The Pastry Princess Blog

The Pastry Princess Has Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:08:58 PDT

Welcome to the new home of the Pastry Princess at www.culinarymedianetwork.com. We love the new place, and hope you'll explore everything here and on our main site, where you can find articles, recipes, entertaining menus and the all-important cocktail section.

And let's not forget our audio and video shows, people -- we want you to see, hear, touch...ok, maybe not touch...and almost taste everything!

The Pastry Princess feed is still the same, and can be found at:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastryPrincess

Best of all, we now have multiple options for our CMN feeds, so you can receive our content just the way you like it. Yes, we're here for you.

If you want all of our content, including recipes, articles, audio and video shows, use this feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/CMNAllContent

If you'd like to get the feed just for our audio and video shows, use this feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/CMNShows

We will soon have feeds for videos and HD videos, so be sure to visit us at www.culinarymedianetwork.com for updates!

cleaning up crumbs

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:37:17 PST

It is obvious that I haven’t been posting with any regularity of late. I know I’ve apologized profusely for this before, but I thought perhaps I should explain why. It’s not that I don’t have the time (although I do admit time is somewhat strained) because I will make the time if I am inspired; but rather because I am a perfectionist and feel I have been half-assing this blog because it has not been evolving in the direction in which I originally intended.

When I first started the blog, it developed organically. New ideas and recipes were shared, people commented which in turn inspired more ideas and experiments, and participation in blogging events brought interaction in a round-table of sorts. I have befriended so many creative, inspirational and talented bloggers, attempted recipes I probably wouldn’t have under ordinary circumstances, was interviewed for C&H Sugar, and just had fun. I am incredibly grateful for every opportunity this site has presented.

But it’s been slow over the past few months because life has been busy and I haven’t had the time to document my trials and tribulations on a timely basis. When I finally get around to posting, I realize that what happened a month ago is no longer of keen interest. So my ideas resurface, but in the garbage bin. That’s not to say I haven’t been baking and eating at home, taking part in exciting experiments at work, or attending intriguing events. I have. And I apologize for not sharing them with you.

I have also been less than inspired because (pardon my French) my damned camera has been broken and I cannot afford to purchase another one yet. I have been posting crappy pictures without creative backdrops using my Dad’s ancient camera that basically has no viewfinder, and it’s a crapshoot guess at to what will end up in the frame. I crave the creative process of staging the photo’s inception – styling my food, picking out backdrops and props, testing lighting and angles...

Anyhow, my intended purpose of this blog was to share, learn and discover new ideas, observations, ingredients, equipment, techniques and formulas. It was to document my growth as an aspiring pastry chef, in addition to (hopefully) inspire my readers to try their hand at recipes and techniques that may appear (at first glance) daunting to enthusiastic home cooks. And, of course, to encourage public discourse and the exchange of ideas.

I just feel like I have gotten off my original direction, but without good reason or goal in sight. And it is time to turn that around. There are so many things I'd love to do with this blog: more recipes, more photos, more features. With each recipe or idea, I want to show how its inception was born – what inspired me, amendments I’ve made (hey I’m not perfect and my recipes often don’t come out “right” the first time I attempt them), demystify uncommon ingredients and techniques….

So I’m going back to the beginning:
Curiosity is something I'm never lacking, and I’ll be the first to admit – I am by no means an expert in pastry. Dessert is so much more than simply a sweet or the end to a meal. It is the culmination of years mastering techniques, understanding roles and functions of each component, seeking out and selecting only the freshest and purest ingredients, and letting your creativity run wild. It is edible art that leaves the mind and palate open to many interpretations. It an indulgent experience of taste and sight. So, committed to improving my skills, understanding food, flavor and the elements of taste, I have developed a rigorous program of self-study which includes burying myself in cookbooks (over the years I have amassed a hefty collection) and other blogs, testing and tasting recipes, diligently absorbing as much knowledge about pastry, passions and restaurant life from my favorite Chef, as well as seeking out other pastry chefs for new techniques, advice, inspirations and philosophies.

With this blog, I intend to share my love, as well as learn new techniques, explore unfamiliar ingredients, recount somewhat humorous failures, and uncover the passions, pursuits and philosophies that make what we see and taste incredible.
Consider this first attempt as a failed recipe: it’s time to clean up the crumbs and try again fresh.

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

the birth of a cake

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:33:50 PST

It was the second day into a much appreciated 4 days off from work over the New Year holiday. And you know me, I can’t not bake. A few of my friends have birthdays right around now, so I decided to bake them a cake in my bevy of time. Well, if I must admit, it was really procrastination for what was supposed to be the main goal of cleaning and organizing my apartment. Needless to say, I never quite got around to it.

Tucked in the back of my mind, I remembered that the November 2007 issue of Food + Wine magazine featured an enthusiastic article about Gramercy Tavern’s Pastry Chef Nancy Olson and her family-inspired recipes. An admitted peanut butter junkie (it’s the one food that I simply cannot be trusted around), I have anxiously anticipated trying her Crunchy Milk Chocolate Peanut Cake ever since a former co-worker raved about it months ago. As my friends are almost as addicted to peanut butter as me, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. However, never one to religiously follow instructions, when I finally got around to baking the cake, I was instead inspired to create my own interpretation of her masterpiece.

The Cake
Nancy Olson’s recipe begins with a dark chocolate cake. While in the photo it does look absolutely moist and luscious, I opted to substitute it with a deliciously soft, moist milk chocolate biscuit that accompanies the Chocolate Peanut dessert at my work. The cake, with a lovely somewhat light brown color somewhat akin to a light amber beer, is an airy sponge cake made from whipped eggs, flour, sugar, and the requisite milk chocolate. Though we use the most amiable Valrhona Jivara, I can’t spend copious amounts of money for an experimental cake, so I chose Ghirardelli as a suitable surrogate. Of course, whenever I make this cake I can’t help but put a little fevre of the chocolate in my mouth. Instantly, I am aware of its rich creaminess, its extremely luscious smooth feel. The Ghirardelli, while still quite tasty, leaves a little bit of a gritty feel on my tongue, however, which I suspect comes from the typically high proportion of milk solids in comparison to cocoa butter.

Dark Chocolate, Peanut and Caramel Tart, Milk Chocolate Biscuit, Meyer Lemon Purée, Peanut Powder, Praline-Citrus Sorbet

Anyhow, overall the cake turned out great, and a fabulous base for the rest of the components.

The Crunchy Layer
The utmost interior layer of Nancy’s cake boasts of “an extraordinarily crunchy filling, made with almonds, salted peanuts, creamy peanut butter, chocolate and Rice Krispies.” What that equates to is basically a light, crispy dacquoise. However, I chose to make a simpler middle layer but still with all the flavor and adored crunch. The Rice Krispies in this add a nice crunch to the overall smooth and creamy cake. I also wanted a darker chocolate for this layer, so I used 66% chocolate for a little contrast from the milk chocolate cake and ganache.

90g Bittersweet Chocolate (66%)

150g Peanut Butter (you can use creamy or crunchy)
50g Caramelized Peanuts* (or you can just use regular peanuts)
100g Rice Krispies
Salt

Spray a flat baking sheet with non-stick baking spray and line with a sheet of parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and the peanut butter together in either the microwave or a double-boiler until smooth and well combined. Add the peanuts, Rice Krispies and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour the mix onto the prepared baking sheet and spread flat using a large offset spatula. The mixture really needs to be worked with the spatula to ensure a flat, even layer that won’t break when cut. Set in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. Remove and cut two circles using an 8 inch cake ring. Place the two disks back into the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cake.

Hint: The extras make a perfect snack while baking!

*see below for Caramelized Peanuts recipe

The Peanut Butter Mousse Filling
I tried to find a peanut butter mousse recipe, but there really aren’t any publicized except for the typical cream cheese/peanut butter “mousse-type” thing. As I did not think this cake would benefit from a cream cheese filling and I desired a lighter, airy-er and more sublime texture for my filling, I set to create my own peanut butter mousse.

I wanted to retain as much of the unadulterated peanut butter flavor in my mousse, I figured I would attempt to combine peanut butter with a slightly sweet pate a bombe and whipped cream. Knowing that pate a bombe, an egg yolk based foam that has been beaten with a sugar syrup (cooked to 238 °F) and whipped til cool, is often used as a base for various mousses and buttercreams, I figured it would make a good starting point for this project…and it worked. I’m sure I’ll be revisiting and revising this mousse in the near future, but for now I am quite satisfied. Slightly sweet and subtly salty, this mousse has a strong peanut butter flavor that perfectly marries with the milk chocolate elements of this cake. It is utterly delicious, and I had to stop myself from eating it with a spoon.

1 ½ cups (12 oz) heavy cream
8 ounces peanut butter
a scant ½ cup of sugar (95 grams)
water to cover
6 yolks (125 grams)
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon gelatin, soaked in 2 tablespoons cold water

Beat the cream to medium soft peaks; place in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the mousse. Place the peanut butter and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer, beat the yolks to the ribbon stage (they will be thick and pale in color and fall in a heavy "ribbon" when you lift the beaters), about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the water and sugar to a boil and cook to softball stage (238 °F). Add the soaked gelatin to dissolve. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the beating egg yolks. Beat on high speed until the mixture is cool and doubled in volume, about 7 minutes. Lighten the peanut butter with the cooled pate a bombe, and then fold in the rest in three additions. Add the whipped cream in another three addtions and voila, you have mousse. Place in a piping bag until ready to assemle the cake.

