Basque Cake

April 1, 2010

Jeff

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This style of cake is from the northern region of Spain, known for baking its cakes with the pastry cream layered in the batter, instead of slicing the cake and adding it after baking. By baking the layer of custard into the cake, your left with a moist and flavorful cake. The rum and vanilla permeate the cake as it’s baked. If you don’t cook with rum, you can leave it out, or add a different flavoring in its place. If you do use rum, you can add more than the recipe calls for if you want more flavor.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need whole milk, vanilla extract, cornstarch, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, butter, cake flour, baking powder, dark rum, almonds, and confectioners sugar. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

First we’re going to make our pastry cream. I’ve scaled down a much larger recipe, so there are some odd measurements. One more reason to invest $30 – $40 on a scale. Start by placing the milk in a stainless steel saucepan (if it’s aluminum your pastry cream will turn out gray or green). Bring to a boil and quickly turn it down to a simmer.

Remember to watch the milk so it does not return to a boil during this next step. Whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Add the egg and mix until smooth.

Learn from my mistake here, powdered sugar and cornstarch look very much alike. If you pre-measure your ingredients be sure to add the cornstarch and not the powdered sugar to the mixture. It will not thicken up and will be overly sweet if you put the confectioners’ sugar in instead. I quickly made another batch after I caught my error.

Now to temper the egg mixture with the milk mixture. Slowly add one-third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk, whisking constantly.

Over medium heat cook the mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the vanilla extract, then once its incorporated stir in the butter until it is melted and the custard is smooth. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover.

It’s much easier to cream when your butter is at room temperature, so be sure to take your butter out of the fridge 45 minutes to an hour before you begin making the cake. You can always put your butter in the microwave, using 5-second intervals until its come to room temperature. Be careful though, you don’t want to melt the butter making it unusable. Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth.

Sifting the the flour, baking powder, and salt

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in thirds until just combined. Don’t forget to scrape down the bowl a few times to make sure the ingredients are all getting mixed in.

Pastry cream on the bottom layer of cake

Something new I learned this week, the numbers used in pastry bag tips (No. 1 – No. 9) are half the size of the opening on the tip in millimeters. For example, a No. 9 tip has an 18-mm opening and a No. 2 tip has a 4-mm opening. A pastry bag with a wide tip is used here to get the batter in the cake pan. It does not matter how “pretty” it looks because as it bakes the rings are lost. What is important is that it covers the pan bottom completely.

Grease the inside of a 10 inch (25 cm) cake pan. Place the batter in a pastry bag with a No. 5 (10-mm) plain tip. Pipe the batter in a spiral over the bottom of the prepared cake pan, starting in the center. Pipe an additional ring of batter on top of the ring against the inside perimeter of the pan (you will only use 1/2 the prepared batter in this step).

Stir the rum into the pastry cream. Pour the pastry cream in the middle of the cake pan, within the frames made by the outside ring of batter.

Use a spatula to spread the pastry cream evenly over the piped batter, but take care not to get any of it on the cake pan. Pipe the reaming batter in a spiral on the top of the pastry cream. Use a small spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the top.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.

Remove the cake from the pan and dust with powdered sugar. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, it will keep fresh up to one week.

Recipe: Basque Cake

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th EditionPrint Recipe
Yield: 8-16 servings

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

5.33 ounces (160 ml) whole milk
1/6 vanilla bean or 1/6 teaspoon (1 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/4 teaspoons (12 g) cornstarch
1/3 cup (38 g) granulated sugar
Dash of salt
1/2 an egg
1/2 ounce unsalted butter

Cake

12 ounces (340 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
12 ounces (340 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/2 eggs, at room temperature
10 ounces (285 g) cake flour
1/2 tablespoon (6 g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum
8 ounces (228 g) pastry cream
1 ounces (28 g) thinly slices almonds
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

Place milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.
Keeping an eye on the milk, whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add the eggs and mix until smooth.
Slowly add about one-third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk.
Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir in the butter continuing to stir until it is completely incorporated. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover.
Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three steps.
Grease the inside of a 10 inch (25 cm) cake pan. Place the batter in a pastry bag with a No. 5 (10-mm) plain tip. Pipe the batter in a spiral over the bottom of the prepared cake pan, starting in the center. Pipe an additional ring of batter on top of the ring against the inside perimeter of the pan.
Stir the rum into the pastry cream. Spread the pastry cream evenly within the frames made by the batter so that the pastry cream does not touch the sides of the pan. Pipe the reaming batter in a spiral on the top of the pastry cream. Use a small spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and dust with powdered sugar.

