Sunday, November 29, 2009
Cannolis-Update To be Finished Soon
The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Mint Chocolate Macarons
The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.
I really liked this challenge. I had never heard of macarons until I visited Paris last summer. A girl who was studying abroad there and showing my friends and I around kept raving about these things called "macarons" and how we just had to have them. For some reason, I was convinced they were a type of nut until she took us into a bakery and showed us tons of tiny cookies in all different colors and flavors. I loved the pretty colors and variety of flavors and couldn't believe I'd never heard of them before. Unfortunately, I was saddened to find that most bakeries in the U.S. do not sell macarons and finding them in the grocery store bakery was just not going to happen at all.
This challenge gave me a chance to try my own hand at macarons, and to have a taste of Paris in my own kitchen. I decided to make mint chocolate macarons because mint chocolate is one of my favorite flavors, and it's one I wouldn't mind eating a whole batch of cookies of.
My macarons came out a little sticky, but they tasted great, and otherwise were really good.
Here is the recipe from the Daring Bakers:
Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.
Note: I added a drop of green food coloring to the batter to give mine their coloring. I would have used powdered food coloring but my supermarket didn't sell any and I don't live close to any stores that would sell that type of thing.
The filling I used came from Ms. Adventures in Italy:
"3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate / cioccolato fondente, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract
Melt chocolate pieces with cream in a bain marie/double boiler or in a plate over barely simmering water. When smooth, remove from heat.
Add butter and peppermint extract, until mixed completely. Let stand until cooled and slightly thickened.
Pipe or use a small spoon to put the filling between the flat halves of the macarons."
Note: I used half of this recipe for 40% (made with 2 egg whites) of the cookies. You can adjust it accordingly to meet your needs.
I really liked this challenge. I had never heard of macarons until I visited Paris last summer. A girl who was studying abroad there and showing my friends and I around kept raving about these things called "macarons" and how we just had to have them. For some reason, I was convinced they were a type of nut until she took us into a bakery and showed us tons of tiny cookies in all different colors and flavors. I loved the pretty colors and variety of flavors and couldn't believe I'd never heard of them before. Unfortunately, I was saddened to find that most bakeries in the U.S. do not sell macarons and finding them in the grocery store bakery was just not going to happen at all.
This challenge gave me a chance to try my own hand at macarons, and to have a taste of Paris in my own kitchen. I decided to make mint chocolate macarons because mint chocolate is one of my favorite flavors, and it's one I wouldn't mind eating a whole batch of cookies of.
My macarons came out a little sticky, but they tasted great, and otherwise were really good.
Here is the recipe from the Daring Bakers:
Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.
Note: I added a drop of green food coloring to the batter to give mine their coloring. I would have used powdered food coloring but my supermarket didn't sell any and I don't live close to any stores that would sell that type of thing.
The filling I used came from Ms. Adventures in Italy:
"3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate / cioccolato fondente, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract
Melt chocolate pieces with cream in a bain marie/double boiler or in a plate over barely simmering water. When smooth, remove from heat.
Add butter and peppermint extract, until mixed completely. Let stand until cooled and slightly thickened.
Pipe or use a small spoon to put the filling between the flat halves of the macarons."
Note: I used half of this recipe for 40% (made with 2 egg whites) of the cookies. You can adjust it accordingly to meet your needs.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Vols-au-Vent
The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.
I was dreading this. Absolutely dreading this. I knew I was going to end up with some flat, grossly textured pastry dough when I was done. However, I somehow surprised myself. Not only did I do the recipe correctly, the vols-au-vent actually came out of the oven looking perfect! I was really proud of myself for this one and probably won't be so scared when the next daring bakers challenge comes around.
orming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent
Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent
In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.
(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)
Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.
Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.
Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)
Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)
Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.
Fill and serve.
*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to "glue"). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.
*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.
*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).
Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough
From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter
plus extra flour for dusting work surface
Mixing the Dough:
Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.
Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)
Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.
Incorporating the Butter:
Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.
Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.
To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.
Making the Turns:
Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).
With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.
Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.
Chilling the Dough:
If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.
The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.
I was dreading this. Absolutely dreading this. I knew I was going to end up with some flat, grossly textured pastry dough when I was done. However, I somehow surprised myself. Not only did I do the recipe correctly, the vols-au-vent actually came out of the oven looking perfect! I was really proud of myself for this one and probably won't be so scared when the next daring bakers challenge comes around.
orming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent
Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent
In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.
(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)
Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.
Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.
Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)
Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)
Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.
Fill and serve.
*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to "glue"). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.
*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.
*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).
Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough
From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter
plus extra flour for dusting work surface
Mixing the Dough:
Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.
Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)
Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.
Incorporating the Butter:
Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.
Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.
To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.
Making the Turns:
Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).
With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.
Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.
Chilling the Dough:
If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.
The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
I love ice cream. It is definitely my favorite dessert by far. It's always confused me, though, since I hate pretty much anything else related to the cold. For some reason, though, ice cream is the one cold thing I actually enjoy. Maybe because it's what you tend to eat when it's hot out and I live for the warmer months...but I have no problem eating ice cream every day all winter too. I wonder if I'll ever figure it out.
To appease my love for ice cream along with my love for creating desserts, I bought an ice cream maker off Amazon a little while ago. Eager to try it out, I decided to make some mint chocolate chip ice cream from the Cuisinart recipe that came with the ice cream maker. It turned out pretty good, a little icy because I think I added a little too much half and half and a little minty because I added a little too much extract, but for my first attempt, I thought it turned out pretty well. The recipe is fine, by the way...any issues I had with it were due to human error. I've made similar recipes from the book since and they've been perfect.
