Bakewell Tart...er...Pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

This tart, or pudding depending on who you ask, is made using a sweet shortcrust pastry tart shell, topping it traditionally with jam, and covering it with frangipane - similar to an almond pastry cream. I decided to move away from the fruity jam (I had just made a pineapple cake, and felt like something a little more chocolatey) and simply layered the bottom with some melted chocolate.

Recipe:

Sweet shortcrust pastry:
225 grams all-purpose flour
30 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
110 grams butter, very cold or frozen, cut into medium pieces
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to bring together. Add the butter chunks and pulse until all the large pieces have been broken up, and you have remaining a mixture of small pieces of butter with some the size of a split pea. Turn the processor on, and add the egg yolks, followed by almond extract, and 1 tablespoon of water. Add half-teaspoons of the remaining water until the dough begins to come together, forming a slightly sticky dough. Wrap in cling wrap and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Frangipane:
125 grams butter, room temperature
125 grams icing sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
125 grams finely ground almonds
30 grams flour

Cream together the butter and icing sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl to bring everything together. Add the almond extract, and continue to stir. At this point, the mixture will look curdled. Mix almonds with flour and add in one portion to the stand mixer, then mix on low speed until combined.


Assembly:
Remove tart dough from the refrigerator and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Butter a tart pan and press the tart dough into place, saving any leftover dough for cracks that may form. Freeze the tart for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400ºF and melt 3.5 ounces of high-quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Valrhona). Pour this chocolate into the frozen tart dough and spread with a spatula until it evenly coats the bottom. Place in the freezer for an additional 2 minutes to let it set in place. Remove from freezer and top with frangipane, spreading the top until even. Bake 30 minutes, or until fluffy, golden brown, and springy to the touch. Allow to cool 15 minutes before slicing, or enjoy at room temperature if you want to wait longer.

The dessert is that easy to put together, but immensily enjoyable for anyone who is a fan of almonds. It's not overly sweet like many desserts, and I feel that the chocolate pairs nicely with the almond, though you could easily make this a more spring- or summer-themed dessert by using some strawberry preserves or some other tasty jam. When you use the jam, you can use anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1 cup of it, depending on how thick you want that layer.

Vegetable Strudel

The May Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prauge by Rick Rodgers. However, I took another turn on this dessert and decided to make a more savory dish, using some vegetables I had leftover in the house. What I ended up with was an onion-based vegetable strudel.

The recipe for the strudel dough itself is easy, and after you let it sit for a sufficient amount of time it's simple to pull extremely thin. I washed off a flat table in our living room and went to work stretching it ever-so-gently. I made sure to get the center thinned out first, so there was extra dough around the edges as I pulled further, giving me more to work with.

You can see that the edges are a bit thicker, so they can still be pulled further. Working from the center out, using hands on both sides of the dough (one on top and one on bottom), going in a circle from the center, I was able to get the dough roughly 2-feet by 3-feet. At that point, it was tissue-paper thin. Enough so I could clearly see my hands through it.

Then I simply topped with the ingredients I had on hand, rolled, and baked. I threw in a few extras to make sure it'd be good and tasty, but I was surprised at how easily strudel could come together - it always seemed much more complicated to me.

Recipe:

Strudel dough:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to coat the dough
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Knead together all the ingredients, smacking harshly on a flat surface occasionally to get rid of any air bubbles. If the dough feels too dry, add water by half-teaspoons. After everything has come together, continue kneading until a soft ball with a rough surface forms. Shape into a ball and lightly oil the surface, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. After it's sufficiently rested, lightly flour a clean, large working space (at least 2-feet by 3-feet wide) and begin pulling the dough from the center out. There are some videos online that can demonstrate this better than words can.

Filling:
3 large onions, sliced thickly
2 large shallots, diced
Large bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 lb. carrots, sliced thickly
6 medium stalks of celery, sliced thickly
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 fresh sprigs of oregano, leaves pulled and chopped
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Top the pulled strudel dough on one side with the filling, working in layers to ensure that all the slices will have a little bit of everything. After adding it all together, carefully fold over the dough with filling inward towards the remaining dough. It's okay if a few holes appear in the dough here - they'll be covered up by the remaining layers of dough as you continue rolling. Continue rolling the dough onto itself until it has all been used up, then shape so it can fit onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the outside begins to turn golden brown and the vegetables inside have softened. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

This can easily be either a main or side dish, and the variations you could make on it are nearly endless. You can fill it with choice vegetables of your own, and different varieties of cheese. You could add some pre-cooked beef, or even put in some sauce. Whatever you feel like putting into this, a strudel is a great way to combine all your ingredients into something that comes out with a flaky crust, and becomes easily transportable.

