Marionberry Crown Cheesecake

Cranberry Crown Cheesecake lost out to Marionberries when I spied them in the freezer at Whole Foods.
The lure of Marionberries was too much, even though 'tis the season for all things cranberry.  And figgy pudding.

I thought about making the Ladyfingers, really I did.  But that would entail me ferreting through a cupboard for the proper piping tip.  I wasn't up to the mental task.  Christmas, I have come to accept, is for the young.  I don't remember taking so long to recover from commando shopping expeditions, marathon wrapping sessions, helping Santa fill stockings in the dead of night only to be awakened by eager children who could barely wait til dawn's early light.  Except there was no light at five a.m.  Just deafening cheers of  "Santa came! Santa came!"  Yes, yes he did.  Unlike the year he may have zealously slept and therefore neglected the filling of stockings.  And Santa has never lived down that year.

The Salvardi Ladyfingers were good little soldiers and lined up cooperatively. The bottom of the pan was lined with the tips and for good measure, an extra layer of crushed cookies.  The cheesecake mixture was probably the easiest cheesecake I've made, especially since I neglected to read the fine print to actually add the sour cream sitting in the refrigerator.

Which may account for the decidedly shallow depth of filling.  Into the oven in a nice warm bain Marie and two hours later a lovely sour creamless cheesecake emerged.   It's always a moment of truth, opening up the foil chanting "Please let it be dry. Please let it be dry."  Could a football touchdown score more enthusiasm than dry foil?  I think not.

 Sorely lacking in patience, the hardest part for me is waiting for something to cool.  Or set.  This was no exception.

There's no way it was going to get a final 24 hour rest in the refrigerator.  We bravely took our chances.  And even without the sour cream, this is one fantastic cheesecake.  Rose really knows cheesecakes.  Every single cheesecake we've made has been fantastic. The marionberries set it off nicely.  Very very nicely.

Deep Chocolate Rosebuds and Fruitcake

FYI 

The pictures keep half disappearing. If anyone knows how to fix this I'd be very appreciative.

These are good, really good.  Even with the mistake of leaving the cream out of the ganache.  I must learn to pay attention to how many servings these desserts make because it made six.  Six!  I would have doubled it.  Suffice it to say there is much negotiating amongst the populace on who gets what.

Fruitcake has to be my most favorite cake to make.  Maybe it's the cheery glaceed fruit tumbling around in rum for weeks on end.  Or the toasting of the pecans and walnuts.  The simple ingredients that feel more like a craft project being assembled together than a dessert.  I love the crunch crunch sound the Kitchen Aid makes with the final stir up.  Most surprising of all is how Rose's fruitcake recipe puts all fruitcake jokes to shame.

I opted for little mini bundt cakes with the intention of handing a few out as gifts, along with Joe Pastry's fruitcake story and a sweet little book, The Best Christmas Present in the World, which is actually based in fact.  Hopes were high, especially as the amazing new Instant Read Thermometer Prize from across the pond takes this temperature business to a whole new level.  I'm hooked!  Leaving it set to Celsius instead of switching it to Fahrenheit is giving the girls a chance to understand measurement differences.  Hopefully it will demystify it a bit so chemistry won't seem so daunting down the road.

My fruitcakes were thwarted two fold.  A) I forgot to turn down the oven twenty five degrees for the dark pan.  Blast!  Not completely burned but a bit over done.  B) The pans on the upper rack was unbeknownst to me, precariously perched.  My husband, who never quite understood the odd way the racks slide in for safety, shoved it in.  When I pulled the tray of individual molds out, they literally went to rack and ruin on the floor.  Poor little things!  A moment of silence was in order.  Still, the surviving cakes are delicious, didn't over bake and there's no way they'll make it to Christmas.

I did just watch  fruitcake being make on PBS in a spring form pan and it looked very promising for Rose's fruitcake next year.

Maple-Pecan Medjool Date Rugelach

The Avid Bakers Challenge this month was Flo Braker's Maple-Pecan Medjool Date Rugelach.  This is the second batch because the entire first batch did not last long enough to take a picture.  Everyone loves these morsels.  The flavor faintly reminds us of Baklava.

It began with a search for dates.  Not knowing anything about dates, I managed to buy the wrong variety. Medjools, I learned, are the King of Dates.  Whole Foods had some in containers and then I found these displayed in the produce section.  They were twice the size, plump, beautiful color and organic.  Organic?  Aren't all dates organic?  No, they are not, sad to say.  I paid a King's Ransom for these beauties and it was worth every penny.  They had just been picked a few days before.

