The Supreme eG Pastry and Baking Challenge (Round 1)

[Rebecca263]

THIS sounds great. I can't decide, which is better, the ginger or he brittle component. The brittle, I think, will be more satisfying to eat.

[chiantiglace]

chrisamirault: I don't have a smoker! And I don't know how to start a bbq grill...

Do you know how to start a fire? Just get a couple pieces of the flavored smoking wood from home depot, light a fire and put it on it. Once that piece is good and hot (smoldering), Put it inside a closed container like your oven (i dont reccommend your oven if you do not have a decent exhaust fan) and that should do the trick for smoking.

[Ling]

^What do you think of the smoked sugar or salt, though, in the dessert? I have to admit I'm lukewarm to the idea....(sorry Chris! )

[Swisskaese]

If you use a mini pineapple, you could cut it in such a way that the bottom half or third is like a cup for the ice cream.

[Ling]

^That would be very cute!

I have another idea of slicing the jelly roll and using them to line the bottom of a bowl, then filling the bowl with pineapple mousse and then covering the bottom with a round of cake. Then I can freeze it, invert it, and have a pineapple bombe--that also takes care of the "upside down" part I wanted to work in. What do you guys think...

ETA: Actually, the filling could be one layer of pineapple mousse and a thin layer of cherry ice-cream with pieces of brittle mixed into it...? Then anchor a slice of oven-dried pineapple as a garnish? I could still use the cherry and caramel spike idea too...

Edited September 27, 2006 by Ling (log)

[chiantiglace]

^That would be very cute!

I have another idea of slicing the jelly roll and using them to line the bottom of a bowl, then filling the bowl with pineapple mousse and then covering the bottom with a round of cake. Then I can freeze it, invert it, and have a pineapple bombe--that also takes care of the "upside down" part I wanted to work in. What do you guys think...

ETA: Actually, the filling could be one layer of pineapple mousse and a thin layer of cherry ice-cream with pieces of brittle mixed into it...? Then anchor a slice of oven-dried pineapple as a garnish? I could still use the cherry and caramel spike idea too...

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I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. Do you want a full cake, or a plate up?

You could also do that in miniature versions. Maybe, possibly a demi-sphere mold with pineapple lining the bottom, then pipe in your mousse and top it off with your cake round and invert that.

By the way, how does one "win" this "pastry-off", and who and how does the next person get challenged?

[Swisskaese]

Sounds interesting. If I was doing an individual dessert, I would put the dried pineapple on the bottom, one layer of the cake, pineapple mousse, cake, a layer of brown sugar ice cream, dried pineapple and your caramel coated confit cherries on a stick on the top.

If it was cherry season, I would suggest finding a luscious cherry with the stem still on and coat it with caramel and make it look like Pierre Herme's Cherry on the Top cake.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Pam R]

Chris is crazy. And I'd leave out the sage.

I don't think we'll be able to judge whether or not Lorna really accomplished her task unless she sends us all a sample.

Your jelly roll looks great - you're definitely on your way.

[ludja]

how bout this:

subing a bit of smokey bacon fat into your crust...it would work beautifully with the sage and the pineapple

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Interesting flavor combination. This thread is already a treasure trove of ideas.

[Ling]

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for.  Do you want a full cake, or a plate up?

You could also do that in miniature versions.  Maybe, possibly a demi-sphere mold with pineapple lining the bottom, then pipe in your mousse and top it off with your cake round and invert that.

By the way, how does one "win" this "pastry-off", and who and how does the next person get challenged?

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I am always a fan of the plate-ups moreso than a full cake. However, it's my birthday on Saturday, and I could use a birthday cake. (This doesn't really have any bearing on the final decision though--I can always bake another birthday cake.) I don't have any demi-sphere molds though...but I can always try to find some tomorrow morning. Or, I'll just use individual bowls and line them with saran wrap.

No one "wins" this "pastry-off"....it's more of a challenge than a contest. The current challengee (me) gets to choose the next challengee and come up with a new challenge. Like Kerry mentioned in the first post, I could ask the next person to do a dessert incorporating an animal product besides bacon and lard, for example...

Edited September 27, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Kerry Beal]

^That would be very cute!

