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Valentine's Day

A Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette

By Denise Pare-Watson

My absolutely most favourite holiday is coming up – Valentine’s Day.  I am simply an incurable romantic.  Valentine’s Day gives me all kinds of reasons to get creative with desserts for two.  This year, I have developed a rather whimsical  Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry. The torte has a deliciously chocolate flavour because it uses both bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate to create a rich and dense dessert that can only be described as memorable.  This little torte would also be an excellent choice for an anniversary celebration or for a chocoholic’s birthday. 

To take this little torte over the top, I made a tasty garnish that is like edible paper.  I often made this garnish when competing in dessert competitions because it is somewhat unusual. It is easy to make and delicious to nibble on.  It is a very delicate yet striking garnish.  For this torte, the feuillette garnish is constructed on the topping while the ganache is still soft.   As the ganache sets up, it secures the edible paper in place, creating a crown of sorts.  Try this Sweetheart Chocolate Torte together with the Feuillette of Chocolate or Strawberry – it is unforgettable.

Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry | urbnspice.com

The torte is not difficult to make but does require three distinct steps:  the chocolate pastry; the bittersweet chocolate filling and finally, the shiny semi-sweet chocolate ganache topping.  The torte is lovely with just the shiny ganache topping but can be gorgeous with a simple baby rose or two on top, or you can make the feuillette of chocolate or strawberry (the recipe is included below).

A Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry

Yield:  one 5 – 6-inch torte

INGREDIENTS:

The Chocolate Pastry:

  • ½ cup (62 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (10 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons (26 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 egg

The Chocolate Filling:

  • 8 oz. (226 g) bittersweet chocolate
  • ½ cup (125 ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brandy 

The Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

  • 8 oz. (226 g) semisweet chocolate
  • ½ cup (125 ml) heavy whipping cream

METHOD:

For the Chocolate Pastry:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.  Set the rack in the middle of the oven.
  2. Prepare the 5 or 6-inch springform pan by greasing the bottom and the sides. Cut a circle of parchment for the bottom and strips of parchment for the sides of the springform pan.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Work in the butter. 
  4. Beat the egg with a fork and work into the mixture.  Press the mixture into the prepared spring form pan.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry is set.  Cool the pastry in the pan while you are preparing the filling.  The filling is placed on top of the cooled chocolate pastry crust. 

For the Chocolate Filling:

  1. Cut the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces and place them into a medium-size bowl. 
  2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt before stirring with a spatula until smooth.
  3. Cover and leave at room temperature until the mixture starts to set (it should be about the consistency of toothpaste).  This will take about 30 minutes, depending on the room temperature. 
  4. Using a mixer with a paddle or a whisk attachment, beat the chocolate mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and the brandy and beat to incorporate.
  5. Spread the filling over the cooled chocolate pastry.  Using an offset spatula, level the top of the filling.  Refrigerate the torte for at least one hour.  Remove from the refrigerator when you are ready to prepare the glaze.
  6. Remove the cake from the springform pan, peeling the parchment paper from the sides and bottom of the torte. Place the torte on a cookie rack over a baking sheet.  Prepare the glaze.

For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

  1. Cut the semi-sweet chocolate finely and place it in a medium size bowl. 
  2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt before stirring with a spatula until smooth.
  3. Pour the glaze over the torte; making sure that the entire cake is covered.
Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry | urbnspice.com

The Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry

While it is not essential to garnish the cake with the feuillette, I think that you would enjoy the experience of making this unique garnish.  You will need a scale to make the paste.  The chocolate feuillette paste is made using cocoa powder.  I made the strawberry feuillette paste using a powder made from pulverizing dried strawberries in my coffee grinder (I used my food dehydrator to dry thinly sliced strawberries, which took about two hours to dry to a crisp in my dehydrator).  The subsequent strawberry paste made from this powder is delightfully tasty!  Take care not to over bake the strawberry feuillette as they will lose their delicate pink hue.  I did not use any food colouring in my paste recipe, however, you can add a drop or two of pink or red food colouring to achieve the desired colour.

Dried Strawberry Slices | urbnspice.com
Dried Strawberry slices are pulverized into a powder to make the paste
Strawberry Feuillette Paste | urbnspice.com
A closeup of the feuillet of strawberry

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 21 g all-purpose flour
  • 77 g icing sugar
  • 12 g cocoa powder or strawberry powder
  • 20 ml water
  • 32 g butter, unsalted, melted

METHOD:

  1. Sift the dry ingredients together.
  2. Gradually add the water, then the melted butter.  Stir to combine into a smooth paste.
  3. Spread the paste in a thin layer on Silpat baking mats using an offset spatula.  Start from the bottom of the feuillet and spread upwards.  The bottom will be slightly thicker spreading to a thin imprecise ‘schmear’ (pastry chef slang).
  4. Bake in a 350oF (325oF Convection) for 5 – 6 minutes.  The feuillette will look bubbly and will not have any moist spots. They will crisp up as they cool.
  5. Allow the feuillette to come to room temperature.  Using an offset spatula, slide it under the thickest edge of each feuillet, and slide upwards to lift it gently from the Silpat baking sheet.  Place the feuillette gently on a cookie rack until you are ready to decorate the torte.  CHEF TIP:  These garnishes are very fragile, light and almost see-through delicate.  Make as many as you need at a time (make a few extra to allow for breakage).  Store any unused paste in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Bring the paste to room temperature before using.
  6. To Decorate:  Decorate the torte with feuillette while the glaze is still moist.  Place the feuillette randomly on top, alternating between the chocolate and the strawberry feuillette, setting the next feuillet to hold up the previous one.  If you have a few dried strawberries remaining, decorate the sides of the cake, if desired.  Allow the ganache topping to set at room temperature.  CHEF TIP:  The chocolate torte (and any chocolate cake) is best served room temperature.  The feuillette are best used the day that you make them.  They will remain crisp and papery when decorated close to the time that you serve the cake.
  7. Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry | urbnspice.com

