All Things Pastry

Do you?

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:00:15 -0500

Do you follow me? Well do you?

I am moving to www.allthingspastry.com

PLAN A

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:30:00 -0500

GET COFFEE ASAP….check

~~DARING BAKER’S BLOG~~

Learn about this super cool book

I am not a huge fan of this kind of thing but I really love how everything is set up. It is super concise and to the point. It reminds me of my culinary school recipes.

DARING BAKER’S BLOG

Snow on the Farm!

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:08:22 -0500

This week we had a great Winter snow in Philomath. I actually got to work before it all came down but between 5am and 9am we got somewhere between 3 and 5 inches of light, fluffy snow!

It was very surreal frying donuts and checking my pastries in the oven while a blizzard blew into the barn area.

I made all the pastries and then found out the farmstand wasn’t going to be open because of the weather. What to do with all my pastries? Snacks! The farm I work at offers snacks to everyone working, so everyone feasted on croissants, bearclaws, danishes, scones, donuts, and cookies! I also took a plate of treats to my boyfriend and his roommates. It was a perfect morning, sharing delicious buttery treats, and warming up from the snow.

Note: Proofing bread in winter proves to be a slow process…haha, proofing proves.

Cream Cheese Danish

BearClaw!

Poppyseed Nectarine Danish

Lemon Steamed Pudding with Blueberry Compote

The First Winter Farmstand!

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:38:54 -0500

This past week I had my first farmstand and it went wonderfully!

GTF is a farm and restaurant serving their own Organic produce as well as local meats, jams, art, and other miscellany. My part is played in the pastry case displayed at the farmstand.

The week before we opened was a mad rush of making croissant dough, finding a good danish dough recipe, creating a good danish, putting together a complete case.

I had made croissants a couple of times out of school but none had turned out too great. Once the butter bled out pretty bad, the second time made them they lacked any crunch. Making Croissants is going to be a pretty hefty task, the large quantities of dough, soooo much butta’, so much technique, so time sensitive, so much to think about!

I found the M.I.A. pastry binder, peeled apart the sticky pages, and found my way to the croissant “formula”. There’s not much direction for the formula, I have the measurements for Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Salt, Water, Milk, Butter. I know as much as to mix them and save the last portion of butter for the lamination process, and that’s it. So I get to it. I mix the dough and let it rise overnight. This is very easy because the lack of gluten developed in the dough. Because of the laminations, you don’t want any gluten developed in the beginning of the mixing process. Rolling and folding, Rolling and folding, Rolling and folding, and once more Rolling and folding will serve as kneading enough. You knead not knead…harharhar

The next day I started the lamination process. The dough rises slowly but by morning it has filled the bowl up. I learned after the first batch if I don’t get rid of this air the dough will be very fragile by the end. I beat the dough down and split it in half. Each half of dough (detrempe) uses 4 pounds of butter for layering (beurrage).

*The better quality of butter, the better quality of croissants. American butters have a higher percentage of hydration (as opposed to fat) than European butters. The fat is was separates the hundreds of layers of dough. The more hydration you have in the fat, the more likely you will have blended layers.

All this talk of layers: http://www.youtube.com/embed/kZnztwiWZo4 … BUT EVERYONE LOVES CROISSANTS!

So this 4 pound block of fatty cow love, commonly known as butter, but affectionally known as butta’, gets pounded and rolled out into a square about 1/2 inch thick. The parameters are that it should cover 2/3 of 1/2 of the full block of dough while maintaining similar height of the butta’ and the dough…let me illustrate:

This is probably the hardest part, and you can’t compromise…even though my picture has curves, I would really never let that be that scrappy. I like for my butta’ to me crisp and clean.

The 1/3 portion gets folded up and over the butta’ and the right 1/3 gets folded on top. This is now a Patone! If you took a knife to your Patone it would look like this:

BUT really don’t do that, really, it would be a really stupid waste of dough and even more of a waste of butta’. You just have to have faith in the baking gods, and know they will watch over your dear Patone….if you are kind to it.

Right after you complete the fold-in you can immediately roll it out length-wise/hot-dog style, not hamburger style/vertically, whatever your terminology may be, to be about the same length as when you added the butter. Then rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold again in thirds….HAMBURGER STYLE! My favorite style!

Let this new and improved Patone sit for 30 minutes to just CHILL OUT! You have just stretch its’ gluten thin and its gonna start to fight back unless you just let it take a time out in the refrigerator.

