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Speculoos and Chocolate Mousse Tart

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I went about 5 months without speculoos cookies (spice cookies from Belgium) And i was felt lost and unstable without them. I searched online but with little success in Canada. I did try baking some myself from a recipe online but it really just tasted like cinnamon snaps (if anyone has a great speculoos recipe…please PLEASE share!) So of course when my mother in law asked if I needed anything from Belgium before coming to visit, I asked for a modest 5 kilos of speculoos cookies. Needless to say her eyeballs almost popped out over Skype. But she delivered…an entire carry on of speculoos. Yes she can be very useful…sometimes.

Now you ask “well where do get speculoos?” If you’re in Europe or the UK, you won’t have any issues…USA- I recommend substituting with Biscoff cookies- Canada…Sorry…maybe ginger snaps, even graham or digestive cookies. Or email me and I’ll see what I can get you:)

This tart is hands down my 11 year old’s favourite. And now an in law favourite…which says a lot about the recipe since they are pretty much the pickiest food snobs I know! So I suppose this tart has really become a bit of a special occasion treat in our family. I’ll typically double the batch of chocolate mousse and spoon it into small tumblers for my husband to snack on between meals. sometimes he’ll just break some of the speculoos on top and at other times, scoop the light yet flavour packed mousse solo. 

I’d love to know what you think of this tart…email me or comment below.

Bon App!

 

Speculoos and Chocolate Mousse Tart
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FOR THE CRUST
  1. 170 grams or 2 cups of specululoos cookie crust crumbs
  2. 60 grams or 1 stick or 8 tablespoons unsalted
FOR THE MOUSSE
  1. 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
  2. 3 large egg yolks
  3. 2 tablespoons sugar
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  5. 150 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  6. Blueberries (optional)
FOR THE CRUST
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F or 190C
  2. Take Speculoos cookies and run through ninja or kitchenaid until crumbs
  3. Melt butter in microwave and mix into the cookie crumbs until combined
  4. Spread and press mixture into a 14x5 inch or 8 inch tart tin
  5. Bake for 8 minutes
  6. Set aside to cool
FOR THE MOUSSE
  1. Warm up 3/4 cup cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until hot.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks
  3. Add the hot cream to yolks in a slow steady stream, whisking until combined.
  4. Transfer mixture back to the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes
  5. Stir in vanilla
  6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (heat proof bowl over pan with hot water over stovetop) stirring frequently.
  7. Slowly add the custard into chocolate while whisking - continue to whisk until smooth
  8. Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until thick peaks form
  9. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently until no white spots are seen
  10. Pour and spread mousse into the cooled speculoo's crust and refrigerate covered for at least 3 hours
  11. Sprinkle fruits to garnish when serving (optional)
Notes
  1. If your chocolate seizes while melting in double boiler, add a teaspoon at a time of vegetable shortening or oil
Adapted from Chocolate mousse adapted from Epicurious
Adapted from Chocolate mousse adapted from Epicurious
STEMS & FORKS https://www.stemsandforks.com/

Chocolate Ricotta Cake with Mascarpone Mocha Buttercream

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Since I started blogging, the friendships I’ve made with other fellow food bloggers and stylists has been incredible to say the least. 

Recently fellow instagrammer @rodica_godlewski and I organized a food styling gathering at my home with fellow food stylists M.Aimee from @milkofthykindness and Sarah from @sarah.boileau. We were 4 complete strangers…well strangers that conversed for several months prior to our meeting on Instagram but had never seen each other in the flesh or spoken to each other. It was so lovely to finally put a face larger than a blueberry and a voice to their names. To finally shed cyber palling two dimensionally and begin a real friendship in the flesh was incredible. The ideas and inspiration we shared with each other not to mention the great laughs was epic in porportions. 

