Oh my gosh, I was so excited when I peeked in over at the TWD blog and saw that this week’s recipe was going to be Apple Cheddar Scones…I have seriously been dying to try these ever since I first got my copy of Baking From My Home to Yours! So, a big, fat THANK YOU to Karina of The Floured Apron for picking these yummy little scones!
Actually, I’ve never made scones before so I was curious about how easy/hard these might be to make, but surprisingly, they were totally easy! They didn’t take long at all. Most of the TWD bakers mentioned how sticky the dough was….definitely true! Pretty sticky stuff, but I rolled it out with plenty of flour and it was easily workable.
The recipe calls for dried apples, but my crummy Tom Thumb (yes I’m naming names!) doesn’t carry them, so I decided to take my chances and try fresh apples. I was a little worried they might give off too much liquid and make the scones soggy, but they came out perfectly! I think the little chunks of fresh baked apple in scones added great flavor and texture!
These were pretty darn tasty served warm with lots of honey butter – I’m really looking forward to having them for breakfast tomorrow with my coffee or a hot cup of tea!
I’m also really looking forward to next week’s recipe – Double Crust Blueberry Pie chosen by Amy of South In Your Mouth. Check back, cause it’s gonna be GOOD!
No, I didn’t use Dorie’s recipe for the biscuit topping. Shoot me. Sorry, but I don’t believe in cobblers with “biscuit topping” – that’s just not how its done in my family. I’m sure Dorie’s recipe is perfectly delicious – but if I’m going to make a cobbler, I’m going to use my great grandmother’s crust recipe. Everything else is just like Dorie calls for – just not the topping. And guess what – it was delicious! Every week, I follow the recipe exactly how its written – I’m a good little TWD member….just not this week. Don’t worry, next week I will definitely be making the Apple Cheddar Scones exactly as Dorie calls for; I promise I’ll go back to being a good girl. 🙂
This weeks’ recipe was the Mixed Berry Cobbler chosen by Beth of Our Sweet Life.
Obviously, I didn’t do this week’s recipe exactly as called for. Marie of A Year From Oak Cottage chose La Palette’s Strawberry Tart. I love strawberries – especially in the summer – but for some reason I just wasn’t in the mood for strawberries that day. And as I was trying to think of a substitute fruit, its like there was a little voice in my head chanting, “apricots! apricots! apricots!” Ok then, fine. I’ll do apricots. Good thing I did, too, because this turned out beautifully!!
I tossed my apricots with a little sugar, some fresh lime juice and a splash of coconut rum and let them macerate for about an hour. I spread my (amazingly delicious!) tart shell with a thick layer of good apricot jam, dumped on my apricots and dug in! WOW was this good!!! Honestly, my favorite part was the tart shell….it was like a shortbread cookie!! However, the apricot part was pretty darned tasty, if I do say so myself!
Sorry, but I won’t be posting Dorie’s recipes on my blog anymore – there are just too many of us (Tuesdays with Dorie members) now, and we wouldn’t want Dorie’s book sales to go downhill!! (Sorry Dorie!!) So, if you would like the recipes….buy the book!! Trust me, its the best cookbook you’ll ever own and you’ll be GLAD you bought it!!!
This week’s TWD recipe was French Chocolate Brownies chosen by Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook. I have to say – these are some pretty unusual brownies. Granted, Dorie originally intended for them to be more of a cake than brownies, so the texture is a bit different from what I’m used to. However, these were pretty darn tasty and we really enjoyed them! I left out the raisins (Of course -blech!) and pulled them out of the oven a little early – because that’s how I like my brownies – GOOEY! I also added a shot (or less) of Godiva Liquor to the batter, just because I felt like it. After baking and slightly cooling, these were still very ooey gooey on the inside (which only added to their appeal as far as I’m concerned!), but at the same time, they were very light and surprisingly fluffy – almost like a “moussey” texture! And that pinch of cinnamon really added something special, in my opinion! Like everyone else, my brownies had a crust on top after baking (as they should), but I personally don’t like the “crust” so I just picked it off and took my pictures “sans brownie crust”.
Speaking of pictures……these aren’t very pretty. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they look like POO. But, I’m very new at this whole photography thing (I’m just a yuppee with a nice camera!), and I haven’t quite mastered the art of making food look pretty yet. I really admire those food bloggers who do such clever things with their food and take such beautiful, unique pictures – but for now, I’m just not that girl. But don’t worry – I’ll get there!!
French Chocolate Brownies
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you’re using it.
Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It’s important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you’ve got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it’s better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.
Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you’ll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won’t be completely incorporated and that’s fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.
Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.
Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.
Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they’re even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!
Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Ok, I admit it – I, Amy-the-blogger, am a CHICKEN. There. I said it – now you know.
