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chocolate, Christmas, cookbook, Desserts, entertaining, gluten-free, holiday

Holiday Dessert: Chocolate Terrine with Orange Crème Anglaise

December 19, 2010December 29, 2020by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

Chocolate Terrine with Orange Crème Anglaise is most worthy of the holiday table. Not only is it appropriately elegant and sinfully rich, it may be prepared up to 3 days in advance, allowing you to get on with your Christmas shopping and preparations for house guests.

Also known as a Marquis au Chocolat, this popular French dessert is like eating a truffle in the form of a brick. I first made this recipe as a finale to a cheese fondue party, when I wanted a simple yet rich chocolate dessert with a French twist. I scoured my cookbooks and found inspiration in a recipe for Marquis au Chocolat by Thomas Keller in the Bouchon Cookbook. I paired the chocolate with orange which proved to be a match made in heaven. Slivers of dark chocolate nestled in a pool of cool orange-infused crème anglaise, studded with Gran Marnier macerated fruit. Not only did the orange add a bejeweled touch, its citrus notes brightened the chocolate, elevating this classic to celebratory status, befitting the holiday table.

Chocolate Terrine with Orange Crème Anglaise and Gran Marnier Oranges
Adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Cookbook

Serves 10 to 12

Chocolate Terrine:
Canola oil
12 ounces (350 g) 70% dark chocolate
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated
4 large egg yolks
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1. Lightly oil a 1 1/2 quart terrine mold or loaf pan. Line the mold with plastic wrap.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Add 8 egg yolks to the cooled chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa and stir into the chocolate mixture.
3. Beat cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate until use.
4. Clean the mixing bowl and then beat the egg whites with the 2 teaspoons sugar until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into the terrine mold and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. (Terrine may be prepared up to 2 days in advance.)

Orange Crème Anglaise:
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
2 teaspoons finely grated untreated orange zest
5 large egg yolks

1. Combine the cream, milk, 4 tablespoons sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and the orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse.
2. Whisk egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl until thick and light in color. Whisking constantly, pour one-third of the cream mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes. (To check if done, run a finger down the back of the wooden spoon. The line should remain clearly intact without the custard running.)
3. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water. Cool the custard, stirring occasionally. When completely cool, pour into a container. Place plastic wrap over the surface of custard. Cover the container and refrigerate until use. (The custard may be prepared up to 2 days in advance.)

Gran Marnier Oranges:
2 navel oranges
2 to 3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur, such as Gran Marnier or Cointreau
1 teaspoon sugar

Cut away the peel and pith of the oranges with a knife. Slice the oranges crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out the orange segments and place in a bowl. Add the Gran Marnier and sugar and stir to combine. Let stand at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. (Cover and refrigerate until use.)

To serve:
Remove the terrine from mold. Run a knife under hot water and wipe dry. Slice the terrine in 1/4-inch slices. Arrange 1 to 2 slices on a plate. Drizzle the Orange Crème Anglaise around the terrine. Serve garnished with Gran Marnier Oranges.

chocolate, Desserts, entertaining, Fruit, gluten-free

Dessert for a Crowd: Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries and Cream

June 9, 2010February 27, 2019by Lynda Balslev3 Comments

What do you do when you have a small dinner party planned, and, suddenly, it takes on a life of its own and doubles in size? When your vision of an intimate evening of food and wine shared with a few friends, becomes an exponential math exercise as your gathering grows – and grows? In our home, where the motto “the more the merrier” is put into action more often than not, it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve.

First and foremost, do not panic. Second, if you had inspired ambitions of executing an intricate, multi-coursed, hands-on menu with expensive ingredients, you might want to file it for a later date. The key is to keep things simple, get organized and create a menu that enables significant advance preparation. Typically, I am cooking as much, if not more, the day before a party. Many dishes can sit 24 hours, and some actually improve with sitting. Meats can (and often should) marinate overnight. Dips, sauces, dressings, and some cold salads can be prepared a day in advance. (Fresh greens and herbs can be added at the last minute, as these can morph into less vibrant versions of themselves after a day in the refrigerator.) Set the table the night before. And, by all means, choose a dessert that can be made at least one day in advance.

I have several fall-back party desserts that I rely on to feed a crowd which can be easily made in advance. A favorite is chocolate mousse. It’s elegant, simple, versatile and a crowd-pleaser. I like to prepare the mousse with 70% dark chocolate, which makes for a denser, more intense mousse. Its richness begs for smaller portions which makes it easy to spread out among extra guests. It can be simple and plain for a casual event, or dressed up with a liqueur, such as Cointreau or Framboise, for a fancier event. In the summertime, I add raspberries and cream to showcase the berry season, while in the winter some candied orange peel adds a festive touch. Choose a creative way to present the mousse; I use small glass votives that showcase the mousse and its garnishes. 24 glasses can fill a tray which makes a wonderful presentation when passed around.

