The Queen of Tarts

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

 
 
When I think of chocolate and marshmallow together I think of s'mores - that decadent summer (or anytime really) treat with chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers that is best made over a campfire in the woods right before tucking into the tent for a nice cozy night after a long day of fishing and/or hiking.

Right.

Who I am kidding? I am not the type to camp. I did it when I was a kid, but I find waking up in a tent a bit clauterphobic, and I know for a fact that many of you out there feel exactly the same way. Sometime ago in my early teens (or younger) I realized that I could take a marshmallow, put it on the end of a fork, and warm it up over the flames of our gas stove. Done - life became instantly better. Of course there was a lot of explaining to do when the sugary mess fell into the burner, but that is a different story for a different time.

My sister thought about making marshmallows years ago - YEARS before the whole gourmet marshmallow craze at organic and high end markets commenced. She was way ahead of the curve, and still makes flavors that surpass those found in your favorite high end stores.

We found this recipe from Maida Heatter, who is one of the best bakers of all times. I decided to take it a step further and cover the little delights in dark chocolate. The combination made for a great treat and the dark chocolate evened out the sweetness of the marshmallow. While I made plain marshmallows, you could add a hint of peppermint extract to the batch (or any other combination that sounds good to you...) to mix things up.

So much better than camping!

I N G R E D I E N T S
Vegetable shortening (Crisco recommended) for preparing the pan 
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cornstarch (for coating the marshmallows) 

12 oz dark (60%) high quality chocolate for tempering

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows (Marshmallow Recipe from Maida Heatter)
1. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan as follows. Invert the pan. Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the foil over the inverted pan and fold down the sides and corners just to shape. Remove the foil and turn the pan right side up. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. With a pastry brush or crumpled wax paper coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with vegetable shortening. Set aside. 

2. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the large bowl of an electric mixer, Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside. 

3. Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the other 1/2 cup water in a heavy 1-1/2 quart or 2 quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Ideally, you should let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. I tend to watch for a boil, and decide that it is good to go - however, most people are not as relaxed as I am about their baking/cooking so feel free to follow the instructions properly. All things aside it is important that you do not overcook the sugar syrup. Once the boil occurs, remove from the heat. 

4. Beating constantly at medium speed, slowly pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture - it is hot so do not try to touch it etc. That would be really dumb! After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 20 minutes until the mixture white and the consistency of marshmallow fluff, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating. (During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. The marshmallow will thicken and get sticky and messy- it is marshmallow after all...) This is a good time to taste the mixture - or spread it on some bread with peanut butter etc...

5. Pour marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the marshmallow with the spatula or your fingers or whatever you find works best. 

6. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for about 12 hours.

7. Turn the pan upside down and cut the marshmallow into pieces (I like 2 inches by 2 inches) that suit you. Gently dust or roll each piece in cornstarch. This will ensure that the pieces are less sticky.

Set the pieces aside in a large bowl or plate. 

Place about 8 oz of the chocolate (chopped) in a double boiler over medium heat. Be careful to not allow any water in the chocolate - this will affect the tempering process. Use a rubber spatula and slowly stir the chocolate as it melts. You want the chocolate to reach a temperate of about 112F. Once it gets to this temperature, remove it from the heat, and add the remaining chocolate that you have set aside (a few pieces at a time) stirring constantly. This process is a pain, but it will produce the shiny coat on the finished product that will make your guests look at you in awe.

Continue to stir and add in chocolate until the temperature comes down to about 86F. Remove the remaining unmelted chocolate and set it aside. Place the marshmallow on the end of a skewer and dip into the chocolate. Ensure that it is evenly covered and allow the excess to drip off. Place the covered marshmallows on a piece of wax paper. You will need to work quickly so that the temperature of the chocolate does not drop. If it does, warm it up.

 

Once finished, place the marshmallows (on the wax paper) on a plate or cookie sheet, and allow them to cook in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until you see a nice sheen on the outside.

Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. These will last for about 3-4 days (or a few longer if kept in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut Tarlets

Forgive me in advance for my lack of precision.  We have several sets of measuring cups in a kitchen drawer.  We have two sets of measuring spoons.  We have a kitchen scale.  All of this aside, I like to cook by taste.  I do not really measure.  Well, when I am making quick breads, cookies, and those sorts of things, I will measure the flour and butter, but the rest just gets thrown in.  Vanilla - a pour will do. Cinnamon?  Depending on the recipe a heavy handed shake or a gentle sift will often take the recipe to a better place.  And when it comes to chocolate and cream?  I just kind of make it happen.  Sometimes my ganache is a little soft for the truffles, but they are going into one's mouth, so who really cares?  I do not run a pastry shop, and I am not a trained chef.  I am a person who loves to be in the kitchen and play with the ingredients that I have around me.  After all, if I spent my live measuring every last drop my life would not be very fun.

