Donsuemor & A Dessert A Day!

What a long, hot summer this has been and it’s turning into autumn faster than I’d like to see.  Although, I love fall, I am going to miss the warmer weather.  Anyways, I wanted to share some exciting news with you.  I was recently contacted by a spokesperson for Donsuemor.   (DON-SUE-MOR)  Now if you haven’t heard of them before, you, just as I was, are missing out on some fabulous treats! In October, they will be posting a dessert a day!  How exciting is that??  Especially if you are a dessert lover with a sweet tooth like myself.  I can hardly wait.  What they have asked me to do, is create a dessert using one of their products.  Starting the first day of October, they will begin posting the recipes they’ve collected from the blogs participating and post them on their Facebook page.  So join all the fun, and grab a recipe a day from Donsuemor!

For my recipe, I chose their delicious French Almond Cakes,  (Financiers as they are known in France) (pronounced fee-nahng-syehr) to create my dessert with.  These are delicious little almond cakes that are absolutely delicious on their own. Read about them here.

I chose to create very simple, easy to make miniature tarts.  Miniature tarts are easy desserts to use anytime of the year, for any occasion, and you don’t have to feel guilty for eating more than one. Or, if you watching what your eating, it’s doable even on a strict diet, that is IF you can eat just one.  I am not able to.  These little desserts are great.  I served them at a dinner party, and there was not one left.  So easy, so delicious, so versatile.

Donsuemor French Almond Cake Tarts

By Delectable Desserts

10 Donsuemor French Almond Cakes

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted

Lemon Curd, Blackberry Curd, Jello Chocolate Pudding, or any other type filling or jello pudding (or homemade pudding) you might like.  (I use the same recipe for Lemon Curd & Blackberry Curd, substituting blackberry puree for the lemon juice, and it’s microwaveable.  Strain curds through a fine mesh strainer.)

Raspberries, for Garnish

Mint or Spearmint Leaves, for Garnish

Powdered Sugar, just before serving (Optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Unwrap the Almond cakes and break up in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 to 6 times, until you have fine crumbs.  In  a bowl, combine the crumbs and the butter and stir until incorporated. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the filling of your choice. (I used Jello Chocolate Pudding (following the directions on the box for pudding), a homemade Lemon curd, and homemade Blackberry Curd. But use any flavor you might like. The sky’s the limit). With a small scoop (I used a small cookie scoop), scoop mixture and form into small balls to fit into mini muffin tins.  Use a tart tamper or other object to form an indent in the  center of the balls.  Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Remove from oven. Flip the muffin pan upside down to release the tart shells and leave to cool fully on the counter. (Do not touch shells until completely cool, or they will crumble.)  Once completely cool, spoon or pipe filling into tarts.  Garnish with raspberries and a mint or spearmint leaf if desired.  You could also pipe a little whipped cream on the very top and place the raspberry on that.  I also shook a little powdered sugar over mine, just before serving. (Do not sprinkle with powdered sugar until serving time, as it will melt onto the dessert.)

Yield: 15 tarts. (I doubled my recipe to make 30 miniature tarts.)

Don’t forget to mark your calendar and grab those recipes starting October 1st, 2011

Full Disclosure: I received a free box of French Almond Cakes in exchange for a created recipe.

Mississippi Mud Pie (B) AKA Muddy Mississippi Cake

As promised, here is the second recipe from Baked Explorations.  In Baked Explorations, the authors’ give their signature Baked twist to famous desserts across the country.  They also give you two ways to make the Mississippi Mud Pie.

The Mississippi Mud Pie (B) AKA Muddy Mississippi Cake, in my opinion was definitely worth the wait!  They created a dreamier, elegant version. A flourless chocolate cake, baked inside a cookie crust, then top it with a layer of silky dark chocolate pudding and finishing it with whipped cream! DELICIOUS!!   I can’t wait to make the rest of the desserts in this book!

Mississippi Mud Pie (b) AKA Muddy Mississippi Cake

by: Baked Explorations

Ingredients:

Crust:

16 oz. Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, such as Oreos (35-40 cookies), crushed

5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

For the Flourless Chocolate Cake:

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter

6 oz. good quality dark chocolate (60 to 70%), chopped

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Instant Espresso Powder

1/4 Cup Strong Coffee, at room temperature

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

6 Large Eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 Cup Sugar

For the Chocolate Pudding:

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (like Valrhona)

1/4 Cup Cornstarch

1/4 tsp. Salt

4 Large Egg Yolks

2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

3 oz. Good quality Dark Chocolate (60-70%)

Assembly:

Simple Whipped Cream (Recipe Follows)

Make the Chocolate Cookie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment and sides of the pan.

In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine crumb. You should have about 3 1/2 cups. Put the crumbs in a small bowl. Pour the melted butter over them and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Turn the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides, leaving about 1/2 inch between the top of the crust and the top of the pan. Use the back of a large spoon to get an even layer of crust. Place the pan in the freezer and let the crust set for about 10 minutes.

Bake the crust in the oven until it is very dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.

Make the Flourless Chocolate Cake:

Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the butter and chocolate together. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso powder, coffee, salt, and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture is light and has almost doubled in volume, about 5 minutes.  Add the chocolate mixture and beat until just combined.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low-speed for 5 seconds.  Add the coffee mixture and beat until just combined.  Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix on low for 5 seconds.