Cakes, Recipe

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 30, 2010

Jeff

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Cookies are made of butter and love. ~Norwegian Proverb

I can’t stand store-bought cookies, especially chocolate chip. Chips Ahoy, Soft Batch, you name it, they all fall flat for me in flavor and texture. Being a child of the 80’s I usually go for soft, melt in your mouth, chocolate chip cookies. However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve expanded into some of the more crisp varieties.

This recipe is from Baking Illustrated. It’s an interesting baking book, each recipe starts with what they were trying to accomplish in regards to texture, mouth feel, flavor etc. I really enough how it tells of mistakes and different methods they used to accomplish what they deemed the perfect baked good. In this case, they wanted to make a thin crisp cookie that had great buttery and caramel flavors and retained its crispness, while physically creating a cookie that is as thin as possible.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, egg yolk, milk, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup

melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup blended

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Air is a leavening agent, we want these cookies as flat as possible, do not over whisk the flour. Whisk the dry ingredients until they are just combined.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup at low speed until thoroughly blended. It should look caramel like when finished.

Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula a couple times. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the bowl until just combined. Do not overbeat.

Add the chocolate chips and mix on low speed until distributed evenly throughout the batter. Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. I’m using a cookie dough scooper I got for Christmas – it works well and gets an even amount for each scoop. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are deep golden brown and flat, about 12 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for about three minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let sit until crisp and cooled.

Recipe: Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Baking IllustratedPrint Recipe
Yield: 32 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda onto a large sheet of parchment paper; set aside.
In the bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup at low speed until thoroughly blended. Add yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping bottom and sides of the bowl with rubber spatula as necessary. With the mixer running on low slowly add the dry ingredients mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overbeat. Add chocolate chips and mix on low speed until distributed evenly throughout the batter.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Leave about two inches between each ball, scoop a tablespoon ball of the dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are deep golden brown and flat, about 12 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheet for about three minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let sit until crisped and cooled to room temperature.

Cookies, Recipe

chocolate chip cookies

Caramel Toffee Almond Tart

March 28, 2010

Jeff

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This tart is somewhat like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films. The first five minute, it’s all good. Then the violence hits and hits again, and again. You’re just about to get up and leave. Then violence becomes not the story, but rather the canvass the story is being told on. Substitute the violence for the sugar and you’ll get the idea. This is a very sugary tart, but don’t let that stop you. The sugar is the canvass for the nuttiness, the crispness of the crust, and the caramel flavors. Just like Kill Bill you will be back for more.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need granulated sugar, unsalted butter, egg, vanilla extract, bread flour, heavy cream, almond liqueur, light corn syrup, and almonds. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

In a mixer, with the dough hook attachment, mix the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla at low speed until just combined. Add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and press out as flat as possible. This makes the dough takes up less space and cools it quickly. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to work with, about 30 minutes.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and use it to line a tart pan. Place a large piece of plastic wrap in the shell and fill with pie weights. Make sure no plastic is touching metal if using plastic wrap or it will burn. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

I always sanitize my countertops before working on them with disinfecting wipes. The wipes are easy to use and cheap (Costco has them in generic too).

Rolling out dough can be tricky at times. I have been having some issues lately and could not figure out what was happening. The chilled dough would quickly warm up and break or stick to the granite countertop. One night while unable to sleep it dawned on me, I’ve been running the dishwasher while I have been baking. What does this have to do with my rolling problem? The dishwasher is right under the granite slab. The countertop is warming up because of the dishwasher, causing my doughs to warm up too fast. Something as small as this can and will affect your dough.

