Cooking for Seven

“I don’t mind some cake - seed-cake, if you have any.”

“Lots!” Bilbo found himself answering, to his own surprise; and he found himself scuttling off…to a pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cakes which he had baked that afternoon for his after-supper morsel.

When my sister read those words from The Hobbit, I could almost taste the seed-cakes. They sounded like a wonderful blend of sweet and savory. A perfect companion to tea.

Nearly tenyears after listening to that timeless tale, I decided to try my handing at baking up a beautiful seed-cake.

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I must admit that I that had never met with a financier until last Friday. Perhaps I had heard the name mentioned online or in cookbooks, but I would not have been able to tell you a thing about it.

As I flipped through cookbooks, searching for a recipe to use up the ten (ten!) egg whites sitting in the refrigerator, I came across this recipe. The use of browned butter & ground almonds intrigued me; and it looked surprisingly simple. I consulted Dad (who had mentioned pudding & ice cream as a dessert option), and he agreed that trying something new would be good.

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…Blueberry Boy Bait

Wednesday (the day that certain members of our family weigh in for their diet) is our unofficial dessert day. This evening Amanda made us this delicious cake from smitten kitchen. How could you resist a dessert with a name like that?

Notes: Amanda made this cake slightly healthier by substituting natural sugar for the brown & using whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose. She also added about 1/2 cup more blueberries. Just for kicks.

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What dessert(s) are you having this week?

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Devil’s Food Cake

Chocolate & Almond Biscotti

Macadamia Nut Brownies

Milan Cookies

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Magazine Mondays is an event held by Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice. Once a week, bloggers are invited to post a recipe made from a magazine and submit the post to Ivonne. I think it’s a great way to motivate you to actually use your magazines!

This week, I decided to make New York-Style Cheesecake (in celebration of National Dessert Day) from an issue of Martha Stewart Living. Of course, I didn’t make the recipe as it was written. I used demerar sugar in place of granulated white sugar. And I must admit that I undercooked the cake slightly. But it still tasted wonderful!

New York-Style Cheesecake

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Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, May 2004

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
• Cheesecake-Crust Dough (recipe follows)
• 7 eight-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups demerara sugar or granulated white sugar
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• Butter, for greasing the pan
• Boiling water, for water bath
• Large, shallow roasting pan, for water bath

Directions:

For Rolling and Baking the Crust

1.) Make Cheesecake-Crust Dough and chill for the required amount of time. Preheat of to 350°F. Wash out bowl and paddle for stand mixer.

2.)  On a lightly floured sheet of wax paper, roll the Cheesecake-Crust Dough slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. Place the base of a 10-inch springform pan on top of the dough as a guide, then cut the dough. Flip the dough onto the base and remove the wax paper.

3.) Attach sides of pan to base. Wrap the exterior of the pan (including the base) with a double layer of foil. Freeze dough in pan for 15 minutes.

4.) Transfer pan to baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack and allow to cool. Keep oven going.

For Mixing the Cake Batter:

5.) Place the cream cheese the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until fluffy & smooth, about 3 minutes.

6.) In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the sugar mixture. Mix until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each just until combines. Do not overmix.

7.) Butter the sides of the pan. Pour batter into pan over crust. Set the pan in a large, shallow roasting pan. Carefully add the boiling water to roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

8.) Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325° F and continue to bake until the cake is golden and set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 30 minutes more. Turn the oven off. Leave the cake in the oven with the dore slightly ajar for 1 hour.

9.) Transfer cake to cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight. Run knife around the edge of the cake before removing the sides of the pan. Serve plain or with your favorite toppings.

Yields approximately 12 servings (we got 16 servings)

Cheesecake-Crust Dough

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup demerara or granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1.) Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix just until a dough forms.

2.) Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to 1 day.

Yields enough dough for one 10-inch cheesecake