hmmm financiers…
A) a person who handles large sums of money or
B) a French tea-cake also known as Friand meaning ‘dainty’ or ‘tasty?’
I’d heard of the financial kind but not the fancy tea-cake kind until I discovered them in my search for an accompaniment for this Rhubarb & White Chocolate Fool. I needed something cheffy to impress the judge of this month’s Irish Foodies Cookalong – Dylan McGrath.
Dylan attained a Michelin star while at Mint and now is the driving force of Rustic Stone (Dublin). Alas, I’ve never eaten in either but my sister (Hi Grainne!) was very impressed with Rustic Stone. Having a look at the menu on the restaurant’s website is making me hungry and it sounds like the type of food we all strive to eat. First-class ingredients, high on flavour,low on fat and creative. Plus you can choose to cook your meat or fish yourself on a hot volcanic stone.
I’ve seen Dylan McGrath on RTE’s ‘Guerilla Gourmet’ programme and from reading up on him in Wikipedia it appears we have a bit in common. I too am known “for his[my] repeated attempts to attract the attention of his staff [my children] through the medium of loud words and actions.”
I’ve chosen great flavoursome ingredients – (Irish Rhubarb, Irish Cream & French (Valhrona) White Chocolate ), attempted creativity (white chocolate chipped financiers) but low in fat it ain’t.
Rhubarb & White Chocolate Fool with White Chocolate Chip Financiers – Makes 4.
You will need: (for the Stewed Rhubarb)
4 to 5 stalks of rhubarb
50g caster sugar
A little water
Method: (for the Stewed Rhubarb)
Rinse and chop the rhubarb into a saucepan.
Sprinkle in the sugar and a splash of water.
Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce heat to a very low simmer to stew the rhubarb with a lid on, to a soft syrupy pulp.
You will need: (for the White Chocolate Fool)
120g white chocolate chips (I used Valhrona from The Chocolate Shop in The English Market)
220ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
half tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp syrup water from cooked rhubarb
Method:(for the White Chocolate Fool)
Melt the white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave and leave to cool a little.
Whip the double cream for 1 minute then add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.
Continue to whip the double cream until it holds soft peaks.
Mix a couple of tablespoons of whipped cream into the white chocolate until smooth.
Mix in 1 tbsp of rhubarb syrup water.
Fold in the remainder of the whipped double cream.
(If, as happened to me the chocolate and cream curdles, – stick it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and beat it back to smoothness)
You will need: (for the White Chocolate Chipped Financiers)
60g unsalted butter
60g ground almonds
80g caster sugar
15g plain flour
25g white chocolate chips (chopped really small)
1 egg white
Method: (for the White Chocolate Chipped Financiers)
Makes 18 mini muffin size
Melt the butter, then raise the heat and watch it carefully as it foams until it turns a golden brown (beurre noisette). Don’t burn it!
Pour the butter into a jug scraping away the foam. Leave it to settle and the solids will drop to the bottom.
Mix the ground almonds, caster sugar and flour in a bowl and stir in the white chocolate chips
Lightly whisk egg white until bubbly and foamy (nowhere near stiff)
Add the almond mixture in on top of the egg whites and pour over the butter (but not the solids) and mix to form a batter.
Chill the batter in the fridge while the oven heats for 10-15 minutes.
Heat the fan oven to 180C /Gas Mark 6.
Pour the batter into lightly greased mini-muffin trays. (I used mini muffin cases which were a bit fiddly to peel off so hope greasing the trays will work just as well)
Bake for 10 minutes until golden and cool on a wire rack.
To assemble & serve:
Strain off most of the syrup from the stewed rhubarb and put a couple of generous tablespoons at the base of 4 Martini/Cosmopolitan glasses.
Pour the White Chocolate Fool on top.
Serve with a couple of White Chocolate Chipped Financiers on the side and some shavings of white chocolate on top.
Enjoy!
Til next time, Sheila.
p.s. this is my contribution to the Irish Foodies Cookalong with the theme of Chocolate for April. To have a look at others visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102711646449318