Yellow Buttercream Cupcakes

July 13, 2010

Jeff

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We attended two barbecues on the Fourth of July. Planning a dessert for two different events, at different times, with an age range from toddler to retired, came down to convenience. Cupcakes were ideal. I could take the needed amount to both, and easily make them into something festive for the holiday. Raspberries and blueberries are in season, making a red, white and blue theme both appealing and appetizing. For this recipe I modified the Yellow Cupcake and Buttercream recipes from Baking Illustrated.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need all-purpose flour, cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, and fruit for decorating. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

I doubled the recipe so the above pictures are not representative of the actual quantity needed for the recipe.

butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sour cream

In an electric mixers bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; whisk until combined. Add the butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Beat together with the paddle attachment at medium speed until the batter is smooth and satiny. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Fill each liner with about three tablespoons of batter

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each liner with about three tablespoons of batter. I used a tablespoon cookie scoop, which made each cupcake nearly the exact size. Bake for about 20-25-minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Place the bowl over pan of simmering water and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 160° F. This goes very quickly, so be sure to stir the whole time and check the temperature often or you will get cooked eggs rather than pasteurized eggs.

Place the bowl on your mixer and whisk on medium for five minutes, until cool. Turn the mixer to low and add the butter one piece at a time. Once all the butter is added the mixture will look slightly curdled.

Turn the mixer on high until the frosting smooths out. Be sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure the butter is incorporated fully. Place the frosting in a pastry bag with a decorating tip of your choice. Pipe about 15 dollops of frosting, covering the top of the cupcake. Top with fruit.

You can store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator, however, it will become hard from the cold temperature. To use again leave the cold frosting at room temperature for about half an hour and whip in the mixer again. If you don’t have the time you can place the frosting in a bowl in the sink with warm water around it to loosen it up before returning it to the mixer again.

Recipe: Yellow Buttercream Cupcakes

Adapted from Baking IllustratedPrint Recipe
Yield: 15 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Batter

3.5 ounces (98 grams) all purpose flour
3.5 ounces (98 grams) cake flour
7 ounces (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces (113 grams) sour cream, at room temperature

Butter Cream

2 large eggs
3.5 ounces (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (225 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
Fruit for decorating (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
In the bowl of a mixer combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk.
Add the butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sour cream. With the paddle attachment beat together at medium speed until the batter is smooth and satiny. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Fill each liner with about three tablespoons of batter. Bake for about 20-25-minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 160&deg F ( 71° C). Place the bowl on your mixer and whisk on medium for five minutes, until cool. Turn the mixer to low and add the butter one piece at a time. Once all the butter is added the mixture will look slightly curdled, turn the mixer on high until the frosting smooths out. Be sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure the butter is incorporated fully.
Place the frosting in a pastry bag with a decorating tip of your choice. Pipe about 15 dollops of frosting, covering the top of the cupcake. Top with fruit.

Cakes, Recipe

barbecues, blueberries, buttercream recipes, cupcakes, raspberries

Molasses Drop Cookies

July 7, 2010

Jeff

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Our neighbor Karen is on her second round of serving in the Peace Corps. She recently returned for a three month break and headed back to Lesotho a week ago. As a parting gift I asked her what kind of cookies she would like. She asked for Molasses Drop cookies with thick creamy frosting. I’ve made a chocolate version before, so this should be easy, I thought.

I went through every cookbook I have, even those sold by high schools and charity groups. None had a Molasses Drop cookie recipe. I scoured the internet and found about 20 different recipes, none of them looked like what I wanted. So, I took the best from about five different recipes and created my own.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need butter, granulated sugar, egg, molasses, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (just short of creaming, the longer you mix these the flatter the cookies will become). Add the egg and mix until just combined.

Mix in the molasses until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides to make sure all the ingredients are being mixed together. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger until smooth. Don’t over mix the flour or your cookies will become overworked and dense.

beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth

Using a spoon or cookie dough scoop place about 12 balls of cookie dough, spaced two inches apart, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Each dough ball should be around one and a half tablespoons in size. I use a cookie dough scoop and a spatula to level the scoop so that the amount its the same each time. This ensures uniform size and even baking.