Low Fat Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, from the Cuisinart Recipe Booklet: "Ice Creams, Sorbets, and More!"
1 cup skim milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups fat free half and half
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate candy bar, chopped into small, uneven chips
a few drops green food color
1. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is totally dissolved, about 2 minutes on low speed.
2. Stir in half and half and peppermint extract.
3. Put mixture in ice cream maker and let mix until thickened.
4. Add chocolate and food coloring when appropriate for your model maker.
5. Take mixture out of maker when done and store in freezer.
To appease my love for ice cream along with my love for creating desserts, I bought an ice cream maker off Amazon a little while ago. Eager to try it out, I decided to make some mint chocolate chip ice cream from the Cuisinart recipe that came with the ice cream maker. It turned out pretty good, a little icy because I think I added a little too much half and half and a little minty because I added a little too much extract, but for my first attempt, I thought it turned out pretty well. The recipe is fine, by the way...any issues I had with it were due to human error. I've made similar recipes from the book since and they've been perfect.
Low Fat Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, from the Cuisinart Recipe Booklet: "Ice Creams, Sorbets, and More!"
1 cup skim milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups fat free half and half
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
4 oz bittersweet chocolate candy bar, chopped into small, uneven chips
a few drops green food color
1. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is totally dissolved, about 2 minutes on low speed.
2. Stir in half and half and peppermint extract.
3. Put mixture in ice cream maker and let mix until thickened.
4. Add chocolate and food coloring when appropriate for your model maker.
5. Take mixture out of maker when done and store in freezer.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Dobos Torte
The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.
So I had some serious issues with the dobos torte. I couldn't get the cake part fluffy enough at all. I think I mixed up the egg whites with the egg yolks somewhere in the recipe. Also, I completely burnt the caramel. The only pot I had that that the mixture wasn't spilling out of was huge, and I think it caramelized so quickly in the pot that it burnt before I even knew it. So that had to be thrown out. I improvised with the decorating with sprinkles and walnuts I had bought to replace the hazelnuts (I couldn't really get ahold of any for an okay price). Luckily, the frosting was amazing. So that made up for me messing up everything else...it still tasted great and it was definitely a good learning experience.
Here is the recipe for anyone who'd like to try to do better than me :)
Equipment
2 baking sheets
9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
a sieve
a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
a small saucepan
a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
metal offset spatula
sharp knife
a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
piping bag and tip, optional
Prep times
Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes
Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt
Chocolate Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)
Finishing touches
a 7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts
Directions for the sponge layers:
NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.
1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)
4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)
Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.
1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!
Directions for the caramel topping:
1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.
Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.
Assembling the Dobos
1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.
So I had some serious issues with the dobos torte. I couldn't get the cake part fluffy enough at all. I think I mixed up the egg whites with the egg yolks somewhere in the recipe. Also, I completely burnt the caramel. The only pot I had that that the mixture wasn't spilling out of was huge, and I think it caramelized so quickly in the pot that it burnt before I even knew it. So that had to be thrown out. I improvised with the decorating with sprinkles and walnuts I had bought to replace the hazelnuts (I couldn't really get ahold of any for an okay price). Luckily, the frosting was amazing. So that made up for me messing up everything else...it still tasted great and it was definitely a good learning experience.
Here is the recipe for anyone who'd like to try to do better than me :)
Equipment
2 baking sheets
9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
a sieve
a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
a small saucepan
a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
metal offset spatula
sharp knife
a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
piping bag and tip, optional
Prep times
Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes
Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt
Chocolate Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)
Finishing touches
a 7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts
Directions for the sponge layers:
NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.
1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)
4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)
Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.
1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!
Directions for the caramel topping:
1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.
Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.
Assembling the Dobos
1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Almond Milanos
The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.
For some reason, I really wasn't in the mood for something chocolately when I decided to tackle this challenge. The chocolate covered marshmallow cookies looked EXTREMELY chocolately. Sadly, they would have given me an excuse to use some corn syrup I bought and used once and never again, but I guess it'll just stay in the cabinet unused for a little longer. In the end, I decided not to consume an entire batch of either and made the milano cookies for my boyfriend's birthday. I figured they'd be better off in the mail and they looked like they'd taste better to me too. I decided to use almond extract in cookie part because I didn't have lemon extract and it seemed like an expensive thing I might never use again. I also chose to omit the zested orange because I didn't have any oranges...an easy enough decision to make!
Here's the recipe:
Milan Cookies, adapted from Gale Gand Food Network recipe
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows
Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.
For some reason, I really wasn't in the mood for something chocolately when I decided to tackle this challenge. The chocolate covered marshmallow cookies looked EXTREMELY chocolately. Sadly, they would have given me an excuse to use some corn syrup I bought and used once and never again, but I guess it'll just stay in the cabinet unused for a little longer. In the end, I decided not to consume an entire batch of either and made the milano cookies for my boyfriend's birthday. I figured they'd be better off in the mail and they looked like they'd taste better to me too. I decided to use almond extract in cookie part because I didn't have lemon extract and it seemed like an expensive thing I might never use again. I also chose to omit the zested orange because I didn't have any oranges...an easy enough decision to make!
Here's the recipe:
Milan Cookies, adapted from Gale Gand Food Network recipe
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows
Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Hazelnut Kisses
I'd love to go on vacation. Somewhere nice and warm. With palm trees and fruity drinks. And a beach, of course. Instead, I'm stuck working in an office all day every day this summer...I miss the days when it was acceptable to do nothing all summer. However, while I'm not vacationing this summer, my parents were. On a trip to Cozumel, they purchased me two Mexican recipe books, one with cookies and one with ice cream. With a big jar of Pralinutta (Belgian knock-off brand Nutella) in my cabinet, I decided to make the first recipe in the cookie book for hazlenut cookies.
