Chocolate Mini-Pies (and why they don't make you fat)

I like small meals, small foods, anything you can nibble at. I don't always need a big slice of cake or a jumbo bowl of ice cream. Honestly, I find the super-sized food phenomena a bit off-putting. On the other hand, I adore petit-fours, truffles and miniature cakes. You feel like you should be feeding them to elves and other magical creatures. Of course it takes a lot of time to make these treats, more time than most of us are willing to spend on a regular week day. Having said that, one of my favourite cakes takes over 3 hours to make, but it's worth it. I've seen the looks on people's faces when they take their first bite. Conversations stop, eyes close, and all you hear is a unison "mmmm" across the room. Like I said, it's worth all the effort and time. 

However, when I came home from work on Friday I didn't have hours and hours on end to devote to baking, but I knew I wanted something really yummy. I looked at recipe after recipe. There were a few tempting cakes, but nothing jumped out at me. Then I came across the recipe for chocolate mini-pies. Yes!
The first time I made them I must have been about 14 years old. My uncle was coming over for dinner and I was in charge of dessert. When I carried the pies in to the living room,  in a beautiful wooden tray, my uncle just shock his head and said that all my boyfriends would be really, really fat. Happy, but fat. Not that this observation stopped him from eating any of the pies, quite the contrary. 

What I love about these pies it that the shell is crispy and crumbly, yet the filling is as soft as velvet. In other words, a killer combination. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do. 

Chocolate Mini-Pies

Makes about 20-25

125 g soft butter

125 g sugar (I like to use the soft brown sugar, but any kind will do)

500-600 g flour, approximately 

50 g grounded almonds

1 egg

Filling:

100 g soft butter

100 g sugar

1 egg and one egg yoke 

1 dl whipping cream

250 g melted chocolate

Pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix butter and sugar together until it's soft and well blended. Mix in the flour, almonds and the egg. Now you should have the equivalent of a regular pie dough. Soft and easy to work with, neither too sticky or at all crumbly. That is why the amount of flour is approximately. Add enough until you have the desired consistency.

Roll the dough into small bowl and press them into the pie molds. The molds do not need to be greased or lined with baking paper. 

Bake the pies for 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Let them cool, then gently release the pies by gently squeezing the molds and turning them upside down . 

While the entourage of pies bake in the oven we make the filling. 

Melt chocolate over low heat, add a tablespoon or two or water to the pan. Then mix together butter and sugar, just as you did with the dough. Add the egg and salt. Next whip the cream until soft and fluffy. Now, add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture, then you gently fold in the whipped cream. Put this delightful filling in a piping bag and fill the pie-shells to the top. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 

FYI:  Eat all the chocolate you want, just keep an eye on the ingredients and the expiration date. Any cake or cookie that have a shelf life over 2 weeks is filled with preservatives that arecompletely foreign to the human body. We are not meant to digest paraffin, plastic, artificial sweeteners and things like E249 to E252. Personally I try to avoid any food containing preservatives that I:

a) can't pronounce 

b) don't know what is

c) have no idea how to use

Bakers Block

I have to confess, I do a lot of baking and cooking, not just with chocolate. If this was a regular food blog I could write about almost anything I make for dinner and share my most cherished bread recipes. I could write about whipping up a fresh batch of lavender scones when my best-friends stayed over last week, and how she almost missed her flight because she had to go by Selfridges and buy macaroons for the little ones. 

I could tell you about my love for vegetables, ripe cherries ( I can tie a knot with the stem, not using my hands) chilled mango lassi and how I will jump with joy (and maybe pour myself a drink) when the quiche crust doesn't melt down the side of the pan and cause the egg-filling to spill over. Can you think of  anything better than perfectly cooked asparagus sprinkled with fresh parmesan shavings? Or a tall glass of Eton Mess on Primrose Hill? I actually find myself craving fresh spinach with feta cheese and a generous amount of balsamic vinegar. In the meantime my chocolate recipes, my beloved chocolate recipes, are just sitting there, unused. It must be spring. 

Who can resist the endless sight of sun-riped tomatoes and bunches of fresh herbs? The little store by my bus stop sells the best mint and coriander in all of London. The mint is mixed with water and a few slices of lime, it's mouthwatering refreshing. The coriander is joyfully sprinkled over almost everything I make. The most plain dishes come to life thanks to those beautiful green leaves and a pinch of sea-salt. 

I'm getting carried away. I was supposed to make a 9 layer chocolate torte, or marzipan dipped in chocolate. I have yet to publish a chapter on the best chocolate chip cookies every, and what about the mini sandcakes filled with Bavarian chocolate cream? Why on earth am I sitting here nibbling on a carrot for? It's such a good carrot though. Organic and full of flavour. I have a big bag of them in the fridge.

