To All My Toblerone Fans Out There, I'm Sorry

This is going to sound weird but I think I made a mistake and I’m sorry for it. Let me explain…

All the recipes I post on this site have been tested and tried by me. Most of them I make, remake, and remake again and again, time after time. Once the recipes are posted, I often come back to them and follow them as if I were in your shoes. The reason is, I like those recipes and I want to eat them again!

So this week I felt like doing my Toblerone chocolate mousse, which I did. And it was a disaster. It didn’t turn out the way I thought it would and its taste was not even close to what it tasted like the first time around. The texture was also pretty gross! So I went back to my recipe and did a little research… and redid it for a third time, only slightly differently.

They say the third time’s a charm. Well it is! This time I nailed it. It’s absolutely delicious and decadent. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe and you too should nail it each and every time you make it. If you’re interested in trying it out for the first time go for it blind folded; or, if you’ve tried it out and thought it wasn’t as good as expected, please try it again. This time around you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks for your understanding and again, I’m really sorry for the inconvenience… I guess these things happen, even to the best of us! 

http://figareau.blogspot.com/2011/09/weekend-decadence-toblerone-chocolate.html

Embracing The Best Of Fall With An Apple Crumble

I know, you probably know how to make this recipe already. It’s a classic in Quebec, especially during apple season. Apple picking is one of the great family activities you can do during the fall. And you really don’t have to go far to see the trees and enjoy picking the fruits. There are so many things you can cook with apples and this one is one of my personal favorites. In our family, my dad is the pro at this… probably because he doesn’t get to cook much in his house; he’s mastered his recipe over the years. It’s simple, always super tasty, and almost healthy because it’s filled with apples (oh yeah, and a little bit of sugar too!).

Still, I have a confession to make. I haven’t been apple picking this season. We really wanted to a few weeks ago, but our plans changed and we weren’t able to make it. And it’s been raining ever since. So I’ve been craving apple food lately. When I saw the beautiful McIntosh apples on sale at the supermarket, I couldn’t resist buying a few to make this great apple crumble. I know I’m totally cheating! But hey, sometimes you have to cheat to get the good stuff. Don’t tell me you never cheated at anything… If you haven’t, then you’re one of the few!

APPLE CRUMBLE

Makes about 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Garnish

¾ cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup butter, melted

Stuffing

8 apples, peeled and roughly cut in cubes

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven at 375˚F.

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the butter and mix well.

In another bowl, mix the apples with the brown sugar and lemon juice. Spread in a rectangular oven-baking dish. Cook for 40 minutes.

Note: If you really want to go all out, this recipe is amazing when served warm with vanilla ice cream. 

My Timeless White Cake With Finger Licking Good Butterscotch Sauce

What is it with the weekend and deserts? Whenever the weekend approaches I get a sudden urge for making a desert of some sort. Nothing necessarily very fancy, just something different to bite on. It must go with the fact that, for the rest of the week, I’m not really interested in anything sugary… or maybe because my husband is such a fan of the white granules!!

This cake is an absolute classic. When I was a kid, my favorite activity was baking – instead of playing with dolls – and I used to make this easy white cake all the time. It’s a timeless cake that will never go out of style. You can dress it up any way you feel like; with fruits, coulis, chocolate… whatever suits your taste.

This version of the cake was made for a bunch of friends. I don’t know if it was because of the influence of alcohol or because of it was simply so good, but the cake got completely eaten, even if some people started out by eating only a small piece.

If what you want is a true sugar rush, this, my friends, is your perfect drug!!

TIMELESS WHITE CAKE WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

Make 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

Cake

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ cups milk

Sauce

½ cup sugar

½ brown sugar

2 tbsp golden corn syrup

¼ Scotch

¾ cup 35% cream, hot

¼ cup salted butter, cubed

1 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Cake

Preheat your oven at 350˚F.

In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar and 1 egg at a time. Beat thoroughly for about 5 minutes, until the mix is a pale yellow. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk.

Pour the cake mixture in a greased cake mold. Cook in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until nothing stick to a toothpick when you stick it in the cake.

Sauce

In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and the Scotch to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Attach a candy thermometer in the center of the pan and simmer over medium heat without stirring until the thermometer reads 121˚C (250˚F).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually stir in the cream. Stir in the butter and vanilla, whisking until the sauce is smooth. Let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note: It may happen that the butterscotch sauce hardens on contact with the cream. If so, return the saucepan on the stove and stir over medium heat until it dissolves.

