Cheesecake and Souffle

March 13, 2010

Jeff

6 Comments

This week in baking class we covered Cheesecakes and Souffles. I’ve made a few cheesecakes before, but never a souffle. I don’t think I have even had a dessert souffle before. This was originally scheduled for last week, however, our instructor was sick. Luckily the schedule for the class has a built-in make up day so we still get to cover all the planned topics, just a week later.

Cheesecake is really a custard (cooked milk, sugar, and egg yolk mixtures) with a bottom crust. The crust can be composed of nearly anything; graham cracker, spices, nuts, Oreos, you name it. If the crust is just on the bottom the sides may turn brown and if the crust partway up the side of the custard it is sometimes difficult to keep it there. Partially baking a crust before the final baking with the custard in the form will produce a crisper crust.

The filling can be made the day before and refrigerated. The process of making the custard is similar to creaming. Using a paddle attachment, we don’t want air in this, soften the room temperature cream cheese well, add the sugar (the sugar loosens the cream cheese when its mixed in), each egg at a time and finally the flavorings. Scrape the bowl often for consistency, make sure bottom is scraped.

There are many different ways to bake a cheesecake, its best to follow the recipe. Springform pans don’t need parchment paper, butter crusts create enough oil for easy release. A recipe that uses a high temperature at first and then reduces it sets and then bakes custard. Convection ovens are not a good choice for cheesecake or any gentile custard, it will brown them too much. Cracking is caused by not mixing enough, over mixing but mainly from over baking. The middle of the cake should still move a little when it comes out, if it does not you have over baked the cake. The custard will continue to bake outside of the oven during the cooling process. If using a water bath use large foil, do not piecemeal the foil together or liquid will get into your cheesecake.

Souffle is French to breathe or blow. A soufflé is a light, fluffy, baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert. Every souffle is made of two parts, pastry cream enhanced with flavoring and French meringue (sugar and raw eggs). These are baked in a ramekin. Its very important not open the oven at all during the baking process or it will fall. Souffles need straight-sided containers that are coated (butter and sugar or butter and hard cheese etc) in order to allow the batter to get height during the baking process. A sauce is usually served on the side.

Some rules for souffles

Avoid over deleting the base, it needs the structure of the pastry cream.
Whip the egg whites correctly to soft peaks.
Fold meringue in well, work fast and take control its not that gentile.
Fold in meringue with a large spatula

Heres what we made today:

Cheesecake in Phyllo Cups

Cheesecakes New York Style Cheesecake

Chocolate Souffle

Bakeshop Skills Class

Blueberry Lemon Scones

March 10, 2010

Jeff

No Comments

I grew up eating “Mormon Scones.” Whenever someone talked about scones, I was a bit confused. A Mormon scone is a deep-fried piece of yeast dough that you put powdered sugar, jam or honey on. It’s a bit like a donut, only flat and more bread like in flavor. They still remind me of family campouts and church gatherings. It’s one food from my younger days I still crave, but that’s not what we’re making today.

I’ve since learned what everyone else calls a scone, a small English quickbread often made using fruits or nuts. They are a great breakfast or snack. They are easy to bake and only require about 20 minutes to mix and get ready for the oven. This is a modified recipe from my baking class. The original uses more cream and dried fruits. It is a fairly easy recipe to execute, however, be prepared to get your hands messy – its the best way to mix these scones.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need blueberries, bread flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, heavy cream, and honey. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. We don’t want a lot of air in this so use a spoon to mix the dry ingredients together.

Add all but 1/4 a cup of the cream, the honey and the lemon zest, to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand only until the ingredients come together. It will be dry so be careful not to over mix.

Add the blueberries and gently combine them into the dough, breaking a few of them as you mix it together in order to add liquid to the dough to make it hold together. It will get a bit sticky at this point, but it should not be wet.

Form the dough into a round ball in the bowl. Cover the dough and set aside to relax for 5 minutes. This helps with the gluten formation.

On a lightly floured surface gently knead the dough into a rolled loaf to tighten the gluten. Press or pat the pieces out to form a log, about 15 inches long and two inches deep. Using a knife cut the log into the desired size of triangles. These are about 2 1/2 inches long on each angle.