I have another idea of slicing the jelly roll and using them to line the bottom of a bowl, then filling the bowl with pineapple mousse and then covering the bottom with a round of cake. Then I can freeze it, invert it, and have a pineapple bombe--that also takes care of the "upside down" part I wanted to work in. What do you guys think...

ETA: Actually, the filling could be one layer of pineapple mousse and a thin layer of cherry ice-cream with pieces of brittle mixed into it...? Then anchor a slice of oven-dried pineapple as a garnish? I could still use the cherry and caramel spike idea too...

←

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. Do you want a full cake, or a plate up?

You could also do that in miniature versions. Maybe, possibly a demi-sphere mold with pineapple lining the bottom, then pipe in your mousse and top it off with your cake round and invert that.

By the way, how does one "win" this "pastry-off", and who and how does the next person get challenged?

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How one wins I don't know, perhaps we can line up all the finished products on new years day and vote or something.

As to how the next contestant is chosen, it is up to Lorna to decided who she wishes to challenge next and what that challenge will be.

This is your second hint. I'm getting the feeling you badly want to be a contestant. But how could we challenge you (she says to herself with the evil little voice in her head)??

[K8memphis]

...K8--the butter and brown sugar filling sounds interesting. I assume you just cook the two on the stove before brushing it on the jelly roll? ''...

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I just spread a generous thick layer of melted or real soft butter onto the rolled out potato roll dough, fill that up with a generous layer of brown sugar, evenly sprinkle with flour--so like an eighth to a quarter inch of butter/brown sugar--nothing timid. So the filling part is sweet but overall it balances all out because of the yeast bread there. Bake it off nice & brown. Drizzle glaze and adorn with cherries and pretty walnuts halves. Nostalgic holiday favorite. Very simple.

ETA~not germaine to pudc iron chef at all-- but edited to say I do add walnut meal these days on top of the brown sugar--we pig on this stuff for days during the holidays and then exercise like crazy.

Edited September 28, 2006 by K8memphis (log)

[Ling]

^Sounds simple and tasty. Since my cake has already cooled down, I'll have to make a thick caramel on the stovetop to use as a filling.

So tomorrow--I'll make the pineapple mousse and pipe them into the bowls, then put a layer of the caramel sponge roll on the bottom to be inverted as the base.

Then this goes into the freezer, and I'll do the cherry ice-cream and brittle on Friday.

Also on Friday--oven-dried pineapple ruffle around the base (in place of the chocolate tiles or ruffles you sometimes see on the bottom of bombes.)

(I'll probably also need to glaze the pineapple mousse dome before the ruffle goes on.)

Edited September 27, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Renka]

I have a thing with Pierre Hermé cakes (i.e. attempting to make them with the assistance of my beloved La Patisserie de PH or the Desserts By PH books). There's something so satisfying about making a BIG cake from those recipes and the slices/cross sections that come out of them when you serve it.

In addition to the crazy brainstorming discussion Ling and I had re: the now passé tart recipe idea (so pleased that it did come up a little earlier, re: tart crust, cake base and some sort of mousse/flan layer mention – very PH), I just wanted to throw in my two cents on this topic that is subject to suggestions regarding its feasibility.

I'd revamp the PUDC into some sort of charlotte, layered from bottom to top: a genoese cake base (maybe brushed with some rum/brandy), pineapple flavoured mousse, a middle layer of caramelize pineapple chunks (chutney like, with brown sugar, and all the other good goop), another thin layer of cake, more mousse, a few very thin slices of bruleed pineapple slices (and if you must, a half maraschino cherry in the hole of each ring), topped with a layer of cherry "flavoured" jelly (transparent and tinted pink). This would be wrapped by gioconda cake. I'd serve this with a side of warm brandied cherries (syrup and all).

Of course this is all in my head, whether it would work, LOL, that's another story. All I know is that the cross section should look nice given the layers.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Renka (log)

[Swisskaese]

I have a thing with Pierre Hermé cakes (i.e. attempting to make them with the assistance of my beloved La Patisserie de PH or the Desserts By PH books).  There's something so satisfying about making a BIG cake from those recipes and the slices/cross sections that come out of them when you serve it. 

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I just meant the cherry should look like Pierre Herme's, not the cake.

