gary danko: recipe... vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache, coconut ice cream and warm caramel sauce

belinda leong, gary danko's pastry chef, is the mastermind behind this dessert and she is absolutely fabulous for sending us this recipe (basically, a power chick's version of the girl scout's samoa cookies) .


here is the recipe divided into six parts:
vanilla shortbread
chocolate coconut disk
caramel sauce
bittersweet chocolate ganache
coconut ice cream
assembly

if you would like the full pdf version of this recipe, please click here...

as you will see by the pictures accompanying the recipes, i made this at home. this was not difficult to make since i cheated just a tad by buying coconut ice cream and using bernard callebaut caramel.

aside: here are some photos of the gary danko kitchen...


(the cinnamon toast crunch is a staff snack)

gary danko: vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache

gary danko's in san francisco is completely fabulous! i had an incredible dinner with the boys from amano chocolate and my fiancé while we were up there for the chocolate salon. gary danko's food was astounding and the service was impeccable.... it brought a sweet reminiscence of taillevent in paris.

here is my menu from that divine epicurean nite:

♦ ♦ ♦
risotto with lobster, rock shrimp, zucchini, crispy artichokes and lemon-herb butter
♠
seared sea scallops with salsify, fava beans, frisée and pancetta
♠
roasted loin of bison with king trumpet mushrooms, glazed cipollini onions and herb spätzle
♠
vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache
♦ ♦ ♦

the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache dessert (basically a power chick's version of the girl scout's samoa cookies) was/is an astounding creation by the belinda leong, gary danko's pastry chef. her composition was absolutely masterful by starting with a layer of shortbread, then ganache, a dusting of toasted coconut, coconut ice cream atop, then a couverture disk of chocolate and coconut. after the dessert was presented, hot caramel sauce was poured onto the couverture which allowed the chocolate to slowly melt onto the work of edible art.

please stay tuned... i will post the recipe for this decadence tomorrow.

gary danko: vanilla shortbread

320 g. (1 and 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
320 g. (1 cup and 6 tablespoons) butter, room temp
110 g. (7) egg yolks
450 g. (3 cups) all-purpose flour
30 g. (7 teaspons) baking powder


cream the butter and sugar together.

add the egg yolks one at a time.

sift the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture.

paddle just until incorporated.

chill for at least 4 hours.

spray and sugar 12 ringmolds. roll the dough i/8" thick in ring molds that are the same size. *if they are not baked in ringmolds, they will spread. bake in a preheated oven at 350 until golden (you will have to watch them)

**since i did not have that many ring molds, i baked them in muffin tins... use 1/8 cup measure... the one pictured uses 1/4 cups and they were a bit too big.

this is part one of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

gary danko: chocolate coconut disk

• 52% chocolate couverture [you can use 4 left over bars of chocolate]


• toasted desicated coconut [you can toast coconut by placing it in a pot and stirring until golden brown over moderately high heat]

temper chocolate and spread onto an acetate sheet [melt the chocolate by creating a double boiler (one pot of chocolate into a pot of boiling water) then pour a thin layer of melted chocolate onto wax paper].

sprinkle the toasted coconut over the chocolate.

use a round cutter to cut the disks. remove from the acetate when set.

this is part two of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

gary danko: caramel sauce

4 c. granulated sugar
3 tb. light corn syrup
2 ¼ c. heavy cream
1 vanilla bean

caramelize the sugar and corn syrup to 320 degrees. step back from the pot and add the cream and vanilla to the sugar. whisk together until smooth.

[there was minor cheating using the bernard callebaut caramel sauce]

this is part three of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

gary danko: bittersweet chocolate ganache

2 ¼ c. heavy cream
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 lb. 4 oz. 52% chocolate
4 oz. 70% chocolate
4 ½ oz. butter, room temp. [stick of butter]


[i used callebaut and askinosie - not sure about my final measurements - the askinosie chips (70% san jose del tambo sipping chocolate) kept disappearing since they were a bit on the addictive side].


scald the cream and sugar.

place both chocolates into a stainless steel bowl. pour the hot cream and sugar mixture over the chocolates.

let it sit for about a minute,

then whisk gently to emulsify. *try not to whisk vigorously because you want to avoid air bubbles.

when the mixture is emulsified, add the butter and incorporate gently with a rubber spatula.

when the mixture is emulsified, shiny and smooth,

then pour onto a flat ¼ sheet pan. chill in the refrigerator until set.

this is part four of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

gary danko: coconut ice cream

4 ½ c. heavy cream
2 ¼ c. milk
1 ½ c. toasted desicated coconut
1 vanilla bean
1 ½ c. granulated sugar
15 egg yolks
1 tsp. kosher salt

bring the cream, milk and coconut to a boil. cover the pot with plastic wrap and infuse for 30 minutes. combine the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl. when the milk/cream/coconut mixture is ready, temper it into the egg yolks and sugar. pour the mixture back into the pot and cook until 165 degrees. strain the mixture and cool in a water bath. chill overnight and the next day, freeze in the ice cream machine.

