The Perfect Easter Dessert

 Easter dinner deserves a special ending.  Imagine a torte with a silky filling and full of delicious chocolate and Earl Grey tea This can be made and it's lovely nod to those homemade coconut nests that are a staple of every Easter basket. It's also easy to make, another plus on a busy cooking weekend.

New contributor and Britsh pastry chef and cookbook author Nicola Lamb gave this rich recipe in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. This is a perfect no fuss recipe for a holiday y centered around the main course. The crust is nothing more than those coconut nests that are filled with jelly beans or Peeps. The coconut flakes are first roasted to give it that crisp crunchy quality that also holds up to a creamy filling.It takes three cups of coconut flakes laid flat on a parchment lined bakings sheet.They're toasted in a 325 degree Farenheit oven for ten minutes. They're then cooled completely on the pan. The dark chocolate for them is melted in a bowl over hot water. (a double boiler can be used for this too) or microwave the chocolate in ten minute bursts. Slightly crush the coconut flakes (doing this will make them easier to press into eh tart pan) and then add the melted chocolate. Add the season and mix well. Press the mixture into a pan that's been lined with parchment paper. The crust should be half an inch thick . Chill for about half an hour or until firmly set.

The cremeux filling may sound fancy but it';s really not. It's just the French word for creamy meaning the texture.It;s a step up from ganache according to Ms. Lamb.It's more of a custard thanks to the addition of one large egg. Their addition along with the addition of sugar gives the filling a deeper, more complex flavor.It's silky, spoon able and lighter in texture than ganache. In most cremeux recipes the egg yolks sugar and cream are cooked together at 179 degrees Farenheit but this could curdle the mixture. Ms. Lamb adds two tablespoons of cornstarch to eliminate this potential problem. Hot Earl Grey tea is added to give the chocolate a note of brightness. Most times the tea is infused in the dairy but doesn't;t give the right jolt for flavor.l Make the tea as if making a cup for oneself.It also gives the filling hints of bergamot and Chinese black tea.The cremeux is poured directly into the crust and then chilled for at least four hours. Grated chocolate is dusted over the top for more chocoalte-y goodness.

This chocolate Earl Grey infused  cremeux tart is the perfect Easter dessert.It isa great ending to any dinner .It's also a sweet treat to enjoy with family and friends. 

Everyone Loves Black Forest Cake

 Black Forest Cakes conjures up images of the luscious creamy cake served in Bavarian coffeehouses or made in kitchens from German Alpine towns like Obernheim to big metropolises like Munich. Not surprisingly this famed chocolate cake is also big in other parts of the world. Let's face it , it is hard to resist.

Regular contributor Priya Kirishna wrote about this delicious treat in today's New York Wednesday Food section. Black Forest Cake had been a staple on German dessert tables for decades.It began in the 1500's thanks to young married couples who planted cherry trees and its'design is taken from the colorful outfits called Bollenhut that Bavarian women were.Now it's all over the world from Chile to Nepal.It's a favorite everywhere from Zimbabwe to Trinidad to Singapore where it's actually made with blueberries.How did the most German of cakes become an international favorite? it occurred when Germans moved around the world, as immigrants, missionaries and chefs or as Nazis fleeing the country after World War II according to Jose Lopez Gamen of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute in Cambridge Ma. It's a cake that's easily adapted to the norms of any country. The liquor can be be omitted in Muslim countries while Caribbean ones sub in the kirschwasser or cherry liquor with strong rums.

Many , including Bavarians and Swabians find the dessert passe and bakeries in the two provinces don't; even make it. Christopher Tan, author of the Singaporean cookbook  "The Way of Kuah" tried to find a slice in Ulm.He was told it was  too passe and they didn't;t make it. Famed chef and Food Times contributor Dori Greenspan gives a theory about why Black Forest Cake is not popular with older dessert lovers. She claims today's desserts are more sophisticated. They;re sparer and not over the top. Yet a whole new generation is discovering it and posting pictures of it all over Instagram.At the bakery Thistle and Leek in Newton, MA serves it as a roulade. At Swadesi,a new Indian inspired bakery in Chicago it's served in a jar.Its wonder Sujan Sarkar once believed it came from the Christians in Kolkats.Lebanese chef Karin Bourgis makes his version with vanilla ganache and dark chocolate cremeux,a chocolate version of creme anglaise. it can be made at home with a chocolate sponge and a homemade cherry compote laced with Kirsch and homemade whipped cream.

Black Forest Cake should be revered. It;s a delicious  dessert full of flavor. Make it today to find out it's tastiness.