Dessert First

Spiced Chocolate Mousses

Hello from New York City! It's been a whirlwind the last two weeks - sorry about all the e-mails and comments I haven't responded to! I'll be back in San Francisco by the end of the week and I promise to redress the situation immediately! I can't wait to share news of how the book is going, as well as my experiences in the dessert paradise that is NYC - pastrygirl may have finally hit her sugar limit! It's been one sweet adventure after another here!

Meanwhile, I have a short post I started writing before I left and that I finally have a few spare moments to finish off, to tide you over until I return. This is twist on a traditional chocolate mousse from Donna Hay magazine, and encapsulates how I feel about desserts in New York: everything is taken just a little further, given a little unexpected fillip or turned wholly upside down - one moment you're eating the best date cake you've ever tasted, the next you're confronting white chocolate, potato crumbles, and beer ice cream on your plate. It's been Alice in Wonderland crossed with Cinderella with a dose of Sex and the City thrown in for good measure.

Back to the mousses, I've always been a proponent of mousse as ideal medium for playing with flavors - a winning strategy of creative tastes in comfort food trappings.  The chocolate mousses here are spiced with cinnamon, star anise, and brown sugar, layered to produce a subtle, mysterious flavor hinting but not wholly revealing its origins. The cinnamon and brown sugar ground it in familiarity, while the star anise adds the perfect je ne sais quoi. I can think of many other spices or flavorings to experiment with in this recipe, although I would suggest keeping it to additions that will incorporate smoothly into the egg whites. If you use the star anise, be sure it's ground finely - you don't want chunks of anise to ruin the velvety smoothness of the mousse!

The mousse is also dreamily light and smooth, not heavy at all, due to the whipped cream and egg whites, so it is perfect spring dessert. Garnished with some sparkling sugar-encrusted fruit, this is a simple creation to make on a moment's whim, so you don't miss a second of the brand-new spring sunshine.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week I'm looking forward to coming home and baking in my own kitchen again!

Spiced Chocolate Mousses

from Donna Hay Magazine

makes about (8) 2 1/2- oz ramekins

4 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground star anise

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 oz (200 g) chopped dark chocolate

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

4 1/4 oz raspberries

1 beaten egg white

white sanding or sparkling sugar for decoration

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites to soft peaks.

Add sugar, star anise, and cinnamon to the egg whites and whisk to stiff peaks.

Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat.

Add 1/4 cup of the cream and the egg yolks and whisk to combine.

In a clean mixer bowl, whisk the remaining cream to soft peaks.

Add in the melted chocolate mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula to combine.

Add in the egg white mixture and fold gently to combine, trying not to deflate the mixture.

Scoop into eight 1/2 cup glasses and refrigerate at least 2 -3 hours till set.

Brush raspberries with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Arrange on mousses before serving.

Tagged with: Donna Hay + Spiced chocolate mousses

Bite This!

Sweet Sushi and Other Surprises

I've mentioned Elizabeth Falkner and her cookbook a few times already, I've even got to meet her last year, but it's not until now that I finally got to try out the recipes in Demolition Desserts. Verdict? Baking with Falkner is like being told you can play with your food, literally any way you like. The results are surprising, imaginative, and - not least of all - delicious.

I made one of the first recipes that caught my eye when flipping through the book - it perfectly exemplifies the creativity and playfulness that infuses Falkner's desserts. What looks like oddly like a set of sushi rolls you'd find in a Japanese restaurant is actually a modern, deconstructed take on tiramisu. A chocolate roulade is wrapped around a sweet marsala mascarpone filling and sliced into neat litle rolls that are arranged next to a mocha-rum dipping sauce. Where are the chopsticks? Made of a sesame-flecked vanilla biscotti, natch. Falkner even suggested grated pear "ribbons" to imitate the pile of ginger that accompanies most sushi - I didn't do that part but her cleverness and attention to detail is amazing. And the name of the dessert - Tiramisushi - almost makes you wonder why someone else didn't come up with it before.

Making this felt like a cross between baking and art project - all the familiar elements were rendered new and exciting due to their unconventional uses - I'd never sliced biscotti into slender little stems or thought about adapting a traditional roulade form to a squatter sushi shape. It was all very intriguing and eye-opening, especially making the cake rolls. Having rolled up sponge cakes for jelly rolls and bûche de Noël before, I thought would be the easiest parts, but it turned out to be one of the tricker tasks. The problem I had was that Falkner has you bake the cake in a quarter sheet pan, or a brownie pan, which is smaller than a jelly roll pan and results in a thicker cake. I believe she did this so that the thicker cake would more closely resemble the solid layer of rice in a sushi roll - you don't want to cake to roll around itself several times like for a jelly roll, but only once to just enclose the filling.

