Fresh Fraisiers - Daring Baker's Challenge

Blog-checking Lines: Jana ofCherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.


This was a really fun challenge! We had to create a delicious cake where the middle layer had exposed fruits around the outside.  We also had to make each component of the dessert by hand: the chiffon cake, pastry cream mousse, and the simple syrup!

This was my first time making a chiffon cake, and I am hooked! I loved how light this cake was, it was the perfect complement to the pastry cream and fresh fruit. I chose to make a citrus chiffon cake because I love desserts with a twist of citrus to them.

I filled my middle layer with strawberries and blackberries, they were so good in this dessert!  I can't wait to make the pastry cream again, I think it would be amazing with a strawberry shortcake dessert, or as a topping on a bowl of fresh fruit. 

I decided to keep the top of my cake clean and simple so that the amazing centre could shine through.

The recipes for the chiffon cake and the pastry cream mousse were provided by Jana, and they are amazing!


Citrus Chiffon Cake

• 1 cup and 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cups sugar (remove 3 tbsp and set aside)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup and 1 tbsp orange juice
• zest of one lemon
• 5 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F and line the bottom of an 8" springform pan with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, all but the removed 3 tbsp sugar, and the salt
3. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vegetable oil, orange juice, and orange zest
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients and mix until smooth
5. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy
6. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites, and beat them until they hold soft peaks
7. Slowly add the 3 tbsp of sugar to the egg whites and beat until they hold firm and shiny peaks
8. Fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined
9. Fill the springform pan, and smooth the batter
10. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle
11. Allow the cake to cool completely in the springform pan
12. When cool, run a knife along the edges and remove the cake

Pastry Cream Filling

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3/4 tsp gelatin
• 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan over medium-high heat
2. Scald the mixture (bring it near boiling) while stirring occasionally
3. While the mixture is heating, in a bowl whisk together the cornstarch and sugar
4. Add the egg to sugar/cornstarch and whisk until smooth
5. When the milk mixture is scalded, slowly add it to the egg mixture while whisking
6. Add the whole mixture back into the pot, and continue to cook it over medium-high until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
7. Remove the pot from the heat and pour it into a fine-mesh sieve
8. Press the custard through to remove any remaining bits
9. After the custard has cooled for about 10 minutes, add the butter and whisk until smooth
10. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour
11. After the custard/cream has cooled, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it sit for a couple minutes
12. Set up a double boiler and add 1/4 cup of the pastry cream 
13. Heat the cream while stirring until it is 120 F
14. Add the gelatin to the warmed cream and whisk until completely smooth
15. Whisk the warmed cream into the remaining cream
16. Whip the heavy cream until you have medium-stiff peaks, and then fold it into the pastry cream

Simple Syrup

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water

1. Add the water and the sugar to a small saucepan
2. Heat it until it boils and all of the sugar dissolves
3. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use

To assemble the Fraisier:

1. Line the inside of your 8" springform with plastic wrap
2. Cut the cake in half to create two cake rounds
3. Place one half of the cake in the springform pan and moisten it with the simple syrup
4. Place the fruit of your choice (I used strawberries cut in half, and blackberries) along the outside of the pan
5. Pipe the pastry cream around the fruit on the sides of the pan to keep it in place
6. Fill the middle of the cake with your remaining berries, and then add all of the remaining pastry cream
7. Smooth the top of the pastry cream, and then place the remaining layer of cake on top
8. Moisten the top layer with the simple syrup
9. Decorate the top of the cake as desired
10. Enjoy!

Phyllo to Baklava! - Daring Bakers Challenge

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

OK, let’s talk Baklava! I had never had baklava before but after reading everyone’s excited reactions to this challenge I couldn’t wait to give it a shot.  I made the dough, rolled the phylo sheets one by one, crushed the nuts, layered, layered, layered, baked it, and then doused it in the honey/syrup.  Then I waited impatiently for the epic moment that would be my first bit of real homemade baklava.