White Chocolate and Blackberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake was the theme of this month's Daring Bakers challenge. The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. The posted recipe was for a standard basic cheesecake, leaving a lot of room for each baker to adjust flavors to create whatever they wanted. My friend requested a long time ago for me to make a cheesecake that The Olive Garden makes - a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. My main focus this month was to create something similar to that.

White Chocolate and Blackberry Cheesecake recipe:

Ingredients:
Crust-
1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Blackberry sauce-
10 ounces frozen blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Cheesecake batter-
4 oz. white chocolate
1/2 cup half and half
3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter a 9-inch springform pan and preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment, along with the sides if you wish for a cleaner presentation. In a food processor, combine chocolate graham cracker crumbs and sugar, then add butter and pulse until clumps begin to form. Spread evenly along the bottom of the pan and press down to set. Stick in the freezer for at least a half an hour. In the meantime, combine blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water, then bring to a boil for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds and set this sauce aside. In a double broiler (or microwave-safe bowl), heat the half and half together with white chocolate, chopped. Stir frequently until all the chocolate has melted and combined with the dairy. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese together until light and soft, then add sugar and eggs, one at a time, waiting until the previous egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Drizzle in the white chocolate mixture, followed by vanilla extract. Pour half of this into the springform pan, then top with 3 tablespoons of the blackberry sauce. Pour on the remaining cheesecake batter, then top with another 3 tablespoons blackberry sauce. Swirl around with a knife or stick to form marbellized texture, setting any additional sauce aside to serve with the baked cake. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until the filling begins to firm in the center. Remove from the oven and gradually cool to room temperature before moving to the refrigerator. Keep in the refrigerator at least 8 hours before running a knife along the edges and removing from the springform mold.

This dessert came out very tasty, and my friend that requested it loved it. I did, however, set up an additional challenge for myself. My roommate doesn't like cheesecake, or any sort of cheese. However, he loves graham crackers. At the same time, my boss didn't like the last time I brought cheesecake into work because it's not an easily transportable dessert (i.e., you can't walk around with a slice in your hand without it getting messy, fast). I figured I could kill two birds with one stone - up the graham cracker to cheesecake ratio, thus building more structural integrity for the cake, and making the overall dessert thinner so it could be cut into bar form. And voila, bar formed plain cheesecake.

The crust makes up about 1/3 of the cheesecake, as opposed to the usual towering of the cheesecake over crust. It's the same as the original recipe (check out Jenny Bakes) except the crust values are multiplied by 1.5, and it's baked in a 9"x13" pan. Everything else is the same. I was just happy I finally made a cheesecake my roommate enjoyed, and at the same time was easily transportable in hand.

Spinach and mushroom lasagne al forno

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make spinach lasagne (the pasta), then to create a lasagne al forno (the dish) using the homemade lasagne, along with a bechamel sauce, and additional ingredients of the cook's preference. The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. However, as usual, I made some adjustments (from sheer laziness? maybe) to make this dish my own.

Recipes:

Spinach Lasagne:
3 large eggs
10 oz. chopped spinach, thawed and dried
3 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together. Use your hands to incorporate any dry pieces that aren't going in. Attach a hook to the stand mixer, and knead the dough for 10 minutes, until satiny and elastic. Add flour if the dough is too wet, and water if it's too dry, each by the teaspoon to make sure you don't add too much. After it has been kneaded thoroughly, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Cut the dough into quarters and slowly roll out until thin. I found it helpful to roll one side until it didn't seem it could stretch any further, then flipped the sheet over and rolled the other side. Continue rolling until the pasta is very thin, to the point that you can readily see light through it. Cut into 4-inch by 8-inch slices, then set aside until you're ready to assemble the lasagne.

Bechamel Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups milk
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, then add flour and stir with a whisk until combined. Continue stirring until the roux begins to darken and releases a nutty smell. Add the milk, then bring to a boil and continue stirring until thickened. Add nutmeg, then salt and pepper to taste. I added quite a bit of pepper, giving the final Bechamel the appearance of country gravy.

Lasagne al forno:
1 recipe Spinach Lasagne
1 recipe Bechamel sauce
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 lb. Button mushrooms
1 lb. Crimini mushrooms
3 ounces basil, chiffonade
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a 5-quart baking dish. Bring at least a gallon of heavily salted water to a boil, then boil your lasagne pasta for 2 minutes (only do 4-5 at a time). Gently remove from the boiling water and set onto paper towels to wick away extra water. Repeat until all the pasta has been cooked. Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce across the bottom of the baking dish, then add a layer of cooked lasagne, overlapping slightly. Top with 5 ounces of Ricotta cheese, and 8 ounces of mushrooms (you can mix them together, or keep the different varieties apart). Add 1 ounce of basil, 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 cup of the bechamel. Top with another layer of overlapping spinach lasagne, then press down gently, yet firm enough to make the surface relatively flat. Repeat two more times. To the top of the outer layer of spinach lasagne, spread the remaining mushrooms and bechamel. Cover with a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover with a tented piece of foil, taking care that the foil doesn't touch the lasagne. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10. Turn off the oven and wedge the door open with the back of a wooden spoon, and allow to gradually cool down for another 10 minutes. Remove the lasagne from the oven and serve warm. Serves 8-12.

