Ringing In 2010 With Honey, Pear and Milk Chocolate Mousse Cakes

Happy New Year! Let's make 2010 a rocking year!

I truly hope that 2010 brings you the best in everything. Thank you for your support and visits in 2009. Blogging-wise, you made the year absolutely awesome early on and it has not stopped since. I plan to keep on providing you with a sweet escape this coming year, starting with these Honey, Pear and Milk Chocolate Mousse Cakes. We had them at Christmas and our friends asked for a replay tonight at dinner. My better half has to go play music and entertain the masses later on so we'll share one in the wee hours of the morning while making wishes and plans for the new year.

I am most happy and excited to ring in the new year. Bill and I are so over 2009 that we are literally jumping up and down at the promises that 2010 holds for all. I've been hesitant to reflect about the past year on this page for a few reasons. First, out of respect for our privacy but foremost because we all experience different kinds of difficulties and we all live them with different degrees of intensity. All I want to say is that 2009 was dubbed the year when "nothing is ever as it seems" as well as the year when "nothing worked as planned - sometimes it's even better". Like cake.

Before you ask, I must tell you that I don't make New Year's resolutions. Instead I do more and better what I usually do and twice as much what I need to be doing more of. I know, my logic is peculiar but this way I am constantly aware of doing things harder, better and stronger. Resolutions make me try. Doing makes me...do. Ha!

Some may see a puddle, some may see a pond, some may see an ocean. This year we kept trying to see a way to jump over. It didn't always worked. The first two thirds of the year left us worried, scared, broke. Never broken. For all the bad juju we experienced we knew that two was stronger than one. For all the hard decisions we took and raw discussions we had this year, we came out stronger. Better. At two, it's easier to see a way out or at least an easier way in.

2009 sure had a way to make itself hard to appreciate, well, at least up until the last third of it. It kind of made up for a lot of the "schtuff" and brings us into 2010 with lighter heads and hearts. The wonderful friendships and adventures I was able to forge and be part of are a beautiful example of it.

Having the continuous frienship and support of Jaden, Todd and Diane, Jen, Anita, Shauna, Tea and Tami is something I feel blessed and grateful for everyday. They heard it all, they know it all. They listened, advised and cheered me on. They made me laugh and made me focus. They were here without conditions and with the most honest of reasons. They are the definition of friendship.

There are quite a few things falling in the "nothing worked as planned - sometimes it's even better" category. For one, the economy left no one unscathed it seems, starting by my publishers. Indeed, after reading my book manuscript and seeing all of its potential, my publishing house realized that they would not have the means to do it justice and we decided to part ways. At first, it felt like the floor was falling from under me. Then I realized the favor they were actually doing me and the manuscript by pushing me to present to bigger and higher circles. It's still on my hard drive, and in the hands of savvy and gifted people. So, 2009 was not the year of my book. No big deal. I like the sound of 2010 better already.

One thing that made 2009 a lot less bitter and 2010 already an exciting year was to get hired to do the photography for someone else's cookbook! The shoot is planned for the first two weeks of February and there is a lot to prepare before that to be able to cook, style and photograph 6-7 recipes a day. I think Carrie has plans to create a side blog to her cookbook to give you snapshots, out takes and news bits. I'm excited at the possibility to completely lose my mind on this project as I am given the chance to passionately do what I am passionate about, ehehe...

Working full time as a food photographer and stylist for both print and web publications was the greatest thing to come out of 2009. Sometimes I am both, sometimes I am either or. It all depends on the gig. It's always fascinating to me to see how many projects I work on and how many actually see the light of print, but it's pretty much the norm. As long as I work and meet other creative minds, bring home the bacon and learn something, that's ok by me.

Now you see why, with 2009 being such a mixed bag of events that we are running toward 2010. So many good things happening that I haven't even mentioned yet. Indeed, I have plenty of surprises up my sleeves in 2010 but still ironing all the details...stay tuned!

We'll be sharing these Honey, Pear and Milk Chocolate Cakes with a glass of Champagne with our friends tonight and cheer on 2010 and the promises of a wonderful and sweet year ahead. (recipe after the jump).

BONNE ANNEE!

Honey, Peach and Milk Chocolate Mousse Cakes:

Makes four 3-inch cakes

Notes: I build these cakes in 3-inch wide entremet or mousse cake rings but you could build one single cake in a 8-inch round or 8x8-inch cake pan. Only the look will be different. Instead of using rhodoid to line the rings, (nothing against it, just did not have any on hand), I used a much less expensive medium: plastic proctector sheets (yes the ones used around the office to protect documents) and cut them to fit the inside of the rings.

