There’s two people I absolutely love and admire when it comes to desserts: one is the brilliant Antonio Bachour, whose work I can’t stop staring at and one is the amazing Pierre Herme, the Picasso of modern pastry, the man who totally revamped the way pastries look and taste. I couldn’t choose between the two of them – they have in common a solid technique, but their style is so different from each other. I’ve learnt a lot from both of them, but there’s one thing I heard from Pierre Herme and has become my motto as it totally applies to my baking style – Herme considers sugar a spice and thinks it should be used with good measure, just to enhance the other flavors of a dessert, not to overpower them. I knew what he meant from the beginning, but then I made the Riviera Cake after one of his recipes and it totally blew me away – it was delicious, it was rich, creamy, everything you ever wanted from a cake and more! And then I decided to make the one and only Carrement au Chocolat and now I don’t know which of them I prefer. They’re both high end cakes, both packed with chocolate, both rich and creamy, both speak a lot about Pierre Herme’s style and both are fairly easy to make compared to other Herme recipes.

I followed Herme’s recipe until my chocolate mousse almost failed. The thing is Herme’s recipe asks for egg whites only and for the first time in my life, the meringue didn’t whip properly, it just didn’t whip – I was in a hurry to finish the cake and made a few beginner’s mistake whick obviously led to a fail. So I decided to replace them with whipped cream, adding just a touch of gelatin to keep the mousse together. I’m going to write the recipe with my own changes, but if you’re looking for the original one, do yourself a favor and buy Herme’s books – they are a great investment regardless of what recipe you are after. The changes I made refer to the quantities I used mainly – I needed a 20-22cm diameter cake for my brother’s birthday and I didn’t think Herme’s original cake would be enough for the amount of family and friends we had to sweeten up.

Carrement au Chocolat Print Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop Serves:: 1 20-22cm diameter cake Ingredients: Chocolate Cake: 125g dark chocolate, chopped

125g butter, cubed

110g white sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

35g all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt Smooth Chocolate Cream: 140g dark chocolate, chopped

80 ml whole milk

120ml heavy cream

2 egg yolks

100g white sugar

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Chocolate Mousse: 250g dark chocolate, chopped

120ml heavy cream

2 egg yolks

40g sugar

3g gelatin + 15ml cold water

350ml heavy cream, whipped Chocolate Sauce: 50g dark chocolate, chopped

95ml water

35g sugar

50ml heavy cream Chocolate Glaze: The chocolate sauce from above

100g dark chocolate, chopped

80ml heavy cream

20g butter

3g gelatin + 15ml cold water Directions: Chocolate Cake: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a hot water bath then stir in the butter and mix well. Add the eggs, sugar, flour and salt, mixing quickly just until smooth. Pour the batter in a round cake pan (20-22cm diameter) and bake in the preheated oven at 400F - 200C for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool then place the cake in a round cake ring lined with acetate sheets. Place aside. Smooth Chocolate Cream: Combine the milk and cream and heat them up to the boiling point. In the meantime, whip the egg yolks with sugar until cream. Pour in the hot milk and cream then return in the pan and place over low heat. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring all the time to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Add the vanilla then allow the cream to cool to room temperature. Pour the cream over the chocolate cake and place in the fridge to set properly. Chocolate Mousse: Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath or in the microwave. Place aside. Bloom the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat 120ml heavy cream over low heat. Whip the egg yolks with sugar until creamy. Add the hot cream and place back on heat to cook for a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and gradually pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, mixing well until smooth. Melt the gelatin and stir it in. Allow to cool to room temperature then fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mousse over the smooth chocolate cream and place in the fridge for a few hours, preferably over night. Chocolate Sauce: Combine the water, sugar and cream in a saucepan and place over low heat. Bring to the boiling point then add the chocolate. Mix well until smooth then place back on heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Chocolate Glaze: Bloom the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat 80ml heavy cream to the boiling point. Add the chocolate and mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate sauce and mix well then add the butter and melted gelatin. Allow the glaze to cool to room temperature. Remove the cake from the ring and freeze it at least 1 hour before glazing. Place the cake on a wire rack and pour the glaze carefully over the cake, first on the center, then on the edges. Decorate the cake with chocolate or leave it simple, as you wish. Notes Use chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa content.

These quantities are enough for a 20-22cm diameter cake. Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.5.3208

ROMANIAN

Admiratia mea pentru Antonio Bachour si Pierre Herme e mai mult decat evidenta, cu toate ca ambii au stiluri diferite. Daca Bachour e un exemplu de creativitate si modernism in cofetarie, Herme e putin mai old school, dar pune la fel de mult accent pe tehnica. Pe Bachour l-am descoperit relativ de curand, dar de Herme am auzit inca de cand am inceput a invata eu mai multe despre cofetarie – considerat Picasso al cofetariei, Herme are o vorba care pe mine m-a fascinat si care e motto-ul meu cand vine vorba de cat de mult zahar se foloseste intr-o reteta, cat de dulce trebuie sa fie un desert si care sunt limitele. Ceea ce sustine el e ca zaharul e mai mult un condiment intr-un desert, si nu un ingredient de baza – trebuie folosit cu masura pentru ca scopul lui nu e altul decat acela de a evidentia celelalte arome, si nu de a le acoperi cu gustul lui puternic. Lasand la o parte faptul ca zaharul in exces (ca orice altceva folosit in exces, de altfel) nu e sanatos, un desert cu prea mult zahar e dulce si atat, un desert cu zahar peste masura nu are nicio alta caracteristica de gust si adesea nici textura nu e cea care trebuie, isi pierde orice personalitate, isi pierde esenta (treaba asta ma duce putin cu gandul la teoria formelor fara fond 😛 ). Asa ca nu uitati – mai putin e adesea mai mult, mai ales cand vine vorba de deserturi. Ori un desert reusit e suma unor factori care il alcatuiesc – arome, forma, culori, texturi, si nu faptul ca ai pus zahar si atat! De asemenea, va rog sa nu cadeti in extrema cealalta si sa incepeti sa combinati 10 arome intr-o prajitura decat daca aveti ani de experienta in spate si stiti clar ca acele gusturi merg impreuna, stiti cum sa le dozati intensitatea, stiti ce caracteristici are fiecare.

