Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Tart

I just love being on vacation - I actually have time for blogging and cooking and baking! Its so enjoyable and I feel like I'm a far better blog owner when I'm not just trying to get a post up for the sake of posting.  I've taken some time off between Christmas and New Years and it has been really nice - my family is staying with us so I've had a chance to "show off" with some delicious meals and some new recipes. This lemon cheesecake mousse tart from Anna Olson's cookbook In the Kitchen with Anna is a great dessert for occasions like this - where you want people to ohhh and ahhhh over the dessert and rave about it for a while. Its so delicious and really very simple to whip up. And of course, I have to mention how few ingredients this recipe has in it - you'll probably have a lot of them on hand already.

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse Tart
Recipe adapted from In the Kitchen with Anna

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk

Mousse Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• dash vanilla extract
• raspberries, for garnish

Method:

1. For the crust, stir the flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt to combine. Pour into the food processor and  add butter. Pulse until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Add the egg and the yolk and process just until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disk and chill for at least an hour.
2. On a lightly floured surfact, roll our dough to just less than 1/4 inch thick (this didn't work for me, so I just pressed the dough into the tart pan and up the sides). Sprinkle an 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom lightly with flour and line with pastry. Trim the edges and chill for an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Place tart shell on a baking sheet. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, line the shell with foil and weigh down with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the weights and bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until the centre of the tart shell appears dry and the edges are browned. Let cool while preparing the mousse.
4. For the mousse, whip the cream to soft peas and chill. In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and beat in the sugar and lemon zest, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream in two additions. Dollop the mouse (or pipe with a piping bag) into cooled shells. Garnish with fresh raspberries and chill until ready to serve. Gently remove outside ring and bottom of tart pan before plating.

You could also make 8 4-inch mini tarts instead of one big one if you want something cute for a dinner party. Hope you enjoy this recipe!! I'm heading off to enjoy my last weekend of freedom before I have to head back to work.

I've linked up this post with Whatcha Baking Wednesday over at CajunSugarPie.Com - head on over there to check out some more scrumptious dessert recipes to test out (or even just drool over if you're into that!).

Happy Baking my Friends!

The Daring Bakers Challenge - April 2011 - Maple Mousse in Bacon & Chocolate Bowls

Well, another month has passed by and its already time for another Daring Bakers' post. This month we weren't up to anything technically difficult, but it was definitely a crazy combination that not many of us had ever attempted (in a dessert any way). Funny how maple syrup with pancakes and bacon is a perfectly acceptable breakfast food (at least in Canada) yet the thought of pairing bacon with maple flavoured mousse seems weird! I will admit that the bacon bowls weren't my favorite and given the chance to make this dessert again I would likely opt for a different edible vessle, but I would definitely incorporate the bacon somehow. The rich saltiness of the bacon really offset the sweetness of the maple mousse.


The April 2011 challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded for the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at the Daring Kitchen.

This month's challenge was really interesting and really showed how creative the Daring Bakers' can be!


I'm not going to share the bacon bowl technique with you because I wasn't overly impressed with the results, but the maple mousse was so decadent that I must share that recipe. It is super easy so I hope if you're a maple lover that you will give it a try. Be sure to use a high quality maple syrup in this recipe (not maple-flavoured syrup) or you won't have the same results. One other tip I have for you: the maple mousse is very sweet so serve it in small portions (think shot glass size) with something a little salty on top. The salty will counter the sweet to balance out the flavours so perfectly.

Maple Mousse

Recipe provided by Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pure maple syrup


• 4 large egg yolks


• 1 pkg unflavoured gelatin


• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Method:

1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.


2. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and pour a little of the maple syrup in while whisking to temper your egg yolks.


3. Add warmed egg yolks to the maple syrup and mix well.


4. Measure 1/4 cup of the whipping cream into a bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Place bowl in the microwave and microwave for 45 seconds (taking out and stirring every 10 seconds). Whisk the gelatin mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.


5. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white.


6. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate for at least one hour.


7. Remove from fridge and divide equally among any edible (or non edible) containers of your choice.

I can't believe thats another Daring Bakers challenge all finished! Thank you Evelyne for the very interesting and inspiring challenge! I can't wait to see what next month has in store. :)

Chocolate Ginger Mousse

Wow! This week flew by... I was working long days and out of town and it seems like I looked up and all of a sudden it was Friday! So I hope you can forgive me for being a really bad blogger this week. I will make it up to you by posting this amazing, unique chocolate ginger mousse recipe. It is beautiful to serve and tastes really decadent with an exotic twist. I hope you enjoy!

