Daring Bakers' July Challenge - Fresh Fraisiers!

July brought me my most intimidating and exciting challeng to date! Wow... we have a new favorite dessert here in our house. We are now completely in love with Fraisiers.

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

I knew exactly where I wanted to go with this challenge. I saw the coconut option and ran with it. But, I must admit that I went a little coconut loco. I was able to incorporate coconut oil, extract, coconut cream as well as unsweetened shredded coconut. Unfortunately our strawberries are done, so I used fresh and local blueberries and kiwi instead.

 Let's start with the coconut chiffon cake, shall we?


You Will Need:
1 c. + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c.  sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. coconut oil
3 large egg yolks
1/8 c.  water
1/3 c. coconut cream
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. lemon zest, grated
5 large egg whites
¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Line the bottom of 2 small heart-shaped spring form pans. Don't grease the sides. 

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, extract, coconut cream and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.

Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.

Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.

Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Okay, now make the Pastry Cream...

You Will Need:
1 c. whole milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. gelatin
1/2 Tbsp. water
1 c. heavy cream

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
3. Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
9. In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
10. Put two inches (55 mm) of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
11. Measure 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 ml) of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
12. Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 C). Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
13. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Now make a simple syrup to keep the cake moist, then you will be ready to assemble the cake!

You Will Need:
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweeted coconut flakes

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. When all the sugar has dissolved completely, take it off the heat and pour it through a strainer to catch the bits of coconut. Let the syrup cool and store in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.

....And now it is cake time

Line the sides of your spring form pan with wrap. Don't wrap the bottom. Cut your cakes in half to make 2 layers, or you can cut out shapes from a larger cake.

Fit your first layer in the bottom of a spring form pan.

Take the simple syrup and spoon it over the cake. It will absorb a lot!! It will resemble a squishy sponge.

Now take your fruit and cut and assemble it around the edges. I chose kiwi and blueberries for this one.

Then with a pastry bag and large tip, pipe the pastry cream in around the fruit. Add additional fruit in the center of the cake and add more pastry cream.

Then add the top cake layer. Spoon more syrup over it and add a thin layer of the pastry cream. Then add a thin layer of almond paste. I made my own for this (recipe to come soon!) and then used the spring form bottom to cut out the shape.

Then I dusted the top with powdered sugar and a little extra unsweetened shredded coconut. Yum!!

This recipe ended up being my favorite so far and I can't wait to make it again. Be sure to check out The Daring Bakers if you want to get in on the baking action for next month.

Daring Bakers' June Challenge - Baklava + Homemade Phyllo!

Oh, my goodness. This month's challenge really got my mouth watering! I love Baklava. Okay, I rarely get a chance to eat it, so learning how to make it seemed like a dream come true.

During college there was a little restaurant near the bookstore that would make Baklava once a week. If I wasn't quick enough it would all be sold out. Gooey, nutty goodness... thy name was Baklava. I assumed it was a tricky thing to make, and Phyllo? I had never heard of people making their own Phyllo dough before.

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava. - Seriously, thank you Erica!

There are 3 components to this recipe, the Phyllo Dough, the nut filling and the syrup. The Phyllo can be made ahead and frozen if necessary.

Phyllo Dough
You will Need:
1 1/3 cups (320 ml) (185 gm/6½ oz) unbleached all purpose (plain) flour
1/8 teaspoon (2/3 ml) (¾ gm) salt
1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) cider vinegar, (could substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar, but could affect the taste)

I was surprised how easy this was to make... Combine the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. Measure your water, oil and vinegar in a separate cup. Slowly add the wet to the dry till the dough comes together. With the dough hook, mix for about 10 minutes till you have a smooth dough.

Rub a little oil on the dough ball and then wrap tightly with wrap. Let it rest for at least an hour or two.

In the meantime, you can work on the filling.


Filling

You Will Need:  
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
15 to 20 whole allspice berries
3/4 c. toasted almonds
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. toasted hazelnuts
3/4 c.  roasted pistachios
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c.  melted butter

Throw all the ingredients except for the butter in the food processor and pulse up till you have smaller chunks and mixed up.

Now set aside.