However, there times when measuring is critical, and making any kind of pastry dough is one of those times. Dr. H gave me Joanne Chang's Flour Cookbook as a birthday present, and I ordered a set of tartlet pans for myself, so thought that her pâte sucrée recipe would be the perfect fit for the pans and that the tartlets filled with a hazelnut ganache would work perfectly for a party we had some time ago.  No surprise - her recipe was a success, and not difficult to make.  The dough tastes like a mix between shortbread and pie crust, and has a wonderful buttery flavor and delicate crumble when bitten.

I chose to make a hazelnut ganache for the filling because I love the flavor of the liquor with the melted chocolate, and it is just strong enough to cause a bit of attention.  You can make a plain chocolate ganache, use amaretto, rum, etc.  While the ration for ganache tends to be 8 oz of chocolate to 4 oz of heavy cream, if you are going to use liquor to flavor the ganache, cut back on the cream a little bit (this is where my measuring because a little less than exact to say the least...)

Joanne's recipe was for a large tart - I made it per her instructions, but just filled out the smaller pans.  Due to the fact that it is a crust, I made several pricks in the bottom of the tartlet pan with fork tines, and halfway thru baking, I gently pressed the crust back into the tarts as is does rise a bit.

Pâte Sucrée Recipe

• 1/2 cup (1 stick/114 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (140 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale and light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. The mixture will look like wet sand. Add the egg yolk and continue to mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the dough comes together.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap (I like Glad Cling Wrap) and refrigerate for about 1 hour. (If you are not going to use this straight away, you can place in a Freezer Safe bag and freeze for up to a month.) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to soften for about 30 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work space (I like our marble slab in the kitchen because it keep the cool temperature). Once you roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick, take the little tart pans and turn them over on the dough. Press them down like cookie cutters to get the exact shape and size you need.

Press the pan down and shake it gently to losen the dough, then flip the pan back right-side-up. 

Mold the dough into little tartlet pans - I like to use various shapes to add a variety...

Once you place the dough in the pans, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the dough can rest. Once the dough is rested, place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the dough starts to turn golden brown.  If necessary, check about halfway through, and press the dough down into the pan if it is rising too high.

Once baked, place the pans on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before filling.

Hazelnut Ganache

8 ounces high quality dark chocolate (I like Callebaut chocolate - 60% and buy most of my chocolate at Chocosphere) chopped into small pieces

3 1/2 ounces heavy cream

3-5 tbsp of Frangelico (depending on taste)

Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl.  Heat the cream until it is almost boiling, and then pour the cream over the chocolate.  Stir the chocolate and cream until well combined and the all of the chocolate has melted.  Once the chocolate is melted, add the Frangelico and mix well until everything is combined (it does not hurt to taste along the way in order to ensure you have added the right amount of liquor...)  Once the ganache has cooled, cover and allow it to set.

Using a pastry bag, pipe the ganache into the cooled pastry shells.  Allow the ganache to set in the shells, and then serve.  They are best if eaten the same day!

Green Velvet

 

Growing up, we celebrated almost every holiday, and they always involved some kind of sweet treat. While Halloween is still my favorite, there is a particular St. Patrick's Day that stands out. It had to have been before I was in third grade, because we were still living in Providence. I came downstairs before school and there was a silver tea tray sitting on our kitchen table overflowing with white and green iced petit-fours. As a small child having miniature cakes appear before your eyes for breakfast is nothing less than a dream come true. My parents told me that the leprechauns brought the cakes from my sister and me. Clearly it left a strong impression because 30 years later I still remember it.

Inspired by my imagination from all of those years past and a recipe I made a few months ago for my husband I made a version of little cakes. I took a red velvet recipe and changed it up a bit. While they cannot begin to compare to the onces I had that morning on a silver tray, they are quite good - think red velvet gone green in the name of the leprechauns.