Then the moment of truth came! With sore arms from rolling the living poop out of the dough and sticky countertops from the syrup somehow travelling on it’s own, I took my first bite.

And discovered that I don’t really care for baklava

Sigh

I thought that maybe I had done something wrong, or somehow missed an important step.  So I let some people who loved baklava try it, and they really enjoyed this one.  So it’s just me, and I’m OK with that :) I guess the super sweetness of this particular dessert just isn’t my thing, now I know!

**the more you know**

I am really glad that this challenge taught me how you can make a delicious and flaky phyllo dough at home.  I cannot wait to try it again for a ton of new desserts and maybe some savory creations as well.

The addition of dark chocolate helped me eat as much as I did because I think it helped cut some of the sweet factor from the honey.

Originally I had intended to make 2 loaf pans worth: one with this recipe and the other without honey and with a chocolate and dried cranberry filling.  Sadly I didn’t realize that the host had doubled the recipe to fill a 9” x 9” pan, and by the time I realized this I didn’t have the time to make another batch of dough and let it rest.  That will teach me to skim a recipe!

This was a really fun challenge because I learned a lot and gained some new and valuable skills in the kitchen. Thank you Erica for putting this great challenge together!  I managed to roll the dough so thin that you could read through it, mission accomplished on the phyllo front!

This is the recipe that I had used that was provided by Erica.  It is enough to fill a standard loaf pan perfectly!  I cut the dessert into 16 pieces.  The only change I made was to add dark chocolate chips instead of the pistachios.

Phyllo Dough

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1. In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, oil, and vinegar
3. Slowly add the liquids to the flour while mixing, and continue mixing until a soft dough forms that sticks together
4. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes until soft and smooth
5. Form a ball, and lightly cover it with oil
6. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and let rest for 1.5 to 2 hours
7. While the dough is resting, you can make the filling (recipe below)
8. When the dough has finished resting, remove a small portion of the dough (about 1 tbsp worth of dough) and roll it as thin as possible on a well floured surface. I rolled mine with a rolling pin, and stretched it occasionally to get it as thin as possible
9. When a piece is rolled as thin as you can get it (ex: you can read notes on a piece of paper through it) set it aside on a floured baking sheet and repeat with another piece of dough (I had about 16 sheets when I was finished)
10. After all of the dough has been rolled as thin as possible, pile it up neatly and place the loaf pan on top of the pile
11. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough so that it will fit neatly in the loaf pan

Baklava Filling and Layering the Baklava

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1/2 cup toasted almond slices
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter

1. In a food processor add the cinnamon, allspice, nuts, and chocolate chips
2. Pulse until finely chopped
3. When ready to assemble the Baklava, preheat the oven to 350 and generously grease the loaf pan 
4. Brush the bottom of the loaf pan with butter, and then cover it with the first phyllo sheet
5. Brush the phyllo sheet with butter and then place another phyllo sheet on top.
6. Repeat until you have four phyllo sheets on top of one another, and the top sheet is brushed with butter
7. Sprinkle 1/3 of the filling mixture on top
8. Cover with a phyllo sheet, brush with butter, and repeat until four phyllo sheets are stacked on top of each other
9. Again sprinkle 1/3 of the filling on top
10. Repeat the process (4 phyllo sheets each brushed with butter, 1/3 filling) until you end with four phyllo sheets on top
11. Cut the baklava into 16 pieces, trying to cut all the way through if possible
12. Generously brush the top with butter, and then place the baklava in the preheated oven
13. Bake for 30 minutes, while the baklava is baking make the syrup (recipe below)
14. Remove the baklava and cut the pieces all the way through
15. Bake for another 30 minutes or until the baklava is a golden brown
16. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the syrup evenly over the dessert
17. Let the baklava cool, then cover and let sit overnight for the syrup to soak in
18. Enjoy!

Baklava Syrup

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 piece (about 2" x 2") lemon peel
• pinch of ground cloves

1. While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup
2. In a small pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients 
3. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved, and let it gently boil for about 10 minutes
4. Remove from heat, and take out the cinnamon stick and lemon peel
5. Set aside until ready to pour over the baklava
6. When the baklava is finished baking, evenly pour the syrup over the dish
7. Let sit overnight to soak in
8. Enjoy!