My rolling techinque leaves a lot to be desired.  I felt like one of Kramer's Cubans.

Luckily, it is not necessary to roll the Rugelach into a tight Dutch Master's Presidente to be delicious.

These cookies brought out shameless pilfering.  "Just one more...just one more.....just one more..."

Financier-Style Vanilla Bean Pound Cakes

We don't need no stickin' financier silicone pans.  Well, actually we do, but I made due with silicone cupcake molds.  It made eight with one casualty slipping off the rack whilst coming out of the oven.  Does the five second rule hold?  I may have cried.  This was a lot of work for eight tiny cupcakes.  Next time the recipe will be doubled.

I used vanilla bean paste for the first time with these little gems.  Interesting stuff, not at all what I expected, quite runny.  The few ingredients went together easily.  Rose clarified the unusual dough texture and I'm very glad she did, otherwise I would have beaten it far too long.

Topped with a dab of marscapone and apricot jam, these were delicious.  Everyone very much enjoyed them and go on the Make Again List.

Rose's Shortbread Cookies

Rose's Christmas Cookies has a recipe for traditional Scottish Shortbread.  After reading the charming history of mixing shortbread by hand, I told my granddaughters to scrub up.  I wish I had captured the looks of utter and complete surprise mixed with unbridled joy at the prospect of getting to put their hands straight into dough!

 "Really?  We really get to put out hands into the bowl?" Yes you do!  An afternoon of fun with a few simple ingredients; flour, butter, sugar and powdered sugar.

"Look grandma, we have an assembly line!"  One rolled and flattened, just as Rose instructed, the other then rolled them into balls.  Ah, but wait girls, there's more fun to be had.

Dipping forks in water to press the dough was quite the adventure.   "They're waffled!"

If you have purchased Walker's Shortbread, these are very similar in texture and crumb, nice and light, not overly sweet.  Perfect with a hot cup of tea.

Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake

Rose's Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake is an incredibly light crumbed bundt cake.  It was very easy to make.  The hardest part was waiting an hour for it to cool.  I wish I had pulled it out of the oven a few minutes early.  It didn't burn but the top, which became the bottom, was a bit too done.  No one complained and I was probably the only one that noticed. 

The cocoa powder was a mix of Green & Blacks and Valrohna.  It was interesting to see how much darker the Valrohna was compared to the Green &Blacks.  This is definitely one of those quick go to cakes, perfect for any occasion.   

Butter

I happened upon an informative article on butter and baking cookies.  Now I understand why Rose emphasizes the temperature of  butter in cake recipes.

Here is an amazing  wedding cookie table video.

Plus a delightful print of NY Times 1908 cookie recipes.

And for the final bit of cookie fun, Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookie recipe from the NY Times.
Ginger Elizabeth interned under Mr. Torres which explains her preference for Valrhona chocolate disks.

I'll finally brave the cold and trek to the market for eggs to bake this week's Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake.  I really miss having chickens.

July 9, 2008

RECIPE

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Let the Fruit Cake Begin

Who's making fruitcake this year?  Last year the Heavenly Cake Bakers made Rose's Fruitcake Wreath.  Honestly, I never in a million years thought anyone in my family would like this cake, let alone, love it.  They
constantly snitched those wrapped and resting in rum.  I'm not certain any of the fruitcakes made it to Christmas.

There was much merriment when I announced I was off to buy candied fruit.  That jar doesn't look like much, most of the pretty cherries are underneath the lemon and orange peel.  I have no idea why I find the daily turning of the jar fun, but I do!  And if you've never read Joe Pastry's tale of his father's annual fruitcake, it's a delight.

Lemon Canadian Crown Trifle

I bought the wrong kind of Ladyfingers, crispy ones from Italy.  I broke most of the Italian Ladyfingers.  There was only one thing to do in my lazy, post Thanksgiving foggy state.....crush the Ladyfingers and turn the luscious lemon filling into a trifle.  For a bit of color, frozen blueberries were scattered between the layers. The meringue toppings were piped on parchment, browned and then transferred.  Since the bowl is crystal, poor planning on my part, it was not frozen but chilled for several hours. The flavors are spectacular in Rose's Lemon Canadian Crown dessert.  The lemon is such an unexpected burst of flavor. The crunchy Ladyfingers softened just enough to retain texture but provide a lovely contrast.  This definitely is a show stopper dessert that was easy to make.

