Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Crema de zahar ars

Bunicile obisnuiesc sa faca acest desert destul de des. Cel putin odata pe luna ma trezesc cu o casoleta generoasa de crema de zahar ars. Si nu pot sa ma plang. Astazi, am zis sa schimb un pic rolurile si sa joc dupa regulile mele. Intr-o forma minimalista, ce-i drept! :)

Ingrediente pentru 5 portii:
  • 4 oua
  • 500 ml lapte
  • o pastaie de vanilie
  • 75 g zahar pentru crema
  • 100 g zahar pentru caramel
  • coaja de la o lamaie

Timp de preparare: cca. 30 minute
Timp de coacere: cca. 1 h 15 minute
Timp de asteptare: cca. o zi
*Pentru acest preparat am folosit 5 vase ramekin cu capacitatea de 150 ml.

 
Am inceput prin a topi zaharul intr-o cratita cu fundul gros. Dupa ce s-a topit complet si am obtinut caramelul am tapetat cu acesta fundul si 3/4 din peretii vaselor. Acesta se va intari rapid, asa ca operatiunea trebuie facuta repede. Asteptati sa se raceasca si asezati apoi vasele intr-un vas mai mare cu pereti inalti.
Intr-un bol incapator am batut ouale si  zaharul cu mixerul, la viteza medie, pana cand am obtinut o spuma fina, aerata. Am adaugat apoi coaja de lamaie, pastaia de vanilie si laptele, treptat, incorporandu-le la viteza mica. Am turnat apoi amestecul in vase, pana unde au fost tapetate cu caramel.
Am turnat apoi apa in tava mare, cam de doua degete, pentru ca preparatul sa se poata coace uniform, si l-am tinut in cuptorul preincalzit la 150 de grade/ treapta 2 pentru gaz, timp de aprox. 1h si 15 minute, pana cand este inchegat complet.
Am scos apoi vasele din cuptor, iar dupa ce s-au racit complet le-am pus la frigider unde le-am tinut peste noapte. Pentru servire desprindeti usor cu un cutit lopatos marginile preparatului si rasturnati-l, pentru a va putea bucura din plin de caramelul delicios.






      Pofta buna! :D


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Classic cheesecake


For those of you who do not know me, I have to admit I adore cheesecakes. Baked or just chilled in the fridge, with fruits or chocolate, I could never refuse such a portion of joy. Today I decided to take advantage of this cold Sunday, treating myself with something sweet and sharing with you some of my little tricks.

Ingredients ( I used a round  baking tray with the diameter of 22 cm).

For the base:
  • 40 g unsalted butter, and a little extra for greasing the tray
  • 150 g digestive biscuits
For the cheese mixture:
  • 250 g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia) 
  • 250 ricotta
  • 250 g mascarpone
  • 3 large eggs
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. semolina
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla essence
  • juice and zest from one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp. cognac

First I greased the baking tray with butter and I covered its base with baking paper. Then I preheated the oven at 150 degrees Celsius/ level 2 on gas and in the meantime I started preparing the biscuit base.

In a kitchen robot I crushed the biscuits until they had the texture of breadcrumbs. You can also do this step by hand. Just put the biscuits in a bag, cover it with a kitchen towel and find something heavy, like a meat hammer or even an empty wine bottle to crush it until the biscuits inside have the right texture. After my biscuits were ready I mixed them with the melted butter. If you are using a kitchen robot it will be easier for you to mix them, but by hand is also fine. I added the mixture in my baking tray, spreading it evenly, and then I used the bottom of a glass (you can also use your hands) to press it into the tray and make sure it is well compressed and even. It should look similar to my picture. I baked the biscuit base at 150 Celsius for 10 minutes, then I let it completely cool down.

Next, in a bowl I mixed the cheese with the sugar and semolina. Then I added the eggs, one by one, until fully incorporated, and lastly I added the vanilla, lemon and cognac. I poured the mixture over my biscuit base and I baked it at the same temperature for 80-90 minutes, until it became golden and the sides were golden brown (check the picture). Try to pay attention to your cake after 70 minutes have passed.

! Even though the cake is baked, the mixture will still be soft and creamy, therefore you need to leave the cake to completely cool down, so the cheese mixture can fully thicken. I left my cake to cool down in the oven, with the door open, which I also recommend you to do.

After this step is complete, your cheesecake is ready. Feel free to decorate it as you wish, add fruits, chocolate, or keep it simple and eat it like this. Either way, I can guarantee you it is delicious.


