Chocolate Is My Friend Archive

April 23, 2007

Gelée au Chocolat, Ananas et Violette

[Chocolate Jelly with Pineapple and Violet] This is the dessert I served to close my recent spring lamb dinner: it was a few days before Easter so chocolate was definitely in order, but since lamb shoulder is a rather rich cut (though I must note that French lambs seem to be much leaner than their American cousins; French Lambs Don't Get Fat), I...

"Gelée au Chocolat, Ananas et Violette" continues »

February 9, 2007

Le Fondant au Chocolat de Tante Amélie

[Aunt Amélie's Smooth Chocolate Cake] None of my aunts are named Amélie, I thought I should make that clear from the start. And if I am to explain the origin of this recipe, I will need to rewind the tape back to early January, when French food writer Thierry Roussillon asked if I would answer a few questions for one of the interviews gourmandes...

"Le Fondant au Chocolat de Tante Amélie" continues »

October 16, 2006

Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] I have known Marie-Laure for nineteen years. This represents more than two thirds of our lives, and our friendship has accompanied us through primary school, junior high, high school, university, a year in Brazil for her, two years in California for me, and a variety of jobs, relationships, and haircuts, without us ever ...

"Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco" continues »

October 9, 2006

Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter

Considering my love of good-for-you nut butters and my passion for the unabashedly trashy peanut butter cup, it was only a matter of time before I attempted to coalesce the two and make a peanut butter cup spread of some sort. I thought I would simply use unsweetened cocoa powder to flavor an otherwise classic homemade peanut butter, but when I ...

"Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter" continues »

April 12, 2006

Ganache Sandwich Cookies

I am not very good at falling asleep. Once I manage to drift off I sleep soundly till morning -- which is a blessing, no doubt -- but it can take a while before I achieve that state of blissful nothingness. However much I try to relax before bedtime, my mind is reluctant to let go of the day's activities, and seems to take the head-hits-pillow ev...

"Ganache Sandwich Cookies" continues »

February 13, 2006

Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao

[Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies] Soft and cakey and thrice chocolate-flavored -- from the velvet of melted chocolate, the strength of cocoa powder, and the aromatic crunch of cacao nibs -- these bite-size cookies should fit into either one of these Valentine's Day scenarios: 1. You tend to throw yourself rhapsodically into the whole gift-and-c...

"Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao" continues »

January 18, 2006

Gâteau Choco-Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] It was Maxence's birthday last week, and one of the things we did to mark the occasion -- in addition to one glorious meal at Les Ambassadeurs -- was to invite friends to join us and celebrate at a small cocktail bar that recently opened in our neighborhood, on an improbable little street we'd hardly ever noticed before....

"Gâteau Choco-Coco" continues »

December 16, 2005

Gâteau au Chocolat et Pralines Roses

[Pink Praline Chocolate Cake] Pralines can be a confusing thing, considering that the same pretty word (It would make a cool name for a little girl, no? Or would this ruin her life you think?) is used for different confections. The original praline is made by cooking almonds in melted sugar: the mixture is left to cool then reheated several tim...

"Gâteau au Chocolat et Pralines Roses" continues »

November 7, 2005

Chocolat de Bayonne

It is a little-known fact that Bayonne was the first chocolate-making city in France. In the 17th century, a wave of Jewish immigrants settled there, fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese inquisition and bringing the savoir-faire as a prized possession in their luggage. Local artisans quickly learned how to make the magic happen with those mysteriou...

"Chocolat de Bayonne" continues »

October 28, 2005

Chocolate Chili Bites

[This is the republication of a post originally featured in October of 2004.] On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of attending the fourth edition of the Paris Potluck, hosted by Alisa and her husband Jean-Yves. This time around, Alisa had suggested that we follow a theme : no more random assortment of everyone's current food obessions! And as...

"Chocolate Chili Bites" continues »

April 13, 2005

Gianduioso

[Spreadable Gianduja] It's all in the packaging, is it not? Because really, if you look at it from an objective stance, this is quite simply, well, Nutella. For about six times the price of regular industrial Nutella, as purchased by yours truly, in a moment of sheer giving-in-to-temptation, at the beauty/home store Résonances. Ah, yes. But. It...

"Gianduioso" continues »

February 14, 2005

Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlets

Joyeuse St-Valentin! Head over to NPR's website for a special Valentine's Day commentary and the Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlet recipe I created for the occasion! NPR (National Public Radio) is a nonprofit producer and distributor of radio shows that serves over 750 independant radio stations in the US. In particular, their shows are broa...

"Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlets" continues »

January 25, 2005

Abricots au Chocolat

[Chocolate Dipped Apricots] What would you do with melted chocolate leftover from making orangettes and florentins? Throw it out? You have got to be kidding. No. The wise thing to do was rummage through my kitchen cabinets for something that would be nice and dippable. And I thus unearthed, oh joy, the large bag of dried apricots I had bought...

