merstar
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Posts posted by merstar
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Here are two recipes to check out:
DUCK BREASTS WITH BLACKBERRY-CHOCOLATE SAUCE
http://www.pacificpalate.com/print_2004_2a.html
SEARED DUCK BREAST HALVES WITH BALSAMIC CHERRY REDUCTION
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I just bought an icecream maker and have been experimenting alot. I seem to be doing something wrong, as my ice cream always turns out perfect after it is done spinning, but then the day-after product is frozen stiff. It's so hard that when I scoop it, it chips away at the ice cream. It's actually sort of interesting, producing a gratin texture, but it's not what I'm going for.
I do chill the mixture well, either overnight in the fridge or in an ice bath. I've tried multiple recipes with different ratios of cream, eggs, etc. I usually use a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream. I've tried vanilla, mint, maple syrup, and chocolate. My freezer is set to 0 degrees F.
How do you get your ice creams to be smooth, creamy and scoop-able after they are frozen?
I've made a lot of homemade ice cream, and this seems to be the norm, ie, it starts off soft and creamy, then becomes rock hard in the freezer. The best solution I know is to soften it up in the refrigerator about a half hour - 45 minutes before serving.
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Thanks. After filling out name, e-mail, password, etc. do you have to add your credit card # after it says' "Continue"?
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Normally, I'd recommend the Wacky Cake or Crazy Chocolate Cake. But here are two others you might want to check out - they both had good reviews:
Sweet Autumn Pumpkin Cake
http://www.recipezaar.com/140264
Chocolate Walnut Cranberry Cake
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...I like to use ... and Jonagolds. I planted Golden Delicious and Jonagolds in my back yard specifically for use as pie apples and other cooked apple dishes...
Wow, be still my heart, planted in the backyard! I love Jonagolds
with inordinate amounts of hot spicey cinnamon, dots of butter, a few squirts of lemon. Love Jonagolds!And I brush the top crust with milk & sprinkle with sugar a la the old red Betty Crocker Cookbok. Bakes off so pretty.
I just tried Jonagolds yesterday for the first time - they are soooo good! - the best apples I've had in a long, long time. I can't wait to bake with them.
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This is the sour cream chocolate cake that I frostes with the rich vanilla buttercream frosting , the recipe I took from the CI best recipe book, and I simply love it , its great smooth and has a great mouthfeel and taste , I did add vanilla bean as well as vanilla extract I think its worth it ,I am going to bring it for our neighbor bbq this afternoon.
Your cake looks beautiful, Desiderio!
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...I have to resay that the chocolate sour cream cake is soo good and stays moist and chocolatey even right out of the fridge .
Also, the leftover slices (if there are any), freeze beautifully.
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Desiderio,
I'm glad the cake turned out well!
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How about a simple icing or glaze of confectioner's sugar, Dutch Processed cocoa powder, a little vanilla extract, and boiling water? I've used this many times.
Hi Merstar,
Would you be able to advise the quantity of each ingredients for making it to ice say a 9 inch cake?
Thanks again...
Don,
I just sent you a PM with the measurements.
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How about a simple icing or glaze of confectioner's sugar, Dutch Processed cocoa powder, a little vanilla extract, and boiling water? I've used this many times.
Hi Merstar,
Would you be able to advise the quantity of each ingredients for making it to ice say a 9 inch cake?
Thanks again...
donyeokl,
Are you making a single 9" cake or is this for a two layer cake?
By the way, I checked my files and I also have a Chocolate Water Glaze from Susan Purdy, which uses bittersweet chocolate instead of cocoa. If you're interested I can PM it to you, since we're not supposed to post published recipes on this site.
edit: Never mind - I found the link:
http://www.recipezaar.com/89594
Meanwhile, let me know if you still want me to post the cocoa/confectioner's sugar glaze/icing measurements.
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How about a simple icing or glaze of confectioner's sugar, Dutch Processed cocoa powder, a little vanilla extract, and boiling water? I've used this many times.
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I have tried various other hard cheeses, but find that the fresh Parmagiano I bought a chunck of has less flavor than the Green Can!!! Therefore, I can honestly say I do still prefer the Green Can at home. Partly due to the "childhood favorite", but something is probably amiss with my fresh grated cheese. I suspect I bought an inferior piece. I've also got some Romano on hand, which is more flavorful, and much better. Is fresh grated Parmagiano a realtively milder cheese? I also think my grating may have something to do with it - I use a wheel-crank style, which shaves very fine pieces of cheese off. Is this desired?
