Kitchen Laboratory

Chicken Crêpes

2011-12-21T13:57:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:

For the crêpes:

1 egg

1 cup of flour

1 cup of milk

a little of vegetable oil for the pan

For the béchamel sauce:

2 cups of milk

6 tablespoons of flour

salt

pepper

nut meg

For the filling:

1 big chicken breast

1 big onion

1 small green bell pepper cut into small cubes

1/2 cup of mushrooms

Grated cheese

For the crêpes:

Mix the egg with the milk and the sifted flour. Oil the pan and heat it on low fire. With the help of a coffee cup, pour one coffee cup into the pan. Flip the crêpes when it is well done.

This recipe makes around 8 medium sized crêpes.

For the béchamel:

On low fire, mix all the ingredients together and let them stay them on the fire till the mixture become a little bit thicker.

For the filling:

Boil the chicken breast with pepper, salt, and cinnamon. Then, when done, cut into long pieces. On the side, fry the onions, the mushrooms, and the bell pepper cubes in a bit of oil. Join both together and add about one big spoon of the béchamel sauce already prepared.

Combining all together:

Put a bit of béchamel sauce in the bottom of the pan. Take one crêpe at a time, fill it with the chicken and roll it. Then place it in the pan. When all crêpes are done, pour the béchamel on top. Spread the grated cheese on top.

Place the pan in the oven for around 20 minutes.

Chocolate Truffles

2011-12-15T12:48:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:
150 g extra dark chocolate of excellent quality
100 g milk chocolate
150 ml heavy cream
Aroma/Liquor (optional, I put Cointreau)
Unsweetened cocoa powder for coating

1. Finely chop the chocolate (both dark and milk chocolate) into very small pieces.

2. Put the heavy cream in a pot and bring to boil. Remove the pot from the heat.

3. Add the two types of chocolate. Stir well until all is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes creamy and then leave it to cool.

4. When the mixture cools down but still not solidified, stir it again so it becomes lighter. Leave to cool more.

5. With the help of a spoon, form small balls. Then, roll the balls in the unsweetened cocoa powder.

6. The truffles are ready to serve. Store them in a cool place or in the refrigerator until they are served.

This recipes makes around 30 truffles.

Sfouf - Typical Lebanese Cake

2011-12-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:

3 cups of fine semolina

1 cup of flour

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of oil

1 cup of milk

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1 tablespoon of turmeric

Sesame for decoration

This is a very easy recipe to make.

1. Add all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Gradually, add the liquids while manually beating the mixture.

3. Grease a 40 cm pan and add the mixture to it. Sprinkle sesame on the top for decoration.

4. Bake in a heated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes clean when inserted.

Seven-Up Chocolate Cake

2011-12-11T21:40:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar

2 1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cup of vegetable oil

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 can of seven-up

lemon zest

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 teaspoon of baking powder

1. Using the electric beater, beat the eggs with the vanilla and lemon zest. Beat well until fluffy.

2. Gradually, add the sugar and the oil and beat continuously.

3. Beating manually, without the use of the electric beater, gradually add the flour and unsweetened cocoa powder along with the seven-up can.

4. Finally, add the baking powder.

5. Grease a 30 centimeter pan and add the cake mixture to it.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes clean when inserted.

Chocolat Balls Cake

2011-12-10T19:57:00.000+01:00

The picture is not so clear due to the fact that it was taken with a cellphone camera.

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 eggs

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup of milk

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla powder or equivalent

lemon zest

Chocolate icing:

100 grams of butter

50 grams of sweetened cocoa powder

25 milliliters of heavy cream

Orange juice

Crushed hazelnuts

Sprinkles for decoration

1. Using the electric beater, beat the eggs with vanilla and lemon zest until fluffy.

2. When the eggs are fluffy enough, continue beating while adding both sugar and oil. When finished with adding the sugar and oil and the mixture is homogeneous, put aside the electric beater, the rest will be hand beaten.

3. Bit by bit, add the flour and milk simultaneously while manually beating the mixture.

4. Lastly, add the cocoa powder along with the baking soda and baking powder.

5. Cover the pan (30 centimeters diameter pan) with butter and sift with flour. Add the cake mixture to it. Put in a heated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes clean when insterted.

6. Leave the cake aside to cool down.

7. When the cake is cooled down, crumb the cake very softly and add the crushed hazelnuts and orange juice. If you would like, you can add some rum. Enough orange juice is added to make the mixture more as one. With the help of a table spoon, form small spheres. When done, let them stay a bit in the fridge till the icing is ready.

8. In bain marie, melt the butter and mix with the cocoa powder and heavy creme. Mix very well.

9. Now that the icing is ready, take out the chocolate cake balls from the fridge and roll them into the chocolate.

10. Arrange the chocolate coated cake balls the form you would like on a plate. At the end, add some colorful sprinkles for decoration.

Note: This recipe makes around 40 small balls. This is a tried recipe and I highly recommend it.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

2011-12-09T12:06:00.000+01:00

FOR THE CAKE:
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1⁄2 cups flour
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,
chopped
1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
7 eggs, separated
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup dark rum

FOR THE GANACHE:
24 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,
roughly chopped
3 cups heavy cream
Chocolate shavings
Cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Grease pan with 1 tbsp. butter. Add 1⁄4 cup flour; shake to evenly coat inside. Invert and tap out excess flour; set pan aside.

2. Set a medium bowl over a 1-qt.saucepan of simmering water. Add chocolate; melt. Set aside to let cool.

3. In a large bowl, beat the melted chocolate, butter, and confectioners' sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour and salt and mix until just combined; set batter aside.

4. In a bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Sprinkle in 1⁄4 cup sugar and beat to form stiff, glossy peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the cake batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack; let cool. Invert and unmold cake. Cut cake horizontally into 3 even layers; set cake layers aside.

5. Dissolve remaining sugar and 1⁄4 cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until syrup has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum; let cool.

6. Make the ganache: Place chocolate in bowl of a standing mixer. Bring cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan; pour over chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, combine chocolate and cream. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches room temperature. Chill until ganache has the consistency of peanut butter, 2 hours. Transfer bowl to standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip on medium speed, 15–20 seconds.

7. Place bottom cake layer on a cardboard cake circle. Using a pastry brush, brush cake with one-third of rum syrup. Using a butter knife, spread 1 cup ganache evenly across cake top. Top with second cake layer and one-third of rum syrup; repeat process with remaining cake, rum syrup, and ganache. Spread remaining ganache over cake. Press chocolate shavings onto sides. Shake cocoa powder over cake with a mesh sieve.

SERVES 16

Source: (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chocolate-Truffle-Cake)

Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake

2011-12-09T12:01:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (if you’re skipping the fruit, you can also skip the last tablespoon of flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed (miniature wild blueberries are great for this, and pose the least risk of sinking)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

2. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

4. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

Source: (http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/lemon-yogurt-anything-cake/)