The recipe definitely didn't have enough butter in it, so I had to add a lot extra and I cut down on the hazelnuts a little, simply because they're expensive and I didn't want to buy another bag. If you take these cookies out of the oven too soon, they will crumble to the touch so make sure they're ready before you take them out of the oven.
Hazelnut Kisses, slightly adapted from "Besos de Avellana" from Galletas by Delicias
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut cream (Nutella)
1/3 heavy cream
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease three pans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at high speed to combine the butter and sugar until you get a pale and creamy mixture. Change the mixer to low speed and add the hazelnuts and flour mixture.
4. Make 40 small balls of dough and place on pans to bake.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they start to brown and harden. Take out of oven and let cool completely.
6. Melt chocolate hazelnut cream and mix with the heavy cream. Let cool completely, until very similar to the consistency the chocolate cream was before mixing.
7. Stick two cookies together with the cream to obtain your hazelnut kisses!
The recipe definitely didn't have enough butter in it, so I had to add a lot extra and I cut down on the hazelnuts a little, simply because they're expensive and I didn't want to buy another bag. If you take these cookies out of the oven too soon, they will crumble to the touch so make sure they're ready before you take them out of the oven.
Hazelnut Kisses, slightly adapted from "Besos de Avellana" from Galletas by Delicias
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut cream (Nutella)
1/3 heavy cream
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease three pans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at high speed to combine the butter and sugar until you get a pale and creamy mixture. Change the mixer to low speed and add the hazelnuts and flour mixture.
4. Make 40 small balls of dough and place on pans to bake.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they start to brown and harden. Take out of oven and let cool completely.
6. Melt chocolate hazelnut cream and mix with the heavy cream. Let cool completely, until very similar to the consistency the chocolate cream was before mixing.
7. Stick two cookies together with the cream to obtain your hazelnut kisses!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Strawberry Jam Sponge Cake
Finding a dessert that is plain and relatively healthy is generally not an easy endeavor. However, when I bake at home, it is often a must if anyone but me is actually going to eat the dessert. So I decided to be magnanimous and actually make something other people will eat. I'm someone who loves really sweet, decadent desserts, but I chose this plain sponge cake because I figured my dad would eat it. In the end, I was right because it was gone within 24 hours with the two of us eating it. While it wasn't the most fabulous dessert I've ever had, it was a good recipe for a plain dessert. Also, I had huge slices because I figure its lack of frosting was saving me a lot of calories :)
Strawberry Jam Sponge Cake, very slightly adapted from Sponge Layer Cake from I Love Sugar by Love Food
3/4 unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
Scant 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp strawberry jelly
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-inch round layer cake pans.
2. Use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and the butter until pale and light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat after you add each one.
3. Mix the flour and salt in a separate bowl and slowly add the butter/sugar mixture with a metal spoon or spatula.
4. Divide the mixture between the two pans and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden brown. It also should be shrinking from the sides of the pan a bit when it's done.
5. Take out of the oven and let stand for 1 minute. Then use a butter knife to loosen the cakes around the edges. Take out of pans (be careful here...my bottom layer stuck to the bottom a little and got a crack in it!).
6. Once cool, sandwich together with the jelly and sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar.
Strawberry Jam Sponge Cake, very slightly adapted from Sponge Layer Cake from I Love Sugar by Love Food
3/4 unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
Scant 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp strawberry jelly
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-inch round layer cake pans.
2. Use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and the butter until pale and light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat after you add each one.
3. Mix the flour and salt in a separate bowl and slowly add the butter/sugar mixture with a metal spoon or spatula.
4. Divide the mixture between the two pans and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden brown. It also should be shrinking from the sides of the pan a bit when it's done.
5. Take out of the oven and let stand for 1 minute. Then use a butter knife to loosen the cakes around the edges. Take out of pans (be careful here...my bottom layer stuck to the bottom a little and got a crack in it!).
6. Once cool, sandwich together with the jelly and sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Condensed Milk Reeses Cookies
Condensed milk tastes pretty good. I could eat it straight out of the can. I considered just eating it straight after I made my caramel and chocolate bars, but I decided that wasn't the best idea. However, what to do with a little over a half cup of condensed milk? I rifled through my recipe books and came up with nothing, except maybe one recipe that needed a full can. So I decided to do a food blog search and came up with Madhuram's Eggless Cooking's Eggless crispy chocolate chip cookies using condensed milk.
Not really in the mood for plain old chocolate chip cookies, I went to the supermarket in search of a different filling. I decided on Reese's, as I hadn't had any in the longest time nor had I ever had any in a cookie. They turned out really weird looking...I think I should have flattened them out a bit before I put them in the oven since they had no eggs to help them spread. They tasted pretty amazing though, crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. They were definitely different than your typical chocolate chip cookies, but they were also definitely really, really good.
Condensed Milk Reeses Cookies, slightly adapted from Madhuram's Eggless Cooking 's Eggless crispy chocolate chip cookies
(Makes about 30 cookies)
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
3/8 cup granulated sugar
3/8 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups and 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
8 Reeses cups, crushed into medium to small pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease baking sheets.
2. Beat butter and sugar together in large bowl until pale and creamy (about 5 minutes).
3. Pour in condensed milk and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder until combined.
5. Stir flour mixture in and add the Reeses cups. Don't use the electric mixer on this part.
6. Make each cookie using a tablespoon of dough and MAKE SURE TO FLATTEN IT (which I forgot).
7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let cookies stand 5 minutes on baking sheet so they can harden. Then let cool completely on a plate or wire rack, depending on your preference.
