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yorkshirepud

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  1. I've made her brownies. They're excellent -- deep, dark and dense. She says the top will be glossier if you let the brownie batter sit overnight in the refrigerator, but I haven't tried this yet.

    I also recommend her Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake which is relatively low-fat. I'm generally skeptical regarind low-fat desserts, but this one was better than a few high fat fallen chocolate souffle cakes I've tried.

    Claire, which ones did you make? I've heard good things about the all cocoa powder ones.

    I need to put this book to work again sometime soon. Poor thing has been neglected. Shame on me! :raz:

  2. Hey Mamsue,

    Do share what you try. I haven't fully explored the book yet. Get making that ice-cream! It's divine.

    Everyone, sorry for being AWOL lately. I've been super busy and out of it lately. I have guests coming for 2 weeks, so will resume this blog after if there's still interest.

    Adele

  3. I just got done making the base for the WS coffee ice-cream recipe. Oh my, it tastes very good. I went ahead with the 3tbsps of espresso powder and it's spot on. Thanks for reassuring me it would be okay. Can't wait to try it churned tomorrow.

    Gifted Gourmet, are you still doing it this weekend?

  4. Anna, I'm going to throw it together after dinner on Saturday night along with the ice-cream. What's interesting is the the souffle looks much higher in the shot in Bittersweet than mine was. Though I suspect I deflated it alot when I took it out of the oven to add the flour/almonds.

    Let us know how the pie is. Are you baking in a pie pan? I don't recommend a tart shell unless you want it all to spill out. Though there must be a way as I've seen pecan tarts before.

    Anyone know the secret?

  5. Anna N, I've visited Golda's Kitchen (online only) and it does seem like a great place. I'm hoping to get out there for a skeg at the store soon.

    marlowe, thanks for the store. I'll check it out.

    allezcuisine, I don't get downtown often but thanks for the stores. I'll be on the look out next time I'm down that way.

    Katharine, oohh thanks. I'm going to have a good look around the website later. I actually want to WS last night and walked out $150 poorer *L*. I do like their bakeware though (I buy the pro regular, not non stick). Very heavy duty. I wish they'd branch out a little as the store I go to (Yorkdale) has slim pickings.

  6. Ted,

    I agree. If you going to have ice-cream, have ice-cream!

    Michael,

    Is their a formula you’ve found to achieve the perfect balance of fats? I see recipes that use as little as 2 eggs and as many as 8. All of course, will offer a variation of richness. I also see no pattern to the dairy used. Even those not attempting to be ‘light’ will sometimes use just light cream and half and half, depending upon the actual flavour (fruit, chocolate or whatever).

    I do remember reading if the only dairy used is whipping cream, this will produce a ‘greasy’ cream.

    phaelon56,

    Thanks for the info on coffee. I do have a recipe that calls for roasted beans which I will have to try out. Is there a particular bean (not necessarily brand) you’d recommend?

  7. Week 2

    So I’ve just finalized my plan for the coming weekend. Here’s what on the menu:

    - Danish Braid with Apricot Filling and Confectioner’s Cream Baking with Julia (Dorie Greenspan)

    - Fallen Chocolate Soufflé CakeBittersweet (Alice Medrich)

    - Coffee Ice CreamWilliams-Sonoma Website

    I’m rather excited about the Danish I’ll be making. It was one of the first recipes that caught my eye when I first got the book. It’s also a test run for a potential ‘show-off’ for when my parents visit next month for 2 weeks.

    I have actually made the Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Cake before but I made a bit of a boo. After a few minutes in the oven, I eyed the almonds and flour on my counter. Yes, they were supposed to be in the oven with the rest of the soufflé. I had to quickly pull the soufflé out of the oven and fold them in. I’m sure it affected the recipe somewhat but thankfully it turned out okay. So, I’m going to go another round with it and get it right this time.

    The ice-cream will be an accompaniment to the cake. I’m a little skeptical of the source as my last ice-cream recipe from there was a total bomb. Let’s see if it can redeem itself. I am also a little dubious about the amount of espresso called for (we discussed it a little here), but I’ll give it a shot anyway. Tom (my husband) eats anything - mistakes and all - so it’ll go to a good home.

  8. I think fat, in ice cream at least, brings more to the mouthfeel part of the quotient, smoothness, etc.

    Ted, I just reading earlier on baking911.com that the egg yolks in ice-cream act as an emulsifier. Therefore, because they help disperse fat droplets evenly, the ice cyrstals are forced to be smaller resulting is a much smoother end product with a more desirable 'mouth feel'. This explains why lower fat ice-cream (at least those made at home) just don't cut it.

    You're right about the change in coffee taste when I put in milk. I never thought to look at it way. Thanks. :biggrin:

  9. Thanks Tan319.

    It does help but what I don't understand (bear with me :blush:) is why fat mellows the bitterness of the espresso. Is it because of the added richness?

    Good idea about reconstituting the espresso. If I decide not to throw caution to wind and just do it, I'll do that instead.

    Based on your findings with the eggless PB ice-cream am I right in thinking perhaps fat brings out the flavour of ingredients? Kind of like how salt works?

  10. Rebecca

    I looked into the use of Golden Syrup (she offers the sub for dark corn syrup) for you.