Marquise on Meringue - Daring Baker's Challenge

The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma ofCookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

Here is my second Daring Baker's challenge! This dessert looked seriously intense when it was first posted, but after I sat down and worked out a game plan, it didn't seem too bad at all!  I have never heard of this type of dessert before, and I am happy to say that it is definitely a keeper.


The fact that it said that this would take approximately 8 hours from start to finish was a little daunting, but I had it complete (pictures and all!) in about four hours :) So this is definitely do-able for a dinner with friends or a special occasion! And trust me, I will definitely be making this again.

The Chocolate Marquise is such a neat dessert. It is served cold and has a wonderfully soft and creamy texture. When paired with the meringue and the delicious caramel it made a very decadent dessert.

Instead of using tequila in the marquise and the caramel, I decided to go with coconut rum. I thought the slight coconut taste would be a delicious alternative to the tequila, and I think it turned out really great!


The plan I set out for myself to make this dessert was:


1) Make the chocolate base so that it could cool while I prepared the rest of the chocolate marquise
2) Make the chocolate marquise and get it in the freezer as soon as possible
3) After the marquise had been in the freezer for 2.5 hours, I prepared the coconut rum caramel
4) When the caramel was complete, I prepared the meringue (made the meringue and broiled it)
5) Before removing the marquise from the freezer and cutting it into pieces, I prepared my plates with the caramel and meringue so all I had to do was add the marquise immediately before serving
6) After I removed the marquise, I used cookie cutters to obtain some fun shapes, quickly dropped them in a bowl of cocoa and set them on the prepared plates

This worked out great! I was able to optimize my time, and even have enough time to do my dishes in between :)

If you are looking for a unique dessert that will impress your guests, this is it!  


I have set out the ingredients and directions in the order that worked for me. If you feel that you have a better method, definitely do what works for you :)

This is the 'quarter' variation of the recipe. This makes enough for about 6 servings (the original recipe makes enough for 16 - 24 servings!)


Chocolate Base

• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 1/3 cup + 2 tsp whipping or heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/16 cayenne
• 1 tbsp coconut rum
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• dash of freshly ground pepper
• 1/12 tbsp butter, room temperature

1. Heat the cream in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until very warm to the touch (but not boiling). I did this in 20 second intervals to make sure I didn't over-heat the cream
2. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, and pour the warm cream over it
3. Let the chocolate and cream sit for a couple minutes, and then stir until smooth
4. Add the salt, cayenne, coconut rum, corn syrup, vanilla, cocoa, pepper, and butter
5. Whisk until smooth
6. Set aside 

Chocolate Marquise

• 3 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water
• chocolate base (recipe above)
• 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (for coating the marquise)
• meringue, broiled or torched (recipe below)
• coconut rum caramel (recipe below)

1. Prepare your pan (I used a loaf pan) by lining it with parchment paper
2. Separate the yolks from the egg whites and set aside the egg whites for the meringue
3. Place the egg yolks and remaining egg in a large bowl and whip on high until thick and pale, approximately 10 - 15 minutes
4. At about 8 minutes, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat
5. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, and bring the syrup to a boil
6. Boil the syrup until it hits the 'soft-ball' stage (115 C or 235 F)
7. When the sugar reaches 115 C, turn the mixer to low and pour in the syrup (be careful!)
8. After all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer back onto high and whip until the base of the bowl is cool (this will take about 10 minutes)
9. While the mixture is cooling, pour the cream into a second bowl and whip it until soft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside
10. When the syrup/egg mixture is cool, pour in the chocolate base and mix for about 1 minute
11. Fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream until mostly mixed together
12. Pour the marquise into the prepared pan, and then cover the top with plastic wrap (make sure it is touching the surface)
13. Place in the freezer for 2 - 4 hours (or overnight)
14. When ready to serve, remove the marquise from the freezer and cut it into squares (or you can use cookie cutters)
15. Roll the cubes in cocoa powder and set them on the plates with the caramel and the meringue. The marquise will start to melt as they warm up, so they should be prepared about 15 minutes before serving
16. Enjoy!