Enjoy! :D

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Crumble cu mere si nuca


    Crumble este un desert ce consta intr-un strat de fructe coapte, delicioase care se completeaza perfect cu un aluat auriu, sfaramicios. Interesant la acest desert este ca puteti folosi o varietate de fructe: mere, pere, piersici, prune, si sa jonglati cu acestea combinandu-le in orice mod doriti.

Ingrediente:                                                                       
  • 5 mere mari                                                            
  • 100 g unt foarte rece                                                
  • 130 g faina                                                            
  • 20 g miez de nuca pisat
  • 7 Lg zahar
  • 1 lg amidon de porumb
  • 3 Lg fulgi de ovaz
  • un cub de unt
  • 2 batoane scortisoara
  • 2 stele de anason

   Timp de preparare: cca. 20 minute 
   Timp de coacere: cca. 35-40 minute
   Timp de asteptare: cca. 15 minute                                                     
    Am inceput prin a curata merele de coaja si de cotor si a le taia in felii. Intr-un mojar am maruntit
scortisoara si anasonul. Am pus merele intr-un castron impreuna cu amidonul, scortisoara, anasonul si 3 linguri de zahar si am amestecat bine,cu mainile, pana la omogenizare.
    Am luat apoi un vas de ceramica cu dimensiunile 22x22 cm pe care l-am uns cu cubul de unt si in care am pus mai apoi fructele.
Intr-un castron separat am amestecat fulgii de ovaz, faina, miezul de nuca si cele 4 linguri de zahar ramase. Am pus apoi untul rece, taiat in bucatele si am amestecat rapid cu varful degetelor pana cand am obtinut un aluat ca niste firimituri. Am avut grija sa amestec foarte repede, ca untul sa nu se topeasca.

    Am pus aluatul peste fructe si am pus tava in cuptor, incalzit in prealabil la 190 de grade/ treapta 5 pentru gaz, pentru 35-40 de minute, pana cand crusta de deasupra a devenit aurie, rumenita.
    Am lasat apoi preparatul sa se raceasca cca 15 minute, apoi l-am servit caldut cu iaurt gras. Se poate servi de asemenea si cu frisca sau inghetata de vanilie.






                            Pofta buna! :)


Saturday, November 7, 2015

Supa crema de conopida cu sofran si conopida crocanta

Revenind la un preparat sarat, am ales o supa crema care, aparent banala, se face remarcata prin multitudinea de arome datorita condimentelor care pun in valoare conopida. Asa ca va invit sa iesiti din zona de confort si sa incercati acest preparat.

Ingrediente:
  • 500 ml lapte
  • 500 ml fond de pui sau de legume
  • o conopida mare
  • un plic de sofran
  • 2 Lg patrunjel tocat
  • un cub de unt
  • sare de mare
 
 Incepeti prin a pune la fiert laptele si fondul, impreuna cu jumatate din plicul de sofran si un praf de sare de mare. Curatati apoi conopida si rupeti-o in buchetele. Cand lichidul da in clocot adaugati buchetelele de conopida si lasati sa fiarba cca. 10 minute pana devin moi. 

Din conopida fiarta pastrati separat o patrime. Pasati restul de conopida in blender pana obtineti un piure fin. Adaugati treptat din lichidul in care a fiert si pasati pana cand ajungeti la o consistenta lichida. Puteti adauga mai mult sau mai putin lichid in functie de preferinte. Adaugati restul de sofran, sare si piper dupa gust.
Pentru conopida crocanta topiti cubul de unt in tigaie si adaugati conopida pe care ati pastrat-o, o lingura de patrunjel si piper si pajiti pana cand totul devine crocant.
Serviti apoi supa cu bucatele de conopida, ulei de masline, piper si patrunjel.

Pofta buna! :)

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Chili Chocolate Souffle


Romana:
   
    Ca sa ramanem in tema, am ales tot un preparat cu ciocolata, la fel de simplu de facut, intr-un timp scurt. Souffle-ul, un preparat pufos, fin, aerat la interior si usor crocant la exterior, nu necesita decat putina grija si rabdare, iar rezultatul justifica tot efortul.

Ingrediente pentru 4 portii:
  • 160 g ciocolata neagra cu chili
  • 2 Lg smantana pentru gatit
  • 50 g zahar tos, plus inca putin
  • 4 galbenusuri
  • 5 albusuri
  • putin unt
Timpul de coacere a fost 15-20 de minute pentru vase ramekin cu capacitatea de 150 ml !