Last week, I excitedly went to check the Tuesdays with Dorie webpage to see what this week’s recipe would be….and there it was – “Madam Chow of Madam Chow’s Kitchen has chosen Pecan Honey Sticky Buns…” Oh grrrrrrreat. Brioche – my arch nemesis. I have tried (and failed miserably) making brioche before – Dorie’s Golden Brioche Loaves, as a matter of fact. After hours of mixing, rising, “slapping”, and countless phone calls to my mother (“ok, now am I doing this part right?”) I ended up with a rock-hard, greasy loaf of…well, let’s just say not brioche! So, needless to say, when I saw this week’s pick, I was a little nervous. Ok fine – I was shaking in my BOOTS, I admit it!! Go ahead, judge me all you want…I didn’t make the little Pecan Sticky Devils and I’m not sorry! On top having late night Turandot rehearsals almost every night and opening Saturday (which went awesome, by the way!! My solo went perfectly! Phew!), which didn’t leave any time for much else this week, I wasn’t prepared to stare failure in the face again so soon. So, I opted for the Almost Fudge Gateau instead.
Lemme tell ya, this is one tasty little “cake”. I was shocked at how dense and fudgey it was, since it calls for beaten egg whites, which I thought would’ve made it light and fluffy. But, the title describes it perfectly – almost fudge! Not surprisingly, that’s why I chose the recipe from all of the past TWD recipes – anything with “almost fudge” in the title will win me over automatically every time! I will say, though – use a chocolate that you really, really enjoy, because the chocolate is the most predominant flavor in the cake. I used a pretty dark chocolate, so my cake was a little on the bitter side, but still very tasty. I might try it with a milk chocolate next time, just to see how it turns out.
And definitely go with the optional glaze!! YUM! I can’t imagine this cake without the chocolate ganache on top of it! Ok, ok, so it is a bit of a chocolate overload, but hey, its delicious and its worth it!
Almost-Fudge Gâteau
5 large eggs
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup of sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons coffee or water
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
For the Glaze (optional)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a mixer bowl or other large bowl and the yolks in a small bowl.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add the chocolate, sugar butter and coffee. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted; the sugar may still be grainy, and that’s fine. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, stir in the yolks one by one, then fold in the flour.
Working with the whisk attachment of the mixer or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they hold firm, but glossy peaks. Using the spatula, stir about one quarter of the beaten whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest. Scrape the butter into the pan and jiggle the pan from side to side a couple of times to even the batter.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake has risen evenly (it might rise around the edges and you’ll think it’s done, but give it a few minutes more, and the center will puff too) and the top has firmed (it will probably be cracked) and doesn’t shimmy when tapped; a thin knife inserted into the center should come out just slightly streaked with chocolate. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the cake rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Run a blunt knife gently around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Carefully turn the cake over onto a rack and remove the pan bottom and the parchment paper. Invert the cake onto another rack and cool to room temperature right side up. As the cake cools, it may sink.
To Make the Optional Glaze:
First, turn the cooled cake over onto another rack so you’ll be glazing the flat bottom, and place the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper to catch any drips.
Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.
Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water or in a microwave oven – the chocolate should be just melted and only warm, not hot. Meanwhile, bring the cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir very gently with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in the corn syrup.
Pour the glaze over the cake and smooth the top with a long metal icing spatula. Don’t worry if the glaze drips unevenly down the sides of the cake – it will just add to its charms. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature or, if you’re impatient, slip the cake into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. If the glaze dulls in the fridge, just give it a little gentle heat from a hairdryer.
If you would like to visit the blogs of the TWD members who aren’t big whiney-baby-scaredy-pants chickens and check out their versions of Pecan Honey Sticky Buns, go here.
P.S. Don’t judge me.
I felt fancy this week. I don’t really have a lot of experience with making French desserts- as a matter of fact, I can’t think of a time I’ve ever made a French dessert (don’t I sound like a little country bumpkin?!). So when Tara of Smells Like Home chose Traditional Madeleines for this week’s TWD recipe, I was thrilled. I had never (gasp!) had a madeleine before, but I had always wanted to try them. This was my chance to be fancy in the kitchen! Yee haw!
I think I may have filled my molds a little too full (thus, giving them too much of a “puff”), but honestly, I kinda liked them better that way. I chose to kick up the flavor a little by topping the warm madeleines with a lemon glaze (super YUM). But I was sure to try them fresh out of the oven without the glaze, and they tasted wonderful plain, as well. I also chose to make mini madeleines, because that’s the pan that I had, plus, I really enjoy all things “mini”.
Traditional Madeleines
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (I omitted this)
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)
GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.
Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.
If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.
Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.
makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies
serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.