*This is best made when you are completely ready to assemble the cake.

Milk Chocolate Ganache Glaze
I stuck with Nancy’s basic ganache recipe but added a smidgen of corn syrup for a little extra sheen and smoothness and added a little gelatin to make it more of a glaze rather than a spread. Silky smooth and utterly divine, this was the perfect finish for the cake.

1 ¼ pounds of milk chocolate (565 grams)
1 ¾ cups heavy cream (400 grams)
1 T light corn syrup
a pinch of salt for good measure
1 teaspoon gelatin soaked in 2 tablespoons water– added to stabilize the ganache glaze and minimize the glaze from sliding down the cake

Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat until you see tiny bubbles. Remove from heat and pour 1/3 of the cream over the chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, mix gently until smooth. Add the rest of the cream in two more additions in the same procedure (this is just a little technique I learned from my Chef. Using a spatula rather than a whisk to emulsify the ganache will minimize the amount of air that makes its way into your ganache to create tiny air bubbles, and thus ensures a smoother ganache.) Once smooth, refrigerate for 1 hour, mixing occasionally, until thick enough to spread, but thin enough to pour as a glaze.

Caramelized Peanut Garnish
We use these awesome itty bitty caramelized hazelnuts that we use for subtle garnishing at work. Although I know that toasted peanuts don’t have quite the same appeal as toasted hazelnuts, I wanted to see if I could make my own using peanuts to garnish the cake. I started with finely ground peanuts and caramelized them using the dragee method. Since I didn’t want them to get too caramelized and take on a slightly off, bitter flavor (unlike other nuts, you don’t really want to toast peanuts), I pulled them off the heat a little sooner than I would have for other nuts.

And what do you know…I love it!

The recipe I used came from work; however, here are approximate standard measurements, adapted from Jacques Torres’ Dessert Circus: Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make Everyday

Caramelized Nuts
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 ¾ cups peanuts
1 ½ tablespoons butter

Place the granulated sugar and water in a large copper pot or 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and stir to coat them evenly in the sugar syrup. Your goal is to cook the nuts until the sugar crystallizes and caramelizes - when water is added, the sugar crystals dissolve. As the syrup boils, it becomes thicker as the water evaporates and big soap-like bubbles begin to form. Soon, all the moisture evaporates and the mixture becomes sandy. The sandiness is the sugar recrystallizing. It only takes the reformation of one sugar crystal to recrystallize the others. Keep stirring! Next, you will see the sugar close to the heat change from sandy to a clear liquid. The melted sugar clings to the nuts. When the sugar changes from clear to golden brown, the nuts are caramelized. Once this happens, pay close attention; the time it takes to pass from caramelized to burn is only a matter of seconds, especially when making smaller batches. You know the nuts are finished when most of the sandy sugar is gone. The first few times you make these, I suggest you try the following: When the sugar closest to the heat changes from sandy to liquid, remove the pan from the burner and continue to stir. The residual heat in the sugar and nuts will continue to cook the mixture while you stir it. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir the nuts while moving the saucepan on and off the heat at 10-second intervals. This will give you more control as it cooks. When the nuts begin to caramelize, remove them from the heat and finish stirring. Use a wooden spoon to spread the caramelized nuts onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Do not touch the nuts as they are extremely hot. Let the nuts cool completely. If your freezer will accommodate the baking sheet, you can place the nuts in the freezer for about 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process. When the nuts are completely cooled, break apart any clusters that may have formed. At this stage, you can choose to serve the nuts as they are.

To Assemble the Cake

Using an 8 inch cake ring, cut three circles out of the sponge cake. Place one layer of sponge cake in the cake mold and on a cake cardboard. Pipe a thin layer of mousse on top the cake. Top the mousse with 1 crunchy disk. Pipe another layer of mousse on top of the crunchy disk and then top with the other layer of sponge cake. Repeat with a layer of mousse, crunchy disk, mousse and cake. Finally, add more mousse to reach the top edge of the cake mold (this just ensures an even top of the cake). Smooth using an offset spatula. Place the cake in the freezer to firm for at least 3 hours.

Using either a kitchen torch or a hot dishtowel, unmold the cake and place on a cookie rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch any excess glaze. Pour the ganache glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down and fully coat the sides. If desired, lightly torch the top of the cake to remove any bubbles with the torch, and then return to the freezer for about 5 minutes to set the glaze. Spread the caramelized peanuts around the border of the cake (your hands are your best tool in this step). Whip the remaining ganache and pipe a decorate border along the top edge, if desired. I just did super simple rossettes and topped each with a peanut half. I confess, because after all that work, I got lazy.

The Verdict

My friends devoured every last crumb. Who needs a greater ego-boost than that? It’s not such a humble cake, boasting of its plentitude of peanuts and chocolate. But it’s lofty elegance, yet endearing childlike simplicity makes for a rich and immensly satisfying mouthful perfect for any occassion.

With roasted peanuts and sweet chocolate permeating and scenting my apartment with its sweet fragrances, I was in escasty those past few days. That is not to say that errors have not been made or I will not be attempting to improve upon this cake in the near future. But for now, I am deeply satisfied.

Because everything is better with peanut butter.

Pass the fork, please.

NOTE: I know the ratio isn’t correct for my gelatin additions since gelatin absorbs about 5 times its weight in water, but I didn’t want the mousse or ganache to be diluted with water, so I used a lot less than is usually called for.

Please excuse my crappy photos, again. My camera is still under the weather. :(

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

Finding Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 03:04:50 PST

i have a confession to make.
i have been avoiding my blog.
i just couldn’t find any inspiration. But now I’m back.

***

It was Christmas morning. Traditionally a cheerful day filled with jolly decorations and a plentitude of presents. While this year I admit it was more than just a jovial day, it wasn’t the lavish Christmas of childhood pasts.

The travails of the past year have thrown my family off track, and none of us were able to go shopping, decorate or cook with the usual vigor. No frenzied bouts of shopping. No candy canes or gingerbread. No shiny presents under an elaborately decorated Christmas tree. Rather than a big Christmas Eve feast, we settled for a simple Italian dinner of lasagna and salad (and no I am not Italian). And for the first time, I wasn’t ravenous to tear apart the sparkling wrapping paper and didn’t stuff myself silly at Christmas dinner.

We weren’t Scrooges. No. Instead, we found the meaning of Christmas. This year was truly about the comfort of being with family and friends – an ingredient that should prevail in everyday life. For me, Christmas was not measured by the height of my pile of wrapping paper, but rather in the smiles that blossomed on my mother’s face. No present, whatever the size, can compare in value.

But in all good spirit, I did bake some Christmas cookies.

Fig jam and fig jam swirls, lemon ginger shortbread, double chocolate brownie cookies, gingerbread macarons that weren’t quite up to par and chocolate peanut macarons.

Fig Swirl Sables
Dainty swirls coated in crunchy demera sugar

3 cups flour
7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk

Jam
Demera Sugar

Make the dough in a food processor, stand mixer, or by hand following the same procedure, taking care not to overwork the ingredients. Cream butter. Add the sugar and cream until well mixed. Sift in the flour, mix and then beat in egg yolk. Mix until just combined.

Chill the dough well, at least 30 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle about 1/16 inch thickness. Spread jam over entire rectangle, leaving about ¼-1/2 inch free near the edges. Starting at one end, roll the dough over, jellyroll style, until it is 4 times thick. Cut the log free from the rectangle. Place on a baking tray and continue the process with the rest of the dough. Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1-2 tablespoons water. Brush egg wash on the cookie logs and then roll logs in the demera sugar to coat. Chill the dough until firm, about 1 hour. Slice ½ inch thick cookies and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 300°F for about 10 minutes, but not golden.

Lemon Ginger Shortbread
Little light-as-air confections that melt on the tip of your tongue

(inspired by jen at use real butter)

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
¼ cup candied ginger, finely minced

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Cream the butter with the sugar, and then add the extract, lemon zest and juice and mix. Add the flour, salt and candied ginger and mix just until the dough comes together.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and shape into a log (or whatever shape you want) and refrigerate for a couple of hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Remove from refrigerator and slice the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Set on baking sheet with enough space for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they are lightly colored but not too brown.

Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Rich morsels evokative of brownies with a fudgy center and studded with white chocolate chips
(adapted from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern)

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon freshly brewed espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¾ cup white chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, briefly whip the eggs to break them up. Add the sugar, espresso, and vanilla and beat on high speed for 15 minutes, until thick. While the eggs are whipping, place the butter in the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl suspended over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water, and scatter the extra bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate on top. Heat until the butter and chocolate melt. Remove the boiler top from the water and stir the butter and chocolate until smooth.

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until partially combined (there should still be some streaks). Add the flour mixture to the batter and carefully fold it in. Fold in the white chocolate chips. If the batter is very runny, let it rest until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until puffed and cracked, 8 to 9 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before removing from the baking sheet.

gingerbread macarons

peanut macarons

More on the macarons to come… and please excuse the crappy photos. Still no camera.

