Blueberries galore!

At this time of year, blueberries are seemingly overflowing from the supermarket shelves so it was fortunate timing that the TWD pick this week was Dorie's Double Crusted Blueberry Pie. Now I've made pies many times before but I've generally stuck to apple pies, so this was a chance to try something different. Besides, M absolutely loves blueberries.

Since baking the scrumptious TWD treats every week has taken a toll on my waistline, I decided to make just one fourth of the recipe and make an individual portion of this pie. Sure it was a lot of work to make just one serving of this but not having to sit around and resist a barely eaten 9 inch pie made it worthwhile!

I was skeptical about using bread crumbs to line the inside of the pie crust as I was worried that this would make the filling too "doughy" but I have to say that you really don't notice it in the taste and it definitely helps keep the base of the crust from getting too soggy. A good trick for future pie-making endeavours.

M and I shared the pie for dessert on Sunday night, and needless to say, we licked the bowl clean.

For the recipe, please click here.

Danish braid with chocolate

It feels like a while since I've last done a Daring Baker's challenge but in reality, I've only just skipped one month, when I was away on honeymoon. In any case, after a long absence, I was raring to go again and was delighted with the pick of Danish Braid for this month's challenge.

I rarely make yeasted doughs on my own simply because it requires a bit more planning, but I absolutely adore the results. Since we were given the option to vary the filling, I decided to skip the suggested apple filling and made my braid with chocolate instead. I suppose any kind of chopped chocolate would do, but since I had an excess of chocolate batons in my cupboard (the type for making pain au chocolat) I decided to use that.

The braid turned a little darker than I expected when it was in the oven, so next time, I might just decide to skip the egg wash. Taste-wise, however, the braid was a hit. I brought it to a friends' house where 5 of us devoured the braid over a cup a coffee. Will I make this again? Absolutely!

Danish Dough

From The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

For the dough

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup sugar

Zest of 1 orange, finely grated

3/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 large eggs, chilled

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

For the butter block

2 sticks cold unsaltd butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Dough

Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add 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.

Butter Block

Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

After the detrempe has chilled 3o minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and 1/4 inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and the right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe 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. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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.

Roll out, turn and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

Danish Braid

1 recipe Danish dough

Chocolate batons (like those for Pain au chocolat)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, 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.

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, making sure to line up the cuts with those you've already made.

Spoon the filling you've chosen to fill your braid 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. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg wash

Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid. 

Proofing and baking

Spray cooking oil onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.

Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Its my turn to pick!

Its been 4 months since I first joined Tuesdays with Dorie and its been a wonderful ride. From the Brown Sugar Apple cheesecake, to the Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart to Big Bill's carrot cake, there have been so many firsts. So when it came time for me to pick a recipe for the entire group, I really wanted to pick something good. So I picked up my book and shortlisted a few recipes - the caramel-peanut-topped brownie cake, the blueberry crumb cake, the peppermint cream puff ring and the chocolate-crunched caramel tart.

If you know the book well, you'll know that there's one thing in common with all these recipes - they are all accompanied by gorgeous photographs! What can I say - I'm a visual person. I had a really tough time narrowing these 4 choices down to 1, however, so I enlisted M's help to pick. After all, he's the one who has to eat most of it so he might as well like it! And, that is how it came to be that this week's TWD recipe is the Peppermint Cream Puff Ring. (Of course, I had my reasons for picking the recipe as well. I wanted to choose something that the TWD group hasn't yet tackled as a group and since we've done brownies, cakes and caramel before, I thought pate a choux would be a good challenge!)

I didn't have too much trouble putting together this week's recipe. The closest heart-stopping moment I had was probably 15 minutes into baking time when my ring was already well beyond golden brown. I honestly thought the pastry was going to burn. Thankfully, although it is quite brown, it never did quite burn.

Some people had trouble getting the whipping cream to be of a firm enough consistency after folding in the creme fraiche but again, mine turned out firm enough to hold the shape of the rosettes. What I did to hedge against a too runny cream was whip the cream slightly longer than I would have otherwise, so that they formed very stiff peaks.

