Eton Mess with Dark Chocolate Strawberry Meringue Roses

It’s already November!?  I couldn’t believe 2012 is almost coming to an end.  I felt like 2012 just started not long ago.  Is it just me or are you also having the very same thought?  Thanksgiving is around the corner and I have many blessings in my life to be grateful for this year.  Hehe….no, I’m not so ahead of myself and post a Thanksgiving post now at the beginning of November.  I just wanted to say, I’m so lucky and thankful to be living in California, where I basically can enjoy these sweet and juicy strawberries almost all year round.  Of course, besides being grateful for the strawberries, I’m always grateful for my friends, my family, my readers and chocolate (although not necessarily in this order). 



Recently, one of my customers ordered these Dark Chocolate Strawberry Meringue Roses.  It’s a recipe I originally posted back in February of 2011.  I make these meringue roses from time to time.  It just happened that the day that I needed to make these meringue roses for delivery, it was a rainy day!  If you’ve made meringues on a rainy day before, you know just how much fun I was having.    I had to bake these roses for an extra long time and keep them in the fridge at all times to keep them nice and crisp.  Luckily, I’ve received very positive feedback.  Phew….

If you haven’t try these meringue roses, you should!  They are light, crisp, packed with sweet and tart strawberry flavors (with freeze fried strawberries in them).  However, instead of using chocolate chips (as stated in the originally recipe), I chopped up some Valrhona 70% dark chocolate and melt them in the double boiler instead.  Yes, the Valrhona is more expensive than packaged chocolate chips, but totally worth it.  You can taste the difference in them.  And the (correctly tempered) chocolate layer simply adds another layer of crunch that you don’t get from packaged chocolate chips!  The extra time to temper the chocolate is totally worth it as well.



I can’t help myself but to make another batch of these Dark Chocolate Strawberry Meringue Roses for my kids.  These are one of their favorite treats.  Instead of eating them as is, I transformed them into Eton Mess.
Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert consists of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream.  Back in the 1930s, Eton Mess was served at Eton College’s annual cricket game against the students of Harrow School, hence the name.



Are you still here?  Just checking.  Enough with the history, let’s get into the kitchen and make a mess…I mean, make a Eton Mess. 

1) First, let’s prepared the strawberry sauce.  Place 1 pound of the whole strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan.  With a potato masher, crushed the strawberries over medium-high heat. 

2) Add the fresh thyme leaves now…but don’t be like me, take the leaves off the stems so you don’t have to “fish” the stems out later on, or simply tie the whole thing with a kitchen twine for easy retrieval.  Bring the mixture to a full boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy.  While the mixture is cooking, sliced the remaining one pound of strawberries.

3) Remove from heat and add the sliced strawberries.

4) Then, stir in the framboise liqueur. Let cool completely and chill in refrigerator.



When the strawberry syrup is cooled, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak form.  To assemble the dessert:

1) Spoon a couple tablespoons of strawberry syrup into a tall glass.
2) Top with some freshly whipped cream.
3) Crush some strawberry meringues on top.
4) Spoon more strawberry syrup on the meringue.
5) More whipped cream.
6) Top with some more meringue (crush or not).  It’s easier to eat if you crush them, but it makes a more beautiful presentation if you leave the meringue roses whole.



If you wonder how to pipe the meringue roses, here’s a picture to show you how.  I used a Wilton 1M star tip.  Starting in the middle and gently press the meringue batter and makes 2 full circles as the arrows shown below.



This “dressed up” Eton Mess is simply divine.  Imagine this, refreshing strawberry syrup with a hint of citrus, layer with freshly whipped cream and crunchy strawberry meringue cookies...that were dipped in dark chocolate!  Oh my, I need serious help here not to finish the whole batch all by myself.  These are fun dessert to make for your upcoming family gatherings too.  Simply have all the components prepared ahead of time and have the guests put their own desserts together.    Yes, it’s more fun to eat when they get to make their own glass….and less work for you. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.
 

August, New Orleans—Restaurant Review

My husband and I visited New Orleans a while ago.  You can read up on the places we visited in this post here.  I promised to do the hotel and restaurant reviews on the places we stayed and dined at.  I’m so sorry for the delay.  Without further ado, here we go. 



August was one of the restaurants we dined at during our short trip to New Orleans.  August serves contemporary French cuisines that use local ingredients. The restaurant is owned by Chef John Besh, who was trained in Europe with the depth of Southern Louisiana roots.  Our server was very friendly and shared the history of the building with us.  Unfortunately, I’ve already forgotten most of them.  Yeah, my memories has been bad after having kids.  Ahem, I’m not trying to blame my forgetfulness on the kids but the timing matches.  I’m sure many moms out there can relate.  Anyway, as you can see, the building is beautiful and elegant.  Let’s just leave it like that.  I really love the wine cellar that was located right above the dining area (see picture below).  



