It’s That Time Of Year

It’s that time of year when the world falls in love… ❤
It’s that time of year when the world falls in love…with food too. And definitely with something like frosted fruit and chocolate baskets. This is a special dessert for a special moment. You choose the moment. Or me, it doesn’t matter. In fact, if I think of it, all the moments are special so yeah, have it this everyday if you want. I amuse myself now as I think you will tell to your special someone in your life, one hot summer day, ‘Let’s have frosted fruit…’ To cool yourself down or not. Is it hot here or it is just me… kidding.

Now, about the serious stuff. I got the recipe from a 2005 Somerfield Magazine and loved it all the way. Thank you for reading, now it is time to get back to work. See you soon.

Frosted Fruit and Chocolate Baskets

Serves 4

Preparation time: 35 minutes (plus chilling time to set)

Ingredients:

• 200 g (7 oz) Belgian plain chocolate
• 115 (4 oz) mascarpone cheese
• 115 (4 oz) Greek style yogurt
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) brandy
• 55 g (2 oz) cranberries (if you can’t find fresh fruits, try frozen ones)
• 55 g (2 oz) raspberries
• 55 g (2 oz) blueberries
• 1 clementine
• granulated sugar to sprinkle
• non-stick baking parchment

Method:

• Cut four 18 cm (7 in) squares of non-stick baking parchment and mould each firmly around a small dish or jar to make a flat base in the center. Place each in a small dish to support the sides.
• Break up the chocolate and heat gently until melted in a bowl over a pan of hot, not boiling, water. Spoon a large spoonful of chocolate into each paper mould and use a small paintbrush to spread the chocolate up the sides, making a jagged edge. It is best to spread the chocolate evenly and fairly thickly or it will break very easily when you remove the paper. Chill in the refrigerator to cool.
• Mix together the mascarpone, yogurt, brandy and 15 ml (1 tbsp) icing sugar. Carefully remove the paper from the chocolate baskets and spoon the mascarpone filling into the baskets.
• Moisten the fruit very lightly with a little water and sprinkle with granulated sugar to ‘frost’. Arrange the fruits on top of the baskets and sprinkle with the remaining icing sugar (sifted). Decorate with frosted rosemary or mint sprigs.

Bon appetite!

A-nceput de ieri sa cada…

Cate-un fulg… si a tot cazut, peste cosulete de ciocolata. Craciun fericit! Azi m-am gandit sa te indulcesc cu ceva special de iarna si in acelasi timp o desfatare pentru ochi. Sunt foarte incantata si imi face pofta sa incerc iar un asemenea desert deosebit, delicios si usor de facut. Pare asa pretentios cand il vezi dar se face atat de simplu si dureaza foarte putin. Si ce efect are! Ti-l recomand. Iata ingredientele si apoi metoda de preparare. Inca nu a venit Anul Nou, asa ca daca vrei, poti face asta pentru Revelion. Vei fi regina serii cu asa desert regal.

Cosulete cu fructe

4 portii

Timp preparare: 35 minute

Ingrediente:

• 200 g (7 oz) ciocolata neagra de cel putin 70% cacao (sau ciocolata de menaj de buna calitate, dar eu nu as alege-o)
• 115 g (4 oz) branza mascarpone
• 115 g (4 oz) iaurt grecesc
• 30 ml (2 linguri) zahar tos
• 15 ml (1 lingura) brandy
• 55 g (2 oz) coacaze proaspete
• 55 g (2 oz) zmeura proaspata
• 55 g (2 oz) afine proaspete (in caz ca nu gasesti fructe proaspete, mai ales acum, sunt bune si cele congelate, de orice fel, dar in caz ca sunt mai mari, taie-le cubulete)
• 1 clemetina
• zahar
• hartie de copt

Preparare:

• Taie patru patrate de 18 cm din foaia de copt si muleaza-le pe un borcan sau castron mai mic ca sa le dai forma. Pune apoi hartiile in boluri ca sa mentina marginile ridicate.
• Rupe ciocolata in bucati si topeste-o la bain-marie. Imparte ciocolata in mod egal in fiecare forma de hartie si intinde-o cu pensula pana aproape de margine. Incearca sa intinzi cat mai uniform si mai gros pentru a evita ruperea marginilor atunci cand vei dezlipi hartia. Pune formele astfel unse impreuna cu bolurile in congelator sa se intareasca.
• Amesteca branza mascarpone cu iaurtul, brandy si o lingura de zahar tos.  Scoate cosuletele de ciocolata din congelator si dezlipeste cu grija hartia. Pune in ele portii egale din amestecul de branza obtinut. (A se linge lingura la final!)
• Umezeste cu foarte putina apa fructele si da-le cu zahar, pentru a crea efectul de fruct nins. Aranjeaza apoi fructele in cosulete si stropeste totul cu zahar tos. Decoreaza cu frunze de rozmarin sau frunze de menta “ninse”.

