January Daring Baker's Challenge-Biscuits

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

So, I've made a fair amount of biscuits in my day, so I decided to spice up this challenge a little by using some local produce!  In mid-January, there isn't a whole lot exciting going on in the produce section at the local grocery store.  Basically, it's cold out and, although you can get apples and oranges (heck, when can't you?), there isn't much else.  Except persimmons.  I found the biggest, ripest, juiciest persimmon and brought it home to use it in these biscuits.  What I didn't know is how juicy a persimmon needs to be in order to be considered "ripe." 

There are two main varieties of persimmon available in the US - Fuyu and Hachiya.  Although a Fuyu persimmon can be eaten before it completely ripens, a Hachiya persimmon will be terribly bitter if eaten before it is time.  The fruit has a high tannin content which makes the immature fruit bitter. The tannin levels are reduced as the fruit matures. The best way to describe a Hachiya persimmon that's ripe is that it looks and feels like a water balloon that's about to burst.  In order to help it along, I put the persimmon in a paper bag for a couple of days. When it was ready, I made some biscuits....

Persimmon Biscuits
Servings: about five 3-inch (7½ cm) biscuits

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup (6.25 oz) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (30 gm/1 oz) frozen grated butter
3/4 cup persimmon puree
1/4 cup (2 oz, 60 ml) cold milk

1 tablespoon milk or cream, for glazing the tops of the biscuits

Frozen grated butter to be rubbed into dry ingredients

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to very hot 475°F/240°C.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Rub the frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky biscuits.
4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed).
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. Knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth.
6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick. Using a well-floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds without twisting.  Gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch layer and cut more biscuits (these will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough).
7. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and glaze the tops with cream.  I also topped them with chopped, toasted pecans.
8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the biscuits are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. They are ready when the sides are set.
9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

The biscuits were fantastic!  The persimmon flavor was not as pronounced as I would have hoped, but it did add some moisture and faint color to the dough.  I may try it again, using more persimmon puree (no milk, but a splash of cream).  However, I really think this fruit needs another medium.  Back to the drawing board in the search of the perfect persimmon recipe! 

Weekend Danish

A danish is a special breakfast treat.  It's flaky, it's fruity, it's creamy.  It's sweet, it's rich, it's unexpected.  Oh, and guess what....?  IT'S EASY!

As long as you are not afraid of a rolling pin, making a danish is really easy.  It does take a few steps, so I recommend starting the day before you want to eat it.

First, make your fillings.  I like to have a combination of a fruit-based filling and a creamy filling.  Todd asked for mixed berries and almond, so I made a mixed berry jam filling and almond cream.

Mixed Berry Jam Filling
yield: 2 cups

2 cups crushed mixed berries
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Cook the berries and sugar together over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens and becomes glossy.  This can take up to 20 minutes or more.  Stir regularly and don't overheat.  Remove the filling from the stove and stir in the lemon juice.  Cool, then refrigerate for up to one week.  Bring to room temperature before using. 

Almond Cream Filling
yield: 1 cup

3/4 cup blanched almond flour (or 1 cup blanched almonds, toasted)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg white

Use a food processor to blend the almond flour (or almonds) and powdered sugar.  Add butter, then almond extract and egg white and process to mix.  Refrigerate for up to one week.

Once the fillings are made, get out your ingredients, food processor and a large bowl.  It's time to make the danish dough.

Danish Pastry (from Baking with Julia)
yield: 2 pounds

1/4 cup (2 ounces) warm water (105-115° F)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 sticks (8 ounces) cold, unsalted butter


Pour the water into a large bowl.  (Tip: Since body temperature is almost 100°F, an easy way to test water at 105°F is to make it just warm to the touch, definitely not "hot." There is no need to use a thermometer.)  Sprinkle the yeast on top to soften.  Add the milk, egg, sugar and salt and whisk to blend.  Set aside.  Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor with a blade attachment.  Drop tablespoon slices of cold butter into the flour, then pulse about 8-10 times.  DO NOT over do this, you want the butter to remain in large chunks, no smaller than 1/2" in diameter.  Empty the flour/butter mixture into your large bowl with the yeast/egg mixture and stir gently with a sturdy rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Again, do not over mix the dough, it must remain in discrete pieces to end up with a flaky pastry dough.  (You are not mixing to the consistency of cookies or bread.)


Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.  


When you are ready to roll out the dough, flour your countertop or other flat surface, and pour the dough out onto it.  Lightly flour the top of the mound and use your fingers to shape the dough roughly into a square.  Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough into a square, about 16 inches on each side.  Fold the dough into thirds like a letter.  Fold up the bottom first, then flip the top over.  Turn the dough so that the closed fold is on the left (like the spine of a book).  

Roll the dough out again, this time into a narrow rectangle, about 10" wide x24" long.  Fold the rectangle in thirds again, bottom up, top down, then turn so that the spine is on the left.  Roll again, to a 20" square.  Fold again, roll out to a rectangle, 10"x24", then fold one last time.  Wrap the dough well in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).  The danish braid only calls for 1/2 recipe of dough, so at this point you can cut the dough in half, wrap one half well and freeze (for up to a month), and wrap the other half to refrigerate until cool.


