EAT DRINK LIVE

SIGUE SIGUE SPUDNIK.

Eep! It's Daring Bakers time and yet again I've been twiddling my thumbs and convincing myself I have plenty of time. I don't. Today is the day and Tanna's Tender Potato Bread is still in it's raw spud state. As potato and bread are two of my favourite things I can't not do this challenge so I'm baking in real time and will post as I go along. I've only got enough ingredients for one attempt so this may fall flat on it's potato head, but better to dare to fail than fail to dare right?! I'm off to flay and chop these spuds into little pieces...

... I managed to mash the potatoes successfully, now the hard work really starts...

... it's dough shaped at least, left to rise and out of my hands now. I'll post again if and when I have some bread to show off. All extremities crossed.

Some time later...

Woo hoo! I have bread! Two loaves to be exact but the battery just died on my camera so the second loaf will have to wait until later (just call this the never-ending post). What you see back up there at the top is the foccacia version drizzled with olive oil, salt and rosemary. It is very tasty and my little one got her hands on it straight in the door from school, but it's the second loaf I'm dying to try. A more traditional loaf shape it's filled with wholegrain mustard and melted cheddar and the smell of it is tormenting me as we speak. Not to worry I'll have the picture up and the bread in my belly in a matter of moments...

Apologies to all who have popped in here during the day for my erratic behaviour. If you've just arrived (where were you in my hour of need?) the "real time" posting may not make much sense now that the challenge is done and dusted generously with flour. To sum up: The DB challenge for this month was for a tender potato bread. The recipe was simple to follow (thank you Tanna!), producing a wonderfully soft, slightly sticky dough that rose beautifully as all doughs should. Formed and baked it produces a tender loaf with a chewy, crusty crust. The foccacia accompanied our pasta dinner tonight and the cheese and mustard stuffed loaf is like a ready made Welsh Rarebit you can just slice off when the need arises. And it will arise.

Follow the Daring Bakers Blogroll for other far more organised posts.

DROWNING IN A PUDDLE OF CUSTARD.

Does anyone dare to pull me out? Is it Daring Bakers time again? Yes, I'm afraid so and what begins as a mere puddle here becomes a sea out in the blogosphere. Mary at Alpineberry is responsible for the eggy-fest that is our challenge this month (there's a whole lot of tired hens out there). Her favourite dessert at Scala's Bistro in San Francisco is Bostini Cream Pie (yes Bostini not Boston) and she just had to go and find the recipe. There are now a whole lot of happy bakers who are glad she did.

Time was when I would wax lyrical about each stage of the baking process of our challenges but as there are now a squillion of us (give or take a kazillion) I won't keep you. Needless to say I left mine until yesterday and my willing guinea pigs were Val and her two boys. The elements of the dessert are a velvet custard topped with a light and airy orange chiffon cake, liberally doused with a glossy chocolate glaze. The boys had their cakes on dry land with just a little chocolate while the rest of us had our heads deep in our bowls until we were done.

My favourite layer was the custard but all three worked harmoniously together giving you a restaurant quality dessert perfect for schmoozing your dinner guests. Though not exactly something you throw together at the last minute, if you have a couple of hours (and the vast majority of your bowls, pots and spatulas) to concentrate on the custard and cakes they can be left ready and waiting for their mirror finish just before serving.

This is the direction you need to go in to see the rest of the Bostinis, just don't forget to come up for air.

Bostini Cream Pie
(from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala's Bistro)
(makes 8 generous servings)

INGREDIENTS:

Custard (Pastry Cream)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the custard (pastry cream):
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the glaze:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.

To assemble:
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.

Note: I got 12 regular sized muffin shaped baby-cakes and 1 x 8 inch cake from this recipe.

SUGAR AND SPICE...

...and all things nice. That's what Daring Bakers are made of! It's unlikely I'll be the only one going for this title for our challenge but once it got stuck in my head there was no shifting it. Anyway, it would be hard to think of a better way to sum up the cinnamon rolls/sticky buns that Marce at Pip in the City chose for us this month. I missed out on the chocolate/caramel tart last time but there was no way I was going to miss these. Bread and I have always been on good terms so adding sugar and cinnamon into the equation took the relationship to another level. If the sticky buns propose I just might say yes.

