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Spiced chocolate crêpe gateau

Posted on Friday May 4th, 2012 by Monica
8 people
Number of Diners
Advanced
Difficulty Level
1h 30m
Preparation Time
2h
Cooking Time

My first crêpe-cake was a huge experience, specially because it came out without thinking it so much. I started with the plums, and ended up making plum-crême pâtissière, and filled the cake with it, and some almonds :) This time, again, against all odds I decided to make it again. This time 100% chocolate, and spices.

The ocassion couldn’t have been better: my close friend Evita invited me to Becerril de la Sierra, a beautiful place outside Madrid, for lunch with her husband and her two beautiful daughters. And if you want to win the children and conquer the adults, I think no-one does that job better than chocolate. On the bus ride, everyone looking at me, or well, the dessert, because to be honest (you can judge by the picture!) it turned out perfectly beautiful and delicious!!

The recipe has a really nice spice touch, that goes so nicely with the chocolate: the crêpes have some Cointreau, clove and cinnamon and the chocolate mousse is made with a fresh ginger-infusioned milk and orange zest. Exquisit. The inspiration came from FOOD52.

It requires time and organization, but if you have an afternoon off and guests or you are a guest for next day, believe me when I say you’ll have everyone in love with you by the first bite. The crêpes with the mousse make and elegant and fun dessert.

Ok!! Let’s go to the step by step recipe.

Go to Recipe of Spiced chocolate crêpe gateau
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Ver post de French

Crêpe Gâteau

Posted on Friday November 11th, 2011 by Monica
8 people
Number of Diners
Advanced
Difficulty Level
2h
Preparation Time
1h
Cooking Time

Tarta de CrêpesWhat to do with a basket full of plums nobody is eating?

A tart was my first thought. So, I went on and started to read Julia Child and research a bit on what I could do with the plums. And I adventured myself (I’m more of a salty cook than sweet), and went on into complicating myself more and more… because from a tart, I changed into plum compote, crème pâtissèrie and ended up with a crêpe gâteau with plum-crême pâtisserie and almonds. Flambeed on the top with sugar and orange juice. I must say, it was sooo much worth it. Amazingly french, amazingly tasty. Now it is my duty to tell you how to make it.

Go to Recipe of Crêpe Gâteau
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Ver post de Desserts

Milk rice

Posted on Friday September 9th, 2011 by Monica
8 people
Number of Diners
Beginner
Difficulty Level
20m
Preparation Time
20m
Cooking Time

This dessert is a classic from my infance. You can find it almost everywhere. Started with the Arab world, the rice and the spices, got to Spain and finally the Spanish took it to Perú where we added our own touch so that it’s thicker and for me …yummier :) This recipe is a mix between one I took from Yanuq and the one Cristi made to my brothers and me when we were young, with three different milks: condensed, fresh and evaporated. The best thing for me is that it’s not so liquid but thick! Yummyyy

Arroz tres leches

Ingredients.

  • 3/4 cup long-grained rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 cup of fresh milk
  • 1 cup of condensed milk
  • 1 cup of evaporated milk
  • lemon and orange skin
  • 1 anise star
  • 1 clove
  • 1 cinnamon stick and powdered cinammon

Preparation.

Preparación arroz tres lechesPreparación de arroz con lechepreparación de arroz tres lechesArroz con tres leches

  1. Wash well the rice.
  2. Add to a small skillet, add the water and lime and orange skin, clove, anise star and cinnamon.
  3. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice grain “explodes”. 20 minutes aproximately.
  4. Heat in another skillet the three milks.
  5. Add the rice with its spices to it and keep on stirring at low-medium heat until it is all well incorporated and becomes thick. 15-20 minutes.
  6. Let it chill.
  7. Serve in Martini cups and garnish with cinnamon on top and orange skin, lemon skin, cinnamon stick and anise star.

milk rice

Arroz con leche

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Strawberry Tart

Posted on Wednesday August 3rd, 2011 by Monica
6 people
Number of Diners
Normal
Difficulty Level
1h
Preparation Time
40m
Cooking Time

This delicious and classical french dessert is always a winner. Classical brisée pastry, pâtisserie cream, strawberries and some strawberry syrup… it has colour, it smells delicious and it’s perfect for special occasions such as birthday parties or any party of course :) I made it for my friend Macarena’s birthday celebration at Gloria’s and Ruben’s house in Marburg, a very lovely typical German town just 5 hours from Berlin. Not a single gram left!

Let’s go step by step, first the pastry, then the cream and finally making the strawberries and ending the dessert. It is important that it stays in the fridge until before serving and to add the syrup when it is cold.

l. Let’s start with the brisée pastry.

Ingredients.

  • 275 gr flour
  • 220 gr cold butter
  • 1 cup of iced water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Preparation.


This pastry has to be worked fast, particularly if you have a warm kitchen because we have to prevent the butter from softening itself. We have to try and use our fingers as little as possible as well because we are warm. I sometimes mix it with a knife and fork.

  1. Place the flour, salt, butter and egg in bowl.
  2. Mix rapidly the flour and the butter between the tips of your fingers until the butter is broken into small pieces.
  3. Start to add the water little by little and mixing fast as you start making a ball.
  4. Press and gather all the ingredients until you have a consistent dough. Add water until necessary.
  5. Cover with film paper and leave at 4ºC at least for 30 minutes.
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
Go to Recipe of Strawberry Tart
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Ver post de Desserts

Banana, nuts and chocolate cupcakes

Posted on Sunday May 15th, 2011 by Monica
12 people
Number of Diners
Newbie
Difficulty Level
20m
Preparation Time
20m
Cooking Time

It’s time for another dessert, yes. How about banana cupcakes with nuts and chocolate AND some chocolate frosting on top? Sounds good right? While I was baking them people that passed by my balcony said ‘Smells delicious!’. Emilio, my building’s doorman has always been one of the oficial tasters of my food. He gave these cupcakes 10 out of 10 stars.

banana cupcakesAnd on Friday, my friends took me to a surprise ‘gastronomic’ trip to Salamanca, and I took a box with cupcakes for them to eat on the road…

Ingredients. Makes 12 cupcakes.

  • 1 cup of mashed bananas
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup of caster sugar
  • 180 gr unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 200 gr flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla esence
  • 1 teaspoon cinammon
  • 1/4 cup of nuts in small pieces (save some for decoration)
  • 1/4 cup of pieces of dark chocolate
  • 1 banana in fine slices to decorate

For the frosting (variation from the blog Best Cupcake Recipes):

  • 7 oz dark chocolate
  • 125 gr unsalted butter
  • 1,5 tablespoon milk
  • 2 cups of confectioners sugar

Preparation.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Beat at medium speed the butter with the sugars.
  3. Once it is well incorporated add the eggs and continue beating.
  4. Add the banana puree and vanilla.
  5. Finally add the flour, baking powder and cinammon, little by little and keep beating.
  6. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, add the pieces of nuts and chocolate.
  7. Move with a spoon and scoop and even amount of dough to cupcake molds.
  8. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are brown on the top and when a wooden skewer inserted in the middle willl come out clean.
Go to Recipe of Banana, nuts and chocolate cupcakes
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