Cannelle et Vanille

A New Life

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:29:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that a week ago today, I was writing a post about pears and panna cotta and only four hours later, our little Miren Lili came into our lives. Excuse me if I sound overly romantic, but it truly was a miracle. She was born at home with the help of my friend and midwife Alanna who has been the best midwife I could have ever asked for. It was a peaceful and healthy birth.

We are quickly adjusting to having our little bundle. Having my parents here to help has been priceless. My mom is an amazing cook and has been spoiling us with healthy homemade meals. But as you might imagine, I haven't been baking much this week. I will soon as I am recovering quickly.

Thank you very much for all your emails and wishes and have a great Thanksgiving!

Maple and Homemade Yogurt Panna Cotta with Poached Forelle Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:00 +0000

I cannot believe that I am actually writing this post in between was seems to be early labor. Contractions have been happening on and off for the last few hours and when I visited my midwife this morning, she said this baby is well on her way. I never thought I would be blogging or tweeting through this (so unlike me), but the excitement is way stronger than I anticipated. I believe nature is wise and that my body was actually waiting for my parents to arrive to really get things going.

I made this panna cotta a couple of days before my parents actually arrived, but I knew I had to freeze some for them to taste. Poached fruit is one of my mom's favorite desserts and I have fortunately inherited that from her. So simple and light.

It had been a while since I made homemade yogurt, but for some reason, I have been at it again lately. I've been using yogurt in almost everything and I love the touch of acidity that it adds to the panna cotta. It's a beautiful contrast to the sweet and dark maple syrup.

So this is it for now. Short and sweet. Like I said before, now we just have to let life happen. I will be back shortly with news, more recipes and photos to share. Thank you very much!

Poached Forelle Pears

300 grams sugar
600 grams water
2 vanilla beans, split
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbs fresh ginger
8 forelle pears, peeled

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Turn heat to low and poach the pears (they may not al fit at once) until tender, about 15 minutes.

Maple and Homemade Yogurt Panna Cotta

500 ml heavy cream
150 grams dark maple syrup
4 sheets of gelatin
250 ml homemade yogurt

Place the heavy cream and maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. In the meantime, soak the gelatin sheets in ice water until soft, about 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatin and add it to the hot cream. Stir to dissolve.

Transfer the cream to a clean bowl and let it cool to body temperature. Add the yogurt and stir. Pour into containers and refrigerate until set.

Serve with the poached pears, maple syrup and some chopped pistachios.

Forelle Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:22:00 +0000

My friends know me well.

I received these as a gift a couple of days ago and today I poached them in a spice sugar syrup and served them with maple syrup and homemade yogurt panna cotta. It really put me in the holiday mood as I realized there are only two weeks left before Thanksgiving.

I am getting the house ready for my parents to arrive this weekend and then just waiting for life to happen. And thank you everyone for your emails and comments with all your well wishes!

Will be back with the recipe and photos soon!

Churros with Spiced Chocolate Bisque to Satisfy a Late Pregnancy Craving

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:24:00 +0000

I believe a few weeks ago, I told you that I don't usually like fried desserts or that I have not had much of a chocolate craving as of late. Well, I must take all of that back as this week I fried up the largest batch of churros and cooked the richest chocolate bisque I have made in a long time. We were able to open all windows this week and let the cool autumn breeze come in. Most of you are probably bundled up in scarves and coats by now, but we have had an unusually warm month (even for Florida), so this was a great feeling.

As I approach the last couple of weeks of this pregnancy, all I want is to be comforted and have all the ones I love close. C. returned from his trip to Montana and now we are getting ready for my parents to arrive.

One night while C. was giving me a much needed foot rub, we were talking about memories and my family back home. Suddenly the thought of chocolate con churros hit me. Cinnamon sugar churros dipped in a thick chocolate custard. "I must make them tomorrow", I said and so I did.

The traditional hot chocolate served in Spain doesn't contain eggs. It is a thick chocolate cream usually thickened with a bit of cornstarch or made with a special kind of chocolate that contains thickeners. This recipe is a bit like a creme anglaise flavored with dark chocolate, coffee, orange, fresh ginger, cinnamon and vanilla bean. It can be served warm or even cold, but I really like the churros dipped in a warm custard.

Churros

125 ml water
125ml whole milk
110 grams butter
pinch salt
large pinch sugar
150 grams flour
3 eggs

Canola oil for frying

Cinnamon sugar for coating

Place the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring this to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a smooth ball.

Transfer this mass to the bowl of an electric mixer (or can do it by hand) and start mixing with a paddle attachment. When most of the steam has evaporated, add the eggs one at a time. Mix until it comes together to a smooth thick mass.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (#5).

In a wide pan that has tall sides, pour about 3" deep of canola oil. Heat it to 350F. When it reaches the temperature, pipe the batter into the oil and cut with scissors. Fry them until golden brown. Remove the churros from the oil and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately.

Spiced Chocolate Bisque

500 ml heavy cream
200 ml whole milk
100 grams sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
1 star anise
1 stick of cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange
3 slices of fresh ginger
5 grams cocoa powder
3 grams instant coffee powder
6 egg yolks
135 grams dark chocolate, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla bean, star anise, cinnamon, orange zest and fresh ginger. Bring it to a boil. Turn the heat off and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Return the mixture to a boil and add the cocoa powder and instant coffee powder. Whisk well.

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and temper the milk mixture into them while whisking. Return this mixture to the sauce pan and cook for a couple of minutes while constantly stirring until lightly thickens.

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Place a fine sieve over the bowl and pour the custard over the chocolate. Mix until all the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth cream.

Can be served warm, room temperature or cold. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It will thicken when it cools.

Zoe's Gluten-Free Brioche, Poached Egg Salad and Some Chocolate and Praline Crunch Panini

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:14:00 +0000

Last week, after a couple of rather rough days, I received an unexpected package in the mail that really made my day. Zoe sent me copies of her two baking books "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". As you know, I am a cookbook addict and nothing makes me happier than discovering new books, especially if they are written by friends.

I started browsing through them right away and one recipe in particular caught my eye, the gluten-free brioche. I have experimented with gluten free baking before, but usually in recipes that are easy to adjust and that the gluten content is not the main requirement for its success. Bread baking is a whole different game though and I was intrigued to see what the texture of a brioche made mainly with cornstarch would turn out to be.

So I used our Halloween morning get-together to experiment with the recipe. The brioche has great flavor and texture and it is so easy to make that it even surprised me.

We had beautiful farm eggs that morning and what a better way to showcase their freshness than by poaching them. This technique immediately lets you know how fresh an egg is by just seeing how much it stays together once submerged in the poaching liquid. The yolks were so bright and colorful that really, there is no better ingredient for brunch.

