"Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 2)

[Dorie Greenspan]

Freddurf -- this is probably too late and maybe not even that helpful, but ... I've never left buttercream out overnight, but I have chilled it, heated it just enough to mix it, then mixed it like mad until it returned to its original consistency, which it does after going thru an extremely ugly period.

Lia -- great that you're happy with the loaf. It's good that you waited to taste it, most loaf cakes, and the chocolate-banana cake is one of them, like to have a day to ripen. The overnight rest gives the flavors a chance to settle in and for the texture to become its best self.

[RuthWells]

Since we don't have a thread on Dorie's "Paris Sweets" (which is a crime in my book!), I'm going to take a moment here to rave again about the Old-Fashioned Almond Cookies. These have become a staple for me, as they are relatively low-fat (no butter, no egg yolks) and I can sub Splenda for some of the sugar with no ill effect -- to the great delight of my diabetic father.

I whipped up a batch this weekend, to celebrate Dad's release from a week-long stay in the hospital. I added a hefty teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon and dipped the bottom of each cookie in tempered bittersweet chocolate. It was perhaps gilding the lily, but the excess melted chocolate got drizzled over top. These have been proclaimed The Best Cookie Ever by my parents.

Edited February 19, 2007 by RuthWells (log)

[ColleenD]

Colleen, Here are a couple of possibilities:

You can make the whole tart tonight, cool it completely, cover it and refrigerate it overnight.  Tomorrow, pull it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you're going to serve it.  You'll lose just a little by chilling everything overnight, but you're still going to have a fabulous dessert AND you're going to be calm for mom's birthday.

Or, you can make all the pieces of the tart and assemble it tomorrow.  Bake the crust and keep it uncovered at room temperature.  Make the ganache and keep it in the fridge -- follow the directions for re-warming it in the microwave tomorrow.  Make the caramel, cool it and keep it covered at room temperature overnight.  Tomorrow, warm the caramel in the microwave (look at the directions in the book), fold in the peanuts and spread it over the crust.  Chill the assembled tart for 30 minutes, then let it sit out while you get the table ready.

Hope this helps and really hope that you and mom enjoy it.

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Just wanted to say thanks again, Dorie. The chocolate crunched caramel tart was a HUGE hit! Since my mom is a total chocoholic, it was really a great dessert to make her birthday special. I made the crust and ganache Fri night and the caramel Saturday and put it all together. Fantastic! And really not all that hard..so next time I won't be so nervous. My only dilemma now is in choosing whether to make this again or try something new!

[DesertCulinary]

I made the chocolate version of the peanut butter crisscrosses - I used Dutch process cocoa and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Very good cookies - you can control the texture a bit by how long you bake them. We opted to take them a little more crispy than chewy. I wanted a little different texture on top, so I used a potato masher instead of a fork to make the indents.

[CanadianBakin']

I wanted a little different texture on top, so I used a potato masher instead of a fork to make the indents. 

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What a great idea!

[FWED]

I have had a request for the "Coconut Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise" as the cake of choice, by a Birthday Boy, to be served at his birthday dinner. In looking over the recipe I noticed that I was going to have a number of egg yolks left over. Well says I then it's time to do something with them like a lemon tart. So last night I did the French Lemon Cream Tart and since it is going to work where they are celebrating Mardi Gras it is decorated appropriately. I used a cake stensil and colored sugars. The purple, green, and yellow are the colors of Mardi Gras. I'll let you know how the Dacquoise turns out.

Edited February 20, 2007 by FWED (log)

[RuthWells]

I have had a request for the "Coconut Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise" as the cake of choice, by a Birthday Boy, to be served at his birthday dinner.  In looking over the recipe I noticed that I was going to have a number of egg yolks left over.  Well says I then it's time to do something with them like a lemon tart.  So last night I did the French Lemon Cream Tart and since it is going to work where they are celebrating Mardi Gras it is decorated appropriately.  I used a cake stensil and colored sugars.  The purple, green, and yellow are the colors of Mardi Gras.  I'll let you know how the Dacquoise turns out.

