THETA CLASS (July 2007 - Strawberry Mirror Cake)
Saffron & Blueberry - Hilda
The Persnickety Palate - Julia
The Baker & The Curry Maker - Sathya & Liz
Vanille & Chocolat - Inne
Tastes Like Home - Cynthia
Le Petite Boulanger - Amrita
My Lime Green Kitchen - Erin
Chubby Cheeks Making Sweet Treats - Michelle & Linda
The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz - Paz
A Few of My Favourite Things - Cin
Chez Denise et Laudalino - Denise
Life Love Chocolate - Connie
A Whisk and a Spoon - Steph
Once Upon a Tart - Myriam
Wish I Were Baking - David
Viaggi & Sapori - Orchidea
The Gilded Fork - Monica
Wishing on Clovers - Christina
Andrea’s Recipes - Andrea
Sunita’s World - Sunita
A Cat in the Kitchen - Dagmar
The Noisy Oven - Mel
Taste and Tell - Deborah
Little Bouffe - Renata
Food Lover’s Journey - Anh
Dad-Baker & Chef - Dharm
Kitchen Gone to the Dogs - Rachel
Monday, July 30, 2007
Strawberry Mirror Cake
The filling was quite tasty and I loved the way it thickened up when whipped.
But gelatin--and Jellos in general--and I are not on speaking terms. If only they would stop all that wiggling!! It's as if THEY ARE ALIVE!!!
My gelatin topping would not stop being alive and insisted on jumping off the cake whenever I was looking away--or even when I had my eyes right on it--them?!!
The soft pink of the filling, the white of the cake and the clear red of the (active) topping looked wonderful together. People kept drifting by and asking to eat it. It's a very pretty dessert.
Here's the official recipe from the Daring Bakers, a very old fashioned recipe that seems daringly new: Mirror Cake. It has a glossy covering on the top that's reflective.
Strawberry Mirror Cake
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 TBSP sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
½ cup water
1/3 cups sugar
2 TBSP kirsch or strawberry liqueur
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
2 ½ TBSP unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups strained strawberry puree(1 ½ baskets)
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 TBSP lemon juice
several drops of red food coloring
1 ¾ cups whipping cream
Strawberry Mirror
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TBSP kirsch
1 TBSP water
1 TBSP unflavored gelatin
Few drops of red food coloring
Strawberry Juice
1 ½ pints of strawberries(18 oz)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1.Preheat oven to 450F. Butter and flour the sides of an 11-by-17 inch jelly roll pan(rimmed baking sheet). Line bottom of pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit bottom pan exactly.
2.Beat eggs, egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar together in a medium bowl until thick and light. Beat in the vanilla.
3.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, ad cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to form peaks. Add the 2 TBSP sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks(do not over beat).
4.Sift flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in . Stir in one fourth of the whites. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
5.Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until light brown and springy to touch(7 to 10 minutes). Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife along edge to loosen. Invert cake tin to cut out 8 ¼ inch circles of cake. Wrap the cake layers, separated with waxed paper, and set aside. Cake may be frozen at this point.
6.To make soaking syrup: Combine water and the 1/3 cup sugar in saucepan; bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Cool to room temperature; flavor with liqueur. Set aside or refrigerate in glass jar until ready to use.
7.To assemble cake: Brush sides of 10-inch springform pan lightly with flavorless salad oil or almond oil. Cut out a cardboard circle that is exactly the same size as the bottom inside of the pan; cover cardboard with aluminum foil and fit into bottom of pan. Center one layer of the cake bottom of pan. Brush the cake with some of the soaking syrup to just moisten(not drench) the cake; set aside.
8.Prepare Strawberry Bavarian Cream. Immediately pour about half of the Bavarian Cream over the first layer of cake in the pan. Set the next layer of cake on top of the cream. Pour remaining Bavarian Cream over cake and smooth top of the cream with spatula. Refrigerate until the cream sets(1 to 2 hours).
9.Prepare the Strawberry Mirror.
10.To serve: Wrap a hot towel around the outside of springform pan for a few minutes. Run a small sharp knife tip around the edge of the Strawberry Mirror to separate it form the sides of pan. Mirror will tear when sides are unlatched if it is stuck at ANY point. Slowly unlatch the pan and slide it off the cake. Slice cake in wedges and serve in upright slices.
Prep Work
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
1.Sprinkle the gelatin over the strawberry puree in a small bowl and set aside until spongy.