It's harder to roll a thick piece of cake up than a thin one, especially if the cake is overbaked and drying out and cracking as you attempt to wrest it into a perfectly round form. So, it's important not to overbake this cake and keep it moist and soft to ensure it rolls up nicely. I also found that spreading the filling on the cake after letting it cool for a few minutes and then rolling it up also helped things. As you can see, I managed to get a few fairly shapely rolls out of this!

With all the pieces in place, this dessert is not just visually appealing but gustatorily satisfying as well. The chocolate cake is light but intensely chocolatey, marrying well with the creamy, sweet mascarpone filling; it's almost like a luxe version of one of those Hostess snack cakes. The slight bitterness of the espresso and rum laced chocolate sauce adds another layer of flavor to the combination as well as a providing an extra indulgent touch, and the biscotti chopsticks are the perfect crisp topper. All the parts of a classic tiramisu are in here, just in a jazzy new form. It's also very easy to play around with all the flavors of the different components, making this a very versatile and lovely dessert - one that's sure to inspire comments and smiles whenever you bring it to the table.

I heartily recommend Falkner's book - it's full of imagination-sparking creations like this, and it's wonderful fun to read as well. You may be inspired to come out with some sweet surprises of your own.

I'm getting ready to make a trip to the east coast for business related to my own book, so I'll be busy packing this weekend. I do have a post all ready for next though, so do stop on by - and I can't wait to share tidbits from my trip when I return!

I

Tiramisushi

adapted from Elizabeth Falkner's Demolition Desserts

Cocoa Roulade Sponge Cake
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) flour
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon (1 oz) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup ( 3 1/2 oz) sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons (1 oz ) butter, melted butter
1 Tablespoon water
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Marsala Mascarpone Filling
1 cup (8 oz) mascarpone cheese
1 Tablespoon confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon Marsala wine

Mocha-Rum Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
3 Tablespoons hot brewed espresso
2 Tablespoons (1 oz) butter
2 Tablespoons rum
pinch of salt

To make the cocoa roulade, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9"x13" baking pan well and line bottom with parchment paper.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

Whisk eggs and sugar together in a metal bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water on the stove and heat for a few minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and warm to the touch.

Pour egg mixture into bowl of a stand mixer, add the salt, and whisk with the whip attachment on high speed for a few minutes until the mixture has cooled and tripled in volume.

Remove bowl from mixture and fold in flour mixture with a rubber spatula, trying not to deflate the batter.

Combine melted butter and water and add to the batter, folding in to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating halfway through. The center of the cake should bounce back when pressed with a fingertip.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes on wire rack before unmolding onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with confectioner's sugar. Peel off the piece of parchment on the bottom of the cake.

Cut the cake lengthwise down the middle so you have two long skinny rectangles. Slide rectangles apart. Now, if your piece of parchment is really big, you can cut it in half so each cake rectangle is on its own piece of parchment that you will use to roll it up. If your parchment is small, prepare new sheets of parchment dusted with confectioner's sugar and place a cake rectangle on each one.

Here Falkner has you roll the cake up from the long side, using the parchment paper as a guide to help roll and keep it in place. Then you let the cakes sit overnight rolled-up before unrolling them, spreading with filling, and rolling them up again. I found that when I tried this the cake seemed to dry out and crack and not roll up very well. The easier method for me was to spread the filling onto the cake and then roll it up, and then store in the refrigerator. Make sure the cake is not still piping hot from the oven or it will melt the filling, but the sooner you fill it, the easier the cake is to roll. You can make the filling ahead of time so it's ready to go when the cake is out of the oven.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl until evenly blended. Do not overmix.

Spread half the filling down the center of each cake rectangle. Using the parchment paper as a guide, roll up the cake from the long side into a cylinder. Store the parchment-wrapped rolls in the refrigerator
for at least an hour to chill and set. Be sure to set them against something so they don't unroll.

I haven't included the recipe for the biscotti chopsticks because it would make this entry too long, but you can simply use your favorite biscotti recipe. Form the dough into more of a rectangle than a long log. When you take the biscotti dough out of the oven the first time, let cool for about 10 minutes, and then cut into chopstick-size sticks instead of the regular biscotti shape.  Return to the oven and bake again for the indicated time until they are firm and golden.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the cream, corn syrup, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Heat on stove over medium heat until mixture starts to simmer.

