From Amazon
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has been setting food trends at his world-famous Spago restaurants since they opened in the early 1980s. But when it comes to dessert, he wisely lets his pastry chef, Mary Bergin, stay with the classics (though admittedly she does them in ultrasophisticated ways). Here, as a follow-up to her Spago Desserts cookbook, Bergin's chocolate indulgences range from a decadently satiny Chocolate Cheesecake, and assorted brownies, to her complex Hazelnut Dome, a round of ethereal chocolate and hazelnut cake mounded with rich mousse, all concealed in a chocolate shell. Among the most memorable recipes here are the Heavenly Banana Soufflé Surprise and Peanut Butter Cups. Melted chocolate is the secret surprise at the heart of the classic soufflé. Thanks to the recipe-writing work of Judy Gethers, you will see that this unforgettable composition is really easy to make. The Peanut Butter Cups, balls of butter-silkened peanut butter set into chocolate-filled mini-cups, would make E.T. forget about going home.
Understanding time pressures faced by even devoted home cooks, Gethers tells how far ahead each of the nearly 100 extravaganzas in Spago Chocolate can be made. Right at the top of each recipe there is a list of all the equipment needed to help you get organized.
Alan Richardson's 26 color photos show that these desserts are impressive yet approachable. Most are simple enough for a confident cook to make, thanks to this book's user-friendly recipes. --Dana Jacobi
From Library Journal
Spago Desserts showcased favorite desserts of all types from Wolfgang Puck's popular restaurants. This time, Bergin, pastry chef at Spago, Las Vegas, and coauthor Gethers limit their tantalizing selection to chocolate treats. There are cakes and pastries, pies and tarts, cookies, souffl?s and other "creamy desserts," and a selection of delicious candies; some are as homey as Buttermilk Layer Cake, others as sophisticated as Dark Chocolate Pots de Cr?me and Orange Brul?e. Any chocolate lover will find this book irresistible; recommended for all pastry collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Chocolate is not just an inclination. It is a passion, a disposition of the soul. Here, collected for the first time, are recipes for the chocolate desserts people clamor for night after night at Spago--many so popular they can't be taken off the menu. Spago Chocolate is a passport to indulgence and a chance to bring a piece of the Spago magic home, with the prom-ise of recurring pleasure.
There are recipes for beginners, as easy as to-die-for chocolate chunk cookies, chocolate tiramisù, or dark chocolate cupcakes. Try Mary's spectacular chocolate truffle cake (it will have your guests in awe), a mouthwatering white chocolate soufflé with Grand Marnier sauce, or a chocolate-nougatine tart with apricot ice cream. Spago regulars will find their favorites, from the world's most sinfully seductive chocolate mousse to a showstopping meringue Napoleon.
With breathtaking photographs by Alan Richard-son, one of America's top food photographers, Spago Chocolate has been fully tested at home by Judy Gethers, who has shaped every Spago cookbook from The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook to Spago Desserts. Every recipe is broken down into simple basics, with unmistakably clear instructions and helpful tips.
Like Wolfgang Puck, Spago's charismatic chef and owner, pastry chef Mary Bergin has mastered the rare blend of classical teaching and dazzling, innovative spirit that has made the James Beard Award-winning Spagos among the best-loved restaurants in the world. Now you can make Mary Bergin's unforgettable chocolate desserts at home--just as they are prepared in the Spago kitchens.
There are recipes for beginners, as easy as to-die-for chocolate chunk cookies, chocolate tiramisù, or dark chocolate cupcakes. Try Mary's spectacular chocolate truffle cake (it will have your guests in awe), a mouthwatering white chocolate soufflé with Grand Marnier sauce, or a chocolate-nougatine tart with apricot ice cream. Spago regulars will find their favorites, from the world's most sinfully seductive chocolate mousse to a showstopping meringue Napoleon.
With breathtaking photographs by Alan Richard-son, one of America's top food photographers, Spago Chocolate has been fully tested at home by Judy Gethers, who has shaped every Spago cookbook from The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook to Spago Desserts. Every recipe is broken down into simple basics, with unmistakably clear instructions and helpful tips.