Rose's Lemon Poppyseeds (Cookies)

Rose's Christmas Cookies is a treasured book on my shelf.  Many years ago Land O' Lakes Butter had a special offer for Rose's new book and my mom sent it to me.  My daughter, who was quite young at the time, immediately took to it, spending hours pouring over the pictures and reading recipes.  Through the years she made several recipes, each one a winner.  Yesterday I was only too happy to pick up ingredients for her and my granddaughter to take over my kitchen and mix up a batch of these delectable goodies.

Rose describes these Lemon Poppyseeds as the cookie variation of her Cake Bible Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake.  The cookies are rolled in ground almonds for a nice, crunchy coating.

I love lemon poppyseed cookies and these are by far the best I have tasted.  Chosen because they are in the section designated to be especially suitable for mailing, it's going to be quite hard packing these little gems up and shipping them off.  These cookies will definitely be on the annual list of requested holiday cookies.   The lemon zest filled the blustery, cold rainy evening with the most amazing aroma.

We always joke that whenever something goes "missing" in my house, all we have to do is buy another one and the original turns up.  That is exactly what happened with this book, only in triplicate!  Somehow we double ordered on Amazon; one or two clicks too many.  This worked out quite well since I have enough books for my daughter and each granddaughter to have their very own copy.  If I was allowed only one cookie book, this would be the one.

Chocolate Genoise with Peanut Butter Whipped Ganache

Chocolate Genoise from Rose's Heavenly Cakes is ultra light and moist. Frosted with Peanut Butter Whipped Ganache and layered with black raspberry, it is a pretty fantastic combination. The peanut butter is a slight background flavor that enhances the chocolate and raspberry.  No one could define exactly what it was.

I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate mixed with Lindt Milk Chocolate for the ganache, Green & Blacks cocoa powder for the genoise and Valrohona chocolate pearls for garnish.

Rose uses Chambord to make a simple syrup for moistening the layers. I could not see spending twenty five dollars for two tablespoons worth of Chambord.  If I find a smaller bottle, I'll be tempted to try it.  For now, Dickinson's  Seedless Black Raspberry Jam fit the bill perfectly.  Thinned with a bit of hot water, it painted easily over the split cake.  So excited this substitution worked, I forgot to put the ganache between the two layers! Sprinkled with a few Valrohna pearls and drizzled with black raspberry syrup, it's never going to last long enough for the requisite night's rest.

Truffle Cookies

My Truffle Cookies look nothing like Ginger Elizabeth's Truffle Cookies, which isn't too surprising, but they taste pretty darn good.  The thing is, the dough is supposed to rest for fifteen minutes before baking.  The  baby granddaughter woke up, one thing led to another and the dough didn't just rest, it took a good long nap, a very long nap, which made the dough quite stiff.

I called Ginger Elizabeth's Chocolates and spoke to her husband.  He said it was alright to share this recipe with family and friends but Ginger asked that it not be posted online via Facebook, blogs, etc.  If any of you  would like the recipe, please email and I'll send it along.

Apple-Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

So many cakes, so little time, in Rose's Heavenly Cakes.  Each free choice week with the Heavenly Cake Bakers leaves me in such a quandary.  Reading from the list of cakes I've yet to make, it is difficult to choose.  Each one sounds as good as the next.  The family is still clamoring for the infamous Bostini but I was on chocolate overload after attending an incredible seminar given by Ginger Elizabeth, Dark vs Dark Chocolate Tasting.  Not only was it educational in all things chocolate, but if there is such a thing as chocolate nirvana, that was it. Ginger just won a very prestigious top ten chocolate ranking but I can't read my own note writing, so enraptured with tasting her Creme Fraiche truffle.  For a finale, she passed around her Truffle Cookies, then generously gave out the recipe.

This simple apple cake was the perfect counterbalance for a day of chocolate nibbling.

I made more mistakes with this easy little cake than I have in quite awhile.  I divided the batter into the pan wrong.  I found a leftover half cup of crumb topping.  And literally, to top it off, I put the crumb topping on too soon.  No matter.  It turned out deliciously.  Lovely cake for this time of year.

Swedish Pear and Almond Cake

This is an amazing cake, so simple and yet utterly sophisticated.  The delicate crumb is perfectly paired with almond and pear.  Very easy to put together, I couldn't have asked for an easier cake to jump back on the baking wagon.

Happily surprised to find the pears dutifully disappeared into the batter whilst baking.  It is possible to make almond paste and Joe Pastry says quite easy.  Next time I need marzipan or almond paste I'm going to give it a try.

This cake could go anywhere or stay at home with a hot cup of tea. The family is raving about it.  It must be quite good; they've momentarily forgotten about the Bostini which fell to the wayside and has yet to be made.

