Cakes

Speculoos and Chocolate Mousse Tart

September 15, 2017 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

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

2017-09-15 17:48:50

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FOR THE CRUST

170 grams or 2 cups of specululoos cookie crust crumbs
60 grams or 1 stick or 8 tablespoons unsalted

FOR THE MOUSSE

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
150 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Blueberries (optional)

FOR THE CRUST

Preheat oven to 375 F or 190C
Take Speculoos cookies and run through ninja or kitchenaid until crumbs
Melt butter in microwave and mix into the cookie crumbs until combined
Spread and press mixture into a 14x5 inch or 8 inch tart tin
Bake for 8 minutes
Set aside to cool

FOR THE MOUSSE

Warm up 3/4 cup cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until hot.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks
Add the hot cream to yolks in a slow steady stream, whisking until combined.
Transfer mixture back to the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes
Stir in vanilla
Melt chocolate in a double boiler (heat proof bowl over pan with hot water over stovetop) stirring frequently.
Slowly add the custard into chocolate while whisking - continue to whisk until smooth
Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until thick peaks form
Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently until no white spots are seen
Pour and spread mousse into the cooled speculoo's crust and refrigerate covered for at least 3 hours
Sprinkle fruits to garnish when serving (optional)

Notes

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

STEMS & FORKS https://www.stemsandforks.com/

Chocolate Ricotta Cake with Mascarpone Mocha Buttercream

August 27, 2017 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

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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Strawberry and Carrot Cake

July 22, 2017 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

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

June 22, 2017 By stemsandforks 3 Comments

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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Flourless Almond Cake with Blood Orange Curd and Mascarpone Icing

April 14, 2017 By stemsandforks 4 Comments

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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Cardamom Cake with Matcha and White Chocolate Icing

March 24, 2017 By stemsandforks 2 Comments

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Lemon Cheesecake Speculoos Tart

March 16, 2017 By stemsandforks 4 Comments

Speculoos are crunchy, spicy, tanned biscuits which I think are originally from the Netherlands. One sees it everywhere in Belgium especially around Christmas. There’s even high-end fancy boutiques that only sell Speculoos (Speculaas in Dutch) stamped with the iconic image of Saint Nicholas.

Being married to a Belgian, we often spend our holidays there with the in-laws. During these trips, we normally stock up on about half a year’s supply of Belgian goods, such as their sauces like Frikot, Americain and of course speculoos biscuits. Our last trip was to Knokke last summer. A beach town north of Belgium, full of Dutch vacationers all garbed in either Lacoste or Polo under white umbrellas sipping Veuve while their kids build sand castles. I suppose I can blame running out of Speculoos on Knokke. We were too busy making our own sand castles and sipping on Veuve as well, that we hardly had time to stock pile on my daughter’s beloved crunchy biscuit.

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Upside-Down Chocolate Plum Cake

March 8, 2017 By stemsandforks 2 Comments

Everyday I’m inundated with images and news stories about women’s rights violations, racial discrimination, totalitarianism, hate crimes and the degradation of civil liberties that has befallen on our neighbours to the south. My heart pounds most days with thunderous anger and empathy for those countless marginalized groups and individuals that have become victimized in America. How did a world-leading civilized nation end up on such a slippery slope of unraveling decades of progress in basic human rights?

Until recently, I felt proud of Canada more than ever. I believed that for the most part, Canadians were all about celebrating differences and diversity. I almost felt smug, thinking that we were immune to the atrocities happening in America.

I’m of Korean ethnicity but have been a Canadian citizen since I was an infant. I simultaneously feel connected to being both Canadian and Korean on a racial and cultural level. I don’t think about being “more Canadian” or “more Korean.” Nor is it something that’s discussed amongst my friends or peers. Rarely do I question my nationality or if I’m visibly different from other humans surrounding me. I’m a human being, period. And those around me are human beings too. However, every now and then, I’m reminded that not everyone shares this view. There are still the token few even in our great country of Canada who’s ignorance is blaring.

I had an encounter recently (which was not anywhere near the intensity of some of the horror stories out there), but it was a snapshot of some of the ignorance that lies quietly amongst us.

