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La Belle Cuisine - More Chocolate Treats

   Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...is an act of integrity, and faith."

Chocolate Marquise with Variations

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE."
Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"

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Chocolate Amatler 1900
Alphonse Mucha
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 Chocolatier

Chocolate Marquise


In the Sweet Kitchen:
The Definitive Baker's Companion
by Regan Daley, 2001, Random House

Winner of the IACP 2001 Cookbook of the Year Award

“More like a cross between a dense mousse, a flourless chocolate cake and a baked pudding, this is, as my mother so eloquently put it, ‘a pure, direct, intense and ethereal CHOCOLATE experience!’ I like to use a combination of bittersweet
and semisweet chocolate for a more complex and balanced flavour, but you can
use one type alone, if you prefer. Caster [superfine] sugar is used because it
dissolves very quickly in the mixture, leaving no doubt that the marquise will
be luxuriously smooth.”

Serves 10 to 12

9 ounces excellent-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate,
or a combination of the two, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, in small pieces
1/4 cup strong black coffee, or 1 heaping tablespoon espresso powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup less 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, sifted
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Crème de Cacao, or liqueur of your choice

3/4 cup very cold heavy cream (36%), for garnish
2 tablespoons superfine sugar, for garnish
Candied violets or rose petals, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 4 1/2- x 8 1/2-inch loaf pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil: first fold the foil to fit the pan’s width, leaving a few inches overhang on each side, then fold it to fit the length, again leaving an overhang. The overhang will help unmould the marquise when it comes time to serve it. Press the foil into the corners of the pan, creating as smooth an interior as possible. Set aside.
2. In a stainless steel or glass bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, combine the chopped chocolate, butter and coffee. Melt, stirring frequently, until the ingredients are smooth and blended. Remove the bowl from the pot and wipe the bottom with a clean dry cloth to prevent even a drip of moisture from settling in the chocolate. Immediately add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let the mixture cool slightly.
3. Add the eggs and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. The aim is to completely incorporate all the ingredients, but not to beat in too much air, so use rapid horizontal strokes, as opposed to round vertical strokes (think of blending a gravy, rather than whipping egg whites). Beat in the vanilla and Crème de Cacao, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Rap the filled pan on the counter 4 or 5 times to remove any air bubbles. Place the pan in a larger baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan to create a bain marie. Carefully set the pans in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a firm crust forms on the top. Cool the marquise on a rack until room temperature, then chill until ready to serve, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. (The marquise can be made up to two days ahead.)
5. To serve, invert the chilled marquise onto a serving platter and carefully peel off the strips of foil. Whip the cream with the superfine sugar until stiff peaks form, then spoon the cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star or other decorative tip. Pipe a border around the base of the marquise, and pipe decorative rosettes or coils down the centre of the terrine, one each 3/4 inch
or so. Place a candied violet between each rosette and serve immediately. I find using a very thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water and wiped quickly with a dry cloth the best way to slice the marquise. Serve slices of about 3/4 of an inch – the taste and texture are so intense, so rich, a little can be savoured a long way!

Variations

Chocolate-Orange Marquise:
Substitute Grand Marnier or other orange-flavoured liqueur for the Crème de
Cacao and garnish with small strips of candied orange zest.

Chocolate-Coffee Marquise:
Substitute Kahlúa of other coffee-flavoured liqueur for the Crème de Cacao
and garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Chocolate-Almond Marquise:
Substitute Amaretto for the Crème de Cacao and garnish with lightly toasted, coarsely chopped almonds and dark chocolate-covered almonds.

Chocolate-Raspberry Marquise:
Substitute Framboise or other raspberry eau-de-vie for the Crème de Cacao
and garnish with fresh raspberries.
 

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