Chocolate Marquise

The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrowand Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

Personally, I had some issues with this dessert. Not the making, not the instructions, just simply the overworked feeling of the way it was originally presented to me. It had too many bells and whistles and competing flavors. When I read through it, all I wanted was to eat the frozen chocolate mousse I know and love. So I did.

I'd also recommend replacing the boiled meringue with a regular meringue. It's faster, cooler, simpler, and in the summer, the less time anyone spends standing over a hot stove the better. Am I right?

I truly L-O-V-E this chocolate base. I do. But a warning, it melts like an ice cube on asfalt in July. I have some plans for some future adaptations on it. Until then, enjoy some frozen chocolate mousse and toasted meringue!

Chocolate Marquise
Servings: 10 2 ½ inch rounds

For the chocolate base:

3 oz (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons) bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cocoa)
1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons (90 ml/3 fluid oz.) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml/ 1/2 fluid oz.) light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dutch process cocoa
 1/4 oz unsalted butter (1/2 tablespoon/8 grams), softened

3 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 large egg
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (40 ml) (40 grams/ 1½ oz) sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (2/3 fluid oz/ 20 ml.) water
½ cup (4 fluid oz./ 120 ml.) heavy cream

for the meringue

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon (105 ml) (3½ oz or 100 gms) sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Begin by making the chocolate base.

Place the chocolate in a small mixing bowl.

In a double-boiler, warm the cream until it is hot to the touch (but is not boiling). Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.

Allow it to sit for a minute or two before stirring. Stir until the chocolate is melted completely and is smooth throughout.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Set aside until cooled to room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as the base needs to be soft when added to the marquise mixture. If you make it the day before, you may need to warm it slightly. Whisk it until it is smooth again before using it in the marquise recipe.

While cooling prepare your containers.

Cut five inch by five inch squares of parchment paper to make tulip paper wrappers (as seen above and in my chocolate bacon or strawberry balsamic cupcakes).

Press the parchment paper into the molds of a mini cheesecake pan or muffin tin.

I will admit that pressing the parchment paper in, and getting it to bake as nicely is not as super easy as I made that sound. My advice would be to find a glass, or round cutter that will find into the cupcake mold and use it to hold down the paper while you make flatten the paper to the sides and make creases in it so it holds its shape better. Worth it! So cute!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg yolks and whole eggs. Whip on high speed until very thick and pale, about 10 - 15 minutes.

When the eggs are getting close to finishing, make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil and then cook to softball stage (235F/115C). If you have a cake tester with a metal loop for a handle, the right stage for the syrup is reached when you can blow a bubble through the loop (as seen in the following pictures).

With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle the sugar syrup into the fluffy eggs, trying to hit that magic spot between the mixing bowl and the whisk.

When all of the syrup has been added (do it fairly quickly), turn the mixer back on high and whip until the bowl is cool to the touch. This will take at least 10 minutes.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Set aside.

When the egg mixture has cooled, add the chocolate base to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Try to get it as consistent as possible without losing all of the air you've whipped into the eggs. We used the stand mixer for this, and it took about 1 minute.

Fold 1/3 of the reserved whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Pour into the prepared liners.

Freeze until very firm, at least 2 - 4 hours (preferably 6 – 8 hours).

When about ready to serve, make meringue.

Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using your (clean, washed) hand, reach in the bowl and stir the three together, making sure the sugar is moistened evenly by the egg whites and they make a homogeneous liquid.

Over a saucepan of simmering water, warm the egg white mixture. Use one hand to stir the mixture continuously, feeling for grains of sugar in the egg whites. As the liquid heats up, the sugar will slowly dissolve and the egg whites will thicken. This step is complete when you don't feel any more sugar crystals in the liquid and it is uniformly warm, nearly hot.

Remove the mixing bowl from the saucepan and return it to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until you reach soft peaks. In the last 10 seconds of mixing, add the vanilla to the meringue and mix thoroughly.

When you're ready to plate the dessert put a dollop onto each marquise. Torch by hand, being careful not to set parchment paper liners on fire. Do not allow marquise to sit out more than 5 minutes before serving. It melts quickly. If the dessert appears too melted, return the freezer for a few minutes.