So what am I baking for the blog this week? I have no idea. The trick is to have cream, butter, egg, chocolate, sugar and flour in the house, then you will be prepared for most recipes. But I don't want chocolate today. I want fresh rasberries with home-made vanilla cream. I want a big bowl of fresh penne adorned with crispy, buttery French garlic. I would like a serving of brie and grapes please, and maybe some oat crackers. Or how about a pot of jasmine green tea with honey and lemon? I really can't decide. I am no cook, and I have a lot to learn about baking, but I do know one thing. Never bake when you are uninspired. Personally I make a lot more mistakes when I'm fretting and indecisive. 

That being the case, I'll leave my recipes alone for now and reach for another carrot instead.

Are we talking about me yet?

Have you noticed how some people always manage to twist every conversation back to their own favourite topics?  

At a friend’s birthday party a woman asked me: ” So, do you have any children? ” I said no, and judging by the look on her face I might as well have been speaking Greek. She got this blank look on her face, like she was starring at a very confusing modern painting. Finally she made a weird coughing sound and said “Excuse me.”  Next thing I know she is eagerly talking to a mutual friend, a very pregnant friend, about sibling rivalry, the challenges of travelling with small children, and how it’s important to carve out time for yourself and take care of you at least once a month. Clearly I couldn’t be trusted to participate in this ravishing conversation, childless as I was. And talking about something else was obviously out of the question.

Bob, Cooper and Lynch

Another time this phenomena came up, was when I was introduced to a man who bore a striking resemblance to Bob. Remember Bob, from Twin Peaks? Anyone growing up in the 80’s will know who I’m talking about. Uncombed, long grey hair, dressed in denim, lurking behind the living-room furniture with that haunting look on his face. I’m still carrying a lot of anxiety from having been exposed to Bob, so you can imagine my shock when I saw this man before me. He had lived in Asia for decades and was therefore blissfully unaware of his evil twin brother. I think he confused my disbelief/curiosity with adoration, because regardless of what we were doing or talking about, he always managed to bring some sexual innuendo to the table. When I was drinking a cup of hot milk I was met with an approving nod towards the milk and the comment: “Warm, sweet and nice, just as a little boy”. When we visited the local museum, it was mainly the exhibition of ancient armors adorned with steel penises that held his interest. One evening, when he was in the more philosophical corner, he asked the following question: “What has given you more pleasure in life, food or men?”

See, that is what I should have asked the woman who could only talk about children! It would never have worked though, too blunt, too direct. There is clearly no right answer, but regardless what you say you will come off sounding kind of weird. If your answer is food, what does that tell you about your interactions with the male population? If you answer men, it makes you sound like a pervert. I will easily choose a French baguette with cream cheese and blueberry jam over most men. In a weaker moment I know it I'm willing to give up chocolate just to get a glimpse of a certain someone without his shirt on. It’s hard to say. I think I will let Winnie the Pooh answer the question for me: “Both, please”

On that note, why don’t you surprise your special someone with a scrumptious chocolate marble cake? Or make it for yourself. Regardless on where you stand on the topic of food and men, you can never go wrong with chocolate.

 Marbled Chocolate Cake

This cake can be perceived as rather boring. There is no frosting, no filling, no decorating required at all. Yet, it’s the simplicity and effortlessness of this cake that makes it such a winner. And if you are still stumbling into the world of baking, still not sure of your cooking skills, this cake is a good place to start.

You need the following:

150g soft butter

150g fine caster sugar

3 eggs

1dl milk

200g flour

50g almond flour (if you don’t have almond flour, just use regular flour instead)

1,5 teaspoon baking powder

0,5 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla sugar

In a separate bowl:

2 tablespoons pure cocoa

2 tablespoons muscova sugar (this is the dark kind, but regular white sugar will also do)

½ dl milk

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees, celsius. (In order for the baking powder to have it’s full effect on the rising process, your cake needs a warm oven.)

Cream together butter and sugar, then add one egg at a time, then vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder. Add one third of the dry mix to the creamy mixture, then add some of the milk. Keep alternating between adding the dry stuff and the milk. Don’t go crazy with the mixing, but make sure it’s all blended together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa and milk. Add one third of the light batter to this dark paste. Both batters should now be of the same consistency.

Grease a 1,5 l baking pan and pour in half of the light batter into it. Then pour the dark batter in, and pour the rest of the light batter on top of that again. In order to create the marble effect, drag a spoon through all the layers. 

Put the pan in the over and bake for about 55 minutes. After 25 minutes rotate the pan, and after 45 minutes insert a toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, take the cake out. If it comes out with runny batter on it, leave the cake in the oven a little longer. It’s always good to check on your cake while baking and not blindly trust the given baking time. All ovens are different, and it also depends on the shape of your pan.