I had my own little sugar-and-spice girl (with just a dash of puppy-dog tail) to help me and we made them on Friday (with two whole days to spare). The buttery dough is a joy to work with exorcising any yeast demons left over from my last attempt at buns. It only needs 15 minutes of attention before you can set it aside to prove in peace. You can make the dough entirely in the mixer but don't let the machine have all the fun, once the dough has formed into a ball get stuck in with your hands until the dough feels silky smooth and supple to the touch. When the dough has doubled in size simply roll it out into a rectangle (the dough rolls out easily without shrinking back), sprinkle with cinnamon-laced sugar, roll into a swirly sausage and slice off your buns making them as big, or little, as you choose. This is the point at which you need to decide whether to take the sticky road or not.

Caramel seems to sneak its way into most of our challenges and I rarely get away without a burn or three so I almost decided not to stickify my buns. There were too many weak-at-the-knees experiences from other members though so the dough was divided in two and the first aid kit kept within easy reach. In the end all precautions were unnecessary as the caramel pretty much makes itself in the oven. I just had to keep an eye on the tray and try to make sure I got it out of the oven before a golden, oozing caramel sauce became a tooth shattering sugar fossil. There were some Vesuvian eruptions at the bottom of my oven but aside from a paper cut from the recipe printout (I got lemon juice on it. I was in pain.) I don't think there will be any permanent scars.

Each bun has its own charms, I tested both extensively to try and choose a winner. The fondant glazed buns were my little ones favourite so much so she made off with the leftover bowl of icing and was not seen for some time. Under threat of torture I would probably choose the sticky buns I just need to make another batch first. Life-changing decisions such as these should not be made lightly. Perhaps if I tried a cardamom and pistachio version next, followed by nutmeg and walnut....

As always go visit the Daring Bakers Site to salivate over all of our fabulous buns.

Cinnamon and Sticky Buns

(from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice)

Days to Make: One (1)
Active/Resting/Baking Time: 15 minutes to mix, 3 1/2 hours fermentation/shaping/proofing, 20 - 40 minutes to bake
Recipe Quantity: Eight(1) - twelve (12) large rolls or twelve (12) - sixteen (16) small rolls

Making the Dough

Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1 teaspoon grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast*
• 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature OR 3 tablespoons powdered milk (DMS) and 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or any other spices you want to use, cardamom, ginger, allspice, etc.)
• White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns or caramel glaze for sticky buns (at the end of the recipe.)
• Walnuts, pecans, or other nuts (for sticky buns.)
• Raisins or other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries (for sticky buns, optional.)

*Instant yeast contains about 25% more living cells per spoonful than active dry yeast, regardless of the brand. Instant yeast is also called rapid-rise or fast-rising.

Step 1 - Making the Dough: Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand).

Note: if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, and add the water with the flour and yeast.

Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 2 - Fermentation: Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 3 - Form the Buns: Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter.

To shape the buns: (A) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump. (B)Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and (C) roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns, or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.)

Step 4 - Prepare the Buns for Proofing:

• For cinnamon buns: line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.

• For sticky buns: coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high with a 1/4 inch layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts and raisins (if you are using raisins or dried fruit.) You do not need a lot of nuts and raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.

Step 5 - Proof the Buns: Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Step 6 - Bake the Buns:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.

• Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan and into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark and done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven.

Step 8 - Cool the buns:

• For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.

• For the sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove them by flipping them over into another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

Toppings for the Buns:

White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns

Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.

Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.

When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)

Caramel glaze for sticky buns

Caramel glaze is essentially some combination of sugar and fat, cooked until it caramelizes. The trick is catching it just when the sugar melts and lightly caramelizes to a golden amber. Then it will cool to a soft, creamy caramel. If you wait too long and the glaze turns dark brown, it will cool to a hard, crack-your-teeth consistency. Most sticky bun glazes contain other ingredients to influence flavor and texture, such as corn syrup to keep the sugar from crystallizing and flavor extracts or oils, such as vanilla or lemon. This version makes the best sticky bun glaze of any I´ve tried. It was developed by my wife, Susan, for Brother Juniper´s Cafe in Forestville, California.
NOTE: you can substitute the corn syrup for any neutral flavor syrup, like cane syrup or gold syrup.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature.

2. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1 teaspoon lemon, orange or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

3. Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/4-inch layer. Refrigerate and save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.

NOT SO DARING BAKER...

I feel a little strange posting about the fact that I'm not posting a recipe but it's Daring Baker time again and I did not do the challenge this month (note: head is hanging in shame). I had every intention of making it last weekend, but Sunday was all blue skies with the odd scudding cloud, so I dropped spatulas, grabbed the child and hightailed it off to Fota Wildlife Park in Cork. I still had hopes of fitting it in somehow but methinks I did procrastinate a little too much this time because the day for unveiling our masterpieces has arrived and I have nothing behind curtain no. 2. All is not lost however, Veronica and Patricia chose a delectable Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart which will have you short-circuiting your keyboard just as soon as you visit the many versions that will be popping up throughout the day on the eclectic bunch of Daring Baker blogs. So go visit, drool and come back and remind me just how much I'm missing by not having a slice of it in front of me. I'm going to do the rounds on bended knee pleading forgiveness for being so undaring...

REFLECTIONS OF....

We've gone straight back to the land of cream and sugar with our Daring Bakers' challenge this month, but that's to be expected when our sugar loving Peabody is at the helm. She chose this elegant and luscious Strawberry Mirror Cake because it just said "Summer" in rather loud and bossy tones. If you're going to make a cake that calls for several pounds of strawberries then this is the time to do it. The layers of sponge soaked in Kirsch-laced syrup (mine were getting in shape for bikini season and are on the skinny side) are surrounded by a strawberry bavarian cream and topped by a strawberry jelly "mirror". A pretty-in-pink dessert for a summers day.

I have a post-birthday party little one suffering the aftermath of a sugar overdose sitting beside me, so you'll have to forgive a brief post and a rapid dissection of the cake. I didn't have any major problems this time round, making it in one day and my fingers emerged unscathed with not a burn in sight. The sponge is a foam-based one which needs much beating of eggs to get that whoosh of volume needed for a fluffy cake. My baking tray was smaller than that called for in the recipe so I was a little too cautious with the quantity of batter I poured into it, hence the slimline cakes, though thankfully the texture was still light and airy. The sponges are brushed with a sugar syrup to add flavour and Kirsch was the tipple of choice as it matches well with the strawberries.

I didn't get off scot-free though as the custard base of my bavarian cream curdled the first time round. Bavarian cream is egg-custard based, set with gelatine (or agar-agar), enriched with cream and, in this case, flavoured with a large quantity of gorily, pulverized strawberries (my little one worryingly got great pleasure out of this stage). When set it becomes mousse-like in texture. I was faithfully stirring away waiting for the custard to thicken when I caught the unmistakable smell of scrambled eggs. Some choice phrases later, followed by "Mummy are you grumpy?", followed by me starting all over again resulted in an, eventually, smooth pink-hued cream. This needs to be poured over the sponge layers immediately, before it begins to set. Put the first sponge layer in a spring-form about an inch wider than it and pour over half the cream, centre the other layer on top and pour over the rest. This method gives the cake the lovely effect of cake layers suspended in strawberry mousse. Take a break now as a two hour stopover in the fridge is necessary at this point.

The mirror was my favourite part, as the only jelly I had ever met was the packet type that needed to be dissolved in water and re-set. Unimpressed with this as a kid, I got a real kick out of making my own from scratch. Once you have extracted every drop of juice from yet more strawberries and added your setting agent (throw in some more Kirsch for good measure) you cool it until it becomes syrupy and pour it over the the top of the strawberry cream. Make sure you let the mirror cool enough so that all your hard work doesn't dissolve into a pink puddle before your eyes. Leave the whole ensemble to set overnight, just to be on the safe side.

