Christmas Cookies

Made these cute little sheep with the Martha Stewart brass Noah's Ark cookie cutter set I got from my boss for Christmas. (He's the black one in the middle. Ha ha ha!)
These came from an idea I saw on Pinterest. It actually worked. Santa will be eating melty snowmen tonight. :)

The 12 Hour Daring Baker's Challenge

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child! I, of course, made my Wednesday Bible Study girls be the guinea pigs for this recipe, and I don't think they minded that at all. The smell of the buttery croissants in the oven was almost worth it in itself.

Even though this challenge was extremely time consuming it was very simple and took almost no ingredients. It's something anyone could do with a little advanced planning. My only complaint is that even the low estimate on the baking time turned out to be just a tad too long for my taste. I would have preferred my croissants to be just a tad less crispy on the outside, but overall they were delicious. Perfect with a side of berries on a cool September morning.

To get the recipe go to www.thedaringkitchen.com and try these flaky treats for yourself.

Le Fraisier

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers' host and she challenges us to make fresh fraisiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

This was another elegantly simple dessert to make. It is very pretty to serve and it is a delicious light cake with plenty of fresh summer fruit inside. Everyone who tasted my fraisier loved it! I'll definitely be making it again.

I had never heard of a fraisier before so I wasn't sure what I was in for. Turns out it is simply a chiffon cake filled with pastry cream and fresh fruit and topped with a thin layer of almond paste. I chose to fill mine with fresh blueberries and strawberries.

The only thing that I might do differently is skip the almond paste layer. While it made a beautiful smooth top the flavor was so strong that it completely overwhelmed the light and subtle lemon chiffon cake.

Overall I loved the look and the taste of this Daring Baker's Challenge, Le Fraisier.

To make your own fraisier go to http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/ for the recipe and helpful tips.

...w/ a Side of Bacon

So I'm in this Bible study....

We meet every Wednesday morning. We study the Bible. We eat bacon.

I don't know exactly how it happened, but we all came together based on our shared love of Jesus Christ and one of his greatest creations....pork fat.

We've sort of become obsessed with bacon. We've made Bacon Brownies (more than once), Bacon Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes, Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies and Chocolate Bacon Cookies. There are rumors of Bacon laced Rice Krispie Treats in our future too.

If you don't believe me when I say that we are serious about our bacon just search for our group on Facebook. You'll find us under BS....Bible Study with a Side of Bacon. I'm not even kidding.

So when this month's Daring Baker's Challenge was a Meringue Coffeecake to be made with our own choice of fillings what else could I choose but bacon?

Yep. This is my Bacon Pecan Coffeecake and it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s if I do say so myself. The meringue gushing out of the edges looks a little weird, I'll admit, but it doesn't hurt the taste any.

The recipe was super easy and very versatile. I will say that it is much better fresh out of the oven than the next day but a quick nuke in the microwave and it revives pretty well. If you'd like to make your own pork flavored pastry you can find the recipe at http://www.daringkitchen.com/.

If nothing else just go check out the cool pics of all the different coffeecakes that everyone else made this month. And BS girls....I'll see you Wed. I'll be the one with the bacon. :)

Panna Cotta

The February 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies. I decided to make two different kinds of panna cotta. I started with a chocolate panna cotta layered with a coffee gelee to create a yummy mocha dessert. My plan was to make them in some fluted individual molds and then turn them out to serve. That didn't work out because the gelee layer wasn't sturdy enough to stand up to being dumped out. Instead we just had to eat them out of the less than beautiful molds...but that didn't hurt the taste any.

I liked the flavor combination but I didn't think the chocolate panna cotta was quite as smooth in texture as the vanilla was; maybe because I used a cheap chocolate instead of buying the good stuff.

The second version I made was a vanilla panna cotta with a blueberry gelee. I got smart and just put them in some pretty little clear dishes instead of trying to unmold them. The vanilla panna cotta was DELICIOUS! It was completely smooth and creamy and WONDEDRFUL. I added real vanilla bean to mine to give it an even richer vanilla taste. The blueberry gelee was ok but it didn't really add anything besides color to the ultra super yummy vanilla panna cotta.