For the lemon olive oil cakes:
1 cup (160gr) white rice flour
1/4 cup (40gr) sorghum flour
1/4 cup (30gr) tapioca starch
1 cup (200gr) sugar
1 tablespoon (14gr) baking powder
1/4 (1.5gr) teaspoon salt
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3-4)
3/4 (175ml) cup milk
1/4 cup (62.5ml) lemon juice
grated zest of one lemon
6 tablespoons (80gr) olive oil

For the mousse fillings:
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
7 Tablespoons (130gr water), divided
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup (170gr) honey
3/4 to 1 cup pear puree (I process 2-3 cut pears until finely pureed)
4 oz (120gr) milk chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Prepare the cakes:
Preheat oven to 300F and position a rack in the center.
In a bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients for the cake. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and the milk. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and slowly add in the egg white mixture while stirring with a whisk. Add lemon juice, zest and the olive oil. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean. Let cool and cut out four 3-inch rounds to fit your cake rings (extra cakes freeze well for up to 3 months). Line 4 cake rings with rhodoid or plastic sheets cut to fit and place your cake bases at the bottom. Place the rings on a baking tray and set aside.

Prepare the mousses:
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand while you prepare the pate a bombe.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or hand held beaters), beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Chill it while you prepare the mousse base. Wash your bowl and whisk attachment.
In a heavy saucepan, stir together 5 tablespoons of water and the honey. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Since you are not making caramel, it is ok to stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil and bring the mixture to 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage). Pour the syrup into a container with a spout (makes it easier to pour over the egg yolks)
In the clean bowl of your mixer, still using the whisk attachment, beat the yolks slightly to break them up. Increase the speed to medium high and slowly pour the hot syrup over the yolks. Go fast enough to prevent the eggs from scrambling but not so fast that you end up with most of the syrup on the wall of the bowl or the whisk. Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave for 10-12 seconds and quickly add it to the pate a bombe. Continue to whip until the mass is completely cold and airy.
Fold about one third of the pate a bombe base into the chilled whipped cream to loosen it up and make it easier to incorporate homogeneously. Fold in the remaining pate a bombe.

Assemble: Divide the mixture in three equal parts. Leave one plain (honey), carefully fold the pear puree into one part and carefully fold the melted milk chocolate into the last part. Spoon or pipe the honey mousse evenly over the four cake bases, top with the pear mousse and finish with the chocolate one. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight until set. The cakes will keep for 4-5 days well covered in your fridge or freeze up to three months.

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Les Truffes Au Chocolat - Dark Chocolate Truffles

I hope that you had a good holiday break, celebrating or just spending time relaxing, hopefully without pipes and heaters freezing on you because of a blizzard. Our holiday was quiet, loud, lovely and reflective all at once. Christmas wasn't anything huge or terribly fancy this year but we are lucky to have love and health, our couple and our families here and afar. It was filled with many heart warming and unexpected moments throughout the day, making it truly a wonderful time. And in my family, it's not Christmas without a batch of Truffes Au Chocolat. Really.

Seeing my nieces via webcam on Christmas Eve preparing for the "reveillon" twirling in their pretty new dresses, their hair held tight by shimmering headbands was a moment as delicious as cracking the crust of creme brulees. Watching my brother, their dad, the one who used to hide in my closet to scare me at night, this proud and gentle with his daughters was a moment to savour.


On Christmas day, I had a very much needed webcam moment with my mom. To prevent us from getting emotional, we had the toddler caroling for us but I know exactly what we were thinking about: my late brother and grandmother, reveillons dinners lasting until 3am, my uncles practical jokes, my grandmother's marzipan stuffed dates and making chocolate truffles.

Lots of you commented how much you liked learning about other people's cultures and traditions that may be completely different or somewhat similar than your own. I'm the same way. It makes the world go round really. I visited lots of blogs these past few days and like you, enjoyed reading about others' traditions or important moments. In my family, there is no Christmas without a good dose of chocolate and chocolate truffles to be exact. Wether we make, eat or give them.


Christmas preparations were always made between my grandmother and my mother around a cup of tea and a slice of cake. When I was six or so, I complained I had nothing to do, pulled out a magazine and told them I would make chocolate truffles, like the ones in the ad for Van Houten cocoa. I was actually secretely trying to find the source for the ones my grandmother's friend, Suzanne, used to make. They were so different than ours. Creamier, sweeter, richer.

