Thomas Keller OREO

TKO – Thomas Keller Oreo Recipe

What makes these cookies so drop dead gorgeous is the sublime duo of salty chocolate cookies sandwiching a perfect white chocolate ganache cream. And for those of you who are less than ecstatic when it comes to white chocolate, not to worry, the taste is so subtle you will find yourself converted.

So it is no wonder that my colleague Claire was, and still is addicted to TKO‘s: Thomas Keller‘s ‘grown-up’ Oreo cookies. This my friends is no small food craving, we are talking about a woman making a bee-line to the Bouchon Bakery once a day, 5 days a week to buy not 1 but 2 of these pancake sized cookies. You are getting the picture here…

As  I apparently have not lived until I’ve tried a TKO, and short of asking Bouchon to FedEx me a care package, I thought I’d make them myself.  This is Thomas Keller’s original recipe from the ‘Essence of Chocolate‘ cookbook.

See link ‘Oreo‘ below for the recipe:

TKO – Thomas Keller’s Oreo Cookie Recipe

Chocolate cookie:

• 210 g (1 1/2 cups + 3 tbls) all-purpose white flour
• 160 g (3/4 cup) white sugar
• 65 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbls) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (do not reduce, the saltyness makes the cookie!)
• 210 g (15 tbls) unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into small cubes)

Filling:

• 118 mL (1/2 cup) heavy / full fat cream
• 230 g (8 US ounces) white chocolate (finely chopped)

Method:

First prepare the white chocolate filling:

1. Very finely chop white chocolate.
2. Heat cream till just boils, pour over chopped chocolate. Mix with whisk till all chocolate has melted.
3. Set aside for 2 hours at room temperature.*

Next prepare the chocolate cookies:

1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & salt, mix well.
2. Next, with mixer on slow speed, add butter cubes one by one, until a thick even batter forms
3. Per heat oven to 180°C / 350°F
4. Line two cookie sheets with baking / parchment paper, set aside
5. Separate dough into 2 pieces. Roll out between two large piece of baking paper, till approx. 0.25cm (1/8″ inch) thick
6. Place rolled out dough in fridge for 5 minutes, this makes cookie cutting easier.
7. Using a fluted cutter, cut out cookies. Put scraps together & roll out again.
8. Place 1cm (1/2″ inch) apart on cookie sheet
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove, let cool on cook sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack

Cookie assembly:

• Lightly whip the white chocolate ganache.
• You can used a pastry bag with 1/4″ plain tip. I used a spoon and knife. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons cream in centre of one cookie, top with another cookie to form a sandwich.
• Gently press down till cream comes near edges
• Can be stored in loosely covered container, in fridge for 3 days.

*NOTE : the original recipe said to leave the ganache to sit for at least 6 hours. Perhaps if you use a pastry bag this is necessary. But with a spoon & knife I found 2 hours was sufficient to thicken the chocolate cream.

In love with a tart!

CHOCOLATE TART : a great chocolate recipe

Valentine’s Day – whether you are a fan or not, it is always a good excuse to make something sweet. And what could be better than chocolate.

This is an ideal desert as it is simple, can be made in advance, and is sinfully delicious. The slightly sweet pastry has a buttery tender crumb combined with the rich, unctuous chocolate ganache filling, that is not too sweet nor too dark – it is a match made in heaven.

Though I must confess I have stage fright when it comes to making pastry.  This requires summoning up the courage to attack the recipe (yes attack… I am going into battle) who will win is anyone’s guess. But have no fear, here you are safe. This recipe is tried, tested and true.

The pastry tart shells are made in advance after which no more baking is needed. The chocolate ganache is just heated cream poured over chopped chocolate, then spooned into the pastry shells and left to set. For the original recipe using orange zest see The Ulterior Epiqure

See link ‘Chocolate tart‘ below for recipe:

• 190 g all-purpose white flour
• 55 g icing (powdered) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 113 g unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1-2 tablespoon cold water (as required)

Method :

1. Combine flour, icing sugar, & salt. Mix well.
2. Cut butter into small cubes. The butter should be just slightly soft to the touch.
3. Using a mixer on medium/low speed, add butter cubes one by one to flour mixture.  This step can be done by hand.
4. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water.
5. Mix on low speed until pastry dough comes together
6. If the pastry is still crumbly, add a little more water

Tart shell making:

1. Pre-heat the oven, 200°C (400°F) convection heat
2. The pastry dough does not need to be chilled.
3. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 0.4mm thick. You may need help holding the paper still while rolling the dough.
4. Line each tart tin with the pastry
5. Using a fork prick the bottoms to prevent pastry puffing (weights are not needed)
6. Bake for approx. 12 minutes. until golden
7. Let cool completely while making the chocolate filling.