Like Wolfgang Puck, Spago's charismatic chef and owner, pastry chef Mary Bergin has mastered the rare blend of classical teaching and dazzling, innovative spirit that has made the James Beard Award-winning Spagos among the best-loved restaurants in the world. Now you can make Mary Bergin's unforgettable chocolate desserts at home--just as they are prepared in the Spago kitchens.
About the Author
Mary Bergin is one of the longest-standing veterans of Spago, where she has worked since the first res-taurant was founded in the early eighties. One of the stars of Julia Child's Cook-ing with Master Chefs, her recipes have been featured on the Food Network, Good Morning America, and The Home Show. She was head pastry chef at Spago Los Angeles from 1987 to 1992, when she helped launch Spago Las Vegas, where she is head pastry chef today. She contributed recipes to Wolfgang Puck's Adventures in the Kitchen and is the co-author of Spago Desserts. She encourages her two children, Jackie and Anthony, to play an active role in tasting and experimenting in the kitchen.
Judy Gethers, whose family has owned Ratner's, a landmark New York City restaurant, since 1905, grew up in and around kitchens. She collaborated with Wolfgang Puck on The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook and Adventures in the Kitchen. She is also the author of The World Famous Ratner's Meatless Cookbook, Italian Country Cooking, and (with Mary Bergin) Spago Desserts.
Alan Richardson is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, Esquire, Food & Wine, GQ, Self, Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post Magazine. He was the photographer for The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking.
Judy Gethers, whose family has owned Ratner's, a landmark New York City restaurant, since 1905, grew up in and around kitchens. She collaborated with Wolfgang Puck on The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook and Adventures in the Kitchen. She is also the author of The World Famous Ratner's Meatless Cookbook, Italian Country Cooking, and (with Mary Bergin) Spago Desserts.
Alan Richardson is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, Esquire, Food & Wine, GQ, Self, Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post Magazine. He was the photographer for The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION
One of life's great pleasures is the taste of chocolate. Writing about chocolate evokes many wonderful memories of my childhood. I can still recall the sheer ecstasy of the first bite of an ice cream concoction, or a chewy cookie, or a frosted cake.
My sister Cathy, who is seven years older than me, was my inspiration in the kitchen. One day, out of the blue, she decided to make an angel food cake from scratch. I was amazed; the only cakes I had tasted had come from a box. One bite and I was hooked. This, I thought, is what I want to do. When Cathy opened up a trendy restaurant in West Hollywood and asked me to join her, I jumped at the chance. We had a part-time pastry cook then, and when she quit one day I became the de facto dessert chef.
I have Rudi Gernreich, the designer of the topless bathing suit, to thank for nudging me to Spago. He was a big supporter of mine and a constant inspiration. Rudi came into the kitchen one night and showed me how to make a Sachertorte. It was my first professional dessert. Rudi told me about a friend of his named Puck who was opening a restaurant. He kept pushing me to go for an interview. At his urging, every day after work for four days in a row I walked (I didn't have a car then) to Spago, which was under construction at the time, and every day there was no one to talk to. Finally, on the fifth day, I went upstairs and saw a desk and chair and said to myself, I'm sitting here until someone comes whom I can talk to. Sure enough, after an hour or so a man appeared and asked me who I was and what I wanted. I was so angry by then that I shouted at this unsuspecting person, "Do I have a job here or what?" The man was Wolfgang Puck. I guess he liked my spunk, because he hired me on the spot.
Some of my fondest memories involve Spago's famous Academy Award parties. Back in 1986, while I was looking through the aisles of Gloria's Cake and Candy Supplies store in California, I noticed a candy mold in the shape of an Oscar. On a whim, I decided to buy it.
While we were preparing for our annual Oscar gala that year, Wolfgang told me that Irving "Swifty" Lazar, the host of this big bash, was celebrating his birthday on the night of the party and Wolfgang wanted to make a special cake for him. I realized I had the perfect centerpiece. I made a milk chocolate Oscar, decorated it with gold leaf, and stood it up in the center of his cake. Swifty loved it!