The verdict on this recipe? Absolutely scrumptious! Since Dorie mentions that the ring doesn't really keep beyond one day, M had 2 large portions. In my books, that makes this a winner!

PS: The TWD-ers decided that the person who picks the recipe will post the recipe on their blog and other members can then link to it. As such, here's the recipe!

Peppermint Cream Puff Ring

From Baking From My Home to Yours

For the Pastry

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whole milk

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

For the Cream

About 1 1/3 cups heavy cream

40 fresh mint leaves

6 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cold creme fraiche or sour cream

Peppermint extract (optional)

For the Glaze

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp heavy cream

2 tsp light corn syrup

3 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Getting ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Draw a 7- to 8-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper, turn the paper over and use it to line a baking sheet. Fit a large pastry bag with a 3/4-inch diameter plain piping tip.

To make the pastry:

Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once and mix it in with a a wooden spoon, then keep stirring energetically until the dough comes together in a shiny mass. The bottom of the pan will be covered with a thin film of flour. Cook the dough for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then transfer the hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer or another large bowl.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat in 3 of the eggs on at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated beore adding the next. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl and very gradually add enough of the beaten egg to form a dough that is thick, shiny and silky.

Spoon the warm dough into the pastry bag, position the tip above the outline of the circle and pipe a ring of dough about 1-inch thick. Pipe a second ring of dough inside the first ring and just touching it. Pipe a third ring of dough on top of the circle where the first and second rings of dough meet If you have any extra dough, pipe out as many cream puffs as you can or use the dough to make a few eclairs. (The cream puff dough must be piped out as soon as it is mixed. However, if you'd life, you can pipe out the ring and freeze it for up to 2 months beore baking it; don't defrost it, just add about 10 minutes to the baking time.)

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Bake the ring for another 20 to 25 minutes (total baking time is 35 to 40 minutes), or until it is puffed, brown and firm. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the ring cool completely.

To make the cream:

Bring 1 1/3 cups cream and the mint leaves to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pull the pan from the heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour, then pour into a bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.

Strain the cream into a measuring cup and add as much additional chilled cream as needed to measure 1 1/3 cups.

Use a serrated knife and a very gentle sawing motion to slice off the top of the pastry ring in one piece pull out and discard any soft dough from the inside of the base. Carefully place the pastry ring base on a platter.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a medium bowl, whip the cream and 1/4 cup of the sugar until the cream holds firm peaks. Stir the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar into the creme fraiche and, using a rubber spatulat, gently fold the creme fraiche into the mint whipped cream. Taste the cream, and if you'd like a stronger mint flavor, add a drop or two of extract.

Spoon the mint cream into a clean pastry bag and pipe large rosettes into the base, keeping the rosettes close to one another. Pipe a second row of rosettes on top of the first row, piping the top rosettes between the bottom rosettes. Refrigerate the base while you make the glaze.

To make the glaze:

Melt the chocolate with the cream and corn syrup in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until the glaze is melted and smooth.

Using a small icing spatula, spread the glaze over the top circle of pastry. Sprinkle the toasted nuts over the glaze, and press them down gently. Carefully set the rign on top of the base - don't press down, you want to top to rest light on the whipped cream - and refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving. Covered lightly and kept away from food with strong odors, the ring can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.)

Makes 12 servings

A perfect dessert for a warm summer's day

This past weekend, it finally felt like summer arrived in London. The weather on Sunday was just absolutely picture perfect with temperatures hitting a balmy 25 degrees. For the first time in a long time, I could comfortably wear a sleeveless top and slip into shorts. It was, weather-wine, definitely the finest day all year, which made it just perfect for this week's TWD pick - La Palette's strawberry tart.

You see, right about this time of year, the supermarket shelves are just bursting with colour from all the in-season fruit. I had no trouble at all finding these gorgeous, juicy strawberries from Kent in my local grocer. The real difficulty was keeping myself from polishing these off before the tart was ready because they just looked so damn good.