 

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Very pretty, Fwed!

[emmalish]

I made the choco-nana loaf again last night. I mentioned upthread that it took forever to set up the first time I made it, and I ended up having to bake an extra half hour or so. So last night I tried using a couple flower nails in the pan to help distribute the heat. Worked like a charm. I only had one banana this time, but it was huge, so I figured it counted as two. I love this loaf – so ridiculously chocolatey. I can see I'll be making this recipe fairly regularly.

[colls509]

I'm working my way through the Bundt cakes and last night baked the Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake. Fabulous! Absolutely Fabulous! The accompanying photo shows a beautiful gingko leaf pattern marbled into the cake and the recipe directions told how to do it. I must say, I was the model of restraint, and somehow, the ginko MAGICALLY appeared inside my cake too! I could not be happier. Oh, and by the way, it is perfectly delicious too.

Colleen

[Dorie Greenspan]

Really like the potato-masher patterned chocolate-peanut butter cookies and the Mardi Gras tart is stunning!

Coll 59 -- it's great that you're working -- oh, why can't we say playing? -- your way through the Bundt section -- it's one of my favorites. And isn't the gingko-effect fun!

Emmalish -- I love the expression "ridiculously chcolatey " -- wouldn't it make a good title for a cookbook?

[Lindacakes]

OK, maybe I sound like a boob, but can you make a bundt cake in a tube pan? I don't have any bundt pans and I want to make the brown sugar pear bundt cake . . .

Dori, you're a peach, by the way. A breath of fresh sugary air.

[emmalish]

Emmalish -- I love the expression "ridiculously chocolatey" -- wouldn't it make a good title for a cookbook?

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Please tell me you're working on it – I'll be first in line to buy it!

[Renee K]

Dorie, I've just discovered your blog and I love it! Hope you don't mind me sharing it here.

Dorie Greenspan

[Dorie Greenspan]

Lindacakes -- yes, you can make a bundt cake in a tube pan. The important thing with these cakes is the hole in the center; the swirls, curves and patterns are just the pretty things.

Renee, thank you for sharing my blog address. I'm very new at this cyberspace thing, but I'm having great fun with it. Now, if only I had an extra few hours in the day ...

[prasantrin]

I'm planning on making the savoury corn and pepper muffins for a tea party. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get buttermilk in Japan. Which would be the best substitute for this recipe?

1) sour cream (very thick Japanese sour cream, so it would have to be watered down with some milk or water)

2) yoghurt

3) soured milk (using lemon juice or vinegar)

4) "buttermilk" made with powdered buttermilk

I could do any of the above, but I once read somewhere that powdered buttermilk wasn't always the best substitute for buttermilk in recipes.

Generally, in this book, is there one substitute for buttermilk that is preferred over the others?

[meredithla]

I'm planning on making the savoury corn and pepper muffins for a tea party.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to get buttermilk in Japan.  Which would be the best substitute for this recipe?

1)  sour cream (very thick Japanese sour cream, so it would have to be watered down with some milk or water)

2)  yoghurt

3)  soured milk (using lemon juice or vinegar)

4)  "buttermilk" made with powdered buttermilk

I could do any of the above, but I once read somewhere that powdered buttermilk wasn't always the best substitute for buttermilk in recipes.

Generally, in this book, is there one substitute for buttermilk that is preferred over the others?

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Yes, you can use this substitution for 1 cup of buttermilk:

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup

Edited February 23, 2007 by meredithla (log)

[annarborfoodie]

I made the Brrrr-ownies Thursday night to send to work with my husband, and to take to a meeting at my office. My husband screwed up and took the container meant to stay home to the office - and it was a big mistake, because I held back more brownies than I was sending to work! I think they were my favorite item from the book so far. I made the mistake of overbaking the choco-ginger crackles I made last week, so I pulled these from the oven at the beginning of the time specified, and they were perfect. I used peppermint patties that I got on clearance after Valentine's Day, and they were interesting because the insides were pink... I'm sure people were wondering what the pink stuff was, especially in the little bit that bubbled on the surface. These will be a definite repeater, probably as soon as next week.

