This recipe is dedicated to the beauty of bread and all the wonderful things that can be done with it. It's also an expression of a very simple and honest emotion: I love messy foods! Yes, I do. My favorite desserts is when I put delicious things in a bowl and playfully mess them up. So I took that emotion, refined it a little, worked on the flavors, textures, colors, came up with this delicious creation, and called it Sylvie's Sweet Mess. It's so much fun to prepare but it's even better to eat! When you serve it to your family or friends, they only see golden Markouk bread "hats" that smell of browned butter, then they take their spoons, break the "hats", and dig into that delicious mess. It has rich shiny ganache, jam soaked strawberries, light whipped cream, and crunchy pistachio. What do you think?
Preheat the oven to 190°C for 15 minutes. Melt the butter and generously brush 4 medium ramekins or muffin cups. Split the Markouk loaf into 4 quarters and brush both their sides with butter. Fold each piece unto itself in the prepared ramekin or cup to form a sealed “hat”, while pushing the bread to make it stick to the sides. You might need to trim the bread pieces to obtain the desired shape. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 Minutes until the bread is golden and very crispy. Start watching them after 12 minutes because they burn fast. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Place the strawberries in a small bowl, add the jam, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix to combine and let them soak until you are ready to serve, no more than 15 minutes.
Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat the whipping cream until it’s steaming but not boiling, immediately pour on the chocolate, then whisk very well until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is shiny. If any lumps remain, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and whisk again. Add the coffee, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk one more time. Set aside to let it slightly cool (you can reheat it for few seconds in the microwave before serving if it sets).
You are now ready to serve! In each plate, smear the rich chocolate ganache in a circular motion and make a small dent in the center. Spoon the soaked strawberries in along with their juices, top with a quartered strawberry, and pipe cream around it. Generously sprinkle chopped pistachio, then cover your masterpiece with a golden bread “hat”. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar. Serve immediately while the ganache is still runny and the bread is crispy.
To enjoy it, let your guests break the bread “hats” with their spoons to enjoy the delicious mess!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 190°C for 15 minutes. Melt the butter and generously brush 4 medium ramekins or muffin cups. Split the Markouk loaf into 4 quarters and brush both their sides with butter. Fold each piece unto itself in the prepared ramekin or cup to form a sealed “hat”, while pushing the bread to make it stick to the sides. You might need to trim the bread pieces to obtain the desired shape. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 Minutes until the bread is golden and very crispy. Start watching them after 12 minutes because they burn fast. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Place the strawberries in a small bowl, add the jam, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix to combine and let them soak until you are ready to serve, no more than 15 minutes.
Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat the whipping cream until it’s steaming but not boiling, immediately pour on the chocolate, then whisk very well until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is shiny. If any lumps remain, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and whisk again. Add the coffee, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk one more time. Set aside to let it slightly cool (you can reheat it for few seconds in the microwave before serving if it sets).
You are now ready to serve! In each plate, smear the rich chocolate ganache in a circular motion and make a small dent in the center. Spoon the soaked strawberries in along with their juices, top with a quartered strawberry, and pipe cream around it. Generously sprinkle chopped pistachio, then cover your masterpiece with a golden bread “hat”. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar. Serve immediately while the ganache is still runny and the bread is crispy.
To enjoy it, let your guests break the bread “hats” with their spoons to enjoy the delicious mess!