Grand Marnier Cupcakes

Grand Marnier Cupcakes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line 2 cupcake baking pan (24 cupcakes) with paper baking cups.

Dry Ingredients

2 cups unbleached cake flour (e.g. King Arthur Flour)

1 cup almond meal (e.g. Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup cane sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine all dry ingredients on large bowl.

2. Whisk by hand until thoroughly mixed.

Moist Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup orange liquor, such as Grand Marnier or Contreau

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Whisk together milk and sour cream until well blended.

2. Add beaten eggs and whisk until combined.

3. Add orange liquor and whisk until combined.

4. Add melted butter and whisk until all liquid ingredients are well blended.

Cupcakes right out of the oven

Finish

1. Pour moist ingredients into dry ingredients.

2. Whisk by hand vigorously for about 2 minutes (120-200 whisks).

3. Pour with a large spoon into cupcake molds, filling to about 3/4 full. You should have enough batter for exactly 24 cupcakes.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched.

5. Let cool in baking pans on top of a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of heavy cream

8 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate

1. Heat milk until it starts simmering. Pour into chocolate and let rest until chocolate is melted.

2. Mix until combined and let rest until it cools to room temperature.

3. Whisk by hand until it lightens and is fluffy.

The End Result!

Finish

1. Pipe or frost ganache into cupcake tops.

2. Decorate tops w/ anything you like to make it festive.

2. Enjoy!

Pâte Brisée

Pâte Brisée Recipe

Makes enough for an open-shell 9" tart or at least 24-36 mini muffin-sized tartlets. Double for a double-crust pie or for lattice work on top.

1 1/4 cups flour
4 oz COLD unsalted butter (1 stick), cut in ~8 pieces
1/2 tsp KOSHER salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
1 tsp sugar
1/4-1/3 cup cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Add the cold butter (cut into 1/2" blocks). Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal (the butter chunks are pea size). You can also use a food processor using the pulse feature to get the same effect. Do not overmix! The key here is to keep the butter and flour from blending or you'll end up with doughy, elastic crust.

Add just enough cold water (and no more) and blend quickly with a few strokes using the pastry cutter. The key here is to get the flour mixture to just come together slightly. The dough will seem like it doesn't come together but it will later, trust me!

Turn onto a large piece of plastic wrap, form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 1 hr or more. The colder the dough the easier it is to roll.

Turn onto a floured table and roll out.

Remember to work the dough the LEAST possible; the more you work the dough, the less flaky and more doughy the crust will be! 

Dulce de leche

The dulce de leche people know of in the US is either the pasty Argentinian version or simply caramel with a fancier name, most likely swirled in vanilla ice cream. There is nothing wrong with these, but what I grew up knowing by that name is something totally different. It might have the same ingredients, sugar and milk, but the addition of one key ingredient makes all the difference: rennet.

To make it, simply warm 2 gallons of whole milk (you can also add a few cups of heavy cream) and one rennet pill in a huge pot, very slowly until the cream separates from the water.This process was done at room temperature by my grandmother (which is about 85 degrees and 80% humidity in Puerto Rico, by the way) but I find using the stove a much quicker process. Strain most of the water out (at least half), reserving it just in case it dries out during cooking, add 5 lb bag of sugar, and cook on low medium heat without stirring much until you see what's on the picture. It takes several hours (4-6) to make so get a bottle of wine, a good movie, and relax.

Yet another great brownie recipe

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3-5 oz (~1 cup) chopped walnuts

3-5 oz (~1 cup) chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut a piece of parchment paper (NOT wax) on the bottom of a 9-13" pan (use straight edged aluminum or glass, not those nonstick ones which will burn the brownies).

Melt butter on stove top or microwave. Once melted, remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let it rest off the heat until the chocolate is melted, around 10 minutes. If it doesn't melt, heat on low or microwave at 50% power until it does watching VERY carefully NOT to overcook or the chocolate will burn! Add sugar and vanilla and mix with spatula until blended. Whisk/mix in 4 eggs until thoroughly combined.

Mix dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder) then mix/fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in nuts.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Let cool. To cut, chill in refrigerator overnight or freeze and they will be easier to cut.

