Category Archives: Desserts

Grace’s First Holy Communion Cake

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Last week I was asked to make some (~6-7 dozen) dessert pastries for our temples gala fundraiser, This week I made the First Holy Communion cake for our granddaughter Grace, and her cousin Joe. What fun!

This cake is the second time I made a cake for 60 people. It is a two layer cake with fresh raspberry mousse filling, as requested by Grace. It took me 5 attempts to develop the mousse that fulfilled my requirements of fresh taste but firm enough to be a cake filling, without being too dense. Oddly, it also took me 5 attempts to perfect the chalice and the circular disk which represents the Eucharist. I ended up with simple fondant cut outs. The chalice was sprayed with edible gold glitter. A cross was impressed on the disk with a fondant tool. The sun rays were fondant cut at a thin taper with a pizza cutter, then dried.

The vanilla cake (as requested) is two 3” layers, each 11×15”. They were crumb coated with basic buttercream. I built a dam to hold the mousse b adding some meringue powder to a portion of the buttercream and piped it around the edge of the lower cake layer. Another portion of the buttercream was dyed in an attempt to color it gold. A few drops of yellow and one of orange was the prescribed ratio. I would have added a very small amount of brown, if I had the courage. To add very small amounts, just dip the end of a toothpick in the food dye and wipe it through the buttercream, then beat.

The fondant is basic marshmallow fondant, but a lot of it. I needed it to be 16×25” to cover the cake. One issue I had was the fondant was drying out as I kneaded and rolled it out. (Next time, don’t make it 2 days in advance.)

Yellow Sheet Cake (2 required)

YIELD: SERVES 25-30

INGREDIENTS

• 570 g all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 460 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 700 g granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 240 g (1 c) sour cream, at room temperature
• 480 ml (2 c) whole milk, at room temperature

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease and lightly flour a 11x15x3” cake pan. Set aside.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 3 full minutes until creamed together. The mixture should be a light yellow color. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition until both are mixed in. On high speed, beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  3. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick.
  4. The full recipe yields 2000g of batter. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out into a thin, even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes (for the jelly roll pan, less for a half recipe or 45-50 minutes for a double in an 11×15” pan.) Actual times depend on pan used, less time for shallow pan, more for deeper, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or 200F. (Two 8” round pans required 30 minutes to bake in my oven.) Make sure you rotate the cake pan once or twice during bake time if your oven has hot spots. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack. As the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
  5. Make ahead tip: Cake can be made 1 -2 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrapped tightly at room temperature.
  6. I suggest freezing the wrapped cake for a couple of hours before assembling the cake. They are very tender and fragile when at room temperature and much more stable when chilled/frozen.

Raspberry – Cream Cheese Mousse

INGREDIENTS

• 340 g (~2 ½ c, 12 oz) fresh raspberries
• 2 Tbl confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Tbl instant vanilla pudding mix (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 112 g (4 oz) cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup Tbl powdered sugar
• 1 Tbl freeze-dried raspberry powder
• Optional: ¼ tsp red food coloring
• Optional: 1 tsp ouzo (for tartness)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 2 Tbl instant vanilla pudding powder (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 2-3 Tbl powdered sugar

METHOD

  1. Combine raspberries and 2 Tbl confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add to a food processor and pulse until berries are reduced
  2. Sieve the mixture allowing enough time for most of the raspberry juice to drip into a bowl, (enough to make 200ml (2/3 c) puree)
  3. Add 1 Tbl vanilla pudding, softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sweetener, raspberry powder and ouzo and beat until well combined (3-4 minutes on high.) Mix in red food coloring in 2 or 3 aliquots until desired color is attained.
  4. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and confectioners sugar. Add red food coloring (in several small amounts until desired color is attained) and whip to firm peaks.
  5. Add the vanilla pudding mix near the end and stir slowly. It will start setting the mousse quickly.
  6. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream until combined. Divide the mousse among 6 dessert cups, cover, or fill a piping bag and chill until set, about 1 hour.

Marshmallow Fondant (2 required)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package (16 ounces) white mini marshmallows
• 2-5 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

METHOD

  1. Grease a mixing bowl and a glass bowl that can be used to melt marshmallows in the microwave.
  2. Place the marshmallows, water and flavoring of your choice in greased glass bowl and microwave on high at 30 second intervals.
  3. Stir every 30 seconds until marshmallows are completely melted, about 2 minutes.
  4. Sift one half of the 2-pound bag of confectioner’s sugar in a greased mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the confectioner’s sugar and pour in the melted marshmallows.
  5. I use the paddle attachment for my KitchenAid mixer for this first part of the mixture.
  6. Mix until all the melted marshmallows are incorporated in the confectioner’s sugar.
  7. Add any food coloring at this point.
  8. Mixture will be thick but still runny.
  9. Sift the remaining half bag of confectioner’s sugar into the melted marshmallows.
  10. Mix on low until it comes together.
  11. Change to your dough hook attachment as this will get extremely thick.
  12. Fondant will be very thick and have a dough like consistency. I like to knead by hand to assure everything is well mixed.
  13. Wipe a thin layer of vegetable shortening over the surface and wrap the fondant in plastic to make sure no air gets to it.
  14. Rest fondant for at least an hour before use. Store at room temperature for no more than a day.

Buttercream Frosting (May need 2-3 recipes)


INGREDIENTS

• 452 g (4 cups) of powdered sugar (or 1 box)
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) of softened butter
• 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons of whipping cream (for crumb coat frosting add cream as needed)
Optional
• 2 Tbl Meringue Powder to make crusting frosting.
• Violet food coloring (a very small amount will make the frosting white)

METHOD

  1. Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.
  2. Add softened sticks of butter
  3. Add vanilla. If you want white frosting add a very small amount of violet food coloring
  4. Add 1 tbsp of cream.
  5. Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When completely mixed the frosting may appear dry.
  6. Add more cream, a little bit at a time, beating at slowest speed, until frosting is the proper consistency.