If there is one resolution I am making for the New Year, it is to simply be present, right here, right now and take pride and joy in what is happening at the very moment.

My sweetest wishes for the New Year.

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

Menu for Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:05:37 PST

Silly me...I missed the deadline to donate a prize the 4th Annual Menu for Hope. But that doesn't mean I won't be buying raffle tickets with the hopes of winning one of the incredible prizes.

Started four years ago by Pim of Chez Pim, last year, Menu for Hope raised over $62,000 for The United Nation's World Food Program (WFP). This year we hope to do even better. Funds from the 2007 Raffle will go to a great cause: The school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa, a model program that feeds children and supports the local economy by buying directly from local subsistence farmers. And all donaters who support fighting world hunger have the chance to win a fabulous prize. We have some wonderfully generous food bloggers in our community.

Already know what you want? Go straight to the donation site at Firstgiving to donate now and get your raffle tickets. Good luck!

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

Cookies for Kids Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:40:40 PST

Today I recruited a few friends, and, together with a few other gracious volunteers, we baked cookies to help Band of Parents in their fight against childhood neuroblastoma and other cancers that affect infants and children.

December is officially holiday cookie season and what could be better than buying cookies that help save kids with cancer. Band of Parents is holding the godfather of all bake sales, baking 96,000 cookies, with virtually all of the proceeds going to the Band of Parents Foundation to benefit research through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The cookies, all made using recipes from the recently published cookbook, Cookies, by acclaimed cookbook author Sally Sampson, come in three varieties -- Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle and Citrus Shortbread.

The cookies will be baked and sold online until December 17, so please, buy some cookies! Give all the kids fighting neuroblastoma today, and those who will be so unfairly chosen to fight tomorrow, the hope all children deserve. Visit Cookies for Kids Cancer to buy cookies or donate directly.

A gift that tastes as good as it feels to give.

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

of cold weather and comfort food -- craving chestnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:04:16 PST

Nothing says winter like hot chocolate and wool socks and roasted chestnuts. The first snowfall of the season doesn't hurt, either. With winter definitely on its way, I'm thinking about comfortable winter delicacies...and warm, buttery chestnuts.

Before I moved to NYC, I used to visit the lustrous city at least once each winter. Though my itenerary may have differed with each excursion, the one thing that remained common was the steaming bag of roasted chestnuts my mittened fingers craddled. Peeling and nibbling each fleshy nut, I was in rapsody. There was just something special about the vendors with their smoking carts filling the air with such a lovely, tender fragrance. However, it seemed that with each jaunt spent navigating those crowded streets, roasted chestnuts became harder and harder to find. And now, that colder weather beckons for their warm embrace, the hot, crumbly nuts are a rare and coveted commodity.

Despite not finding any in their unadulterated but roasted form on the city streets, I have rediscovered chestnuts. Candied chestnuts, chestnut puree, chestnut cream...give me chestnuts in any form and I find myself swooning, defenseless to their charm. It's the subtle sweetness, the natural earthiness and the buttery richness just dissolving into your mouth that has me singing Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song." In whichever form they're eaten, it's always with a delicate sigh of warmth and comfort -- a perfect antidote to winter chills.

Chestnut Hot Chocolate
Subtly accentuated with citrus (and perhaps a few splashes of brandy) and topped with mounds of barely sweetened whipped cream, the combination of chocolate and and the nutty taste of chestnuts is truly lucious.

Chestnut Caramel Pound Cake

This dessert exudes warmth and comfort, and it's simplicity really lets the chestnuts shine.
I also turned about 3/4 of this cake into mini chestnut bread puddings for a dinner party...just prepare this custard base (omitting 1/3 cup of sugar and adding 1/2 cup of sweetened chestnut cream at the end), soak the cubes cake crumbs in the liquid for an hour and bake in mini muffin cups. Serve warm, drizzled with creamy butterscotch sauce...mmmm.

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gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

You Say Potato, I say Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:47:44 PST

It´s Daring Bakers time again … but this time we bypass the the sweets and venture into the savory side of the kitchen. For November, Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups has us roll up our sleeves for our first no sugar, non-dessert baking challenge: Tender Potato Bread from the book Home Baking by Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford. And, a savory bread was a much craved break from all of the sweets the Daring Bakers have been indulging in lately.

November has been a busy month for me, and, to be honest, I almost contemplated missing out on the Daring Bakers' Challenge again. In addition, I am not supposed to be eating yeast with my yeast-intolerance. But, I decided that I just could not skip out on two months in a row and, as Tanna had graciously chosen such a wonderful sounding recipe, I just had to bake the bread. Fatefully, I had a few friends over for a pre-Thanksgiving feast last week and, as no one else was going to bring the bread, decided that this would be the opportunity for me to test out the bread and not have it go to waste (there would be no way my roommate and I could polish off all that bread).

As with all Daring Bakers challenges, the recipe must be followed exactly. Otherwise, how would we be able to compare and learn from the baking process? Tanna's only other orders with this recipe were that we knead the dough by hand (no Kitchen Aids allowed!) and that we use our creativity in deciding what to make of the versatile dough. She offered limitless suggestions such as loaves, dinner rolls, braids, but it was the thought of a tender potato focaccia that made me pause to catch my breath.

And so, dressed appropriately in sweats (I knew I'd get messy with this project), I started baking. Although the directions to "mix & stir yeast into cooled water and mashed potatoes and let stand 5 minutes" had me slightly bemuddled since yeast typically requires warm water to proof, I still forged ahead and followed them precisely. Tanna warned in her recipe that the dough is a very soft dough, and she was not kidding. Potato adds extra moisture, so using them in a dough will make a very wet, sticky dough. The recipe is also quite adaptable for any level baker, with a note at the beginning of the recipe suggesting that beginners use 8 ounces of potatoes while experienced bakers use 16 ounces. I went for the full 16. And, this was a really, really sticky dough.

After kneading and kneading, adding flour after more flour (in total I ended up using about 7 of the suggested 6 1/2 - 8 1/2 cups), the dough finally became smooth, supple and elastic, so I set it aside to rise. An hour later, I came back to find the dough almost bursting out of the bowl! I guess it was needless of me to worry about mixing the yeast with cool water, as this bread was quite the riser. Keen on making focaccia, I scraped and smoothed every last bit of dough onto my baking sheet. After the second rising, I generously brushed the top with brown butter and sprinkled with fresh rosemary, Maldon sea sat and sliced red onions; and into the oven it went. I have to admit that with such a lucious nutty and rosemary aroma wafting from the oven, anxiously awaiting its arrival was the most difficult stage of baking the bread.

But, it was completely worth it. Simple and homey, soft and chewy with a wonderful flavor, this was a great focaccia. It was moist and fluffy, and I loved the nuttiness from the brown butter paired with the rosemary and red onions. Perfect comfort food for a crisp fall day. Now, how about a sweet potato focaccia?

Again, I was not able to capture great photos of the bread in the midst of its rising and baking, as my camera is in repair and I am technogically inept. I did, however, manage to get a few rough shots (and boy are the rough) with the use of another, albeit ancient, camera.

Thank you, Tanna, for encouraging us to partake in such a fun challenge. Head over to Tanna's for the full recipe .

Be sure to check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to read all the other DB's creative potato bread stories. Just make sure you're comfy, perhaps with a steamy mug of hot chocolate, as there are over 400 of us now!

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef

SHF #37: Thanksgiving Harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:48:01 PST

Just a quick post to ensure I make it in time for this month's Sugar High Friday....

Hosted by the incredibly creative Leslie of Definitely Not Martha, the theme of the 37th SHF was Beta Carotene. A monthly event created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess over two years ago, Sugar High Friday is an event to celebrate all that is sweet in our lives. Thankfully, this event came in perfect timing with the holidays, as pumpkin pie is a staple at our table. However, I decided to switch it up this year and use a recipe I learned from work. This challenge was also a clever way of sneaking extra vegetables onto our holiday table.

I made two desserts for my family's Thanksgiving feast:

*Sweet Potato Tart with hazelnut crust and candied hazelnuts

I admit, the recipe for filling came from my boss. However, I used this crust recipe, which I was not happy with. The dough was too soft, and the crust bottom never baked entirely crispy, resulting in a soggy bottom once the filling was baked.

PHOTO CREDIT: Noah Sunderman
Sweet Potato Tart recipe

2. Pumpkin Financiers
I took my basic financier recipe and tweaked it until I came up with a worthy pumpkin financier.

4 whites
1/2 c butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 c cake flour

salt

3/4 cup pumpkin

Use this recipe and just follow the instructions for the Rosemary Corn Financiers.

And, please excuse my lack of photos...the poor camera is being repaired. I did take photos using my cell phone, but I am a technological twit and cannot figure out how to upload them to my computer...

I simply love the Autumn harvest.

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my deepest regrets

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:46:40 PDT

i regret to admit that i was not able to participate in the daring baker's challenge this past october, nor the sugar high friday . however, better things should come this month!

the first to come this month...chef mark was on fox tv the other day!

