Episode 78: Chocolate

Chocolate and Pecan Molten Cake
Chocolate Ice Cream Grand mariner Flavoured
Chocolate and Rum Cream Sauce
White Chocolate and Star Anise Sauce
 White Chocolate and Maple Syrup Parfait
Chocolate and Rum Tartellette
Chocolate and Honey Sauce- Hot Creme Anglaise

CHOCOLATE AND PECAN MOLTEN CAKE

For the cake:
4 eggs
200 milliliters 2% milk (6 ½ fluid ounces)
125 grams flour (4 ounces)
200 grams sugar (6 ½ ounces)
220 grams dark chocolate (72% cocoa) (7 ounces)
125 grams unsalted butter (4 ounces)
50 grams whole pecans (1 ¾ ounces)

For the molds:
8 4-inch ramekins or 4-inch baking rings
50 milliliters unsalted butter (1 ¾ ounces)
50 grams flour (1 ¾ ounces)
50 grams powdered pecans (1 ¾ ounces)
25 grams powdered sugar (3/4 ounce)
25 grams cocoa powder (3/4 ounce)

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Refrigeration time 4 hours
Cooking time is 8 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Butter the ramekins or rings and dust with the mixture of flour, pecans, sugar and cocoa powder and set aside. In the mixing bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the flour to the eggs and mix slowly at a low speed until it is all combined. Melt the chocolate with the butter until the mixture is homogenised. Add the chocolate-butter mix to the egg -flour mix.

Continue mixing at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Fill the ramekins to 3/4 full, add a whole pecan in the middle of the cake. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Cook for 8 minutes maximum, the middle should be slightly liquid.

Garnish the cake with fresh fruit compote and fruit coulis.

Yield: 8 servings.
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CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM; GRAND MARNIER FLAVOURED
100 grams of 72% chocolate (3 ¼ ounces)
250 grams of sugar (8 ounces)
3 egg yolks
250 milliliters of 15% cream (1 cup)
100 milliliters Grand Marnier (3 ¼ fluid ounces)
15 milliliters of orange zest (1 tablespoon)
500 milliliters of 35% cream, whipped (2 cups)

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Cooling time is 25 minutes
Freezing time is 10 to 20 minutes
Ease of preparation is difficult

Put the chocolate in a double boiler and melt over low heat. Add the sugar and the beaten egg, mixing constantly over a medium heat. Add the scalded 15% cream. Cook on the burner and continue stirring for approximately 3 –5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Grand Marnier and the orange zest. When cool fold in the whipped 35% cream and place in the electric ice cream freezer and churn.

Use as a garnish on cakes, pies, as a shake or with fresh fruits.

Yield: 3 litres of chocolate ice cream.
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CHOCOLATE AND RUM CREAM SAUCE
250 grams of confectionery sugar (8 ounces)
250 milliliters of water (8 fluid ounces)
100 milliliters of maple syrup (3 ¼ fluid ounces)
200 grams dark chocolate (72%) (6 ½ ounces)
125 milliliters of 15% cream (4 fluid ounces)
10 milliliters dark rum (1 tablespoon)
1 vanilla bean

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Cooking time is 8 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Put the sugar, water and maple syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly over a medium heat. Remove from the burner stop stirring for approximately 3 minutes. Add the chocolate, stirring until it is melted, slowly add the cream, the rum add the vanilla bean mix well.

Use as a garnish on cakes, ice cream, pies and with fresh fruit.

Yield: 500 millilitres of rich creamy velvety chocolate sauce.
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WHITE CHOCOLATE AND STAR ANISE SAUCE
100 grams of confectionery sugar (3 ¼ ounces)
100 milliliters of water (3 ¼ fluid ounces)
250 grams white chocolate (8 ounces)
125 milliliters of 35% cream (4 fluid ounces)
10 milliliters Pernod (1 tablespoon)
4-5 star anise

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Cooking time is 8 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Put the sugar, water, Pernod and star anise in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly over a medium heat. Remove from the burner stop stirring for approximately 3 minutes. Add the white chocolate, stirring until it is melted, slowly add the cream and mix well.
Use as a garnish on cakes, ice cream, pies and with fresh fruit.

Yield: 550 millilitres of chocolate sauce.
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WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MAPLE SYRUP PARFAIT
170 grams of white chocolate (6 ounces)
100 milliliters of maple syrup (3 ¼ fluid ounces)
5 sheets of gelatin
200 milliliters of whole milk (6 ½ fluid ounces)
15 milliliters of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
500 milliliters of 35% cream (2 cups)
250 milliliters of fresh blueberries (1 cup)
8 x 4-inch dessert rings

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate

Put the white chocolate and the maple syrup in a stainless steel bowl. In a smaller bowl, soften the gelatin sheets in cold water. In a medium pan scald the milk and dissolve the gelatin. Pour the milk over the chocolate and add the vanilla. Let the parfait mixture cool at room temperature. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the parfait mixture. With a piping bag, fill the rings half full, put in a layer of blueberries then cover with the remainder of the parfait mix. Refrigerate.

Garnish the parfait with fresh fruit compote, candied orange peels, chocolate anise sauce and fruit coulis.

Yield: 8 servings.
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CHOCOLATE AND RUM TARTELLETTE

For the pastry:
250 grams flour (8 ounces)
185 grams butter at room temperature (6 ounces)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sugar (5 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk (30 milliliters)
1 vanilla pod, scraped

For the filling:
1 egg
180 millilitres whole milk (3/4 cup)
30 millilitres of dark rum (2 tablespoons)
220 grams dark chocolate (72%) (7 fluid ounces)
8 x 4 inch tart tins with removable bottom
60 millilitres of butter (4 tablespoons)
30 grams of finely ground blanched almonds (2 tablespoons)
60 grams of cocoa powder (2 ounces)

Preparation time is 40 minutes, plus one hour resting time
Cooking time is 8 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Butter the tart pans and cover with the sifted cocoa powder. To make the pastry - mix the flour, sugar and salt together, add the butter and vanilla until the consistency is like cornmeal. Add the egg and milk and just mix together.

Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for one hour. During the rest period prepare the chocolate mix.

In a mixing bowl whisk the egg. Melt the chocolate with the milk until homogenised. Add the chocolate-milk mix to the egg. Heat and flambee the rum and add it to the milk chocolate and egg mix.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out to fit the tart pans. Partially bake them with the centres filled with pie weights to weight the dough down. Remove the tart shells from oven and add the ground almonds then fill them to 3/4 full. Cook for another 8 minutes then remove. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Garnish the tarts with fresh fruit compote, candied orange peels, chocolate curls and fruit coulis.

Yield: 8 servings
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CHOCOLATE AND HONEY SAUCE - HOT CRÈME ANGLAISE
120 grams of dark chocolate (72%) (4 ounces)
120 grams of milk chocolate (52%) (4 ounces)
500 millilitres 35% cream (2 cups)
125 millilitres of honey (1/2 cup)
125 grams of confectionery sugar (4 ounces)
5 millilitres of cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
10 millilitres of Frangelico (2 teaspoons)
35% cream for service

Preparation time is 15 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

In a medium bowl melt the chocolate over a bain –marie. Transfer the melted chocolate into a sauce pan and add the other ingredients, cook stirring until desired consistency.

For use reheat over low heat and add some cream, serve hot over ice cream, cakes, pies or fresh fruits.

Yield: 750 millilitres.
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Recipe courtesy of Chef Georges Laurier, Executive Chef & owner of Laurier Sur Montcalm in Hull, Quebec.