Pumpkin Pumpkin-Spice Cake

When my roommate and I decided 6 months ago we were going to have a Halloween party, I knew what I wanted to make: a pumpkin cake in the shape of a pumpkin. I'd seen it done before, using two bundt cakes set end-to-end. I had a vision, and I was intent on carrying it out.

I'm very picky about my cakes, and only wanted to make something that would be dense and moist (perfect for a bundt cake recipe anyway). I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and knew it would be perfect when I saw that it called for instant pudding mix (adding that to a cake recipe is a guarantee that it will bake into bites of pure bliss). I modified it slightly, and my version is below:

Ingredients (for one cake - if you want to make it into a pumpkin shape afterward, you should make two cakes so they can be stacked):

• 1 (18.25 oz) box spice cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
  
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium for 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

The original recipe suggests using whipped cream with it, but I think cream cheese and/or cream cheese frosting would be phenomenal. I didn't use any frosting, but rather melted orange candy melts, and used a piping bag to pipe the design onto the cake. No matter what you put on top of it, it's sure to be delicious. Enjoy!

S'Mores Macaroons - Feet Fail

Well, they didn't turn out perfectly... but I know what I did wrong! So, I'm going to tell you now: when it says to "fold-in" the egg-whites, don't stir too much! (Yes, it says this in the recipe, but I kept wanting to add more cocoa, in an attempt to make the cookies chocolate-colored, which didn't work anyway, so I kept adding and stirring it in, adding and stirring it in...)Anyway, if you can actually follow directions, you will come out with beautiful s'mores macaroons WITH feet.

I may eventually try doing these again, as they are so simple to whip up, but there are way too many other things on my to-bake list to do it right now.


Without further ado, here's the recipe:
The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Preparation time: Not taking into account the amount of time it takes for you to bring your egg whites to room temperature, the whole baking process, including making the batter, piping and baking will probably take you about an hour to an hour and a half. How long it takes to make your filling is dependent on what you choose to make.

Actual baking time: 12 minutes total, plus a few minutes to get your oven from 200°F to 375°F.

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

**A couple of notes before starting. I used 2 egg whites, so then figured 2/5 of the other ingredients (making it 9/10 C confectioners' sugar, 4/5 C almond flour, and 4/5 T sugar). It's best to leave the egg-whites on the counter for 3 days, so they can come to room-temperature and lose some of their "water-weight." I was skeptical about leaving eggs unrefrigerated, but as long as you're sure no yolk is mixed in (which is important for when you're beating the whites anyway), then they'll be fine. If it's really hot where you are, then you may want to do this in the refrigerator, but as long as the egg whites have NO SMELL to them, you're good to go. Just put them in a cup or jar with a paper towel rubber banded around the top and let 'em sit.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.

Sifted sugar and almond flour.

2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

Stiff egg-whites

3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.

This was where I failed. As the directions say: be gentle. Don't over-stir!!!

4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).

Pretty easy to pipe equal-sized ones. But you can do the circles drawn on the opposite side of parchment-paper trick if you find it easier.

6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami's note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons.

Additional Information:

David Lebovitz breaks it down: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/09/making_french_macarons.htm... More macaroon 411: http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/10/introduction-to-french-macarons.html Get inspired by our own Tartlette!: http://www.mytartelette.com/search/label/macarons Go behind the scenes of Paulette: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXIvX0-CEu0 Watch a pro pipe macaroons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_RfiFoWZKQ&feature=related

Halloween Oreo Truffles

I've made the Oreo Truffles from Bakerella's blog several times, and always, always get rave reviews. So, when I wanted to take something sweet to my old office-place, these were the obvious choice! Delicious, easy - what could be better? I've decorated them as Mickey Mouses (using mini-Oreos for the ears), and at Christmas last year I shaped them into reindeer heads (using broken square pretzel pieces as the antlers, and a dab of red icing for the nose). So, they can be themed to pretty much any holiday. This time - Halloween.

Ingredients:

• 1 package Oreo cookies (don't get double-stuffed, but any flavor variation is fine)

• 1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened

• Chocolate bark or candy melts (for this version, use 1 package candy melts and about 1 cup chocolate chips for drizzling on top)

Use a blender or food processor to crush the Oreos into a fine powder. Stir in the cream cheese (I usually start with a spoon and end up using my hands). Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or stick in the freezer for 5-10.