Remove the plastic and weights and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes more. The dough should be set and golden brown. Set the shell aside. Combine the cream, sugar, almond liqueur, and corn syrup in an oversized saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook to 230°F, stirring and scraping down the sides of the pan frequently. The mixture should be thickened and just beginning to caramelize when you have reached 230°F.

Remove from the mixture from the heat and stir in the almonds. Pour the mixture into the shell and smooth the top with the back of a spoon to flatten the surface and make sure the almonds are evenly distributed. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. The top of the tart should be dark golden brown and the filling should be bubbling in the center as well as around the edges.

Let the baked tart cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Recipe: Caramel Toffee Almond Tart

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition, Bo Friberg Print RecipeYield: 16 slices

Ingredients

2 ounces (58 g) granulated sugar
4.75 ounces (135 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 an egg
1/3 teaspoon (1.7 ml) vanilla extract
5.85 ounces (165 g) bread flour
1 3/4 cups (390 ml) heavy cream
10.5 ounces (298 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoons (15 ml) almond liqueur
1 tablespoons (15 ml) light corn syrup
6.5 ounces (185 g) sliced natural almonds, very lightly toasted

Instructions

Place the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl mix at low speed with the dough hook until just combined.
Add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and press out as flat as possible. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to work with, about 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and use it to line a tart pan, 11 inches (27.5 cm) in diameter.
Place a piece of plastic wrap in the shell and fill with pie weights. Make sure no plastic is touching metal.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and weights and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes more. The dough should be set and golden brown. Set the shell aside.
Combine the cream, sugar, almond liqueur, and corn syrup in an oversized saucepan (the mixture will bubble up a lot). Bring to a boil and cook to 230°F (110°C), stirring and scraping down the sides of the pan frequently; the mixture should be thickened and just beginning to caramelize. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon to flatten the surface and make sure the almonds are evenly distributed.
Bale at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. The top of the tart should be dark golden brown and the filling should be bubbling in the center as well as around the edges. Let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Recipe, Tarts

almonds, disinfecting wipes, plastic wrap

Sauces

March 26, 2010

Jeff

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We spent the first part of class talking about TV and Film that cover the current state of nutrition in America. A new show starts tonight called Jamie Olivers Food Revolution. Here’s a blurb on the show from ABC:

The impassioned chef is taking on obesity, heart disease and diabetes in the USA, where our nation’s children are the first generation not expected to live as long as their parents. Now that’s scary!

Jamie is inviting viewers to take a stand and change the way America eats, in our home kitchens, schools and workplaces with the thought-provoking new series, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which has a special sneak preview Sunday, March 21 10|9c on ABC, followed by a 2-hour premiere on Friday, March 26 8|7c.

This weeks class covered four categories of pastry sauces. Like last week, this class did not create any finished products (except for ice cream, which I ate so fast I forgot to take a picture). Creme Anglaise (vanilla sauce) is considered the mother sauce because it is used as the base in a lot of products (puddings, ice cream, etc). We also made chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and fruit sauce. All sauces do not store well in sauce bottles and should be stored in an airtight container, the less air in the container the longer the sauce will last. Some sauces are freezable, its best to try a little and see what happens when its defrosted if in doubt. The store-bought sauces are very expensive and full of fillers and stabilizers that alter the taste and nutritional value.

Creme Anglaise (Vanilla Sauce)

This is known as the “Mother Sauce” because it is the base for so many products. The sauce is made using the tempering method. A portion of a hot dairy mixture is pored into an egg and sugar mixture; and then that egg mixture is returned to the hot mixture.

There is no cornstarch used in this sauce to thicken it, which creates a nape (a sauce that is just thick enough to cover the back of a spoon). It’s important to stir at a very low heat, directly over the heat source in order to not overcook (lumps) or undercook (to thin). It should be mixed with a whisk, but be careful not to add too much air to the mixture. As the sauce cools it will thicken slightly. It’s important to only cook it until it just covers the back of a spoon. This sauce is a base for ice cream.

