There Is Always Chocolate In The Summer

Summer is usually all about fruit for me. Peaches, apricots, cherries, melon, and a array of sweet and tart berries. I turn them into tarts, muffins, sorbets and ice cream... Sometimes even into savory dishes. But one can only stay away from chocolate for so long. I try, believe me -- with no result.







I spent a lot of time at home last week working on the finishing touches of the manuscript. "What is new?" you might be wondering. So does everyone else in my life.



"Maybe you should get some fresh air?" my mom tells me everyday over the phone. "Go for a walk and get some fresh air" I'm counting down the days when I get to do that with her.



One more week and I will be back home.







I have been revisiting some of the recipes in the book. Baking them over and over again and seeing that they work every time gives me a sense of peace. I can get very obsessive about details and when I think of a recipe that was tested a while ago, I tend to think "What if it doesn't work!". I panic. Then I jump into the kitchen.



Last week there were many chocolate recipes. I craved them. The intensity and richness.







I made my favorite dark chocolate and hazelnut cake. Very moist... almost the texture of a brownie. It works every time.



I also made chocolate pots de creme with raspberries and currants. You can find a similar recipe here. And with leftover chocolate tart dough, I made a chocolate, black and red raspberry, and currant galette.



I certainly got my fix.







In a few more days, I will be done. My manuscript will be in the hands of my editor and there will be a big sigh of relief (mine, of course). Then we will be off to the Basque Country for some quiet family time, food, and another Robin Food show.



But for now. I must return to my book.... with a slice of chocolate cake right next to me.

Post Title

→

There Is Always Chocolate In The Summer

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2011/08/there-is-always-chocolate-in-summer.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

There Were Sour Oranges

"Want tiny sour oranges?", texted Lena late one afternoon. "Of course!", I texted back. Who would have thought she was going to become my best produce supplier this winter. "Where did you get them?", I asked. I was curious to know who had this sour orange tree. Even though they are indigenous, it is hard to find them these days. They came from one of her friends' tree down in Boca Raton and they had more than what they knew what to do with.

"I will take them all!"



I have been working non-stop on the draft of the first chapter of the book. I finally turned it in this weekend and I am anxious to hear what my editor has to say. I am not going to lie, I doubt myself every time I have to decide what makes it into the book and what doesn't. It can be quite a lonely process. A rewarding one, of course, but lonely nonetheless.

So in between testing recipes and shooting, I decided to take a break and stop by Lena's to pick up the sour oranges. They were so tiny and fragrant. Very, very sour indeed.



I came home and started talking to my mom about what to make with them. "Marmalade", she said. Of course she said marmalade. She is the largest consumer of marmalade I know. But I wanted something different to share with Lena and her family. I opted for a classic almond cake and I took it to her the following day. I think they enjoyed it.



"I feel like something with a pudding-like texture", my mom suggested Sunday morning as she was looking at the sour oranges we had left on the counter. I remembered last year's tangerine and pistachio cake. The tangerines were cooked whole in water until tender and then pureed into a paste. I thought I could use that same technique with the sour orange and make a quick cake with it.

We planned to go to the farmers' market so I decided to cook the sour oranges before heading out the door and finish it afterwards.



We came back from the farmers' market with spinach, turnips, leeks and many more of our usuals. Mom made a quick soup with the spinach, turnips, leeks, carrots and potatoes and in the meantime, I baked these cakes with the sour orange puree, coconut and almond flour, coconut oil and the eggs from Farriss farm. A one bowl recipe. So quick and delicious. It has a very light, moist texture. A cross between a cake and a pudding.



After lunch, we sipped mint and tarragon tea and nibbled on the glazed tea cakes. A quick nap and then an afternoon stroll with M. while J. and C. had a boys day out.

And so, that was our Sunday. Easy.

Glazed Sour Orange and Coconut Pudding Cakes

Makes 2 dozen canneles or 1 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan

1 lb (450 gram)s small sour oranges or kumquats
3 eggs
1 cup (200 grams) natural cane sugar
1/2 cup (150 grams) coconut oil, melted
1 vanilla beans, split
1/2 cup (60 grams) coconut flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour
3 Tbs (30 grams) tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the sour oranges in a medium pot and cover them with water. Cook them covered for an hour or until tender. Drain the water and place the oranges in a large bowl. When cool enough to handle, open them with your fingers and remove and seeds. Transfer the juice and the flesh to a food processor or blender and puree to a fine paste.

Measure 1 cup (300 grams) of puree into a bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients and fold.

Scoop into a greased loaf pan or into individual molds. Bake at 350F for about 18-20 minutes for small molds and 45-50 minutes for the loaf pan. Insert a clean toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before unmolding.