Place the chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot espresso over it. Pour the hot cream mixture over it and stir until chocolate is melted and everything is combined.

Add in the butter, rum, and salt, and stir until butter is melted.

When you are ready to serve the dessert, take the rolls out of the refrigerator and cut into rounds about 2 inches long. Arrange on a plate with the dipping sauce and biscotti chopsticks.

Tagged with: Elizabeth Falkner + Citizen Cake+ Demolition Desserts + tiramisushi + chocolate

Bite This!

More Chocolate, This Time of the Warm Molten Variety

I have a secret to share: you know the sexy, ubiquitous warm molten chocolate cakes that appear on many a Valentine’s Day menu? I’ve never made them before. At least, not until last weekend, when I decided this was an omission in my repertoire I needed to rectify. After going through several recipes, I decided that the version where you place a ball of ganache in the middle of the batter was the way to go. This ensures that the while the cake bakes up light and delicately souffléd, the center melts into a sensual liquid flow. Making ganache truffles also gave me the opportunity to play around with recipe and create two versions – one for each of the fabulous presents I received last week!

The wonderfully talented and thoughtful Ivonne sent me a box full of sweet surprises, which included a jar of her own vibrant blood orange syrup. I knew it would make a lovely accompaniment to a chocolate cake, and so Molten Chocolate-Chipotle Cake with Blood Orange Sauce and Cinnamon-Cardamom Crumbles was created. A bit of ground chipotle pepper added to the chocolate ganache gives it a smoky heat that leaves a pleasantly warming tingle on your tongue.  The subtle spiciness actually seems to boost the rich chocolatey-ness of the cake, giving it a lingering, smooth finish. The blood orange syrup adds a gorgeous sweet-tart note to the dessert – it’s like framing the cake in a bright, citrusy sunburst. As a final touch, the buttery cinnamon-cardamom crumbles (I actually just made a spiced cookie and pulverized it in the food processor) provide crunchy contrast. Together, all the components combine into a bold symphony of flavors.

If the first version is an effervescent modern painting, the second, Molten Chocolate Matcha Cake with Tonka Bean Crème Anglaise - is a serene Zen garden. Although matcha is often combined with white chocolate so its verdant hue may be preserved, I found that matching it with dark chocolate made for an austerely sophisticated flavor. The smooth, slightly bitter taste resonated like a stone dropped in still, dark pool.  As for the tonka beans, the uber-fabulous Helen surprised me with a packet of those suddenly trendy little seeds; I’d been eager to get some since I’d seen them on her blog. In their little wax paper bag, they gave off the most mysterious, compelling fragrance: almond, apricot, vanilla, cloves. It’s unfortunate that the potentially dangerous properties of tonka beans have made them an exotic oddity; perhaps, however, like the Japanese blowfish, the thrill of knowingly flirting with danger can add an extra frisson of enjoyment to the act of consumption. Grated into a classic crème anglaise  as a substitute for the traditional vanilla extract, the tonka bean gave the sauce a nutty, floral sweetness.  Combined with the cake, it’s a haiku of a dessert.

Two different takes on the same delectable cake; just two of the myriad of variations that can be spun out of this recipe. I like to think of it like those paper valentines you gave and received as a child; remember working with red paper and lace and glue, trying to create the perfect valentine for each of your friends? I’d like to dedicate these cakes to my lovely friends Ivonne and Helen. And to all the rest of you, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Molten Chocolate Cake Two Ways

adapted from Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot

Makes 8 cakes

Ganache

4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, 62% to 70%

2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter

3 Tablespoons (45 g) heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

Either: 1 ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or 3 teaspoons matcha powder

Blood Orange Sauce: I was lucky enough to receive some as a gift: if you’d like to make your own, here is a similar recipe for Blood Orange Caramel Sauce that is also delicious.

Tonka Bean Crème Anglaise

¾ cup (183 g) milk

¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream

1 tonka bean

3 egg yolks

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

Cake

5 ½ oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, 62% to 70%

5 ½ Tablespoons (84 g) butter

4 large eggs, separated

¼ teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate, butter, cream, and salt in a bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove. Stir occasionally to make sure it melts evenly.

Stir in the ground chipotle pepper or matcha powder. You can add more or less to your taste.

Pour the ganache into a container and place in refrigerator for about an hour until it starts to set up. You can also place it in the freezer to speed up the process.