When the Phyllo dough has rested, it is time to roll it out. I ended up using my pasta press to roll it out. I started with a golf ball sized piece of dough, then added a little flour and rolled it into a square. Then fed it through my pasta press, getting progressively thinner.

After the final setting, I still gently stretched the dough to fit my pan size. I chose a 8 x 5.5 inch pan and the pasta press made perfect sized sheets for me.

I stretched it thin enough for light to pass through easily. Then I cut it to size, floured it and set it aside.

When I was ready to assemble, I melted one stick of butter. Start out by brushing the dish generously.Then lay down your first Phyllo sheet. After laying down a sheet, brush with butter and repeat 5 times. Then add 1/3 of the nut mixture.

Keep repeating this pattern and finish with a the Phyllo layer. Generously brush with butter and cut the Baklava. You will cut it again later, but this will make cutting easier.

Bake the Baklava at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While your Baklava is baking, make the syrup.

Syrup
You Will Need:
1 1/4 c. honey - I used orange blossom honey for the citrus flavor
1 1/4 c. water
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange peel
a few cloves or a pinch or ground clove

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm it to dissolve all the sugar. Then bring it up to a boil for 10 minutes. After it has boiled, strain it and set aside till the Baklava has finished baking.

Pop it out and cut again. I brushed the tops of mine with a little more butter. It will bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Now take the syrup and pour it over the top...

Oh, my goodness! It smells so good.

Now comes the hardest part. You need to let it sit and soak up that syrup overnight. I know, waiting is hard to do. ...but, it will be so worth it.

And the Daring Bakers have done it again! A delicious challenge where I was able to make my own Phyllo... and enjoy one of my favorites anytime I want.

I also wanted to share some great links we were given. I know Baklava seems intimidating because of the nuts and gluten, but there are great alternatives out there...


Nut Free Baklava –
http://hubpages.com/hub/nut-free-baklava-recipe
http://tzk-design.com/recipe/nut-free-baklava

Gluten Free Baklava
http://glutenfreepastry.org/gluten-free-baklava-recipe-demonstration/
http://gluten-free.mobi/gluten-free-baklava.php

Happy Baking! Join me next month to see where the July Daring Baker's Challenge will  take me.

Daring Bakers' May Challenge - MARQUISE ON MERINGUE

Today is posting day again for the monthly Daring Bakers' Challenge. If you like to learn new techniques and consider yourself daring in the kitchen, I urge you to check it out. This month it was all completely new to me. Have you ever had or heard of this dessert?

The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

 
Shall we get started?

This recipe consists of 4 components (actually 5 counting the chocolate base). It combines a chocolate marquise, torched meringue, candied almonds and candied almond peel.

Originally the marquise had cayenne and tequila... instead I opted for orange extract and vodka. I exchanged the spiced almonds and tequila caramel for orange candied almonds and candied orange peel. The chocolate is very rich and I hoped to cut a little of that with the orange flavor... that and I love chocolate and orange combined!

You Will Need:

(Chocolate Base)

6 oz. of semisweet chocolate

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 c. vodka

1/8 c. light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1/16 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened

(Chocolate Marquise)

6 large egg yolks at room temperature

2 large eggs

1/3 c. sugar

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp. water

chocolate base * see recipe

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. Dutch process cocoa powder for rolling

(Torched Meringue)

6 large egg whites

3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar

splash of apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

(Orange Candied Almonds)

1 lb almonds

1 egg white

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1 Tbsp. water

3 c. of sugar

(Candied Orange Peel)

1 orange with the rind & pith cut off in strips

3 c. sugar

1 c. water

First start by making the chocolate base. Start with your chocolate in a bowl. Add the cream to a saucepan and heat it till warm but not boiling. Then pour this over your chocolate. Let it stand for a minute and then stir till smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk till smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature as you make the marquise.

Place all your eggs for the marquise into a stand mixer and beat for 10 -15 minutes. Your eggs will become fluffy and pale. It is okay to set the timer and get other ingredients ready. Just let your mixer and the eggs do their thing!

In the last few minutes bring your sugar and water to boil in a small saucepan. It will be in the softball stage (235 degrees). With the mixer on low, add the syrup mixture to the eggs. Now turn it back on high and whip till the bowl cools, about 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream till soft peaks form. Then set aside.

