Johnny Iuzzini's Chocolate Chiboust and Meyer Lemon Tart

I have a confession to make. I have a cookbook addiction. I collect cookbooks. I do not always read them, but I like to have them, touch them and see them on display. Strange since I am not a collector at all and I cannot live surrounded by clutter, but cookbooks... I cannot help myself.

About 6 or 7 months ago, I read that Johnny Iuzzini (executive pastry chef at Jean-Georges) was coming out with a new cookbook. I immediately pre-ordered it and waited and waited impatiently for months until I received it in the mail. The book is outstanding. Divided into seasons and ingredients, just like I would have written it if I ever wrote a book. Amazing photography, modern simplicity and surprisingly, very accessible to even those who might not have professional expertise. And then, there is the obvious. Just take a look at the cover.




The combination of chocolate and lemon is one of my favorites. A perfect balance. When I saw his recipe for chocolate and meyer lemon tarts, I had to make it, mainly because I had some meyer lemon curd leftover from one of my last recipes.

I was especially intrigued by the chocolate chiboust that is baked on top of the tart creating a souffle-like effect. It develops a thin skin but the inside remains very, very airy, just like a chiboust should be. The thin chocolate tart crust with the creamy meyer lemon custard and the airy chocolate chiboust is just perfection.

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Johnny Iuzzini's Chocolate Chiboust and Meyer Lemon Tart

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/03/johnny-iuzzini-chocolate-chiboust-and.html

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Baking from Memory: A Sweet Watercress Tart

All families seem to have beloved "secret" recipes that bring them together year after year. As I live abroad and as I grow older, I have an acute sense of nostalgia for everything related to my past and my family. In my family, that secret recipe happens to be a sweet spinach tart that my grandfather used to make.

The recipe for that tart lived only in a little notebook that a devastating flood washed away in 1983, so ever since, we have been on a quest to remake it.

As I have mentioned here before, I come from a family of pastry chefs. My grandfather, my Aitite Angel, was an amazing chef who with eight children, opened a little pastry shop in my town in 1949 (still in the family).

He was an apprentice in a patisserie in Bilbao at the age of 14 and most of his "repertoire" was French inspired. However, he was known to experiment and occasionally surprise everyone with new creations. This is the case of his sweet spinach tart that everyone remembers fondly. Puff pastry shell filled with a warm cinnamon and fresh spinach cream. Unusual for sure.



The idea of trying to remake this tart myself has been roaming around my head for quite some time, but I needed more details. After speaking with several members of my family, the only details I could gather were that this tart had a chiboust-like custard made with cinnamon, spinach and a surprising ingredient, condensed milk.

I found beautiful watercress at the market so I used that instead of the spinach. My first attempt was unexpected, sweet and delicious. Of course, I wish I could have shared it with my family to see if it resembles the tart they remember. Soon perhaps.



These are some photos from this weekend's farmer's market where I found the most adorable family of kid farmers. Four brothers and sister (the oldest being 13) who raise their own chickens and grow their own vegetables. How cool is that! I rushed to the market before their stand was up because I didn't want to miss out on the eggs, which are known to disappear in a matter of minutes. What can I say, dreamy.

For the puff pastry recipe, go here.

Watercress and Cinnamon Filling

100 grams whole milk
1 cinnamon stick
100 grams condensed milk
20 grams cornstarch
2 egg yolks
25 grams watercress or spinach, finely chopped
2 egg whites
40 grams sugar
Ground cinnamon, for the topping
Demerara sugar, for the topping

In a medium saucepan, cook the whole milk and the cinnamon stick together on low heat for a few minutes. Let it steep for about 15 minytes and then, bring it to a boil.

In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until there are no lumps. Add the condensed milk and whisk.

When the milk comes to a boil, remove the cinnamon stick and temper into the egg yolk mixture. Return this to the pan and cook until it thickens. Transfer to a clean bowl immediately. Fold in the chopped watercress or spinach.

Right away, whip the egg whites to soft peak and sprinkle in the sugar. Continue whipping to stiff peak.

Add a third of the meringue to the warm custard and fold. Fold in the rest of the meringue.

Pour into the baked puff pastry shells. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and demerara sugar.

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Baking from Memory: A Sweet Watercress Tart

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/02/baking-from-memory-sweet-watercress.html

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Coconut, Meyer Lemons and White Chocolate

This was one of those great weekends where we spent endless hours outside playing in the park, taking photos and baking. Although I love the change in seasons and cold weather, I feel pretty lucky to live in Florida in the middle of winter. We have been having fantastic weather with beautiful blue skies and cool mornings. It feels like the spring I grew up knowing. I love leaving all the windows and doors wide open and feeling the cool breeze in the morning.




I made this dessert for New Year's Eve dinner, but it was so good, that I had to make it again once I found meyer lemons. Some citrus is so hard to find that I really try to use it to its last squeeze. Meyer lemons, which are somewhere between a traditional lemon and a mandarin, are sweeter, the skin has a more orange tint to it and are very, very fragrant.

These are small cakes with layers of coconut dacquoise, meyer lemon chiboust all wrapped in a thin white chocolate strip. I was also lucky to find red currants, which I can never resist. It's a very light and airy dessert and the sweetness from the coconut dacquoise and the white chocolate is really balanced out by the tartness of the lemon chiboust.



These are some photos from our weekend. Hope you had a great one as well!



Coconut Dacquoise

125 grams egg whites
30 grams sugar
130 grams unsweetened finely shredded coconut (coconut rape)
80 grams powdered sugar, sifted

In a bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to their fullest. Slowly sprinkle in the granulated sugar while whipping. Continue whipping to stiff peaks.

In a bowl mix the coconut rape and sifted powdered sugar. Add a third of this dry mixture to the meringue and fold gently. Repeat adding more dry ingredients and folding gently.

Spread the dacquoise on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper that we have previously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375F until top is lightly golden. Let it cool before cutting.

Lemon Chiboust

100 grams whole milk
100 grams lemon juice
50 grams egg yolks
12 grams sugar
12 grams cornstarch
3 grams sheet gelatin
100 grams egg whites
15 grams sugar

Place the whole milk with the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil.

Soften the gelatin in ice water for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice in a bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a boil, temper it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk this. Return base to the same saucepan and cook until it starts to boil and it thickens. Add the softened gelatin to the hot custard and whisk. Transfer this custard to a clean bowl.

Start whipping the egg whites. When they are fully whipped, sprinkle in the sugar and continue whipping one more minute. If you are worried about the raw egg whites, make an italian meringue instead by cooking the sugar with a bit of water to 240F and then adding it to the egg whites when they have fully whipped.

While the custard is still warm, fold a third of the meringue into it. Gently fold and add the rest. Fold until it is incorporated and no more egg white pockets can be seen.

Assemble the Cake

Make the chiboust right before you are ready to assemble the cakes.

Line 3"x2" ring molds with acetate or parchment paper. Place the ring molds on a sheetpan lined with parchment.

Place a disk of coconut dacquoise on the bottom of the ring molds. Pipe in some chiboust. Another layer of coconut dacquoise and finish with the chiboust. Smooth out the top with an offset spatula and refrigerate until it solidifies.

Cut strips of acetate or parchment paper to fit the circumference and height of the ring mold.

Temper white chocolate couverture and spread a thin layer on these strips. Wrap the cake with the white chocolate strips and return to the refrigerator.

Remove the acetate or parchment before serving and top with berries and a dust of powdered sugar.

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Coconut, Meyer Lemons and White Chocolate

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/01/coconut-meyer-lemons-and-white.html

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