 

Green Velvet Cake 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil + 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
green food coloring (add in enough to give a rich green color - more or less depending on your preference)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners or lightly grease the pan.
• Beat eggs in a bowl and add remaining liquid ingredients (except for food coloring) and stir together with whisk/mix until blended. Set aside.
• Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with wire whisk.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined - now add the food coloring.
• Pour about 1/4 - 1/3 cup into each cupcake space and then drop the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• After about ten minutes, remove the cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. 

• Then make the frosting.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. light cream cheese
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Frost the cakes with an icing bag or a knife... and the sprinkle green edible decorations on top for the magical touch...

 

The Sweetest of Gifts

It came from a land of kings and queens and princes and princesses.  A land far far away, and a place that she has only dreamed of traveling too.  It was given to her by the light, a beautiful shining light from the Kingdom.

A gift, a sweet and simple gift that traveled thousands of miles.  The sweetness was packed tight, held together by its own sticky goodness.  It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.  True, she had visited a place that had a similar kind of treat, but she was the one who traveled the thousands of miles to get to it... 

This time was different.  The gift came to her.

She took her time to open the package, the package from a place that she would only be able to go if she received an invitation. It was perhaps the closest she would ever get to the Kingdom.  

 

Bewildered by Bacon

I used to eat it.  In fact, I liked it quite a bit.  It had to be cooked extra crispy - not burnt - but extra crispy so that it would crunch each time my teeth bit into the extra salty bits.  At some point it touched the sweetness of maple syrup when they both mingled on a plate years ago, and then I took my bacon with a touch a sweetness.  However, as time went on, I lost my taste for bacon.  And bacon was really the only pork item I ever really liked, so I now stay away from all pork products.  The texture, the smell, the taste... there is really nothing about this particular food item that I find appealing.

Shocking - I know.  Perhaps I am an anomoly.  A one of a kind.  People love this cut of meat - there is truly an obsession around bacon, and I just for the life of me cannot understand it.  I fully understand the allure of all things pork - I mean I do not think that there is any other animal that can offer so many different kinds of cuts.  However recently, there has been a disturbingly high amount of buzz around what can be "done" with bacon, and I know for a fact that I am not the only one who finds this buzz bizarre (Steevy...)

Take, for example, chocolate.  Pure, rich, and smooth.  OK, so someone somewhere thought it would be a good idea to throw in some bacon.  Add a little smokey flavor, a little crunch, and I am all for the sweet/savory thing.  But it has not stopped there.

Next came the cupcake.  There is an obsession with cupcakes, and with it comes the growing need to improve on an already great thing.  So why not add bacon?  Well, because it just sounds wrong.  OK - no, I have not tried it and I have no intention of trying it.  I have already had one open heart surgery and have no plans for another. Bacon, butter, oil, sugar, more butter, flour, more sugar, chocolate, more bacon.  No, there is just something truly wrong with this concept.

 

(photo from Mr. Baconpants http://www.mrbaconpants.com/about/)

If sweet is not your thing, I came across a heart stopping (literally) artery clogging dish called "Bacon Explosion".  Essentially it is bacon and sausage all rolled up (or "weaved together - and here I thought weaving was only for baskets and hair) and rubbed down with your favorite BBQ sauce (make sure that you use your favorite, because it could very well be your last meal).  And then it is bake in the oven or cooked on a BBQ.  Not sure why it is baked.  At this point, the whole thing should just be deep fried...

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

If people love bacon so much, why can't you just eat it as is?  The taste is complex enough that it does not need to be "weaved" into a sausage roll up.  Yes, a good BLT is something to write home about, but why add all this extra stuff with it?  My husband loves the stuff, he loves pork, and I often hear the phrase "Bacon makes it better..." but I really do not buy it.    

But don't be upset with me - think about it - it only means that there is just that much more bacon for the rest of you.

Dulce de Leche from Montparnasse

 

High above the Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris in a small apartment I fell in love.  In was spring 1994 and while the apartment had an elevator, I always took the stairs.  At one point in time I knew the entry code to gain access from the street into the courtyard that was secluded behind the grand wooden door off the street.  If I walked by the apartment now, I am not sure that I would even recognize the door, never mind the access code.