I will definitely be making panna cotta again. It was very easy and took very little time to prepare....aside from all of the time needed for chilling the layers.
The Nestle Florentine cookies were good too, nothing special, but good. They were also very easy to make and tasted particularily good with the mocha pnna cotta dish.

Here are the recipes we used for our challenge for those of you who would like to try it for yourselves.

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Ingredients:
2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.

2. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

4. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).

6.Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

Chocolate Panna Cotta
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups (480 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
½ cup (115 gm) (4 oz) sugar
¾ cup (145 gm)(5 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.

2. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.

3. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.

4. Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.

5. Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight

Coffee Gelée
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups (480 ml) good quality brewed coffee
1/4 cup (60 ml) hot water + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
1/2 cup (120 ml) (115 gm) (4 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1.Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c. hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2.Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons cold water and let it soften 2 minutes or so.

3.Stir the coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla into a small metal bowl, add gelatin mixture and stir well until gelatin has dissolved. If pouring over Panna Cotta, be sure that this mixture is no longer hot, it will melt Panna Cotta if it is, let it come to room temperature.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
*I added 1 inch of vanilla bean.

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.

2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage. If you let it boil it will develop a very unattractive skin on top as it cools. You don't want that.).

3. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.

5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.


Fruit Gelée
Recipe by Mallory

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mango, blackberry, etc.)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

Directions:

1.Sprinkle gelatin over water.

2.Place fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Now mix the gelatin into the strawberry mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.

3.Remove from heat and allow to cool (close to room temp, again, if you're planning on layering on pouring on top of your Panna Cotta, a hot mixture will also heat up your chilled Panna Cotta).



As always you can see pics of all of the panna cotta variations at The Daring Kitchen.

Cute As a Cupcake

I was recently asked to share a cake decorating/Valentine's Day idea. The cutest little cupcakes I've ever made were definitely these:Picture by Bake @ 350

I found the ultra rich, super yummy recipe at one of my favorite baking websites, Bake at 350. She basically made her very own Hostess Cupcakes....and so did I.

Picture by Bake @ 350

She wrote cute little Valentine sayings on each cupcake. I made them for my Project Runway finale party so mine had a sewing theme.

No matter what message they have on top a taste of these creamy filled chocolate cupcakes says "I Love You" to your special Valentines.

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

(adapted from Food Network magazine, modified by Lovestoeat & then Bake @ 350)

For the Cupcakes

1 & 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the Filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla exrtact

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup marshmallow creme

For the Ganache

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Icing
1 stick unsalted butter

1 & 1/2 - 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Place paper liners in muffin tin for about 20 cupcakes.

Prepare the cupcakes: Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Using a mixer, beat the eggs into the chocolate, then mix in the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for about 25 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
(They will sink in the middle...they'll puff up when filled later)

For the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream; beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in batches, alternating after each addition. Beat in the marshmallow creme; set aside or refrigerate.
For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Heat the cream and 1 tablespoon butter until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla; let stand until cool but still glossy and liquid.

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a medium star tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake top; fill until the cupcake is heavier (do not overfill). (It's OK if some of the filling peeks out, it will be covered by the ganache.)

Spoon a little ganache on each cupcake and lightly spread with an offset spatula or a knife. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing: Using a mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, the milk and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Spoon into a pastry bag with a small tip (I used a #2 plain tip); pipe onto the cupcakes to decorate.

Store in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Entremets

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

The basic idea was to make this special sponge cake that has a decorative design baked right into it and then wrap it around a multilayered, multi-textured dessert known as an Entremets. (Think trifle but not chopped into little pieces.)

I used a laser cut scrapbooking design as a stencil for the design on the outside of the sponge. Unfortunately it was so subtle that it didn't translate very well on the outside of the dessert. Next time I think I will pipe a more definite design.

I chose to do a vanilla sponge cake and wrap it around layers of brownie, vanilla pastry cream, raspberry jam, and chocolate mousse and top all of that with chocolate ganache, whipping cream and raspberries.

The result was outrageously delicious!!! I really think this is my favorite Daring Bakers' Challenge of all time, closely followed by the cream puff sculpture. While this dessert looks totally complicated it is really just several components put together. It took me about 3 hours start to finish, but it by no means has to be completed all in one day.