When done baking, take the cake out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack. After 10-15 minutes you can remove the cake from the pan and your marble treat is ready to eat.

Fun fact: Did you know that the Bob character in Twin Peaks wasn't in the original  script? While filming a scene, Mr Lynch saw one of his sound technicians crawling on the floor. He thought it was the most frightening thing he has ever seen, and that is how Bob made it into the series. But enough about Bob, enjoy your cake. 

 PS: I can highly recommend getting a silicon cake pan. Mine is in a shape of a sand caste, and it's really fun to peel the pan off the cake when it's done baking. Just something extra, something different. 

  

The Ladurée Dream

I have no sense of direction. I easily get lost and find maps confusing. However, when two of my closest, most trusted friends told me I had to visit the famous pastry-house Ladurée while in Paris, I had no choice but to stumble through this great city and hope I wouldn't get lost in some dodgy street and end up naked in a dumpster.

When I finally made it to 21 Rue de Bonaparte, it was like finding my true home. Everything was in perfect harmony, the beautiful window display, the chic waiters, the china, even the toilette was stunning. However, Ladurée is not famous for their bathroom design, but for being the very first pastry-house to stick two macaroons together with ganache filling in the middle. Regular macaroons had already been around for centuries, but the ganache filling raised them to a whole new level. They are truly irresistible, and quite addictive. Ladurée alone sell 15,000 of these macaroons, every single day.

I’m totally baffled by this. How do they make them all? Ladurée macaroons come in a wide variety of colours and flavours. Pistachio with raspberry filling, yellow ones with lemon ganache, parfait, passion fruit, chocolate, just to mention a few. And its not like they are easy to make. Even when you get it right, its still really time-consuming. 

Yesterday I was in the kitchen for hours sifting almond flour, making chocolate ganache, whipping egg whites and boiling sugar. I was really pleased with the flavour and texture, but the shape is still something of a challenge.

Still, even an imperfect macaroon is superior to most cakes and cookies I can think of. 

So I keep trying, keep baking, each time getting a little closer to the Ladurée dream in my own home.

Before you start, set the mode with this adorable movie:

http://www.laduree.fr/en/reve/zoom 

Chocolate Macaroons

1 cup minus 2 table spoons finely ground almonds

11/4 cups icing sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 large egg whites at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

¾ cup fine white sugar

Chocolate ganace

2 cups whipping cream

250 gram dark chocolate, chopped

First we make ganache. I prefer to make it the day before I bake. It needs at least 5 hours to chill, but longer is better. You can of course make it the same day you intend to use it, but then there will be a lot of waiting around, hoping it will firm up soon.

Heat up the cream over medium heat until it simmers. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir a few times, then wait 20 minutes, then stir again. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but no more than 4 days before using.

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees and line cookie sheets with baking paper. Depending on the size of your sheets, you will need at leas 2 or 3.

Tip: iron the paper before you put it on the sheets. Here is why: a crumbly, slightly uneven baking sheet might cause the bottom of the macaroons to be uneven as well. They need to lay perfectly flat while baking, delicate as they are.

Find a glass or cup that is about 11/4 inch round, dip it in water, then in flour, and press little circles on the sheet. This is an easy, stress-free way of making sure that all the macaroons come out the same size.

Now for the baking part. Blend together the grounded almond, icing sugar, and cocoa. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk, whip two of the egg whites and the cream of tartar together until soft peaks start to form. You get a better result if you start off with a slow speed, then gradually increase the speed as the whites stiffen.

Combine sugar and water in a pan and stir over medium heat. From time to time brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush. When the syrup reaches 241 degrees whisk it into the egg whites. Make sure you pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream, not all at once. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Now we have meringue!

Work the remaining egg white into the almond mixture with a fork. Then you stir in one quarter of the meringue, creating a soft, sticky paste. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining meringue.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch round tip, pipe rounds on the cookie sheet, staying within the flour-circle you created earlier. To get rid of unwanted air bubbles, gently tap the cookie sheet on the work surface. Let it stand until a skin forms, about 20-30 minutes.

Bake with the door slightly ajar for 12 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 12 minutes. While the next tray is in the oven, you are left with the fun task of getting the baked macaroons off the baking sheet. You do this by peeling the baking paper off the macaroon, not by attempting to peel the macaroons of the paper. Just do it slowly, gently, making sure not to break them. Another trick is to put a saucer of hot water underneath the baking tray. The steam releases the sticky macaroons from the paper.

When done baking, bring out the ganache. Gently beat it with a paddle attachment before using, this improves the texture. If it is too stiff to spread (it happens), stir it with a heated spoon or spatula.

In any case, sandwich 2 macaroons together with a dallop of ganache and refrigerate for 24 hours before eating.

