domingo, 17 de marzo de 2013

Pink crepes & chocolate ganache millefeuille


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Who said pink desserts were only for Valentine's day? 
Here is a nice little cake to share with the person you love most on earth or just to eat on your own for a special moment. 
This is another dessert that inspired me, one of those 5 million recipes that pass by on your "wall" (Facebook wall for the non-initiated :)) and suddenly you click on it!
I noticed it as it seemed very pretty and yummy to me. With its pink crepes and chocolate layers I couldn't resist.




The original recipe  and easier to eat if I'd make some individuals cakes. With my recipe you'll be able to make both versions. you will need a cooking ring of 7,5cm diameter aprox. and 4cm high. If you have 2 or 4 of them it will help you work quicker (for the big cake version you'll need a cooking ring of 22cm diameter).

And first of all the crepes recipe: I use to make it with beer and milk but this time I've only put milk.Here is Mathilda's recipe from Cuisine en Bandoulière (one of my favourite blogs!). 

For 15 crepes:

.320g de flour
.4 beaten eggs 
.80cl milk or 20cl beer + 60cl milk
.1 pinch of salt
.pink food color (I use food color in gel, it stands the heat) 
.A little oil
(for the big version I recommend to double the quantities, to obtain a cake high enough).

Sift the flour un a big bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients until liquid and smooth. Set aside for 1/2h before making the crepes (use the mixer if there are any lumps). 

Using kitchen paper put a little bit of oil in a frying pan, wait until quite hot and pour a ladle of doe. Cook both sides quickly (1 minute more or less). 

Put 4 crepes one on the top of the other and with the cooking ring cut out 5 circles (1 circle for the big version). Repeat with the rest of the crepes. Reserve the circles in tin foil so they won't dry.

Chocolate ganache

40cl single cream (minimum 34% fat)
400g cooking chocolate
100g butter at room temperature

French pastry cream 

300ml semi-skimmed milk
4 egg yolks
60g sugar
130gcorn flour
1 pinch of salt

For the ganache:bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile break the chocolate in pieces in a bowl. when the cream boils remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Cover with a plate a wait for 1 minute before adding the butter cut in pieces. Cover again for 2 minutes and stir until smooth and even. Reserve.

For the French pastry cream: bring the milk to the boil on medium heat. In another container beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, add the corn flour and beat again until smooth. Once the milk has boiled, pour over the eggs/sugar/corn flour and mix well. Bring back to the heat (low) and stir incessantly with a wooden spoon (it is very important not to burn the cream). Once the cream has thickened, remove from the heat and pour over the ganache. Stir well in order to get a very homogeneous cream.

Now we are ready to put all the pieces together!
Place the cooking ring on a plate and put a crepe circle inside. Drop a tea spoon of ganache on the crepe, and spread leaving space around the border (for the big version use a tablespoon).

Repeat until the cooking ring has been filled up completely (I use the bottom of a glass to flatten each crepe). Place in the fridge with the cooking ring for 30 minutes minimum so the chocolate harden. It will help to remove it from the mould easily without braking the cake (For the big version leave 2 hours in the fridge).


Take out of the fridge, remove from the mould with the help of a knife (pass it between the mould and the cake) push the cake down slowly using the glass while you're lifting the cooking ring. 
We're nearly there, we only have to spread some ganache around the cake and on the top with a knife. 
Decorate with some fresh strawberries, whipped cream, some sugar pearls etc.... 

Why not try with white chocolate as well? 
Yummmm!!:)