I was so impressed by the pictures that it was hard to believe that Weizman is only 15. He must be the youngest pastry chef in Israel.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINSTUNNING CHOCOLATE CAKE(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Last week, I introduced recipes for making cookies with young children. You can imagine how surprised I was later in the week when I received an Instagram message from 15-year-old Or Weizman who informed me that he loves baking when he’s not at school. He wrote that he’d love to meet me, so I decided to take a look at his Instagram account (instagram.com/or.weizman).I was so impressed by the pictures that it was hard to believe that Weizman is only 15. He must be the youngest pastry chef in Israel. At the age of 11, Weizman tried to bake cupcakes on his own, but failed miserably (his words). So he began watching YouTube videos and joined an afternoon workshop to learn basic baking techniques. His first success was a birthday cake he prepared for a relative, and from there the orders started rolling in.So I met with Weizman and together we decided which recipes were the most appropriate for teens who were curious about baking and wanted to create something for their friends and family while they are relaxing during the long summer vacation. These recipes don’t require any prior baking experience – all you need to do is follow the steps and I promise you will be excited by all the compliments you receive.WITH YOUNG Or Weizman. (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)STUNNING CHOCOLATE CAKEUse three identical 18-cm (7-inch) diameter pans so that all three layers of the cake are the same.Cake6 large eggs1 cup oil1 container sweet cream1½ cups sugar1 packet vanilla sugar1½ cups self-rising flour, sifted1½ cups sweetened cocoa powder (Chocolit)Cream2 containers sweet cream3 Tbsp. sugar2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding powderToppings1½ cups whole, nice-looking cherries50 g. bittersweet chocolate swirls¼ cup powdered sugarBeat the eggs well in a large bowl and then add the oil, sweet cream, sugar and vanilla sugar while continuing to mix. Gradually add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Pour equal amounts of the batter into the three well-greased pans.Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180°C (approx. 355°F) for 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Remove cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Remove cakes from pans and trim wherever necessary so that all three cakes align properly.Add the sweet cream, sugar and instant pudding to the bowl of an electric blender and whip on medium-high speed until smooth. Transfer the icing to an icing bag with a flat tip.Place one of the cakes on a serving platter and spread a layer of icing that’s 1½-2 cm. (½-¾ inches) thick. Place a second cake on top of the cream and then add another layer of icing. Add the third cake and then make sure the cake is sturdy and straight. Remove any excess crumbs and put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.Before serving, adorn the cake with cherries and chocolate swirls and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.CHOUX PASTRIES WITH CRUMBLE TOPPING (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)CHOUX PASTRIES WITH CRUMBLE TOPPINGMakes 20 pastries.Crumble50 g. butter, softened65 g. demerara sugar44 g. flour, siftedChoux dough95 g. milk (g.=ml. for liquids)95 g. water85 g. butter2 g. salt5 g. sugar105 g. flour3-4 large eggs, beatenCream2 containers sweet cream3 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding powderZest from 1 lemon3 Tbsp. powdered sugar¼ tsp. vanilla creamToppingsCandy flowers or sprinklesPowdered sugarIt’s best to prepare the crumble at least two hours before making the pastries so it will have time to freeze. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.Roll out the dough on baking paper until it’s 1-2 mm. thick and then cover with another layer of baking paper. Put in the freezer for two hours to set.Cut out circles with a diameter of 3-3.5 cm. or about 1.1-1.4 inches (the diameter must be larger than the pastries) and set aside.To prepare the pastries, add the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to a small pot and bring to a boil over a medium-low flame, while stirring.When the butter melts and the mixture begins to bubble, add the flour all at once and quickly stir until all of the lumps have been dissolved. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor and mix with short pulses to cool down the batter (about two minutes). Add the eggs and mix well until batter is sticky.Transfer batter to a pastry bag with a smooth tip and squeeze out little mounds of batter with a diameter of 2-3 cm. (¾-1 inch) on a tray covered with baking paper, with space between each one. Place a crumble circle on top of each mound.Bake for 40 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 165° (330°F). Do not open the oven door to check on pastries during baking time. Let cool completely.To prepare the vanilla cream, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip on high speed until cream is firm and smooth. Transfer cream to an icing bag with a smooth or serrated tip.One way to fill the choux pastries is to make a hole in the bottom and squeeze the cream in from there. Another way is to squeeze the cream on top of the pastry and then dip it in the sprinkles.Store in the fridge until serving.MINI DESSERT CUPS (Credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)MINI DESSERT CUPSThese cups are fun to make and are perfect for serving at parties. Use 6 cm. diameter cups.Crunchy base50 g. blonde chocolate1 Tbsp. oil3 waffle ice-cream conesBlonde mousse100 g. blonde chocolate2 containers sweet cream1 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding powderTopping1-2 waffle ice cream cones, crumbledTo prepare the crunchy base, break up the ice cream cones into pieces. Add the chocolate and oil to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds at a time until it begins to melt. Stir the chocolate and oil and then add the ice cream cone crumbs and mix well.Take a spoonful of the mixture and fill the bottom of a mini cup so that it’s 1 cm. (¼ inch) high. Fill the rest of the cups in the same fashion and put them in the fridge.To prepare the blonde mousse, melt the chocolate in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until it melts and stir. Pour the cream into the bowl of a mixer and add the pudding. Whip the cream on high speed until it’s firm. Add a few spoonfuls of the cream into the chocolate and mix well. Then, add the rest of the cream to the chocolate and gently fold it in.Fill the cups with the mousse and then put them back in the fridge for an hour. Before serving, adorn with crushed ice cream cone crumbs.Translated by Hannah Hochner. For more recipes from Pascale's kitchen, visit her website.