This dish could easily include different flavors, maybe with a ragu sauce and Italian sausage. Lasagne is one of the great dishes to play around with, so feel free to adapt this to however your tastes may be.

Chocolate Valentino Cake with Ice Cream

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make a flourless chocolate cake, paired with a homemade ice cream. I made a rich cake using Valrhona dark chocolate, paired it with two different ice creams - coffee, and chile spice, and topped it all with a semisweet chocolate and brandy sauce. Now that Daring Bakers is checked by a bot, we need to have an obligatory sentence in our post. I followed the suggested recipe for the cake, but the ice creams were not based on the shared recipes. Anyways, "The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge."

If you decide to make this cake, you can use whatever sort of chocolate you'd like (except white chocolate; the ratios in that chocolate will throw off the recipe), just make sure it's a chocolate you love. Because the cake is only eggs, butter, and the chocolate, the cake will end up tasting just like the chocolate you put into it. As with most recipes, the better quality ingredients you get, the better this cake will taste.


Chocolate Valentino Cake:
16 oz. premium-quality dark chocolate (like Valrhona), roughly chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated

Butter an 8"x8" pan, and line with parchment paper (the butter helps the paper hold shape). Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring continuously until fully melted. Don't overheat it, or the butter and chocolate will separate. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool down. Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks, but don't over-whip them or the cake will feel dry. Add the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Take one third of the egg whites and fold into the chocolate mixture, then gently pour this mixture back into the remaining egg whites and carefully fold. Don't over-fold, or the egg white foam will break, and your cake will deflate. Pour into the pan, and 20-25 minutes, or until the top begins to crack. An inserted knife will still come up damp, not dry. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 8 servings.

Coffee ice cream:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
Heavy pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

In a medium pot, combine the milk, sugar, coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream, then warm over medium heat until steaming. Cover and take off of the heat, then set aside to steep for 1 hour. After it has finished steeping, place a metal bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice, and pour in the remaining cup of cream. Reheat the coffee bean mixture until steaming again. Whisk the egg yolks together, and add a small amount of the steaming milk into it while whisking to temper, then combine the tempered yolks back into the steaming milk while continuing to whisk to prevent curdling. Stir over medium heat using a wooden spoon until nappe, about 10 minutes. Strain into the chilled cream. Mix in the vanilla and ground coffee. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then process ice cream as per manufacturer's directions.

Chile spice ice cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 jalapeños, or chiles of your choice, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine 1/2 cup heavy cream with the milk, sugar, and chiles. Place into a medium pot over low heat. Once the mixture begins to steam, cover with a lid and set aside to steep for 1 hour. Bring this mixture back to a steam, then whisk the egg yolks together. Place the remaining cup of cream into a metal bowl, set into a larger bowl filled with ice. Carefully temper the egg yolks with a little bit of this steaming milk, then pour back into the milk mixture, making sure to whisk to prevent curdling. Place back over medium heat and continue to stir until nappe. Strain this mixture into the chilled cream, then add the remaining spices and stir. Refrigerate this mix for at least 2 hours, then process according to manufacturer's directions.

The coffee ice cream is heavenly on its own, but the chile ice cream definitely needs to be paired with some chocolate. The spice is pretty mild with all the dairy it's in, but it still has a bite that just doesn't feel right without some accompanying chocolate. The cake itself was heavenly, and like expected, it tasted just like a big Valrhona dark chocolate bar, but with the lighter mouthfeel of a cake. The ease of this cake means it's a great last-minute dessert, as far as fancy cakes can go.

Chocolate & Coffee Marzipan Swirls Wrapped with Tuile

Well, that's a hefty title, but it sums up these treats perfectly. This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make tuile dough and bend them into whatever shape met our fancy. Tuiles are a French cookie baked extra thin, and shaped (to somewhat resemble a roof tile, from which they get their name) as soon as they come out of the oven. Due to the flexibility of the cookie while it's still warm, it lends itself to be shaped into whatever you please. This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michael Roux. Now for my own little take on these recipes...

I was thinking about making rod-shaped empty crusts and filling them with some chocolate whipped cream or chocolate mousse. Something of that sort. I mentioned it to Moowie, and she suggested I try playing with marizpan, and maybe add some chocolate and coffee in there. What can I say, I took the idea and ran with it. I quickly found a couple marzipan recipes and adapted them to suite me, then found a good icing recipe and put it all together.