Orange glaze

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup orange juice

Whisk them until it forms a fluid glaze. Pour over warm cakes.

Post Title

→

There Were Sour Oranges

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2011/02/there-were-sour-oranges.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

A Craving for Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts

A few weeks ago, my best friend Jill and I were texting back and forth at insane hours of the morning trying to design the perfect doughnut. She told me about the chocolate and blueberry doughnut she once had at The Donut Mill and I told her plain is good enough for me. "How about a super coconut charged doughnut?", I texted. Coconut flakes invaded my brain and that's when I told myself this would be the next baking project.



I have never been much of a fried dessert kind of person, but it was about a year ago during my last trimester, when I started to have those cravings again. Fried dough and perhaps something to dunk it in.



I am really trying to be good about limiting the amount of sugar I eat these days. In fact, according to my doctor, I should have none. Zero. I am also trying to be a better, mindful eater, so when I ate these on Saturday, I enjoyed every single bite.

My little J. and I sat outside in the sun and ate the doughnuts in silence. And when does that ever happen?



All this got me thinking of how amazing it would be to run a doughnut shop or any shop for that matter. I had thoughts of my childhood when we sat on the step in front of the pastry shop and just watch people come in and out all afternoon long.

Who knew doughnuts could inspire so much, but they do as one of the goals for my upcoming trip to Seattle will be to see how many doughnut recipes I can get out of Lara. As you might know, she is coming out with a book entirely dedicated to them. How beautiful will this book be! It's already pre-ordered in my shopping cart.



I know you will be disappointed when I tell you I'm keeping this recipe for something I'm working on. I promise it will be good and worth the wait. Something special. They are indeed gluten-free and dairy-free with lots of coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut extract and shredded coconut.

Consider this a sneak peek.

Post Title

→

A Craving for Gluten Free Coconut Doughnuts

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/06/craving-for-gluten-free-coconut.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Chocolate, Hazelnut and Coconut Mousse Cakes

Baking and cooking for me are often times much more than just eating. Particularly with baking. I enjoy the process of thinking about ingredients, scaling, folding and finishing. It's very therapeutic for me in a way that it almost feels like a necessity.

"What will happen to you now?", asked my brother once I told him about all the test results that came back to me last week. He was referring to the gluten intolerance diagnosis (amongst other issues) that my doctor had shared with me just a few hours prior. "Bake even more!", I replied.



For the last few months that I have given up gluten, going shopping has been like going to the candy shop. So many new ingredients to play around with. So many grains to cook with. My pantry and refrigerator shelves are full of grain flours, new nut and seed butters, oils...

It seems ironic how gluten, which for years has been the essence of my work and also life, has turned out to be not so good for me. I am sure that other factors besides gluten itself triggered all my immune responses, but gluten further aggravated them.



So as I told my brother, here I am, baking away. For the next couple of weeks, I will not be able to have any dairy either, so unfortunately, these chocolate, hazelnut and coconut mousse cakes were off limits, but I surely loved making them for my family. My mom, who is the chocoholic that she is, loved them. I will just have to make them again for me some time soon.



Chocolate and Hazelnut Biscuit

makes 1/2 sheet pan

180 grams egg whites
185 grams muscovado sugar
75 grams sugar
150 grams hazelnut flour
20 grams cocoa powder
pinch salt
225 grams butter, melted or coconut oil

Whisk together the egg whites and the sugars. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the whites to the dry. Whisk until combined. Whisk in the melted and cooled butter or the coconut oil.

Line half a sheetpan with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly.

Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes until cake baked.

Chocolate Mousse

enough for 10 3x2 ring molds

45 grams sugar
100 grams egg yolks
300 grams dark chocolate (use couverture if you can)
400 ml heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Bring the bowl to a double boiler and cook until it starts to thicken, like making a sabayon. Remove from heat and bring to the mixer and whip to a thick ribbon.

In the meantime, melt the chocolate over a double boiler and let it cool.

When sabayon has cooled, fold in the soft peak whipped cream. Whisk some of the chocolate into it and then, fold in the rest.

Place the mousse in a piping bag. Line ring molds with acetate paper or parchment paper the fits around the circumference. Cut a disk of chocolate biscuit and place it on the bottom of the ring mold. Pipe in the chocolate mousse and refrigerate until set.

Coconut Mousse

150 ml heavy cream
30 ml heavy cream (to temper the gelatin)
10 grams freshly grated coconut or unsweeneted dry coconut
1 tsp coconut extract, optional
30 grams sugar
1 sheet of gelatin
100 grams plain whole yogurt

Whip the 150ml heavy cream with the sugar, coconut and coconut extract till soft peaks form. In the meantime, bloom the gelatin in ice water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water.