[Renka]

I have a thing with Pierre Hermé cakes (i.e. attempting to make them with the assistance of my beloved La Patisserie de PH or the Desserts By PH books).  There's something so satisfying about making a BIG cake from those recipes and the slices/cross sections that come out of them when you serve it.  

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I just meant the cherry should look like Pierre Herme's, not the cake.

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Swisskaese: Yup, I got that from your post. I just took the mention of PH a little further just because I like the polished look of his cakes. (Besides, I like the concept of the layered/structured, multi-component pastry).

I might also get boo-ed because my suggestion is not a cake for those seeking the rustic look.

[Ling]

I'd revamp the PUDC into some sort of charlotte, layered from bottom to top: a genoese cake base (maybe brushed with some rum/brandy), pineapple flavoured mousse, a middle layer of caramelize pineapple chunks (chutney like, with brown sugar, and all the other good goop), another thin layer of cake, more mousse, a few very thin slices of bruleed pineapple slices (and if you must, a half maraschino cherry in the hole of each ring), topped with a layer of cherry "flavoured" jelly (transparent and tinted pink).  This would be wrapped by gioconda cake.  I'd serve this with a side of warm brandied cherries (syrup and all).

Of course this is all in my head, whether it would work, LOL, that's another story.    All I know is that the cross section should look nice given the layers.

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Arghh...so many good ideas! I am frustrated I can't do them all. But perhaps I can do more than one PUDC cake creation in the next week. I can't do jaconde though...I don't have a cake comb.

[Pontormo]

I've just skimmed through this thread quickly and really look forward to the results!

It seems that the MUST-HAVE-CHERRY contingency won, but I am going to be petulent and sulk anyway, pointing out that as De Rigeur Retro that a single centered cherry is as a decorative element during the 50s or 60s, its presence was for the sake of visual interest, especially as a way to break up the uniform surface plane of the caramelized pineapple. It never provided much flavor--as someone else mentioned--and in fact, doesn't sound all that complementary. I had the dessert several times in the 70s or 80s and it never had cherry on top.

The caramelized flavor is much more important as well as the contrasts in texture and intensity between the fruit and the cake. To my mind, the mousse's cold, creamy quality is distinctive, but it will be soft like cake and won't give you something to chew the way the chunks of fruit do.

I am also hoping the "upside-down" business will appear in the final product.

I immediately thought about a tarte tatin, especially if there were a way to spread different hidden layers with other forms of pineapple (e.g. a Baked Alaska within an upside-down cake: meringue and ice cream) between the fruit and the tart pastry. However, I also see why Lorna rejected that as too simple a solution.

I was also thinking about things you can do with reduced pineapple juice or a syrup poured over the cake, warm, just out of the oven, holes poked on top.

I would like to lend a "Here! Here!" or "Hear! Hear!" (Hare Hair? ) for the idea of incorporating different forms of pineapple into the recipe; since I've had good, fresh-tasting candied pineapple before, the oven-dried component sounds great. Are there pineapple Altoids ? You can definitely find hard candies...or fruit rolls.

In any case, the idea of two different versions is not bad. After all, it would be a nod to the present to serve X two or three ways on the same plate.

Edited September 28, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Ling]

So today was certainly a day of failures! Perhaps I am being unduly hard on myself, given as I don't know exactly how everything has turned out yet, but my stuff is in the fridge and it ain't pretty...

It seems that the MUST-HAVE-CHERRY contingency won, but I am going to be petulent and sulk anyway, pointing out that as De Rigeur Retro that a single centered cherry is as a decorative element during the 50s or 60s, its presence was for the sake of visual interest, especially as a way to break up the uniform surface plane of the caramelized pineapple. 

I couldn't find frozen cherries in the supermarket today, so I added a tablespoon of kirsch to the pineapple mouse for the cherry component instead. I'm probably going to have to do this dessert over, though, and might leave the cherry out the next time.

To my mind, the mousse's cold, creamy quality is distinctive, but it will be soft like cake and won't give you something to chew the way the chunks of fruit do.

Actually, the pineapple mousse has chunks of pineapple in it. I bought one of those golden pineapples at the market and although it was the ripest one there, it was still underripe. Not a lot of flavour. Anyway, the mousse was underwhelming. I'm probably going to leave out the pineapple mousse next time...or at least find a different recipe.