Recipe:

Marzipan:
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 cups (1 lb) ground almonds
2 egg whites, room temperature
Just under 1 lb. confectioner's sugar

In a medium sized pot over medium heat, dissolve the granulated sugar in the water. Once it's fully in the liquid, add the cream of tartar and bring to a boil, covering the pot. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, then uncover and continue to boil with the lid off until a candy thermometer indicates the mixture is at 240ºF. Remove from heat and place into a larger bowl or sink containing cool water. Stir while cooling until mixture is thick, then add the ground almonds and egg whites. Place back over low heat and continue stirring for 2 minutes or until thick. Spoon onto a surface coated with powdered sugar and turn with a spatula until cool enough to handle by hand. Knead as you would dough, adding confectioner's sugar until fairly dry, smooth, and somewhat flexible.


Chocolate coffee icing:
3 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon strong coffee
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

In a double broiler (I always use a metal bowl that fits into a large pot containing a bit of water) melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring frequently. Take care not to overheat it, as the butter and chocolate will separate. Once melted, remove from heat and add coffee and powdered sugar. Stir or whisk vigorously until a smooth icing is formed.


Tuile dough:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Dash of vanilla extract
2 large egg whites, lightly whisked
1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together. Once sufficiently aerated, add the vanilla. Slowly add the egg whites, followed by small batches of flour. Take care not to overmix the dough. Cover and chill the dough in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Allow the dough to sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. Using two pieces of parchment paper, spoon some dough onto one piece and cover with the other. Flatten the dough thin with a rolling pin, then place into the oven for approximately 5 minutes. Traditionally, tuiles will be lightly browned and crispy, but then they cannot be sliced; for this recipe, go for a cookie that's still mostly white. Shape immediately.

Assembly:
Divide the marzipan into four portions and sandwich between layers of plastic wrap. Roll into an approximate 12"x10" rectangle, then remove the top layer of plastic wrap. The 10-inch face should be the closest and furthest from you, with the 12-inch faces on the sides. Spoon some icing onto the marzipan and spread evenly, leaving a 1-inch gap at the furthest side from you. Using the plastic wrap to help you pick up the marzipan, begin to tightly roll the marzipan forward. When the roll is formed, turn so the seam is on the bottom and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the marzipan retain its shape. Roll out tuile dough into a shape large enough to surround your marzipan loaf, and bake according to directions. Remove the marzipan loaf from the refrigerator and wrap with the tuile, forming a tight loaf. Allow to cool to reoom temperature before placing back into the refrigerator, chilling for at least an hour. Remove from the refrigerator and trim the edges off either side of the loaf, then cut individual cookies out, each about 2 cm (approximately 3/4") wide. Makes 48 cookies.

The combination of coffee with chocolate and almond make these treats a fine snack at any time of the day. Take a couple nibbles with coffee at breakfast, or bite into them for a sweet dessert after dinner. I had heard of marzipan only a few times previously, and it was surprisingly easy to make a batch of my own. Given, I still haven't had any in a pre-made fashion, so I'm not even sure if it turned out correctly, but the cookie comes together perfectly regardless. Just make sure you have people to share these with, or you'll quickly finish off all four logs.

Raspberry French Yule Log

Time for the monthly Daring Bakers challenge. This month's challenge was brought to us by Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They've chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilège Gourmand.

There are six elements to this dessert, each of which can be adapted to your personal preferences. I made an almond Dacquoise Biscuit as the bottom portion, topped with carmelized white chocolate ganache. The two inserts are a plain praline crisp and vanilla creme brulee, all surrounded by raspberry and vanilla mousse. Topping all of it is a simple almond royal icing. I wanted to stay away from stronger flavors, like the typical dark chocolates that come with this dessert, simply due to the fact that so many other treats during the holiday season rely on these same flavors. I wanted to make something that would be a bit lighter, and would have a nice fruity taste added to it as well.

Recipe:

Almond Dacquoise Biscuit:
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond meal
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 large egg whites
4 tablespoons granulated sugar

If you want to make homemade almond meal, simply blanch some almonds, remove their skins, and bake in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant, then process roughly. Set aside any excess meal, then add to the processor the confectioner's sugar and flour, along with the almond meal, and process until just combined. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and slowly add the granulated sugar. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Pour almond mix on top and fold together. Pour onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and smooth out until 1/3-inch thick. Bake in the 350ºF oven 15 minutes, or until golden. Cut to desired shape (I cut three 5-inch circles).


Carmelized White Chocolate Ganache:
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
6 ounces white chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream

Heat sugar in a pot over medium heat, swirling occassionally to ensure it doesn't burn. Do not stir with a spoon - it will introduce air. Continue heating until dark amber color is reached (easier to see in aluminium). In the meantime, bring the cream to a boil. Remove caramel sugar from heat and, while at arm's length, pour cream into sugar. Add white chocolate and submerge all pieces with a wooden spoon. Wait 30 seconds, then stir together until combined. Pour a small amount onto each dacquoise biscuit, then cool in refrigerator until set.