When the "dough" is chilled, roll into 1" balls. Heat the candy melts and roll the balls til covered. Place the balls back on wax paper and put in fridge again.

Melt the chocolate chips, and put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag. Snip the corner, and drizzle over the orange candy covering.

Ta-da! Deliciousness, in Halloween form :)

Dubious Dobos Torte

It's not really the torte that's dubious, but my interpretation of it surely is. Despite being in China for half the month, I was determined to finish this challenge, even conceding to the fact that I would have to post it late. I've never had a Dobos Torte before, so I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like, but I feel like I must have done something wrong: the texture of the cake would best be described as a combination of dry and gummy (don't even ask me how that's possible). Nevertheless, here are the results of my stubborness: The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. Here's some background the hosts give on Dobos Tortes: The Dobos Torta is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. (You may come across recipes which have anywhere between six and 12 layers of cake; there are numerous family variations!) It was invented in 1885 by József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker, and it rapidly became famous throughout Europe for both its extraordinary taste and its keeping properties. The recipe was a secret until Dobos retired in 1906 and gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, providing that every member of the chamber can use it freely.
Equipment

• 2 baking sheets
• 9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
• mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
• a sieve
• a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
• a small saucepan
• a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
• metal offset spatula
• sharp knife
• a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
• piping bag and tip, optional

Prep times

• Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
• Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
• Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
• Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Sponge cake layers

• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
• pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
• 4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping

• 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
• 12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
• 8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches

• a 7” cardboard round
• 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
• ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

This looks quite intimidating, but it goes much faster than it looks. Still, I'm not one to testify to the simplicity of this recipe, as I have already told you my results were less than stellar. But perhaps you can learn from my pictures and process below:

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

Pale, thickened egg whites + sugar.

3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit.

Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

Directions for the sponge layers:

NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).

2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)

Look closely, and you can make out the pencil line on the back of the baking paper. Use butter or oil (spot on the left) to help hold it in place on your baking sheet.

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

Actually, I beat the egg whites first (below), because then the beaters were already clean and I didn't need to clean them before beating the yolks. You can see the "ribbon" of batter here.

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks.

Looks more like an owl than "peaks," but I promise it was a shiny owl.

Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

You may be able to make out the streaks of white still in the batter.

5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet.

I had a REALLY hard time spreading the batter evenly. I think an offset spatula would help a lot with this, but it didn't seem to affect it too much when I stacked the layers.

Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned.

Mine baked in about 3 minutes. Definitely have to watch these!

While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Directions for the caramel topping:

1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.

Assembling the Dobos

1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavor.

Mallowpuffs: Marshmallows covered in chocolate, aka little clouds of joy

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I noticed that one of you guessed it: those vegetarian marshmallows from the last post had another purpose (aside from me eating them without shame straight from the pan every time I opened the fridge). They were for the July Daring Baker's Challenge: Mallowpuffs! Or, at least that's what they're apparently called in Australia. In the recipe, they're just referred to as Mallows. But I like the addition of "puff" at the end: it brings to mind images of little clouds of joy - just tiny little bites of fluffy goodness. And that's exactly what they are.

My pictures and process follow the recipe:

Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows (link to my post on vegetarian marshmallows)
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil (I used clarified butter)

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

I have no mixer, much less a paddle attachment. But a wooden spoon worked just fine.

This is the "sandy" texture.

This is what it looks like when "combined." If you don't have time to leave it in the fridge, just stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

I didn't have a cookie cutter, so I just used a POM glass. Basically,
anything that's round and the size you want is fair game.

Mmm... fresh from the oven! On their own, these are lightly sweet and a little biscuit-like.
They'd be great with jam and tea. (Which is good, because it made about twice as many cookies as I needed! Halving the dough recipe would work just fine.)

If you made or bought vegetarian marshmallows, I'd recommend letting the marshmallows sit in the freezer for awhile before assembling. They're a little more gooey and sticky than regular marshmallows, and (at least on my first attempt at making them) seemed to "melt" and loose their shape a little if they sat out too long. That said, freezing them does not hurt or change their texture at all, which makes me think freezing the cookies would work pretty well, too. Unfortunately, I didn't test that because they all got eaten before I had the chance...

