Riviera

Slice of Riviera with lemon cream and ganache

I was not satisfied with the 1st attempt of the flourless chocolate cake. So I attempted the 2nd. I was using KitchenAid so much at work, that sometimes I’m not familiar with my Kenwood at home so much, especially with the whisk. I do find that Kenwood takes longer to whisk. much longer. Okay checklist, another reason to buy KitchenAid. *bummer*

Anyway, 2nd time around, the flourless choc cake was okay, pass. But wasn’t what I was looking for, or rather expecting. and i knew something wasn’t right. SO cut story short, I had to use the lemon cream and the whipped cream anyway, so I just made it..

Riviera is one of Pierre Herme’s creation. And I don’t think I need to explain much about who Pierre Herme is. French & European pastries and cakes are still close to my heart. Creating new recipes and incorporating new ingredients still appeals alot to me. Hence, blog readers, you will see alot of those in future.

The combination of chocolate and lemon is not so common actually. Usually a light and tangy flavour like lemon would portray something light and clean. Whereas chocolate, would give an image of something heavy and rich. But I must say, they tastes great together! and I LOVE the lemon cream from the book. It’s called lemon cream but its not lemon curd. Its unlike other curds, its much smoother and silkier. GREAT on breads or crackers or just as it is. Traditional lemon curd are made by cooking eggs, butter, lemon together (some even with starch) which makes it quite buttery and heavy. But PH’s lemon cream is made by whipping up a sabayon and then blending butter into it, making it like an emulsion (think mayonnaise). Hence the luscious, creamy yet velvety and exceptionally airy texture to it. Yummy..

Lemon Cream by Pierre Herme

1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons (10-1/2 ounces)
unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size
pieces, at room temperature

Getting Ready: Have an instant-read thermometer, a strainer and a blender (first choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan, and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk—you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling—you’ll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point—the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience—depending on how much heat you’re giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180 degrees F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor) and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going—to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnig

ht. (The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days and, or tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.)

I’ll probably tweak and use sponge instead so there’s more cake, but otherwise, it’s a pretty good cake!
Check out the 2 young food tasters… hehe

so, what’s next ?