Bake for about 10-to-12 minutes until tops are cracked, cool on baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire racks. The cookies are tender and will fall apart if removed from the baking sheet before they have cooled off a little.

In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Be sure to scrape down the bowl a couple times to avoid lumps of butter and/or cream cheese. Spread frosting on the cookies using a small spatula. These are moist cookies, you may want to frost them right before serving them if you’re making them ahead of time.

Recipe: Molasses Drop Cookies

Print Recipe
Yield: 36 Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

6 ounces (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 ounces (200 g) granulated sugar
1 egg
3 ounces (85 g) molasses
10 ounces (290 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Frosting

4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (113 g) powdered sugar
2 ounces (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (just short of creaming). Add the egg and mix until just combined. Mix in the molasses until combined.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger until smooth.
Using a spoon or cookie dough scoop place about 12 balls of cookie dough, spaced two inches apart, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Each dough ball should be around one and a half tablespoons in size.
Bake for about 10-to-12 minutes until tops are cracked, cool on baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire racks.
In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Spread glaze on the cookies using a small spatula.

Cookies, Recipe

cookie dough, cream cheese, creamy frosting, dough ball, drop cookie

Strawberry Fruit Tart

July 1, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

One of our neighbors recently celebrated their anniversary, as a gift I made them a large strawberry tart. Actually, I made two tarts, one for them and one for us. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are in season making it an ideal time to feature them on a tart. The great thing about a fruit tart is you can use whatever fruit you have access to.

There are three main components to this tart. There is the shell, the pastry cream (filling), and the glaze/fruit (topping). If you have a recipe for one or more of these that you prefer don’t be afraid to substitute it. You could easily assemble this tart by purchasing all three parts pre-made, however, I don’t believe it would be nearly as good. Tarts are truly mix and match, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, bread flour, apricot jam, water, milk, cornstarch, Salt, kiwis, and strawberries. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Note: The recipe at the bottom is for one tart, the ingredients above, and used throughout this post, have been doubled because I was making two tarts at the same time.

Sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl

First we’re going to make the pastry shell. Place the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using the dough hook mix at low speed until just combined (do not cream). Add the flour and mix until dough is smooth. Be careful not to overmix the dough, it will change its texture by overworking the gluten and make it difficult to roll out later.

Flatten the dough between a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The flatter you can get the dough the faster it will chill.

Now to make the glaze. Place the jam, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Lower heat and continue to cook for a few minutes, until a quarter inch string can be pulled between the back of two spoons. If the mixture gets too thick add more water to thin it out. Remove from the heat and strain to remove any chunks of apricot. Reserve.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Line an 11-inch tart pan with the dough. I place my tart pan on the dough quickly to make sure its wide enough to cover the pan. This dough has high butter content and must be worked with quickly or it will break apart. I roll the dough up on a rolling pin and then unroll it on top of the tart pan. This usually works well, however, if you work too slowly you may need to patch areas of the shell. If it breaks don’t worry too much, all but the sides are going to be covered with pastry cream and fruit. Run a rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to get clean edges.

Now we’re going to blind bake the tart shell. Place plastic wrap over the dough and fill with beans or pie weights. Combine the plastic wrap in the center of the tart and make sure no plastic is touching metal. Bake at 375° F for about 12 minutes, until the visible shell is light golden brown. Remove the beans or weights and bake for 6-8-minutes longer (the bottom of the tart shell should be pale brown). Let the tart shell cool.

Brush about two tablespoons worth of the apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the tart shell and reserve the glaze for decorating the fruit. If the glaze is too thick you can thin it out by adding a teaspoon or two of hot water and stirring it into the glaze.

