vineri, 6 aprilie 2012

Chocolate tart with caramel and coffee

 I just love a good chocolate dessert . Chocolate is the ultimate thing , highest scale of all romantic desserts so it should be highlighted ... It just has to scream out '' Eat Me ''
 Today i'll be giving away a classic ...  a french bitter chocolate tart ( with some improvements ) .
 This kind of tart will be the ultimate pleasure for any romantic evening and i can assure you it won't fail you .
So let's get on with the dessert . you'll need ingredients both for the sweet pastry dough and also for the filling .
 
     For the dough :
- 125 g of unsalted butter
- 250 g of white flour
- 100 g of icy sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- the zest of half a lemon
- and 2 tablespoons of cold water or milk but only if neccesary ( if the dough seems too dry and won't come togheter )
- salt
 
  For the filling :
- 300 g of bittersweet chocolate ( 70% cocoa )
- 60 g of unsalted butter
- 200 ml of liquid heavy cream
- salt
- 6 tablespoons of  lightly sweetened coffee
-and caramel made out of 100 g of   sugar and 1 knob of butter
- 3 eggs
- 50 g of  sugar
- 2 raspberries and 1 mint leaf for decorating

     So first of all let's start making the dough , and for that you'll need a bowl and bring all the ingredients togheter , shape it round and a bit flat so you can roll it easier , wrap it in a plastic papper and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes . After that take it out roll it with the rolling pin and place it in the tart tray , be sure to tuck it in good . Put it again in the fridge for 30 minutes .In the meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 degrees C . Take it out after that , stab it with a fork in different places but not too hard and put it the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or untill it gets a bit golden .( be sure not to forget about it  )
    Now for the filling prepare a Bain Marie ( check the 3rd post with the lemon tartlets ) , break your chocolate into tiny bits so they'll melt faster and 60 g of butter  , 200 ml of heavy cream , a pinch of salt to bring the flavour of the chocolate up , and 6 tablespoons of lightly sweetened coffee , let them melt togheter while stirring from time to time
  When they melted togheter really good it's time to get on and make our caramel . In a non-stick pan pour 100 g of  sugar turn the heat on forwack ( which means really high ) , this is not the time to be reckless , be carefull with this and do not be tempted to touch or taste it , or you will get burnt , be extremly cautious with this . Let it melt and when it comes togheter and forms some sort of liquidy paste take it off the heat and add
1 knob of butter to chill it down a bit so it won't overcook or burn .. Add the caramel with the melted chocolate , take it off the heat and let it chill ..
  Next in a seperate large bowl whipp 3 eggs with 50 g of sugar untill they go fluffy and pale and add the chocolate mixture when it chilled a bit , otherwise you'll get scrambled eggs and you don't want that .
  Prepare the tart tray and add the filling ( keep a bit of the filling for decorating ) . Leave it in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes , depending on your oven ( untill the filling sets and it's a bit wobbly at the center )
  Take it out of the oven and leave it to rest for 30 to 40 minutes and you should cut into it real smoothly .
   Be inventive , decorate your plate since it's a romantic dessert , make it sexy and serve it .




This is it ... not that hard and it just looks gorgeous , can't go wrong with this one trust me :D
French people really now their stuff when it comes to food and romance .

                                                                                                  Bon Appetit

duminică, 1 aprilie 2012

So , here i am , waiting .... there are 2 more hours till the sign ups for the Jamie Oliver apprenticeship programe , and i am so anxious i can barerly think ... i hope my message will do it's work and help me get at least in the 200 competitors , there's always the chance of being a romanian that could stop me from being accepted , but right now i can't think negative , i have to think i will join them and i'll do good .
 For the moment i guess i'll be watching Jamie's italian road trip since these days i felt i had no inspiration and the minute i watched my first episode of Jamie's italian road trip ... the recepies started to pour , i mean the meaning of the show ''Jamie's italian road trip '' is to get inspiration ... Jamie felt overwhelmed by all of his culinary activities and he decided to go to Italy where his favorite cuisine get's its roots and try to get inspired again.
  Well since i can't afford going to neither Italy nor France or other inspiring places , i'll just have to watch Jamie and it kinda works , i know it sounds strange but i kinda feel i'm going on that trip with him aswell and i feel better already ... so guys i know i've been bla bla bla - ing you a lot but this is it the moment i've waited for and to tell you the truth these 2 hours are the longest freakin hours i've ever met .
  So , thats kinda it ... i'll leave you people watch your movies , eat , sleep whatever you guys do at this time of hour , ... good night all :D