Here is a bit of a disclaimer for you though - beware of what fussy husbands might think of this recipe. My husband politely told me "the chocolate part is delicious, but the ginger tastes like chunks of the spatula broke off while you were mixing it"... soooo if your husband is fussy, this is probably not the dessert to make for him! The ginger adds a really unique element to the chocolate mousse but you definitely have to be a ginger fan to enjoy this dessert.

This is not a technically difficult recipe, but it does dirty a lot of dishes... so be prepared. Start with a clean kitchen and an empty dishwasher! Tidy up as you go along or your kitchen will look like a bomb went off in it (think I learned the hard way?)! But - it is worth doing the extra dishes - it is soooo good! Smooth and fluffy with little pieces of candied ginger studded in the rich chocolatey goodness like little treasures waiting to be found! So without further delay, on to the recipe.

Chocolate Ginger Mousse

Recipe from The Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich

Ingredients:

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup brewed strong coffee or espresso
• 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup finely chopped, crystalize ginger, plus extra for garnish
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brady or rum
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup whipping cream plus 1/2 cup for garnish
• fresh mint sprigs

Method:

1. Get out all your mixing bowls - you'll need them.
2. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and, in a small saucepan, combine with the coffee and butter. Melt over low heat (or in the microwave on low), stirring every 10 seconds until smooth. Stir in the minced candied ginger and set aside.
3. In a stainless bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Whisk in the brandy. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (a pan just large enouh to blance the bowl on top is perfect - make sure the bowl isn't touching the water), and whisk until the mixture is thick and hot to the touch. Remove from the heat and whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Cool to room temperature.
4. In a separate bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff.
5. Now its time to mix and fold. Pile the stiffened egg whites on top of the chocolate mixture and, using a spatula, gently life and fold together until incorporated. Fold the whipped cream into the mousse, using the same technique. Spoon the mousse into 8 wine glasses or small dessert dishes and refrigerate from 6 hours to overnight. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of whipping cream. To serve, garnish the top of each mousse with a dallop of whipped cream, a sprinkling of chopped ginger and a sprig of mint.
   

Enjoy this recipe! Hope it slightly makes up for me being a bad blogger this week! :) This dessert is yummy and would be well received by any guests! And it is definitely elegant enough to be served at a dinner party. Happy Baking my Friends! More exciting posts to follow this weekend - I promise!

The Daring Bakers Challenge - January 2011 - Biscuit Joconde Imprime/ Entremet

Since I joined the Daring Bakers in August I have constantly been amazed at the cool things we've made. I have conquered a number of culinary adventures that I never dreamed I would be able to complete. And then this challenge came along... it seemed so complex, so difficult, and as though I would never be able to successfully complete the challenge. I spent a few sleepless nights worrying about how this dessert would turn out...

The January 2011 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Atheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert. You should check out her blog for some beautiful entremets - she is so very talented and really did host an amazing challenge!

Now, despite being more terrified and stressed out about a challenge than I have been since I joined, I really enjoyed making this dessert and most definitely will try it again. I would love to perfect this technique - it is such a beautiful way to present desserts for special occasions and always leaves people wondering how you achieved such beauty in a dessert! I chose to make individual desserts as I was having a dinner party that weekend, so I figured I may as well make them. Even if they looked ugly, at least they would taste good!

I layered a no-bake vanilla bean cheesecake which I adapted from my mother-in-law's go-to cheesecake recipe, with a chocolate-kahlua mousse. I topped with sweetened whipped cream and a small piece of joconde imprime. I found the mousse to be far too rich for my taste, however my husband really loved it as did my dinner party guests, so I think this may just come down to my personal preference. However, I would highly recommend the no-bake cheesecake recipe (please see below for details).

Since this is going to be such a long post, lets get on with the instructions. Be sure to read through all the instructions prior to attempting this recipe!!!! Maybe read through them a couple of times... :)

Step 1: Make the Joconde Sponge

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cake flour
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 1/2 tsp white granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Method:

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peaks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioners sugar, cake flour in the dirty egg white bowl.
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. Fold in 1/3 of reserved egg whites to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Do not overmix.
4. Fold in melted butter.
5. Reserve batter to be used later.