Last week I headed to my local grocer to pick up the black plums I needed for this recipe. They always have hand-picked fresh and rare fruits and vegetables. Like Buddha’s hand lemon or blood oranges and heirloom carrots. As I selected my black plums, a lady came up to me and asked me if we carried any milk. I can see why she thought I worked there. I’m Korean and the shop was owned by a Chinese family so she probably made a quick assumption that I worked there.

“No. There’s no milk here. But there’s a Shoppers Drug Mart about 10 shops north of here. And if I’m not mistaken…the milk is on the main floor towards the back.”

I didn’t mind being asked…it was a conceivable mistake to think I worked there and I was happy to help.

But then…

“Thank you. Your English is amazing!” She replied.

“You’re English is amazing too!” I snapped back.

She gave me the most bewildered look and left. I paid for my plums, walked home and started baking.

I normally would have shrugged this off but in light of what is happening out there, I felt a sting. I don’t think the lady meant any malice or ill-intent in her patronizing comment. What angered me was that I didn’t speak up to help her to understand the weight of her ignorant “compliment.” I have had enough. What I took away from this encounter was that I am just as responsible to dispel stereotypes whenever I’m faced with them, no matter how big or small. I have a voice and have as much right to use it as the next person. I’ve decided from this day forward, to always speak up and not to be that stereotypical sheepish and polite “Canadian”. Rather a strong, vocal and visible human being. To me, that is truly Canadian.

Bon app! (I think all this fury made this cake so delicious)

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Upside-Down Chocolate Plum Cake

Author: Betty Binon

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6 servings

A light, chocolaty, tart cake with all the ewwy gooey caramel goodness upside-down cakes have. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
¾ Cup (100 g) AP flour
¼ Cup (40 g) fine semolina
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 large eggs
½ Cup (115 g) unsalted butter room temperature
¼ cup cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
40-50 grams of dark 70% chocolate chopped
FOR THE PLUMS and CARAMEL
1 or 2 black ripe plums, stoned and sliced
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1½ table spoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F, line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the pan with butter and dusted flour or baking spray
Remove pitt from plum and slice into ½ inch slices. I used one plum in the pic, however two plums is ideal.
Line the bottom of the 9 inch cake pan with the sliced plums and set aside. Plum slices can overlap each other
In a small skillet, on medium heat, bring the ½ cup sugar and1/4 water to a boil(about 5 minutes)- DO NOT STIR while you're waiting for the sugar water to boil
Once its turned a lovely amber/caramel tone, remove from heat and add the butter and stir until the butter has been incorporated.
Pour all the caramel over the plums in the cake pan and set aside
FOR THE CAKE...In a large bowl or stand mixer, sift the flour, fine semolina, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon powder and mix for about 15 seconds.
Add the butter and beat (paddle attachment) until the mixture looks mealy and coarse
Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides and bottom every so often
Beat on medium for about a minute until the mixture is fluffy about 1½ minutes
Add the cream and vanilla and beat another half minute or so
Fold in the chopped pieces of 70% dark chocolate
Take spatula and spread batter over plums in cake pan evenly
Bake for about 40 minutes. Start checking/testing at 35 minutes with a toothpick in centre ...should come out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for half an hour before loosening cake sides with a butter knife and inverting cake on a plate
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream

Parsnip & Blueberry Cake with Mascarpone Maple Icing

February 26, 2017 By stemsandforks 3 Comments

Its Sunday night. The kids still need a bath, I need a bath , laundry needs sorting, dog needs walking, I’m missing the Oscars and I promised to have this recipe up on the blog for Friday. Life is busy…but good.

I would have to say I gave up many things since having children. I’m not complaining. Just observing. The last time I went to see a grown up movie was…I actually cant remember. The last time I went to see a kids movie…last week.

I love movies. Good movies. I remember as a teen I’d spend entire summers watching at least 1 movie a day whether in the theatre or a rental at home. Most of the time I’d go by myself. Being alone allowed me to laugh, cry and/or analyze without interruption or judgement.

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Matcha and Avocado Cake

February 21, 2017 By stemsandforks 5 Comments

I am far from being a health nut. But health is by far the most important thing, PERIOD. Last year I had surgery where the post-op recovery was excruciating. I was bed-ridden for days, helpless, depressed and in pain. All the money in the world would not have made me feel better or happier. All I wanted was my health.

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