Here’s the Tasting Menu that both my husband and I ordered.  However, we didn’t do the wine pairing.



I did start the evening with my favorite cocktail though, an Apple Martini.  I love the generous alcohol portion in this cocktail!  It’s a wonderful balance of sweetness and tartness in this drink.



We were offered some warm bread as well.  Lovely crust outside, perfectly soft and chewy on the inside, served with soften butter!



This Soft-Boiled Egg (picture below) with Caviar was perfectly done.  An exquisite amuse bouche to start a meal, complementary by the chef.



Since California banned the selling of foie gras, my husband and I shared this Foie Gras 3-Ways, that was not on the tasting menu, just to satisfy our cravings.  Each one was so unique.  I love the foie gras tart with blueberry sauce the best.  The champagne jelly in the middle was a wonder complement to the foie gras “cake” in the middle as well.  I was hoping the foie gras flavor would be stronger in this dish though.  I guess I would need to just have a sliced of seared foir gras on its own next time when I’m not in CA. 



Up next was the House Cured Belly of Gulf Coast Lamb, Pickled Watermelon, Fried Biskayne Peppers.  It’s light and refreshing.  The Cured Belly was perfectly done.  I love the salty and meaty bites contrasting with the fruit and pepper.



Crispy Gulf Shrimps and Louisiana Popcorn Rice Risotto with Stewed Convey Rise Heirloom Tomatoes.  This dish came in such a generous portion.  The crispy shrimps were so flavorful and perfectly crispy, which compliment well with the creamy risotto.  As this is a very rich and filling dish, I was afraid I would get full if I finish the whole plate, I kid you not.  But I couldn’t help myself but kept going back for more until it’s all in my happy tummy!



Roasted Breast and Slow Cooked Leg of Chappapeela Farm Ducklings, Creole Cream Cheese, Blueberries and Rapini.  The ducklings were very tender and moist.  It’s perfectly cooked and the sweet blueberry sauce was a great contrast with this savory dish.



Cast Iron Roast Flat Iron Steak of Two Run Farm Beef, Tete Tortelli, Crushed Field Peas.  The steak was very juicy and tender as you probably can tell from the picture below.  Another perfectly executed dish. 



Chocolate “Chess Pie”, Valrhona Feuilletine and Peppermint Ice Cream.  A nice and rich chocolate cake paired with a super refreshing peppermint ice cream.  The peppermint flavor was a bit too strong for our liking.  But the chocolate cake was wonderful and decadent.




Assorted Mini Desserts.  Noticed there was one piece “missing” on the far right?  Yeah, I ate it before I took the picture.  It was a crunchy coconut ball with a creamy coconut filling.  So good even after all these food that we’ve consumed. 


 
If you’re travelling to Louisiana and interested to dine at August, I suggest that you call and make a reservation ahead of time.  See more information below.

http://www.restaurantaugust.com/
301 Tchoupitoulas Street  New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 299-9777

Restaurant Review Disclaimer: uTry.it restaurant reviews are solely based on our experience at each restaurant we visit.   They were just our opinions.  uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to dine at these restaurants nor to write reviews.

Smoky Chocolate Almond Torte—With Pictorial

As the Holiday season fast approaching, we all can use a few potluck and gathering recipes, right?  Today, I have this excellent dessert recipe for you.  Not only it looks elegant and sophisticated, it tastes wonderful as well.  Best of all, you can make this torte ahead of time, so no stressing-out on the day you need to serve this dessert.  Shhh….I won’t tell it’s so easy to make.  Let your guests think you spend hours in the kitchen to pull this together.  You can use the hours you didn't spend to enjoy a cocktail or take a nap!  ahem….



This Smoky Chocolate Almond Torte might look complicated and involved a few steps.  But they are all quite simple steps to follow.  I'll show you in the step-by-step pictorial below. 



Before we go to the pictorial, I want to show you the different layers of this Smoky Chocolate Almond Torte (see picture right below).  First, you get the Almond Butter Swirls on top, contrasting the Dark Chocolate Garnache to create that beautiful pattern.  The next layer is the creamy Almond Butter mixed with Crunchy Smoke Almonds, I absolutely love that contrasting texture when you bite into it.  Of course, we can always use a little bit more Chocolate Chips in between.  Last but not least, the whole Torte is build on the crunchy and flaky Chocolate Crust. 