The Argentine flag hung on one wall in the apartment as did photos of Diego Maradona and the obligatory photo of Evita. One evening in that apartment I was presented with a glass jar that had an image of a cow on it. I was also given a spoon. I was not quite sure what to do with either.  I was told that the elixir in the jar was a delicacy of Argentina - that it was as well known as the items on the apartment walls, and while it was typically spread as a filling, there was nothing wrong with eating it as is.  I hesitated.  I did not know what to expect with this new confection that was thrust in front of me.  I was told (keep in mind, we were speaking in French the whole time) that it was sweet, creamy, and rich.  I turned the jar around in my hands and looked at the ingredients, and there were very few - milk and sugar.  But in a jar?  And brown?  Well, I supposed calling it brown does not do it justice.  It was a deep amber color.  I opened the jar and smelled the concoction and the sweetness intoxicated me.  I gingerly placed the spoon into the jar and took as little as I could without being rude, and then I tasted it.  I tasted Dulce de Leche for the first time in my life in the spring of 1994, and that is when I fell in love.

I fell in love with the complexity of the flavors that such few ingredients could make.  The mixture was sweet, thick, and heavy, and begged me to plunge the spoon in over and over again.  I was like a mad woman, and I could not stop myself.  My Argentine friend looked at me and just started laughing.  I sheepishly started to ask if I could have the jar.  I wanted to take it back to my apartment with me.  I wanted to savor the rest of sweetness alone on another day.

I will never forget the first time I tasted Dulce de Leche.  It has since never tasted as sweet, as luxurious, or as seductive.  However, I have always wanted to recreate the flavors.

While I cannot begin to claim that this is anywhere close to that first experience, it does beg you to come back for more.  Alton Brown inspired this recipe.

Dulce de Leche

4 C whole milk

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.  Once the sugar is dissolved, add the baking soda and incorporate the ingredients.  Change the heat to "low" and as the mixture cooks, remove the foam from the top if it appears.  You will need to cook this for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until the mixture reduces by about 1/2, turns a light amber color, and starts to thicken like loose caramel.  Please be patient.  The first batch I made did not work, so I tried it again and it worked.  To this day, I am not sure what happened with that first batch!

What to do with this? Ummm, eat as is, serve over ice cream, bananas, poke holes in a cake and pour into a cake, add some rum to it and pour it into a cake... get the picture???

Recession - of the Daring Kind

I never expected it to happen.  I can honestly say that I never saw it coming.  For years I have been so careful with the numbers, and I have reviewed every single step.  I still cannot believe that it happened to me.  It started with the walls.  They held the smallest cracks that grew deeper until they could not support the roof.  Piece by piece they started to fall. Now really, how could this have happened?  I might spend a bit more than I should on certain things, and I do like name brand items, but as I reviewed the history, the steps, the process, and I everything I did along the way to get to this point, I could not figure out the hows and the whys.  I would have to start over - from the beginning, and build it all over again, from scratch.

And that is exactly what I did.  Upon starting all over again, I learned that I should NOT attempt a recipe while recovering from the flu and in the midst of pneumonia - because that is exactly what I did.  And I neglected to count and measure accurately and that is when it happened... the recession affected Gingerbread Land.  Sad, so very sad.  So after I paid the price of screwing up, really screwing up and admitting defeat, I started all over again.  From the beginning, and I yielded a much more promising recipe.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

I chose to follow Y of Lemonpi, and here goes (note: follow the recipe EXACTLY!)

Y's Recipe:
Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)
from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas http://astore.amazon.com/thedarkit-20/detail/0816634963

1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]
1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup boiling water
5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface (the dough will be tough at first).  Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, etc.  You can do a search on line for houses, and place the paper up against the house and cut around the edges.  I then placed each piece of the house on a cookie sheet and baked.  It will be easiest if you use a spatula to place the pieces on a cookie sheet so that when you pick the pieces up they do not rip.

Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Royal Icing:

1 large egg white
3 cups (330g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe the icing on the pieces if you want to make windows, a door, siding, etc, and allow to dry before assembling (otherwise it will run down the house!) If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.  If you want to add decorations, use slightly dried (but still wet) icing as this will allow the decoration (candy) to better stick to the house.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Daring Baker's Challenge for August: Dobos Torte

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

Typically, the Dobos Torte is a five-layer (or more) sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. I spent time looking at various recipes and adapted this to something that I thought would be fun, and creative.  I also have an upcoming dinner party with H, my parents, and one of our best friends.  So, I wanted to make individual cakes instead of one single cake.  There is something about individual cakes that is so elegant and unique.  I also chose to add some chocolate liquor to the buttercream frosting and the layers to give the dessert a little extra kick.  If you have spent any time reading my bog posts, you are probably quite familiar with the fact that I like to add liquor to my dessert.  It enhances the flavor, and if done correctly will make the ordinary extraordinary.  However, many desserts are fabulous as they are, so feel free to omit the liquor if that is your preference.  This recipe is adapted from Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella.