In a clean bowl fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can elect to do this step by hand if you are feeling strong), beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually increase the speed to high and add the remaining 1/2  cup sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

Scoop 1 cup of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the egg whites.  After about 30 seconds of folding, add the remaining egg whites and continue folding until they are almost completely combined.  Do not rush the folding process, work gently, and take care not to overmix. Pour the batter onto the cooled cookie crust and bake for 38 to 42 minutes, until the cake  is set but still jiggles slightly. It might not appear to be completely cooked. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. (As it cools, the cake will deflate in the center and look sunken. Do not despair, this is just the way it settles.) Tightly wrap and refrigerate the cake for at least three hours or overnight.

Make the Pudding:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk until combined. The mixture will look like a thick paste. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly to prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pan. Boil for 30 seconds, then transfer it to a medium bowl.  Add the butter, vanilla, and chocolate and whisk until combined.  Continue to whisk for a few minutes more to cool the mixture slightly.  Let the pudding stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and chill it for at least 3 hours.

To Assemble the Mississippi Mud Pie:

Stir the pudding to loosen it, then pour it onto the top of the cake, making sure to stay inside the cookie crust border. Use an offset spatula to spread the pudding into an even layer. Return the cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the whipped cream topping.  Spread the whipped cream across the pudding layer, all the way to the sides, unmold the cake, and serve it immediately.  The cake can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Simple Whipped Cream:

1 1/4 Cups Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

Pour the cream into a chilled metal bowl and beat with a chilled whisk for about 1 minute or until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the sugar on the cream and continue whisking vigorously until stiff peaks form.

Yield: About 2 cups whipped cream.

Caramel Creme Brulee

We were having a dinner party the other night and my daughter wanted Creme Brulee for the dessert. While I love Creme Brulee, I had come across this recipe for Caramel Creme Brulee that I had found on the Los Angeles Times website. It was one of their SOS Recipes. A diner was writing in about the Caramel Creme Brulee,  served at Cavallo Point Lodge near Sausalito, California. The restaurant serves the custards with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce. I had to make it, and I served mine with the whipped cream and chocolate sauce too!  I was not disappointed!! This is Dangerously Delicious!! This is one dessert that I truly savored every spoonful and it will be a regular in our household!

Caramel Creme Brulee

From: Los Angeles Times

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time

Servings: 8

Note: Adapted from Cavallo Point Lodge near Sausalito, Calif. The restaurant serves the custards with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce.

1 1/4 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided, plus extra for topping the custards

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

1 generous teaspoon salt

(**Please take care when making caramel. Sugar burns are extremely painful. Use a larger pot then indicated, and pour slowly! Very slowly. That mixture is going to steam and bubble. Have ready a sink of cold water to plunge your hands into just in case of accidental spillage or sputtering!)

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

2. In a medium heavy-bottom pan, combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the corn syrup with just enough water to give the sugar a “wet sand” consistency. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar comes to a boil (reduce the heat as needed so the sugar does not boil over). Continue to cook until the sugar caramelizes, turning a “reddish amber” color.

3. While the sugar is caramelizing, in a small, heavy-bottom pot, combine the half-and-half, cream and vanilla and heat over medium heat, bringing to a bare simmer. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream warm as the sugar cooks.

4.** As soon as the sugar caramelizes, remove from heat and gently pour into the cream mixture (be very careful, as the sugar will steam), stirring to combine. Remove the combined caramel and cream from heat and pour the mixture into a medium bowl set over a bowl of ice water (an ice bath), stirring until it comes to room temperature. Remove from the ice bath and set aside.

5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons sugar and the salt. Whisk the yolks into the cream mixture, then strain the entire mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

6. Divide the mixture between 8 (6-ounce) ramekins, leaving half-inch space at the top. Place the ramekins in a baking dish, and slide the baking dish onto the center rack of the oven. Add enough boiling water to the baking dish to come halfway up the ramekins.

7. Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. Check the custard by gently shaking the dish; if it jiggles gently (as with barely set gelatin), it is set. Otherwise, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes until the custards are set, up to 30 to 40 minutes total.

8. When the custards are set, gently remove the baking dish from the oven, uncover the custards, and cool them (still in the baking dish) to room temperature. Remove the cooled custards from the baking dish and refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 2 hours.

9. Before serving, remove the chilled custards and sprinkle a scant teaspoon sugar over the surface of each, spreading the sugar with the back of a spoon to evenly cover the top.

10. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler just until the sugar melts and caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes. Alternatively, use a small torch to caramelize the tops of each of the custards.

11. Cool the custards for 5 minutes before serving.

This is the Chocolate Sauce that I used, also from an SOS recipe in the Los Angeles Times.

BLD’s Hot fudge sauce
5 tablespoons butter

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Milk Chocolate, it was all I had. It was great!)

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 tablespoons whiskey, such as Jack Daniel’s

1. Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Gently melt, stirring frequently, until combined. Remove from heat.

2. While the butter and chocolate melt, combine the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and stir the cream mixture into the melted chocolate.

3. Place the melted-chocolate bowl back over the pot of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and whiskey. Use immediately or chill. This makes 2 1/2 cups sauce.

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

3/4 tsp. Vanilla Paste

In a bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar, and vanilla paste and beat until stiff peaks. Serve at once or refrigerate.