In 1989, my Oscar got his big break: Wolfgang wanted chocolate Oscars for all the tables. We made about three hundred of them. The night of the party, Wolfgang and I were standing in the pastry kitchen with cameras flashing all around us. He held up one of the Oscars, gave a little of its background, and then proceeded to bite its head off. Wolfgang--and my headless Oscar--got a standing ovation.
I hope the chocolate desserts in this book will help you create your own wonderful memories--and maybe even earn you a standing ovation!
Individual Chocolate-Hazelnut Cakes
Makes twelve 3-inch cakes
At Spago, we bake these cakes in special tins that we have made specifically for us. The tins are round circles of stainless steel, 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches high. You can use ramekins of the same dimensions. This is a rich dessert and, accompanied by Drambouie-Flavored Crème Anglaise, a particularly flavorful one.
EQUIPMENT:--12 muffin tins or ramekins, 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches deep, medium heatproof bowl, whip or egg beater, electric mixer with 2 large bowls, food processor, rubber spatula
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat with vegetable spray 12 muffin tins or ramekins. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour. Set aside.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. When it is almost melted, turn off the heat and allow it to melt completely, stirring occasionally. Chocolate should be warm, not hot, when used.
3. In a large bowl using a whip or eggbeater, whip the cream. You should have 2 cups whipped cream. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or beaters, on high speed beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale yellow in color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then add the hazelnut paste, and beat on high speed until well mixed. Stop the machine occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl and under the beaters using a rubber spatula.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Scrape the egg mixture back into the whipped cream and fold through.
6. Fill the tins or ramekins three-quarters full. (If using the same tin or ramekin again, after baking, cool, clean as needed, spray, and flour.) Bake until the top is fairly firm to the touch, but the center is still soft, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. To remove the cake, run a sharp knife around the inside of the tin or ramekin, loosening the cake, and unmold the cake onto a flat surface.
7. To serve, place one cake in the center of a plate and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Spoon Drambouie-Flavored Crème Anglaise around each cake and place a large dollop of whipped cream alongside. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and place a mint leaf in the cream. Top with a few chocolate curls, if desired. You can also decorate the outside rim of each plate with dots of Raspberry or Strawberry Compote (see page 222), if desired.
TO PREPARE AHEAD:--Through step 6, the cakes can be made early in the day. When cool, refrigerate the cakes, removing them about 30 minutes before serving.
* Gelatin sheets are used in most restaurants. They can be found in gourmet shops and food catalogs. The sheets melt more easily and have less flavor than the powder.
Roulade au Chocolat Pour Julia
Makes one 17-inch cake roll
Serves 10 to 12
Mary made a version of this cake for Baking with Julia, the television series with Julia Child. (The recipe was included in the cookbook based on the series.) It's based on our Chocolate Chiffon Cake (see page 13), which we spread with filling and then roll, making this the most delectable "jelly" roll you have ever tasted. When the Spago staff sampled the cake, they all came back for second helpings--and they're a tough audience.
EQUIPMENT:--12 x 17 x 2-inch baking tray, sifter, electric mixer with 2 large bowls, rubber spatula, offset spatula, long serrated knife, pastry bag with #3 star tip
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat with vegetable spray a baking tray, 12 x 17 x 2 inches. Line with parchment paper and then spray the paper. Set aside.
2. Sift together 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or beaters, beat the egg yolks at high speed. Turn the machine to low and pour in the oil, water, and vanilla. Gradually add the sifted ingredients and, when almost incorporated, turn the speed to medium and beat until well combined.
4. In another clean large bowl, with whip or clean beaters, whip the 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Start on medium speed and raise the speed as the peaks begin to form. Gradually pour in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to whip until the whites are shiny and firm, but not stiff. With a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then scrape the chocolate mixture back into the whites, quickly folding until completely incorporated.
5. Scrape into the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula, smoothing and leveling the top. Bake until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan and the cake springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.
