This season I tried 3 new recipes. 2 strictly adhere to the chocolate rich recipes, and the third combines two versions for a simple lemon curd pie. Enjoy.
INDEX: black forest chocolate gateau / chocolate nutella panna cotta / lemon curd pie / flavored whipped topping
Black Forest Chocolate Gateau
Cake:
1 box of brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Cherry syrup filling:
1 (15-ounce) can sweet cherries in syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kirsch (can substitute cognac, brandy, other cherry liquor or omit entirely)
Chocolate Mousse:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Optional garnish:
1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzle
Fresh mixed berries
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform baking pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. In a large mixing bowl, mix brownie mix, eggs, water and oil for 50 strokes or until well blended. Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
- To make the syrup, drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Set the cherries aside. Pour syrup and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring gently to combine. Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the kirsch. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the finely chopped chocolate with vanilla and salt. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup heavy cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently until combined and smooth. Cool slightly to room temperature.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy whipping cream on high until thick. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
- When the brownie is cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the cherry syrup all over the top of the brownie. Scatter the drained cherries over the top. Layer on the chocolate mousse. Refrigerate about 6 hours until completely set.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of the mousse and unmold the springform pan. Garnish with melted chocolate drizzle and fresh berries.
Chocolate Nutella Panna Cotta
1 ⅛ teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup Nutella
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts, for serving (optional)
- In a medium bowl, whisk gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water. Place chopped chocolate in another medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine Nutella and salt.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Pour half the cream over gelatin mixture and whisk gently to combine; stir in vanilla. Pour remaining cream over chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Combine two mixtures; whisk well.
- Pour one-third of the gelatin-chocolate mixture over Nutella; beat using an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth paste forms. Pour in remaining mixture and milk; beat until fully combined.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into six ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until set, about six hours or overnight. Serve sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.
Lemon Curd Pie
¾ c fresh lemon (or lime) juice + the citrus zest
¾ c sugar
3 eggs
½ stick unsalted butter
Prepared graham cracker pie shells
flavored Whipped cream (see recipe below)
combine zest of 2 lemons with sugar in food processor and blitz till fine. Add with eggs and butter in sauce pan on medium heat whisking constantly. In about 4-6 minutes, it should be nice and thick. (Optionally strain through a fine mesh sieve.)
Bake at 325* until filling is set 2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely (filling will continue to set as it cools). Once completely cool, top with flavored whipped cream and serve.
lemon flavored cool whip
1/4 cup boiling water
1.5 oz. of powdered jello (lemon goes good with the lemon curd pie)
1/2 cup cold water
8 oz. cool whip, or similar nondairy whipped topping
add half a package of jello powder to 1/4 cup of boiling water. stir completely till dissolved. stir in 1/2 cup cold water. put in fridge for 10 minutes to cool down to room temperature. when cool, whisk into 8 oz of cool whip. if liquidy return to fridge for 5 minutes to set before using to top the pie.
REFERENCES:
https://www.tastemade.com/videos/black-forest-mousse-cake
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013072-milk-chocolate-hazelnut-panna-cotta
http://thesquishymonster.com/2013/06/lemon-curd-pie-5-minutesno-bake.html
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lemon-custard-pie-355991
https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/jello-whip-frosting-418517
INDEX: black forest chocolate gateau / chocolate nutella panna cotta / lemon curd pie / flavored whipped topping
Black Forest Chocolate Gateau
1 box of brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Cherry syrup filling:
1 (15-ounce) can sweet cherries in syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kirsch (can substitute cognac, brandy, other cherry liquor or omit entirely)
Chocolate Mousse:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Optional garnish:
1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzle
Fresh mixed berries
- To make the syrup, drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Set the cherries aside. Pour syrup and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring gently to combine. Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the kirsch. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the finely chopped chocolate with vanilla and salt. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup heavy cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently until combined and smooth. Cool slightly to room temperature.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy whipping cream on high until thick. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
- When the brownie is cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the cherry syrup all over the top of the brownie. Scatter the drained cherries over the top. Layer on the chocolate mousse. Refrigerate about 6 hours until completely set.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of the mousse and unmold the springform pan. Garnish with melted chocolate drizzle and fresh berries.
Chocolate Nutella Panna Cotta
1 ⅛ teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup Nutella
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts, for serving (optional)
- In a medium bowl, whisk gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water. Place chopped chocolate in another medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine Nutella and salt.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Pour half the cream over gelatin mixture and whisk gently to combine; stir in vanilla. Pour remaining cream over chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Combine two mixtures; whisk well.
- Pour one-third of the gelatin-chocolate mixture over Nutella; beat using an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth paste forms. Pour in remaining mixture and milk; beat until fully combined.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into six ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until set, about six hours or overnight. Serve sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.
Lemon Curd Pie
¾ c sugar
3 eggs
½ stick unsalted butter
Prepared graham cracker pie shells
flavored Whipped cream (see recipe below)
combine zest of 2 lemons with sugar in food processor and blitz till fine. Add with eggs and butter in sauce pan on medium heat whisking constantly. In about 4-6 minutes, it should be nice and thick. (Optionally strain through a fine mesh sieve.)
Bake at 325* until filling is set 2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely (filling will continue to set as it cools). Once completely cool, top with flavored whipped cream and serve.
lemon flavored cool whip
1/4 cup boiling water
1.5 oz. of powdered jello (lemon goes good with the lemon curd pie)
1/2 cup cold water
8 oz. cool whip, or similar nondairy whipped topping
add half a package of jello powder to 1/4 cup of boiling water. stir completely till dissolved. stir in 1/2 cup cold water. put in fridge for 10 minutes to cool down to room temperature. when cool, whisk into 8 oz of cool whip. if liquidy return to fridge for 5 minutes to set before using to top the pie.
REFERENCES:
https://www.tastemade.com/videos/black-forest-mousse-cake
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013072-milk-chocolate-hazelnut-panna-cotta
http://thesquishymonster.com/2013/06/lemon-curd-pie-5-minutesno-bake.html
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lemon-custard-pie-355991
https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/jello-whip-frosting-418517