When the ganache is firm enough to scoop, use a spoon or cookie scoop to make ¾” round balls. Place in a container and store in freezer to keep them firm while you make the cake.

To make the crème anglaise, combine milk and cream in a small heavy saucepan. Grate the tonka bean into the milk mixture.

Heat on medium until it just starts to bubble. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl.

Pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and place back on the stove. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon.

Remove and strain into a bowl. You can chill in an ice bath or in the refrigerator until ready to use. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. This makes about 1 cup.

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. Take eight 2 ½” diameter metal rings and butter and sugar the insides well. Arrange rings on the baking sheets.

Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove, stirring occasionally.

When chocolate and butter are fully melted and combined remove from heat and let cool until warm.

Whisk egg yolks, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Pour about a third of the melted chocolate into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

Pour in the rest of the chocolate and whisk to combine.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until medium peaks form – do not overwhip.

Carefully fold in about half of the egg whites into the chocolate batter to lighten it. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites, taking care not to deflate them too much.

Fill the rings a little less than halfway up with the batter. Place a ball of ganache in the center of the batter. Cover with more batter, filling the rings about ¾ full – the cakes will rise when baking like a soufflé so don’t fill them too high or they will spill over.

Bake cakes for 10 to 12 minutes. The cakes should be done – a tester inserted in the side should come out with a few crumbs, but the centers should have melted. You may want to test with one cake first to gauge how long the right baking time will be.

Remove cakes and let cool on racks for a couple minutes. Use a wide metal spatula to move the cakes onto serving plates, and then carefully remove the rings. Drizzle sauce around the cakes and serve immediately.

Tagged with: molten chocolate cake + blood orange sauce+ tonka bean creme anglaise + matcha chocolate + chipotle chocolate

Bite This!

Chocolate Mania

Today's the last day to vote for the Death by Chocolate contest? Have you voted? If not, please conside clicking on the button above to cast your vote! The contest closes at 12 noon PST today so hurry!

It's been an exhaustingly busy week for me, and I haven't had a chance to make a Valentine's Day dessert yet...but I think I know what I'll be making!  In the meantime, here are some of my other chocolate-y themed desserts that I considered entering in the contest, and that you might consider making for someone special:)  Have a good weekend!

Chocolate Almond Cakes

Chocolate Capri Cake

Bittersweet Citrus Tart

Claudia Fleming's Chocolate Trio

Goji Berry Cupcakes

Chocolate Linzer Tart

Cupcakes of Love

Thomas Keller's TKOs 

Wasabi and Matcha Truffles

Death By Chocolate - Vote and Win!

I'm excited to tell you about this contest I've entered, not just because I think it's a fun competition, but because all of you can also have a chance to win just by helping me out!

Culinate is holding a Death By Chocolate contest, where everyone is invited to vote on their favorite blog post about chocolate. Right now the contest is still open to entries and voting doesn't start until next Monday, but the exciting part is that there will be two winners: one will be the blogger with the best post, the other will be drawn from everyone who has voted in the contest. So just by voting, you have a chance to win a trip to Napa, California, and attend Copia's annual Death by Chocolate Festival!

I have submitted one of my favorite posts on chocolate, about a Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart.
I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, I am going to shamelessly ask you to please vote for me. The top ten vote-getting blog posts will move on the final round, where the winner will be chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of culinary and chocolate experts.

So please, Dessert First readers, consider voting for me and get yourself a chance to win as well in the process!

To participate, go to the Culinate contest page and register on their site. This will automatically get you one chance to win.

Then, go back to the site on Monday, February 4th and vote for your favorite chocolate post. This will get you another chance to win in the drawing.

Thank you all so much! Your support means everything to me!!

I'll end with a teaser image of my latest recipe in Baking911's newsletter, coming out in February: Rosewater Meringues with Roasted Strawberries. Yes, I've been working a lot with whipped egg whites this month!

A Little Gift for My Readers

The suitcase is packed, the oven is shut off, the lights are dimmed, and I'm off to Hong Kong! It's been quite a flurry of Christmas card writing and holiday baking, and I'm looking forward to a little rest and relaxation halfway across the world.

I've got a few posts tucked away, though, so do check back here in the next week or so for some more of my holiday treats. And in the meantime, I've got an early holiday gift for all my wonderful Dessert First readers: 15% off your purchase from Charles Chocolates!

Some of my favorite items from Charles Chocolates:

The Candied Hazelnut Bar, which combines sweet candied hazelnuts in a 65% bittersweet chocolate - crunchy, smooth, and delectable.

