Irish Foodies March 2011 Cookalong, Traditional Irish Part 2, Bailey's Chocolate Mousse

The monthly Irish Foodies cookalong rolled around on the 4th of March.  I have already posted a recipe for the potato scones I made on the day and here is my second offering.  The theme was traditional Irish to coincide with St. Patrick's Day which falls later this week.  While I am pretty sure chocolate mousse is not traditionally Irish, no one can argue that a pint of Guinness is, so I decided to dress my mousse up as a pint of the black stuff.  Add in a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream and sure St. Patrick himself would scoff the lot, to be sure to be sure.  Right that's enough of the Irishisms.

For the purpose of the photographs in this post I served the mousse in a tumbler glass and topped it with whipped cream.  This yielded 3 portions which I'm sure would prove a little on the large side for even the most ardent chocoholic.  Trust me, I gave it a good bash but it took two sittings to finish one off.  I would suggest that you serve the mousse in a tall shot glass or alternatively espresso cups.  You should yield 6-8 servings in smaller glasses.

Bailey's Chocolate Mousse
serves 6

285ml/0.5pt Single Cream
200g/7oz Good quality Plain Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
2 Large Eggs, separated
30ml/1floz Bailey's Irish Cream, or liquer of your choice

Whipped cream optional

1.  Place the cream in a saucepan and heat but do not allow to boil. 

2.  Remove from the heat and set aside for 1 minute before breaking in the chocolate.

3.  Stir until smooth and the chocolate has melted. 

4.  Beat in the egg yolks and Bailey's and stir until smooth.
5.  In a bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk to form stiff peaks.

 
6.  Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three stages.
7.  Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Macaroons (GF)

I have been known on occasion to allow the odd pack of Crimble's macaroons to wander into my shopping trolley.  I blame my sister.  She almost always has a pack loitering in her goodie press so I tasted them in her house and then started to buy them for myself on occasion.  I'm not sure exactly what it is I like about them, is it the dense and moist cakeyness of them, is it the texture of the coconut or is it a combination of both those things married with a little chocolate.  Regardless I will happily scoff a couple of them in a sitting and then long for more.

I am constantly watching food programmes on t.v.  If I have a lazy day to myself I would happily watch them from morning until night and it doesn't matter if I have seen them before, I always learn something new.  On one such lazy day recently I was watching Ina Garten and she made some coconut macaroons.  I didn't scribble down the recipe as it was fairly straightforward but later that day made my own batch using her recipe as a rough guide.  The result was amazing.  I had to stop myself from scoffing the lot and was so glad to see my husband tuck into a few with his evening cup of tea.  The more he ate the less that were left to go straight on my hips the next day.  They are super easy to make and so much nicer than the shop bought version (sorry Mr. Crimble).  I see many macaroons in my future.  Nom!

250g/10oz Dessicated Coconut
1 x tin (397g) Condensed Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
3 large Egg Whites
A pinch of salt
50g Milk Chocolate
50g Plain Chocolate

1.  Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.  Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
2.  Place the dessicated coconut, condensed milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix to combine.
3.  In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites and salt using a hand held electric whisk until they form soft peaks.
4.  Fold half of the egg whites into the coconut mix.  Fold in the second half of the egg whites.
5.  Using an ice cream scoop(or a couple of tablespoons) drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. 
6.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Turn the baking sheet and bake for a further 15 minutes. (You don't necessarily have to turn the baking sheet half way through but I found mine were going to brown down one side and not the other).  Remove from the oven when golden brown and allow to cool.

7.  Break the milk and dark chocolate into a heat proof bowl.  Melt over a pot of simmering water.  Stir when melted to combine and dip the base of each macaroon in until evenly coated.  Place back onto the baking sheet upside down until the chocolate has set.  Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Flower Pots

We had some people over for dinner last Sunday.  I have already posted about the tears & tantrums and the disasters but thankfully something went right on the day.  Despite the aul fellas at the table complaining that they don't eat dessert and me telling them in no uncertain terms that I didn't care just to take the thing and let it sit in front of them, this provided a very pleasant end to the meal.  These are another little gem that I found on Tasty Kitchen, the food blog on the Pioneer Woman.  When I saw a picture of them I knew instantly that my life would not be complete until I made them.

