Strawberry Kirsch Cake

This is a white vanilla cake, 2 layers torted to made 4, soaked in Kirsch simple syrup, then layered with Kirsh italian meringue buttercream and sliced fresh strawberries. I made it for my friend's 30th birthday. It was not without drama though... I learned that defrosting buttercream in a bowl directly over a flame on the stove is actually a big mistake if you are a novice like me. I read it in a book. Oops ;)

I had much better luck leaving the frozen buttercream out to soften on the counter for about 15 mins then zapping it on the lowest power in the microwave for 20 seconds then stirring until it was soft enough to spread.

A great recipe for IMBC can be found here.
It's enough to max out a 5 qt stand mixer and it yields about 5 cups.

Blueberry Lime Cobbler

Ingredients:


For the filling:
-16 - 20 oz blueberries (frozen is ok, just make sure to let them defrost at room temp for best results. If you use frozen, set the berries in a colander over a bowl to catch the juices as they defrost, then reduce the juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until slightly thickened, add this to the filling mixture)
-Grated zest of 1 lime + 1 tsp juice
-1/3 c sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- pinch of cinnamon

For the Topping:
- 1 c flour

-1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c sugar
-1/3 c lowfat milk mixed with 1-2 tsp lime juice (whatever is left over from the lime you zested)
- 1/2 stick of melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract



Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together all the filling ingredients and place in an 8" - 9" pie dish. Bake for 25 mins until bubbling. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, 1/4 c sugar, and baking powder. Add the melted butter and vanilla. It should be the consistency of cookie dough.
When the berry mixture comes out of the oven, increase oven temp to 425.
With spoons or a 2 oz scoop, evenly distribute the dough on top of the blueberry mixture. Bake for 15 mins more, until slightly golden brown on top. Allow to cool 15 mins before serving.


This is my take on "The Best Recipe" version of blueberry cobbler... sort of by accident, because I didn't have all of the ingredients called for. Supposedly blueberry, lime and honey is a flavor affinity. I agree... try this recipe with honey drizzled on top.

Daring Baker's January 2009 Challenge: Tuiles

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.
They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.


I used the recipe from The Chocolate Book:

Recipe: Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example) Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft) 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract) 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork) 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour 1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice Butter/spray to grease baking sheet Oven: 180C / 350F Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the bakingsheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly. Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable. If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones….

Obviously I didn't make the butterflies. Instead I made a tuile cup and filled it with coconut ice cream, topped with toasted sweetened coconut and drizzled with honey. Oh, and by the way, the practically neon pink cookie was made by taking a few tablespoons of batter and mixing with a few drops of red food coloring. Yes, it is shockingly pink. Not exactly my intention, but what the heck. I need to tackle this recipe again because my cookies came out really bubbly... probably because I got a little too happy with the Kitchenaid.
The tuiles are easy to shape. I made a stencil out of thin cardboard and spread the batter with an offset spatula:




I baked three at a a time. When I took them out of the oven, I scraped them off the parchment-covered baking sheet CAREFULLY with the spatula and draped them over upside down juice glasses. To make a big enough cup for a scoop of ice cream you need to make them at least 5 inches in diameter.
This recipe is delicious!! The tuiles themselves are so so yummy and vanilla-y, you will enjoy them without any extras.

Oatmeal CRAIsin Cookies

Raisins are tired boring old things. Enter the magical, plump, colorful CRAISIN!
As if craisins are something new and unusual. On the contrary, Native Americans gathered cranberries for food a very long time ago, and cranberries made a great (I suppose) addition to something called pemmican, a mixture of animal fat and dried meat. Pemmican was used for centuries as an emergency food. Sir Ernest Shackelton's men survived on pemmican for quite some time on during their 1914 epic voyage/distaster tour of the Antarctic. But I have no idea whether or not their pemmican contained cranberries, and pemmican is a far cry from delicious cookies! Sorry forthis disgusting detour. Back to cookies...

This recipe is based on the Cook's Illustrated Best Light Recipe recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. Yes, it is a light recipe, which leads you to believe, this could either be a miracle: tasty and low calorie, or: a sad, carboardesque excuse for a cookie.
I added walnunts to this batch, but they still have fewer calories than a standard oatmeal rasin cookie recipe that may contain up to 2 sticks of butter. Trust me, they are soft, chewy and delicious!!