Served the poached eggs on toasted slices of the brioche with a salad of watercress, purple basil and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. I had some toasted hazelnuts from before so I though a mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette would make the perfect dressing. So much flavor and texture.

I reserved some of the brioche to make hazelnut, chocolate and praline crunch panini. I don't have a panini maker so I just spread some organic, store-bought hazelnut and chocolate spread on slices of brioche with some praline crunch and toasted them on a griddle. It really was a decadent way to finish this Halloween weekend. I wish I could show you the kids' faces covered in chocolate and praline.

Gluten-Free Brioche

adapted from "Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" by Zoe François and Jeff Hertzberg

Makes enough bread for three 1.5 lb loaves

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
3 3/4 cups cornstarch
2 Tbs granulated yeast
1 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs xanthan gum
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1 cup neutral flavor oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Egg wash
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Whisk together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a 5 qt bowl.

Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them into the dry using a paddle attachment until there are no dry bits of flour.

Cover and allow the dough to rest for 2 hours. The dough can be used now or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

On baking day, grease a 8.5"x4.5" pan. Break a 1.5 lb piece of dough and shape it into a round. Wet your hands as the dough will be sticky. Elongate the dough into an oval and put it in the pan. You might need to wet the top a bit to smooth it out. Let it rest for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you are using non refrigerated dough).

Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle raw sugar right before baking. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.

Toasted Brioche, Poached Egg, Watercress and Apple Salad

Serves 4

8 slices toasted gluten-free brioche
4 eggs (preferably farm fresh)
2 cups watercress
Bunch of purple basil
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly slices
Few drops lemon juice
Water for poaching eggs
1 Tbs white vinegar
Mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette

Poach the eggs. Bring 3 qts of water and the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Break off the egg into a ramekin and gently submerge the egg in the simmering liquid. Do not let the water boil and only cook 1 or 2 eggs at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes or until white has coagulated but yolk is still liquid. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Thinly slice the apples and drizzle with some lemon juice so they don't oxidize.

Place 2 small slices of toasted brioche on a plate. Garnish with watercress, purple basil and thinly sliced apples. Place the poached egg on top and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle the mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette on top.

Mustard and Toasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette

2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs minced shallot
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil

Place the mustard, minced shallots, hazelnuts, balsamic and apple cider vinegars in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking creating a light emulsion.

Thank you Zoe for sharing with us!

Fall Flavors, Macarons and the Daring Bakers

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000

It wouldn't surprise me if I am indeed the last Daring Baker to post the challenge today. "Phew..." It almost didn't happen! Life has been crazy with all sorts of unexpected events, travel and finishing up side projects before baby arrives.

I made the macarons right before I went on a weekend getaway, but did not have enough time to style and photograph them. My plan was to do it right as I returned from my trip, but I should have known better. "Never leave for tomorrow what you can finish today", my amama used to say. She was right.

Like most of you, I am super inspired by whatever fall has to bring. My initial intent was to make some membrillo, but quince is nowhere to be seen around here, so I chose to use asian pears, which are abundant and beautiful. Inspired by Stephane Glacier's apple tart tatin macarons, I cooked asian pears in caramel and butter. I combined both almond and pistachio macaron shells with the asian pear tatin and mascarpone cream.

I also made chestnut and praline macarons with the chestnut cream that my dear friend Deb brought back for me from Paris. I had been saving it for something special and I couldn't wait any longer. I made the praline by caramelizing the hazelnuts just like my grandmother used to do with a sandy sugar coating. Oh the memories that those smells bring!

I have several packages ready to give out to friends this week. This last month will be crazy for me and I have so many people to be thankful for. Enjoy!

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Claudia Fleming's Macarons

Note: I made three different batches using three different nuts. Some all almond, some added half almond/half pistachio flour and some half almond/half hazelnut flour.

2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.) powdered sugar
2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.) almond flour
2 tablespoon (25 g, .88 oz.) sugar
5 (Have at room temperature) egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Baking with Persimmons and Some Childhood Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:20:00 +0000

When I spotted the first persimmons of the season this past week, I almost broke out in laughter thinking about my childhood memories associated with them. Not all good, believe me.

Although I grew up surrounded by persimmon trees (we call them kakiak or caquis in Spanish), this was not a fruit we ate or knew how to cook with. Instead, the over ripe fruit would always end up smashed on the ground making a jam-like pathway on our way to school everyday.

My school was right next to a convent were the priests had their own vegetable garden and tons of fruit trees; persimmons amongst them. The trees were lined up right next to the sidewalk so when autumn came, boys loved climbing up and getting the hardest persimmons to use as shooting devices against us girls. I remember having many, many persimmon-impact bruises on the back of my legs. Thank goodness I can look back and smile.

If you have never had a persimmon, you must know that there are two types, which have different characteristics. The Hachiya persimmon is the variety I grew up with and unless they are very ripe, they are almost inedible when raw. They have an oval shape and are mainly used to make jams and cook with. The Fuyu persimmons on the other hand, are flat like a tomato and can be eaten raw like any other fruit. Some have large seeds inside, but some don't.

I was surprised to find that everyone of my friends that walked into our kitchen this week asked, "what are those?". I was surprised of how unknown they seem to be to some. I suppose their childhood memories don't include persimmon fights.

Growing up, I don't ever remember my mom baking any extravagant desserts, mainly because we grew up in the family pastry shop and we had abundant leftover brioche and pastries everyday. But I do remember her lemon, yogurt and olive oil cake that called for one yogurt container of this, three yogurt containers of that... So I took that idea and adapted it to include almond flour, muscovado and the traditional yogurt and olive oil. This makes such a moist cake and can be made alone or with basically any fruit.

The cool temperatures have also arrived in South Florida and at night I have been craving creamy desserts like these mascarpone and marsala sabayon verrines with pistachio and almond crumble and poached persimmons. I thought I lost my sweet tooth during the first months of this pregnancy, but I believe it is back and these did the trick.

Persimmon Upside Down Yogurt and Olive Oil Cakes

Makes about a dozen 3" cakes

2-3 Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sugar

275 grams flour
30 grams almond flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
7 grams baking powder
pinch of salt
4 eggs
200 grams sugar
40 grams muscovado
Zest of 1 lemon
250 grams plain yogurt
225 grams light olive oil
2 persimmons, small dice
Squeeze lemon juice

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and sugar together. Add the sliced persimmons and cook until softened about 3-4 min on each side. Place them on the bottom of the cake pans and let cool. Proceed with cake batter.

Cut the two other persimmons and toss them in lemon juice.

In a large bowl, combine flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugar, muscovado, lemon zest, yogurt and olive oil. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the diced persimmons.