Raspberry Vanilla Mousse:
1 2/3 cup heavy cream, divided
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup raspberry puree

Combine 2/3 cup heavy cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cornstarch, and beat until no lumps are present. Add the dairy mix and raspberry puree, then stir until combined. Move into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until thickened. Move to a refrigerator to cool. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream, adding sugar and vanilla as necessary to flavor it. Fold together the raspberry and creme mixes with a rubber spatula - do not over-stir, it will collapse.


Praline Crisp:
1/3 cup whole milk
2/3 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Heat milk and butter together until melted. Add flour and mix until the mixture comes together. Add egg, sugar, and oil. Mix together, then spread thinly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for a few minutes, until golden brown and crispy.


Vanilla Creme Brulee Insert:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 210ºF. Whisk together sugar and egg yolks just to combine. Add dairy and vanilla. Strain and pour evenly into three creme brulee dishes. Place dishes into baking sheet with high sides, and add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center is soft but the sides are set. Remove from the oven and cool in the refrigerator, covering with plastic wrap if you want to avoid skin from forming.


Almond royal icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Begin whisking the egg whites in a stand mixer on medium speed, and add powdered sugar slowly. Continue adding until the mixture thickens to a consistency that resembles softened whipped cream. Add the milk and almond extract, then beat to combine.


Assembly:
Remove the almond dacqouise biscuit with ganache from the refrigerator. Scoop a little mousse on top and spread with praline insert, leaving it in place after the mousse has been spread. Add some more mousse on top, then spoon on some creme brulee. Place into the freezer for an hour to ensure it sets, then top with more mousse, forming the final shape of the dessert. Again, place into the freezer to set. Top with icing (go lightly, it's fairly strong) and freeze before serving. Cut with a hot knife to go through it cleanly.

Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to make a caramel cake with caramelized butter frosting. In addition, a suggestion was to make homemade caramels to be served with the cake. I made some homemade caramels to go along with this recipe (though not the recipe suggested by the group), adding more texture to this decadent dessert. The cake as a whole isn't overly rich, allowing you to truly enjoy it. The challenge this month was hosted by Culinary Curiosity, and co-hosted by Blondie and Brownie, Foray into Food, and Gluten-a-Go-Go.

This cake is not overly complicated, nor is it pretentious. Its basic flavors are more than enough to support it, so there is no need to add details that could potentially take away from the burnt caramel and butter goodness. It would be remiss to force something overbearing into this cake, which would be easy to do considering the light flavors, so I would suggest you make the cake as-is.

Recipe (originally by Shuna Fish Lydon, her signature caramel cake)

Caramel Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water, divided

In a heavy pot, suspend the sugar in 1/2 cup of water - it will not fully dissolve. Heat high until the color turns dark amber. Remove from heat, and keeping the pot at an arm's length distance, slowly (and carefully) add the remaining cup of water. Step away from the mixture until it stops bubbling, then place over medium heat, whisking until reduced. When you drop a bit onto a cold plate and rub it between your fingers after it's cooled, it should have a consistency thicker than syrup but thinner than honey. Place into a glass jar to cool, and store at room temperature.


Caramelized Butter Frosting:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher salt to taste

In a light pan, cook the butter over medium heat until it is browned and emits a nutty aroma. Pour through a small sieve into a stand mixer bowl and allow to cool completely. Using a whisk attachment, begin whisking the butter and add the sugar slowly. Once it begins to form chunks, add cream and caramel syrup a tablespoon at a time. Add more sugar until chunky, and then again add cream or syrup. Continue doing this until all the confectioner's sugar is whisked smoothly into the frosting. Add kosher salt to taste. Can be refrigerated a week in advance. Before using, allow to warm to room temperature and whisk to fluff it.


Caramel Cake:
10 tablespoons, unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk, divided

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch cake pan with sides at least 2 inches high. Cut the butter into 10 pieces and place into a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add the sugar and cream together on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy. Add the salt, and turn speed down to medium-low. Slowly add the caramel syrup in a steady stream. Once incorporated, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first one is fully incorporated before adding the second. Pour in the vanilla extract and stir until combined. Add the flour and baking powder together, mix, and then separate into three equal portions. Add the first third into the batter and mix until combined. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, mix until combined, and then add another third of the flour. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour. Don't over-mix the batter. Turn off the stand mixer and fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to ensure no flour collected at the bottom. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, rotate 90º, and then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting or adding frosting.


Homemade Caramels:
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed

Line a small dish (I used a 9x9-inch square pan) with foil, and then butter that foil. In a heavy pot, combine all the ingredients and heat on medium until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Wait until it comes to a boil, and then place a lid on the pot and allow it to boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and add a candy thermometer. Heat, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 250ºF. Pour into the dish, and wait a few minutes before scoring the top with a knife. Once completely cool (6 or so hours), break along these scored marks and wrap individual pieces in wax paper. Keeps at room temperature for one week.