I couldn't bring myself to decorate the cake, I claim elegant minimalism you may say lazy, but this is really about the strawberries so why mess around. In fact the hardest part of this challenge was trying to get a decent picture. I don't know why exactly but the mirror refused to come out red and decided to go with an orange look for it's internet debut. I tried several slices at so many different angles but to no avail, leaving me with a number of slices to dipose of (all of which tasted red), please leave your sympathies in the comments below.

To browse through all the efforts of the other Daring Bakers, take a look at our fancy schmancy new blogroll site put together by the industrious Lisa and Ivonne. The link is over there on the right.

Below is the recipe as swiped from Peabody, anyone needing conversions to weight measurements just let me know. I can't resist a quick picture of the birthday girl (forgive the presence of the inevitable fizzy drink bottle) She has begun to emerge from her sugar-coma and is becoming very vocal in her protests at the length of time I've spent in front of the computer. Perhaps a medicinal slice of cake is necessary.... for both of us.

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.While 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

YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND....!

Is it Daring Baker time again?! Time does fly when you are procrastinating (once again) until the last minute. We're baking in the round this time, Real Honest Jewish Purist bagels chosen by Jenny @ All Things Edible and Freya @ Writing at the Kitchen Table. Wikipedia comes up with a perfectly condensed history as always. This is my third Daring baker challenge and probably the most user friendly so far as it doesn't need two days of forward thinking so I would highly recommend trying it. I know people who regularly bake their own bread (I am not one of those people) vouch for how satisfying it can be but it is true and breadmaking is one of the most tactile forms of baking, particularly if you like to get your hands dirty.

Give yourself about four hours, I started at 10 o'clock and left the last batch cooling on the rack as I ran out the door at 2. The majority of this time is taken up by rising and baking so catch up on your reading. The steps involved are, first awakening the yeast to ensure edible bagels as opposed to doorstops, then some hands-on kneading, we're being purists here so no countertop robots allowed! Next a short-rise, forming the bagels and poaching them in sweetened water before the final sprinkling of your chosen topping and then into the oven. Easy peasy.

IT'S ALIVE! It's been a long time since I worked with yeast but this was the fastest rising I've ever seen. Once I had checked that my yeast-killing demons were not lurking in my cupboards, I got stuck into some kneading. The recipe has a guideline amount of flour so you need to try and get a feel for the dough, adding enough to form a smooth, but not too dry and heavy dough. Once I felt happy with it I found a warmish spot, covered the bowl and left it to it's own devices for a while. One word of warning - doubled up this makes a serious amount of dough so use a big bowl. As I said it's a short rise maybe 30-45 minutes. My favourite part was punching down and forming the bagels. The recipe makes about 15 large bagels, some of the others got more, a few got less. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not the fussy, perfectionist type and so I did not weigh my mass of dough, divide it by fifteen and then weigh each individual chunk. The thought never even crossed my mind. There are then two methods of shaping the bagels - forming a sausage and joining the ends together securely, or patting them into a flattish circle and poking a hole in it with your finger. I went with the latter. Some of the others advised making the holes quite big or else they are liable to disappear during poaching and baking (one advantage to my procrastination is profiting from the experiences of others!) I kept spinning them around and around on my fingers until little chasms had formed.

Some Shakespearean cauldron bubbling next, to poach the bagels and give them their traditional chewy texture. They are supposed to sink first and then float to the top of the just bubbling water, mine floated straight away much to my disappointment. It's not the end of the world but it does have some effect on their chewiness. Don't overcrowd the saucepan and poach for 3 minutes each side flipping with a slotted spoon and of course your fingers (no Daring Baker challenge is complete without scarring your fingertips) then remove to a clean kitchen towel until you have prepared them all.

Here are my almost bagels heading for the oven, a little cellulite riddled but sufficiently bagelesque nonetheless. I went for poppy seed and Maldon salt toppings because my little one is a bagel fan and I didn't want to alienate those little tastebuds with anything more exotic. Bake for 20 minutes or so then flip them over and bake for another ten minutes. This is supposed to prevent a flat bottom to your bagel but it seemed to make little difference to mine. Cellulite and a flat ass, is there no justice? I'm not sure how "pure" my Jewish purists bagels are but they are dense, chewy, yeasty and damn good spread inch-thick with cream cheese.

