Daring Bakers October 2007 Challenge - Bostini Cream Pie

As almost a foresight to the Sox taking the World Series last night, Mary of Alpineberry's challenge for October 2007 was "Bostini Cream Pie" (from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni & Scala's Bakery).... This was not your normal BCP (which I LOVE), something a little different, with a couple of twists: one was the addition of a significant amount of fresh orange juice and orange zest to the cake, and the serving was done in individual ramekins, as little mini BCPs. I think my adaptation of this recipe was pretty spot-on, with the exception being that I didn't have enough ramekins to bake the cakes as individual cakes. You'll see my solution, below....

I'll list the ingredients first, so that you can read them, have your saturated-fat induced heart-attack, then while you're recouperating in the hospital you can see my pictures and notes on this challenge.

CUSTARD:
3/4 cup whole milk
2-3/4 tbsp cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3-3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean (I used 1 tsp real vanilla extract)
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar


CHIFFON CAKE:
1-1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar (I used regular sugar and pulsed it in my mini-food processor for a few seconds)
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil (good fats!!)
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1-1/2 tbsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 tsp cream of tartar


CHOCOLOATE GLAZE
8 oz semi or bittersweet chocolate (I used semisweet chips)
8 oz unsalted butter

METHOD:
To prepare the custard:
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl, blend until smooth.

Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk egg mixture back into the cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups (I used ramekins). Refrigerate to chill.


To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 8 molds with a non-stick cooking spray (use ramekins, or something that will fit over the custard tightly. Or, do what I did and bake them in a 9" x 12" and 8" x 8" baking pan, lined with parchment and sprayed, and then cut the cakes out because you don't have enough ramekins - see below for photos)

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and sale into large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice
, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until still peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the molds (or pans) nearly to the top with batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with a fingertip. Do not overback. Remove from over and let cool on wire rack, when completely cool, remove from molds, cover to keep moist.

To prepare the gaze:
Chop chocolate into small pieces, place butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat until it's about to bubble. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stir to melt. Strain and keep warm until assembly.

To assemble cake
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surgace. Place a cake flat-side down on top of custart, cover tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.
Or, you can do what I did and take your cake from the 8" x 8" pan, cut out round pieces, and fit them over the top:




I think this was a good solution to not having enough ramekins to go around.

Here's the finished product, plated, gooey with chocolate, dusted with "pow-pow" (thanks, DeeDee, for the tip!) with a floral accoutrement:




I have to say that when I heard that this was an orange-flavored cake, I wasn't very thrilled. I'm not a big fan of citrus and chocolate, so I was kind of apathetic when it was making this. I enjoyed the challenge, and when we sat down to eat (we had some friends over to try this out), they were all very enthusiastic.

However, I have to say that the combination of the chocolate, custard, and cake was VERY pleasing, and the flavors all complimented each other very well. It was the first citrus dessert I've enjoyed in a while!!

My one criticism for this recipe was the custard, which was by far my favorite single element of the recipe. The instruction to "cook until it coats the back of a spoon" is slightly misleading. I've made other custards before, and puddings, and there are usually more detailed instructions about temperature. I took the custard off when it coated the back of the spoon and seemed thick enough, but when I strained it, the liquid that was left never firmed up so the custard was very runny. The cakes did a nice job of soaking it up, but it wasn't like a real Boston Cream Pie in that way.

Thanks for the challenge, Daring Bakers! I can't wait to see what November's challenge is!
(it's 4:30 and I'm just getting this in under the gun!)

New post coming soon... I PROMISE

I've gone & joined the Daring Bakers, and the first challenge that I'm participating in needs to be posted on Monday, 10/29. So rev up your taste-buds... I've got something yummy cruising down the pike for yous all.

Frozen Crack

No, I'm not talking about when it's too cold and when your waistline starts to fail you... I just wanted to leave a note about the ice cream that I posted on a few weeks (months?) ago... I made the Coconut Custard Ice Cream the other day for a dinner party that had a Thai theme to it. Upon taking a bite of the frozen, coconut-y, creamy deliciousness that was topped with toasted almonds and cocoa nibs, my friend A looked at me and said "Oh my god, my nipples just got hard. This shit is GOOD!!!"

So, you should make it, and then go cut some glass or something.

I'll post one of my grandmother's only tasty recipes - butterscotch brownies - in the near future. She couldn't cook worth a damn, except for her coleslaw (which took her all day in the kitchen because she was totally a mess in there) and her butterscotch brownies and butterscotch pudding. I don't know what it was about her and butterscotch, but she could sure make delicious things with it!

Back to work!

Molteny Chocolatey Goodness

Hi there!
Remember me?
I let my life get in the way of my blogging & baking, so many apologies.... there is just no excuse for that!

To get back into your good graces, here's a recipe that I've made several times for recent birthdays and anniversaries - it's easy, it's elegant, and it tastes damn good too. I got this recipe from Epicurious and it appeared originally in the January 2001 issue of Bon Appétit.



Cakes
5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream

Preparation

For cakes: Preheat oven to 450°F. Butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture and flour. Pour batter into dishes, dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Bake cakes until sides are set but center remains soft and runny, about 11 minutes or up to 14 minutes for batter that was refrigerated. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Immediately turn cakes out onto plates. Serve with ice cream.

