recipe

Pintxos Tempura Chicken

Bas Tapa:  Pintxos
These are small portions (what we would call Tapas) served in the Basque area of Spain.  Toothpicks are important so you can count how many were eaten.

Ingredients

• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup very cold water
• 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• Peanut oil, for fryingBaguette warmed and sliced
  Toothpicks

Directions

Lightly coat the chicken strips in the cornstarch, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside. In a large pot or wok, preheat the oil to 360 degrees F.
In a bowl, beat the egg with the cold water. Add the flour and Essence and mix lightly and quickly just until smooth. Dip the chicken into the batter, shaking to remove any excess. In batches add to the hot oil and fry, turning, until golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Serve the chicken with Saffron Mayonnaise on top of Sliced warmed Baguette, Mango and pear sauce for dipping

Saffron Mayonnaise

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Preparation

1.    Bring water and saffron just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir, then let steep, uncovered, 10 minutes, to release saffron color and flavor.

2.    Whisk together mayonnaise, sherry vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Gradually whisk in saffron water.

Cooks’ note:
•Mayonnaise can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Mango and Pear Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Chopped Mango
• 1/2 cup Chopped Pears
• 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Pinch 5-spice powder

Preparation

In a saucepan, combine chopped mango, pear, vinegar, shallots, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and 5-spice powder, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and the flavors are married, 4 to 5 minutes. (The sauce does not have to be smooth, fruit chucks can remain.) Remove the plum sauce from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Let cool to room temperature.

Vermouth Pairing:  Bormuth

Ham and Machengo Empanadas With Creamy Sherry Dijon Dipping Sauce

Serves: about 15 empanadas

Bas Tapa:  Pintxos 
These are small portions (what we would call Tapas) served in the Basque area of Spain.

Ingredients

For Ham and Machengo Empanadas:

• 1 cup well chopped or diced baked ham (deli ham can be substituted)
• 1 cup well chopped roast turkey (deli turkey can be substituted)
• ¾ cup shredded Machengo cheese
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 15-20 frozen empanada wrappers, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 inches of peanut, canola, olive, or vegetable oil in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (*See Notes for baking instructions.)

For the Creamy Sherry Dijon Dipping Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Sherry
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Empanadas:

1.    In a mixing bowl, stir together the ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise until everything is evenly combined. (The filling can be made several hours ahead of assembly and cooking time if desired.
2.    Place the skillet containing the oil over medium high heat.
3.    Scoop about 1 tablespoon into the center of an empanada wrapper and pull the sides up together around the filling, crimping the edges to seal. If desired, you can fold them decoratively. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
4.    Brush both sides of the empanadas with the beaten egg. When the oil bubbles vigorously around an empanada when it is lowered carefully into the oil, it is ready. Fry only as many as you can easily fit in the oil still leaving them room to move around. After they have cooked for 2 minutes, flip the empanadas over and cook the second side for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Fry the remaining empanadas as directed.

To Make the Creamy Dijon Dipping Sauce:
1.    Stir together the mayonnaise Sherry,  and Dijon mustard until even in color. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

To Serve:
1.    Lightly dust the warm Monte Cristo Empanadas with confectioner’s sugar and serve with the Creamy Dijon Dipping Sauce.

NOTES
*You can ABSOLUTELY bake these empanadas if preferred over frying. Simply preheat the oven to 375°F and place the empanadas that have been brushed with egg on both sides on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 24-28 minutes, or until the empanadas have become puffy and golden brown.   Still serve with the Creamy Dijon Dipping Sauce.

Vermouth Pairing:  Priorat Natur Vermut

Manchengo Stuffed Rum Soaked Olives In Crust

Ingredients for four people

• 16 stuffed olives, self-prepared (see above) or ready bought
•  1 1/2 lbs. of cheese (Manchego cheese)
• 3 lbs. flour (more or less)
•  1 egg
• 1 1/2 lbs. butter
• Salt, cayenne pepper

Preparation

Soak olives in Rum for 12 hours in refrigerator.  When ready to use pat dry.
Dough: Sprinkle the flour on a work surface, grate the cheese with it or make crumbs. Mix the whole mixture together and shape a small hole into it. Into this hole add the egg, a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. Cut the butter into small pieces and also add it to the mixture.
Then knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. Form a dough ball, wrap in foil and leave in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat oven to 175°.
Meanwhile, roll out the dough, cut out some 4×4 inch pieces to wrap the olives in.