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Cupcake Round-Up 2

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:43:40 PDT

What better way to put off doing important tasks (such as reorganizing my room, namely my closest) than by posting the scrumptious cupcakes I made last weekend for a friend’s apartment warming party. Yes, you read that right. Apartment. See in the city, we cram everyone we know into a tiny apartment for apartment warming parties when people move, not huge houses.
Anyhow, I noticed that Chockylit at Cupcake Bakeshop and Garrett at Vanilla-Garlic posted about a second Cupcake Round-Up, and I just couldn’t resist since it honestly has been years since I've just baked a cupcake at home. So here are the cupcakes that welcomed my friend to her new home. And I’m proud to say that almost every single cupcake was devoured!

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
I had originally intended these to be flavored after my favorite beverage – the margarita – complete with a liquor soaked margita flavored cake, tequila lime buttercream and sea salt sprinkled on top. However, my friend told me that her boyfriend was really craving a key lime pie, so I quickly turned these into key lime pie cupcakes – lime chiffon cake, key lime pie filling and complete with meringue frosting. Still satisfying, but not exactly what I was craving.

Lime Chiffon Cake
Adapted from Epicurious
Makes about 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 c cake flour
1 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
6 large egg yolks
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/3 c + 2 T fresh lime juice (altogether, you need about 4 limes to make the cupcakes -- zest all of the limes before juicing)
1/3 c water
2 t grated lime peel
8 large egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour, 3/4 c sugar (save the remaining half cup for later), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat egg yolks and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Add to the dry ingredients and beat just until smooth.

Using clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl or mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (but don't let the whites get too dry). Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Line muffin pans with paper cups and fill with batter almost to the tops of the paper cups. Bake until tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 10 mintues. Cool on wire racks in muffin pans.

Key Lime Filling
Adapted from Vanilla Garlic

5 egg yolks, beaten

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup of key lime juice (about 20 key limes) – I cheated and used 4-5 regular limes

1 teaspoon of key lime zest
½ teaspoon gelatin, bloomed in 2 tablespoons water

1 cup heavy cream, beaten to medium peaks

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the condensed milk and the lime juice in a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer over medium heat. Add the bloomed gelatin and quickly temper the hot mixture into the yolks, while beating contnueously. Add the zest. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the top and let chill until cooled, but not set.

Fold the whipped heavy cream into the chilled lime mixture in 2-3 additions. (You can add more whipped cream until you get a consistency and taste you want.)

Cut a small cone shaped piece of cake out of each cupcake. Fill the cavity with the key lime mixture. Cut the body of the cone off leaving just the cap of the cupcake. Replace it back on top of the curd.

NOTE: There will be a lot of key lime mixture left over. I think it would be fabulous as mini key lime tarts.

Meringue Frosting
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites

Whisk the egg whites and sugar over a water bath in the standing mixer bowl until it reaches a temperature of 110°F. Transfer to standing mixer and whisk using whisk attachment at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Use to frost cupcakes.

Pumpkin Chili Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting and Pumpkin Seed Brittle
This is a great fall cupcake, moist and full of warm, comforting flavors. The Ancho chili is a surprising but lovely treat, and the luxurious chocolate frosting seemed to temper the heat of the Ancho. I had to use every ounce of willpower to not eat myself into a semi-conscious state of sugar intoxication, as this chocolate frosting is sinful.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

adapted from Martha Stewart.com

Makes about 24 cupcakes

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder

pinch cayanne

1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

15 ounces pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Whisk together the sugars, butter, and eggs. The add the dry ingredients and whisk them in. Whish in pumpkin puree. Taste and adjust spices.

Fill cupcake papers about ½-2/3 full. Bake until they spring back to touch and a cake tester comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Adapted from Cupcake Bakeshop

14 ounces of chocolate (I used 70% since pumpkin is quite sweet)

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of whole milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, and then stir using a rubber spatula until combined. Add the butter to the chocolate, stirring until combined.

Sift the powdered sugar and whisk together with salt, milk and vanilla in another bowl until combined. Pour the sugar mixture onto the chocolate mixture, then stir until combined and smooth.Let sit at room temperature until thickened. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle
1 cup sugar
2 ounces butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon Ancho chili powder
1 cup roasted and salted pumpkin seeds

Prepare a flat baking sheet with a non-stick baking mat or silpat.

Place the sugar in a small, non-reactive metal pan. Cook over medium heat until caramelized in a deep amber color. Immediately add the butter, vanilla and Ancho, whisking continuously until completely emulsified and combined. Stir in the pumpkin seeds and spread onto prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool and then break into shards and use to garnish cupcakes.

Sorry I don't have better photos...they were taked very haphazardly in the midst of baking.

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TV Break

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:47:28 PDT

Check out this fantastic video of my pastry chef Michael Laiskonis on In the Loop with iVillage Live. He's making a sweet potato tart and his (incredible) signature eggs.

http://video.ivillagelive.com/player/?id=166494

PHOTO CREDIT: Noah Sunderman

Sweet Potato Tart recipe

It may look like a lot of work...but I guarantee these are worth it!

PHOTO CREDIT: Noah Sunderman

The 'Egg'
Yields: 6 servings

Egg Shells

6 large brown eggs

Caramel Custard Foam

5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 sheet gelatin, softened and squeezed of excess moisture

Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/2 cinnamon stick, lightly toasted and crushed

2 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Assembly

Maple syrup

Maldon sea salt

Egg Shells
1. Carefully remove tops from eggs, reserving contents for another use. Keep the bottom half of the fiber-board egg carton for baking. Do not use styrofoam!

2. Rinse empty shells in very hot water, and carefully remove the remaining membrane. Allow shells to dry.

Caramel Custard Foam

1. In a small saucepan, combine the five tablespoons of sugar and water and cook to a dark caramel. Meanwhile, combine cream, half and half, and milk, and heat just until warm. When the caramel reaches a medium brown color, add warmed cream mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, making sure all caramelized sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, combine and whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar. Temper hot cream into egg yolks (beat the yolks and add a little of the cream at a time). Return to medium-low heat and cook, constantly stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in gelatin and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill in an ice water bath. Refrigerate until well-chilled.

2. Transfer custard to whipped cream siphon and assemble according to manufacturer's instructions. Reserve in refrigerator until assembly.

Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee
1. Preheat oven to 350? F. Combine cream, milk, and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, combine and whisk egg yolks and sugar. Remove scalded cream mixture from heat and whisk in milk chocolate, until thoroughly incorporated. Temper mixture into egg yolks and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

2. Place egg shells right side up in their carton, and place in a two-inch hotel pan (a rectangular stainless steel pan). Carefully divide milk chocolate custard evenly among egg shells, approximately one ounce, or about half way.

3. Fill hotel pan with hot water, just until water reaches half way up the egg carton, just before the egg shells begin to float. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until custard is set. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Caramel Sauce

1. Combine sugar and water in a small covered saucepan. Cook to a medium amber color. Meanwhile, gently heat cream until warm. Remove caramelized sugar from heat and add cream. Return to low heat to completely dissolve sugar.

2. Remove from heat and emulsify butter into the caramel. Keep warm.

Assembly

1. Transfer cooled egg shells to twelve porcelain egg cups.

2. With a small spoon or squeeze bottle, pour a very thin layer of caramel sauce into egg shell, over the chocolate custard.

3. Fill the remainder of the shell with the caramel foam.4. Drizzle a few drops of maple syrup on top of the foam, and sprinkle each egg shell with a few grains of Maldon sea salt. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment Needed: Egg top cutter , One-pint whipped cream siphon, Porcelain egg cups

OR you could just dine at Le Bernardin to sample the creations we make daily...

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Simply Bananas

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:09:34 PDT

A few years ago, I was obsessed with making the best banana bread. I found myself preparing batch after batch of the sweet bread, and making my old college roommates sample each one. Eventually I developed a recipe with which I was satisfied and tucked it away knowing I could return when the craving hit. I have no idea why, but it wasn’t until now several years later, that, upon noticing my hoard of frozen bananas and an indecent craving for sweet comfort food, that I decided to revisit the recipe.

So, I hit my stash and thawed a few bananas. But, after much searching, I still could not find my recipe. Since moving (I think a total of 3 times since those banana bread days), I must have misplaced or tossed out that precious file. However, never one for defeat, I decided to recreate it from what little I could recall. And, you know what? They turned out even better than I remember!

These muffins are fragrant with ripe banana and a layer of sweetly, caramel toasted hazelnuts. That alone should have made this recipe the winner. Moist, soft and tender, these muffins burst with bright banana flavor. You’ll find that you are perfectly happy waking up to the blissful scent of banana bread for breakfast or snacking on them with coffee or tea any time of day.

My boss also gave me some bananas last week that I turned into little loaves with pistachios and cardamom...mmmm. But I am sorry to report that I have no photos of those lovelies.

Even though I’m always tempted to bake outrageous or elaborate creations, I still love to fall back on the simplest of treats.

My banana bread. Redefined.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 bananas, pureed with a handheld immersion blender

1/2 cup buttermilk

spices -- cinnamon, cardamom, mace....

