Francois Payard | Apple Crumbles

King of Kings 5K and Chocolate Orange Ginger Moelleux

Ted was the road racer Sunday running the first King of Kings 5K which started at the Parkway Rec. Center, into the golf course, around the eagle and back down. The same route as the Wednesday night development runs (starting Wednesday night by the way, May 2nd). Shane and I ran to the golf course entrance and watched as runners tackled the hill into the golf course then breezed by us on the way back down. We waited patiently, looking for bobbing heads and running feet to crest the hill… There weren’t many runners but we did see a few [...]

By Joanne|2012-04-29T12:03:21-04:00April 30, 2012|Chocolate|4 Comments

Mile One Wall and Chocolate Saint-Honore

Oh Heck! Those days are just going to happen. I’m not sure I’ve ever hit the wall while running a marathon before but I’m pretty sure I hit that infamous wall at mile 1 today. Yes, mile 1. The weather was colder and it was snowing with winds about 15 mph when I took Shane. I ran 4 miles and felt so tired with a complete lack of energy. How was I going to get through 17 miles today? Well, I did. It wasn’t pretty, it was down right awful. I gave into the fatigue and walked. I tried to [...]

By Joanne|2012-03-31T13:27:51-04:00March 31, 2012|Chocolate|3 Comments

Chocolate With Francois Peanut Caramel Tart

Cooking and baking with the French Pasty Chef Francois Payard can be quite a challenge. His recipes aren’t always for newbies. His recipes for chocolate are unmatched. They enter an entirely different league for using chocolate and producing decadent desserts, cookies, and sweets. This month a Peanut Caramel Tart that will knock your socks off. Although it looks lengthy and involved, it’s quite easy, given a couple of short cuts. The peanuts are combined with caramel to make a gooey, rich filling resting on chocolate whipped cream. Francois describes it as a “sophisticated candy bar". Makes 1 9” tart to [...]

By Joanne|2012-02-28T14:48:35-05:00February 28, 2012|Chocolate|1 Comment

Chocolate with Francois: Milk Chocolate Caramels with Fleur De Sel

This month Julie chose a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany and I knew I was in trouble. You see, I just cannot resist caramel or toffee. There’s not a THING healthy about the candy. We don’t even use dark chocolate. Still, that wasn’t going to stop me from trying my hand at making a chewy, creamy caramel at home. Unfortunately, these sweets turned out so good, I’ll probably be using this recipe over and over again. My dentist and I are going to get very close in the months to come. Page 77, a Francois Payard recipe. Makes about [...]

By Joanne|2012-01-28T13:45:18-05:00January 30, 2012|Chocolate|7 Comments

Chocolate with Francois Spicy Pots De Crème

This month, Francois Payard’s recipe for Spicy Chocolate Pots De Crème, made quite the impression in our house. After all that Thanksgiving food, after all that holiday baking, the last thing I wanted to do was another sweet treat that would be too much for us to eat and end up tossed away. That wasn’t the case. This recipe, although nothing healthy about it, was completely addictive. One bite led to two bites which led to a third and before we knew it, both our dishes were clean. They were so clean, we looked at Shane as if he somehow [...]

By Joanne|2011-11-29T14:46:06-05:00November 30, 2011|Chocolate|4 Comments

Doesn’t Get Easier and Francois Payard’s Chocolate-Ginger Angel Food Cake

This morning I ran my fourth 20 miler. Why wasn’t it any easier? When I got to the grocery store, I just knew getting out of the car was going to be painful. It was. I loosened up after a minute, but still, why doesn’t it get any easier? I wonder what happened to this thing called “muscle memory”. Maybe my leg muscles suffer from memory loss. Lack of sleep? Not enough vitamin B12? Or just plain stubborn muscles? Any which way, I’m not happy with my legs so I’ll make them suffer JUST ONE MORE TIME before totally putting [...]

By Joanne|2011-10-29T14:05:28-04:00October 29, 2011|Chocolate|4 Comments