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries and Cream
This recipe may easily be doubled – Makes 12 small servings.

For the chocolate mousse:
2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces (150 grams) 70% dark chocolate

For the raspberry coulis:
8 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar

For the whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sifted powder sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Grated dark chocolate, for garnish

Make the chocolate mousse:
1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. While the chocolate is melting, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a nonreactive bowl.
2. Heat 3/4 cup cream in a heavy saucepan until hot; do not bring to a boil. Add the hot cream to the egg yolks in a steady stream, whisking to combine. Pour the mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve and stir in the vanilla. Whisk custard into the chocolate until smooth, and then cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until thoroughly combined.
4. Spoon mousse into serving glasses or bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Make the raspberry coulis:
Combine the raspberries and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring and mashing the raspberries with a fork, until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. (Raspberry coulis can be made one day in advance and refrigerated until use.)

Make the whipped cream:
Beat the cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until thickened and traces of the mixer are visible. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form. ( The cream can be made 3 hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until needed.)

To serve:
Spoon a small layer of raspberry coulis over the mousse and spread evenly to cover. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a fresh raspberry and grated chocolate.

chocolate, Desserts

Ad Hoc Brownies (ad hoc)

March 8, 2010August 4, 2014by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

When it comes to certain recipes, I don’t mess with them. Take my favorite brownie recipe. It has withstood the passage of time with little modification. When we moved from country to country gentle tweaks were made along the way to adjust to the availability of different ingredients. In Switzerland I used Lindt chocolate, while in England I used Green and Black’s, and in Denmark I used, er, Swiss chocolate. Yet, ultimately, the recipe has remained the same, resulting in a dense, dark chocolate brownie, best eaten in small bites and always a crowd pleaser.

However, this weekend I had an urge to buck tradition and experiment with a new brownie recipe. I came upon Thomas Keller’s recipe for chocolate brownies in the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook. It sounded great, promising brownies sufficiently chocolate-y and not too cakey. They were not so different from my own, and, better yet, created by Thomas Keller. I just had to make them and immediately dove in. My spontaneity got the best of me, though, as I measured out the ingredients, and discovered that I lacked all of the cocoa called for in the recipe. It was too late to turn back. Butter was melting, and by then my guard was down – I was seriously craving chocolate. I would have to make a few adjustments in order to continue on. Yes, I had to tweak Mr. Keller’s recipe and make his Ad Hoc brownies … ad hoc.

The results were delicious – sweeter than my recipe, and fudgy with the surprising crunch of chocolate chips. I added a bar of 85% Lindt chocolate to replace the missing cocoa, and melted it with the butter, so I am sure my brownies differed in consistency from Mr. Keller’s, but they were good nonetheless. And the best part? I still get to try to make the Ad Hoc brownies at home.

Chocolate Brownies

Modified from the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook – makes about 24

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 lb. unsalted butter
3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate (72%-85%), broken in pieces
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.) Butter a 9″ square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment and butter parchment. Dust pan with flour or unsweetened cocoa, shaking out excess. Sift flour, cocoa and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and 3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate together in a double boiler or bowl over barely simmering water. (Do not let bowl touch the water.)
Mix eggs and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add 1/3 dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add 1/3 butter and mix to combine. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until set and knife comes clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut in 1 1/2″ squares.

chocolate, Desserts, England

Chocolate Rum Raisin Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce

February 22, 2010August 1, 2014by Lynda Balslev5 Comments

Ten years ago, before we moved to Denmark, we lived in England. We moved there from Geneva with our children, a toddler and infant at the time. It was an exciting move, because we were leaving the francophone environment of Suisse Romande and immersing ourselves in the relief of all-things-English. While I’ve written about that experience on previous posts, this post is specifically about my discovery of English bread pudding.

After a brief rental experience outside of London, we moved to the West Sussex countryside where we bought a feng-shui challenged barn conversion on a long country lane with distant views to the Isle of Wight. Our nearest neighbors lived a half mile away. Goodness knows what we were thinking when we bought this lovely but incredibly remote property. It would have been an extremely isolating experience save for our nearest neighbors who kindly took us under their wing. We became good friends over many meals which we took turns preparing on our AGAs. (No self-respecting provincial UK home would be complete without an AGA.)