Weekend Decadence: Toblerone Chocolate Mousse

Jeez it’s freezing outside today! Tell me something: why is it that summer always seems to go away abruptly? From one day to the next it gets cold and there’s never a warning, a nice and easy transition to help us accept the fact that summer will only be back next year. Anyways, I refuse to take out my fall boots just yet. I do appreciate them a lot but I’m just not comfortable with putting my sandals away just yet.

So it’s Friday and the weekend is just a few hours away. What’s your plan for the weekend? If you’ve got nothing specific to do (or you just don’t know what to cook), maybe you should try this decadent desert I made up for last weekend’s baptism: a Toblerone chocolate mousse. Now, not to brag but this desert was a huuuuge success. I don’t know how I did it since I sort of mixed up different techniques but it worked and people loved it. If you like Toblerone, I don’t see why you wouldn’t appreciate this fluffy mousse. I made little portions since we had a buffet style serving but you could make full portions if you’re having guests over for a sit down dinner. I’m sure no one will mind having a bigger portion anyways.

TOBLERONE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Makes about 20 small servings or 6 full size servings

 

INGREDIENTS

6oz Toblerone chocolate
2 tbsp butter

2 eggs, seperated

3/4 cups + 2 tbsp 35% cream

3 tbsp sugar

1 cup plain chocolate cookies

PREPARATION

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate, the butter and 2 tbsp of cream. Let cool. 

In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until they become fluffy and stiff. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the cream and sugar until it becomes stiff. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk well the chocolate with the egg yolks. With a spatula, delicately fold in the egg whites. Incorporate the whipped cream. 

In a food processor, put the cookies with the melted butter. Slightly crush the cookies. Set aside.

Separate in serving bowls, cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Just before serving, decorate with the chocolate crumbles.

My Old Aunt’s Banana Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

Ok, so you’re going to think I’ve gone back in time. I know. This is a very strange and uncommon desert now a day! We’ve become quite fancy with time. Fashion trends don’t just happen with clothes but with food also. There are some things we just don’t make anymore. Like aspics. Who makes aspics in 2011… Besides maybe your 90 year old grandmother?

But who can deny the power of a great childhood memory? I ate the following desert once in my life, when I was about 9 years old. My aunt (who is now 90 years old!) had made it at her country house and I got to have a nice big piece of this delicious frozen treat. I only had it once and 15 years later, I can still remember it in vivid colors. Good things just never disappear from the mind. My aunt is quite old and I rarely see her, something that often happens when you have a really big family. But this summer, I saw her daughter, and I couldn’t resist talking about the pie and the souvenir I had of it.

You should’ve seen my face when she told me she had the recipe and that she would share it with me. I knew right there I was in trouble; I was gonna have to make this pie, soon. So I made the pie. Who knew something so easy to make could be so delicious to eat? And boy am I proud to see that my childhood memory hasn’t fooled me. This desert might seem old school but it tastes damn good and even though it’s not really the trendy to do anymore, I totally think you should try it too!

BANANA STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM PIE

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups chocolate cookies

¼ cup melted salted butter

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 cup 35% cream

1 tsp vanilla

3 bananas, sliced

1 liter strawberry ice cream

PREPARATION

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with the cream and vanilla. Take off the heat and let cool.

In a food processor, crush the cookies with the butter. Spread at the bottom of a pie plate.

To make the pie, cover the cookies with a layer of bananas. Top with half the ice cream. Cover with half the chocolate mixture. Freeze for about an hour. Repeat the 3 first steps and freeze again for a couple of hours.

Take the pie out of the freezer for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes: For the chocolate cookies, try Mr. Christie’s simple chocolate cookies… the ones they make Oreo’s with!

If you’re from Quebec, your best pick is Coaticook ice cream.

A Sugary Delight: Chocolate Pot De Crème. A Special Recipe For Vero

I’ve come to a cool realization lately… People actually read this blog! If you’re reading these lines, you’re probably thinking: ‘Well yeah, of course I read this blog!’. But things are not that obvious when you’re the one actually writing the lines. When I first started off, I needed a kick, something to keep me entertained and stimulated while I was at home on maternity leave. But I never thought I would actually get people to read me and appreciate the stuff (i.e. recipes) that I post. Lately, some of you have showed a true interest and a sincere appreciation for what I write and to you (you know who you are!), I say thank you. Thanks for reading me, for trying out my recipes, and for letting me know how things turn out. I looooove hearing from you!

