THE UNBEARABLE UNFAIRNESS OF CAKE BAKING

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

A tale of cakes, dogs and tears

My beloved’s Birthday falls on December 27th. Since he was a child, he felt it was a bit unfair to have his special day buried in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a day that was born to be ignored. But certain things do improve with age, and now he feels it’s perfect: the university is pretty much closed, he can work as much or as little as he wants, it is a Birthday in the middle of a small vacation break. A nice way to view it. This year we would be by ourselves on his big day. I told him I would cook a special dinner, and then had this crazy idea: offered to bake any cake he wanted. Did you get this? Sally, the cake-o-phobe offered her husband to bake ANY cake he fancied. I was reasonably confident he would choose one of his childhood cakes, like Chocolate Cake with Coconut Frosting, or his grandma’s legendary Angel Food Cake. I was wrong. He did not even blink, asked me where was “that book.” You know, that book…” I knew, but pretended not to. “Of course you know, that book by the French guy.” I seriously considered telling him the book was lost during our move to Kansas 5 years ago, but how could I lie to my perfect match about something as important as his Birthday cake? I couldn’t. Sheepishly, I went upstairs, grabbed the book, gave him, and sat down, already with a cold feeling in the stomach. “That guy” is Pierre Hermé. “That book” is Desserts by Pierre Hermé.

Before my blogging life, I made one cake from the book, also for Phil’s Birthday, a Chocolate Dome Cake that shaved at least 24 months from my life expectancy. It required three visits to the grocery store, the first to get the ingredients, the second to get a few more eggs, and the third (in complete distress) to get the final dozen. So, of course, I was beyond worried when I handed the book aka How To Kill Yourself in Your Own Kitchen. He opened it, and in two seconds flat screamed: I FOUND IT! I WANT THIS ONE! He managed to open the book at random on the page featuring Carioca Cake. Can you imagine the odds on that? Mind you, I am not carioca, but paulista. Paulista Cake would have absolutely zero charm, which is a bit unfair. Cariocas get all the love, fame, attention. Would Tom Jobim ever make a song about The Girl from Vila Mariana? Not a chance. Oh, well. São Paulo is close enough to Rio, let’s not split hairs.

Now, ask yourself which other food blogger would give you a free lesson in geography? You are so very lucky. Anyway, as I was saying, I took a very deep breath and read the recipe. FIVE components. The first, a genoise cake. My heart missed four beats. My nemesis. My most feared cake in the universe of cakes, the cake that embarrassed me in front of special guests, the cake that made me swear off cake baking for years. I cringed anticipating the disaster ahead. Apart from the genoise, it also required a coffee syrup, almonds roasted in cocoa syrup, a chocolate mousse, and a chocolate ganache. As a bonus, you also need skills of an Iron Chef to make the authentic decoration on top. Can you spell unfair? This is what the finished product is supposed to look like.

Can you spell doomed too?

I immediately texted my friend-patissier-guru-golfer extraordinaire Gary, and ~~asked~~ begged for help. In fact, when he visited us a couple of years ago he was kind enough to make a genoise cake right in front of my eyes to help me exorcise my inner ghosts. Gary sent me a few emails with reminders, pointers, videos and basically told me “you can do this.” And you know what? He was absolutely right. Look at my production!

GENOISE CAKE – RECIPE OVERVIEW

I will not publish the recipe, as I do not want to deal with the process of asking permission from Mr. Herme’ or the publisher. Obviously, all genoise recipes are very similar, the success of baking it is all in technique. His formula calls for

2 ounces of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 + 1/2 cups flour, sifted

You will beat the eggs and sugar over simmering water until they reach a temperature of 130 to 140 F, then beat the living bejesus out of it until it triples in volume. Once you get there – and the batter falls like a ribbon from the beater – you’ll add the flour and the butter, in specific ways described by Hermé, hoping not to deflate the batter too much. You’ll need to be delicate and assertive, quite a combination of skills. The batter is poured into a 9-inch springform pan, and baked in a 350 F oven.

If all goes well, you’ll be rewarded with a perfect starting point for your Carioca Cake.

Comments: I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when I removed the cake from the pan and realized I had finally done it. I overcame my demons and managed to bake a perfectly gorgeous looking genoise cake! The extended version of the happy dance took place mid-afternoon on December 24th. The cake would wait until next day when I would proceed with the preparation, in plenty of time for the Bday celebration.

