The Little Paris Kitchen (24 page)

To make all three mini desserts you will need one quantity of
Crème Pâtissière
recipe, which you should make in advance and chill in the fridge. The mousse and trifles can be made the day before serving, but the tartlets are best done not too far in advance or the shortbread will go a little soft.

SERVES 4 (DEPENDING ON SIZE OF THE SERVING GLASSES; SHOT GLASSES WORK WELL)

• 1 tbsp Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur • 4 heaped tbsp orange marmalade • finely grated zest of 1 orange • 1 cup chilled
Crème Pâtissière
(
page 274
) •
⅔
cup heavy cream, whipped

Mix the liqueur with the marmalade and divide between four glasses. Save a little of the orange zest for the decoration; add the rest to the pastry cream and beat until smooth. Fold in half the whipped cream to lighten the mixture and then fold in the rest. Divide the mousse between the glasses, then tap each glass on the work surface to make sure that there are no air pockets. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

• 4 ladyfingers • 4 tbsp crème de cassis • 1 cup chilled
Crème Pâtissière
(
page 274
)

• ½ cup black currants, stalks removed, plus 4 small sprigs for decoration • sugar (optional) • 7 tbsp heavy cream, whipped

Break a ladyfinger into small pieces and fit them into the bottom of a glass. Repeat with three more glasses. Pour 1 tablespoon crème de cassis into each glass. Beat the pastry cream until smooth. Crush the black currants a little and mix with the pastry cream. If the black currants are very sour, add a little sugar. Divide the pastry cream between the glasses, then tap each glass on the work surface to make sure that there are no air bubbles. Top with whipped cream. Chill for at least an hour before serving decorated with sprigs of black currants.

• 1 cup chilled
Crème Pâtissière
(
page 274
) • 4 round shortbread biscuits • 12–15 strawberries

Beat the pastry cream until smooth. Put it into a piping bag fitted with a round
⅜
-inch nozzle and pipe a small blob in the middle of each biscuit (leave some room around the edge for the strawberries). Cut the strawberries in half and stick them around the pastry cream. Serve as soon as you can.

Preparation time: 45 minutes Resting time: 1 hour (for the pastry cream) Cooking time: 20 minutes

Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult, but they really aren't as daunting as you think. A sweet soufflé is simply a meringue mixture folded into pastry cream and baked.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can prepare half of it in advance, leaving you with just some last-minute whisking and folding while the oven is preheating. Pop the soufflés in the oven and 20 minutes later you can impress your guests with a magnificently risen dessert.

SERVES 4

• 4 tbsp soft butter • 6 tbsp raw cane sugar
*

For the meringue:
2 egg whites • ½ cup confectioners' sugar • a couple of drops of lemon juice • a pinch of salt

• 1½ cups chilled
Crème Pâtissière
(
page 274
), with flavoring of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush four ramekins with soft butter, working with upward strokes from the bottom to the top. Check that the entire inside of each dish has been covered with butter before adding a heaped tablespoon of raw cane sugar. Roll and tilt each ramekin so that the sugar coats the inside evenly.

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE:
Put half the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt and whisk until snow white. Add the rest of the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

Beat the pastry cream until smooth and then mix in half the meringue until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the meringue.

Divide the mix between the ramekins and tap the base of each ramekin on the work surface to ensure there are no air pockets. Level the surface of each soufflé by pulling a palette knife (or back edge of a large knife) across the top of the dish, then clean any drips off the outside or they will burn. To help the soufflés rise, run your thumbnail around the top edge of each ramekin to make a groove.

Put the ramekins into the oven immediately and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the soufflés have risen by two-thirds of their original size and wobble a little when moved. Serve straightaway.

*
Alternative coatings: Mix the sugar with a little ground cinnamon or ginger, or with chile powder (this works particularly well with a chocolate soufflé), or finely grated citrus zest. The sugar can also be replaced with unsweetened cocoa powder.

Preparation time: 40 minutes Resting time: 1 hour (for the pastry cream) Cooking time: 30 minutes

This is for any serious chocaholic. A chocolate
crème Madame
(chocolate pastry cream and whipped cream folded together) makes for an easy and delicious chocolate mousse, but I like something with more of a chocolate attitude.

Each element is vital—chocolate pastry cream for a silky-smooth feel, meringue and whipped cream to make it airy, and melted dark chocolate to give an extra-rich chocolate flavor. I also like to coat my serving glasses with cocoa nibs to add a bitter chocolate crunch. If you can't get hold of cocoa nibs (available at specialty food shops, online, and at some supermarkets), a coating of finely chopped nuts mixed with some cocoa powder is a good alternative.

So this,
Mesdames et Messieurs
, is my ultimate chocolate mousse.

SERVES 4–6

• 2 tbsp soft butter • 1½ oz cocoa nibs, plus extra for serving

For the chocolate meringue:
2 egg whites • ½ cup confectioners' sugar • a couple of drops of lemon juice • a pinch of salt • 5 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped • scant 1 cup heavy cream • 1½ cups chilled
Crème Pâtissière
(
page 274
), made with 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder instead of vanilla

Brush 4–6 glasses or ramekins with soft butter. Add some cocoa nibs and roll them around the sides and bottom of the glasses until evenly coated.

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE:
Put half the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and salt and whisk until snow white. Add the rest of the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water) or in the microwave on a low setting. Whip the cream to soft peaks.

Beat the pastry cream to remove any lumps before stirring in the melted chocolate. Mix in one- third of the meringue, then gently fold in the rest followed by the whipped cream.