As it was a dessert for adults I decided to adapt the recipe.  The original recipe basically calls for an assembly of shop bought items.  I chose to make the various components, replacing pound cake with chocolate brownie and ice cream with white chocolate mousse.  I was slightly lazy and stuck with shop bought biscuits and given the success of Oreo Chocolate Creme's in my Mint Crisp Pie base I gave them another outing.

Feel free to stick with the original recipe and offer your guests a wow factor dessert for practically no work, or if you fancy something a little more decadent you can whip up the brownie and mousse with very little effort.

***Before you read the recipe be warned that it looks like a lot of work but the brownie and white choclate mousse recipes only take about 10 mins each to make and assembly of the finished pots take about another 10 mins, after that it is just a matter of popping them in the fridge to allow them to set.***

In addition to the recipes below you will also need:
75g/2.5oz Oreo Chocolate Creme's (crushed)
8 Drinking Straws
8 cut flowers (ensure the stems will fit into the drinking straws)
8 small terracota pots

Chocolate Brownie

(this recipe will make a tray of brownies, approx 15 depending on the size you cut.  You will have some brownies left over to enjoy later with a cup of tea)

250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate (I use 70% Cocoa Solids)
200g/7oz Unsalted Butter
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
125g/4.5oz Plain Flour
50g/1.75oz Cocoa Powder

1.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
2.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
3.  Break up the chocolate and dice the butter and place them in a heatproof bowl and place over the pan of simmering water.  Turn off the heat and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
4.  In a seperate bowl mix the sugar and the eggs using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
5.  Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
6.  Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder and again stir to combine.

7.  Pour into the lined baking sheet and smooth the top with a spatula.
8.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  A clean skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a little of the mixture smeared on it.  The brownie is best if still a little squishy and moist rather than completely firm.
9.  Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool on a wire rack.



White Chocolate Mousse
(makes enough to serve 4 as a dessert on it's own or 8 when added to this dessert)

175g/6.2oz White Chocolate
90ml/3floz Milk
2 Egg Whites
1/4tsp Lemon Juice
225ml/7.5floz Double Cream

1.  Put some water into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat.
2.  Break up the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.  Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water and turn off the heat.
3.  Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the milk and set aside.
4.  Whip the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form stiff peaks and then gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
5.  Transfer to a pouring jug.

To assemble the pots:

1.  Once the brownie has cooled cut out rounds that will fit into the bottom of the flower pots.  You can use a round cookie cutter if you have a suitable size, cut around the bottom of the flower pot or I used a 1floz measuring glass turned upside down.  Press the brownie into the bottom of the pots.  If they break or crumble slightly don't worry, just press it all down for a nice snug fit.

2.  Take a drinking straw and push it into the centre of the brownie base.  Once in place snip the straw below the rim of the flower pot.
3.  Carefully pour the white chocolate mousse mixture in, dividing evenly between the 8 pots.

4.  Place the pots into the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours to set.
5.  When you are ready to serve place the Oreo biscuits in a resealable bag, expel all of the air and seal.  Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle over the mousse layer.
6.  Finally place the stem of a cut flower into the straw.

Pavlova (GF)

OK, so you all know how it goes. You make an executive decision to tackle that pile of ironing and the phone goes, and natch it's your sis/bezzie mate with nothing much to say really but you natter away for the obligatory hour. So the ironing, ah crap I forgot about the ironing. Are you nodding in agreement yet? Then you get yourself all set again and the doorbell rings and it's the lovely ladies calling on behalf of the parish priest. You know, to welcome you (AGAIN) and offer you a miraculous medal and have a little chat with you about how you could involve yourself more in the parish for the greater good of yourself, the community and of course the parish priest himself. You see the Sunday collections aren't quite what they used to be and sure they'll do anythin' to get you through them doors and rootin' around in your phoca for a few bob for the 'roof repairs'. Jaysus, they must make the roofs outta paper these days cos there all on their last legs. So anyway, you can't be rude and refuse the old medal on the bit of blue string and then sure you have to listen to their little spiel, and nod politely and by God keep that smile plastered across your choppers. By the end of it with all that nodding and smiling and not listening to a word of it you're signed up to meals on wheels (delivering, not receiving of course) 3 times a week, choir practice of a Tuesday and of course you'd be delighted to bring up the gifts every Sunday at 10 o'clock mass. Now you're no good for anything but a cup of tay and a chocolate Kimberley to steady the aul nerves and that ironing can feck off if it thinks it's gettin' done today. Oh no, you're not the better of all that excitement so it'll just have to wait till tomorrow. I think you get where I'm coming from now.

