Cooking for Seven

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Macarons are French cookies made with egg whites, almond flour, and sugar and sandwiched with a delicious filling.

For this challenge, we were encouraged to create whatever flavor of macarons we wished. I decided to make chocolate flavored cookies filled with coffee meringue buttercream. It was certainly a winning combination.

“You never make enough of those things,” my sister chided.

I suspect that I did not make my macarons properly. There was no almond flour in the house, so I attempted to grind the almonds with the powdered sugar. It worked fairly well, but I just couldn’t get the almonds ground fine enough. Also, almond flour is dryer than ground almonds, so the cookies were a bit dense. However, the flavor was wonderful.

These cookies were surprisingly easy to create. Next time I will either grind the almonds more or break down and buy some almond flour. I also think I could make these healthier by using raw sugar that has been processed in a blender or food processor.

Here is a very nice video showing how French Macarons are made.

French Macarons

Printable Page

Ingredients

For the Macarons:

• 2 ¼ cups Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar (225 g, 8 oz.)
• 2 cups Almond flour (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar (25 g , .88 oz.)
• 5 Egg whites at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, optional for chocolate macarons

For the Meringue Buttercream:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup demerara or white sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 2 teaspoons of coffee extract, espresso, or flavoring of choice

Directions:

For the Macarons:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder (if using), and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t over fold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip. You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly colored.
7.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack before filling. When the macarons are completely cool, spread with filling of choice and serve.

For the Meringue Buttercream:

1. Place the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently and constantly until the egg whites are hot (approximately 140° F) and the sugar is dissolved, 3-4 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and whip with a hand mixer until thick and cooled, approximately 5 minutes. Beat in the butter and flavoring and continue beating until smooth and spreadable. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Return buttercream to room temperature and beat with a hand mixer before using.

Yield: 10 dozen.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus:  Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

I have wanted to make a many-layered cake ever since I saw a picture in a DK Geography book a few years ago. I searched the internet for a recipe, but couldn’t find one to my satisfaction.

I don’t believe that I am completely satisfied with this recipe (or my execution of it). The components were delicious. Vanilla sponge cake and deep dark chocolate buttercream frosting. How could I go wrong?

I totally ruined the caramel topping.

I didn’t cook the caramel nearly enough, so it seeped into the spongy cake and the topping was a soggy (yes, SOGGY) layer of lemon-flavored cake. Ah well, better luck next time. We just picked off the top layer and enjoyed the rest of the cake (with ice cream).

Now I’m dreaming of making a crepe cake. My sister Amanda (whom I thank for all of her help with making this challenge and whose feet you see in the above photo) has agreed to help me with that project. She informed me that she would go crazy if she took it on solo.

If you would like to try this recipe for Dobos Torte yourself, here is a link to the pdf file. Good luck!

A few weeks ago, I learned about Superior Nut: a company started in 1929 that provides gourmet nuts, dried fruits, and chocolates. They showed an interest in my blog, and graciously sent me a sampling of their nuts to taste and review.

What initially impressed me about the nuts was the size - larger than most that I normally find at the supermarket. The flavor and texture of the nuts are very good. It was hard to keep from munching on them before this review was finished. *Blushes*

These roasted tamari almonds are made with organic, wheat free soy sauce which is slowly fermented over two summers! They make a delicious snack.

The very kind people over at Superior Nut sent me so many delicious nuts that it was very hard for me to decide what to make with them. I wasn’t very familiar with cooking with macadamia nuts, but I have always been slightly fascinated with them. So I decided to try them!

Am I glad I did! These brownies were about the best I’ve ever made. The macadamia nuts were mild enough not to detract from the chocolate flavor yet tasty enough to add a special touch. Of course, you could substitute any other kind of nut you wish, but I highly recommend macadamia nuts.

m

Macadamia Nut Brownies

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped roasted and salted macadamia nuts plus extra for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 13×9x2-inch baking pan.

2) Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn. Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and nuts. Spread in pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

3) Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pans. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut into bars and serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Makes approximately 24 bars

m

I have so many delicious nuts that I may have to share another recipe with you…

This is my very first Daring Bakers Challenge! I am very excited.

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

The host gave us the option of choosing only one of the two to make. I was feeling a little daunted at the thought of homemade marshmallows, so I decided to just make the Milans.

They were absolutely delicious. And so cute! I decided to only make half a recipe, so every one disappeared the same day.

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of lemon extract. This seemed like an awful lot to me, so I downsized to just 1 teaspoon. This was a mistake as the cookies were not quite “lemony” enough. Also, the recipe called for orange zest in the chocolate filling. Since I didn’t have any on hand, I substituted orange extract. I thought it gave it wonderful flavor.

I’ll definitely keep this recipe…it would be perfect for a Girls-only Party or an Afternoon Tea.

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a cookies sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Monday was my sister’s Birthday. I knew she would like chocolate cake in some form, so I made her this. It is a very good basic chocolate cake recipe for you to play with. Frost with mocha icing and fill with vanilla pudding, or frost with peanut butter frosting, or transform it into a Coffee Toffee Trifle (as we did for my sister’s Birthday), or whatever you please!

My version is slightly healthier (surprise!) than the original recipe. I substituted half of the AP flour with whole wheat, and used a natural sweetener in place of the refined granulated white sugar. And it came out of the pan so easily, even without the use of parchment paper. This is certainly a keeper.

.

:: Devil’s Food Cake ::

.

Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) butter
• 1 1/2 cups Sucanat, Rapadura or Demerara sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons  pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (4 ounces) Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) natural cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk or water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, two to three 8-inch round pans, or a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa.
3. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low, blend 1/2 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then half the milk, another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes ( a bit longer for the sheet cake, shorter for the 8-inch pans), or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap the cake in foil and store at room temperature or in the freezer.