Calories per portion 340

* (picture comment at the bottom)

Ingredients (Serves 12)

For the Short Crust Sucrée

120 g Butter (soft chunks))

80 g Icing sugar

10 g Bitter cocoa powder

30 g Almond powder

1 Egg

200 g Flour type 00

For the Chocolate Ganache

200 g Dark Chocolate 55%

200 g + 150 g Whipping cream

Cabernet Reduction

20 cl Cabernet wine (about 7 fluid oz.)

25 g Sugar

100 g Blackberries (minus 5 berries)

4 g Gelatin

Chocolate mirror glaze

120 g Water

100 g Whipping cream

150 g Sugar

50 g Bitter cocoa powder

6 g Gelatin

Decoration

Few spoons of 50% sugar syrup (equal part of water and sugar)

5 Blackberries (the best looking out of the basket)

Description

This recipe makes a 9 inches large pie. I recommend using a 9 inches round tart pan since using a larger one could cause some structure problems. It is not complicate to prepare, but it does have some difficulties along the way. The use of a pastry thermometer is not mandatory but highly suggested when it comes to check chocolate temperature highs and lows.  First you’ll have to bake the shell (blind baking with beans, rice or ceramic spheres inside) and then complete the dessert with the various preparations for the filling refrigerating at each step.

Directions

You will have to make a short crust following the Sucrée guide but using the quantities above. (quick reference: diced butter at room temp. then icing sugar, cocoa powder, almond powder, the whole egg and last flour). Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. Lay it down into the 9 inches round tart pan. Trim the exceeding dough from the rim, pinch the bottom few times with a fork and put it back into the fridge for 20 minutes meanwhiele pre-heat the oven at 160 C. (320 F.). Set the tart for blind baking shaping a sheet of wax paper to contain the beans (rice or ceramic sphere) and bake the tart shell. Time depends on the oven; in this case you can’t go by color since the cocoa powder makes the dough golden anyway. Lift the wax-paper and touch lightly with your finger to check consistency. For the ‘Ganache‘ start breaking the chocolate into small pieces and place it into a double pan (bain-marie) to melt. Heat the first part of whipping cream (200 g) and pour it on top of the melting chocolate working with a whisk till smooth.  While the mixture is cooling off whip the rest of the whipping cream (150 g) but not all the way (you will stop before it gets solid as for decoration). Why we do not want a stiff whipped cream? Because we have to incorporate it into the chocolate and the firmer it will be, the longer it will take to mix (i.e. we will end up with a flat compund and not a nice and airy one). Take a first spoon of whipped cream and add it into the chocolate mix working with a whisk from the center. We need to bring the density of that mix to be softer and closer to the whipped cream. Than add the rest in steps incorporating gently from the bottom up. Pour the ganache into the tart shell evenly half way from the border and refrigerate. Put the 20 cl (7 fl. oz.) of Cabernet red wine into a small sauce pan, add the sugar and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and keep it going till it will reduce to half of its volume. Turn the heat off and add the blackberries. Put the gelatin to soften in cold water (if you use the powder gelatin, skip this step and add it directly). Blend wine and berries with a mini-pimer till liquid. Add the soften gelatin or the gelatin powder and keep blending for a minute. Strain the liquid and pour it on the tart (the ganache must be nice and solid otherwise it will create rough and uneven surface). Put it back into the fridge and this time it will be for at least 4 to 6 hours: we have to make sure that the gelatin hardens before adding the final chocolate glaze. Put water, sugar, cream and cocoa powder into a boiler (a souce pan with a tall border since this mixture will rise up to three times its volume while cooking). Bring it to a boil and wai till it rises up and falls back down. Keep cooking at high heat for 3 minutes. It will have to reach 103 C. (217 F.) and that is basically what we can get after 3 minutes of boiling this way (use a pastry thermometer if you like). Turn it off and let it cool off. When it is not smoking anymore, put the gelatin to soften into cold water. When the glaze will reach 50 C. (122 F.) add the softened gelatin or the powder and mix with a whisk. (checking with the back of your finger you will have to feel warm/hot but not burning and that will mean that we should be around 50 C. (122 F.) Wait till the glaze reaches 35 C. (95 F.) and then pour it gently on top of the tart almost up to the rim. Moving the pan around will prevent the chocolate glaze from creating a crater inside the blackberry gelatin. Refrigerate the tart till the top looks like a mirror and does not dance while shaking the tart. Make a 50% syrup with water and sugar and when it is perfectly melted, brush the 5 blackberries with it till nice and bright. Place the berries carefully in the center of the tart without dripping on the glaze. Some more minutes of fridge wouldn’t hurt at this final stage, anyway, keep the tart at least a full hour at room temperature before serving.

