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Angelica DeRoblesAngelica DeRobles of San Jose, Calif.
Chocolate Lava Tamale de el Chichon DeRobles' recipe is a chocolate lava cake baked in two cornhusks that are tied together to form the shape of a boat. She said, "The center of the tamale has Ghirardelli Carmel Squares that ooze out when you cut into it. Behind the cake is an almond cookie that looks like a crown. The dish is accented with three sauces: raspberry, almond custard, and semisweet chocolate." Judge Gregg Hamm, a J&W alumnus who competed in the 1992 contest and is currently a culinary arts instructor at Lee County Senior High School and Central Carolina Community College, commented on the “unbelievable presentation.” DeRobles started watching the Food Network during her freshman year in high school, and especially enjoyed "Sweet Dreams" with Gail Gand "because she made nothing but sweets, which are my favorite! I started to bake some of the recipes which were featured on her show as well as on other shows. I really enjoyed baking and now know for certain that I want to become a good pastry chef and maybe own a bakery one day." When she's not in the kitchen, DeRobles enjoys listening to music and going to concerts and local shows. She says, "Music is a way to help me cope with certain situations that arise." DeRobles attends Central County Occupational Center and is the student of Michelle Myers. Myers has sent several students to the finals during the 17 years the contest has run; most recently, her student Redmond Cole took second place in the 2004 contest. He currently attends the Denver Campus. Chocolate Lava Tamale Ingredients 9 corn husks 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into bits 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons flour 2 (3-ounces each) Ghirardelli chocolate caramel squares Method of Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Soak corn husks in warm water until pliable, being sure that the entire husks are submerged. 3. In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter. Remove and set aside to cool slightly. 4. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolks ,and sugar until thick and pale in color. 5. On low speed, add the flour. 6. Add reserved cooled chocolate and beat until it is thick and glossy. 7. To assemble corn husks, overlap corn husks in a criss-cross fashion. Do this to 8 of the corn husks using 2 corn husks per tamale. 8. Tear the leftover husk into 1/4-inch strips. 9. Tie each end of the overlapped corn husks with a strip of the husk and make a knot, so that you end up with a boat shape. 10. Using a #40 scoop, fill the corn husks half full with batter. 11. Place 2 Ghirardelli chocolate squares, next to each other, in each tamale. 12. Top with remaining batter. 13. Bake until the top puffs and the centers are still soft (just until the top sets). Almond Tuile Cookies Ingredients 4 ounces unsalted butter 4 ounces powdered sugar 1/2 cup egg whites 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 4 ounces cake flour 1/4 cup sliced almonds Method of Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar. 3. Gradually add the egg whites, then add the almond extract. 4. Add the cake flour, being sure to not overmix. 5. Place a Silpat on a baking sheet. 6. Place crown stencil on Silpat and put approximately 3 tablespoons of cookie batter in the center. 7. Spread the batter out using a small offset spatula, making sure that the entire shape is covered with batter and it is an even layer. 8. Take the stencil off by lifting up one end while making sure the other end stays on the Silpat. 9. Take approximately one tablespoon on the sliced almonds and break them up and sprinkle them over the cookie. Make sure it is an even layer. 10. Do steps 6-9 for all 4 cookies. 11. Bake cookies just until they are golden. 12. Take the cookies out of the oven and place them face down on the edge of an upside-down loaf pan to form a right angle and a base on the bottom of each cookie. 13. When the cookies become hard, remove them and set aside. Raspberry Sauce Ingredients 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons water 1 cup frozen raspberries 4 tablespoons Sugar Dash fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon brandy 1 tablespoon sherry Method of Preparation 1. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch in water and mix. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. 2. In a 1 and 1/2 quart sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients. 3. Heat until the mixture it is thick and clear. 4. Remove from heat and strain sauce in a small bowl. 5. Put sauce in a squirt bottle for garnishing and set aside Crème Anglaise Ingredients 5 ounces milk 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Method of Preparation 1. In a 1 and 1/2 quart sauce pan, combine milk and cream over medium heat until scalded. Keep warm. 2. In a double boiler, combine the egg yolk and sugar. Stir until thick, then slowly stir in the milk and cream. 3. Stir until thickened (coats the spoon). 4. Immediately chill in ice bath. Do not overcook. 5. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. 6. Put in a squirt bottle for garnishing and set aside. Chocolate Sauce Ingredients 1/4 cup heavy cream 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken 1 tablespoon corn syrup Method of Preparation 1. In a double boiler, heat cream until it is scalding. 2. Turn off heat and add broken bits of chocolate and corn syrup. 3. Stir until chocolate is melted. 4. Put in a parchment cone (made from parchment triangle) Garnishes 2 ounces powered sugar in a shaker or sieve 4 fresh raspberries 8 mint leaves Plate Presentation 1. Pipe out crème anglaise and chocolate sauce decoratively on plates. 2. Accent with raspberry sauce. 3. Garnish tamales with a little powdered sugar. 4. Plate tamales. 5. Put cookies behind tamales with the bottom of the cookies under the tamales 6. Place mint leaves and fresh raspberries on top of the tamales (1 raspberry and 2 mint leaves per tamale). |
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