    Pentru acest preparat aveti nevoie de forme de ceramica ramekin. Am uns mai intai formele cu unt, apoi am tapetat cu putin zahar si m-am asigurat ca s-a depus uniform. Am preincalzit apoi cuptorul la 190 °C/ treapta 5 pe gaz.
    Intr-un vas termorezistent am topit ciocolata la Bain-Marie (Bain-Marie consta in contact indirect cu sursa de caldura. In loc de a pune ciocolata direct pe foc, punem intai o craticioara cu apa la fiert, apoi cand aceasta este destul de fierbite incata degaja aburi, folosim un castron termorezistent pentru a topi indirect ciocolata cu ajutorul aburilor fierbinti), iar cand aceasta s-a topit complet am adaugat smantana lichida pana la incorporare, dupa care am luat vasul de pe foc si l-am pus deoparte ca amastecul sa se raceasca. Intr-un vas separat am batut bine galbenusuile, iar  dupa ce amestecul de ciocolata si smantana lichida s-a racit complet, l-am turnat treptat peste galbenusuri, amestecand continuu.

    Intr-un bol separat am batut albusurile pana au devenit o spuma usoara. Am incorporat apoi zaharul treptat si am batut pana cand compozitia avea un aspect tare si lucioas. Accesati linkul cu retata de bezele aici pentru a vedea cum trebuie sa arate spuma. (Pentru a testa daca albusurile sunt intr-adevar gata, intoarceti bolul cu susul in jos, iar daca spuma de albus sta teapana, lipita de bol, si nu curge, inseamna ca e gata). Am incorporat apoi cu mare grija albusurile in amestecul de ciocolata. Important e sa nu bateti si nu amestecati prea repede. Incorporati treptat, cu miscari circulare, folosind o spatula de silicon, pana cand compozitia este omogena.


    Am turnat apoi amestecul in forme si am copt la aceeasi temperatura pe nivelul cel mai de jos al cuptorului, pana cand Souffle-urile au crescut si au capatat crapaturi la suprafata. ATENTIE, nu deschideti usa cuptorului pe timpul coacerii, altfel riscati ca Souffle urile sa se dezumfle.
    Am pudrat cu zahar si am servit pe loc.




  
         
Pofta buna! :)

    English:

   To stay on the same page with the latest recipes I have already posted here, I chose again a dessert with chocolate, very easy to do which doesn't require a lot of time. The Souffle, a fluffy, smooth, aerated on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside dessert which only requires a little bit of care and patience, and the result justifies all the effort.

Ingredients for 4 portions:
  • 160 g dark chocolate with chili
  • 2 Tbsp Cooking cream
  • 50 g granulated sugar, and a little bit more
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 5 egg whites
  • a little bit of butter
Baking time for my Souffles was 15-20 minutes using ramekin bowls with a capacity of 150 ml!
 
    For this dessert you will need ramekin bowls. First, I brushed the inside of the dishes with some room temperature butter, then I sprinkled some granulated sugar and made sure that it uniformly coated the bowls. After that I preheated de oven at 190 °C / 5 on gas.

    In a heat resistant bowl I melted the dark chocolate at Bain-Marie (Bain-Marie represents an indirect contact with the heat source; instead of melting the chocolate directly on the stove, we first heat a small pan with water, and when the water is hot enough and it makes steam, we use a heat resistant bowl to indirectly melt the chocolate using the steam), and when it was fully melted I added the cream. When the cream incorporated, I set the bowl aside to cool down and in a different bowl I thoroughly whisked the egg yolks. When the chocolate mixture has fully cooled down, I gradually poured it over the egg yolks, continuously mixing. 

    Again, in another bowl, I whisked the egg whites until they turn into a light foam, then I gradually poured the granulated sugar over the egg whites and kept whisking until the egg foam was hard and shiny. In order to see how the foam is supposed to look like, check this link to my marshmallows recipe. (In order to test if the egg whites are properly whisked, turn the bowl upside down, and if they stick to the bowl and don't leak it means they're done). When the egg whites were ready I carefully incorporated them in the chocolate mix. Note that is essential at this step not to whisk anymore or incorporate too fast. Incorporate the eggs gradually, making circular moves, using a silicone spatula.

    I poured the mixture in the ramekins and baked them on the lowest level of the oven, at the same temperature, until they doubled in size and they cracked a little bit at the top. IMPORTANT: Do not open the oven while the Souffles bake because they might deflate and there will be no smooth and aerated consistency anymore.

    I powdered with caster sugar and I served immediately.


Enjoy! :)