My holiday started off with a chilly morning parade and continued on for the Jensens' 2nd annual wine, chocolate and cheese luncheon! (Thanks to Mary and myself for starting this tradition!!!)
We picked out some delightful cheeses from Whole Foods, had some salami (i think...Rod would know what it was we ate!) *ha ha ha* sparkling white wine, lovely raspberry wine, dark chocolate and my first creation of the day, Pate a choux with Grand Marnier Mousseline, sandwiched with strawberry compote! yummmmmmm
If you'd like to try your hand at the mousseline, it is truly the best filling ever....use it on fruit, in pastries, on a brownie or heck, eat it with a bagel!!! (if you'd like to omit the alcohol, just add some OJ)
Grand Marnier Mousseline:
10 oz milk
zest of one orange
3 egg yolks
120gr sugar
25 gr cornstarch
115 gr butter, cut into small chunks
1.5- 3 oz Grand Marnier (depending on desired thickness)
1 tsp gelatin and 1 TB water
4 oz heavy cream
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let stand until ready to incorporate into the pastry cream.
Bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly pour a small amount of milk over it while whisking vigoursly (to temper your eggs and reduce curdling)Make sure all your ingredients incorporate smoothly and then continue to add the rest of the milk.
Return the whole thing over medium heat and cook until thick for about 5-10 minutes. (carefully watch it and stir, scraping bottom, with spoon, don't let it boil, and if you see lumps, take off heat right away)
Remove from the heat (if you're feeling nervous about curdling, just push through a mesh strainer into a bowl!) add the butter and the Grand Marnier. In a microwave, dissolve the gelatin for 15 seconds. Quickly mix into the pastry cream. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (make it touch the cream so it does not let a skin form on top) and refrigerate until cold.
Use as desired! Have fun!!!
Well, after the luncheon, it was too cold for pool time at the farm, so we went home and got ready for Steve's 4th of July party/BBQ. I had a ton of fun creating this next treat, a Raspberry Charlotte.
This cake is light but creamy with a mixture of textures. I hand-piped sponge cake batter into two rounds and a set of lady fingers, made a raspberry cream mousse and a hazelnut dacquoise for the center.
To assemble, line torte ring with ladyfingers brushed with a raspberry puree/sugar syrup mixture, lay down one sponge brushed with syrup, pipe in some raspberry mousse, layer dacquoise, and another sponge brushed with syrup, top with fresh raspberries, and finally finish with the rest of raspberry mousse. Let set for 2 hrs and top with a mixture of berries!
This is probably one of my favorite things so far this summer! :0) I just love creating new desserts and then, of course, trying a bite!
(PS-thank you to Rod and Mary for a lovely holiday, full of parades, LOTS of food, family and fun, and of course, no 4th is complete without our trip to the fireworks show!!)
Also to help you celebrate summer, I created a Box o' Fun chocolate assortment that features both Bejeweled and Hand-dipped Chocolates, for the best of both worlds.
And to sweeten the deal, every box size of this assortment is 15% off. So go ahead, indulge the last days of summer and let The Chocolate Season help you do it!!