sweet things | a whisk and a spoon

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

March 13, 2011 at 3:53 pm | Posted in bundt cakes, cakes & tortes, simple cakes, sweet things | 9 Comments
Tags: baking, cake, chocolate

I’m not an Irish girl (although with my reddish hair and fair skin, you can’t imagine how often I’m asked), but I’m still up for celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m long done with the overcrowed pub thing though, so this year I’m going to get my booze on with Melissa Clarke’s Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt instead. It is loaded with a whole cup of whiskey, Jameson Irish in this case, and if you like this sort of thing, it is amazingly good. The crumb is tight and not fluffy, but instead of being a dense chocolate cake, the texture is soft as velvet.

If you read through the recipe, you’ll notice that the cake isn’t meant to be frosted. It truly doesn’t need it, but my cake needed it. You see, I decided to ignore the direction to flour my Bundt pan. Usually a good spray is all I need to get a clean release, but when I went to turn this cake out the entire outer layer stuck to the pan. Crappola. I patched back what I could (and ate what I couldn’t!), and then whipped up a quick gancahe to spackle and hide my goof. I think I did a good job with the reconstructive surgery– I can barely tell.

Bottoms up!

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake- makes 10 to 12 servings
adapted from Melissa Clark’s fabulous book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon, rye or other whiskey, more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional)

-Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325° F. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.

-Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.

-Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

-On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).

-Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Pots de Crème

March 1, 2011 at 12:02 am | Posted in groups, pudding/mousse, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 13 Comments

Pots de Crème are baked custards…like pudding, but with the richness dialed up. Lots of cream and yolks means a little portion can go a long way (although I’m confident I could consume a couple of these babies if I really wanted to). First you make a tempered egg custard… Dorie didn’t mention straining it, but I did because the thought of those little white egg squigglies gives me shivers…and then you stir in ganache. After you portion the mix into your little “pots” you bake them in a covered water bath (Dorie says you can bake it covered with plastic wrap, but I used foil instead because I’m suspicious of hot plastics). Let them chill, and you have quite a luxurious treat. I don’t see why you couldn’t mess around by adding some flavors that play well with chocolate, like a dash vanilla extract, a sprinkle of espresso powder or a wee bit of booze.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Black Cat Cooking, as Christine picked it this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

Olive Oil Citrus Cake

February 19, 2011 at 10:49 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, simple cakes, sweet things | 14 Comments
Tags: baking, cake, dessert

We’ve had a long, cold winter here, but for two days this week we got a little peek of spring. The temperature has gone back downtown, but two days of melting snow and no jackets required has left me feeling less weighed down and in the mood for something fresh and light. I have heaps of citrus in the fridge right now, and have had my eye on this Olive Oil Citrus Cake from a sweet little book called Rustic Fruit Desserts for a while. It is bright and sunny in flavor (kind of reminded me of Fruit Loops!) and moist and springy in texture. It puts me in the mood for more things citrus.

The recipe calls for a whole cup of fruity extra virgin olive oil, so I broke out my special bottle. To be a little more thrifty in terms of both dollars and calories, next time I may experiment with 2/3 cup of oil and 1/3 cup of low-fat yogurt. Sounds like it would work here, no? The recipe calls for grapefruit, lemon and orange zests, but these can definitely be switched up. I didn’t have a grapefruit on hand, so I subbed lime zest in the cake and orange juice in the glaze. I’m sure this cake would be excellent even made with only lemon or orange.

Olive Oil Citrus Cake– makes a 9-inch cake
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Steph’s Note: Use a fruity olive oil here rather than a peppery one. Feel free to mix up the citrus, depending on what you have at home.

1 1/4 c unsifted (5 oz) cake flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t fine sea salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 T plus 3/4 c (5 1/4 oz) granulated sugar
zest of 1 grapefruit
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t lemon oil (optional)
1 c extra-virgin olive oil

¾ c powdered sugar
2 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

-Preheat the oven to 350° F. Using a paper towel, coat a 9-inch by 2-inch round baking pan with olive oil (I also lined mine with a parchment round), then sprinkle it with about 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

-To make the cake, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together twice. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and zests on high speed for 5 minutes, until the eggs are thickened and lighter in color. Add the vanilla and lemon oil. Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed and drizzle the olive oil into the batter, pouring slowly along the edge of the bowl. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden and domed slightly in the center. Cool to room temperature.