As for the chocolate glaze, I read that clarified butter is cheaper than cocoa butter, but makes the chocolate coating taste better than using vegetable oil. I tried it, and it certainly tasted good, but I don't think it really hardened all that well (if you picked a cookie up, the chocolate under your fingers melted - delicious to lick off your fingers, but not as classy-looking if you have company over). So, if any of you try other things (or if clarified butter worked for you), I'd love to hear!

Hope everyone enjoys their Mallowpuffs!

Homemade Vegetarian Marshmallows: A Joyous Discovery

I've been a vegetarian since I was about 7 years old. It was my own decision - once I realized where meat came from, I slowly phased it out. McDonald's hamburgers were the last thing to go (hey, I was 7, after all), but my Dad said they didn't count as real meat anyway. :)

I have never missed meat or been the least bit tempted to return to the life of a carnivore. But when I found out marshmallows had gelatin in them, I had to seriously rethink my values. Marshmallows: fluffy little white bites of joy. Fresh from the bag, stale Easter peeps, roasted over a campfire 'til the outside is papery and charred and the innards are gooey and melted... no matter what form they take, I absolutely adore them. But, agonizing as it was, I stuck to my guns and abandoned my marshmallow-eating ways. And immediately started looking for substitutes.

I'll save you the odyssey-version and give you the novel-length adaptation: essentially there are currently two companies that I know of from which you can order vegetarian marshmallows online. Sweet and Sarah, and Dandies, both of which you can order from Vegan Essentials. But, these are fairly expensive. And besides, aspiring-cook that I am, I was infatuated with the idea of making my own marshmallows after seeing so many other food bloggers posting pictures of their successes online.

After searching for years and pouring through forum after forum (some people said using agar agar worked, others swore they tried it and it didn't... others suggested Kojel, while even more people advised against that), I struck gold. Pie of the Tiger, who shares my marshmallow obsession, posted a trial of a recipe her husband found in Texture: A Hydrocolloid Recipe Collection. I was thrilled! As I write this, there is a pan of marshmallow-goodness setting in the fridge. With any luck, by the time I get to the end of this post, I will be devouring them...

While I wait, practically giddy with anticipation, I'll share the process notes and photos:

Homemade Vegetarian Marshmallow Recipe

Ingredients
60 mL water (approximately 1/4 C)
"pinch" of cream of tartar (I used 1/8 tsp)
255 g sugar, granulated (1 1/4 C)
255 g light corn syrup (4/5 C, or about 6.63 oz)
1/2 vanilla bean (I used 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
85 g egg whites (I used 3 egg whites)
5 g xanthan (0.76%) (I used about 3/4 tsp)

It said to grind the xanthan with a tablespoon of the sugar. The xanthan gum I got looked like it was already ground, but I ground it with the sugar using a mortar and pestal anyway, just to be safe. Set this aside.


Using a saucepan or other pan with a heavy bottom so the sugar doesn't burn, heat the water, cream of tartar, remaining sugar, corn syrup and vanilla to 120º C (or 248º F). This is just barely "hard ball" stage, so I aimed for somewhere between "soft ball" and "hard ball," as I don't have a candy thermometer to gauge the exact temperature. Here is a link to more information on hard and soft ball stages if you're unfamiliar with that. Discard the vanilla bean if using one.

Whisk egg whites for about 2 minutes until still soft. (Always make sure when you're whipping egg whites not to let any yolk sneak into the whites - it will keep it from becoming fully fluffy and stiff.)


Continue whipping egg whites at a low speed while slowly adding the syrup mixture. Sprinkle the xanthan mix on top while still whipping. Turn speed up and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes, or until meringue pulls away from the sides (this only took about one minute for me - you can see how it is now the texture of marshmallow fluff: it got really thick, and started climbing its way up the beaters as I was mixing.)



Sprinkle a pan generously with corn starch and pour in the meringue. Sprinkle the top with cornstarch (not sure why, but I did just in case), cover with plastic, and leave to set for 4 hours in the refrigerator.