* I made a mistake in the preparation of this tart. I poured the glaze while the blackberry gelatin wasn’t hard enough and that ruined the surface of the tart. I had to camouflage the mistake covering the tart surface with various blackberries and blueberries. So don’t do as I did just do as I said ^__^.

Calories per portion 110

Ingredients

4 Potatoes (medium size)

400 g (14 oz.) Steamed Cod Fish fillets

2 Eggs

2 Vanilla Beans

4 Tbsp. Flour

Salt and pepper

Breadcrumbs

Frying Oil

Description

Yes I called them PVC as the chemical material and no, they are not orange or waterproof: these bytes are just out of this world. You are probably wondering how the vanilla flavor will ever fit into a sort of fish & chips revisiting recipe; well, the answer is “perfectly”! I have included this appetizer into the finger food category because it is fried and easy to be carried around, but nothing will stop you from sizing it differently or even baking it in the oven and serve it at dinner as a starter or even as a main course perhaps on a layer of string beans or accompanied by a fish salad.

Directions

Put the potatoes with their skin on into a sauce pan with cold water and boil them. Peel and mash the potatoes adding salt and set them aside. Steam the cod fish fillets (if pre-cooked and frozen, just defrost in the oven) dry them and cut them into small chunks. Scrape off the seeds from the vanilla beans.  Mix all the ingredients together: the mash potatoes, the vanilla seeds, the cod chunks, the 2 beaten eggs, salt and pepper and the flour. Flour quantity may change depending on how big are the eggs, how humid is the fish or the potatoes and so on. Shape the bytes into small balls or even as quenelles, roll them into the breadcrumbs and fry them till golden. Serve hot either by themselves or mixed with other fried snacks like the Fried Zucchini.

Calories per portion  100

Ingredients (serves 12)

6 zucchini (medium size)

300 g (7 oz.) Flour

3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Cold Beer (as needed)

Salt

Frying Oil (Olive or Sunflower)

Description

This preparation looks a lot like regular fried zucchini but don’t let you get fooled by its appearance:  it is, in fact, much lighter and tastier. It resembles Japanese Tempura although the Parmesan cheese  brings it back to our Northeastern regions. Why using beer? Because we need something cold, malty and with a lot of bubbles and since white sparkling wine, like Prosecco or similar, tends to add a bit of acidity to zucchini, beer is the perfect choice.

Directions

Cut the zucchini tips off and slice it in four lengthwise. Eliminate most part of the middle white part leaving the skin just with few millimeters of pulp and cutting the zucchini slices into sticks. Mix flour, Parmesan cheese and add enough cold beer, little by little continuing to stir, till obtaining a stable batter.  Bring enough oil to a good frying temperature (check it by dropping a breadcrumb into the oil to see if it sizzles straight away) then fry the zucchini sticks till nice and golden. Dry it with some kitchen paper then sprinkle some salt and pepper  on it and serve while still hot. A good idea for parties where people are standing and walking around with drinks waiting for the dinner event is to prepare small individual paper cones and fill each one with the fried zucchini sticks. We use a kind of yellow straw paper to wrap fried food because it has a nice ‘Country’ look; it keeps it warm and absorbs the exceeding oil plus, shaped in a cone, makes the snack very easy to handle and carry around. I don’t have the faintest idea how to call this type of paper in English, all I know is that it looks like this.

Calories (each canapé) 80

Ingredients (for 12 tarts)

1 Loaf of Bread (Baguette)

150 g (5.3 oz.) Fresh Creamy Goat Cheese

3 Figs

1 dl (3.4 oz.) Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Description

Sometimes quick and easy preparations are more appreciated than others which require a lot of patience and skill. This great appetizing finger food is a winner in the summertime with goat fresh cheese and fresh figs as well as in the wintertime with blue cheese/mascarpone and dry figs.

Directions

Pour the balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and let it reduce of about a 1/3 at low/medium heat (be careful not to let it burn). Take the loaf of bread and cut it into thin slices diagonally. Grill the slices till golden. Spread the goat cheese on top of each slice (in the winter time you can use blue cheese or mascarpone or a mix of the two). Cut the figs in quarts and dress them with the reduced vinegar. Place one quart on top of each canapé and serve. As décor use a green fresh leaf according to season and availability: basil, mint even sage could be fine.