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Working with an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Fill muffin cups or loaf pans 2/3rds full and bake in the preheated oven until golden.

muffins -- 15-20 minutes

mini loaves -- 20 minutes

large loaves -- 45-60 minutes

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Big Buttery Buns -- Daring Bakers Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:56:53 PDT

Another Daring Bakers challenge. Another successful recipe. September’s challenge, chosen by our lovely hostess Marce at Pip In The City, was to make buttery, fluffy cinnamon rolls. These turned out to absolutely moist, luscious rolls filled with sugary goodness. Trust me, as I have made them twice this past month! But the most wonderful thing about this recipe – the dough doubles as sticky buns (which is how I prepared them).

The recipe is from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker´s Apprentice, so I was pretty confident that they would turn out well. I am a big fan of this book; with clear, concise instructions and wonderful step-by-step photos, Peter thoroughly guides you to mastering the art of bread baking.

Working with yeast can be an intimidating act. The terror that it won’t work and your dough won’t rise, can deter even the best baker from attempting a recipe. But don’t be scared. All it really takes is to make sure that your yeast is alive and has proofed before you begin making a recipe. (Unless of course, you’re using instant yeast, as in this recipe in which the yeast is added directly to the wet with the dry ingredients.) And there is nothing more satisfying than witnessing the magic of a gloriously risen ball of dough.

Made from the simplest ingredients, this dough was a cinch to make. I did not have instant yeast, so I first proofed my yeast in the milk, which was heated to tepid. After the yeast created a bubbly surface on the milk, I proceeded with the recipe as written. The first time I made them I followed the instructions precisely, but the second time around I changed a few things. The first being that, while they grew into gorgeous pillows, they were HUGE! I decided that next time I would make them a tad smaller. I also added cardamom to the cinnamon/sugar filling – and changed it to a cinnamon/sugar butter to spread on the dough, rather than just a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. I also ran out of pecans, so I used a mixture of pecans and hazelnuts in the sticky caramel topping.

The Verdict: The dough was plump and puffy, baking into gorgeous fluffy pillows fragrant with a subtle vanilla and lemon flavor. I definitely like the buttery-ness of the cinnamon/sugar butter spread rather than just the dry sprinkling. And the cardamom – oh my cardamom! It added the most wonderfully exotic aroma and flavor to the baked rolls, and I highly recommend adding a pinch to the filling. The sticky bun glaze was just fantastic, and it also added an extra moistness to the dough. What is better than a softly sticky, buttery caramel oozing down freshly baked rolls?

I highly recommend that everyone make these rolls. Go crazy, make a double batch and make even more people hate you.

Some Notes:

*a little extra flour is needed when mixing the dough in order to achieve that non-sticky supple, shiny state

* the first time I made these I didn’t have time to do this, but when I make cinnamon rolls, I usually refrigerate or freeze the dough after rolling out. You can spread the cinnamon butter over the dough better, and it rolls better and more evenly into a log when chilled. I also refrigerate or freeze after rolling into logs so it is easier to cut even slices. Since I didn’t have time, the first rolls weren’t the neatest portioned rolls!

*as written, the recipe makes obscenely huge rolls. I cut the dough in half, rolled each out into a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch and then rolled into thinner logs. This yields many more cinnamon rolls and, personally, I prefer them smaller sized.

Thank you Marce for choosing and inspiring the Daring Bakers with such a wonderful recipe. And thank you Lis and Ivonne , the founders of The Daring Bakers. Visit the Daring Bakers to see the other tempting photos…

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SHF #35: L'Amour des Figues

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:13:38 PDT

I have been wanting to make something with figs before they disappeared, so I was estatic when Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice announced this month’s theme for Sugar High Friday: The Beautiful Fig. A monthly event created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess over two years ago, Sugar High Friday is an event to celebrate all that is sweet in our lives.

“Every fruit has its secret.The fig is a very secretive fruit. As you see it standing growing, you feel at once it is symbolic:And it seems male. But when you come to know it better, you agree with the Romans, it is female.” D.H. Lawrence, Figs.

I typically like my figs minimally embellished. The beauty of a fig. The curves, the color and the sensual plumpness. Such a coy little fruit, their modest fat bottomed exteriors hide such luscious ruby insides. A perfectly ripe fig begs to be bitten into. Eating one fresh is such a simple pleasure, but it’s a rather indulgent treat with such intensity in each bite. It’s delicately plump, squishy soft, juicy and sweetly sticky. Not much time for more on my amore for figs, but I’ll steer you to a past post...

***

Last week, I made an absolutely lucious fig jam. I have no recipe, as I usually estimate my jams, but here is a quick idea to what I did:

1. Desteam and chop a bunch of fresh figs. Puree, weigh and set aside.

2. Place an equal weight of sugar in a tall saucepan. Wet with a little water to make a sandy texture. Add 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, and 1 star anise. Place over medium heat and cook the sugar, occasionally swirling the pan, until the hardball stage, just before caramelizing. (You can take it to a light caramel if you want a subtle caramel flavor in your jam).

3. Quickly add the pureed figs and stir continuously until thick and to a jam consistency (I think this took about 7-10 minutes). Pour into containers. The jam will keep refrigerated for 3-4 weeks and frozen for up to 3 months.

Swirled in Greek yogurt, what a breakfast this makes!

For my SHF entry, I made a Goat Cheese & Fig Clafoutis swirled with my fig jam and then topped with Caramelized Black Pepper and Honey Figs. This is a not too sweet, deliciously light and fluffy cross between a custard, cheesecake and pancake. Having never really had a clafoutis before, I was intrigued after seeing this recipe. Clafoutis is the epitome of a French comfort dessert: unpretentious, easy to make and blissfully soothing. The fluffy custard is as light as a cloud and typically bursting with fruit. However, this one, not terribly traditional, is creamy with tangy goat cheese, swirled with luscious fig jam, and topped with spicy caramelized figs. I baked mine in mini cast-iron skillets, but if you don’t have any, 1 large pan or any ovenproof variety is fine.

A simple, yet fun recipe, this is perfect for a quick treat or an elegant finish to a delicious meal.

Fig and Goat Cheese Clafoutis
Serves: 6

5 oz (150g) mild goat cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (110g) sugar

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds only (bean reserved for the figs)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup (70g) flour

½ cup of fig jam (place in a squeeze bottle for easier swirling)

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Put the goat cheese and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then whisk in the honey, heavy cream, and seeds from the vanilla bean. Whisk in the flour just until no lumps remain. At this point the batter can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours (and indeed, some people say it improves with age).

Pour the batter into a greased or buttered skillet and bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes for minis or 30-40 minutes for a larger baking dish. Allow to cool slightly and serve with caramelized figs.

Caramelized Figs

1/2 cup honey
Vanilla bean from the clafoutis recipe

Pinch of salt

1 pint fresh figs (preferably black Mission), cut lengthwise in half or into quarters for minis

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly cracked black pepper

Place the honey, vanilla bean and salt in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Cook until honey begins to bubbly and then place figs in the mixture, cut side down, and cook until figs begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Add butter and the black pepper, swirling the skillet to melt the butter. Remove skillet from heat. Using slotted spoon, arrange the figs cut side up on top of the clafoutis. Generously drizzle the remaining syrup over the figs and clafoutis. ENJOY!!

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Autumn's Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 21:47:41 PDT

Shorter days bring crimson sunsets. Falling leaves float around crisp breezes. Scents of cider, smokey chestnuts and flavorful figs fill the air. Autumn is slowly sneaking in, and it’s my favorite time of year.

For the past two years I’ve felt as though time has just slipped past me. Seasons have come and seasons have gone without much distinction for me, except for maybe the evolving plates with the fruits or vegetables de jour or maybe it was really only the addition or stripping of an extra layer of clothing…

But this year, I can finally see time changing before me. With a new job that affords me the luxury of having my evenings free, and a newfound perspective on truly savoring the moment, I have vowed to take advantage of what the world has to offer WHEN it offers it.

***

After work one day last week I was strolling through the Union Square Greenmarket. The breezy air was perfumed with the barrels of just picked apples and pears and plums that lined the crowded walkway. I picked up an apple and inhaled. It was sweet, fresh and crisp. A lovely scent permeated its thin skin. Picking up that apple brought back memories of apple picking at orchards back home in PA. I smiled, remembering my first impression years ago of being able to harvest your own barrel of apples straight from the tree. Suddenly I had an overwhelming desire to pick an apple, just to hold.

That evening I treated myself to a simple dessert to celebrate the apples I had purchased. Greeted by my tiny kitchen that housed my cabinets laden with equipment, my fridge filled with fresh ingredients and the basket on my counter overflowing with a variety of apples, I began. I carefully sliced apples, split and scraped a vanilla bean, caramelized some sugar and swirled in a pat of butter. I measured sugar, cracked eggs, whisked together a warm spiced cream, and then tossed everything together, allowing it all to soak in.

An hour or so later I was relishing each bite, the entire experience of savoring this years’ autumn. It is rich, warm, cozy, tender and creamy. Even with a real depth of flavor, full of sweet caramel apples, buttery brioche and warming spices, it can be quite humble. Rustic and simple. Caramelized apple bread pudding. I usually think about desserts like warm bread puddings as the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a cold winter night. But it was perfect for right now. Oddly enough, one spoonful and I felt re-invigorated. Every mouthful felt more and more like I was back in my parent’s kitchen sitting on the counter, whisk in hand, just a young girl trying to have fun after a day of apple picking.