2.Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl' beat until light. Bring milk to a boil in sauce pan. Pour hot milk into yolk mixture ans stir with a wooden spoon(it doesn't say so but I would temper the egg mixture first to be safe). Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail in sauce when drawn across the back of the spoon.(Do not boil or mixture will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin mixture. Pour into a stainless steel bowl places over a bowl of ice water. Stir in lemon juice and a few drops of red food coloring. Cool over ice water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to the consistency of softly whipped cream.
3.White gelatin mixture is cooling, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. When the gelatin mixture resembles softly whipped cream, fold the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture.
Strawberry Mirror
1.Prepare strawberry juice.
2.Place lemon juice, kirsch, and water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over this mixture; set aside until spongy and soft.
3.Measure 1 ½ cups Strawberry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer; pour over gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve gelatin. Tint to desired color with red food coloring. Place bowl over bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until the mixture is syrupy and just beings to thicken(do not let jell); remove from ice water.
4.When mixture is syrupy, pour a 1/16-inch layer over the top of cake. Refrigerate until set.
Strawberry Juice
Wash and hull strawberries; coarsely chop. Place strawberries in saucepan; crush to start juices flowing. Place over low heat; add sugar and water; simmer slowly 10 minutes. Pour juice and pulp through damp jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined colander and drain into a bowl for 15 minutes(Do not press down on fruit).
Adapted from Cakes and Pastries At The Academy by the California Culinary Academy 1993
But gelatin--and Jellos in general--and I are not on speaking terms. If only they would stop all that wiggling!! It's as if THEY ARE ALIVE!!!
My gelatin topping would not stop being alive and insisted on jumping off the cake whenever I was looking away--or even when I had my eyes right on it--them?!!
The soft pink of the filling, the white of the cake and the clear red of the (active) topping looked wonderful together. People kept drifting by and asking to eat it. It's a very pretty dessert.
Here's the official recipe from the Daring Bakers, a very old fashioned recipe that seems daringly new: Mirror Cake. It has a glossy covering on the top that's reflective.
Strawberry Mirror Cake
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 TBSP sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
½ cup water
1/3 cups sugar
2 TBSP kirsch or strawberry liqueur
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
2 ½ TBSP unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups strained strawberry puree(1 ½ baskets)
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups milk
1 TBSP lemon juice
several drops of red food coloring
1 ¾ cups whipping cream
Strawberry Mirror
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TBSP kirsch
1 TBSP water
1 TBSP unflavored gelatin
Few drops of red food coloring
Strawberry Juice
1 ½ pints of strawberries(18 oz)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1.Preheat oven to 450F. Butter and flour the sides of an 11-by-17 inch jelly roll pan(rimmed baking sheet). Line bottom of pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit bottom pan exactly.
2.Beat eggs, egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar together in a medium bowl until thick and light. Beat in the vanilla.
3.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, ad cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to form peaks. Add the 2 TBSP sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks(do not over beat).
4.Sift flour over the egg yolk mixture and fold in . Stir in one fourth of the whites. Then carefully fold in the remaining whites.
5.Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until light brown and springy to touch(7 to 10 minutes). Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife along edge to loosen. Invert cake tin to cut out 8 ¼ inch circles of cake. Wrap the cake layers, separated with waxed paper, and set aside. Cake may be frozen at this point.
6.To make soaking syrup: Combine water and the 1/3 cup sugar in saucepan; bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Cool to room temperature; flavor with liqueur. Set aside or refrigerate in glass jar until ready to use.
7.To assemble cake: Brush sides of 10-inch springform pan lightly with flavorless salad oil or almond oil. Cut out a cardboard circle that is exactly the same size as the bottom inside of the pan; cover cardboard with aluminum foil and fit into bottom of pan. Center one layer of the cake bottom of pan. Brush the cake with some of the soaking syrup to just moisten(not drench) the cake; set aside.
8.Prepare Strawberry Bavarian Cream. Immediately pour about half of the Bavarian Cream over the first layer of cake in the pan. Set the next layer of cake on top of the cream. Pour remaining Bavarian Cream over cake and smooth top of the cream with spatula. Refrigerate until the cream sets(1 to 2 hours).
9.Prepare the Strawberry Mirror.
10.To serve: Wrap a hot towel around the outside of springform pan for a few minutes. Run a small sharp knife tip around the edge of the Strawberry Mirror to separate it form the sides of pan. Mirror will tear when sides are unlatched if it is stuck at ANY point. Slowly unlatch the pan and slide it off the cake. Slice cake in wedges and serve in upright slices.
Prep Work
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
1.Sprinkle the gelatin over the strawberry puree in a small bowl and set aside until spongy.