Now add the chocolate base to your mixer. Make sure it has cooled before adding. Whisk to combine, but do not over do it. You don't want to lose the air whipped into your eggs.

Then gently fold in 1/3 of your whipped cream. Then gently fold in the rest.

At this point you can freeze the marquise in a loaf pan, baking dish, or I chose a silicone baby food container. I think the portion sizes were perfect and I wouldn't have to cut it later.

Now freeze it for at least 3 hours. I froze mine overnight so I could make the rest of the recipe the following day.

Okay, now I made both the candied orange peels and orange candied almonds at the same time. Both are easy to make up ahead time.

For the orange peel, put them in a small saucepan with cold water. Bring them up to a boil to blanch. Strain the peel out and repeat two more times.

Then put the water and sugar in the saucepan and bring it up to simmer. Add the peels and simmer for about 45 minutes. They should be soft and translucent. Then let them cool. You can save the syrup for iced tea to use later.

The candied almonds are even easier! Whip the egg white, orange extract and water together till foamy. Add the almonds and coat. Then add the sugar and mix. Place your almonds on a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment. These will bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Easy peasy!

Now before you want to serve the chocolate marquise, take it out of the freezer and roll in your cocoa powder. They will melt quickly, so handle and move them as little as possible. Let them sit out for a few minutes so they are soft when served.

And for the last component, make the torched meringue. This was a new technique for me. In your stand mixer bowl, add the eggs, sugar and vinegar. With a clean hand mix the eggs till all the sugar is moistened.

Then put the bowl over a pan of water (quick double boiler) and heat. Continue stirring till the mixture thickens and all the sugar is dissolved. The mixture will be warm.

Then put the bowl back on the mixer and whip the eggs till soft peaks form. Add your vanilla and continue to whip for another minute or two.

Plate your meringue and use a hand torch to finish the top.

I added my candied orange peel and almond to the plate and it was ready to serve! Enjoy. ...we did!

Daring Bakers' April Challenge - Maple Mousse in Bacon

Welcome to another Daring Bakers' Challenge. I never know what to expect. Each month we are given a challenge and then need to complete it and post on the 27th. So, here it is...

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container.

I have to admit I have never had either a Maple Mousse, or made a bacon cup before. The idea intrigued me, and I made an honest attempt. First came the edible cup:

Woven together, I laid it over my muffin tin and secured the pieces with toothpicks. Baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. I learned the hard way that the toothpicks should be removed as soon as they are cool enough to touch. Once the bacon has cooled completely it is very brittle.

See the holes? Not good. I was hoping my filling would be thick enough to stay inside...

So, onto the Maple Mousse. This was easy enough. 1 c. pure maple syrup, 3 egg yolks, 1 1/2 c. heavy cream and 1 package of gelatin.

I heat the maple up and beat the yolks. I tempered my yolks and then mixed them together.

Let the gelatin bloom in 1/4 cup. cream. Then add to the eggs. Whip the remaining cream and fold into the yolk mixture. Let this sit in the fridge and set up for at least an hour.

Then you only need to pipe it into your edible cup and chill till you are ready to serve it.

Mine were neither beautiful nor as delicate as I had wanted. I went with the example container and required filling since my creative side was lacking this month. (I think I still have Easter burn-out!) I do have some ideas about baked kale cups with a savory type of filling... hmmm... Stay tuned. I might have a make-over for these coming soon.

I have no idea what will be in store for next month's Daring Baker's Challenge... I kinda hope bread will be showing up soon. Till next month, happy baking!

Daring Bakers' March Challenge - Filled Meringue Coffee Cake

Oh, heavens to murgatroyd!

I love a good yeast bread. What can I say? I am addicted to the theraputic feeling of kneading.

I adore chocolate. I mean, I am female!

I am a little nutty for nuts and spices, too. So this month's Daring Bakers' Challenge for the Filled Meringue Coffee Cake was very exciting. I just knew it would be fantastic. In fact, I didn't have anything I wanted to change about the filling. Except... I did sneak a few white chocolate chips and bitter chocolate into the mix.

