June 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge: Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Sorry for posting this challenge a day later, but my usual lazyness prevents me from writing and programming the post ahead of the posting date, thus and because I had an unexpectedly busy sunday, I've ended up doing it in a hurry today. Indeed, everything in this month's challenge has been made in a hurry -_-U

I made the Mascarpone Cream last friday after coming from a visit to my grandma's home and before dinner (in Spain dinner is eaten at around 9 o'clock in the evening), while the chocolate pavlovas were in the oven. So, that means: I came house from work at lunchtime (3 o'clock, and no, that's not very late; lunch is eaten here between 2-3:30 in the afternoon, and don't expect to be served in any restaurant before 1:30 ^^), ate lunch and went to grandma's (4:30 in the afternoon), came back home (around 7:00) and got ready to make the mentioned above before 9:00 to be able to help with dinner. Buffff! So tiring!
Unfortunately, I overbaked the pavlovas and they went to the bin T_T The recipe states that they need 2-3 hours baking, but after 45 minutes they were already wasted! I had to redo the pavlovas the next morning, but this time I baked them for 25 minutes, which proved to be enough for me.
On saturday morning I made the chocolate and mascarpone mousse too, to have everything ready before lunch because I wanted to serve it for dessert.

I made one third of the recipes because I thought that the ammounts were going to be too much for my parents and me, therefore, I'm posting the ammounts I used.

The recipe:

Ingredients for the Crème Anglaise (a component of the Mascarpone Cream):

80 ml whole milk
80 ml heavy cream
25g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks

Method for the vanilla Crème Anglaise:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.
2. Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat.
3. Pour about half of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs.
4. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight (as the ammount of cream I made was only one thirth of the original I only had it in the fridge for half an hour before using it).

Ingredients for the Mascarpone Cream:

1 recipe crème anglaise
40g mascarpone
40 ml heavy cream

Method for the Mascarpone Cream:

1. Slowly whisk the mascarpone in the crème anglaise and let the mixture cool.
2. Put the heavy cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed.
3. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Meringue (for the chocolate Pavlova):

1 large egg white
35g white granulated sugar
10g confectioner’s (icing) sugar
10g cocoa powder

Method for the Chocolate Meringue:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 95ºC. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.
2. Put the egg white in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form (the egg white should be firm but moist).
3. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder over the egg white and fold the dry ingredients into the white (this looks like it will not happen, but keep folding gently and it will eventually come together).
4. Shape the meringues on the parchment paper and level them a bit with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until the meringues become dry and crisp on the outside but still moist inside.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse (for the top of the Pavlova base):

120 ml heavy cream
85g 72% chocolate, chopped (I used Lindt's)
130g mascarpone

Method for the Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse:

1. Put 40 ml of the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.
2. Place the mascarpone and the remaining cream in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose and then whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK).
3. Mix about 1/4 of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten.
4. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated.
5. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse.

Method for assembling:
Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top (or under, or aside, or however you prefer). Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.

Well, after all I can say that it was worth the effort, even though the results were not the best possible because I, as said previously, made them in a hurry.

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

I made this cake 2 weeks ago, but I've been too busy lately to post anything new T_T I found this recipe in the same blog as the peanut cookies' one, Table for 2...or more, and it caught my attention inmediatly because the cake in the post looked very fluffly ^^ Well, I was looking for something that wasn't too dense, as the summer was getting nearer and I prefered a lighter dessert.
And know what? This cake not only met my expectations, but surpassed them by way too far!!! It isn't fluffly, but SUPER FLUFFLY! Really! I ate a portion shortly after taking it from the oven and I can say that it's the lightest cake that I've ever eaten. It reminded me of cotton candy because of its fluffiness and because it melted in my mouth. So, I'll definitively do it again soon, only that next time I'll restraint myself from eating as soon as it comes from the oven and I'll try to put some fresh fruits and wipped cream on top of it ^^

P.S. The cake looks so white because it is upside-down. Actually, the top is light brown, but I thought that it would look better this way.

Peanut Cookies

Last week I was browsing through Table for 2...or more when I saw this recipe of Chinese New Year's peanut cookies. I decided to make them because the recipe uses vegetable oil (I used olive oil, not corn oil) instead of lard and I had some peanuts (and I love them ^^). Also, we don't celebrate here the Chinese New Year, so I didn't feel like out-of-season while making (and eating) them.

The original recipe yields too much cookies for us, so I made 1/10 of it, which yielded 35 marble ball-sized cookies:

Ingredients:        

100g flour
100g roasted peanuts (deskinned and ground)
100g fine sugar
40ml olive oil
1 egg (beaten)
Peanut halves for decoration

Method:

1. Mix flour, sugar and peanuts until well blended together.
2. Pour in the oil and knead until the oil is well incorporated.
3. Take a small amount of peanut dough onto your palm and roll into a small ball the size of a marble.
4. Place the peanut ball onto a baking tray and place a peanut half onto it. Lightly press the peanut half.
5. Apply the egg wash with a small brush.
6. Bake at 180ºC for 12 minutes or until the egg wash turns golden.