Yield 2 doz.


Ingredients:

1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick of melted butter, cooled
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c packed brown sugar (light or dark, I used light)
1/2 c craisins
1/3 c chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to middle and upper middle or upper, just make sure you don't have one on the bottom. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets w/ parchment paper.
Whisk flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine brown sugar and melted butter, beat until it begins to become lighter in color and is well combined.
Ad egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well-incorporated. Turn mixer to low and gradually add dry ingredients. Lastly, add craisins and walnuts.
Drop on cookie sheets using small scoop. You should have abougt 12 on each sheet. Bake 11-13 mins, or until cookies begin to lightly brown on edges.

Guava Coconut Cookies

Guava and coconut are both cultivated throughout the tropics. What grows together goes together so I tried this flavor combination in a cookie and the results were tantalizing. Besides, I had to figure out how to use that random jar of guava jelly taking up space between the soy sauce and blue cheese dressing in the door of my fridge!
Another variation on ATK's Baking Illustrated sugar cookie recipe...

Ingredients:

2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup toasted sweetened coconut
1 jar of guava jelly, such as Goya brand, sold in most supermarkets


Directions:

Toast coconut: spread coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet and place in oven at 375 for 1-2 mins, shake pan and toast 1 min longer until coconut is light brown. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET IT BURN.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a standing mixer, cream the butter and the sugars. Add egg and vanilla.
Slowly add dry ingredients to combine.
Add coconut until combined.
Using small ice cream scoop, scoop onto 2 cookie sheets covered in parchment paper.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 mins.
Meanwhile, have jar of guava jelly ready.
Remove cookies from oven, immediately press each cookie gently with the back of a spoon to make indentations. Spoon 1-2 tsp jelly into each indentation. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool.

Rosemary Blackberry Scones

Again with the scone recipe in America's Test Kitchen's Baking Illustrated...
I typically use this one... after a recent trip to Harvest restaurant in Harvard Square, I came up with the idea of using rosemary and blackberry. Harvest was serving a peach raspberry rosemary shortcake for dessert during restaurant week... I thought the rosemary and raspberry went well together and I decided to make these scones. Why blackberry and not raspberry? Well, I happened to have blackberries in the fridge...but you should would try these with raspberries too!






Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting counter top
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar, plus more for dusting tops of scones
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 c. blackberries
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 c. heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. 4. Toss blackberries with about 2 tsp flour and stir them in.
5. With a spatula, stir in heavy cream until evenly combined.
6. Dust counter top with flour and gently knead dough into a 1" thick disc. Cut as you would a pie, into 8 evenly sized wedges and place on baking sheet.
7. Dust the tops with additional sugar and bake for 15 mins.

Lychee and Vanilla Ice Cream...

Sorry no photos... my digital camera is on the fritz!

Kudos to Kate for this discovery...

1/3 c brandy
3 Tbsp honey
1 15 oz can lychee fruit, or, (for obvious reasons) 10 fresh lychees
Vanilla Bean ice cream

yields about 4 servings.


1. Peel lychee, cut in halves and get rid of the pits. (if using canned lychee, drain syrup, saving all but 1-2Tbsp, can add it to the sauce).
2. Place fruit, syrup, honey and brandy in saucepan over medium heat.
3. Cook until brandy is reduced and slightly thickened.
4. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.

Orange Scented Cinnamon Raisin Scones

Baking Illustrated 's scone recipe. They suggest using a food processor, but it's totally unnecessary if you have a pastry blender.
I find that making them by hand is really the best way to go, you just need to pay close attention to the texture of the dough as it forms.
Scone recipes that lack eggs can turn out pretty hard and dry. The heavy cream is reduced in this recipe and replaced by an egg.


