Category: dulce de leche

Creamy Dulce de Leche Cake or My Tribute to Peggy Porschen, with a Personal Touch….

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Cristina

En Español, en color!

In the past people used to go to London to see castles, palaces…museums…musicals… Now, most people go to London to have tea at Peggy Porschen’s Parlour (well, the Olympic Games too) And I’m no exception, of course! My girls neither..We had to have tea, and eat!! cakes & cupcakes…AND you know me, I had to do something to be able to see Peggy and have a photograph with her! Yes, I am very “cholula” (Argentinean slang for those people who always want to have photos with all the VIPs!) I adore Peggy’s work in general and her wedding cakes leave me in a kind of “admiration comma!

Antes la gente iba a Londres para ver los castillos, palacios…museos..musicales…Ahora, la mayoria va a Londres a tomar el té en lo de Peggy Porschen ! (bueno, las Olimpiadas también). Y yo no soy excepcion, por supuesto! Y mis hijas tampoco….Teniamos que tomar té, y comer cupcakes y torta..Y ademas, ya me conocen, yo tenia que hacer algo para verla a Peggy “en vivo y en directo” y sacarme una foto con ella!! Si, soy re-cholula (para las Argentinas, algo asi como “Figuretti”) Si bien me encanta todo el trabajo de Peggy, sus tortas de casamiento me dejan “en coma de admiracion”!

So, even though it’s summer time here (Is it summmer-time here in Paris??!??) and we crave for fresh, fruity desserts…thanks God (really, really thank you God!!) I have a lot of readers in the southern hemisphere..not only in Argentina, but in Australia, Brazil, Chile, and over there it is winter-time, so a cup of tea with this cake….it’s sheer indulgence! So for my southern readers AND northern readers in need to be pampered…this cake!

In fact, Peggy calls this cake “Creamy Caramel Cake”, but then when I looked at the ingredient list in her latest book, Boutique Baking, she writes “dulce de leche“. Actually, I noticed there are several recipes in her book with dulce de leche ! and this made my Argentinean ego big! (or should I say even bigger, to be more precise…yes! I know…Argentineans are infamous for our obnoxious chauvinism!

Aunque aqui es verano (o eso se supone ?!?), y uno tiene ganas de comer postres con frutas y frescos…gracias a Dios (realmente, muuuchas gracias, Dios!) tengo muchos lectores en el hemisferio sur..no solo en Argentina, sino en Australia, Chile, Brasil..y ahi es invierno, asi que qué mejor que una taza de té con un pedazo de esta torta? QUE pla-cer!! Asi que para la muchachada del sur, y para los nordicos en necesidad de un “mimo”…la torta dedicada!

En realidad, Peggy llama esta torta “Torta de Caramelo Cremosa“, pero cuando lei los ingredientes, en su ultimo libro, Boutique Baking, vi que puso la palabra “dulce de leche“. En realidad vi que hay varias recetas con dulce de leche! y esto hizo que mi ego argentino se agrande! (o que se agrande aun mas!!! para ser mas precisa..Si! ya sé..Los argentinos somos “famosos” por nuestro INSOPORTABLE nacionalismo!

Peggy chose what she calls the classic Victoria Sponge, paired with a dulce de leche buttercream !!! for the filling and decoration. But, since I don’t have Anglo-saxon origins (as you must have noticed ;D ), I’m not a fan of buttercream in excess, so with all my respect and admiration for Peggy I adapted her recipe to my taste, and I believe this is “the game” exactly! To find inspiration in a great recipe, but then, make it yours!

So, I used plain dulce de leche for one layer, and then a ganache de Valrhona Grand Cru Manjari (66% cocoa) fresh and tangy. For the syrup to imbibe the cake, I added a little bit of Bailey’s (that IS Anglo-saxon but whisky unites the world (?!)

And now that you have a well-rounded and terrible idea about my habits, I leave you with Peggy’s recipe to enjoy!

Peggy eligio lo que ella llama bizcochuelo Classic Victoria, junto con buttercream de dulce de leche!! para el relleno y decoracion. Yo, como no tengo origenes anglo-sajones (como habran notado!), no soy muy fan del buttercream en exceso, asi que con todo mi respeto por Peggy, adapté su receta a mi gusto, y creo que éste es el “juego”. Encontrar una receta que nos inspire, pero después, hacerla propia!

Yo usé dulce de leche solo, en una capa, y luego, para la otra, una ganache de Valrhona Grand Cru Manjari (66% cacao) fresco y ligeramente acido! Y al almibar le agregué Bailey’s (eso si es anglo-sajon, pero el whisky une al mundo !?!?

Y ahora que ya tienen una idea terrible sobre mis habitos y reputacion, los dejo con la receta de Peggy. Que la disfruten!

