Recipe: Have your chocolate mousse cake — and eat it too - The Mercury News

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Recipe: Have your chocolate mousse cake — and eat it too - The Mercury News

Recipe: Have your chocolate mousse cake — and eat it too - The Mercury News

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 06:30 AM PDT

The name of this dessert is potentially misleading. It's not exactly a cake, nor is it a bowl of fluffy mousse. But imagine the two concepts combined in a sublime chocolate confection that literally melts in your mouth. It's flourless, too, which is wonderful for gluten-free diets, Passover and frankly, for those chocolate fanatics who prefer their chocolate straight up — or chilled in a springform pan, as it were.

The beauty of this dessert is that for all of its chocolate intensity, it is creamy and smooth without the density and darkness of a traditional flourless chocolate cake. This is thanks to the mousse component with its addition of whipped cream and egg whites. It's also a convenient do-ahead dessert, since it should be prepared one day in advance of serving. You can prepare it in a loaf pan or a terrine; however, I like to use a 6-inch springform, which allows the dessert to release easily from the pan. While a 6-inch cake might look small, I assure you that each slice is rich and just the right amount of chocolate to finish a meal without knocking you over (if that's ever possible, that is).

When ready to serve, simply cut it into wedges or slices. Serve as is, or with whipped cream, or with fruit. I had some time on my hands (don't we all?) and repurposed a bag of frozen raspberries and a pint of kumquats into two fruit garnishes, which happen to complement each other magnificently while embellishing the cake. No pressure, though — a simple sprinkle of confectioners' sugar will do just fine, too.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Neutral vegetable oil for the pan

9 ounces dark (70 percent) chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 large eggs, separated

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions

Lightly oil a 1-quart baking dish, loaf pan or springform pan. Line the dish with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang for easy removal. If using a springform, line the bottom with plastic wrap or parchment.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm.

Add the 6 egg yolks to the chocolate and stir to combine.

Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt and stir into the chocolate mixture.

Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate while you beat the egg whites.

Clean the mixing bowl and then beat the 3 egg whites with the granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.

Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to two days.

To serve, remove the chocolate from the pan. Slice into wedges. Serve with whipped cream or raspberry coulis and/or candied kumquats (recipes below), or simply dust with confectioners' sugar.

Raspberry Coulis

Makes about 1 cup

10 ounces frozen raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries release their juices, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Cool and serve as is or strained through a fine-mesh sieve.

Candied Kumquats

Makes about 1 cup

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

6 ounces kumquats, rinsed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the kumquats and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is syrupy and the kumquats are translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and store the kumquats in the syrup.

Note: Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase the risk of food-borne illness.

Lynda Balslev is a San Francisco Bay Area cookbook author, food and travel writer and recipe developer.

Grab a slice of homemade apple pie with these delicious dessert recipes – Film Daily - Film Daily

Posted: 20 Mar 2021 12:33 AM PDT

Pie day has come & gone, but that doesn't mean you have to stop making pies. If anything, the lust for pie should be reinvigorated. If you're perusing the grocery store trying to decide what to put in your next pie, we recommend you make your way over to the display of pretty apples.

What pie is more classic than the homemade apple pie? That sweet cinnamon spice & tart apple filling is unbeatable. Are you craving that classic taste? Apples can make for all kinds of incredible homemade desserts. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but these apple desserts will attract everyone who smells their mouth-watering aroma. 

Homemade apple pie

This homemade apple pie recipe from The Seasoned Mom is the ticket to an idyllic dessert sensation. The crust is flaky & buttery and the filling is an apple-y nectar from the gods! Not to mention, it's one of the easier recipes you can find.

Ingredients

1 box (14.1 oz.) refrigerated pie crusts, 6 cups peeled, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 6 medium apples), ¾ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Let refrigerated pie crusts soften to room temperature.
  2. Unroll the first pie crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Toss together all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Transfer filling into the pie plate. Unroll the second pie crust overtop the apples.
  5. Tuck the extra top crust under the bottom crust edge and pinch together with your fingers. Then cut small slits in the top of the pie for ventilation.
  6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover the edge of the crust with strips of aluminum foil about halfway through to keep the edges from burning.
  7. Let pie cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving it up hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Old fashioned apple crisp

Have you had enough of the basic apple pie? Time to try the next classic apple treat: apple crisp. This delicious dish from The Chunky Chef has the perfect mix of crunchy topping and tart apple yumminess.

Ingredients

Apple mixture

6 golden delicious apples, peeled & chopped, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice.

Topping

1 cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cup oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, pinch of kosher salt.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 baking dish.
  2. Mix chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon, and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, then transfer to baking dish.
  3. Then separately mix topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter). Cut the butter into the oat mixture, until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.  You can also use two forks to cut butter into the mixture.
  4. Evenly sprinkle topping over apples in baking dish. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown & bubbly.
  5. Serve warm and enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Maple-apple upside-down Cake

Forget pineapple! Maple-apple is the new fun way to cook up an upside-down cake. This unique apple dessert recipe featured on Food & Wine is a great new one to try out. 

Ingredients

1 cup pure maple syrup, 3 Granny Smith apples, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, 1 1/3 cups sugar.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° and butter & flour a 10-inch round cake pan. 
  2. In a large saucepan, bring maple syrup to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until very thick & reduced to 3/4 cup, lasting about 20 minutes. 
  3. Pour the thickened syrup into the cake pan and arrange apples in the pan in two circles, overlapping them slightly.
  4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Then use a glass measuring cup to whisk eggs with buttermilk & vanilla. Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the dry & wet ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth.
  5. Spread the batter over the apples in an even layer. Bake the cake for 1 hour, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for 45 minutes.
  6. Place a plate on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the plate. Tap lightly to release the cake and then remove the pan. 
  7. Let the cake cool slightly, cut into wedges, and serve.

Homemade applesauce

Have you had enough of all the crust & carbs? You have to try out this simple, yummy, and healthy homemade applesauce which makes for a perfect dessert concocted from yours truly. Side note: you don't have to peel the apples – in fact leaving them on is healthy and can add a nice texture.

Ingredients

4 apples (peeled, cored, and chopped), ¾ cup water, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer & cover. 
  2. Leave on heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove lid and simmer an additional 5 minutes to thicken.
  3. Mash apples with a masher until you get the desired chunky consistency.
  4. Serve warm or chilled and top it with some whipped cream to make it a dessert.

Note:

Alternatively, you can put the apple mixture in a slow cooker and let them sit on the heat for hours.


from What to Cook https://ift.tt/3seOW4a
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