Sunday Brunch Part 5 – Charlotte Malakoff and Outrageous Brownies

May 28th, 2009

There are two dessert offerings for this brunch. The first dessert takes advantage of the fresh strawberries that are currently coming out of South Carolina. It also takes me on a trip down memory lane because Charlotte Malakoff was one the first gourmet desserts that I prepared in the 70’s. I bought a special tin charlotte mold and loved the contours of it and the heart shaped handles. Recently while unpacking kitchen boxes after our permanent move to Lake Lure, I unearthed this treasure and decided that charlottes of all description would be in our future.


A Charlotte Malakoff is made with Ladyfingers surrounding a filling of whipped butter, sugar, cream and strawberries. Sometimes the lady fingers are soaked in Kirsch. I chose not to soak them at all in this rendition. Another element in the flavoring is almonds; in this case ground almonds. Charlottes can be flavored with chocolate, pumpkin or peaches or any flavoring that appeals to you. If you do not have a charlotte mold you can use a souffle dish.

CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF

Enough Lady fingers to line the sides of the mold
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 ounce package of sliced almonds, ground
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
1 pint of strawberries
Line the bottom of a charlotte mold or souffle dish with waxed paper. Arrange lady fingers in a circle around sides of mold.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the ground almonds and almond extract. Gently fold the mixture into whipped cream.
Save 6 nice strawberries for the top. Cut the rest into fourths and fold into whipped cream mixture. Place the mixture into ther mold. Chill for at least 2 hours.
To serve, unmold the charlotte onto a serving dish and remove the wax paper. Decorate with the whole strawberries.

Since this is Barefoot Blogger Thursday, I decided to include Ina’s Outrageous Brownies as part of my brunch menu. Thank you Eva of I’m Boring for choosing this decadent dessert. I have actually made these brownies before so I knew that everyone would be in for a treat with this dish. They are rich, but very easy to prepare and there is nothing better than a little chocolate to round out a satisfying meal. Thank you for following me on the never ending (or so it seemed) brunch party. It was fun for me to put together and I enjoyed having all of you come along.

OUTRAGEOUS BROWNIES ( I halved this recipe )
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra large eggs
3 Tbls instant coffee granules
2 Tbls pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1 inch baking sheet.
Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Potato Cake with Garlic and Parsley

January 29th, 2014

Potato Cake 1

 

This is actually part 2 of my previous post.  On the same evening that I made the Pork Tenderloin with Grapes, I made this Potato Cake with Garlic and Parsley.  They are both recipes from Mimi Thorisson on her blog Manger.  If I had been in my Lake Lure Kitchen this potato cake would have looked better.  It is because I have the perfect mold for it there.  View the following video to watch Mimi’s husband Oddur making this dish along with a steak and you will see what I mean.  Here is the link.  What I really needed to mold the potato cake was my Charlotte Mold.  I have had my tin-lined charlotte mold for many years and it comes in handy for many purposes.  Here is a link to one of my favorite desserts using it.

Charlotte-Mold 2

 But if you don’t have a charlotte mold, you can do as I did here in Florida and use a 2 quart round oven proof casserole.  I sprayed mine with olive oil spray.

Potato Cake 2

This potato cake was excellent. I used the duck fat that I bought in France last year in which to fry it.  The duck fat has been in my freezer just waiting for the right application.  There is nothing better than potatoes cooked in duck fat.  Here is a source if you would like to order it.  But you could also cook the potatoes in a mixture of butter and olive oil.  It was an added bonus to be able to saute the potatoes ahead of time and put them into the mold to be finished in the oven at our convenience.  The potato cake is just right for 4 people.  Just cut into pie shaped wedges and serve.  The cooked garlic and parsley on top are the finishing touch and make for a beautiful presentation.  Your friends will love you.  And for all of you guys out there,  Oddur Thorisson’s video on a perfect date night dinner would be a perfect recipe for a Valentine’s day dinner.

POTATO CAKE WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY

5 large potatoes
6 garlic cloves (sliced fine)
2 handfuls of chopped parsley
1 tbsp butter
8-10 tbsp duck fat
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Start frying on a medium heat the sliced potatoes with one tbsp butter for 8 minutes. Pour 8 tbps (or more if you wish and according to your taste) of the duck fat onto the potatoes and continue frying till cooked and golden. You’d be surprised at how fast it cooks with duck fat. Flip potatoes constantly. Add salt. By 20-25 minutes they should be cooked. Put potatoes in a small cake mold and press gently with a potato masher or a large spoon so the potatoes take a good shape. You don’t want to mash the potatoes, just press them. Place in the oven for 5-8 minutes.  While in the oven, fry the garlic in the potato pan until it is just browned.

Take the potato cake out of the oven, remove from mold and place on a serving plate. Put the chopped parsley and fried garlic on top. Serve immediately.

Printable recipe

© Penny Klett, Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. All rights reserved.