Red Velvet Cake - Happy 7th Birthday to My Precious Boy!

Chocolate Cake with Poached Pears in Red Wine and Happy Birthday to Everyone Who Was Born in the Month of July!

I had a desire today to bake something special, not only for my Birthday but for everyone who is celebrating Birthday in July. This is an easily prepared dessert with a sophisticated taste. Warm poached pears coated in a rich red wine sauce on a top of chocolate heaven - who could resist?

Happy Birthday Dear Friends, I wish you all very sweet year!


Adapted from Gâteau «Reine de Saba» by Pierre Hermé

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 5 oz dark chocolate with 60% cocoa, chopped into very small pieces
• 4 Tbsp. butter, room temperature plus more for greasing
• 3 eggs, separate 
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup potato starch 
• 2/3 cup almond flour 

For the poached pears:

• 4-6 pears, peeled and cored 
• 2 cup red wine, recommend Shiraz or Merlot
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 1 anise star
• lemon zest from 1 lemon

Directions: 

To make a poached pears: Combine wine, honey, sugar lemon zest, cinnamon stick and anise star, and bring to a boil. When the wine mixture is boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and add the pears. Simmer pears for 25-30 minutes until they are tender and are easily poked through with a fork. Remove pears and let them cool. Boil wine sauce until the liquid has been reduced by half.

To make a cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Butter an 9-inch pan with 2-inch sides.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over but not touching barely simmering water in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the chocolate melts, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and continue to stir until the butter melts and is incorporated. Let it cool.

In a bowl, sift together the almond flour and potato starch. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in the starch mixture and then the chocolate mixture until blended.

In a clean grease-free bowl, using an electric mixer beat the egg whites slowly until they are frothy. Increase the speed, and continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake until the top is risen and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, top the cake with the poached pears and red wine sauce.

Vanilla Button Cookies - Just for Fun!

These are little vanilla cream cheese button cookies. They're adorable and I had too much fun with these button cookies! My favorite thing was when my children asked if they could help me to make another "button"-) These cookies are perfect for baby shower or birthday party, holiday gifts and just for fun.



Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• assorted colors of paste food coloring

Directions:

In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into two parts. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).



Remove from refrigerator, one color at a time and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough until just over 1/8" thick.

Cut 2-inch rounds with round cutter. Next on each round, just in from the edge, mark with a smaller round cutter, approximately 1.5 inches diameter, pressing slightly,  but not pushing through. Run a metal spatula underneath the dough, to make sure it is not sticking to the table, sprinkle with flour underneath as necessary.

With top of a small #3 piping tip (or with straw) cut 2 or 4 holes in the centre of each cookie so it resembles a button, make sure to push down to the counter so the small pieces fall out.



Lift dough with metal spatula onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a sil-pat, collect scraps and repeat.

Follow the same method with another color, being sure to clean your work surface between each.
Refrigerate buttons for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack and eat with a perfect cup of tea.

Baked Eggs for My Dearest Husband's Birthday-)

Baking eggs in individual ramekins along with a little butter and cream is a classic French dish. Sometimes vegetables, such as the tomatoes, cooked spinach, chard or kale, or sautéed mushrooms or leeks would make delicious a bed for the eggs.



Ingredients:

• 2 small eggs
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter, for ramekins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325° F.
For each serving, lightly butter an individual oven-proof baking dish or ramekin.



Break one or two eggs into each dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoon cream over eggs.
Bake in preheated oven approximately 12 to 14 minutes, depending on number of servings being baked. Check the eggs after about 10 minutes baking time. When done, the whites should be completely set and the yolks beginning to thicken but not hard.



Serve Immediately.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringue Cake Happy Birthday to Me!

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Now is not the time to use the cheap-o chocolate. Get the best quality bittersweet chocolate you can find as it is the star of the recipe (Guittard, Callebaut, Valrhona, El Rey, Scharffen Berger, etc...).

To toast the hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350F and spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
To skin the nuts without driving yourself crazy, place them in a mesh bag (like a recycled orange or lemon bag) and rub the nuts between your hand over the sink. The skins will fall and only the "naked" nuts will remain in your bag.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 6 large whole eggs, separated
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons espresso (or vanilla)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rum (optional)(not with us!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the meringue:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup hazelnuts (about 4 ounces), toasted and skinned (see notes) and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar

Prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth at medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl if necessary. Add the melted chocolate, espresso (or vanilla), rum, if using, and salt. Beat until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl and wash your mixing bowl thoroughly.
In a clean mixer bowl fitted the whisk attachment, beat the 6 egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites and pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes.
Prepare the meringue:
Combine the chopped chocolate, nuts and cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Place remaining 4 egg whites in a clean mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until frothy. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Fold in hazelnut mixture.
Assemble and Finish:
Remove cake from oven. Using a large offset spatula, spread meringue mixture on top of cake using as little strokes as possible not to deflate the meringue, and return to oven. Bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving.