"Chocolate Desserts" by Pierre Herme (Part 1)

[Richard Kilgore]

The sorbet is smooth and leans toward fudgy. Not grainy at all. I did it by the book, using the specified Vahlrona.

[oli]

For parties, I'll slice the tart into 24 thin wedges BEFORE topping with the pecan-caramel mixture. Then I'll line 'em up and go into production mode with the topping.

I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the finished platters. It looks cool with them all in a circle, spread out with a big dollop of the caramel topping in the center (you definitely have left overs if you slice before you top...great to snack on!).

Okay, okay...I'll stop talking about this one (for awhile anyway).

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[ComeUndone]

This is a cookie that takes strong arms, strong hands and a strong pastry bag.  I made them once again as a re-test and then decided to leave them to the big boys.

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I totally agree about the stiff dough. My friend and I made 4 batches of the sable before the Christmas holiday as part of our holiday cookie box. Between the two of us, we bursted one very sturdy pastry bag and ended up with two very sore forearms.

We added orange zest to the dough and garnished with candied orange peel. I liked the texture of the cookie and the piped cookie makes for very nice visual attraction. However, I would need some convincing before making this recipe again.

[Richard Kilgore]

This is a cookie that takes strong arms, strong hands and a strong pastry bag.  I made them once again as a re-test and then decided to leave them to the big boys.

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I totally agree about the stiff dough. My friend and I made 4 batches of the sable before the Christmas holiday as part of our holiday cookie box. Between the two of us, we bursted one very sturdy pastry bag and ended up with two very sore forearms.

We added orange zest to the dough and garnished with candied orange peel. I liked the texture of the cookie and the piped cookie makes for very nice visual attraction. However, I would need some convincing before making this recipe again.

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So is everyone saying that the disposable bags are likely to burst and I need to get a canvas bag to do these? I really like the visual appeal and want to try them at some point.

[M. Lucia]

Lovely savarin, Seth. And a beautiful Tarte Grenobloise.

Well, I made the chocolate mousse last night and had it today. I have to admit I wasn't expecting to like it all that much simply because I am not a huge fan of plain chocolate or choc. mousse.

All I can say is: Oh my G-d, it is so good!

I kept wondering, how can such simple ingredients come together to make something so great.

I loved how light it was.

[SethG]

...The hazelnut part of the cookies stayed in it's square shape, while the sugar mixture spread, leaving a small mountain of cookie surrounded by a large circle of flat sugary goodness.  In order to maintain their cookie-ness I've cut off the large circles, leaving only the cookie mountain.

The cookies are plenty good, and since I've never had them prepared I can pretend that this is what's supposed to happen.  But I was wondering if anyone here had an idea what I might have done wrong?

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I don't know the answer to Ben's question, but I didn't want it to get lost in the mix today on this thread.

My guess is that you need a better thermometer, Ben. Cooking the mixture to the proper temperature might be the critical factor here.

Edited February 1, 2005 by SethG (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

M. Lucia -- Amazing how good something is when you use quality ingredients and just find some way to do without the other ten chemical ingredients on the package in the store.

[lemon curd]

This is a cookie that takes strong arms, strong hands and a strong pastry bag.  I made them once again as a re-test and then decided to leave them to the big boys.

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I totally agree about the stiff dough. My friend and I made 4 batches of the sable before the Christmas holiday as part of our holiday cookie box. Between the two of us, we bursted one very sturdy pastry bag and ended up with two very sore forearms.

We added orange zest to the dough and garnished with candied orange peel. I liked the texture of the cookie and the piped cookie makes for very nice visual attraction. However, I would need some convincing before making this recipe again.

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So is everyone saying that the disposable bags are likely to burst and I need to get a canvas bag to do these? I really like the visual appeal and want to try them at some point.

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I piped the sables with a Wilton decorating bag with success (another option to canvas bags). Everyone's baking looks so good - it keeps on inspiring me to do more recipes from this book!

[Patrick S]

I piped the sables with a Wilton decorating bag with success (another option to canvas bags).

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I used my Wilton bag too.

If you used a plastic bag, I bet you'd end up with high-velocity sable splatter on the ceiling.