One of the first meals our neighbors prepared for us ended with a chocolate bread pudding. Never a fan, I was dubious at first, but with one bite I was hooked. Crunchy on top, squidgy in the middle and blanketed with double cream, this was dense, rich and fudgy – nothing like what I expected. Since then I have dabbled with iterations of this dessert, taking inspiration from my neighbor and Delia Smith (Britain’s Ina Garten), while tweaking with raisins, rum and cinnamon to suit my taste.

Chocolate Rum Raisin Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce
Serves 6

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup dark rum, divided
1 – 10″ loaf French-style bread, crusts removed, sliced 1/2″ thick
6 oz. (180 g.) dark (70-72%) chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs

For the rum sauce:
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine raisins and 2 tablespoons rum in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Lightly butter a 9″ square baking pan. Slice bread slices in half on the diagonal. Set aside.

Combine all the remaining pudding ingredients, except the eggs, in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water.) Stir until the chocolate and butter melt and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and gently stir to combine well.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add the chocolate to the eggs, mixing to combine well. Pour enough chocolate into the baking pan to leave a 1/4″coating on the bottom of the pan. SPrinkle half the raisins over the chocolate. Arrange half the bread slices over the raisins, lightly overlapping the slices in a scalloped pattern. Pour half the remaining chocolate over the bread. Sprinkle remaining raisins over chocolate. Top with remaining bread slices, overlapping. Pour remaining chocolate chocolate over the top of the pudding, thoroughly covering bread. Gently press bread down into chocolate. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.

Remove pudding from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. PReheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.) Bake until the top is crunchy and the inside is very soft, 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve with Spiced Rum Sauce.

Spiced Rum Sauce
Makes about 2 cups.

2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cornstarch to cream, whisking constantly, and simmer until cream begins to thicken. Stir in sugar, rum and cinnamon. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

chocolate, Desserts, gluten-free

Sinfully Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake

February 12, 2010August 1, 2014by Lynda Balslev7 Comments

Short of intravenous therapy, flourless chocolate cake is one of the most intense forms of chocolate consumption you will experience. This decadent cake consists of dark high-quality chocolate held together with butter and eggs, resulting in a dense truffle-like torte. The beauty of the cake lies in the quality its few ingredients. Choose a dark (70-75%) chocolate such as Valrhona or Lindt and a good European-style butter such as Plugra or Lurpak. You will be rewarded with a rich and dreamy chocolate experience, that will leave your tastebuds swooning.

Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Serves 12

For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
12 ounces dark chocolate, broken in pieces
1 cup granulated/caster sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the coulis:
16 ounces frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar

Whipped cream

To make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Whisk sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla. Add chocolate and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until set and top begins to crack, about 45 minutes. (The center will still be moist.) Cool cake completely on rack. Remove pan side. (Can be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

For coulis:
Stir frozen raspberries and sugar in pan over medium-low heat until raspberries thaw and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Pass raspberries through fine-meshed sieve to separate seeds from coulis. Discard seeds. (Coulis may be made one day in advance. Store in airtight container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
To assemble, place cake on a large plate and sprinkle with sifted icing sugar. Serve with raspberry coulis and whipped cream.

chocolate, Cookies, Desserts

Bake Sale #7 – Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

February 9, 2009June 19, 2014by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

Or is it #8? If you have school-age children, you know what I am talking about. Every year a rite of school year passage involves a bake sale, or two, or ten. I find myself baking throughout the school year to raise money for field trips, dances, class parties and charities. Over the years I have learned a few lessons. For instance, 5 year-olds are not as fond of rich dark chocolate as adults. Or that the term “healthy” really isn’t appropriate or welcome at a bake sale, despite maternal instict. Or that there is an alarming number of peanut allergies in the U.S. (interestingly, far more so than in Europe), with these allergies resulting in schoolwide nut-free policies as locked down as a demilitarized zone. And, finally, if not most importantly: Size does matter. So, after my earlier laughable attempts at flourless-triple-dark-chocolate-truffles, carrot cakes packed with grains, dried fruit, flax and wheat bran, or (even worse) anything containing peanut-butter, I am now a seasoned, if not broken, bake sale contributor.

My latest contribution is a batch of Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Catering to the discerning audience of my children’s primary and middle school, I took a basic chcolate chip cookie and ramped it up a bit, adding white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. After all, as the bake sale motto goes, less is not more – and if you inadvertently dump an entire container of psychedelic candy sprinkles over your creation, all the better.

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 16 if size matters

8 oz. (1/2 lb. or 225 g.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale in color, light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix well to combine. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
Sift flour, salt and baking soda together in a mixing bowl. Add to batter and stir to combine well. Mix in oats. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Drop spoonfuls of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool on rack.