Now you can cut the marshmallows into any shape you want! You could even add food coloring, or another flavor besides vanilla (mint marshmallows? strawberry? The possibilities are endless!) Just remember to dip the cut sides in cornstarch or sugar, so they don't stick to everything.

And... I just checked... I have marshmallow success in the refrigerator! So, I will leave you to your baking, and I'll just be, uh... "sampling" my marshmallows here. I'll post finished pictures of the cut ones soon (if there are any left :)

The Queen of Tarts (I am not)

"The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England."

This Daring Baker's Challenge, Bakewell Tarts... er... Pudding, turned out okay, but I already have my list of things I plan to do differently next time. (But luckily for you, this is a list of things you can do differently your first time!

I vaguely knew what a tart was, but had no idea what a Bakewell Tart was like, or why it might ever be called a pudding. To sum it up, it seems there is a rather heated debate over the proper name for desserts like these, but traditionally the dessert course in Britain (where this sweet is from) is referred to as a "pudding," no matter what consistency it has. If you find this discussion and history of tarts and/or puddings has riveted you to your seat, you can find more on the history of the Bakewell Tart here.

What I did know was that it called for jam, and I've been eyeing several types of exotic-sounding jam in the local grocery store for months now, wishing I had an excuse to buy a jar or two. Although I was really curious about the Rose Petal Jam, something about the Black Currant Preserves seemed appropriately prim and proper for a British dessert - like something that might be served at high tea with a scone. Besides, I knew the darker color would look better with the otherwise un-colored tart. (But I'll be back for you Rose Petal Jam - just you wait!)

Onto the recipe:

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Notes from the hosts of the challenge:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Notes from the hosts of the challenge:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds (Whole Foods carries Almond Meal / Flour)
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Notes from the hosts of the challenge:
• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

Here are some pictures from the process, as well as a few helpful hints:

I used this kitchen calculator to help me with conversions. I wanted to make tartlettes rather than one big tart, but didn't have tiny tart pans, so I just used a muffin tin and it seemed to work just fine. This recipe yielded 11 tiny tartlettes, and enough Frangipane left over to fill an entire muffin cup with it.

I'd recommend making the pastry dough first, then doing the Frangipane while it's chilling.

Butter mixed into the sugar/flour mixture for the pastry crust, and resembling "breadcrumbs," if I do say so myself.


Dough with the egg/almond mixture stirred in. I only added 1 tsp of water, as it was already coming together quite easily.


The beginnings of the Frangipane mix. I creamed the butter and powdered sugar together by hand, as the hand-mixer just made it into a crumb-looking texture.


I did whip out the mixer after that, though. Here's a close-up of how it threatens to curdle when the eggs are added to the mix.


Frangipane, ready to go. This is after the almond meal and flour have been blended in.


I heard that freezing the dough is enough to keep the tarts from going soggy if you make tartlettes like I did instead of one large tart. But, just to be on the safe side, I went ahead and "blind-baked" them first, using wax paper and rice to weigh it down. I just put them in for 5 minutes with the wax paper and rice, then another 3 after taking the wax paper and rice out (shorter time since they're so tiny).

Here's a quick how-to on blind-baking.


Already layered with jam and frangipane. I filled them right to the top with the frangipane, and though it does raise slightly while baking, it goes back down when it cools, so don't worry about spillage. But, filling to the top may throw the ratio of layers off, which I'll explain in the next section...

I baked the tartlettes for only 18 minutes, since they're small, and I wouldn't leave them in a minute longer! As far as my comment at the first, about things I would change, I think the main thing I would do differently is make a double batch of pastry dough and use less Frangipane. The ratio of crust:preserves:frangipane was a little off for my tastes - I could barely taste the wonderfully shortbread-like pastry, while the frangipane was heaped on because I had so much of it. It might have worked out differently if I had made one large tart rather than tartlettes, but no matter which size I made next time, I would be careful to keep the layers somewhat equivalent in thickness. The double-batch of dough would also give me enough to actually get it all the way up the muffin cups, instead of halfway up the sides like it was this time.

All-in-all, I'd say it was a success. But, I'm definitely no Queen of Tarts.