Ganache – Chocolate Filling :

• 335 g dark chocolate (45% cacao)
• 300 mL liquid whipping (heavy) cream

1. Finely chop the chocolate*
2. Heat the cream till it just boils.
3. Immediately pour over chopped chocolate
4. Using a whisk, mix until smooth
5. Immediately pour into the prepared tart shells
6. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. If not setting, place in fridge for 2 hours.
7. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove at least 30 minutes before serving to let the chocolate come to room temperature.
8. TIP : run your knife under HOT water before cutting the tart.

*the smaller the chocolate pieces the faster they will melt, if the pieces are too large the cream may not be hot enough after a few minutes to melt them all.

Chocolate lava cake

Molten chocolate lava cakes have become quite the talk of the town in recent years – slightly crispy exterior opening to reveal a melting chocolate heart! They really are the best of both worlds… a chocolate pudding & chocolate cake combined.

Though I have to admit that I have shied away from serving these lovely cakes at dinner parties, as the whole de-moulding process can go so terribly wrong – towers cracking, chocolate promenading, desert plates ruined.

It was Katya’s TEA CUP idea that solved the problem! Five to six cups (sturdy Ikea variety works best), are buttered & sprinkle with crystally demerara sugar, then covered with unctuous chocolate batter. After being perfectly cooked, they are served with a dollop of whipped cream & powdered with coco or spice.

The presentation is beautiful, the taste divine & gone is the impending doom of serving. You don’t even need to rush out & buy expensive fancy moulds to make this desert!

See link ‘Chocolate lava cakes‘ below for recipe:

A SIDE NOTE: As everyone’s oven is different as are their tea cups, in my experience it is best to do a trial run of this desert before the Queen mother arrives on your door steps.  A cooking time of 14 minutes might work perfectly for me, but perhaps you will need a minute more or a minute less to get your desired lava texture. Please see *** below.

RECIPE - SWEET PEA Blog

• 125gr Dark chocolate (70%)
• 125gr Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs
• 90gr white sugar
• pinch of salt
• 75gr white all-purpose flour
• 100mL full fat (whipping) cream
• coco powder for decoration*
• demerara sugar ** (approx. 5+ tablespoons)  + butter for tea cups

* You can decorate with ground cinnamon, nutmeg or coffee as you prefer

** Use white sugar to coat the tea cups if you do not have demerara sugar

1. First butter 5 tea cups (size 9x5cm, 125mL = 1cup).  Place a heaping tablespoon of demerara sugar into each cup and roll around till all side are evenly coated up to the top of the cup. Set aside
2. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
3. In a bain-marie melt the chocolate & butter
4. Beat the eggs well. Gradually add the white sugar. Beat until light in colour & frothy
5. Slowly add the chocolate/butter mix
6. Add the flour & pinch of salt
7. Fill each tea cup halfway with chocolate mixture
8. Place the tea cup on a baking sheet
9. Cook for 14 minutes***
10. While waiting beat the whipping cream
11. Serve molten cakes immediately with a dollop of cream & sprinkle with coco

***Each oven is different. Try cooking the cake for 12 minutes then test with a tooth pick  – you want the exterior to be just cooked & the interior of the cake to stay liquid. NOTE: keep in mind that when the cakes are removed from the oven, the tea cup is still very hot, so they will cook a little bit more.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

‘Crème caramel, tarte aux pommes, mousse au chocolat… ‘ the mouth watering desert song French waiters serenade you with at the end of each meal. I often choose the apple tart or am wooed into thinking I have room for the crème caramel… even when I don’t. The chocolate mousse normally passes me by, on direct route to my mother!

However,… you saw that word coming I know… that was until Alice gave me the secrets to her famous chocolate mousse. Now I admit that recipe tinkering has gotten the better of me on more than one occasion and this time was no exception. However after a rather unsatisfactory attempt at experimenting with cream & coco powder I went back to her original recipe. BLISS…. utter perfection – Olivier had gone speechless. Three simple ingredients DARK CHOCOLATE, EGGS & BUTTER…  to create a light, not too sweet, rich & chocolaty desert.