Chocolate Chestnut Cake

Ingredients

1/4 dark rum (3 star Ron del Barrilito is a great choice)

1/2 cup simple syrup (recipe follows)

1 8" chocolate genoise cake (recipe follows)

1 recipe chestnut buttercream (

recipe follows)

1 recipe chocolate glaze (

recipe follows

)

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

pinch cream of tartar

Mix in saucepan, bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Chocolate Genoise Cake

4 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (real)

1/2 cup (2 oz) sifted cake flour

1/3 cup ( 1.5 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli's)

4 eggs

2/3 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter and flour an 8-9" straight edged (2" height) cake pan and line with parchment paper (NOT wax paper).

Mix vanilla and butter and keep hot.

Sift flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.

Heat eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl over a water bath whisking constantly with a hand-held whisk until eggs are hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves into the egg. Be careful NOT to cook/scramble the eggs! Immediate transfer the eggs to a mixer and beat at medium=-high speed until eggs double to triple in volume and are cool/room temperature (10 minutes?).

Fold flour mixture into eggs using a large spatula.

Fold hot butter mix.

Bake on prepared pan for ~25 minutes.

Chestnut Buttercream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 pinches cream of tartar

1 large egg

6 oz unsalted butter, room temperature.

1/2 canned sweetened chestnut puree

Cook sugar, water and cream of tartar in saucepan until temperature reaches 242F. Meanwhile, in mixer, beat eggs at medium speed until frothy. When syrup reaches temperature, poor onto eggs while mixer is on. Make sure you poor through the side so you don't hit the beaters to avoid splashing. Continue mixing until the egg mixture has cooled to room temperature and doubled in volume. Add butter in 1-tablespoon lumps while mixing until incorporated and the buttercream looks smooth and spreadable. Mix the chestnut puree.

Chocolate Glaze

Prepare AFTER the cake is assembled and is chilling.

8 oz bittersweet chocolate

6 oz unsalted butter

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Melt on microwave (50% power) 1-3 minutes (one minute batches). Be careful NOT to burn it. Cool until temperature reaches 88-90F.

Assembly

Slice cake horizontally into 3 layers.

Mix simple syrup and rum together.

Place top layer upside down and brush with syrup. Spread 1/2 cup of chestnut buttercream. Brush second layer with syrup and then place, moist side down, on top of the buttercream of the first layer. Bursh dry side with more syrup. Repeat with last layer until you have three moist layers of cake with 2 buttercream layer in between. Make sure the layers are symmetrical and even.

Spread remaining buttercream smoothly over the top and sides of teh cake. Don't worry about crumbs sicne you are going to glaze the cake.

Chill the cake for AT LEAST 1 hour before glazing.

Prepare glaze and glaze cake by slowly and evenly pouring and carefully spreading glaze on top and sides. See the following video for glazing cakes. It is difficult but practice makes perfect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNEScRQePDA

Credit: Alice Medrich

Pecan Tarts/Tartlets

Pâte Brisée Recipe

Makes enough for an open-shell 9" tart or at least 24-36 mini muffin-sized tartlets. Double for a double-crust pie or for lattice work on top.

1 1/4 cups flour
4 oz COLD unsalted butter (1 stick), cut in ~8 pieces
1/2 tsp KOSHER salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
1 tsp sugar
1/4-1/3 cup cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Add the cold butter (cut into 1/2" blocks). Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal (the butter chunks are pea size). You can also use a food processor using the pulse feature to get the same effect. Do not overmix! The key here is to keep the butter and flour from blending or you'll end up with doughy, elastic crust.

Add just enough cold water (and no more) and blend quickly with a few strokes using the pastry cutter. The key here is to get the flour mixture to just come together slightly. The dough will seem like it doesn't come together but it will later, trust me!

Turn onto a large piece of plastic wrap, form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 1 hr or more. The colder the dough the easier it is to roll.

Turn onto a floured table and roll out.

Remember to work the dough the LEAST possible; the more you work the dough, the less flaky and more doughy the crust will be! 

