality penne pasta
150 g (5.3 oz.) fresh goat cheese
6 (pieces of?  stalks of?) chives
30 g (1 oz.) of pine nuts
Salt and pepper
A pinch of nutmeg
Optional : coarsely grated Parmesan

Boil salted water for the zucchinis.
Wash and cut zucchinis in half lengthwise and then slice them. Dip the zucchini in boiling water for one minute. Drain them but keep the hot water. Put it to the side.
Cook the penne in the boiling water (add more water if necessary).  
Wash and chop the chives.
In a bowl, mash the goat cheese and the creme fresh.  In a saucepan, heat the goat cheese and creme fresh mixture. When the mixture is smooth, add pepper, and then remove from heat.  Add the chives and the nutmeg. Put this to the side.
Drain the pasta. Return it to saucepan with the goat cheese mixture and zucchini. Heat 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately. Add to every plate the pine nuts and some coarsely grated parmesan.
Recipe from the magazine  Le figaro madame, with some personal additions.
If you’d like the recipe in French, we can provide it. 

Chocolate mousse delicieuse

4 eggs
200 grams (7 oz.) of milk or dark chocolate
50 grams (3.5 tablespoons) salted butter
1 tablespoon of cottage cheese or sour cream (more or less light ...)

Melt chocolate in double boiler with butter. If you’re using milk chocolate, don’t add anything. If you’re using dark chocolate, add cream.
Once melted, put it in a large bowl.
Separate egg whites from yolks.
Beat the egg whites with an electric beater until it is firm.
Add two big spoons of whites to the chocolate and mix very delicately, continue in the same way until the whites are entirely mixed. For best mixing turn under, over, under, over.
You can keep the mixture in the bowl and you will serve on plates or you can put it in individual glasses.
Place it in the refrigerator at least 6 hours.
Mmmm, a good chocolate mousse and easy to make!

Decadent Chocolate Tart

Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Bon Appetit

Makes 10 servings

Crust:
32 small gingersnap cookies
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 113g) salted butter, melted

Filling:
12 ounces (340 g) bittersweet chocolate discs
1 cup (226 g) heavy whipping cream
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 (113g) cup sugar
1 (15g) tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon

Flaky sea salt for topping (used vanilla grey salt) 

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Finely grind gingersnap cookies in processor. Add melted butter and process until moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs in tightly.  Place pan on rimmed baking sheet.

For filling:
Combine chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Whisk over moderately low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Very gradually whisk cooled chocolate mixture into egg mixture until smooth and blended. Pour chocolate filling into crust.

Bake chocolate tart until filling puffs slightly at edges and center is softly set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack.Gently sprinkle flake salt over top of the tart.  Cool tart in pan 20 minutes.  Gently remove tart pan sides and cool tart completely.  Cut tart into thin wedges for serving, or with some whipped cream for even more decadence.  Enjoy!

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