Your Daily Sweets: What are you making and baking? (2014)

[CatPoet]

 

Pineapple cake, the batter was yummier then the cake, but the cake was good too.

[JohnT]

I am into making single or small portion desserts at the moment. Here are a few experiments this week with a few still in the experimenting stage and thus not shown here.

This is a single portion "Melktert", a traditional South African tart made mainly with milk. It is made in a round 8cm pan

These are 12cm diameter diameter lemon tarts made with a pate sucrée base. The filling is "creamed" lemon curd.

And with Christmas just around the corner, the first batch of mini Christmas cakes - well laced with brandy to "preserve" them. They are 10cm diameter and 5cm in height.

[Anna N]

John,

Your desserts look just delightful. Can you tell us more about the milk-based tart and the creamed lemon curd?

[gfron1]

Yeah, really beautiful.  Looking forward to hearing more about the milk tarts - they look like Hoosier sugar cream.

[JohnT]

Anna, the "Melktert" is Afrikaans (a language derived mostly out of Dutch) for "milk tart" and was originally a simple but tasty tart used by the Dutch farmers of the 1700's in what was called the Cape Colony, now South Africa. There are many recipes for it on the Internet, but most use a pastry shell, which was not used in the old days. My recipe comes from a Professor at one of universities here, who has a BSc in Home Economics, and is basically a crustless one - it uses a paste for the crust, which is paper thin when cooked with the tart. The original recipe from her is for six 23cm tarts (or 50 of my 8cm ones), which I adapted slightly. I have also scaled the recipe down to make one 23cm (or 9 x 8cm ones). Is really is a tasty custard that sets.

If anybody is interested, I can post the recipe.

The creamed lemon curd is a recipe I was given by a Swiss pastry chef who took me under his wing in the mid 70's - he taught me how to bake and make some really great desserts. I found it in an old folder the other day when going through some of my files - it nearly ended up being thrown away! It is a basic lemon curd (lemons off my tree in the garden) to which you whisk in quite a lot of butter once it has cooled to about 60°C. It fluffs the curd up a bit and adds that extra "touch" and mouth-feel to the curd. It also holds its own when cut. The pate sucrée recipe I now use was one posted by "jmacnaughtan" on eG and beats the recipe I originally used from my mentor. It really is simple and good!

John

[Kerry Beal]

Anna, the "Melktert" is Afrikaans (a language derived mostly out of Dutch) for "milk tart" and was originally a simple but tasty tart used by the Dutch farmers of the 1700's in what was called the Cape Colony, now South Africa. There are many recipes for it on the Internet, but most use a pastry shell, which was not used in the old days. My recipe comes from a Professor at one of universities here, who has a BSc in Home Economics, and is basically a crustless one - it uses a paste for the crust, which is paper thin when cooked with the tart. The original recipe from her is for six 23cm tarts (or 50 of my 8cm ones), which I adapted slightly. I have also scaled the recipe down to make one 23cm (or 9 x 8cm ones). Is really is a tasty custard that sets.

If anybody is interested, I can post the recipe.

The creamed lemon curd is a recipe I was given by a Swiss pastry chef who took me under his wing in the mid 70's - he taught me how to bake and make some really great desserts. I found it in an old folder the other day when going through some of my files - it nearly ended up being thrown away! It is a basic lemon curd (lemons off my tree in the garden) to which you whisk in quite a lot of butter once it has cooled to about 60°C. It fluffs the curd up a bit and adds that extra "touch" and mouth-feel to the curd. It also holds its own when cut. The pate sucrée recipe I now use was one posted by "jmacnaughtan" on eG and beats the recipe I originally used from my mentor. It really is simple and good!

John

I'd love it if you'd post the recipe for the Melktart.  

[gfron1]

You absolutely must post the milk tart recipe!  Looks so perfect.

[JohnT]

SINGLE QUANTITY MELKTERT

Makes: 1 x 23cm single or 9 x 8cm mini tarts

Ingredients:

Crust:

20g salted butter

5ml sugar

1/3 large egg

60g cake flour

1.5ml baking powder

3.5ml salt

20 ml fresh full cream milk

Filling:

45g cake flour

30g cornflour

100g sugar

1 ml salt

500ml fresh full cream milk

1.5 extra large egg, separated

85g unsalted butter

ground cinnamon, for decoration

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C for fan oven)

For Crust: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, add the egg and beat well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the egg mixture and mix well.

Gradually add the milk to the mixture until a spreadable consistency. Spread with the back of a spoon onto the sides and base of the tart pan(s).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Filling: Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix with some of the milk to a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining milk in a heavy-based saucepan until boiling point.

Beat the egg yolks and add to the flour mixture, mix with some of the hot milk until smooth and gradually add to the remaining milk. Stir continuously over a moderate heat for 4 - 5 minutes, add the butter.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Beat the egg white until soft peaks and lightly fold into the milk mixture.

Divide the filling between the prepared crusts and spread evenly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until set and light golden in colour.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Prof. Elain Vlok

Note 1: Traditionally the melktert filling is cooked with a large slice of naatjie peel in it and removed just before pouring into the tin. I skip doing this as I cannot discern any flavour difference in the result - my taste buds are old and decrepit.