This sauce will last three to four days in the refrigerator, tightly covered.

Chocolate Sauce

You can alter the flavor of any chocolate sauce by using different chocolates. The more expensive the chocolate the better the taste (as a general rule). If you’re using the sauce for children’s deserts or a minimal side you may want to use cheaper chocolate in the recipe. If you have chocolate that has developed a gray cast to it, it’s still good. It’s not mold, but rather the cocoa butter that has surfaced over time. Melting it down will re-incorporate it into the chocolate.

The key to making a chocolate sauce is to make a paste with the cocoa powder rather than trying to mix it all in at once. The chocolate should be melted over a double boiler and never over direct heat.

The sauce will harden under refrigeration and will need to be warmed up again, using a water bath rather than the microwave which will create sugar crystals. This sauce will keep for months in the refrigerator as long as it’s kept clean. The sugar content helps reserve it.

Caramel Sauce

There are many different ways to make caramel sauce. We learned the water method in the class. Using a heavy bottomed stainless pot water is applied with a pastry brush to keep the sides clean during the cooking process. This along with lemon juice stops crystallization of the sugars. Aluminum pans have pockets which hold impurities that will make your sauce crystalize and should not be used for this.

When cooking the caramel one is looking for the liquid to turn a golden brown, similar to the color of freshly brewed ice tea. If you use a non-stick or copper pan you will not be able to tell when the cooking is done. If it gets any darker than this it will taste burnt. If the cooking process is stopped before this stage the flavor of the sauce will sugary. It’s important to use a large pot because the sauce boils considerably then the milk and cream are added.

Caramel sauces are quite versatile and can be flavored with everything from alcohol to citrus flavors. Alcohol-based extracts should be added at the end, the heat during the process will cook out their flavors. If using vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk and cream before adding it to the pan. There is no need to steep the milk first for optimal flavor since the hot sugar will make the milk boil.

Fruit Sauces

When making fruit sauces for a restaurant or bakery, frozen fruit is the best choice. The fruit is much more consistent in taste, sweetness, and ripeness than fresh fruit. Regardless, one must watch the sugar in the sauce and taste the sauce as you’re making it to get to the right amount of sweetness. Canned fruits are not a good choice for sauces. They are usually packed in a syrup and have added sugars, colors and preservatives.

You can make your own Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) fruit by cleaning and de-stemming fresh fruit and freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet. The fruit once frozen can then be packaged in bags for future use. Avoid getting to much water on the fruit during the cleaning or you will get watery sauces.

Some fruit sauces are cooked and some are not, almost all are strained for seeds. Some fruit, like kiwi and pineapple, make better raw sauces because their color changes to brown when cooked. Its also important to not blend some fruits in a blender, like a kiwi, its seeds will turn your mixture gray.

Cooked sauces are thickened by reduction and or chemicals (cornstarch). When thickening with cornstarch its best to make a slurry (watery paste) and then add it to the heated sauce. In a restaurant environment, chemical reduction is preferred because it cost less than reduction.

Bakeshop Skills Class, Sauces, frostings and fillings

Garlic-Herb Bread

March 23, 2010

Jeff

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There is nothing like fresh hot bread. One of my favorite memories is fresh bread from my Grandma during summer vacations. Living in Norway, I grew accustomed to fresh bread. They don’t use preservatives, so you buy your bread every day fresh and hot. I don’t make it often enough, but enjoy it quite a bit when I do.

This recipe makes a nice savory bread. It’s great with a little butter. It also holds up well thinly sliced and toasted. We ate it with a salmon dinner and used it as the bread on a salmon patty sandwich (leftover salmon, bread crumbs and an egg, formed into a patty and lightly fried, a little mayo and cheese on the bread). The flavors complimented the fish very well, and I imagine it would go great with a meaty dish or stew. The bread will only keep a day or two. Eat it right away, freeze it wrapped in plastic wrap or give it away to a friend or neighbor.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need fresh garlic, olive oil, yeast, water, egg whites, granulated sugar, salt, oregano, basil, bread flour, and whole wheat flour. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Saute the garlic in olive oil over low heat. This is done to soften the flavor of the garlic. If your garlic is very strong reduce the amount. Don’t brown the garlic, that will result in a bitter flavor. Set the sautéed garlic and oil aside to cool.

