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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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Triple Berry Scones with Lemon Vanilla Drizzle

August 17, 2017 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

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: Betty Binon

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

FOR THE SCONES:
Preheat oven to 400F (205C), line baking tray with parchment paper
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
In large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar and whisk well and set aside
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cream together and set aside
Add the cold butter in the flour mixture with fingers, tossing for about 15-20 seconds
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
Fold in all the berries and the nuts (if you're adding)- don't overwork dough here
shape the dough into a disc about 8 inches wide and about 1.5 inches thick
With a sharp knife, cut the disc into about 6-8 equal wedges and separate about 1 cm at most
Bake for 20-25 minute or until the crust is a golden brown
Allow to cool before drizzling icing
FOR THE ICING:
In a bowl whisk together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar
Drizzle over scones once they've cooled somewhat

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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Cardamom Cake with Matcha and White Chocolate Icing

March 24, 2017 By stemsandforks 2 Comments

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Golden Beet Cake with Brown Butter Sage Frosting

February 9, 2017 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

Every now and then, I whip up gnocchi with brown butter and fresh sage drizzle. Add a bit of fresh parmesan and cracked black pepper and my mouth is singing. Or I’ll roast beets and toss with some goats cheese and walnuts. Often I’ve wondered if I could translate the sage/butter/cheese/beets/walnuts into a cake and finally I did. I know what you’re thinking. Betty’s finally lost her marbles. She’s trying to make cake from a salad.

Well, I did. And it tasted far from being a pasta or salad dish. The cake wasn’t only gorgeous, it tasted sublime. The golden colour from the beets gave the cake a beautiful hue. The taste was sweet with a subtle earthy tone and an ever so slight perfume.

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Chocolate Mascarpone Cake

January 31, 2017 By stemsandforks 5 Comments

It’s hard to avoid hearing about what’s going on with our neighbours to the south. I went to my local coffee shop this morning, and almost every single person was talking about it. I was in line at the grocery store and my cashier struck up a conversation with me about it. She told me how Robert de Niro compared the situation to Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, and how he ominously concluded with, “God help us.”

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Berry Galette Picnic

January 20, 2017 By stemsandforks 1 Comment

It’s been tried, tested and its definitely true. Kids will be more willing to eat unfamiliar foods if they have a hand in helping to make it. I won’t get into all the tedious facts and stats about the nutritional value of berries, as we all know by now, they’re super healthy and chock-full of vitamins. So I found it fitting to make berry galettes with the kids last weekend. It was incredible. My 2 year old son Georges who doesn’t take instruction very well was so eager to follow his older sister’s lead on how to roll the dough, then toss the berries in. Some of the galettes may have had a bit too much sugar or one too many berries. But they all turned out super great and delicious once baked.

Some tips to ensure this activity is fun and clean-up is minimal:

-To lay your biggest table cloth on the floor and have the kids assemble on top.

-Make the dough the night before.

-Have your kids roll them out on cutting boards or cheeseboards

-Spread everything out on the floor

-Have the starch and sugar premixed in a bowl with a laddle or wooden spoon( I separated the starch and sugar…oops!)

-have the fruits in separate bowls and spread them out

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Sachertorte with German Cake Icing

December 31, 2016 By stemsandforks Leave a Comment

The dessert I chose to close the year 2016 off with, is Sachertorte with German Cake Icing. Years ago I had an Austrian friend who’s mother made me Austrian desserts all the time. I remember having second or third servings. None of her own children enjoyed desserts so she just adored having me over and watching me melt with appreciation when devouring her sweets.

I remember her thick accent proclaiming Austrians reigned supreme in fine desserts. That the French made great breads, the Belgians, pastries and chocolates but that the Austrians were without a doubt the best at fine desserts. She was a unique and eccentric lady. An avid exotic plant collector, classical pianist, an excellent cook but ultimately a quintessential patriotic Austrian. 45 years an expat and she still refuses to become a Canadian citizen.

Of all the desserts and sweets she has offered me, there’s one that stands out. The Sachertorte. Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with two layers divided by some apricot jam and covered with a dark chocolate glaze. It’s light and has a beautiful chocolate flavour. I remember thinking I must make this torte but moister. I’m told it’s meant to have a dry texture as it’s typically served with some chantilly cream and a strong good Viennese coffee.

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Caramel Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

December 28, 2016 By stemsandforks 2 Comments

Apples are the most cultivated and universally recognized fruit and perhaps one of the oldest that has existed on earth. It’s also arguably the most written about fruit in fables, religion and myths. It has been symbolized as both good and evil.

In the western world, we know the story of Adam and Eve in the Old Testament, where the serpent tempts man to eat the forbidden fruit thereby starting the fall of man and the Christian definition of sin. In Greek mythology Troy awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, which then precipitated the Trojan War. And in the Brothers Grimm tale of Snow White, the wicked step mother in disguise offers Snow White a poisonous apple that puts her in deep slumber.

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