Chocolate Cherry Sorbet with Cherry Compote

Chocolate Walnut Pie

11/8/2013

A Chocolate Delight 

This is definitely a pie for chocolate lovers and the crust tastes like a shortbread cookie. I found the recipe in a German magazine years ago, although the original recipe had twice the amount of butter. This recipe is a keeper and I am going to use this crust in other dessert recipes. Add the chocolate filling and the nutty egg white topping and you will have a dessert you can’t resist. The pie can be kept for several days, so you can bake it ahead of time (great for the upcoming holidays). I'm thinking of baking this recipe in individual pie tins for gifts. Being the hazelnut lover that I am, I'll try using hazelnuts instead of walnuts. And maybe I'll add caramel or Nutella too, although that might be going over the top.

This is a straightforward recipe. Be careful not overwork the dough, and melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bowl over a pot of boiling water. Use the best chocolate you can afford. I used Lindt chocolate.

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Ingredients

The dough:

1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
8 tbs. butter (cut into small cubes)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbs. crème fraîche
a pinch of salt

The filling:

3.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 eggs (separated)
1/4 + 2 tbs. sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (chopped)
1 tbs. flour
1 tsp. orange zest

The topping:

1 egg white
1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

The dough:

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit
Butter a 10-inch pie pan
Process flour, sugar, salt, and butter in food processor until the butter is reduced to small pea-sized pieces. Add the crème fraîche and egg yolk and process until blended. Put dough on a cool surface and flatten with the heel of your hand. Form it into a ball. The dough will be crumbly. Wrap it in Saran wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough between two pieces of Saran wrap and put it in a buttered pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

The filling:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until melted, then cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy white, and stir them into the chocolate mass. Add walnuts, orange zest, and flour. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold them into the filling. Pour filling into the pie shell. Bake for 20 more minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce temperature to 250°. Add the topping to the pie and continue to bake for about 10 more minutes.

The topping:

Beat the egg white until almost stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Add the walnuts and gently put on top of the pie.

Guten Appetit!
recipe©Sunnycovechef

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Party Lavash Rolls with Cream Cheese, Avocado and Lox

10/7/2013

4 Comments

These rolls can be filled with any ingredients you choose. I often use hummus instead of a cream cheese spread—or I make them with egg salad—or cheese with salami or ham. Roasted peppers, grated carrots, and chopped olives go well with hummus—and mayonnaise (or any other spread) will keep the rolls together. My friends have requested these rolls for years and they are easy to transport. They always make a satisfying and filling appetizer.

Spread cream cheese in a thin layer on the light side of the lavash bread.

Add lox, onions, avocados, and thinly sliced red onions leaving some space on the sides.

Add tomatoes, thinly sliced and drained cucumbers, salt and pepper.

Add lettuce and press down with your hands

Roll the bread, starting at the bottom at the longer side.

Wrap the rolls in saran wrap and refrigerate.

These rolls are not difficult and you can do them in no time. The rolling part is a little tricky but since they are being cut into slices a little goof up is fine. The trick is to roll them tightly making sure you incorporate the ingredients by pushing them into the bread as you roll it.
Years ago I used to be able to buy Armenian cracker bread at a local delicatessen. This bread is like a giant cracker. It is no longer available and I now use lavash bread which I buy at Trader Joe's. You can also find them at Whole Foods. There are six rectangular pieces to a package and it comes in a whole wheat version that I prefer. For this blog I used two rolls which makes about twenty 1/2 inch thick sandwiches. Spread the cream cheese evenly in a thin layer on the light side of the lavish bread. Put about four ounces of lox on top of the cheese spread. Add one half of an avocado thinly sliced over the salmon, add about 1/2 a cup of thinly sliced cucumbers and 1/4 a cup of thinly sliced red onions. Leaving 1/2 inch on the longer side of the bread with only the spread will make it easier to roll. Season with salt and pepper. Top with about 1 cup of lettuce and press everything down. Begin rolling the bread at the longer side (think sushi). Push the ingredients into the bread as you roll it. Wrap the roll in Saran wrap and store in the fridge for several hours. When ready to serve cut the roll into 1/2 inch pieces and arrange them on a platter. Decorate with cherry tomatoes and olives. I have made these many times using different ingredients. For an upcoming wedding I will make them with humus because the bride is lactose intolerant.