Warning: This took me 5 hours to make!

Crust:

• 1-¾ cups of cookie crumbs (Ginger cookies)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Custard Base:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 7 large egg yolks

Dark-chocolate layer:

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (around 5 blocks of Baker’s chocolate)
• ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/3 Custard Base recipe
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua

White-chocolate layer:

• 1/3 Custard Base recipe
• 2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (around 2 blocks of Baker’s chocolate)
• ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1 tablespoon fine brandy or cognac

Milk-chocolate layer:

• 1/3 Custard Base recipe
• 7 ounces dark milk chocolate (preferably 42% cacao), finely chopped (around 7 blocks of Baker’s chocolate)
• ½ cup heavy cream, chilled

Instructions:

For crust:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan.

Crumble the cookies into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until blended. Or blend together crumbs and butter.

Press the crust evenly into the unlined, lightly coated pan. Bake for 10 minutes. When cool, line the sides with a 3-inch-wide parchment strip along the inside edge.

To prepare the custard base:

In a small, heavy saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Using a paring knife, scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the mixture and toss in the bean. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the remaining sugar and egg yolks. Slowly pour approximately one third of the warm cream mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly.

Return to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 160F. Remove from the heat.

Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Evenly divide the base into 3 small mixing bowls. Cover the custards with plastic wrap touching the tops so a skin does not form. Refrigerate until cook but not cold.

To make the three chocolate layers:

First make the Dark-Chocolate Layer. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Remove when nearly melted and continue stirring until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool, stirring frequently. Return it to the double boiler only briefly if it begins to set up.

In a separate bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Remove one bowl of the Custard Base from the refrigerator and stir until smooth and creamy. There should be no lumps. Stir in Kahlua. Fold the cooled, melted chocolate into the custard. Lighten by quickly folding in one-third of the whipping cream. Gently fold in the remaining cream in 2 parts.

To make the remaining layers:

Evenly spread the Dark-Chocolate Layer the crust in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer to set.

When the first layer is set, follow the same procedure to make the White-Chocolate Layer. Remove plastic wrap from dark layer. Spread white layer evenly over the dark layer, cover in plastic and freeze until set, about 20 minutes.

When the second layer is set, follow the same procedure to make the Milk-Chocolate Layer. Spread evenly over the white layer. Cover in plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours to set.

To serve, loosen and move the side of the pan. Remove the parchment. Serve ice cold, directly from the freezer, using a warm dry knife to cut.

It all started more than a month ago, on a hot Sunday afternoon as my friend Joseph from Seattle was picking Toronto as his first sabbatical destination.

We were sitting at a park and chatting over many things including our philanthropic goals. Then we started talking about Steve Jobs’ recent post on “Thoughts on Flash.” Joseph bursted out laughing when I said “the kerfuffle between Apple and Adobe…” He thought I had made up the word. To my protest, he conveniently pulled out his brand new Kindle from his backpack, and we looked it up. So here I was, a Canadian boy, for whom English is not his first language, teaching an American an English word! I asked him if “conundrum” would be a better choice, but he agreed that “kerfuffle” is the perfect word to describe the situation. I was glad that I managed to expand a friend’s vocabulary!

Another week had gone by, and I found myself at an alumni event where my friends and I debated once again which word to choose between “kerfuffle” or “conundrum”. So I posted a question on Twitter:

productionteams: Which one is bigger “kerfuffle” or “conundrum”? …

Then Y N responded:

ynq25335: … When you modify any noun with Apple or Adobe, it becomes MUCH BIGGER! Apple Kerfuffle sounds like a pastry! Yum?

Lucy said:

Lucers: Mmm, apple kerfuffle sounds good! Could it have cream cheese, raisins & cinnamon in it? Maybe lemon zest. On puff pastry?

My Twitter friend Lucy and I have been swapping recipes and exchanging foodie tips for a while now. She has given me her infamous carbonara recipe and I’ve become her “Toronto food concierge”.

Fast forward a month, this Wednesday Lucy and I met for the first time where we each brought our very own versions of Apple Kerfuffles. We met at a downtown Starbucks and I was nervous as I waited. Having never baked any dessert pastries in my life, I had told her not to judge me by my pastries. Like a blind date, we each brought a friend to make sure the meeting didn’t go weird. Lucy brought Stuart, and they are one of the nicest couples I have ever met.

So we unveiled our creations. Lucy’s on the left and mine on the right. With plastic forks and knives in our hands, four of us sampled the kerfuffles à la Iron Chef.

Lucy’s was delicious and filled with cream cheese and different kinds of apples. I loved the pastry itself and colour of the kerfuffle.

Here’s a closer look at my version, made with granny smith apples and a special topping (Kit Kat).