Chocolate FillingAdapted from a recipe from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts Book4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick), cut in ~8 pieces1 cup granulated sugar1 cup light corn syrup4 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup chopped pecans

1. Melt the butter in the microwave (2 minutes @50% power). Add chocolate to the melted butter and let sit for 10-15 minutes undisturbed until chocolate is melted. If the chocolate doesn't completely melt, finish in microwave for 30-60 seconds @50% power.
2. In a medium-size saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Stir in the chocolate-butter mixture until blended. Then whisk in the syrup until well blended. Stir in vanilla and chopped pecans and set aside to cool.

Regular FillingAdapted from Karo Syrup's Classic Pecan Pie Recipe1 cup granulated sugar1 cup light corn syrup3 eggs2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1 teaspoon vanilla1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1. Whisk together sugar, syrup and eggs until well blended.
2. Whisk in melted butter.
3. Whisk in vanilla and chopped pecans.

Finishing

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Roll out pie dough (pâte brisée) onto tart pan, pie plate. If doing mini tartlets, use a mini-muffin pan and use a round cookie cutter (~2-2.5") to cut dough into small round shells you can put in each mini-muffin hole.
3. Fill pie(s)/tart(s) with desired filling to near top and bake for ~60 minutes or until filling is set for regular pie or tart (9-11" diameter). For mini-muffin sized, bake for 18-20 minutes.

Peach Amaretto Tart

I made this tart for myself on fathers day because I was craving pie with vanilla ice cream. Since southern peaches are starting to creep up to the northeast I figure I make a peach tart.

To keep the crust from getting soggy, I baked the crust by itself and cooked the peaches on a 12" frying pan. I then assembled the tart before service after everything is cool.

Make sure to read the recipes before using them and have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go before starting.

To Make the Sweet Tart Crust

1 1/4 cups of all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (cut to 1/4 if using already grated, which is, IMO, not worth using)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup very cold water

Put the flour, salt, sugar, and spices in a Cuisinart food processor and pulse until combined. Cut the butter into tablespoon sizes (into 8 pieces) and add to the flour. Pulse 15-18 times until the mixture resembles very coarse meal (don't overdo it). Whisk the yolk into the water and add through the food processor shoot while pulsing until the dough comes together slightly.

Put the mixture in a gallon sized plastic bag and briefly press together with your hands from the outside. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Remember that you want to work the dough the least possible. The more you work the dough, the less flaky and more doughy it will be. This is because as you knead, you promote the formation of gluten strands. This is why you want to do the opposite when making bread (you WANT to knead your bread dough).

When the dough is cold, roll to 1/8" inch and put in a french tart pan (removable bottom). Put a piece of foil on top and pie weights (or beans) and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 40 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil, pierce the bottom with a fork a few times (to allow bottom steam to come out and not create bubbles) and bake an additional 10-20 minutes until slightly brown. Watch out, don't burn it!

Cool on wire rack and remove from tart pan when cool.

Reference: http://bakingjournal.blogspot.com/2004/08/pte-brise-recipe.html

To Make the Peaches

3 lb ripe but firm peaches (make sure the stem area does not have a green tinge)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Amaretto liqueor (Disaronno)

Peel and slice the peaches into wedges. Mix with sugar and cinnamon and cook on 12" frying pan on medium heat. When peach wedges are soft (but not falling apart), strain from the cooking syrup. Add the Amaretto liqueor and continue cooking the syrup until thickens. This might take 20 more minutes. It might bubble so watch it. Also, you don't want it to cook over 240F or it will burn quickly. You don't need a thermometer, just watch it.

Let the peaches and teh syrup cool to room temperature separately.

To Assemble the Tart

Arrange each peach wedge in whatever fashion you like on the tart and the pour (or brush) some of the syrup on top. You migth have to warm the syrup a little if it is too thick to pour or brush. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream.

Best Brownies

Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated brownie recipe.

1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 oz)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used 100% Unsweetened Guirardelli, black label) (Don't go cheap here, this is the main ingredient!)
2 and 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (NOT the self rising kind)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

9"x13" pan (I used a straight edged aluminum commercial brand)
parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, that melts)

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper 9"x13" and place in bottom of the pan. This will help take the brownies out.
3. Optional: Roast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes if already chopped, 10 minutes if whole.
4. Chop walnuts after they cool off if not chopped already.
   