Once your dough is cool, place on the floured countertop and roll out for the danish braid, to about 10" wide x 16" long.  Move to a sheet of parchment (or Silpat) and spread your fillings down the center.  If you made two fillings, start with the fruit jam on the bottom, spread it about 1/3 the width of the dough in the center.  Put the creamy or almond filling on top of the jam, spreading it not quite as wide so that the jam peeks out underneath.  

Use a sharp knife or pizza roller to cut diagonal slits in the sides of the dough, angling the cuts from the center of the pastry to the edge.  Strips should be about 3/4" wide.  Fold the strips of pastry into the center, criss-crossing the filling by alternating one strip from the left then one strip from the right.  Lightly press the ends together to seal and run your hands along the sides to straighten.  

Brush the pastry with a beaten egg white, then sprinkle with sugar and/or sliced almonds.  Cover with a light kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Since the dough is cold, it will not rise much, but should feel slightly puffy.


Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden.  Remove to cooling rack.  Make a glaze by combining 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a tablespoon of coffee.  Whisk smooth then drizzle over the top of the pastry.  Best when served warm!  

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

November Daring Bakers Challenge - Filipino Sans Rival

I always love trying something new!  It's one thing to try something new that catches my eye, and entirely another to make something new that is suggested by others.  This challenge is what led me to join the Daring Bakers years ago!  The Daring Bakers is a group of people across the world, united by the internet and a desire to come together for a monthly dessert challenge.  Each month, a different member comes forward and challenges the group to make something new, unusual, difficult or in some way "a challenge."  This month's Sans Rival perfectly embodies the spirit of the Daring Bakers.

Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog.

The Sans Rival translated means "without rival."  This gluten-free cake has its origins in France, but is one of the most popular desserts in the Philippines.  In the 1920s and 30s there were many Filipinos who went abroad to study. Many went to France and, while there, learned French cooking techniques which they then brought home. A Sans Rival is made with layers of dacquoise, which is a baked meringue that incorporates finely crushed nuts.  There is no flour in the cake, with the nuts completely taking the place of flour.  The recipe typically uses crushed cashews, and is layered with a rich, French buttercream. This cake nicely pairs the two, with the silkiness of the buttercream complimenting the nutty crunch of the dacquoise cake layers.

Polish Pierogi

OK, so they are not really a dessert, but they sure are delicious and they do require a dough.  So, here goes...I got a hankering for my grandmother's pierogi.  I decided to make her dough and fill it with a bunch of different fillings using the stuff I happened to have on hand at the house.  I ended up making them one of the nights that Anna was here visiting me so she could help!  We made 3 kinds - sauerkraut ("kapusta" to which I also added finely chopped German brats and caramelized onions), sweet potato and butternut squash (with a little maple and cream) and a sweet variety using brie and strawberry preserves.
 

They were all delicious, but I have to say I liked the sauerkraut ones the best.  It might be the Polish in me!  Basically, you can stuff just about any food you want in these babies.  The recipe below is for my grandmother's pierogi dough, along with instructions on how to make it and fill and cook the pierogi.  Enjoy!

Death by Chocolate...

I haven't been posting as much lately, since I've been spending a lot more time at DaisyCakes baking fantastic things on a daily basis!  I am, however, going to try to start snapping more photos of the things I'm making there, even though I can't share a recipe.  At least I can share some decorating tips and ideas and maybe hope to advertise a little for my new employer.  Tonight I'm starting on a "Death by Chocolate" cake that I'm making for my brother Tom's birthday this weekend.  The cake is a moist chocolate cake, made using melted chocolate and sour cream.  I'll cut the two cake layers in half (making four), then stripe each layer with a small amount of whipped ganache and fruit preserves.  I'll also squeeze some whipped cream in between each layer.  To top it off, I'll pour liquid chocolate ganache over the top, let it set and finish with an elegant chocolate design.  Then, everyone's favorite part, we will cut into it and eat it!!  Ahhhh...what a great way to go!

Heidi's Chocolate Cake
makes two 9" round cake layers

{Print this recipe!}

Ingredients:

16 oz (2 cups) sugar

7 oz (1 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into ¼” pieces

8 fluid oz (1 cup) hot water

2 eggs, room temperature

4 fl oz vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sour cream

1 fl oz buttermilk

Directions:

Butter and line two 9” cake pans (or spray with non-stick spray).  It is essential that you line these pans with parchment paper, otherwise your cake will stick and will not be able to be removed from the pan. (Trust me, I know this personally to be true...#canyousayeatingchocolatecakepiecesforweeks?)  Stir sugar, flour, salt, baking soda in mixing bowl. Put chocolate in another bowl and place hot water over it.  Whisk eggs in a third mixing bowl until liquid, then whisk in oil, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk, one at a time. Whisk chocolate and water mixture smooth, then scrape into egg mixture. Whisk smooth.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Divide between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake at 325 for 30-40 min, until well-risen and toothpick is clean. Cool on racks for 5 min, then invert, peel paper and invert again to cool.

