Jacques Sugar Cage Recipes

SUGAR CAGE

Steps:

• Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 311 degrees F, or what is known as the "hard crack" stage. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a medium-sized, microwave-able glass bowl.
• Wash, dry, and lightly but thoroughly coat with cooking spray a clean, dry bowl that matches the diameter of whatever you're placing the sugar cage over. Dip the tines of a fork into the hot sugar. Carefully but quickly wave the fork over the inside of the bowl, allowing the sugar to drip off the fork in long, thin strands. Try to distribute the strands evenly on the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure to come all the way to the rim, however, not so thick that you can't see the bowl through the sugar.
• Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the edge of the cage clean by scraping the blade of the knife along the rim of the bowl. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
• To unmold the cage, place your thumbs on the outside of the bowl and your fingers on the inside of the sugar cage. Gently pull the cage loose from the side and bottom of the bowl; you will be able to see the cage release from the inside of the bowl. You will need to apply this gentle pressure all around the inside of the bowl. Once the cage has released from the bowl, carefully lift it out and place it over the dessert. If the sugar is still too warm, the cage may begin to collapse. A good idea is to release the cage from the bowl but leave it in the bowl until it has cooled completely. This will ensure that it keeps its shape. (At this stage, the cage can be stored, right side up, in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for one to two days.)

CROQUEMBOUCHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. To make the puffs: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in 1 1/2 cups water with salt and sugar. Remove pan from heat, and add flour. Return pan to heat and, using a wooden spoon, beat vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. (A film should form on the bottom of the pan.) Cool slightly, and add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously.
• Make a glaze by beating the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water, and set aside. Using a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and a 1/2-inch-wide plain tip, pipe out mounds that are 1 inch high and 3/4 inch in diameter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze, and smooth the tops. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on racks. (The puffs can be made ahead and frozen until ready to assemble.)
• Make the pastry cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, gradually adding sugar, until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Beat in flour. Scald milk, and add in dribbles to egg mixture, reserving 1/2 cup. Place mixture in a clean pot over high heat, and stir vigorously until mixture boils and thickens. If it seems too thick to pipe, add reserved milk. Remove from heat. Using a hand whisk, beat butter into egg mixture, one tablespoon at a time.
• In a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt chocolate and espresso together until smooth. Add chocolate mixture to the pastry cream; let cool completely. Just before assembling croquembouche, fill a pastry tube fitted with a 1/4-inch-wide tip with pastry cream, insert tip into puffs, and pipe in cream to fill.
• To make the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Do not stir. Cover pan, and boil until steam dissolves any crystals. Uncover, and boil 5 more minutes, or until syrup is amber in color. Remove from heat. Dip the bottom of each puff into the caramel, and arrange puffs in a pyramid.
• To make a spun-sugar web to wrap around the croquembouche: Cut the looped ends of a wire whisk with wire cutters, or use 2 forks held side by side, and dip the ends into caramel. Wave the caramel back and forth over the croquembouche, allowing the strands to fall in long, thin threads around it. Wrap any stray strands up and around the croquembouche. Serve.

SUGAR CAGES (A LA " BRIDGET JONES")

Steps:

• Put sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Insert a thermometer and cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 311°F.
• Remove from the heat and pour into a medium microwaveable bowl.
• Lightly coat bowl that matches whatever you're placing the sugar cage over with cooking spray.
• Dip the prongs of a fork into hot sugar.
• This is the hard part: carefully but quickly wave the fork over the inside of the bowl, allowing the sugar to drip off fork in long, thin strands.
• Try to do the strands evenly on the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Making sure to come all the way to the rim, but not so thick that you can't see the bowl through the sugar.
• Using a sharp knife, slice the edge of the cage clean by scraping the blade of the knife along the rim of the bowl.
• Let cool for 5 minutes.
• To get the cage out: place your thumbs on the outside of the bowl and your fingers on the inside of the sugar cage.
• Gently pull the cage loose from the side and bottom of the bowl.
• Apply this same pressure all around the inside of the bowl.
• After the cage out of the bowl place it over the dessert.
• WARNING: If the sugar is still too warm, the cage will begin to collapse.
• You should let the cage cool completely first before removing it.
• This will make sure it keeps its shape.

JACQUES EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a 10-inch parchment paper circle. Spray the top of the parchment paper circle with vegetable cooking spray.
• Place both chopped chocolates in a bowl and melt over a double boiler.
• Combine the sugar and water in a 1-quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until all of the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot syrup into the bowl of melted chocolate. Whisk until the mixture is homogenous. Add the butter and whisk until well mixed.
• Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar until well blended. Use a rubber spatula to fold this mixture into the chocolate mixture. Be careful to mix gently.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place a baking sheet with one-inch sides in the oven. Place the filled cake pan on the baking sheet. Fill the baking sheet with water so the water covers the bottom inch of the cake pan. Bake until the cake surface appears dull and taut when pressed in the middle, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the cake pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Turn off the oven and let the baking sheet and water cool before you attempt to remove them.
• TEMPERING CHOCOLATE: Tempering is important because it determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. Those factors are evidence that the cocoa butter in the chocolate has been correctly crystallized. Chocolate is purchased in its tempered form. It snaps when you break it, usually has a nice shine to it and it is hard. In order to use it, you need to melt it. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate and you lose the temper (crystallization). If you want to use the chocolate for molding or coating, it needs to be tempered. Tempering chocolate means putting the molecules of fat back together. There are a variety of ways to do it.
• One of the easiest ways to temper it is to place the chocolate in a glass bowl and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. Keep an eye on it; the chocolate will not look like it has melted because it retains its shape. The chocolate should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it but, don't worry; the residual heat of the chocolate will melt them. You can also use an immersion blender to break up the lumps and start the recrystallization process. Usually, the chocolate begins to set (recrystallize) along the side of the bowl. As it begins to crystallize, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate and they will begin the recrystallization process. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered a long time.
• Here is another easy way to temper chocolate. In this method, tempering is achieved by adding small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate but is usually one fourth of the total amount. I use an immersion blender to mix the 2 together.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is call tabliering. Chocolate is melted over a hot water bath to a temperature between 88 and 90 F (31 to 34 C). White and milk chocolate are melted to a temperature approximately 2 F less, depending on the amount of milk fat they contain. 2/3 of the melted chocolate is poured on a cold table or marble surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until the temperature of the chocolate is approximately 81 F (27 C). At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining one third of non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass in the bowl has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is further worked on the cold table until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room and makes a big mess.
• Here is a tip: Temper more chocolate than you need. A larger quantity will hold its temper longer than a smaller quantity (just like a large cup of coffee will stay hot longer than a small cup of espresso). You can always reuse the extra chocolate. Most people have trouble tempering because they use too small of an amount. Don't forget to use a glass bowl.
• A simple method of checking tempering is by applying a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within 5 minutes.
• Remember, just like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. If your chocolate does not temper the first time, you can still eat it! Now that is an incentive!