5. If you have time, melt butter in a medium saucepan on the stove at low heat. Or, carefully, melt butter on microwave. 2-3 minutes at power 50% will probably do. Make sure you chop the butter in small cubes because butter tends to explode in the microwave when heated.
6. Chop chocolate and put in the melted butter. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it is all melted. Mix w/ a spatula. If there are still unmelted chucks, melt on microwave at 30% power using 30 second intervals and mixing in between until all is melted. Do not overheat or the chocolate will burn. It should look nice and smooth and shiny. If it gets gritty you burnt it and it's over.
7. Mix sugar w/ the melted chocolate and butter using a spatula. It will look sort of grainy.
8. Whisk eggs into the mix, one at a time w/ a hand whisk (or even the same spatual will do, it's just harder).
9. Whisk in the vanilla.
10. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture and mix together w/ the spatula until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix.
11. Place mix into prepared pan, leveling w/ spatula.
12. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate mix. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup and lightly press the nuts into the mix, but not too much so that they don't get buried into the mix.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 325F. 25 minutes will yield fudgy brownies, 30 minutes will be more cakey. Over 30 can yield overdone and dry so watch out!
14. Let cool before removing from pan and cutting.
15. Enjoy by themselves or with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

Versatile "sofrito"

In Puerto Rico, we call a pepper/onion/cilantro (or recao) mixture "sofrito" and it is used as a base for almost everything from soups to rice and beans. This one does not use the usual aji dulce pepper. Instead, I opted for cubanelles and spiced it up w/ some chipotle chili powder and cumin.

Spiced Sofrito

1 cubanelle pepper

1 medium yellow onion

6 cloves garlic

bunch fresh cilantro (~1/2 cup, loose, chopped)

1 lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons if using Morton, has double the sodium)

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

Blend all ingredients in the low-chop setting of your blender or process until smooth in your food processor.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

Tortillas/Quesadilla Dip

Mix 1 cup of regular sour cream with 2-3 tablespoons of the sofrito. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours to set. Use for dipping anything from veggies to chips or quesadillas.

Grilled Whole Chicken

Wash and pat dry a whole chicken. Cut through the middle of the sternum bone to split both breasts and flatten the chicken for faster grilling. Season generously with the sofrito through cavities and underneath the skin.

Preheat your grill and grill at 350F for 45-50 minutes (about 25 minutes each side). Start w/ the back side first.

Hazelnut Coffee Brownies

Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated brownie recipe.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 oz)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used 100% Guirardelli, black label)
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup finely ground coffee beans (I used a Starbucks whole bean blend, Pike Place, and ground it myself)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (NOT the self rising kind)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

9"x13" pan (I used a straight edged aluminum commercial brand)
parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, that melts)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper 9"x13" and place in bottom of the pan. This will help take the brownies out.
3. Roast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5 minutes if already chopped, 10 minutes if whole. Chop after they cool off if not chopped already.
   
4. Melt butter on microwave. 2-3 minutes at power 50% will probably do.
5. Chop chocolate and put in the melted butter. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it is all melted. Mix w/ a spatula. If there are still unmelted chucks, melt on microwave at 30% power using 30 second intervals and mixing in between until all is melted. Do not overheat or the chocolate will burn. It should look nice and smooth and shiny.
6. Mix sugar and ground coffee w/ the melted chocolate and butter using a spatula. It will look sort of grainy.
7. Whisk eggs into the mix, one at a time w/ a hand whisk (or even the same spatual will do, it's just harder).
8. Whisk in the vanilla.
9. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture and mix together w/ the spatula until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
10. Place mix into prepared pan, leveling w/ spatula.
11. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate mix. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup and lightly press the nuts into the mix, but not too much so that they don't get buried into the mix.
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 25 will yield very fudgy brownies, 30 will be cakey.

Two Great Holidays, Two Great Biscottis

Holidays are a great time for sharing those recipes cherished by our families. Here are two recipes that are great for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One combines the crunchiness of cornmeal with spiced warm flavors of baked pumpkin pie. The other brightens your holiday morning with tangy sweet cranberries. Enjoy!

