Episode 161: Chocolate

Cranberry Moussapolooza
Mondo Mega Chocolate Cheesecake w/ Chocolate Glaze

CRANBERRY MOUSSAPOLOOZA

Cranberry Compote:
12 oz fresh bag or frozen cranberries - (1 ½ cups)
½ cup of sugar - (125ml)
¼ cup of water - (60ml)
1 teaspoon of minced orange peel - (5ml)
3 tablespoons of orange liqueur- Grand Marnier - (45mL)

Chocolate Ganache:
2 cups whipping cream - (500ml)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter - (30ml)
1 ½ pounds chopped semisweet chocolate - (750grams)

Chocolate Cake:
3 tablespoons (1/4 stick) melted unsalted butter - (45ml)
¾ cup room temperature unsalted butter - (175ml)
6 ½ oz chopped semisweet chocolate - (190ml)
9 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar - (250ml)
4 large egg whites

½ cup of Roasted Walnuts

You will need three baking pans about 9 inches in diameter

Preparation time 00, cooking time 00
Preheat to 325°F

Ganache:
Pour 35% cream into a saucepan. Add sugar and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and pour hot cream overtop. Let the chocolate sit and melt for a couple of minutes. Stir the melting chocolate and warm cream together until fully incorporated and smooth. Set the ganache aside and let it cool at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Cake:
Brush each the bottoms and sides of three 9"baking pans with melted unsalted butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush the parchment with melted butter.

Melt ¾ cup of butter and chocolate in heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously to achieve a smooth consistency, and then set aside.

Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until it triples in volume.

In a separate bowl, beat your egg whites into soft peaks.

Fold melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in egg whites a bit at a time.

Separate batter evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted easily and removed coming clean. Set the cakes aside to cool in their respective baking pans.

Compote:
Combine cranberries, water, sugar, and orange zest in a saucepan over moderate to high heat. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will develop a syrupy consistency and the cranberries will pop. Add orange liqueur and stir. Refrigerate until cooled down.

Assembly:
Fold half the ganache into half the cranberry mixture and add roasted nuts. For the assembly of the cake, place a small dollop of ganache in the center of your presentation plate. This will help the cake from sliding. Gently turn your first cake out onto the bottom of a 9-inch diameter tart pan. Remove the parchment. Slide it into place on your presentation plate and lightly spread some chocolate-cranberry-nut mix on top of it. Be careful to not apply too much pressure, avoiding tears into the cake and creating an even foundation.

Slide the second cake on a 9 inch diameter tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment and place it on top of your first layer. Spread some chocolate-cranberry-nut mixture. Turn out your third cake as before and place it on top.

Using an icing spatula apply your plain ganache to ice the walls and top of your cake.

Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the last cup of unmixed chocolate ganache. Pipe a thick ring along the borders of the top layer. Spoon the balance of the plain cranberry compote inside the ganache ring.
Serve and enjoy!

Serves 16
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MONDO MEGA CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

You will need a spring-form pan
Cake should be prepared a day ahead

Crust:
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs - (500ml)
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter - (60ml)
3 tablespoons sugar - (45ml)

Glaze:
½ cup heavy cream - (125ml)
½ tablespoon unsalted butter - (7.5ml)
2 ½ oz finely chopped milk chocolate - (75ml)
2 ½ oz semisweet chocolate - (75ml)

Filling:
40 oz of cream cheese - (5 cups or 5 x 8 oz packages)
4 large eggs
1/3 cup of sour cream - (75ml)
2 cups of sugar - (500ml)
3 oz finely chopped high quality semisweet chocolate - (90ml)
3 oz finely chopped high quality milk chocolate - (90ml)
3 oz finely chopped high quality white chocolate - (90ml)

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking Time: 3 ½ hours Resting Time: Overnight

Crust:
Combine the sugar, melted unsalted butter, and graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Mix with your hands. Press the cracker mix into the base of a 9" spring-form pan making sure that it is even and smooth to ensure no cracks or splits occur while baking. Bake in the oven for 12-15min. It should look crunchy and flaky.

Reduce heat to 250°F

Filling:
Pour the cream cheese into a mixer and beat until it is smooth. Add you eggs, sugar, and sour cream and beat until the fully combined. Separate your filling into three separate bowls.

Pour the three finely chopped chocolates into 3 separate metal bowls. You can melt these individually or all at the same time if you have room for 3 bain-maries. Submerge the bottom half of your white chocolate filled metal bowl into simmering water. The bowl should be submerged just enough to heat the base. Make sure no water seeps over the sides or into the chocolate. Stir continuously to promote equal and smooth melting. When the chocolate is fully melted add it to one bowl of cream cheese mixture and beat together with a hand-held mixer.

Repeat this process with the milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.

Pour the milk choc-cream cheese mix into the spring from, smoothen out the top. Flatten the top and be sure there are no air bubbles in the cake that could expand and rise during baking. Pour the white chocolate mixture on next repeating the same action of flattening and smoothing the mix and lastly add your semi-sweet chocolate layer.

Wrap the spring form pan bottom with foil and halfway up the sides. Place the pan in a baking pan and take to the oven. Rest the baking pan on the door and fill the baking pan with ½ inch of water - almost halfway up your cake pan.

Bake cake for 2 ½ to 3 hours at 250°F. When the edges of the cake have set and the rest is still gelatine like, remove it and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate over night.

For the glaze, combine crème and butter over high heat. Bring to a boil and then gradually add chopped semi-sweet & milk chocolates incorporating it as you go. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool. When the cake and glaze have come to room temperature, pour glaze over cheesecake. Wait several minutes and release the sides of your pan and remove your finished cake.

Serve and enjoy!

Yield: 10 servings
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Recipe compliments of Chef Ned Bell