Chocolate mousse cake (or chocolate charlotte)

This recipe is the ultimate chocolate treat for chocoholics. It combines 2 awesome features: very easy recipe and best chocolate dessert!
The only problem with the original french recipe is the serving: sponge fingers around and mousse do not like to be cut and at room temperature the mousse looses its consistency. While enjoy your own piece, you see the remaining cake falling apart in the center of the table (or in the kitchen).
My alternative is to make it as individual little cakes.

I always forget to take a picture...

Ingredients for 6 people:
- 12 bands of foil paper about one finger high (you should at least double the foil if thin one) + tape
- 12 round biscuits (digestive biscuits are perfect)
- syrup (30 g sugar + 70 ml water) + few Tbsp of Grand Marnier or Cointreau *
* for kids or if you don't want alcohol, use orange juice instead of water for the syrup
- 70 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 250 ml liquid cream
- 200 g 65-70% dark chocolate
- cocoa powder

1) make the orange syrup and let it cool
2) prepare the "molds" - they do not have to look pretty, this is ok!

• pick a mug about the size or little bigger than the biscuits 
• make a square out of 6 foil bands and shape them on the bottom of your mug into 6 cups
• make the edges out of the 6 foil bands left, shape them on the bottom of your mug, tape the outside and place them into the 6 cups

* If too much a hassle, you may serve in ramekins

3) whip the cream and store in the fridge
4) mix the 70 g of sugar with little little water (only enough to make the sugar wet)
5) microwave for a couple of minutes (watch it as you do not want caramel!) but you do want to cook the sugar
6) pour the hot sugar on the eggs and beat until white and cooler
7) melt the chocolate and add to the mixture, mix until cold
8) fold the whipped cream inside
9 ) put one biscuit at the bottom of the foil cups, pour 1-2 Tbsp of orange syrup
10) pour 1/2 cup of the mixture
11) put one biscuit, press a little, pour 1-2 Tbsp of orange syrup
12) pour 1/2 cup of the mixture
13) store in the fridge at least 6h - overnight is 100% warranty solid!
14) remove bottom foil, put in the dessert plate and remove the side foil
15) pour cocoa powder on the top right before serving

PS: for a final touch, you may put on leave on mint, or pour raspberry sauce around the cake and put one fresh raspberry on the top

Voilà !

Buttermilk pancakes

If you are ready for a special little breakfast treat that costs close to nothing and makes everyone happy, give a go with american style pancakes! They are much faster that the french pancakes and they do almost the same job...

Pancakes with fresh fruits

Ingredients for 12 big pancakes:

- 2 eggs

- 2 Tsp sugar

- 2.5 cups buttermilk

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 stick butter

- 2  cups flour

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 2 tsp baking powder

1) beat all together

2) let sit a couple of minutes only until it looks kinda foamy

3) pour 1/2 cup of batter in the hot pan and watch it rise!

4) flip it on the other side as soon as you can lift the pancake

(if it splashes a bit at the landing phase, push quickly the running batter into the good shape!)

5) serve in real time or store in the oven at low temperature until ready to serve

(avoid to stack them directly on each other, otherwise they get soggy with condensation)

You can serve with Nutella (of course), peanut butter, jam, maple syrup, fresh fruits, yogurt, whipped cream... Virtually anything you have in your fridge!

Voilà!

French Sweet Pancakes (Crêpes)

Of course, I would never make savory pancakes without a dessert - where would I stick my chocolate? (^_^)

Ingredients for 24 pancakes:
- 250 g flour
- 1/2 liter milk
- 3 eggs
- 75 g butter
- pinch of salt



1) beat the eggs with a hand whisk
2) beat and add the melted butter
3) add half of the flour
4) beat as much as you can to avoid flour lumps
5) add a little of milk to help dissolving them
6) when it looks smooth, continue adding the rest of the milk
7) add your pinch of salt
8) let it rest for 1 hour (I do not know why...)
9) heat up the pan very well and oil it lightly at least for the first crêpe
10) take the pan in your hand, pour 1/3 cup of dough in the pan and rotate fast in to cover the pan
11) cook for one minute or so (the edges should lift and get some brown color on the pan side - lift and get a peek if needed)
12) flip the crêpe with a thin spatula, and cook more, this side will get leopard brown spots 
(adventurous people can make it jump!)


PS: if the dough looks too thick to cover the pan fast and your crêpe is not thin enough, then add milk and mix gently to try the next one.


PS2: the first one is often ugly, so don't say to anyone and eat it!


Voilà!

French Savory Pancakes (Buckwheat Pancakes)

If your guests diverge with their taste, this is one easy way to go.
Most likely to be happening mostly in the kitchen, this is a very convivial plan for a meal. 
The base is the same for everyone but your guest will be able to build their own menu in real time...


I do not think there is any rule for what ingredient to use, so get a range:
Grated cheeses, ham, dry ham, grilled fish, seafood, eggs, stir-fried onions, stir-fried mushrooms...
Anything you would put on a pizza...

Buckwheat french pancakes

Ingredients for 12 pancakes:
- 330 g buckwheat flour
- 10 g salt
- 1 egg
- 75 cl water


1) mix all
2) lightly spread oil on a non-sticky pan with a Kleenex tissue in between each pancakes
3) quickly pour 1/3 cup of batter in the pan and turn the pan "in the air" fast to cover the pan with the dough [yeah this is the step that requires a little practice]
4) when the edge starts to bend and detach, flip the pancake on the other side and start filling the midline with the things you like or half
5) flip the edges (or the half left) over the ingredients to close the pancake over
6) drop in a plate, eat hot and give the pan to the next person!


Voilà

Strawberry Cheesecake

I guess I am in my strawberry mood! Today I will give you the simplest recipe ever and seriously one of my favorite summer options: a super easy strawberry cheesecake simply super delicious!

Strawberry cheesecake

Ingredient for 8 people:
Base:
- 50 g melted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- pinch cinnamon
Filling:
- 2 blocks cream cheese Philadelphia, my first choice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
Topping: about 500 g strawberries, strawberry jam


1) mix butter the butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon with a folk to make it into crumbles
2) the mixture should look like wet sand
3) pour on a baking paper nicely spread and bake for 30 min at 175C (until light brown)
4) let it cool a little
5) mix the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla
6) add the eggs one by one
7) take the baked crumbs and ground them to remove the big pieces
8) line up the bottom of a baking pan and the edges with baking paper *
9) pour the crumbs in the pan (~1 cm thick = one finger) and squeeze them a little with the bottom of a glass 
10) pour the filling on the crumbs
11) bake for 45 min at 175C - the cheese cake should not turn brown
12) let it cool down
13) cover the top with strawberries cut in half or intact with the little part up
14) make them shine with strawberry jam (microwave 10 sec few Tbspoon)
15) store in the fridge for 4 hours.


*[You may make individual cheesecakes using aluminum foil shaped around a coffee mug]


Voilà!