While you are waiting make something tasty like cookies, or Frangipane (Marzipan’s BFF).

Then repeat those two pictures and waiting time, 3 more times! Now you know why you never did this before…After the 4th fold you can let it chill out once more and then roll it down to 4mm and shape into whatever shapes your heart desires….

I use this dough for Morning Buns….

BearClaws…OH LAWDY

and Croissants of course.

I also will be adding a Danish to the case:

woo woo woo, I love how these look.

Potato Donuts are a usual here, they are delicious….carbs, sugar, and fried potatoes…

Dear Ana, Please start working out.
- Your Body

The first dinner service

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 14:30:51 -0500

Last night I had my very first dinner service at the farm. I won’t be doing this on a regular basis but I think for the sake of getting acclimated, I got to come help out. First I put together the Amuse Bouche, a trio of bread and something additional. There was focaccia with herbed cheese spread, focaccia with house made pate, and gougeres with salmon mousse.

It was really great to see how the kitchen works for a dinner service. Its alot like making bread, when you hurry up and wait, then hurry up and wait, and hurry up and wait some more.

Then we plated the Delicata Squash Tart, served with Candied Walnuts, Apple, Pepper Honey drizzled and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

Next was the Smoked Prawns over a Jerusalem Artichoke & Israeli Couscous Salad.

Then, House-made Coppa with Capers & Watercress

Next a palate cleanser of Chiogga Beet Sorbet before the main of a Seared Duck Breast with Parsnip Puree & Black Kale.

and lastly the Orange Steamed Pudding with Candied Zest & Caramel Drizzle, and a Orange tuile.

I am learning so much at this place, I am so lucky to have this job.

SUPER SUPER LATE DARING BAKERS

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:47:46 -0500

To be fair though I did complete the challenge very quickly after it was posted….

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

And because I am having such trouble actually posting this, it won’t have as much original content as I would like to have but I will fill in with some of my own pictures.

Equipment required:

Silpat
½ baking sheets or a 13” x 18” jelly roll sheet (rimmed baking sheet)
Mixer (optional)
Bowls
Knives
Offset spatula
Regular spatula
Pastry comb (optional)
Rulers
Spring form pan
Biscuit cutter (or ring mold, or cut PVC pipe, or whatever else you can think of to use as a mold for individual desserts)
Torte/entremets mold/Springform pan/ Trifle dish (for larger desserts)
Cling wrap
Parchment paper
Gel, paste or liquid food coloring (optional)

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners’ (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

*Note: How to make cake flour: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/

Directions:

In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
Fold in melted butter.
Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners’ (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
Fold in sifted flour.
Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one

I ended up buying an elephant scrapbooking punch out and making an elephant border

3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.

4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.

6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.

7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Preparing the mold with a cake ring, cardboard, and acetate:

bottom to top: cardboard, cake ring, Acetate

Filling it up!

Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold. This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.
Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)

4. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.

5. The mold is done, and ready to fill.

I filled mine with a mixed berry mousse, then found I made my jaconde sponge waaaaay too tall, so I made some more mousse with some grapefruits and some tangerine oil, then topped it off with a mixed fruit gelee.

with some of that good ol’ aged egg nog….

Croissants! Coffee Frangipane filled Croissants!

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:21:04 -0500

Croissants! Coffee Frangipane filled Croissants!

I shall be attempting to make croissants today!

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:57:59 -0500

Good Luck!

Sweet 100!

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:20:00 -0500

I got this from Cakespy, can’t wait to complete it! I am going to make them though, not just eat them!
1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you’ve ~~eaten~~ [made]
3) Cross out any of them that you’d never ever [make].
4) Consider anything that is not bold ~~or crossed out your~~ “To Do” List.
5) Optional: Post a comment here linking to your results—or just post a comment letting us know how many you’ve tried, or what you’re going to try next!
[6) I italicized the ones I want to make again…outside of pastry school.]