"Abricots au Chocolat" continues »

December 31, 2004

Shortcut Orangettes

In addition to the florentins, my little food gift packages for the holidays included orangettes, those little strips of candied orange peel dipped in dark chocolate. I called these shortcut orangettes because I made them with candied orange rind I had bought at Ali Baba's Cave for Bakers. I could have called them Cheater's Orangettes too, but ...

"Shortcut Orangettes" continues »

December 27, 2004

Florentins

Last year was my first time making food gifts for the holidays. My chocolate truffles and my mendiants were such fun to make and were so well received, that I was determined to repeat the experience this year. For a few weeks before Christmas I toyed with various ideas (all carefully written down for future reference, I hope I have long years of ...

"Florentins" continues »

December 15, 2004

Gâteau Surprise Chocolat Pistache

[Chocolate and Pistachio Surprise Cake] Last week was my sister's birthday. I didn't come as much of a surprise, really, because I have quite the analytical mind, and a careful observation has led me to the conclusion that this phenomenon happens every 8th of December, year in, year out. At least it always has. Of course, just because the sun ha...

"Gâteau Surprise Chocolat Pistache" continues »

October 28, 2004

In Which Two Kilos Of Chocolate Enter Her Kitchen

At the end of Chocolate & Zucchini's birthday party last week, after all the guests had left in a whirlwind of kisses and effusive thanks and well wishes, the dust settled and it was just Nicolas, Maxence and me, collapsing into chairs, exhausted but beaming. Nicolas, who hadn't eaten all night from all that cooking, brought out a loaf of bread ...

"In Which Two Kilos Of Chocolate Enter Her Kitchen" continues »

October 11, 2004

Chocolate Chili Bites

On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of attending the fourth edition of the Paris Potluck, hosted by Alisa and her husband Jean-Yves. This time around, Alisa had suggested that we follow a theme : no more random assortment of everyone's current food obessions! And as she (and I and pretty much everyone else) had been suffering from terrible Mex...

"Chocolate Chili Bites" continues »

June 23, 2004

Gâteau au Chocolat Aérien, Glacé Ganache

[Aerial Chocolate Cake, Ganache Glaze] This cake recipe comes from Trish Deseine's book Je Veux du Chocolat! -- much-liked and oft-mentioned around here, as I'm sure you've noticed. I am not spontaneously drawn to that kind of light-textured chocolate cake, having chosen instead to walk the path of dense, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth cakes, but som...

"Gâteau au Chocolat Aérien, Glacé Ganache" continues »

April 26, 2004

Deprived? Who, me?

One of the things that fascinated me about my workplace in the Silicon Valley was the very American profusion of food : the huge refrigerators in the kitchen were filled with every possible kind of soft drink (including those nasty nasty frappuccinos), the freezer was stocked with instant meals and frozen burritos (we're talking engineer food her...

"Deprived? Who, me?" continues »

April 18, 2004

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake (IMBB3)

Today is the third edition of the one and only collaborative food blogging event, otherwise known as "Is My Blog Burning?". The first edition, hosted by Alberto, was all about soup. The second edition, hosted by yours truly, had a tartine theme. Today's event is hosted by the lovely Singaporean foodie, Renée, and the theme is Cake Walk. As René...

"Chocolate & Zucchini Cake (IMBB3)" continues »

April 17, 2004

Maryland Delights, Act I : Chocolate Cremes

After I posted about the American food items I sorely missed, C&Z reader Alicia, from Maryland, offered to do a little food swap with me. Me? Food? In the mail? I happily accepted. I received her package just last week, and will now, ladies and gentlemen, before your startled eyes, proceed to uncover its content, in three installments. The first...

"Maryland Delights, Act I : Chocolate Cremes" continues »

March 6, 2004

I feel so deprived

On this side of the Atlantic, I can find Oreo cookies and I can find smooth peanut butter. I can find Newman's Own microwave popcorn and I can find Aunt Jemima pancake mix. I can find Philadelphia cream cheese and I can find Graham Crackers. But I miss my honey-frosted mini-wheats, I miss Barbara's Bakery Cinnamon Puffins, I miss decent tortilla...

"I feel so deprived" continues »

February 27, 2004

The Double Chocolate Crisp Quest

And today, it is with a plea for help that I come to you, a call to your infinite wisdom and collective knowledge. Last time I did something of the kind, you proved to me that you were as generous with your advice and insight as I had hoped, and although I have yet to make another attempt at poaching an egg - I never seem to feel like it until ...

"The Double Chocolate Crisp Quest" continues »

February 18, 2004

Gâteau Fondant au Chocolat et Noisettes Caramélisées

[Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Hazelnuts] Last Sunday afternoon, my sister Céline and I organized a "Goûter de Cousins" at my place. We invited those of our cousins who live in Paris, which amounts to about a dozen. Most of them we only see once a year at family holiday parties - some a little more, some way less - and we thought it would be n...

