Brioche Block delice

This is normally a basic lesson of how to make easily a creme patissiere and then a delicious sweet. What you need? A brioche, creme patissiere and chocolate ganache along with inspiration to follow...
a brioche to be transformed to a delice...

Brioche with fresh vanilla creme patissiere and dark chocolate ganache

Ingredients:
210 gr of brioche (instead for my greek friends you may use tsoureki, same quantity). Alternatively I used this time a french brioche with chocolate chops for more taste, in case you don't find you may use the simple one, also found in super markets.

For creme patissiere
350 gr fresh milk
150 gr creme fraiche (liquid)
3 medium egg yolks
1 entire medium egg
40 gr corn flour
80 gr sugar
1 tea spoon vanilla grains

For the syrup
100 gr water
100 gr sugar
1 table spoon vanilla extract (instead you may use coffee extract or almond extract)

For the creme patissiere
130 gr chocolate 55-57%
180 gr creme fraiche (liquid)
(optional to use 1 tea spoon honey-I didn't though use in this recipe-)

Optional topping:
300 gr white chocolate
180 gr creme fraiche (liquid)
70 gr gianduja chocolate

For this sweet, in order to make a solid block I used a squared dish that will enable better cooling in the fridge. I have covered the entire part of the dish with cling film, in a way to fully cover the whole surface where I will deposit my sweet (make sure that the cling film protrudes on the external part of the dish.

Cut the brioche in pieces to cover the bottom part of the dish. I have here and there left short spaces that later on will be covered with ganache to match with the bread pieces.

Creme patissiere:

Put in a metallic bowl the egg, yolks, sugar and corn flour and whisk until well combined all. At the same time put in a casserole the milk and fresh cream and heat until boiled...

Throw three quarters of the milk content to the eggs mixture and keep in the casserole and in low fire the rest of the milk. At this stage whisk vigorously the eggs content until it becomes an incorporated mixture and then throw back to the casserole with the rest of the milk, mixing slowly without stopping and until the mixture is turned to a firm cream. Add at the end the vanilla grains and slightly mix so that the whole mixture gets inside black spots. Put this cream in a metallic bowl and then cover fully the surface of the cream with a cling film (the reason we do this is to avoid our cream to have on top sort of percussion.

The main purpose at this stage is to let the cream be in room temperature. In case you don't use within the next three hours, after two hours you may put it on the fridge. Before we use it we slightly whisk it to be soft and easily used (see below tips).

Syrup preparation:

In a casserole put the water and sugar and let it boiled for 1 minute (counting from the time content starts boiling). Then add the vanilla extract and withdraw from kitchen and let it cool.

(the texture is not caramelized it is brown while I threw the extract)

Prepare the ganache. Turn to boiled the fresh cream and throw to the chocolate. Mix slowly until you have an incorporate dark ganache.

And now let's make the block: a little syrup to every brioche piece with a brush (not to much we don't need to have a very sweet taste, we need a wet cake inside. Cover with a spoon some liquid chocolate ganache here and there and on top of the brioche like in the pictures. Then spread some cream to cover fully the top of the brioche pieces. Repeat like you see in the pictures (brioche pieces, syrup, little ganache and cream). When you finish you turn inside to close the cling film and then put on the fridge for at least 3 hours. I left the sweet until the next day to keep a form...

For the topping, heat to boil the creme fraiche in a little casserole. Once boiled, low fire to medium and throw in the casserole the chocolate to melt. Mix slowly with a silicon spatula until mixture is well incorporated and withdraw from the kitchen.

In a bain marie dish melt the gianduja chocolate while mixing with a spatula.

Basically, with a spoon, spread some white chocolate and gianduja to your sweet, on top and in the plate. You may cover the whole sweet with the white chocolate topping. First, since it needs to be a little thicker leave it for 3 hours in a bowl, out of the fridge (unless it's summer where you should let it cool for two hours at least).

As I stated in the ingredients, topping is optional. The below pictures show some indicative ways to serve... But this dessert can be definitely served without and be the same as it is .... meaning a delice!

• My favourite idea to decorate this plate and dessert is with creme anglaise, where we will find in another recipe. It's a delicate cream (original ice cream preparation is based on its recipe) and gives character. White chocolate and gianduja give another taste to your sweet and at the same time facilitate you since you spend less time in preparations.
• Cling film is one of the assistants in the kitchen. Usually, I use it to cover creams and mousse to reserve in the fridge. There are special ones to be used as well in the oven and at the micro waves. Resistant perfectly in fridge and freeze.
• Gianduja is a sweet chocolate very delightful and has an alternative taste especially when using in the same recipe with hazelnuts or praline. I strongly recommend you to try it...! You will love it! We will make lots with it.
• My dear Greek friends, no worries if you can't find brioche in Greece. Traditional tsoureki suits you best as well. Nevertheless, pay attention to the syrup. You know that as per its ingredients tsoureki is sweeter, while brioche not too much. So I would recommend a much lighter syrup with 80 gr of sugar instead of 100. All you need is for your base to be wet, not wet and extra sweet (remember that you have chocolate and creme patissiere and you dessert must be balanced). Instead you could definitely find in the super market toast bread brioche type. You may use it as well, it's more than fine. But if you are in France... you know....
• Precious creme patissiere: When you have creme patissiere in the fridge for many hours or the next day and you wish to use it in a dessert, soft and fluffy all you have to do is put it in the mixer and use the fender to mix it for a few seconds.... In case you take it directly from the fridge your cream will be naturally solid, but when soft, the cream can be easily spread in any recipe.