Posted in cake, cake decoration, chocolate, dulce de leche | 44 Replies

Banana Split Ice-cream, to say Hello to Spring in Paris…with an Argentinean Flavor!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Cristina

Abajo, en Español !

When the good weather returns, Paris seems more beautiful than ever! but…those that live here know very well, that good weather never lasts too long….so we try to profit from every minute of sunshine…Making a break in my daily work routine, I go to Avenue Foch, to walk my dog…or my dog walks me..who knows?

The breeze is warm, observing flowers blooming such a favorite passtime...what else is missing in this picture? Icecream, like those of Buenos Aires!

I have already showed you how to make dulce de leche icecream, so today is the turn of another Argentinean classic: Banana Split!!

What is Banana Split? you might wonder….

Well…it is the combination of banana icecream, tiny (or not so tiny) chocolate chips, and dulce de leche…do you need more?

Is it good? Look at my daughter….She readily volunteered to “clean” the icecream maker…and then, in the evening….what is almost a ritual at home…measuring in exact grams or cups, how much each of us got..of a certain treat….

Trust this Argentinean blogger..many people out there say it is hard to find better icecream than in Buenos Aires…and I know what they mean!

Enjoy!

Helado de Banana Split, dando la bienvenida a la primavera en Paris, con un sabor argentino…

Cuando hace buen tiempo, Paris parece mas linda que nunca! Pero los que vivimos aca sabemos que el buen tiempo dura poco…asi que aprovechamos cada rayito de sol al maximo. Los mediodias, hago una pausa en mi rutina de trabajo, y ahi saco a pasear a mi perro, por la Avenida Foch (o es él que me pasea a mi?)

La brisa es tibia…adoro ver los cambios en la floracion dia a dia..todo es idilico! Qué me falta? Un heladito…como los de Buenos Aires !

Ya les dije como hacer helado de dulce de leche, asi que hoy es el turno de otro gran infaltable de mi pais: el helado de Banana Split !

Qué es la Banana Split?, algunos se preguntaran….

Es la combinacion de helado de banana, chips de chocolate (mas o menos grandes), y dulce de leche! Se necesita algo mas?

Sera bueno? Solo les basta mirar a mi hija…como, voluntariosa, se ofrecio para “limpiar” la heladora…Y después el ritual de siempre a la noche..Medir exactamente, cuanto le toca a cada uno..ni un gramo mas…ni una cucharita menos!

Espero que confien en mi..Por ahi dicen que el helado de Buenos Aires es uno de los mejores del bueno…

A disfrutarlo !

Posted in argentina, argentinean, dulce de leche, ice-cream | 50 Replies

World Dulce de Leche Day: Lollipops, with DDL and Cheesecream Frosting !

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Cristina

Abajo, version y receta en Español !

I was invited by sweet and talented Juliana, from Argentina, to join the World Dulce de Leche Day. The idea was to make something with what constitutes, maybe, the symbol of Argentinean sweet world..And there was precisely the problem! Everything has been done with dulce de leche, or almost everything ! And then, walking back home from the gym, I pass by Dalloyau…I decide to pick up their catalog, and there I saw these lollipops…well, not these lollipops….Dalloyau does not make them with dulce de leche, and cream cheese, that’s for sure!!! In fact, I don’t have their recipe ;( The lollipops were not even in the store…It is something to order for a special ocassion..I only had this tiny photo...but that set my mind working..Yes! I will make the Argentinean version of Dalloyau !!!

Did I ever tell you that when I was a little girl I was the “skinny” type? Yes, my mother didn’t know what to do with me….I would eat ridiculously tiny bites of food, and then not everything..so my mother, in her effort to make me gain weight, used to give me a cup of cream cheese and dulce de leche..I loved the white and brown swirled cream! So these lollipops took me back to my childhood days!

But where is the dulce de leche ?, you might wonder..It’s inside the “choux”, the profiteroles….like a hidden surprise! Then the caramel on top, with the gold leaf makes it “Oh, so French ! ”

Then the moment of panic !!!! When I was assembling this, getting ready for the photos..Tragedy !!! Not the Bee Gees….kitchen tragedy !!! The choux started sliding down..refusing to stay on top (“law of physics” my husband the engineer would add in an, for me, infuriating remark) How does Dalloyau do this????? I couldn’t see anything in their picture!! Cries of despair could be heard in my street! “Think fast”, I said to myself..so what came to my mind, was to use a tiny raisin, for the Herculean task of holding the rest…et Voilà !! the raisin did the job!!

Aren’t they cute?

Chupetines de Dulce de Leche y Frosting de Queso Crema, para el Dia Mundial del Dulce de Leche !