The interesting thing about this tart is that instead of a cream or custard-based filling, the shortbread-like pastry crust is simply adorned with a generous layer of strawberry jam, topped with heaping tablespoonfuls of ripe strawberries and finished with a dollop of creme fraiche. This means that the tart is great for when you need to prepare a dessert in advance, such as for a dinner party. Just bake the tart shell the day before, then right before serving slather on the jam, spoon on the strawberries and voila! A picture perfect dessert for the summer.

PS: The TWD-ers have decided that going forward, we will stop posting Dorie's recipes each week. Since there are now so many of us, its almost as if we're giving away the book for free, which is really not our intention.

I'm back... with French chocolate brownies to show for it

After what has to have been the best month of my life - M & I got married (twice, no less) and then had a heavenly honeymoon in Bhutan - I'm back to London and to the baking group, Tuesdays with Dorie, that was started by the wonderful Laurie. Usually, the rules are that TWD bakers must participate at least 2 out of every 4 weeks, but Laurie very graciously granted me a month's absence for my wedding with no questions asked. So, now I'm back, and more into this group than ever, if that's even possible!

Since I've only been back for 2 days, I'm glad that this week's challenge, French chocolate brownies, was much less involved than some of our other challenges. Still, simple doesn't mean compromising on taste.

I know some of you probably think that my brownie looks a little lonely on its plate in the photo. But as I was thinking what to top my brownie with, I finally decided that a great brownie needs no embellishment. Sure, brownies can sometimes be made better with ice cream whether as the base to a brownie sundae or as the fold-ins into a vanilla ice cream (brownie chunk ice cream), but the true test of a good brownie is one that holds its own and that you want to gobble down even with nothing extra on the side.

This, is one such brownie. Along the spectrum of cakey to fudgey, I think this brownie falls nicely in between. I found the brownie to have an incredibly tender crumb that was wonderfully moist at the same time. I was afraid that the rum-soaked raisins would overpower the chocolaty taste that I love in my brownies, but the rum flavour was extremely subtle and gave the brownie a more intriguing after taste.

Thanks to Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook for a great choice! Its my turn to pick a recipe in 2 weeks and I can't wait!

French Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden
1 1/2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp dark rum
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp; 6 oz) 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.

Makes 16 brownies

Cheesecake pops

After missing the last Daring Baker's challenge, I knew I couldn't miss this month's. Yet, procrastinator that I am, I didn't get started on this until the day before posting day. Thankfully, I had all the ingredients I needed in the fridge - including the lollipop sticks - so there was no need to make a midnight run to the grocery store.

When I first read through this month's challenge, I was seriously worried about my lack of freezer space. One of my major gripes about living in London is the lack of American style refrigerators. You know, the Sub-zero kind with huge double doors. So I'm insanely jealous of anyone who can actually fit a baking sheet into their freezer. I had to put my cheesecake pops into a small tupperware in order to freeze them, and even then, i had to take half of the things out of my freezer temporarily and put them in the fridge.

Despite the slight logistical challenge, I still managed to get the pops frozen enough to coat them with chocolate. Since I'm not a fan of shortening, I chose to use plain tempered chocolate instead. I wasn't quite sure how to get the chocolate to set up cleanly on the pops though so I'll be the first to admit that my cheesecake pops are not the prettiest. Still, as they say, don't judge a book by its cover, for the pops were delicious. To be honest, what I really enjoyed was the cheesecake - I didn't care as much for the chocolate coating. The next time I make a cheesecake though, I know exactly what recipe to turn to!

Cheesecake Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

5 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy cream

Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable shortening

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.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

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.

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

Carrot Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Last week, I had to miss out on TWD. I had a good excuse - I was running in the London marathon last Sunday. Yes, after 4 long months of training, it was finally race day and it was absolutely, mind-blowingly fantastic! Many people had told me over and over again that on race day, the crowds would carry you to the finish line. Yet, I still had my doubts. They were right, though. Despite the rain and dreary weather, approximately a quarter million people lined the route and cheered their hearts out for all the runners. Buoyed by their amazing support, I crossed the finish line almost a whole hour faster than I anticipated.