Tortul Riviera a fost una dintre primele retete ale lui Pierre Herme incercate si mi-a dat lumea peste cap la propriu – pana la acel tort eu nu vedeam lamaia si ciocolata impreuna intr-un desert, dar Herme mi-a dovedit exact contrariul prin acel tort. Asa ca am mers la sigur cu acest tort! Carrement au chocolat e un ciocolatos in adevaratul sens al cuvantului. O cantitate impresionanta de ciocolata e folosita in reteta si numai un iubitor de ciocolata inrait ii poate aprecia gustul – atat de fin, atat de cremos si bogat, cu adevarat decadent! Reteta de mai jos are cateva modificari spre deosebire de reteta lui Herme, principala schimbare fiind cantitatile folosite, dar si faptul ca pentru mousse-ul de ciocolata am folosit frisca in loc de albus batut (din doua motive: primul – e prea cald afara ca sa folosesc oua crude si al doilea – pentru prima oara in viata nu mi-a iesit bezeaua, stiu ce am gresit uitandu-ma acum inapoi, e o lectie invatata, dar nu mi-a picat tocmai bine in momentul respectiv; cu toate acestea, m-am reprofilat repede si am batut frisca pe care am stabilizat-o cu putina gelatina si a iesit perfect!). De asemenea, glazura a folosit cateva modificari minore, dar a iesit excelenta chiar si asa.

Cantitatile de mai jos sunt pentru un tort de 20-22cm diametru. Pentru un tort reusit, folositi ciocolata cu cel putin 70% continut de cacao si nu faceti rabat de la calitate – cu cat e mai buna ciocolata folosita, cu atat e mai bun tortul – intr-o reteta care se bazeaza pe o singura aroma, calitatea e cea mai importanta ori o ciocolata cu un continut de cacao sub 70% nu va ofera nici gust, nici textura. Nici nu va obositi sa faceti aceasta reteta fara o ciocolata de buna calitate, ar fi o risipa de ingrediente si timp si e pacat.

Ingrediente:

Blat de ciocolata:

125g ciocolata, tocata

125g unt, cuburi

110g zahar alb

2 oua

35g faina alba

1 praf de sare

Crema de ciocolata:

140g ciocolata neagra, tocata

80ml lapte

120ml smantana pentru frisca

2 galbenusuri

100g zahar

1 praf de sare

1 lingurita extract de vanilie

Mousse de ciocolata:

250g ciocolata neagra, tocata

120ml smantana pentru frisca

2 galbenusuri

40g zahar

3g gelatina + 15ml apa rece

350ml smantana pentru frisca, batuta

Sos de ciocolata:

50g ciocolata neagra, tocata

95ml apa

35g zahar

50ml smantana pentru frisca

Glazura de ciocolata:

Sosul de ciocolata de mai sus

100g ciocolata neagra, tocata

80ml smantana pentru frisca

20g unt

3g gelatina + 15ml apa rece

Mod de preparare:

Blat de ciocolata:

Topiti ciocolata pe baie de aburi apoi adaugati untul si amestecati bine. Adaugati ouale, zaharul, faina si un praf de sare si amestecati doar pana la incorporare. Turnati aluatul intr-o tava rotunda si coaceti la 180C pentru 8-10 minute. Lasati sa se raceasca in tava apoi transferati blatul intr-un inel de tort tapetat cu folie de acetat. Dati deoparte.

Crema de ciocolata:

Combinati laptele si smantana si infierbantati-le pe foc mic. Intre timp, mixati galbenusurile cu zaharul si sarea pana devin cremoase. Adaugati laptele si frisca fierbinti si puneti iar pe foc. Gatiti pana amestecul incepe sa se ingroase si acopera spatele unei linguri. Luati de pe foc si adaugati ciocolata. Amestecati bine si lasati sa se raceasca la temepratura camerei. Adaugati vanilia si turnati crema peste blat. Dati la rece.

Mousse de ciocolata:

Topiti ciocolata pe baie de aburi sau in microunde. Dati deoparte. Hidratati gelatina in apa rece pentru 10 minute. Infierbantati smantana pentru frisca intr-un vas. Intre timp, mixati galbenusurile cu zaharul pana devin cremoase. Adaugati smantana si gatiti pe foc mic pana amestecul incepe sa se ingroase. Luati de pe foc si turnati acest amestec treptat peste ciocolata topita, amestecand bine. Adaugati si gelatina topita apoi lasati sa vina la temperatura camerei. Incorporati frisca batuta apoi turnati mousse-ul peste crema de ciocolata. Dati la rece cateva ore, preferabil peste noapte.

Sos de ciocolata:

Combinati apa, zaharul si frisca intr-un bol. Dati in clocot apoi adaugati ciocolata. Amestecati bine si puneti iar pe foc mic. Gatiti pentru un minut apoi luati de pe foc si dati deoparte.

Glazura de ciocolata: