Archive for March, 2009

March is over…. I cannot believe it. Not long ago we were baking our chocolate cakes and churning ice creams and now it is already the lasagna show.
We love lasagnas at my home and bake them quite often for work lunches, but until now I did not adventure into preparing also the pasta. I made tagliatelle or gnocchi, but not the lasagna pasta. I enjoyed it, but I am not sure I will do it like this very time.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I will post the recipes as they were provided and will add my changes at the end.

All recipes below from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (published by William Morrow and Company Inc., 1992).

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)#3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:

Equipment

A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.

A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.

A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
Note: although it is not traditional, Enza has successfully made pasta with a marble rolling pin, and this can be substituted for the wooden pin, if you have one.

Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.

A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.

Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

#2 Bechamel

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.

Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

My changes
Ragu
300 g chicken breast
1 red onion finely diced
garlic
350 g button mushrooms
700 g tomatoes in juice
salt, freshly ground pepper, oregano, basil, a pinch of brown sugar
olive oil
dry red wine

Cook the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add the meat and cook it until it browns a little. Add the mushrooms to the pan and allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes (until almost all the liquid evaporates). Add the red wine and simmer it until reduced to half. Add the tomatoes and cook them for about 15 minutes. Season the ragu and set aside.

Spinach paste

400 g spinach (fresh or frozen)
200 g ricotta cheese
garlic powder, salt, pepper

Cook the spinach and let it cool. Mix in the seasonings and the cheese. Set aside

Grilled vegetables

350 g zucchinis
1 big red bell pepper

Slice the vegetables, season them with salt and pepper and grill them.

Pasta
Instead of 400 g flour, I used: 200 g fine semolina, 100 g whole wheat flour and 100 g AP flour.

Assembling
I buttered the pan, poured in a few spoons of ragu, then layered the pasta, spread half of the spinach paste, layered half of the veggies and poured some ragu over. I continued with one more round like the first. On the final (3rd) pasta layer, I poured the rest of the ragu, the bechamel and 100 g of mozarella.

Cerisier? Is it even a word? How are we supposed to call a fraisier without strawberries? Or without strawberries it is no longer a “- ier” cake?
Anyway, allowed or not, I will insist to call the cake a “Cerisier” and I hope I will not be accused of messing up with the classics.
I did not use strawberries, because I needed something to pair with chocolate – almond flavored chocolate to be precise and with cinnamon. And in my systems the perfect match are cherries, sour cherries. Why almond and why cinnamon? These are my flavors. Whenever I think of any of them I drool. And, from time to time, when I need to feel comfort and homey, I return to them.

For the cake layers
2×24 cm pans
5 eggs
125 g sugar
125 g flour
Vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven at 185 degrees. Grease and line the bottoms of 2 24 cm pans with parchment paper.
Whip the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until white and fluffy. Whip the egg whites with the salt until firm. Gently fold 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture. Fold the rest of the whites and then the flour (the flour should be sifted). Divide the batter between the 2 pans.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed.
Let cool for a min and then remove the parchment paper. If not using them on the same day, wrap them well in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap and store in a dry place.

For the chocolate almond mousse

2 yolks
2.5 g gelatin
30 ml water
66 g sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
160 ml heavy cream
56 g bitter sweet chocolate
almond extract

Place the water, vanilla bean and sugar in a covered pan over medium high heat and bring to a rolling boil. When boiling, uncover, lower the heat and cook to 238 degrees F.
In the meantime soften the gelatin with some cold water, whip the cream with the almond extract and in a separate bowl whip the yolks. Melt the chocolate over a pot of hot water.
When the sugar syrup is almost ready, melt the gelatin (in a microwave or over hot water). Remove the bean and scrape it over the yolks. Pour the syrup over the yolks in a slow stream while mixing on high. Next add the gelatin and continue beating until the mixture cools and thickens. Add the melted chocolate and fold it gently. Then add the cream and incorporate it slowly as well.

For the mascarpone cinnamon mousse

112 g mascarpone cheese (not cold!)
50 g powdered sugar
2 eggs, separated
150 ml. whipping cream
4 g powdered gelatin 2 Tb water
ground cinnamon

In a small cup, place the gelatin with the water to soften.
Mix the mascarpone with the sugar and beat until creamy. Add the yolks and the cinnamon. Whisk until well blended.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks and set it aside. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside. Melt the gelatin (in a microwave or over hot water).
Add the gelatin to the mascarpone mixture. Then slowly incorporate the egg whites and the cream.

For the cherries

400 g sour cherries (fresh or frozen, depitted)
160 ml Port wine
100 g brown sugar
10 g cornstarch

Boil the first 3 ingredients. When sugar is melted, pour about 80 ml from the syrup into a bowl.
Add the starch mixed with cold water to the fruits. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. After you take it off the heat, add a few drops of almond extract.
Let cool to room temperature before using.

For the syrup

Add some water to the syrup reserved from above and bring to a boil. Add more sugar if wanted.

To assemble

Prepare a cake ring (it would be a great idea to check if you have it, not as I did – if I had it at home it would have looked much prettier not as if it will collapse any time) fitted to your cake rounds.
Place one cake round inside the ring, brush with syrup, place cherries in a single layer all around the edge of the cake. Pipe chocolate mousse. Repeat with the cherries and place in the fridge to set. Then, pipe the cinnamon mousse. Brush the second cake layer with syrup and place it on top. Put the cake in the fridge for a few hours to allow the mousses to set.

To decorate

You can practically use any thing to decorate it. I used a thin layer of marzipan.

100 g blanched almonds
50 g powdered sugar
100 g sugar
45 g honey
35 ml water

Make a sugar syrup by boiling the sugar, water and honey until 117 degrees C.
Powder the almonds in a food processor. Add the powdered sugar and mix some more to combine them well.
Pour the syrup slowly aver the almonds. You may not need all the syrup – I didn’t.
Let it cool. Roll the marzipan into a circle that would fit on top of the cake.

Once in a while my kitchen needs to be reorganized. As I was sorting out chocolate and sugars and boxes of flour I stumbled upon my box of spices that I brought from Tunis. How could I forget about it? Back then I was so anxious to use the rose buds and somehow I left them in a box for so long. But now that they were found they had to be used to brighten up these snowy spring days. Just smelling them brought back memories of the hot and spiced air of Tunis. Oh, these memories are so dear to me, so sweet and warm.

And if it is about Tunis, about Arabian taste memories, the roses would pair perfectly with pistachios. There is also matcha in the genoise, but it serves only aesthetic purposes .

For the stripped genoise
(29*38 cm pan)
120 g ground almonds
82 g powdered sugar
30 g flour
3 eggs
3 egg whites
41 g granulated sugar
22 g melted and cooled butter
3 g matcha powder

Preheat the oven at 185 degrees Celsius. Butter the pan and line with parchment paper.
Mix the first 4 ingredients and beat them for 5-8 minutes until they thick and form a ribbon.
Beat the whites to soft peaks, add the sugar and beat them to stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of whites into the above mixture. Add the butter and the rest of the whites. Work carefully to incorporate the 2 mixtures without deflating them.
Divide the mixture in 2 and add the matcha to one of them. Pipe alternative strips of batter onto the pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed.

For the rose bud mousse
I used half of the mousse to make the pistachio mousse on top of the minicakes
3 egg yolks
4 g gelatin+ 2 Tbsp water
50 ml cold water
100 g sugar
rose buds (about 12-15)
1/2 vanilla bean
250 ml whipped cream
80 g pistachio puree (for the pistachio mousse)

Place the water, sugar, rose buds and vanilla bean in a pan, cover it and bring to boil over medium high heat. When it boils, uncover it, lower the heat and let it cook to 238 F. In the meantime soften the gelatin in some water and whisk the yolks. Place the softened gelatin on a water bath or in the microwave and melt it.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 238 F, remove the bean and the buds (you can scrape the bean later into the mousse), and slowly pour the syrup over the yolks while mixing. Next, pour the gelatin over the yolks and continue mixing until the mixture increases in volume, thickens and cools.
Add the whipped cream and carefully fold it into the yolks.
Divide in half and add the pistachio puree to one.

For the syrup
100 ml water
the rose buds that boiled with the sugar+extra rose buds
sugar to taste
1-2 tsp rose water

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, add the rose buds, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Add the rose water and more sugar if needed.

To assemble

I used a silicone muffin pan.
Cut strips of genoise to fit the inside of your molds (both in height and length). Also, cut pieces of genoise for the bottoms. Brush them with syrup and fit in the molds. When all molds are filled, pipe the rose bud mousse. I also placed fresh strawberry slices into the mousse. Place in the fridge and allow the mousse to set.
Remove the minicakes from the molds. Pipe pistachio mousse on top. You can also sprinkle some crushed pistachios over the mousse.

Wow I can’t believe how long it has been from my last bread post. It might not seem long to you, but it is unfair to not write about one of the things I love most: both baking and eating. It was not only once that I wondered if it would be possible to live on bread and cookies alone. Would it?
Bread, freshly baked, spreading the most wonderful aroma, crunchy crust, what can be more fulfilling on a Saturday morning?

I tried different bread types over the time and tried techniques from different bakers, but Reinhart wins again. I think he is the best and he presents bread making so good that you can hardly resist the urge to bake them all on the spot.
Crusty, rustic breads are by far my favorites.

I tried to bake French bread before, after the DB had this challenge. It was a Julia Child recipe. I do not know what went wrong (my lack of experience, the “too long” recipe, my anxiousness), but it was not quite what I imagined it to be. It was good, but not thrilling. So, this time I had Reinhart as a teacher and it was good and the earlier tries vanished from my mind after the first bite.

I will not post the recipe just now (as I am not sure if it is fair), but I can tell you that buying the book is a wise thing to do if you want to fully understand what bread making is all about. Also I made a twist on the recipe, replacing half of the flour with whole wheat flour and it worked.

* I will post the recipe below as I have seen it published on the internet and as I changed it a little.