Recipe (Makes 3):

• One peeled, ripe granny smith apple
• 2 tsp of cinnamon brown sugar
• 5 tsp of sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of butter on each kerfuffle
• 1 tsp of flour
• 1 bar of Kit Kat
• Frozen puff pastry

1. Thaw puff pastry overnight. Set aside eight sheets of puff pastry and lay them on a flat, dry surface.
2. Layer three sheets and cut into 3″x3″ squares as the foundation of the pastry.
3. Layer one sheet and roll them up as a tube. Bent the tube into a 3″x3″ square as the pastry walls.
4. Fold any excess from (2) to cover the walls. Set aside.
5. Cut apples into thin slices. Add both kinds of sugar, flour and salt. Mix well.
6. Gently pour apples into the well. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar. Use a cheese grater and grate Kit Kat on top. Brush butter all over pastries.
7. Put pastries on cooking sheet and cover with foil. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Take out when pastry turns golden.

Thanks to Twitter, I’ve met a new friend! Lucy and I became so inspired that we decided to start our own food revolution. Next month we will be making Blueberry Brutality, followed by Cherry Conundrum – this is our way of expressing our feelings towards what happened with the recent G20 summit in Toronto. We need a name for our food exchange!

Until then…

Amazing French Pastry shop on the Queen West in Toronto.

Remember my previous post calling for my pastry substitute in TO?

• Best Pastry Place (so far) – Clafouti on 915 Queen St West
  416-603-1935
  Closed on Mondays. Cash Only.

I think I have found it! They have my favorite french pastry, the Clafouti! I had the Pomegranate & Raspberry Clafouti and it was as good as the fruit Clafoutis I had in Cannes.

The food in France is exceptional. Just about anywhere in the town you can find good food, shall I thank the authors at Lonely Planet (France) as well?

The Adventure

This is “Andouillette with Fries” I tasted in Monte Carlo. It’s a speciality dish in France.
It’s pork intestine. Guess, the French could be like the Cantonese in terms of the exotic food. The bad taste of the intestine is suprisngly not there thanks to the strong pepper seasonings and the sauce.

I also ordered the Rock Fish Stock Soup to start. It’s the best 16 Euros I spent on soup!

A Suprise

Dim Sum Plate in Nice! Can you believe it? The round dumpling located at the “4-o’clock” of the steamer is a dumpling I like a lot, but even I couldn’t find that in Hong-couver!

The sweets

Of course the day cannot end without desssert! It’s fruit Clafoutis. It’s a different rendition of the one I had at Provence Marinaside in Vancouver. It’s made out of eggs (like quiche but sweet taste) with lots of exotic fruits and a light tart base. On the topm it’s like creme brulee, it’s burnt a bit. It’s exceptional. Thanks to the recommendation from Lonely Planet.

The Snacks:

We brought this Smoked Salmon cone at Monoprix (I think it’s like a supermarket giant that sells just a bit of everything. It’s like a upscale Safeway with London Drugs and Winners all in one!). Inside the cone, it’s a pate of Smoked Salmon topped with some cream and the gello with chieves.

A Regular Lunch in Nice

We went to a nicely decorated place on Boulvard de Jean Medicine in Nice. I guess the French will call this place “sympthatic”. It’s the Combo I picked to satisify my eggs craving. It’s a Sandwich of American Style and with the toxically delicious White Chocolate Raspberry Tarte!

Tracy at Sweet Revenge

Sweet Revenge Patisserie

• Niche: Fine dessert / Retro English Decor
• 4160 Main Street [Map]
• 604-879-7933
• Monday – Thursday: 7 P.M. to 12 Midnight
• Friday – Saturday: 7 P.M. to 1 A.M.
• Sunday: 2 P.M. to 12 Midnight (Afternoon High Tea served from 2 to 6 P.M.)

Best Dessert / Dessert Art @ Ganache, Yaletown

The pastry Master Mr. Peter Fong‘s rendition of art. The newly wedded created just about the most creative cake I have seen in Vancouver. The Strawberry Flamobase on the bottom left on the above image is like a canvas of a young budding artist in the Art Gallery on South Granville.

If you go an excursion in Yaletown on Homer Street, it’s very advisory to bring your camera with you to this cozy patisserie. The pastry display on the fridge is like jewels.

Recommend: The flagship, Chocolate Banane and my personal favorite is the Green Tea and Chestnuts cake which are only available in the summer for a limited time.

• Ganache
• Niche: High-end French Pastry (looks like a piece of fine art)
• Yaletown
• ganache@telus.net
• (604) 899-1098
• Tue – Thurs 1100-1900
  Sunday 1100-1700