Cornmeal-Pumpkin Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups stoneground cornmeal
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped raisins

1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  
• Combine the first 9 ingredients (flour to raisins).
• Stir untilwell blended
• Melt the butter and whisk with pumpkin and vanilla extract.
• Whisk eggs into pumpkin mixture.
• Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.
• Knead dough into 2 loaves, 14-18" long.
• Place, separated, on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Cut loaves into 1/2" slices (biscotti shaped).
• Place slices back in pan and bake again in a 300 degrees F oven for 15 minutes.
  

Cranberry Biscotti

1 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/3 cups stoneground cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dried cranberries, rinsed, drained and then chopped
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

This cake has four basic recipes: the cake, simple syrup, filling and frosting. The recipe uses a European sponge cake called Genoise, which, unlike American sponge cake, contains less sugar and the addition of butter, which gives the cake a crumblier grain for better texture and more moisture. It is also extremely versatile for a light cake as it lends itself to be sliced or cut into shapes without falling apart. The simple syrup, an important ingredient for moistening sponge cakes, adds moisture and sweetness to the cake. The addition of rum and lime to the syrup introduces Daiquiri-like flavors. The filling is a bavarian cream (a cream that uses gelatin for thickening and stabilization) whose flavor, in this case, happens to be strawberry. Finally, the frosting is buttercream made with REAL butter, eggs and sugar. All these put together become a sweet, moist and delicate cake with flavors reminiscent of that famous strawberry daiquiri cocktail.

Once you read this recipe you might think this cake is difficult to make. It really isn't if you follow these four rules of baking:

1. Read the instructions several times before you start. You should be able to recite them. Seriously, read them at least once!
2. Do each part in separate steps over the course of a few days. Believe me, it is impossible to whip this in one day.
3. Put all of your ingredients in front of you before you start doing anything. This means measured and at the right temperature. The French call this mise en place (you might not agree with French politics but you certainly can't argue their mastering of culinary techniques).
4. Do not, I repeat, do not substitute ingredients. There are many reasons for this, from flavor to chemistry, so just don't listen to Betty Crocker when she tells you that margarine is a good substitute for butter. She's full of crock. Worried about the extra calories? Then do like I do: eat a small piece and quickly put the rest away for another time. Then go running.

The recipes for this cake are adapted and/or inspired from many sources. Two standout as my favorites: Alice Medrich's Cocolat (a personal favorite) and Rose Levy's The Cake Bible (a must have just for its arsenal of "building block" recipes and the detailed, scientific explanations behind each).


The Genoise Cake

If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, this cake will be a breeze to make. If not, you are on your own ;).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 9"x2" round cake pans with straight edge (e.g. wilton)

To prepare, cut a piece of parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, it will melt!) using the shape of the pan. Then grease (w/ unsalted butter please) and flour the pan. Finally, place the piece of parchment paper inside, on the bottom (yes, over the floured pan).

6 tablespoons of clarified unsalted butter (I use Land O'Lakes unsalted which is arguably the best supermarket bought butter around here)

To clarify, heat butter at low heat. Once melted the butter will separate. There will be yellowy foam on top and some milk solids on bottom. Skim off foam and then, with a tablespoon, transfer as much of the oil as you can to a small bowl (this oil IS the clarified butter), leaving the solid on the bottom. Discard the solids. This will yield approximately 6 tablespoons of clarified butter.

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and keep warm.

8 large eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar

Using the mixer's whisk with your hand, combine the eggs and the sugar. Heat over a water bath at low heat, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking (you don't want scramble eggs here!). You want to get the eggs and sugar really warm to the touch. They will start to foam (that's when you know it's hot enough). If you are lazy, you can do this over the stove directly (skipping the water bath) but if you've never done this I don't recommend it. Once warm, transfer to mixer and mix on high speed until the eggs triple in volume, are very light and are cool. This will take time, 5-10 minutes of mixing, at least.

2 cups triple sifted cake flour (I use Softasilk brand, the only available at our supermarkets)

With a large rubber spatula, fold about 1/3 of the flour into the egg. The key here is to not leave flour clumps but also doing quick and gently to prevent the egg from collapsing. Remember that the egg is the only leaving agent in this cake. If it drops you are hosed. Repeat until all flour is folded into the egg.

Finally, take the warmed butter/vanilla extract and fold into the flour/egg mixture.

Divide into both prepared pans and bake in preheated oven (remember that preheated instruction!) for 25 minutes, or until the tops are nicely light golden color and slightly raised.