Not really in the mood for plain old chocolate chip cookies, I went to the supermarket in search of a different filling. I decided on Reese's, as I hadn't had any in the longest time nor had I ever had any in a cookie. They turned out really weird looking...I think I should have flattened them out a bit before I put them in the oven since they had no eggs to help them spread. They tasted pretty amazing though, crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. They were definitely different than your typical chocolate chip cookies, but they were also definitely really, really good.
Condensed Milk Reeses Cookies, slightly adapted from Madhuram's Eggless Cooking 's Eggless crispy chocolate chip cookies
(Makes about 30 cookies)
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
3/8 cup granulated sugar
3/8 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups and 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
8 Reeses cups, crushed into medium to small pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease baking sheets.
2. Beat butter and sugar together in large bowl until pale and creamy (about 5 minutes).
3. Pour in condensed milk and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder until combined.
5. Stir flour mixture in and add the Reeses cups. Don't use the electric mixer on this part.
6. Make each cookie using a tablespoon of dough and MAKE SURE TO FLATTEN IT (which I forgot).
7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let cookies stand 5 minutes on baking sheet so they can harden. Then let cool completely on a plate or wire rack, depending on your preference.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Caramel and Chocolate Bars
I've always preferred caramel over chocolate. I seem to be in the minority on that one. Caramel is sweeter and has this slightly burnt taste, and I love things toasted to the point where they start to burn a bit. So anything with that kind of taste is sure to be a hit with me. I bought a new recipe book last week on my lunch break one day, but I decided to make something out of my Belgian recipe book, as I had only made one recipe from it so far anyway. And I've had my eye on these caramel and chocolate bars for awhile...
Overall, they're pretty good...some people might consider them sickeningly sweet though, depends on your level of enjoyment of very sweet desserts. When I first tasted it, I thought it was way too sweet, but I had been eating the ingredients as I made it and also had a bowl of Cookie Crisp with Sprinkles and vanilla soymilk before I tried it, so I think my tastebuds had already had their share of sweetness for the night.
Caramel and Chocolate Bars, slightly adapted from "Sablé au caramel et au chocolat" from Desserts au Chocolat by Les Simplissimes
Bottom layer:
1 stick butter
10 tbsp brown cane sugar (Sugar in the Raw or something of the like)
1 cup flour
1 packet regular oatmeal (or 40 g oats...whatever is easier for you)
Middle caramel layer:
1 1/2 tbsp butter
5 tbsp brown cane sugar
10 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
Top chocolate layer:
100 g milk chocolate
25 g white chocolate
1. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. With your hands, mix the stick of butter and 10 tbsp brown can sugar until combined. Then add the flour and the oats until a dough forms (not sticky but you don't want it really hard either...it should be a little less sticky that chocolate chip cookie dough generally is).
3. Place the prepared dough into the pan, trying to make it as even as possible, and bake for 25 minutes (my oven took about 40). The mixture should start to brown before you take it out of the oven. Make sure you let it cool for a bit before you put the other layers on.
4. To make the middle layer, heat the middle layer ingredients in a pan on the stove until the mixture starts to boil. Then mix for 5 or 6 minutes, until mixture starts to harden a little bit. Then, you can pour it onto the cookie layer.
5. Then heat the milk chocolate and place over the caramel layer. Heat the white chocolate and use to decorate the top milk chocolate layer. Enjoy.
Overall, they're pretty good...some people might consider them sickeningly sweet though, depends on your level of enjoyment of very sweet desserts. When I first tasted it, I thought it was way too sweet, but I had been eating the ingredients as I made it and also had a bowl of Cookie Crisp with Sprinkles and vanilla soymilk before I tried it, so I think my tastebuds had already had their share of sweetness for the night.
Caramel and Chocolate Bars, slightly adapted from "Sablé au caramel et au chocolat" from Desserts au Chocolat by Les Simplissimes
Bottom layer:
1 stick butter
10 tbsp brown cane sugar (Sugar in the Raw or something of the like)
1 cup flour
1 packet regular oatmeal (or 40 g oats...whatever is easier for you)
Middle caramel layer:
1 1/2 tbsp butter
5 tbsp brown cane sugar
10 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
Top chocolate layer:
100 g milk chocolate
25 g white chocolate
1. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. With your hands, mix the stick of butter and 10 tbsp brown can sugar until combined. Then add the flour and the oats until a dough forms (not sticky but you don't want it really hard either...it should be a little less sticky that chocolate chip cookie dough generally is).
3. Place the prepared dough into the pan, trying to make it as even as possible, and bake for 25 minutes (my oven took about 40). The mixture should start to brown before you take it out of the oven. Make sure you let it cool for a bit before you put the other layers on.
4. To make the middle layer, heat the middle layer ingredients in a pan on the stove until the mixture starts to boil. Then mix for 5 or 6 minutes, until mixture starts to harden a little bit. Then, you can pour it onto the cookie layer.
5. Then heat the milk chocolate and place over the caramel layer. Heat the white chocolate and use to decorate the top milk chocolate layer. Enjoy.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Chocolate Chip and Banana Cupcakes
I feel like half the time, I pick a particular recipe solely because I have some ingredient I need to use for whatever reason. Like some corn syrup I bought ages ago for one recipe and never used again. Or that milk in the fridge that's going to go bad tomorrow if I don't use it up today. This time, it was some overly ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl on my kitchen counter.