Stir the yeast in the warm water to dissolve. Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature is between 105° and 115° before combining the yeast and water. Yeast is damaged when the temperature exceeds 115° and it’s completely killed at 145°. Let it sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the egg whites, butter, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, cooked garlic, and all but a few ounces of the bread flour (1/2 a cup).

Using the dough hook on medium speed, knead the dough, adding the reserved bread flour as required, until the dough is fairly stiff and smooth. Once the dough ball has formed let it run for two or three minutes to kneed it.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat both sides with oil, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. I covered mine with plastic wrap, but you could use a warm wet cloth.

The ideal temperature for yeast to rise is between 78° and 82°, with about 88% humidity. There are many different ways to abstain this desired environment. This time, I put my oven on 200° for 10 minutes and then turned it off. I put the bowl covered in plastic wrap in the center of the warmed oven for an hour. It rose perfectly.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equip pieces, about one pound two ounces each. I used my scale to make sure I had about 1/2 the total weight in each dough ball. If you don’t have a scale I highly recommend getting one. Most of the recipes I make use the scale to get accurate measurements rather than cup measurements. The scale makes reducing recipe yield size easy too.

Shape each piece into a round loaf. Starting with the loaf formed first, shape each into a tight oval loaf. Using the thumb part of your palm, work your way around the ball several times, pushing the dough to the center. The loaves should spring back when pressed lightly. Place the loaves seam-side down a sheet pans lined with baking paper.

This is optional but makes a nice presentation. Brush each ball with water and sprinkle lightly with whole wheat flour.

This is not optional, make diagonal slashes across each loaf, about 1/4 inch deep. The cuts are needed to allow for steam to leave the loaves as they bake. If they are not cut the steam will find its own way out, leaving you with ugly loaves of bread.

Let rise until double in volume. This took about 45 minutes, but the time will vary.

Bake at 375° F (190°C) for about 30 minutes. Cool on racks.

Recipe: Garlic-Herb Bread

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition, Bo Friberg Print Recipe
Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

.67 ounces (18 g) minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoons (15 ml) olive oil
.34 ounces (9 g) fresh active dry yeast yeast
1 1/3 cups (313 ml) warm water (105°-115°/40°-46°C)
1/2 egg whites (20 ml)
.67 ounces (18 g) granulated sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons (20 g) salt
1/16 cup (5 g) ground dried oregano
1/16 cup tablespoons (5 g) ground dried basil
1 pound 4.3 ounces (645 g) bread flour
Water
Whole wheat flour

Instructions

Saute the garlic in olive oil over low heat. Do not brown the yeast. Set the cooked garlic in the oil aside to cool.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the egg whites, butter, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, cooked garlic, and all but 1/2 a cup (2 ounces) of the bread flour. Using the dough hook on medium speed, knead the dough, adding the reserved bread flour as required until the dough is fairly stiff and smooth.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat all sides of the dough with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equal pieces (about 1 pound 2 ounces (510 g) each). Shape each piece into a tight round loaf.
Place the loaves seam-side down a sheet pan lined with baking paper. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with whole wheat flour. Make diagonal slashes across each loaf, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep. Let rise until double in volume.
Bake at 375° F (190°C) for about 30 minutes. Cool on racks.

Baking, Bread, Recipe

bitter flavor, savory bread, yeast

Gingersnaps

March 21, 2010

Jeff

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Gingersnaps don’t have to be hard and brittle. This recipe produces a nice soft center and crisp outside when they are left uncovered for a night. The molasses is a hygroscopic sweetener (moisture absorbing) so the cookie will get moister the longer they are left uncovered. If you like yours crisper, cover them shortly after they cool.