Let cool on racks. Once cool you can remove them from the pan by sliding a knife around the edges (to separate them from the pan) and reverting onto a plate or rack. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake which will actually become the top of the cake. Yes, you have two cakes. One will be the top. The other cake you will only use half of it for the middle layer of the cake once you assemble it.

The cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator.

The Simple Syrup

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
pinch cream of tartar
A few strands lime rind
1/2 cup rum

Combine all ingredients except the rum in a saucepan. Bring to a boil at high heat. Cover and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add rum, cover and let cool. This yields about 2 cups of syrup. You will only need 1 1/2 cups.

You can store this in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Make sure that the container is very clean and seals so that outside odors don't get into the syrup.

The Frosting

This is one of my most favorite frostings because it is very silky and sweet and can stay firm after piping as long as it isn't too hot. You won't find yucky powder sugar nor shortening on this puppy.

2 large eggs
2 egg yolks

Combine eggs in your mixer bowl and, with the whisk attachment, mix at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and leave the egg mixture there. You'll be puring syrup in it soon enough.

1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine sugar, water and tartar in a saucepan and heat on high heat until a candy thermometer registers 242 degrees F. This is crucial. You don't want it a few degrees lower/higher than that or it will ruin the recipe.

When the syrup is ready, start the mixer at medium speed and VERY CAREFULLY pour the syrup into the egg while the mixer is on. Make sure to pour through the side so that the whisk does not splatter the syrup all over the place. The mixing prevents the eggs from getting cooked by the syrup. Once done, mix until the egg doubles/triples in volume and is cool to the touch.

4 sticks of unsalted butter (1 lb) AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Do NOT use salted butter. It will make a very salty nasty frosting, trust me! I did that by mistake once. As I said before I use Land O'Lakes Unsalted butter because I have found it to be the sweetest, grassiest and creamiest of all. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use Price Chopper's brand. It is the most oily and has a nasty, rancid taste. I don't have anything against them (I shop there all the time), but their butter just plain sucks.

When the syrup is cool, lower the mixer slightly and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each, until all of the butter is incorporated into the syrup. If the mixture looks curdled, just keep mixing, it will all come together at the end.

Optional: 1 tablespoon vanilla or rum

While mixing, add this at the end to impart a slight flavor to the frosting.

The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed bowl or a plastic zipper bag. Make sure to take it out and let warm to room temperature. You might have to rewhip it a little to bring it to spreading consistency.

The Strawberry Bavarian Cream

You can make the strawberry puree in advance and store in the refrigerator. However, I recommend that the rest of the bavarian cream is done when you are ready to assemble the cake so that the gelatin sets after it is IN the cake.

To make an unsweetened strawberry puree:

1 20 oz bag frozen strawberries (yes, frozen). If you use fresh, make sure they are extremely sun ripened. Then freeze them (you'll need them frozen so that their cell membranes break down and their juices run out of them). Like I said, just stick to the bagged frozen ones.
2 teaspoons of lime juice

In a colander suspended over a deep bowl, let strawberries thaw. Once thawed, press them to extract as much juice from them as you can. You should have over a cup of juice. Transfer the berries to a food processor and the juice to a saucepan. Boil the juice until reduced to about 1/4-1/3 cup. Puree the strawberries in the food processor and add the reduced juice and the lime juice and process until incorporated. This should yield about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of puree.

Now for the rest of the bavarian cream:

1 package of unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of heavy cream

Mix about 1/4 cup of strawberry puree w/ gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes or so. Then microwave for a few seconds, stir, microwave, stir, etc. until the gelatin is complete incorporated into the puree. Stir this into the rest of the puree. Stir in the sugar. The resulting mixture should be cool to the touch (or wait until it cools).

Now whip the heavy cream in a mixer until soft, stiff peaks form. Fold in the puree until incorporated.

Assembly

You've made it this far! Now the fun starts.

Cut the excess round tops of each cake so that both the top and bottoms are straight and not raised. Then cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Discard the worst looking layer (that means eat it separately or save it for later). Use the lone layer for between the upper and lower layers of the other cake. This will make a tall 3-layered cake. 4 layers would be too much and might collapse. Remember that the top of the cake will be your bottom. The bottom (where you peeled off the parchment paper from) will be the top of the cake. This is because it is easiest to spread buttercream on that side of the cake.