Every year we would go from Aix to Paris to spend Christmas with my grandparents, and a visit to Suzanne and her husband was always on the agenda. I loved their small apartment beside the bicycle shop. It always smelled as if beef Bourguignon was on the stove. We would enter, quickly marvel at the tree and impatiently wait for Suzanne to get the big silver tin filled with chocolate truffles. One for each and two for our parents. Except my parents never saw any of them. The truffles never made it this far.


As years went by, many truffle recipes came between Suzanne's and me. She passed away, so did my grandmother. One day, I did find a scribbled piece of paper in my grandma's recipe box reading "Les truffes de Suzanne". My heart skipped a beat. The proportions seeemed right but there were no instructions. I know chocolate, I know truffling. "Can't be that hard" I thought. I got close but there always seemed to be something missing. I made five batches the week I found the recipe. Bill was a trooper and sampled them all, each time finding the new batch as good and decadent as the last.

After he sampled the last one, I plopped next to him on the sofa and mumbled "something's missing". That's when he pointed out the obvious. They were missing: Paulette, my grandmother and her pal Suzanne. Indeed, many things had changed since that time. Life had changed us but those memories also gave us the essence of who we were now as adults. He also was quick to say that I could stop my quest for that particular truffle recipe if I wished but he hoped I didn't while rubbing his belly in a facetious way.

This recipe for Truffes Au Chocolat is so far the closest I have gotten to Suzanne's and by the look on everyone's face the other day, I'm inclined to think it could be the best so far. I am not done tweaking it so who knows what next year's batch of truffles will bring...

Chocolate Truffles:

8 1/4 oz (250gr) bittersweet dark chocolate (chopped, broken, or chips)
1 stick (115gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1 cup (125gr) powdered sugar, unsifted
cocoa powder for dusting

Melt the chocolate in a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water (make sure that the bowl fits snuggly over the pot so that very little steam escapes). Stir occasionaly.
Remove from the heat and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Stir until completely incorporated. Add the egg yolks and powdered sugar whisking until the batter is smooth.
Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
When ready to roll, scoop out balls of ganache with a spoon, roll them in between your palms fairly quickly and set them on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, roll them in the cocoa powder and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
Yields 35 to 45 truffles, depending on size.

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Wishing You The Sweetest Of Holidays!

In the midst of all the Christmas preparations in our kitchen and I am sure in yours, I wanted to take the time to wish you a very Merry Christmas and plenty of joy and happiness this holiday season.

In my family we celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with two big dinners. In B's family, it's only Christmas Day. His is small-ish, mine is big. Huge actually. Nowadays, we are doing a bit of both even if I am not home and he indulges me in some of my traditions, like the Provencal 13 desserts and listening to "La Pastorale des Santons de Provence". Yes, baby Jesus was born in Provence and his parents spoke with the accent. You didn't know?! No Christmas is complete without it and in the 30 something years I have been around, I have had plenty of time to learn each character by heart.

Until my grandmother passed away, Christmas Eve dinner was held at my grandparents' house after church and we would go *all* out. Christmas Day's traditions were a bit more low key as it was the "in-laws" day, meaning my uncles and ant would go visit their in laws during the day and come back for dinner. Those who were without in-laws would make their way to my parents' house for lunch for macaroni, butter, parmesan and a plate of charcuterie. Came 8pm and we would have a Christmas Day dinner usually revolving around a buffet of regional delicacies.

One of our holiday traditions is to make a visit to our favorite chocolatiers, "Les Chocolats Colas" in the town of Maule. True chocolate artists making the most intricate as well as delicious chocolate creations. We usually get a few pieces to take home but we really go there for their chocolat chaud. More like ganache chaude really. Indeed, the chocolate is so rich and so thick that it is served in small espresso cups. Trust me, that is plenty. Strong, spiced just right and silky all the way down to your toes.

As part of my holiday rituals of listening to La Pastorale while baking, I always make sure to fix us a batch of hot chocolate albeit a little lighter than the one we have at the Colas chocolate shop when we go home. B. likes to have a handful of marshmallows in his hot chocolate but I really find store bought ones to be tasteless and gritty. Ok, so they can be gooey mess, marshmallows are so easy to make at home, it's worth it trying them at least once.

Both recipes for our favorite creamy and rich hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows after the bump.

Tonight's dinner will be with some of our closest friends around some French regional delicacies. Low key, reflective and quiet. Just what I like.

Thank you for your readership throughout the years. You cry and laugh with me and everytime I come here and spill some goodies, I feel like having coffee with some good friends. Thank you!