Head over to Jenny for the recipe or find the original one here and don't forget to check out all the Daring Baker efforts! We need your esteemed words of encouragement!

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

                        

The Daring Bakers return for another intrepid adventure in sugar! Not content to just lick our wounds from last months sanity defying recipe, we embarked on our new mission (as we chose to accept it) to master the arts of pastry making, two kinds of pastry actually... and caramel.. again. Hurled, guided onto the path to patisserie heaven by Helene at Tartlette and Anita at Dessert First, when I saw this challenge for the classic French Gateau Saint Honore, my first thought was to turn tail and run. My next, more cunning, plan was to take a spontaneous trip to Paris, take in a museum or two and pop into a patisserie for "a little something for the trip home". Instead, after procrastinating until the last minute, the thoughts of what I would eventually be sinking my teeth into proved incentive enough.

I'm going to try and keep this post fairly short, for my own sake as well as yours, as there are almost fifty of us posting this gateau today (find the links on the main page) all of which must be admired and a congratulatory comment left, (yes that is a brazen hint!) in order to boost our fragile egos. The gateau is named after St. Honore the patron Saint of pastry chefs and bakers (appropriate no?!) whose feast day is celebrated on May 16th. So, from the top. Okay the bottom really... starting with a base of HOMEMADE puff pastry, I went for a heart shape to keep my little one happy, on top of this are rings of choux pastry to keep the pastry cream under control . Top with pastry cream filled choux puffs gilded with caramel, a little whipped cream and by now the berries are beginning to feel outnumbered. Sounds delicious? There are no words. Sounds daunting? Absolutely.

We were given the option of using shop bought puff pastry and as this was the scariest part for me I did think about it, but I had made croissants once before and the techniques are similar so I rolled up my sleeves and took the plunge. Little secret? Puff pastry isn't difficult, patience and time are as important as the butter and flour in this recipe so you'll need to be in or near your kitchen for six hours or so. The actual working time is only about half an hour then the dough needs to be rested for an hour between each rolling and folding. It is a joy to work with and there is a certain satisfaction to pounding the butter then feeling the dough becoming smooth and elastic as you regularly roll and fold. Put on some music, do a little dance, make a few beds and get down to some laundry. Before you know it you'll have a slab of beautiful pastry and an immaculate house, apart from the kitchen. Leave it to rest in the fridge overnight before the next stage.

Choux pastry next folks. I had made profiteroles before but not always successfully and often soggy so I was still nervous about this stage. Much quicker to make, it involves heating water and butter in a saucepan, beating in the flour until the whole mess forms a thick smooth dough then beating in the eggs one at a time. While I had a moment or two of lumpy dough this was resolved by squishing the lumps against the sides of the saucepan. To ease the burden on your arms transfer the dough to a stand mixer before beating in the eggs. The main thing to remember here is not to add the eggs all at once, you're looking for the consistency of thick mayonnaise so that the choux rings and puffs will hold they're shape before going in the oven. Keep the oven closed until they have risen, then keep an eye on them until golden and dry, removing them from the oven as they are ready. I found that once they lifted easily off the parchment paper they were done. The rings are baked directly on the puff pastry and take longer, what you're looking for here is a deep gold and puffy base to your cake.

If your nerves aren't completely frazzled by now get started on the pastry cream filling. Essentially this is custard enriched with cream and lightened to cloud-like airiness with meringue. The only part that might cause problems is the custard and again patience is needed so you don't end up with scrambled eggs. I found the directions in the recipe helpful so just keep the heat under the saucepan low and stir... and stir. The rest is simply stirring in cream and folding in stiffly beaten egg-whites and you can choose your own flavouring. My heart belongs to vanilla so this is what I used.

Okay, you don't HAVE to make the caramel, and my poor hand suffered the consequences of this second outing in spinning sugar but it was my own carelessness really. The choux puffs are supposed to be dipped in the molten caramel after being filled with the pastry cream (you will need a pastry bag for this) then left to set before crowning the gateau. Despite my war wounds it was these little beauties that had my tasters weak at the knees. Assembly is easy just spread out your pastry cream in the centre of the cake, place the puffs on top and decorate as you please. It doesn't have to be fruit but it's strawberry season so how could I not! Despite the sugar strands on the ceiling, I am happy with how it turned out, though if I had a master French patissier at my shoulder throughout I'm sure I would have been rapped on the knuckles umpteen times with a spatula, but it would have been worth it.