[Richard Kilgore]

I piped the sables with a Wilton decorating bag with success (another option to canvas bags).

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I used my Wilton bag too.

If you used a plastic bag, I bet you'd end up with high-velocity sable splatter on the ceiling.

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That's what I was imagining. No need for unnecessary pastry injuries.

[Richard Kilgore]

So where do I get a Wilton bag? And what's different about it?

[M. Lucia]

M. Lucia -- Amazing how good something is when you use quality ingredients and just find some way to do without the other ten chemical ingredients on the package in the store.

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It's funny because I used the same chocolate (Scharffen Berger bittersweet) when I made the deep chocolate cream and the chocolate taste was too strong for me. So I was worried that would happen again in the mousse but it didn't at all. Anyway, I'll just eat and enjoy.

And I have no idea about those hazelnut cookies but my guess would be something going wrong in the initial sugar mixture not reaching the proper temp.

[Patrick S]

Its made out of white polyester, so it is actually plastic, but not the same kind as the disposable bags. In my neck of the woods, they are ubiquitous at cake decorating stores and such. But you can order them lots of places too. Just Google 'Wilton pastry bag.'

Edited February 1, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay, I need to make a swing by the rstaurant supply house in a few days anyway.

[Patrick S]

M. Lucia -- Amazing how good something is when you use quality ingredients and just find some way to do without the other ten chemical ingredients on the package in the store.

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It's funny because I used the same chocolate (Scharffen Berger bittersweet) when I made the deep chocolate cream and the chocolate taste was too strong for me. So I was worried that would happen again in the mousse but it didn't at all. Anyway, I'll just eat and enjoy.

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I tried the deep chocolate cream too, though I didnt use the Valrhona (I wanted to get an idea for it with a cheaper chocolate first). It was alright. But I also made a different creme anglaise from Sherry Yard's book, the chocolate variation of the vanilla sauce (its a vanilla anglaise with 2.5oz bittersweet), and I like that quite a bit. Warmed, it is an awesome sauce for cake!

[Dorie Greenspan]

Aarrgh Ben, I can't figure out what went wrong with your cookies. Using a candy thermometer should have been just fine, but, like Seth said, it's possible the thermometer was off. Not hitting a high enough temperature with the egg whites and sugar is the only thing I can think of that would keep the batter from setting after it cooled. Anybody with other ideas?

[kthull]

I have a question for you.  I would like to know your way to doing the pecan-caramel mixture decoration.  Did you just line up some pecans and pour some caramel of top and wait till it cooled, then scraped them up and place them on each individual slice?

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Oli, I make the topping as directed in the recipe, but then apply gingerly while still warm onto the individual tarte slivers. It's a bit ambiguous, but you want to be able to handle it with your fingers for the time it takes to top all the slices, but not so warm that it melts the ganache, especially at those tips. Another cool thing that happens is that the caramel gradually smooths itself out...one of those happy accidents.

[Wendy DeBord]

I'm finally back to baking at work, we re-opened for the year. My first weeks menu I HAD to make the tart Grenobloise after seeing everyones review. I agree it's a great tart.

I made a couple changes, but stayed pretty true this time to taste it as published. I doubled the caramel and cut back on the amount of pecans. As always, I deep fried and salted my pecans, cooled them, then added them to my cooled caramel, YUM. I topped my tart with whipped cream.

Theres so many ways you can play off this recipe....... and also keep components and use them in many other desserts. His chocolate crust, was o.k., not a home run for me, perhaps if I had better cocoa. But, I loved the caramel and will use it on many other items in the future. I would enhance my ganche next time, perhaps some praline paste or a drop of orange oil. Maybe a thin genoise, or a contrasting light mousse under my ganche. I needed the whipped cream on top to contrast textures. Next time I might make Sherry Yards caramel whip cream that includes sour cream, as a nice balance. I can definately see using salted peanuts in place of the pecans for a real American twist. This will definately become a standard in my recipe file and I'll change it up as time progresses.

I also made his chocolate tuile cookies. Again, I think my cocoa powder should have been better, the taste wasn't as intense as I would have liked. But they are lovely thin cookies. I left some uncovered overnight to see if they remain crisp.

