Chocolate shortbread
Serves about 6
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, soft
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 Cup + 2 T cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 T cocoa powder
- In a mixer, using the paddle attachment, on low speed add butter and mix until the butter is lightly aerated.
- Add sugar, beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add salt. Sift flour and cocoa powder together and add half of it to the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed until almost incorporated, there should still be streaks of flour.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add rest of dry and mix until incorporated. Form a block about 1" high, and wrap in plastic wrap. Rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Roll dough about 1/8" thick. Cut to appropriate size. Bake at 325? for about 19 minutes, rotate pan halfway through cooking time.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 c milk
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/3 c heavy cream
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1c + 2T heavy cream, soft peak
- Heat cream until warm and set aside. In a deep pot, add second amount of sugar. Cook over medium heat. As the sugar starts to turn golden, stir sugar periodically. When the sugar has turned a golden amber, slowly pour in cream. Be careful, the addition of the cream will cause the caramel to steam.
- Heat back to a boil to melt any caramel solids. Add salt. And strain through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside to cool.
- Boil water in a pot. The pot should be able to hold the base of a bowl without touching the water. When the water is ready, combine first three ingredients in a bowl and wisk together.
- Turn heat down to a simmer and place the bowl over the pot. To prevent the eggs from 'scrambling', whisk constantly, to 84C or until thick ribbons form (when you lift the mixture and it falls back onto the mixture creating ribbons).
- Fold a small amount of egg yolk mixture into the cooled caramel. Fold half of the egg mixture into the caramel. Repeat once more. There should still be some streaks of caramel.
- Then fold in cream until everything is incorporated. Pour into molds or a pan lined with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight or until solid. Turn pan upside down to remove parfait and portion to desired size.
- Place a chocolate shortbread cookie under the parfait and another on top. Store in the freezer until ready to eat.
About Lisa Lu:
Bay Area native Lisa Lu is no stranger to desserts. After first contemplating a career in interior architecture, she was quickly drawn to the heat and sweet of the kitchen when she turned her chocolate making hobby into a career as she sought to constantly improve upon the holiday treats that she was making for friends.
Lu's first culinary job was as a pastry cook at Aqua in San Francisco and after three and a half years and advancing to Pastry Sous Chef, she left for some of the finest San Francisco kitchens including Globe Eats, Zuppa Restaurant, Quince and Michael Mina.
Lu is currently the pastry chef at Jardiniere Restaurant, co-owned by Traci Des Jardins and Pat Kuleto.
Lu loves all pastries, but is especially drawn to chocolate and anything that can be created from it. She holds a BFA in interior architecture from USF and Academy of Art.
Jardiniere
300 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-861-5555
Website: www.jardiniere.com