 

TOR 2024 Gala

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I am always pleased when asked to prepare some items for a party, large or small. Tonight is our annual temple baseball themed gala with an expected attendance of 100 people. I started this tradition in 2018, but missed a couple of years due to Covid etc.

Tonight Dede’ Bakery and Confectionary is serving chocolate/raspberry baseball field brownies, gluten free raspberry mousse tarts with baseball decorated cookies and key lime profiteroles with no baseball association whatsoever. (I just like them.)


GLUTEN FREE TARTS
INGREDIENTS
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes
• 60 g icing sugar
• 200 g Kim’s Bread flour blend
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash

METHOD

  1. Mix dry Ingredients.
  2. Lightly beat egg then add the melted butter.
  3. Add wet to dry ingredients. Form into a dough ball.
  4. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Roll to a 1/8” thick sheet between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic.
  6. Cut rounds of the dough about an inch larger than the tart pans
  7. Gently press the dough circles into the tart pans pressing into any flutes
  8. Patch any breaks with extra dough
  9. Dock the bottom of the crust. Wrap and keep in freezer at least 30 minutes.
  10. Pre-bake the tart crust 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven at 350 deg.
  11. Depending on recipe, you may want to protect the crust of the tart with foil
  12. Cool to room temperature
  13. Fill with raspberry mousse.
  14. Top with a raspberry and white sugar cookies with red baseball seams.

Raspberry – Cream Cheese Mousse

INGREDIENTS
Raspberry Puree
• 340 g (~2 ½ c, 12 oz) fresh raspberries
• 2 Tbl confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Tbl instant vanilla pudding mix (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 112 g (4 oz) cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup Tbl powdered sugar
• 1 Tbl freeze-dried raspberry powder
• Optional: ¼ tsp red food coloring
• Optional: 1 tsp ouzo (for tartness)
Whipped Cream – Stabilized
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 2 Tbl instant vanilla pudding powder (substitute corn starch if desired.)
• 2-3 Tbl powdered sugar

METHOD

  1. Combine raspberries and 2 Tbl confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add to a food processor and pulse until berries are reduced
  2. Sieve the mixture allowing enough time for most of the raspberry juice to drip into a bowl, (enough to make 200ml (2/3 c) puree)
  3. Add 1 Tbl vanilla pudding, softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup sweetener, raspberry powder and ouzo and beat until well combined (3-4 minutes on high.) Mix in red food coloring in 2 or 3 aliquots until desired color is attained.
  4. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, vanilla pudding mix and confectioners sugar.
  5. Add red food coloring (in several small amounts until desired color is attained) and whip to firm peaks.
  6. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream until combined. Divide the mousse among 6 dessert cups, cover, or fill a piping bag and chill until set, about 1 hour.

KIM’S GLUTEN FREE BREAD FLOUR BLEND
Yield: 700g (5 c)
INGREDIENTS
• 285g Bob’s Red Mill potato starch
• 250g superfine white rice flour (DON’T use regular rice flour, ie Bob’s Red Mill)
• 75g Tapioca flour
• 75g Whey protein isolate or egg white protein.
• 15g Xanthan gum
METHOD

  1. Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
  2. Mix on low, with bowl covered for 30 seconds

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY BROWNIE BARS
I made a 1 ½ recipe and used an 11×15 pan.

INGREDIENTS
Brownies
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ¼ c dark cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ c sugar
• 1 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ c All-Purpose Flour
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1 c Raspberry Jammy Bits
• 3 Tbl seedless raspberry jam
• 1 Tbl water
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
• 1 Tbl cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbl light corn syrup (20g)
• 2 ⅔ c (400g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tbl vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan. To make very even bars, line the pan with aluminum foil before baking, leaving foil sticking up above the edges of the pan.
  2. Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Add the sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, chips, and Jammy Bits, again stirring well. The batter will be very thick.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth.
  6. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (205 degrees,) or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look moist, but not uncooked. Do not over bake! Remove them from the oven.
  7. Heat the seedless raspberry jam with the water and stir until smooth. (I use 2 tsp of apple jelly, mixed with 1 tsp water and heated to melt the jelly.) Brush over the warm brownies. Set aside to cool for an hour or longer before topping with the ganache.
  8. To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup until they begin to steam. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add any flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.
  9. Pour ganache over the brownies while it’s still warm but has begun to thicken — reheat if it thickens too much as you work. Allow several hours for the ganache to set up fully. You may refrigerate the brownies to hasten the setting of the ganache.
  10. Remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil sling. Heat a knife in hot water, wipe dry and use to cut the brownies. Repeat with each cut.

KEY LIME PROFITEROLES
INGREDIENTS
Whipped Cream Key Lime Curd:
• ½ c white sugar
• 2 Tbl cornstarch
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tsp lime zest
• ⅔ c key lime juice
• ⅔ c sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbl butter
• ¾ c heavy whipping

Choux Pastry:
• ½ c (65 grams) AP flour
• ½ tsp granulated white sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ½ c (120 ml) water
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache
• 150 g confectioner’s sugar
• 50 g heavy cream
• 1 Tbl freeze-dried raspberry powder
• Red food coloring
• Coarse decorating sugar