I highly recommend this dish to anyone with a sweet tooth. The flavor combinations are endless. Make it for your next party and you'll be raking in the compliments all night.

To see what everyone else did and to get the complete recipe for the biscuit joconde (the fillings are up to you) go to The Daring Kitchen.

Christmas Stollen

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

I further adapted the recipe by using dried cherries soaked in orange juice in place of the rum soaked raisins and I didn't add any "mixed peel" to my stollen. I did include the orange and lemon zests but not the orange and lemon extracts called for in the original recipe.

Since I make yeast breads all the time I found the Stollen very simple to make but I didn't particularily like the taste or texture of it. I prefer my breads soft and tender and I don't generally like fruity flavored breads either. But this stollen did get pretty good reviews from a few of the diners at our Christmas dinner.

To find the recipe and see all the different stollens made by the Daring Baker's go here.

Crostata

The November 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Simona of bricola. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers' to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi's Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

This was one of the easier and tastier DB Challenges I've done so far. The pasta frolla was not difficult at all and I chose to fill it with a vanilla creme patisserie that I had made before. The result was a beautiful golden crostata which tasted pretty much like a traditional custard pie. The biggest difference (which my Dad pointed out) was that a custard pie is usually a little soggy and sometimes has standing water on top of it. The crostata was firm and spongey with all of the eggy, vanilly goodness and none of the excess moisture.

It was definitely worthy to grace my Thanksgiving dessert table.

To find the recipes and see what other Daring Baker's did with their crostatas go to http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/.

MMMMMMM....Brown Butter

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I've been following Elissa's blog for a year or so now and she is one of the most impressive teenagers you'll ever meet. Her writing, her work ethic, her photography and her baking are all way beyond her years. She just headed across the country for college so I'm sure the posts will be even more touching and entertaining...not to mention full of delicious recipes.

I chose to make the Ice Cream Petit Fours because I've made Baked Alaska before and I wanted to try something new. I was very happy with the way they turned out and I especially loved the Brown Butter Pound Cake. I chose to fill my petit fours with coffee flavored ice cream. Yum! Yum!

This was a very simple challenge but I really like it because it introduced me to a new flavor: brown butter. Of course I've browned butter before...usually accidently, but I didn't realize how much flavor it can add to a recipe. It really gave the pound cake a nutty, caramelly flavor that was really, really delicious.

If you'd like to try making Ice Cream Petit Fours with Brown Butter Pound cake you can find the recipe on the Daring Baker's website.

Holy Swiss Roll Batman!

Thanks to my friend Steph for the title of this post. Of course it refers to the Daring Baker's July Challenge, Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake. The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

I've never tried to roll any kind of cake before so this was all new to me. I made a chocolate cake, rolled a vanilla whipped cream filling in to the middle of it, sliced it, lined a bowl with the slices, then filled the bowl with layers of vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce and chocolate ice cream.

Voila! A bomb! (Term for a round, frozen ice cream and cake layered dessert.)

Please excuse the pitiful photography. It really was a delicious dessert but I didn't have time to set up beautiful shots of it....because ice cream melts, very quickly in 100 degree heat!

If you'd like to try making one of these babies on your own (which I highly recommend) you can find the recipes and directions here. Happy Baking!

Seven Years and Counting

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy! Seven years ago today I was trying to politely keep my eyes open (with little success) as people came to visit you. I was slightly exhausted from the events of the prior evening.

I went in for a routine appointment and (as with all 3 of my kids) he told me to stay and be induced because I was ready and he didn't have much going on. Well, all that changed about 6 pm when he got stuck in a difficult and high risk caesarean and called to tell the nurses to stop my labor until he could get there. So they shut off all the drugs (except the epidural, thank goodness) and we sat there for 5 hours until Dr. Houck could finish up the surgery, go home and eat supper and come back for the 20 minutes it took to deliver you.

Needless to say by the time it was all over with and I was snuggled down in my bed for the night it was close to 3 am. So those 8 am visitors had to deal with a very sleepy mommy. Somehow I don't think they cared.