Pour batter over the caramelized persimmons (make sure these are cool). Bake at 350F for about 15-20 min until golden brown and when knife is inserted, it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool before unmolding.

Poached Persimmon, Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon and Pistachio Crumble Verrines

Makes 4-6 large verrines

Poached Persimmons

400 grams water
200 grams sugar
4 Fuyu persimmons, medium dice

Make a sugar syrup with the water and sugar by bringing them to a boil. Slowly poach the diced persimmons in the syrup until softened, about 10 minutes. Note that the persimmons might still keep "a bite" and not become completely soft if they are not very ripe.

Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon

3 egg yolks
50 grams sugar
25 grams marsala
110 grams mascarpone
70 grams heavy cream, soft peaks

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and marsala together in a medium bowl. Place this over a double boiler and cook until it thickens while constantly whisking. Make sure the water in the water bath is simmering not boiling.

When the sabayon thickens, remove from heat and whisk in the mascarpone cream. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Then fold in the soft peak heavy cream.

To assemble the verrines, layer pistachio crumble, poached persimmons and the sabayon.

Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts and a Clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:33:00 +0000

It has been all about pumpkins in our family lately. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, baking with pumpkins, books about Halloween and the meaning of it all... I never thought I would say this, and forgive me if I sound like a cliche, but children's enthusiasm for holidays can really be very, very contagious. Life through their eyes takes on a complete new meaning and to be able to experience it makes my heart flutter sometimes. Of course, I am also in a constant hormone-induced emotional state, which doesn't help either, but I love this time of year more and more.

I have never been a big fan of any fried dessert, but ever since Lara started on her doughnut cookbook project, I have become increasingly curious about testing new recipes myself. Then earlier last week, I stumbled upon an old cake doughnut recipe we used to use at work. "We are making pumpkin doughnuts today!", I told my little boy. His face lit up and immediately went to drag his step stool into the kitchen. Big mistake on my part as a meltdown soon followed when he found out he couldn't stand in front of the hot frying pan. "Why not?", he asked.

I know I should have probably roasted my own pumpkin, but this time I cheated and used canned pumpkin puree. Some pumpkins are too watery to use in such preparations so if you are going to roast your own, make sure to use a cheese pumpkin or even butternut squash which are meatier. I also added some hazelnut flour into the doughnuts and coated them in a hazelnut cinnamon sugar mixture while hot.

I had some leftover puree and immediately thought of Claudia Fleming's pumpkin and hazelnut clafoutis. Comfort and rustic food at its best. And no need to mention that both of these should be eaten right away. Love that.

Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts

375 grams flour
55 grams hazelnut flour
10 grams baking powder
8 grams baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
10 grams salt
110 grams pumpkin puree
60 grams whole milk, room temperature
40 grams sour cream, room temperature
100 grams sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
60 grams butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying

400 grams sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50 grams hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and finely chopped

In a large bowl mix together the flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, milk, sour cream, sugar, eggs and melted butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until it comes together. Don't worry if it's lumpy.

Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and dump the dough on it. Knead lightly until it comes together. Dust the top lightly with flour and roll to 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or two round cookie cutters, cut out the doughnuts and place them on a sheet pan with a silicon mat or parchment and dusted with some flour.

To fry the doughnuts, fill a pan up to 2" of canola oil. Heat the oil until it reaches 375F. Do not over-crowd the pan with doughnuts. Fry about 5 at a time (depending on the size of the pan). They will sink to the bottom but then float to the top. Turn them over and let them cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Drain them on paper towels and while hot, coat them with the cinnamon-hazelnut sugar.

Soup and a Tart for... "In The Kitchen With" Design*Sponge

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Over the summer, I was so excited to be featured as a guest in Design*Sponge's "In The Kitchen With...". This is one of my must-read weekly columns, as I discover so many new talents and artist. It is always so interesting to see everyone's approach on food, styling and photography and the story behind each and every recipe.

So when I was approached by Kristina again to do a second feature, I was more than flattered. "Why don't we try something savory this time?", she asked. "Perfect!", I thought since I have really been inspired by produce and comfort food recently.

I could live off soup everyday and never get tired of it, but I always have to have "a little something" to accompany it. Whether it may be simple cheese on toast or a slice of tart, it adds something special to the whole meal, so this time I created one of the soups we eat most during the fall, a butternut squash and orange cauliflower soup and to go with it, a leek, baby broccoli and smoked salmon herb tart. Believe me, it makes a full lunch.

Along with the recipes, you can also find Kristina's favorite cookbooks and a list of some of my latest kitchen obsessions. Hope you try it. You can find the full recipes here.

I also want to thank Kaytlyn of Beneficial Design for helping me create the most beautiful banner once again and to Nadia, for the loveliest mini crabapples straight from her farm.

Have a great weekend!

Roasted Apples with Almond and Muscovado Crumble and Marzipan Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:18:00 +0000

In a little bit over a month, mine will officially be considered a full term pregnancy. I still cannot wrap my head around it and although I have been through it once before, I feel like I am starting from zero once again. It is hard to imagine that we will have another little person added to our family unit, which will forever change our lives. So I suppose this means I have entered what it is called the nesting period. I had not given it much thought until this past week when I found myself cleaning, collecting, reading and making lists.

On top of it all, as the days are shorter and we become accustomed to our fall routine, I have been cooking and baking a lot more comfort foods. Soups, stews and easy tarts are part of our daily repertoire. I realized going through my pantry that I have not used a single sheet of gelatin in weeks, but on the other hand, I cannot keep my nut bins filled to save my life. That to me says a lot.

I was on the phone with my mom this past week when she told me about the compota de reinetas she always makes during the cold months with reineta apples, dried fruit, cinnamon and a touch of sugar. It reminded me of the smell of her kitchen and as soon as I hang up the phone, I started roasting some apples myself.

Reinetas are nearly impossible to find here, so I used Pink Ladies and Galas. They are firm, very acidic yet sweet, which make a great baking apple. I sliced them horizontally and layered them with a gluten free almond and muscovado sugar crumble and to accompany them a fall/winter favorite, marzipan ice cream.

My little boy and his best friend D. played a lot outside this week and even modeled for me. They collected pine cones, dead leaves and talked about their Halloween plans while D. tried on her new rain boots. They crack me up and I love their dynamics. We also planted new herbs like stevia, mini purple basil and feverfew, which I have never had before. I hope they last.

Gluten Free Almond and Muscovado Crumble

Note: Makes more than what you will need. Freeze the rest.

