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hocolate cookie and strawberry cakes that I’m making today are perfect combination of chocolate cookies, vanilla flavored crème mousseline and fresh strawberries! Yum!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies?
First I will make what is known as ‘sablé’ cookies, and I’m gonna upgrade those with some yummy chocolate chips! “Big deal” – you will say, “Another chocolate chip cookie recipe!” Well – you’ll be wrong! BTW – I have a post and a video about regular chocolate chip cookies, so check it out later!
OK, let’s get back to our ‘sablé’ cookies! So – what are these? First, the word ‘sablé’ comes from French and it means ‘sandy’. The reason for this is that you need to rub your dry ingredients into the butter until the mixture become ‘sandy’. You can do this by hand, but I prefer using my food processor, of course!
So,that would be the first thing that sets sablé cookies apart from regular chocolate chip cookies. Next, there is no baking powder, baking soda or any other leavening agents in sablé cookies. Finally, the regular chocolate chip cookie dough is usually transferred onto a baking tray by a spoon or a cookie scoop. On the other hand, to make my chocolate chip sablé cookies I will need a rolling pin and round cookie cutter. That way, I’ll make perfectly round, even and neat cookies, and I love it! Do you still think that this is ‘just another chocolate chip cookie recipe’? Didn’t think so! :)
What is Crème Mousseline?
I will fill my chocolate cookie and Strawberry mini cakes with vanilla flavored crème mousseline. Crème mousseline is actually a variation of crème pâtissière, or pastry cream. When you add softened butter to cooled creme pâtissière, you have made crème mousseline – simple! Anyway, if you want to find out more about pastry cream and it’s variants, check my post about that.
What is “Fraisier”?
Maybe you’ve noticed – maybe you didn’t, but my chocolate cookie and strawberry mini cakes resemble famous French “Fraisier” cake. Well, you are right! Actually, I was inspired by Fraisier when I was creating this recipe! BTW, in French strawberries are called “fraises”, so that’s where the name came from. The only difference is that this worldwide known French classic is made of genoise sponge cake, and I, on the other hand, have decided to make crumbly and delicious chocolate chip sablé cookies. Why? Well, why not? Also, Fraisier is often topped with Italian meringue, or colored marzipan, but I didn’t do that. I just wanted something delicious yet extremely simple! There, now you know all the facts, so it’s time to roll up our sleeves and make some delicious Chocolate Cookie and Strawberry Mini Cakes! And don’t forget about my other delicious strawberry recipes like strawberry and white chocolate tarts, strawberry and meringue cake, strawberry tarts, strawberry panna cotta or strawberry and coconut spheres! Bon appétit!
Chocolate Cookie and Strawberry Mini Cakes Recipe
by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra
PRINT PDF (EN) ISPIŠI PDF (HR)Prep. time : 25 minutes
Cook time : 20 minutes
Ready in 60 minutes plus cooling
Level : Advanced
Ingredients: Chocolate Chip Cookies:- All purpose flour 120g (4.2oz)
- Powdered sugar 30g (1oz)
- Butter 70g (2.5oz)
- Egg yolks 20g (1 medium egg yolk)
- Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips 30g (1oz)
- Milk 250g (8.8oz)
- Egg yolks 60g (2.1oz or 3 medium egg yolks)
- Sugar 85g (3oz)
- All purpose flour 15g (5Tsp)
- Corn starch 10g (4Tsp)
- Vanilla powder
- Butter 125g (4.4oz)
- Fresh strawberries 250g (8.8oz)
- To make chocolate chip cookie dough put flour, powdered sugar and cold butter cut in cubes into a food processor and pulse until you get crumbly mixture. Add one egg yolk and pulse a couple of more times until you get the dough. Transfer it into a bowl, add chocolate chips and knead them into the dough. Roll out your pastry between two sheets of parchment paper to 6mm (1/4″) thickness using an adjustable rolling pin, and put it in the fridge for about one hour.
- Cut out 6cm (2.3″) in diameter discs and place them onto a baking tray lined with perforated silicone mat. Cover your cookies with another perforated silicone mat and bake them at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes. Then, take them out and leave them to cool down.
- To make crème pâtissière put the milk, half of sugar and vanilla powder into a large saucepan and put on the stove. Whisk the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar. Add sifted flour and cornstarch and whisk to combine. Temper the yolk mixture with approximately one half of the heated milk. Stir well and return the yolk mixture to the saucepan, put back on the stove and cook, stirring vigorously, until the cream boils and thickens. Allow pastry cream to boil for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the starch cooks thoroughly. Remove the pan from the stove, and pour the cream into a clean bowl. Cover it by placing plastic wrap onto the surface of the cream, and leave it to cool down.
- Whisk cold cream in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment until it becomes soft. Then gradually add softened butter and continue whisking until it becomes smooth.
- Place one cookie onto your counter. Wrap 40cm (16″) long and 5cm (2″) wide acetate strip around the cookie and tape it. Arrange strawberries cut in half lengthwise all along the rim of the cookie. Then pipe crème mousseline between the strawberry halves, and smooth it using a small spatula. Put some diced strawberries inside, and cover them with more cream. Continue piping until you fill the acetate “mold” all the way to the top. Smooth the top using a small spatula, and put everything in the fridge for about one hour, until it sets.
- Remove the acetate strip from the sides of your mini cakes, and put another cookie onto them. Dust them with some powdered sugar and decorate with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
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