The Tea Collection, truffles infused with Asian teas ranging from robust to floral to fruity - some of the best infused chocolates I've encountered.

The Wine Infused Pâte de Fruit - I am seriously addicted to these sweet little hemispheres of wine. With Gewurtraminer, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Champagne, they're a heady, delightful treat.

And they've unveiled several luscious new items for the holidays:

The Holiday Collection - Charles Chocolates' signature edible chocolate box with a cute holiday design. What better gift than one where the box can be eaten?

Mini Chocolate Squares - For your chocolate fix on the go, convenient little five gram squares of indulgence.

Artisan Marmalades - The blood orange and Meyer lemon marmalades made in-house for Charles' filled truffles became so popular that now they're canned and sold on their own! Perfect for breakfast or teatime.

Be sure to visit Charles Chocolates' site to see the rest of their lineup.

To take advantage of this offer, simply go to Charles Chocolates' site to place your order. Then type in the promo code DESSERTFIRST when you check out. This offer is good through December 17th.

Don't forget, you also have a chance to win one of Charles Chocolates fabulous new Boxed Assortments, filled with caramels, truffles, and chocolates, in the Menu for Hope campaign. Check it out here.

Happy holidays to all my dear readers - I hope you enjoy this little gift!

Tagged with: Charles Chocolates

Bite This!

'Tis the Season

I love December, the gentle melancholy as we tiptoe to the end of the year, juxtaposed with the swirling joyousness of the holidays. I always smile when I realize the approach of things that suffuse me with the warm, fuzzy holiday spirit: gaily colored Christmas cards in the mail; children running about in puffy, scarf and coat-plumped bundles; store windows aglitter with all things gleaming and sparkly (I love sparkly things); the murmur of Christmas songs in the air, songs I’ve never learned but somehow to which I always remember the words; and, of course, the prospect of baking batches of Christmas cookies and filling my kitchen with scents of vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, peppermint, cloves – the very perfume of yuletide.

My very first attempt at making a Christmas themed cookie was to take a chocolate chip cookie recipe and add in red and green M&M's (Coincidentally, this brainstorm occurred right when bags of only red and green M&Ms starting showing up in stores). Emboldened by the happy response, I started doing holiday riffs on my favorite cookie recipes every year - there's something about taking a familiar cookie and cutting it out in the shape of snowflakes or presents, or sprinkling it over with red and green sprinkles, that never fails to elicit a delighted reception.

This year, I'm eschewing the M&M cookies for a few bolder experiments - ones I think have turned out just as well, and that I'm happily tucking away into gift boxes, along with diplomatic suggestions to enjoy as soon as possible. (What can I say? I'm an ardent supporter of enjoying cookies while they're fresh, and I'm terrible at waiting until Christmas Day to open presents). Over the next couple weeks, I'm excited to share with you my cookie cache - starting with that most elegant and party-ready of cookies, the macaron itself.

With its infinite adaptability, the macaron is a natural for customization to the occasion at hand, be it refined or outré. I must admit I'm bedazzled by the visions of M. Hermé, who has included among his macarons de Noël this year a macaron with balsamic vinegar cream, one with black truffles, and a chocolate one with foie gras - oh, the lucky recipients of that box! I'm afraid I can't afford to be that generous and luxurious with my ingredients, but I did fancy making a chocolate macaron, since my Christmas cookie collection always includes something rich and chocolatey. And what more seasonal a touch than to add a bit of peppermint to the ganache filling?

This recipe is adapted from Tartelette's excellent macarons made via the Italian meringue method, creating perfectly smooth and shiny, crackly and chewy little discs ready to be filled and sandwiched. Do you imagine that Santa might enjoy a plate of these waiting for him by the chimney?

Next week - Menu for Hope - and caramels!

Chocolate Macarons with Peppermint Ganache

makes about 40 macarons

150 g sugar

50 g water

120 g egg whites

35 g sugar

150 g ground almonds

150 g confectioners' sugar

25 g cocoa powder

100 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped in pieces

100 g cream

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

Combine the 150 g sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it cook until it reaches 230 degrees F.

Meanwhile, combine 60 g of the egg whites and the 35 g in a stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

When the syrup has reached 230 degrees F, remove from heat and pour in a slow, steady stream into the mixer bowl while the whisk is still going. Let the whisk keep going until the mixture cools down, about 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture should look shiny and fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

While the mixture is going, sift the ground almonds, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa powder together into a bowl. If you want your macarons to have the smoothest tops possible, blend the mixture in a food processor and then sift it.

