I have been on a sugar kick for the past two months. Not eating it, but rather cooking with it. The resident Hands on Gourmet pastry guru, Roger Feely , is away in India on a culinary adventure. So, since the Sugar Daddy is away, The Food Diva will play, with sugar that is. I enjoy showing people how to make buttery nut brittles, spun sugar cages, fruit leather, moist cakes, cookies and other confectionery delights. For a recent Moroccan themed singles event I lead a few weeks ago, I added various spices and exotic ingredients to create sexy sweets! Crispy almond dusted phyllo cups were filled with luscious saffron-vanilla pastry cream. The darling cups were garnished with sliced greengage plums and ginger sugar cages. Alongside that I demonstrated some candy making which featured walnut brittle with sea salt and boysenberry fruit leather. It was a kicked up version of kid's peanut butter and jelly.Making candy requires being part artist, alchemist and requires patience. Watching sugar become caramel can sometimes seem like an eternity, but when the syrup becomes golden in color and rich with toasted notes it is truly worth the wait. Just be careful, this stuff is like hot wax. If you are not cautious you might loose an eyebrow!
One of the many requested desserts at Hands on Gourmet cooking classes is our fudgy chocolate molten cakes. This week I served it with a rich caramel sauce, fresh strawberry preserves, whipped cream and pumpkin seed brittle. It was a hit! Here is the recipe...enjoy!
Ingredients:
½ pound unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened good quality chocolate
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup all-purpose flour
butter for ramekins
cocoa powder for dusting ramekins
powdered sugar for finishing
Special Equipment:
stand or hand mixer
8 four or six ounce ramekins
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the ramekins and dust with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess. Place the butter and chocolate in a stainless mixing bowl. Put the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. Occasionally stir with a rubber spatula until butter and chocolate both melt. Whisk eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale. Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Fold both chocolate and flour into the egg mixture. Spoon the batter into the buttered ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each one with an inverted dessert plate. One at a time, turn the plate and ramekin over together, let stand for 10 seconds, then slip the cake out of the ramekin. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