Equipment

2 baking sheets, 

Ramekins, a sieve/sifter, a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)

a small saucepan

a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)

metal offset spatula

sharp knife

Prep times

Sponge layers 20 mins prep

Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.

Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.

Assembly of cakes: 30-45 minutes

 

Sponge cake layers

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided

1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour

½ C Chocolate Liquor

 

Chocolate Buttercream

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar

4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favorite dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used Askonisie 70% with Cocoa nibs to provide intense flavor and an extra crunch)

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature.

1/3 C Chocolate Liquor

 

Caramel topping

1 cup (200g) caster sugar

¼ C water

Juice of ½ Lemon

Directions for the sponge layers: This will make 4 large individual layer cakes (4 layers each)

*The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
 Using the ramekin as a template, trace out 18 circles on parchment paper and cut them out, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)

Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.  Line one of the baking sheets with 6 circles of parchment paper. Using a small spatula, spread about ¼ cup of batter onto each circle until the batter almost touches the edges. 

Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned, and remove from oven to cool.  Repeat this process with the rest of the circles.  If you have more than one baking sheet, you can place the first sheet on the top rack and the second on the second rack.  After five minutes, remove the sheet on the top rack from the oven, and take the sheet on the center rack, place it on the top rack, and cook for 2 more minutes.  When you remove the cakes from the oven, invert them onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. 

Completely cool the layers. You can use a ramekin or another piece of parchment paper to trim the cakes into neat rounds so that when you stake them, they all match up. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)  Place ramekin upside down, and put the cakes on top of the ramekin.  With the knife, trim the sides of the cake.

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

*This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
When cool, beat in the soft butter, ½ a stick at a time. I use a stand mixture, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill the buttercream while you make the caramel topping.

Choose the 2 best-looking cake layers for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 8 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
Swirl the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved – do not allow the mixture to boil until it is all dissolved.  Once dissolved, bring to a boil over a high heat. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring until the syrup has turned into an amber-colored caramel.
Make sure that you watch this closely as it can burn very quickly.

Using a spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 8 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.  Take the additional caramel to make haphazard shapes.  This is where fun comes in!  Take a spoon, and scoop up some of the caramel.  Drizzle it over a piece of tin foil in a zig-zag pattern.  Allow it to cool, and then break off pieces into shapes that you would like to place on top of the cakes.

When you are ready to assemble the cakes, you should have 3 layers/cake.  Place the layers down, and drizzle a spoonful of chocolate liquor on top of each layer.  

Take the bottom layer, spread some buttercream on it, then another layer or cake, more buttercream, and the top layer.  Then frost the entire cake, making sure that you smooth the sides.  Decorate the top with the caramel. And there you have it…

Two for Tuesday

It is time again, the two for Tuesday, that time when I like to pair up two bloggers who, in my opinion, complement each other.  Now there is almost an overload of social media out there, but with all of the information, I still think that people, no matter who you are, welcome the additional attention directed towards their sites (I would anyway...).

So here goes.  Gesine and Julia.  A cook and a baker both of whom have (or are about to have) a book.  They are also both involved in the film industry.

Gesine left her life under the Hollywood lights to head off to the Green Mountain State to pursue a career as a baker.  She is probably best known for her Macaroons, her fantastic sense of humor, and her Owl icon that appears all over the place - even on the gorgeous birthday cake that she made for herself this past March.  Orange owls that decorated a sky-blue fondant covered a dark chocolate cake.  Want to see how cool the cake looked?  Well check it out for yourself!  Gesine recently closed the doors of her Montpelier bakery to open a bakery down in Austin, TX, and between road trips North and South of the Mason-Dixon line, and she managed to write a book:  Confessions of a Closet Master Baker.  Not only is the name catchy (and again, one of those things that I wish I came up with myself) but you see actually see a preview of the book.  Yes, you heard me correctly, you can SEE IT, right here, right now.  The book comes out this fall, but you can pre-order it from Amazon.  And while you are waiting to eat up all of the pages that I am sure are filled with fabulous bits and pieces of Gesine's life as a pastry chef, you can check out her recipes that she has posted on her blog.