Tip and variations
If you don’t have a rolling pin to roll out the dough, you can shape the dough into a roll and then cut it into thin slices, then wrap the olives in each slice.
Put the olives in the oven until the crust is golden brown (about 10-15 minutes).
Serve the olives in crust on a plate and garnish each with a toothpick.
The olives in crust can be served cold or warm.

Preparation time: 45 minutes. Leave to rest for 1 hour.

Beer matches: Weissbier, Belgian Pale Ale, SpiceHerb/Vegetable Beer

Chorizo With Marinated Mushrooms – Typical And Popular Tapa Cooked In Sherry

Ingredients for four people

• 1 lb Chorizo
• 1 1/2 mushrooms
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 small garlic cloves
• 8-10 skinned almonds
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 1/2 cups sherry
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• Small bunch of parsley

Preparation

For this tapa peel the chorizo and cut into thin slices. Peel the garlic cloves, but do not squeeze or cut. Roughly chop parsley. The parsley may be omitted.
Clean the mushrooms and cut them into quarters.
Put a little olive oil in the frying pan and fry the chorizo slices in it. The oil is only for the taste, 1-2 tablespoons are more than enough.
The chorizo soaks up the fat very strongly. Take the fried sausage from pan and set aside for later.
Add the mushrooms, the whole garlic cloves and the almonds to the fat and fry over medium heat. Be careful with the almonds and garlic as these ingredients can burn easily.
Then add the sherry and sherry vinegar to the whole mix and cook until the moisture has evaporated.
Season with little salt and pepper.
Then add the chorizo and parsley, and briefly heat it all up again.
This tapa is served in a bowl, each person gets their portion with a spoon on their own plate.
Serve warm.

Preparation time: around 30 minutes.

Beer matches: Extra Special Bitter, India Pale Ale, Saison, English Barleywine, American Barleywine, Biere de Garde, Old Ale, Saison

Lager Marinated Peppers – Tasty Vegetarian Tapas

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 3 red and 3 yellow peppers
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 200 ml olive oil
• 1/2 cup lager (your choice…finish the rest ☺ )
• Salt, pepper, paprika powder

Preparation

Wash peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Cut out the cores. Cut the halves in half again lengthwise.
The peppers must now be peeled. Preheat the oven to 220°, place the pepper strips to the side with the skin side up on a lightly oiled baking tray and then grill until the skin blisters. This takes about 8-12 minutes.
Then place the peppers in a medium sized bowl and cover. Let the peppers cool and remove the skin. The resulting water vapor facilitates the removal of the skin.
While the peppers are in the oven, peel the garlic cloves and cut into thin slices.
Fry the peeled peppers in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and paprika.
Put the oil, lager and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. Then add the garlic slices.
Then add the peppers to the bowl so that they are completely covered. Then let them rest in the refrigerator for about 2-4 hours.
Place alternate layers of red and yellow pepper strips in a bowl and serve cold.

Tips and variations
You can also pickle the peppers quite easily. Put the peppers in a jar with screw cap and then add the oil with the garlic slices until the peppers are completely covered. Then seal the jar well and store in the fridge.
The marinated peppers are also good as an accompaniment to grilled meat. Here you can briefly put the peppers in tin foil and let them roast on the grill.

Preparation time: about 30 minutes. Cooking time 10 minutes. Leave to rest for 2-4 hours.

Beer matches: Witbier, ESB, Altbier, American Wheat Beer

Rum Soaked Prunes And Dates Wrapped In Bacon – Delicious Contrast Of Sweet And Savory

Ingredients for four servings

• 12 dried prunes (without stones)
• 1/8 cup rum and 1/2 cup water
• 12 dried dates
• 12 thin slices of bacon
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation

Presoak prunes in rum mixture for 12 hours in refrigerator. Pat dry before use.
Cut the bacon slices in half and use them to wrap the dates and prunes. If the bacon is too short, it can also be split lengthwise.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the wrapped fruit until the bacon is golden brown and crispy. When you turn them make sure that the bacon does not open.
After cooking let the oil drain on kitchen paper.
The tapa tastes best when warm.