Coconut Rum Caramel

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp coconut rum

1. In a saucepan add the sugar and water
2. Boil the syrup until the water has evaporated and the sugar has caramelized (you want a rich mahogany colour)
3. When the desired colour is reach, quickly remove the saucepan from the heat and add the whipping cream.
4. Return the saucepan to low heat and whisk until the mixture is smooth
5. If you wish, you can continue whisking over low heat until the caramel has darkened to the desired colour
6. When it is as dark as you like, remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the salt and the coconut rum
7. Serve with the marquise
8. Or, just eat it as is. This caramel is delicious!

Meringue

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar (scant)
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla

1. Place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water
2. Add the egg whites, sugar, and apple cider vinegar
3. Whisk the mixture until the egg whites are smooth (until you can no longer feel the sugar granules when you rub it between your fingers)
4. When smooth, remove the bowl from the stove and beat it on medium-high until soft peaks are formed
5. Fill a piping bag and pipe your meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment
6. Set the meringues under the broiler (watch carefully!) until browned
7. Serve with the marquise
8. Alternatively, you can spoon or pipe the meringue directly onto the plate if you have a kitchen torch on hand

Labour intensive? Yes. Completely delicious? Unbelievably so!

Maple Mousse in Shortbread Cups - My first Daring Bakers Challenge!

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!


I was so excited to see the my first Daring Baker's challenge at the beginning of April! I love maple syrup (who doesn't?) and the added aspect of coming up with your own unique edible container was just the type of challenge I was looking for to get my creative juices flowing.

I had read on the site that some people found the mousse to be quite sweet, so I decided to make a shortbread cookie cup because shortbread cookies are a wonderful buttery cookie.  The semi-sweet chocolate was added to make the dessert a bit more interesting and to add some colour.

I wasn't sure if the shortbread cookies would bake very well in a muffin tin, but it worked out awesome! I think this would be an amazing way to serve ice cream, pudding, etc., in neat individual portions.  When making cups with shortbread cookie dough, make sure to spray the muffin tin well with baking spray, and prick the dough with a fork before baking. Halfway through the baking time, press down the sides and bottom of each shortbread cookie cup with a spoons to keep them sturdy from getting too pouffy. I used my classic Shortbread Cookie Recipe to make these shortbread cookie cups.

After the cookie cups had cooled, I melted some semisweet chocolate chips and coated the inside of each shortbread cookie cup with the chocolate.


The mousse itself was lots of fun to make as I had never worked with gelatine before.  I was so surprised with how well it worked out!  The recipe was provided by the Daring Bakers.

I didn't find the mousse to be overly sweet, but that may be due to the type of maple syrup I used, I actually found it to be quite delicious and well-balanced!  This recipe made quite a lot of maple mousse, so I have included the directions for half of a regular batch as I had a ton left over after filling the 12 shortbread cups.

I am so glad that I gave this challenge a shot, it was so much fun and I definitely pushed my own boundaries!


Maple Mousse

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 package (about 1/2 tbsp) unflavoured gelatine
• 3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan, and then remove from the heat
2. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks while slowly adding some of the hot maple syrup
3. Add the egg/syrup mixture back to the remaining maple syrup and mix well
4. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of whipping cream, sprinkle in the gelatine, and let sit for about 5 minutes
5. Microwave the whipping cream/gelatine mixture at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the gelatine has dissolved
6. Pour the whipping cream/gelatine mixture into the maple/egg and whisk completely
7. Set aside and whisk every 10 to 15 minutes until set 
8. When the mixture has set (has a thick consistency), whip up the remaining 1/2 cup of whipping cream and fold it into maple syrup mixture
9. Let refrigerate for at least an hour
10. Enjoy!