Rosie is entering a contest!
Please check out a new blog,
Dessert Wars,
created by Reeni of
Cinnamon Spice And Everything Nice blogdom
with her friend Christine of The Cupcake Bandits blogdom.
These lovely ladies are sponsoring a dessert challenge.
Every month this year.
Rosie is chomping at the bit.
Here's January's challenge:
The theme of the month is ...
Go Nuts Using Nutella.
I think I can take on Nutella.
(Nutella's website on above link.)
And as noted in the Rules,
I need to post a list of the prizes:
-Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract
-Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits
-$50 Gift Certificate to Theme Kitchen
-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Valley Products
-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Prairie Products
I made a Molten Nutella Truffle Chocolate Lava Cake
with strawberries, toasted hazelnuts, powdered sugar,
creme Anglaise, and
a sweetened vanilla creme fraiche.
Click right there on the red link
to see my entry on Dessert Wars.
The lovely part of this
is when you slice into the chocolate cake
and the molten Nutella Truffle oozes out.
That's my favorite part.
Shall we start with the Nutella Truffles?
Ingredients for my Nutella Truffles:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 TB butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup Nutella
In a double boiler, melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in the cream. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese and the Nutella. Chill for 1-2 hours. Roll into balls. Keep refrigerated until ready to place into the cakes. For Nutella Truffles on the side, roll in toasted hazelnuts.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 TB butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup Nutella
In a double boiler, melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in the cream. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese and the Nutella. Chill for 1-2 hours. Roll into balls. Keep refrigerated until ready to place into the cakes. For Nutella Truffles on the side, roll in toasted hazelnuts.
Now, on to the my little chocolate cakes.
Here's my mise en place for
6 individual chocolate cakes:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
And forget that there's a 1/4 cup of heavy cream up there.
That was for the Nutella Truffles and for some reason (stupidity?) I left it in the mise. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 6 5-ounce ramekins. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate and stick of butter in double boiler. Whisk to blend. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, beat eggs and yolks. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add in vanilla and continue beating, until light-colored and light. Fold melted chocolate and flour and baking powder mixture alternatively into egg mixture in about 3 additions. Ladle into ramekins. Place a Nutella Truffle ball in the middle of each ramekin. Bake for 15- 17 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin and invert onto a plate. Garnish with strawberries, toasted hazelnuts, powdered sugar, Creme Anglaise, and Creme Fraiche with sugar and vanilla. For my chocolate cakes:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
And forget that there's a 1/4 cup of heavy cream up there.
That was for the Nutella Truffles and for some reason (stupidity?) I left it in the mise. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 6 5-ounce ramekins. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate and stick of butter in double boiler. Whisk to blend. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, beat eggs and yolks. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add in vanilla and continue beating, until light-colored and light. Fold melted chocolate and flour and baking powder mixture alternatively into egg mixture in about 3 additions. Ladle into ramekins. Place a Nutella Truffle ball in the middle of each ramekin. Bake for 15- 17 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin and invert onto a plate. Garnish with strawberries, toasted hazelnuts, powdered sugar, Creme Anglaise, and Creme Fraiche with sugar and vanilla. For my chocolate cakes:
I had previously made the Creme Fraiche.
Add in a tablespoon of buttermilk.
Stir.
Cover with a paper towel
and let sit at room temperature overnight.
The next morning,
stir,
cover with plastic wrap touching the surface,
and refrigerate.
As is,
this can be used in place of sour cream.
And it's much nicer than sour cream.
Richer.
Better flavors.
Creme fraiche is multi-dimensional.
It has depth.
Store-bought sour cream is just that
and nothing more.
One should make their own creme fraiche
and discern this for one's self.
I wanted a slightly sweet, tart version of Creme Fraiche,
so I used 1/4 cup of the Creme Fraiche,
about a tablespoon of sugar,
and a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Creme Anglaise,
also, previously made.
My mise en place for Creme Anglaise:
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
Combine the milk, cream, and
split and scraped vanilla pod and seeds.
Cook over low/moderate heat
just until small bubbles form around the rim.
About 5-6 minutes.
In another bowl beat the egg yolks
and gradually beat in sugar.
Whisk in half of the hot cream mixture,
very slowly,
in a thin stream.
You do not want scrambled eggs,
so go slow (ly).
Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan
and cook over moderate heat,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon,
until mixture thickens,
about 4-5 minutes.
It will coat the spoon.
This is heaven on a spoon.
Slowly stream in half of hot cream mixture
into egg/sugar mixture,
beating away.
Remember:
NO scrambled eggs, please.
Thin stream.
Beat constantly.
Add beaten mixture back to pan.
Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon,
until thickened.
About 5 minutes.
To plate:
Invert a chocolate cake onto the plate.
Slice some strawberries
and fan out.
Sprinkle toasted hazelnuts,
and give a dusting of powdered sugar.
Perhaps you might want to top it
with a chilled Nutella Truffle rolled in toasted hazelnuts.
Drizzle with creme Anglaise
and sweet vanilla creme fraiche.
16 comments:
Wow, can I just say that you are fantastic making a dessert like this. Every component of it looks like it was made by a 5-star restaurant. I'm sure all your hard work paid off when you finally got to devour this masterpiece. I'm starting a new linky on my blog called "Sweets for a Saturday" and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link this up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweets-for-saturday-1_21.html
That looks amazing and I love molten cakes. They are divine!! I would love for you to come check me out.
thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com
AHH. What a decadent dessert! I love your step by step photos!
Drop by my blog if you have time(:
http://dailydosesofsugar.blogspot.com/
Those really do look so good and fancy. I love lava cakes and might have to add this one to my collection!
I have no words to describe the beauty of this dessert. Sumptuous is the only thing that comes to mind!
Wow....I gotta give this a try real soon. I'm a big fan for Nutella ans molten cake! How wonderful to combine these 2 together! :P
I'm having the very first GIVEAWAY on my blog. Please stop by to submit an entry. Good Luck.
http://utry.it/2011/01/happy-birthday-to-meand-very-first.html
wow this just looks dangerously good! going to have to make this for a special dessert one night
glad I found your blog
Pop by mine anytime
Kris
That looks really professional.. love the procedure and the explanation.. u are truly a master chef :)
You had me at Nutella! Looks just divine! I'll have to try this one for sure.
Thanks so much for linking up with Sweets for a Saturday. I truly appreciate the support. I hope you'll be able to join in again next week. By that time I'll have a cute button that you can grab and add to your post.
Be still my heart
This is a work of art Rosie! I just wish taste testing was part of my job! Thanks for entering Dessert Wars!
Rosie that looks sooo good... I could lick the screen! Good luck in the competition!
YUM! These look *amazing* :) Happy World Nutella Day!
Oh my word....those cakes look heavenly!! Tnx so much for sharing this delicious looking recipe...i'm gonna have to try this out some time... :)
Wow that looks amazing, great job!
Post a Comment