"Gâteau Fondant au Chocolat et Noisettes Caramélisées" continues »

February 7, 2004

Pierre Hermé's Aztec Entremets

As many of you guessed, the dessert for our dinner party last Saturday was ever so kindly contributed by pâtisserie expert and enthusiast Ulrich, he-who-works-with-Pierre-Hermé. You see, Pierre Hermé is a perfectionist and it really shows in the simple beauty of his creations. Extreme and skillful care is taken in the preparation, but once in a w...

"Pierre Hermé's Aztec Entremets" continues »

January 28, 2004

Scottish Caramel Shortcake

Oh my. This is one of the many luscious gifts that my blog-friend Jackie gave me when we met in London. Those square layered cookies come in a pack of three, each with a layer of buttery shortcake biscuit, a layer of creamy caramel, and a layer of sweet milk chocolate to top it all off. Naturally, I expected something rich, so I cut one up int...

"Scottish Caramel Shortcake" continues »

January 21, 2004

Petits Palmiers Chocorange

[Chocolate and Orange Palm Leaf Cookies] If you browse through the row of cookbooks lined up on top of our fridge, you might notice one, called "Moi, je cuisine solo ou duo" by Brigitte Namour. The title roughly means "I cook for one or two", and this book is filled to the brim with quick and ingenious recipes, scaled for a couple of servings. O...

"Petits Palmiers Chocorange" continues »

December 27, 2003

Truffes au Chocolat

This year for Christmas, I made chocolate bites of two kinds to give to my family, and bought small confectioner's crystal bags at a professional store to put them in. I also wanted to make little tags to tie around the bags. I bought delicate ivory paper, beautiful green leaves made of very fine thread, and some silver yarn. I cut out rectangles...

"Truffes au Chocolat" continues »

December 26, 2003

Mendiants

I have always loved the idea of giving out food gifts. As with any handmade present, it seems a very personal way to show you care, and that you love the person enough to spend a few hours making something nice for them. Last year, I didn't plan for it early enough to make it happen : Christmas is always a busy period, and we had just moved into ...

"Mendiants" continues »

December 23, 2003

Petit Pot Chocolat Vanille, Ruban de Caramel au Petit Beurre

[Chocolate Vanilla Petit Pot, Caramel Petit Beurre Ribbon] This is the dessert I served to end Saturday night's dinner. The idea came to me during the same bus ride through Paris that brought us the goat cheese mousse. I don't know what was in the air that day, but ideas just kept bubbling up, a swarm of dishes taking shape and morphing in my mi...

"Petit Pot Chocolat Vanille, Ruban de Caramel au Petit Beurre" continues »

December 13, 2003

Petit Gâteau Chocolat Noisette

I was out in the Marais area this afternoon, doing a little Christmas shopping (ok, a lot). And shopping, as you know, is a form of strenuous exercise. Especially ten days before Christmas. Especially in the Marais. That is why I entirely deserved a nutritious goûter, and I found just what I needed at a chocolate store called "Cacao et Chocolat"....

"Petit Gâteau Chocolat Noisette" continues »

December 10, 2003

Tarte Chocolat Poire Chocolat

[Chocolate Pear Chocolate Tart] As you know, I have a passion for chocolate. In restaurants, I am never intimidated by the decadent sounding all-chocolate desserts, and I can usually be relied upon to pick that. I have also tried my hand at that kind of desserts, and loved every minute of it, from the imagining to the making to the savoring to t...

"Tarte Chocolat Poire Chocolat" continues »

November 10, 2003

Cake au Chocolat, Abricots et Gingembre

On Sunday afternoon, we had a few friends over for the goûter. In attendance were : Marie-Laure and Ludo, with whom we had had brunch earlier in the day ; my friend Sophie, who used to work at my company ; Stéphane and Caro, who are friends from college ; and our neighbors Stéphan and Patricia. To feed this crowd, I wanted to make something choco...

"Cake au Chocolat, Abricots et Gingembre" continues »

November 1, 2003

Le Salon Du Chocolat

A Chocolate Trade Show - has anybody ever heard of a better concept? The Paris one takes place every year in late October, when the weather gets a little chilly and Christmas is getting near and people need to warm their hearts and stock up on chocolate goodness. Passionate as we are about our chocolate, Marie-Laure and I just had to attend, and ...

"Le Salon Du Chocolat" continues »

October 17, 2003

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake

Yesterday we had a small party at my office as a celebration of my company's 5th anniversary and as a "pendaison de crémaillère". That's French for a housewarming party : a crémaillère is a trammel, the metal adjustable hook that was used to hang pots in the fireplace in the days of yore, and the hanging (pendaison) of that essential piece of equ...

"Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake" continues »

October 4, 2003

Tartelettes Absolument Chocolat

[Absolute Chocolate Tartlets] I could have met my friends Marie-Laure and Laurence at a Chocoholics Anonymous meeting, so when they came over for dinner last night, I decided I would treat them to Absolute Chocolate Tartlets. The recipe comes from one of my cookbooks, called Je Veux du Chocolat! ("I want chocolate!") by Trish Deseine - another...

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