After rifling through my recipe books, I came up with chocolate chip and banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were really easy to make, and pretty tasty as well. I wasn't crazy about the cream cheese frosting at first because I usually prefer a sweeter frosting. It went well with the banana and chocolate chip flavor though, and it grew on me as I ate pretty much the whole batch :)
Chocolate Chip and Banana Cupcakes, slightly adapted from Chocolate Chip and Banana Cupcakes in 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Connolly.
Makes 12 small cupcakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
2 eggs
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cuo confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkles or whatever you like to garnish (the book suggests banana slices, but that would only be a good idea if you plan on eating them right away, as the banana slices would get nasty sitting around...)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put 12 paper baking cups in a muffin pan.
2. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and nutmeg in a large bowl until smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes).
3. Stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate chips until well combined.
4. Spoon the batter into the cups and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then take cupcakes out of pan and cool.
5. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft and smooth.
6. Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Beat quickly until smooth and well combined.
7. Frost the cupcakes and decorate however you like!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
European Rice Krispie Treats
I'm a vanilla person. I think it's because vanilla flavored things are generally sweeter than their chocolate counterparts. I loove anything really, really sugary and sweet. However, once in awhile, I get a craving for chocolate. And when that craving can be satisfied by something chocolately AND overly sweet, now that is the perfect scenario. Fortunately, that is exactly what happened with the rice krispie treats I made out of my European chocolate cookbook, Desserts au chocolat. They're totally different from your typical marshmallowy treats and I even think they're better tasting.
The recipe was pretty simple, no baking required...perfect for a hot summer night. I changed the recipe a little bit, just to adapt my lack of a scale,my family's cereal preferences (my brother said he would only eat the leftover Rice Krispies if I bought chocolate flavored ones), and my chocolate preferences (milk instead of dark) and they turned out really well the way I made them.
If you want something healthy, these probably aren't for you. However, if you're not crazy health conscious with your desserts, I definitely recommend these yummy Rice Krispie treats.
Bonus: You don't have to translate the recipe from French like I did, as a non-French speaker :)
Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats, adapted from Rochers de riz souffle au chocolat from Desserts au chocolat by Les Simplissimes
White Chocolate Layer:
1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp molasses
150 g white chocolate
2 cups chocolate Rice Krispies
Milk Chocolate Layer:
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp molasses
125 g milk chocolate
3 cups chocolate Rice Krispies
1. Butter an 8 inch square pan or line the pan with wax paper (I sprayed the wax paper with Pam).
2. Melt the butter, molasses, and chocolate for the white chocolate layer in a saucepan or the microwave. Then mix thoroughly. You have to wait for the chocolate to cool for the ingredients to really mix well together. It should look pretty even (doesn't have to be perfect though) when you are done mixing.
3. Mix the 2 cups Rice Krispies with the white chocolate mixture until the cereal is fully covered.
4. Spoon the mixture into the pan, making it as even as possible.
5. Melt and mix the butter, molasses, and chocolate for the milk chocolate layer. Again, you will need to wait a bit for the chocolate to cool for it to fully mix.
6. Then add this mixture to 3 cups Rice Krispies and layer evenly on top of the white chocolate layer.
7. Let harden in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or until fully hardened.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
English Bakewell Tart
The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.
I was very intrigued when I first began reading about this dessert, as I had never heard of one before. As people tend to say about the Daring Bakers' challenges, it definitely wasn't something I ever would have made before, but it was really good and I'm glad I made it. I had a lot of trouble with the dough...it was really difficult for me to make and mine was really sticky even after it had been in the fridge for the recommended time. I realized a little too late that maybe it should have stayed in the fridge a bit longer than suggested...it was already stuck to my pie plate and covered in flour.
I decided to use a simple strawberry jelly from the supermarket as it was my first Daring Bakers' challenge, and I thought the tart would be challenge enough; I didn't want to have to deal with making a jelly too since I've never made one before.
I ended up with way too much frangipane. I ate a ton of it from the bowl and it was still leaking out of my tart all over the oven (and all over the pie plate, as you can see in the pictures). I ended up having to put a cookie sheet beneath the pie plate so it would be easier to clean when the tart was fully baked.
Mine also took a ridiculously long time to bake, more than twice the normal baking time. It was a frustrating experience, but it was still fun and it tasted delicious when it came out of the oven.
Here is the recipe:
Bakewell Tart
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
I was very intrigued when I first began reading about this dessert, as I had never heard of one before. As people tend to say about the Daring Bakers' challenges, it definitely wasn't something I ever would have made before, but it was really good and I'm glad I made it. I had a lot of trouble with the dough...it was really difficult for me to make and mine was really sticky even after it had been in the fridge for the recommended time. I realized a little too late that maybe it should have stayed in the fridge a bit longer than suggested...it was already stuck to my pie plate and covered in flour.
I decided to use a simple strawberry jelly from the supermarket as it was my first Daring Bakers' challenge, and I thought the tart would be challenge enough; I didn't want to have to deal with making a jelly too since I've never made one before.
I ended up with way too much frangipane. I ate a ton of it from the bowl and it was still leaking out of my tart all over the oven (and all over the pie plate, as you can see in the pictures). I ended up having to put a cookie sheet beneath the pie plate so it would be easier to clean when the tart was fully baked.
Mine also took a ridiculously long time to bake, more than twice the normal baking time. It was a frustrating experience, but it was still fun and it tasted delicious when it came out of the oven.
Here is the recipe:
Bakewell Tart
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin
One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds
Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.