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C) and place rack in center of oven.
  2. In a bowl whisk the flour with the sugar and salt.
  3. Place the butter and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
  4. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. It will look like mashed potatoes. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). The dough will film the bottom and sides of the saucepan and make cleaning a pain.
  5. Transfer the dough to an electric mixer and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about 1 minute).
  6. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
  7. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe oblongs of dough (about 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide) onto the parchment lined baking sheet. (When piping hold the bag at a 45-degree angle.) If desired, with a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough with the lightly beaten egg.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350o F (180o C).
  9. Remove from oven, pierce an end of each éclair with a small skewer to release the interior steam.
  10. Continue to bake for a further 25 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
  11. Warm white chocolate to soften (30 seconds in a 1000W microwave)
  12. Heat whipping cream to steam, but not boil and pour over the softened white chocolate
  13. Let sit 3-4 minutes then add freeze dried raspberry, red food coloring and beat with a spoon until the mixture is smooth
  14. After filling the profiteroles with the key lime curd dip the top into the warm ganache and sprinkle with decoration sugar.
    ROYAL ICING
    Makes ~3 cups of royal icing, (¼ recipe decorated 48 1” diameter cookies)
    INGREDIENTS
    • 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    • 3 Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
    • 9–10 Tablespoons room temperature water
    METHOD
  15. Sift confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder, into a large bowl and add 9 Tablespoons of water. Add half the water after sifting 2 cups of sugar. Add the remaining water or more, checking flow consistency of the icing is what you want for piping etc.
  16. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 – 2 minutes.
  17. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 Tablespoons but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12-14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep beating it to introduce more air OR you can add more confectioners’ sugar.
  18. When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thick on cookies, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.

Baseball Themed Gala Practice #1

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We are going to a gala at our temple next month and our administrator asked if I would make some desserts for the baseball themed event. At this point my providing pastries and other baked goods is more or less a tradition.

These tartlets are the first of three types of pastries I am making. In deference to a gluten intolerant friend these tartlets are gluten free, but you could not tell from the taste and texture. They are wonderful. (No brag, just fact, for anyone old enough to remember that TV line.)

For gluten free pastries I mix a specialty flour from an online baker named Kim. (Search Kim’s Artisan Bread Flour for more info.) It is an exceptional gluten free flour.

New design after QC’s brilliant suggestion!

A couple of weeks ago my uphill neighbors gave me a bag of oranges and I have been concocting ways of processing and returning them. These tartlets have a layer of fresh orange mousse, covered with a layer of dark chocolate mousse. The entire tartlet is topped with a gluten free sugar cookie striped with royal icing to give the impression of a baseball. Whew!

(If I tell you the cookie topping is supposed to be a baseball would that help?)

Key Lime Tartlets Using Kim’s Bread Flour

INGREDIENTS
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes
• 60 g icing sugar
• 200 g Kim’s Bread flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash

METHOD

  1. Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
  2. Add salt then vanilla.
  3. Add egg and mix 3-5 min
  4. Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
  5. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
  6. Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans.
  7. Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick
  8. Refrigerate rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes
  9. Remove from fridge and while still firm, cut dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. Cut all the rounds at once while still firm. If necessary, return to the fridge to firm up. Again, if necessary, use an offset spatula to remove the circles from the parchment paper. Keep the spatula clean.
  10. Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly, then gently press into the molds and fill all crevices.
  11. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  12. Return to fridge for 15 – 20 min to firm up the shell
  13. Prick holes in bottom of formed dough
  14. Place a mini cupcake paper in each tart and fill with with pastry weights (or beans)
  15. Paint edges of the tartlet with an egg-white wash. (Whisk one egg white with 1 Tbl water)
  16. Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 8 min until edges are dry
  17. Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 4-6 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges begin to turn light brown and the bottom is nearly dry. (I find it easier to dump the weights into a bowl then remove the cupcake papers.)
  18. Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack

Dark Chocolate Mousse

INGREDIENTS
• ½ c chopped chocolate (72 percent)
• 1 c heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• ⅓ c sugar
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Chocolate shavings, for garnish

METHOD

  1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a water bath, making sure the water is not boiling. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
  3. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and set over the same water bath to slightly heat while beating them with a whisk.
  4. Add the sugar to the yolks and then transfer the mixture to a stand mixer set up with the whisk attachment. Beat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the yolks double in size, about 5 minutes.
  5. Carefully fold the chocolate into the yolks.
  6. Lastly, fold in the whipped cream.
  7. Store the mousse in an unopened piping bag until ready to fill the tartlets.
  8. When ready to assemble the tartlets pipe about ¼” of chocolate mousse on top of the orange mousse. Store in a refrigerator to keep cold.

Orange Mousse

INGREDIENTS
• ½ c orange juice
• ¼ c plus 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbl unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ tsp orange zest (from ¼ orange)
• ½ c heavy cream
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• Orange gel food coloring (optional)

METHOD

  1. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring the orange juice to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the sugar, the salt and yolks until smooth. Whisking constantly, add half of the reduced orange juice to the yolk mixture to temper.
  3. When it is all incorporated, return the tempered yolk mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent the eggs from scrambling, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes.
  4. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and the zest. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 5 hours.
  5. Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl and add the vanilla and the remaining tablespoon sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium speed just until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, being careful avoid over-beating.
  6. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the chilled orange mixture. Pour that mixture into the remaining whipped cream and continue to fold until completely incorporated.
  7. Transfer the mixture to an unopened piping bag, close the end and refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. When ready to assemble the tartlets pipe about ¼” of orange mousse into the bottom of refrigerated tartlet shells. Store in a refrigerator to keep cold.

Kim’s Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend

Yield: 700g (5 c)
INGREDIENTS

  • 285g Bob’s Red Mill potato starch
  • 250g superfine white rice flour (DON’T use regular rice flour, ie Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 75g Tapioca flour
  • 75g Whey protein isolate or egg white protein.
  • 15g Xanthan gum

METHOD

Mix all ingredients, place in an air tight container and shake well to mix everything together.

Apple Pie for Freezing

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A month ago, QC and I went to Apple Hill to buy some, wait for it,… apples! This is our traditional trip up past Placerville. It’s a nice drive up and we take a backroad home through the Sierra Nevada foothills. It looks a lot like Vermont.