Tips and variations
The prunes and dates can be filled with an almond.
In principle, the recipe works with almost any kind of dried fruit that can be wrapped with the bacon.

Preparation time: About 20 minutes.

Beer matches: Weissbier, Witbier, Belgian Tripel, Fruit Lambic

Ingredients

•  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  1/4 cup packed brown sugar
•  4 tablespoons Chartreuse
•  4 1/2 cups sliced peeled Golden Delicious apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)
•  4 1/2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•   1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•   1/4 teaspoon cayenne
•  1/2 (15-ounce) portion refrigerated pie dough (*see recipe)
•  1 teaspoon ice water
•  1 teaspoon granulated sugar
•  1 tablespoon apricot preserves
•  1 Chartreuse

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; cook 2 minutes or until sugars dissolve. Stir in apples and next 4 ingredients (through cayenne). Cover, reduce heat, and cook 20 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Set oven rack to lowest third of oven.
3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle. Place dough and parchment paper on a baking sheet. Arrange cooled apples in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of dough toward center, pressing gently to seal (dough will only partially cover the apple mixture). Brush dough with 1 teaspoon ice water, and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Bake the tart at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Place the apricot preserves and 1 teaspoon Chartreuse  in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until bubbly. Brush the mixture over warm tart. Cut into wedges, and serve warm or at room temperature.

All Butter Pie Crust

Notes

You can make this dough either by using a pastry cutter by hand or a food processor, but it’s harder to overwork the pie dough when using a pastry cutter. It’s very important to keep all the ingredients cold throughout the assembly process. If the butter starts to soften, then stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow it to firm up. If you’re not using the dough within two to three days, then wrap the plastic-wrapped discs in tinfoil, or place them in a heavy-duty resealable bag, and freeze until needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight before use.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
• 1/2 cup very cold water, plus more as needed

Directions

To Make by Hand:

1.    Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2.    Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture, and cut it using a pastry cutter [6] (rubbing it in with your fingertips also works in a pinch). Keep working the butter into the dough until the largest pieces of butter are in between the diameter of a dime and a nickel.
3.    Scrape off any residual butter-flour mixture from the pastry cutter, and drizzle in the water. Gently work the water into the dough with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until it becomes a shaggy but relatively cohesive mass. Give the dough a few kneads with your hands (fewer than 10) so that it forms a rough ball.
4.    Divide the dough ball into two, and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill for at minimum one hour (this allows the water to fully hydrate the dough, making for a more cohesive product that’s easier to roll out).

To Make in a Food Processor:

1.    In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.
2.    With the machine running, add about half the water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream; stop when the dough holds together without turning wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, then add a bit more water, one tablespoon at a time.
3.    Divide the dough ball into two, and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill for at minimum one hour (this allows the water to fully hydrate the dough, making for a more cohesive product that’s easier to roll out).

Basic Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110F-115F)
• 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Pizza Marinara Topping

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 24 oregano leaves, and 2 minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Pizza Formaggio e Pomodoro Topping

INGREDIENTS

• One 8 ounce ball fress fior di late mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Pizza Margherita Topping

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• One 8 ounce ball  fresh fior di latte mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces
• 12 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

PIZZA DOUGH DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2-cup warm water. Allow the yeast to proof until it is foamy, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining 1-cup of warm water, combining it well with the yeast. Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Mix the dough with your hands or use a mixer with a dough hook, adding the remaining flour as needed to make dough that holds together.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft and not sticky. Grease a bowl with the olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and turn a few times to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Punch down the dough and knead it for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece out on a floured surface into a 12-inch round and place the rounds on lightly oiled 13-inch pizza pans. Turn in the edges  of the dough about  1/2 inch to form a rim. You can stretch the dough to fit an even larger pan if you wish. Place the dough on 2 wooden peels, dusted with cornmeal, if you plan to use baking stones to bake the pizza.

Brush each round with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Divide any of the toppings of your choice.
Divide and sprinkle on the salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.

Bake the pizzas for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top and bottom crusts are nicely browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

If using baking stones, preheat the stones in a 500ºF. oven for 20 minutes. Just before placing the pizza on the stone from the baking peel, sprinkle each stone with a handful of cornmeal. Bake  the pizzaz for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust in nicely browned on the bottom.