Turning our attention to the pastry cream whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk thoroughly so the cornstarch is incorporated well or you will get lumps. Gradually add the eggs and mix until smooth.

one third combined with egg and sugar mixture

Place the milk in a saucepan and over medium heat bring to a boil. Be very careful here and make sure to use a large enough saucepan, milk expands when it boils. Slowly add about a third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the butter, stir until the butter has all melted. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool down slightly (place a piece of plastic wrap over the top to stop a skin from forming).

Pour the warm, not hot, pastry cream evenly in the tart shell and allow to cool. It should spread evenly because it’s still warm if it does not use a spatula to evenly spread it out. I place knife marks on the top to guide me in placing the fruit – this makes it easier to cut and serve. Remove the tart from the pan and place on the serving plater. Decorate as desired with fresh fruit and bush fruit with warmed apricot glaze.

Recipe: Strawberry Fruit Tart

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th EditionPrint Recipe
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

Tart Shell

2 ounces (56 g) granulated sugar
4.6 ounces (131 g) butter
1/3 an egg
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
5.7 ounces (160 g) bread flour

Pastry Cream

2 2/3 cups (631 ml) milk
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.7 ounces (47 g) cornstarch
5.4 ounces (152 g) granulated sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 ounces (56 g) butter

Glaze and Fruit

2 ounces (56 g) apricot jam
.4 ounce (11 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoon water
2 Kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
10 strawberries, cut in half lengthwise
20 raspberries
20 blueberries

Instructions

Place the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using the dough hook mix at low speed until just combined. Add the flour and mix until dough is smooth.
Flatten the dough between a piece of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick (3 mm) and line an 11 inch (27.5 cm) false bottom tart pan with the dough.
Place plastic wrap over the dough and fill with beans or pie weights. Combine the plastic wrap in the center of the tart and make sure no plastic is touching metal. Bake at 375° F (190° C) for about 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove the beans or weights and bake for 6-8-minutes longer (the bottom of the tart shell should be pale brown). Let the tart shell cool.
Place the jam, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Lower heat and continue to cook for a few minutes, until a quarter inch string can be pulled between the back of two spoons. Remove from the heat and strain to remove any chunks of apricot. Reserve.
Brush about two tablespoons worth of apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the tart shell and reserve the rest of the glaze for decorating the fruit.
Whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add the eggs and mix until smooth.
Place the milk in a saucepan and over medium heat bring to a boil. Slowly add about a third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the butter, stir until the butter has all melted. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool down slightly (place a piece of plastic wrap over the top to stop a skin from forming).
Pour the warm, not hot, pastry cream evenly in the tart shell and allow to cool.
Remove tart from pan and place on serving plater. Decorate as desired with fresh fruit and bush fruit with the remaining warmed apricot glaze.

Recipe, Sauces, frostings and fillings, Tarts

blueberries, cornstarch, fruit tart, pastry cream, pastry shell, raspberries, strawberries

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes

June 29, 2010

Jeff

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Everyone needs a good standby recipe for chocolate cupcakes. This one is mine. I have made these probably 20 times, and they’re always a hit. They are dense, moist and creamy. Those with dairy allergies are out of luck, they contain a fair amount of butter, sour cream, and cream cheese (believe me, they’re worth the calories). They will keep refrigerated for up to five days, however, that’s assuming you have any left. The only time I did have leftovers is when I made over 100 cupcakes for Mark’s birthday party last year, and even then they were gone the next day.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need unsweetened cocoa powder, cake flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, semisweet chocolate chips, and powdered sugar. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

sift together cocoa powder, cake flour, baking powder, and salt

cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; reserve for later. If you don’t own a sifter, or you prefer not to use one, you can place the ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to combine the ingredients.

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take about 4-5 minutes at room temperature butter. It’s important to get the butter and sugar creamed thoroughly for the texture.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. If you don’t add the eggs one at a time your mixture will become lumpy, something we don’t want to happen.

With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour (flour, sour cream, flour). Make sure you mix at a low speed or you will end up with flour all over your kitchen.

Place chocolate in a heat resistant bowl over simmering water and stir until melted. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg and whisk until incorporated.