6. When completely cool, place the pan on a firm surface. With a sharp knife, cut around the outside edges of the entire cake, separating the cake from the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the surface of the cake (to prevent sticking when you invert the cake). Invert a second baking tray on the top of the cake and flip the cake over onto the second tray. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, turn the paper over, and place back on the cake. Invert the cake and the paper so that the paper is on the baking tray and the sugared side is on top. You are now ready to spread the filling onto the cake.
7. Fill and roll the cake: Place the cake with one of the 17-inch sides directly in front of you. Using your spatula, spread 11 2 cups of the Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse over the surface of the cake to the edge of three of the sides, leaving about a 1-inch space along the one side directly in front of you (see photo). Level the filling. Refrigerate the remaining mousse, covered.
8. Starting with the 17-inch side in front of you, using the parchment paper to help you, roll the cake toward the opposite side, completely enclosing the filling (see photo). Make certain that you do not roll the paper into the cake. Tuck the paper around the rolled cake to secure (see photo). Leave the cake on the pan a...
One of life's great pleasures is the taste of chocolate. Writing about chocolate evokes many wonderful memories of my childhood. I can still recall the sheer ecstasy of the first bite of an ice cream concoction, or a chewy cookie, or a frosted cake.
My sister Cathy, who is seven years older than me, was my inspiration in the kitchen. One day, out of the blue, she decided to make an angel food cake from scratch. I was amazed; the only cakes I had tasted had come from a box. One bite and I was hooked. This, I thought, is what I want to do. When Cathy opened up a trendy restaurant in West Hollywood and asked me to join her, I jumped at the chance. We had a part-time pastry cook then, and when she quit one day I became the de facto dessert chef.
I have Rudi Gernreich, the designer of the topless bathing suit, to thank for nudging me to Spago. He was a big supporter of mine and a constant inspiration. Rudi came into the kitchen one night and showed me how to make a Sachertorte. It was my first professional dessert. Rudi told me about a friend of his named Puck who was opening a restaurant. He kept pushing me to go for an interview. At his urging, every day after work for four days in a row I walked (I didn't have a car then) to Spago, which was under construction at the time, and every day there was no one to talk to. Finally, on the fifth day, I went upstairs and saw a desk and chair and said to myself, I'm sitting here until someone comes whom I can talk to. Sure enough, after an hour or so a man appeared and asked me who I was and what I wanted. I was so angry by then that I shouted at this unsuspecting person, "Do I have a job here or what?" The man was Wolfgang Puck. I guess he liked my spunk, because he hired me on the spot.
Some of my fondest memories involve Spago's famous Academy Award parties. Back in 1986, while I was looking through the aisles of Gloria's Cake and Candy Supplies store in California, I noticed a candy mold in the shape of an Oscar. On a whim, I decided to buy it.
While we were preparing for our annual Oscar gala that year, Wolfgang told me that Irving "Swifty" Lazar, the host of this big bash, was celebrating his birthday on the night of the party and Wolfgang wanted to make a special cake for him. I realized I had the perfect centerpiece. I made a milk chocolate Oscar, decorated it with gold leaf, and stood it up in the center of his cake. Swifty loved it!
In 1989, my Oscar got his big break: Wolfgang wanted chocolate Oscars for all the tables. We made about three hundred of them. The night of the party, Wolfgang and I were standing in the pastry kitchen with cameras flashing all around us. He held up one of the Oscars, gave a little of its background, and then proceeded to bite its head off. Wolfgang--and my headless Oscar--got a standing ovation.
I hope the chocolate desserts in this book will help you create your own wonderful memories--and maybe even earn you a standing ovation!
Individual Chocolate-Hazelnut Cakes
Makes twelve 3-inch cakes
At Spago, we bake these cakes in special tins that we have made specifically for us. The tins are round circles of stainless steel, 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches high. You can use ramekins of the same dimensions. This is a rich dessert and, accompanied by Drambouie-Flavored Crème Anglaise, a particularly flavorful one.