Let me know what you think of this.... enjoy!

A little Southern somethin'-somethin'

A couple of weeks ago, for my Ladies' weekend, my aunt requested that I make "that Pecan Praline cake" that I had made several years ago, for our first Ladies' weekend. We left the dish out with the cake on it, with a knife astride, and by the end of the weekend, that thing was GONE. Everyone had chipped away at it by taking a sliver here and a chunk there. It was a fairly huge hit.

Since then, this has made an excellent birthday cake, a traditional holiday dessert, and a delicious treat, winter or summer. I got this recipe from the November 2000 issue of Bon Appetit (must give credit where credit is due: I'm not interested in getting sued, I already have one of those irons in the fire - not for this website). The pralines are also delicious in salad, cookies, as a snack, you name it. Last Christmas my mom made up a bunch of these and gave them away as gifts in pretty containers. This is a delightful cake, so have a try:

Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Pecan Praline Topping
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Preparation for cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. If necessary, run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

Using 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 cake layer, flat side up, to platter. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange Pecan Praline Topping all over top of cake, mounding slightly in center. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Preparation for Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat 12 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Preparation for Pecan Pralines:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Using fork, beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water in medium bowl until foamy. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add pecan halves and toss to coat. Spread pecan mixture on prepared baking sheet (some egg white-sugar mixture will flow out onto baking sheet). Bake until nuts are deep brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; stir to loosen nuts from baking sheet. Cool nuts completely on sheet. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Bon Appétit, November 2000

Summertime = Ice Cream

There is nothing like a great dish or cone of ice cream in the summer. Yes, it's still spring here, but this weekend we had some amazing weather, and it felt like summer. It's even better when the ice cream is homemade. It takes a while to do, but when you wrap your lips around that spoon, it's all worth it. I'm from Vermont, and remember when Ben & Jerry's was just a couple of hippies selling ice cream out of an old gas station. I remember having chocolate chip... and it was real vanilla with real chocolate morsels in it. Not like the gloppy messy flavors they're selling now. This was the real thing: creamy, rich, refreshing, and filled with empty calories.

A couple of years ago I made some vanilla ice cream for a friend of mine, in honor of her birthday. It was my first time making ice cream, and it pretty delicious. Since then I've made it for special occasions - from start to finish, it takes about 24 hours to properly have everything done. Recently, I was reading Amy Sedaris's Cookbook and a recipe caught my eye: Coconut Custard Ice Cream. I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but I thought I would give it a try. I'm so very glad I did. You can try it too - and buy her fantastic, over-the-top production values book. It's pretty hilarious.

Take your chilling unit from your ice cream maker and place it in the freezer. I use the Cuisineart 1-1/2 quart ice cream maker. It's easy to use, and easy to clean. If you have one of those hand-cranked things that you have to pack with ice and salt, you're on your own here. Follow manufacturers directions for preparation.

Take 2 cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup of cream of coconut (Pepe Lopez works - and tastes - great). Whisk together over low heat in a double boiler or a heavy saucepan. Do not allow this mixture to boil - it will curdle the cream and you'll have to start over. Stir occassionally and heat until it's 175'. While you're waiting for it to come up to temp, take 4 eggs and whisk together. Add 3/4 cup milk (you can use any kind of milk - I use the 1% to save on calories. Yeah, right), mix well. When the cream mixture is up to 175', remove from heat. Take about 1/2 cup of the cream mixture and, while constantly stirring, slowly add it to the egg mixture. This is called "tempering" and it keeps your eggs from cooking (if you were to plop them into the hot mixture you would end up with a very expensive, creamy batch of sweet scrambled eggs) by slowly bringing their temperature up. Amy says to use a couple of tablespoons, but I add about 1 cup total, continually stirring. Then slowly add the egg mixture - which has now been tempered - to the cream mixture


and put it back on the heat. Heat until it is smooth and slightly thickened, to 160'. Stir this mixture constantly. When it comes up to heat, add 1/3rd cup sweeted grated coconut. Stir everything together, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the top of the ice cream base; it doesn't need to be stretched across the top. If you don't cover the mixture itself, it's going to form a skin on top of the mixture.

This mixture needs to chill for at least 3 hours, and I recommend chilling it overnight.

The next day, take your chilling unit from the freezer, assemble the ice cream maker, start 'er up, and slowly pour the ice cream mixture into the mixer. It takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes to freeze. I like to test it periodically to see if it's ready (and, yes, to taste it). When it seems set - similar to a good soft-serve ice cream - place the ice cream into a reclosable container (like tupperware) and freeze for another 3-4 hours, until solid.


Dish it up, garnish with some toasted sliced almonds and some cocoa nibs, and enjoy!

This is a treat well worth the wait. It's absolutely scrumptious. Not a low-calorie dessert, but a nice treat for special occasions. A note: these pictures, particularly of the prep, were for a batch that was 3 times what the original recipe calls for. I had to make ice cream for a bunch of people this weekend.

Enjoy!

Coming soon!

I don't often bake during the week... there are too many other things to deal with... BUT this weekend the women from my mom's side of the family are coming for a wine-food-gab-laugh fest, so I will have a couple of recipes to post next week: Praline Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (my aunt's favorite cake) and Coconut Cream Ice Cream. The Bakery, she loves you so much, she'll make you ice cream any time.

So please stay tuned!