These were so delicious, and so incredibly simple to make (and that means a lot, coming from the Ambassador of “Oops”!). I really enjoyed making these, and felt so fancy eating them! These cookies are perfect as is, but if you would like to try them with the lemon glaze (which, in my opinion makes them even more perfect!), mix the juice of one large lemon with approx. 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and drizzle over warm cookies.
Ok, so you’re probably wondering, “what’s with the dorky ‘Rachael Ray-esque’ title?” Well, this week’s TWD recipe (Peanut Butter Torte, chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food) was sort of two-fold for me. As always, it was another baking adventure that pushed me to try things out of my comfort zone, but it also served as a celebratory (or celebra-torte-y, if you will….hehe) cake for me. Allow me to steer away from the subject of TWD for a second:
As sort of a “second job”, I sing in the chorus of a nearby opera company every summer. Last summer was my first season with them and the opera we did (called Falstaff) had a teeny-tiny chorus role. The chorus was on stage for a total of 5 minutes, maybe. This year, however, is different – this year we’re doing Puccini’s Turandot and the chorus plays a significant role in the opera…we’re on stage practically the entire time! Woo hoo! So, the other night in rehearsal, we came to a part of the score where there was a small soprano solo. I wasn’t even paying attention because I just figured the director would give it to one of the ladies who had been in the company for a while. Out of nowhere, I heard the director say my name, and as I looked up, sure enough, he was pointing right at me (This would be the part that, if I were telling you this story in person, I’d be jumping up and down and screaming). So, after I had sort of gotten a grip on reality and my face had turned four shades of red, it finally occurred to me, “omigoshomigoshomigosh I just got a solo! I just got a solo! I just got a SOLO!” Now, this is a pretty big opera company, mind you; and I’m just a lowly chorus mignon; so hopefully you can understand my excitement.
So, anyway, when something big like that happens, I always make some kind of fun dessert or meal to celebrate (last year, when I auditioned and made the opera company for the first time, I made cranberry white chocolate cookies); well I was already making the Peanut Butter Torte for Tuesdays with Dorie and that’s pretty fun, fancy dessert, so I thought, “I’ll just make this as a ‘congratulations to me’ dessert!” And that’s just what this torte is; something to celebrate with! I don’t think I would make this for anything other than a celebration or a big dinner party – its one of those desserts you only need to eat once a year, if not less – its chock full of fat and calories (but worth every bite, in my chubby opinion). You could always halve the recipe, though, if you wanted to make it for two or even four. However you make it, though – its darned delicious. The espresso powder gives it a slight coffee taste, which just adds mountains of flavor to the peanut butter mousse filling. I also loved the crunch of the peanuts and chocolate chips – and that oreo crust….heaven!
This was the perfect (don’t worry, I’ll say it normal this time-) celebratory dessert – and from now on, whenever I make this delectable peanut butter torte, I’ll always look back and think on the time I got my first solo with a big opera company!
Peanut Butter Torte
1 1/4 c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/4 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Crape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.
Scrape the mouse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.
To Finish The Torte: put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.
Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.
When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Um….YUM. That’s pretty much all there is to say about these little cakes. Molten, gooey, chocolaty goodness oozing from the center of a dense, warm chocolate cake. (Ok, now do me a favor and wipe the drool off of your mouth.) These Gooey Chocolate Cakes have quickly become my favorite “I’m-craving-something-warm-and-chocolatey-and-I-need-it-NOW” desserts (They surpassed brownies and chocolate chip cookies long ago). When you cut into them, the warm gooey filling oozes out all over your plate. Its almost like sitting down and eating a bowl of raw cake batter (don’t deny it – you know you’ve always wanted to do it)….except so much better! And the fact that they only take about 13 minutes total to make…well, that would make any chocolate-craving-woman-on-the-edge jump for joy!
So, we’ve covered the fact that these cakes will satisfy even the most severe chocolate cravings, but they can also serve as a fancy “show off-y” dessert when you’re having company. I served these when I recently had some friends over for a nice sit-down meal and they were a HUGE hit. I’m pretty sure my guests were on the verge of licking their plates clean.
Gooey Chocolate Cakes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces coarsely chopped milk chocolate,
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons of sugar
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. butter (or spray – it’s easier) 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet. (I discovered that there is just enough batter to perfectly fill 4 ramekins)
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and the butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogeneous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. (the first time I made these, 13 minutes was too long – they came out totally firm in the center. Now I bake them at 11 minutes and they’re perfectly runny and gooey every time.) Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)
Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.