So the other night I went a bit overboard with my wine drinking (hey, I’m aloud, I haven’t drank in 2 years!) and I promised a friend, whom I also realized was one of my fans (should I really qualify you or anyone else as being a fan?), that I would post a desert recipe for her. She’s a fine connoisseur of all deserts and a true lover of the sugar rush… So for her, I’m posting one of my most difficult recipes up to now. Deserts are never easy (I should know, I usually am terrible at making them) and this one should only be tried by those of you who either excel at desert making or who are truly patient and willing to take on a good cooking challenge. This one is perfect and Vero, if you nail this one, I promise you won’t be disappointed. On top of it, there’s no yogurt in the recipe! Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE ‘POT DE CRÈME’

CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM

SALTED ALMONDS

Makes 6 servings

CHOCOLATE ‘POT DE CRÈME’

INGREDIENTS

½ cup milk

½ cup 35% cream

1 tbsp sugar

3 egg yolks

1 gelatin sheet, rehydrated

1 1/3 cup milk chocolate (40% cocoa)

PREPARATION

In a saucepan, bring to a boil the cream, milk and sugar.

In a bowl, slightly whisk the egg yolks. While whisking, gradually and very slowly pour the hot creamy liquid onto the egg yolks. Don’t go too fast or you will get an omelet instead of a creamy mixture!

Pour the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, constantly whisking, until the cream becomes thick and creamy (it should stick to the back of a spoon). Take off the heat and add the gelatin. Blend well.

Add the chocolate (it should be in small pieces) to the hot mixture and blend until it’s completely melted.

Pour into separate serving bowls or glasses. Cover with cellophane and put in the fridge for a few hours.

CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups 35% cream

½ vanilla bean, split in half and grated

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar

1 gelatin sheet, rehydrated

PREPARATION

In a small saucepan, bring the cream and the vanilla to a boil. Take off the heat and keep aside.

In another saucepan, put the brown sugar and cook over high heat, constantly blending with a wooden spoon. Once the sugar is completely melted and starts to boil, bring the heat to the lowest and gradually add in the hot cream mixture. Be careful, everything is extremely hot at this stage.

Once the cream is completely added in, cook for 1 more minute, making sure the caramel is completely melted. Take off the heat and add the gelatin.

Pour the hot mixture into a bowl that you’ve put over a bigger bowl filled with ice cubes. Let cool.

Once the mixture is completely cooled, pour over the chocolate mixture. Cover with cellophane and put in the fridge for another few hours.

SALTED ALMONDS

INGREDIENTS

1 egg white

1 cup whole almonds, skin off

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt (Maldon is the best!)

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven at 350˚F.

In a bowl, whisk the egg white so it becomes bubbly. Add the almonds and make sure they are completely covered with the egg white.

Put the almonds on a baking sheet covered with a silicone baker’s sheet or wax paper (making sure you don’t put any excess egg white), and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Cook in the oven for about 8 minutes.

SERVING

When ready to serve, take the cellophane off the serving bowls and decorate with the almonds. You can even sprinkle a little bit of cocoa powder on top. 

Delicious Banana Cream Pie; Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover

I’ve said this before but for those who don’t know it yet, I have to confess to something: I’m not great at making desert. I’m not that bad, but I miss my deserts one time out of two. That’s a fifty percent success ratio. Not impressive for someone who says she can kick butt in the kitchen!

Anyways. I like a good challenge so the other day I suggested to a friend of mine that I bring desert to her diner party. Of course, she accepted. I scratched my head, not knowing what to do. That’s when I realised I had a few dying bananas on my kitchen counter (my toddler loooooves bananas so I always have a bunch around, which explains my inclination at making banana deserts!). I also had a graham pie crust in the cupboard, something I had bought a few months back thinking one day I’d make a pie. One and the other put together equalled a banana pie. So I searched a few recipes and decided I’d be making banana cream pie.

The one thing you usually have to follow when you make a desert, are the ingredients. Desert making is a science, not an art, so there’s no space for creativity. Which is where I mostly fail. I always try to put my own twist to recipes, which is what makes them go wrong! For this one, instead of making ONLY banana slices at the bottom of the pie, I pureed half of them and added them to the pudding mixture… The pudding ended up being a bit more muddy then I expected… and the results when not very chic!! But don’t get fooled by its looks; it tasted amazing and between the four of us, we almost finished the entire pie! I’m sure that if you follow the recipe properly and you don’t go wild like me, your pie will be pretty and a great success!!

