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Grace .................. do you know what it means? Have you ever look up the definition? It's defined as, "underserved merit or favor".
My husband and I often shake our heads in wonder as we contemplate the amazing grace that was poured on us on a cold November day thirty-three years ago. And if that wasn't enough, it happened again, four years later. We couldn't have even imagined back then how these gifts of grace would fill us with joy and delight, while at the same time, would require every ounce of strength, energy and creativity we could muster.
As the years unfolded, we became increasing aware of the awesome responsibility we'd been entrusted with. It sure didn't take long to learn that we had neither the resources nor the wisdom to successfully accomplish the mission. So we found ourselves continually visiting the throne room of the great Giftgiver, imploring the help of One much wiser than us, who, to this day, holds the owner's manual for our gifts of grace.
You might be guessing by now that I"m talking about our children. It's a special week at The Café as we celebrate their birthdays. Cait and Nick were born just a day (and four years) apart and are now grown with families of their own. We continue to be thankful for the blessings and joy they bring us.
For their birthdays, I decided to travel back a bit in time and make French Silk, one of Cait and Nick's favorite childhood desserts. It's a yummy chocolate treat that hasn't lost it's appeal or specialness, despite the years. I've made a zillion variations of this simple, yet decadent dessert, and it always receives rave reviews. With our daughter living in London now, she didn't get to indulge with us this week, but I've tucked some away in the freezer for her arrival next week (we can't wait!).
The fact that Candy Cane French Silk can be made ahead and stored in the freezer is one of the things I love about it. It's rich, and a little goes a long way, so I love to pipe or spoon it into fancy little dessert bowls or cups and pop them in the freezer during this time of the year. Once they're frozen solid, I store them in airtight containers. When preparing holiday dinners, I simply transfer them to the refrigerator at dinner time and serve them to my chocolate-loving guests with a bit of whipped cream, a sprig of mint and a tiny candy cane.
I added crushed peppermint candies along with bits of chocolate wafer cookies to my French Silk for the birthday treat this week, but the variations are really endless. In the past, I've included fresh raspberries, strawberries, tiny chocolate chips, toffee bits, and swirls of jam. It can be used as a tart filling by pouring it into a chocolate cookie crust or even a pie shell. I've layered it with ice cream, brownies and butter cream icing for a decadent, beautifully layered ice cream cake. Are you getting the picture? It's what we call a Little Black Dress Recipe here at The Café, delicious on it's own, served simple and pure, fabulous dressed up, down or any which way!
One last thing- if you've ever made French Silk you might be aware that it's usually prepared with raw eggs. The eggs are added individually and beaten till fluffy after each addition. It's what makes the dessert so light and airy. Some people have a problem with raw eggs and it's advised particularly that pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems stay away from them. You can purchase pasteurized eggs, though they may be difficult to find. You can also pasteurize your own eggs............... in the microwave! I tried the microwave method this time and, though I made a double batch of French Silk, it took only minutes to pasteurize six eggs. Check it out here.
So it's "hats off" to Cait and Nick, our "grace" children, wishing you a most happy birthday! We love you both so much!
P.S. See the fun little cups that I served the Candy Cane French Silk in? I found a whole set of these, brand new at a yard sale for $1.00! I love to buy inexpensive, fun tableware at yard sales, consignment shops, thrift store, etc. Check out places like this when you get a chance. You never know what kind of fun  "treasure" you might find!
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Candy Cane French Silk
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- ½ cup cold* butter
- â…” cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large cold eggs*, pasteurized (or you can use this method to pasteurize your own eggs.)
- ÂĽ cup crushed peppermint candy canes**, you can also use the round disk-shaped peppermint candies
- ½ cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies**
- tiny candy canes, for garnish
- whipped cream, if desired
Instructions
- Melt chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. To melt in the microwave, place in a micro-wave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir well and return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Remove, stir again and if not completely melted return to microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each 10 seconds until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- With an electric mixer, beat cold butter for two minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add sugar. Beat for 5 minutes, stopping several times to scrape sides of bowl.
- Add cooled, melted chocolate and beat again for two minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of mixing bowl.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. If you are using eggs that you've pasteurized yourself, add the yolks first and beat well for a minute, then add â…“ of the whites at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. Thorough beating at high speed is essential. If it looks curdled don't give up.
- Fold in crushed peppermints and crushed chocolate water cookies. Spoon or pipe into small bowls or cups. Freeze for at least an hour. Once frozen, cover and store in an airtight container. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving or transfer to refrigerator an hour before serving.
Notes
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What a great elegant idea, i think I;m going to try it for New years eve.. Pinned it!
Happy birthday to Nick and Cait! This french silk looks absolutely spectacular!
I often make French silk pie for Christmas, so this year it may be YOUR French silk piped into serving dishes 🙂 Happy birthday to your Cait and Nick. My Katie and Nick (and Tom) would love this.
These sound so good Chris and I love those little cups that you've placed these in. Wow what a great deal on them. I never shop yard sales, I may have to now.
Happy Birthday to your children, they are blessed to have you baking and cooking for them! Your french silk desserts, love the name, look just perfect for the holidays, thanks for sharing your recipe and special techniques;-)
These look and sound so incredibly decadent!! Bookmarking!