This Month's challenge was courtesy of  Jamie of Life’s a Feast and Ria of Ria’s Collection. . Jamie offered us a chocolate and nut version while Ria had a savory version with Garam Masala and Saffron. Both were tempting, but the chocolate won out in the end. This recipe will make 2 coffee cakes, but you can half the recipe.

For the Coffee Cake You will need:

4 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

3/4 c. whole milk

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temp.

2 large eggs, at room temp.

Combine 1 1/2 c. of flour, sugar, salt and your yeast in a bowl and set aside. 

In a small saucepan heat up your milk, water and butter. Just till the butter melts. Add this to the flour mixture. With an electric mixer on low, beat until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 c. of flour and beat for another 2 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 8 -10 minutes till it is soft, smooth and elastic. Add the remaining 1 1/2 c. of flour only as necessary. A soft and slightly sticky dough will be more tender when baked.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with wrap and then a towel. Allow it to rise for 45-60 minutes until it has doubled in bulk.

At this time you can prepare your filling. 

For the Filling you will need:

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a combo of white chocolate, semi-sweet, and bitter)

In a smaller bowl I combined:

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Once the dough has risen, you can make your meringue.

You will need:

3 large egg whites at room temp

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. sugar

Beat the egg whites with the salt. Start at a low speed and then gradually increase it. When you have foamy and opaque egg whites, add the vanilla and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating till you form very stiff, glossy peaks.

Divide your dough in half and wrap your extra half in wrap while you make your first coffee cake.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to 20" by 10" rectangle. 

Then spread half your meringue on it and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture, and half the chocolate and nuts. Then roll it up like a jellyroll from the long side. Transfer your log to a baking sheet with parchment paper (this will catch any chocolate meringue spill-overs!) and form into a ring. With kitchen shears cut slits into the side of your log.

Repeat this with your remaining ingredients. Cover your coffee cakes with plastic and let them rise for another 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Brush your coffee cakes with an egg wash before baking for 25-35 minutes. They will be golden brown and will sound hollow when tapped. For a finishing touch, you can dust them lightly with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Check back every month on the 27th for the Daring Bakers' Challenge reveal. Until then, happy baking!

Daring Bakers' November Challenge - Crostata

This is my first month as part of the daring baker group, and I was so excited to kick it off with a fabulous Italian tart, the Crostata.

 

I bet I have your attention, right? This month’s hostess is Simona from briciole. She invited us to make a crostata as she remembers from her childhood. The base of a crostata is pasta frolla (or pastafrolla), sweet short crust pastry (or sweet tart dough) made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Different from a pie crust which is flour, a fat and cold water. She suggested trying the pasta frolla with either fruit preserves for a traditional treat, or pastry cream which I decided on. I was excited to dig right in and try this recipe out.
The pasta frolla was surprisingly easy…

• 1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon [105 ml, 100 g, 3 ½ oz] superfine sugar (see Note 1) or a scant 3/4 cup [180ml, 90g, 3 oz] of powdered sugar
• 1 and 3/4 cup [420 ml, 235 g, 8 1/4 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stick [8 tablespoons / 4 oz. / 115 g] cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option, see Note 2)
• 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

Sugar, flour and salt went into the food processor and then in went the cold butter and lemon zest. As soon as I had a course meal consistency I put the flour mixture on my counter and may a well in the center for the eggs. Incorporating just like a pasta, the dough slowly came together. I formed a disc and put it into the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

 

While I waited for the dough to chill, I started to work on my pastry cream. This was my first attempt, but found it to be simple and delicious! I had large lemon peel slices in my milk (500 ml) & sugar (1/3 cup). I used 1 whole egg with 3 egg yolks and 3 Tbsp. pastry flour. As soon as the milk came to a simmer, I tempered the eggs and then brought the whole mixture up to a simmer for about 6 minutes. It thickened nicely and cooled it off in an ice bath.

I rolled out my pastry and did a 5 minute blind bake at 350 degrees to start with. Then I added the pastry cream, added the lattice work to the top, brushed with egg white and finished baking it for 30 minutes. After cooling I topped it with some frozen blueberries and dusted the top with powdered sugar.

So, how did it turn out? Really delicious!

 

I think the tart went over quite well with my taste tester. In fact, I was told that I could make a crostata anytime! I am looking forward to next month’s challenge already.