I made a couple of dozen pints of applesauce, (we like applesauce.) and had leftover apples, beyond those we ate. I found a recipe for an apple pie designed to be prepared and frozen (for up to 2 months.) I also have a nice pie crust recipe I never used so along with the apples, the time was ripe. If you do not over-mix the fats and dry ingredients and do not over-work the dough the crust will be very flaky and delicious like this one.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait the full two months to complete the test, and baked it today, almost exactly one month from freezing. (Next time I will make two pies.)

Two Slices, two plates.

Apple Pie Ready for Freezing

PIE CRUST
• 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour plus more for shaping and rolling
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 2/3 cup (130g) vegetable shortening, chilled
• ½ cup (120ml) ice cold water

INGREDIENTS – PIE FILLING
• 6 c thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)
• ¾ c sugar
• 3 Tbl all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon juice

METHOD CRUST

  1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Add the butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening until it looks like coarse gravel. (A few larger bits of fat are OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
  3. Measure ½ cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup (120ml) of water, since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a silicone spoon after every tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. Do not add any more water than you need.
  4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH!
  5. Use a sharp knife to cut it in half. If it’s helpful, you should have about 1 lb, 8 oz dough total (about 680g). Gently flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands.
  6. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
  7. After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours roll it out, one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough. When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking; don’t be afraid to use a little more flour. Roll the dough into a very thin 12-inch circle. Your pie dough will be about 1/8 inch thick, which is quite thin. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected.
  8. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish.

METHOD – PIE FILLING

  1. Place 1 pie crust in 9-inch disposable foil or metal pie plate (do not use glass). Press crust firmly against side and bottom of pie plate.
  2. In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate.
  3. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to flute and seal.
  4. Tightly wrap unbaked pie in 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure all sides of pie are completely sealed and unexposed.
  5. When ready to bake pie, heat oven to 450°F. Remove frozen pie from freezer; cut a few slits in top crust and place in oven. Do not thaw pie.
  6. Bake 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F; bake 40 to 50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and apples are hot and soft when pricked with a fork. If necessary, tent the edges of the pie to reduce darkening and bake in 10-minute periods until the internal temperature of the pie is 190 – 200°F.

Whipped Key Lime Pastries

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I love key lime. I saw a recipe that inspired me to make two pastries featuring whipped key lime (like a chiboust with key lime curd mixed with stabilized whipped cream.)

My first attempt used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry to form the pastry cups. This puff pastry “puffed” up too much. My second try used Trader Joe’s puff pastry which only puffs about 25% of Pepperidge Farm’s. This pastry worked better.

Pastry in pan with cupcake papers and beans
“Sandwiched” puff pastry, cupcake papers, beans and second cupcake pan
Baked puff pastry

Cut the puff pastry into circles (I use hexagons as they don’t waste as much pastry) about 2” larger than the diameter of the cupcake pan pocket. Fit the circles into each pocket. Try not to fold them over along the sides and more than necessary. Place a mini-cupcake paper in each and fill with baking beans (not baked beans,) then cover with an identical cupcake pan. This will retard the “puff” of the pastry.

Raspberry coulis
Coulis filled bottom of shell
Key lime whipped cream piped into shell

Bake about 15 minutes at 400F. Remove the upper pan, the cupcake paper and beans, turn the oven off and return the baked shells to the over to dry the bottoms. This should take ~5 minutes.

Raspberry drizzled profiteroles
Raspberry drizzled pastry shells
Final pastries
I could have done a better job drizzling (should have!) When the first attempt failed I made profiteroles as well.

Key Lime Cream Puff Pastry

INGREDIENTS
• 1 sheet puff pastry (Trader Joe’s preferred)

Whipped Cream Key Lime Curd:
• ½ c white sugar
• 2 Tbl cornstarch
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tsp lime zest
• ⅔ c key lime juice
• ⅔ c sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbl butter
• ¾ c heavy whipping cream

Key Lime Drizzle:
• 3 c confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 4-6 Tbl key lime juice
• ¼ tsp Agar agar.

Alternative Raspberry Drizzle
• 12 oz raspberries – fresh or frozen; about 320g
• ~4 to 6 Tbl granulated sugar – to taste
• ~1 tsp lemon (or lime) juice
• ¼ tsp Agar agar.

METHOD

  1. Curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  2. Whisk in the egg yolks, lime zest, and juice. Bring to a boil, over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly and cook for about 1 minute.
  3. Remove from heat, whisk in sweetened condensed milk, and bring back to a boil.
  4. Remove from heat again and strain the mixture through a sieve. Add in butter and whisk until smooth.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
  6. Puff Pastry Shell: Cut defrosted and pliable puff pastry into circles 2” larger than the cupcake pan pocket. I use hexagon cutters as they are more efficient and don’t waste as much pastry dough.
  7. Fill each cupcake pan pocket with pastry, put small cupcake paper in each pocket, fill with beans and cover with an identical cupcake pan.
  8. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Remove the upper pan, beans and cupcake papers and bake another 5 minutes to dry the bottoms of the shells.
  9. Cool pastry cups to room temperature.
  10. Drizzle: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, key lime zest, and lime juice. Add more powdered sugar/lime juice if needed for the right dripping consistency.
  11. Assembly: Spread a thin layer pf curd in the bottom of each cup.
  12. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the the balance of the curd.
  13. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.
  14. Transfer the whipped cream key lime curd to a piping bag, with a large star tip.

Alternative raspberry drizzle:

  1. Add the raspberries, sugar, agar-agar and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a boil while mashing the raspberries to break them down. Once it boils, turn off the heat and adjust with more sugar or lemon juice as needed.
  2. Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Press firmly to extract all of the pulp as that is what thickens the sauce.
  3. Thin with a teaspoon of water at a time, (if desired) keeping in mind the sauce thickens as it cools.
  4. Use in place of lime curd where desired.

