Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Bathroom, Gold Bunnies,

I was reminded, this morning, that the other day I bought myself a new rubber mat for my bath/shower and was absolutely staggered to pay $23 for it. Yes, I know, better than slipping, but things are getting so expensive nowadays. Maybe I shouldn't complain, looking for a picture, I saw prices up to $45 or so. Funny, we bought one for each bath at the same time and mine was wearing out with tears in the corners, and Matt's is fine.

I was also looking at a new shower curtain (we would need two) in
my Avon catalogue and they too are pretty expensive. The Avon curtain was really attractive with bright poppies and would cheer the bathrooms up terrifically. This one is $30 and includes a bath mat which we don't need. In the catalogue it looks brighter than this picture. I wonder??? We have plain green at the moment and I am bored with it. Had the curtains a long time now too.

Matt keeps asking if we can eat our Lindt gold bunnies now as it's April and I keep telling him he has to wait til Easter. They are sitting patiently on the shelf waiting for us to guzzle them. I do like Lindt chocolate. Actually at the moment we have two milk chocolate bunnies and Matt prefers dark chocolate but couldn't find one the other day. Shopping later today (Tuesday) so will have another look. Wouldn't be Easter to me without my Lindt bunny. In the UK it used to be Easter Eggs, large chocolate eggs with candies of some kind inside. Never seen them here. I claim deprivation because they were not available during most of my childhood due to WWII and once I had my first one, I wanted to gobble  them all up plus sit them on a shelf to look at them. As things improved the eggs got so much prettier with flowers made of coloured chocolates and icing etc.

My earring backs finally turned up. Took long enough. I got a small packet. Having opened it I couldn't see anything and hiding at the bottom was a small plastic bag with the backs inside. It doesn't really look like 100 of them, but I am assuming that is the number. I sure as heck ain't gonna count them. I wondered why I had to wait so long. But maybe they only make them every so often. Staples just called with my printer ink. Got 25% off so worth getting two for free delivery as well.

This dessert came from an email entitled 50 Fantastic Easter Desserts. I ask you, who is going to work their way through 50 recipes for anything? This was the second.

Chocolate Orange Crepe Torte

This beautiful torte consists of layered crepes with a homemade orange cremeux and chocolate
ganache.

Crepes
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (12 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) 2% milk
2 large eggs
3 Tbs (45 mL) vegetable oil
½ cup (125 mL) soda water

Orange Cremeux
? cup (160 mL) 35% whipping cream
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated orange zest
8 oz (240 g) white chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (175 mL) full-fat (minimum 10%) Greek yogurt

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup (250 mL) 35% whipping cream
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated orange zest
7 oz (210 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2-3 slices candied orange peel, for decoration

Crepes

For the crepes, whisk the flour and sugar in a bowl and whisk in the milk, eggs and oil. Right before making the crepes, whisk in the soda water (the batter will be thin). This is enough for at least 8 crepes that are about 9-inches (23 cm) across.

Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet on medium heat and grease lightly. Ladle a little batter onto the centre of the pan swirling it so that the batter covers the pan in an even layer in a circle. Return the pan to the heat and cook it until the top surface of the batter appears dry (matte). You may find that you have to fiddle with the temperature and the amount of batter to find “just right”. Gently lift and flip the crepe over, cooking it just 30 seconds more. Remove this to a parchment-lined baking tray and continue with the remaining batter, greasing the pan lightly after each crepe. After the crepes have cooled, they can be stacked on top of each other and wrapped in plastic wrap. If using the crepes on the same day, leave them at room temperature and if making them ahead, freeze them and thaw on the counter when needed.

Orange Cremeux

To make the cremeux, heat the cream with the orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to show signs of simmering. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate in a bowl, let sit a few seconds and stir gently until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the Greek yoghurt and chill for at least 2 hours until set – the cremeux will be of a spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

To make the ganache, heat the cream with the orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to show signs of simmering. Pour the hot cream of the semisweet chocolate in a bowl, let sit a few seconds and stir gently until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, if still too fluid when you are ready to assemble, you can chill the ganache for 30-40 minutes to set it to a spreadable consistency.
To assemble the crepe torte, trim the crepes so that they are tidy circles about 8-inches (20 cm) across (you can use a tart ring or an inverted bowl to trace and trim.