EQUIPMENT:--12 muffin tins or ramekins, 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches deep, medium heatproof bowl, whip or egg beater, electric mixer with 2 large bowls, food processor, rubber spatula
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat with vegetable spray 12 muffin tins or ramekins. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour. Set aside.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. When it is almost melted, turn off the heat and allow it to melt completely, stirring occasionally. Chocolate should be warm, not hot, when used.
3. In a large bowl using a whip or eggbeater, whip the cream. You should have 2 cups whipped cream. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or beaters, on high speed beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale yellow in color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then add the hazelnut paste, and beat on high speed until well mixed. Stop the machine occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl and under the beaters using a rubber spatula.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Scrape the egg mixture back into the whipped cream and fold through.
6. Fill the tins or ramekins three-quarters full. (If using the same tin or ramekin again, after baking, cool, clean as needed, spray, and flour.) Bake until the top is fairly firm to the touch, but the center is still soft, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. To remove the cake, run a sharp knife around the inside of the tin or ramekin, loosening the cake, and unmold the cake onto a flat surface.
7. To serve, place one cake in the center of a plate and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Spoon Drambouie-Flavored Crème Anglaise around each cake and place a large dollop of whipped cream alongside. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and place a mint leaf in the cream. Top with a few chocolate curls, if desired. You can also decorate the outside rim of each plate with dots of Raspberry or Strawberry Compote (see page 222), if desired.
TO PREPARE AHEAD:--Through step 6, the cakes can be made early in the day. When cool, refrigerate the cakes, removing them about 30 minutes before serving.
* Gelatin sheets are used in most restaurants. They can be found in gourmet shops and food catalogs. The sheets melt more easily and have less flavor than the powder.
Roulade au Chocolat Pour Julia
Makes one 17-inch cake roll
Serves 10 to 12
Mary made a version of this cake for Baking with Julia, the television series with Julia Child. (The recipe was included in the cookbook based on the series.) It's based on our Chocolate Chiffon Cake (see page 13), which we spread with filling and then roll, making this the most delectable "jelly" roll you have ever tasted. When the Spago staff sampled the cake, they all came back for second helpings--and they're a tough audience.
EQUIPMENT:--12 x 17 x 2-inch baking tray, sifter, electric mixer with 2 large bowls, rubber spatula, offset spatula, long serrated knife, pastry bag with #3 star tip
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or coat with vegetable spray a baking tray, 12 x 17 x 2 inches. Line with parchment paper and then spray the paper. Set aside.
2. Sift together 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or beaters, beat the egg yolks at high speed. Turn the machine to low and pour in the oil, water, and vanilla. Gradually add the sifted ingredients and, when almost incorporated, turn the speed to medium and beat until well combined.
4. In another clean large bowl, with whip or clean beaters, whip the 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Start on medium speed and raise the speed as the peaks begin to form. Gradually pour in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to whip until the whites are shiny and firm, but not stiff. With a rubber spatula, fold one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then scrape the chocolate mixture back into the whites, quickly folding until completely incorporated.
5. Scrape into the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula, smoothing and leveling the top. Bake until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan and the cake springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.
6. When completely cool, place the pan on a firm surface. With a sharp knife, cut around the outside edges of the entire cake, separating the cake from the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the surface of the cake (to prevent sticking when you invert the cake). Invert a second baking tray on the top of the cake and flip the cake over onto the second tray. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, turn the paper over, and place back on the cake. Invert the cake and the paper so that the paper is on the baking tray and the sugared side is on top. You are now ready to spread the filling onto the cake.
7. Fill and roll the cake: Place the cake with one of the 17-inch sides directly in front of you. Using your spatula, spread 11 2 cups of the Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse over the surface of the cake to the edge of three of the sides, leaving about a 1-inch space along the one side directly in front of you (see photo). Level the filling. Refrigerate the remaining mousse, covered.
8. Starting with the 17-inch side in front of you, using the parchment paper to help you, roll the cake toward the opposite side, completely enclosing the filling (see photo). Make certain that you do not roll the paper into the cake. Tuck the paper around the rolled cake to secure (see photo). Leave the cake on the pan a...