So happy birthday to my boy who still wants to snuggle in bed with me and sit on my lap during prayer time. To the Star Wars fan and SpongeBob watcher. To the baseball player and shoe straightener. To the instigator and the helper. We love you!

Now...the party!!

By now you should all know that we rarely do the traditional birthday cake. This year I decided to to cookies. Mainly because I found some that were so cute I just couldn't resist making them.

While cruising around on my favorite cookie decorators blog I found these adorable cookie cutters. I had to have them. So I zipped over to Williams Sonoma and ordered them on the spot. They are the best cookie cutters ever! They cut out the cookie, emboss it with the lines for decorating and push it out of the mold all in one simple push of the button. Not to mention the fact that they are perfect for my family of Star Wars enthusiasts.

For the Darth Vader cookies I made Bridget's chocolate cookies and used this recipe for the black decorator icing. For the Storm Troopers I used Bridget's favorite sugar cookie recipe, the decorator icing again and my own icing recipe to cover the bulk of the cookie.

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg white

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix it all up. It will be runny. Just dip the cookie in, let the excess drip off and lay flat to dry. It will dry hard. It needs to dry completely before adding the decorator icing on top or you may get some bleeding of the colors (like I did on the storm troopers).

Of course there were lots of presents, some Slip-n-Slide action, a couple of baseball games and time with family to enjoy too. Overall it was another great year celebrated with two fun birthday parties.

Happy Birthday Cainan, we love you!

Daring Baker's June Challenge

The June 2010 Daring Bakers' challene was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

The challenge consisted of making chocolate meringues, chocolate mascarpone mousse and a mascarpone/creme anglais cream for drizzling over the top. The final result was VERY tasty but not very visually appealing.

It almost looks like a cheeseburger without the top bun.....or something worse. This is one of those desserts you have to judge with your taste buds and not your eyes. I was supposed to use a piping bag and pipe out perfect meringues and mousse but I chose to just dollop it on....hence the 'pile of poo' look.

However, despite it's somewhat revolting appearance these chocolate pavlovas are super rich and delicious. I could barely eat a whole one. I used very dark, bitter chocolate but the marscarpone cream on top helps to tame the chocolate with a sweet, very vanilla-y flavor.

The recipe was easy and fun and if I ever make it again I think I will follow the directions and use my piping bag. You can go here for the directions on how to make your very own Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse.

The May Daring Baker's Challenge

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

I was very intimidated when I first read what the challenge would be. I mean these things are huge and complicated. Besides that they just made one in a challenge on TopChef Masters. I mean if an award winning chef is making Croquembouche for a nationally televised cooking competition then it is not the PB&J of french desserts.

However, I will say that this was probalby the EASIEST challenge I have done to date. I did it all on one evening using only ingredients I already had in my house. And to top it all off it was sooooo delicious! Now granted, my piece montee wasn't extremely high, or symmetrical or even visually pleasing, but it was indeed a series of filled creme puffs stacked up and drizzled with caramel, which is exactly what a Croquembouche is.

So without further ado.........

There are three main components to this dessert. First I make the pastry cream to fill the cream puffs. I chose to make a coffee flavored filling. (And boy was it good!)

Crème Patissiere du Cafe

1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 T. instant coffee granules

3 T. boiling water

Dissolve coffee in water. Set aside. Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

While the creme is chilling go ahead and make the cream puff dough.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)

¾ cup (175 ml.) water

6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter

¼ Tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly. Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny. As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes. It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.

Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Filling:When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Hard Caramel Glaze:

1 cup (225 g.) sugar

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:

You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. (You may want to use toothpicks to hold them in place – see video #4 below).

When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Pasta and Pie

I know I was completely MIA from the blog world last week. I'll try to make up for it this week. I've had so much going on recently that I need to catch you all up on.

The first big event was a visit from my sister and her girls. They drove up from Florida for a 3 week tour of Illinois and Missouri. They stopped at my Mom's house first and then came up here on Sunday afternoon. We had a nice visit, except for the fact that the two big girls were suffering from the stomach flu the entire time they were here! Both of them took turns rushing to the bathroom with diarrhea and vomiting.