In order to keep the cookies in balls, rather than flattened when they are baked, it is important not to cream the butter and sugar. The more you work the butter and the sugar the more the cookies will spread during the baking process. Mixing them until just combined will produce a dough that will hold its shape.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need butter, sugar, egg, molasses, vinegar, flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and Turbinado sugar. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Using the dough hook and a low speed, mix the butter and sugar together until just combined. Incorporate the eggs, molasses, and vinegar and mix until combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, approximately 1 pound 2 ounces (510 g) each. Roll each piece into a rope 18 inches (35 cm) long and cut each rope into 30 equally sized pieces. I used a ruler, but you could cut the rope in half and then half again, repeating until you have 30 equal sized pieces.

Form the pieces into round balls and press the balls into crystal sugar to cover the tops. My cookies were perfect balls until I dipped them in sugar. In order to get the sugar to stick, I had to press fairly hard. If you want perfectly round balls, use a pastry brush and coat the balls with a little water and sprinkle them with the sugar instead. I like the odd shapes that were produced in the process. Place the cookies sugar-side up in sheet pans lined with baking paper.

Bake at 375°F (190°C) until lightly brown on top but still soft in the center, approximately 12 minutes. Your cooking time is going to vary depending on your oven and the weather (if its a rainy or humid day the molasses will require a little longer baking period).

Recipe: Gingersnaps

Adapted From Gingersnaps, The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th EditionPrint RecipeYield: 60 cookies

Ingredients

4 ounces (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 pound 3 ounces (313 g) granulated sugar
1/2 an egg
1/2 cup (120 ml) or 6 ounces (170 g) molasses
1 tablespoon (15 ml) distilled white vinegar
1/2 pound 6 ounces (398 g) bread flour
1 tablespoons (12 g) baking soda
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (.75 g) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom
Turbinado sugar

Instructions

Using the dough hook at low speed, mix the butter and sugar together until just combined. Incorporate the eggs, molasses, and vinegar.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, approximately 1 pound 2 ounces (510 g) each. Roll each piece into a rope 18 inches (35 cm) long and cut each rope into 30 equally sized pieces.
Form the pieces into round balls and press the balls into crystal sugar to cover the tops. Place the cookies sugar-side up in sheet pans lined with baking paper.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) until light brown on top but still soft in the center, approximately 12 minutes.

Cookies, Recipe

molasses, rope

Mousses/Creams

March 19, 2010

Jeff

1 Comment

This weeks class was a little different from previous classes. Rather than the focus being on the techniques used to produce a specific kind of finished product, the focus was on elements of products. Specifically, the class covered creams and mousses; we made a flavored mousse (used for piping into molds), classic chocolate mousse, lemon curd and pastry cream. I did not get a lot of pictures because we only took one finished product home, along with two creams in Tupperware. One product is still in the freezer waiting to be finished next week. I’ll update this post with the pictures of the piped mousse in a hazelnut biscuit next week.

Pastry Creams

Accurate measurements are very important, weigh the ingredients. When steeping the milk, do not boil it (loss of water via heat throws off the ratios). Do everything at the stove while the ingredients are hot. Always use a whisk and a stainless steel saucepan or your cream will turn gray or green. Sugar prolongs the reaction to the heat and milk. The hotter the temperature of the milk the faster your pastry cream with become thick (should not be too hot, if the recipe uses corn start it starts to thicken at 180°. Eggs in the recipe add to the creaminess of the the pastry cream.

Lemon Curd

If you don’t like zest in curds you can leave it out without affecting the flavor, its usually in it for texture. Cooked over a bain-marie (water bath) because of its delicate. You can replace the lemon with many different citrus fruits (limes, oranges, etc), just have to experiment with the amount to get the desired flavor.

Chocolate Mousse

Use the best chocolate you can afford. The warmer the egg whites the higher/more volume you get when they are whipped. Add the sugar at the right time (right after it turns to white foam). The colder the cream the high/more volume you will get when whipping it. Both egg whites and cream produce a better texture when you whip them using a slow speed, patience is key.