100 grams butter, softened
50 grams sugar
50 grams muscovado sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
100 grams rice flour
120 grams almond meal
pinch of salt
80 grams raw almonds, chopped

Cream the butter, sugar, muscovado and vanilla bean seeds with the paddle attachment. Add the rice flour, almond meal and salt and mix. Add the chopped almonds and mix until crumbly.

Roasted Apples with Almond and Muscovado Crumble

Slice 4 apples horizontally. Keep the top, but core the rest of the layers. Place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the crumble in between the layers and in the cavities.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until tender. You can baste them with a bit of melted butter in the process if the apples seem a bit too dry.

Marzipan Ice Cream

650 ml heavy cream
350 ml whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
170 grams marzipan, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 egg yolks
80 grams sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Place the heavy cream, whole milk and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.

In the meantime, place the cubed marzipan in the food processor. When the heavy cream and milk mixture comes to a boil, remove about 1/2 cup of liquid approximately and add it to the marzipan while the food processor is running. This will break up the marzipan and turn it into a creamy paste.

Add the marzipan mixture to the saucepan with the heavy cream and return to a simmer.

In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl. Temper in the marzipan mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon (84C or 183F). Immediately strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Add the almond extract.

Cool the ice cream base over an ice bath and then refrigerate for about 4 hours. Churn in ice cream machine and freeze.

Mini Pear, Raspberry and Ginger Pies for Project Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:39:00 +0000

I have been loving the very rustic, natural and country-style weddings that I have been reading about lately. Like this one, this one or this one. I think that when the world feels a little chaotic, we tend to resort to a homemade kind of lifestyle with lots of home cooking, personalized gifts and DIY touches. So for this month's Project Wedding assignment, I created individual pear, raspberry and ginger pies with a rustic touch that can be served at any wedding instead of the traditional cake and are so simple to make.

Fall made it's first appearance in South Florida today and it has put me in the mood for lots of comfort food, apples, quince and falling leaves, so I think it's going to be that kind of weekend for us.

For more photos and the recipes, please go here. Hope you like it!

Daring Bakers, Brunch and Some More Pate Feuilletee

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:30:00 +0000

When I learned that for this month's Daring Bakers challenge we would be making puff pastry and vol-au-vents, I smiled. As I have said it before, I love laminated doughs and have tried my share of puff pastry recipes in this blog. Chocolate, inverted, tomato, raspberry... so this was the perfect excuse to try a new recipe.

Vol-au-vents remind me of home and they remind me of pintxo bars. I remember as a kid going out for pintxos with my uncles and aunts every Sunday morning. It was and still is a ritual for many people, pintxo bar hopping. From one good one to the next.

Vol-au-vents are the perfect vessel for small bites such as egg scrambles, sauteed wild mushrooms, seafood salads, chorizo... You name it and a vol-au-vent will hold it. So when presented with this month's challenge, I immediately thought of making a very typical Basque appetizer that we had for brunch Saturday morning. An egg scramble with sauteed oyster mushrooms, green asparagus, garlic, goat cheese, purple basil, parsley and a bit of pink peppercorn. Super simple but loaded with flavor.

With the leftover puff pastry dough, I made thin pear and pistachio frangipane galettes that we also had for brunch. I can never have enough puff pastry.

As for this puff pastry recipe, it is very easy to roll, quick and very forgiving. However, I have to admit that I find that even though Pierre Herme's inverted puff pastry recipe is harder to work with at first, it yields a flakier product in the end. That's just my preference though and this was a great recipe that I will definitely try again.

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

Chocolate and Roasted Beet Pudding Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:06:00 +0000

For being someone who doesn't really ever crave cake, I sure have been baking lots of cakes lately. I just realized this is my third cake recipe in a row. Unprecedented, but I do have to admit none of these latest cake recipes are very traditional. All of them being very, very moist, especially this recipe in hand, which is more like a pudding that a cake.

Inspired by a late night (very late night) Twitter chat with Shauna, Helen and Y, I set out to try baking more gluten free recipes. It might surprise you to know that I am almost on a gluten free diet. Most people cannot believe it since I seem to always be baking. The truth is that I don't eat that many baked goods. I do taste everything I make, but I rarely sit down and have an entire piece of cake or cookies.

A couple of years ago, following some health issues, a good friend suggested I try living gluten and dairy free. I have never been able to give up my dairy completely, but I did give up gluten completely for an entire year, which yielded great results. I have not been as strict lately, but that late night Twitter chat was a great reminder of how great I felt then and that I need to experiment some more.

So I know the combination of chocolate and beets might sound a bit odd to you, but it really works. I first read about it in Johnny Iuzzini's "Dessert Fourplay" where he features several recipes with beets. It adds sweetness and an earthy touch that is hard to describe, but it really works.

I found the most amazing red and golden beets this week. I roasted and pureed them and then played around with my to go to chocolate fondant cake recipe. It took me several tests to get it right, but I think I got it. Even C. who despises beets liked it. That in itself is a huge accomplishment.

Gluten Free Chocolate and Roasted Beet Pudding Cakes

Makes 6-4 oz ramekins

2 eggs
2 yolks
50 grams sugar
55 grams butter
170 grams bittersweet chocolate (I used 64%), chopped
55 grams roasted beet puree
20 grams rice flour
pinch salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale and very thick (ribbon stage).

In the meantime, place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt them together over a double boiler. Add the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and mix. Add the roasted beet puree and mix. Finally add the rice flour and salt and fold.

Pour the runny batter into the greased ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 8-10 minutes until the edges are set but the center is still soft and pudding-like. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before trying to unmold them.

Serve them with candied beets, currants and cream.

Roasted Beet Puree

2 beets

Cut the leaves off the beets leaving about 1 inch stem on. Wrap them in aluminum foil and bake them at 400F for about 1 hour or until fork tender. Let them cool completely in the aluminum foil and them peel them.

Cut the roasted beets and puree them in a food processor. Strain the puree through a fine sieve. It makes more than what you will need for the cakes but you can freeze the rest.

Candied Beets

Peel some beets and slice them very thin using a mandolin. Make a simple syrup with equal parts water and sugar and cook the sliced beets in the syrup until soft and translucent. Make sure the syrup doesn't boil. Let them cool in the syrup. Slightly drain them and coat them with sugar.

If using red and yellow beets, poach them in different pots so the red doesn't bleed into the yellow.

Also, I wanted to let you know that my super talented friend Deb of Bonbon Oiseau is having a giveaway in her blog featuring pieces from her new Fall 09 collection. Go here to enter!

And for those wondering about the gorgeous butterfly plate, that is a handmade piece from Gleena. So many talented friends!