Add in the remaining 60 g egg whites and mix together until it forms together into a moist ball.

Take the cooled meringue from the mixture and fold it carefully into the almond mixture. You may want to add about 1/3 of the meringue first and fold it in to lighten the almond mixture before adding the rest. Do not overfold and deflate the meringue or the batter will turn runny.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Scrape the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe out 2 inches rounds about 1 1/2" apart on the sheets.

Bake the macarons for about 15 minutes in the oven. Let them cool on wire racks before trying to remove them.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

Bring cream to a boil on the stove, then pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple minutes and then stir to melt and combine the chocolate with the cream.

Add in the peppermint extract.

Let the ganache cool and firm up; when it is solid enough you can spread it on the macarons as a filling. If it becomes too firm, you can warm it carefully over a pot of simmering water.

Tagged with: chocolate macarons + Christmas cookies

Bite This!

Eat My Words

I like to think that the desserts I create my kitchen tell a story. Maybe they say that I like trying new and unusual recipes. Or that I like making the classics too. That sometimes I get obsessed with perfecting a recipe. Or that I get obsessed with certain French pastry geniuses.

Maybe this says, I really feel like tackling that six-component dessert that requires a special trip to the grocery store to the ingredients, every pan and tool in the kitchen, a long unfettered day for baking, and a deep breath with a quick prayer to the pastry gods before starting.

Or perhaps this says, I was at the market and these apples and pears looked so fab, and I knew I had brown sugar and butter at home, so I bet I could whip up a fabulous little crisp in no time at all.

These definitely say, I've got a brand new toy and I can't get enough of it.

Oh, and of course, this says that I belong to a fabulous group of fellow bakers who all inspire and brighten my days.

I like to think that whatever I bake, carries and conveys some of my thoughts and feelings I had while I was making it, about what inspired its creation, about how I hope it will turn out, about what people's reactions will be when I serve it.

But just in case the message isn't always clear, sometimes it's nice to spell it out.

These cupcakes are saying:

Happy birthday to my sweetie, who inspired these cupcakes a year ago and has inspired a re-invention of them using one of Dorie Greenspan recipes. These cupcakes are also saying that I'm going to take him here for dinner, but shh! it's a surprise.

Isn't the power of baking a wonderful thing?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Oh, and P.S. I forgot to post this, but the winner of the Nordicware bundt cake contest was...the Minty Mountains cake! Definitely one of the prettiest cakes and quite tasty - and it's just about Christmas time, so what a perfect time to try it out!

Cocoa-Buttermilk Cupcakes

from Dorie Greenspan's Baking

makes 20 cupcakes

2 cups (10 oz)  flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners or silicone baking cups.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter in a stand mixer for a few minutes on medium speed to soften it up. Add the sugar and beat for several more minutes until it is light-colored and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one a a time, to the the batter, letting the first one incorporate fully before adding the second. Repeat with the egg yolks.

Add in the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the sifted dries in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk so you start and end with the dries. Beat each addition just until it is combined into the mixture; do not overbeat. Scrape down the bowl as necessary between additions.

Pour in the melted chocolate and use a rubber spatula to fold it in until it is combined.

Divide the batter between the cupcake tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake in the oven for about 15- 20 minutes, until the tops feel firm and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Coffee Buttercream

makes about 3 cups

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

5 egg yolks

1 tablespoon granulated coffee flavoring

The butter should be very soft but not melting for this recipe.

Heat the milk and coffee flavoring and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar in the mixer bowl with the whisk attachment until pale and thick (ribbon stage). Reduce speed to low and pour in the hot milk mixture. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan.

Cook the mixture in the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it registers 170 degrees on a thermometer. Pour the mixture into a clean mixer bowl and beat with the whisk on medium until cool, about 5 -10 minutes. Add in the butter in 4 additions, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding another.

The buttercream can be used immediately, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you store it in the refrigerator, let it soften first and whisk by hand or in the mixer to bring back to proper consistency.

Tagged with: Dorie Greenspan + chocolate cupcakes + coffee buttercream

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Daring Bakers Challenge: Teeny Bostini

One of the best aspects of being in the Daring Bakers is learning about new recipes you've never heard of or might never have thought of trying. This was the case this month, when our host Mary of Alpineberry unveiled our challenge: her favorite recipe for Bostini Cream Pie. This dessert was actually created in San Francisco by Donna Scala and Kurt Baguley of the Bay Area classics Scala's Bistro and Bistro Don Giovanni. A twist on Boston cream pie, this recipe consists of a zesty orange chiffon cake in a pool of velvety vanilla custard, drizzled with a deep chocolate sauce. Every spoonful is pure creamy luxury in your mouth, a perfect comfort dessert for the cold winter months.

