Not often, but on rare occasion I have a baking disaster. Yesterday I wanted blueberry muffins and unfortunately used an old recipe. Apparently, there was a major error in the recipe as after two attempts I binned the results (along with the recipe) and headed to my go-to baker, Sally McKenny. (“Binned” is a term from GBBO where whatever didn’t work is tossed in the trash.)
I wisely turned to Sally’s blueberry muffin recipe and they were overwhelmingly endorsed by the QC Cadre. (For any who do not know, the QC Cadre is composed of a number of my neighbors who volunteered to sample and review my bakes.)
There are volumes documenting all that I don’t know, and a postcard describing what I do know. I discover, or am taught, new ideas daily.
Here are two things I didn’t know, but probably everyone else did.
A pie shield that doesn’t fall off during baking
A parchment paper liner for par baking that fits the pastry
Pie Shield to Protect the Edges of the Pie
I reviewed all the pie shields on Amazon and reviews of all of them complained about them falling off. This one creates a shield from a single sheet of aluminum foil that does not come off while baking.
Trace a circle ~1”larger than your pie plate (Use a skewer or chop stick)Trace a smaller concentric circle ~1” smaller than your pie plateFold the square in half, then in half againCut out the circlesEnd up with a ring ~2 inches wide.Wrap the foil around the edge of the crust
Contour forming parchment paper liner
Ever try to fit a piece of parchment paper to a pastry shell without deforming the pastry? The simple solution is to crumple the parchment paper then smooth out (at least two times.) For smaller pastries cut slits into the edges of the paper to allow it to fit into the smaller shells.
Parchment paper, curling up on the edgesCut into a square then folded in half, diagonally.Fold in half again, Fold as many times as you can. Trim to ~2” longer than the radius of the pan.Cut the folds on the endUnfold and lengthen any cuts as requiredCrumple and smooth, crumple and smooth againFit to the pie plateAdd pie weights.
Fold the parchment paper diagonally in half. Place a finger in the middle of the long side of the triangle and fold across your finger. Keep your finger in the same place and fold diagonally again. Fold one short side down the the long side and repeat. Cut the large end to make a triangle ~2 inches longer than the radius of your pie plate.
As I was updating “What’s Up in Dede’s Bakery” this recipe crossed my path. After all, I had fresh figs (but used a previous years fig jam for this bake) and the other scheduled bakes could wait, so it usurped my plans.
The original recipe called for a Bundt or tube cake pan but I opted for two decorative pans that I haven’t used in a while. The small well pan didn’t work great. The crumb was too big for any detail of the pan to be well defined, but it did make nice bite sized mini-cakes.
This is a basic, easy cake recipe with clear directions. The result is a moist, soft, flavorful cake. The glaze adds a bit of sweetness. Sprinkled with confectioners sugar would also work well.
Moist Fig Preserve Cake with Caramel Glaze
INGREDIENTS For the Fig Cake: • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar • 2 teaspoons baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) unsalted melted butter • 1/2 cup vegetable oil • 3 large eggs • 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbl lemon juice in a cup of milk) • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 1 cup fig preserves, or jam • 1 cup coarsely chopped macadamias or hazelnuts For the Caramel Glaze: • 4 tablespoons (2-ounces) unsalted butter • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar • 1/4 cup granulated sugar • 1 dash salt • 1/2 cup whipping cream
METHOD Make the Fig Cake
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan or 12 cup one-piece tube cake pan, making sure to cover all of the nooks and crannies. (Alternatively use cake spray, it released the cakes well. I used a 6 well Bundt cake pan and a 36 well pan for bite sized cakes.)
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add the melted butter and vegetable oil and beat until blended.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the eggs to the first mixture and beat until blended.
Add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add the fig preserves and chopped nuts; stir to blend.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. (1/2 cup of batter in each well of the larger pan, 1 tsp in the smaller.)
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake reaches 190F. (The smaller pan was baked for 20 minutes, the larger one for 30 minutes.)
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the sides of the cake to ensure it isn’t sticking, and then carefully invert it onto a cake plate and let it cool completely.
Make the Caramel Glaze
Combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and a dash of salt in a small saucepan.
Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute, or until bubbling, stirring constantly.
Add the cream to the sugar mixture and bring the glaze to a boil. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Let the glaze mixture cool slightly; drizzle the warm glaze over the cooled cake.
aBatteredOldSuitcase 