I’m Doctor Fraisier Cake, and I’m listening

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The GGBO is a very bad influence. I saw this cake (again) and thought it would be a great summer dessert. (It is.) Once again, Mary Berry does not disappoint. Maybe I should stop re-watching the show…

This is a pretty technical bake with lots of steps requiring careful timing. The genoise needs to be baked and cooled. The strawberry syrup needs to be heated twice. The agar has to be microwaved to boiling, then added to the pastry cream as it begins to boil but not before it thickens too much. The finished pastry cream must be room temperature before the whipped cream is added or it will melt the whipped cream.

Other than that, it’s pretty straightforward.

Still in the springform pan.
It held together after removing the acetate!
And it cut and held its layers well.

Fraisier Cake

INGREDIENTS
Genoise Sponge
• 4 Eggs
• 60 g (1/4 c) Caster Sugar
• 100 g (2/3 c) Plain Flour
• 20 g (2 ½ Tbl) Cornstarch
Strawberry Syrup
• 120 g Fresh Strawberries
• 118 g (1/2 c) Water
• 90 g (6 Tbl) Caster Sugar
Crème Diplomat
• 500 ml (2 c) Full Cream Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Paste – or 1 fresh Vanilla Bean
• 1 tsp Orange extract – optional
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 30 g (2 Tbl) Caster Sugar
• 35 g (1/4 c) Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Agar-Agar Powder
• 4 Tbl of water
• 250 ml (1 c) Whipping Cream + 1 Tbl cornstarch
Cake Filling
• 500 g (about 1 pound) Fresh Strawberries – or more to taste
• 20 g (1/4 c) Flaked Almonds – optional
Cake Toppings
• Icing Sugar – to taste
• Fresh Strawberries – to taste
• Flaked Almonds – to taste
• Mint Leaves – to taste

METHOD

Genoise Sponge

  1. Preheat your oven on 160’C/325’F. Line two 8” round springform pans with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs and caster sugar on medium/high speed for 5 to 8 minutes, or until very pale, frothy and doubled in size.
  3. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the sugar/eggs and gently fold in with a spatula until it’s all incorporated. Pour over the lined springform pans and gently spread with an offset spatula to level the batter. Weigh each pan/batter to assure they are the same weight and therefore size.
  4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until puffed and golden. Transfer over a cooling rack and leave to cool down completely before releasing the pan and removing the baking paper.

    Strawberry Syrup
  5. Blend the strawberries (thawed if using frozen) then place the strawberry puree, water and sugar into a small pot on low to medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring, or until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has started to slightly thicken.
  6. Sieve the mixture through a fine sieve to remove everything except the liquid.
  7. Set aside to cool.
  8. (NOTE: After coating one side of both genoise sponges return the syrup to the heat and cook until it thickens. Then cool, covered with plastic wrap directly on the syrup.)

Crème Diplomat

  1. Mix agar-agar and water in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and mix until it is a clear gelatinous liquid. Let cool to the touch, but still warm.
  2. Whisk eggs and milk together and add to all other ingredients (except extracts and agar-agar gel) to a medium saucepan.
  3. Bring to boil whisking constantly
  4. Add the still warm agar-agar gel to the pastry cream
  5. Cook until thickened (it will look lumpy, its ok)
  6. Sieve lumpy mixture into a bowl, add extracts whisk until dissolved and combined. Transfer the pastry cream into a clean bowl or tray, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and place in the fridge to cool down.
  7. Once the pastry cream has reached room temperature, start whipping the cold cream until you reach stiff peaks.
  8. Whisk the pastry cream to loosen it then gently fold in the whipped cream in 3 or 4 portions. Transfer into a piping bag with large round piping tip (Wilton #A1.)

Assembling the Cake

  1. Pick strawberries that have about the same height to create the edges of the cake. Remove the stems and slice them in half to form a triangle. Cut the rest of the strawberries into small cubes and set aside.
  2. Surround the interior of a 8×2 inch springform pan with an Acetate Strip.
  3. Put the first layer of genoise at the bottom of the ring and brush it with strawberry syrup.
  4. Place the strawberries sliced in half around the edges of the cake, sliced side facing out. Try to place them as tightly against each other as possible.
  5. Pipe the crème diplomat between each strawberry, going as high as the pastry ring. Add about half the of the crème over the genoise and spread with an offset spatula if needed.
  6. Cover the cream with the cubed strawberries and almond flakes (optional). Gently press on them to avoid any large air pockets.
  7. Pipe the rest of the crème diplomat over the cubed strawberries and almonds, going all the way to the edges of the pastry ring (and over the strawberries on the edges).
  8. Brush the second layer of genoise with the strawberry syrup (on one side only) and cover the cream with it, brushed side facing in. Gently press on it to even it out.
  9. Place in the fridge to set for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.

    Cake Toppings
  10. To finish the cake, sprinkle icing sugar over the genoise. Use the thickened and cooled strawberry syrup to drizzle a design on the genoise.
  11. Add some slices of fresh strawberries in the centre of the cake with fresh mint leaves and flaked almonds.
  12. Carefully remove the pastry ring and acetate strip before serving.
  13. Carefully remove the pastry ring and acetate strip before serving.

Key Lime Meringue Tartlets – 2 Updated

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QC reported back that the mousse of the previous attempt wasn’t sharp enough to balance the sweetness of the meringue. I, on the other hand, didn’t think the meringue itself was up to snuff. (Interesting phrase, up to snuff.)

Today, I modified the mousse recipe to give it a bit of a punch and resurrected my pavlova recipe rather than use the Italian meringue recipe I used in the previous.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of freeze dried raspberry powder for a little more acidity.

Both revisions were spot on. (Another interesting phrase.)

Here is the new recipe and method for the Key Lime Merengue Tartlets.