Now that I no longer have to spend hours training each weekend, I was glad to have a TWD recipe to look forward to. This week's choice was a carrot cake, something that I've made just once before. That time, I didn't quite like the result so I was hoping that Dorie's version would turn out better.

Since I already had a cake in the fridge from a previous baking session, I decided to use the recipe to make cupcakes instead. To do so, I halved both the cake and frosting recipe and had enough of both to make about 14 regular cupcakes.

I brought these cupcakes to a brunch on Sunday and I must say they were a huge hit. Reactions ranged from "these cupcakes are killer" to "these are the best cupcakes I've ever had in my life". Yet another hit from Dorie!

Bill's Big Carrot Cake
From Baking: From My Home to Yours

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 with 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.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

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.

Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

Makes 10 servings

White chocolate and matcha pound cake

Yesterday, while surfing around food blogs, I came across this post for a White chocolate and Matcha pound cake. Now, white chocolate and matcha is one of my favourite flavour combinations, one that I find works particularly well in this ice cream recipe that previously featured on this blog. After seeing this post then, I just couldn't get this cake out of my mind and absolutely had to make it after coming home from work last night. I was doubly persuaded when I saw the post that originally inspired this cake and another similar post about this cake.

While the batter was really easy to make, the problem with pound cakes, and its really not a problem at all if you're patient, is that it takes so long to bake - 50 minutes. Since my cake didn't come out of the oven till about 10 o'clock at night, my conscience wouldn't let me try a slice right away as it was just too close to bed time. The smells, though, were amazing and it took all my willpower to resist cutting a slice then and there.

So I dutifully waited till the morning and took my first slice at breakfast. (What makes it ok to eat cake at breakfast but not just before bedtime? Beats me... crazy female logic, I guess.) At first, I didn't find the cake quite so special - likely because I was eating the end slice. You know, it like the end slice of bread that is mostly crust but no crumb. So I took another (!) and this time, I could really taste the white chocolate and green tea flavours coming through. I like!

White Chocolate and Matcha Pound Cake
From La Tartine Gourmande

Ingredients:
3 large eggs (2 oz each)
6 1/3 oz all-purpose flour
2 3/4 oz white chocolate
4 1/4 oz butter
5 1/4 oz fine sugar
1 pinch of salt
1.5 tsp Matcha tea
1 tsp baking powder

Melt the butter. Place the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and let simmer until the chocolate is melted. In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the eggs with the sugar and beat until it is white in color, then remove.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and add it to the egg/sugar preparation, mixing manually with a whisk. Then add the salt and butter and mix.

Divide the batter in 2/3 and 1/3. Add the melted chocolate to the 2/3 batter and the matcha tea to the 1/3 batter.

Preheat your oven at 350 F. Grease a rectangular cake pan and add half of the chocolate batter. Continue with the matcha tea batter and finish with the other half of the chocolate batter. Take a fork and pass it through the different layers of batter.

Bake the cake for 50 mins, or until the blade of a knife comes out dry when inserted in the cake. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before unmolding.

Makes 1 loaf

An unmissable TWD

While I already normally look forward to every Tuesday with Dorie, the recipe this week, The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart, was even more special for me. Why? Because the centerpiece of this recipe, the exquisitely smooth and delicious lemon cream, originates from the Picasso of pastry - Pierre Hermé. 

For those of you who don't know him, Pierre Hermé is a pastry chef extraordinaire. He is responsible for creations such as the Isaphan, a rose flavoured macaron with litchis and raspberries), and Plasir Sucré. For me, no visit to Paris is complete without a mandatory stop at his boutique on Rue Bonaparte. If you're going there for the first time, there's no missing it. Its the little store with the line of people snaking out its door.