Assembly:
Cut the cake horizontally into three pieces. Brush each layer off to ensure no crumbs remain behind, and brush each layer liberally with caramel syrup. The syrup is easier to work with when hot, so warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds if need be. Put the cake back together and add the frosting to your desire. I simply smoothed out the sides, and then piped on a random design on the top. You can crunch up some of the homemade caramels as well and sprinkle them on top. Serves 12-16. After you slice it and place on a plate, drizzle with a little caramel syrup for presentation.

Country Pizza

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was to create a pizza of our own. The general way to make the pizza dough was given, but the selection of sauces and toppings were up to each blogger. Having made pizza dough in the past, I decided the shining point of this recipe would be finally emanating an old favorite of mine - a pizza from a gourmet shop in my hometown that was topped with country gravy, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and mozzarella.

Because this was such a favorite of mine growing up, I was real worried that I'd be disappointed with my own end result. It's hard to live up to something you remember being so delicious. To be honest, while adding the ingredients on top, things weren't looking too great. The flavors just didn't seem to be coming together as well as they could have been, and I was worried it would come out bland. Something magical happened when it was all smashed together and baked in the oven though, and the pizza came out tasting exactly the way I remembered. I nailed it on my first try, and loved every bite. Now that I know how to make this pizza, I'm sure I'll be making it once in a while as a good treat.

Recipe:

Country gravy:
8 pork sausage links
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. flour
1 c. milk

Cook the pork sausages as per directions on container. Using tongs or a fork, remove the sausages, leaving behind all the baked-on bits and grease.

Add the butter and melt. Sprinkle the flour on top, and whisk together to make the roux. Make sure to scrape up all the bits leftover from the sausage - that's where the gravy gets its flavor. Continue stirring over medium heat until a light nutty smell is coming from the roux, and it turns blonde. Whisking well, slowly add the milk and turn the temperature to high. Continue stirring, and whisk until thickened to the point of nappe, then remove from heat. Cut up the sausage links into small pieces and add to the gravy.

Crust:
4 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1/4 c. olive oil
1 3/4 c. water
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix together lightly and place into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the olive oil, water, and sugar. Mix until the dough begins to come together, and then replace the paddle attachment with a kneading hook. Knead together for 10 minutes. The dough will be wet enough to stick to the bottom of the bowl, but it should be dry enough that it no longer sticks to the sides. Add flour or water as needed to get the right consistency. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours before punching down. Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before baking so it comes to room temperature.

Pizza:
1/2 Crust recipe
1/2 recipe Classic Mashed Potatoes
1/2 Country Gravy recipe
2 Pan-Fried Chicken Breasts, sliced
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

Preheat the oven to 500ºF with a pizza stone on the bottom rack. Work the pizza dough with your knuckles and slowly form the circular pizza shape. Form a 12-inch circle on top of parchment paper, leaving a little extra dough on the outside edge for a thick crust. Spoon on the mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Drizzle the country gravy on top, including some sausage chunks. Place the chicken breasts on top, and top with the mozzarella. At this point, the pizza looks overloaded. Press down lightly on the top to compact the toppings. Slide the pizza and parchment paper onto the pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes. Pull from the oven and allow to sit for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

The pressed down toppings end up even with the thick crust on the sides, resulting in a thick pizza. A single slice of this is like a meal on its own, so one pizza got me through several lunches. The flavors mash perfectly on this giant of a pizza. This is certainly one of my favorite recipes to date.

Lavash Crackers and Guacamole

This month, Daring Bakers went towards a savory route. It also went fairly simple, with a recipe of lavash crackers and a vegan dip of our choice. For those that don't know, veganism is having a diet using no animal-produced products whatsoever. It excludes butter, gelatin, honey, that sort of thing. The lavash was very simple to make, and the fastest dip I could think of was guacamole.

I actually made a few batches of this dough. The first time I rolled out the dough, I rolled it too thin and it ended up being a hard cracker. I wanted something softer, more bread-like, so I tried a second time to great success. The third was just last night - I needed something to eat some leftover hummus with. Because it's quick to throw together and bake, it's perfect for that sort of situation.

Recipe -
Lavash

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Toppings of choice

In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, salt, yeast, sugar, and olive oil, and add 1/2 cup of water. Knead with a hook attachment until the dough comes together. If necessary, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the dough forms a ball. If it feels a bit too wet, you can add some extra flour. Knead for 10 minutes, or until you can pinch a bit of dough, stretch it, and see light coming through before it breaks (shows that enough gluten has formed). Place into a bowl and cover with a tea towel, and allow it to proof for 90 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the halves into 8-inch (21-cm) circles. Add the toppings of your choice (I kept it simple, using a heavy pinch of kosher salt). While still on the parchment paper, place onto a baking sheet and move into the preheated oven. Bake for 6 minutes, then using a spatula, flip the lavash over (if your toppings aren't pressed into the dough, skip this step). Bake an additional 6 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. Slice into shapes of your choice (I made pie slices, resulting in 12 wedges). Serve at room temperature with dip of your choice.