When Helene was assuring us that she was not completely mad in expecting us to bake this, (note to self: cancel men in white coats) she told us to close our eyes and picture ourselves in Paris, so as I put on my best Pepe le Peu accent and every now and then peeped in the fridge at my creation, I was there. Perhaps your inner Francophile doesn't have a voice as loud as mine but I urge you to give this a try, if not the whole, then at least an element or two (and lo, on the eight day He did create caramel covered cream puffs, and we did eat them).

Paris can wait, for the time being at least.

For the in depth recipe head over to Helene at Tartlette or Anita at Dessert First. Print it out, read it through a few times, draw a deep breath and find your mixing bowl.

IT'S A PANCAKE CAKE, CAKE...

                        

You have my lovely daughter to thank for this title and she spent the best part of the day highly amused by her own wittiness. For indeed what you see before you is a cake made from layers of chocolate pancakes, (yes, technically speaking they are crepes but that wouldn't have quite the same ring to it) hazelnut meringue cream filling and a chocolate ganache to glaze the entire edifice. Restrained? No. Pure indulgence? Yes. Would I make it again? I don't know. It would make a beautiful dessert-style cake for a birthday dinner topped with a cluster of celebratory sparklers or candles, but they would have to be someone special.

It certainly has the wow factor with crisply defined, contrasting layers of light and dark that are both beautiful to look at and utterly divine to taste ( I had to tell one of my tasters to get a room!) There is no denying that it is time consuming and demands all of your attention for most of this time. Having said that, I would advise you to go for it, just to relish the look on your victims guests faces when you unveil your masterpiece.

The recipe is a Martha Stewart one, chosen by Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas, and the advice that I (and all the others no doubt) would give is to take your time. Do it in stages over a couple of days so you don't feel imprisoned in your kitchen, read through the recipe a couple of times first so you won't have to run out to pick up any ingredients when you're up to your elbows in batter and be prepared to sacrifice your fingertips when flipping those fragile crepes! Make as many layers as you are comfortable with. I used a 8 inch crepe pan with flared sides so mine ended up being about 7 inches across. I made 32 and used.. just a second... 21 crepes before it started leaning drunkenly so I took that as my hint to stop (I reckon Martha used superglue for hers). One other thing, if this is for a celebration, make sure you're not the one making the rest of the food too, the last thing you want to do after spending two days making dessert is to turn around and prepare the meal that precedes it!

Follow the links on the Daring Bakers blog roll on the main page to see many more tempting versions (the authors are not resonsible for the excessive consumption of this cake). My only slight alteration was to substitute a little of the chocolate for the glaze with a Green & Blacks Espresso chocolate I found. The hint of coffee matched well with both the chocolate and the hazelnut though only a hint so as not to be overpowering. After the weeping and gnashing of teeth that could be heard across the Atlantic ocean I can't wait to drool over what the others have done. As we soothe our poor fingertips, (we won't be leaving incriminating evidence at a crime scene anytime soon) we can only try to imagine your expression as we humbly unveil for you our own masterpieces. Modesty has left the building.

Recipe from Martha Stewart.com. See her recipe here

DARKEST CHOCOLATE CREPE CAKE

The Crepes:

• 175g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 225g dark chocolate, (60-70% cocoa solids) finely chopped
• 210g plain flour
• 65g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 600ml full fat milk, room temperature
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbls vanilla extract

1. Bring 60 ml of water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add butter, one piece at a time whisking to combine after each addition. remove from the heat; stir in the chocolate until completely melted. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla together in a large jug. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and gradually whisk in the milk mixture drawing the flour in from the sides as you whisk. When you have a smooth mixture  add the chocolate-butter mix again whisking until smooth as possible. Pour through a fine sieve into another container and cover tightly (with a lid if you have one to fit, or with cling film.) Discard any lumps and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. To make the crepes: Lightly coat an 8 inch crepe pan (or whatever frying pan you have, it being non-stick will make your life a whole lot easier) with melted butter. Heat over a medium heat, remove briefly from the heat to swirl in 2-3 tbls of batter covering the bottom of the pan. What you want is a crepe that is thin enough not to taste rubbery while at the same time able to withstand a certain amount of handling. Reduce the heat slightly and return to the heat. Cook, turning once as best you can (your fingers have my sympathy) for 30 seconds-1 minute each side until cooked through in the centre.
4. Slide the crepe onto a plate and repeat the process until you run out of batter, layering with parchment paper between each crepe. Refrigerate until your ready to assemble the cake.

