Chocolate, Almond & Fleur De Sel Pots de Crème
When I crave chocolate, a chocolate bar from the nearby grocery store won't do. When I crave chocolate, I need something homemade {and heavenly good}. Like a rich chocolate cake, chewy chocolate chip cookies, or, like last time, sophisticated pots de crème.
Aran Goyoaga's cookbook Small Plates & Sweet Treats, which was published in October 2012, is one of my most favorite cookbooks. It's full of delicious recipes arranged by season, lovely memories & stories, and gorgeous photography & food styling.
These pots de crème caught my attention immediately. The original recipe calls for hazelnuts and hazelnut butter but I used almonds and almond butter because that was what I had on hand. I also sprinkled some blueberries on top and liked the flavor combination a lot. Next time I may serve them with some vanilla-flavored sautéed apple cubes.
This is a wonderful, rich chocolate dessert for any occasion. I'm sure you too will fall in love with it.
Chocolate, Almond & Fleur de Sel Pots de Crème
recipe
adapted from Small Plates & Sweet Treats by Aran Goyoaga, p. 62
recipe can
also be found on her blog
30 g (¼ cup)
almonds
500 ml (2
cups) unsweetened coconut milk
1 vanilla
bean, split lengthwise & seeds scraped out
1 egg (L)
2 egg yolks
(L)
50 g (¼
cup) coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp
almond butter
60 g (2 oz)
milk chocolate, finely chopped
60 g (2 oz)
bittersweet dark chocolate (70 % cocoa), finely chopped
½ tsp fleur
de sel
whipped cream, to serve
optional: blueberries or other berries or fruit, to serve
Preheat the
oven to 180°C (350°F). Roast the almonds on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes, or
until fragrant. Let them cool and chop coarsely. Reduce the oven temperature to
150°C (300°F).
In a medium-sized pot, combine the coconut milk, vanilla bean, and seeds. Over moderate heat, bring to a low simmer.
In the meantime, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and almond butter until (at least almost) lump-free.
When the coconut milk has come to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Add both chocolates to the warm coconut milk and stir until the chocolates have melted.
Pour a little bit of the hot coconut milk mixture over the eggs while whisking. Slowly add the rest of the milk mixture and whisk until homogenous. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl. Add the fleur the sel and stir.
Pour the custard into 6 (4-ounce) oven-safe ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and place it on the oven rack. To create a water bath, carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake the custards for 30 to 40 minutes. The custards are ready when the cream is set. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, allowing them to set completely.
The custards can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. Personally, I prefer mine chilled. To serve, top with whipped cream, roasted almonds, and blueberries.
Oh and I have approximately 30 kilos of apples on my balcony… Recipe suggestions, anyone?
Like Gold Nuggets - Chanterelle Potato Gratin
In this week’s newspapers they were guessing the date of the first snowfall. Seriously? Calm down, everyone. It's fall. FALL! Let’s not freak out, okay? So no talking about snow, snowstorms, ice, or ice cold winds from the North Pole. Thank you. I appreciate it.
They sit on
my kitchen countertop like gold nuggets. Fragile and beautiful. Only hours
before they were hiding in the woods, living with their best friends, the birch
trees. It's called symbiosis.
For me the chanterelle is the queen of mushrooms. They don't even need a crown - they are the crown.
I decided to make a chanterelle potato gratin. A fall favorite. I think it’s at its best as a side for a Sunday roast beef. But feel free to enjoy it at any day of the week. You won't be disappointed.
As cheese I used another royal - Västerbotten cheese. It's one of Sweden’s oldest and best-known brands. A very flavorful and versatile hard cheese.
Feel free to use any other wild mushroom or flavorful cheese variety.
Chanterelle Potato Gratin
Adapted from Leilas
guldkant på vardagen by Leila Lindholm, p. 55
Serves 4-6
1 kg
(2 pounds 3.5 oz) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced {use a mandolin if you
have one}
¼ (about 140
g; 5 oz) celeriac, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion,
thinly sliced
2 garlic
gloves, thinly sliced
4 dl (1.7 cups) light
cream
1 tbsp chopped
thyme
½ tbsp fine
sea salt
freshly ground
black pepper
200 g
(7 oz) chanterelles, cleaned and halved/quartered {depending on the size}
butter
60 g (2 oz;
1 dl) grated cheese {I used Västerbotten cheese but a Swiss-type cheese like Emmentaler would be great too}
fine sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the
oven to 200°C (400°F). Butter a 28-by-24-cm (11-by-9-inch) baking dish and set
aside.
In a medium-sized pot, combine the cream, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the sliced potatoes, celeriac, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes.
In a frying pan, sauté the chanterelles in butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the mushrooms and cheese to the potato mixture. Pour into the buttered baking dish.
Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
A Rainy Day and Plum Crumble
Lie on the bridge and watch the water flowing past.
Or run, or wade through the swamp in your red boots.
Or roll yourself up and listen to the rain falling on the roof.
It's very easy to enjoy yourself.
– Tove Jansson, Moominvalley in November
It was a rainy day. Rain on the roof, against the windows. Sometimes quite harsh, sounding like a drum roll. Then gentle again, like a whisper, quiet and peaceful. Rain. I love its smell, its sound, and the comfort it brings. Walking through a warm summer rain and getting completely soaked. Don't like to get wet? Maybe the Rain Room is what your dreams are made of. Cocooned and protected.
Fall cannot exist without crumbles - apple crumble, plum crumble, berry crumble, pear crumble... You name it! And because it was raining and it's fall and I had some plums sitting on my countertop, I decided to make a plum crumble. I don't know where the idea with coconut came from but it turned out to be just as good as I imagined. With a hint of cinnamon to give it a homey feeling. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoyed in good company. A dream!
Coconut Plum Crumble
Filling
500 g (1 lb) plums, quartered
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Crumble
60 g (2 oz; 2 dl) desiccated coconut
50 g (1 3/4 oz; 1 dl + 1 tbsp) rolled oats
40 g (1 1/2 oz; 1 dl + 2/3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
45 g (1 1/2 oz; 1/2 dl) demerara sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, cold & diced
Vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce, or whipped cream, to serve.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
To make the crumble: In a medium-sized bowl combine the coconut, oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands, cut in the butter. You can make the crumble ahead of time. Just keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
Put the plums and sugar into a 21 cm (8") baking dish. Sprinkle with the crumble.
Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and the topping is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce, or whipped cream.
Welcoming Fall
As the days are getting colder and shorter, I long for comfort. The comfort of a soft wool blanket. The comfort of a hot cup of tea and a crumble. The comfort of a good book {thanks to Kelsey, I'm currently obsessed with Terry Tempest Williams} and music to light up my soul {let's listen to James Vincent McMorrow and the gorgeous twin sister duo Say Lou Lou}.
Fall isn’t a bad season at all. There is the joy of apples, mushrooms, and pumpkins. There is the excitement of beginnings. The crisp morning air. The beautiful fall colors. Candles and lanterns. Heathers.
…and still.... I’ll miss
you terribly, summer.