Hot Chocolate:
6 oz (180gr) semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
pinch of ground cloves

Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and slowly pour the hot liquid over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 2 minutes then slowly whisk the mixture until completely smooth. add the spices, stir and serve with the marshmallows.

Vanilla Marshmallows:
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1/4 cup (60ml) light corn syrup
3/4 cup (170 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 whole vanilla bean, split open and seeded
cornstarch

Line a 8X8 baking pan with plastic wrap. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with some cornstarch, shake the excess off.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites. Add the vanilla seeds and continue whipping until stiff. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and let set 24 hours at room temperature. Unmold and cut squares with a hot knife.

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Poached Pear And Almond Fallen Souffle Cakes

All weekend long I kept hearing about the snow falling down, heavy and thick in some places, watery and clumpy in some others. Friends here were making hot cocoa and shoveling driveways. My parents back home in France were describing the park in our village as wearing a light dusting of snowflakes. Here, we started to wonder if we would spend Christmas day in shorts like we did last year. Probably not but neither Bill nor I have put on coats yet this year. Indeed, we finally had signs of Fall. In December.

I have long understood that the South beats to a different rythm. It's in the air. Literally. It suits my personality just fine. Winter breeze at 5am and reddish-brown leaves still falling, blanketing the yard by 5pm. Winter citrus sharing shelf space with Fall pears and apples at the market. I just felt compelled to fill my basket with the juiciest mini d'Anjour pears I could find, go home and make these gluten free Poached Pear and Almond Fallen Souffle Cakes.

One thing I have inherited from my mother and grandmother (beside the all-in-or-nothing temperament) is their love for poaching fruits in the colder month and using them in all sorts of desserts. I don't really care what the thermometer reads outside lately. I am a bit homesick. It's the holidays. I'm poaching. As I told Bill "French Christmas carols and lots of poached fruits - deal with it!". His eyes lit up and he replied "let me pull out some pillows and we can cozy up and you can tell me all about all the Christmases of your childhood." Love that man.

Fo us, one of the many joys of being in a relationship is to share just about everything. Even a bad cold. I don't mind having a cold. I do mind when it hovers between cold and flu with fever, aches and chills but without knocking you down completely. This thing we have been sharing back and forth has been lowering all our levels by 40%-50% or so. It angers the bejesus out of me. Especially a few days before Christmas when there is still a ton to get done and lots of friends to see. But as we sat down with a cup of ginger tea and a warm pear and almond cake, we felt instantaneously better, warmer and happier.

I did convert the recipe to be gluten free to work with my diagnosis (yes, I know, research is still out on that one but I see the rewards of going gluten free and almost sodium free and that's good enough for me) and I snuck in a whole poached pear instead of a half like my grandmother used to do. However, I know it wasn't the reason why they rose as high and fell as quick as souffles.

We then changed their names too. The original was more of a scribble on a piece of paper from Mamie reading "Gateaux Amandes et Poires Pochees. Faites attention, ils degringolent" which could be translated as "Almond and Poached Pear Cakes. Watch out, they tumble down". And she was absolutely right. Hence B. felt compelled to rename them - he's a stickler that way, ahah!

Whichever name you choose, all I know is that they are the perfect cross between a souffle, a cake and a custard. That for a brief moment they stopped my coughing and sneezing and that "Douce Nuit Sainte Nuit" never sounded more beautiful.

That is good enough for me...

Poached Pear And Almond Fallen Souffle Cakes:

Makes 6

Note: you can core the pears from the bottom to about 1 inch from the top with an apple corer but these are so tiny that I just removed the stem button at the bottom. Everything else in the core baked to very soft texture and the seeds were easy to remove while eating (kind of like tails on baked shrimp).

For the poached pears:
6 mini d'Anjou pears, peeled (or other small pears like Forelles or Seckel)
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2-3 cloves
2-3 cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
5-6 allspice berries
1-2 star anise
1/2 lemon
4 cups (1 liter) water

For the cakes:
3 tablespoons (40gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (190ml) heavy cream
1 cup ground almonds (blanched or skin on - your preference)
1/4 cup (40gr) sorghum flour (or use 1/4 cup all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder

Prepare the pears:
Place the pears, spices, lemon and water in tall saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmerfor 15-20 minutes or until the pears are just soft (poke with a toothpick to check).
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on paper towel or baking rack.

Prepare the cakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle.
Slightly butter or spray 6 ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In the bowl if an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffly (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one a time and beat well in between each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, heavy cream, almonds, flour and baking powder and beat until incorporated. Fill each ramekins about 1/3 full with the batter and place a poached pear in the center.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

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Yuzu Cremes Brulees

If you were to visit our house right now, you'd be wondering if Christmas is really just a a week away. Oh, we have a small tree up in the living room but that's about it. No present wrapped up underneath and a few of Christmas decorations here and there in the house. We have gifts almost all ready to go for everyone but we can't leave them out since they are of the edible kind. The pupps have a tendency to get in trouble with bows and ornaments!

I like the feeling of turning the kitchen and dining room into some Santa's Edible Gift Workshop. The oven is on all the time, boxes, papers and ribbons cover most of the table. I also appreciate putting my feet up and taking in the spirit of the holidays by digging my spoon into of these Yuzu Cremes Brulees.

I could feel sad that we are not going home this year for the holidays but I don't. We are grateful to be busy at work with little time to think about being away from the rest of the family. B's family has always made me feel loved as their own, especially during big holidays. Some friends drop by for tea and cookies and some friends send goodies like Todd and Diane gifting me with a precious delivery of fresh yuzu for Christmas.

When they sent some Calamansi limes they also included three little yuzu fruits. I guess they heard me sigh "more please!" all the way to California and sent more. The first three yuzus yielded enough juice to make two doll house sized yuzu curd tarts. We ate them as soon as they came out of the oven and I never got the chance to take pictures. I got this new box the same day B. was asking me for creme brulees. In the 12 years we have been together I have never figured this out: every year around Christmas, he asks for cremes brulees. He's not picky mind you, any flavor will do and he loves trying new things. Hence, some of the yuzu fruits ended up being used for custards.

If you have never had yuzu, think of it as the Rolls Royce of citrus fruit. Every time I am lucky to get some, I can't help but feel like I am holding a clementine sized grapefruit cloaked as a lemon, fragrant like Meyer lemons, seedy like a mandarine and as easy to peel as a tangerine. See what I mean...

Just as I hold yuzu in high regards, B. gives cremes brulees close to a royalty status around here. Hence it seemed fitting to combine both in one dessert. Todd and Diane sent me two types, yuzu and Kabosu and the latter were perfect to impart as much flavor as possible to the custards. They have more juice, less seeds and rind than yuzu. I zested the Kabosu, pureed the flesh (minus the seeds) and threw all this in the cream base of the brulees, much like as if I were using vanilla. I also let the batter steep overnight in the fridge, exactly as I do with straight vanilla bean creme brulee.

I was worried B. would frown but he asked for seconds and declared these the best ones he's had so far. Believe me when I say, he has many years of Creme Brulee research attached to his resume! And they are gluten free which is perfect for me as I can eat my share too!

Thank you to all of you participating in Menu for Hope, either as item donors or item bidders, or both. You guys are awesome. Check the progress of the fundraising here and keep spreading the word! Thanks!

Yuzu Creme Brulees:

Makes 6-8

Note: Since yuzu isn't the easiest thing to find, I've come up with a concoction to get pretty close to the taste. I am still experimenting but so far the following has been very promising: juice and zest of one lemon, zest of one mandarine and enough grapefruit flesh to take the whole mixture to about 1/3 cup.

Creme brulees are easy to make and require few ingredients. They are however considered royalty because they need to be handled properly to achieve the right texture. They should be smooth all the way through and once caramelized on top, they should have 3 levels of temperature from top-hot to middle-warm to bottom-cold. I say "should" because let's face it, the creme brulees police isn't going to come after you if they are not what a red-faced angry French chef would expect "perfect". (talking from experience, believe me). Anyways...

For the creme brulee filling:

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 cups heavy cream
3 yuzu, zested and pureed to get about 1/3 cup pulp/juice

For the sugar crust:
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (50gr to 100gr)

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick (3-4 minutes). Reserve.
In the meantime, place the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to asimmer. Add the citrus mixture.
When the cream is hot, slowly pour it over the reserved egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to bake:
Preheat the oven to 350F (325F if using convection). Place 6-8 ramekins (depending on size) in a deep baking pan. Set aside.
Strain the mixture into a 3-4 cup measuring container, preferably with a spout as it makes it much easier to pour. Discard the yuzu or citrus mixture. Pour into the ramekins until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the rim
Place the baking pan in the oven and pour enough hot water to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing the ramekins from the pan.
Refrigerate until completely cold. When ready to serve, sprinkle each creme brulees with 1 tablespoon sugar and caramelize the tops with a blow torch (or use the broiler in your oven on high - the results are not quite the same though).

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