Coconut Chocolate Marjolaine Food

COCONUT MADELEINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly butter and flour the madeleine pans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add 1/4 pound of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.
• With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

COCONUT-CHOCOLATE MARJOLAINE

Steps:

• For ganache:
• Place chocolate in medium metal bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in rum. Cover and chill at least 6 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For coconut meringue layer:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 17x11-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix coconut, 1/3 cup sugar, flour, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Fold coconut mixture into meringue just until incorporated. Spread meringue evenly over parchment on prepared sheet, covering completely. Bake until light golden and just springy to touch, about 20 minutes (meringue will be soft). Cool completely on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with foil; store at room temperature.)
• For glaze:
• Place chocolate in medium metal bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in rum. Let glaze stand at room temperature until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Place sheet of waxed paper on work surface. Cut around edges of meringue to loosen. Invert meringue onto waxed paper. Peel off parchment. Cut meringue crosswise in half, then cut lengthwise in thirds, forming six 8 1/2x3 2/3-inch rectangles. Cut piece of cardboard into 8 1/2x3 2/3-inch rectangle; cover cardboard with foil. Place 1 meringue rectangle on cardboard.
• Using electric mixer, beat ganache just until lighter-colored and firm enough to spread. Using offset spatula, spread 3 generous tablespoons ganache evenly over meringue. Top with second meringue rectangle; press to adhere. Spread 3 tablespoons ganache over. Repeat procedure with 3 more meringue rectangles and remaining ganache. Top with remaining meringue rectangle. Chill cake until ganache is firm, about 1 hour.
• Place cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Spread top and sides of cake with some of glaze. Chill 30 minutes.
• Place bowl with remaining glaze in skillet of barely simmering water and rewarm just until instant-read thermometer inserted into glaze registers 90°F. Pour glaze over top of cake, allowing glaze to drip down sides, spreading evenly over sides. Using spatula, scoop up excess glaze on sheet; spread over sides of cake to cover. Press toasted coconut onto glaze over bottom 1 inch of cake. Transfer cake to platter. Chill until glaze is set, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)
• Using serrated knife, cut cake crosswise into 8 slices. Transfer to plates.

MARJOLAINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry to 13x13 inches square. With a sharp knife, trim to 12x12 inches. Cut into 3 equal strips, 4x12 inches. Poke each strip several times with a fork. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Allow to cool. If not equal in size, trim with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion.
• Melt chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring constantly, until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, brown sugar and coffee until smooth. Blend in melted chocolate. Fold in ground hazelnuts and almonds. In a large bowl, whip cream until peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, then quickly fold in remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain.
• Spread 1/3 of filling on a strip of puff pastry. Repeat layers. Refrigerate for 3 hours, or until set. With a serrated knife, cut into 10 slices using a gentle sawing motion.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT MARTINIS

Steps:

• In a glass, combine cocoa mix with 2 ounces hot water and stir to dissolve.
• Add 2 ounces cold water, as well as the syrup, vodka, and whipped topping. Stir until smooth.
• Transfer mixture to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain and divide between 2 martini glasses.
• Garnish with coconut and chocolate, if using. Enjoy!

FRENCH GATEAU MARJOLAINE (MARJOLAINE CAKE)

Steps:

• FOR THE MERINGUE NUT CAKE: Preheat oven to very hot 450°F.
• In separate pans or pie plates put 1 1/2 cups blanched almonds and 1 full cup skinned hazelnuts. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, or until brown, shaking pans occasionally. Remove from oven and cool. Grind 1 cup at a time in an electric blender on high speed for about 5 seconds, and empty into a bowl. Mix ground nuts with 1 1/2 cups sugar.
• Reduce oven to very slow 250°F.
• Beat until stiff: 8 egg whites (reserve yolks for butter cream), a pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
• Gradually fold in the sugar nut mixture.
• Line baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper and butter paper lightly.
• On it mark 4 bands about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Spread these bands thickly with the meringue nut mixture, and bake in the slow oven for about 30 minutes, or until crusty on top, but still pliable. Invert on waxed paper, and carefully remove waxed paper from bottom of bands. Cool.
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE WAFERS: Melt: 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces over hot water.
• Cut circles 2 1/2 inches in diameter from waxed paper or parchment paper and spread these rounds with a thin coating of the melted chocolate. Place rounds on a cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator.
• FOR THE BUTTER CREAM: In saucepan combine: 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly to 240°F on a candy thermometer, or until syrup spins a long thread. Gradually in a thin stream pour the hot syrup into 8 egg yolks beating all the time, and continue to beat until the mixture is COOL and thick.
• When cool beat in bit by bit 1 1/2 cups sweet butter. This makes 1 quart butter cream.
• Measure 1 cup of the butter cream and flavor it with 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Measure a second cup and flavor it with 1/4 cup praline powder.
• Melt: 3 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces with 1 tablespoon water and stir into remaining butter cream. Chill all 3 flavored creams until firm enough to spread.
• PRALINE POWDER: In a saucepan combine: 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/2 cup blanched almonds. Cook without stirring until mixture is color of dark molasses. Pour onto oiled cookie sheet and let cool.
• Detach the praline from sheet with pancake turner and break into pieces. Blend half at a time in container of an electric blender for about 20 seconds, or until ground to a fine powder.
• Store in refrigerator in a tightly closed container. Makes a bout 3/4 cup.
• PRESENTATION: Place a meringue band on a serving plate and spread with the vanilla cream. Top with second meringue band and spread with half the chocolate cream. Top with the third meringue band and spread with praline cream. Top with fourth meringue band. Frost sides with remaining chocolate cream and sprinkle top heavily with confectioners' sugar.
• Carefully peel waxed paper from bottom of the chocolate wafers and decorate the sides of the cake by overlapping the wafers all the way around. Serves 10.
• A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price.

MARJOLAINE MULTILAYERED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Oil a baking sheet with a light vegetable oil. Spread the almonds on another baking sheet and bake until fragrant and light brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Combine the nuts and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt. The mixture will go through several stages, from a dry blend to one where the sugar forms little bubbles the size of peas. Continue cooking, stirring constantly so all of the sugar clinging to the almonds melts, until the mixture turns dark brown and syrupy and the nuts make a popping sound. The whole process will take about five minutes.
• Quickly pour the mixture onto the oiled baking sheet. The mixture will harden to give almond brittle. When the praline is cool, break it into pieces. Grind it to a fine powder in a food processor. (Praline can be made weeks in advance and refrigerated or frozen in an air-tight container.)
• Bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate, piece by piece, until it is completely melted and blended. Set aside until cool and thick. It should have the consistency of a thick, spreadable, frosting. (This can be made as much as three days in advance and refrigerated. If it hardens, reheat it gently, beating until it reaches the proper consistency.)
• Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until thick and lemon-colored. Gently whisk in the flour. Heat the milk to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk. Boil, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until thickened, about two minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
• Beat the butter until soft and creamy. When the pastry cream is completely cool, whisk in the softened butter. (The pastry cream can be made three days in advance and kept refrigerated.)
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heavily butter two jelly-roll pans, measuring about 14 by 10 by 1 inches. Line them with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper.
• Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the warm nuts in a cotton dish towel to remove as much skin as possible. Cool, then grind them with a quarter cup of the sugar in a food processor.
• Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to stiffen. Slowly add the remaining sugar, mixing until stiff but not dry. Fold in the flour and hazelnut mixture. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are thoroughly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and invert them onto racks to cool, paper side up. Cover the cakes with a damp towel for several minutes, then remove the parchment paper while the cakes are still warm. Let cool completely. Cut each cake lengthwise in half.
• At least 24 hours, but not more than three days, before serving, assemble the marjolaine: Divide the pastry cream in half. Blend the vanilla extract and the rum into one portion of the pastry cream. Blend the praline powder into the remaining pastry cream. (Mix the praline cream just before assembling the cake, because the flavor will fade if mixed up in advance.) The chocolate and pastry creams should be chilled, but spreadable.
• Place one cake layer on a large, rectangular serving platter. Spread half the chocolate cream on the cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Cover the chocolate cream with a second cake layer. Spread with all of the rum cream and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Top the rum cream with the third cake layer. Spread with all of the praline cream and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Top the praline cream with the fourth cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate cream. Refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate one to three days before serving.
• To serve, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cutting, then cut into thin slices.

GODIVA MARJOLAINE

Steps:

• TOASTING THE HAZELNUTS:(Make a day ahead).
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, shaking the pan two or three times, until the nuts are golden. Store in air-tight container.(The oven has to be at the correct temperature for the meringues).
• HAZELNUT MERINGUE LAYERS:.
• Preheat oven to 300ºF.
• Generously butter 17"x12"x1" jelly roll pan.
• Line bottom with parchment paper. Then, lightly butter parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap off excess.
• Place 2 cups toasted hazelnuts in a food processor. Cover & process until very fine, but not oily.
• Combine ground hazelnuts and flour in medium bowl.
• Cover and process remaining toasted hazelnuts. Reserve for garnishing the cake.
• Beat egg whites in clean large mixing bowl until frothy, using electric mixer at medium-low speed.
• Add salt and increase the speed to medium-high and beat egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
• Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well.
• Continue beating until stiff, shiney peaks form.
• Gently fold in hazelnut-flour mixture. Spread hazelnut meringue in prepared pan.
• Bake fo 30-35 minutes or until very lightly browned and just set when lightly touched.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert the cake onto the wire rack and peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completly.
• MAKE THE DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:.
• Put chocolate in medium bowl.
• Heat cream in saucepan until it comes to a boil.
• Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 30 seconds to soften the chocolate.
• Whisk mixture until smooth.
• Stir in butter and liqueur.
• Let cool for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Dip 12 hazelnuts in chocolate ganache for garnish and let set.
• MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM:.
• Place the egg yolks in mixing bowl.
• Place bowl in a shallow bowl filled with hot water; set the bowl with the egg yolks directly over it, letting the water touch the bottom of the bowl to warm the egg yolks.
• Stir gently for 1 minute or until the yolks are warm.
• Remove bowl from water.
• Beat egg yolks 5-7 minutes, using electric mixer at medium-high speed.
• Beat until yolks have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beater is raised.
• While the eggs are mixing, prepare the syrup.
• PREPARING SYRUP:.
• Combine granulated sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
• With the mixer running at medium speed, carefully(hot sugar really burns)pour the hot syrup into bowl with eggs.
• Continue to beat the eggs, until they have cooled to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low.
• Gradually, add the butter, one or two tablespoons at a time, beating well.
• The buttercream will look lumpy or curdled when half of the butter has been added, but it will smooth out at the end.
• Add the hazelnut liqueur.
• ASSEMBLE TH CAKE:.
• Cut cake crosswise into 4 equal pieces, about 11x4".
• Cut a piece of cardboard into a 11x4" rectangle. Cover the cardboard with foil; place one of the cake pieces on the cardboard rectangle.
• Spread half the chocolate ganache over the cake.
• Top with the second cake layer and spread with 1 cup buttercream filling.
• Repeat layering and spread with the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake.
• Lift up the cake on the rectangle base, supporting the bottom of the cake in one hand. (It makes it easier to frost when there is more than one person).
• Using the other hand press the finely chopped hazelnuts on sides of cake.
• Garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.