You can just mix the chips with the cream cheese if you wish, rather than melting the chocolate. This will produce a white filling with more of a cream cheese flavor.

Pour batter into cups, filling each 1/3 full

Spoon one tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cup

Fill each cup to about 2/3 full of the cupcake batter over the filling.

Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. Pour batter into cups, filling each 1/3 full. Spoon one tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cup. Fill each cup to about 2/3 full of the cupcake batter over the filling. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20-to-25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixer

Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar

Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. On a low setting whisk until creamy and smooth, be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl a couple times. Place frosting in a pastry bag with a tip of your choosing and decorate each cupcake.

Recipe: Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes

Print Recipe
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Batter

3 ounces (85 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2.5 ounces (70 g) cake flour
6 ounces (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces (225 g) granulated sugar
4.2 ounces (120 g) cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
2 ounces (57 g) granulated sugar
4 ounces (113 g) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 egg

Frosting

4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese
4 ounces (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
7.8 ounces (220 g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; reserve.
In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Pour batter into cups, filling each 1/3 full. Spoon one tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cup. Fill each cup to about 2/3 full of the cupcake batter over the filling. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20-to-25 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. On a low setting whisk until creamy. Place frosting in a pastry bag with a tip of your choosing and decorate each cupcake.

Cakes, Recipe, Sauces, frostings and fillings

chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cream cheese, dairy allergies, sour cream

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

June 25, 2010

Jeff

No Comments

Last fall I pureed some fresh pumpkin and froze it to use later. It will last about 6-to-8 months in the freezer and can be used in pies, breads, and muffins. I prefer fresh, or even frozen, pumpkin puree over canned, however any non-spiced, pureed pumpkin will work in this recipe.

It took a couple tries to come up with this recipe. The key is in the flours. The white rice and the tapioca make a tender yet dense crumb that is identical to the wheat-filled versions of pumpkin bread. I couldn’t tell the difference and a gluten intolerant neighbor agreed, saying it was the best pumpkin bread she had ever tasted.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, pureed pumpkin, water, white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pecans. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until light and sandy in texture. There is more sugar than butter resulting in the sand-like texture that is not typical when creaming. Mix in the eggs until fully incorporated.

Stir in the pureed pumpkin and the water until just combined. You can use fresh or canned, just make sure if using canned it does not have added spices. If it does have spices leave out the the spices in this recipe. Blend in the spices, baking powder and soda, and flours until smooth.

Mix in the nuts until evenly distributed. If you don’t like pecans you can leave them out or use walnuts or some other nut. Pour into a greased, paper-lined bread pan. I find the paper helps in removing the bread after it’s baked, however, it’s not essential.

Bake at 350° (180° C) for 70-to-80 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched. Be careful to make sure it is baked all the way, as returning it to the oven once it’s cooled will not finish the baking process properly and leave you with a wet and gooey center..

Cool on a rack before removing from the pan.

Recipe: Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Print Recipe
Yield: 1 Loaf

Ingredients

2.7 ounces (75 g) unsalted butter
10.6 ounces (30 g) granulated sugar
3 eggs
8 ounces (227 g) pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup (79 ml) water
5 ounces (142 g) white rice flour
2.4 ounces (68 g) tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanath gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2.7 ounces (75 g) pecans, chopped

Instructions

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar until light and sandy in texture.
Mix in the eggs until fully incorporated. Stir in the pureed pumpkin and the water until just combined.
Blend in the spices, baking powder and soda, and flours until smooth. Mix in the nuts. Poor into a greased, paper-lined bread pan.
Bake at 350° (180° C) for 70-to-80 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan.

