Sweet thanks to a cooking diva

Last Thursday, I got to experience my very first Thanksgiving dinner experience ever at my favorite ‘Yankee’ cooking diva, A.

Mes amis, what a lovely and scrumptious dinner! Since then, I’ve been wondering how I could put together a special little thank you to my adorable and generous friend. Until I remembered how A. loves her chocolate…

Luscious molten chocolate for a cooking diva!

Actually, these decadently rich molten chocolate and cranberry cakes are what I first had in mind when I offered A. to prepare desert. But of course, as a proper French grown whose experience of Thanksgiving stops at the special episodes of Friends, my idea of thanksgiving dinner kind of stopped at the overweight turkey, stuffing, yams and cranberry sauce. For culture’s sake I did dive into a little research on Thanksgiving feasting traditions and mostly to what kind of deserts are supposed to wash out the majestic sacrosanct turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and other billion mouth-watering sides… Clearly, it would have to be pie! And so I traded oozing chocolate for the gourmande’s loved-ones-special, Tarte Tatin (ok, technically it’s ‘tarte’ not pie… but A. does fancy a little exotic French touch).

It’s only but right that A. gets her chocolate heaven after all! But before I reveal this crazy chocolate and cranberry fantasy… here’s a sneak-peek at our hostess’ gorgeous stuffed turkey. Martha Stewart and Monica wouldn’t have done better!

Molten chocolate and cranberry cakes
Moelleux chocolat et canneberges

serves 6 pers.
prep. 20 min; bake: 8 min;
Oven temp: 180 deg C/350 deg F

Ingredients:
80 g milk chocolate (I used Valrhona 39%);
100 g dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 61%);
80 g butter;
50 g sugar;
1 pinch salt;
4 eggs;
3 Tsp flour;
4 Tsp cranberry compote*;
1 pinch cinnamon;
1 pinch vanilla seeds;

Preheat the oven at 180 degC and butter 6 individual cake molds .

Melt the two sorts of chocolate and butter together au Bain marie**. Incorporate the cranberry compote. Reserve.

With an electric mixer or a hand whip, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Incorporate the sifted flour, tossing just until the flour is incorporated. With a wooden spoon, incorporate the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Toss carefully until incorporated.

Pour the batter evenly in the individual greased molds. Bake in the oven for 8 min or until the crust has just formed but the tip of a knife still comes out ‘chocolaty’. Serve directly for the full molten chocolate experience.

Bon appétit!

 
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Cranberry compote
Compote de canneberges

makes ~125g.
prep. 5 min; cook. 15 min;

Ingredients:
125 g cranberries;
30 g sugar;
30 g gelling sugar (a.k.a jam sugar or jelly sugar);
zest of 1/2 orange;
1 cinnamon stick;
1/4 vanilla pod;
2 juniper bays;
2 Tsp water;

Pour all ingredients in a small pan. Toss well. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat. Leave to reduce on low heat, tossing from time to time for 10 to 15 min until the compote has reached your desired consistency. Leave to cool and keep refrigerated until needed.

 

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