Some Roasted Plums, Coconut Milk Risotto and Muscovado Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 04:42:00 +0000

Last week, I had to deal with some unexpected (arent't they all?) health issues, which forced me into a blog hiatus and necessary rest. It was nothing serious, but enough to stop me from baking and shooting as much. Sometimes life has funny ways of making us slow down even if it's against our own will. I appreciate all the concerned emails wondering if something had happened or if I had gone into premature labor. All is well and just excited for the new season.

We received a big box of plums as a gift and have been enjoying them everyday. Purple, red, yellow pluots, prune plums... a beautiful assortment. It seems like every year plums mark the end of summer for me and the excitement for the new season begins.

I have been living vicariously through everyone else who gets to go apple picking and visiting orchards this time of year as we have none around us. But even that is exciting enough right now.

I have been baking with muscovado sugar a lot lately. It adds a richness and moistness to cakes and cookies that is hard to get any other way. No wonder it is called "moist sugar"! And even though I have never liked sugar in my coffee, I even started putting some muscovado in my morning dose following Ashley's advice.

The roasted plum and muscovado mini cakes are moist and rich with a touch of sour cream and lemon, but also unexpectedly light. We served these for friends during a play date on a rainy afternoon.

The coconut milk risotto is a slight variation on my arroz con leche recipe that I make all the time. It is much lighter, a bit less sweet and much faster to cook. I served it with the warm roasted plums, red currants and a sprinkle of pink peppercorns. My new favorite.

Coconut Milk Risotto

500 ml whole milk
20 grams sugar
pinch of salt
10 grams butter
60 grams arborio rice
120 grams coconut milk

In a saucepan, warm the whole milk, sugar and pinch of salt over a medium heat.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the rice to it and sautee it for about a minute. Add about half of the warm milk and stir over medium heat. Let it bring to a light simmer and then reduce the heat if necessary. Cook the rice in the milk while constantly stirring. When that milk has reduced, add a little bit more of the remaining warm milk and continue stirring. Proceed like that until all the milk has been added and the rice is cooked, which will take about 20-25 minutes. (Note that if you have added all the milk but the rice still not tender, you may add extra just to finish cooking it).

Finish the cooking process with the coconut milk. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the risotto into a bowl to chill. I like mine at room temperature but you might store it in the refrigerator.

Roasted Plums

4 plums
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
pink peppercorns
star anise
Juice of half an orange
musvocado sugar, some for roasting and some for sprinkling at the end

Cut the plums in half and remove the pit. Place them on a roasting dish. Add the star anise, pink peppercorn, vanilla bean, orange juice and sprinkle each half plum with muscovado sugar.

Bake the plums at 350F for about 30-40 minutes until tender.

Cut them into wedges and serve them on top of the coconut milk risotto accompanied by some red currants, muscovado sugar and pink peppercorns.

Roasted Plum and Muscavado Sugar Cakes

Makes a dozen 3 inch mini cakes

180 grams butter, room temperature
150 grams muscovado sugar
125 grams granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
180 grams sour cream
180 grams flour
4 grams baking powder
6 plums
muscovado sugar for sprinkling

Cream butter, muscovado sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together until light. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl well. Add the sour cream and mix. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until batter comes together.

Lightly butter and flour mini cake molds (I used tart rings that are 3"x1"). Pipe the batter into the molds. Place thin slices of plum on top and sprinkle with some more muscovado sugar.

Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Wait until slightly cool to unmold them.

Fig, Hazelnut and Buckwheat Financiers and Some Fig and Champagne Sabayon Gratin

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:14:00 +0000

Figs have a very sentimental meaning for me. My grandparents' farm had an enormous fig tree right by their door step that only gave fruit for a very short time every year, but it was a time we anxiously waited for. For that short time, which lasted about a month, we had more figs than we knew what to do with. I remember they were so sweet that my mom would have to ration them so we didn't overdose in sugar. Green light skin with a rich red brownish flesh. Perfection.

And although we are a million days away from the cool temperatures of fall, I had to indulge in some figs to celebrate the beginning of September. In fact, I had a whole pint of figs for lunch a couple of days ago, skin and all, just like I used to eat them as a kid.

I brought home all the kinds I could find black mission, brown turkey and sierra figs. The brown turkey turned out to be the ripest and juiciest.

I wanted something rich and nutty to go with them, so I made an unconventional financier batter with the addition of hazelnut, buckwheat flour and some lemon zest to balance the richness. The buckwheat almost gives it a chocolate note to the cake, which I thought was perfect topped with the fresh figs and chopped hazelnuts.

For the few figs I had left, I made a gratin with a light champagne sabayon. I know there is no alcohol allowed during pregnancy, but I had to take a bit. A small bite, but oh so worth it!

Finally, I wanted to tell you about a brief interview I did for the UK's The Times as part of the "50 of the world's best food blogs". You can read it here.

And if you are still curious about me, you can read another interview with Nicole Hill Gerulat of "A Little Sussy" as part of her "Friday Features" (one of my favorite weekly columns). You can read it here.

Fig, Hazelnut and Buckwheat Financiers

Makes 4 mini loaves

120 grams egg whites
125 grams sugar
Zest of half a lemon
55 grams hazelnut flour, toasted and cooled
55 grams buckwheat flour
150 grams brown butter, cooled

Fresh figs, quartered
Hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook it until the milk solids start to caramelize on the bottom. It will smell like roasted nuts. Remove from heat and strain it though a fine sieve. Let it cool but do not refrigerate it.

Toast the hazelnut flour at 350F for about 5 minutes and let it cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and lemon zest. Add the buckwheat flour, toasted hazelnut flour and whisk. Add the cooled brown butter and whisk.

Refrigerate the mixture for about 4 hours. Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe the batter into greased molds. Bake at 350F for about 22 minutes.

Place the figs on top and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

Fig and Champagne Sabayon Gratin

1 pint fresh figs, halved
6 egg yolks
100 grams sugar
150 ml champagne
200 grams heavy cream, soft peak
Maple sugar to caramelize

To make the sabayon, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and champagne together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a double boiler. Cook the sabayon while constantly whisking until it thickens. Transfer to bowl to the mixer and whip until cool. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Fold the soft peak heavy cream into the sabayon base.

Place the halved figs in a heatproof dish. Spoon the sabayon on top and sprinkle with maple sugar. Caramelize with blow torch or under broiler.

My Sunday Suppers Summer Desserts

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:17:00 +0000

Photos by Karen Mordechai Photography

As you might already know, two weekends ago, I was a guest chef at Sunday Suppers. It was my second time collaborating, but this time I actually had to teach a class myself. I had such a fantastic weekend and I hope those who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.

