The Cake Slice: Johnny C’s Tres Leches Cake
August 20, 2010 at 4:22 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, the cake slice | 19 Comments
Who is Johnny C? Yeah, I don’t know. What’s a tres leches cake? That I do know! “Tres leches” actually refers to a soaking sauce usually made of condensed, evaporated and regular milks (sometimes coconut milk or cream gets in there, too) that soaks its way into every pore of a spongy cake. As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of fine cakes from around the globe, pastel de tres leches is truly one of my favorites.
This recipe, though…well, it wasn’t a bad one, but an old coworker, who’s from Columbia, gave me the recipe his sister makes for every family gathering, and I think it’s much better. While this cake is made using the creaming method, hers is more of a separated egg sponge, and it really takes in the soaking liquid in a different way. When you put a fork into hers, you see how spongy and it is, and the milk just barely starts to weep out…it turns almost puddingy if you keep it overnight. Johnny C’s absorbed the milk and just trapped it there…it was a little too heavy for my tastes, but I’ll admit it was much improved with a little rum whipped cream (then again, what isn’t?).
I’ll stick to my preferred version of pastel de tres leches (I’ll post it sometime, I promise!), but if you want to give Johnny C’s a go, here’s a printable link to the recipe, or get your hands on a copy of Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. Cruise through the list of The Cake Slice Bakers to check out all of our tres leches cakes this month!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Oatmeal Breakfast Bread
August 17, 2010 at 12:06 am | Posted in breakfast things, groups, muffins/quick breads, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 22 Comments
Thank you, Natalie of Oven Love, for choosing Oatmeal Breakfast Bread for TWD! I have dropped a couple of hints in the past that this is one recipe I’ve been itching to make…not only that, but I’m always happy when someone chooses a brekkie thing, as I kinda feel we ignore this section of the book.
I’m pleased to report that this oatmeal bread was everything I hoped it would be! It’s really soft and nicely spiced, and completely perfect with coffee…you can cut into slices like a bread or bigger chunks like a coffee cake. I used dried apples and pecans in mine, and baked it the night before (who wants to get up at 5am to do it, especially when it keeps so well?). I baked a half recipe, and it took a little less time to cook than Dorie indicated for a full batch. I can’t wait to make it again in cooler weather…a whole recipe next time, for sure!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Oven Love. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
August 10, 2010 at 12:01 am | Posted in groups, ice creams & frozen, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 24 Comments
It’s not often that I crank out straight-up chocolate ice cream, so it took Katrina’s pick of Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream to make me remember how insanely good it really is. After letting it temper a bit, you need nothing but a cone or a spoon to enjoy it in its purest form. But you can also turn it into wicked treats, like sundaes topped with marshie fluff and salty peanuts, or boozy bourbon milkshakes.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Baking and Boys. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Gingered Carrot Cookies
August 3, 2010 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 30 Comments
Natalia of gatti fili e farina chose Gingered Carrot Cookies for TWD— an overlooked recipe whose time I’m glad has come. These cookies are full of tasty bits and are just sweet enough. At first glance, the recipe looks like it might make carrot cake in cookie form. Shredded carrots and coconut, raisins, ginger and pecans…I was certainly surprised to see mine bake up as little hearty, lumpy-bumpy mounds instead. Dorie says these are scone-like, and she’s right (of course she is– it’s her recipe afterall). If I’d thought to scoop out a couple of triple-size ones, I bet they would have made a great breakfast!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read gatti fili e farina. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Double Chocolate Brownie Semifreddo
July 29, 2010 at 3:41 pm | Posted in ice creams & frozen, sweet things | 16 Comments
After my first foray into the world of semifreddo, seems I can’t get enough. I love that I can whip up a creamy frozen treat without having to wait for my ice cream machine’s canister to freeze.
I would never have made this particular recipe if I actually had to bake a batch of brownies to do it, but just so happens I had some in the freezer. (I wouldn’t admit to most people I know that I have a stash of assorted brownies in the freezer, but I bet all of you do, too, so it almost seems normal.) Boy, is this ever rich…like frozen chocolate mousse. A little goes a long way, though, so you don’t have to feel too guilty if you just have a couple small scoops.
Double Chocolate Brownie Semifreddo- makes 8-10 servings
from a recipe in Donna Hay Magazine (Issue 43)
Steph’s Note: Half a recipe freezes nicely in a metal loaf pan.
3 eggs
2 yolks, extra
1 t vanilla extract
1 c (220 g) caster sugar
2 c (500 ml) whipping cream
250 g dark chocolate, melted
350 g chocolate brownies, chopped
-Pre-chill a 2-quart (or 2-litre) capacity metal tin in the freezer.
-Place eggs, extra yolks, vanilla and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and, either by hand or using a hand-held electric mixer, beat for 6-8 mins or until thick and pale. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Fold through the melted chocolate.
