Coffee Break Special- Lamination
Posted by Kathryn @ 11:29 AM
So a few weeks too late, I finally got around to making the Daring Bakers Challenge. I had never made a laminated dough like a puff pastry or danish, so it was a bit intimidating at first, but the results of all of my efforts were well worth it. Unfortunately, many of these recipes are simply oversized for our two person household, so I put off the construction of the braid until the in-laws were in town. My father in law love cherries so I knew I really needed a good cherry filling. On the other hand my mother in law doesn't care for cooked fruit. Finally, my husband is totally addicted to Wisconsin almond flavored kringles (based of a similar laminated dough concept). Unfortunately these delectable pastries are just not readily available in Pittsburgh, so I thought that this was an opportunity to please them all. I made almond filling and cherry filling. All in all I made 3 braids from the recipe and learned a lot along the way about how much filling is too much or too oozy.
For the almond filling I perused several recipes online and decided to wing it. I mixed ground almonds with brown sugar cinnamon, salt (don't skimp on the salt it really helps give the dish nuttiness), a dash of almond extract, and eggwhites. I started with about 2 cups of whole almonds and about one cup of sugar. Since I wasn't going to use this right away I left out the egg whites until right before filling. I used about 4 egg whites for this amount of almonds, but the filling had a tendency to escape the confines of the braid, so for the future I would stick to no more than 3 egg whites and make sure to chill really well before braiding.
For the cherry filling I tried two methods,
Method one - pitt bing cherries and cut in half
method two- pitt bing cherries, cut in half, at some sweet cherry jam, let set in fridge
Out of these methods, the first created a much more desirable result. The cherries cooked in the braid tasted jammy without oozing. The second method create tons of overflow from the braid... which when mixed with the almond mixture was crisp and tasty, but meant that the bread did not rise as nicely and had a few cherry colored blemishes.
So I made plain almond braids and almond cherry braids. I loved both, but as it is summer I would strongly suggest using the uncooked bing cherries.
DOUGH (detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (I used instant yeast.)
1/2 cup (250 mil) whole milk
1/3 cup (58 grams) sugar
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used green cardamom pods and whizzed the seeds in a coffee grinder.)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped- I didn't have this, so I just added more vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup (125 mil) fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups (390 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
BUTTER BLOCK (beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks, 220 grams) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
DOUGH: In the bowl of the stand mixer, stir together the milk and yeast with the paddle attachment. Slowly add the sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. BEURRAGE: In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix the butter and flour using the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another minute, until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Set aside at room temperature.
4. BUTTER BLOCK: After the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the dough to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Repeat folding two more times, refrigerating for 30 minutes in between.
7. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used.
The fun part Assembly!
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface (and on top of your parchment paper, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet. (Don’t forget to move the rolled dough to the baking sheet!)
4. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
5. Spoon the filling down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps,” fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. You can trim any excess dough but as we like bread around here i just tucked in the ends which meant one end was always breadier than the rest of the braid.
6. Brush the egg wash over the braid.
7. Spray some cooking spray on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover the dough with the sprayed side down. Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled and is light to the touch. Don't forget the cooking spray or the braid will look completely mangled upon plastic removal. Luckily the egg wash covered up much of my error on the first braid
8. Preheat oven to 400º F
9. Remove the plastic. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and reduce heat to 350º F. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the bread is a deep, golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10. Wrap well in plastic to store
A Texas Twist
Posted by Kathryn @ 5:56 PM
When I can take food memories and wrap them into a baked good I am at home all over again. Once again the Daring Bakers have served up a delicious challenge. I want to thank Lis and Ivonne along with Fran of the blog Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie and Shea of the blog Whiskful for co-hosting the challenge. To make it exciting the recipe relies on nuts, which in my household, I am the only indulger. As a result I was really happy to have an excuse to use copious quantities!
Now I am not usually a fussy person, I lack artistic talent and fear those things that cry for perfection, this is clear by the recipes I usually highlight on the blog usually. Belonging to Daring Bakers is intended to help me stretch my repertoire and try a few techniques I would normally avoid. The May challenge is no exception. It is a decidedly light (only in color) take on a classic opera cake.
I decided to take on all of the elements of this recipe including the optional mousse. It was a great way to practice a variety of cake toppings. As I am not the largest fan of icing it let me try a variety and gave me some ideas on how to improve some of my existing favorites. Plus, now as a result of a little bit of leftovers I have found a divine spread for my favorite buttermilk raisin bran muffins, the buttercream recipe. It was simply the best combination (probably because of the sheer quantity of butter incorporated in the recipe!) Each month though I need to put my own touch on the challenge and this time around I decided to forgo the traditional almond meal and take it to Texas with pecans. I was a little worried that since they are softer and oilier that this could pose a problem, but in the end the result was very nice. Now to go with pecans, i love two things cayenne pepper or cinnamon. Cayenne pepper was too much of a departure for this particular cake, but cinnamon added a nice round flavor to the pecan goodness.