Kinley (center) sharing a hug with her cousins, Gracie (left) and Claire (right)

Luckily between bouts of sickness they felt completely fine and enjoyed playing with the boys. It wasn't one of those illnesses where you just want to lay on the couch all day, thankfully. So even though we were dealing with two sick girls and a busy, busy one year old we managed to do what we always do when we are together....cook.


Yep, we tried two new recipes that I've been saving for a while and both were a great success. First we made Italian Pasta Bake (from Memoirs of a Munchkin Mommy). This is a great layered pasta dish chocked full of vegetables that only Cainan spotted and removed; healthier than lasagna but with a very similar taste. Then we tried Strawberry Banana Cream Pie (from Joy the Baker). This is a great dish to make to use those fresh strawberries. It has a crispy almost sugar cookie tasting crust, a creamy vanilla custard and slices of bananas and strawberries layered in a pie. Both recipes were easy to make and really delicious. I hope you enjoy them.


Italian Pasta Bake


-PAM Original No-stick Cooking Spray
- 2 cups dry rotini pasta, uncooked (I used whole grain)
- 8 oz Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (If you don't want as much heat just use regular turkey sausage instead)
- 1 med yellow onion, chopped
- 1 med zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
- 1 pkg (8oz each) sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- 1 can (28 oz each) Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking apart with spoon to crumble.


Add onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrot. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and pepper flakes; heat 2 minutes or until bubbling. Add pasta to tomato mixture; stir until pasta is well coated.


Spoon half of a mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once more.


Bake 15 minutes or until hot.



Strawberry Banana Cream Pie


Filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced10 fresh strawberries, sliced



Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Tart crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk


To make the tart crust:Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.


Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.


When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.


For the topping:With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.


Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made, but also isn’t too shabby the next day for a breakfast treat.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

P.S. Despite all the germs floating around my house for 3 days none of us has gotten sick. I've always known we had good immune systems but I didn't think we'd survive this one. :)

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

Once you taste these moist, sweet, delicious breakfast muffins you'll never believe that they are ultra healthy! They have no refined sugars, almost no fat, and they are packed full of fiber and omega 3s. If you are on the Weight Watchers system you'll be happy to know that these muffins are only 1 pt. each! These muffins were a hit with the ladies in my Bible Study and my kids too.

Healthy Banana Berry Muffins

1¼ cups all-purpose flour*
½ cup oat bran
¼ tsp. salt
2½ tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ large bananas
1 egg white
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup orange juice
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries


Directions: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir together with a fork; set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy. Stir in the honey, butter and orange juice, and mix to blend.

Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the fresh berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated.


Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Cooking On the Side

*The white flour is the most unhealthy ingredient in these muffins. Next time I may try using whole wheat flour instead. I think they have enough moisture to handle it.

This post linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

As soon as I found this recipe over at Joy the Baker I had to find an excuse to make it. Lucky for me, I hosted my book club last night, which gave me the perfect opportunity to make this delicious bread but not eat the entire loaf myself.

The bread is super moist and sweet with just a little crunch. It has lots of healthy Omega-3s in it from both flax seed and walnuts. It does still contain some butter and brown sugar, but it's now the fatty bread I've ever made...not by a long shot.

Without further ado, Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated apples
1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples
1 tablespoon flax seeds
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided
cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts. Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Double Yum

Last week I had to bring snacks for Sunday School. I couldn't decide what I wanted to make and a single recipe usually isn't enough to feed everyone anyway, so I stopped trying to narrow it down and just went ahead and made two new recipes that I had been wanting to try.

I made Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares, a recipe I found at Brown Eyed Baker, and Pumpkin Ripple Bread, which I found at 17 and Baking. I highly recommend both of these recipes and these blogs.

Brown Eyed Baker is crammed full of wonderful recipes. Bagels, coffee cakes, cookies, muffins, cakes, you name it. If you can bake it you can find a recipe for it (not to mention pretty pictures) at Brown Eyed Baker.

