Perfect Ending...Perfect Day...

It's Friday night in Cannes. The BIG NIGHT OUT here -- except for tomorrow night. But we leave for St. Trpoez in the morning and we had a "big apertif day". So -- we decided to have a picnic in our room. Oh my goodness it was yummy (a new word for mom). We went to the local market and bought fresh nectarines, huge blackberries and grapes. Then to the bakery for bagettes with tomatoes and brie -- and of course Marissa's favorite Chocolate Fondant and Tai's favorite shortbread cookies with jam!

There are two kinds of chocolat fondant. One is a persoanal size also known as "lava cake" -- kinda gushes a glob of chocolat from the middle. Marissa's FAV is the one that is more brownie-like that is oohy-gooey all over! You can decide for yourself what you like best.



Chocolat Fondant/Lava Cake
A French classic that literally melts in your mouth!!! This dessert is usually made in individual ramekins, but see the serving ideas below for other possibilities.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients (4 people):

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins
Preheat oven to 350°F
1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take of flame, and…
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.
Voilà!



Marissa's Favorite Brownie-Style Chocolat Fondant
24cm-wide cake pan or sixteen 6cm-wide cercles

200g dark chocolate, slightly bitter works well
240g butter
8 eggs
400g sugar
130g flour

Preheat the oven to 170°C, and generously butter a 24cm-wide cake pan. In a bowl, melt the chocolate and butter.
In a heatproof bowl, mix the eggs and sugar, and place over medium heat (or as said above, on a water bath). Keep on mixing until not cold anymore. It shouldn’t be hot either. Just at room temperature. This step is done, as we say in French, to casser le froid [break the coldness]. Pour the chocolate over the egg mixture, and homogenise. Sprinkle the flour over and using a rubber spatula, gently incoporate it iuntil just smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until just set.




Tai's Favorite Shortbread Jam Cookies (AKA Linzer Cookies)
(20 2" inch cookies)
Recipe:
1 cup blanched or sliced almonds, toasted and ground (hazelnuts, or pecans can also be used)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
Confectioners' (Icing or Powdered) Sugar for dusting
1/2 cup seedless Raspberry or Black Currant Preserves or Jam (can use other flavored preserves or jam)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Toast the almonds (or pecans) on a baking sheet for about 8-10 minutes (or until lightly browned and fragrant). If using hazelnuts, toast them for 15 minutes or until fragrant and the skins begin to flake. Remove from oven and place the hot nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts sit (steam) for five minutes then rub the nuts in the towel briskly to remove the skins. Once the nuts have cooled, place in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Beat in the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and shape into two rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the two rectangles of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour and up to several days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)

Reroll any scraps and cut out the cookies. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll and cut out the rest of the cookies. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling place the raspberry jam in a small saucepan and heat gently until it has thickened slightly. Strain if there are any lumps in the jam. Let cool.

To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

Note: You can store the unassembled cookies in the refrigerator for several days in an airtight container. It is best, though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the cookies crisp..

Makes about 20 - 2 inch sandwiched cookies.