BANANA CREAM PIE

Makes 8 servings (or 4 big ones!)

1 Graham pie crust (9-inch)

¾ cup white sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tbsp butter

1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

4 bananas, sliced

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven at 350˚F.

In a skillet, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add the milk gradually, stirring gently. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from burner.

Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add the egg yolks mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes until the pudding becomes a rich, creamy texture. Remember to always keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

Slice the bananas onto the pie shell. Top with the pudding mixture.

Bake in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour. Decorate if you think it needs better presentation. 

Get your booze on with bread pudding with rum sauce

Although summer is here, there’s still time for desert decadence. It’s not because it’s hot that we’re only supposed to eat fruits, right? This one is one of my personal favorites. If you’ve read me before, you know I’m more of a caramel type than a chocolate type. So with a sauce like this one (who can resist rum and sugar?) added to the moist bread pudding, my palate is more than satisfied!

On top of that, I have to admit that this is one of the only ways I’ll accept white bread to hit my plate. Yes, I like a healthier piece of bread for my breakfast… but still like the idea of a plain old white piece of flour once in a while. It’s just a better way to getting rid of the guilt and keep the most pleasure out of it.

Try it if you’re having friends over. It’s easy breezy to make!

BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE

Makes about 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Pudding

2 cups milk

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tbsp dark rum

½ tsp vanilla extract

5 ½ cups stale white bread cut in small cubes

½ cup golden raisins

Rum Sauce

1 ½ cups brown sugar

2 tsp all purpose flour

¾ cup milk

1 tbsp dark rum

1 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Pudding

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8-inch in diameter soufflé dish that has an 8 cups (2 litres) volume and sprinkle with sugar.

In a bowl, combine the milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, rum and vanilla. Add the bread and raisins. Let the mixture soak for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.

With a spatula, little by little, carefully fold the meringue in the bread mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour.

Rum Sauce

In a saucepan, blend the brown sugar and flour. Add the cream, milk, rum and vanilla. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Let it become lukewarm while whisking a few times.

Serve immediately. Coat the pudding with the sauce. 

Note: Don’t be shy with the rum… I usually add a bit more than the recipe requires… just to get a better kick out of it! 

Easter Treat: Chocolate Fondant

Happy Easter to all of you! I hope you’re enjoying a magnificent day and that you’re totally indulging in chocolate decadence. After all, it’s one of the little pleasures of this day, isn’t it?

As you’ve read before, I’m not chocolate’s number one fan. Although I cannot deny its goodness, I don’t think it’s the best thing in the world (please don’t hate me for this statement). But I have to admit that there are a few chocolate deserts that do get me going and excited. Today, we’re having friends over for dinner and I don’t think I can make them food without baking a great desert. And one of my personal favorites is, indeed, made of chocolate. It’s a chocolate fondant. A decadent piece of melting, hot chocolate. If I can’t resist it, I don’t think many can.

The best part of this desert is that it takes absolutely no time to make, and hardly any effort. I made mine in 10 minutes and I’ll bake the little goodies for 10 minutes right before serving them. I may not be the best baker in the world but this desert is honestly the easiest thing you’ll ever make. The only thing that you can worry about is cooking time. If you cook it too much, it won’t be melting. And if the center isn’t melting, well, then, the purpose of these little pieces of art is completely lost. So get your hands on a good timer and you’ll see, things will go really smoothly!  

CHOCOLATE FONDANT

Make 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp sugar

115 g (4oz) semisweet chocolate (your best choice would be 60-65% cocoa)

½ cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup flour

PREPARATION

Butter and flour 4 ramekins (size of ½ cup).

In a bowl, beat the eggs and the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. About 3 minutes should do.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over very low heat. Add the chocolate and stir until it’s completely melted.

Add the chocolate preparation to the egg mixture. Once everything is well blended, fold in the flour. Divide the mixture between the 4 ramekins.

When you’re about ready to serve your desert, preheat your oven at 375˚F. Put the ramekins in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Immediately turn over on a plate and unmold. Decorate with icing sugar. Serve hot with small berries.

Note: You can prepare your ramekins a day ahead, cover them and keep them in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge for about 1 hour before cooking them.