Take the bottom layer and brush simple syrup, about 1/4 cup on each side of the layer. Place this layer centered on a 9 1/2 - 10" circular cardboard (they can be bought from Michaels). The extra edge can be used as a guide when spreading the frosting. Spread enough strawberry cream on top of the layer to a height of 1/2". Take the middle cake layer, moisten it with simple syrup as you did before and then place it on top of the cream. Press slightly so that the height is even on all sides. Use a spatula to spread the overfilled cream evenly on the side (fill any holes or push in any cream that has come out between the layers). Repeat again, adding cream to the middle layer, moistening the top layer and placing it on top of the cream. The inside of your cake is now assembled. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to let the gelatin set.

Take the cake out and frost with a thin layer of buttercream. Place back in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour to let this layer set. This is called the crumb coat and seals the cake to prevent crumbs from making the frosting impossible to spread. Some of the bavarian cream might mix in on the sides of the cake while spreading this crumb coat. That's ok. It will get covered once you put the final coat of frosting.

Ok, take the cake back out and spread the final coat of frosting on the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the top first, then the sides. Finish spreading by using a pastry scraper to smooth out the frosting surface. You start with the sides, then spread in the excess on the top back into the center.

Use strawberry halves and piped frosting decorations to finish the cake.

You're done!

Walnut "Marzipan"

I came up with this recipe to cloak the following football shaped flourless chocolate cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
1 cup powder sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon walnut oil
water and additional powder sugar (optional, to make dough pliable if too dry or crumbly)


Procedure

Preheat oven to 350F and roast walnuts for 5-10 minutes to release their oil/flavors.
Cool walnuts and then process in food processor (for 5 minutes) until pasty.
Add powder sugar, corn syrup and walnut oil and process until smooth.
Turn onto table and knead until smooth and pliable. Use water and/or additional power sugar to achieve this if necessary. You should end up w/ a dough that can be shaped and/or rolled.

Fruitcake

2 pounds of nuts and dried fruit (4 oz each):

• pitted dates
• dried figs
• candied orange peel (use high quality), rinsed
  
• candied/dried sweet pineapple, rinsed
  
• golden raisins
• regular raisins or currants
• walnut halves
• whole almonds

Dark rum (use high quality oak-aged rum, I use Ron El Barrilito Puerto Rican Rum)
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use Penzeys Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (don't use the already ground crap)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (I use Land O'Lakes)
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs

Fruit prep:

• Chop figs and dates to 1/2 inch pieces.
• Chop peel and pineapple to 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.
• Combine all dried fruit and nuts in a plastic bowl w/ cover and add 1/4-1/2 cup of rum (or more).
• Let fruit macerate in rum overnight.
  

Cake:

• Have ALL of your ingredients measured and ready (your mise en place).
  
• Butter a 9x13x2 inch pan and line with buttered parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 300 F.
• Measure flour into a bowl and add spices, salt, baking power and baking soda. Stir to combine and set aside. This is the dry ingredients.
  
• In the bowl of an electric mixer (I use a Kitchen Aid) combine butter and dark brown sugar and beat at medium speed (#4-5) with paddle attachment until light (3 minutes).
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating smooth and stopping to scrape the sides after each egg.
• Lower the speed and beat in the dry ingredients.
• Drain fruit from room into a large bowl.
  
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape out all of the batter into the drained fruit and fold until the fruit is covered by the batter. At first it will look like there isn't enough batter. Don't worry, eventually all of the fruit will be mixed in.
• Scrape into prepared pan, spread evenly with spatula.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
• After baked, cool on wire rack.
• Once the cake is cooled, carefully remove from pan, moist w/ rum (~1/4-1/2 cup), and wrap in plastic and then foil. Store in cool place for a few weeks to several months.
  
• To serve, I use a trick for easy cutting. Freeze cake overnight and then cut w/ a very sharp serrated knife. By freezing this prevents the cake from crumbling while cutting. Let thaw after cutting and then serve on platter.
  

Enjoy!

Recipe Credit: Nick Malgieri