Red Velvet Cake
Princess Torte
Whoopie Pie
Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
Beignet
Baklava
Black and White Cookies
Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
Fried Fruit Pie (sometimes called hand pies)
Kringle…http://www.bendtsensbakery.com/
Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
Scone w/Clotted Cream
Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle, Pandowdy…http://baking.about.com/od/piesandfruiteddesserts/a/bettybucklegrun.htm
Halvah
Macarons
Banana Pudding with nilla wafers
Bubble Tea
Dixie Cups…http://www.loti.com/fifties_food/Dixie_Cups.htm
Rice Krispie treats
Alfajores…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfajor
Blondies
Croquembouche
Girl Scout Cookies
Moon Cake…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooncake
Candy Apple
Baked Alaska
Broklyn Egg Cream…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_cream
Nanaimo Bar
Baba au Rhum
King’s Cake
Sachertorte
Pavlova
Tres Leches Cake
Trifle…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifle
Shoofly Pie….http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoofly_pie
Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
Panna Cotta
New York Cheesecake
Napolean
Russian Tea Cake/Mexican Wedding Cake
Anzac Biscuits
Pizzelle
Kolache
Buckeyes
Malasadas
Moon Pie
Dutch Baby
Boston Cream Pie
Homemade chocolate chip cookies
Pralines
Gooey Butter Cake
Rusks
Daifuku
Green tea cake or cookies
Cupcakes ~~from a cupcake shop~~
Creme Brulee
Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake)
Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
Jelly Roll
Pop Tarts
Charlotte Russe
An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
Hummingbird cake
Jell-O from a mold
Black Forest Cake
Mock Apple Pie
Kulfi
Linzer Torte
Churro
Stollen
Angel Food Cake
Mincemeat Pie
Concha
Opera Cake
Sfogliatelle/ Lobster Tail
Pain au Chocolate
A piece of Gingerbread House
Cassata
Cannoli
Rainbow Cookies
Religieuse
Petit Fours
Chocolate Souffle
Bienenstich/Bee Sting Cake
Rugelach
Hamenstachen
Homemade marshmallows
Rigo Janci
Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
Divinity
Cola Cake
Gateau Basque
S’mores
Figgy Pudding
Bananas Foster or other flaming dessert
Joe froggers
Sables
Millionaire’s Shortbread
Animal Crackers
Basbousa

Holiday Baking..whew what a load of carbs

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:20:39 -0500

Holiday Baking..whew what a load of carbs

While aromas of Stollen bread danced in their heads...

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:36:00 -0500

My first Daring Baker’s Challenge was Stollen!

I couldn’t have thought of a better first challenge for me. Right before I signed up for the Daring Baker’s I wrote this blog entry. The blog entry was about the stollen loaf I made a year ago, almost to date from the entry. It seems it is a bread that follows me, (not a bad thing, I love love love Stollen).

So to repeat a little bit…
My Stollen from school last year:

Unfortunately, I was in such a hurry to rush out of there for Thanksgiving break, this is the only picture that I have of my very first Stollen. Actually both times I have made it it has been a ‘challenge’ or assignment, given to me by someone else, haha.

My Daring Baker’s Stollen was a much bigger batch:

First things first though: What the heck is Stollen?

Well, according to the Protection Association for Dresden Christstollen, the ingredients include 405 or 550 (pastry or AP) flour, yeast, whole milk, sugar, fresh butter, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, sultanas, almonds, lemon paste, salt, icing (powdered) sugar, spice and liquor. The protection association also follows a specific scaling with flour at 100%, butter 50%, sultanas 65%, 20% candied lemon and orange peel, and 15% almonds…and one can only be assured of this formula only if the Protection Association for Dresden Christstollen seal is displayed on the packaging. This one…

So it is all very official. I really admire Europe’s seriousness of all things baking, the guilds, protection agencies and whatnot.

But why do we have beautiful delicious Christmas-sy bread?

Because once upon a time, during the Advent season of 1450, Prince Ernst and his brother, Duke Albrecht, applied to the Pope to be allowed to add butter to the bland Stollen Bread (essentially flour, oil, water, and yeast). The Catholic Church at the time had a restriction on all dairy during Advent. Fast forward…41 years later (!), a new Pope issued the Butterbrief or Butter-Letter, allowing the variation for Stollen Bread but only under the stipulation that they pay penance for the change.

Fast forward 519 years later and into my humble apartment kitchen in Corvallis, Oregon when I make it for a second time!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract or orange extract (I used some reduced Orange Juice instead, the oil is so expensive)
135 g. Candied mixed peel (I made my own!)
6 oz. firmly packed golden raisins/sultanas (I used half cranberries as well)
1.5 oz. rum
12 red glacé cherries (roughly chopped) for the color and the taste. (optional, I left them out, yuck!)