Place the cut scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each scone with some of the reserved cream. Sprinkle the pieces with granulated sugar, I used turbinado sugar. Bake at 425°F (219°C) for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Scones

Print RecipeYield: 8 wedges, 4 x 5 inches / 16 wedges, 2 x 3 inches

Ingredients

6 ounces (170 g) fresh blueberries
Zest of one lemon
1/2 pound 6 ounces (398 g) bread fiour
1 1/2 ounces (43 g} granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1 3/4 cups (420 ml) heavy cream
1/6 cup (40 ml)2 ounces (58 g) honey sugar
Granulated or turbinado sugar

Instructions

Combine the flour, 3 ounces (85 g) granulated sugar, the baking powder, and the salt in a mixing bowl. Reserve approximately 1/4 cup (60 ml) cream. Add the remainder of the cream, together with the honey and the reserved fruit, to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand only until the ingredients come together in a smooth dough. Do not over mix.
Gently form the dough (do not kneed it) into a mound in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough and set aside to relax for 5 minutes.
Knead the dough into a rolled loaf to tighten the gluten. Press or pat the pieces out to form a log, about 15 inches long and two and a half inches deep.
Cut into two and a half inch triangles. Brush the top of each wedge with some of the reserved cream. Sprinkle the pieces with granulated sugar. Bake at 425°F (219°C) for approximately 15 minutes.

Quick Breads, Recipe

baking class, blueberries, lemon zest, scones

Meyer Lemon Tart

March 8, 2010

Jeff

No Comments

We have a Meyer Lemon tree, well maybe small bush is more accurate. A few months ago we harvested about 8 lemons off the “tree.” Mostly the lemons were used in hot water and tea, but they can be used just as easily in baking. I bought the lemons for this at Whole Foods for a fairly decent price. I should have just asked a neighbor if I could pick a couple from their tree. That’s one of the great things about living in San Diego, there is a lot of fresh produce year round. Well, unless you’re looking for Lemon Verbena.

The original recipe used Lemon Verbena in the cream. I visited five grocery stores, called an additional six and eventually ended up replacing the verbena with lemon balm I got at Home Depot. I was amazed at how many produce managers confused “lemon verbena herb” with a fruit. It’s a green leafy herb with a lemon flavor. Despite living in the 8th largest city in America some things are hard to find. Maybe I gave up too soon, but the lemon balm worked just as well.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need lemon balm leaves, heavy cream, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, bread flour, cornstarch, and Meyer lemons. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Those are blood oranges in the center of the picture. They were purchased about five days before I made the tart. I was trying to find lemon verbena and they became too ripe to use as a garnish. Blood oranges are in season right now, so if you have never tried one now is the time. They are slightly smaller than a regular orange, dark red on the inside and taste like a regular orange only a bit tart.

Chop the lemon balm leaves finely. Place the cream, lemon balm, and sugar in a saucepan and stir continually until it boils. Cool the mixture to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Regular whipped cream with a little sugar will work just as well if you don’t want to try infusing it with lemon flavor.

Combine the butter, brown sugar and a beaten egg in a mixing bowl. Mix at low speed, using the dough hook attachment until just combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until the dough is smooth. Do not mix longer than necessary.

Flatten the dough between a piece of folded parchment paper and refrigerate until cold. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Place the dough over the tart pan without pressing down on the dough. Using a finger, press the dough into the inside outer corners while holding the dough up from the side with the other hand, so that it does not get pressed against the top of the tart pan. Run a rolling pin over the top to cut the dough on the tart form. Use a fork prick the dough in the bottom of the pan.

Refrigerate until firm enough to work with. It took me three tries to get this dough rolled out. The trick was working as fast as possible and using a tiny bit more flour than usual on the rolling surface. If it starts to break or stick to the rolling pin before you can place it over the tart form, put it back in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and try again.

Put two pieces of plastic wrap over the tart dough and fill with pie weights (I use dried kidney beans). Make sure the plastic wrap is brought together in the middle and not touching any metal or it will make a mess and ruin your crust. Bake at 375° (190° C) for 12 minutes, or until crust edges are golden brown. Remove weights return to oven for 5 more minutes.

While the crust is baking combine the cornstarch and the sugar. Mix in the eggs, the egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stirring until the ingredients are well combined. Do not whip or beat this mixture.

Place the mixing bowl over a bain-marie (water bath) and heat, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens. Remove from heat right after it thickens.

As soon as the tart shell comes out of the oven fill it with the filling. Bake for 15 minutes at 350° (175° C) or until the filling has thickened. Cool completely.

Strain leaves from the cream. The original recipe says to not worry if you don’t get all the lemon herb out. I don’t like any of it in the cream though, it looks a little to close to mold and is not appetizing. Whip the cream and decorate tart as desired.