Gluten Free, Quick Breads, Recipe

Fresh vrs Canned, Gluten Free, pecans, Pumpkin, pureed pumpkin, white rice

Palmier

June 22, 2010

Jeff

10 Comments

Around the time I finished high school I worked at a French Bakery (La Batelle) in Bellevue Square. Every morning I’d arrive to the great smell of fresh breads and pastries. One of my favorite treats was a warm palmier. These cookies are crisp, sweet, and have a slight caramel undertone. One thing I didn’t learn at the bakery is how much better the homemade version of these are in comparison to the common bakery version. Seriously yummy.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, all we need is five ingredients; bread flour, butter, sugar, salt, and water. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Place the flour in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachmen

add to the flour on low speed until slightly larger than pea size pieces of butter remain

We’re going to start by making a quick puff pastry, which is similar to pie dough, only the butter is left in thicker pieces that will fold, to create the lamination, without multiple rest periods.

Place the flour in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment. Cut the butter into two-inch pieces, add to the flour on low speed until slightly larger than pea size pieces of butter remain. Dissolve the salt into the water.

Add the salt water to the flour mixture and mix until just combined

Add the salt water to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Shape dough into a square and allow to rest for ten minutes. The dough will feel rather dry at this stage, resting will allow the moisture to incorporate into the flour.

Roll the dough out to half an inch thick in the shape of a rectangle. Give the dough three single turns (one complete single turn is illustrated in the first three images above), followed by one double turn (illustrated in the last three images above).

Roll the dough in the sugar, using the sugar on the top and the bottom to keep it from sticking. Be sure to turn the dough as your rolling and spread more sugar underneath and on top of the dough. Roll to a rectangle 24 x 12 inches (60 x 30 cm) and 1/8 (3 mm thick). Trim the dough to this shape.

With the dough placed horizontally in front of you fold the long sides of the rectangle in to meet the center. Fold in crosswise to bring the two short sides together on the right side. Using a rolling pin or dowel, make a deep indentation down the center horizontally. Fold along this indent and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the folded strip into 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick strips. Place the cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 425°F (219°C) until the sugar starts caramelizing, about eight minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn each cookie over using a spatula. Return the pan to the oven for three to four minutes, until the cookies top have started to caramelize.

Recipe: Palmier

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th EditionPrint Recipe
Yield: 45 cookies

Ingredients

14 1/2 ounces (411 g) bread flour
14 1/2 ounces (411 g) cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons water
8 ounces (225 g) granulated sugar

Instructions

Place the flour in a mixing bowl using the dough hook attachment.
Cut the butter into two-inch pieces, add to the flour on low speed until slightly larger than pea size pieces of butter remain.
Dissolve the salt into the water and add to the flour mixture until just combined.
Shape dough into a square and allow to rest for ten minutes.
Roll the dough out to half an inch thick in the shape of a rectangle. Give the dough three single turns, followed by one double turn.
Roll the dough in the sugar, using the sugar on the top and the bottom to keep it from sticking. Be sure to turn the dough as your rolling and spread more sugar underneath and on top of the dough. Roll to a rectangle 24 x 12 inches (60 x 30 cm) and 1/8 (3 mm thick). Trim the dough to this shape.
With the dough placed horizontally in front of you fold the long sides of the rectangle in to meet the center. Fold in crosswise to bring the two short sides together on the right side. Using a rolling pin or dowel, make a deep indentation down the center horizontally. Fold along this indent and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the folded strip into 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick strips. Place the cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 425°F (219°C) until the sugar starts caramelizing, about eight minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn each cookie over using a spatula. Return the pan to the oven for three to four minutes, until the cookies top has started to caramelize. Cool and serve.

Cookies, Recipe

Butter, Cookies, Folding, French, Quick Pastry, Sugar

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

June 17, 2010

Jeff

2 Comments

I’ve had a bad cold/flu for the last four weeks; fever, sore throat, runny eyes, upper chest and sinus congestion. That’s my excuse for not posting more often. Now that I can breathe, through my nose, I hope I can think clearly enough keep on top of the posts!

I’m also starting to modify more recipes, making them gluten-free. This one turned out great. The flavor and the texture closely resemble the original scone. It’s a fairly easy recipe to modify, you can change the fruit content and add nuts. Leaving the sugar glaze off will result in a drier and lightly sweetened tasting scone. If you don’t want a glaze but wish to retain sweet scone add half a cup o granulated sugar to the flour mixture.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need cranberries, orange zest, white rice flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, heavy cream, honey, confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract

. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl

Thoroughly mix the orange zest into the four mixture.