Key Lime Mousse Meringue Tartlets

INGREDIENTS

MERINGUE
6 (180 g) large rm temp egg whites
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 tsp corn starch
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ Tbsp lemon juice
½ Tbsp vanilla
½ Tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder

MOUSSE
1 ½ c. heavy cream
¼ c. powdered sugar
1 c. sweetened condensed milk (try reducing to ½ c)
1/3 c. key lime juice
30 g of fresh squeezed lime juice
5 g of zest from the same lime
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

METHOD

MOUSSE

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and powdered sugar into stiff peaks.
  2. Zest the lime, then squeeze and collect the juice.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix condensed milk, key lime juice, lime juice, half the lime zest and vanilla until combined.
  4. Add to bowl of whipped cream. Gently fold ¼ – ½ c. in until just combined. (It wasn’t thick enough. Try to cut the sweetened condensed milk in half. Slowly add the lime mixture to the whipped cream ¼ cup at a time. Refrigerate to thicken.)
  5. Keep refrigerated until ready to fill the meringue cups.

MERINGUE

  1. Preheat the Oven to 215˚ F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment (or Silpat) paper. Using your stand mixer, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
  2. Whisk together sugar and cream of tartar. With the mixer on high, gradually add sugar and cream of tartar one tablespoon at a time, waiting between each addition.
  3. Beat 10 min on high speed, or until firm peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
  4. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Continue whipping until very firm peaks.
  5. Divide meringue saving a few tablespoons for the kisses. Add the raspberry powder and whip until incorporated.
  6. Pipe a disk of meringue about 2”-2 ½” diameter then pipe around the disk to make walls about ½” – ¾” high.
  7. Pipe kisses of raspberry meringue on the silpat using a star piping tip. Each kiss should be ¼” – ½” high and ½” – ¾” diameter.
  8. Bake for 30-45 min. If the temperature is too high, or you leave them in the oven to long they will begin to brown. Check after 30 minutes and add 15 additional minutes if necessary for the surface to no longer tacky.
  9. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue cups in the oven to slowly cool.
  10. Once cool, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature (in a low humidity place).

TARTLETS

  1. When both the mousse and meringue cups are cool, pipe the mousse into the well of each tart shell.
  2. Place a kiss on each, sprinkle some lime zest on top of the tart and kiss.
  3. Serve and enjoy.

Cranberry Meringue Pie

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I needed a few cranberries for decoration on the Yule Cake, so with left over 11.75 oz of the 12 oz bag, I saw and made this recipe for a cranberry merengue pie. (You can take the boy out of Vermont…) Never having made one and needing a dessert to augment the smallish Yule Cake, I thought, Let’s give it a try, waste not, etc.

Macerating the cranberries
Cooking berries, eggs and cornstarch until smooth
Par-baked pie crust
Cranberry mixture poured into par-baked pie shell
Italian Meringue, torch and cranberry pie.
Meringue covered pie prior to torching.
Torched Cranberry Meringue Pie

Cranberry Meringue Pie

INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
• 1 12-ounce bag whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed
• 1 8- or 9-inch pie crust, any kind, par-baked if necessary
For the meringue:
• 150g (or ¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 60ml (or ¼ cup) water
• 60g (or ¼ cup) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)

METHOD
To make the filling,

  1. Combine the cranberries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan with a lid. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling for 3-5 minutes, or until the cranberries have totally disintegrated and the mixture is thick and gloopy. Use a potato masher to speed things up.
  2. While the cranberries cook, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl.
  3. When the cranberries are done, scrape the contents of the saucepan through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl with the eggs and cornstarch. Stir and press on the solids in the sieve until you’ve extracted all the liquid you possibly can, then scrape whatever’s on the bottom of the sieve into the bowl.
  4. Whisk the cranberry-egg-cornstarch mixture together thoroughly, pour it back into the saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
  5. Cook at a full boil for 3 full minutes while whisking. Finally, whisk in the butter piece by piece until it’s completely incorporated and pour the filling into a prepared pie crust.
  6. Cool on a rack at room temperature until there’s no heat coming off the bottom of the pan, then refrigerate overnight (or about three hours if you’re on deadline and like living dangerously).

ITALIAN MERINGUE

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high and allow the syrup to come to a boil.
  2. In the meantime, add the egg whites to a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and mix (with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until foamy and the whites are almost able to hold soft peaks.
  3. Once the syrup is boiling, clip on a candy (or sugar) thermometer.
  4. Cook until the syrup reaches 116°C/240°F, then take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the bowl with the foamy egg whites, mixing continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Don’t pour the syrup onto the whisk, or the syrup may splatter against the sides of the bowl (or into your face!). Instead, aim for a spot close to the whisk.
  5. Once all the syrup has been added, keep mixing until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue has cooled down to body temperature.
  6. Use immediately or keep in the fridge (covered) until ready to use. It’s a very stable meringue, so it won’t start weeping, leaking or collapsing.

NOTES
Italian meringue can be made two days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed (covered with plastic wrap,) or transferred to a piping bag, sealed, then placed in the fridge.

Charlotte, Vermont 05445

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I was born and raised just a few miles from Charlotte, VT and never knew that had a pastry named for them. “Oh! What was that QC?” Sorry, I was just told Charlottes were not named for that town, rather the name originated from a pastry made in British, unless you prefer the “alternate facts” that point to Russian origins.

There are many variations of Charlotte cakes. After sampling so many amazing pastries in Paris, I decided to try some mini charlottes. They retain the charlotte basics of lady fingers, creams and berries. In this version the lady fingers are smaller than usual to fit into my entremet cups. The creme chiboust may not be “authentic” but maintains the essential of being a blend of creme patisserie and Italian meringue.

Creme chiboust ingredients
Heating ingredients (not the bananas)
Sieving cooked creampat

For the the creme patisserie in eclairs I made last week I used the “old fashioned method” of tempering the eggs and adding back into the hot mixture. I prefer Martha Stewarts method of adding everything to the sauce pan, except the vanilla, heating until it thickens, sieving, then adding the vanilla and stir. Depending on how thick you want the final creampat you can heat the mixture as long or short as you wish.