That evening we were going to cook our Christmas Eve meal together, so we put some music on, and let the fun start. I briefly mentioned to Phil that we should make sure to keep the sliding doors to the dining room closed because “I left the genoise over the table, and you never know with Bogey what could happen.” Phil laughed, I laughed, and that was that. Not sure how long after that innocent remark, I am in the kitchen and I hear Phil from the dining room, scream with intense pain in his voice… “Oh, no!” I swear my first thought was “David Bowie is already dead, could it be Neil Young?” I walked in, and realized no beloved singer had passed away. But a genoise cake had definitely passed to another dimension.

I confess, I sat down and cried. My perfect genoise. Gone. Instead, I had a dalmatian sleeping off his sugar coma, still with a smile on his face. Carioca Cake was brutally kidnapped from my life.

But, as the sun does every day, it rose again next morning. Phil had washed the cake pan for me, took care of the many crumbs left on the dining table and washed the table-cloth. All signs of the canine crime were gone, apart from that smile still on Bogey’s face, and his sudden obsession with the dining room table. I did the only sensible thing to do: started all over. And once more, I have the thrill to share my second – perfect – genoise, made 36 hours after the first.

Thanks to Gary and a very mischievous dalmatian also known as The Fastest Mouth in the West, I can tell you I permanently erased the Curse of the Genoise from my life. Bring it, Pierre Hermé, bring it….

Unfortunately, he did bring it….

(to be continued)

ONE YEAR AGO: Hermit Cookies

TWO YEARS AGO: Cremini Mushroom Meatloaf

THREE YEARS AGO: Ottolenghi & Tamimi’s Roast Chicken with Clementines

FOUR YEARS AGO: Eight-Ball Zucchini: The Missing Files

FIVE YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

SIX YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Ossobuco Milanese: an Italian Classic

25Dec2016

FESTIVE GLAZED CRANBERRY LEMON CAKE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Time to celebrate! And what could be better than a cake topped with bright red cranberries? At this time of the year, I go through two phases of culinary fever. First the pumpkin. Then these tasty ruby-red babies. In my mind, both are mandatory part of the end of the year festivities. Typing that gives me a sense of nostalgia. 2016 went by way too fast. Oh, well. Back to food. Cranberries are perfect in sweets, because they are tart. Yin and yang. In this cake, drizzled with a little powdered sugar icing, they shine. Make this festive cake and take it for holiday potlucks or simply share with your co-workers, neighbors, family, friends. A little coffee or tea will go well great with a slice. Or two. All credit goes to Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, the moment I saw her blog post about it, I could not stop thinking about it.

GLAZED CRANBERRY LEMON CAKE
(from Mel’s Kitchen)

.
for the cake:
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces), room temperature
1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar
3 cups (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

.
for the glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 10 or 12-inch bundt cake pan with butter – making sure to grease all the nooks and crannies really well. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of the pan, then layer the cranberries evenly over the sugar.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the granulated sugar together with the zest from the lemons. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is infused with the lemon fragrance. Add the butter to the bowl with the lemon sugar and, using the paddle attachment on the stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the buttermilk with the 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a measuring glass. To a large bowl, add one-third of the dry ingredients (eyeballing is fine). Mix until just combined and a few dry streaks remain. Add half of the buttermilk/lemon mixture. Mix again until just combined. Add another third of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, followed by the remaining half buttermilk/lemon juice mixture. Mix. Add the final third of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Spread the batter carefully into the prepared pan over the cranberries.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until lightly golden on top and just set. Transfer the bundt pan to a wire rack and let cool about 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter, tapping lightly so the cake falls out. Let the cake cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar with the 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Add additional lemon juice or milk for a thinner consistency, if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let set, 5-10 minutes, before slicing and serving.

.
ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Can you believe that I had zero issues with this cake? I know, how can it be possible? It is shocking. I loved the smell as it baked, and the way it un-molded so perfectly, maybe one or two cranberries stayed stuck at the bottom of the pan, but they were carefully picked up and placed on the correct spot. Plus, the icing takes care of eventual boo-boos. Very forgiving. My kind of cake. The crumb was moist and tender, the tartness of the cranberries in perfect balance with the sweetness of the cake and icing. And, it looked pretty good too.