Simple Guacamole

3 medium avocados
2 bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red for extra color), sliced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 handful cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and spoon out fruit into a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher, or a large fork. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, lime juice. Stir until it's mixed together well. Add cilantro to taste, then salt and pepper. Mix together and cover with a piece of plastic wrap - press right against the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation and discoloration. Place into the refrigerator and let sit for at least 1 hour so the flavors have a chance to meld. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve with crackers.

I tried a pinch of the raw dough to get an idea of its taste, and noticed it was on the sweet side. I decided to make a quick dessert lavash out of the remaining half of the dough, so rolled it out and baked it plain. Following a simple dessert my brother and I used to do with flour tortillas as kids, I ran a stick of butter over the top of the hot lavash (NO, not the whole stick went in...it's just easier to hold a whole stick), then topped with a 50-50 mix of cinnamon and sugar. Cut into 12 wedges again, and served warm. It would be great with a simple ice cream.

Variations on this one are endless. There are several toppings you can place onto the savory lavash - poppy seeds, cumin, oregano, anything that won't burn too easily in the oven. You could even bake one and make a mini-pizza out of it. Serve with mango salsa, hummus, any sort of dip you think will match your topping well. Similarly with the sweet version, there are various toppings you can add and side-dishes to serve with. The overall premise of this recipe is simple, and can be adapted to your liking.

Creamséclairs

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Tony Tahhan and MeetaK. The challenge was to create éclairs using chocolate in either the pastry cream or glaze. I felt like using some orange flavoring in this and made orange and vanilla filled éclairs (sort of like creamsicles), topped with bittersweet chocolate glaze.


The recipe takes a bit of work and time, but it's great to do if you have a weekend where you just feel like relaxing in the kitchen and making something different. You can easily mess around with different creams and glazes, making any sort of flavor combination you want.

Recipe -
Pâte à choux:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375ºF. In a medium sized pot over high heat, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Once a rolling boil is obtained, reduce heat to medium and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, or until dry (a thin film will remain on the bottom of the pot - that's what you're looking for). Move to a stand mixer with paddle attachment and stir on medium-low speed. Add eggs one at a time, waiting for each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. The choux should now be shiny and ribbony. While still warm, place into piping bag (I removed all tips to get a thick diameter, but you could use any round tips about 1 inch in diameter), and shape the éclairs onto parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. At this point the éclairs can be frozen until ready to use, or place directly into the oven. After 7 minutes have passed, open the door just a crack and wedge your wooden spoon's handle in to keep it ajar. Keep heating it for an additional 5 minutes, then quickly turn the baking sheet front to back. Bake 8 more minutes or until golden brown and firm.


Orange cream:
1 cup whole milk
Juice of half a large orange
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
Food coloring (optional)

In a small heavy pot over medium heat, combine milk, juice, and sugar. Heat until lightly steaming. Temper in the egg yolks, and then add the cornstarch. Turn heat up to high and whisk vigorously until thickened. Move pot into a bowl containing ice water to stop the cooking - continue whisking vigorously to keep the cream smooth. When cooled to about 140ºF, remove pot from ice bath and add butter one piece at a time, waiting until the previous piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add food coloring until a nice orange color is obtained. Wrap with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.


Vanilla cream:
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine the ingredients and mix over medium-high speed until whipped cream forms. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.


Chocolate glaze:
4 1/2 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate (like Valrhona), chopped finely
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small heavy pot over medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until boil is reached. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until thickened, 10-15 minutes or until nappe.


Assembly:
Place the éclairs onto a cooling rack, and set an empty one next to it. Cut each of the éclairs in half, leaving the bottom where it is and transferring the top to the corresponding spot on the next rack - this helps keep track of which top goes to the corresponding bottom. Remove creams from refrigerator and pipe onto the bottom halves of each éclair, half orange and half vanilla. Dip the tops into the chocolate glaze, and place on top of the matching éclair bottom. Allow the glaze to set, about 5 minutes, before serving. Yields about 18 éclairs, more or less depending on the size.

As mentioned before, the choux can be frozen ahead of time, so long as the éclair shapes are already made. Take out of the freezer and place directly into the preheated oven, and just add a couple minutes to the baking time (before rotating). The creams can also be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, so this recipe can be spaced out over the course of a week or so if you don't have enough time to do it all at once. The glaze, however, needs to be made right before the tops are dipped into it to ensure a nice shine.

