2/3 cup almond flour   (75 g)
5 egg whites, room temp
½ cup + 1 tsp flour   (75 g)
1 ¾ cup powdered sugar (180 g)
½ vanilla bean
5 ½ ounces brown butter (150 g)

1) To make browned butter, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, almond flour and vanilla bean.

3) Add the egg whites, one at a time, all the while whisking.  Stir in the browned butter.

4) Refrigerate for one hour.

5) Pour into mold and bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of your mold.

Variation:
Pistachio Chocolate: Replace a third of the almond flour with ground pistachios, or add ground pistachios to the mixture. Once you’ve poured the financiers in the molds, sprinkle finely chopped chocolate over the financiers.  Bake as directed.

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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
9                      Chocolate Graham Crackers (about 5 ounces)
4T                    Unsalted Butter, room temperature, divided
1t                     Honey
1 Cup               Whipping Cream
2 t                    Dried Lavender Blossoms
12 ozs.             Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1T                    Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Pinch               Kosher Salt

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Grind graham crackers with 3 tablespoons butter and honey in processor until fine crumbs form. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not up sides) of prepared tart pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Bring cream and lavender just to boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Place chocolate in medium saucepan. Strain hot cream mixture into saucepan with chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat just until melted and smooth. Add cocoa powder and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; stir until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over crust in tart pan. Chill at least 45 minutes (chocolate will be slightly soft after 45 minutes and firm after 2 hours). Cut into wedges and serve. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Interpreted from epicurious.com recipe, “Chocolate & Honey Tart.”

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Yield 2 cups

Ingredients:

16 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (preferably Valrhona)
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla paste

Procedure: 

1. Chop or break chocolate into small pieces (makes them easier to melt).
2. Add cream to saucepan and bring to a simmer being careful to not allow to boil. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
3. Add vanilla paste and stir until combined.
4. Place fondue pot on low flame and start dipping.

Best items to dip; strawberries, raspberries, bananas, graham crackers, marshmallows, and pound cake.

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

6 to 8 large 2 1/2-inch-thick veal shanks, each patted dry and tied securely with kitchen string to keep the meat attached to the bone
Valrhona cocoa powder
All-purpose flour for dredging the veal shanks
6 tbsp Unsalted butter plus additional if necessary
6 tbsp  Olive oil plus additional if necessary
1 cup   White or red wine
1 cup   Finely diced onion
½  cup finely diced carrots
½  cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 to 4 cups beef broth 
Fresh parsley sprigs, fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper as needed

Preparation:

1. Combine equal parts flour and cocoa powder together and whisk until incorporated.
2. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
3. In a heavy skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. When butter is melted brown the veal shanks in batches, adding some of the additional butter and oil as necessary. As shanks brown transfer to your braising pan.
4.  Deglaze the pan with the wine. Be sure to scrape up all the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the skillet, bring to a boil and reduce to about 1/2 cup, and reserve.
5. Using the same skillet and moderate heat add the remaining olive oil, when hot add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are softened. 
6. Add vegetables to the braising pan with the shanks. Add the reserved wine mixture, herbs and enough of the broth to almost cover the shanks.
7. Braise the mixture, covered, in the middle of a preheated 325°F oven for 2 hours, or until the veal is tender.
8. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids, and skim the fat.
9. Boil the juices for 15 minutes, or until they are reduced to about half, baste the shanks with some of the reduced juices, and bake them, basting them 3 or 4 times with some of the remaining juices, for 10 minutes more, or until they are glazed.

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Yield 1 cup

Ingredients:

½ tbsp Dijon Mustard
¼ cup  Chocolate Balsamic
1tbsp   Valrhona Cocoa
½ cup  Salad oil (Grapeseed or Canola)
1tbsp   Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix mustard, balsamic and cocoa until combined and there are no lumps
2. Slowly add oil until thick consistency. Be sure to add slowly or it will break.
3. Add honey, salt and pepper to taste. 

NOTE:     This dressing should taste chocolaty and tangy not be too sweet.  More vinegar-like than sweet.  Lasts about 30 day under refrigeration.

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-          Chocolate sweet dough:

-          In a mixer with the paddle attachment, mix well 7 oz butter with 3 oz of powdered sugar until creamy.

-          Add one by one 5 eggs mix well.

-          Add 11 oz All Purpose flour, 3 oz almond powder, 1.25 oz cocoa powder and 0.25 oz baking powder.

-          Mix well refrigerate 4 hours.

-          Roll the dough to ¼ “, cut in heart shapes then cut half of the hearts the center with a smaller cutter.

-          Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

-          Once cooled, sandwich the cookies with raspberry marmalade.

-          Decorate the top with chocolate or powdered sugar.

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Raspberry jelly:

-          Bring to a boil 1 cup of raspberry puree with 4 oz of sugar.

-          Add 5 bloomed gelatin sheets then add 1 cup of cold raspberry puree.

-          Place in flexi molds and freeze.

Chocolate raspberry mousse:

-          Whisk 8 yolks with 6 oz of sugar.

-          Bring to a boil 2.5 cups cream with 1.5 cups of raspberry puree.

-          Temper the yolks mixture, blend in the cream then cook to the “nappe”.

-          Add 8 gelatin sheets then 10 oz of 75% “Los Rios” chocolate.

-          Fold in 1 Qt of whipped cream.

-          Fill the molds half way, place a frozen jelly in the center then fill top the top with mousse.

-          Place in the freezer until hard.

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-          Whisk 10 egg yolks with 6 oz of sugar, set aside.

-          Bring to boil 4 cups of heavy cream, 1 split vanilla bean, a cinnamon stickand 2 ea chipotle peppers.

-          Temper the egg mixture with part of the cream, pour into the boiling cream and cook to a “nappe”.

-          Strain the mixture into a bowl, return the peppers to the strained mixture.

-          Add 10 oz of 75% “Los Rios” chocolate, let melt then mix well with a hand mixer, strain again.

-          Pour into cups, place in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.

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Starting tomorrow at noon we have Chocolate Valentine’s with Republica del Cacao in the test kitchen, and four hours of Gold Leaf decorating demonstrations at the front of the store with Easy Leaf!

See you here!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Venison tenderloin
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
6 tbsp Olive Oil
½ cup Pistachio Toasted & Grounded
½ cup Bread Crumbs Unseasoned
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
1 oz Unsalted Butter
¼ cup White Onions finely diced
1-1/2 oz Dark Chocolate
1 cup Fresh Blueberry
1 cup Red Wine

FOR THE MEAT

Season the Venison with salt & pepper, place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp of Olive oil in the pan, once is hot sear the venison on both sides for 1 minute then set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine the pistachios, the bread crumbs and the remaining oil. Toss Well. Once the tenderloin is cool enough to handle rub the meat with the mustard, dredge each tenderloin in to the bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Set the oven to 400º F place the meat in a skillet and roast in the oven for 5 min.

FOR THE SAUCE

In a pan over low/medium heat melt butter & oil, sweat the onions for couple of minutes. Add the Red Wine and reduce by half, reduce the heat to low and add the chocolate and blueberry.

When the Chocolate is melted the sauce is ready, serve the meat with little sauce around the plate.

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