Beer and Wine Pairings

Moretti Lager or a Coca-Cola is great with this incredible dish
However, Beulah prefers a lovely clean white wine like a Vernaccia or a Friulano…Both citrusy and bold.
Or if you like Red wine then a lovely Sangiovese or Barbera which has a cherryish/ smokey quality.  Mmmm mmm.
Both of them rustic/ clean and enjoyable with the incredible taste of the crusty/cheesy goodness of the Original Napolitana.

Ingredients for Biscotti Cookies

• 60 grams (2.25 oz) softened butter
• 250 g (9 oz) caster/superfine white sugar
• Grated zest of either 1 orange or lemon
•  2 eggs
• 400 grams (14 oz) flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 150 grams (1 cup) whole almond with the skin
• 3 tablespoons Rum/Cognac.
  (makes about 45 cookies)

Ingredient for Triple Chocolate Dip

• 3 pounds of White
• 3 pounds of Milk Chocolate
• 3 pounds of Dark Chocolate

Recipe

Turn oven to 180 C/ 350 F

1. Mix the butter and sugar till smooth with a big spoon. Add zest and the eggs and beat well. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the almonds and the booze. I use whatever liquor I have (rum is good).

2. First, line your cookie sheet with parchment. Then dust your work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide your dough in 3 masses and form 3 salami style rolls of cookie dough (about 1.25 inches high/2 inches wide/and shorter than the length of your tray).

3. Put your dough logs on your cookie sheet and leave room between them for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes till they start to turn golden. They will be a little soft.

4. Get them out of the oven and lift them gently onto your work surface while they  are still hot.

5. Cut them in slices, slightly at an angle. They should be about almost an inch wide. You should gently saw the surface of the cookie with a very sharp knife to break through the surface, but then chop down straight to shear the almonds cleanly for tidy little cookies.
Rearrange the cookies on the baking sheet cut side up. They will be fragile before
their second round in the oven so don’t rush that step.
(This is where you should really pay attention. I’ve overcooked these poor babies at this stage and made teeth breakers. My suggestion is to re-bake them for 5-7 more minutes. I think softer is better than harder as they do dry out as the days pass.)

6. Cover with clean towel not cellophane.  Wait 1 hour before dipping in chocolate.

7. Melt each chocolate in large separate bowls (In a microwave or on a double boiler)

8. Dip all in White Chocolate.  Cover the entire Biscotti Let rest for half hour

9. Then Dip the White Chocolate dipped cookie into the Milk Chocolate.  This time only covering 3/4  of the cookie.

10. Again, let rest of half hour.

11. Finally take white and chocolate dipped cookie and dip half into the Dark Chocolate mixture.

12. While still wet you can grate powdered almonds, or coconut flakes, or even shaved white chocolate for decorative look.

Store in an airtight container and they can go a couple weeks – but they won’t. They never do.

INGREDIENTS

Cake Layers

• 7 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 3/4 cups (5 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 3 3/4 cups whole milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
• 18 large egg whites (about 2 1/3 cups), room temperature

Soaking Syrup

• 2 cups Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
• 1 1/2 cups cognac
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or coffee powder

Frosting

• 14 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 7 cups powdered sugar
• 10 tablespoons sweet Marsala
• 3 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

• 72 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 8 cups heavy cream
• 8 tablespoon dark rum

Assembly

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 6-inch-diameter cardboard cake round
• 1 9-inch-diameter cardboard cake round
• 1 12-inch-diameter cardboard cake round
• 1 11-inch-diameter revolving cake stand (optional)
• 9 12-inch-long, 1/4-inch-diameter wood dowels
• 4 1/2 cups assorted berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries)
• Fresh mint sprigs

Serving

• 12 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and hulled, quartered strawberries)
• 6 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION

Cake Layers

Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter one 12-inch-diameter cake pan with 3-inch-high sides, one 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 3-inch-high sides and one 6-inch-diameter cake pan with 3-inch-high sides.* Line bottoms with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using handheld electric mixer, beat butter in 12-quart bowl on medium-high speed until light. Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in extracts. On medium-low speed, beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk in 3 additions each, beating just until combined (batter will be thick).

Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Spoon batter into prepared pans so that depth of batter is the same in each pan; smooth tops. Bake until tops are deep golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes for 6-inch cake, about 1 hour 5 minutes for 9-inch cake and about 1 hour 20 minutes for 12-inch cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out cakes onto racks and peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Soaking Syrup

Mix all ingredients a large bowl.

Frosting for Filling

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until light. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add Marsala and vanilla and beat until well blended. Cover and let stand at room temperature up to 1 hour.

Chocolate Ganache

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward.

Assembly

Finely grind chopped chocolate in processor (do not overprocess or chocolate will clump together). Using serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Spread dab of frosting on 6-inch cardboard round; top with bottom layer of 6-inch cake, cut side up. Brush cake with 2 tablespoons syrup. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ground chocolate. Top with middle 6-inch cake layer. Brush with 2 tablespoons syrup. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ground chocolate. Brush 2 tablespoons syrup over cut side of top 6-inch cake layer. Using hands, turn cake layer over and place cut side down atop frosted layers. Cover and refrigerate cake.

Spread dab of frosting on 9-inch cardboard round; top with bottom layer of 9-inch cake, cut side up. Brush with 1/4 cup syrup. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ground chocolate. Top with middle 9-inch cake layer. Brush with 1/4 cup syrup. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ground chocolate. Brush 1/4 cup syrup over cut side of top 9-inch cake layer. Slide large tart pan bottom or springform cake pan bottom under cake layer. Using pan bottom as aid, lift cake layer and turn cut side down atop frosted layers. Cover and refrigerate cake.

Spread dab of frosting on 12-inch cardboard round; top with bottom layer of 12-inch cake, cut side up. Brush with 1/2 cup syrup. Spread 2 cups frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup ground chocolate. Top with middle 12-inch cake layer. Brush with 1/2 cup syrup. Spread 2 cups frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup ground chocolate. Brush 1/2 cup syrup over cut side of top 12-inch cake layer. Slide large tart pan bottom or cake pan bottom under cake. Using pan bottom as aid, lift cake layer and turn cut side down atop frosted layers. Cover cake; refrigerate all cakes until firm, about 4 hours. Cover remaining frosting and let stand at room temperature.

Place 12-inch cake on its cardboard on large flat platter. Place platter on cake stand. Using icing spatula, pour 4 cups Chocolate Ganache over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Press 1 dowel into center of 12-inch cake. Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of cake. Remove dowel and cut with serrated knife at marked point. Cut 4 more dowels to same length. Press 4 cut dowels into 12-inch cake, inserting 4 inches inward from cake edges and spacing evenly; press 1 dowel into center of cake. Refrigerate cake on platter.

Place 9-inch cake on its cardboard on large flat plate or tart pan bottom. Place plate on cake stand. Using icing spatula, pour 3 cups of Chocolate Ganache over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Press 1 dowel into center of 9-inch cake. Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of cake. Remove dowel and cut at marked point. Cut remaining 3 dowels to same length. Press 4 cut dowels into 9-inch cake, inserting 3 inches inward from cake edges and spacing evenly. Refrigerate 9-inch cake on plate.

Place 6-inch cake on its cardboard on another large flat plate or tart pan bottom. Place plate on cake stand. Using icing spatula, pour 2 cups of Chocolate Ganache over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Refrigerate all cakes until frosting sets, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover cakes and remaining frosting separately with plastic wrap; chill. Bring Ganache to room temperature before continuing.)

Using metal spatula as aid, gently place 9-inch cake on its cardboard atop 12-inch cake, centering carefully on dowels. Gently place 6-inch cake on its cardboard atop dowels in 9-inch cake.

Spoon remaining Tiramisu filling into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe decorative border around base of 12-inch cake and around top edge of each tier. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Let cake stand at room temperature at least 3 and up to 6 hours before serving. Garnish with mint.

Serving

Toss mixed berries with sugar in large bowl. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Remove top and middle cake tiers. Remove dowels from middle cake. Cut top and middle cakes into slices; transfer to plates. remove dowels from bottom cake. Starting 3 inches inward from edge of bottom cake and cutting through from top to bottom, cut 6-inch-diameter circle in center of cake. Cut outer portion of cake into slices, then cut inner portion into slices. Spoon berries around cake slices.