17 and Baking is the amazing blog of a high school senior in Washington state. Not only are her recipes totally delicious, and ambitious for such a young baker, but her photography and especially her writing are totally incredible. You'll be so impressed after just one visit to her blog that you'll be hooked. If you have a teenager you should definitely turn them on to 17 and Baking. Elissa writes so eloquently about the struggles of teenage life and the lessons she's learned about working hard, loving her parents, trying new things and the struggle for independence and the fear of freedom.

Now....on to the recipes. I didn't have time to take any pictures Sunday morning before church so these are from the original posts. Credit has been given to the baker/photographers.

Cinnamon Cappuccino Squares

Photo courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker

For the Cake:
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plus
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or ½ cup mini chocolate chips


For the Frosting:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces


1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.


2. Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2½ teaspoons of the cinnamon and 1½ teaspoons of the espresso powder together in a small bowl.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1¼ cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of the espresso powder into the milk and warm the milk in a microwave until it is hot enough to dissolve the coffee. Cool the milk. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogeneous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You’ll have a smooth, satiny batter.


4. Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.


5. Back for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.


6. To make the frosting, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it things out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. 9If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)


7. Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2½ inches on a side. Wrapped in plastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days.

Pumpkin Ripple Bread

Photo courtesy of 17 and Baking

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounce package (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour


Pumpkin Bread
1 cup (110 grams) toasted pecans or walnuts [optional, I leave them out]
3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 – 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9″x5″ pans.


For the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese just until smooth in a stand mixer or food processor. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. Set aside.


For the Pumpkin Bread: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the sugar and melted butter, then stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and (optionally) nuts.


Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to over mix. A few streaks of flour are fine. Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it between the two pans. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into each pan, then top with the remaining half of batter. Smooth the tops and bake an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool loaves to room temperature.


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Chocolate Praline Dessert

A friend gave me this recipe from Taste of Home recently. It is an absolutely delicious torte/cheesecake dessert with layers of cookies crumbs, cheesecake, pecans, caramel and chocolate ganache. I made it for a dinner party and it was really great! It is a little time consuming to make because each layer has to chill before the next can be added, but it is well worth the wait. Warning: Slice it small because it is extremely rich!

Chocolate Praline Dessert

Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (i.e. Oreo)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press onto the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with pecans.

Praline:

1 1/2 cups butter, cubed

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 8 minutes or until the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over pecans. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

NOTE: The first time I made this dish I over cooked the praline layer. It was still delicious but it was extremely hard...too hard to cut through with a fork. It was like a Werther's candy in the middle of a soft and creamy dessert. I never make it now without the candy thermometer and it always turns out fine.

Filling:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over praline layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.

Ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

For ganache, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips with cream; stir until smooth. cool slightly; spread over filling. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.

Tiramisu

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Not only did we have to make our own tiramisu we had to make all of our own components to the dish. That means that I made, from scratch, vanilla pastry cream, zabaglione (egg custard), mascarpone cheese and savoiardi (ladyfingers). None of these things are difficult they are just time consuming. I made all of the components one day and let them chill overnight then I assembled the tiramisu the next day and let it chill overnight.

The flavor of the tiramisu was excellent. My only problem with it was the consistency of the cream layers. Even after chilling overnight it still seemed too mushy to unmold and cut so I stuck it in the freezer for about an hour. That seemed to do the trick, but as soon as we cut into it the whole thing kind of dissolved into a puddle of tiramisu soup. Still delicious but very messy to eat and not very appealing to the eye. I'm not sure what went wrong since each of my components sat up nicely in the fridge individually. My only thought is that the whipping cream was too soft.

Either way it was an adventure to make and a pleasure to eat. If you've got a couple of days you ought to try it. You won't regret it...and you just might learn something in the process, too.

The recipes for all components of the tiramisu are included below:

For the mascarpone cheese:

474ml (approx. 500ml)/

2 cups whipping cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

For the zabaglione:

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar/50gms

1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)

1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water. In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency. Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the vanilla pastry cream:

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth. Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling. Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.) Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

3 eggs, separated

6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar

3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)

6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.

Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.

Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.

Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

To assemble the tiramisu:

2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed

1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)

1/2 cup/110gms sugar

1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese

36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)

2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu. Working quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tuesdays at the Table.