Combine the remaining cream with the honey, cranberries, and the dry ingredients,

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Be sure to mix them well. Usually when making a quick bread, like a scone, overworking the flour develops the gluten too much and makes the finished product tough. This is not the case with gluten-free baking.

Thoroughly mix the orange zest into the flour mixture. Reserve 1/8 cup (30 ml) of the cream. Combine the remaining cream with the honey, cranberries, and the dry ingredients, until combined.

Form the dough into two equal sized logs and cut into the desired number of triangles. Place triangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using the reserved cream and a pastry brush, cover the tops of the scones and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425°F (219°C) for about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack over a sheet of parchment paper. Mix the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl until thin but not runny. Use a spoon to drizzle over the scones. Allow to dry slightly before serving. These are not overly sweet, if you decide not to cover the scones with this sugar glaze, you may want to add about half a cup of sugar to your flour in the beginning.

Recipe: Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

Print Recipe
Yield: 20 large scones

Ingredients

10 ounces cranberries
Zest of one medium sized orange
1 pound 8 ounces (704 g) white rice flour
4 1/2 ounces (397 g) potato starch flour
4 1/5 ounces (118 g) tapioca flour
8 ounces (85 g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (36 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
3 1/2 cup (840 ml) heavy cream
4 ounces (115 g) honey
Sugar for dusting
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Thoroughly mix the orange zest into the flour mixture. Reserve 1/8 cup (30 ml) of the cream. Combine the remaining cream with the honey, cranberries, and the dry ingredients, until just combined.
Form the dough into two equal sized logs (about 12 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide) and cut into the desired number of triangles. Place triangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using the reserved cream and a pastry brush, cover the tops of the scones and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425°F (219°C) for about 15 minutes.
Cool on a rack over a sheet of parchment paper. Mix the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl until thin but not runny. Use a spoon to drizzle over the scones. Allow to dry slightly before serving.

Gluten Free, Quick Breads, Recipe

Fresh Cranberries, Gluten Free, Large

Bløtkake

June 7, 2010

Jeff

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Part of Memorial Day weekend was spent at our friend’s house, barbecuing and hanging out in the pool. I was in charge of bringing dessert. I asked for suggestions, and was told: “make it memorable.” After two and a half hours in the kitchen, this is my version of memorable.

Bløtkake is a Norwegian cake that is made in many different ways. In Norwegian, it literally means “wet soft cake.” The cake usually consists of a light airy Angel Food cake, fruit, and cream. This is my version of it, based on several I had when I lived there. I use a marzipan topping over the whipped cream, fruit that is fresh and in season, and a homemade lemon Angel Food cake. I have made this many times, each time it’s different, not because I don’t have the recipe down, but rather because it’s so versatile it’s easy to modify. This is, however, the first time I have made marzipan from scratch and I doubt it will be my last.

The recipe as presented here takes about two and a half hours to complete. If you don’t have the time and want to spend a lot of money, you can make with store bought Angel Food cake and marzipan. While you can get Angel Food cake fairly cheap on sale, marzipan will cost you about $14. By contrast, making the marzipan by hand, cost me about $1.20.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need blanched almonds, powdered sugar, sugar, water, light corn syrup, cake flour, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, vanilla extract, raspberry jam, kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

First we need to make a simple syrup for the almond paste used in making the marzipan. Simple syrup is nothing more than 50% water and 50% sugar that is brought to a boil in order to melt the sugar. In a small saucepan combine 3/4 ounce of sugar and 3/4 ounce of water and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool.

Now we start making the Angel Food cake by combining the flour with half of the sugar (about 6 ounces) and reserving it for later. Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk.

Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt at high speed until they have tripled in volume. Add the remaining six ounces of sugar gradually, and continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Be careful not to mix too stiff of peaks as it will affect the texture of the cake.