I wish all my readers a wonderful holiday season!

ONE YEAR AGO: Have a Cran-Merry Christmas!

TWO YEARS AGO: Merry Christmas!

THREE YEARS AGO: The Avocado Mousse that Stole the Show

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sourdough Popovers

FIVE YEARS AGO: Merry Christmas!

SIX YEARS AGO: Sourdough Focaccia, with a twist

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Merry Christmas!

9Dec2016

PISTACHIO CREME BRULLEE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

ÉA couple of months ago I invited you for a tour of our kitchen, and talked about a very special ingredient: pistachio paste. Pause for swoon. At the time I promised to share my first experiment with it, one that involved macarons, but I’m not quite ready to reveal that. Instead, I must tell you about my second adventure because I am feeling on top of the world about it. Pistachio Crème Brûllée. It resulted in a heartfelt O.M.G., with a Happy Dance to boot!

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRûLLÉE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 cups heavy cream (about 460 g)
2 tsp pistachio paste
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar (65 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado sugar for the surface

Heat the cream in a saucepan until bubbles start to form at the edge. Add the pistachio paste, whisk to fully dissolve it. Heat in low heat for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and cover the pan. Allow it to steep for 20 minutes.

Transfer the infused cream to a bowl, add the salt, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk to combine all ingredients. Add the sugar and mix until fully dissolved. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring glass, preferably with a spout.

Divide the mixture into four ramekins, 6-ounce size.

Pour 1 cup of water inside a crock pot. Place the ramekins inside, and turn it on low. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, checking the temperature after 2 hours with an instant thermometer. It should read 185 F for perfect texture. If you don’t have a thermometer, stop cooking when the custard is still a bit jiggly in the very center.

Remove the ramekins to a drying rack. When fully cooled, transfer to the refrigerator, covered with aluminum foil. Before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the surface and burn it with a torch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Cooking the custard in the crock pot is simply brilliant. Granted, it takes longer than in a regular oven, but the texture turns out perfect. The instant thermometer is a must to get it exactly right, though. Your cooking time may vary a little. Mine hit 185 F after 2 hours and 20 minutes. Overcooked crème brûllée would be a shame, but the crock pot considerably reduces that risk.

When serving this delicacy, you’ll have two options: burning the top right before serving, or doing it earlier and placing the custards back in the fridge. The former allows you to show your skills with the culinary torch in front of your guests, for that wow moment… The latter lacks the awe factor, but results in a homogeneously firmer texture. When you burn the top, the custard right beneath it will be a bit soft. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. So I always go for the awe factor. I realize that pistachio paste is not a common ingredient, and pretty pricey, but a little bit goes a long way, and it freezes well, in small, teaspoon size portions. Of course, you could infuse your heavy cream with other ingredients, make a maple, coconut, chocolate version. Whatever you do, try the crock pot if you have a chance. I can only fit four ramekins in mine, but I rather not have too many brûllées around anyway. Four is a perfect number…

ONE YEAR AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

THREE YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

FOUR YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

FIVE YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

SIX YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

Save

1Dec2016

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

It’s that time of the year, everything pumpkin showing up to say hello… I shall add my humble contribution to the party with this batch of delicious brownies that I made for our department a few weeks ago. The original recipe called them bars but in my mind, brownies fit them quite well. They are moist, sweet, with all the mandatory spices that warm your body from the inside. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Perfect as a little pick me up mid-morning. A shower of colorful sprinkles is optional. I found the recipe through a google search in the blog Sugar Apron. Such a cute name!

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(from Sugar Apron)

for the brownies:
1(15 oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 cups flour (250 g)
1 cup sugar (225 g)
1/2 cup oil (112 g)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

for the frosting:
4 oz cream cheese (115 g)
3 tbsp butter,softened
1 tsp milk, if needed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
colorful sprinkles (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, ground ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cloves and cinnamon. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs, vanilla, oil and pumpkin on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pour in the center of the dry ingredients, then stir gently, just until combined. Ladle the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. When completely cooled, frost.

