Take a look at how we rolled this week! We have one new baker and one rogue baker!
a sweet journey through baked: frontiers | explorations | elements | occasions
by susan
Take a look at how we rolled this week! We have one new baker and one rogue baker!
by susan
How did everyone like these?
by susan
Our next challenge is for Pumpkin Harvest Dunking Cookies – just in time for Autumn.
The next posting date is Sunday, 5 October.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup pumpkin puree (page 100)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces (1 cup) dried cranberries
6 ounces (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the egg, pumpkin, and and vanilla until incorporated.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat for 5 more seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a small ice cream scoop with release mechanism to scoop out dough in a2 tablespoon-size balls (or use a tablespoon measure) and place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
by susan
Take a look at how our talented bakers met the chocolaty challenge this week!
by susan
What did you think of this gooey chocolate Bundt cake?
by susan
Are you ready for something completely decadent? Then these cookies are just the thing!
Posting date is September 13th!
Yield: 40 cookies
For the Candy Bar Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
20 fun-size Mounds, cut in half OR 40 Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups
For the assembly
4 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
4 ounces good-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons sprinkles (optional)
3 tablespoons nonpareils (optional)
Baked Note: This recipe was tested using a variety of candy bars; however, we think it works best with halved, fun-size Bounty (probably hard to find in some areas), Mounds, and 3 Musketeers bars. Whole Rolo caramels and Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups are also great choices.
Make the Candy Bar Cookies
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the egg yolk and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. The dough will look sandy.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap the disk in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the chilled dough and place directly on the work surface. Roll the dough a 1/4-inch thick round. Using a 2 ¼-inch (or thereabouts) round cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the dough scraps and cut out more circles.
Use your hands to roll the candy pieces into the shape of a ball (or vaguely in the shape of a ball). Place each candy ball on a circle of dough and wrap the dough around the candy, covering it completely. Use your fingers to pinch together and smooth over any tears in the dough. Place the dough balls, about 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are firm and just slightly brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to the wire racks to cool completely.
Assemble the Candy Bar Cookies
Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the dark chocolate in one bowl and the white chocolate in another bowl. If you are using sprinkles or nonpareils, place in small ramekins. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dip or cover a cookie in the dark or white, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Dip the top of the cookie in sprinkles or nonpareils. Place the cookie on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookies and allow the chocolate coating to firm up before serving.
Alternatively, to create a multi-layered look, dip each cookie completely in white chocolate. Let the chocolate set (you can even throw the baking sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes). Then re-dip the cookies in dark chocolate, decorate as desired, and allow the chocolate coating to set completely.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
by susan
Are you ready for Fall? Check out these beautiful bread puddings.
by susan
Everyone ready for Fall, or is it too early for pumpkin?
by susan
Bakers, are you ready for a nice cool summer treat?
The next posting date is Sunday, August 3rd.
Yield: Two 9-by-5-inch semifreddi
10 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) malted milk balls (such as Whoppers or Malteasers)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup malted milk powder
5 large eggs, separated*
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
*The eggs in this recipe are not cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area.
Simple Chocolate Syrup, warmed (optional, below)
Line two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with plastic wrap and allow generous overhang on all sides. Spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and wipe the plastic wrap with it so that the plastic wrap is nonstick but not oily.
In a food processor, pulse the malted milk balls until they are coarsely chopped. (Do not process until powdery—you want some decent sized chunks.) Sprinkle the bottom of each loaf pan with approximately one-quarter of the chopped malted milk balls.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the malted milk powder, and the egg yolks fairly vigorously until the mixture turns pale, 1 to 2 minutes.
In a chilled medium bowl, vigorously whisk the cream for 1 minute, sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla over top of the cream, then continue beating until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt just until stiff peaks form. Do not whip past the stiff peak stage or the whites will become dry and unusable.
Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk base. Add half of the remaining egg whites and gently fold until almost incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites.
Use a large spoon to fill each loaf pan halfway with the semifreddo. Smooth out the surface with the back of the spoon and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the loaf pans from the freezer and sprinkle the remaining chopped malted milk balls over the semifreddo in each pan. Then cover each malted milk ball layer with the remaining semifreddo. Smooth out the top with the back of the spoon. Cover the pans tightly with the plastic wrap overhang and freeze until firm, about 6 hours.
To serve, invert the semifreddi onto a platter and remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle some of the chocolate syrup over the tops. Using a hot knife (dip in hot water and dry thoroughly), slice the semifreddi into 1-inch (or slightly larger) slices. Serve the remaining chocolate syrup on the side.
Simple Chocolate Syrup
Yield: 1 cup
1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Make sure you use a large enough saucepan as this mixture will bubble up considerably while cooking. If the mixture starts to bubble up, reduce the heat for a minute or two.
In a medium to large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of water until dissolved. Whisk in the sugar and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil the mixture for about 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Let cool to room temperature before using.
The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 weeks. Feel free to warm gently if using as a topping or use directly from the refrigerator as a milk shake mix-in.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
by susan
Take a look at all these beautiful rose-shaped cookies!