Place the flour and sugar mixture that’s been reserved in a shifter over a piece of parchment paper. Sift the mixture over the whipped egg whites, about one fifth at a time, and fold in after each addition. Be sure to fold in any flour that is on the parchment paper when you are done.

Gently fold it in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Place the batter in the prepared tube pan. You can use any shape of tube pan for this. I’m using one that has ridges, but a smooth-sided one can be used and will actually leave a smoother looking cake. The ridged one leaves the cake looking a little more rustic.

Bake at 325°F for about 55 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and springs back when pressed lightly.

add in the simple syrup with the food processor running

While the cake is baking we have time to make the marzipan. Place the almonds in a food processor and process to a powder. If the almonds have recently been blanched you will get more of a paste than a powder.

Add the powdered sugar; with the machine running, add the sugar water, a little at a time, until it forms a paste.

Once it’s formed a paste, place it in a stainless steel mixing bowl using the hook attachment. Mix with the corn syrup on low speed until combined.

Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until a firm dough is formed. Reserve the marzipan for later. If you make this ahead of time it can be stored at room temperature, just be sure to cover it in an airtight container.

Slice the fruit into desired sizes and shapes. Reserve the fruit for later.

Combine the cream, vanilla extract and one tablespoon of powdered sugar in a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk. Whip until medium peaks form. Reserve.

Remove the cake from the oven.

Slice into thirds and set the bottom third on the tray you will use to present the cake

Cover layer with a light layer of raspberry Jam,

Cool the cake upside down over two racks or a bottle’s neck.

Cut the cooled cake horizontally into three even slices.

Starting with the bottom piece of the cake on a serving platter, spread about one tablespoon of raspberry jam over the whole layer.

Place the desired amount of fruit on the raspberry jam and top with the whipped cream.

Place next layer of cake on top and repeat process

Roll out the marzipan on a surface with a lot of powdered sugar

Place the middle piece of the cake on the finished layer and repeat. Place the top piece of cake on top of the middle layer and cover the cake with the remaining whipped cream.

On a clean surface sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar, roll out the reserved marzipan to an eighth of an inch thick.

Use a pastry brush to remove the excess powdered sugar

Cut the center of the marzipan to create and opening in the middle of the cake

Carefully place the marzipan over the cream covered cake. Decorate with fruit as desired.

Recipe: Bløtkake

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Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) blanched almonds
1 1/2 ounces (43 g) powdered sugar
3/4 ounce (21 g) sugar
3/4 ounce (21 g) water
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 1/2 ounces (128 g) powdered sugar
4 ounces (112 g) cake flour, sifted
12 ounces (340 g) granulated sugar
12 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 a pint (15 ounces/426 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions

In a small saucepan combine 3/4 ounce (21 grams) of sugar and 3/4 ounce (21 g) of water and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool.
Combine the flour with half of the sugar (about six ounces). Reserve.
Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt at high speed until they have tripled in volume. Add the remaining sugar gradually and continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks.
Place the flour and sugar mixture in a shifter over a piece of parchment paper. Sift the mixture over the whipped egg whites, about one fifth at a time, and gently fold it in together with the lemon zest, and lemon juice. Place the batter in the prepared tube pan.
Bake at 325°F (163°C) for about 55 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and springs back when pressed lightly. Invert the pan and cool upside down.
Place almonds in a food processor and process to powder.
Add the powdered sugar. With the machine running add the sugar water a little at a time until it forms a paste.
Place the paste in a stainless steel mixing bowl using the hook attachment mix with the corn syrup on low speed until combined.
Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until a firm dough is formed.
Slice the fruit into desired sizes and shapes.
Combine the cream, vanilla extract and one tablespoon of powdered sugar in a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk. Whip until medium peaks. Reserve.
Cut the cooled cake horizontally into three even slices.
Starting with the bottom layer of the cake, on a serving platter, spread about one tablespoon of raspberry jam over the whole portion. Place the desired amount of fruit on the raspberry jam and top with the whipped cream. Place the middle piece of the cake on the finished layer and repeat. Place the top piece of cake on top of the middle layer and cover the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
On a clean surface sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar, roll out the reserved marzipan to an eighth of an inch thick and carefully place it over the cream-covered cake. Decorate with fruit as desired.