RECIPE: SWEET PEA Blog

NOTE: the ingredients are listed below PER PERSON – makes life easy for odd numbers! Make in advance as the mousse will need to chill for at least 2 hours before serving!

PER PERSON:

• 25 grams quality dark chocolate of 70%+
• 15 grams unsalted butter
• 1 egg

1. Separate the egg(s) into whites & yolks. Set aside.
2. In a bain-marie, melt the chocolate*
3. Once melted add the butter, slowly stir until well incorporated.
4. Remove chocolate/butter from the stove, & set aside to cool.
5. Once lukewarm, add the egg yolks and gently stir until well combined.
6. Beat the egg whites into soft peaks.
7. Now gently FOLD them into the chocolate/butter mixture. Resist the urge to stir -  consequences will be dire, as you will loose the airy lightness the egg whites give this mousse.
8. Divide evenly into serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Can be made the day before.

*If you don’t want to use a bain-marie, use a small pot on very low heat and survey / stir regularly to avoid burning the chocolate.

Chocolate cookies

CHOCOLATE COOKIES / BISCUITS AU CHOCOLAT

Much of my mental cooking is done in bed….  Some people count sheep to fall asleep…. “not I”, said the duck, (yes it is the barn yard theme today … ), I find myself mulling over the contents of our kitchen cupboards! Ingredients to be used, combined, obtained – dreamily preparing what to cook or bake the next day. A perfect obsessions for the insomniac cook!

Soba noodles, broad beans & chickpeas (which reminds me, I must make some hummus), to the vanilla beans, saffron and pecans, past the buckwheat flour (oooh crèps for breakfast!), almond meal & rolled oats, ah yes the new molasses (I have plans for you!) – and what this hiding in the corner…. 2 bars of Cailler’s Cacao Extrême 74% dark chocolate! How could these have gone undetected for so long! My cupboard radar must be off.

That got the wheels turning. The cookie jar was empty & my chocolate chip recipe has been asking for a make-over … well not in so many words… but there just never seems to be enough chocolate….

Click the link ‘Chocolate cookies’ for the recipe:

CHOCOLATE COOKIES Recipe : ERIKA ALLISTON Sweet Pea Blog

The make-over: I took my mother’s original chocolate chip cookie recipe and replaced the vegetable shortening (crisco) with butter – I am not a big fan of processed fats and generally prefer to eat what nature intended! I also had to increase the flour quantity as by removing the chocolate chips and adding the rich melted dark chocolate, the consistency of the batter needed a little thickening. And as it’s what’s inside that counts, I recommend using a tried and true, quality dark chocolate for this recipe….

Why all the fuss: well, these cookies are the perfect marriage of a chocolate chip cookie & a brownie …  slightly crunchy on the outside, while ever so fondant on the inside… a chewy, chocolaty little piece of heaven, that any chocoholic would sell their soul for!

• 110g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
• 100g (1/2 cup) white sugar
• 50g (1/4 cup) packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 170g (1 1/4 cups) white all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 150g dark chocolate (70%)

This recipe makes approx. 35 cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C convection heat
2. Line two cooking sheets with baking paper
3. Combine the flour, baking soda & salt and set aside.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl combine the SOFTENED butter, white & brown sugar. Beat until pale & fluffy.
5. Add the egg & vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat well.
6. Break the chocolate into small pieces. The smaller the faster they melts. In a saucepan on very low heat, melt the chocolate – continuously stir so it melts evenly and does not stick / burn on the bottom.
7. Make sure the chocolate is room temperature, then add it to the egg/butter mixture. Beat well.
8. Now gradually add the flour mixture to the batter
9. Evenly place heaping teaspoons of batter onto the lined cooking sheets.
10. Place one in the oven and cook for 6 minutes
11. IMPORTANT: remove from oven and let cookies cool ON THE SHEET for 1 minutes before removing. Otherwise they will be too soft & break!
12. Store in a sealed container when cool.

{PETITS POTS DE CHOCOLAT NOIR ET BLANC A LA CARDAMOME} The dinner party…… a wonderful event, but for the host it can become a juggling act to create delicious dishes that are easy, made in advance and beautiful! Do not let the picture above fool you – this is an easy recipe, that is based on Trish Deseine’s ‘Petits pots de chocolat’ with a twist. I have wooed many a guest at the end of a dinner where the conversation goes quiet and everyone relishes in this heavenly desert.