Pofta buna si La multi ani!

Lift Me Up (Tiramisu)

Close up

A little bit of…

Yesterday I posted the recipe in Romanian and I’ve decided that today I would post it in English. But it is not to be my first post for today, because I’ve had the nice surprise to read it on my nice colleague’s blog about my blog. Check this out, but only if you know Romanian:

http://mariuszarnescu.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/sweet-nothings-by-elena-granzulea/

Back to my tried and tested recipe, I have to add that it is not just any Tiramisu, it is a very special, exquisite one made by Heston Blumenthal. If you check Wikipedia you will find very interesting things about him.

Here is the recipe, taken from “The Sunday Times” some years ago. My intention is to make it again for this Easter and here is the proof.

Tiramisu

The key element here is the chopped chocolate – choose a good-quality one that you really want to eat.

Serves 4 (but you will probably want it all for yourself)

• 75-100 g good-quality chocolate (my fav is one with at least 70% cocoa) (you can always add more chocolate, like 2 bars or as my blue flower would say, a box 🙂 )
• 50 g unrefined caster sugar or just brown or plain sugar if you can’t find caster
• 235-250 ml double cream, chilled
• 265 g mascarpone
• 300 ml black coffee, cold and fairly strong
• 4 tbsp (or to taste) Marsala or amaretto (if you don’t have any, any liqueur will do as long as you think it goes with the taste of Tiramisu) (optional)
• 125 sponge fingers
• cocoa powder

Method:

• Chop the chocolate with a knife, or if you prefer, you can grate it, then leave it in a cool place. I prefer grating it (it is quicker) or use the food processor.
• Dissolve the sugar in 100 ml of the double cream over a gentle heat, then set aside to cool. Lightly whip the remaining cream over a gentle heat, then set aside to cool. Lightly whip the remaining cream in a cold bowl and set aside.
• Work the mascarpone with a spoon until it has loosened up a little, then carefully incorporate the whipped cream and the cooled sweetened cream. Add 4 tbsp of the coffee to taste – more if you prefer. It is important to add enough to get the flavour you want, but not so much that is loosens the mix.
• Pour the rest of the coffee and the alcohol, if using, into a flat-bottomed bowl large enough to lay the fingers in. Place a few fingers in the coffee mix and turn over a few times – they need to be soaked. Place on a plate and repeat until all fingers are done. If necessary, make more coffee.
• Once soaked, place enough fingers in the bottom of a serving bowl to form a single layer. Spread a third of the cream mixture over them and smooth out, then sprinkle with some cocoa powder and a third of chocolate. Repeat until all the cream is used up. You should have three layers of cream and three of the cocoa-chocolate mix.
• Place in the fridge for a couple of hours. Just before serving, generously dust with cocoa powder.

Bon appetite!

PS: don’t eat it all at once, indulge for a couple of hours, SAVOUR it!

TIRAMISU

What you see is what you get

Waves

You can’t touch this!

Reteta care urmeaza este fantastica. Ti se topeste in gura si arata impecabil. Pentru un tratament regal, incearc-o si o sa imi dai dreptate. Este una din favoritele mele si pentru ca este atat de speciala, mi-am propus s-o fac iar de Paste. De-abia astept. Numai cand ma gandesc cat de pufoasa si aromata este, cata crema si ciocolata are in ea, deja mi se face pofta.

