Lemon in the limelight: taking a break from chocolate. I’m continually surprised at the number of folks here at King Arthur Flour who DON’T immediately reach for the “chocolate-whatever” when we’re serving treats. I mean, chocolate is so ever-present, so in-your-face. Every restaurant menu has an assortment of chocolate desserts, one of which will inevitably be prefaced by “decadent.” And then there’s the whole sub-set of brownies. Still, there are those who actually prefer a good peanut butter cookie or Snickerdoodle to a chocolate chipper. I recently made a birthday cake for my 88-year-old mother-in-law. Surprise! And the cake verdict? With Christmas just around the corner, I’ll be making this cake again in a couple of days. Thanks to Maida Heatter, doyenne of cakes (and desserts in general), for this recipe. This recipe is simple as simple can be. Beat till smooth… …then beat till fluffy. Add 4 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Here it is, rising nicely. Put another rack on top… …and flip it right-side-up. Like this.
Japanese Cheesecake There are cakes which look absolutely stunning and gorgeous on the outside, but when it comes to the taste, it disappoints, and you just wished that it tasted as good as it looks. I've had a lot of those experiences, and in fact, I think I've made a few of cakes like that myself! What I love about a good Japanese cheesecake is that while in appearance it resembles a humble (and perhaps, plain or boring?) sponge cake, but the minute you put it into your mouth, you want to close your eyes and go 'hmmmmmmmmmmmmm'. We all go through phases, don't we?! Right out of the oven...hmmmmm. Japanese Cheesecake Recipe from The Cookbook Chronicles300g cream cheese 45g unsalted butter 57g egg yolk (this equals to 3 yolks)20g sugar11g cornstarch150g milk95g egg white (3 egg whites)55g sugarUse an 18 cm (7 in) cake pan with a fixed bottomCut a strip of parchment that is 3 cm higher than the height of the cake pan. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, melt the butter over a double boiler.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway. I was bored (read: hungry, ravenous, craving sugar) yesterday and I had a bunch of strawberries in my fridge. I also had a laundry room filled with dirty laundry, a sink full of breakfast dishes, and a major ax to grind. So I decided to bake. It’s what I do when I have an ax to grind. I came *this close* to making strawberry shortcake—I had plenty of heavy cream in my fridge as well, which I could easily have sweetened, whipped, and plopped over the top of sweet biscuits and syrupy strawberries. But yesterday, I wanted to be different. So I created something else. The Cast of Characters (for the cake): Unsalted Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Sour Cream, Vanilla, Baking Soda, Flour, Salt, and Cornstarch. For the icing/topping: Fresh Strawberries, Unsalted Butter, Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar, and Vanilla. Throw the butter and sugar into the mixing bowl. Never mind.
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream (Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free) A quick discussion of wellness and health, with photos of a luxurious chocolate cake recipe – maybe not a combination you’re used to, but stay with me! It’s important to remember that wellness and health is more than just eating well. Keeping stress at a minimum, exercising, and reducing pollutants in your home all help keep the body well. I’ve personally worked on this for the last few years. So here’s a reminder to listen to your body and what it needs. I love to bake as a way to unwind. It’s rich, moist and very hard to tell that it’s grain free. Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream (Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free) Is butter "Paleo?" Ingredients For the cake batter: For the buttercream: 4 large eggs 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extractpinch of sea salt 1 pound unsalted butter, softened, each stick cut into tablespoons 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips) Instructions For the Frosting: To assemble: Related posts:
Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe « Knopf Doubleday - Cooking Last week, Jess attempted one of Julia Child’s signature dishes: boeuf bourguignon. In case you’d like to follow in her footsteps, we are a sharing a PDF of the recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Click on the thumbnail for the complete recipe. Edit: A reader pointed out that the above bourguignon recipe relies on auxiliary recipes for sautéed mushrooms and brown-braised onions. You may download PDFs of these recipes below. Another edit: A reader asked for the “list of cuts” to which the boeuf bourguignon recipe refers. The better the meat, the better the stew. First choice: Rump Pot Roast—Pointe de Culotte, or Aiguillette de Rumstek Other choices: Chuck Pot Roast—Paleron, or Macreuse à Pot-au-feu Sirloin Tip—Tranche Grasse Top Round—Tende de Tranche Bottom Round—Gîte à la Noix