-To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the grapefruit juice, and whisk to combine. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.

-Wrapped in plastic wrap, this cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

February 15, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 24 Comments

I love chocolate. I love oatmeal. Naturally I’d been hoping that we’d get to make these Chocolate Oatmeal Drops sooner rather than later. Yet, when their turn rolled around, I wasn’t at first convinced. They seemed a little dry to me…like maybe the oats had robbed the cookies of some of their moisture. I almost never bake off a whole batch of cookies at once though, so into the freezer went a slew of scooped out raw dough drops.

I pulled a handful of scoops out a few days later and baked them off, shortcutting the recommended time by just a minute or so. They were not at all raw inside, but soft and really chocolatey, just the way I’d hoped they would be. So, now I am convinced: chocolate + oatmeal = tasty cookies.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Bake With Us, as Caroline and Claire picked it this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Bourbon Bread Pudding

February 8, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in groups, pudding/mousse, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 20 Comments
Tags: baking, dessert, pudding

My husband has been out of town for the last few days at a work conference. This was the first time in many years that I have not had to endure the Super Bowl (although apparently I missed a good rendition of the anthem). I spent Sunday night with four hours of “Emma” on Masterpiece Theater instead (dorky, but so good!) and this big fat slice of Bourbon Bread Pudding. Hellooooo alone time!

Dorie has taught me how to make bread pudding at home. You need lots of the good stuff (cream and egg yolks) for it to come out lush and soft. Now, here’s where I admit to you that I did cut back on the cream by a third (and upped the milk by a third in its place)…but not to worry, there was still plenty of cream and yolks in there. And I used challah bread, which is pretty rich in itself. You can see that I added almonds and dried cherries to mine. You can’t see that I quadrupled the bourbon, but trust me on that. My custard base tasted like eggnog! This was a mighty fine bread pudding, not to mention a most amiable television companion.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Simply Southern, as it was Sharon’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

Spiced Yogurt Waffles with Toasted Pecan Maple Syrup

January 28, 2011 at 6:19 pm | Posted in breakfast things, pancakes/waffles, sweet things | 25 Comments
Tags: breakfast, waffles

Since we moved back to Brooklyn, I’ve been going out for a lot of Sunday brunches with my BFF, who handily lives about a twenty minute walk away. I like having breakfast made for me, and a spicy bloody Mary in my hand while I catch up with a friend. But, truth be told, most of what I shell out hard-earned $$ for at brunch, I could make just as well (and sometimes better) at home. When it’s too cold out and the snowbanks are too high to scramble over, I do just that.

I don’t take my waffle maker out of its box very often (in fact, the last time I did, it was to make these apple ones), but sometimes the urge strikes to switch things up from eggs or pancakes. I always have yogurt in the fridge, so I wanted to give this recipe a try. The warm spices and pecans also sounded pretty good to me on a chilly morning. I read that some folks thought they didn’t turn out crispy enough, so I gave mine a few extra seconds in the iron to make sure that wasn’t an issue. Bring on the maple syrup, and I think I just may keep the waffle maker out for another week!!

Spiced Yogurt Waffles with Toasted-Pecan Maple Syrup– makes about 10 waffles
adapted from Fine Cooking, Issue 108

Steph’s Note: The number of waffles you get will depend upon the size of your maker. This recipe halves well, but I like to wrap up extra waffles individually and freeze them. They can then be re-heated and crisped-up in the toaster or oven.

9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 cups plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs. vegetable oil; more for the waffle iron
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

-Heat the oven to 200°F and heat a waffle iron, preferably a Belgian waffle iron. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, egg yolks, vegetable oil, and vanilla.

-In a medium bowl, with a wire whisk or electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks.

-With a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until just combined (the batter should be a little lumpy). Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just incorporated.

-Brush the waffle iron with a little vegetable oil. Working in batches, cook the batter in the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions until crisp and golden. Set the waffles directly on the oven rack to keep warm. Do not stack them.

-Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, warm the maple syrup over medium heat. Stir in the pecans and keep warm.