Flavored Mousses

Pasteurizing uncooked eggs by bringing their heat to 160° over a bain-marie (water bath). Mousses use either all cream, all egg whites or a combination of both. When making a mouse for molding don’t go past soft peaks on egg whites or you won’t be able to use the mixture in a mold (it will be too thick).

Blooming Gelatin

Bloom means to soften in water. There are two types of gelatin, sheets and powdered. Powdered is the most common in the US, sheets are popular in Europe and parts of Asia. When using gelatin as a thickener, too much will leave a mousse too firm, not enough it will make it too runny. Follow the recipe and weigh it if possible. When adding gelatin to a mousse it must be hot or it will cool too quickly and create lumps of gelatin.

When blooming powdered gelatin make sure to have a lot of surface area on the top of the water to properly absorb into the gelatin. Too small of an area will leave the gelatin only partially bloomed and unusable. Do not stir it, just sprinkle it over the top, if you stir with a spoon it will stick to your spoon.

Bakeshop Skills Class

New York Style Cheesecake (Gluten-free)

March 17, 2010

Jeff

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With all the variety of cheesecakes out there, there is still nothing like New York Style. Thick, creamy, and light at the same time. It’s sweet, but not so sweet you miss out on the subtle flavors. I used the blueberry sauce from the other day on this cheesecake, you can top it with anything you would like, or nothing at all.

There is a six hour cooling period, plan ahead if you’re making this for dessert. I recommend making it the day before. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe we need gluten-free graham crackers, butter, sugar, cream cheese, salt, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, sour cream, eggs, and egg yolks. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

I’m using the gluten free graham crackers, but regular ones can be used with the same results. Break up the graham crackers in a food processor to a fine sand like texture. Mix the crackers with the sugar and 5 1/2 tbsp of melted butter in a bowl until well combined. Press the crumbs in the bottom of the prepared pan, bake for ten minutes, remove from oven to cool.

Using the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese and salt for about two minutes until smooth. Add the sugar in thirds, beat after each addition for about a minute. Scrape down the sides before each addition. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well.

Add the eggs yolks, then the eggs, two at a time, beating well after each addition.
Brush the sides of a spring form pan with the remaining melted butter. Turn oven up to 500°.

Pour into cooled crust and place on a baking sheet in case there is spillover.
Bake at 500° for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°. Do not open the door! Bake for 90 minutes, or until done (the middle of the cake should still be “giggly” – it will finish baking from the heat of the cake, if its firm already you have over-baked your cheesecake).

Remove from oven, cool for five minutes on wire rack. Run knife around the outer edge of the cake. Allow to cool for 3 hours at room temp. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Recipe: New York Style Cheesecake (Gluten-free)

Print RecipeYield: 16 servings

Ingredients

7 ounces gluten-free graham crackers or 1 sleeve of regular graham crackers
6 tbsp of butter, melted
2 tbsp of sugar
2 1/2 lbs. (5 packages) of cream cheese, softened to room temp.
1/8 tsp of salt
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup of sour cream
6 eggs
2 egg yolks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grind the graham crackers in a food processor. Mix with the sugar and 5 1/2 tbsp of the melted butter in a bowl until well combined. (reserve the remaining butter for brushing the spring form pan). Press the crumbs in the bottom of the prepared pan, bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven to cool while you prepare the filling. Brush sides of spring form pan with remaining melted butter generously after the crust has cooled. Turn oven up to 500 degrees.
In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the cream cheese and salt for about 2 minutes, to get out most of the big lumps, add the sugar in thirds, beat after each addition. Scrape down the sides. Add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Add the eggs yolks and the eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour into cooled crust and place on a lipped baking sheet in case there is spillover.
Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees. Do not open the oven door. Bake 90 minutes, or until done (middle should still giggle slightly).
Remove from oven, cool for five minutes on wire rack. Run knife around the outer edge of the cake. Allow to cool for 3 hours at room temp. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Cakes, Recipe

