Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[Pam R]

Pam, if I wanted to use potato starch as thickener instead of cornstarch, would it usually be a straightforward 1-to-1 substitution?

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I'd say they're pretty close.

[Franci]

Since yesterday I found some nice muscat grape at the market, I decided to go with

Schiacciata con l'uva, a sweet focaccia from Toscana

[chefpeon]

Yeah.....ok, so, this is like my first contribution to this thread...can you believe it? I don't normally make dessert at home, since I do it so much at work. The family gets by on Twinkies or ice cream, and they know better than to ask me "what's for dessert?", because I will most surely give them the evil eye.

However, since I'm on this new fancy pancy work schedule (3 days on, 4 days OFF-yeah BABY!!),

I'm actually enjoying doing a little baking at home again. My husband, who takes Vytorin for high cholesterol, is convinced I'm trying to kill him. He calls me the Black Widow. Hey, I don't make him eat the stuff....it's just.....there.

Got my new issue of Bon Appetit (the 50th Anniversary Issue), and a recipe for a chocolate cake made with Stout beer caught my eye. Now, I love beer.....especially stouts and porters, and as you all know, I love baking. So, when you combine beer and baking, I'm all there, baby! So I made this cake, (and a had a healthy slug o'beer), and I'll be damned....it's REALLY good. If anyone has that issue of Bon Appetit and a hankerin' for a great chocolate cake.....I say try it. In fact, I just might link back to this thread from the "best chocolate cake" thread, because I think it needs to be there.

Now of course, while I'm baking this thing, I'm thinking how I'm going to finish it. I like to have the cake finish reflect what's in the cake, and I'm going, "beer...hmmmm.....how do I reflect beer?" THAT'S IT!!!!! Chocolate bottle caps!!!! Funky? Yes. But cool. I made the bottle caps out of white modeling chocolate using a real bottle cap as a mold. Then I painted them with edible gold powder made into a paint with a bit o'vodka. Yeah, ok, a bit over the top for a family dessert, but sometimes I can't help myself. Once a PC, always a PC.....................

Edited September 17, 2006 by chefpeon (log)

[Ling]

^WOW! That's awesome. Would you recommend the cake for people who don't particularly like the taste of beer? (Is the beer flavour very apparent?)

[chefpeon]

(Is the beer flavour very apparent?)

No beer flavor whatsoever. Just rich, deep, chocolate....that is not too sweet at all.

The stout really deepens the chocolate I think.

[Ling]

Oohh...I am so excited to make the cake then, since I know you're a great baker and really respect your opinion! Is this the recipe?

chocolate stout cake

[gfron1]

That cake really is incredible...that's what separates you pros from us wannabes And you know what impresses me even more? I bet you can cut that into slices and not have it look mangled...wow, see what a little training can do Come to think of it, I want to go to cake-cutting school. Where do I enroll!?

[miladyinsanity]

I'm old enough to pick up a can of beer on my own now. Chefpeon, please confirm so I can try the recipe too.

I've had a mini mooncake today. One was quarter was champagne (I nicked it out of my mom's hands!) and the rest was a white lotus one with crunchy chocolate bits in it. Yummy.

And I'm soooo sad I missed your foodblog, Ling. Computer issues. (thinking about this makes me want to scratch out the eyes of the tech people again)

[Lumas]

Oohh...I am so excited to make the cake then, since I know you're a great baker and really respect your opinion! Is this the recipe?

chocolate stout cake

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Ling, I have the current Bon Appetit, and yes, that is the same recipe.

[Abra]

Spectacular, Annie!

[chefpeon]

Is this the recipe?

chocolate stout cake

Yep, what Lumas said, that's exactly it.

The only "tweak" I did in my recipe is that I used cake flour instead of all purpose.

Oh yeah, and I didn't use Guinness....I used Port Townsend Brewery Stout!

Any time I can plug Port Townsend Brewery, I will....they rock!

[chefpeon]

Come to think of it, I want to go to cake-cutting school. Where do I enroll!?

You are now.....officially enrolled!

The secrets of "no-mangle" cake cutting are:

1. Cut the cake cold. Warm or room temp cakes=mangle.

2. Use a large, sharp chef's knife.

3. Dip the knife in a pitcher of hot water and wipe with a towel between each slice.

4. THEN let the cake come to room temp (cakes taste BEST at room temp) and serve!

The best part about Cake Cutting University (CCU), is that tuition is FREE!

I graduated "Sliceadictorian"!

Ok, I'll stop now.

[Ling]

I'm old enough to pick up a can of beer on my own now. Chefpeon, please confirm so I can try the recipe too.

I've had a mini mooncake today. One was quarter was champagne (I nicked it out of my mom's hands!) and the rest was a white lotus one with crunchy chocolate bits in it. Yummy.

And I'm soooo sad I missed your foodblog, Ling. Computer issues. (thinking about this makes me want to scratch out the eyes of the tech people again)

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Well, the blog is still up and I'll answer your questions in PM if you have any.

I had mini mooncakes yesterday too! They were a box of Taiwanese mooncakes that were packaged very beautifully, but none of the flavours tasted good and the pastry was dry. The flavours were sweet red bean with pieces of Japanese pumpkin, green tea flavour with salted egg yolk, and one that was the flat, white pastry with glutinous rice stuff inside.

That was kind of a disappointing dessert, so I dipped some wafer cookies in cinnamon ganache and ate those too.