Can you wait 24 hours? The flavours certainly improve over night, but I think it’s OK to try one or two right away. Put a couple on a little plate, have a seat and enjoy.

Please share your own recipes, or hints and tips related to macaroons. Someone always knows something clever that somehow escapes the recipe books.   

Too Hot For Chocolate?

Do you get influenced by movies? I do. Some characters are so compelling, interesting and adoring, how could I not want to be just like them? And honestly, a part of me feels like that some of these fictional people are simply another side of me. Is it any wonder there is an instant feeling of familiarity and ease when viewing them on the big screen?

After watching The Horseman on the Roof I dyed most of my clothes blue and ate nothing but toast with honey for weeks. Le Double Vie de Véronique sent me on a life-long quest in search of a see-through rubber ball that, when looking through it, turns the world up side down. (I still haven’t found one). Bringing up Baby left me longing for a pet leopard and Cary Grant, not to mention Katharine Hepburn’s wardrobe. Claude Lelouch’s masterpiece, La Belle Histoire, truly surprised me. All of a sudden I wanted to be a bee-keeper, just like Marie. Great movies are like that, they unravel different, hidden, unknown sides of us. Of course I’m not taking about a regular bee-keeper here. The beautiful Marie was also an amazing teacher and had known Jesus as a child. In a previous life, but still. Marie and I even have the same colour hair, but could I overcome my fear of bees?

Now, you can only imagine the effect the movie Chocolat had one me. This movie confirmed what I already knew to be true. That chocolate is magical, irresistible, and sometimes life-changing. Vianne and her chocolate shop, what a dream. A dream that is a bit more realistic than owning a farm in Africa or running around in a copper bikini, at least in my case. However, I can totally picture opening up a chocolate shop in the country. What a treat that would be.    

Today I’m making chocolate mousse. It’s simply too hot to deal with batter, frosting and ovens. I also don’t have the patience to make truffles. Chocolate mousse is so quick to prepare. Just make, scoop and chill. See, today the sun is actually shining and there is not a single cloud in the sky. I’ve made a big pitcher of chilled jasmine tea, the picnic blanket is washed and ready, and I have a stack of books to read. However, I know when the evening comes, and it’s time to put on a cashmere cardigan and light some candles, I’ll be happy there is a delicious mousse waiting in the fridge. It’s the perfect way to end a perfect day.  

Milk Chocolate Mousse

250 g milk chocolate cut in small pieces

3 eggs

60 gram sugar

2, 5 dl whipping cream

Melt the chocolate over very low heat, stir now and then. When it’s all melted and shiny, set aside to chill.

Whip cream with an electric mixer. (I’ll say it again; Kenwood makes the best kitchen appliances). Whipping cream is easy, but if you whip the cream for too long it actually turns into butter. So just watch it, stop when its light and fluffy.

Now we need to whip the eggs and sugar until pale and air-light. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Unlike the cream, there is no such thing as mixing the eggs for too long. If you don’t have two mixing bowls, just scrape out the cream into another bowl and put it in the fridge. Wash the mixing bowl squeaky clean and dry it really well before putting the eggs in it. If there is any moisture left in the bowl, the eggs won’t mix the way you want. You will be left with a runny, yellow mix. This would be perfect for pancakes, not so great for mousse.  Just keep in mind what you are making while preparing the ingredients for it. Mousse is light, so everything we put in it must be light as well. Does that make sense?

When the eggs are ready, fold the melted chocolate in with the egg-mixture. Use a rubber spatula or a big, flat spoon. If you whisk or stir too quickly, the eggs will loose its lovely fluffiness.

When that is all blended together, fold in the whipped cream.

The last step is to pour the mousse into dessert bowls. It always looks really nice in wine glasses, or even in a big, clear dessert bowl. Whatever you have will do. Leave it in the fridge for minimum 2 hours. Serve with a sprinkle of chocolate, a mint leaf and fresh berries on the side.

Are there any questions?

The Proposal

I had made a chocolate glazed pecan torte for a friend’s dinner party. It felt like a nice thing to bring, certainly more original than a bottle of wine. Also, this would ensure we all got something sweet after the main meal. I’m always astonished when people invite you over for dinner, make this elaborate feast, and then casually skip dessert and go straight to serving coffee. What is that all about? If the coffee was accompanied by a delicate truffle, that would have been one thing. I don’t need a massive piece of cake to be happy, but I always feel that a  meal should be rounded off by something sweet, soft, delicate and intriguing. (I was at a wedding once when there was only one cake, for over 60 guests. Why?)

For most people this might not even be an issue, I recognize that. And its not like I always feel like having dessert myself. I just prefer to have the option, like with most tings in life.

So we had all finished eating dinner, and my friend brought in the torte. The man sitting next to me helped himself to a big piece. (This is always a good sing.) After he took his first bite, he paused, and then he turned to me and said: “Will you marry me?”  