I’m telling you, each bite is heavenly.  Just make sure you get a little bit of everything all in one bite.  hm….It’s rich and decadent.  Definitely a treat for any chocolate lover.



Want to check out how I made it?  Come over to the kitchen with me.

1) Mix the chocolate crust ingredients in the stand mixer.  Wrap and chill the dough before rolling.  Line a clean surface with plastic wrap and lightly dust with flour. 

2) Line a clean surface with a large piece of plastic wrap, lightly dust the wrap with some flour. Place the dough on the wrap, lightly dust the top of the dough with more flour and cover the dough with another piece of plastic wrap. Roll the dough into a 7-by-16-inch rectangle. Remove the top plastic wrap and flip rolled dough onto a 4 1/2-by-14-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.

3) Gently press the dough into the pan. It’s okay of the dough tears, gently patch it back. Roll the rolling pin on top of tart pan to remove excess dough. Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.  Preheat oven to 350F degree. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weight. Bake for 20 minutes and lift the parchment paper to remove the weight.

4) Prick dough with a fork and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool on a wiring rack.  When the crust is cooled. Prepare the fillings.



5)  This is the almond butter that I used.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat the almond butter until fluid and runny, about 30 seconds
.
6) and 7) Pour onto cooled crust and smooth with the back of a spoon.

8) Sprinkle the almonds and chocolate chips on top and gently press them into the almond butter. Place the torte in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Meanwhile, prepare the ganache and swirls.



9) In a small sauce pan, heat the cream until simmer. Remove from heat and add the salt, coffee, dark chocolate and cayenne pepper.

10) Stir until smooth. Let the chocolate ganache sit for about 8 minutes to cool off.

11)  and 12) Then, pour the chocolate ganache onto the tart and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.




13) In a microwave safe bowl, heat the almond butter until runny, about 10 seconds. Fill a disposable pastry bag with the warmed almond butter and snip off the end of the bag.

14) Pipe the almond butter diagonally with zigzag lines across the torte.

15) and 16) With a toothpick, draw over the almond butter lines perpendicularly in a zigzag motion.  Refrigerate torte until set, about one hour. Cut into wedges and enjoy.



Pretty simple, right?  You’re actually just baking the crust and the rest are very simple to assemble.  I hope you’ll give this Smoky Chocolate Almond Torte a try.  It’s elegant enough to serve at dinner parties and simple enough to make on weekdays (yeah, that’s what I did).  Whether you’re the host of a party or an attendee, this Smoky Chocolate Almond Torte (and you) sure will be the crowd pleaser and get all the spot light if you share this with others.  Until next time, take care.

Panini with Pesto, Tomato and Brie—Lunch For One with Pictorial

Remember the homemade classic pesto recipe I shared with you not too long ago?  If you missed that recipe by any chance, no worry, just click here and you’ve got yourself covered.  Why?  Because today’s recipe involved some of that yummy homemade pesto.  Of course, you can buy store bought pesto.  But why?  When you can make Pesto that is a lot more delicious, with no preservative and costs just half the price, or less?  Did I mention that you can get the pesto done in less than 15 minutes too?  Oh yeah.  Now, I think you’ve got no reason not to make your own.



This post and recipe is part of the “Lunch for One” series.  As I promise to share with you quick and easy "Lunch for One" ideas form time to time.  If you haven’t done so, check out the other "Lunch for One" recipes as well after this post.  But today, let’s focus on this Panini with Pesto, Tomato and Brie!  As the weather is cooling off, I enjoy a hot sandwich a lot better than just a plate of salad.  Who doesn’t like gooey melted cheese and juicy tomatoes in between two slices of crispy and golden brown bread?   Plus, you can simply put anything in these awesome sandwiches that fit your mood, or whatever you need to clean out from the fridge.  I happened to have brie and some salami in the fridge so that’s what I used.  You can skip the salami and make it vegetarian or put deli sliced ham or prosciutto to create that salty-meaty bite. 



It’s super easy to make too, come follow me to the kitchen!  If you don’t have a Panini grill, no biggie, you can still make these on the stove top with a grill pan or non-stick frying pan. Here’s the pictorial.

1) Heat the Panini grill to medium-high heat.  My Panini grill have the red and green light to signal me when the grill pan is ready at the temperature I set.

2)  While the Panini grill is pre-heating, work on the ingredients.  I brush the outside of my sliced bread with extra virgin olive oil.  That adds nice flavor as well as helps the breads to get golden brown and crispy.

3) Flip the bread over and spread some pesto on the inside of the sliced bread.

4) Top with a thin slices of brie cheese on both sides. 



