Oreo Cookie Chocolate Mousse

Oreo cookies in my home never last long enough to go stale.  But if you happen to have some around here is a delicious mousse recipe that any chocolate lover will enjoy.

Ingredients

7 Oreo cookies
2 tbsp cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
5 tbsp hot water
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped fine
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
Oreo cookies for decocation

In a food processor, finely crush Oreo cookies.

Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.

Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain.  Fold in crushed Oreo cookies.   Spoon the mousse in either champagne glasses or a clear glass.  Top with an Oreo.  Depending on the size of the glass, this recipe makes anywhere from 4-6 servings

Oops! My Cream Didn’t Whip.

I’ve heard about this happening to others but never thought it would happen to me.  While working on a mousse, my heavy cream refused to whip.  It was immune to my heavy duty Kitchenaid.  I just bought it today from the local dairy farm so I know it was fresh and real heavy cream.

Then it occured to me that between the high humidity and the 20 minute ride home, the cream wasn’t cold enough So I took the metal bowl with the cream still swishing around inside, and put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.  Sure enough, it worked.  I had a fluffy whipped cream.

Charlotte Russe Sweet Treats

Until recently, I thought Charlotte Russe was just a chain of clothing stores in malls.  For years, a sweet treat by the same name has been sold at local bakeries throughout New York City but it’s origins go way back to France. 

Following information is from the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, by John F. Mariani, 1999

“Charlotte russe. A French dessert (supposedly created by Marie-Antonin Careme) made in mold with ladyfingers and Bavarian cream. . . While this confection is known and made in the United States, a simple version consisting of a square of sponge cake topped with whipped cream (sometimes with chocolate sprinkles) and a maraschino cherry was also called a “charlotte russe”. . . This was a standard item in eastern cities, particularly among urban Jewish Americans (some of whom pronounce the item “charely roose” or “charlotte roosh”), who made it at home or bought it at a pastry shop, where it was set on a frilled cardboard holder whose center would be pushed up as to reveal more cake as the whipped cream was consumed.”

A Charlotte Russe is made with a genoise or spongecake topped with whipped cream.  The New York style Charlotte Russe is made by baking a sponge cake on a sheet pan.  When cooled, use a 3 inch round cookie cutter to cut round shapes.  Topped with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and sprinkles (also known as Jimmies).

Here’s a good recipe for the traditional Charlotte Russe

1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water, for softening gelatin
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Homemade spongecake cake or ladyfingers

Soften the gelatin in a bowl with the water. Pour in the milk and completely dissolve the gelatin. Let it sit while you prepare rest of filling, stirring it every now and again to keep gelatin from separating and settling to bottom.

Sweeten 2 cups of the cream with 1 cup of the sugar and beat it with a handheld electric mixer until it is fairly stiff. Add vanilla and fold it in. Stir in dissolved gelatin and gently but thoroughly fold it into whipped cream and set it aside.

Cut cake into ladyfinger-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch thick by 1-inch wide and as long as your mold is deep. Line bottom and sides of a 3-quart mold or bowl with cake, being sure that there are no gaps in it. Hold back enough cake to cover top of mold or bowl.

Beat egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks with a handheld electric mixer, then fold thoroughly into whipped cream and gelatin filling. Spoon filling into cake-lined mold, making sure there are no gaps or air pockets between filling and cake. Press reserved cake on top of filling.

Chill until cream is set, 4 to 6 hours. When you are ready to serve, gently run a knife around edges of mold to make sure that the Charlotte has not stuck to it, then invert onto plate. Carefully lift off mold.

Lightly sweeten remaining 1 cup cream with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until it is stiff. If you like, you can put it into a pastry bag and pipe it onto the Charlotte, or simply spoon it on, using it to cover any gaps or splits in outer layer of cake. Garnish with fresh fruit.

I made my own ladyfingers from an old genoise recipe I got from a Julia Child cookbook.  Instead of long stick like shapes I made some round and others into mini cups.  The mini cups were made using the half ball pan but a cupcake pan can also be used.  When cooled, scoop out the center and fill.  

I didn’t have time to buy fruit for the topping but I had left over chocolate ganache.

 

Chantilly Swans

Spring is finally here again.  The first seasonal baking project that popped into my mind was of course, Swan Cream Puffs.   

A few years ago I got this recipe from Princess Cruise Lines.  I have to admit, mine didn’t come out tasting as good as theirs, but they still look nice.  They were easy to make, don’t require any fancy cooking utensils, very few ingredients, and don’t take much time to make.  

Makes 12 swans
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
Berries (for garnish)

Bring the water and butter to a boil.  Add the flour and salt and stir vigorously.  Reduce the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is a smooth paste and pulls away from the side of the pan.  Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool slightly for approximately 2 minutes.  With a hand mixer, add the eggs one at a time stirring well to incorporate. (If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can do this by hand) The mixture should be smooth and stiff.  Let cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place 1/4 of the mixture in a small piping bag with a small plain tip. Pipe the shape of a backwards S onto the baking tray to form the head and neck. 

Place the remainder of the pastry  in a piping bag with a medium sized star tip. Pipe 12 egg-sized balls of mixture onto a separate baking tray.  Place the trays in the oven.  The neck pieces will bake in approximately 5 minutes, remove once browned and firm.  Bake the balls for the body approximately 5 minutes longer, then reduce the temperature to 350 F adn continue to bake 10 to 12 minutes.  The bodies should be golden brown, dry and firm to the touch.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Whisk the cream, vanilla and sugar together to a medium peak.  Taste and adjust sweetness.  Place the cream in a piping bag with a medium star tip.

To create the swans, cut off the top half of the body using a serrated knife, then split teh top piece in half for the wings.  Dust the wings with confectioner’s sugar.  Fill the bottom of the body with the chantilly cream.  Place the head and wings and garnish with berries. 

Can also be served with a chocolate sauce.

Cocoa Meringue Icebox Cakes

An icebox cake consists of whipped cream and chocolate wafer cookies.  The cookies are stacked with the whipped cream in between to hold the cookies together.  I don’t know why they call it a cake when it’s nothing like a cake. 

When stacked in a glass, it looks like a trifle.  My version, is more like a sandwich cookie. 

Meringue cookies bake at a low temperature for longer time.  This makes them crispy.
 

Whipped Cream filling inside.

For Filling:
8 ounce container low-fat plain yogurt (about 1 cup)
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For meringue:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-processed) 
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar

Make filling:
Line a colander with a double thickness of cheesecloth and set over a bowl.  Drain yogurt in colander, chilled, 4 hours.  Discard liquid and transfer yogurt to a bowl.  Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

In another bowl whisk cream until it forms soft peaks.  Whisk in vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until cream just forms stiff peaks and fold gently into yogurt mixture.

Make meringue:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder until blended.  In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they just hold soft peaks and gradually beat in sugar until meringue holds stiff peaks.  Fold cocoa mixture into meringue gently but thoroughly and transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch tip.  Holding top about 1/4 inch from baking sheet, pipe meringue into 2-inch disks about 1 inch apart (for a total of about 20 disks).  Smooth tops with a knife or finger dipped in water and bake 45 minutes, or until firm to the touch.  Cool meringes completely. 

Place 1 tablespoon of whipped cream filling in between two meringues.  Keep in airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.