The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.
When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.
Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film
225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula
125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour
Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Apple and Cinnamon Muffins
I recently bought a recipe book entitled Desserts au chocolat in Belgium. I was super excited to finally get a chance to make something from this book. Then I remembered that my brother and dad don't like chocolate. And my mom doesn't really eat sweets anymore at all. So my chocolate book is unfortunately out until I get tired of baking what everyone else wants or until I get back to school.
I decided to make some apple cinnamon muffins instead, which people will actually eat in my house. I got the recipe out of a cupcake book I've had for a couple years, but haven't made too much out of. The recipe is fairly easy to make. The only issue I had was in trying to get my mother's food processor to work to cut up the apples. I later realized the blade was not on...and felt like a total idiot. I ended up cutting the apples by hand so they were probably a little bigger than they should have been. I prefer crunchier things anyway, though, so the apple chunks didn't bother me.
I had my first one warm right out of the oven, along with some cookie dough ice cream :)
It was interesting that the recipe said it would make six muffins. I actually got 14 from the batter and they weren't especially small muffins either.
They were really good though...made me feel better about myself and my baking abilities after my failing angel food cake attempt over the weekend.
Here is the recipe:
Apple and Cinnamon Muffins from 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Connolly
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 lightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 small apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or put 12-16 paper baking cups into a muffin pan (depending on how big you want the cupcakes to be).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon with a large wooden spoon or other appropriate baking apparatus. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the oil, butter, eggs, and buttermilk with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until almost fully combined. Stir in the apples, but make sure you don't overmix them.
4. Spoon the mixture into your muffin pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes (it took my old oven 40 or so...just stick a toothpick in a muffin in the middle, and if it comes out pretty much clean, they're ready). Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and cool.
I decided to make some apple cinnamon muffins instead, which people will actually eat in my house. I got the recipe out of a cupcake book I've had for a couple years, but haven't made too much out of. The recipe is fairly easy to make. The only issue I had was in trying to get my mother's food processor to work to cut up the apples. I later realized the blade was not on...and felt like a total idiot. I ended up cutting the apples by hand so they were probably a little bigger than they should have been. I prefer crunchier things anyway, though, so the apple chunks didn't bother me.
I had my first one warm right out of the oven, along with some cookie dough ice cream :)
It was interesting that the recipe said it would make six muffins. I actually got 14 from the batter and they weren't especially small muffins either.
They were really good though...made me feel better about myself and my baking abilities after my failing angel food cake attempt over the weekend.
Here is the recipe:
Apple and Cinnamon Muffins from 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Connolly
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 lightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 small apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or put 12-16 paper baking cups into a muffin pan (depending on how big you want the cupcakes to be).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon with a large wooden spoon or other appropriate baking apparatus. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the oil, butter, eggs, and buttermilk with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until almost fully combined. Stir in the apples, but make sure you don't overmix them.
4. Spoon the mixture into your muffin pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes (it took my old oven 40 or so...just stick a toothpick in a muffin in the middle, and if it comes out pretty much clean, they're ready). Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and cool.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce
For Father's Day, I decided to make an angel food cake, as that is one of my health conscious father's favorite desserts. I wanted to make the cake with some kind of fruit topping because my Dad can't eat chocolate or anything else that is really fatty. I did a search on Food Blog Search and came up with Biscuits and Such's Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce.
Unfortunately, mine didn't turn out as well as hers did. I had never made an angel food cake from scratch before and didn't know if I should grease the pan or not. I asked my mother and she thought I should. As my mom is usually right on all baking related questions, I sprayed some Pam on the pan. However, I later found out via an internet search that if you grease the pan for an angel food cake, the cake can't climb up the pan and rise. So that is why mine looked really tiny and had a strange consistency, probably because it didn't rise all the way. It tasted alright though, and the strawberry sauce was really good. I would love to try the recipe again sometime and actually make it right.
I also learned from the recipe directions that you can make super fine sugar by spinning regular sugar in the food processor, which will be really helpful for future recipes. I don't have my own food processor at school, but while I'm home for the summer, I will definitely use this trick.
Here's a copy of the recipe:
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce from Biscuits and Such
Cake:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup super fine sugar
12 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1. Stir together the flour, salt, and half the sugar. Set this mixture aside.
2. Add cream of tartar and almond extract to the 12 egg whites by whisking by hand for 1 or 2 minutes. Then, use an electric mixer with a hand whisk to beat the mixture for another five minutes. It should look a lot like soap when it is ready for the next step.
3. Slowly add in the rest of the sugar, while beating the mixture. Then, use a rubber spatula to add the flour mixture in.
4. When the flour is all mixed in, pour into a bundt pan and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. Let cool 1 hour before serving.
Strawberry Sauce:
1 box strawberries (about 3 cups)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 tbsp strawberry jam
1. Bring water and sugar to a light boil. Meanwhile, chop strawberries into halves or fourths, depending on the size of the berries and your personal tastes.
2. Reduce heat to medium level and add in chopped strawberries. Then, add in jam and let melt. Let the mixture boil. Then cool.
3. Place in a bowl and cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Since we weren't planning on eating the whole cake at once, we served the cake with the bowl of strawberry sauce at its side so as not to make the parts that wouldn't be eaten mushy.
Unfortunately, mine didn't turn out as well as hers did. I had never made an angel food cake from scratch before and didn't know if I should grease the pan or not. I asked my mother and she thought I should. As my mom is usually right on all baking related questions, I sprayed some Pam on the pan. However, I later found out via an internet search that if you grease the pan for an angel food cake, the cake can't climb up the pan and rise. So that is why mine looked really tiny and had a strange consistency, probably because it didn't rise all the way. It tasted alright though, and the strawberry sauce was really good. I would love to try the recipe again sometime and actually make it right.