Hazelnut Filling:

• 165ml double cream
• 6 large egg whites
• 330g caster sugar
• 400g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80ml Nutella (warm a little in the microwave to make it easier to measure)
• 1 tsp salt

1. Put cream into a bowl a medium bowl and beat at a medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate for an hour or so.
2. Whisk the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and the mixture registers 160 C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and attach to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on a high speed until slightly cooled and soft (but not dry) peaks form, about 5 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and at a medium-low speed, add the butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly). Add vanilla, nutella and salt, mix well until mixture comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in chilled whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.
4. Retrieve your crepes from the fridge and place on an 8 inch (or whatever size your crepes are) cardboard round (I cut a round to fit from a cereal box and used the plain side) on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place the first crepe on the card and spread with about tbls of the filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with the filling until you have run out of crepes (or filling) or until your tower begins to lean alarmingly, ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile make ganache.

Chocolate ganache glaze:

• 300ml double cream
• 1 tbls golden syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 280g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped (I substituted 80g Green & Blacks Espresso chocolate)

1. Bring cream, golden syrup and salt to a boil at a medium-high heat in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, swirl pan to cover completely with cream. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

Candied Hazelnuts:

• 9 hazelnuts
• 200g caster sugar

1. Thread each hazelnut onto tip of a long wooden skewer; set aside. Place a chopping board along the edge of a worktop; set a baking tray on the floor underneath.
2. Cook sugar and 60ml of water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals forming. Let boil until syrup turns light amber, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand until slightly cooled.
3. Dip one skewered hazelnut into syrup, coating completely and letting excess caramel drip back into pan. When dripping caramel becomes a thin string secure end of skewer under chopping board, letting string drip over edge onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel has hardened, about 5 minutes. Break strings to about 4 inches. Carefully remove skewers. Or just attempt as I did to make spun sugar by taking spoonfuls of caramel and drizzling them quickly (but carefully) across the handle of a wooden spoon, gather up the strings with your hands (they cool quickly) to form a ball.

To Finish:

1. Spoon some glaze on top of the cake, spreading to the edge of the cake allowing it to drip over the sides. Using an offset spatula spread the glaze around the sides of the cake to cover completely. The edges of the crepes will defy any effort to smooth the sides of the cake but that is as it should be. Refrigerate until the glaze is firm and set. Garnish with candied hazelnuts or spun sugar.
2. When serving, remove the cake from the fridge and cut, while still cold, with a sharp knife warmed under hot running water. This should stop all your filling squeezing out when you slice into it. Then leave the slices to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes so you get the full benefit of the flavour.

I think this would serve 10 generously and would stretch to 12.

DARING BAKERS

                        

I wanted to do a quick introduction to the recipe that I will be posting tomorrow. Last month I joined a group of fellow, baking mad bloggers called The Daring Bakers. Every month they set a challenge where one member chooses a recipe which all members will then recreate. The idea is to choose something that you would not ordinarily make and see the different ways in which each person interprets the recipe, whether we are born fiddlers who can't help but adapt or whether we follow it as closely as possible (that would be me.)

It will be interesting to see how much a difference an ocean will make to the recipe also. Slight differences in flours, measurements, (cups v grams) temperatures, (both oven and weather,) and even levels of humidity can mean the difference between success and frustration. The best part of being involved in a group like this is the interaction between the other members. If you're failing miserably just ask for help, rant, or just feel relieved when you find out you're not the only one!

I'm not going to give anything away but believe me when you see the results tomorrow you'll realise that we're not called Daring for nothing!