 

Knowing what I know about Pierre Hermé, I was sure that this recipe would indeed live up to its name. Sure enough, I was not disappointed. Although the lemon cream is marginally more of a hassle to make than regular lemon curd, if you have a blender or a food processor handy, it really is a snap. I did find the crust a little more difficult to handle - its not one that you can roll easily (which Dorie did warn about) - but by pressing it into the pan as Dorie suggests, the crust turned out beautifully.

I served this for tea on Sunday and again for dinner. M, who is usually a chocolate fanatic, raved about it as well. I think this recipe is definitely a keeper!

The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

From Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 cup sugar

Grated zest of 3 lemons

4 large eggs

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)

2 sticks plus 5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, at room temperature

1 9-inch tart shell

Getting ready:

Have an instant-read thermometer, a strainer and a blender or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk - you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling - you'll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point - the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience - depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180 degrees F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor) and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going - to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats. 

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator). 

When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

Makes 8 servings

Cookies for charity

The London marathon is in a month's time (yikes!) and I'm still somewhat shy of my fundraising goal of £1,500. Like many people who apply for the marathon through the ballot, I didn't get a spot so I decided to pursue my dream while raising money for a worthwhile cause. In my case, as an animal lover, I'm raising money for Care for the Wild International, an animal conservation charity.

Unlike some of the charities that are fielding hundreds of runners at the event, CWI has just 7 of us. While it means that every pound we raise will mean more to them, it also means that the pressure not to let them down is even stronger. 

To supplement my fundraising efforts thus far, I am planning to ask my colleagues if they will help sponsor my marathon. As a thank you (or a bribe), I baked up a batch of these decadent white chocolate chunk cookies and will bring them into the office tomorrow. I'm hoping this will do the trick. Judging by the lovely smell wafting through my kitchen at the moment, I have high hopes.

White Chocolate Chunk-Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from The Essential Baker

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

10 oz white chocolate, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds and preheat the oven to 375F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick liners.

Over a large piece of waxed or parchment paper or a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir or toss to blend together thoroughly.

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or in a large bowl. Use the flat beater attachment or a hand-held mixer to beat the butter on medium speed until it's fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter and cream together completely. Stop occasionally and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Using a fork, lightly beat the egg and vanilla together in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and blend thoroughly. The egg will sit on top of the butter mixture, so be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to help mix evenly. The mixture may look curdled as the eggs are added, but as you stop and scrape down the bowl, the mixture will smooth out.

Add the dry ingredients in 4 stages, blending completely after each addition. Stop occasionally and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing.

Add the white chocolate chunks, macadamia nuts, and dried cranberries and stir to distribute evenly.

Use a large spoon or a small ice cream scoop to scoop out mounds about 2 inches in diameter. Place the mounds on the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between them so they have room to expand as they bake.

Bake the cookies for  minutes. Switch the baking sheets and bake another 5 to 6 minutes, until the cookies are set and light golden.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets on racks. Carefully remove the cookies from the parchment paper or nonstick liners. 

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Another Tuesday with Dorie

Its amazing how quickly times flies when you are having fun. This past weekend, I was up in Paris again for a short trip with M. In addition to the usual shopping and eating that typically accompanies a trip to the city of lights, M and I also took part in the Paris half marathon on Sunday.

It was my first experience doing a race with 19,000 competitors and of such a distance, and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! First, since we've been logging many 20+km runs in the run-up to the marathon, we weren't at all nervous about this race. Second, seeing that many people run en masse makes you feel like you should run harder and faster. Third, the spectators and bands all along the course yelling out encouragement was even more motivation to do your best. I was extremely happy with my time, coming in almost 10 minutes faster than I had hoped.

It was tough to top the high of the race, but after getting back to London, I got the chance to tackle the next TWD challenge - Snickery Squares! Now, I've had my eye on this recipe for a while but never had an excuse to make it. I wasn't able to find dulce de leche in my neighbourhood grocery store so I ended up making my own. The squares were absolutely delicious and just like Dorie described - sophisticated Snickers bars. If you're a peanut fan, this one's for you!