Who said the way to a man’s heart was not through his stomach?

This torte has it all, and behold dear friend, its not a layer cake, so its quite easy to decorate and frost. I say quite, because you still need to know what you are doing. But don’t you worry, this torte is so tasty that even if it ended up looking like an upside down ant-hill, people would still line up to get a taste.

Chocolate Glazed Pecan Torte

170 g dark chocolate cut into pieces

170 g butter, also cut into pieces

4 eggs, separated

½ cup Demerara sugar (regular white will also do)

1/3 cup icing sugar

1 cup ground pecans

2 tablespoons flour

A pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350º and line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with baking paper.

Get out a saucepan and fill it halfway with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Now fetch a heat-resistant bowl and place it in the simmering water. Put chocolate and butter in the bowl and leave it there until melted. Stir carefully until its well blended. Set aside.

While the chocolate is melting away, whip egg yolks with Demerara sugar until its pale and thick. Then stir in the warm chocolate mixture, ground pecans and flour. Set aside.

You then beat egg whites with cream of tartar, on low speed, until soft peaks form. Increase the speed and gradually add icing sugar. (I prefer using icing sugar when beating egg whites. Its lighter, so it doesn’t cause the lovely peaks to collapse.) Keep beating until the whites are stiff, but not dry.

Mix about one quarter of the egg whites in with the chocolate mixture. Blend well. This little step lightens the chocolate batter so it’s easier to fold in with the remaining egg whites.

I say fold, because if you beat or mix the egg whites, they will break.  

If you need some guidance on how to do this correctly, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncSTNoU4nn4 

Working with egg whites is not difficult, but its crucial that you fold them with patience and joy.

So you fold the remaining egg whites in with the chocolate mix, then pour it all into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. We all have different ovens that treat our baked goods accordingly, so check your torte after 30 minutes. Its done baking when you insert a toothpick into the middle of the torte and it comes out with soft, moist crumbs.

When done baking, put the pan on a cooling rack and leave it there until cooled down.

Sometimes the torte will fall in the centre, leaving a higher rim of cake around the sides. This is easily fixed by levelling the cake. This is how its done:

While the cake is still in the pan, run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the side. Then gently press the raised edges down with your fingers. Release the side of the pan and invert the cake so that the top becomes the bottom. Remove the bottom of the pan and the baking paper.

If your cake did not fall (great!), run a knife between the cake and the side of the pan to release it. Remove the side of the pan and invert the cake so that the top becomes the bottom. Remove the bottom of the pan and the baking paper. 

Its the same instructions as before, just no levelling.

Your cake is now ready to be decorated, but first we must make the glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

250 g milk or dark chocolate, cut into tiny bits

¾ whipping cream

1 tablespoon corn syrup

(1-2 cups icing sugar)

I put the icing sugar in parenthesis because it’s not part of the glaze recipe per se, but you need it for the decorating part. You’ll see.

Place the chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Bring cream and syrup to a simmer and then pour it over the chocolate. Stir until its perfectly smooth and until all the chocolate is melted. Do you now see why it’s called a glaze? It’s really shiny, like the chocolate has been polished. Take out 2 tablespoons of glaze and set it aside for later.

Glaze likes to be poured, not spread. Any attempt to re-smooth an already poured glaze will leave dull looking marks and streaks. We are going for the even look, like the torte has been dipped in glaze. 

First you spread a thin layer of glaze over the cake in order to smooth the surface. (With a frosting knife of course….)  This will fill in invisible cracks and seal in any loose crumbs before the final coat of glaze is poured over the cake. Think of it as spackling a wall before painting it.

Pour the rest of the glaze in a puddle in the centre of the torte. Spread it evenly over the top (again, with your frosting knife) so it runs over the sides. This is easiest done if you have a lazy Susie or a turn table. If not, just turn your cake platter while you spread the glaze. 2-3 strokes should do it.

If you have any bare spots on the side, scoop up excess glaze and cover them up.   

You might want to call it a day here, and there is no shame in doing so. However, if you want a marbled look, keep going.

Mix one cup of icing sugar with some of the glaze you set aside earlier. The mixture should be smooth with the consistency of melted chocolate. Add more glaze or sugar as needed. If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of water.

This mix will be slightly lighter in colour than the original glaze, as it should be. Put the mix in a piping bag, or a regular zip-lock back, and cut a tiny whole in one of the corners. It should come out in a thin line. With a steady hand, draw a spiral pattern on the torte, starting from outside in. You then take a needle, or the tip of a sharp knife, and draw it through the spiral piping from the centre of the cake out to the edges. Voila! You have yourself a marbled torte.

