Chocolate Shooting Stars With Strawberry Coulis Food

CHOCOLATE SHOOTING STARS WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift cocoa, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a blender, combine maple syrup, corn oil, tofu, soy milk, vanilla extract and orange juice. Blend until the mixture achieves a smooth and even consistency. Add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ones. Spoon the batter into oiled a floured star-shaped individual cake pans, filling them no more than 3/4 of the way full. Place about 10 chocolate chips in the center of the batter in the mold to form a "gooey" center. Bake the cakes for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Glaze: Sift the cocoa. Whisk it together with maple syrup, corn oil and vanilla. On a low flame, stirring constantly, heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Refrigerate until glaze cools.
• In a food processor combine the strawberries, maple syrup, and apple juice. Process until mixture is smooth, being careful not to over-process the berries or they will discolor. Add more apple juice as necessary if sauce is too thick.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a nonreactive bowl. Stir in the liqueur. This coulis will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

BERRY COULIS

Steps:

• Combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the berries begin to give off their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the heat so the sauce is simmering rapidly and cook until the berries have broken down, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much of the sauce as possible. Serve the sauce cold or at room temperature.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TARTLETS WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS

Steps:

• Make crusts:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind biscotti and almonds in processor until finely ground. Add butter and process until well blended. Divide mixture equally among eight 4 1/2-inch diameter tartlet pans with removable bottoms (about 1/3 cup mixture for each). Press mixture onto bottoms and up sides of pans. Bake until crusts are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer pans to racks; cool completely.
• Make filling:
• Bring 1/2 cup whipping cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped white chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add white chocolate mixture and beat until well blended. Beat remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until medium-firm peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 2 additions. Divide filling among prepared tartlet crusts (about 1/2 filing for each). Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Make coulis:
• Combine strawberries, water, 3 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. (Tartlets and coulis can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Remove tartlets from pans. Place 1 tartlet on each of 8 plates. Spoon strawberry coulis alongside and serve.