Recipe: Meyer Lemon Tarts

Adapted from The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, 4th Edition, Meyer Lemon Tarts with Lemon Verbena Whipped Cream and Blood Orange Segments, Bo Friberg,Print Recipe
Yield: 8 slices, one 11″ tart

Ingredients

Lemon Cream

1/3 ounce (10g) lemon balm leaves
1 cups (240 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons (10g) granulated sugar

Tart and Filling

5.4 ounces (152 g) granulated sugar
2.5 ounces (75 g) light brown sugar
3.3 ounces (95 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
8 whole eggs
3 egg yolks (54 ml)
4.3 ounces (123 g) bread flour
2 2/3 tablespoons (22 g) cornstarch
Finely grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
400 ml Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

Chop the lemon balm leaves finely. Combine in a saucepan with the cream and sugar and bring to a boil while stirring. Cool the mixture to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Combine the butter, brown sugar and a beaten egg in a mixing bowl. Mix at low speed, using the dough hook attachment until just combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until the dough is smooth. Do not mix longer than necessary. Refrigerate until firm enough to work with.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch. Using a fork prick the dough in the bottom of the pan. Blind bake at 375° (190° C) for 12 minutes or until crust edges are golden brown. Remove weights return to oven for 5 minutes longer. Once crust is done lower oven temperature to 350° (175° C).
While the crust is baking stir the cornstarch into the sugar. Mix in 8 eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice, stirring until the ingredients are well combined. Do not whip or beat this mixture.
Place the mixing bowl over a bain-marie (water bath) and heat, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens. Remove from heat right away.
As soon as the tart shell comes out of the oven fill with filling. Bake for 15 minutes at 350° (175° C) or until the filling has thickened. Cool completely.
Strain leaves from the cream. Whip the cream and decorate tart as desired.

Recipe, Tarts

blood oranges, lemon balm, lemon verbena herb, meyer lemon tree

Pay Para la Bruja (Banana Cream Pie)

March 5, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

My friend Griselda loves my banana cream pie. At her prodding, we got together to make pie and dinner. Making dinner and hanging out with friends in our kitchen distracted me a bit from the photography of the baking process. However, outside of a few missed shots in the crust making process, there are enough to get a general idea. We had a great night. Griselda’s partner had to work early in the morning so he stayed home, bringing instead our friend Mario. His partner was working as well, but he showed up in time for dessert. Besides the pie, we had fresh green beans, mashed potatoes and neatloaf (vegetarian meatloaf).

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need all purpose flour, butter, shortening, salt, ice cold water, milk, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla extract, bananas, a bottle of Merlot (that’s for the cooks, not for the pie) and heavy cream. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening until pea-size bits of the fats remains. Mix in the water. Flatten the dough between a piece of parchment paper and allow it to rest in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4 an inch thick. Line your pie pan with the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes at 350°.

That’s not my prettiest pie crust – but who cares, it’s going to cover with cream and bananas. With filled pies, it doesn’t matter that much.

Combine two cups of the milk and all the sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat. While you’re waiting for it to boil cut the bananas into thin slices. Place 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl and whisk in cornstarch, then eggs. If the milk reaches a boil before you’re finished turn the temperature down to low.

With the milk boiling over low heat whisk about a third of the egg mixture into the milk. Return milk and sugar mixture to a boil again and whisk in the remaining egg mixture, whisking constantly until the filling thickens. Whisking constantly, allow it to boil for about 30 seconds. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Fold in 1/2 the sliced bananas. Remove from heat.

Cover the bottom of the cooled pie crust with half the banana slices. Spread the filling evenly on the crust. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and chill. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it holds a firm peak. Spread the cream over the filling, with the plastic wrap removed, making sure it touches the edges of the crust all the way around.

The crust in this recipe is very tender and has a shortbread-like texture. The side crust does not hold the weight of the pie very well which gives it a dome like a shape when sliced. For best flavor and presentation cut and serve this pie when it’s thoroughly chilled.