Snickery Squares

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp powdered sugar

¼ tsp salt1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the Filling:
½ cup sugar

3 tbsp water

1 ½ cups salted peanuts

About 1 ½ cups store-bought dulce de leche

For the Topping:
7 ounces bittersweet, coarsely chopped

½ stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

Getting Ready:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 8 inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To Make the Crust:
Toss the flour, sugar, powdered sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Toss in the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds-stop before the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough with a fork and slide the sheet into the oven.Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until it takes on just a little color around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Have a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet at the ready, as well as a long-handled wooden spoon and a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color. Toss the peanuts and immediately start stirring. Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with sugar. Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white—keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel. When the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto the baking sheet., using the wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can. Cool the nuts to room temperature.

When they are cool enough to handle, separate the nuts or break them into small pieces. Divide the nuts in half. Keep half of the nuts whole or in biggish pieces for the filling, and finely chop the other half for the topping.Spread the dulce de leche over the shortbread base and sprinkle over the whole candied nuts.

To Make the Topping:
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove chocolate from the heat and gently stir in the butter, stirring until it is fully blended into the chocolate.Pour the chocolate over the dulce de leche, smoothing it with a long metal icing spatula, then sprinkle over the rest of the peanuts. Slide the pan into the fridge to set the topping, about 20 minutes; if you’d like to serve the squares cold, keep them refrigerated for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Cut into 16 bars.

Makes 16 squares

They've done it again!

Each and every time, the Daring Bakers group, of which I am fortunate to be a part, has has pushed me to try something new and unfamiliar. This month's challenge - French bread - was no different. I suppose there are several reasons why I don't bake bread very often. First, although I like bread very much, I try not to eat so much of it. These last 3 months or so have been an exception as I've found myself craving carbs after my insane running schedule. Second, it always feels like such a hassle to have to plan your day around the extended rest periods that yeasted dough often requires. So when I first read about this month's recipe, I was looking forward to the trying this out as there's nothing I love better than a crusty baguette with a dollop of salted French butter.

I must admit that the first time I read the recipe, I was a little taken aback. Together with all the notes that were included, the recipe spanned 11 pages long! I was also a little dismayed to find that the dough required between 7-9 hours of resting time! I guess there's a reason they call this the Daring Bakers' group.

Undeterred, I embarked on this recipe bright and early last Saturday. Following the instructions, I put the ingredients in my trusty KitchenAid and in no time, the dough was all prepped for its first rise. Since I was planning a long run that day (30km!), I left the dough to proof and headed out to the park for my run.

Upon returning, the dough was nice and springy, so I proceeded to the next step and prepared the dough for its second rise. Since we were both feeling slightly drained after our respective long runs, I had no problem sitting at home and chilling for a couple of hours. Now those of you who know me will know that this is not my preferred modus operandi on a weekend. After having to sit at work all week, I like to make the most of my weekends and usually have an action-packed schedule of activities planned. Things, however, are certainly a little different after a 3 hour jog.

At the end of the second rise, I decided to shape the dough into two medium round loaves, or pain de miches. This time, M and I decided to head out for a movie. Third resting time also easily taken care of!


I finally put the bread into the oven at 8pm that evening and was very pleased with the way it looked coming out of the oven. The crust had turned a nice dark brown and save for the missing slashes on the top of the bread (they sealed up after baking in the oven), I thought the breads looked great. Given the suggestion to let the dough rest for 3 hours before eating, it wasn’t until Sunday morning that I finally got to taste the fruits of my labour.

Unfortunately, despite all my efforts and best intentions, the bread, which was nice and crispy on the outside, tasted way too ‘yeasty’ for me. I’m not sure if I may have over-proofed the bread or maybe used too much yeast?? In any case, this month’s challenge wasn’t a slam dunk success so I’ll have to find the time (and the courage!) to try this again.

For recipe, click here