The original recipe calls for only dark chocolate, which is sinful but as it is summer I felt the need to lighten things up – so I divided the recipe in 2 and created one rich dark chocolate cream layer and a 2nd delicate white chocolate layer with a hint of cardamon, finished with a dust of cacao.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA BLOG

For 6 people

Dark chocolate cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18% (in Geneva crème fleurette fraîche)
• 125g dark chocolate (minimum 60%)
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter

1. First separate the egg yolks and set aside.
2. Next break the dark chocolate into as little pieces as possible and place in a heat proof, pouring jug (ie large glass liquid measuring cup)
3. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. As soon as it has boiled remove from the heat and pour over the dark chocolate pieces. With a whisk blend together until smooth (this can take a few minutes). Leave to cool for 2 minutes.
4. Melt the butter and set aside.
5. Whisk the egg yolks and then gently stir them into the dark chocolate cream.
6. Finally add the butter.
7. Divide the dark chocolate cream evenly between the 6 glasses, and place them in the fridge to cool for 1 hour. The timing here is important so please don’t cheat, or your layers will mix together!

White chocolate & cardamon cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18%
• 125g white chocolate (minimum 30% cacao)
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter
• (cocoa for dusting over the chocolate pots before serving)

Repeat the cooking instructions above, only add the cardamon to the cream before bringing it to the boil. Leave the white chocolate cream mixture to cool for at least 5 minutes BEFORE pouring over the dark chocolate cream layer. Place the glasses in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours, with cling film (plastic wrap) over the top to avoid unwanted odours from the fridge being absorbed by the cream!

Serving: remove the chocolate pots from the fridge just 5 mintues before serving, and using a sieve dust with a thin layer of cocoa.

NOTE: many people do not love white chocolate (Olivier included) – too sickly sweet etc. This recipe will surprise you, as the taste is subtle and works well in contrast to the thicker and slightly bitter dark chocolate cream. Also do not panic & run for cover like I did the 1st time – when you see that the white chocolate is not solidifying like the dark. This is normal, and will remain a more liquid cream.

Earl Grey Chocolate Cake

CHOCOLATE CAKE :

As the story goes… when my mother was pregnant with me, she used to crave chocolate so badly that she would eat several bars a day! Yet dispite this early training, I came into the world without the ‘chocolate gene‘, and therefore never truly understood what all the fuss was about when it came to desserts like chocolate cake (cries of NO & SHAME!!!)

This was until my friend Evelyn sent me her recipe for “Flourless Chocolate Brownies“. With my mother’s birthday approaching and knowing her weakness for anything chocolate, I thought what better an opportunity than to try out what Evelyn described as the most deliciously, delectable chocolate dessert she had ever tasted.

Being without a brownie pan, I decided to turn the recipe into a cake, and instead of using only plain 70% dark chocolate, I substitute 3/4 “DOLFIN” Earl Grey Tea 70% dark chocolate . The only thing left to say is that after some 20 odd years I have finally found …… chocolate cake!

CHOCOLATE CAKE Recipe - ERIKA ALLISTON Sweet Pea Blog

• 140g Dolfin Earl Grey Dark Tea Chocolate (52% cocoa)
• 85g solid dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 100g unsalted butter
• 175g icing sugar (sifted)
• 4 large eggs (room temperature if possible)
• icing sugar for decoration

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
2. Seperate the egg whites & yolks into two seperate bowls (use a large mixing bowl for the egg white) and set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter together and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk egg yolks & icing sugar until creamy, then gradually add to the chocolate mixture.
5. Finally, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff white peaks – and then fold gently (so as not to loose their lightening effect) into the chocolate mixture.
6. Pour into a greased and floured 25cm bottom cake dish and bake for approx. 20 minutes until slightly cracked on the top. Once completely cool, using a sive dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.

NOTES: This chocolate cake is nice served with crème fraiche! Despite its velvety rich texture it remains a light cake, which can be made a few days in advance and stored outside the fridge covered it aluminium foil without loosing its lovely moist quality. The other advantage to this cake is that it is GLUTEN FREE – for those looking for gluten free recipes due to allergies !!