Recipe: Banana Cream Pie

Adapted from Food NetworksPrint Recipe
Yield: 8 large slices

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ice cold water

Filling and topping

2 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large bananas, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. By hand incorporate the butter and shortening until pea-size bits of the fats remains. Use your hands to mix in the water. Flatten dough between a piece of parchment paper and allow to rest in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, or until chilled enough to roll out.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4 an inch thick. Line your pie pan with the dough. Place pie pan back in the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes at 350° or until golden brown.
Combine 2 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a non-reactive saucepan; whisk once to mix and bring to a boil over low heat.
Place 1/2 cup milk in a mixing bowl and whisk in cornstarch, then eggs.
Return milk and sugar mixture to a boil over low heat then whisk about a third of it into the egg mixture. Return milk and sugar mixture to a boil once more and whisk in the egg mixture, whisking constantly until the filling thickens and comes to a boil. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, for about 30 seconds. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Fold in 1/2 the sliced bananas.
Remove from heat, spread evenly in the crust. press plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and chill.
Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it holds a firm peak. Spread the cream over the filling, making sure it touches the edges of the crust all the way around.

Pie, Recipe

banana cream pie, pie crust

Chocolate Pecan Cajeta Tart

March 2, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

This tart was made late Saturday night, and it was all gone by midnight Sunday. No, I did not eat it all but, I could have. Instead, I shared it with the first neighbors and friends I ran into. That being said, if you’re my neighbor or friend, please don’t camp out at our door looking for baked goods. Only joking, I’ll set up a tent for you in the driveway. Stop by anytime. If I have it, I’ll share.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need chocolate, heavy cream, butter, powdered sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, pecans, and cajeta. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

The crust takes the most time in this recipe. If you wanted, you could always make the crust(s) ahead of time and then just fill them when needed.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle until smooth. Add the eggs slowly until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla. Add the flour in 3 stages just until combined.

Place the dough between pieces of parchment paper and flatten. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for about half an hour or until firm. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Make sure you have enough dough by placing your tart pan on top of the rolled out dough.

Return the tart pan to the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cool. I removed the outer ring of the tart form once the tart had cooled. You can leave this on until it’s time to cut the tart if you’re afraid you might break the sides of the tart when filling it.

Mix the nuts and cajeta in a bowl. Spread this mixture in an even layer in the baked tart shell. I used the back of a metal spoon to smooth the layer as much as possible.

If you are unfamiliar with cajeta, it’s a Mexican confection of sugar and milk that has been caramelized. You can make your own or buy it pre-made in the store, look for it next to the sweetened condensed milk.

Now to make the ganache. It is actually very simple to make. Heat your cream to simmering and then pour the cream over the top of the chopped chocolate. Stir with a spoon and soon you’re left with a warm thick frosting-like texture of chocolate. The most important things are not to burn the cream and to pour the cream over the chocolate rather than putting the chocolate into the cream.

You will want to use the best quality chocolate you can afford. I used Callebaut 60% bittersweet, in a block, from Wholefoods. It was only $4 for half a pound (8 oz). If I were to buy 8 ounces of those nice chocolate bars you see in the baking aisle it would have been twice as much, and not as high of quality.

Pour the ganache over the top of the spread out pecans and cajeta. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the top.

Let set in refrigerator until firm, cut with a warm knife, cleaning knife with a cloth between each cut. You can cut it into 8 large pieces or 16 smaller pieces.

Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Cajeta Tart

Adapted from Sara PolczynskiPrint Recipe
Yield: 8 to 16 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound good quality chocolate
3/4 cup heavey cream
8 ounces butter
5 ounces powdered sugar
1 ea egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
11 ounces all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 can cajeta (sweetened condensed milk)

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle until smooth. Add the eggs slowly until incorporated. Add the vanilla. Add the flour in 3 stages just until combined.
Chill, roll out. Line the tart pan with sugar dough. Rest and bake at 350o for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Mix the nuts and the cajeta and spread an even layer in the baked tart shell.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until frosting-like consistency. Top tart with the ganache.
Let set in refrigerator until firm (about 2 hours), cut with a warm knife, cleaning knife with a cloth between each cut.

Recipe, Tarts

cajeta, chocolate, pecans

Spinach Feta Quiche

March 1, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

Sunday mornings are my favorite. Sleeping in as long as the dog will let us, gradually waking up, and eventually a nice breakfast. Our Sunday usual consist of a dish based on eggs, fresh fruit or bread. With a little planning, and an hour or two, quiche will fit the bill just fine.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need cake flour, butter, water, spinach, milk, cream, eggs, salt, black pepper, and feta cheese. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

First we are going to make the pate brisee dough. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and run it on low for about 5 seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse until coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Add the water and egg and process until dough forms (about 5-10 seconds). Put the dough in between a piece of parchment paper folded in half and use the palm of your hands to form a thin disc. Place the dough in the refrigerator for about half an hour or until chilled.

