Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."

Any idea how long that might be? I'd tried it once today and let it
bake for about 25 minutes at the recommended 300degF. It was still
liquid, and honestly I'm afraid to let it burn. It's cooled now, but if
it can go back into the oven to "finish", I'd like that (right now I
think it will make a great ice cream topping, but not a napoleon
layer).

Thanks,

Alexis.
(PS - the vanilla angalise that goes with it is to die for)

Chocolate Silk

2 C milk
2 C heavy cream
14 oz granulated sugar, divided
1 lb (58 percent cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped
8 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 T cocoa powder
14 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bring milk and cream with 1/2 of the
sugar to a boil.
Place chocolate in a large bowl and pour the hot milk mixture over. Let
sit for 1 minute then whisk until smooth.

Whisk the yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla, and salt together. Sift in
the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Combine milk and egg mixture,
and whisk in the butter. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Pour into a half sheet pan and bake, covered with aluminum foil, until
just set. Refrigerate until cold.

Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

Alexis wrote:
> I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
> chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
> line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."
>
> Any idea how long that might be? I'd tried it once today and let it
> bake for about 25 minutes at the recommended 300degF. It was still
> liquid, and honestly I'm afraid to let it burn.

I'm surprised it doesn't specify cooking in a bain marie.

It's basically a custard. At 300F, it's not going to burn any time soon. I'd
expect it to be *at least* 40 minutes.

Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

Janet Puistonen wrote:
> Alexis wrote:
> > I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
> > chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
> > line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."
> >
> > Any idea how long that might be? I'd tried it once today and let it
> > bake for about 25 minutes at the recommended 300degF. It was still
> > liquid, and honestly I'm afraid to let it burn.
>
> I'm surprised it doesn't specify cooking in a bain marie.
>
> It's basically a custard. At 300F, it's not going to burn any time soon. I'd
> expect it to be *at least* 40 minutes.

Thanks! That makes me feel better. I'm going put it back in and keep
going with it. I never considered cooking it a bain marie. Maybe I'll
try that.

Alexis.

Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

Alexis > wrote:
>I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
>chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
>line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."

That kind of direction really means "practice until you
can do it without reading the recipe" which kinda makes
the direction moot anyway.

--Blair

Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

at Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:44:56 GMT in <1151887496.754207.224020@
75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>, (Alexis) wrote :

>I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
>chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
>line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."
>
>Any idea how long that might be? I'd tried it once today and let it
>bake for about 25 minutes at the recommended 300degF. It was still
>liquid, and honestly I'm afraid to let it burn.

Just set = middle jiggles while edges look like Jello. Like other posters,
I'm surprised they don't recommend a water bath and from the recipe you
have, I think it would do no harm to do the whole thing inside a water bath
in the oven. A large roasting pan (a full-size hotel pan is ideal) would be
good for a water bath. You can keep the same oven temperature. (or increase
it slightly). The foil cover is a bit unusual. I presume that's in an
effort to prevent a top film. It does make it more difficult to check.

If you have access to an instant-read thermometer, during cooking you can
use that to gauge the proper point to remove. Aim for about 70C/160F in the
middle.

I wouldn't try reheating what you've already done. My suspicion is that the
results would be unpredictable.


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Recipe clarification: "cook until chocolate is just set"
 

Alex Rast wrote:
> at Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:44:56 GMT in <1151887496.754207.224020@
> 75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>, (Alexis) wrote :
>
> >I'm making Napoleons today with a new chocolate recipe for the
> >chocolate layer (recipe below). The cooking instructions include the
> >line, "bake, covered with aluminum foil, until just set."
> >
> >Any idea how long that might be? I'd tried it once today and let it
> >bake for about 25 minutes at the recommended 300degF. It was still
> >liquid, and honestly I'm afraid to let it burn.
>
> Just set = middle jiggles while edges look like Jello. Like other posters,
> I'm surprised they don't recommend a water bath and from the recipe you
> have, I think it would do no harm to do the whole thing inside a water bath
> in the oven. A large roasting pan (a full-size hotel pan is ideal) would be
> good for a water bath. You can keep the same oven temperature. (or increase
> it slightly). The foil cover is a bit unusual. I presume that's in an
> effort to prevent a top film. It does make it more difficult to check.

Yes, that's another thing about it that bugged me. I wonder if I
messed it up by taking it out to check so many times. Had there been
an "about" cooking time, I'd not have pulled it so often.

> If you have access to an instant-read thermometer, during cooking you can
> use that to gauge the proper point to remove. Aim for about 70C/160F in the
> middle.
>
> I wouldn't try reheating what you've already done. My suspicion is that the
> results would be unpredictable.

Thanks, Alex. I wish I'd thought of the instant-read option (although
I wouldn't have, at the time, knows what to shoot for <g>).

Last night I went ahead and portioned out the 'sauce' into ramikins
(about 1/3C in each), and then cooked them at the same 300degF temp in
a bain marie (another thing I should have considered). After about
another 45 minutes (going from cold fridge, out for about 10 minutes
while I set up the water, then to the oven, so it was still cool -- not
room temp) it was definitely more 'set' although not completely -- not
anything I'd use on a Napoleon. However, it was *excellent* with
unsweetened raspberries (from my freezer -- leftover from last year's
crop). I suspect I'll keep the recipe -- but do it in the smaller
containers and with dark chocolate (that's what I used this time) for a
different style dessert.

Alexis.