Perfect for a crisp fall evening or a frosty winter day, this is just simple classic comfort food.

The kind of food you can cuddle up to.

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Ravishing Rosemary

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:54:44 PDT

What happens when rosemary has a heated affair with beurre noisette, confectioner's sugar and corn?

At first glance this looks no different than any other financier. Soft and springy with a lovely golden brown crust. But take a bite and you can taste a melody of flavors, mysteriously teasing yet perfectly marrying the moist flavor of browned butter and almonds. Cleary unusal. But absolutely right in every way. Rosemary and corn. It is the perfect late-summer pairing.

I find it very difficult to follow directions. I'm always thinking -- Wouldn't it be better this way? Or how would adding this change the recipe?? For example, still unhappy with any financier recipe, I decided to create my own. How did I arrive at this rosemary corn financier? First, I baked four or five different versions of financiers, chose the things I liked best about each one, combined them and continued to tweak and change until the consistency, airy-ness, crispness and buttery-ness became what I envision to be a perfect financier.

But, of course I had to take it one step further. Lately I've been experimenting with infusing different flavors into brown butters, and I still had a few sprigs of the rosemary I had just purchased left, so I threw some in the pot. Soon enough, rosemary's fragrant, evocative scent lured me back to the stove where I stood over the pot deeply inhaling her sweet aroma. And then I thought, what better to go with rosemary than corn.

The cake? Delicious. With these two additions, this recipe has easily become my favorite financier.

Browned butter gives these cakes their amazing caramel and nutty notes, as well as adds richness and depth to the cornflour in this recipe. I used a finely ground cornflour, not a cornmeal, to replace yet still mimic the texture and lightness of the cake flour traditionally called for in financier recipes. Fresh rosemary is also essential in this recipe, so do find some rather than using the dried rosemary in your spice collection. Although the intensity of the rosemary is muted here, serving as a tantalizing subtlety to the browned butter, almonds and corn, it still adds an elegant character and complexity.

Notorious for bringing dessert, I also made and brought some of these to a bon voyage party for a pre-Le Bernardin co-worker last night at Alta. Congratulations on your new position and life, Eve! You will be greatly missed! There was definitely a lot of moaning and groaning at the table once I passed around these delights. And I even offered some to our waiter.

...he came back for thirds.

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Daring Bakers Get Tarty

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:01:03 PDT

updated with photos...

This challenge marks my second month in the Daring Bakers’ Group and I must say that I am having a grand time baking and interacting with these marvelous bakers! In July we made Strawberry Mirror Cakes. This month two really talented bakers, Veronica of Veronica's Test Kitchen and Patricia of Technicolour Kitchen, choose the recipe and we are all making Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tarts. (You can find the recipe on Veronica's and Patricia's blogs.)

The challenge for this month intrigued me. When I saw that it was a chocolate caramel tart, I thought yum. I love tarts – making and eating them – but I just never seem to fit them into my repertoire at home. So I was very excited to have the opportunity to finally prepare one. I was also estatic to finally attempt one of Eric Kayser’s recipes from Sweet and Savory Tarts .

Now milk chocolate is not something I typically bake with, often preferring darker varieties over the sweet chocolate, but as a Daring Baker I was ready for this change. Paired with hazelnuts and caramel, however, this really shined. It is very similar to eating a big Milky Way bar, and I definitely devoured my fair share!

While it appeared complicated at first, it was mostly pleasant to bake this elegant and simple tart. The tart is based on three components – a layer of milk chocolate mousse over a creamy caramel in a chocolate shortbread crust – that can be spread out over several days if necessary, plus an optional caramel decoration. The recipe is very straightforward and, except for the crust, the tart presents no major obstacles. I started by cutting the recipe in half, as it seemed like it would make a huge batch.

As with most tarts, this one begins with a crust as the base. The tart pastry consists of butter, confectioners’ sugar, ground hazelnuts, cinnamon, eggs, cake flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. The recipe really called for the crust to be prepared in the food processor, but I decided to try this using my stand mixer, as I do with most crusts, and it worked out well. However, when it came time to roll out the tart dough, I ran into a few problems. I let the dough chill and rest in the refrigerator overnight, but the dough was quite oily and sticky, which made for a horrible rolling experience. So, I stuck it back in the refrigerator to firm up a bit, but I still had to use more flour than I wanted to in order to roll it out. After a bit of work, I finally managed to line my rectangular tart pans with the dough, with plenty left over to make mini tarts, too. Next, I blind baked the tart shells (baked them with parchment paper filled with dried beans for weight) for 15 minutes.

While the tart shells cooled, I began the caramel layer. This particular recipe calls for a dry caramel, which means that you simply put sugar into a pot and slowly let it caramelize. I have and do often use this method, but for caramel sauces I usually prefer to use the wet method, beginning with a sugar and water mixture. The dry method can seem more difficult because you risk burning the dry sugar since the sugar colors much quicker than in the wet method.
When making caramel, it is important not to stir the sugar (and grime on your whisk or spoon can cause the sugar to crystallize), but to swirl the pan to evenly distribute heat and color. I let my caramel turn a fairly deep amber color before adding the cream and butter. It is also important that your cream be warm (nuking in the microwave works just fine) and the butter should be at room temperature, which helps them combine better with the hot caramel. Using cold cream will make the caramel seize and harden. While a seized caramel can be easily rescued by rewarming the mixture again, it is just best to incorporate your ingredients at an agreeable temperature to create a luscious, buttery-smooth caramel.

Once the caramel cooled, I added the eggs and flour to prepare for baking. Baking the caramel layer was a little more difficult – the edges set and over baked much faster than the center. I wanted to keep the caramel rather fluid and smooth, not lumpy as occurred if it was over baked (I unfortunately learned this upon baking my caramel on the larger tart). Anyhow, baking was a little easier with the smaller tarts and produced a creamy caramel layer.

On to the mousse – I must admit that I was shocked to see this recipe in Eric Kayser’s repertoire. This is not really a mousse, but more of a chocolate whipped cream. It was delicious nonetheless. The chocolate mousses I usually use incorporate egg yolks or whites for stability, but this set up a lot better than I expected. However, as whipped cream does not seem to last too long, the mousse did begin to weep and crack after a day in the refrigerator. You also shouldn’t keep the tart unrefrigerated for too long or else the mousse would start to melt, too. Another tip I found helpful when making the mousse was to 1st fold a little of the whipped cream into the chocolate, and then fold that mixture into the whippe cream. This prevents the melted chocolate from seizing when added into the cold cream.

And finally, the garnish – lovely shards of caramel. I had a little fun with this step. I used some of my leftover hazelnuts to make a sort of tasty hazelnut brittle. I also dipped a few whole hazelnuts into the hot caramel to make little crunchy caramel-coated hazelnuts. Yum!

woops i took a bite!

The Verdict – Overall, albeit very very sweet, the tart was quite a treat. A soft, buttery caramel, a crust that remained crisp, and a sumptuous chocolate “mousse” made for one tasty tart. Almost like a giant Milky Way candy bar. The finished tart also sliced very nicely after being chilled.

what to do with the leftovers...

This proved to be a great challenge, so thank you Veronica and Patricia! However, I think next time I would make the dough more chocolately, or perhaps even use a different dough recipe altogether, as this one was oily and difficult to roll. The caramel was absolutely lush and delicious, but I think I’d actually use a "real" chocolate mousse recipe that would hold up better at room temperature.

If you want to check out the other talented Daring Bakers tarts, and believe me, you do, check out the Daring Baker Blogroll. Happy Baking!

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SHF #34 -- Local Sweets

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:18:32 PDT

It’s that time again…our monthly sweet indulgences with Sugar High Friday, the event started by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, and to my horror I almost missed it. This month, Johanna of The Passionate Cook is hosting and she’s given us the opportunity to prepare a dessert that features our own personal Local Sweet Specialties.

NYC is a city rich with culture and local specialties, and living here has endowed me with many luxuries. Perhaps my most appreciated is the bountiful Greenmarket. Always blossoming with the ripest produce, perkiest flowers, and freshest meats and cheeses, the Greenmarket was founded to preserve farmland by helping growers sell directly to consumers and bypassing the crippling middlemen. I frequent the Greenmarket, always swinging through on my way home from work or some other place, but as much for the sake of the atmosphere as the food. Eager shoppers explore new produce, inspecting round apples for bruises, sniffing fuzzy peaches or squeezing plump sun-ripened tomatoes. People stop and they chat with the farmers. Or perhaps just bask in the sun while waiting for friends.

Cooking from the market beguiles me. I buy what looks good, seldom bringing home more than two or three days’ worth of ingredients at one time, and figure out what to cook afterwards. It’s inspiring, challenging and very satisfying. Eating local builds community. And local food just tastes better.

On this particular trip, I went in for apples, but came out with pears. Bosc pears. And rosemary. And honey. Growing up, I never used to like pears. I thought they lacked flavor. But that was only because I ate them too crisp claiming mushy fruit made me sick. Now years later, full of fragrant, succulent juicy nibbles, a perfect pear is a treat to be savored.