[or get mcconnell's island coconut ice cream]


this is part five of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

gary danko: assemblage

place a vanilla shortbread disk on a plate.

use a ring cutter and torch to cut the ganache into a round. use the torch to flame the sides of the ring cutter to remove ganache [you may avoid this altogether by just cutting the ganache with the circular cutter then romoving it with a large flat spatula].

place the ganache on top of the shortbread.

sprinkle some toasted coconut onto the ganache. this will prevent the ice cream from sliding sround.

scoop the ice cream and

place a chocolate coconut disk on top.



[in front of your guests,] pour the warm caramel sauce slowly onto disk, waiting for the suace to melt the disk.


this is part six of six for the vanilla shortbread with bittersweet chocolate ganache recipe

saratoga chocolates: le jardin de chocolat

this is from our contributing snob, nick leventini...

"this thick dark chocolate is appropriately named "le jardin chocolat". this garden is pleasing to the eyes and to the taste buds! the bar is a piece of art with its beautiful array of colors (bits of dried apricots, candied orange peels, almonds, pistachio nuts, and crystallized ginger). the back of the bar is stamped with saratoga's stamp of approval... no visual detail was left undone! flavors of ginger and orange keep me coming back for more! scrumptious!"

smart & final: real milk chocolate gold coins

unpalatable, offensive, and brackish.

bon bon bar: orange caramel ● pecan nougat

this is definitely not your ordinary mars bar... i wish that all grocers had this bar at the point of check out... the bon bon bar is incredibly delightful with a scent of orange. it is full of caramely-gooey-wonderfulness - - - i am sure that when candy bars were first made, they were made like this.

the bar may seem a bit steep at five bucks a pop ... but you can definitely tell that the company is not skimping on good and real ingredients... you can taste the rich butter and delight your buds with the candied oranges.

I will have to do a better scan of their cute logo! i just love that the company is based in LA - - - that rocks!

golden gopher: german chocolate cake cocktail

my fiance met me after my meeting downtown and we walked over to the golden gopher for cocktails.

dave, our mixologist and a musician, made us the most fabulous mint julep's (something quite hard to find in LA). after the julep's, we decided to have a german chocolate cake cocktail for dessert - - - a formidable pièce de résistance. here is the recipe:

german chocolate cake cocktail

fill a shaker with ice and add equal parts absolut citron and frangelico.


shake, shake, shake...


prepare a sugar rimmed glass. dust a slice of lemon with sugar and garnish glass with the lemon.


strain ice and pour.


drink instructions: try not to get too much sugar in your mouth and sip the cocktail. after your initial sip, gently bite into the lemon garnish. how bizarre...it really does taste just like german chocolate cake.

san francisco international chocolate salon

please join us at the san francisco international chocolate salon this sunday! it will be from 10-6 on april 13. we will be on the panel again... so please come and find us to say hello.

the second annual san francisco international chocolate salon participants include: newtree gourmet belgian chocolate, the tearoom, coco-luxe confections, saratoga chocolates, sacred chocolate, guittard chocolate, the chocolate traveler, san francisco toffee company, marti chocolatt, christopher elbow artisanal chocolate, chocoholics divine desserts, cosmic chocolate, poco dolce, the xocolate bar, jade chocolates, ghirardelli chocolate, gateau et ganache, charles chocolates, amano artisan chocolate, trader joes, moonstruck chocolate cafe, rushburn toffee company, chuao chocolatier, schoggi, scharffen berger chocolate maker, coco delice fine chocolates, vermeer dutch chocolate cream liqueur, nespresso, silver stone wines, sol rouge winery, xox truffles, the san francisco chocolate factory, le creuset, swissmar, putumayo world music, chocolate television and tastetv, and more.

click here for tickets: http://www.sfchocolatesalon.com/

chocolat poulain: chocolate trading cards

chocolat poulain / goutez et comparez / qualite sans rivale
“il avait ete a la peine, il etait bien juste qu'il fut a l'honneur” (jeanne d'arc)

aristide boucicaut, the legendary director of the bon marché in 1850, was a marketing savant. he basically invented “gift with purchase” by giving away chromolithograph trading cards on thursdays. children would race to his store every week (with parents in tow) to get the latest chromo for their collection.

chocolate companies soon caught on and slipped chromos in their packaging. the cards covered: children’s songs, history, geography, natural sciences, professions... the chromos were not only used to sell more bars but they were also used for education.

the chromo above, from chocolat poulain, depicts joan of arc at her trial…

the judges were astonished that a small country-woman was able to attend the coronation of charles vii (july 17, 1429 at reims cathedral). the judges asked why joan was given a place of honor next to the king rather than a nobleman. She proudly stated "it had borne the burden; it was only right that it should have the honor".

if you have not yet seen the messenger: the story of joan of arc - - - i highly recommend this gorgeously made film!