Speaking of films and books, by now you have probably heard of Julie and Julia.  No?  Really?  Are you KIDDING ME???  Well, not that I will do this any justice at all, but there is Julie Powell, who cooks.  In fact, she channeled all thing Julia Child related and cooked, I mean why not?  Why not wake up on a Wednesday morning and cook up Brandade de Morue: A Multi-use Extra, Trout Meuniere, Duchess Potatoes, Duck Pate Baked in its own skin, Rhode Island Johnny Cakes (one of my favorites by the way!) or Gateau Paris-Brest?  Why not try it all?  Well, that is exactly what Julie did, and she wrote a book about it.  She wrote and wrote, and in fact, the book became quite noticed.  So noticed in fact that it is now a movie.  That being said, before you decide to spend your week's savings on heading to the big screen to see the film, buy the book.  Sit down, and read.  Open your mind, and see what Julie did, read about how she spent all those days, weeks, months.  Then, only then go and see the movie.

So there they are.  My two.  My two for Tuesday for this week on this day.  16 June 2009.

Yummy in Boston

I grew up in the food industry, kind of.  My mother had a gourmet food store that opened in the early 1980s.  Before gummy bears were mainstream, she sold them in her store, she took trips to Louisiana to visit the Community Coffee headquarters.  There were sandwiches made from homemade breads - health bread, baguettes, and herb bread - and the bakery cases were full with everything from over-sized cookies to scones to muffins to brownies to cakes.  Growing up with all of this in such close proximity refined my taste buds in such a way that no longer does a cookie from the shelf in a grocery store hold much appeal.  At the time, while I was in grade school, I decidedly did not want the over-sized cookies baked fresh in the kitchen from earlier that morning, and it took a few years for me to understand the greatness of what what mother accomplished.

Several months ago I searched on-line for a gift to send to a friend who recently underwent surgery.  It needed to be something that she and her kids could appreciate, and that is when I found Yummy Mummy Brownies, and noticed that it was a locally-based company.  In fact, the company happened to be supporting a local charity event, which is something that I found attractive.  I clicked on the website and was greeted by what looked to be a rich, thick, fudgey brownie rather reminiscent of what my mother had in her store...
(photo from Yummy Mummy Brownies)

My decision was made, and I ordered 1/2 a dozen and shipped them off to my friend half-way across the country.  However, I was intrigued by the site and the other treats that could be sent as gifts (or simply to oneself) that promoted the Yummy Mummy brand.  The image of the brownie would not leave my mind, and after several e-mail exchanges with Melissa, the company's owner, I soon learned that she would be at the South End Open Markets with her divine desserts.  I had no excuse.  The Markets are merely blocks from my home, so I recently stopped by and found Melissa surrounded by fudge brownies, nut toffee brownies, caramel brownies, toasted walnut brownies, caramel nougat brownies, and mint patty brownies.  These brownies were no joke - about 2 1/2 inches tall and 4 inches wide, each one could easily serve several people.  I had no idea which one to choose.  I went for the toasted walnut, and also got a mint patty thrown in.

Now keep in mind, unless I am making it myself, I do not buy items like brownies.  I err on the healthy side.  I like to know every single ingredient that is in my food down to the teaspoon.  So, it felt a little bit naughty and risky to be buying brownies, and as I walked home with the giant chocolate delights tucked away in a brown paper bag, I felt as if I had confiscated goods by my side.  I had to try them - just a little taste.  I pulled out a sharp serated knife to cut myself a sample.  The top was a bit crispy and cracked when the knife pressed into the rich, dense chocolate.  I started with the mint patty and Melissa was generous with her mint.  It glistened on the top of the brownie and was evenly mixed throughout the brownie.  I started with a small piece knowing that it would be sweet.  Very sweet.  After all it was dense, delectably dense, rich and wonderful looking.  But I was surprised when I took my first bite.  It held up to all my expectation except for one - the sweetness.  It was not as sweet as I thought, and this was a good thing.  The chocolate stood out - not the sugar.  I so appreciated and enjoyed the flavor of the chocolate, the mint, and could not get enough of the rich treat, and the best thing of all was that it did not overwhelm me with sweetness.  The toasted walnut was similar - the chocolate and walnut came through instead of something so sweet that one bite would have you grabbing a gallon of milk and chugging the whole thing down to subdue to the sweetness.

These brownies are scrumptious, luscious, and will make you go back for more.  They are an ideal gift for new mothers, wedding favors, bridal showers, or just because. Check out Melissa's website: Yummy Mummy Brownies or simply stop by the South End Open Markets some Sunday and look for her there... You will discover yet another yummy treat in Boston!