Calories (four balls) 160

Ingredients (for about 30 balls)

400 g (14 oz.) Pumpkin

2 Potatoes (medium size)

100 g (3.5 oz.) Scamorza (Smoked Mozzarella)

3 Eggs (1+2 for bread-crumbing)

2 Tbsp. Ground Chives

2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Flour and Breadcrumbs

Frying Oil (we use Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)

Description

Tasty, golden and crisp, these are a must in a cocktail party or as a snack for your guests to nibble on while holding a drink waiting for dinner. Do not get scared about the missing quantities of flour and breadcrumbs, it all depends on the kind of pumpkin and potatoes and on the cooking procedure; just add them little by little and you’ll get it perfect.

Directions

Boil the potatoes with the peel on into a sauce pan starting from cold water (they will be ready when inserting a thin knife blade you will get to the center without forcing it in). Steam the pumpkin in chunks till soft (you can also bake it but it will take longer). Peel the potatoes while still hot and mash them together with the pumpkin till you will get a soft mixture. Let it cool off then add the smoked mozzarella in small dice, the Parmesan cheese, the ground chives and one egg. Add salt and pepper and mix everything while adding 1 Tbsp. of breadcrumbs and 3 tbsp. of flour. Make adjustment depending on how wet is your mixture adding more or less flour and breadcrumbs but maintaining the right proportions. Form little balls the size of a walnut (if you have trouble handling the compound, put it 15 minutes into the refrigerator). Beat 2 eggs in a bowl then roll the pumpkin balls in some flour, dip them into the egg batter and then coat them with breadcrumbs. Bring enough Olive Oil to frying temperature and check by dropping a piece of breadcrumb to see if it starts sizzling straight away. Fry the pumpkin balls in two or three takes till golden and lay them on kitchen paper to dry off a bit.  Serve them hot the way you prefer.

Calories per portion 330

Ingredients (Serves 10 to 12)

5 Yolks

180 g Sugar

60 g Water

250 g Mascarpone

300 g Whipping Cream

Savoiardi (Lady fingers)*

Instant Coffee

2 tbsp. Liquor (Rum , Marsala or Cognac)

100 g Dark Chocolate 70% (to be grinded)

* Weight depends on the brand

Description

Tiramisù, among the whole classic Italian pastry, is probably one of the most exported desserts all over the world. I remember reading a recipe (in English) in a Chinese Blog and it wasn’t even that far from the original Venetian one. The only weak point of such a delicious recipe, besides being quite caloric, is the fact that raw eggs are implied. This makes tiramisu off-limit for pregnant women and, of course, generates kind of legitimate doubts about the freshness of ingredients, their conservation and the overall hygienic regulations applied during preparation. Here, though, you will find a recipe that does not have these problems because the yolks will be cooked and so they will be bacteria free and, guess what, with mono-portions also calories won’t be a major issue. A nice Tiramisù, served to each guest in a single transparent glass so all the ingredients can be displayed, will definitely be the clue of your dinner party plus there won’t be any sloppy tray left on the table afterwards.