Heating sugar water to make Italian meringue
Pouring hot sugar water into whipped egg whites
Finished Italian meringue. Delicious!

Once the creampat is cooled, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Meanwhile heat the sugar/water mixture to 240F. Drizzle the hot sugar water into the whipped egg whites and beat on high to firm peaks.

Creme Chiboust piped into molds
Scrape excess from hemisphere mold

Fold the Italian meringue into the creampat without deflating the meringue. Pipe the resultant creme chiboust into hemispherical molds, cover with plastic directly on the creme chiboust and freeze. The diameter of the molds should be at least 1 cm less than the molds you will use to make the charlottes.

Pie plate lined with plastic wrap
Raspberry jelly poured into pan

I was pleased (surprised?) how well the raspberry jelly set up and then released from the plastic wrap. I used agar agar to set the jelly (and everywhere else throughout this bake) to keep everything vegetarian.

I set all the ingredients required for the chocolate mousse and took a picture. Unfortunately, that is the only picture I took during the process. Imagine, if you will, chocolate and butter on a Bain Marie. Imagine the stand mixer making whipped cream, then being cleaned and making a meringue, both with soft peaks. Imagine folding the two whipped ingredients into the cooled chocolate. Now, you are up to date.

Making the raspberry/white chocolate mousse is very similar to making the dark chocolate mousse. In fact, pretend the red raspberry puree is chocolate and you won’t even miss photos in the above section.

Imagine, if you will, I actually took pictures while making the raspberry mousse. Dang! I took a picture of all the ingredients (left) and of the completed raspberry confit (right,) but missed all the intermediate steps.

Consistency of lady finger batter
Piped long lady fingers. These were too thin and too far apart.
Left over lady fingers in back

The first batch of lady fingers were piped with too much space between them. Plus they were over baked and cracked when trying to bend them into the entremet molds. The lines of lady fingers should touch when baked to create a “sheet” that is smooth on one side and have the rounded “lady finger” look on the other. The second batch were just right, but only filled 8 of the 12 molds. The third batch were slightly underdone so I let them dry in the turned-off oven for a few more minutes. While they were then slightly over done, I was able to salvage enough to finish all twelve molds.

Filling molds with lady fingers
Filling lined molds with mousse and raspberry jelly
Removing frozen creme chiboust domes from silicon molds
Adding creme chiboust domes
Completed charlottes, ready for freezer and finishing

Charlottes are traditionally wrapped with a ribbon. The set mousse should hold the cake together but the ribbon looks pretty and suggests it is (erroneously) required to hold the cake together.

Cutting 1/2” wide parchment paper
Tools for tempering chocolate
Strips taped down
Strips coated with tempered chocolate
Dried but still flexible parchment paper lined chocolate strips

I found the chocolate releases from parchment paper easier than from acetate. Most of my photos show the first attempt using acetate.

4” x 1/2” strips of parchment paper, coated with chocolate and allowed to dry some were folded over and the ends put together to form the loops of the bow. Other short straight pieces were used for the ends of the ribbons. A little chocolate was used to glue the parts onto the side of a charlotte to resemble a ribbon bow.

Sliced raspberries and blueberries plus some chocolate shavings sprinkled on top finished the charlottes. They need to be refrigerated or frozen until serving. QC and I decided the flavor and texture were excellent, but other pastries I previously made were as good and much, much easier.

Mini Red Berry / Chocolate Charlotte

Crème Chiboust

INGREDIENTS
Crème Patisserie
• ½ c sugar
• ¼ c corn starch
• Pinch salt
• 2 c whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 Tbl butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
Italian Meringue
• 1 cup sugar (200g)
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 large room temperature egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

METHOD
Crème Patisserie

  1. Whisk eggs and milk together and add to all other ingredients (except vanilla) to a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring to boil whisking constantly
  3. Cook until thickened (it will look lumpy, its ok)
  4. Sieve lumpy mixture into a bowl and add vanilla, mix thoroughly
  5. When incorporated, cover with plastic directly on the cream and cool about an hour.

Italian Meringue

  1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F (115°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Brush down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water.
  2. Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar or lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (see note). Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes.
  3. With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. (Hot sugar is just as dangerous as fryer oil, so use caution!) Increase speed to high and whip to stiff peaks.

Crème Chiboust

  1. Stir the cooled crème patisserie to loosen slightly then mix in about one-third of the meringue. Then add the crème patisserie mixture to the remaining meringue and mix in.
  2. The crème chiboust is ready to use.

Lady Fingers

INGREDIENTS
• 4 large separated eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

METHOD

  1. Separate 4 large egg yolks, placing the yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric mixer) and the whites into a small bowl. Let sit out until room temperature. Meanwhile, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to the egg yolks. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until the egg yolks are lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until doubled in volume, very pale yellow, falls off the whisk in thick ribbons, and the whisk leaves visible lines through the egg yolk mixture when the mixer is running, about 2 minutes more.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Clean and dry the stand mixer and whisk attachment.
  4. Add the reserved egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the stand mixer. Attach the whisk attachment and turn on to on medium-low speed. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat until the mixture is foamy and beginning to grow in volume, about 2 minutes.
  5. Increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more.
  6. Add half of the egg yolk mixture and fold until just combined. Add the remaining egg yolk mixture and fold until almost fully incorporated, some streaks are okay. Do not over-mix.
  7. Sift 1 cup all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into the egg mixture. Fold together until just incorporated with no dry bits remaining, it’s okay if the mixture is not smooth. Do not over-mix.
  8. Transfer the mixture to the pastry bag. Pipe 4-inch long ladyfingers onto the baking sheets, spacing them 3/4 to 1-inch apart, 20 per sheet. Dust an even layer of powdered sugar over the ladyfingers.
  9. Bake until puffed and just turning golden around the bottom, 11 – 14 minutes, until they feel firm, but not brown.
  10. Let the ladyfingers cool completely on the baking sheets.