So right now in the fridge/freezer--

One pineapple mousse bombe, since the mousse recipe was very large, and I couldn't think of another way to use it besides freezing it like a semifreddo. The bombe has the caramel sponge cake as a layer.

BTW, I baked another sponge cake today, and lowered the amount of baking soda b/c I could kind of taste it in yesterday's cake.

In the fridge is one pineapple mousse mini bombe with 2 slices of caramel sponge as the base. For this dessert, the cake is a distinct separate layer you can see. I also did a few where I pushed the cake into the mousse...just to see which looks better.

OK gotta clean the kitchen and get some work done.

Tomorrow--maybe the brown sugar ice-cream SwissKaese posted, since I can't find frozen cherries.

Then I'm going to leave this project for a few days, as I have to work over the weekend and have a birthday dinner.

ETA: Oh, I also made the oven-dried pineapple. I don't think it tastes very good. I baked it until it was a uniform golden brown, and it is very chewy. I'll probably be leaving it out of the final recipe...I want everything to taste good to me, even if it's just a garnish.

Edited September 28, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Kerry Beal]

In the interest of research I made an old fashioned pineapple upside down cake last night, with the cherries. I myself probably haven't made one since I was 18 or so, and I've got a few years on Lorna. I'd post a picture but I'm a little low on photo space right now.

Anyway, Lorna you might want to just try making one of the originals, give it a taste. You may find it helps direct your experiments.

Retro - for sure, ugly - you bet, tasty - I'd forgotten how good. That cake, that caramel - yum!!!

Edited September 29, 2006 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Jean Blanchard]

For what it's worth, I just made the brown sugar ice cream for the roulade and it's REALLY good.

Jean

[LittleIsland]

How one wins I don't know, perhaps we can line up all the finished products on new years day and vote or something.

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What about a panel of judges is selected or volunteer themselves for a live tasting at the end of this event... but who's baking the final recipes and the how's of getting them to the one place would need to be worked out. And of course, the rest of us must get to participate in the tasting/judging vicariously through lots of photos.

[FistFullaRoux]

How one wins I don't know, perhaps we can line up all the finished products on new years day and vote or something.

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What about a panel of judges is selected or volunteer themselves for a live tasting at the end of this event... but who's baking the final recipes and the how's of getting them to the one place would need to be worked out. And of course, the rest of us must get to participate in the tasting/judging vicariously through lots of photos.

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How about (skipping this first time, since nothing was decided), the previous week's Iron Chef make a donation, in whatever amount he or she sees fit, to a local food bank, or to eGullet itself. If you can afford 5 bucks, then that's OK. If you can drop a grand somewhere, so much the better. No need to mention the amount, a simple statement of "A donation made in Ling's name to Second Harvest of Nashville", for example.

Then when you tag the next person, it's your turn to donate.

Then everyone "wins", and whoever cooks gets bragging rights for being part of it.

Edited September 29, 2006 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Ling]

OK I'm finished my work now...the mousse has been in the fridge for a total of 8 hours, and it did not set up properly. It is still like cream...damn! I used 3 packages of gelatin for a mousse that included 1 2/3 cups of whipping cream and 1 cup of milk, plus some cornstarch and pineapple, sugar, egg yolk, and liqueur.

The other little individual mousse thing I made went into the freezer, along with the mega huge mousse bombe. The mousse has frozen really hard (there was gelatin in the recipe) and still tastes bland and boring. Dammit! So the bombe was a bomb. Haha, I made a funny...trying to keep a sense of humour here, but I really hate failing!

They're ugly things...not worth the photos.

(BTW--the caramel sponge cake is still good. I'm scooping them out of my mousse and eating it.)

I think I'm going to have to cook the pineapple in the recipe somehow...maybe make a pineapple caramel sauce or something. I'll buy another pineapple tomorrow and see if it ripens by Monday.

Edited September 29, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

What about a panel of judges is selected or volunteer themselves for a live tasting at the end of this event... but who's baking the final recipes and the how's of getting them to the one place would need to be worked out.  And of course, the rest of us must get to participate in the tasting/judging vicariously through lots of photos.

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Hmm...I don't think this is quite fair, because the desserts all contain different ingredients. And it is definitely easier to make a tasty dessert with, say, chocolate, than it is with, I dunno...Red Delicious apples.