Draw the Dog

Y'all may remember a few short months ago my life was relatively drama free. Not chaos free, but drama free.

That was before Daisy the Alpha Chihuahua Mare came into our home.  Don't let this little darling fool you for one second.  She has taken over.  Rules the roost.  Wears a Snuggie.  Bosses around the cats.    Shatters wine glasses with a single bark.  Sprouted wings.  Nothing is too high or off limits.  She has a tenacity and cunning that makes her a perfect candidate for the CIA doggie core.  Does the CIA have a doggie core?

As I type, Her Majesty is taking a regularly scheduled morning nap perched on my lap.  I could set the clock by this nap.  I fear when the clocks go back for daylight savings time.  She must be dreaming about having the lead in Swan Lake because her tiny paws jete mightily.

Be that as it may, I want to introduce Draw the Dog.  This is a fun site co-hosted by a former Disney illustrator.  He takes dog photos then illustrates them into a cartoon with Bruce Kasanoff.  This alone would be entertaining but the real kicker is being able to watch as the cartoon draws itself.  Sign up for their daily email and start the morning with a hearty laugh.  They are having a contest.  You can read about it on their site.  It's for a good cause. The winners get to choose a favorite dog rescue group to receive a fundraising cartoon.  You might know a nice blog to submit.


On another note,  the Bostini has been pre-empted by a very nasty virus which has thrown me under a bus.


The most I can manage is lemon ginger tea with a side of aspirin.  Much grumbling amongst the natives who have eagerly anticipated the Bostini .  They suffer.  They suffer much.  There is no mercy once one is found out to bake weekly from Rose's Heavenly Cakes.  

Marie Helene's Apple Cake

French Fridays with Dorie made her fabulous recipe for Marie Helene's Apple Cake.  It couldn't have been simpler. Basically a thin, buttery batter is folded around apple chunks.  There is no flavoring other than rum. It is essential for the cake to rest several hours for the flavors to mellow together.  It was worth the wait.

This was an instant favorite.  

Gutsy Cooks tarts and custard

If y'all want a peek at my little tart, head on over to Almond Cream Pie where I chronicle my ventures into cooking.  These are from SweetBites Gutsy Cooks group.

Angel Food Cake Anyway You Want

Pretend I am Mrs. Bale from As Time Goes By and check the weather forecast.

Quickly ascertain small window of opportunity before rain arrives and foils 

Angel Food Cake making.

Set out  ingredients according to Rose's Heavenly Cakes Basic Angel Food Cake recipe.  Scratch head and mutter 0.22 ounces of flour doesn't seem like enough but Rose knows best.  Continue measuring out minuscule mis en place before light bulb goes off.  Marie. Math.  Toss mis en place and start again or get out the Easy Bake Oven.

Deduct points.

Ancient angel food cake pan

Relic from the 1950's-angel food cake batter folder 

Antique beer bottle

Ask hubby if he would mind going to the store, yet again, for lemons?

Every frozen egg white in the freezer

Angel Food Cake Mantra

Please don't fall out of the pan. Please don't fall out of the pan.  Please don't fall out of the pan. 

  Have parchment paper ready for Plan B Trifle if it falls out of the pan.

Do a happy dance of joy it didn't fall out of the pan PLUS came out in one piece.

Five bonus points.

Take serrated knife and slice into something resembling three layers.

Try not to notice air bubbles.

Exercise a modicum amount of willpower and refrain from devouring lemon filling.  Slather onto two layers with finger pointing silicone spatula.

Pretend the layers match up.

Spackle whipping cream  over entire cake.

No such thing as too much whipping cream.

                                                                        
The most amazing angel food cake ever.  EVER.  I am humbled by the awesomeness of Rose's Basic Angel Food Cake recipe.  Exquisite.  It has gone straight to the top of the favorite list, even by those who professed not to like Angel Food Cake.

--------------------------

Lemon Cream Filling from Heaven Only Knows Where ie Mom's Recipe Box
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine sugar and cornstarch in small pan.  Gradually stir in water; cook and stir over medium heat until thick and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add egg yolks and blend well.  Add butter, lemon juice, zest and salt.  Cook and stir one minute or until thickened and smooth.  Chill and stir before spreading on cake.