Recipe source: Dorie Greenspan, Baking From My Home to Yours
So, when I found out that this week’s TWD recipe (chosen by Caitlin of Engineer Baker ) was Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake, I was like, “what the heck is that?” My buddy Jessica and I were a little wary of making this cake for a couple of reasons: 1.) we’re not big fans of figs, and 2.) polenta?……in a dessert??? But after some encouragement from both of our moms and the decision to use another type of fruit, we decided to go for it! Try everything once, right? And plus- I mean, come on – if Dorie says its good, then you can bet it’ll end up in my kitchen!
You know, this cake was actually really tasty! I decided to use dried California apricots instead of dried figs, and they really went well with the polenta. I also forgot my lemon zest (one of those recurring “oops” moments that happen so frequently in my kitchen), but the tartness of the apricots made up for it nicely. My mom and dad happened to be visiting just as I had finished the cake, so I decided to use them as “guinea pigs”. They really loved it! Especially my mom (I ended up sending the whole rest of the cake home with her she enjoyed it so much!).
A lot of the TWD girls commented on there being almost too much sweetness to the finished product, so I only used 1/2 a cup as opposed to the 3/4 cup it calls for and it turned out perfectly sweet. All in all, this is a great recipe! I’m so glad I didn’t “wuss out” this week and skip it just because it sounded different. I’m proud of myself for trying something new and I think now my mom has a new favorite! Thanks Caitlin, for pushing me to try something new and “different”!
Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake
About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed (I used dried apricots)
1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. ricotta
1/3 c. tepid water
3/4 c. sugar (I only used 1/2 c.)
3/4 c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.
Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.
Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the panm, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.
You know, “oops” happens. Life would be pretty boring if there were no “oopsies” every now and then. Me, I think I’m probably the Ambassador of “oops”, when it comes to being in my kitchen (except when I have an “oops” moment, its not so much a quaint, lady-like “oops” that comes out of my mouth, so much as a steady stream of expletives, accompanied by flying pots and pans and poor Joel running for cover). I think, probably my biggest “oops” moment was the time I decided to try brioche. Yeah, BIG “oops” there (you know the saying, “when it rains, it pours”?). Now, slowly but surely, I’m getting to the point where “oops” moments are happening less and less frequently for me – I guess that means I’m improving. But every now and then, something will go wrong here and there. I’m only human, right?
So, this week’s Tuesdays With Dorie recipe was Bill’s Big Carrot Cake, chosen by Amanda of Slow Like Honey. Well, to be totally honest, I’m not a big fan of carrot cake; its encompasses everything I don’t particularly care for in a dessert- raisins…coconut…nuts. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind nuts in a dessert…but coconut, raisins and nuts – well that’s just too much for me to handle! But who am I to turn down a dessert challenge? Especially when its my second TWD recipe to make….I couldn’t have possibly chickened out on carrot cake! I decided since I wasn’t particularly fond of it, I would just send it to work with Joel the next day. Genius.
Now I know what you’re thinking – “if you don’t like raisins and coconut, why didn’t you just leave them out?” Because Dorie said to put them in there to begin with, that’s why! I don’t care how much I dislike something – if its good enough for Dorie, by gosh, its good enough for me! Obviously, she knows what she’s doing, and I (obviously) don’t. Therefore, if she says it tastes good, that’s how I’m going to make it. Plus, I’m a purist – I like to follow recipes pretty darn closely, and if it tastes bad, well, then I’ll know for next time. So in went the raisins, coconut and walnuts…….
This cake was super easy to make. Throw the ingredients in a bowl, spread it in pans, and you’re done! And can we talk about that cream cheese frosting? – YUM. I think I ate half of it before the cakes were even finished baking!
My house smelled heavenly as the cakes baked away in the oven. After taking them out and letting them cool, it was time to put the cake together! This is where the “oops” comes into play….
The little buggers STUCK! As I inverted the pans onto the plate, something felt wrong. Sure enough, there, on the plate, was half of my cake….the rest was still stuck in the pan. “No big deal”, I figured….I’d just discard that unfortunate layer and just use the other two. Um…..yeah….another “oops”. Long story short, all the cakes stuck….I ended up with a huge mess, and large “chunks” of carrot cake to work with. So, instead of getting mad and throwing it all away, I decided to still take pictures of it. And hey, even if it didn’t look good, we could still have a taste, right? Joel and I each had a large “chunk” of cake slathered with cream cheese frosting (by far, the best part), and I have to say, this cake was pretty yummy, despite my issues with raisins, coconut and nuts.
So, here they are…my wonderful pictures of carrot cake “chunks”. Please don’t disown me, TWD members….have pity on a humble “oops”-prone baker.
Bill’s Big Carrot Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)
Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.
To make the cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
To make the frosting:
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.
If you’d like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.
To assemble the cake:
Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.
Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.
Serving:
This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it’s good plain, it’s even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.