Since the recipe components were fairly straightforward and Mary gave us free reign to assemble them as we pleased, this was an opportunity to get creative with our plating techniques. My first thought when I looked at the fluffy cake, the pale yellow custard, and the rich dark chocolate was that this could be one of Pierre Hermé's Emotions, those little test tubes in which gustatory delight are alchemized into museum-worthy perfection. I decided, what more elegant way to show off and contrast the various elements of the Bostini than layered in a glass?

Although the Emotions are presented in wider, rounder, glasses, I went with smaller, narrower vodka glasses because I liked the idea of displaying them all on ice, just like shots of vodka. Indeed, with a glass this small and narrow, you almost want to "shoot" the entire dessert at once - or at least make sure there is an appropriately tiny spoon handy!

It's not necessary, of course, to use shot glasses - be sure to check all the other Daring Bakers to get some other very creative and lovely takes on this recipe - but you should try out the recipe at least once, as I really loved the combination of flavors and textures. The only thing I might do differently next time is to bake the cake in a smaller pan; I spread the cake batter out in a half sheet pan and cut out circles for the glasses from it, but it wasn't quite thick enough to get the depth I needed so I ended up having to layer several cutout circles. I probably should have used a smaller pan so it would have baked up thicker in the first place. Nevertheless, the cake was wonderfully light and moist, and the orange was a nice tart note to balance out the richness of the custard and the chocolate. Thanks Mary for giving the Daring Bakers another fun challenge!

Bostini Cream Pie
makes 8 generous servings

Custard:
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter


To prepare the custard:

Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the chiffon cakes:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the glaze:

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.

To assemble:

Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.

Tagged with: bostini cream pie + Daring Bakers

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Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration

When I met up with Veronica of Veronica’s Test Kitchen a few weeks ago, not only did I get the pleasure of a fun night out with a fellow baker, but I was also clued in to an early release of Alice Medrich’s newest book, Pure Dessert – one I’d been eagerly awaiting. Veronica had just taken a class earlier in the day from Medrich at my alma mater, and what surprise did Medrich have in store for her students but several copies of her latest tome, fresh from the printer! Of course my immediate question was, “Are there any copies left?” Veronica, who shares my ardor (and impatience) for new cookbooks, very sweetly had a copy set aside for me when she returned to class the following day, for which I’m happily indebted to her. Thanks so much, sweetie!

In a sea of lookalike cookbook releases, many of them tired riffs on dusty old themes, Medrich’s book is an elegant, assertive breath of fresh air. Moving far beyond her familiar domain of chocolate, she re-examines the very concept of dessert from ingredient up, espousing her new philosophy of simplicity and purity. There are no elaborate, multi-component desserts or fancy, cutting-edge techniques in this book; instead, Medrich returns to the basics and turns them inside out, reinventing them into something new and exciting.

Medrich does what I would love to do all day long (alas, until I find someone to pay me for it, I must fit kitchen time in with the rest of real life): experiment in her kitchen. She takes apart recipes, examines methods and ingredients, and hones everything down to reach the most perfect, purest expression of flavor. Her boundless curiosity and rigorous methods are illuminating and inspiring; like the very best standard-bearers of any field, she makes possibilities seem endless and exploration an exhilaration. I’ve had people ask me, “well, how many desserts could there be? After you’re done a chocolate cake and a vanilla cake and a strawberry tart and a blueberry pie, haven’t you pretty much made everything?” Medrich’s book is a resounding no to that sentiment and an exuberant yes to experimentation, creativity, and imagination.

In her book, Medrich plays with the variety of ingredients, new and old, available to bakers: buckwheat and kamut flours in her scones, kafir cheese in her tarts, sesame oil and muscovado sugar in her cakes. She reconsiders baking techniques and recipes with the mind of a scientist: cakes are made with both cold and room temperature butter; spices are incorporated into batter or sprinkled directly over just-baked cookies; tea infusions are made with both hot and cold cream. Her thoughtful reasoning, and her dissection of her experiments, leads to some fascinating discoveries and a greater understanding of how baking works and how to best use various ingredients in this process.