Chris, I am sure your daughter will be so glad when she comes to have some of this dessert... 🙂
French silk...wow..sounds so elegant and luxurious. They look absolutely gorgeous in those cups. I would love to learn making these for christmas, thanks for sharing this, Chris.
happy birthday to your children! i bet your daughter must be rather impatient to dig into this after seeing this post! Looks incredible!
Happy Birthday to your Nick and Cait. They're lucky to have a darling mom like you! This looks incredible xx
Happy Birthday to your Cait and Nick. I love your message about grace--truly one of our best gifts from Him. 🙂
Love the French Silk. 🙂
Wow, so cool that your children celebrate birthdays a few days apart! The birthday of one of my sisters is the day before mine (she's 4 years older), and it was always fun having back-to-back birthdays! This looks like a wonderful dessert. Great flavors, and good tip about how to pasteurize your own eggs in the microwave. We're lucky enough to have them in all of our supermarkets, so we buy both pasteurized eggs and regular ones. Although the risks of getting a "bad" egg are extremely low, the pasteurized ones cost only pennies more, so it's a risk we don't want to take for things where we'll be using raw egg. Good post - thanks.
What a beautiful post. These have to be the most beautiful little holiday delights. I think I would not be able to stop at just one. 🙂
These look indulgent and gorgeous!
One of The Hubs favorite pies (from a now defunct local pie cafe) was their French silk. I have never tried to replicate it. Like Veronica, I would have thought to serve sans pie crust. Love the Little Black Dress allusion. Happy birthday to your brood.
With beautiful little desserts like this in the freezer I will be ready for unexpected guests any time during the holiday. This reminds me of the French Silk Pie that was so popular back in the '70's. Happy Birthday best wishes to your precious children, Chris.
What a lovely post for your children and a great memory of their favorite dessert.
What a fun way to serve French silk, in cups instead of a pie crust! Never had it this way and I love your additions. You are so creative! Happy birthday to your kiddos, you are so blessed.
What a wonderful ode to your children! I've never really looked up the meaning of grace, I just always thought it meant 'a gift'. The addition of 'unwarranted' really changes the value of the word - it made it more special 🙂
This French Silk is just lovely! And I didn't know you could pasteurize eggs? In the microwave? Awesome!
These look so silky and smooth! Definitely a special dessert treat.
Happy birthday to your kids andthese look amazing!!!
How very sweet to make this delectable dessert in their honor. It looks delicious and so creamy the addition of mint is perfect for the season! Our children truly are our best blessings in life.
Happy Birthday to your kids, hope you have a great time celebrating with your daughter when she gets to come home.
I love French Silk - in pie form it is my favorite pie. I have never had it like this before. Definitely going to change that!
Wonderful post, Chris. I was counting my blessings on the way to work today. It's been a tough time for us lately - but, desite that, we have so much to grateful for!
And, this looks like chocolate perfection! Have a lovely weekend.
Awww...what a great blog about your kids. Happy birthday to both of them! I can see why this would be a childhood favorite dessert 🙂 I also love the little cups you served them in, what a great find!
What a great way to celebrate their birthdays, and how exciting your daughter will be there in a week!
What lovely memories you both have!
This is one fabulously looking spectacular dessert: Waw!!
Such a lovely post to read too! 🙂 xxx
You are amazing. I love that these can be made in advance. What a beautiful and delicious dessert.
(I smiled as our blessings came at the same time as yours...)
I love desserts that can be made ahead but are still on the spectacular side and this fits those requirements. Thank you!
Where has this been all my life? This looks spectacular, and reminds me of one of my favorite pies by the same name. What a wonderful birthday surprise for your kids!
Everyone needs a little black dress recipe. I call them my "Wow recipes" minimal work, maximum return.
I wanted you to be my neighbor before for all the good recipes, but now I want to go to yard sales with you.
Happy Birthday to your lucky children, and glad you will get to visit with your daughter soon.
I love that definition of grace! Your French Silk looks positively silky and divine, what a decadent way to celebrate a birthday!
Happy Birthday to your children, how blessed they are to have you guys for parents! What a wonderful thing it is to have a GiftGiver that cares about all the details! Loved the story and the dessert looks wonderful too! Blessings~Martha
I love the fact that these can be made in advance to leave you more time to spend with with your guests. Happy Birthday Caite and Nick!
Happy Birthday to Nick and Cait!! What a special treat for them! Love this particular variation. The berry one sounds pretty yummy too! Please share this at Foodtastic Friday!!
Happy Birthday Cait and Nick and congratulations to you and Scott. I am so happy that this LBD can be made ahead of time and frozen. It is going to be a hit at my house.
Spectacular indeed, Chris! I love French silk! And oh - the possibilities of variations! LOVE this!
Oh I love your story! Happy Birthday to Caite and Nick!! Your French Silk looks delicious! I have to make this for my Husband! French Silk pie is his favorite, and I know he will love yours. have a lovely weekend!
Oh Chris these look magically silky and delicious. Happy Birthday to Cait and Nick!