Next Step: Make the Joconde Paste to pattern your sponge:

Ingredients:

• 14 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar
• 7 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup cake flour
• food colouring gel or paste

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously. Fold in sifted flour. Tint batter to desired colour (colours).
2. Pipe batter into desired patterns on a silicone baking mat placed on an upside down baking sheet.
3. Slide the baking sheet with the paste into the freezer for 15 minutes until hard.
4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the decore paste.
5. Bake at 475F until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx 15 minutes. It will bake fairly quickly, so do keep an eye on it.
6. Cool. Do not leave too long or it will stick to the mat.
7. Flip cooled cake onto parchment paper dusted with icing sugar, remove silpat carefully. Cake should be right-side up with your pretty pattern showing.
   

Next Step: Prepare the Molds for the Entremets:

1. You can use a spring-form pan, biscuit cutter, ring molds, or PVC pipe cut approximately 3 inches high.
2. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray. Stretch cling wrap over the bottom of the mold and up the sides. Be sure to pull it tight so it creates a smooth base for your dessert. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper. Cut the paper to the top of the mold as this will make spreading the entremet layers easier.

Next Step: Preparing the Joconde for the Molds:

1. Trim the cake of any dark, crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
2. Decide how high you want your joconde wrapper. Traditionally it should be about 1/2 the height of the mold.
3. Once your height is measured, cut with a ruler into nice even strips. Besure strips are cut cleanly and ends are perfectly straight.
4. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Push and press the ends together to make a beautiful seamless ring around the mold.
5. The mold is done and ready to fill.
   

No-Bake Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 envelope dream whip
• 1 vanilla bean

Method:

1. Beat cream cheese & sugar until smooth & fluffy. Stir in vanilla and vanilla bean seeds. Prepare dessert topping according to package directions. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
2. Spoon into individual molds until cream cheese mixture comes up about 1/2 way to the top.
3. Leave in fridge overnight to let cheesecake set. Then make the mousse.
   

Make the Kahlua-Chocolate mousse based on the mousse part of this recipe. Spoon on top of set cheesecake mixture and level the tops as best you can. Mousse should come all the way to the tops of each mold.

Serve by garnishing with whipped cream & chocolate shavings. Enjoy!

Wow! What a lot of work and a lot of steps! But it really was worth the effort. Despite not being perfect, they really were beautiful and so much fun to serve at my dinner party. Thank you so much Atheroshe for sharing such an amazing technique with us Daring Bakers. This challenge was oh-so-daring, but I learned so much and enjoyed every step of the way.

Happy Baking my Friends!

The Ultimate Chocolate Mousse - From Scratch!

I'd like to start this post off by saying - sometimes you just need a chocolate fix - pure, rich and decadent chocolate. You don't care how many calories or how much fat, you just need chocolate! If this sounds familiar, this recipe is for you - rich, decadent and cloudlike chocolate mousse to the rescue! Serve it out of a martini or margarita glass for a fun effect. One thing to note - the recipe I use states that it only makes 4 servings... WRONG! This recipe should make 6-8 servings (I will make 8 next time I make it) - using 4 servings makes for way too much rich chocolate mousse to consume in one sitting!

This recipe is from my new cookbook Tyler's Ultimate by Tyler Florence. This guy is pretty awesome - his cookbook is full of beautiful pictures, helpful hints and of course delicious recipes! Be forewarned, photo quality for this post is severely lacking - I was way too excited to eat this mousse to take the time to take high quality photos - so please bear with me! This one left me in awe the other week when I made it and I really feel like I need to share it with you! So here we go:

The Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

Recipe from Tyler's Ultimate, p. 230

Ingredients:

• 6 ozs semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish (or whatever you have on hand - i used graham crumbs and fresh mint leaves)

Method:

1. bring about 1 inch water just to a simmer in a saucepan; put the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl and set it over the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from heat and let mixture cool slightly. Then grab a whisk and beat the egg yolks into the cocolate one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
3. In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to chicken up. Add remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.
4. Now you've got the elements prepared! Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the rest. Fold in whipped cream, taking care not to overwork the mouse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse among 6-8 glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

Take the time to savour every delicious bite of this chocolate mousse! Its amazingly rich and will just blow you away. Honestly - its like the best chocolate dessert ever and satisfies even the most fierce chocolate craving. :)

Happy Baking my Friends!