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Triple Berry Scones with Lemon Vanilla Drizzle

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I often laugh when someone writes a recipe declaring it easy, fast or that cooking is therapeutic. For me cooking and baking is not easy. It’s work regardless how simple the steps are to a recipe. The whole process of prepping, cooking and washing up…(especially washing up) is long and can be tedious at times. For me there is nothing therapeutic about cooking and baking. But there is something satisfying, fulfilling and validating about the process of cooking. If I had to compare it to something…hmmm… maybe giving birth to a child?  I’m not saying that a child is on the same level as a fresh loaf of banana bread. But the expression of something as profound as pregnancy being referred to “something in the oven” sums up what baking is in an exaggerated way. Getting ready for your child requires, well the creation (clears throat), the nurturing and caring while in the “oven” and than labour – blood sweat and tears- the finale- a reward…your beautiful baby or that fresh banana loaf. But it’s 100% all you and created by you.

I recently did a friend a favour and received several boxes of various berries and fruits. Gorgeous tiger and dark figs, cherries, strawberries, blueberries and kiwis. I planned to make something with the figs but they were at its prime and I admit my family and I scarfed them down in a matter of minutes. Kiwis – I’m sorry. But I don’t like you. You’re guilty by association. After getting sick one day as a child and barfing the green seedy exotic fruit all over my brand new overalls, I have never been able to try them again. So cherries, blueberries and strawberries in a triple berry scone (I know it’s not a berry…but they’re adorable like a berry) 

I made these scones when I was in a pinch to make a quick thank you for my daughters friend for hosting her at their cottage. Now if you are skipping the glaze (which I don’t recommend), try adding a touch more sugar as I lessened the usual ratio. Not crazy about super sweet scones but the drizzle does add a perfectly balanced and lovely sweet citrus zing. Remember, scones should be tender, slightly flakey, buttery with a touch of sweetness.  So here it is. A super fast and easy scone recipe (sniggering- bahaha). 

Bon app!

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Triple Berry Scones with Lemon Vanilla Drizzle
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • FOR THE SCONES:
  • 260 g or 2 cups AP flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of table salt
  • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder
  • 50 g or ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 115 g or ½ cup butter or 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • ½ cup heavy cold cream
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup overflowing fresh blueberries
  • ⅓ cup overflowing freshly chopped strawberries
  • ⅓ cup overflowing with pitted cherries
  • ⅓ cup toasted walnuts (optional)
  • FOR THE DRIZZLE:
  • 125 g or 1 cup icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
  1. FOR THE SCONES:
  2. Preheat oven to 400F (205C), line baking tray with parchment paper
  3. In a medium metal or plastic bowl, grate butter on box grater's biggest hole and pop in freezer uncovered- let it sit in freezer while you gather rest of ingredients
  4. In large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar and whisk well and set aside
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cream together and set aside
  6. Add the cold butter in the flour mixture with fingers, tossing for about 15-20 seconds
  7. Pour the cream/egg mixture to the dry flour mix and stir gently with spatula - DO NOT over stir. stir still ingredients become just wet
  8. Fold in all the berries and the nuts (if you're adding)- don't overwork dough here
  9. shape the dough into a disc about 8 inches wide and about 1.5 inches thick
  10. With a sharp knife, cut the disc into about 6-8 equal wedges and separate about 1 cm at most
  11. Bake for 20-25 minute or until the crust is a golden brown
  12. Allow to cool before drizzling icing
  13. FOR THE ICING:
  14. In a bowl whisk together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar
  15. Drizzle over scones once they've cooled somewhat

 

 

Strawberry and Carrot Cake

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I realize I’m so behind blogging. I remember making this cake for fathers day which was easily over a month ago. We had a BBQ at our house and so asked my dad and hubs what they wanted for dessert. Dad asked for something with strawberries seeing as the season started and Pierre asked for carrot cake. Thus the marriage of the two. I prepared it not thinking very much about posting it as a blog. However realized I had too after posting a pic on Instagram and getting a barrage of requests to post the recipe. 