Day1
Pate Fermentee
140 g AP flour
140 g bread flour (I used whole wheat)
5 g salt
1.5 g instant yeast
180-210 ml water, room temperature (my dough required 200 ml)

Stir the wet ingredients together. Add 180 ml water and mix to combine. Add more water or flour as required to get a dough that is neither too sticky nor too stiff.
Knead the dough on the counter until it is soft and pliable and not sticky (6-10 minutes).
Let it ferment in an oiled bowl for 1 hour (cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap).
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it lightly to degas. Put it back in the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight (8 hours to 3 days).

French bread dough

453 g pate fermentee
140 g AP flour
140 g bread flour (I used whole wheat)
5 g salt
1.5 g instant yeast
180-210 ml water (warm) (I used 200 ml)

1 hour before making the final dough, remove the pate fermentee from the fridge, cut it into about 10 small pieces with a serrated knife (pinch the dough do not sew). Cover it and let it dechill.

As above, stir all dry ingredients and the PF together. Add water (begin with 180 ml) and stir for 1 minute so that it comes together in a ball. Add more water/ flour as needed to have a dough as above. Knead for 10 minutes. The dough should pass the window pane test.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 2 hours. If it doubles earlier than 2 hours, degas it slightly and continue rising.
Flour the counter and gently remove the dough from the bowl (try not to degass it). With a dough scraper or a serrated knife dipped in water cut in 3 equal pieces. Take one piece and form a batard: gently pat it into a rectangle; fold the bottom third up to the center and press to seal (create surface tension); fold the remaing dough over the top and use the edge of your hand to seal. Repeat for the other 2 pieces and let rest for 5 minutes before continuing the shaping. Gently lift the dough from the edges and pull it out. Crease down the middle, fold it as a letter and seal. From the center start to roll the dough to extend it to the desired length.
Transfer the baguettes to a pan lined with parchment paper that you have previously oiled and dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Spray oil on top and dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap and proof for 45-75 minutes or until they are 1.5 their initial size.
In the meantime prepare the oven: 250 degrees C and have a steam pan inside. Boil some water and add it to the steam pan once you put the baguettes in the oven.
Score the baguettes: with a very sharp knife or razor; do not go straight down but on an angle so that the slit is almost parallel to the surface of the bread. Do not press to cut.
If using a baking stone transfer the baguettes on it. If not, place the pan in the oven. # times, at 30 seconds intervals spray the oven walls with water. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the loaves for even baking and continue to bake for 10-20 minutes: they should be golden brown and register 96 degrees C (205 F). Cool on a wire rack for 40 minutes before slicing.

I love baking and I guess that is not a surprise to anyone by now. I am taking (better said searching ) every opportunity I get to bake something.
As I did not have a family tradition with baking, I had to rely an books and on talented food bloggers to develop some skills. Each one I “met” helped me in one or another, but I fully understood what baking is all about after coming across Helen. She is talented, creative and an excellent baker. Only by looking at what she does you can see it is all done with love and devotion.

When I saw her last post, I felt the urge to try it myself. It was a wonderful idea and even if I just used the form and not the content, the cake sandwiches were wonderful. So, Helen thank you for all the wonderful things that come out of your hands and I really looking forward to your book.

For the cocoa graham cookies
225 g butter, at room temperature
100 g powdered sugar
130 g flour
140 g whole-grain graham flour
15 g cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together, about 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the flours, cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Mix them until incorporated.
Roll dough on a lightly floured flat surface to 6 mm thick. Cut out circles or any other form with a cookie cutter. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the chocolate espresso cake
recipe from Tartellete

110 g butter
200g brown sugar
45g cocoa powder
2 eggs
185g flour
5g baking powder
5g espresso powder (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
2.5g baking soda
250ml warm water

You can use 2 20-22 cm pans for the above amount. I have used a 29×38 cm pan for this one and cut out flowers out of it.
Preheat your oven at 165 degrees Celsius. Butter the pans you plan to use and line their bottom with greased parchment paper.
Cream together the soft butter and the sugar to get a creamy mixture. With your mixer on low speed add the cocoa powder gradually. When the cocoa is properly blended in, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the previously sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and espresso powder and slowly blend everything while gradually adding the water to the mixture. Divide the batter between your pans and bake for 30-40 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean). Let the cake cool in the pan for a while and then remove it and let cool on a wire rack.

For the syrup
25 ml coffee
15 ml Khalua
25 ml water
sugar to taste

Bring the water, coffee and sugar to a boil. Off the stove, add the liqueur.

For the chocolate mousse
180 ml cream
10-12 (100g) caramels
260 g bitter sweet chocolate
15 ml Bailey’s cream
150 ml whipped cream

Bring the cream and caramels to a boil until the caramels are melted. In a clean bowl chop the chocolate and add the warm cream over it. Let stand for a while, then add the liqueur and whisk until smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Let cool and then add the whipped cream.

To assemble

Spread chocolate mousse over the cookies. Brush the cake flowers with syrup. Place a bit of black currant jam over the cakes (on both sides) and put all 3 pieces together (cookie/cake/cookie). Place in the fridge for the mousse to set and enjoy near a strong cup of coffee.