Cakelove? Cakeporn!

Warren Brown's cookbook Cakelove might more aptly be retitled Cakeporn. The pictures, in full sumptuous color, of plump spongy cakes loaded with wet fluffy frosting make you want to run to the store and hunt down some of the more obscure ingredients his recipes require, like potato starch and cocoa nibs.

After making this lemon cake and a chocolate pound cake, I've noticed that his cake aesthetic and mine are a bit different. His cakes tend to be airy, and delicate, more a vehicle for his frostings, which also tend to be light and smooth as opposed to a dense traditional American buttercream. In fact, in almost all his cakes, you're expected to split the layers, which are already fairly thin, to create additional layers of frosting in each bite.

My problem with this is that his cakes are already so light that in each bite of cake, the "sponge," as Brown calls it, seems to melt into the frosting, which I found was the case with the lemon cake above. I'm curious to go to one of Brown's bakeries someday and see if I'm making the recipes in the wrong way or if this is just his aesthetic.

Yet I still love his book, not just for the pictures, but also because Brown illustrates a number of easy-to-follow techniques, which has given me added confidence in tackling cake baking.

Chocolate Pop Tarts!

I've been playing around with Pop Tart recipes for a while, but this is the first time I've tried a chocolate flavored crust.

This one's a winner.  You definitely want to give it a try.

I found the recipe on a Flickr page of a guy named Dennis Wilkinson. He makes a variety of homemade pop tarts, and for the crust in the chocolate version, he takes out a bit of the flour for his dough, and substitutes cocoa powder. He also adds chilled Frangelico liqueur, to give it a slightly hazelnut taste that gets picked up in the filling: nutella, right out of the jar.

The crust came together nicely in my food processor, and after chilling it for an hour, I had no trouble rolling it out to cut into small rectangles. (I made mini pop tarts, about 2 x 3, and ended up getting 18 pop tarts total.)  I rolled out the dough for the crust in a mixture of flour and cocoa powder because I didn't want the flour to leave white spots on the dough, but I didn't want too much additional cocoa flavor, which I worried might make the crust bitter.

Because my tarts were small, I reduced the baking time from 25 to 15 minutes. Also, I had a slight hiccup with the frosting, which calls for Frangelico, but I'd already used mine up for the crust. I substituted creme de cacao, which I found excellent. It added a chocolate flavor that had an adult sharp edge to it.  I'm now thinking about using it in the crust as well.

Sprinkle some raw sugar on top for decoration, or go for gold, silver, or fluorescent pink or purple sanding sugar.

Chocolate Pop-Tart Crust

(adapted from Dennis Wilkinson

7.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about a cup)
0.5 oz. dutch-process cocoa powder (about 1/8 cup)
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbl. sugar
4 oz. cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 oz. chilled Frangelico liqueur

Plus 1 egg for egg wash

Chocolate Pop-Tart Filling

Nutella!

Chocolate Pop-Tart Frosting

1 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tbl. dutch-process cocoa powder
Frangelico or Creme de Cacao

Directions

To make the Pop-Tart Crust

Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cubes of butter, and give 10-12 one second pulses, to cut the butter in. You should have pieces of butter about the size of small peas. Sprinkle the liquid ingredients (beaten egg and Frangelico) over the mixture, and pulse just a few times to distribute. Pour onto plastic wrap, form into a small disc, and refrigerate at least one hour.

To make the Pop-Tarts

Preheat your oven to 325°F.

Roll out your dough into a large rectangle about 1/8 inches thin. Divide it into small rectangles (2 x 3 inches for mini pop tarts, 3 x 4 for bigger ones).  Remember you need two rectangles for each tart.  Spread about 1-2 tbl. of the filling out in the middle of a rectangle, leaving the outer 1/3" or thereabouts clear. Brush an egg wash on the outer border, lay on another rectangle of dough, and press the edges to seal (I used a straightedge to do the pressing). Puncture the top several times with a fork, and transfer to a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Store completed tarts in the refrigerator as you work.

Bake for about 25 minutes (or less for mini tarts, about 15 minutes), until the dough is cooked through and set up but not really browned much on the top. Remove to a cooling rack.

To frost the Pop-Tarts

Add just enough liquid to the sugar (and optional cocoa) to make a thick glaze (work just a tiny bit at a time; it doesn't take much liquid at all do do this, usually less than a tablespoon). Spread the glaze out over the cooled pastries. If you like, decorate with some colored sugar (I used raw sugar on the chocolate version), since that's similar to what Kellogg's does. Or not.

My only observation on the frosting is that this glaze is pretty obviously not what's on an actual Pop-Tart. I actually had some stuck-on residue catch fire in my toaster (wee little fire, but still, use caution.) I have a slotted toaster whose "baskets" close in on the pastry, which results in residue like this. Toaster ovens and slot toasters that don't do this will probably be fine, but pay attention if you do toast these.