So the cake was a total hit at work. I loved certain elements particularly the joconde and the buttercream (which much like Natalie Dupree's spice cake with a coffee butter cream relies on so much butter that the sugar is much less noticeable). I will probably skip the glaze in future opera-like cakes. White chocolate in that large of quantity seems cloying (especially when you have a mousse and glaze) I think I would prefer the traditional less sweet dark chocolate or coffee flavors. As for the husband and sister, they would totally pass on this in the future. If you don't like nuts, then this is not the recipe for you. On to the recipe!
For the joconde
What you’ll need:
•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans ( I actually used one half sheet and then one round layer cake pan instead to make two separate opera cakes)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls
Ingredients:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) pecans
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.
2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).
3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.
4. In a food processor pulse pecans with about 1 half of flour. Do this slowly and do not let the pecans turn into a paste.
5.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
6. Set the egg whites aside. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
7.Add the remaining flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).
8.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. (Don't forget the butter! I almost did and with this many steps to a cake it will make you cry if you have to start something over) Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
9.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.
10.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
11.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.
For the syrup- can be made in advance
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of honey
1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
For the buttercream
2 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (60 grams) water
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1.Combine the sugar, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.
2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C)
3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.
4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment.
5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).
6.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks of butter. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
7.Add Vanilla and mix to incorporate
9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).
For the white chocolate ganache/mousse (this step is optional )
Ingredients:
7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liqueur - I chose Bailey's but next time I would skip this... added one too many flavor profiles for my taste
1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
For the glaze- Don't make this ahead of time, better wait for assembly- This makes a lot you may want to make just 1/2 or 3/4 of this amount unless you have another purpose for the glaze
What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan or double boiler
Ingredients:
14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tsp cinnamon
1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Add cinnamon. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3.Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
Assembling the Opéra Cake
(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. If it is cold the buttercream will be very hard and not reveal its splendid satiny texture).
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.
Step A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):
Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.
Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.
Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.
Step B (if making the ganache/mousse):
Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.
Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.
Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.
Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.
Cheesecake Fiasco begins
Posted by Kathryn @ 2:18 PM
Admittedly, I approached this month's Daring Baker's Challenge with "Oh that will be easy." This month’s challenge was from Deborah of Taste and Tell and Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms .They chose a fun party recipe for chocolate coated cheesecake pops from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. Now that the challenge is over I can safely say that I have no intention of making cheese cake pops again! I am a cheesecake devotee, unfortunately my dear husband does not share my sentiments, so I don't make cheesecake very often. This challenge gave me the perfect excuse. This very weekend I had a dinner party planned and I thought these would make a crowning last touch.
So on Thursday night I baked the cheesecake. I decided to use amaretto for flavoring rather than the vanilla because I thought it would go well with toasted almond topping. My current oven is less than accurate or reliable, making each baking episode an adventure. This time... the cheesecake just didn't want to bake. It looked relatively done at 60 minutes so I took it out and put it in the freezer. I don't know why I just seemed to remember that the directions said to freeze the cheesecake ( but that was actually a much later step) So on Saturday, the day of my dinner I pull it out to start cutting the cheesecake pop shapes. The first two, beautiful! The next a blob of goo. Realization washed over me that it wasn't done... Oh no! and I only had a few hours until the guests were coming. So I pop it back in the oven and started to check it spastically. Needless to say I took it out a couple more times just to find that it still wasn't quite perfect because of course now the cheesecake was warm and not chilled and set. So shaping was out of the question. Before you know it , the cheesecake was back in the freezer for another round of chilling.
30 minutes before the party was to start I tried dipping a few of my creations. They looked sad and pathetic. The cheesecake wanted to fall off the popsicle sticks leaving bits in my melted chocolate... what a waste of gorgeous chocolate. So I decided to quit making them and wait until Sunday morning to make some presentable cheesecake pops.
Sunday was a whole new day and the cheesecake pops came together nicely. Instead of dipping the pops I went with a drizzling method. I topped each pop with either almonds or crushed graham cracker. The final result was delicious, but I think I will stick with more traditional cheesecake forms in the future! The amaretto was more subtle than I hoped, next time I try flavoring cheesecake with it I will probably add some almond extract. 
All in all I have learned a lot about trying to shape cheesecake and knowing when cheesecakes are done in an unreliable oven! Thanks Daring Bakers for bringing me in to the fold. I look forward to the next challenge!
Cheesecake Pops
Makes 30 – 40 Pops
5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons amaretto
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Assorted decorations - crushed graham crackers give a nice crunch, toasted almonds play well with the amaretto
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.
When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.
Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.
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