Recibi la invitacion de la talentosa Juliana, de Argentina, para unirme al World Dulce de Leche Day. La idea era que los bloggers hiciesen algo con lo que constituye, quizas, el simbolo del mundo dulce Argentino. Y justamente ahi estaba la dificultad.Hay algo que no se haya hecho con dulce de leche? Y asi, cuando volvia caminando a casa después de la gym (si, ser blogger engorda!), pasé por la puerta de Dalloyau..y decidi entrar y agarrar un catalogo, y zas! ahi estaban estos chupetines…Obvio, no de dulce de leche !! ni de queso crema! (seria “lo” anti-francés!) Obvio, que tampoco tenia la receta..es mas, los chupetines ni siquiera estaban en el negocio, hay que encargarlos para una ocasion especial..asi que mi unico recurso era esta fotito minima, pero me fue suficiente para que mi cerebro se pusiese “a mil”..”Si”, me dije..Voy a hacer la version argentina de Dalloyau !! (espero no me deporten!)

Cuando era chica era muy flaquita…Nada me gustaba y de todo comia re-poquito! Mi mama no sabia qué hacer conmigo..me daba vitaminas (que surtieron efecto todas juntas después!) y para que engorde, me preparaba de postre, una tacita de Mendicrim (queso crema) y dulce de leche..Me encantaba ver el remolino marron y blanco que se formaba al revolver con la cucharita! Asi que estos chupetines, me trajeron de vuelta a mi infancia!

Pero donde esta el dulce de leche?, se preguntaran…En el “choux” mas grande, como una sorpresa escondida, y el choux mas chico esta bañado en caramelo, con una hoja de oro, que lo hace “Oh, tan francés!”

Luego, el panico!! Cuando preparaba todo para la foto..Tragedy!!No, no eran los Bee Gees…tragedia en la cocina! El “choux” se empezo a deslizar…se reusaba a quedarse arriba (“ley de la fisica” diria mi marido el ingeniero, en un comentario que me saca de quicio ! ) Como hace esto Dallloyau!? No veia nada en la foto…Gritos de desesperacion…”Rapido, debo pensar rapido” y ahi se me ocurrio poner una pasa de uva, que como Hércules sostendria todo el resto ..y saben qué? Funciono! Qué grande la pasa de uva!

No son re-lindos?

Posted in choux, cream puff, dessert, dulce de leche | 52 Replies

My Apricot Saga (Part I) Apricot Amandine Tart, with a Hint of Dulce de Leche

Posted on June 19, 2011 by fromBAtoParis

Ready for the beach? I am! The moment I enjoy the most? The late afternoon….when the breeze turns a little bit cool, and I have this craving for a coffee…a coffee with something! “A little something”, I always say….

Then I will make a pause in my highly-intellectual activities, like doing crosswords…Last year, during our holidays, my son had the greatest idea: he bought himself the book General Culture for Dummies! We had so much fun! We spent twenty days submitted to his “interrogatoire” My husband was the champ! He knows everything! I think this is one of the reasons why I married him…he always tells me stories…stories based on facts..no, that’s not the way to put it…what I love about him is that I never get tired of his conversation…whatever he has to tell me amuses or interests me!

Well…going back..or rather starting with this Apricot Amandine Tart..I had it on the beach of our hotel last year, during our vacations in Thailand! Yes, there was a pastry chef that mastered French pâtisserie…so this and a coffee? Heaven to me!

The “pâte sucrée” is the one I always use in all my recipes, so crispy…fragile (that’s true!) but worth the effort of fitting it inside your mold…I used a rectangular one here… and then, to dare French masters, I committed the sacrilege (Oh, mon Dieu!) of pairing the “crème amandine” with a thin layer of dulce de leche…a “soupçon” (I love this word!!!!)

The result? When the mild acidity of the apricot meets sweetness in two textures: creamy, for the amandine, more compact, for the dulce de leche…..As Oscar Wilde said: ” I can resist everything but temptation”…..

Enjoy!

For the “pâte sucrée”, follow my recipe here.

Pre-heat the oven 170°C. Fit the pâte into the mold. Cover with aluminum foil, and some weights. Bake for 15′.

Once cool, apply a thin layer of dulce de leche. Then make the “crème amandine”, whisking 100gr of soft butter, and 100grs of sugar. Then add two eggs (one by one) and finally incorporate 100gr of almond flour, and 25gr of flour. Put the cream inside the mold, not until the edge since the cream will swell when baked. Cut the apricots in halves and accomodate them according to your taste and the shape of the mold. Bake 180°C till the crème amandine becomes golden brown. You can decorate sprinkling icing sugar, some caramelized walnuts or almonds, pistachios if you have…