RECIPE NOTES: Ladyfingers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days

Agar Agar Raspberry Jelly

INGREDIENTS
• 2 Cups Raspberries
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 tsp Agar Agar powder
• 1/4 Cup Water
METHOD

  1. Pour the 1/4 cup water and 2 cups raspberries into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until raspberries have softened.
  2. Use a stick blender to puree the mixture.
  3. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds.
  4. Pour the 1/4 cup water in saucepan and add 2 tsp agar agar powder. Mix well. cook on medium heat.
  5. Stir in agar until completely dissolved. Add raspberry juice and mix well.
  6. Add sugar, heat the mixture to a rolling boil and continue to cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
  7. Pour into a baking dish or into silicone molds.
  8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
  9. Remove and cut into desired shapes.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

INGREDIENTS
• 2 Cups
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons expresso or hot water
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 3 large eggs separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar

METHOD

  1. Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth.
  2. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Once the melted chocolate is sufficiently cool, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat to soft peaks.
  4. When the chocolate is cool, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.
  5. Add the mousse to a piping bag and twist close. Store in the refrigerator until required.

Raspberry/White Chocolate Mousse – with Agar Agar

INGREDIENTS
WHIPPED CREAM – YIELDS ¾ CUPS OF WHIPPED CREAM
• ½ cup Heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons Confectioners sugar
• ¾ teaspoons Cream of tartar
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
WHITE CHOCOLATE
• ½ cup White chocolate chips
• 1 ½ tablespoons Heavy whipping cream
STRAWBERRY PURÉE
• 225 grams (8 oz) fresh raspberries
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 58 grams (2 oz) powdered sugar
• 200 grams (7oz) white chocolate
• 1-3 Tbsp warm milk
• 250 ml (1 cup + ½ tablespoon) cold heavy cream
• Red food coloring to suit (1-2 drops)
AGAR AGAR
• 1 Tsp Agar Agar
• 1 Tbl cup water

METHOD
PREPARE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. Before beginning with the recipe, place the mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill.
  2. Once the bowl has chilled, add heavy cream and vanilla and beat on low speed until the cream starts to thicken slightly. There will be fewer and larger bubbles.
  3. Add the cream of tartar and powdered sugar and beat with increasingly higher speed until stiff peaks form. Once done, set it in the fridge to chill.

AGAR AGAR MIX

  1. Add 1 teaspoons Agar agar powder to 1 tablespoons lukewarm water
  2. Stir until agar agar is completely dissolved

PREPARING THE RASPBERRY PURÉE

  1. Combine raspberries, lemon juice and confectioners sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup thickens and raspberries are very soft.
  2. Keep stirring occasionally. When the raspberries are very soft and the syrup has thickened, take it off the flame and allow it to cool.
  3. When completely cooled, puree it with an immersion blender. Sieve to remove seeds, add raspberry flavoring and set aside. Measure the syrup – you will require ¾ cup+ 2 Tbl (200 ml) of thick syrup.
  4. Cool to near room temperature.

PREPARING WHITE CHOCOLATE

  1. Heat a pan 1/2 filled with water over low heat. Lower the heat and place the white chocolate bowl over the water when it simmers. Keep stirring the chocolate as it softens and melts.
  2. Add dissolved agar agar and 4-5 Tbl warm milk and mix until the chocolate is thick but runny.

FOR RASPBERRY MOUSSE:

  1. Add half the cooled whipped cream to the cool white chocolate mixture
  2. Add the raspberry purée that was prepared earlier to the whipped cream/white chocolate mixture
  3. Mix gently to not deflate.
  4. Add the rest of the whipped cream to the raspberry -white chocolate.
  5. Add two drops of red food coloring and mix.

Stranger Things in the Upside Down Plum/Lime Cake

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I saw this in Bon Appetite and thought it a strange pairing. As it turns out, it is a fantastic pairing. The sweet/sourness of the lime caramel paired with the sweet, moist, delicate yellow cake is fantastic! Thank you Bon Appetite.

Arranged Plum Wedges
Lime Caramel
Cake Right Outta the Oven
Ready for QC to Test

Plum and Lime Upside-Down Cake

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/plum-and-lime-upside-down-cake-recipe


INGREDIENTS
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour (188 g), plus more for pan
• 4–5 large red plums, cut into ½”-thick wedges (about 1 lb.)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
• 2 Tbsp. finely grated lime zest
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• Vanilla ice cream (for serving; optional)

METHOD

  1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly butter a 9″-diameter cake pan and dust with all-purpose flour; tap out excess. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round. Wrap wet bake even strip around the cake pan to reduce doming.
  2. Arrange 4-5 large red plums, cut into ½”-thick wedges (about 8 oz.), in a circular pattern in pan,starting from center and working outward and overlapping if needed.
  3. Whisk 1 tsp. baking powder, 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl.
  4. Combine 2 Tbsp. finely grated lime zest and 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar in a large bowl and rub together with your fingers until evenly distributed, sugar starts to clump, and mixture is very fragrant. Add ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 large eggs, room
    temperature, one at a time, beating to combine between each addition, then add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and beat 10 seconds. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in dry ingredients,
    scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add ½ cup whole milk, room temperature, and mix just until combined. Set batter aside.
  5. Bring remaining ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp. water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Carefully
    add ¼ cup fresh lime juice, watching out for spatter, and cook undisturbed until liquid is thickened and beginning to turn a deep amber color, 5–7 minutes. Gently stir, remove from heat, and immediately pour lime caramel evenly over plums in pan. Scrape reserved batter over and smooth surface if needed.
  6. Spoon cake batter in large portions over all the plum layer and spread with an offset spatula.
  7. Bake cake until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan.
  8. Run an offset spatula along edges of cooled cake to loosen. Set a platter upside down over pan and flip over to release cake. Carefully remove pan and peel away parchment paper; discard.
    Serve warm or room temperature, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream if desired.