The result is a wonderfully eclectic, marvelously original, and deeply personal collection of recipes. Like some of my other favorite recent cookbooks (Kate Zuckerman’s The Sweet Life, Pichet Ong’s The Sweet Spot, and of course Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours), Medrich’s book moves beyond a mere compilation of desserts to a glimpse inside the author’s mind and her thoughts and feelings – you share in her ideas writ tantalizingly in sugar, chocolate, fruit, and honey. I found what Medrich had to say enormously captivating. She wants one to see baking the same way cooking is being viewed today, as the search to best express the qualities and flavor of an ingredient. Baking doesn’t have to mean tons of white sugar and whipped cream everywhere; it also doesn’t have to mean following the same rigid rules to get the exact same result every time. It can mean using unrefined sugar or honey to give new nuances of sweetness to custards, or using whole grains to add nutty dimension to shortbread, or cooking fruit to enhance its flavor before turning it into ice cream.

Inspired is the perfect word for how you will feel after reading this book. You will be inspired to run to the grocery store and pick up ingredients you had never used before in baking. You will be inspired to look at the ingredients you have in your pantry with a new eye. You will be inspired to look at a basket of berries, or a jar of honey, and think about how to best capture and showcase it in a cake, or ice cream, or cookie. You will be inspired to know that you don’t need to make a multi-layer cake or an elaborate composed dessert or use ten different pastry techniques to make something sweet and satisfying.

One of the many desserts that caught my eye as I was leafing through the book was Medrich’s Bittersweet Citrus Tart with Jasmine Cream. You may remember that she had a similar recipe in her Bittersweet cookbook, the tempting Bittersweet Chocolate Tartlets. Here, they are reimagined in a more elegant incarnation, with a deliciously grown-up combination of flavors. One thing I like about Medrich is that she is unafraid to reexamine and redo her own recipes. There is no resting on her laurels, only a constant drive to update and improve. The new version of her tart has a ganache-like layer of citrus-hinted chocolate in a crisp buttery tart shell. Infused with the zest of pink grapefruit and blood oranges, enriched with butter and egg, the chocolate is as luxuriously smooth as a truffle center and pleasantly tangy to the taste. Medrich places a dollop of jasmine scented cream on top, but I took it a step further and turned it into a delicate ice cream. A scoop of this ethereal, floral ice cream makes refreshing and intriguing foil to the robust richness of the tart.

Pure Dessert should be available in most bookstores by now, so you can see for yourself what Veronica and I have been raving about. As an inveterate bedtime reader of cookbooks, I can vouch that this book has not left my nightstand since I've gotten it!

   

Bittersweet Citrus Tart

adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

makes one 9 1/2 in tart or (6) 3 1/2 in tarts

Crust

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (4 1/2 oz) flour

Filling

8 oz semisweet chocolate (62% preferred, I used Guittard 61%)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon grated blood (or regular) orange zest

1/2 teaspoon grated pink grapefruit zest

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1/4 cup boiling water

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.

Add in the flour and mix until combined. You can let the dough sit for a few minutes to firm up if it seems too soft to manipulate.

Grease the bottom and sides of your tart pan(s)  - I suggest ones with removable bottoms to make it easier to remove the tarts after baking. Press the tart dough into the bottom and sides of the tart pans, taking care to spread the dough as evenly and thinly as possible (this is not difficult but may take some time and patience.)

Bake the tart shells in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the shells appear golden brown and firm. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling: Combine the chocolate, butter, and citrus zest in a bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water to create a bain-marie. Stir frequently to ensure the chocolate and butter melt together evenly. When the mixture is completely melted, take off the heat and set aside.

Place the egg yolk in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the boiling water, taking care not to cook the egg. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk the egg mixture continually until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F.

Pour the egg through a strainer into the chocolate mixture and stir gently to combine - try to avoid creating air bubbles in the mixture.

Pour the filling into the tart shells and spread evenly. Place the tarts in a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours to set the filling.

When you ready to serve the tarts, take them out of the refrigerator about half an hour beforehand to let it soften and regain the shine on its surface.

Jasmine Ice Cream

makes about 1 quart

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons loose jasmine tea (leaves or pearls will work)

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and place on stove over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, heat until the mixture just comes to a boil.

Take mixture off heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a container, cover, and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. You may want to check the mixture while it is chilling to make sure it has not become too strongly flavored from the tea.

Strain the mixture to remove all the loose tea. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Tagged with: Alice Medrich + Pure Dessert + Bittersweet Citrus Tart + jasmine ice cream

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