Leave your links – what did you think? And did anyone try that challenging chocolate syrup again?
In the Oven: Milk Chocolate Malt Semifreddo with Chocolate Syrup
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.
Roundup: Bourbon, Vanilla, and Chocolate Milk Shakes and Simple Chocolate Syrup
Boozy shakes yes, but the simple chocolate syrup gave all of the bakers trouble this week.
Leave Your Links: Bourbon, Vanilla, and Chocolate Milk Shakes and Simple Chocolate Syrup
Bourbon and ice cream – what do you all think, match made in heaven, or best left separate? Leave your links here!
In the Oven: Bourbon, Vanilla, and Chocolate Milk Shakes and Simple Chocolate Syrup
Hi, Sunday Morning Bakers!
We’ve accelerated our schedule so we’ll be ready for Baked Occasions when it rolls off the presses in October.
Next posting date is Sunday, 22 Jun.
Yield: 4 milk shakes
3 to 3 1/2 cups (from 2 pints) premium vanilla ice cream, to taste
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 or 4 ice cubes
1/4 cup good-quality bourbon
6 tablespoons Simple Chocolate Syrup (page 192), cooled, divided
Baked Note: Plainly and simply, use a good-quality bourbon for this milk shake (heck, you can always nip away at what’s left in the bottle). I tested with Blanton’s and Knob Creek, though almost any complex, earthy, caramel-y bourbon will work.
Place 4 heavy 12-ounce or larger glasses in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
Put 3 cups of the ice cream, the milk, ice cubes, bourbon, and 4 tablespoons of the chocolate syrup in a powerful blender. Blend until smooth. A good milk shake should be eaten with a spoon—so if the milk shake seems too thin, add another ¼ to ½ cup ice cream and blend again. Divide the shake evenly among the chilled glasses and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining chocolate syrup. Serve immediately.
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.
Roundup: Lemon Lime Champagne Granita
Take a look at how our talented bakers did this week:
Leave Your Links: Lemon Lime Champagne Granita
What did you think of this wonderfully simple treat?
In the Oven: Lemon Lime Champagne Granita
First recipe of 2014 is for Jan 5th. Who’s in?
LEMON LIME CHAMPAGNE GRANITA
Yield: 4 servings
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups champagne
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
Zest and juice of 1 lime
5 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish (optional, but perfect for summer)
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. This is your simple syrup base. Allow the simple syrup to cool completely.
In a separate bowl whisk together the champagne, the zest and juice of the lemons and the lime, and the mint leaves (you are either a fresh mint person or not—if you like it, you will love it in this recipe). Whisk in the simple syrup and pour the mixture directly into an 8-inch square metal baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and put in the freezer.
Every hour, use a fork to scrape or stir the mixture, breaking up any large pieces of ice; continue checking and scraping every hour until the granita is completely frozen, about 6 hours. Use the tines of the fork to scrape the granita into fluffy flakes. Divide the granita among 4 glasses, discarding the mint leaves. Garnish with new mint leaves and serve immediately with small spoons. The effect should be snow cone–like.
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.
Roundup: Malted Vanilla Milk Shakes
Leave your Links: Malted Vanilla Milk Shakes
So? How did you like this recipe?