Ingredients:

2 c. flour (I used 1 c. King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat flour and 1 c. of their all purpose flour)
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
grated zest from 1 orange
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 egg
1/2 c. raisins

For Cinnamon Sugar Glaze:
1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon + more depending on how strong you want the cinnamon flavor to be

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to center. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, orange baking powder and salt. Stir in the orange zest.
Cut the butter into small pieces. Add to flour mixture and chop it into the flour with the pastry blender. This is very important! Cut the butter in until the mixture represents coarse sand with a few small lumps in it. Measure out the heavy cream in a liquid measuring cup and beat in the egg with a fork.
Stir the liquid in with a spatula until it forms a shaggy dough. Stir in the raisins.
Knead the dough together with your hands until it all sticks together. On a floured surface, form the dough into a circle about 1" thick.
With a large knife, cut like a pie into 8ths. Transfer to baking sheet.
Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 425 for 12 mins. Scones should be cracked, dry, and very lightly browned on top when done.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

To make citrus cream cheese frosting, pick your favorite citrus fruit, mix with some cream cheese, butter and confectioners sugar and you are good to go. This is the yellow cupcake recipe from Baking Illustrated with added coconut.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3.5 oz (half a bag) of sweetened coconut, toasted lightly

Whisk dry ingredients together. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, sour cream. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix until smooth. Add coconut.
Scoop into paper lined muffin pan.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.

Frosting:

(This one I just played around with).
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
juice and grated zest from 1 lime
3-5 c confectioners sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese together. Slowly add confectioners sugar, about 3 cups. Add zest. Taste. Adjust desired sweetness and lime flavor by adding lime juice and confectioners sugar to taste.

Apple Candied Ginger Scones

Ingredients:

2 c + 2 tsp all purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
grated zest from 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/2 c heavy cream
2 apples, peeled, cored and minced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger pieces


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel, core and mince apples, add cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together sugar, 2 cups of the flour (reserve extra 2 tsp), salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.
With a pastry blender (small hand held wire device: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/school/glossary/tools/pastryblend.html)
cut butter into flour mixture. Set aside when it resembles large crumbs.
In an electric mixer, combine eggs and cream at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Do not whip too much!
On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients until dough is shaggy and lumpy and all flour is incorporated.
On a well-floured surface, knead for about a minute and shape dough into a disk 1.5" thick. With a large knife, cut as you would a pie, into eight pieces. Place on baking sheet and press candied ginger pieces into top of each scone. Add more than the 1/4 c if you like.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 mins or until light golden brown.

Ginger Almond Apple Crisp

Looking for something to do with crystallized ginger?


Ingredients:

6-7 medium apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 c brown sugar
1T all purpose flour

for the topping:
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c brown
1/4 c granulated sugar
5 T butter
3/4 c chopped almonds
1/4 c crystalized ginger


Preheat oven to 375.
mix apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, 1 T flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside.
To make topping:
In a food processor, combine flour, crystalized ginger, salt, sugar and spices. Pulse for 4-6 seconds.
Add butter and pulse for 10 seconds more. The mixture should look like wet sand.
Add almonds and pulse for a few seconds more.
Place apples in a 9 inch glass pie dish or 2 quart baking dish.
Bake for 45-50 mins.

Cherry White Chocolate Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

2c + 2 Tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 & 1/2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 c brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 tsp almond extract

1/2 c white chocolate chips
3/4 c toasted almonds*
1 cup chopped dried cherries (easily found at natural food stores)
*to toast almonds, spread on baking sheet and bake at 375 for 4-5 mins or until browned and fragrant


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.
In electric mixer, beat together sugars and melted butter. Add egg and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
With small ice cream scoop, scoop about 2T each on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 14- 17 mins or until edges of cookies slightly browned.

Coconut Lime Shortbread Stars

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 c superfine sugar*
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lime zest
2 & 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c toasted sweetened coconut + 1 c for dusting*

*you can make superfine sugar by putting it in a food processor for 30 seconds. To make toasted coconut, spread coconut on baking sheet and bake for 5 mins at 350.

Ingredients For glaze:

1 cup sugar
6-8 tsp key lime juice (you can use regular lime juice but key lime juice yields the best flavor).
1-2 tsp water

Directions:

In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and lime zest. On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients.
Add toasted coconut and mix throughly.
Refrigerate dough for a few hours until firm, or put in freezer for about 1 hr.

Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Make cookie cutouts and place on baking sheet. Knead together dough scraps and repeat.
Bake at 375 for 5-7 mins.

As cookies cool, make glaze:
In a small saucepan, stir together water, lime juice, and sugar. Stir over low heat until it reaches a syrup-like consistency.
Allow to cool for 10 mins.
Put remaining coconut in pie pan.
Dip cookies face down in glaze then press into coconut.