Cakes, Recipe

Cream, Fresh Fruit, Marzipan, Norwegian

Fried Dough

June 1, 2010

Jeff

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In Bakeshop Skills Class this week we baked off product from all the doughs we made last week (see Laminated Doughs). We also fried some additional doughs we made in this weeks class. There was no lecture this week, so there are no notes to post about. This week is our field trip and final week. I’ll have a final post on the class this Friday.

Here is what we baked this week:

Bakeshop Skills Class

Raisin Bread with Cinnamon Swirl

May 24, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

This is a great bread, it’s easy to make, and it performs well. It makes a nice snack all on its own, or toast a slice with a little butter. It makes two loafs, eat one and freeze the other, pre-sliced, to make french toast with, that is if you can keep it around long enough. If you like nuts add them to the cinnamon sugar mixture for added texture and flavor. If you don’t like raisins you can leave them out and make a great cinnamon bread, or use similarly sized dried fruits for something altogether different.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need bread flour, active dry yeast, milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, raisins, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Warm the milk to 100°-110° and dissolve the yeast in the milk. Combine the flours and milk/yeast in a mixer fitted with the dough hook until just combined.

Add the butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Mix on low speed for four minutes and on medium speed for four more minutes; at one minute remaining in the mixing, add the raisins, and at the last 30 seconds, add the cinnamon, mixing just long enough to create a swirl.

Cover the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until nearly doubled, about one hour.

When the dough has nearly doubled punch down the dough.

Combine the one ounce of brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Mix the egg and salt together in a small bowl to make the egg wash. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll one part of the dough to the length of your bread pan and about 12 inches long. Cover with egg wash.

Sprinkle the egg washed area with half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough up and press the seam together. Repeat with the other dough half.

Place the dough seam side down in greased loaf pans. The dough should spring back on itself slightly and fit snugly in the pans. Proof, covered, until the dough nearly doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Mix the egg and salt together in a small bowl to make the egg wash. Gently brush the loaves with the egg wash. Bake at 350° (191° C) until the crust is a rich golden brown and the sides of the bread spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bread from pans and cool completely on a rack.

If you want to check out some amazing breads, be sure to check out YeastSpotting on the Wild Yeast blog.

Recipe: Raisin Bread with Cinnamon Swirl

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Yield: 2 loaves

Dough Ingredients

25.8 ounces bread flour
1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
14 ounces whole milk
2 1/4 ounces unsalted butter
2 1/4 ounces sugar
2 1/4 ounces eggs
2/3 ounces salt
4.75 ounces raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Ingredients

1 ounce dark brown sugar
1 ounce cinnamon

Egg Wash Ingredients

1 egg
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Warm the milk to 100°-110° and dissolve the yeast in the milk. Combine the flours and milk/yeast in a mixer fitted with the dough hook until just combined. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Mix on low speed for four minutes and on medium speed for four more minutes; at one minute remaining in the mixing, add the raisins, and at the last 30 seconds, add the cinnamon, mixing just long enough to create a swirl.
Cover the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until nearly doubled about one hour. Punch dough the down.
Combine the one ounce of brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Mix the egg and salt together in a small bowl to make the egg wash. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll one part of the dough to the length of your bread pan and about 12 inches long. Cover with egg wash and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough up and press the seam together. Repeat with the other dough half.
Place the dough seam side down in greased loaf pans. The dough should spring back on itself slightly and fit snugly in the pans. Proof, covered, until the dough nearly doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Gently brush the loaves with the egg wash. Bake at 350° (191° C) until the crust is a rich golden brown and the sides of the bread spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bread from pans and cool completely on a rack.

Bread, Recipe

cinnamon bread, egg wash, seam side