Aceasta reteta nu este o reteta oarecare de Tiramisu. Este o reteta pe care iar am cules-o din The Sunday Times, revista in care publica unii din cei mai mari bucatari ai Marii Britanii. Aceasta reteta este varianta lui Heston Blumenthal, nascut in aceeasi zi cu mine. El este bucatarul sef si proprietarul restaurantului The Fat Duck, restaurant cotat cu 3 stele Michelin, din satul Bray din Berkshire,  votat “Best Restaurant in the UK” de “The Good Food Guide” 2007 si 2009, si votat cel mai bun restaurant din lume de “Restaurant magazine” in 2005. Blumenthal este celebru pentru abordarea stiintifica si a fost descris ca un alchimist in domeniul culinar pentru stilul lui inovator de gatit. (vezi Wikipedia)

Tot el este cel care sfatuieste folosirea ciocolatii de calitate in deserturi. El si altii. 🙂

Reteta lui este facuta sa ajunga la 4 persoane. Din experienta trebuie sa spun ca urmand reteta lui  mi-a iesit foarte putin iar biscuitii au fost insuficienti asa ca o adaptez un pic si trec in paranteza cantitatile pe care le folosesc. De asemenea vasul pentru reteta adaptata e mai mare iar eu folosesc unul pe care il am deja in casa, care are lungimea de cca 30 cm si latimea de cca 15 cm, ca sa ai o idee mai exacta.Dar sa trec la Tiramisu.

TIRAMISU

Ingrediente:

• 75-100 g ciocolata de calitate sau de cel putin 70% cacao, rasa (poti fi si mai generos, pentru ca ciocolata nu e niciodata suficienta, pune doua) (mai fac o paranteza –  floarea mea albastra mi-ar zice un bax :)) )
• 50 g zahar caster nerafinat (sau zahar brun, alb, depinde de preferinte si posibilitati)
• 250 ml smantana, rece (alege grasa, nu fara grasime, pentru ca altfel alegi e-uri de care nu scapi, grasimea naturala o mai dai jos cu sport; dubleaza cantitatea pentru mai multa crema intre biscuiti, mai ales ca si ei se inmultesc)
• 265 g branza mascarpone
• 300 ml cafea neagra, rece si suficient de tare (600 – 800 ml pentru ca vei avea  mai multa crema si mai multi biscuiti – nu te teme ca ramane pentu ca o poti bea oricand)
• 4 linguri de vin marsala sau lichior amaretto (daca nu ai, alege un lichior de ciocolata, merge ok, sau orice alt lichior care crezi ca se potriveste) – optional
• 125 g biscuiti de sampanie italieni pentru tiramisu (250 -300 g biscuiti )
• cacao pudra

Preparare:

• Razuie ciocolata la razatoare si pune-o in frigider sa nu se topeasca.
• Dizolva zaharul in 100ml de smantana la foc mic si pune deoparte sa se raceasca. Amesteca cu robotul intr-un bol  smantana ramasa.
• Mesteca cu lingura branza mascarpone pana se inmoaie apoi incorporeaza cu grija smantana batuta si smantana cu zaharul topit. Adauga 4 linguri de cafea pentru gust, sau poate vrei mai mult. Cu grija totusi pentru ca vrei sa aiba gust de cafea nu sa se inmoaie. Poti mari cantitatile pentru mai multa crema. Din experienta stiu ca nu e  niciodata prea multa crema.
• Pune restul cafelei si alcoolului, daca il folosesti, intr-un vas. Inmoaie pe rand biscuitii in vas, intorcandu-i pe ambele parti. Ai grija sa nu se inmoaie prea tare sa se rupa intre degete. Aseaza-i pe toti pe un platou. Daca e necesar, mai fa cafea.
• O data inmuiati, alege un vas de yena, nu de alta dar arata foarte frumos Tiramisu in el, se vad straturile. Altfel, orice vas e ok, dar sa apreciezi cantitatea de pus in el. Pune un strat de biscuiti muiati pe fundul vasului, adauga o treime din crema peste ei, apoi cacao si o treime din ciocolata. Repeta actiunea: biscuiti, crema, cacao si ciocolata pana se termina. Ar trebui sa ai vreo 3 randuri de biscuiti si 3 randuri de crema cu cacao si ciocolata la final. Pune vasul la frigider si lasa-l macar cateva ore sa se raceasca, nu te grabi. Ca tot tu il mananci.
• Inainte de a-l servi, fii generoasa/ generos cu niste pudra de cacao peste el. Arata impecabil si nu mai zic cum este la gust. No comment!

Pofta buna!