Directions

If you want to make everything from scratch, you should follow the Savoiardi recipe first and shape them accordingly to fit in your presentation glass or cup. Anyway, start with making enough strong instant coffee for the Lady fingers, then put water and sugar into a sauce pan and set your heat at medium level. What is important, while making sugar syrup, is not to stir it otherwise you might accidently incorporate air which would crystalize the sugar. If you have a stand mixer fine, otherwise you will bring a bowl and an electric beater close to the range and start beating the yolks. The syrup must fully boil, and when I say fully I intend all over its surface, for about 3 minutes (little bit less than for a Pâte à bombe); by that time the yolks should be aired enough because of the beating action. At this point take the sauce pan and pour the syrup in a fine stream into the bowl while you keep the beater on low/medium speed (be careful not to let the hot sugar touch the rotating blades). Continue to mix with the beater for about 15 minutes till the mixture cools off almost at room temperature by feeling it with your hand on a side of the bowl. This is the reason why it should be better using a stand mixer because the handle types have smaller motors and can easily overheat. Now that you have sanitized your yolks by cooking them with the hot boiling sugar and you have almost burn out your electric beater it’s time for a break to wash the blades and let the motor rest for few minutes. Next, put mascarpone and whipping cream together in a bowl. Yes, it is not a mistake, cream and cheese are both fats and therefore they can be whipped together. So, whip the mixture as you would do with the whipping cream alone (watch because, with cheese added, it will whip much faster and turn into butter in no time). Now you have a fluffy yolk mixture and a creamy/cheese quite heavy mixture that have to be combined so you will do as follows: take a bit of yolk mixture (Pâte à bombe) and add it to the cream working with a spatula from the center of the bowl then incorporate the rest in few step delicately by the usual folding action. Refrigerate the final cream while preparing your serving glass/cups. If you haven’t made the Savoiardi your own, cut the Lady fingers so they can be placed in the glass. If you have kids over leave it out, otherwise this is the right time to add your favorite liquor (rum, Marsala or Cognac). I didn’t mention it before, but liquor can be added directly into the cream. The difference is that, by doing so, you won’t be able to prepare no-alcohol tiramisu portions in case you need to later on. If you add the liquor into the coffee you can always leave a part free or even prepare a separate no-caffeine tisane for the kids. Anyway, roll very quickly the Savoiardi into the instant coffee which will be at room temperature and place them into each glass (I normally make sort of a cookie flower sit in the bottom where petals reach half of the glass height). If you have prepared a huge amount of cream for a lot of guests I would suggest to use a pastry bag, otherwise you can use a regular spoon and fill every glass with the beautiful mascarpone cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and sprinkle the ground dark chocolate on top of each tiramisù right before serving. Great dessert!

Calories per beignet 80/100 depending on size

Ingredients (for about 30 beignets)

For the Pâte à choux

125 g (4.5 oz.) Milk

125 g (4.5 oz.) Water

100 g (3.5 oz.) Butter in chunks

4 Eggs (+ 1 yolk for brushing the surface)

1 tsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Salt

For the filling

200 g (7 oz.) Mortadella

200 g (7 oz.) Ricotta

2 tbsp. Milk

1 tsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

For the décor

1 Egg White

2 tbsp. Ground Pistachios

Description

When it comes to cocktail parties and pre-dinner entertainment, the latest trend is Salty Pastry. This recipe goes one step further since the choux look really like the regular sweet ones but hide a delicious appetizing surprise inside. To make these fabulous beignets (in Europe beignets are the baked kind made with choux pastry ),we will need to find real Italian imported mortadella  as displayed in the picture below and not the baloney (which is a fake imitation of mortadella in case you wonder about the expression “phony baloney”).

Some milk is added to the Pâte à choux to enhance the contrast between the sweetness of the beignets and the light saltiness of the filling.

Directions

Make a Pâte à choux using the method described in the pastry basics following quantities and ingredients form this recipe. After adding the eggs one at a time and obtained a smooth mixture, let the choux rest for 10 to 15 minutes in the refrigerator then fill a sac a poche (pastry bag) with a medium/large tip and lay down the beignets on an oven tray with wax paper.  The size should be the same as in “petite patisserie”, not larger than a walnut since they will rise cooking (it is the water contained in the choux that turns into steam which makes them swollen). Wet the tip of your finger and tap the choux tips down, then brush the tops with the extra yolk. Bake @ 200 C. (390 F.) for the first 10/15 minutes as they rise, then set it at 180 C. (350 F.) and continue baking till they stop swelling. Last, slightly keep the oven door open with a spoon to let the air out (helps eliminate the humidity) and bake for extra 5 minutes.  Put all the ingredients for the filling into a blender and then transfer the smooth mixture into a pastry bag with a small tip. Fill each choux with the mortadella and ricotta filling from the bottom (do not over do otherwise they will break in your hands). Brush the choux tips with the remaining egg white (from the 5^th egg) and sprinkle the ground pistachios on top. Serve and watch them disappear in your guests mouthes very quickly.

Calories per portion 400

Ingredients (Serves 6)

For the Ganache

100 g Whipping Cream

70 g Dark Chocolate 55%

25 g Butter

1 tsp. Instant Coffee

For the cupcake

110 g Dark Chocolate 55%

50 g Butter

90 g Sugar (70+20)

2 Yolks

2 Egg Whites

40 g Almond Flour

40 g Potato Starch

Some butter and flour for the tins

A little icing sugar for décor

Description

The idea of dipping the spoon into a cupcake and have the hot chocolate coming out makes this dessert one of the most imitated world-wide. I have seen a lot of embarrassing attempts to replicate the original recipe which, by the way, was created at the “Antica Osteria del Ponte” near Milan. Few of them pretend to bake the cupcake at a high temperature so that the outside may result crunchy while the heart remains soft, but this way the flour contained in the batter would result uncooked which is not really recommendable. Others are more creative and suggest the use of marbles inside …. (I won’t comment on this one). Fact is that this dessert is out of this world and this recipe comes directly from the inventor.