240 ml. milk
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

60 ml. lukewarm water (110º F / 43º C)
1/2 oz. active dry yeast

27 oz. all-purpose (plain) flour (I used half bread flour/half AP flour, but I wouldn’t really suggest it, it makes a more bread like Stollen)
4 ½ g. salt
6 g. cinnamon
1 lemon zest and 1 orange zest

1 cup (240 ml) (3 ½ ozs) (100 grams) flaked almonds (I also left these out because of the texture of nuts in bread, I think its why I don’t like fruitcakes)

Melted unsalted butter for coating the wreath
Confectioners’ (icing) (powdered) sugar for dusting wreath

Before I get started I should mention that I doubled the recipe… :/…so much dough. 8 loaves of Stollen! :)

First I made my candied peel:

I used orange, meyer lemon, and lime peel, but in hindsight I would leave out the lime…its still kinda bitter.

First bring a pot of cold water to a boil with the peels in it, strain the water off, fill with water again, boil, strain, and one more time fill with water and strain. If you are using different peels, you should keep different pots for each kind. The colors and flavors can get muddled if its all in the same pot.

Then get a simple syrup going on the stove in a bigger pot (now they can all be combined). A basic simple syrup is equal parts water and granulated sugar). Just bring it to a boil and make sure the sugar has dissolved, pour in all the peels that have been boiled 3 times and simmer for an hour or until the peels are translucent and limp. Drain them and coat them in superfine sugar, powdered sugar also works, then let them dry out overnight in a warm oven and its done, you have delicious candied peel….
p.s. this tastes NOTHING like this junk

ugh GROSS!

Ugh YUM! I can even eat it as a snack its so good!

I also left out the cherries…I hate artificial stuff. Day one DONE!

The next morning I measured out the candied peel, Sultanas, and dried unsweentened cranberries and soaked them in the rum, vanilla, orange [reduction] for a whole day and night…Mmm it smelled so citrusy sweet.

Day Two DONE!

The next day when I got off work I set to it and finally made the dough. First boil the milk and butter to melt the butter. Let it cool to just slightly warm, about 95 degrees. While it is cooling dissolve your yeast in the 60 mL of water.

While those are cooling and dissolving measure out your dry ingredients all together. When the milk and butter are cool enough add the 3 eggs to the mixture which will cool it down more.

Pour the yeast in the flour, then the milk and butter in the flour. Mix with a mixer if you have one, but if not use you hands! Its fun I promise. Then add the fruit mix. Note: if you are using a mixer you can and should add the fruit later to prevent bleeding. Once most of the flour and dry ingredients have been incorporated start kneading on the counter…like this video.

This should take about 10 minutes depending on the size of your whole stollen. Kneading promotes Gluten, Gluten provides structure and holds up the bread. When the dough starts to stretch back when pulled it is done. Penny also mentions that when the fruit starts popping off the dough it is done.

Put in a bowl and cover and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.

and After only one night in the refrigerator:

The next day pull the dough out and let it warm up to room temp for about 2 hours then portion and shape into loafs, wreaths, or whatever else you might have the creative thought for.I did mine in 1# loafs to make for easy baking and gifting.

Then let it double in size in a warm spot of the kitchen for about 2 more hours.

Bake at 350 degrees, for 20 minutes, rotate, and bake for another 20-30 minutes till it is a deep mahogany color. It is done when thumped on the bottom and sounds hollow and has an internal temperature of 190 degrees

While it is still hot melt some butter and literally paint it on thick, cover in powdered sugar. Let it soak up all the sugar it can and dredge it again, and maybe again… it should be a thick blanket of white , like a White Christmas on a Mahogany landscape.

Serve with coffee, tea and close friends.

I had such a blast making this, so happy for my first challenge.

I gave one loaf to my friend Rachel from pastry school, one loaf to my Grandmother, one loaf to my coworker Joni, and one loaf to my coworker Rachel. Then I ate two by myself, then baked one for my family and froze it and saved one to bake later and freeze…all 8 accounted for! :)

YUM Merry Christmas!!!

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book………and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Video

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:17:48 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

happythings: mdfsmash: The Washington Post Peeps Show!! These...

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:02:05 -0500

happythings:

mdfsmash: The Washington Post Peeps Show!! These are amazingly adorable and I bet they stay in tact for YEARS.

Ahhh just got the idea for a gingerbread UP! house…such a good idea, so little time.

Sable Doughs by Annie Yen

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:47:53 -0500

OMG yum.