[prasantrin]

I'm planning on making the savoury corn and pepper muffins for a tea party.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to get buttermilk in Japan.  Which would be the best substitute for this recipe?

1)  sour cream (very thick Japanese sour cream, so it would have to be watered down with some milk or water)

2)  yoghurt

3)  soured milk (using lemon juice or vinegar)

4)  "buttermilk" made with powdered buttermilk

I could do any of the above, but I once read somewhere that powdered buttermilk wasn't always the best substitute for buttermilk in recipes.

Generally, in this book, is there one substitute for buttermilk that is preferred over the others?

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Yes, you can use this substitution for 1 cup of buttermilk:

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup

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Is that the best substitute of the four for this particular recipe? For some recipes, when I've used the vinegar and milk combo, I could taste it in the final product (and I didn't like it). Those were for sweet baked goods, though.

Since this is a savoury baked good, I thought it might be OK, but since it's for a special party, I want to make it the best I can. So I'd like the find the best substitute--one which won't alter the flavour of the muffins in any noticeable way, or change the final texture of the product too much.

Edited February 24, 2007 by prasantrin (log)

[DesertCulinary]

I made the black-and-white loaf yesterday - high rising, dense and extremely moist without being gummy. I couldn't wait to crack open the loaf to see how the marbling did!

The pieces held up well after slicing, though I did cut it into 12 rather than 8 and they were still quite large!

[FWED]

The senior "birthday boy' requested the Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise for his birthday dessert. Well the location of the birthday dinner being away from home it was decided to do the dessert in an individual serving size and transport it to the dinner site. So I followed the recipe as it was written but instead of making the dacquoise in sheet I made it into rounds following the same technique as for the rectangles. I did roast the pineapple in rounds instead of quarters but everything else was done as written in the recipe. It is composed of layers of roasted pineapple, whipped white chocolate ganache, and a coconut and almond decquoise. Below is a photo of the dessert.

[Dorie Greenspan]

Wow -- both the dacquoise and loaf look great -- I love the dacquoise as an individual serving.

Prasantrin -- as a buttermilk substitute, I'd mix together 2/3 cup nonfat (or low-fat) yogurt and 1/3 cup milk (nonfat or low-fat) and substitute it for each cup of buttermilk. Hope you like the muffins.

[prasantrin]

Prasantrin -- as a buttermilk substitute, I'd mix together 2/3 cup nonfat (or low-fat) yogurt and 1/3 cup milk (nonfat or low-fat) and substitute it for each cup of buttermilk.  Hope you like the muffins.

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Thanks, Dorie!

Most of the recipes I'm using for the sweet side of my tea party are from your book, by the way. It's supposed to be a going away party, but I made it a tea party, so I could try more of your recipes!

[FWED]

Thanks Dorie.

And now the taste results. Everyone at the birthday dinner loved the look and especially the taste of the Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise. In fact I have been instructed to save the recipe and do it again for a birthday this summer. The "birthday boy" labeled it as "A Keeper". Thanks again Dorie.

[Mottmott]

Wow -- both the dacquoise and loaf look great -- I love the dacquoise as an individual serving.

Prasantrin -- as a buttermilk substitute, I'd mix together 2/3 cup nonfat (or low-fat) yogurt and 1/3 cup milk (nonfat or low-fat) and substitute it for each cup of buttermilk.  Hope you like the muffins.

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On the issue of substitutions generally. I recently made a gingerbread cake that called for sour cream and just switched in some drained yogurt with no notable difference.

Is it safe to assume that one can generally make dairy substitutions, being careful to add some baking powder if swaping in something acidic for something more neutral? And I suppose one also need consider the relative fat content of the ingredients. ??

[Lori in PA]

Recently I made the rum-drenched vanilla pound cakes. I REALLY loved these. I didn't have dark rum -- just something rather cheap -- but they were still terrific. Now I'm dreaming of amaretto-drenched pound cakes...