Chocolate Class

Mark your calendars!  On February 8, I'll be teaching a class at Whole Foods, all about chocolate desserts. Read on, and sign up before it sells out...

Wednesday, February 8th

Beyond Brownies: A Dessert Workshop for Chocolate Lovers

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Hands-On and Demonstration, $55  REGISTER NOW!

Is your love for all things chocolate bordering on obsession? Then this is the class for you! Explore a wide range of chocolate possibilities, and learn how to transform dessert classics into dark and lovely specialties. We’ll also learn how to whip up a rich chocolate cake batter in minutes—only one bowl and no electricity needed! (After the cake is baked, we’ll pair it with a smooth, intensely chocolate frosting.) Join us for an evening of total indulgence, as we skip dinner altogether and focus on the best part of every meal.

On the Menu: Chocolate Crème Brulee; Double-Chocolate Tiramisu; “Mexican Hot Chocolate” Cookies; One-Bowl Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Instructor: Aaron Hamburger, Dessert Blogger

Holiday Cookies

One of the things I most look forward to every year is making holiday cookies. This year, I went a bit nuts. Among the cookies I worked on were:

Lemon Gingerbread Trees

Raspberry Bars

Chocolate Snowfall Cookies

Mini Tarts with Lemon Curd Filling

Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon Cookie Sandwiches

Sugar Cookies

Thin Mints

And a few other recipes I've been meaning to try.

Yesterday, I got together with my friend and baking-partner-in-crime, the poet Jeanne-Marie Beaumont, and we made four cookies that were new to both of us. All of them were winners. The first one, a Mexican Chocolate Cookie, I'll be blogging about later. It's delicious.

We also made a black and white cookie (pictured above) from the book The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle.

These cookies, cinnamon coffee cookies, had a wonderfully rich coffee flavor. They're like chocolate chip cookies for grown-ups, using chocolate-covered espresso beans in place of chocolate chips. I loved them, and I don't even like to drink coffee.

Finally, these orange cookies from Lidia Bastianich, have been a big hit. They're a refreshingly sunny addition to holiday cookie plates, which tend to be dominated by darker flavors like chocolate or fall spices (nutmeg, ginger, and cloves). The cookie is soft, tender, with a hint of orange flavor but not too sweet. The glaze, a mix of confectioner's sugar and orange, adds a sugary note.

The original version simply covers the cookies with the glaze, but Jeannie and I thought a bit of orange sanding sugar on top was a nice addition, just to let people know what they're getting into before they take a bite.

The recipe follows:

Orange Cookies
Lidia Bastianich of Lidia’s Italy

Makes about 80 cookies

COOKIES

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange zest. Beat to combine.With the mixer off, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll the dough into 4 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 to 12 inches long. Chill or freeze the logs, uncovered, until firm enough to cut without losing their shape.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch rounds and place on the prepared pans. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Cool completely on wire racks.

GLAZE

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, or as needed

Sift the confectioner's' sugar into a bowl and whisk in the orange juice to make a smooth glaze.

Dip a cookie in the glaze, which should form a thin layer. If necessary, adjust the consistency of the glaze with more juice or confectioners' sugar. Repeat the dipping process, and then let the glazed cookies set on wire racks.

"Hostess"-style Cupcakes

Inspired by a recent episode of "America's Test Kitchens," I decided to see if I could recreate a Hostess cream-filled chocolate cupcake from scratch.

The process turned out to be fairly labor-intensive. The cupcake itself is nice and straightforward. All ingredients are mixed by hand and then scooped into cupcake tins and baked. Right out of the oven, they were delicious, though I found they lost some of the rich flavor the longer they sat out.

Next, make the filling, a combo of marshmallow fluff, vanilla, butter, and soft gelatin. It's a sticky and messy process.

When I served these, the big question was, "How did you get the filling inside the cupcake? The answer is you cut out a cone from the cupcakes, add filling, and press the cone on top. Don't overfill, however, or when you press the cone on top, the filling comes squirting out!

The top is a simple ganache with some of the reserved filling piped in that telltale squiggle.

All told, the process took me three hours, though not all of it was active time. There was a lot of waiting for cupcakes to cool, filling to set up, etc.

I liked the final cupcake, but not enough to invest the time and labor in them any time soon. If I were to make these again, I might use my standby chocolate cake recipe, which keeps better in my opinion. Also, I might go with a cream-based ganache rather than the butter-based ganache from the recipe.

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

To ensure an appropriately thick filling, be sure to use marshmallow creme (such as Fluff or Kraft Jet-Puffed Creme), not marshmallow sauce.