Note 2: The above recipe is my scaled down one. If anybody wants the original for 6 x large tarts, just send me a PM and I will send it off and you can do the scaling up or down yourself.

Note 3: The original recipe used a mixture of self-raising and cake flour in the crust - I have adapted it to use only cake flour and thus the salt quantity is important.

Note 4: We only have cake flour and bread flour in South Africa, but I think our cake flour is pretty close to the US AP flour.

These tart are very common in South Africa and are served more with a cup of tea or coffee than as a dessert after a meal. Enjoy - John.

Edited August 27, 2014 by JohnT (log)

[Anna N]

Thanks very much, John.

Made raisin bread today

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149192-the-bread-topic-2014-–/?p=1983707

[ruthcooks]

image.jpg

Kim,

I was inspired by your coconut chocolate pound cake so made these four minis. Dividing up the batter was obviously challenging as one is much more mini than the others.

Anna--use your scales.  Zero out and weigh each pan.  Re-apportion as needed.  Easy to make even cakes this way!

[Tri2Cook]

Anna--use your scales.  Zero out and weigh each pan.  Re-apportion as needed.  Easy to make even cakes this way!

Yep, I always scale my cake batter when doing multiple pans. "Picky S.O.B." is one of the milder things I've been called when people see me doing it.  

 

[Kim Shook]

jmacnaughtan – I always swoon slightly when I see your beautiful cakes with that glass-like glaze.  I admire them so much and think about using one.  But then I get realistic and know that fluffy frosting hides a LOT of pastry sins!  I’ll stick with fluffy frosting and sprinkles and get my dose of beauty here at eG!

 

Anna – I LOVE the sound of banana chocolate chip bars!

 

JohnT – do tell!  Love the creamed lemon curd.  It looks and sounds divine!

 

Mr. Kim had his fantasy football draft at our house last night.  I’ve put the meal on the dinner thread, but here are the desserts.  World Peace cookies, Cracker Candy and Morgan Horse cookies:

These are just amazingly good.  I’ve never made a better chocolate cooky.

 

Crazy recipe – saltines, brown sugar and butter caramel, chocolate chips and chopped nuts.  You would ever guess that the base is a saltine.  The caramel oozes down into it while baking and turns it into a crisp, flakey, brittle crust. 

 

Just a simple cinnamon, clove and brown sugar cooky.  Really satisfying – you can make them thin and crisp or plump and chewy.  I chose chewy this time.

 

[JohnT]

A few folk asked for my recipe for the creamed lemon curd. I think is a pretty standard curd recipe but I was always told that it has extra butter whipped in to add smoothness to the texture. If this is correct or not, I do not know as I have never made any other curd recipe. I have scaled down the original recipe - it was 4 times the quantity.

CREAMED LEMON CURD - FOR TARTS

Makes about 700ml

Ingredients:

225g sugar

finely grated zest of two or three lemons

4 large eggs

190ml fresh lemon juice

225g butter, cut into 15mm cubes and at room temperature

Method:

Over a pot of simmering water and in the metal bowl of a stand mixer, rub the sugar and zest together until the oils from the zest are incorporated into the sugar.

Whisk in the eggs well by hand then add the lemon juice, whisking until incorporated.

Simmer the water and cook the curd until it reaches just over 80°C and turns thick, stirring continually with a whisk. Then remove from the heat.

Set aside to cool to 60°C, then clip the bowl to your stand mixer with the paddle fitted. Whip on medium slow adding the cubed butter, a block or two at a time. Continue whipping on medium speed for 4 minutes after the last butter has been incorporated.

Spoon into prepared tart shells and cool.

Makes sufficient for 6 x fluted 12cm shells or 2 x fluted 23cm shells.

Note 1: Ensure that the lemons used to extract the juice are fully ripe or else the creamed curd will release moisture into the pastry shell.

Note 2: If you want no zest in the finished product, pass the curd through a fine sieve after incorporating the butter.

John

[Katie Meadow]

Kim, your crazy cookie seems to be a tried and true recipe, often called Chocolate Caramel Cookie/ Bark or Chocolate Toffee Cookie.  Smitten Kitchen calls them "Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers)"! There is a variant that uses graham cracker instead of a saltine, which is how I first encountered them at a picnic; the baker claimed it was an old family recipe called Granny Grahams." To me, this is one cookie that is way more than the sum of its parts--definitely way better than you would guess-- and can be made from the most basic corner-store ingredients or dressed up a bit. I wonder how it originated. 

[Kerry Beal]

Kim, your crazy cookie seems to be a tried and true recipe, often called Chocolate Caramel Cookie/ Bark or Chocolate Toffee Cookie.  Smitten Kitchen calls them "Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers)"! There is a variant that uses graham cracker instead of a saltine, which is how I first encountered them at a picnic; the baker claimed it was an old family recipe called Granny Grahams." To me, this is one cookie that is way more than the sum of its parts--definitely way better than you would guess-- and can be made from the most basic corner-store ingredients or dressed up a bit. I wonder how it originated. 