Basic Recipe for Chocolate Ganache  

Mix equal parts chopped chocolate and heavy cream by heating the cream to scald, then pour over chopped chocolate.  Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk smooth.  Allow the ganache to cool to close to room temperature (so that it will not melt the icing on top of the cake).   Prepare the cake for ganache covering by icing smooth and bringing the cake close to room temperature.  (You don't want the cake to be too cool, or else it will give you less time to work with the ganache once it's been poured.)  Also, if you put some of this ganache in a metal bowl in the fridge or freezer for a few, and then, once it's solid, whip it up using a mixer, you'll have a nice whipped ganache that is of spreading consistency.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

This is a good recipe to have.  Everyone knows how to whip some cream.  Not everyone, however, knows how to stop.  Yes, you must STOP when you have whipped cream.  Or else you will get butter.  Seriously.  Stop when the cream is peaked.  To make a delicious sweetened whipped cream, simply add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to 2 cups cream and whip together in a bowl.  Adding a little softened gelatin will help to stabilize the whipped cream, great for if you want it to hold up during travel or overnight.  This part can be a little tricky, so pay attention.  Get yourself about 2 teaspoons of powdered gelatin and sprinkle it over about 2 Tablespoons of cold water.  This will allow the gelatin to absorb the water, called "blooming."  Once the gelatin is softened, melt it into a liquid either by microwaving it in short bursts (5-10 seconds at a time) or by setting the bowl over a double boiler.  Once the gelatin is liquefied, set it aside and allow the liquid to cool (but not set back up).  You want the gelatin liquid to be sorta close in temperature to the whipped cream and if it's too hot it will solidify immediately when it hits the cold whipped cream.  This creates hard little gelatin chunks in your cream which is not what you were wanting, was it?  Once the gelatin liquid has cooled a little, pour it slowly into your mixer when the sweetened cream is at medium peaks.  Keep whipping until at stiff peaks.  This stabilized gelatin will be great for squeezing in between cake layers. 

Stop reading and make this cake.  Seriously, it will get you over any hump and make your day, week, month better.  Yummy!  Peace out -

Ice Cream Trio

I've never been a person who gets sick often, but this week started out bad.  I felt a little crummy when I got up on Monday, you know, a scratchy throat and some body aches.  I went to work, mostly forgot about it and went to bed that night without giving it another thought.  About 1:00 in the morning, I woke up, throat in flames, could not swallow, definitely could not sleep.  I took some ibuprofen, switched on the TV, made myself some hot tea and a salt-water gargle (2 separate things!) and tried to make myself feel better.  The hot tea felt good on my throat.  I made another cup of tea.  And another.  And another.  Pretty soon, another thing that was keeping me from sleeping -- I had to pee every 10 minutes!  The next morning, I went to the doctor and found out I had strep throat.  Do adults even get strep throat?  Well, I did.  The doctor sent me home with some penicillin and told me to get some rest and stay out of work for at least 24 hours.  I crashed on the couch and willed myself to feel better.  Two days passed in misery.

Now, today I am no longer contagious, the antibiotics have kicked in, and all that's left is that minor scratchy feeling in my throat, mostly a memory.  I bet some ice cream would make it feel 100% better!

Please enjoy this delightful ice cream trio, adapted from David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop. Tomorrow, it's getting plated up as a grown-up banana split...

Chocolate Tiramisu

It's starting to get chilly outside.  OK, correction, it got COLD.  TODAY.  We left the house this morning in Durham and it was chilly outside, but I swear the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees between 8:00 this morning and noon.  I was not prepared.  But, I will be soon!

To prepare, get yerself some hot coffee and some booze.  Seriously.  What better way to beat the chill?  That's right, I'm making tiramisu.  Tiramisu, literally translated from Italian, means "pick me up."  This dessert will pick you up for sure.  And then shake you off and make you dance!  I'm hoping for some people to dance with me tomorrow night (so I don't look so silly dancing by myself), so hopefully this dessert will do it. 

This recipe is a slight variation on the classic tiramisu, which typically consists of ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso, alternating layers with a zabaglione (also known as zabaione, sabayon, or zabajone), which is an egg yolk custard mixed with rum, Kahlua, brandy or marsala (some kind of alcohol).  The egg yolk custard incorporates heat and a lot of air from whipping to turn egg yolks, sugar and the sauce into a fragrant, boozy deliciousness!  (Baking holds many faces of bliss for me in particular, and standing over a double-boiler with the steamy smell of eggs, sugar and marsala wafting into my face is seriously one of them!) 

The zabaglione is mixed with mascarpone cheese, which is a sweetened Italian cream cheese, and some whipped cream.  These layers are usually topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and cocoa or cinnamon.  I'm adding some chocolate ganache in with the zabaglione to liven things up a little