blueberry sauce, cheesecake, cream cheese, gluten free graham crackers

Blueberry Sauce

March 16, 2010

Jeff

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Blueberries are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. Blueberry season in North America typically starts in May and ends in September. However, fresh blueberries are available year round if your willing to pay the price. You can also use frozen blueberries in this recipe, but you may need more water due to the high content of pectin in blueberries. This sauce makes a nice addition to ice cream or any other cream based custard or cake, such as cheesecake.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need granulated sugar, cranberry juice, lime juice, rum, cornstarch, and blueberries. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Place the sugar and the cranberry juice in a saucepan. Combine the lime juice and rum. If you do not want to use rum substitue rum flavoring (1 teaspoon) or just leave it out. Add the cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Mix this into the juice mixture in the saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the blueberries. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Blueberry Sauce

Adapted from Bo Friberg, The Professional Pasty Chef, 4th EditionPrint Recipe

Ingredients

7 ounces (200 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cranberry juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice
3 tablespoons (45 ml) rum
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
1 dry pint (480 ml) or 12 ounces (340 g) blueberries

Instructions

Place the sugar and the cranberry juice in a saucepan
Combine the lime juice and rum. Add the cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Mix this into the juice mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and stir int he blueberries. Let cool and store covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe, Sauces, frostings and fillings

blueberries, pectin

Pear-Cranberry Strudel

March 15, 2010

Jeff

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There are a lot of different strudels, both sweet and savory. I’ve only had the sweet variety. Usually, for me, the only memorable part of these is the phyllo dough covered with confectioners’ sugar. This recipe caramelizes the pears, giving the fruit a nice flavor and texture. Add in the cranberries and almonds and you’ve got a good combination of crunchy and chewy. I’ve used pre-made phyllo dough in this recipe, however, you could very well make your own if you have the time and equipment.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need pears, lemon juice, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, dried cranberries, bread crumbs, allspice, ginger, phyllo dough, almonds and confectioners’ sugar. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Peel, core and slice the pears into about one-inch chunks. Combine the pears with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet. Add pear mixture and cook until pears start to give off juices.

Add cranberries, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until pears are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Combine remaining two tablespoons granulated sugar with allspice and ginger in a small bowl. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly longer than the phyllo sheets and lay it with a long edge parallel to you. Transfer one sheet of phyllo to the parchment with a long edge facing you. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of the nuts and sugar mixture. Repeat with each remaining phyllo. Sprinkle remaining two tablespoons bread crumbs over top of the last sheet of phyllo dough..

Spoon the pear mixture across the phyllo about one inch from the edge closest to you to make a mound, with a 2-inch border at each end. Using the parchment to help you get started, roll the phyllo tightly over the filling to make a log, seam-side down. Lift the parchment with the strudel onto a baking sheet and score with a knife. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer on the baking sheet to a rack to cool.

Trim off the ends with a serrated knife and cut along pre-scored marks. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice on scored marks and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Pear Cranberry Strudel

Print RecipeYield: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1- inch chunks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 sheets phyllo dough
2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted almonds
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400° F (204° C).
Combine the pears with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pear mixture and cook until pears start to give off juices. Add cranberries, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until pears are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with the allspice and ginger in a small bowl. On a piece of parchment paper slightly longer than the phyllo sheets, transfer one sheet of the phyllo dough to the parchment paper with a long edge facing you. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of the nuts and sugar mixture. Repeat with each remaining phyllo. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs over top of the last sheet of phyllo dough.
Spoon the pear mixture across the phyllo about 1 inch from the edge closest to you to make a mound, with a 2-inch border at each end. Using the parchment to help you get started, roll the phyllo tightly over the filling to make a log, seam-side down. Lift the parchment with the strudel onto a baking sheet and score with a knife.
Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer on the baking sheet to a rack to cool. Trim ends with a serrated knife. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Pie, Recipe

cranberries, pears, phyllo dough