Rabitos Royale by way of myself

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:14:58 -0500

Well I made them, the pictures were terrible actually the figs looked terrible too, but they did actually taste amazing… I first soaked the figs in brandy and water, then patted them dry. Then made the ganache with dark chocolate and flavored it with good Oregon Brandy…

I’m not really one to buy good liquor, but when I had to buy 3 handles of liquor for the eggnog, I decided to go classy with the brandy…funny, I don’t know who is going to finish this…

Back to the figs…

I filled the figs and then dipped them in the chocolate. Then my 2 roommates and I promptly gobbled them all up….

This post isn’t too exciting because making them wasn’t as successful as I had hoped…Anything with chocolate is much more fun when its good quality chocolate that you didn’t directly pay for…like when you happen to be in pastry school…

Drunken Chocolate filled Brandy Figs

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:42:07 -0500

post soon from this weekend

All the ingredients for aged Eggnog!

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:09:00 -0500

All the ingredients for aged Eggnog!

The terror of Gluten-Free roommates....

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:03:00 -0500

My roommates have both decided to go Gluten-Free…

It started off as just one, then the other joined in support….and now I am making them desserts they can eat?! What has gotten in to me?!

Really though, it is getting fun realizing what I can still make for them to enjoy. Yesterday I made them some Almond Macaroons, which turned out miraculously considering I haven’t even looked at that formula in over a year. Then I had two leftover egg yolks so I made them Egg nog creme brulees…yum. I still cannot get the brulee part with my electrical oven… :( . Nevertheless they were delicious, and I still have one because one roommate doesn’t eat dairy as well. sigh.

Almond Macaroons:
makes ~ 20 single macs

75 g Egg Whites (room temperature so they will whip up easier) SAVE YOLKS FOR EASY CREME BRULEE MEASUREMENTS
15 g granulated sugar

50 g Powdered Sugar

90 g Almond Meal (I really really really dislike Trader Joe’s, BUT they have bags of Almond Meal in there “bulk” (read bagged) section for $3.49, which is a stellar deal!)
100 g Powdered Sugar

First whip the egg whites and granulated sugar to a soft and foamy consistency. Then sift in about half of the 50g of powdered sugar and keep whipping till you get medium peaks. Sift in more sugar, keep whipping to stiff peaks, but before you get to stiff peaks try to add the rest of the 50 g of sugar. This addition of powdered sugar helps stabilize the egg white meringue so that it is strong enough to hold the almond meal and powdered sugar.

Then sift and fold in the almond meal and remaining powdered sugar to the egg white meringue in three additions (just like the first powdered sugar additions, a big first addition, a smaller second addition, and the smallest and last addition). This way the last addition is the easiest to incorporate.

Pipe with a medium sized round tip to quarter-half dollar size rounds. Let them sit for 20 minutes to develop a skin on top. This helps in the break of the smooth top and the foot at the bottom.

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes.

Creme Brulees
Serves three 2 oz. ramekins

2 Egg Yolks
1 oz. Granulated Sugar
1/2 Pint Heavy Cream (This is where I used some leftover Egg Nog)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract (or however much you want really, also use whatever REAL flavors you want. If you want something like orange though, I suggest making an infusion with the cream instead of using Orange flavorings. You will get a much more real flavored dessert)

Scald the heavy cream. While it is heating mix egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. The cream really doesn’t need to be too hot just enough to dissolve the sugar. Slowly pour the cream in the egg yolk mixture, while stirring them together. See how easy that is!?

Now bake in a Bain Marie (a water bath: put your three ramekins in a cake pan and fill the cake pan with warm water to half way up the ramekin sides) at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. This where great Creme Brulees fail and bad ones get worse… Too long and your custard will get a tragic condition called “syneresis”, it means your egg proteins have over coagulated and your creme brulee is sad and not smooth, and trust me you want it to be criminal smooth. Too little time and you will just have a pudding, not enough coagulation. To know for sure if they are done bump the side of one, “If it moves as one, it is done”, but if it ripples bake and forth in straight lines it needs more time. I tried to explain this last night but failed so maybe some pictures.

You want ripples like this:

NOT this:

When it is done chill in the refrigerator until cold, then dust with an even layer of sugar and broil (good luck) until sugar has caramelized, or torch (!). Industrial butane torches like this one

work best in my opinion, and they last longer than wimpy creme brulee torches.

Then chill again till the sugar is hard, but don’t try and chill for a long time because the sugar will only weep and turn into a soft soupy top.

Let the games begin!

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:38:00 -0500

I just got my approval to join the Daring Bakers! I think to start things off on my own, I will try and make some of these guys…