-Whisk the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream through the egg mixture until well combined. (Make sure that the egg mixture is approximately room temperature at this stage or it will melt the cream, also if the egg mixture is quite stiff after you’ve added the chocolate, you may need to “loosen” it first with about 1/4 of the whipped cream.) Fold through the brownies.
-Pour into a 2-litre capacity metal tin. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Chewy, Chunky Blondies
July 27, 2010 at 12:09 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 22 Comments
I never make blondies (except for this batch, obviously). I don’t know why…they are like chocolate chip cookies on steroids, and who wouldn’t like that? Nicole of Cookies on Friday picked Chewy, Chunky Blondies for TWD, and they are certainly juiced up with chocolate chips, toffee (or butterscotch) chips, walnuts and coconut.
I love butterscotch, but I hate those fake-tasting chips…I still have toffee bits left in the freezer from the Caramel Crunch Bars (yeah, apparently they last forever), and I was happy to use those instead. With all that’s going on in these blondies, I wanted to tame the sweetness a little, so I cut back just a bit on the sugar and used unsweetend coconut flakes.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Cookies on Friday. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Lots-of-Ways Banana Cake
July 20, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 29 Comments
I think about the two years we spent in Australia everyday, sometimes for bizarre reasons. For example, when I looked at the recipe for this week’s TWD pick, the first thing that popped into my mind was that when we first moved to Sydney, the country was just beginning to recover from a banana shortage. I let my little trip down memory lane steer me in a particular direction while making this cake…it is called “Lots of Ways Banana Cake” afterall, so I didn’t really feel like I was overstepping any bounds by adding macadamias, wattleseed and chocolate to the bananas and coconut already in the mix.
While I could have chosen to go the layered and frosted route with this cake, that wasn’t what I was in the mood for. I just wanted an unfussy snack cake, so I baked half a recipe in an 8″ square pan and left it at that. (It only took 25 minutes to bake, instead of the 45 I was expecting.) It was delicious– soft, and full of things that taste great together!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Kimberly’s post on Only Creative Opportunities. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Cherry Clafoutis
July 14, 2010 at 2:20 pm | Posted in pudding/mousse, sweet things | 18 Comments
I’ve gobbled down so many fresh cherries this summer, my fingertips might be permanently tinged pink. I do want to be sure to squeeze in at least a little baking with them, though, before their short season is over. Clafoutis is an easy place to start (especially if the batter’s whizzed up in a blender), and it’s one of my husbands favorites.
If you’ve never had a clafoutis, it’s a classic French country dessert. You start by pouring a pancake- or crêpe-like batter over whole cherries. The batter soufflés and then settles into something that’s more like a sliceable, semi-firm custard. It’s delicious slightly warm or at room temperature, and a little whipped cream doesn’t hurt, either.
As coincidence would have it, today is Bastille Day– a perfect way to celebrate!
Cherry Clafoutis– makes 6-8 servings
Steph’s Note: Traditionally the cherries for clafoutis are not pitted, but in the interest of keeping my smile intact, I pit mine…the choice is yours. You can also make this with other types of sliced stonefruit, apples, pears or even berries.
1 lb whole dark sweet cherries, pitted or not
4 large eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 c whole milk
1 T kirsch or brandy (optional)
2 t vanilla extract
3/4 c all-purpose flour
Confectioners sugar, for dusting
-Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle. Generously butter a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie pan.
-Place cherries in an even layer over the bottom of the pie pan. If you have pitted your cherries, and they’ve released any juice, pour the juice into a blender. Add eggs to the blender, along with the sugar, salt, milk, kirsch or brandy (if using) and vanilla and blend to combine. Add the flour and blend just until combined.
– Pour batter over the cherries and place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake until puffed and just set in center, about 35-45 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes (it will fall and settle as it cools), then dust with confectioners sugar.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Brrrrr-ownies
July 13, 2010 at 1:12 am | Posted in cookies & bars, sweet things | 26 Comments
I wonder if, when Karen picked Brrrrr-ownies for this week’s TWD, she somehow knew we would have a heatwave on the East Coast, and that I’d want pretty much everything, including my sweets, on the rocks. Turns out chopped up YORK Peppermint Patties are just the thing to give brownies an A/C blast.
I don’t normally go for recipes that have candy added to them, but these were good. Some of the Patties’ white centers stayed in whole chunks, some bubbled up to the surface, and some melted in the insides, giving the brownies a nice gooeyness. (BTW, spray and line your baking pan with parchment.) Kinda crazy-looking though, and I had a mighty hard time getting a decent photo of them.
To get the sensation, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Welcome to our Crazy Blessed Life. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Tarte Noire
July 6, 2010 at 1:01 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 30 Comments
A Tarte Norie is pure and simple, and all about the chocolate, so break out the good stuff! I had a déjà vu moment while making this, and then I realized that it’s the very same thing as the Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart we made awhile back, minus the caramel and nuts. Dark ganache inside a crisp, sweet pastry shell…I was perfectly happy to experience that again!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read bliss: towards a delicious life. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
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