Creamy Spring Buckwheat, Chocolate and Chestnut Pudding Cakes and Thinking About Japan

Today I feel lucky.

I look around and I am surrounded by my family, my children thriving, playing without a care in the world, like healthy children do. Seeing the images that come from Japan are heartbreaking. How we can lose it all in an instant. In the blink of an eye our lives can turn upside down. Such devastation.

As soon as I heard about the news on Friday, I thought of my friend Keiko and wondered how her loved ones would be doing. I tried to imagine how I would deal with such news from afar, just as she is. Then, she confirmed her family is well. A sigh of relief.

I could't write a post without acknowledging all those people who have lost it all, but also the stories of survival and hope.

We are thinking about them.



And as for our weekend, it was quiet.

I spent lots of time writing while C. and my parents took care of the kids. I am so thankful for the beautiful weather so we don't have to be cooped up indoors. Well, at least the kids don't have to and that is what counts, no?

And so I continue creating and editing. Feedback from my editor has been great so there goes another sigh of relief.



M. loved snapping fresh and plump sugar snow peas out of their shell. So sweet that she ate pod and all.

J. played hard to get, shying away from my camera. He was busy flying his new kite.



And then we cooked, we cooked a lot.

Like creamy buckwheat with peas, fennel and watercress or chocolate and chestnut pudding cakes.

Not bad, wouldn't you say?



UPDATE:

Here is a good list of resources of how we can all help through donations.

Also, Chika is hosting a sakura fundraiser here.

I have also donated to the International Medical Corps.

I will keep updating as I hear more.

Thank you.

Creamy Buckwheat with Peas, Fennel and Watercress

Serves 4

3 cups of water
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, thinly diced
1/2 medium fennel bulb, diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup watercress
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
chicken stock, optional

Bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the buckwheat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Drain.

In the meantime, in a separate sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Sweat the shallots and the fennel until tender.

Add the cooked buckwheat, peas, mascarpone, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. If you feel it's too dry, add a little bit of chicken stock to lighten it. Serve immediately.

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Creamy Spring Buckwheat, Chocolate and Chestnut Pudding Cakes and Thinking About Japan

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Chestnut Flan with Double Chocolate and Crystalized Ginger Biscotti

Forgive me if I have been a bit absent the last few days. The cold and flu season has hit us hard this year. We even had to spend three days in the hospital with little M. due to a virus she caught from her brother. Lesson learned here; do not let a 3 year old boy stick his nose in his sister's mouth. Yes, indeed. It was just a scare and M. is well. Thank goodness.



The cold weather finally arrived this week and as soon as we were released from the hospital, we came home and roasted some chestnuts. What would winter be without some roasted chestnuts with a bit of sea salt? Not the same. Reminds me of the tiny wooden stall that sits in the middle of my hometown square, which only opens during winter and exclusively sells roasted chestnuts. In brown paper bags, of course. The smell permeates every corner and puts us all in the holiday spirit.



We made these chestnut and rum flans that we ate after one of our daily walks. Nothing like custard in the middle of the afternoon.

The double chocolate and crystallized ginger biscotti are part of the holiday treat boxes we are making this year. Life is a bit crazy and unfortunately, time is a scarce resource around here. We haven't been able to do much in that sense, but a little something is better than nothing.

Hope you are enjoying this time a year whether you are covered in snow or lying on a beach somewhere.



Chestnut Flan

makes 4-6 oz ramekins

125 grams chestnut puree
125 grams chestnut paste
50 grams butter, room temperature
50 grams sugar
6 egg yolks
2 eggs
50 grams heavy cream
25 grams dark rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the chestnut puree, chestnut paste and butter until smooth and lump free. Add the sugar and mix.

In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and eggs and add them to the chestnut base. Mix until combined. Add the heavy cream, rum and vanilla.

If it seems lumpy, you can strain the custard through a fine sieve. Pour the custard into the ramekins and bake at 325F for about 30 minutes or until center done.

Double Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger Biscotti

150 grams butter, room temperature
200 grams sugar
Zest of 1 orange
3 eggs, room temperature
415 grams flour
25 grams cocoa powder
12 grams baking powder
pinch of salt
70 grams crystallized ginger, small dice
50 grams chocolate chunks

Cream the butter, sugar and zest together. Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder,baking powder and salt and add it to the mixer. Mix until combined. Add the ginger and chocolate chunks until well distributed.

Transfer the dough into a half sheet pan lined with parchment and form into a log that is about 12"x4" approximately. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the log cool completely and then slice it into 1/4" thick pieces. Place the cookies on the sheet pans and bake at 325F for about 10 minutes. Then flip the cookies over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until dry.

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Chestnut Flan with Double Chocolate and Crystalized Ginger Biscotti

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Fall Flavors, Macarons and the Daring Bakers

It wouldn't surprise me if I am indeed the last Daring Baker to post the challenge today. "Phew..." It almost didn't happen! Life has been crazy with all sorts of unexpected events, travel and finishing up side projects before baby arrives.

I made the macarons right before I went on a weekend getaway, but did not have enough time to style and photograph them. My plan was to do it right as I returned from my trip, but I should have known better. "Never leave for tomorrow what you can finish today", my amama used to say. She was right.



Like most of you, I am super inspired by whatever fall has to bring. My initial intent was to make some membrillo, but quince is nowhere to be seen around here, so I chose to use asian pears, which are abundant and beautiful. Inspired by Stephane Glacier's apple tart tatin macarons, I cooked asian pears in caramel and butter. I combined both almond and pistachio macaron shells with the asian pear tatin and mascarpone cream.

I also made chestnut and praline macarons with the chestnut cream that my dear friend Deb brought back for me from Paris. I had been saving it for something special and I couldn't wait any longer. I made the praline by caramelizing the hazelnuts just like my grandmother used to do with a sandy sugar coating. Oh the memories that those smells bring!



I have several packages ready to give out to friends this week. This last month will be crazy for me and I have so many people to be thankful for. Enjoy!



The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Claudia Fleming's Macarons

Note: I made three different batches using three different nuts. Some all almond, some added half almond/half pistachio flour and some half almond/half hazelnut flour.

2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.) powdered sugar
2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.) almond flour
2 tablespoon (25 g, .88 oz.) sugar
5 (Have at room temperature) egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

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Montblanc and the First Chestnuts of the Season

This week we roasted the first chestnuts of the season. I have been feeling a bit under the weather and I needed something comforting and nothing says comfort like roasted chestnuts do. Besides, now that my parents are here, any excuse is a good one to cook, bake and snack. We are a bunch of non-stop grazers.




Montblancs are popular in France, but I had never tasted one until my French chef asked me to make some for Christmas brunch a few years ago. I fell in love with the chestnut cream and ever since, I have made them every holiday season. Buttery and not overly sweet cream. I even eat it on bread as a snack when no one is looking.

I built these on sable breton and inserted a mini chocolate mousse bombe in the center. Then the chestnut cream is piped on top with a special tip creating that spaghetti effect. How fun is that right?



Chestnut Cream

100 grams unsweetened chestnut puree
100 grams chestnut paste or chestnut cream
200 grams unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs dark rum

Cream together the chestnut puree and chestnut paste until smooth. Add the softened butter, vanilla extract and rum and mix. Press the cream through a fine sieve to remove any large chestnut puree chunks. Place the cream in a piping bag with a "spaghetti" tip and pipe the cream on top of the breton and chocolate mousse dome.

This is best served slightly at room temperature so the chestnut cream doesn't harden too much.

On another note, I am very flattered that Ez of Creature Comforts wanted to feature an interview with me in her blog. She is such an inspiration. Thank you Ez!

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