Heat the 30ml of heavy cream and dissolve the gelatin into it. Fold in a bit of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture to temper. Fold back into the rest of the cream. Fold in yogurt.

Place the mousse in a piping bag and pipe on top of the chilled chocolate mousse. Refrigerate until it sets and serve with coconut shavings.

Post Title

→

Chocolate, Hazelnut and Coconut Mousse Cakes

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/04/chocolate-hazelnut-and-coconut-mousse.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Coconut and Lemon Cream Balls for Project Wedding

It has been so hot and humid here that we have been spending most of our time in the pool and away from the scorching heat. These are the times when I really miss my summers back home. My mom tells me about the long walks she takes in the cool mornings and the afternoons at the cafe... and all I want to do is jump on an airplane and head home. Just reading about Bea's trip to her hometown brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful and so similar to my upbringing.




But before I get too nostalgic, let me tell you about my latest contribution for Project Wedding. The theme this time was DIY edible wedding favors, so I decided to go with a simple cookie that takes no time to make and is not too fragile. These are moist coconut cookies scented with a bit of lemon and filled with a coconut and lemon buttercream.

You can read the full article and recipe here. Hope you like it!



Finally, I must thank all of you for your kind words about my portfolio. It's great to see all the time I invested paid off and that it has been well received. Thank you again!

Post Title

→

Coconut and Lemon Cream Balls for Project Wedding

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/08/coconut-and-lemon-cream-balls-for.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Berry and Coconut Bakewell Tarts and the Daring Bakers

The summer months always seem to fly by much faster than the rest of the year. Having my little boy off from school and trying to keep him busy is always a full time job. Daily trips to the pool or story time at the library are the activities occupying most of my time these days and I like it like that. I remember as I child how I always looked forward to the month of August when my parents took a month off and we spent the entire time camping.

All this to tell you that I am not baking as much lately, but I had to make time for this month's Daring Bakers challenge which are these delicious Bakewell tarts that I brought with me to a dinner that some friends were hosting.



I took advantage of the great looking berries we found at the market this week, made a blueberry compote to go inside the tarts and topped that with coconut frangipane and fresh berries. The lukewarm tarts just melt in your mouth. Perfect.

Hope you are enjoying the summer and have a great weekend!



And the mandatory words.... The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Blueberry Compote

200 grams fresh blueberries
100 grams sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
pinch of chinese five spice

Place the blueberries, sugar, vanilla bean and spices in a medium saucepan and cook until blueberries pop pen and the compote starts to thicken, about 10-13 minutes. Let it cool before filling the tarts.

Coconut Frangipane

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) dark rum
60g (4.5oz) ground almonds or almond meal
65g shredded coconut, unsweetened
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the dark rum and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts, coconut and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Assembling the tart

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of compote onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

Post Title

→

Berry and Coconut Bakewell Tarts and the Daring Bakers

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/06/berry-and-coconut-bakewell-tarts-and.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

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.

Post Title

→

Coconut, Meyer Lemons and White Chocolate

Post URL

→

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

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

A White Birthday

I have a dear friend who loves white and all its shades and textures. She has a closet full of beautiful white dresses and delicate white shirts. She has an eye for beauty that I admire. And today is her birthday.




I created this little white dessert palette for her with little meringue kisses, coconut cupcakes and lemon meltaways. Distance will not allow us to be together on her birthday but I want to wish her happiness on this special day.

Happy Birthday Nadia!


Update: I have received an overwhelming amount of emails from readers who want the lemon meltaway recipe, so here it is.

Lemon Meltaways

160 grams butter, at room temperature
125 grams powdered sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vanilla
260 grams flour
20 grams cornstach
1/2 tsp salt
Powdered sugar for rolling

Cream together butter, sugar, zest and vanilla. Add lemon juice and mix. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it in parchment and refrigerate it overnight.

Cut the log into 1/2 inch disks and bake at 350F for about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly and roll in powdered sugar while they are still warm.

Meringue Cookies

50 grams egg whites
50 grams sugar
50 grams powdered sugar, sifted

In a bowl, whip the egg whites fully until a light meringue forms. Slowly and while whipping, sprinkle in the granulated sugar and let it whip to stiff peaks. Stop whipping and fold in the sifted powdered sugar. be gentle not to deflate the meringue too much.

Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (number 5) and pipe little meringue kisses onto a sheetpan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 175F (or lower if your oven permits it) until dry. You should be able to lift it from the pan without sticking. Store in an airtight container.

Post Title

→

A White Birthday

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2008/10/white-birthday.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection