Right this Minute

It's Valentine's Day so how could I not take the opportunity to make a crazy-rich dessert? This is called "Love and Death by Chocolate" and the original recipe can be found at the blog raspberry eggplant. I did/would change a couple of things....I used a different meringue recipe that included cream of tartar and I'd probably make a smidge more chocolate mousse. Fair warning: there are six different recipes to be made before even contemplating assembly....so I started on Sunday. Frankly, that made it easier because with such great pre-planning (for once), it felt like a really easy dessert to make. However, if I added up all the time spent on it.....well, I don't think I'll do that...... Here's a photo of the assembled parts before pouring on the final ganache and plating:

If you're interested in the recipe, I've put it into an easy-to-follow order in Word and I can e-mail it to you. It really is a crazy amount of chocolate, and one of these things is easily enough to feed 2 or 3 people. So is anyone interested in the leftover four that are in the fridge?

New Hidden Post 5.26.08: Here is the vegetarian marshmallow recipe info.....combining the Chocolate and Zucchini recipe with the xanthan gum version in Elizabeth Falkner's "Demolition Desserts". I have not yet tried this....but the recipes seem to be equivalent in volume, so the xanthan gum quantity should be correct....but may need to be played around with a little. Good luck!

Updated Hidden Post 7.21.08: Success! I finally got a chance to make these today and they turned out GREAT! Just like they should! I decided to omit the chocolate version altogether. I didn't like the consistency on the original, so I know I still won't like it vegetarian. So I've updated the recipe to reflect this. The consistency is slightly softer than the gelatin version - so you'll see I've suggested maybe adding a smidge more xanthan gum and maybe a couple less teaspoons of rose syrup - but either way they will turn out fine. They are not the most shapely of squares or rectangles, but you might be able to work it out better than me with a little practice. They taste great - but I'm not sure if you can roast them. Somebody try and let me know!

Guimauve à la Rose Vegetarian Version

- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum (maybe a smidge more....like 1 ¾ tsp)

- 3 egg whites

- 40 grams (2 rounded tablespoons) agave syrup (substitute honey)

- 230 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar (vegan if possible)

- 6-8 teaspoons rose syrup (substitute rose water) (if you don't want rose-flavored, try substituting vanilla - maybe around 4 teaspoons or 1/2 to a whole vanilla bean boiled with the sugar mixture, then removed)

For finish:

- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar- 2 tablespoons potato or corn starch, sieved (I think I use a lot more....just sift a bunch into a bowl - better safe than sorry)

On day one:

Line a square 20 by 20-cm (8 by 8-inch) baking dish with parchment paper (alternatively, you can use two loaf pans or small silicon molds).

Have the egg whites ready in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl if you're going to use an electric whisk.

Combine the agave syrup, sugar, and 90 ml (6 tablespoons) water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir to dissolve, and keep at a simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks just begin to form. Don’t overbeat the egg whites: they should be foamy but still soft-peaking - definitely not stiff - when you pour in the syrup.

With the beater still on, add the hot syrup in a slow, steady stream. As soon as you’ve added all the hot syrup to the egg whites, add 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum while continuing to whisk. Keep whisking until the mixture cools down to just above room temperature.

Whisk in the rose syrup (or alternatively vanilla) quickly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and even out the surface with a spatula. (At this point I sift confectioner’s sugar on top). Refrigerate for 24 hours.

On day two:

Combine sifted confectioner's sugar and/or potato starch in a wide, shallow bowl.

Have ready a mug of very hot water. Lift the parchment paper to remove the guimauve from the pan, and transfer the whole thing carefully to a cutting board, and cut the guimauve into squares, using a sharp knife that you'll dip in the mug to keep the blade warm.

Transfer the cubes of guimauve three at a time, using your fingers to separate them delicately, into the prepared bowl of confectioner's sugar and coat them well. The cubes will have a maddening tendency to stick to one another, to your fingers, and to the bowl (the top surface is especially sticky), so keep them separate and handle them lightly.

Once coated, set the cubes aside on a plate, and leave them out to dry for 2 or 3 hours, flipping them halfway through. Transfer them in a fine-mesh sieve a handful at a time, and shake over the sink to remove the excess confectioner's sugar.

Guimauve keeps for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container. I also like to keep them in the refrigerator.