Roll out the pate brisee on a floured surface until 1/8″ thick. To make sure you have enough dough to fill the tart pans place them on top of the dough. The dough should reach about an inch around the perimeters of the tins.

If the dough is sticking to the surface your pate brisee is not cold enough. Stick the dough back into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. If your pate brisee dough is cracking when you roll it out the dough is too cold. Let the dough warm up for a minute or two and try again.

The recipe makes an 11″ tart. There are only two of us, there is no way we could eat all of it. I decided to make two 4″ quiches instead. I divided the dough in three, flattened each in parchment paper, and put two-thirds of the dough in a ziplock bag in the freezer for future use. It left a lot of leftover dough, I probably could have divided the dough into fourths and been fine.

With this dough, and this is true of most tart dough, roll the dough onto the roller so you can pick it up and quickly place it on top of the tart tin. The quicker you do this the better results you will have. Do not press down on the top of the tins. Carefully lift up the dough from the side and use a finger to press the dough down in the corner of the inside of the tin working all the way around the tin. With the rolling pin gently roll over the top of the tin and remove the scraps. This will give you a nice even top to your crust.

Now for the fun part. This technique is called “blind baking.” Line the tart shell with plastic wrap and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Take the ends of the plastic wrap and ball them up in the center of the tart. Make sure none of the plastic wrap is touching any metal (it will stick and burn to metal). If you are uncomfortable using plastic wrap you can use parchment paper to do this. Bake the tart shell at 350°F until very light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and weights and cool completely.

I use kidney beans for my weights. The cost less than a dollar a bag and they can be used over and over again.

Saute the onion, in the butter, until translucent. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. I used fresh spinach, but you could use frozen too. If you’re using frozen you may need to drain any excess liquid when your done sauteing.

Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Combine the eggs, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Now we are going to temper the hot milk and eggs. Add about one-third of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking constantly. Add the remaining hot milk mixture, stirring to incorporate. If your eggs cook you either did not whisk the whole time or you added too much hot of the hot milk at a time to the egg mixture. As long as you whisk the whole time you should be fine.

This recipe is very versatile and can easily be modified. Just keep the egg and milk mixture the same and add whatever you want in your quiche. I kept true to the recipe except for using ricotta cheese and blue cheese instead of the feta cheese.

Spread the spinach mixture in the tart shell and sprinkle the cheese on top. Pour the custard mixture over the top. Be careful not to overfill the crust or it will go down the sides of the shell into the tin and create a mess to clean up.

Bake at 350°F/177°C and bake just until the custard is set, about 45 minutes.

Recipe: Spinach – Feta Quiche

Print RecipeYield 1 11″ Quiche

Ingredients

Pate Brisee

9 ounces cake flour
5 g salt
4 1/2 ounces butter, cubed
2 ounces water
1 egg

Filling

1/2 onion, chopped
1 ounces butter 4 ounces spinach, chopped
6 ounces milk
6 ounces cream
4 ounces eggs
2 ounces egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 ounces feta cheese

Instructions

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until coarse meal. Add the water and egg and process until dough forms. Rest dough for about half an hour and roll out.
Roll out the pate brisee 1/8″ thick and line the tart pan. Line the tart shell with plastic wrap and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake the tart shell at 350°F until very light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and weights and cool completely.
Saute the onion, in the butter, until translucent. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Combine the eggs, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add about one-third of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking constantly. Add the remaining hot milk mixture, stirring to incorporate.
Spread the spinach mixture in the tart shell and sprinkle the cheese on top. Pour the custard mixture over the top.
Bake at 350°F and bake just until the custard is set, about 45 minutes.

Recipe, Tarts

pate brisee, quiche, tart pans

Tarts/Quiche

February 26, 2010

Jeff

3 Comments

This week in baking class we learned how to bake tarts and quiches. Both are basically the same type of pastry, only one is sweet and one is savory, with different fillings and garnishes. The fillings of tarts and quiches have infinite possibilities, pastry creme, frangipane, ganache, nuts, fruit etc.

We learned about the following types of tart doughs: savory, sweet and press in/cutout. All three use the creaming method. All but the press in/cutout require the dough to rest while chilled in order to keep the dough from shrinking when baked. Tart crusts are either fully or partially baked. Some tarts are returned to the oven with filling to be baked (like quiche).