-Serve the waffles with the syrup.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

January 25, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in bundt cakes, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 21 Comments

It’s cold. So cold that I don’t want to go outside. So cold that I just want to stay at home and bake all day. And that’s just how I spent this past Saturday. First up was this Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake. It’s kind of a cross between a pound cake and a coffee cake…a pound cake-type base with a swirls of sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts and chocolate running through. Dorie’s recipe also calls for raisins, but since I don’t normally go for fruit and chocolate combos, I left them out entirely. However, to totally contradict what I just said, I did add the orange zest (actually I used tangerine), and liked the gentle citrus flavor a lot.

A word of warning…making the cake was easy, making the swirl was easy, but combining them was not. I read about sticking, so I was careful not to let the first layer of the sugar-based swirl mix come in contact with the pan. That wasn’t too tricky, but then when I added the second and final layer of swirl, the cake batter was so stiff, I really couldn’t easily work it over the swirl to cover it. Not wanting to bake it with exposed swirlage (because it would fall out when I flipped the cake), I popped the cake in the oven for about three minutes, until the batter just started to soften. Then it was a breeze to get that swirl covered up with batter.

My husband asked for “big pieces” of this cake. We both liked how it had a nice outer crust with soft cake inside. And course cinnamon, nuts and chocolate, too!

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (it’s also here on NPR) or read Cooking for Comfort, as it was Jennifer’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

French Fridays with Dorie: Michel Rostang’s Double Chocolate Mousse Cake

January 21, 2011 at 11:09 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, french fridays w dorie, groups, sweet things | 24 Comments

This is baked chocolate mousse. End of post.

Really, that’s all I think needs to be said. It is dark and silky and my idea of a perfectly elegant chocolate dessert. There are options with this cake, too. You can bake of just part of the mousse as a base, then top it with the remaining mousse and either chill it as-is or bake it again. If you bake it again, you can either eat it warm or pop it in the fridge and eat it cold. Decision tree analysis is not my forte, but in the end I opted for the fully baked variation and enjoyed it chilled (and I think it was a good call). Don’t fret when your cake comes out of the oven puffed and then totally sinks in the middle as it rests. It’s supposed to…and anyway, that dip is the perfect spot to pile on whipped cream!

I think I’ll be making this again for Valentine’s Day. For the recipe, see Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out my fellow francophiles’ posts (and you might want to check out the P&Q section…some folks had problems with mousee seeping while baking, although I did not experience this)!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

January 18, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in breakfast things, groups, muffins/quick breads, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 20 Comments

I made these muffins– oh, wow– more than a year ago, and have been waiting patently for someone, like Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness, to choose them for TWD. Lemons and poppy seeds are one of the classic combos of the muffin world, and for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a cup of coffee and a little lemon cake? In addition to super-cuteness, poppy seeds give a little crunch. Dorie’s recipe has a lemon glaze that is sweet and puckery at the same time…and I was generous with it. I have the world’s biggest jar of poppy seeds (seriously, it’s like PB jar sized!), so I’ll make these again, and when I do, I’m going to try the jam-filled variation.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read A Cup of Sweetness. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines

January 11, 2011 at 12:20 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, cookies & bars, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 26 Comments

Whenever I start a new food job, my new coworkers always seem to ask me where I’m from. I’m going through this phase at my job right now, and sometimes the question makes me scratch my head…like, what was the last place I worked for, or where did I grow up? I’ve come to realize that, more often than not, the person asking has recently moved to NYC from someplace else, and is wondering about my hometown. While I think a lot about the places and people I grew up with, the day I left for college in the early ’90s was the last time I was ever in my childhood home…my parents packed up and moved cross-country a few weeks later. And, apart from the two years I spent in Sydney, I’ve been in New York since 1996. Sometimes I think that I’m more Brooklyn than NoVA now, but I don’t, and wouldn’t ever want to, forget where I’m from.

If you asked a Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleine where it’s from, it would probably tell you, that while it was born in France, it has spent the last couple decades living in Texas. A plate of these guys would likely not make Proust remember anything, but one taste would probably shoot most American grown-ups right back to childhood! Apart from their scalloped shape and cakey texture, they are pretty far removed from their French origins, but with ganache and marshie Fluff, they are instantly recognizable to me. A couple of tips if you want to make these yummies at home: if you nuke your Fluff jar for 5-10 seconds, it will be much easier to get the sticky stuff out of the jar and into a piping bag; also, madeleines stale quickly, so if you like them soft, eat them soon after they’re put together.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (it’s also here on Serious Eats) or read Effort to Deliciousness, as it was Margot’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

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