HungryRecipes.com

4 lb Chestnuts OR

2 lb Chestnuts, canned, whole,

– unsweetened, drained OR 4 c Chestnuts, pureed, canned,

– unsweetened 1/4 c Sugar, superfine

1/2 c Butter, unsalted, melted

3 tb Calvados OR

3 tb Applejack OR

3 tb Cognac

1/2 ts Vanilla

8 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet,

– melted, cooled, — (preferably Maillard) ———————————GARNISHES——————————— 1 c Cream, whipping

1 ts Sugar

1/2 ts Vanilla

Candied violets 1 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet,

– melted, cooled 1 tb Cocoa, unsweetened

If you are using fresh chestnuts, cut an X on the flat side of each chestnut. Place the chestnuts in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Cover and boil gently until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 15 minutes. Shell the chestnuts, removing both the hard outer shell and the inner brown skin. If you’re using canned chestnuts, simply drain. Reserve 3 whole chestnuts for garnish. Puree chestnuts in a processor until very smooth. Add 3/4 cup of very finely powdered sugar, butter, Calvados and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Puree again until very smooth and fluffy.

Add 8 ounces of melted chocolate and puree until very smooth. Line a 4 cup round log-shaped mold or loaf pan with plastic wrap, pressing it down until smooth. Pour in the chestnut-chocolate mixture and tamp the mold to eliminate any air bubbles. Smooth over the surface, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. To Garnish: =========== Unmold log on serving plate, and carefully remove the plastic wrap. Whip the cream with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until stiff. Spread the cream evenly over all sides of the log, forming a barklike ridge here and there with a spatula or decorating comb. Drizzle thin lines of chocolate down the length of the log, using a paper pastry cone or fork. Roll the 3 reserved chestnuts in cocoa and arrange on the log lengthwise. Garnish with candied violets and refrigerate until serving. This log may be refrigerated for up to one week. Source: New York’s Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine : Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland : The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985 Chef: Andree Abramoff, Andree’s Mediterranean Restaurant, New York

——————————-CREME ANGLAISE——————————- 3 c Milk

1 c Cream, whipping

10 lg Egg yolks, room temperature

1 c Sugar

——————————CHOCOLATE MOUSSE—————————— 1/2 c Sugar

1/2 c Water

4 lg Egg whites, room temp.

1/4 ts Cream of tartar

2 c Cream, whipping, whipped

– to soft peaks 1 c Cocoa, unsweetened

4 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet,

– melted, cooled to room — temperature 3 tb Espresso powder, instant

—————————–CHOCOLATE FLOWERS—————————– 10 oz Chocolate, milk, coarsely

– chopped OR 10 oz Chocolate, coating, coarsely

– chopped 1/4 c Syrup, corn, light

– — – For Creme Anglaise: =================== Bring milk and cream to boil in heavy saucepan. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar in mixer,until pale yellow and forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Slowly pour 1 cup of hot liquid into yolks, beating constantly. Transfer yolk mixture to milk and cream in saucepan and stir constantly over medium-low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. DO NOT BOIL. Strain into a large bowl set into a larger bowl of ice water and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. For Mousse: =========== Heat sugar and water in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally and brushing down any crystals from sides 2of pan with brush dipped in cold water. Increase heat and boil until mixture registers 240 F (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly pour in hot syrup, beating until mixture is cool, about 5 minutes Gently fold in whipped cream, cocoa, melted chocolate and espresso. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. For Chocolate Flowers: ====================== Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Melt chocolate with corn syrup, stirring until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and spread with metal spatula to thickness of 1/4 inch. Cool to room temperature. Transfer paper with chocolate to work surface. Place second sheet of waxed paper over chocolate. Roll chocolate to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into twenty 1-inch rounds with a cookie cutter. Roll 1 chocolate round into tight funnel shape for center of flower.

Gather 3 more rounds around center, forming petals. Squeeze together at base. Place on a waxed paper-lined plate. Repeat with remaining chocolate, forming 5 flowers. Refrigerate until flowers are firm. To Assemble: ============ Divide creme anglaise among five 2 cup cachepots or other porcelain dishes shaped like a flowerpot. Top with chocolate mousse, mounding slightly in center. Set chocolate flower atop each (to anchor flowers more securely, place on lollipop sticks, then insert in mousse.) Refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving. Each flowerpot makes two servings. Source: New York’s Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine : Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland : The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985 Chef: Michel Fitoussi, 24 Fifth Avenue, New York

Creme Anglaise ** 14 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet,

– crumbled 7 oz Butter, sweet

2 tb Grand Marnier

1 ts Extract, vanilla

1 tb Almond, powder

10 md Egg yolks

10 md Egg whites

1 1/2 c Sugar

** A recipe for this ingredient can be found elsewhere in this packet. In a bowl, put the chocolate, butter, Grand Marnier, vanilla extract, and almond powder together and mix. Melt the ingredients over a double boiler. Remove the mixture from the heat as soon as it’s melted and whip lightly. In another bowl, whip the egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until a white ribbon is formed, about 5-7 minutes. Blend this sugar/yolk mixture gently into the chocolate mixture with a spatula. In another bowl, whip the egg whites vigorously. Slowly add 3/4 cup of sugar, whipping the mixture until lightly firm. Fold the egg whites/sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture blending lightly as for a souffle. Butter and flour two molds 10 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. Place a sheet of parchment on the bottom of each mold. Put half of the mixture in each of the molds and bake at 275 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Unmold and cool the gateau on a rack. To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Creme Anglaise. Source: Great Chefs of San Francisco, Avon Books, 1984 Chef: Rene Verdon, Le Trianon, San Francisco, CA