I have also sliced it, and then the taste is better, but the Parmagiano I bought has crystal chunks in it (I don't know how to describe it - crunchy crystalline bits embedded in the cheese.) Well, next time I should just find a better source.
The crystals are not a bad thing - on the contrary - they're indicative of a good aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
I find Romano much saltier then Parmigiano, and the stuff in the "green can" is definitely saltier. Could that be one of the reasons you find they have more taste than the Parmigiano? I'm just the opposite - I dislike the saltiness in the Romano, and much prefer the Parmigiano. I won't go near the Kraft stuff.
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Has anyone tried CI's Moist and Tender Devil's Food Cake? It is in the Baking Illustrated book and by ingredients and amounts alone, seems like it would be a very good chocolate cake recipe.
I haven't tried the CI cake, but I have a great recipe from Chocolatier -"Devil's Food Cake With Fluffy White Frosting." I've made this countless times and it's superb. I omit the white frosting, increase the chocolate ganache filling, and use it for both the filling and frosting. Also, I use brewed espresso instead of strong coffee.
*Caution: Although the recipe says to merely butter and flour the pans, make sure you use parchment paper (buttered and dusted, preferably with cocoa powder). The cakes are so moist, they stick to the pans like glue! (I found this out the hard way)
(Desiderio, don't look at this recipe or you'll have to try it! LOL)
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Has anyone tried CI's Moist and Tender Devil's Food Cake? It is in the Baking Illustrated book and by ingredients and amounts alone, seems like it would be a very good chocolate cake recipe.
I haven't tried the CI cake, but I have a great recipe from Chocolatier -"Devil's Food Cake With Fluffy White Frosting." I've made this countless times and it's superb. I omit the white frosting, increase the chocolate ganache filling, and use it for both the filling and frosting.
Caution: Although the recipe says to merely butter and flour the pans, make sure you use parchment paper. The cakes are so moist, they stick to the pans like glue! (I found this out the hard way)
(Desiderio, don't look at this recipe or you'll have to try it! LOL)
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Brilliant!! thank you again for all your help
My pleasure, Desiderio. Good luck with all your chocolate baking!
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You're welcome, Desiderio. Here are some tips on high altitude baking which may help you out:
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Hi Desiderio,
I would be happy to PM you the recipe, but it has all my changes and notes included - you may want a "clean" original copy, which you can get by going to America's Test Kitchen and subscribing, (it's free), then typing the recipe name in "Search." Otherwise, I will PM you if you prefer.
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Desiderio,
If you liked the Wooley cake, I think you will also like Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake. It's a fantastic cake - nice tight moist crumb with a deep dark chocolate taste - cuts cleanly. Several egulleters tried it after I posted my recommendation, and here's a link to some of their reviews - NOTE: The first review quoted by Wendy and a second review which follows, is for a more recent CI cake, not the Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt. Scroll down for reviews on this particular cake - it will usually include the word "Bundt." I think the first review of this cake is around the sixth one down by skyflyer3. There's a photo by PatrickS on the next page (P.16). - I think the link to the recipe itself is there also.
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I've just bought one of these. I'm going to grow mint, basil, garlic chives, italian parsley, oregano and thyme. At least I think that's what's in the Italian herb seed packet).
I grow herbs in the summer, and sometimes I even remember to dry them out and freeze them. But it's in the winter, for braises that I use these herbs the most and I don't have window sills that I can put boxes on to grow them. Yeah, it's pricey. But I don't have to run out to the store to buy whole bunches of herbs that go bad before I can use them up, and these should last me through the winter until it's time to plant in my garden again.
Marlene,
Please keep us posted on how the herbs turn out!
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Check these out:
Bougatsa (Greek Cream-Filled Filo Pastries)
http://www.recipezaar.com/70884
Cretan Kalitsounia (Sweet Cheese Pastries)
http://www.recipezaar.com/84558
Baklava
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I love natural peanut butter swirled into vanilla ice cream and topped with a dark chocolate sauce.
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You can lightly spray the muffin liners with nonstick spray or lightly grease them.
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To make your cake more chocolate-y, why not substitute black cocoa for part of the regular kind? I usually put a rounded tablespoon in the bottom of a 1/4 C. measuring cup and fill it up with Hershey or Scharffenberger regular, for example. I don't like Dutch Process at all.
But Ruth, black cocoa is Dutch Processed. It's ultra alkalized.
Cooking Duck Breasts: Tips and Techniques
in Cooking
Posted
You're quite welcome. I've been eyeing this one myself, so definitely let me know how it turns out!