Liz Sellar's Easy Candy in my cookbook - a recipe I got from a student who was the year behind me in medical school back in 1987.  I've made them with saltines mostly - but I've used matzo as well.

[Kim Shook]

Kim, your crazy cookie seems to be a tried and true recipe, often called Chocolate Caramel Cookie/ Bark or Chocolate Toffee Cookie.  Smitten Kitchen calls them "Chocolate Caramel Crack(ers)"! There is a variant that uses graham cracker instead of a saltine, which is how I first encountered them at a picnic; the baker claimed it was an old family recipe called Granny Grahams." To me, this is one cookie that is way more than the sum of its parts--definitely way better than you would guess-- and can be made from the most basic corner-store ingredients or dressed up a bit. I wonder how it originated. 

Yes, indeed.  Greater than the sum of its parts perfectly describes these!

 

Liz Sellar's Easy Candy in my cookbook - a recipe I got from a student who was the year behind me in medical school back in 1987.  I've made them with saltines mostly - but I've used matzo as well.

What was the difference between regular saltines and matzo, Kerry?  Sounds interesting.  

[Kerry Beal]

I think I liked the saltine version a bit better - probably the salt made the difference but I think depending on the matzo you use they are a bit crispier too.  

[JohnT]

My next experiment with single portion desserts was accomplished on my second attempt at using ring molds for unbanked cheesecakes. I did a small batch of them yesterday afternoon and froze overnight. The first batch was a disaster as I had just finished putting in the product when I realised I had forgotten to use the acetate strips in the molds. Oh well, my only employee went home with a good amount of cheesecake for her family and kids.

This batch worked out brilliantly and produced 15 individual portions. The base is digestive biscuits whizzed in the food processor with some cocoa powder, small amount of sugar and a bit of melted butter as a binder. The cheesecake part is cream cheese, melted white chocolate, cream and a bit of gelatine to help stabilize it a bit. Then I just dripped a bit of melted dark chocolate on top and swirled it a bit with a skewer.

A close-up of one.

15 of the cheesecakes in their foil containers, ready for packaging.

[Anna N]

This morning my best friend showed up bearing gifts, which she often does. She brought a new, to me, cookbook, some lovely baking pans and best of all six overripe bananas!

The two grocery stores that I frequent do not have reduced produce racks. I think because if they did they'd have to put all their produce on it! So overripe bananas are as rare as hens' teeth. Yes I realize I could buy bananas and let them get overripe. But that is just not the point.

Anyway back in July I made a promise to member caroled to make Hawaiian banana bread. She provided the recipe but until today I never seemed to have all the necessary ingredients. This morning I had everything except the bananas!

This recipe could not be easier to put together.

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149057-manitoulin-test-kitchen-part-2/?p=1979798

Thanks, caroled. They look and smell amazing.

[pastrygirl]

JohnT, nice work!  I have actually had good luck without acetate strips, just using stainless steel rings sprayed inside with pan release and refrigerating the dessert several hours but not freezing.  I've done no-bake cheesecake and mousse-ier things.  I warm the ring with my hands for a few seconds then either let the food slide down to the plate or put it on something (like the top to the pan spray can) and push it up and out.  Of course, the product is going to be a little more easily damaged if it is just set and not frozen, but it can be done, and you don't get the weeping that can happen with freezing and thawing.  This worked for me in a restaurant setting, where I felt the desserts were better protected in the service fridge if left in the rings, but they needed to be useable at a moments notice.  Your needs may vary.

[rotuts]

Soooo:  'show us your pans '  

 

why not ?

[Anna N]

Soooo:  'show us your pans '  

 

why not ?

They don't really fit on this topic. They really aren't thrift store finds but I tell you what. I will post them on the thrift store topic later today. How's that?

[caroled]

 

This morning my best friend showed up bearing gifts, which she often does. She brought a new, to me, cookbook, some lovely baking pans and best of all six overripe bananas!

The two grocery stores that I frequent do not have reduced produce racks. I think because if they did they'd have to put all their produce on it! So overripe bananas are as rare as hens' teeth. Yes I realize I could buy bananas and let them get overripe. But that is just not the point.

Anyway back in July I made a promise to member caroled to make Hawaiian banana bread. She provided the recipe but until today I never seemed to have all the necessary ingredients. This morning I had everything except the bananas!

This recipe could not be easier to put together.

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149057-manitoulin-test-kitchen-part-2/?p=1979798

image.jpg

Thanks, caroled. They look and smell amazing.

They look beautiful, and as you seem to have an extra lying around, send me one! ha!

Have you tried it yet??

[Anna N]

They look beautiful, and as you seem to have an extra lying around, send me one! ha!Have you tried it yet??

Extra? Extra? What is this extra? One went to my daughter's family and one is in my freezer being safeguarded for my bachelor son who has dinner with me each Thursday. His is missing the slice I had to try. Thank heaven for family to take my baking else I would weigh even more than I do now! It is delicious.

[Anna N]

Nick Malgieri's Sicilian fig bars. Or as Kerry Beal would likely dub them "not your father's fig newtons".

Edited to capitalize Kerry's last name.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Anna N (log)