I’m not sure how many people would consider a pear a delicacy, but I wanted to preserve the beauty of this fruit with a simple preparation. Whenever the breeze grows slightly stronger and slightly colder, I am flooded with visions and scents of the baked apples and ice cream my dad and I used to relish such crisp evenings. The memory of this dish inspired me to create a newer version with pears. So tonight, as a kind of transitional dessert, I made rosemary & honey roasted pears to celebrate the arrival of fall. These are served warm, bathed in honey with rosemary and cinnamon, and topped an optional (but indisputably delicious) spoonful of whipped crème fraiche and drizzle of balsamic.

So, with juices running up my sleeves and dribbling down the sides of my mouth, I bid you good eating.

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Sweet Summer Birthday Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:09:23 PDT

after drinks...comes dessert.

Proceeding our lively chatter and a round of Blood Orange Basil Cocktails, we dressed appropriately and set foot to Gotham Bar and Grill (my old abode). Earlier that morning, I had realized that for the past two years I had celebrated a pre-birthday dinner at Gotham, so it was only fitting that we continue the tradition. However, rather than indulge in a full, multi-course dinner, we opted only for a dessert extravaganza. Quite a sweet symphony...

and extravaganza it was.

Thank you Deborah!

I appologize for the crude photography...a combination of drinks, poor lighting and shared use of my camera resulted in photos that do not give justice to our feast.

warm apricot crisp, goat cheese lavender creme caramel,

vanilla apricot ice cream

My most craved and most perfect dessert is a warm crisp, bursting of ripe, juicy fruits topped with a bountiful amount of buttery, crispy oats. The warm apricots macerated in honey, Reisling and cinnamon were a delight on my tongue, and the goat cheese creme caramel with its sublte hint of lavender was pure silky pleasure. This hit my sweet spot, but it just wasn't my favorite.

s'more with chicory ice cream &

strawberry shortcake, white chocolate mousse,

pistachios, 12 yr. aged balsamic

Each year the S'more makes a seasonal appearance but with a new outfit. Suprisingly, as I am not usually one to fall for chocolate desserts, as well as I was never truly smitten when I was assigned the role of making and plating the S'more, this came a close second to the Souffle. Full of smokey notes and roasted chocolate, the chicory ice cream was a perfect complement for this nostalgic dessert.

I managed to sneak just one bite of the Strawberry Shortcake, but I can assure you that the white chocolate mousse wrapped in a tender vanilla sponge cake and crunchy pistachios will be one of the most luxurious bites of your life. Fresh strawberries serendipitously swimming in a sweet summery syrup (try that for a tongue twister) provided a refreshing and invigorating cleanse.

summer cheesecake, blueberry compote, necatarine sorbet

Unforunately my fork did not even come close to this plate. It was gone before I blinked.

warm brownie sundae, bing cherries, almond ice cream,

sour cherry caramel sauce

Deborah's brownies are the most moist, fudgey and intensely chocolate brownies I have ever tasted. And I will add that these brownies are nothing short of insanity. Brownie cutting days while I worked at Gotham reign, spatulas down, as some of the most anticipated days of my career. I shutter at the thought of how many times I have OD-ed on a pile of those scraps. Nonetheless, sour cherries, warm caramel sauce and almond ice cream can only add intensity to a heavenly bite of chocolate.

roasted fig and red currant tart, marsala sorbet

Visually a stunner with succulent slow roasted figs and ruby red currants that popped on your tongue, I loved it. It's whimsical, yet classy. However, it just lacked the spark that previous years' fig desserts ignited.

red plum souffe, bourbon pecan tart,
sweet corn ice cream

A lover of all things corn, it was this dessert that excited my palate the most. Warm and creamy, with an almost pudding-like texture, the impressively towering souffle (which had since began to deflate) was indefintely the star of this plate. However, garnished gracefully with crispy caramel popcorn and silky sweet corn ice cream perched upon a sticky bourbon pecan tart...this was intoxicating.

pretty petit fours

Both the Roasted Fig and the Souffle were placed in front of me, teasing and tempting my willpower. Deborah sure knows how to woo me...with figs and souffles.

As we were passing plates and sharing bites, I must admit I overlooked the petit fours, which were my favorite part of my old job. But I finally got my sticky fingers on one last chocolate tea cake, and upon consumption managed but two words, “mmmmmm, chocolatey.”

Deborah Racicot's desserts showcase her sophistacted yet approachable style of cooking. She's whimsical and innovative, evoking and playing with our every sense; she's comforting and traditional, staying true to Gotham's style and diner's desires. Her desserts provide for an intoxicating experience that left us giddy.

Giddy from wine, perhaps. Giddy with ourselves, yes.

But mostly, giddy from the sensational desserts and the extraordinary hospitality of friends.

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Sweet Summer Birthday, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 11:35:14 PDT

Forgive me for not posting with any frequency or regularity….It feels like it’s been ages since I last posted anything of substance. I’m not gone. Just have taken a bit of a breather. My computer’s been acting up, I’ve been insanely busy, and August has proven to be a crazy month full of celebrations. But, I’m back!

***

So many people I know have birthdays in August. I hate to pull such attention to myself, but it’s now been almost 2 weeks since my birthday, and I’m dying to share my celebrations. I’ve been attempting to post this almost every day since…but, finally, it’s here.

Contrary to many, I am actually excited that I’ve turned a year older, a year wiser. This year I’m celebrating my life full of family and friends (old and new), of baking and eating, of growing and learning, and for all of the excitement and mystery that is to come with this next year.

I wish I could have invited you all over for the celebration, but my tiny apartment isn’t such a gracious host when she has a crowd. A few friends and my younger sister did, however, visit me from Pennsylvania for a sweet weekend. When assuming the hostess role, I love to treat my guests well. So to begin, I wanted to greet their much anticipated arrival with an exciting, bold beverage….a Blood Orange Basil Cocktail. In addition to many love for baking, I also have a fondness for creating drinks that incorporate fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables or herbs and spice infusions.

This Blood Orange Basil Cocktail was quite simple to prepare: I started with a blood orange cordial I had made a little earlier when blood oranges were at their peak. I then muddled the cordial, lemon juice and basil together, added vodka that had been infused with a few strips of blood orange rind, topped with club soda and poured into martini or Champagne glasses (I know, I know, but what else is a girl to do when she's limited in glassware selection?). Had I thought of the idea for this drink earlier, I probably would have just infused the cordial with basil, too. However, it was delicious just as concocted.

my sister sipping her cocktail

Blood Orange Basil Cocktail
Dramatic and full of flavor, basil adds a surprisingly lush savory element as well. This cocktail is as interesting on the last sip as it is on the first.

Makes 1 cocktail

1 ounce blood orange cordial (recipe below)
Juice of ½ lemon
2-3 basil leaves
3 ounces vodka (I used my blood orange infused vodka)
club soda

Place the cordial, lemon juice and basil leaves into a glass. Using a wooden muddler or back of a spoon, crush the ingredients against the sides and bottom. Muddle well to release the basil essence and flavor. Add the vodka and stir. Fill the glass with ice cubes, if using highball glasses, and top with club soda. For martini glasses, place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice after muddling and pour into glasses.

Blood Orange Cordial
Cordials may be a bit old fashioned, but they are so simple to make and a great way to preserve the flavors of the season. The blood oranges I used were gorgeous with an intense ruby color, which lend itself beautifully to create such a vibrant juice. To make the cordial, I poached thin blood oranges slices (to use for another sweet project at the time) in simple syrup mixed with some fresh blood orange juice and continued to reduce at a simmer to concentrate the flavor.

1 cup blood orange juice (I used 4 oranges)
1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 blood orange, thinly sliced on a mandolin (optional)

Place the water, blood orange juice and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and add the blood orange slices if desired. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about a third. Cool in the pan before straining the liquid into a bottle and removing the poached slices for another use. Store the cordial and the slices in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or the freezer for 3 months.

Variation: This is also delicious using grapefruits (I like Texas Ruby Red). For a Grapefruit Basil Martini, substitute grapefruits for the blood oranges in the cordial. Another way to make these cocktails would be the make a basil simple syrup (infuse basil leaves in an equal mixture of sugar and water) and add to fresh blood orange or grapefruit juice, vodka and club soda.

***

While I unfortunately missed last month’s Monthly Mingle hosted by Meeta of What’s For Lunch, Honey, this Blood Orange Basil Cocktail is also my entry for September’s Monthly Mingle, Liquid Dreams. Sipped on the rooftop of my apartment building, this tempting libation was the perfect refresher for a steamy summer day, and it rejuvenated us for our big night out.

Coming in Part 2 – This was the first year I did not bake myself a birthday cake. But, see what our other sweet indulgences…

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noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:38:43 PDT

Check out my little interview and lemon lavender pound cake on the sweet C&H Sugar website! I'm tickled! However, I must reiterate that I am NOT a pastry chef, but a cook, at Le Bernardin...

I'm honored to be included among such a talented group of food bloggers and friends :) -- Anita at Dessert First, Anna at Cookie Madness, Ariela at Baking and Books, Ashley at Artisan Sweets, Elise at Simply Recipes, Jennifer at Bake or Break, and Shuna at Eggbeater. Congratulations ladies and keep playing with your sugar because a day without love, laughter or dessert is a day wasted...