I was not able to photograph any of the desserts myself because first, I was busy at work trying to get all guests to bake the different components and second, because right before the class started, my entire lower right leg swell up due to a spider bite and I could barely move. I don't even know how I made it through the class. Everyone was a trooper helping out and taking charge in the kitchen. What a great team it was!

Photos by Karen Mordechai Photography

The theme of the night was summer, so I designed a three course menu around summer fruits with a bit of a rustic touch to accompany the rest of Casey and Karen's menu.

The day before at the Union Square farmer's market we found the sweetest berries for the berry consomme and lemon champagne sorbet pre-dessert. A small, tart and refreshing dessert to cleanse the palate.

The main dessert was composed of a bottom layer of pistachio crumble, vanilla roasted nectarines, lemon and almond sponge filled with vanilla mousseline and topped with a quenelle of lemon and mascarpone cream.

We finished off with an assortment of mignardises or small cookies. Pistachio and currant shortbreads, raspberry financiers and pecan sandies.

I loved the simplicity of the tables with the kraft paper, antique flatware and linens, which came to life with the amazing flower arrangements that Jessie of Rountree Flowers put together. Colorful, unexpected... a dramatic contrast to the simplicity of the rest. It was perfection. The menus were once again designed by super talented Erica of Thoughtful Day.

My pre-dessert was served in the most beautiful bowls created specifically for the night by Asya of Gleena Ceramics. Each bowl was uniquely labeled with a number from 1 to 18 representing the 18 guests. Amazing touches like these are the ones that really make Sunday Suppers magical.

For more photos and all the recipes for my desserts, please visit Sunday Suppers (here, here and here).

Thank you Karen and Casey for having me again!... and for those of you who have not attended... what are you waiting for!

Vanilla Fleur de Sel, Caramel and Chocolate Dobos Torte... back with the Daring Bakers

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:30:00 +0000

I can't believe it is the end of August already and time for another Daring Bakers challenge. I was quite disappointed with myself when I wasn't able to finish last month's recipe, but life got so busy that it was impossible. This month hasn't been any different with my trip to New York for Sunday Suppers, my little boy's summer activities, a new school year and a couple of small projects, but I finished it and here it is. Vanilla fleur de sel, caramel and chocolate Dobos Torte.

This is the first chocolate dessert I have made in a long time. The heat makes me crave fruit desserts, ice creams, granitas and such. When I started thinking about how to build this cake, I even thought I was going to temper some chocolate, but I gave up after the first attempt. It just wasn't happening. Too hot and too humid. Even the caramel decorations only lasted an hour. But I have to say it was a hit with my friends and family for whom summer heat is no obstacle when it comes to chocolate and caramel.

If you have never had vanilla fleur de sel, I encourage you to taste it. The contrast of the coarse salt with the warm and sweet vanilla is outstanding. It really made this dessert. It added texture and contrast in flavor that everyone noticed. It can be a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way. There are many purveyors, but I got mine from here.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Sponge Cake

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).

2.Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes.

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

5.Spread the batter amongst the sheet pans. Bake at 400F until lightly golden on top, about 7 min. Let the sponge cool.

Vanilla Fleur de Sel, Chocolate and Caramel Buttercream

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
175 grams caramel syrup
3 grams vanilla fleur de sel

1.Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

2.Fit bowl over a water bath. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

3.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.

4.Fold in the caramel syrup and the fleur de sel.

5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Let it chill for a couple of hours.

Milk Chocolate Chantilly

250 grams heavy cream
90 grams milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1.Boil the cream and pour over the milk chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Let this ganache rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then whip it as whipped cream.

Caramel Decorations

200 grams of sugar

1.In a small saucepan, sprinkle about a quarter of the sugar into an even thin layer.

2.Turn the heat up to medium high. When the sugar starts to melt and turn caramel, sprinkle another 50 grams of sugar approximately and stir gently. The heat from the melted sugar will start to melt the new sugar we added. proceed like that until all sugar has been added and it has melted into a dark caramel.

3.Shock the pan quickly in an ice bath and let the caramel cool slightly until it is not too runny but not too hard.

4.Oil a round cookie cutter that is about 2" in diameter. With a spoon, lift some of the caramel and wrap it around the cookie cutter. It might take a couple of tries to get the consistency right.

5.Let the caramel harden around the ring for a few seconds and then gently remove it. Store the caramel decorations in an air tight container. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, they might last up to a day.

Assemble the Torte

1. Cut the half sheet pan of sponge in half. Flip over and peel off the parchment from the bottom. Divide the buttercream into five equal parts.

2.Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the first layer of sponge on top of it. Spread one fifth of the buttercream, top with another layer of sponge. Proceed like that until all four layers of sponge are used and finished with a leyr of buttercream. Freeze the cake for an hour to make it easier to cut.

3. Whip the milk chocolate chantilly and reserve in the fridge.

4. Cut the torte into rectangles. Spoon quenelles of the milk chocolate chantilly on top of the torte. Sprinkle vanilla fleur de sel on top and top with caramel circles. Serve immediately.

Saturn Peach and Pistachio Nougat Ice Cream for the Last Days of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:24:00 +0000

Although we still have a few weeks left before we transition into autumn, it seems for us, summer is over as soon as school starts. It will be a new school year, a new school, new friends and all sorts of new adventures and I am ready for it. I am ready for the routine.

This past weekend we celebrated the end of summer with extra hours at the pool and an ice cream party. We still have many days of heat ahead of us, but it was a good way of making the little ones understand the changes that are ahead for them.

It has been the summer of fruit for me. I can't even remember the last time I made a chocolate recipe in this blog. That has not been one of the cravings during this pregnancy, but fruit... yes, plenty of it.

I waited a long time for saturn peaches this time around. They haven't been as abundant in our markets, but I finally found some beautiful ones this week. I'm not sure if technically this is correct, but saturn peaches seem sweeter to me than any other stone fruit. Could this be true? Or maybe it's just my memories of eating them at the beach during my childhood. Nevertheless, I always get extra excited when I find them and this time was no exception.

As I have mentioned many times before, I have a weakness for pistachios. I thought it would be great to create a chunky ice cream with fruit and pistachios. The ice cream recipe is from David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop" and I love the slight tanginess that the sour cream adds to the entire recipe.

The pistachio nougat recipe is a slightly softer version of the traditional nougat and turns a bit into marshmallow once it has been in the ice cream overnight. Loved the texture of it and so did everyone else.

Pistachio Nougat

Makes half a sheet pan

100 grams egg whites
10 grams powdered sugar
275 grams honey
800 grams sugar
170 grams glucose
300 grams water
650 grams pistachios, lightly roasted

In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar, glucose and water to 144C. This will take a few minutes.

In the meantime, roast the pistachios and keep them warm until ready to use.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Start whipping slowly and when they are foamy add the powdered sugar. Continue to whip.