Two main types of crust: Pate Brisee (savory dough) and Pate Sucree (sweet dough). Both use this method in its creation:

Mix dry ingredients
pulse in food processor with fat until course meal
add liquids and pulse
flatten to large disc and refrigerate (rest)
Roll on floured surface to 1/8″
With the dough wrapped around the rolling pin, gently place the dough on the tart pan, do not push it on the sharp edges. Using your fingers gently work your way around the inside of the pan pressing the dough into the inside bottom to a corners. Use a roll rolling pin across top to after setting the inside corners to cut off the excess dough.

Overfill the crusts, will cause leakage into the tart pan. Custard based fillings that require baking in tart should always be baked on a sheet pan and be lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

All purpose sugar dough (similar to sugar cookie dough) is another type of dough that can be used to create the crust. The method for creating this crust is as follows:

Cream the butter and the sugar.
Add the flour in 3 stages
Refrigerate
Fully bake tart shell
Right after removal from the oven press down the dough in the tart form to eliminate puffiness of the crust.

We also covered some pastry techniques:

Ganache technique

Use best chocolate you can afford (cheaper to get in bulk than bars)
Cream with the highest fat content is best

Chop chocolate in small pieces and put in a bowl
pour cream over chocolate (no the other way around or it will separate)
Stir until smooth (do not whisk) if hasn’t melted use a bain marie (water bath)
Don’t make until you are ready to Use
Cut ofter its cooled with a warmed knife, cleaning after each slice

Pastry cream:

Tempering method: Bring milk and vanilla bean to a boil (whisking to stop burning). Pour about 1/3 of the heated milk and vanilla into the eggs (whisking the whole time) then whisk the rest of the milk mixture and pour the egg and milk into the remaining milk and vanilla whisking the whole time. Keeps the eggs from cooking. If using vanilla extract add it at the end.
Use all stainless pan only with direct heat or the cream will change colors (reaction with the metal)
Cover with plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream to cool (no skin)
Creme Mousseline: 1/2 pastry cream and 1/2 whipped cream.

Heres what we made today:

Chocolate Pecan Cajeta Tart

Fresh Fruit Tart

Spinach - Feta Quiche Spinach – Feta Quiche

Bakeshop Skills Class

creaming method, pastry techniques, pate brisee, pate sucree, tart pans, tart shell

Apple Pie

February 24, 2010

Jeff

1 Comment

A co-worker asked me to make him the apple pie that was made in my baking class. I’ve made several apple pies in the past – I enjoy them but rarely do I crave them. That all changed with this pie. It is seriously the best apple pie I have ever eaten. I’m glad I took a piece out to photograph and eat before bringing it into work. The crust is amazing and the filling is delicious. I’ll definitely be making this again – and I will not be giving away more than a slice or two. Yes, I’m that selfish.

There are not a lot of ingredients in this pie, but don’t let that simplicity fool you. It is a labor and time intense recipe. It took me nearly two hours to make, not counting the baking time. It’s worth every minute of the time.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter, shortening, lemon juice, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Time to get your hands dirty. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your hands, work the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until it looks like yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-sized pieces of butter and shortening. (If the mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.)

I used Crisco from a tub. I suggest getting the shortening that is wrapped like butter sticks for pie crust – it would be easier than measuring out. As a rule, I don’t use shortening, partially hydrogenated oil is not particularly good for you, however, I’m thinking I might have to make an exception for some pie crusts. It really made a difference in the texture.

Mix the cold water and egg and beat it together with a fork. Add the egg and water to the dough with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up with a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture. Careful about adding to much water here – were going to rest the dough which will allow for the moisture to penetrate the dough better, so you want your dough a little dry at this point. Form the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 45 minutes to an hour.

Peel the apples, cut each into about 8 wedges. Place the apples in a medium-sized bowl with the lemon juice. Add the sugar to the apple slices and toss to cover all the apples.

I used Braeburn apples, but any good apple will work. If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch there is a nice application in the App Store called “Them Apples” (Story | Developers Site) that is a comprehensive index of the most popular and available apples and their best uses. It comes in really handy at the grocery store and best of all its free.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes. Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. This is important if you don’t want a wet pie crust on the bottom. Rather than partially bake or use thickening agents in the baking process, this recipe caramelizes the sugar and liquids from the apples to make a great sauce that will leave your pie bottom dry and perfectly cooked.

Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. If the dough cracks just push it back together, no one will see it, since its going to be covered with apples, or return the dough to the fridge to cool it some more. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with the dough, trimming the sides to about 1/2 inch overhang. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center.

