Raspberry French Silk Bars

How to make Raspberry French Silk Bars

            As the name suggests, two out of three layers will just melt in your mouth, & feel like silk. The bottom layer adds a crunch & stability to the bars, while the raspberry spread adds a bit of interesting mix to the whole chocolate theme. These bars could also be called Chocolate pie bars or Triple chocolate decadence; (if using chocolate cookies) as you get three layers of pure divine chocolate with a hint of Raspberry burst for an interesting element. 

            My older one requested that I make something chocolaty, like a cookie-cake combo. I opted for this drool worthy dessert, since I remembered seeing this recipe in the Very Merry Cookies book sitting on my bookshelf. The recipe does seem a bit long as it involves three recipes in one, but not to worry; check out the step by step pictorials below. All recipes have been listed out for your convenience. Scroll down for Chocolate crumb crust & Raspberry Ganache recipes. Sharing this chocolate lovers recipe with my friends at Sri Valli's CCChallenge # 29.

Yields 32 bars  Prep 40 mins

Bake 10 mins   Chill 2 hours

Ingredients:

· 1 cup whipping cream
· 1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (3 ounces)
· 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (3 ounces)
· 1/3 cup sugar

· 1/3 cup butter 

· 2 egg yolks, beaten 

· 3 tablespoons whipping cream 

· 1/2 cup raspberry preserves or seedless raspberry jam 

· 1 recipe Raspberry Ganache (Scroll down for recipe)

· 1 recipe Chocolate Crumb Crust (Scroll down for recipe)

· Raspberries (optional)

Valentine's Day Recipes

Valentine's Day Recipe ideas

 To be treated the same way everyday, 

That's my take on Valentine's day!!

                                HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!                                 

           Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day with your loved one's. Surprise your loved one's with a few sweet treats on this special day :)  Here's a consolidated recipe index of the sweetest Valentine's day recipes for you:

Valentine's Day Recipes:

Easy Milk Chocolate Fudge

Almond Jam Macaroons

Chocolate cake with Beets

Moist Walnut Cupcakes


'Spreads' Cookie Bars


Upside Down Peach Cake (Low Fat & Egg less)


Chocolate Bars with Walnut & Marshmallow Topping

Vaazhaithandu Poriyal (Stir fried Plantain shoot)

How to make Vaazhaithandu Poriyal (Stir fried Plantain shoot)

          The banana plant is one of those few species where almost every part of the plant is used for consumption in some way or the other - the leaves which are used as a disposable bio-degradable plates, the fruit (raw & ripe), the flower and the stem. The fibers from the trunk are also used for making paper & in textiles. Now, that's how you reduce waste & be resourceful!

         The cylinder shaped soft plantain stem/shoot has always been considered as extremely healthy, for it acts as a diuretic, antacid, laxative, a detoxing cleanser, apart from providing vitamins & minerals. So, take this fibrous part of the banana plant regularly to ward off kidney stones, obesity & stomach ulcers.

         First timers, might get intimidated by the process of cleaning & chopping this stem; but its really not a big deal. Check out the step by step pictures below to learn how to clean the excess fibers. If the plantain stem you get is tender/young (try to pick thin/narrow pieces rather than thick/wide shoots) , its possible, that it might not have much fiber to clean, in the first place. 

Ingredients for 2 to 4 servings:

One 8-inch medium sized plantain stem/shoot (How to prep plantain stem/shoot for cooking)

Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Paasi paruppu/Moong dal/Split yellow mung beans - 2 tbsp (soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes)

Salt to taste

Buttermilk - 1 to 2 tbsp (not for cooking)

For Tempering:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Kadugu/Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeeragam/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ullutham paruppu/Urad dal - 1 tsp

Vara milagai/Dry red chilli - 1, broken

A few curry leaves