As you can see from the pictures, I had some extra icing-sugar mix left, so I added that to the torte as well. You will also notice that I cut the whole in my piping bag a too big, so the spiral pattern oozed out a bit. It’s still divine though, not to mention scrumptious

If anything is unclear, or if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

As you might have figured out by now, I love talking about baking.

The First Truffle

I’m 11 years old. I’m in the kitchen, melting butter and fetching icing sugar from the top shelf. I cut a bar of chocolate into small pieces, just as it says in the instructions, and put them carefully in to the pot of melted butter. I feel like I’m in a science lab, combining different elements, working with various equipments and anticipating the result. I’ve been told that you can make your own chocolate balls (not yet learned the word truffle), that this is how it’s done. I blend all the ingredients together, pour the mixture into a small glass lasagna pan and place it in the fridge. Now I have to wait.

I take my dog for a walk down by the ocean. He likes wading in the water, never seams to mind how cold it is. Then we take the shortcut home, through the small forest and over the hill. It’s been over 45 minutes, its time to check on my batch. I ceremoniously put on my Snoopy apron and retrieve the pan from the fridge. I take a teaspoon and scoop out a piece that I place in my cocoa coated hands. With slow and careful movements, I roll the chocolate between my small palms. It’s a bit stickier than I anticipated, but it works! I manage to roll a perfectly round chocolate ball! I could scream with joy, but I know that mother is studying in the living room, not to be disturbed. My batch yields over 20 mini chocolate balls. They are supposed to be tossed in shredded coconut, but all I have is oats. That will do. I cautiously sprinkle oats over the truffles and place them on a small oval platter. It’s time to make some tea.

I no longer have the Snoopy apron and my hair is a bit shorter, but I still have the same sense of wonder when I bake. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new or old recipe. I never quite know how things will turn out, what it will taste like.

I’ve tried various truffle recipes over the years, they are all good. Some require more skills than others, but most of them are fairly basic. Let’s start with a simple one.

Terrific Truffles

240 g dark chocolate

120 g butter

2 egg yolks

120 g icing sugar

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

50 ml whipping cream (or half and half)

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Obviously you need a heat resistant bowl, not the wafer thin china kind. Once the chocolate has melted, add butter cut into cubes. Slowly stir until its all blended. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add egg yolks and sift in icing sugar and salt. Keep stirring. Then you add whipping cream and vanilla. The batch should be thick and glossy. In other words, quite tempting.

Put the preparation in the fridge for at least an hour. Its ready when you can form small balls in the palm of your hand without making a total mess. You can also pour the mix directly into little chocolate moulds. I have rose and heart shaped ones. Another option is to put the chilled truffle-mix in an icing bag and create rosettes and stars. One batch, many options.

Once you have created a multitude of truffle shapes, put them back into the fridge for a little while. You can stop right there, or you can take the extra step of rolling them in cocoa powder, shredded coconut, slivered almonds, milk chocolate shavings, use whatever you have on hand. In a pinch, you can even use plain old oats.

Happy baking!

F is for Frosting

Frosting is tricky, or it can be. Burnt chocolate, grainy texture, overpowering butter flavour, not enough to cover the top and the side of the cake, the whole experience can leave you quite deflated. You might get the frosting right, but your cake could still end up lap-sided and unsightly. Is it any wonder that so many people simply buy cakes and leave the baking to the professionals? How many times have I butchered a layer-cake by cutting the layers uneven, messing up the serving platter with dripping frosting and fingerprints, and utterly failing to smooth out the top coat of the cake? Endless times I tell you, endless. But I never gave up. I always knew it was possible to create an inviting, tall, proud and perfect layer-cake. Yet all the recipes I tried always left out those helpful hints that would make this dream a reality. I guess the census is that if you are brave enough to try a recipe that requires more than your average cooking skills, you already know everything there is to know. No point being helpful or anything, just leave the baker guessing and frustrated.

The thing is, it's not that difficult. After all, we are  not entering a small town baking contest or trying out for a French pastry school (even though I would love to!) I simply want to bake a cake that doesn’t look like it belongs in the stage production of Rent.  

Of course, most people are thrilled beyond recognition whenever they are served anything home made, (you made that from scratch???), but don’t let this kind of admiration and enthusiasm slow you down. Aim higher, raise the bar, you can bake a cake and decorate it too. But before we get started, read and treasure the following tricks I’ve picked up along the way. 

Baking pan: Guess what? It turns out that the pan measurements they recommend in the recipes does matter. And here is why: If your baking pan is too big, the cake will not get as tall, and it can easily over-cook. A dry, thin, layer cake is just not worth it. And if the pan is too small, well, then the batter will overflow. So measure your pan.