INGREDIENTSCUPCAKES

• 1cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4teaspoon Salt
• 1/2cup boiling water
• 1/3cup cocoa powder
• 1/3cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1tablespoon instant espresso
• 3/4cup sugar
• 1/2cup sour cream
• 1/2cup vegetable oil
• 2large eggs
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

• 3tablespoons water
• 3/4teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 4tablespoon (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
•  Pinch salt
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4cups marshmallow crème (see note)

GLAZE

• 1/2cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. MAKE BATTER Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup muffin tin. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk water, cocoa, chocolate chips, and espresso in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out with few dry crumbs attached, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool -cupcakes in tin 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
• 2. PREPARE FILLING Combine water and gelatin in large bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Let mixture cool until just warm to touch, about 5 minutes, then whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth; refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Transfer 1/3 cup marshmallow mixture to pastry bag fitted with small plain tip; reserve remaining mixture for filling cupcakes.
• 3. ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES Microwave chocolate and butter in small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool glaze to room temper-ature, about 10 minutes. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut cone from top of each cupcake and fill cupcakes with 1 tablespoon filling each. Replace tops, frost with 2 teaspoons cooled glaze, and let sit 10 minutes. Using pastry bag, pipe curlicues across glazed cupcakes. Serve. (Cupcakes can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.)

Almond Shortbread Wedges

Holiday season is coming, which means it's cookie time!

I get tired, though, of the endless parade of painted sugar cookies dusted with colored sugar, so I'm always on the lookout for something new and different that can still please a crowd.

These shortbread wedges will more than do the trick, and the almond frosting paved with toasted sliced almonds add an extra touch that makes this shortbread transcend your usual Walker's packaged variety.

The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and like most shortbread recipes, it calls for a mix of butter, salt, vanilla, and flour. Unlike most shortbread recipes I know, however, it calls for powdered instead of granulated sugar, which I believe gives these cookies a more delicate and tender crumb.

The dough gets mixed and shaped into two 6-inch rounds which are baked at 325 to keep them soft. It also gets cut into wedges twice, once just before baking, and again just after.

After the wedges are cooled, they are frosted with an almond butter frosting, that's simply a mixture of more powdered sugar, plus vanilla, almond extract, and enough milk to make the frosting spreadable. It's delicious.

Toast about a cup of sliced almonds and then press them into the frosting. You can press them down like your making a stone pathway, or just push in the tips so that the edges are standing on end, which creates a dramatic 3-D effect.

Store at room temp for 3 days or freeze unfrosted cookies for 3 months.

Yield:  20 cookies

Almond Shortbread Wedges
Ingredients

• 3/4
  cup butter, softened
• 1
  cup powdered sugar
• 1/4
  teaspoon salt
• 2
  teaspoons vanilla
• 1 3/4
  cups all-purpose flour
• 1
  recipe Almond-Butter Frosting (see recipe below)
• 1 1/4cups sliced almonds, toasted
• 
  

Directions

• 
  

Blue + Orange + Cran = Pie!

I love my rectangular-shaped tart pan, which helped create a little visual variety at my Thanksgiving dessert table.

Our tradition is to serve several kinds of pie. Rather than bake a series of 9-inch rounds, I made one:  a pumpkin chiffon pie. I then did 4 small pecan pies in a mini-tart pan (actually Anthony made the filling and I made the crust), a banana cream pie deconstructed (the filling was layered with vanilla wafers and bananas) in a trifle bowl, and this elegant blueberry-cranberry pie as a long rectangle.

The recipe comes from a cookbook called The Thanksgiving Table, which has my favorite pie crust recipe that I use for almost all my pies now. You can find the exact instructions in the book, which is well worth the investment, or substitute whatever crust you like to use.

Though the recipe calls for making a double crust, I like to do cutouts and place them on top of the pie. Since I don't have any Thanksgiving-shaped cookie cutters, I use a pumpkin from my Halloween set. (One year I used bats, which I thought were cute, and everyone laughed at me!)

Though this looks like a traditional blueberry pie, the filling actually is a mix of blueberries and cranberries, plus a ground-up orange, which gives the pie a sour-sweet tang. 

Double-Crusted Cranberry-Blueberry Pie Filling

from The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

1/2 small orange, including peel, seeded and quartered

1 package (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries

4 cups (about 1 1/4 lbs) fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

1/2 tsp salt

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch (I've also used flour)

Coarsely grind orange in mini chop. In a large saucepan, stir the orange into all the other ingredients to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a 10-inch pie plate (or any size you like) with pie dough. Pour cooled filling into pie shell, mounding in the center. Roll out more pie dough and cut out your favorite shapes. Lay these on top of the filling and brush with egg wash and turbinado sugar. 

Place pie in center of the oven with a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below to catch any blueberry drippings. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes for round pie, but 35-40 for a rectangle. Cool on rack.  Serve warm or at room temp.