Directions

The ganache has to be made ahead because it will have to rest in the freezer. Put the chocolate and the butter together into a double boiler.  Heat the whipping cream (do not bring it to a boil) and, when it will be steaming, add the tsp. of instant coffee (the proper ingredient, according to the original recipe, should be the coffee extract). It doesn’t have to be dominant; just a nuance of coffee will do. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate off the heat and stir delicately with a whisk without incorporating any air. Normally, for this kind of preparations, we use a whisk to kill all the lumps in the mixture and then a spatula to scrape it from the borders.  At this point we need to decide how to make the chocolate hearts. We will use muffin tins for baking the cupcakes so we will have to choose something with a smaller diameter than the tin bottom (Silicon bakeware is perfect). Once we have found the right container, pour as much of ganache to form small discs and store them in the freezer.

Prepare the muffin tins with butter (must be soft as paste) and flour. Put the chocolate and butter together and scald them in a double boiler. Break the yolks, add the sugar (70 g) and beat them till white in color. Pour the hot chocolate butter mixture into the yolks mixing with a spatula. Beat the egg whites adding the remaining sugar (20 g) till they have the “curl”. If you use the same blades as for the yolks, make sure to wash them accurately before reusing them with the whites. Add the almond flour and then sift and add the potato starch mixing with a whisk. All these operations have to be accomplished quite quickly otherwise the chocolate will start hardening and then you will be in trouble. Add the meringue: first a little bit which you will work vigorously with a spatula from the center of the bowl and then the remaining whites in few steps delicately using the folding action. Put the mixture into a pastry bag and start filling the bottom of the tins. Take the ganache discs and place each one into one tin being careful not to touch the borders and not to let it sink to the bottom. Complete the filling action up to ¾ of the tin’s height without pushing too much with the pastry bag to avoid moving the discs. Bake at 180 C. (356 F.) for 12 to 15 minutes or more depending on the oven. These cupcakes  have to be served almost right away so, with a sharp little knife follow the contour of the tins and flip them over. Sprinkle with some icing sugar and bring them to your guests.

Calories per portion 320

Ingredients (Serves 12)

For the Short Crust Sucrée (Robuchon)

250 g Flour type 00

210 g Butter (soft chunks))

195 g Sugar

4 Yolks (medium size)

½ Vanilla Bean

For the Chocolate filling

200 g Dark Chocolate 55%

150 g Whipping cream

50 g Milk

1 Egg (medium size)

Description

This recipe makes a 9 inches large pie. I recommend using a 9 inches round tart pan since using a larger one could cause some structure problems. It is very easy to prepare, but it requires accuracy with the temperatures. First you’ll have to bake the shell (in this case you will not use blind baking; a brade made out of alluminum foil, placed along the inner pie’s border will be enough) and then complete the cooking process afterward with the chocolate filling.

Directions

You will have to make a short crust following the Sucrée (Robuchon) guide but using the quantities above. Refrigerate the dough as suggested and lay it down into the 9 inches round tart pan. Trim the exceeding dough from the rim, pinch the bottom few times with a fork and bake at 160 C. (320 F.) till golden. While the oven is cooling off you can start preparing the filling (do not prepare it in advance because it contains row eggs which can rot after a while at room temperature). Heat the whipping cream and the milk into a sauce pan. Break the chocolate bars into small pieces and scald them into a double boiler. Watch for temperature: chocolate starts separating passed 50 C. (122 F.) so let it melt slowly and not all the way. Pour the hot cream on top of the chocolate and take it off the heat. Use a whisk till you get a smooth mixture. Add the egg and keep whisking for a couple of minutes. If you are using a removable bottom tart pan, then you can pour the filling right into the tart shell almost to the rim and bake it at 110 C. (230 F.), otherwise you’ll have to extract the pie shell before doing so (do not forget this step because you won’t be able to move the pie out of the pan aftewards without ruining it). Watch out for temperature because the chocolate filling would burn easy so make sure that the oven has cooled off after the previous baking. It will be ready when, by shaking the oven tray a little, the filling will look like pudding . Let it rest for one hour or so, do not refrigerate and serve it at room temperature.