2.Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl' beat until light. Bring milk to a boil in sauce pan. Pour hot milk into yolk mixture ans stir with a wooden spoon(it doesn't say so but I would temper the egg mixture first to be safe). Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail in sauce when drawn across the back of the spoon.(Do not boil or mixture will curdle.) Immediately remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin mixture. Pour into a stainless steel bowl places over a bowl of ice water. Stir in lemon juice and a few drops of red food coloring. Cool over ice water, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens to the consistency of softly whipped cream.
3.White gelatin mixture is cooling, whip the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. When the gelatin mixture resembles softly whipped cream, fold the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture.
Strawberry Mirror
1.Prepare strawberry juice.
2.Place lemon juice, kirsch, and water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over this mixture; set aside until spongy and soft.
3.Measure 1 ½ cups Strawberry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer; pour over gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve gelatin. Tint to desired color with red food coloring. Place bowl over bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until the mixture is syrupy and just beings to thicken(do not let jell); remove from ice water.
4.When mixture is syrupy, pour a 1/16-inch layer over the top of cake. Refrigerate until set.
Strawberry Juice
Wash and hull strawberries; coarsely chop. Place strawberries in saucepan; crush to start juices flowing. Place over low heat; add sugar and water; simmer slowly 10 minutes. Pour juice and pulp through damp jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined colander and drain into a bowl for 15 minutes(Do not press down on fruit).
Adapted from Cakes and Pastries At The Academy by the California Culinary Academy 1993
Top 10 summer desserts
Top 10 Easy Summer Desserts
As requested, here's a list of my current top 10 easy summer desserts. They take only minutes to make, shape, bake, or chill. You might have to try all of them!
1. Ice Cream Pie
Buy or make a pie shell, fill with softened ice cream, refreeze and enjoy!
2. Ice Cream Burrito
Fry in butter a flour tortilla until it puffs, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, fill with vanilla ice cream, mmm.
3. Blueberry Pie
Buy or make a pie shell; if in a hurry, cook pie shell and make pie filling separately, add sugar to taste (usually 1/4 to 1/2 c.), a little lemon juice and 2 T. tapioca to blueberries and stir on top of the stove until juice oozes out, then scoop into golden pie crust, fantastic.
4. Ice Cream Bon-Bon
Scoop a small round ball of ice cream and roll in melted chocolate, refreeze, delightful.
5. Ice Cream Sandwich
Use cookies, sandwich with softened ice cream, roll in chips or nuts on the edge, refreeze and yum!
6. Ice Cream Cake
Cut a cake in two or four parts, sandwich with softened ice cream, refreeze. May be iced over the top, usually with whipped cream or chocolate sauce. Go-o-od.
7. Apple Crumble
Cut several apples into bite-sized pieces, add enough brown sugar to totally cover each piece (at least 1/4 c.), add cinnamon to taste, add a handful of oats to cover the top, cook at 350 until golden brown, crunchy and sweet.
8. Raspberry Sauced Cake
Chop some raspberries, tumble them with white sugar to cover each one, pour over white cake. Add more raspberries on top until cake is deliciously buried.
9. Fruit Ice Cream
Cut fresh fruit into bite sizes and stir into soft vanilla ice cream. Freeze only lightly 'till like soft ice cream. Lovely.
10. Fruit Salad
Use your favorite fruits and only 2 or 3 different kinds at a time to keep distinctive tastes. Too-sour fruits may be rolled in confectionery sugar. Cut to mouth size, refrigerate briefly until chilled. Nuts may be added for crunch or small scoops of sorbet. Cool and good.
The tricks for making a dramatic result are twofold: taste and contrast/visual impact. Therefore, pick ice cream or fruits that you and your guests really like, that taste good together. Contrast comes from different colors and textures. Therefore, chocolate and vanilla work well. If you want to keep it very simple, the ice cream and the crust in ice cream pie make a soft and crunchy contrast. But you can heighten the experience by adding other sensory elements of both taste and texture. Fruit and candy mix-ins have become very popular for exactly this reason. You can use any fruit or candy, just be sure to cut everything into bite-size pieces or even smaller, because some candies and fruit, including crushed rocha, toffees, strawberries pieces, and sauces like Nutella, freeze very hard, and will make the pie hard to cut and hard to eat. For ice cream pie and the like, use layers: peanuts, chocolate ice cream, thin layer of Nutella, crushed rocha, vanilla ice cream, rows of large milk chocolate chips. (See picture.)
Mel Baker is writing a cookbook.