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Fig and Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

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For the longest time I thought figs were a small, beige, chewy and slightly sticky giant raisin in the shape of a puck. I had no idea they were a plump mildly sweet aromatic blob shaped like Michelangelo’s centrepiece on David. Until at the embarrassing age of 16 when i was at a friends home and noticed the parents platter of fruits and cheese. Or rather what I thought at the time as a mini pear infested with maggots.

Well I’ve since grown. And fresh figs for me far out weigh beauty and taste than dried figs.  

Fresh figs back in the 70’s and 80’s were limited and scarce here in Toronto. I don’t think I can say I ever saw fresh figs before the 90’s in a grocery store. Mother would buy several packs of dry figs which cost 99 Cents a dozen at each grocery store visit. It was our go to snack. Instead of chewing on fig newtons like other normal kids,  I remember my sisters and eating heaps of dried figs while romping around in the playground in the hot summer sun. A dozen each to be exact. And it would last the entire playground duration as we’d be chewing the sweet figs like chewing tobacco. 

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Éclairs with Black Lavender Crême Patisserie

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Yes. It’s another tea recipe. I can’t help it.  I’m obsessed lately and I’m pretty certain it’ll calm down once I’ve done overkill with tea. I have to admit…I am a binger in almost everything I do. I binge eat, watch, bake and eat and watch and bake. 

And it started from a young age. I remember recording INXS’s “Never tear us apart” repeatedly on both A and B sides and listening to it over and over and over again until the film on the cassette melted. I’ve also been known to watch entire seasons of shows in one night. Recently my OCD evolved to binge baking and then binge eating what I baked. And lately its been baking with tea. Tea in my creams, tea in my cakes, tea infused in my breads, tea in my moisturizer…you get the idea. I’m consumed by tea.

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Pear and Rhubarb Galette with a Chai Tea Caramel Sauce

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I honestly thought this would be an odds and sods kinda dessert.  Two pears, a couple stalks of rhubarb, a bag of tea…nothing special. So I thought. I was in for a surprise. The flakey crust, the sweet (pear and caramel) and the tart (rhubarb) with the soft perfume and spice from the chai was exquisite. And of course, sprinkled with a few chopped walnuts and its a party. 

The only suggestion I have is roll the rhubarb if you have time. It took time to roll these slippery babies up and tie together. My pinky fingers are still a bit stiff. The idea originated from my days as a florist and rolling leaves up, tying with grass and accenting floral arrangements. Not as easy when somethings so small and wet. But the result I have to admits was gorgeous.

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Chocolate Macarons with An Earl Grey and Orange Ganache

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I’ll be completely honest. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Macarons are very pretty and taste good but in all frankness, so are oatmeal cookies. I rarely make macarons. Not because they’re high maintenance but because I’ve always been one of those gals drawn to the awkward nerd with a bad hair cut rather than the popular kid with nice hair and perfect skin. I appreciate the underdog but recognize the beautiful. I suppose I just answered my own question. Macarons are just that. Beautiful. They’re little jewels.  Smooth, shiny with a delicate pavé of bubbles supporting their crispy yet chewy bodies, sandwiched with a creamy centre where most of the flavour is embraced. Of course macarons are popular and rightfully so.

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Flourless Almond Cake with Blood Orange Curd and Mascarpone Icing

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It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here. I have many excuses but none that are extraordinary . I’m one of those kinda gals that needs deadlines and booked appointments. Otherwise things don’t get done. In this case, my deadline was that blood oranges are tapering off and will soon come to an end if it hasn’t already. If you’re planning on baking this post blood orange season, just sub in regular oranges. 

I’m not sure who to give credit for this recipe. It’s a culmination of various almond cake recipes, tips and advice I received over the past few months since I seriously started my baking journey. The first time I baked this cake I was cursing and swearing in English, French and Korean. It kept sinking in the centre. What was I doing wrong? Just as I was with pie crust, I became obsessed and was fully determined not to be defeated. After a bit of research online and discussion, I realized that I was using the wrong size tin, and not enough egg whites. 

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