I used exactly 3 pounds of apples before peeling and coring. If you want a thicker apple pie to get about half to a pound more of apples.

Beat an egg with a fork in a small bowl and brush the top edges of the dough with egg. Roll out the second half of the dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Cut the dough into even strips depending on how thick you want your strips. I used a pie cutter to get clean straight lines but a knife will work too.

Layout 4 to 7 evenly spaced parallel strips on top of the filling. Fold back every other strip. Place one long strip perpendicular to the parallel. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip. Take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip. Continue this process until the weave is complete.

Trim the edges of the strips flush to the underlying dough. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the strips and crimp. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar.

Put pie in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake the pie until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Recipe: Apple Pie

Source: Adapted from From Food Network KitchensPrint Recipe
Yield 1 Pie

Ingredients

Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold butter, diced
7 tablespoons cold shortening, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water

Filling

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 pounds baking apples like Golden Delicious, Cortland
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter and shortening. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.)
Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up with a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture. Form the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
Peel the apples cutting each into about 8 wedges. Place the apples in a medium-sized bowl with the lemon juice. Add the sugar to the apple slices and toss to cover all the apples.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes. Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible.
Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with the dough, trimming the sides to about 1/2 inch overhang. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center.
Brush the top edges of the dough with egg. Roll out the second half of the dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Cut the dough into even strips depending on how thick you want your strips. Layout 4 to 7 evenly spaced parallel strips on top of the filling. Fold back every other strip. Place one long strip perpendicular to the parallel. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip. Take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip. Continue this process until the weave is complete. Trim the edges of the strips flush to the underlying dough. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the strips and crimp. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar.
Put the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake the pie until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Pie, Recipe

apple pies, baking class, shortning

Key Lime Pie (Gluten-free)

February 23, 2010

Jeff

No Comments

I’ve only made Key Lime Pie once before – it was, in a word, inedible. Seriously bad. Throw it in the trash and pretend you never made it worse. I’m blaming it on a bad recipe that used the rinds of the lime.

This is a slightly tweaked version of the recipe we used in my Bakeshop Skills class. I used the scraps of the gluten free graham crackers I made the other day for the crust. I made the pie three days ago and Marks is still talking about it. One of our neighbors we gave a piece to called last night to say how good it was and that he was eating his wife’s slice of pie. So hopefully I have redeemed myself.

In looking at recipes for key lime pie I came across a little history of the pie I found interesting. The pie was made possible by the invention of sweetened condensed milk. At the time refrigeration was such that milk would not hold up in Florida’s heat. Originally the pie was not cooked at all – the acid of the limes cooked the eggs. The pie can still be made this way, but because of modern fears of salmonella its usually baked.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need graham-cracker crumbs, unsalted butter, cinnamon, eggs, cream of tartar, sweetened condensed milk, and Key limes. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor into fine crumbs. I’m using my Cuisinart food processor from Costco – its a nice piece of equipment and really easy to clean too. You can always just crush the graham crackers in a bag with a rolling pin too.

Combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a spoon until all the ingredients are wet and combined – when finished the graham cracker crumbs look a little wet still. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. You can just cover the bottom or take the crumbs all the way up the side. The crust will fall down the sides a bit when baked. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 325°.

Whisk the egg yolks with the cream of tartar until frothy, the cream of tartar stabilizes and gives volume to the eggs. Juice the limes (a lime or lemon juice works well for this if you have one.) Stir the condensed milk and egg mixture together, then whisk in the Key lime juice until fully incorporated.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Let the pie cool, then refrigerate the pie for about an hour before serving.

The pie is not green – when you see one that is it has food coloring in it. The color is going to be different depending on your ingredients. The eggs yolks I used in this pie were darker than usual. I like a little unsweetened whipped cream on the top to contrast the sweetness of the pie.

Recipe: Key Lime Pie

Print RecipeSource: Adapted from Mangrove Mama’s
Yield: 1 Pie

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups gluten free graham-cracker crumbs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup Key lime juice, preferably fresh

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat to cool. Crush the graham crackers in either a bag or a food processor into fine crumbs.
Combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are wet and combined. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 325°.
Whisk the egg yolks with the cream of tartar until frothy. Juice the limes. Stir the condensed milk and egg mixture together, then whisk in the Key lime juice until fully incorporated.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Let the pie cool, then refrigerate the pie for about an hour before serving.

