Layer cake with berries and chocolate icing

You need a  sponge cake of Montersino because it is so soft and lofty that you can have three layers to be stuffed. When you cut iit into three lawers use the bottom as the top, to have the surface smooth and flat ...like this:…

For the filling:

300g berries (even frozen ones)

2 tbs brown sugar

100 ml water

150 g caster sugar

350 g whipping cream

1. Mash the berries in a bowl with the brown sugar and let macerate for 15 minutes. Boil over high heat for about 5 minutes the water with sugar for a syrup. Let cool a little and pour over fruit and stir.

2.  Combine the berries with the cream whipped to 70% in a cooled bowl in the freezer along with the electric beaters. Fill the two layers of sponge cake with the mixture of cream and berries.

For the frosting:

• 350 g dark chocolate  (70%)

Prepare the frosting with dark chocolate melted in a double  boiler or microwave. Proceed to the tempering* of chocolate before using it.

Spread the frosting over entire cake, and over the sides.

Serve with cocoa powder.

* * In his book paul.a.young also explains the ways of manually tempering chocolate, here I report the one that for method and time is faster and easier (you should not pour the chocolate on the working plan). You have to stir solid chocolate into molten chocolate to "inoculate" in it crystals. Take 2/3 of the total chocolate, melt it in a double boiler or microwave until it reaches the temperature of 55° (this is the correct temperature to melt the fats, the sugars and the crystals crystals contained in the chocolate). If you melt chocolate on a double boiler, the bowl should not touch the water but must be suspended  and the water should never boil. If you melt the chocolate in a microwave put it at the highest temperature for 25-30 seconds, stir it gently and put it again in the microwave so as to control the temperature each time. When the chocolate is at 55° pour the remaining chocolate and stir vigorously until it will be completely melted and wait until the temperature  reaches. 27°-28°. The chocolate must be then gently warmed to working temperature, 31°-32°.  

crêpes (recipe by maurizio santin)

There is a certain comfort preparing a recipe of a great chef, I took this recipe in the last book of Maurizio Santin, who presents master recipes, well done and explained...a book that is worth keeping for the recipes and photos. Consider that you have to store the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours.

For about 8 Crêpes:

• 250 g milk
• 100 g flour 00
• 50 g eggs
• 30 g butter
• 15 g caster sugar
• 2 g salt
• clarified butter (I used butter)

How to make:

Melt the butter over very low flame and let cool. 

Meanwhile sift the flour in a great bowl and add the sugar; apart whisk the eggs with salt and then add to the flour. Stir till you earn a smooth mixture. Then pour the milk, working with a spatula and add the melted butter. Let rest for 2 hours in the fridge.

Heat a nonstick pan to the desired size, grease it with butter and pour the mixture with a spoon to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin, uniform layer; when the edges are golden, turn the crêpe (I used 2 skimmers and despite the fear of breaking them, you can do it with a precise movement) and finish cooking. Put them on a plate and cover each with a film, let cool and use them as you want...with jam...or

 

... with Nutella... I has been transported immediately under Tour Eiffel and if you go running in the park, you can earn one more crêpe... bon appètit!

You can store them in the fridge for 3 days, covered.

chiacchiere... fried carnival sweets

I did last year and I propose here again this recipe, because since I use the pasta roller machine to make the "chiacchiere" very thin, also flatten the dough (which is hard enough) has become quite a simple work to do. And when I fry them they are light as meringues, really impalpable. 

Ingredients for a large tray:

• 500 g all purpose flour
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean                                                          
• zest of 1 lemon
• 50 g free range eggs
• 60 g yolks
• 100 g softened butter
• 0,5 dl white wine
• salt
• oil to fry
• icing sugar for dusting

How to make

1. Sift the flour with the sugar on the work surface, add a pinch of salt, the seeds of the vanilla, and grated lemon rind. Mix together the ingredients, make the fountain and in the center put the eggs. the yolks, the butter cut into small pieces, and wine. Knead all the ingredients vigorously with you hands until dough is smooth and consistent ( I put everything in a mixer). Make a ball and cover with a cloth for 20 minutes.  

2. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and then with the pasta roller machine till 2mm thickness they come out perfect. With a toothed wheel make two incisions within the rectangles, paying attention not to reach the edges.

3. Heat the oil and when the temperature reaches 180 °C, take the "chiacchiere" in a hand turning them on themselves forming a twist, dip them 3-4 at a time into the pan. Fry turning them until golden. Let drain on paper towels. Serve them sprinkled with icing sugar. 

seriously rich chocolate cake by linda collister

This cake made with ground almonds and dark chocolate is flourless, beautifully dark rich and moist. My little son Alessandro cooked it almost by himself, so it's simple but absolutly divine.

Serves 8-10 :

• 100 g butter, diced
• 140 g best-quality dark chocolate
• 6 free range eggs
• 140 g ground almonds
• 1 tbs kirsch (optional)
• 85 g caster sugar
• cocoa powder for dusting

How to make:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Butter and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin. Melt the butter and chocolate, stir until smooth, and leave for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in the egg yolks, ground almonds, and the liqueur, if using.

2. Put the egg whites into a bowl, add two or three lemon drops (the original recipe here wants the classical pinch of salt) and whisk until soft peaks form. Continue whisking, sprinkling in the sugar a little at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir 2 tablespoons of the whites into the chocolate mixture and fold in carefully the remainder.

3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and just firm. Cool in the tin. Remove the cake and dust with cocoa powder.

It's ready!

Here is an elegant slice decorated with lemon glaze.