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Chocolate Heaven

Fill the dessert table with homemade macadamia shortbread brownies, raspberry-laced chocolate cake and melting chocolate meringues for this holiday season.

These are just a few of the desserts whipped up for "BitterSweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate," by the first lady of chocolate herself, Alice Medrich.

Milk chocolate may have been king in your mouth because of the sweet, creamy, sugary flavor it gave to cakes, cookies and icing. While you were enjoying Hershey and Peter Paul, Europeans were partaking in the sumptuous flavor of Lindt and Valrhona across the sea. They contain bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa content, less sugar and deep intense flavor.

For years, American chocolate recipes had not kept pace with the refined chocolates now found on the U.S. shores. Now, Alice Medrich has developed 150 recipes that celebrate much of what can be done with bittersweet chocolate. She says it's easy to cook the coco delights at home.

"BitterSweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate" is the culmination of Medrich's life in chocolate. Thirty years of experience has been folded into this her fifth book. The result has produced recipes such as Warm Bittersweet Mousse, Coconut Saras, Tiger Cake, Nibby Green Beans and Truffles Au Cocolat.

Recipes

Warm Bittersweet Mousse
Makes About 4 Cups, Serves 6 To 8

Baking transforms chocolate mousse in wonderful subtle ways, deepening its flavor and making it melt-in-your-mouth more. It also allows you the luxury of eating warm chocolate mousse straight from the cup it was baked in, garnished with whipped cream or Cocoa Bean Cream, fresh berries, or nothing at all. Baking eliminates the egg-heating-up step, and the extra three tablespoons of water necessary to accomplish it, but otherwise these two recipes are the same!

The mousses can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for as long as overnight before baking. And the baked mousses are also delicious served cold.

Ingredients
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup water, coffee, or milk, or 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy, rum, or liquor of choice (optional) (See this recipe after Warm Bittersweet Mousse recipe)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
whipped cream or cocoa bean cream (optional)
special equipment
six to eight 4- to 6-ounce ramekins or dessert cups
instant-read thermometers

If you are planning to bake the mousses right away, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Put a teakettle of water on to boil.

Place the chocolate and water (or liquid of your choice) in a medium heatproof bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is almost completely melted and smooth.

Remove the bowl from the skillet and stir to finish, melting the chocolate. Stir in the liquor, if using. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until well blended. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs have a texture like softly whipped cream. Fold one-quarter of the eggs into the chocolate. Fold in half of the remaining eggs until nearly blended. Add the rest of the eggs and fold just until evenly incorporated. Divide the mousse among the ramekins. (The mousse can be prepared to this point, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking; bake right out of the fridge.)

To bake, place the ramekins in a large baking pan. Pull out the oven rack, put the pan on the rack, and carefully pour in enough boiling water to sides of the ramekins halfway. Slide the rack back in and bake until the center of the mousses registers 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (this will be about 3 minutes after it registers 140 degrees F), 14 to 16 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the ramekins with tongs. Let the mousses cool for at least 10 minutes before serving hot, or let cool and refrigerate until chilled. If you are not serving the mousse within a few hours, cover with plastic wrap.

Serve topped with the whipped cream, if desired.

Ingredients For Cocoa Bean Cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs, coarsely chopped into smaller bits
sugar to taste

Bring the cream and nibs to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Strain the cream into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the nibs. Chill the cream for at least 6 hours; it must be thoroughly cold in order to whip properly.

When ready to use, whip the cream, adding sugar to taste as the cream thickens.

Chocolate Notes: You can use standard bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (without a percentage on the label), or any marked 50 percent to 62 percent.

To use chocolate marked 64 percent to 66 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 5 1/4 ounces chocolate. Increase the sugar to 1/4 cup.

To use chocolate marked 70 percent to 72 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 4 1/2 ounces chocolate, and increase the sugar to 4 1/2 tablespoons. If you are using water or milk, add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in the melting step.