I also learned from the recipe directions that you can make super fine sugar by spinning regular sugar in the food processor, which will be really helpful for future recipes. I don't have my own food processor at school, but while I'm home for the summer, I will definitely use this trick.
Here's a copy of the recipe:
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce from Biscuits and Such
Cake:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup super fine sugar
12 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1. Stir together the flour, salt, and half the sugar. Set this mixture aside.
2. Add cream of tartar and almond extract to the 12 egg whites by whisking by hand for 1 or 2 minutes. Then, use an electric mixer with a hand whisk to beat the mixture for another five minutes. It should look a lot like soap when it is ready for the next step.
3. Slowly add in the rest of the sugar, while beating the mixture. Then, use a rubber spatula to add the flour mixture in.
4. When the flour is all mixed in, pour into a bundt pan and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. Let cool 1 hour before serving.
Strawberry Sauce:
1 box strawberries (about 3 cups)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 tbsp strawberry jam
1. Bring water and sugar to a light boil. Meanwhile, chop strawberries into halves or fourths, depending on the size of the berries and your personal tastes.
2. Reduce heat to medium level and add in chopped strawberries. Then, add in jam and let melt. Let the mixture boil. Then cool.
3. Place in a bowl and cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Since we weren't planning on eating the whole cake at once, we served the cake with the bowl of strawberry sauce at its side so as not to make the parts that wouldn't be eaten mushy.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Culinary Journey Through Belgium and Paris
This weekend, I'm planning on making my first Daring Bakers challenge. Since I can't post that here for another couple weeks, I'm going to post some of the interesting foods and desserts I had/saw in Belgium and on a side trip to Paris over the past five weeks.
I've never seen so much fresh bread in my life. This store sold pretty much only fresh bread and had multiple locations in Brussels. A large loaf was only about $3 and sooo good.
Chocolate was more than plentiful in Belgium. These are some photos of a chocolate shop in Brugge, I believe.
I was amazed by the complexity of some of the chocolate designs, especially this rooster.
Chocolate Manneken Pis. The Manneken Pis is this little statue in Brussels of a little boy peeing that people there just love and tourists go look at it all the time. He's on tons of key chains, etc, and apparently, you can purchase a chocolate version of him.
Handmade pistachio truffle from Planet Chocolat...yum.
They made us a Clemson chocolate for our visit to Planet Chocolat! The whole thing is seriously all chocolate.
Fresh olives on the street.
Belgium is famous for its waffles. I can't say I was crazy about waffles before I went to Belgium, but now I definitely love them. Theirs are a lot sweeter and crisper than the traditional American recipe waffles. And the toppings are great as well.
Unfortunately, I can remember the name of this treat, but it was really good. It reminded me of an Italian cannoli, except the filling was a plain chocolate creme.
Mocha eclair. Both the filling and the frosting were mocha flavored...
Javanais...layers of vanilla cake and coffee flavored creme topped with chocolate marzipan frosting.
Taking a break from sweets, here are some traditional Belgian "frites," topped with the current "speciale" sauce: a mix of mayonnaise, a red sauce, and chopped onions.
Handmade pasta in Paris
For my first lunch in Paris, I ordered a crepe...they cook the egg right on top of the crepe.
Adding salmon and cheese....
Some of the best-looking pastries I've ever seen at a Parisian boulangerie. I had a pistachio macaroon and it was amazing.
Well, hope this entry was interesting. I definitely liked seeing all the different foods being served in Europe, especially different desserts. I wish I could make pastries like the ones I saw in Paris...
I've never seen so much fresh bread in my life. This store sold pretty much only fresh bread and had multiple locations in Brussels. A large loaf was only about $3 and sooo good.
Chocolate was more than plentiful in Belgium. These are some photos of a chocolate shop in Brugge, I believe.
I was amazed by the complexity of some of the chocolate designs, especially this rooster.
Chocolate Manneken Pis. The Manneken Pis is this little statue in Brussels of a little boy peeing that people there just love and tourists go look at it all the time. He's on tons of key chains, etc, and apparently, you can purchase a chocolate version of him.
Handmade pistachio truffle from Planet Chocolat...yum.
They made us a Clemson chocolate for our visit to Planet Chocolat! The whole thing is seriously all chocolate.
Fresh olives on the street.
Belgium is famous for its waffles. I can't say I was crazy about waffles before I went to Belgium, but now I definitely love them. Theirs are a lot sweeter and crisper than the traditional American recipe waffles. And the toppings are great as well.
Unfortunately, I can remember the name of this treat, but it was really good. It reminded me of an Italian cannoli, except the filling was a plain chocolate creme.
Mocha eclair. Both the filling and the frosting were mocha flavored...
Javanais...layers of vanilla cake and coffee flavored creme topped with chocolate marzipan frosting.
Taking a break from sweets, here are some traditional Belgian "frites," topped with the current "speciale" sauce: a mix of mayonnaise, a red sauce, and chopped onions.
Handmade pasta in Paris
For my first lunch in Paris, I ordered a crepe...they cook the egg right on top of the crepe.
Adding salmon and cheese....
