Almost Easter

I will never forget the Easter spent at my grandmother's house. When the colored eggs were hidden in the grass, along with sweets and small gifts. 

We came in his house with snow, and after a few days of sunshine all flourished beautifully. Trees and lawns. A real explosion. It was very hot.

I learned how special the apple blossoms are.

She had cooked her little baskets of pastry, and filled them with her famous chocolate cream. 

The event of that Easter was when my grandmother decided to give us some of her tartlet molds to make these small baskets. My grandmother was very jealous of her things and then was a real surprise for us. Considering that my mother also has two other sisters, who could take offense.

Now I cook these small baskets always at Easter.

The peculiarity of these mini baskets is the contrast between the slightly sweet pastry and the very sweet cream.

It is also suitable for salty appetizers, but for now I want to share with you the original recipe.

The cream is composed of only eggs, sugar, butter and chocolate. It is cooked in a water bath, and it is always a surprise to see how eggs and sugar grow, to become a compact and dense foam.

This is a traditional cream that is used in many other recipes. 

The butter is whipped and added to the end, when the cream is almost cold. The original recipe says to put so much butter as sugar, but it seems very exaggerated, and I decrease the dose.

Once the small baskets are filled with the cream, you can decorate them with chocolate chips or nuts. I used almonds.

For baskets:

350 g flour 0

130 g lard, or 160 butter or margarine

2 tablespoons sugar

2 egg yolks

a pinch of salt

For Chocolate Cream:

3 eggs

150 g sugar

150 g chocolate

100 g butter

a pinch of salt

For baskets:

Crumble the flour with butter, sugar and salt. Add the two egg yolks and mix quickly.

Brush with butter the tartlet molds and fill them with the dough. You can make small balls of dough, and then distribute on the edges with fingers.

Cook at 180 degrees for 12/20 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size of the mold and the thickness of the dough. I usually check often.

For Chocolate Cream:

Find two steel pans that come into each other. A lower for the cream, and a higher one for water. Half fill the larger pot and put on fire. In smaller pot begin to beat with a whisk the eggs with sugar and salt. 

When the water begins to boil, put the small pot in the large one, and continue whisking constantly. 

When it begins to thicken and to have the consistency of a cream, add the chopped chocolate. When the chocolate is completely blended into the mixture, remove from heat. Let cool stirring often. 

Cream the butter and add to mixture. 

Fill the baskets.