I had this lovely idea, I'll write this little blog and sure I'll be baking a cake a day and stick it up there for all the lovely peoples to have a good old goo at. Well, needless to say that will not be the case as I haven't had a minute to bless meself let alone bake up a storm since. So I thought I'd ease myself in with my old faithful. This is always a hit, can be adapted to any occasion and can be whipped up in a jiffy.

You know those nights when you're on the phone and you have a brainwave and say 'sure we haven't seen you in ages, why don't you come over tomorrow for your dinner and bring the seventeen kids with you'. You get up the next morning and the place looks like a bomb site, there's not a morsel in the house, the garden is like a jungle and exactly when was the last time that you waxed, plucked or dyed anything on your body. So you have three hours to go and a mammoth task to perform but sure worry not cos the dessert will be only gorgeous and it won't break a sweat to make. And what prey tell is this magic dessert? It is none other than a humble Pavlova.

A wha'? Sure you can buy a pack of them meringue nest yokes in the supermarket and call them a pavlova can't ya! Well yes you can but I always find they resemble a lump of sugary plaster of paras in a bowl and when you try to break into them you end up sculling the person sitting opposite you. Then there's all sorts of talk of concussion and law suits and while you would hope your own Dad won't actually sue you, you wouldn't put it past him either.

The homemade pavlova you see is a completely different kettle of fish. Its beautifully crisp outer shell is as delicate as a breath and you only have to look at it to break through to the sticky, wondrous cloud that lies beneath. And, then by the time you dollop on that blob of smooth whipped cream and sprinkle it generously with strawberries and raspberries sure you would be weak at the knees for the longing of that first spoonful. And then it won't be long before you here the smacking of satisfied lips and the clanging of spoons against empty bowls and them all sitting there gawping at you with a touch of the Oliver Twists about them. So I shall say no more and simply relay the recipe and hope that it brings as much pleasure to you as it has to me and all who have been lucky enough to have been on the guest list.

Pavlova
Serves 4-6
(depending on the size of the gob)

5 Egg Whites
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
1tsp Vinegar
2tsp Corn Flour*

* To ensure GF the label should not say wheaten cornflour

1. Preheat oven to 150°C/285°/Gas Mark 1. (temperatures may vary from appliance to appliance so please use temperatures provided as a guide and adjust if necessary)
2. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and set aside.
3. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft white peaks and then gradually add the sugar whilst continuing to whisk until stiff and glossy in appearance.
4. Once they have reached this consistency I like to whisk for an extra couple of minutes until it takes a bit of effort to move the whisk through as I find it gives a delicious, chewy Pavlova.
5. Add the corn flour and vinegar and gently fold through.
6. Using two large spoons transfer to the lined baking sheet. This can be done in large dollops for individual portions, or one whole round or rectangle, this is completely down to personal preference.
7. Place in the pre heated oven and bake for half an hour (check that the bottom has cooked through after this and if not turn the oven back on for a further five minutes and check again), and then leave sitting in the hot oven for a further half an hour.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
9. Dress with the toppings of your choice immediately before serving to avoid becoming soggy.

Serving suggestions
In summer I love to eat pavlova with whipped cream, strawberries, raspberries and any other berries available.
In winter when berries are not available locally I serve it with a liqueur based whipped cream and a selection of sweets ie. maltesers, rolo, crushed crunchy bars, munchies.
These suggestions are merely my personal preference so please experiment (as I have done) and find a favourite of your very own.

By jaysus, me stomach feels like me throat has been slit with all this talk of food and not a morsel passing the lips. Happy baking and I will post a recipe again very soon, so long as those miraculous medal wielding aul wans stay away from the door that is!