Truffles Au Cocolat
Makes 64 or More Truffles

Ingredients:
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water or freshly brewed espresso
1/2 cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
special equipment
an 8-inch square baking pan
fine-mesh strainer
instant-read thermometer

Line the bottom and sides of a baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water over low heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate and butter are almost completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl and stir with a spatula to complete the melting. Set aside. Leave the heat under the skillet on low.

Place the egg yolks in a small heatproof (preferably stainless steel) bowl, and stir in the boiling water.

Place the bowl in the skillet and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula, sweeping the bottom of the bowl to prevent the eggs from scrambling, until the mixture registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (You will have to remove the bowl from the skillet to take the temperature.)

For safety, rinse the thermometer stem in the simmering water to sterilize it after each reading. When the yolk mixture is ready, scrape it immediately over the melted chocolate. Stir gently (without whisking or beating) until completely blended and smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the lined pan and spread it evenly. Cover and chill until firm, at least two hours.

Put the cocoa in a medium bowl. Remove the truffle pan from the refrigerator and use the liner to transfer the truffle sheet to a cutting board. Allow it to soften until you can cut it without cracking, about 30 minutes if the mixture is very hard. Invert the sheet and peel the liner. Cut the truffles into squares 1-inch or smaller and toss them in the bowl of cocoa powder. You can leave the truffles square or dust your hands with cocoa and roll them into balls. (Store the truffles tightly covered for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.) Remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Chocolate Notes: You can use standard bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (without a percentage on the label), or any marked 50 percent to 62 percent.

To use chocolate marked 64 percent to 66 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 12 ounces chocolate, and increase the butter to 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks). Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in the hot water before adding it to the egg yolks.

To use chocolate marked 66 percent to 72 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 11 ounces of chocolate, and increase the butter to 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks). Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in the boiling water before adding it to the egg yolks.


Coconut Saras
Makes 20 to 24 pastries

Ingredients for the Macaroons
4 large egg whites
3 cups (9 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 recipe whipped chocolate ganache filling (see this recipe after Coconut Saras recipe)
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
special equipment
cookie sheets
a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with a 7/16- to 1/2-inch opening
instant-read thermometer

To make the macaroons: Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large heatproof bowl, preferably stainless steel (which conducts heat much better than glass). Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water and stir, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, until the mixture is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened slightly and turned from translucent to opaque, 6 to 7 minutes. A scoop of batter dropped onto a cookie sheet should hold a soft shape without a puddle of syrup forming around it. Remove the bowl from the skillet.

Scoop tablespoonfuls of the mixture about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Use your finger to make a hollow depression in the center of each cookie, so it looks like a little nest. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies-and any protruding coconut shreds-are deep golden brown. Rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.

Slide the cookies on the parchment onto cooling racks. Cool completely before removing them from the paper. (They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.)

To fill and dip the macaroons: Beat the chilled ganache, just until the color lightens and the mixture becomes stiff enough to hold its shape. If you overbeat the ganache, it will have a granular texture.

Scrape the ganache into the pastry bag. Pipe a 1-inch-high kiss-shaped mound (about 1 tablespoon of ganache) into each macaroon "nest." Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of almost simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is nearly melted, then remove from the heat and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely smooth. Wipe the moisture from the bottom of the bowl and transfer the chocolate to a very small bowl or cup.

If necessary, let the chocolate cool to about 105 degrees F. Hold a macaroon upside down and dip only the ganache kiss into the chocolate. Then turn the macaroon right side up, hold it over the bowl, and use a fork to drizzle a little chocolate around the edges. Set the macaroon on a tray. Repeat until all of the macaroons are dipped. Refrigerate to set the chocolate.

Ingredients for Whipped Chocolate Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped medium-fine
2 cups heavy cream

To make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is mostly melted. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes to be sure all of the chocolate particles are completely melted.