Place a crepe on a plate and spread a generous layer of cremeux over the crepe extending almost to the edges. Top this with a crepe and now gently spread a layer of ganache evenly over this crepe. Repeat this process, alternating between cremeux and ganache, so that you finish with a layer of ganache on top of the crepe torte. Chill the torte for at least an hour before serving and arrange 2-3 candied orange slices on top of the torte before serving.

Servings: 6-8

Author: Anna Olson

Have a great day
 

24 comments:

  1. You might find your chocolate on Amazon. I buy my Swiss throat lozenges there, though they are not available at the moment. The only Easter candy I always have are Jordan Almonds. As for those emails with recipes, I usually find that after the first few there is nothing I am interested in making. Or they are repeats of previous emails.

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    1. Actually we do have a Lindt store near here Denise, but I am surprised our grocery store doesn't have them. They have hundreds of milk chocolate ones. Can't eat almonds any more, too hard. I just can't look at those emails to find out.

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  2. I need to find one of those gold bunnies! Glad you found your earring backs.

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    1. As Denise says above JoJo, Amazon is sure to have them.

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  3. Oh, that torte! WOW
    Earring backs, I'm still pulling from one pair to the other. LOL
    Chocolate bunnies, nope, not at my house!!

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    1. Certainly Wow Yolanda.
      You can buy 100 from Amazon for a couple of bucks.
      Don't like chocolate?

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  4. Our church makes Easter eggs every year and I like to get the peanut butter ones for the boys' baskets. I got four this year- ate one during the week- and then had to buy another on Sunday to keep the count right. I'm as bad as Matt with no Jo to keep me straight.

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    1. LOL. Our foot nurse saw them Liz and couldn't believe we wouldn't eat them before Easter.

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  5. Eat the bunnies and then just go buy more.

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    1. Yeah, I can tell you don't worry about weight gain Alex. Matt doesn't need to, but I do.

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  6. I sometimes put frosting between my thin pancakes. So yummy. Funny about hubby wanting to eat them now that's April.

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    1. That sounds good Ivy. I have put Nutella on them too.

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    2. Yes, I've done that. For sure. Only now I cannot eat that either but it's okay because I started mixing pure local maple syrup and cocoa powder together. It's missing that slight hazelnut but still good.

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    3. That sounds good Ivy, can you not eat nuts at all?

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    4. I can eat nuts, yes, but I don't eat Nutella anymore because of the sugar and the oil. Now, I just make my own chocolate spreads. Cheaper and I can make them bitter, which I fancy.

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    5. Oh yes, didn't think of the sugar and oil. Home made spreads sound good Ivy.

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  7. I need a bag of those earring backs. I'm always losing mine. I currently have one set which get switched around with all my earrings but some don't fit. First world problem :)

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    1. That's why I bought a bag of 100 Pinky. I kept losing them all the time. I have a lot of earrings that need them. I got them from Amazon for a couple of bucks $2 Cdn that is.

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  8. Ah, Jo, let Matt get into those chokkies! Anytime is a good time for chocolate! Happy Easter!

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    1. He actually munches on chocolate every day Denise, so I am not being mean.

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  9. Hi Jo,

    I am salivating over that chocolate orange crepe torte. YUM! ALL my absolute favs!

    I know how expensive housewares can me. Sometimes you can get much better deals online. Check out AMAZON.. they have EVERYTHING and free shipping over 35.00. Not sure if Canada has their version, but I know the UK does.

    Have a HAPPY Easter and ENJOY your LINDT chocolates. I love them, too.

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    1. I know what you mean Michael. Mind you, I bet it's not short of calories.

      I do buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, never thought of getting a bathmat from them though, duuuh.

      Happy Easter to you, I will certainly enjoy my chocolate.

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  10. You've reminded me that I really must get some Easter bunnies for the family. I'd be in big trouble otherwise.

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    1. Do you have decorated chocolate eggs in Oz Helen?

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