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Daring Bakers are Pretty in Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:15:01 PDT

I’m back from my fantastic trip to St. Croix ….and just in time for my 1st Daring Bakers Challenge. Today I am proud to state that I am officially a Daring Baker! Over the past year, I have noticed the Daring Baker logo proudly displayed on many of my favorite blogs and often mused who are these bakers and what can I do to become one? After some searching, I learned that together Ivonne, from Cream Puffs in Venice, and Lisa, of La Mia Cucina, decided that they wanted to try making new things and challenged themselves to attempt something new once a month…the humble beginnings of The Daring Bakers.

The Daring Bakers are a courageous group that love to bake and are not afraid of a challenge. Each month, their mission, if they choose to accept, is to bake a recipe chosen by one of the members. However, the recipe must be followed exactly. This allows us to easily share questions, failures and successes, as we are all going through the same things with the same recipe. During the month we share our experiences, and, ultimately, aim to improve our baking skills. The recipe, our photos and experiences are then officially posted on a specified day.

Thus far the group has challenged themselves with bagels, Gâteau St. Honoré, Martha Stewart’s Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake, red velvet cake, flourless chocolate cake, croissants, biscotti and pretzels. I admired their successes and their camaraderie within the confines of a single recipe. I wanted to be one of the Daring Bakers, so I sent Lis an email expressing my interest, and, much to my delight, she was pleased to invited me to join the group. So, thank you Daring Bakers, and without further ado, here is my first (of hopefully many) challenges.

***

July’s challenge, as chosen by Peabody, is a Strawberry Mirror Cake. For me, summer is all about fruit desserts, and as strawberries are currently in their prime, this is the perfect time for this sweet cake.

Only admired in the windows of pastry shops (particularly those swoon-inducing cakes seen from time spent in France), I had never made a mirror cake before. And this challenge presented the perfect opportunity. Looking at the recipe, I knew this was something I wouldn’t normally attempt. A layered mousse cake…sure, no problem. But a mirror cake? It just was not in my repertoire…yet.

With four pages of instructions, this recipe seemed a bit daunting at first glance, however, in the end was not very complicated at all. Just slightly time consuming. This cake, a classic French patisserie gateau, consists of two layers of soft, tender sponge cake layered with smooth and creamy strawberry Bavarian and then topped with a clear strawberry gelatin layer (in other words, the mirror). I also have a hard time strictly adhering to recipes, but, as is set forth in the Daring Bakers rules, all recipes must be followed precisely unless allergies and other conditions call caution to the original. And, after all, without partaking in the original challenge, nothing would be learned. However, all Daring Bakers are allowed and encouraged to put their own creative spin on the final touches of the said recipe. Instead of the usual single large cake, I did opt to create several miniatures, as I tend to prefer smaller, more individual desserts.

The sponge cake recipe definitely produced a light, moist sponge. Deliciously flavored and subtly sweet, this is a reipce that I will be sure to use again and again. I noticed that several other Bakers had problems with their sponges...so I hope I can help. With any sponge cake, the most important thing is to beat your eggs correctly. First, you really want to beat your yolks and sugar to ribbon stage, approximately 7-10 minutes, to ensure a stable, yet elastic and aerated base. When whipping your meringue, it is important that you incorporate the sugar slowly into the whites, only after they are frothy, and also to make sure you do not over beat them. They should be glossy and hold firm peaks, but not weap or separated. The cake flour is then sifted into the voluminous yolks, and then the meringue is folded in last. Just take caution not to fold too much or you will deflate your precious batter.

Although it appeared the most challenging, the Bavarian cream was actually quite easy to make. It is basically a crème anglaise finished with gelatin and whipped cream. As with any custard, care must be taken to assure that it never comes to a boil, or else it will inevitably curddle. And, overall, the cream proved delicious – smooth with a rich yet light and airy mouthfeel – and I would love to see how it would turn out as an ice cream (minus the gelatin of course).

Once assembling the cake layers and filling with the Bavarian cream, the cake needs to chill for several hours to firm up. I typically like to have all of my mis-en-place prepared in advance, and found that it was quite convienent to make the fruit puree and juice ahead of time so the assembling went a lot quicker. The cake and mirror can also be made in advance (just remelt the mirror when ready for use), but I think the Bavarian cream is best when used fresh.

Once chilled and set up, I began the strawberry mirror. Very simple, very tasty. Basically like making homemade J-ello. Once the mirror set, it was quite easy to unmold the cakes using my hand-held mini blow torch. I also decorated the sides of my cakes with some toasted coconut, as the combination of strawberries and coconut makes me weak.

I highly recommend this cake…it was not too difficult, just an elaborate process, but its taste and vibrant color is well worth the effort. Beautifully complimenting the fragrant strawberries of the season, this cake is perfect for sweetening backyard barbeques or lazy day picnics. For more lovely strawberry mirror cakes, check out the other Daring Bakers’ blogs here. Can’t wait to see everyone’s cakes!

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Brief Summer Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:50:26 PDT

9 days long...

of sun, relaxation
& of course, family.

internet? the answer remains unknown.

leaving on a jet plane for st. croix today! see you all in a few days...

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macaron madness

noreply@blogger.com (Monica Glass) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:04:25 PDT

After a sunny afternoon spent relaxing on my roof, I had a compelling urge to make macarons. While so many other bloggers are baking and blogging about these marvelous beauties, I do not consider myself “jumping on the macaron bandwagon”. My slight obsession with making macarons has been prominent for quite some time now (I’m starting to think that I have a seriously addictive personality!); I just have yet to really post about them.

I usually use a French meringue-based recipe with which I am quite comfortable and successful. But, ever since first attempting macarons, I have been on a quest to improve and find the best recipe, as well as having wanted to attempt Italian meringue based macarons for quite some time now. The macarons on Helen’s blog Tartlette have always mesmorized me. They are always so beautiful – perfectly round, risen and shiny – ahhh such inspiration. I have wanted to try her recipe ever since first stumbling across her blog. And so I did. I went outside of my realm of familiarity and tried her recipe…but, unfortunately, with only partial success.

***

Ready to bake, I gathered my silpats and ingredients and began whipping and folding. Italian meringue recipes are really no more difficult than those using French meringue, they just take a little longer as you must wait for the meringue to cool before folding it into the TPT. I did notice, however, that the batter did not resemble the batter of the macarons I am used to making. As a result, I was concerned if I had folded enough or too much or even achieved the correct “macaronage”.

I piped 4 trays of little rounds, let them sit out to dry and then popped my macs into the oven. After just 5 minutes the macarons formed their adorable feet and the tops were smooth and flat, but to my horror, the feet on the first two trays were lopsided! My other two trays, however, came out beautifully even except for a little “ledge” that formed on the edge of the shell before the feet – as in the feet do not extend all the way to the edge of the macaron, but rather starts underneath. I also noticed that they did not have the shiny sheen that my previous macaron successes have acquired.

lopsided and ledges oh my!

After cooling, I took a bite of one and it was actually very good. The thin crunchy skin slightly crackles and collapsed into the moist and chewy inside, making for a delicious bite. But still mystified as to my lopsided macarons, I emailed Helen to ask her advice…

First, she gives me hope when she stated that it took her a couple
of times to be comfortable with the Italian meringue base. But now she
does not want to switch back!

About the ledge before the feet on my macarons, she told me that
they are really not that bad, but to keep in mind that the Italian meringue
is much more susceptible to outside agents than the French. She believes the
humidity acts up on the air whipped in the whites, and the environment makes
it tricky from what when we think we have folded enough and what actually
happens with the molecules in the whites. Helen also confided that those
edges sometimes happen to her when the humidity is high outside, so she
tends to make macarons when the humidity is low.

As for the appropriate folding, it is hard to determine when first working with a
recipe. It takes trial and error. Knowing when to stop folding is really a
matter of practice – the more you make them, the more you feel when to stop. I
am very comfortable with the amount of folding it requires to get the right
consistency on French meringue based recipes, but I guess I will just have to
keep working with this recipe to figure it out. I believe I may have underfolded
just slightly, but only practice will tell….if you have any ideas or advice
to share regarding the folding, I would be forever grateful!

And her suggestion for the lopsided macarons – when you hook them together, add two pieces of licorice to the top, and you have a macaron monster!

Almost forget – I ended up making lavender macarons by adding finely ground dried lavender to the TPT. Unfortunately I could not find my purple coloring, so they remain pale and not a lovely lavender hue to so synonymous with lavender macarons. I also remembered that I still had a little batch of white chocolate lavender ganache from some chocolates I had made earlier and decided to use that as a filling for sandwiching the shells. I’m sorry I don’t have a recipe for the white chocolate ganache; I think it was a 2:1 ratio of white chocolate to cream and the cream was gently infused with a bit of lavender and a vanilla bean before
making the ganache.

While this first attempt was acceptable and yummy, it was certainly far from perfect. Yet, I can just tell that Helen’s recipe works and has the potential to create a perfect macaron. Macarons are finicky, but a great challenge that I intend to perfect. While I didn’t take Helen’s suggestion to make little macaron monsters, I did eat my fair share of the lopsided ones! The good ones, I’ll be sure to savor slowly and share with friends.

innards

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