[FoodMan]

Wow...I am away for a couple of days and I came back to all this great baking and sorbet making. BTW, it was Richard who made the awsome looking sorbet not me . nice looking ramekin richard . I've never been a fan of chocolate sorbet, but I might give it a try at some point.

Now, rum soaked cakes is another story! I love well-made babbas and I will try this recipe for sure. I used to have them as a kid in an excellent patisserie in Beirut. I have no Savarin mold, so I either have to improvise or make small babbas.

Elie

[M. Lucia]

I love babas too, and you can make them in popover pans of muffin cups.

Hmm... perhaps this is my next project...

[plunk]

Last weekend I made the chocolate macaroons from Chocolate Desserts and the Riveria cake from Desserts. The macaroons were amazing, I couldn't believe that they actually worked on my first try, they got feet and everything! My husband took them to work and they got huge raves. I can't wait to make them again.

For the Riveria cake, I had some trouble with my lemon cream. It thickened up nicely like other lemon curd recipes but the temperature just didn't seem to want to go much higher than 150F even though the bowl was sitting over boiling water and had been for a good while. I took it off the heat and proceeded with the rest of the recipe. It didn't look like Patrick's picture, not nearly as thick or yellow (though that could be lighting) but it still tasted really good and worked just fine in the cake. Those who have made the recipe, did yours get all the way to 180F? Was I just not patient enough?

[Patricia Austin]

For the Riveria cake, I had some trouble with my lemon cream. It thickened up nicely like other lemon curd recipes but the temperature just didn't seem to want to go much higher than 150F even though the bowl was sitting over boiling water and had been for a good while. I took it off the heat and proceeded with the rest of the recipe. It didn't look like Patrick's picture, not nearly as thick or yellow (though that could be lighting) but it still tasted really good and worked just fine in the cake. Those who have made the recipe, did yours get all the way to 180F? Was I just not patient enough?

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I have made this lemon cream recipe twice, both times I was concerned that the temp. rise was taking too long . . . but patience persevering the cream did eventually reach 180F. I was very tempted to remove it from the heat because until I tried this recipe I had always made my lemon cream by eye (having been taught this way).

I have never been a big fan of chocolate with lemon. Obviously there are others who enjoy this combination. I'd like to expand my palate, maybe I'll give the Riveria recipe a go.

How did you like the finished product?

Patricia

[tan319]

If you're careful you can do it over direct, low heat.

Just be careful.

It will take a lot less time to get the same result.

Good Luck.

[Patrick S]

Last weekend I made the chocolate macaroons from Chocolate Desserts and the Riveria cake from Desserts. The macaroons were amazing, I couldn't believe that they actually worked on my first try, they got feet and everything! My husband took them to work and they got huge raves. I can't wait to make them again.

For the Riveria cake, I had some trouble with my lemon cream. It thickened up nicely like other lemon curd recipes but the temperature just didn't seem to want to go much higher than 150F even though the bowl was sitting over boiling water and had been for a good while. I took it off the heat and proceeded with the rest of the recipe. It didn't look like Patrick's picture, not nearly as thick or yellow (though that could be lighting) but it still tasted really good and worked just fine in the cake. Those who have made the recipe, did yours get all the way to 180F? Was I just not patient enough?

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Yes, I've gotten mine all the way to 180F each time Ive made it. I dont know how your double boiler is set up, but I used a large (6qt) metal bowl which fits into a pot of water, making a good seal. If you use a large bowl and a large pot of water, your temp will rise very quickly. If you dont have a seal, however, or if your are using a small bowl for the lemon cream, or if your lemon cream is too far away from the simmering water, it may take a long time or you may not ever get high enough.

EDIT to add:

Plunk, what did you think of Herme's flourless chocolate cakes? I ask because while the Riviera looks delicious, Ive wondered about whether I would used Herme's chocolate cake recipe or a recipe I already know and love. If you said you liked them, Id be more inclined to give Herme's a try.

Edited February 5, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[Ling]

I found the book at the library tonight and will spend hours reading the book tonight--can't wait! Of all the desserts, I'm most interested in making the Nutella tart and the Tart Grenobloise.