    She chooses to use it because she thinks it prevents the pie from being sickly sweet. Also, it adds a 'special' mellow flavor.

    I imagine this will all be personal preference. I love Lyles Golden Syrup. I'd recommend you try to find some. It can be hard as it's an import from England.

    I also looked in the back of the book on ingredient info and it seems golden syrup has less water content (15 to 18 percent) compared to corn syrup (about 24 percent). I'm not sure if this would make a difference too.

  11. Dan, I'd kill for a good yorkshire pud with all the fixings ... mmm ... roast potatoes, onion gravy, stuffing ... aarrgghhh ... thankfully my parents are coming over to Canada (I'm a Brit) next month so my mam will give me my fix.

    Back to mousse ... I'll give you her recipe for Albert's Mousse as her intent for this recipe was to use water to allow her brother, that's Albert, to eat it (he can't have dairy). I realise that's more info than you actually needed, but, well, I'm a gabber so what can ya do?

    Btw, she uses a 3/1 ratio (6oz chocolate, 2oz water) so it seems you was on the right track.

    Albert's Mousse - Bittersweet, Alice Medrich

    • 6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
    • 1/4 cup water, coffee, or milk, or 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1 1/2 tbsps brandy, rum or liquor of choice (optional)
    • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 3 tbsps water
    • 3 tbsps sugar
    • Whipped cream or Cocoa Bean Cream (page 304) (optional)

    Special equipment

    • Instant-read thermometer
    • Six to eight 4 - to 6-ounce ramekins or dessert cups

    Add the chocolate and water (or whatever liquid you wish to use) to a medium heatproof bowl. Place it in a wide skillet of simmering water (it should be barely simmering). Stir it until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove the bowl from the water and continue to stir until all melted. If you want to use liquor, add it now. Set aside.

    Take another mediurm heatproof bowl, add the egg, 3 tbsps water and sugar. Whisk until blended.

    Place the bowl in a skillet of water (you want to water to not be simmering) an stir constantly until the reach 160 on your thermometer. You might want to remove the bowl from the water to take the temp.

    Once you reached the correct temp, remove from the water and beat the mixture at high speed for approx. 3 to 4 mins using an electric mixture. You are looking for the texture of softly whipped cream here.

    Take 1/4 of the eggs and fold it into the chocolate. Now, fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites and fold until everything is evenly incorporated.

    Put your mousse in the ramekins. You need to chill for 1 hour or so. Basically until set. If you going to be holding them for long, protect them with plastic wrap.

    About the chocolate

    Standard bittersweet or semisweet can be used. Also any marked 50% to 62%.

    If you want to use 64% to 66% chocolate, decrease the chocolate amount to 5 1/4 oz and up the sugar to 1/4 cup.

    If using 70% to 72% chocolate, only use 4 1/2 oz of chocolate. Up the sugar to 4 1/2 tbsps. You will need to add 1 tbsp of butter in the melting step if you are using water or milk.

  12. Hi Aidensnd,

    I haven't tried it myself, but Alice Medrich does offer mousses in Bittersweet where you can use water (or milk/cream).

    She states using water will provide the lightest mousse. So, I wonder why you found yours too firm.

    Did you perhaps use too much chocolate? Or are you using gelatin too?

    I can give you her recipe if you wish.

  13. You know, I think it is a misprint.

    I was just looking at the Cappuccino recipe in Ben & Jerry's. They use the same ratio of dairy but call for 3 1/2 tbsps of instant coffee, which would be roughly 1 tbsp of instant espresso.

  14. Wait a moment ..looks to be a misprint in the WS recipe!! 3 TBSP expresso??  :shock:

    Perhaps they mean 3 tsps?

    I'll be honest, I'm a little weary of trying a WS recipe (well for ice-cream at least). I tried one the other week that was a total bomb! :angry: To much liqueur

    and so it never froze. I had to freeze it manually (i.e. threw a tub in the freezer and hoped for the best).

    I actually have a yummy looking recipe (in Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Book :raz: ) for a Kahlua Amaretto Ice Cream, but I'm worried the cream won't freeze as there is a total of 1/2 cup liqueur in it. Mmmmm :hmmm:

  15. The WS recipe calls for 3 tbsps of espresso powder. Seems like a lot. Actually, wait let me check, I'm good for calling it wrong! :blush: Yep, 3 tbsps. That would add a lot of bitterness no? Excuse me, I'm just a regular coffee kind a gal! :unsure:

    As for were we can post our results ... I'll be charting it on my blog so you're welcome to post there, or here. I'm easy! :cool:

  16. Do your measuring by weights rather than by volume and you'll come closer to the expected yield.

    I did, that's how I knew my cookies were 13 grams rather than 12. Just obought a nice digital scale for baking purposes

    The weights could still throw it off though depending on which weight you used for your flour.

    The weights will vary depending on whether the author intended you to dip and sweep, lightly spoon or sift (though for sifting it would tell you).

    I imagine typically, they would assume you're going to dip and sweep so your flour amount would need to be 5 oz (or thereabouts) per cup.

  17. Perfect. That looks like a good one.

    Do you know how much instant espresso you sub for instant coffee? The espresso is much stronger. Isn't something like 3 to 1?

    I'm also considering this recipe. I'm curious about the use of corn syrup. I wonder if it makes it smoother?

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