Make the frosting by combining the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl beating an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low-speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. You may need to add a little milk to make it spreadable if your butter wasn’t soft enough. Spread frosting evenly on top of cake, add sprinkles if you like. Cut the brownies into any size you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These were another huge hit with our department, judging from the enthusiastic feedback and how fast they disappeared from the mail room. I of course loved them, with all those spices it could not be different. If you have homemade pumpkin puree, use it. I recently learned that most canned pumpkin products are actually made from types of squash. It doesn’t bother me at all, but if you are a serious pumpkin purist, consider making the veggie mash from scratch. The frosting was a lot of fun to make, I did not need to include milk. It doesn’t get hard, so I kept the whole pan in the fridge overnight, sliced and took to work early next morning. Sprinkles of course make it very festive. My bottle of sprinkles is pretty big, so I need more reasons to use them before we get into the horrific, depressing, devastating, catastrophic dead of winter.

ONE YEAR AGO: Anne Burrell’s Focaccia

TWO YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Cappuccino Panna Cotta

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FIVE YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

SIX YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

22Nov2016

CIDER MINI-CHEESECAKES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

One of the blogs I follow is Karen’s Kitchen Stories, and more than once I’ve featured recipes from her site, independently of the assignment from The Secret Recipe Club (pause to dry a furtive tear). We are also friends on Facebook and for some odd reason keep tempting each other with very important things such as new cookbooks (preferably related to bread, but not necessarily so), new cooking gadgets or ingredients. Our friendship certainly has a positive impact on the economy of the US of A. Not too long ago, Karen blogged about impossibly adorable mini-cheesecakes. To make them, she used an equally adorable mini-cheesecake pan. I performed some quick calculations. We live 1,513 miles apart. It would be downright impossible to go borrow her pan on a whim. Corollarium #1: I had to order my own. Reluctantly, that’s what I did. Corollarium #2: I can now share with you my first batch of mini-cheesecakes. Corollarium #3: my readers shall be thrilled.

CIDER MINI-CHEESECAKES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
(adapted from Karen Kitchen’s Stories)

9 sheets of Graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/8 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup boiled cider
1/4 cup heavy cream

caramel sauce for topping (home-made is best, I sinned)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cavity muffin pan with paper liners, or spray a mini cheesecake pan with spray oil. In a small bowl or the bowl of a mini food processor, mix together the crushed graham crackers, 1 1/2 T sugar, and melted butter. Divide the mixture among the cavities of the pan, and tamp it down into an even layer with some of the Graham cracker mixture coming up the sides. Bake the crust in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan and let cool while you make the filling.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar with a mixer on low-speed until smooth. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined. Add the vanilla, boiled cider, and heavy cream, and mix until combined. Tap the mixing bowl on the counter about 30 times to release any air bubbles.

If you are using a mini cheesecake pan, fill each one up to the top. You will have extra batter. If you are using a muffin pan, Divide the batter among the cavities to about 2/3 full.

If you are using a mini cheesecake pan, bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the centers are slightly jiggly. If you are using a muffin pan, bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for an hour. Once they are cooled, refrigerate, covered loosely with wax paper and plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours. They can also be frozen after chilling.

Right before serving, top with a small amount of caramel sauce, either homemade or purchased.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I adapted Karen’s recipe using another recipe for boiled cider cheesecake found at Food52. My friend Gary, patissier extraordinaire gave me some pointers, because as you know, I am a bit of a wimp for departing from recipes when it comes to baking. Interestingly enough, I ordered boiled cider after reading another post by Karen, so this is an example of virtual gastronomic convergence.

We took the cheesecakes to our lab meeting, because having only 12 in the batch would make it hard to take to our whole department. They turned out absolutely delicious! Cheesecakes can be a bit bland, perhaps that’s why they normally have some type of topping. The boiled cider made them taste a lot more complex. I wish I had the energy to make the caramel sauce myself, but maybe next time. These will definitely go to my top 5 favorite desserts to make and enjoy. Perfect size, beautiful to look at, and fun to eat. I can hardly wait to try other uses for my cute pan. Mini-quiches, for instance, mini-mousses… so many possibilities… Small is definitely beautiful (wink, wink).

As I finished composing this post, I went to add the links to recipes in previous years, and to my amazement, exactly one year ago I posted not one, but two recipes from Karen’s blog, as her blog was my assignment in The Secret Recipe Club. And I made MINI-meatloaves… Can you imagine the odds of this? Too cool for words.