Some of the best-looking pastries I've ever seen at a Parisian boulangerie. I had a pistachio macaroon and it was amazing.Well, hope this entry was interesting. I definitely liked seeing all the different foods being served in Europe, especially different desserts. I wish I could make pastries like the ones I saw in Paris...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cinna-spin Cookies
Last Thanksgiving, I made chocolate turkey cupcakes. They were just about the cutest things ever, and they were definitely pretty tasty. However, much to my dismay, no one at my Thanksgiving family party actually ate them. My middle school aged cousin ate a couple, I ate a couple, someone else ate half of one, and that was about it.
When I asked my mom why no one ate them, she replied, "Well, adults don't really like cupcakes." As an almost 20 year old, I don't exactly consider myself a little kid anymore. I know I'm not a "grown-up" by any means, but I'd like to think my food tastes aren't going to change drastically in the next 10 to 20 years. I hope I'll still enjoy a cupcake now and then, but I guess you never know.
My dessert tastes aside, at our next holiday party, Christmas, I was determined to make something my relatives would actually eat. In case they were worried about all the calories in such a big cupcake, I chose something small: cookies. And in case they didn't like the cupcakes' cutsey demeanor, I chose something relatively simple: cinna-spin cookies.
Cinna-spin Cookies from Betty Crocker
Ingredients
1 pouch (1 1b 1.5 oz.) sugar cookie mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On a piece of waxed paper, shape 1 tablespoon into a line about 5 inches long. Using floured fingers, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a rope 5 inches long. Press one side of dough rope into cinnamon.
3. On ungreased cookie sheet, coil dough rope tightly, cinnamon side facing center, into cinnamon-roll shape. Press end of roll into rope to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
5. In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.
When I asked my mom why no one ate them, she replied, "Well, adults don't really like cupcakes." As an almost 20 year old, I don't exactly consider myself a little kid anymore. I know I'm not a "grown-up" by any means, but I'd like to think my food tastes aren't going to change drastically in the next 10 to 20 years. I hope I'll still enjoy a cupcake now and then, but I guess you never know.
My dessert tastes aside, at our next holiday party, Christmas, I was determined to make something my relatives would actually eat. In case they were worried about all the calories in such a big cupcake, I chose something small: cookies. And in case they didn't like the cupcakes' cutsey demeanor, I chose something relatively simple: cinna-spin cookies.
Cinna-spin Cookies from Betty Crocker
Ingredients
1 pouch (1 1b 1.5 oz.) sugar cookie mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On a piece of waxed paper, shape 1 tablespoon into a line about 5 inches long. Using floured fingers, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a rope 5 inches long. Press one side of dough rope into cinnamon.
3. On ungreased cookie sheet, coil dough rope tightly, cinnamon side facing center, into cinnamon-roll shape. Press end of roll into rope to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
5. In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
I haven't actually baked anything in three weeks. While trying out every single pastry and dessert possible in Belgium has been a fun experience, I miss making my own treats. As I am definitely a novice baker, the baked goods I've been getting almost daily from the boulangeries are much more intricate and impressive than anything I've ever baked. However, there's just something about creating your own desserts that just isn't the same when you purchase them from a shop.
It always amazes me when I make things from scratch. You throw all these ingredients in a bowl or other baking apparatus, mix them up, shove them in an oven, and you end up with something delicious (hopefully). I like to see my treats go from start to finish and I like to know I had a hand in making something so good.
The last recipe I was able to make before I left my dorm for Belgium was Mexican hot chocolate brownies. My boyfriend and I had made Mexican hot chocolate cookies earlier in the year, and we never actually drank any of the Mexican hot chocolate we had left over. In need to get rid of the remaining baking products left in my kitchen before I left the country, I decided to use up most of the hot chocolate in some kind of recipe. After searching on Food Gawker, I found The Food Librarian's Mexican chocolate brownies made with Ibarra (I used Abuelita hot chocolate instead). While she was not crazy about the brownies, I really enjoyed them. I would recommend eating them fresh out of the oven or microwaving them before eating because the warmth made a huge difference in the experience.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
3 circles Mexican hot chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. Melt both types of chocolate with the butter in a saucepan (or in the microwave, as I did, since I had no access to a saucepan in my half moved-out apartment). Let chocolate/butter mixture cool for ten minutes.
2. Beat in brown sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
3. Fold in dry ingredients.
4. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees
5. Decorate however you choose.
I used some melted white chocolate baking bars I had left over to decorate and then topped them with some left over Marble Mix-Ins.
It always amazes me when I make things from scratch. You throw all these ingredients in a bowl or other baking apparatus, mix them up, shove them in an oven, and you end up with something delicious (hopefully). I like to see my treats go from start to finish and I like to know I had a hand in making something so good.
The last recipe I was able to make before I left my dorm for Belgium was Mexican hot chocolate brownies. My boyfriend and I had made Mexican hot chocolate cookies earlier in the year, and we never actually drank any of the Mexican hot chocolate we had left over. In need to get rid of the remaining baking products left in my kitchen before I left the country, I decided to use up most of the hot chocolate in some kind of recipe. After searching on Food Gawker, I found The Food Librarian's Mexican chocolate brownies made with Ibarra (I used Abuelita hot chocolate instead). While she was not crazy about the brownies, I really enjoyed them. I would recommend eating them fresh out of the oven or microwaving them before eating because the warmth made a huge difference in the experience.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
3 circles Mexican hot chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1. Melt both types of chocolate with the butter in a saucepan (or in the microwave, as I did, since I had no access to a saucepan in my half moved-out apartment). Let chocolate/butter mixture cool for ten minutes.
2. Beat in brown sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
3. Fold in dry ingredients.
4. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees
5. Decorate however you choose.
I used some melted white chocolate baking bars I had left over to decorate and then topped them with some left over Marble Mix-Ins.
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