Zebra Cake | The Whimsical Cupcake Animal prints is something I never really got behind. It was something that I only saw on 75 year old blue-haired ladies that are way cooler than me or on kids who looked like walking cheetahs. Not really the look I go for. Lately everywhere I look, there’s something with some form of animal print on it and I find myself liking it. I’m not sure what kind of demographic I reach out there in internet land, animal print lovers or haters, but I’m sure your love or hatred won’t apply to this cake. I said it. This is a simple cake needs no pillowy frostings, no fancy ganaches, and no whippy creams. Zebra CakeAdapted from King Arthur Flour Yields one 9″ or 8″ round cake Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%) 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons Double Dutched Dark Cocoa Directions: 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. 5) Now for the stripes. Like this:
Earl Grey Tea Cookies, Take Two « I'll Have What She's Having First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who left a comment on my last post. My family has gone through a tough time lately, and although I’d prefer not to get into the details here, the virtual hugs are very much appreciated. Secondly, I’d like to apologize to all my subscribers and followers for hitting “publish” instead of “preview” earlier today. This was the second time I’ve made that mistake, and I’m hoping I’ll never do it again. I hope having a broken link in your reader wasn’t too much of an annoyance. Now onto the cookies. The cookies were perfectly crisp and very lightly flavoured with Earl Grey. Earl Grey Tea Cookies Makes about 60 cookies 2 cups all purpose flour2 tbsp finely ground tea (tea can be ground in a spice grinder or mini food processor, use the best quality you can afford as cheaper teas have less flavour)1/2 tsp salt1 cup unsalted butter, softened1/2 cup powdered sugar1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (optional)In a small bowl mix the flour, tea and salt together.
pumpkin chocolate salt caramel cake recipe Recipe: pumpkin cake with chocolate ganache and salted caramel cream cheese frosting Last Friday, I cleared everything off the calendar to spend the day with my good friend, Kat. We don’t get to see one another very often, but when we do, it’s always special. Special, not because we have a lot in common (which we do and we don’t), but because we cherish many of the same things in life. And when I say things, I mean non-things like time, relationships, qualities, experiences, moments. obligatory shoe shot at ya ya farm & orchard two very sweet donkeys and there was lunch at pizzeria locale nom nom pizzas It was a lovely start to the weekend, which was spent mostly working rather than going out to a number of social events. kaweah under freshly laundered dog towels just out of the dryer Jeremy trimmed dead and mistletoe-infested branches around the property while I dragged them away to the slash pile. I guess I too am feeling recharged and energized. butter and flour the pans cooling cakes
Sunday Dinner Carrot Roulades with Goat Cheese and Radishes served with a white wine pan sauce Green Salad with Bacon and Croutons Darkest Chocolate Crêpe Cake served with a strawberry coulis This Sunday marks the last day of summer vacation and the first school night of the school year-- a bittersweet feeling for all. It has been quite some time since I made this cake. When I make the crêpes, I seem to come out with more than originally called for (thirty-nine to be exact). Good Sunday comfort food with a decadent dessert and nothing but crêpe expectations for the coming school year! Printable RecipeDarkest Chocolate Crêpe Cake serves 14-16 For the Crêpes makes about 30-40 crepes (I get 39) For the Filling makes about 8 cups 2/3 cup heavy cream 6 extra large egg whites 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces and softened 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon Frangelico (optional) 1/3 cup Nutella Pinch of kosher salt
Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake I totally made up the name of this dessert. I was going to just call it “Pumpkin Cheesecake”, because that’s pretty much what it is. But it’s also Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake, for important reasons you’ll understand shortly. Then again, it contains gingersnaps—hence the inclusion of “Gingersnap” in the name. So “Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake” it is. But wait…there are also pecans in it, too. Never mind. And now, we are going to make it. The Cast of Characters: Gingersnaps, pecans, butter, brown sugar, salt, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, heavy cream, and caramel sauce. Hey, before I get started, have you ever wondered what the heck is going on in the periphery of my food shots? Well, here ya go! Grab a food processor if you have one. Throw in about 3/4 pound of storebought gingersnaps. I’m all about precision in the kitchen, let me tell you. Pulse the food processor several times, just to get the crushing process going. Dump in 1/2 cup pecans.