Cutting the cake into layers: This part was always my downfall. How to cut the cake without reducing it to a ground zero zone with crumbs and uneven layers all over the kitchen counter? I tried a longer and sharper knife. I tried making a small insert along the side of the cake so I would know where to match up the layers again. I tried eyeballing it, good luck with my eye sight. The truth is, I was not getting anywhere. Sometimes I would get it right, sometimes not, there was just no telling. I needed an airtight technique, something I could always trust.   

Then one day I read about the ruler, and the power of patience. You take an ordinary ruler and carefully make little marks all around the cake, 1” or 2” high or however thick you want the layers to be. Then when you get ready to cut the cake, you will without a shadow of a doubt cut the layers 100% even, just follow the marks. What used to be the hair-pulling experience is now a faultless Zen moment. So easy, so simple, so brilliant.

Another advice, be realistic. If the recipe says to cut the cake into three layers, but your cake didn’t rise that much, be happy with only two. Sliver thin layers only fall apart anyways.

Frosting tools: A frosting knife and an icing bag, go out and get them. With one big swoosh the frosting knife will spread the frosting perfectly even and smooth. No spatula or regular knife could ever measure up. The icing bag, the fantastic icing bag will become your best friend. Do you want to make rosettes along the edge of the cake, draw an art deco pattern in the middle, or how about a nice border along the side? Try doing that with a spoon or some other medieval tool. Equipped with a frosting bag there are is no end to how pretty and professional your cake will look. It’s all about those finishing touches.

So what is the point of all of this? The point is to make you see that making a great cake, a layer-cake, is not only easy, it’s great fun. Once you get the hang of it nothing can stop you. You will find yourself making all kinds of patterns, experimenting with different frosting techniques, whipping up cakes and decorating them in no time.

Life is too short to eat tasteless (store bought), unattractive (home made with no skills), cakes, so get baking.

The recipe I have in mind today is from my dearest grandmother. She only makes it for birthdays or very special occasions. If I see this cake on the dessert table, I know its a particular important day. The cake is not very fancy, it doesn’t require any mystical ingredients or delicate equipment, but it is your classic, rich, timeless chocolate layer-cake.

 Grandma Inger’s Chocolate Cake

6 eggs

200g sugar                                                      Frosting

125g chocolate                                               120g butter

3 tablespoon butter                                         200g chocolate

120g flour                                                       400g icing sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa                                         A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 175ºC and line a 12” round baking pan with non-stick baking paper. Don’t worry about greasing or lining the side of the pan. You actually want the cake to stick to the side. This will prevent your cake from falling down after rising. My mother thought me that.

Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until it has at least tripled in size, and the colour has transformed from pale yellow to almost white. This could take a while, so in the meantime melt chocolate and butter over low heat. While that is slowly melting, whisk together flour, cocoa and baking powder.

After the chocolate mixture has cooled down to room temperature, alternate between adding this mixture and the flour mixture to the foamy egg batch. Stir in between, it must all be evenly blended.   

Lovely, now pour your batter into the cake pan and bake for 45 minutes. As always, rotate the pan after 20 minutes, and check if its done after 30. Just insert a needle, or something similar, in the middle of the cake and see how it comes out. If its covered in drippy batter, the cake clearly needs to remain in the oven. If the needle is coated with moist crumbs, remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Leave it there for 10-15 minutes. Then take a small, sharp, knife and run it along the sides of the pan to release the cake. Turn the cake up side down, either by letting it rest in your hand or on a platter, and remove the bottom of the pan along with the baking paper. Put the cake back on the cooling rack and let it cool down for another 30 minutes or so.

I always like to make the frosting while the cake is baking. Then the frosting has time to set and cool down for when the cake is ready.

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. When melted, add eggs and alt and stir until its all incorporated and blended. Add the icing sugar, a little at a time.  Whisk carefully until your frosting is smooth and shiny. (If for some reason you frosting is more dull than shiny, you can always add a tiny bit of milk or whipping cream. Another helpful hint they don’t tell you in the recipe books.)

Here is a confession. I always have a bit of extra chocolate or some whipping cream on hand when making this kind of cake. Why? Because I know there is a real chance of running out of frosting. In order to stretch my batch, I can melt more chocolate or whip up some cream and mix it in with the left-over frosting. Either way, the result is often that it looks like I’ve made 2 or 3 different frostings, quite impressive. There is a dark frosting for the layers, then a lighter frosting for the outside of the cake. The trick is always to make your mistakes look intentional. I learned that when sewing, but it also applies to baking.

Now, get out your ruler and make small, but visible, marks all around your cake. If you are cutting it in 3 layers, you can make marks for both cuts at the same time. Cut your cake by following the marks, and put your layers carefully down on separate plates. First you put a blob of frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. With your icing knife spread the frosting evenly. If your frosting isn’t even, the cake will end up uneven, so it’s important to get this right from the beginning. Then you take the second layer of the cake and place it on top of the frosting. Spread frosting on this layer as well. At last, place the top of the cake on that layer of frosting, and now we move on to the decorating part.