The next tip is prepare it and enjoy it. It's delicious!

Thank you all for joining and I hope you like this recipe!

Love,

Les Delices d' Eleni

Brownie with fresh vanilla cheese cream

Sometimes you wonder what kind of sweet you can easily or quickly make for friends or family... or for yourself. Some of you mentioned that you are not so much familiarized with preparation of creams and asked me to make videos as such... I am working on it. But right now I will present you a simple recipe, that you can decorate the way you want and for sure will appreciate with coffee or after lunch. A little piece of it is really something... delicious!

Brownie with fresh vanilla cheese cream
For: 6 -7 persons
Preparation time: 15'
Baking time: 20' 
Waiting time: 30'


Ingredients
For brownie:
(brownie recipe by Stelios Parliaros, incredible recipe never missed)
300gr chocolate 55%
160gr butter (lurpak/president type)
4 medium eggs
250 gr sugar
200 gr flour for all purposes sifted

For the cream:
300 gr mascarpone cheese
30 gr powder sugar
150 gr fresh cream (liquid)
1 tea spoon fresh vanilla grains
(if you can't find vanille grains, you may buy fresh vanilla beans. Cut along the middle of the bean and with a knife clear the content of the bean and use it accordingly to the recipe as follows)

Ideas for decoration:
Icing bag and nozzles of your choice (you see mine at this recipe)
Nuts (November is the season)
Possibly raspberries or cherries 
Powder sugar and cocoa powder

Baking brownie:

• Put in the mixer the eggs and the sugar and start beating them in medium speed until they are finely raised.

• At the same time put in "bain marie" the chocolate in chops with the butter to fully melt in medium temperature as well.

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg. (Celcius, resistances). Once the eggs and the sugar are raised fluffy and colored white, release from the mixed and gently pour the chocolate mixture (little by little not once)  to the eggs and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated and turn to brown color.
  

Pour at the end little by little the sifted flour to the mixture and mix gently until the flour is well incorporated but as well is slightly thick.

(With the help of a little spatula or spoon you try to cover the edges of your dish with as much content as possible, in order to get a rectangular or square like in the page below)

• For this particular recipe I used a square dish. I put inside baking paper all along of it. I do this because this particular type of cake will stick to the dish and you will not be able to release the baked content and consequently or possibly you will fail the final result. For this recipe I don't recommend the use of silicon dish. 
• Put in the oven and bake not more than 20 minutes. The purpose is to keep a moist brownie.Then withdraw from the oven and leave it outside for half an hour to reach the room temperature.

Preparing the cream:

In the meantime you may prepare the cheese cream. Put in a bowl the cheese cream and beat slightly so that the cheese becomes soft. This procedure enables a better mixture of all ingredients. Add the powder sugar and incorporate by beating with a hand mixer for 30 seconds. While using the mixer incorporate the fresh cream little by little and continue to beat until you have a stable cream made. Finally spread to the mixture the vanilla crops and continue beating until the whole mixture gets in its content little black spots. Cream is ready. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to be then ready to spread it in your brownie.

Decorating:

There are many ways to decorate a sweet, always based on your inspiration and imagination. Very easy to handle an icing bag you may use nozzles that you like, even simpler ones and make with your cream various designs.

While you cut symmetrically the edges you will be able to have a square or rectangular shaped sweet. My sweet was bigger than the plate to use so I thought of different ideas to decorate. The edges cut haven't been thrown but used as you will see below in the same sweet.

You may spread some nuts, even grilled almonds in pieces, some fruits, spread a combined powder of sugar and cocoa and make your plate not only tasty but cute... a pastry shop result!

Tips:

• When I have to use mixer I always take out of fridge the eggs, the cheese cream or the butter. I recommend all three ingredients that you are about to use in the recipe, to be off your fridge for at least 20-30 minutes.
• Baking paper can be very useful in the kitchen. Different uses that you possibly will see in my next videos or recipe analytical photos. A good quality of baking paper can facilitate your works and provide you the good result.
• This is a general tip: while using first material, be sure that you use standard ingredients each time. Especially when you deal with sugar and flour once you use a specific brand or quality and you are satisfied, make sure that you have it as first choice always in your super market list. This doesn't mean of course that you can't experiment with other brands. Same as for butter, especially concerning the taste of it.
• Chocolate as mentioned in other recipes should be of good quality: it mixes better with other ingredients like butter and fresh cream but gives a brilliant taste to your pastry. In some recipes you could use different kinds of chocolates that you might find in the super market.

Would you say no to this piece???

Thank you all for being there,

Waiting for your comments,

Love

Les Delices d' Eleni