COCOBEAT

Spring is in full swing in California. Warm and fresh, with bright green everywhere. Unlike during the last few years of our record-breaking drought, we had decent rainfall over the past few months, which has made a big difference this spring. It seems trees and plants are growing faster and taller than ever. The old plum tree in my backyard will have a lot of fruit this year… probably the first time in 5 years. Spring may be at its peak now, but needless to say it is fantastic to be having a real “spring” again!   This chocolate mousse is simple but very light – perfect for the season. You will never get tired of it or of a lush, verdant spring.  SIMPLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE — Light for Spring This recipe is from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé , a very famous French pastry chef, with a great dessert writer, Dorie Greenspan. It is very important when making this mousse to use good quality chocolate and very fresh eggs. Recipe and anecdote adapted from Chocolate Des...

The Jumbo Molten Chocolate Macaron from Trader Joe’s weighs a whopping 100 grams (3.5 oz.). It is dangerously delicious and costs only 4 bucks for two macarons. Does that sound good? I’m addicted and have been trying to hook my friends and neighbors. I am not always such a frugal person, but who can resist a bargain-priced quality product?                           Last week I served one to a chocolate-lover friend. She could not finish it, but asked if I had another one she could take home. It’s that good. Everyone loves it “quietly,” because nobody wants to share it. I like that I don’t have to “bake” it to impress friends (unless that includes warming it in the microwave until the filling starts oozing out). You can find them in the Trader Joe’s freezer along with the Molten Salted Butterscotch flavor. They are made in France. I love TJ’s!         Macarons have a simple recipe but are a bit tric...

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] I met a pretty young woman during my recent field trip in Caribbean. She introduced me to a rustic coconut confection called Cucurucho , in which shredded coconut is cooked with honey, raw sugar, papaya and guava and then wrapped in a cone shaped palm leaf. It is a fairly dense cake that can keep for more than a few days under hot and humid conditions. Local people cook them at home and sell them at the roadside. I saw them near bus stations and markets along the way to a cacao farm. They also tie them two together, which makes them easy to carry and to hang on a hook inside a bus.   [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_...

Happy Valentine’s Day!  This treat is for all chocolate lovers. The tart is elegant and a bit buttery, with a creamy dark chocolate ganache and subtle flavor of fresh raspberries. You cannot ask for anything more for Valentine’s Day to share with a loved one. Served with a little sweet s ec or demi-sec champagne , this raspberry chocolate tart   will shine splendidly.   Chocolate Raspberry Tart Serves 8-10 Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 stick (4 ounces or 110 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups cake flour 10 ounces (280 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate ¾ cup heavy cream 3 cups fresh raspberries 2-3 tablespoons confectioners sugar Preheat the oven to 370°F. Grease and dust the tart pan with flour. Using a food processor (or large mixing bowl with dough cutter), combine the butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Add the cocoa and mix until smooth...

I like small things. Small things are usually pretty and neat. These chocolate treats are exactly that – small, but secretly rich tasting, with a slightly mysterious flavor – and perfect for cool weather. A little bite of this cherry chocolate reminds you that spring is coming, or at least will warm you up like a sunny day. It is obviously not fresh cherry season in North America right now, but using preserved sour cherries can bring that captivating taste all year round.   CHERRY CHOCOLATE Recipe adapted from La Maison du Chocolat , by Robert Linxe Makes about 45-50 chocolates INGREDIENTS: 1 pound (440 grams) bittersweet chocolate (ordinary bittersweet) ¾ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons kirsch 2 ounces cherries (preferably sour cherries or cherries in light syrup), pitted, plus extra (unchopped) for platter garnish Small paper candy liners/cups Chop the chocolate finely and put in a heatproof mixing bowl. Set aside. Pour the...

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Tiramisu must be everyone’s favorite dessert – I have never met anyone who dislikes it. I have made quite a few variations and all were good, but this recipe makes my top of the top favorites list… and it is not only for chocolate lovers. When I found this recipe, I instantly loved it even before making it. Maybe it is some kind of professional instinct, but also I thought that all my friends would love me more if I made it for them. You must try to make this to believe it. What makes this tiramisu different is the layer of chocolate ganache instead of using just cocoa powder. This gives it a richer taste, flavor and texture. And instead of ladyfinger cookies, it uses chocolate genoise (sponge cake). Truly a chocophile’s tiramisu! CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU, FRENCH-STYLE Recipe adapted from Chocolate Epiphany, by Francois Payard Serves 8-10 INGREDIENTS: For Chocolate Cake: 1 cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (35 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 5 large egg yolks 1 cup (2...