Place the honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When the sugar syrup is at about 130C, add the boiling honey to the whipped egg whites and continue to whip.

When the sugar syrup has reached 144C, remove from heat and start adding it to the egg whites slowly pouring in through the side of the bowl. Keep it close to the edge so the whisk attachment doesn't start spinning the sugar into threads. Add all the syrup and turn it to high speed. Continue whipping until the bowl cools off slightly but it is still warm, about 4 minutes.

At this point, you can do a test of what the consistency of the nougat will be once cooled. Turn machine off and take a small piece of the meringue. Dip it in ice water and see how much it hardens.

When desired consistency has been reached, fold in the warm pistachios and immediately spread on a silpat while it is still warm and pliable. Spread into an even layer. You can dust the top with powdered sugar and use a rolling pin.

Let it cool completely for about 4 hours.

Saturn Peach and Pistachio Nougat Ice Cream

peach ice cream adapted from "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz

600 grams saturn peaches
125 ml water
150 grams sugar
120 grams sour cream
250 ml heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
175 grams pistachio nougat, chopped into small pieces

Peel and dice the peaches. Place them in a medium saucepan with the watr. Cook them for about 10 minutes until soft.

Remove pot from heat and add the sugar. Transfer the peaches to a clean bowl and let them cool completely. Once cooled, puree them in the food processor.

Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and chill completely. Churn in ice cream machine and when desired consistency is reached, fold in the chopped pistachio nougat. Transfer to container and freeze.

A New York Kind of Weekend, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:34:00 +0000

One of the best parts about my weekend in New York is that I got to stay at my friend Deb's Brooklyn apartment. A charming artist's apartment with lots of character, a beautiful garden and the cutest little kitties. I am guest blogging for her today while she is away somewhere in Montana (lucky her!). You can see more photos here.

Thank you Deb!

A New York Kind of Weekend, Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:51:00 +0000

This past weekend, I flew out to New York City for my second Sunday Suppers dinner where I was featured as a guest chef. It was a weekend full of food, friends, laughs and sunshine and I couldn't be more thankful for all of it. The amount of time and dedication that goes into it is unbelievable, but so worth it and I can't thank Karen and Casey enough for their support and friendship.

I will share photos of the actual Sunday Suppers dinner soon, but first I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite images from the day before the dinner at the farmer's market at Union Square. I wanted to cry it was so beautiful.

Before I left for New York, my dear friend Deb offered me to stay at her apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn while she was away on vacation. She is one of the most generous and warm hearted people I have ever met and I will be eternally grateful to her for many reasons. I ended up staying in her super cute, vintage Greenpoint apartment with her two kitties Icky and Max who kept me company.

I flew out to New York on Friday morning. This time around, I really wanted to have a day off to enjoy the city and have some quality time with friends.

I had a three course dessert menu planned for Sunday and lots of prep to do. As soon as I arrived in the city, I headed over to Karen's for a five hour prep session where I got so much done. That always feels great and then had the rest of the night to enjoy dinner with my dear friend Amy Atlas.

She made a reservation at Dos Caminos in SoHo. We talked about life, work, motherhood... and how to balance it all. She is warm, generous, funny, sincere and I am so thankful our paths connected. It was an amazing evening. Thank you Amy!

Sweet Karen Mordechai

The next morning, Karen, Casey and I headed to the Union Square farmer's market to shop for some of the ingredients for the dinner. It was a joy to be there even in the middle of a heat wave. The produce, flowers, dairy farmers, organic growers, wild game, fish... It was a food lovers dream and reminded me very much of the markets back home.

I found the most beautiful and sweet tiny strawberries, red currants and purple blossoms for the berry consomme and lemon champagne sorbet pre-dessert I was going to have the next day. Marigolds and greens for one of Casey's salads, garlic blossoms for the couscous salad, the sweetest and tiniest tomatoes and crates and crates of so much more... A dream.

After the farmer's market, we had lunch at Pastis and then, Casey and I headed to Chelsea Market for some more shopping and gelato. She and I walked around for a bit, visited New York Cake and Baking, laughed, walked down a street fair, laughed some more. It was the perfect ending to a perfect New York day if you ask me.

Photo by Karen Mordechai Photography

There was quite of bit of traveling this summer for me, but this will be my last trip in a few months because as you can see in the last photo, there is a baby growing in my belly and yes, I am getting bigger and bigger everyday. I am just happy I got to do this before life gets a bit crazier.

And to top it all off, Amy finally convinced me of the wonders of Twitter so I'm finally on and you can follow me here. Hope you had a great weekend too!

Coconut and Lemon Cream Balls for Project Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:16:00 +0000

It has been so hot and humid here that we have been spending most of our time in the pool and away from the scorching heat. These are the times when I really miss my summers back home. My mom tells me about the long walks she takes in the cool mornings and the afternoons at the cafe... and all I want to do is jump on an airplane and head home. Just reading about Bea's trip to her hometown brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful and so similar to my upbringing.

But before I get too nostalgic, let me tell you about my latest contribution for Project Wedding. The theme this time was DIY edible wedding favors, so I decided to go with a simple cookie that takes no time to make and is not too fragile. These are moist coconut cookies scented with a bit of lemon and filled with a coconut and lemon buttercream.

You can read the full article and recipe here. Hope you like it!

Finally, I must thank all of you for your kind words about my portfolio. It's great to see all the time I invested paid off and that it has been well received. Thank you again!

My Food Styling and Photography Portfolio

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:27:00 +0000

This has been a project that has taken me much longer than expected, but I am happy I finally finished it and is live. It was not easy for me to look through all my photos and select my favorite ones, but here they are and here is my food styling and photography portfolio site, www.arangoyoaga.com.

Sometimes I can't believe what a turn my life took when I started this blog, but I'm happy it did and I love what I do.

Thank you very much for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes, Arroz con Leche Cupcakes, Summer Galettes and a Week with the Chickenpox

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Believe me, I am not exaggerating a bit when I tell you that last week was one of the longest weeks of my life. We were in the middle of some renovations at home and all the anxiety that brings, when my little boy came down with a pretty bad case of chickenpox. The poor thing was covered from head to toe with blisters and red spots and I have never seen him that uncomfortable in my life.

The fever and severe itching only lasted about three days, but we were confined at home for a whole week until all spots were covered with scabs and he was no longer contagious. We did not leave the house for a whole week. Yes, an entire week.

Although I know this is a fairly common childhood illness and there was no need to be alarmed, to see my little one suffer so much and be so sleep deprived from constant itching breaks my heart. The first few days, I just kept giving him oatmeal baths and tried to keep him cool and comfortable. However, that soon passed and then came boredom.

He wanted to go outside and play with friends and didn't understand why he couldn't. He became fascinated with the idea that he had the chickenpox. "The chickenpox? I have the chickenpox?", he would say. So what do we do in our family when we run out of puzzles, books, games and movies (and we watched a lot of them!)? We bake.

The first day, he helped me make arroz con leche, which is our go to comfort dessert. We make it when we are happy, when we just want to watch a movie and snuggle or when we are sick. From that came the idea of reserving some of the milk and using that to make cupcakes, which everyone loved.

We used the arroz con leche cooking milk to flavor the cupcakes and the custard we used as a filling. We even soaked the cupcakes with some of the milk while they were still hot. Very, very moist. And we topped them with a meringue icing.

The following day we made galettes with nectarines, red currant and gooseberries and some leftover sugar dough I had in the freezer. We also made buttermilk, poppy seed and red currant mini pound cakes and even baked some of the batter in individual glass jars for something fun and different.

I have to say that the uncomfortable and painful stage of the chickenpox is gone, but the poor thing is still covered in spots and scabs. We did leave the house this past weekend for the first time and I have to admit, grocery shopping has never been so exciting in my life.

Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes

Makes 3 small loaves or 1 large one

170 grams butter, room temperature
250 grams sugar
1 tsp vanila extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
180 grams buttermilk
180 grams flour
4 grams baking powder
3 grams salt
7 grams poppy seeds
100 grams fresh red currants

Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Add the eggs one at a time and scrape to incorporate well.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the poppy seeds and fold in the red currants.

Pour the batter into pans and bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes.

Nectarine, Red Currant and Gooseberry Galettes

Makes about 3 galettes

2 nectarines, peeled and sliced
25 grams red currants
25 grams gooseberries
15 grams flour
10 grams vanilla sugar
pinch salt

Toss the filling ingredients together.

Roll sugar dough to about 1/8" thickness. Cut circles that are about 10" in diameter. Place the filling in the middle and fold edges over. Brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar.

Bake at 400F for about 20-25 minutes until bottom golden brown.

Arroz con Leche Cupcakes

Makes a dozen cupcakes

110 grams butter, room temperature
200 grams sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
125 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
175 grams flour
7 grams baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl well.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix. Add the arroz con leche cooking milk and mix until combined.

Divide the cupcake batter into the cupcake papers and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.

Arroz con Leche Custard

250 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a lemon
3 egg yolks
40 grams sugar
25 grams cornstarch
75 grams butter, cold and cut into small pieces

We are going to make a pastry cream with all the ingredients. Place the arroz con leche cooking milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a light boil.

Whisk together the egg yolks, half of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a light boil, temper it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk to incorporate and then return this to the saucepan. Cook while constantly whisking until the custard thickens.

Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Whisk to slightly cool the custard down and start adding the cold butter while whisking. This will cool it down and make it shiny and creamier.

Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and chill.

Swiss Meringue

200 grams egg whites
400 grams sugar

Mix the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a water bath and whisk until sugar starts to dissolve, the mixture turns very white and fluffy and feels very hot to the touch.

Place the bowl in the mixer and whip the meringue until thick and the bowl feels cool.

Sunday Suppers, Amy Atlas and an Inspiring Collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:49:00 +0000

Last week I gave you a little sneak peek into the amazing weekend I spent in New York City participating in one of the Sunday Suppers dinner/classes featuring the work of Amy Atlas and other fabulous artist women. I apologize for taking so long in posting the rest of the photos... Life has been crazy to say the least with traveling, small projects and even the chickenpox ( I will leave this for another time). This craziness is also the reason why I didn't complete this month's Daring Bakers challenge. I'm so sorry about that one too!

It's funny how life works sometimes and how I got involved with this Sunday Suppers event. Long story so I won't get into too many details, but all I can say is that I'm glad I did as I think I have found a group of super talented women I have made a lasting connection with.

The event took place in Brooklyn in the most beautiful setting and the most beautiful view of Manhattan. The table settings, the flowers, the graphic designs, the cake, Amy's vision... they were all breathtaking.

I arrived Saturday morning and spent all afternoon prepping and baking for the next day. The Moroccan theme with the acqua blue and orange colors inspired me to create macarons flavored with orange flower water, crisp white meringue cookies filed with orange buttercream and what seemed to be the favorite, panna cotta with fresh orange juice gelee. Very simple, but worked great.

Photo by Karen Mordechai Photography

Guests arrived around 4:30pm, mingled, enjoyed some appetizers and then everyone gathered around the kitchen to take part in Casey's cooking class. It was very interactive and she quickly engaged guests in the kitchen, asking everyone to participate in the prep process somehow. She is just too much fun!

The menu consisted of a first course of harissa brushed halibut over gazpacho and topped with a micro green salad; second course, chicken tajine with preserved lemons,olives and polenta accompanied by a roasted mini beet salad and finally dessert, fig and sesame compote tart with orange cardamom cream.

Afterwards, everyone sat at the beautifully styled table ready to taste the food. It was a great group of people and I even managed to snap this adorable photo of Alex and Joanna.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the masterminds behind this concept, professional photographer Karen Mordechai and private chef Casey Solomon. The thought and attention to detail behind all of this really blew me away.

I also have to mention the rest of the artists involved whose work really contributed to the success of the night. Of course Amy (lovely, lovely, lovely... can't emphasize enough!), the flower arrangements (beautiful, beautiful garlands!) by Jessie Weidinger from Rountree Flowers, menu and graphic design by Erica Bohanon of Thoughtful Day, Archana Rao of Love Street Cakes created the breathtaking cake and Ali Kantor created a traditional moroccan cookie called kaab el ghazal.

Finally, I have to tell you that I will be going back to New York next month to actually teach one of these classes myself. I think the class is fully booked already, but you can get more information here. For those who are attending, I will see you then!

Design*Sponge's "In The Kitchen With..."

noreply@blogger.com (Aran) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:15:00 +0000

I was so excited when Kristina Gill of Design Sponge asked me if I'd be interested in creating and photographing a recipe for "In The Kitchen With...". "Of course!", I said. It is one of the sections that I always look forward to visiting.

I was thinking of flavors for the recipe and lemons, and lemonade in particular, kept coming to mind. I thought it had to be something refreshing for the summer heat. And then, I remembered the photo of Claire Clarke's "lemon meringue" in one of my favorite pastry books "Indulge". I went with different components, but kept a similar look.

I started out with a lemon and almond paste sponge, topped with layers of lemon cream, buttermilk panna cotta and topped with baked meringue sticks. So refreshing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

You can see the full article, photos and recipes here. Thank you Kristina!