1/2 c Flour

1/4 c Sugar

2 lg Eggs

1/2 c Milk

Oil, for frying 4 ea Genoise, 3″ layers **

2 ea Peaches, ripe

Pate a choux ** ———————————-SABAYON———————————- 3 ea Egg yolks

1/4 c Sugar

2 oz Grand Marnier

2 tb Water, warm

** See recipe for Genoise Put the flour in a bowl and add sugar and mix. Beat in eggs one at a time and, when they are incorporated and the dough is smooth, add milk to make a batter. Dip a ladle or a mold into the hot fat briefly and dip into the batter. Put the ladle back into the fat carefully and fry until a “basket” comes away from the ladle. Fry the basket until it’s golden and drain. Fit the genoise into the bottom of each basket. Drop peaches one at a time into boiling water for 10 seconds to loosen the skin, then peel, halve and remove the pit. Place a peach half on each genoise. Form “handles” for the “baskets” out of Pate a Choux and bake them, then secure to the baskets with thick chocolate icing. Top each peach with sabayon and garnish with candy flowers. Sabayon: ======== Whisk egg yolks with sugar until they are light and lemon-colored. Add Grand Marnier and continue whisking. Put the mixture over low heat and cook carefully. Add warm water in a stream and whisk to form a smooth light-yellow sauce. Source: Great Chefs of New Orleans, Tele-record Productions : Box 71112, New Orleans, Louisiana – 1983 : Chef Michel Marcais, Begue’s Restaurant, New Orleans

———————————–MOUSSE———————————– 1 pt Cream, heavy

4 ea Egg yolks

3/4 c Syrup (Grand Marnier from

– above) 4 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet,

– melted Mousse: ======= Whip the cream with a whisk. Add melted chocolate to whipped cream and whisk until smooth. In another bowl, over hot water, whisk egg yolks and syrup. Fold egg syrup mixture into chocolate/cream mixture and mix with a spatula. Set aside for use in the rest of the Progres with Grand Marnier recipe. Source: Great Chefs of San Francisco, Avon Books, 1984 Chef: Roberto Gerometta, Chez Michel, San Francisco, CA

1 x Noisette Biscuit **

1 x Buttercream **

1 x Mousse **

———————————–SYRUP———————————– 4 oz Water

4 oz Sugar

1 oz Grand Marnier

——————————-CREME NOISETTE——————————- 1/4 x Buttercream (from above)

1 oz Hazelnut paste OR

1 oz Almond paste

1 ts Kirsch

——————————CHOCOLATE CREAM—————————— 3/4 x Buttercream (from above)

12 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet

** Recipes for these ingredients are found elsewhere in this packet. Syrup: ====== In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Take off of the heat and cool in refrigerator. Add Grand Marnier to cooled syrup and reserve. (Note: three-fourths of this syrup-Grand Marnier mixture will be used in the mousse; the remainder will be used to bunch the various layers of the Progres.) Creme Noisette: =============== Put the hazelnut paste and Kirsch into a bowl and mix with a spatula. Add 4 ounces of buttercream and blend well. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Cream: ================ Melt the chocolate, then cool. Add half of the chocolate to the buttercream. Mix well, then add remainder of the chocolate (must be done in steps or cream will break). Refrigerate. Assembly: ========= Remove the biscuit from the refrigerator and cut it to the shape of the mold. Put bottom biscuit into mold and brush with syrup. Spread layer of creme noisette on top of syrup. Refrigerate for 2 minutes. Add a layer of mousse, then place top biscuit on mousse. Brush with syrup again, then spread with a layer of chocolate cream. Freeze for 5 – 30 minutes. Pipe layer of chocolate cream on top. Unmold and serve on tray with garnish of sugar and real flowers. Source: Great Chefs of San Francisco, Avon Books, 1984 Chef: Roberto Gerometta, Chez Michel, San Francisco, CA

—————————-ALMOND COOKIE SHELL—————————- 3 lg Egg whites

2 tb Sugar

2 tb Flour

1/2 c Almonds, sliced, toasted

———————————–MOUSSE———————————– 1 c Sugar

1/2 c Water

8 lg Egg whites

6 lg Egg yolks

1 tb Rum, white

1 lb Chocolate, white, melted

Creme fraiche Raspberry puree Almond Cookie Shell: ==================== Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat them briefly. Add the sugar and flour, then whisk. Stir in the almonds. Butter a sheet pan and spoon tablespoons of mixture onto the pan. Spread the spoonfuls on the sheet slightly with the back of a spoon to form circles about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350 F oven for 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from oven and while still hot, mold into small cups by placing over a rolling pin. Set aside to dry. Mousse: ======= In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the mixture forms a soft ball. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer, and beat them until medium stiff (beating first on medium, then on high). Add the sugar and water (soft ball stage) from the saucepan to the egg whites and continue to beat briefly until a stiff meringue is formed. Place the egg yolks in a metal bowl and beat them over heat with a whisk. Add rum to the egg yolks – still beating over heat. Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Serve one scoop of mousse in an almond cookie shell. Garnish with raspberry puree and creme fraiche.

6 oz Package of semisweet

Chocolate chips 1 Egg

1 ts Vanilla

1 ts Almond extract

1 tb Creme de cacao liqueur

1 c Whipping cream

Blend together first 4 ingredients while microwaving the cream until just beginning to boil. With blender going add the hot cream and blend until well combined. Pour into small sherbet or wine glasses (I use the disposable plastic ones) and refrigerate for several hours. This is chocolate to the MAX! Few people refuse one of these and few can eat more than one.