Stir ganache until perfectly smooth. Let cool. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the ganache for at least 6 hours (Medrich usually leave it overnight); it must be very cold or it will curdle when it is whipped. (The ganache can be prepared up to 4 days ahead.)

When you are ready to use the ganache (and not before), whip it until it is stiff enough to hold a nice shape and seems spreadable, but don't overdo. Overwhipped ganache looks granular, so watch it carefully. Medrich usually stops the mixer early and finish the whipping by hand.

After whipping, the ganache will firm as it sits (and even more after it is chilled), so spread it immediately. If you accidentally overwhip, or if the ganache becomes too stiff to spread, warm your spatula by rinsing it under hot tap water and wiping it dry as necessary.

Chocolate Notes For the ganache, you can use standard bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (without a percentage on the label) or any marked 50 percent to 58 percent. For an increasingly bittersweet filling, use higher-percentage chocolates as follows:

To use chocolate marked 60 percent to 62 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 3 1/2 ounces chocolate.

To use chocolate marked 66 percent to 72 percent instead of standard bittersweet: Use 3 ounces chocolate, and stir 4 teaspoons sugar into the cream before heating it. Pour only half of the hot cream and sugar over the chocolate, and stir well to melt the chocolate before adding the remaining cream.

For dipping, you can use the same chocolate you use in the ganache, or any other chocolate. No alterations are necessary.


Tiger Cake
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup flavorful extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
5 cold large eggs
1 cup cold milk

Special Equipment
A 10- to 12-cup tube or Bundt pan or two 6-cup loaf pans

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the cake pan or line the loaf pans with parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa, sugar, and water together until well blended. Set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly and sift together onto a piece of wax paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl (with the whisk attachment if you have it), beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, and pepper until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until the mixture is thick and pale, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add one-third of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended. Stop the mixer and add half of the milk. Beat just until it is blended. Repeat with another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour.

Pour 3 cups of the batter into another bowl and stir in the cocoa mixture. Pour one-third of the plain batter into the prepared tube pan (or divide it between the loaves) and top with one-third of the chocolate batter. Repeat with the remaining batters. Don't worry about marbling the batters-that happens beautifully during the baking.

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes for either the tube pan or loaf pans. Cool the cake in the pan(s) on a rack for about 15 minutes. Slide a skewer around the tube pan or slide a thin knife around the sides of the loaf pans to release the cake(s). Invert the pan(s) and invert again, setting the cake right side up on a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Note: Natural cocoa powder is a must here. Dutch-process adds an unpleasant taste because it reacts with the leavening and the olive oil in the cake.


Nibby Asparagus with Prosciutto
Serves 4 to 6

Elegant finger food or a plated first course. It is at its most aromatic and delicious when served hot or warm.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds asparagus
2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs, lightly crushed with a rolling pin
2 to 3 thin slices prosciutto, trimmed of excess fat and sliced into long slender shreds

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Snap the woody ends from the asparagus, rinse, and peel the stems (if you like). Cook the asparagus in boiling water just until barely tender and still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a very small saucepan, warm the oil and crushed cocoa nibs over the lowest heat for 2 to 3 minutes to infuse the oil when the nibs' flavor; do not simmer.

When the asparagus is ready, drain and spread out on layers of paper towels, let stand for a minute to evaporate the excess moisture. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and toss with the crushed nibs, warm oil, and prosciutto shreds. Serve hot or warm.


Nibby Green Beans

Medrich says this simple and superb dish celebrates fresh green beans instead of asparagus and calls for balsamic vinegar and sea salt instead of salty prosciutto. A first course unto itself, or a splendid vegetable dish.

Medrich says we often end up eating the warm beans with our fingers before we even get to the table. Substitute green beans, rinsed and ends trimmed, for the asparagus. Omit the prosciutto. Toss the beans with the warm olive oil nibs, then toss again with 2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fleur de sel or coarsely ground sea salt, to taste.

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