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

This months' Daring Bakers challenge was to make a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream. If you don't know what that is, don't worry...neither did I. I decided to play with this recipe and make some mini-cakes instead of one large one. I also decided to flavor it a bit with bananas, figuring it'd pair well with the hazelnut and chocolate in the original recipe.

Recipe:
Filbert Genoise:
1 1/2 c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 c. cake flour
2 T. cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 c. sugar (1/4 c. and 3/4 c. divided)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. lemon zest
5 large egg whites
1/4 c. warm, clarified butter

To toast and skin the hazelnuts, toss them onto a baking sheet and put into a 350ºF oven for about 12 minutes. Don't wait until you smell them cooking - by that point, they'll be burnt. Pull them out and set them in a tea towel, then wrap them up and let them steam for about 10 more minutes. Rub the towel together and most of the skins should come off. Pick the remaining skins off - if some won't come off, it's fine to leave a few.

Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and add cake flour and cornstarch. Process for 30 seconds, then pulse until a fine powder is obtained. Don't over-process, or you'll pull too much oil out of the nuts and make it a paste instead of a powder. Whisk the egg yolks until light in color, then add 3/4 c. sugar over the course of 3 minutes. This should get a ribbony texture. Add the lemon zest and vanilla, then mix to combine. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 c. sugar, and whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the egg yolks into the whites and fold until just combined. Add the hazelnut mixture into the egg mix, then add the clarified butter and fold until just combined. Pour into a mini-muffin pan, filling each mold about 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF, or until the cakes are springy and coming away from the edges of the pan. Yields 48 mini cakes.


Simple syrup:
1 c. water
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. banana liqueur

Dissolve the sugar in water and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the liqueur, then allow to cool completely.

Swiss Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
3/4 c. sugar
3 sticks, butter
2 T. banana liqueur
1 T. vanilla extract

Whisk the egg whites together until they are nearly soft peaks. Move the egg whites into a double-broiler, and whisk in sugar 1 T. at a time, over the course of a minute. Continue to whisk the mixture until warm (about 120ºF) and becomes the consistency of thick marshmallows. With a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat these egg whites medium-high for 5-7 minutes or until a cool and thick meringue forms. Be careful not to over-beat the mix. Move this mixture to another bowl, and using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it becomes smooth and creamy. Using medium-low speed, add the meringue to the butter over the course of 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla, then mix until combined, thick, and creamy. Refrigerate this for at least 10-15 minutes before using so everything can set.


Praline paste:
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 c. sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with butter and parchment paper. Place the sugar into a heavy 10-inch skillet and heat medium-low for 10-20 minutes or until it begins to melt around the edges. Don't stir the mix, but swirl it to mix in parts that aren't melting. When the sugar is fully melted and caramel in color, add the nuts and stir with a wooden spoon. Separate any clusters that form, and continue heating until it begins to bubble. Make sure all the hazelnuts have been coated. Pour onto the parchment paper and spread evenly to cool. Once at room temperature, carefully break the praline into pieces and place it into a food processor. Pulse into a powder, then continue processing until a thick paste is formed.

Praline Buttercream:
Full recipe of Swiss Buttercream
1/3 c. Praline Paste
2 T. banana liqueur

Blend 1/2 c. of the buttercream into the praline paste, then add this into the remaining buttercream. Whip on medium-low speed until combined. Pour in the liqueur and mix in. Refrigerate this mixture before using.


Nutella Whipped Cream:
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 T. Nutella

Whisk the heavy cream until it forms whipped cream, then add the Nutella and continue to whisk until combined thoroughly.

Banana Jam:
2 large bananas, overripe, frozen, and then thawed
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

Boil the water and sugar together, then add the bananas and boil, mashing with a fork. Continue to cook until reduced and thick.


Ganache Glaze:
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 c. cream
1 T. corn syrup
1 T. banana liqueur
3/4 t. vanilla extract

Chop the chocolate roughly and place into a bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a pan over low heat until it forms a gentle boil. Pour the cream mixture over top of the chocolate, and let stand 1 minute before stirring with a fork. Blend in the vanilla and banana liqueur. If it appears oily, add a little hot water and it will begin to thicken.


Assembly:
Cut each of the mini-cakes in half, and brush with the simple syrup until all the syrup is used. On one half, spoon on some of the buttercream mixture, and add the nutella whipped cream on the other half. Place the halves together to form a cake and top with a bit of the banana jam. Top with the ganache glaze, and serve.

The cakes are extremely messy to eat, mainly because my buttercream didn't come together quite right. I don't blame the recipe, but rather my attempt at multi-tasking a bit too much. The mini-cakes are perfect for a large bite-sized treat, so it didn't matter too much that buttercream spreads all over the place. The banana, hazelnut, and chocolate flavors all play well together, making this dessert very tasty.