Pick Your Own Farms

With fall upon us I thought you might enjoy this web site for locating farms via zip codes.  And wouldn't you  know it?  I popped mine in and lo and behold, a farm which grows MARIONBERRIES!  Y'all remember those elusive marionberries, right?

http://www.pickyourown.org/

One Year of Heavenly Cake Baking

I cannot believe an entire year has gone by since baking my first cake from Rose's Heavenly Cakes a la the Heavenly Cake Bakers.  The reason for my wanting to join Marie's group was my terrible habit of never being able to resist a cookbook only to read them like fiction.  My cookbooks are in pristine condition, except one, which my then young children's puppy chewed while on the bookshelf.  Martha Stewart was not amused; seriously not amused autographing it at a book signing lecture.  She would be absolutely mortified at Rose's poor book.  It's falling apart.  I haven't seen hide nor tattered piece of the outer cover in months.  And yet Rose couldn't have been kinder when she signed the book in San Francisco.

"Oh, this book has been used!" she happily exclaimed, cocoa powder dust and all.

That was a few cakes ago.

So here I am, still struggling along with my non-sequential right brained ineptness, yet I love it!  I eagerly look forward with anticipation each week to see which cake is up and how big of a headache am I going to get?  Sometimes I have to call in for back up.  My daughter will patiently read the instructions while I pull my hair out, drop whisks and spatulas, set off a smoke alarm or two with burnt caramel and/or turn cooked syrups into rock candy science experiments.  My cursing vocabulary has increased by leaps and bounds.

Other times I plot and plan out a recipe worthy of troop maneuvers.  Diagrams take on crazy illustrations with arrows pointing here and there and circling back around in dizzying configurations that any high school football coach would be happy to have in his play book.

Miracles do happen and occasionally I sail through a recipe, victorious and triumphant with all ingredients added in the correct order. It doesn't happen often.  

My daughter has asked  me on more than one occasion  "Is this really worth it?  Would an average baker do this?"  The most cutting question of all "Would grandma bother with this book?"  

My answer is yes.  Yes it is worth it.  It is worth using every pot, pan, bowl, whisk and spatula I own and then having to wash them again before the cake can be finished.  It's worth it to me and not just for the resounding applauds and compliments that come my way.  I still can't quite accept those.  But they still keep coming and apparently the week's baking project is hugely anticipated by those with whom I share the calories.  Baking from this book has been better than a college course.

Would my mom, an amazing home baker, bother with this book?  Oh, yes, I think she definitely would.  I think she would have loved nothing more than to knock the socks off the ladies in her bridge groups with one or two or more of these cakes.  More importantly, she would have taken on Rose's precision baking practices and embraced them, once she got the hang of a scale.  She was a great baker because of her precision and perfectionism.  There wasn't an ounce of devil may care rebellion when it came to baking.  Or anything else really.  Clearly that trait did not come down the DNA.  

Why do I muddle on each week, never sure if a cake is going to be the final straw which contributes to a complete emotional breakdown after babysitting three granddaughters under the age of nine, two puppies under the age of six months, with the baby needing to be driven to her mother's office twice a day?  Because baking along with everyone around the world truly is a joy.  Reading each baker's post is a  treat.  I get inspired, entertained and awed by the dazzling accomplishments.  I'm uplifted with some sort of  group energy when I don't think I can possibly make a seven page cake.  And when the little granddaughters elbow their way in and commandeer the pastry brush, I am delighted.  They will never find weighing flour on a scale mentally taxing because they find it so fun now.

                                          Puppy teething on Rose's Heavenly Cakes 

What have I gained from baking out of a book which raises the bar on baking methods?  I would never bake any cake without cake strips encircling the pan.  I cringe when I now attempt to bake something and the weights aren't given.  My wish list for Christmas this year?  A new instant read thermometer. I pay attention to my ancient oven's temperature, know more about the various types of sugar than anyone should and spend more on chocolate than I do on vegetables.  

I can't say baking with HCB has given me confidence, per se, but I am no longer intimidated.  Now, if the same could be said for yeast and pie dough, I will consider it a life well lived.

Thank you Rose.  Thank you Woody.  Thank you Marie. And a special heartfelt thanks to my fellow HCB'ers.

Gutsy Cooks

 Click here for the empanadas and white bean soup I made with the Gutsy Cooks.

Many-Splendored Quick Bread

This tea bread from Rose's Heavenly Cakes is a unique variation of the many zucchini breads which became quite popular.  Every Christmas zucchini bread was on my grandmother's plates of holiday cookie trays she gave away.  I was quite spoiled by that simple gesture and never bothered to make it on my own.  I'm very glad Rose created this recipe.

Combining zucchini with carrots, banana and lemon zest gave the bread a completely different flavor than ordinary zucchini bread.  I baked these in three paper pans, leftover from the Vanilla Bean Pound Cakes the HCB'ers made.   It is a lovely recipe and from the positive reaction, I'm quite certain it will be requested many times.