The Moelleux au Chocolat ... What else ?

Le Moelleux au Chocolat (Lava Cake) is 'the' recipe for all my fellow Chocolate Addicts, all the Chocoholics, and for everyone who has a bad mood today !!

Oh ouiiii  ... every bite is an addiction t and the decadent molten center of this cake will melt into your mouth ...
Believe me, Chocolate is health food and mood enhancer : Chocolate is a Therapy !

Make it your Valentine's Day dessert and listen to your Valentine singing "Je vois la Vie en Rose" .... do not forget a glass of Champagne for this special occasion (or a strong expresso) !!!

Please please, give it a try, you will feel good about savoring every bite ....
I have a secret (shuuut) it is a very easy recipe, trust me, you will astound your Valentine ;-)

A bientot & bon Appetit
Emilie your French Chef
www.EmilieFrenchChef.com

La recette de Moelleux au Chocolat (Lava Cake)

Ingredients for 2/4 persons (depending on the size of your mold):

- 4 Ramequins
- 100g semi sweet Chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa minimum). I highly recommend a very good Chocolate quality (remember better qualitly better results)
- 75g unsalted Butter = 1/2 stick of Butter
- 50g powdered Sugar
- 25g all purpose Flour
- 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to around 400degres F.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bain marie (double boiler).

Mix together the sugar and flour in a separate bowl. Then add the eggs and mix well.

Butter and flour your ramekin dishes.
When the chocolate & butter mixture is truly melted, pour the mixture into the flour/sugar/egg bowl and mix completely with a hand mixer (or your food processor).

Pour the batter into the ramekins about 3/4s full and place in the freezer for 10minutes.
Cook for approx 12-14mins, or until  you can see the edges of the cake perfectly cooked and the middle still moving/trembling a little bit.

Remove from the oven an use a knife all around the edge of the ramequin.
Flip the cake over the plate quickly. Serve with warm Chocolate Sauce and fresh Raspberry or Raspberry coulis or vanilla Ice-Cream if you want.

Raspberry & Strawberry Crumble ... for your Valentine Day !

Add Red and Pink to your Valentine's Day this year ... with a Zesty Strawberry & Raspberry Crumble !

Oh yes, you better-half deserves a dessert with lot of character for Valentine's Day ... so I decided to add blood orange to my Crumble ... I promise she/he will love the zesty taste of this dessert !

I love everything about Crumble, and the light brown Sugar & Almond topping of this recipe is absolutely crunchy and flavorful ... perfect !!

You're right, I always say "the better the fruits, the better the desserts" and Winter is not the season for best Strawberries or Raspberries BUT for my Valentine, I can bake Strawberry & Raspberry Crumble each day every single year !!!!

Do not forget the "Crumble Must-Have" : a scoop of Ice-Cream on the top of your warm Crumble ... I prefer Vanilla Ice-Cream ... Now it's your turn to cook for your Valentine !!!!!

A bientot & bon Appetit

Emilie your French Chef

http://www.emiliefrenchchef.com/

La recette de Crumble aux Fraises et Framboises (Strawberry & Raspberry Crumble)

Ingredients for 6 persons

2-1/2 cups of a mix of chopped Strawberries, Raspberries and diced blood Orange
1 tablespoon of blood Orange Juice
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
3/4 cup of granulated Sugar
1/4 of light brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1 cup Almond Meal (= Almond Flour)
Dash of salt
1 stick of Butter, cut into small pieces and a room temperature (soft)

(whipped Cream Or Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine Strawberries, Raspberries, Cornstarch, light brown Sugar and Vanilla. Stir and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine Flour, Sugar, Almond Meal/ Flour, dash of Salt, and Butter pieces.

Use a fork and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the fruits in the bottom of a pie pan or into 6 individual ramequins.

Sprinkle topping mixture all over the top. And sprinkle 1 tablespoon of blood Orange juice on the top of the crumble.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Cool during 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Put a scoop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the top.

The gateau au Yaourt (Yogurt Cake)

Le Gateau au Yaourt .... hmmmm, le Gateau prefere des enfants !!!
The Yogurt Cake .... hmmmm, the kids favorite Cake !!!

This famous Cake is a smart combination of plain Yogurt, Eggs, all purpose Flour, Sugar and Vegetabe Oil ... That is a simple basic French Dessert to bake with your kids because you will use the empty cup of Yogurt to measure all your ingredients.

The leftovers are just perfect for breakfast !!!

All you will need is a large bowl. The food processor is even not necessary.
Quick and easy idea, huh ?

Use plain Yogurt for the original taste, or use Lemon or Vanilla or Banana Yogurt for a more fancy cake !

Today I decided to cheat a little bit the recipe as I wanted to lighten & add zest my cake.

So I used a Lemon Low Fat Greek Yogurt, Vegetaline instead of Oil and Wheat Flour instead of all-purpose.

The result was great ... yes, I'm still trying to keep my healthy resolutions for 2012 ;-)

For your first try, I do recommend you to start with the original recipe, as the result is really fabulous, with a tang, moist and fluffy texture. It is just a perfect cake to serve with red berries, Chantilly (whipped Vanilla Cream), Ice cream ...

My "healthy & low-fat" Yogurt Cake was  light & tasty, but the texture was more thick/dense compared to the original recipe. So keep this one for your "healthy resolutions" only ;-)

Let's give it a try today !!

A bientot et bon Appetit !

Emilie your French Chef

http://www.emiliefrenchchef.com/

La Recette de Gateau au Yaourt (Yogurt's Cake)

Ingredients for a 9 or 10"" round or cake form mold (6 pers):

- 2 large Eggs

- 1 Tub of whole milk plain Yogurt (4oz - 125ml) = that is your Tub to measure all the others ingredients !
- 2 Tub of granulated Sugar

- 3/4 Tub of vegetable Oil
- 3 Tubs of all-purpose Flour
- 1 tbspoons of baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking Soda
- a good pinch of Salt

- 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon light Rum if you want only.

Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).

Spread butter and flour in the bottom of a round cake pan (or use a rectangular cake, no matter).

If you don't have a non stick pan, add greased parchment paper in the bottom of your mold and grease the sides of your mold.

In a large mixing-bowl (using or not  your food processor), gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and rum (optional).

Add the baking powder, baking soda & salt.

Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together with a whisk. Do not overwork the dough !!

Pour the mixture into the prepared round pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Use a toothpick to make sure the cake is perfectly cook (it should go out perfectly cleaned)

Let stand for 15mn, transfer onto a rack to cool, and serve !

Eat warm or cold, with fruits, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream ... or just eat like that !!!

TIP : Be creative with the shape and play with your other molds, like Madeleine molds, those are so cute !!