As requested, here's a list of my current top 10 easy summer desserts. They take only minutes to make, shape, bake, or chill. You might have to try all of them!
1. Ice Cream Pie
Buy or make a pie shell, fill with softened ice cream, refreeze and enjoy!
2. Ice Cream Burrito
Fry in butter a flour tortilla until it puffs, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, fill with vanilla ice cream, mmm.
3. Blueberry Pie
Buy or make a pie shell; if in a hurry, cook pie shell and make pie filling separately, add sugar to taste (usually 1/4 to 1/2 c.), a little lemon juice and 2 T. tapioca to blueberries and stir on top of the stove until juice oozes out, then scoop into golden pie crust, fantastic.
4. Ice Cream Bon-Bon
Scoop a small round ball of ice cream and roll in melted chocolate, refreeze, delightful.
5. Ice Cream Sandwich
Use cookies, sandwich with softened ice cream, roll in chips or nuts on the edge, refreeze and yum!
6. Ice Cream Cake
Cut a cake in two or four parts, sandwich with softened ice cream, refreeze. May be iced over the top, usually with whipped cream or chocolate sauce. Go-o-od.
7. Apple Crumble
Cut several apples into bite-sized pieces, add enough brown sugar to totally cover each piece (at least 1/4 c.), add cinnamon to taste, add a handful of oats to cover the top, cook at 350 until golden brown, crunchy and sweet.
8. Raspberry Sauced Cake
Chop some raspberries, tumble them with white sugar to cover each one, pour over white cake. Add more raspberries on top until cake is deliciously buried.
9. Fruit Ice Cream
Cut fresh fruit into bite sizes and stir into soft vanilla ice cream. Freeze only lightly 'till like soft ice cream. Lovely.
10. Fruit Salad
Use your favorite fruits and only 2 or 3 different kinds at a time to keep distinctive tastes. Too-sour fruits may be rolled in confectionery sugar. Cut to mouth size, refrigerate briefly until chilled. Nuts may be added for crunch or small scoops of sorbet. Cool and good.
The tricks for making a dramatic result are twofold: taste and contrast/visual impact. Therefore, pick ice cream or fruits that you and your guests really like, that taste good together. Contrast comes from different colors and textures. Therefore, chocolate and vanilla work well. If you want to keep it very simple, the ice cream and the crust in ice cream pie make a soft and crunchy contrast. But you can heighten the experience by adding other sensory elements of both taste and texture. Fruit and candy mix-ins have become very popular for exactly this reason. You can use any fruit or candy, just be sure to cut everything into bite-size pieces or even smaller, because some candies and fruit, including crushed rocha, toffees, strawberries pieces, and sauces like Nutella, freeze very hard, and will make the pie hard to cut and hard to eat. For ice cream pie and the like, use layers: peanuts, chocolate ice cream, thin layer of Nutella, crushed rocha, vanilla ice cream, rows of large milk chocolate chips. (See picture.)
Mel Baker is writing a cookbook.
Daring Baker challenge
I dare! And I will be posting fairly shortly the Strawberry Mirror Cake if I can get the pictures to load again!!
Friday, July 13, 2007
print column
So the column this week was on CAKE, not popovers or even cream puffs, who ended up being in the running. (Good image there, eh?) Writing columns is interesting and hard in a way I didn't expect, having done so much writing and cooking before. For one thing, it's a weekly column, and I both write and shoot pictures for it. Of course in my life, there are innumerable ways to--well, let's say, create challenges for myself to solve. At the last minute. In fact, I made my personal deadline earlier because if the camera or I or the food were messed up, I have an extra day built in to deal with it. That has really worked for me so far--usually the task expands to fit any amount of time that I have before it's due. ;-). But after having massive camera glitches (with TWO separate cameras!), the PHOTO LAB CLOSE because of machine failure with my film IN the machine (didn't see that one coming), and food failures (there's another book), I decided ya know there are EASIER ways to do this.
MID summer
Ya know, this HAS to be mid-summer right?? Doesn't summer FLASH past for you? I fell as if I'm just getting used to this...whereas winter, now, you gotta get used to that RIGHT away or your tootsies get mighty cold. I've thrilled to say that another newspaper has picked up my column!!! Thank you!! So now it's time to do contests!!!!?? And be a Daring Baker too!!! Thanks for the comments!
Anyway, go and cook something everyone--just be sure and stay cool--air conditioner or fan or open window, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the heat without realizing. Bake on!
Anyway, go and cook something everyone--just be sure and stay cool--air conditioner or fan or open window, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the heat without realizing. Bake on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)