To coat the top, place a blob of frosting in the middle of the cake and spread it (with your frosting knife of course) out to the edges. You might spill some over the edge, let it be. Then spread a thing layer of frosting all around the side of the cake. Put the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes. Once the frosting is set it will be easier to add the second coat, and it will also prevent crumbs from getting into the mix. Apply the second coat of frosting to top and side. Like before, coat the top first, then the side. Take your time, no point in rushing it. As you will notice, a ridge will form along the edge where the top and the side meet. Hold the icing knife at an angle and smooth the ridge towards the centre. Easy does it. Rotate the cake and repeat until the ridge is gone.

Put the remainder for the frosting in an icing bag (with the star nozzle in place), and make little flowers along the edge of the cake. You might want to practice on a plate first.

See! That wasn’t so hard! It just takes time, but its not difficult. Who’s the Domestic Goddess now?

Coca-Cola Cake

We all need a friend from the South, a good friend. Someone who can tell us cute anecdotes from the filming of Gone with the Wind (1,400 candidates were interviewed for the role of Scarlett O’Hara), who can say y’all without sounding like a idiot, and who has a treasure box full of rich and mouth-watering recipes. I’m talking recipes so sinful that they would terrify and haunt the low-carb, non-fat, soy-addicted inhabitants of the West Coast. Deep fried okra, lemon meringue pie, skillet cornbread, pecan-peach cobbler, and rosemary catfish, just to mention a few.

It was after lunch, and I was sulking at my desk. I awoke from my depressed slumber when all of a sudden my friend  rushed in to the office. Her ponytail was askew, she was wearing my favourite Terminator t-shirt and carried an oversized baking pan. This could only be good. To my surprise she put the pan down on my desk and whipped out a giant bread knife. “I heard you only got ice cream, so I baked us this cake.” She was right. I had only gotten ice cream.  We were all supposed to get cake on our birthdays, but the management had decided we were too busy to get me a cake this year. Instead I was given a tiny little ice cream. Emphasis on tiny, and not even chocolate flavoured. “The cake is still warm, so the frosting might be a bit runny.” Frosting! Cake! Chocolate cake! I was so happy. Only a true Southern friend would comprehend the importance of getting a birthday cake, and that no miniscule ice cream could ever replace it. I helped myself to a giant piece, and soon my other colleagues were gathered around, longingly awaiting their share. Not only did we love the cake, but we were so very thrilled to have our own secret cake party. I guess there is something to forbidden fruit, or cake for that matter. And the cake, the cake was the famous Cracker Barrel Chocolate Coca Cola Cake.  Never heard of it? Neither had I, but it only took me one bite to make me realize I’d been missing out. Ever since that birthday I have been stuck on this cake like white on rice.

When you feel ready to embrace you inner Southern girl, or boy, follow the recipe below.

Coca Cola Chocolate Cake

Finally a recipe for the metric readers!                                                           

225 g butter

3 tablespoon cocoa

50 g melted dark chocolate

2 dl coca cola (isn’t this fun!)

2 big eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4.5 dl sugar

1 dl buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking powder

4.5 dl flour

Frosting:

100 g butter

50 g melted dark chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons coca cola

500 g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 170ºC and line a baking pan (approximately 20x30 cm) with baking paper.

Melt butter and chocolate together, then add cocoa and coca cola and give it a good stir. (It might fizz and bubble a bit, just like a magic potion.) Whisk together eggs and vanilla, add sugar and buttermilk. Then you stir inn flour and baking powder. Add all of this to the butter/coca cola mixture and give it a good stir. 

This batter will be on the thin side, it’s not a hefty thing that you have to scrape out of the baking bowl with force and determination. I’m just mentioning it, just in case you feel tempted to add more flour. Don’t.

Pour (with ease and grace) the batter in to the baking pan and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through, in case you have one of those temperamental ovens that don’t cook things evenly.

When done baking, take it out of the oven, but leave the cake in the pan.

While the cake is baking away, make the frosting.

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. When melted, add cocoa, coca cola and vanilla. Then you add the icing sugar and stir until its all nice and even.

When the cake has cooled down for perhaps 15-20 minutes, pour the frosting over it while its still in the pan. Most cake recipes require that you cool down the cake first, and then you deal with the frosting and the decorating part. However, by doing it this way the frosting seals in the moisture and ensures that the cake remains, well, moist. In addition this will allow some of the frosting to seep into the cake. Devine.

Put the cake in the fridge until the frosting has firmed up, then its ready to be enjoyed and eaten.  Or, if its an emergency, like it was on my birthday, serve it right away. Just warn your guests that it might get a bit messy.