Gluten Free, Pie, Recipe

key limes

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

February 22, 2010

Jeff

No Comments

I’ve always had the store bought graham crackers. Who makes graham crackers at home when you can buy them in the grocery store for less than the cost of making them? I didn’t even realize people made them – its like they mysteriously just appear in the grocery store all ready to be used for smores, snacks and pie crusts.

Im always looking for ways to redo recipes to remove the gluten. Sometimes its worth it, sometimes its just a poor resemblance to the gluten-filled original. In this case – while they are not 100% the same, they are more than worth it. Not only are the great tasting they work great as a replacement for baking when graham crackers are called for. For this recipe I turned to Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef. If you have gluten intolerance its a great site with a wide variety of recipes.

The recipe and detailed instructions are at the end of this post. For this recipe, we need sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, guar gum, salt, unsalted butter, honey, and cold water. Looks like we have it all. Ready, set, bake…

Combining the sorghum, brown rice, tapioca, and sweet rice flours in a food processor. Mix them for about 10 seconds or until well combined. Add the cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan and guar gums, and salt and mix it up again. If you don’t have a food processor you can do this with your bare hands, a pastry cutter or a couple forks.

Add the butter cut into 1-inch pieces to the flours. Pulse until the butter is incorporated into the flours. The mixture should be a coarse texture resembling cornmeal. If your doing it by hand the texture should be the same.

Combine the honey and 3 tablespoons of the water. With the food processor running, pour in the honeyed water. In a few minutes the dough should form a ball – if it does not add a little more ice water a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be soft and moist. If doing this by hand it will have the same effect – while combining it will start to form a ball etc.

Cut the ball of dough in half and wrap each half of the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until firm and cold to the touch.

Take one of the dough balls out of the fridge and onto a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit your baking tray. Cover the ball with another piece of parchment paper and roll out the dough into a rectangle about the size of your pan at about 1/4 an inch thick.

Cut the dough into your desired number and size of pieces. There will be rough edges that you can use for scraps or to just eat. Place the dough and bottom piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Using a fork, prick holes into the crackers in a pattern of your choice.

Bake the graham crackers 15 to 20 minutes. They should be a light golden brown when they are done baking. Cool for about 30 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and parchment paper.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Recipe: Gluten Free Graham Crackers

Adapted from The Gluten-free Girl: Gluten Free Graham Crackers Print Recipe
Yield about 16 servings

Ingredients

2.5 ounces sorghum flour (that’s about 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
2.5 ounces brown rice flour, ground super fine, if possible (1/3 cup, plus 1 T)
2.5 ounces tapioca flour (1 tablespoon shy of 1/3 cup
2.5 ounces sweet rice flour (1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces unsalted butter, just out of the refrigerator (7 tablespoons)
3 ounces mild-flavored honey (1/4 cup)
3 to 6 tablespoons cold water
cinnamon sugar (optional)

Instructions

Combining the sorghum, brown rice, tapioca, and sweet rice flours in a food processor. Mix them for about 10 seconds or until well combined. Add the cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan and guar gums, and salt and mix it up again.
Add the butter cut into 1-inch pieces to the flours. Pulse until the butter is incorporated into the flours. The mixture should be a coarse texture resembling cornmeal.
Finishing the dough. Stir together the honey and 3 tablespoons of the water. With the food processor running, pour in the honeyed water. Let the food processor run for a few minutes, allowing the dough to form a ball. The final dough should be soft and pliable, even a bit wet. If it still has not come together entirely after a few minutes of processing, add the remaining cold water, a tablespoon at a time.
Combine the honey and 3 tablespoons of the water. With the food processor running, pour in the honeyed water. In a few minutes, the dough should form a ball – if it does not add a little more ice water a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be soft and moist. If doing this by hand it will have the same effect – while combining it will start to form a ball etc.
Cut the ball of dough in half and wrap each half of the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until firm and cold to the touch.
Preheating the oven to 325°. Line a sheet tray with 2 pieces of the same size parchment paper.
Between the two pieces of parchment paper roll out the dough into a rectangle about the size of your pan at about 1/4 an inch thick.
Cut the dough into your desired number and size of pieces. There will be rough edges that you can use for scraps or to just eat. Place the dough and bottom piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Remove from fridge and using a fork, prick holes into the crackers in a pattern of your choice.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. They should be a light golden brown when they are done baking. Cool for about 30 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Cookies, Gluten Free, Recipe

flours, gluten, pie crusts