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

  • Parchment Paper
  • Favourite Kitchen Tools: Spatula
  • Extracts: Vanilla Extract
  • Cutting Tarts and Cakes
  • Oven Temperature Accuracy
    __________

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A Unique Cheesecake: Double Chocolate Raspberry Torte Cheesecake with Chocolate Pecan Crust

White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Mini Cheesecakes with Gluten Free Crust

Lavender Rose Mini Cheesecakes

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

If you try my recipe for Sweetheart Chocolate Torte with Feuillette of Chocolate and Strawberry, please leave me a comment below with your feedback. Tag me @urbnspice on Instagram and hashtag #urbnspice  Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

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Original content here is published under these license terms: X 
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Filed Under: Baking Techniques, Cakes, Chocolate, Dessert Garnish, Food Fun, Gluten Free Recipes, My Recipes Tagged With: Birthday Cakes, Cakes, Chocolate, Chocolate Cakes, Chocolate Desserts, Valentine's Day

Individual Baked Dark Chocolate Mousse in Crispy Wrappers

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

I have an idea – Individual Baked Dark Chocolate Mousse in Crispy Wrappers!  Why? My favourite day is coming up – Valentine’s Day.  It always makes me happy to come up with ideas for Valentine’s Day desserts.  My objective when considering choices for a Valentine dessert menu is two-fold. One of the choices has to be chocolate – this is universal, it seems. The second consideration for a chocolate dessert is anything but a chocolate molten cake, which (in my opinion) has been far too prevalent on dessert menus for far too long.

But, how about taking that same idea of a soft warm chocolate cake and giving it a new twist? How about encasing it in a crispy crunchy nest that you take apart and scoop up delicious filling to share with someone you love? If you follow me on Urbnspice, you probably already know that my favourite way to serve desserts is to make individual sized portions. So, after considering all of these points, Individual Baked Dark Chocolate Mousse in Crispy Wrappers was the inspiration for my dessert creation.

Individual Baked Dark Chocolate Mousse in Crispy Wrappers | urbnspice.com

Individual Baked Dark Chocolate Mousse in Crispy Wrappers 

…

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017-2018 Urb'n'SpiceAll Rights Reserved
Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: Commercial
License Abstract: You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Filed Under: Chocolate, Desserts and Sweets, Individual Desserts, Inspiration of Urbnspice Series Tagged With: Baked Desserts, Chocolate, Dessert Buffet Ideas, Dessert Garnish, Individual Desserts, Valentine's Day

Need Valentine’s Day Ideas?

By Denise Pare-Watson

What are you planning for Valentine’s Day? I just finished ordering Valrhona Chocolate, in bulk, from The Vanilla Food Company – a request from someone very special in my life and I am more than happy to oblige.

Did you know that there is more and more evidence that eating a 2 x 2 inch square of dark chocolate per day is very beneficial to your health? That’s our story – and we’re sticking to it!

Valentine’s ideas coming to inspire you in the next few days. Check out Vanilla Food Company for chocolate, vanilla and so much more! A pastry chef’s idea of a dream come true.

Truffles are easy to make | urbnspice.com

Truffles are easy to make 

…

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016-2017 Urb'n'SpiceAll Rights Reserved
Original content here is published under these license terms:  X 
License Type: Commercial
License Abstract: You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Filed Under: Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!, Desserts and Sweets Tagged With: Chocolate Desserts, Desserts, Valentine's Day

An Irresistible Valentine

By Denise Pare-Watson

featuring a recipe for

Chocolate Walnut Financier – a Gluten Free, Grain Free tiny cake 

It is Valentine time:  With February comes Saint Valentine’s Day and with the 14th coming our way, we immediately think of family and friends who are near and dear to us. It gives us a reason to unabashedly buy a mushy card rather than a humorous one. It is a month of new beginnings with the promise of spring’s arrival. In some areas, we will notice the first tiny crocus popping its head from the sleeping gardens, with some even peeking from a snowy blanket. In keeping with Valentine’s Day and my objective to provide you with useful, simple and delicious things to make and eat, I have developed the following irresistible Valentine recipe so you can impress your family and friends.

Chocolate Financiers - gluten free | urbnspice.com
 

This is my version of a classic French tea cake, the Financier. It is a winner. According to history, this tiny Parisian cake became popular in the financial district of Paris. In order to impress the high rolling bankers, the restaurants made the cakes in the shape of tiny gold bars.

Traditionally, financier cakes are made using almond meal (ground almonds), but other nuts can be substituted. The flour is replaced by cocoa in this gluten-free version to create beautiful, dark, and delicious miniature cakes. This treat with its chocolate-walnut combination is sure to delight your loved ones on Valentine’s Day and any other day, as well.

…

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017-2019 Urb'n'SpiceAll Rights Reserved
Original content here is published under these license terms: X 
License Type:Commercial
License Abstract:You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

Filed Under: Cakes and Cupcakes, Chocolate, Gluten Free Recipes, Grain Free Recipes, Pastry Tagged With: Chocolate, Chocolate Desserts, Cookies, Financier, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Recipes, Valentine's Day

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Meet Denise – The Urbnspice Chef

Welcome to Urbnspice - A Taste of Heart and Home. Inspiration in my kitchen is often a trip to the market or an experimental coincidence! Come and join me on this culinary journey where I share my passion for the creative, technical and teaching components of the profession and unravel culinary quandaries for you with fun and easy to follow user-friendly recipes, tips & techniques.
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