5) Top with sliced tomatoes on one side of the bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6) Top with a few slices of salami, or meat of your choice.

7) Cover with the other slice of bread.

8) Place the sandwich on the Panini grill at an angle and close the cover.  Grill until golden brown and crispy on the outside and cheese is melted and bubbly inside.



I simply cut my Panini diagonally into 4 triangles.  With a side salad, it’s enough to serve two for a light lunch.  Or, eat the whole sandwich yourself and don’t share.  It’s that good!  Hope you enjoy today’s recipe and lunch idea.  Until next time.  Take care and enjoy the cool weather. 

“Popping” Candy Pops—For Halloween—with Pictorial

Boo….are you ready for Halloween?  Honestly, I’m not quite ready.  But I guess my kids are, as well as some of my neighbors (a few blocks down the streets).   My kids already told me what they want to be this year.  And the other day when I drove by the neighborhood, I saw some houses already “fully” decorated for Halloween.  “Fully” means from roof top to the front yard.  Oh yeah, very festive.  When I saw that, I realized it’s time to post some Halloween crafts and recipes on my blog.  I’ve been wanted to get my hands on making some candy pops for a while.  And what better occasion than Halloween to indulge in some chocolates and candies, right?



Besides, I think one or two chocolate pops for my kids can “buy me some time” before I have to go costumes shopping with them.  I don’t know, I’m definitely a procrastinator in costumes shopping.  Are you?  Or are you the type who can’t wait for Halloween to be here?  Or even better, make your kids costumes yourself?  I always wish I know how to do that.  But you know me, I’m not crafty like that.



The other day I stopped by the market and saw these mini pumpkins (see picture below) and they were just so adorable not to bring some home.  So I did and thought it would be fun to have a little crafting fun with my kids.  So, I drew the Jack O Lantern's face on one so the kids can look at it as an example.  Then I let them each draw their own.



Boo…and this this what happened (see picture below).  hahaha…..I bet they both don’t have any crafting nor artistic genes in them, because I didn’t have any to pass on to them!  Sorry kiddos, Mama’s bad.  At least, my Baby Girl said it was fun.  On the other hand, my Little Boy kept “complaining” it’s too slippery to draw on the pumpkin.  So, can you guess who did the one on the left and who did the one on the right?



Anyhow, let’s get back to these super fun Popping Candy Pops!  I’m so glad the kids enjoyed these pops, at least.  I used some dark chocolate and white chocolate for these pops.  The orange ones were made with orange candy melts though. 



What made them “Popping” Candy Pops?  The Pop Rocks popping candies inside! So, when you bite into one, they start popping and cracking in your mouth.  Fun huh?  These Popping Candy Pops are definitely a treat and a trick all in one.  I wish I can show you my hubby’s face when he bite into one of these.  Sorry, I’m forbidden to post that video here on the blog. 



Want to learn how to make these Popping Candy Pops?  Come with me to the kitchen!

1) You need a candy mold, any shape that you like.  I picked a Halloween theme one, obviously.

2) Need some candy pop sticks.  Just make sure you get the length that fits into your mold.  They come in different sizes.

3) Some Pop Rocks popping candies.  I got Strawberry and Green Apple flavor ones.  Love those colors too. 

4) You need to melt some chocolate.  I used white chocolate chips (that’s what I have on hand),  dark chocolate (chopped), and orange candy melts.  Since we’re making quite a small amount, I melt them in the microwave instead of a double boiler.  Simple heat on high and stop to stir every 30 seconds until all chocolate are melted.



5) Since I only have 1 mold, I make these pops in batches.  With the white chocolate first.  Place a small amount of melted white chocolate in the cavities of the candy mold. Place the candy stick in the middle of the mold.

6) and 7) Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of popping candy into the middle of the melted chocolate.

8) Cover with more melted chocolate to fill the cavity of the candy mold.  I used a toothpick to help spread the chocolate for a better coverage.  Place in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes, or until chocolate harden.  Remove from mold and enjoy.



Easy right?  I think I love the dark chocolate ones the best.  These are so much fun and so decadent.  The white chocolate are pretty good too as the tartness from the popping candy inside contrast really well with the sweetness of the white chocolate.  You can definitely wrap these up in individual treat bags and give them out too.



What plans do you have for Halloween, if you are celebrating?  Do you usually take the kids to trick or treat in the neighborhood?  Do you go all out in decorating your house?  Or do you rather visit your neighbors and admire their works?  (I’m more of the later one, hehe…)  Whatever your plans are going to be, I wish you and your family a safe and Happy Halloween!  Stay sweet!