[Ling]

Oohh...I am so excited to make the cake then, since I know you're a great baker and really respect your opinion! Is this the recipe?

chocolate stout cake

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Ling, I have the current Bon Appetit, and yes, that is the same recipe.

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The recipe is quite similar in proportions to the Devil's chocolate cake in the Tartine cookbook, except it contains stout and less cocoa. I didn't think the Tartine cake was very chocolate-y at all compared to the Epicurious Double chocolate cake (my current favourite chocolate cake recipe). So the stout flavour must be adding a lot to the cake.

[lexy]

Wild blueberry crumble

[Kim Shook]

Yeah.....ok, so, this is like my first contribution to this thread...can you believe it? I don't normally make dessert at home, since I do it so much at work. The family gets by on Twinkies or ice cream, and they know better than to ask me "what's for dessert?", because I will most surely give them the evil eye.

However, since I'm on this new fancy pancy work schedule (3 days on, 4 days OFF-yeah BABY!!),

I'm actually enjoying doing a little baking at home again. My husband, who takes Vytorin for high cholesterol, is convinced I'm trying to kill him. He calls me the Black Widow. Hey, I don't make him eat the stuff....it's just.....there.

Got my new issue of Bon Appetit (the 50th Anniversary Issue), and a recipe for a chocolate cake made with Stout beer caught my eye. Now, I love beer.....especially stouts and porters, and as you all know, I love baking. So, when you combine beer and baking, I'm all there, baby! So I made this cake, (and a had a healthy slug o'beer), and I'll be damned....it's REALLY good. If anyone has that issue of Bon Appetit and a hankerin' for a great chocolate cake.....I say try it. In fact, I just might link back to this thread from the "best chocolate cake" thread, because I think it needs to be there.

Now of course, while I'm baking this thing, I'm thinking how I'm going to finish it. I like to have the cake finish reflect what's in the cake, and I'm going, "beer...hmmmm.....how do I reflect beer?" THAT'S IT!!!!! Chocolate bottle caps!!!! Funky? Yes. But cool. I made the bottle caps out of white modeling chocolate using a real bottle cap as a mold. Then I painted them with edible gold powder made into a paint with a bit o'vodka. Yeah, ok, a bit over the top for a family dessert, but sometimes I can't help myself. Once a PC, always a PC.....................

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Well, good God! Just imagine that you are seeing that little emoticon that is slamming it's head against a table. Chefpeon, that is remarkably beautiful. I really want to be able to do this stuff. Everytime I see something like that I am just so in awe! Kim

[Franci]

For the chocolate lovers, this is Caprese. Very moist chocolate cake from Capri: chocolates, eggs, butter and almonds. Very good.

Also posted in the Italian forum for the The Cooking and Cuisine of Campania

[prasantrin]

Wild blueberry crumble

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Mmmmm.....I love crumbles! Only problem is, I tend to get confused and think I like cobblers. Then I order one and get something different from what I imagined!

Must remember...crumble...crumble...crumble....I'll just try to picture yours from now on, and that will help me remember!

[shaloop]

As I said on the dinner thread, I have JUST figured out how to post pictures and having only a regular (not digital yet) camera, I will have to post desserts that I have gotten the pictures back from!  Not too far in the past are:

Kim, your cakes look great! Glad you liked the cheesecake!

[lexy]

Mmmmm.....I love crumbles! 

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Oh me too! Forget this pie vs. cake business - I'd sell my soul for a big dish of good crumble

[TraciiTVCL]

The secrets of "no-mangle" cake cutting are:

1. Cut the cake cold. Warm or room temp cakes=mangle.

2. Use a large, sharp chef's knife.

3. Dip the knife in a pitcher of hot water and wipe with a towel between each slice.

4. THEN let the cake come to room temp (cakes taste BEST at room temp) and serve!

Now that I have stopped laughing. When I am asked "Is there any special way to cut the cake?" This is just what I tell them.

Why is it then that I hear..."Oh we don't have time to chill the cake, will that matter?"

Ummmmmmmm.......... why are you asking if you can't follow directions ???????????????

Edited September 18, 2006 by TraciiTVCL (log)

[Desiderio]

For the chocolate lovers, this is Caprese. Very moist chocolate cake from Capri: chocolates, eggs, butter and almonds. Very good.

Also posted in the Italian forum for the The Cooking and Cuisine of Campania

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Ahh Franci good thinking , I havent made the Caprese in a life ( I used to bake them for the restaurant where I used to work ), indeed a yummy yummy cake .

Grazie per la bella idea

[miladyinsanity]

The Epicurious Double Chocolate Cake, but only oil because I'm not up to messing around with melting butter today.

And damn, it's good. Though it's still too hot for me to really taste anything, but the texture's good!

[Desiderio]

The Epicurious Double Chocolate Cake, but only oil because I'm not up to messing around with melting butter today.

And damn, it's good. Though it's still too hot for me to really taste anything, but the texture's good!

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Thank you for reporting , its chocolate ckae making now so after the stout one I want to try this one ( gotta start to find tester around here ).

[miladyinsanity]

The Epicurious Double Chocolate Cake, but only oil because I'm not up to messing around with melting butter today.

And damn, it's good. Though it's still too hot for me to really taste anything, but the texture's good!

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Thank you for reporting , its chocolate ckae making now so after the stout one I want to try this one ( gotta start to find tester around here ).

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Just send it along. I'll PM you my address!