Baked Sunday Mornings

a sweet journey through baked: frontiers | explorations | elements | occasions

You are here: Home / Archives for Baked: New Frontiers

In the Oven: S’more Nut Bars

by

Our next recipe is like a s’more crossed with a peanut bar — posting date is March 22!

S’more Nut Bars
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 24 bars
Ingredients
  • 2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 17-20 crackers)
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 7 ½ ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 7 ½ ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 10 marshmallows, cut into quarters
  • ½ cup lightly salted whole peanuts
  • ½ cup chopped lightly salted peanuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13- inch baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add the butter. Use your hands to combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.
  3. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
  4. In a large heatproof bowl, toss the chocolates together. Drizzle the corn syrup over the chocolate and set aside.
  5. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate mixture. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until completely smooth. Fold in the marshmallows and the whole peanuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set. Cut into squares and serve. The bars will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

 

In the Oven: Almond Granita

by

We’re cooling off with some almond granita next. Posting date is March 8!

Almond Granita
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: 1 quart
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blanched almonds
  • 1⁄2 cup sugar
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1⁄4 cups hot water
  • 3 cups cold water
Instructions
  1. Put the almonds, sugar, almond extract, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until very finely ground, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl every minute or so.
  2. Slowly pour 1⁄4 cup hot water in through the lid and process until the mixture is a fine paste.
  3. Add another cup hot water in the same way. The mixture will lighten in color slightly and become a concentrated almond “milk.”
  4. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan. Add cold water and stir to combine. Cover with aluminum foil and put in the freezer for 1 hour.
  5. After 1 hour, uncover the pan and scrape the edges of the granita with a fork, stirring the ice pieces into the center, then cover again and return to the freezer until solid, scraping and stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. When the granita is frozen solid, scrape the surface with a fork and scoop it into serv- ing glasses. Serve immediately.
Notes
[i]How to store: [/i]The granita will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

 

In the Oven: Root Beer Bundt Cake

by

Only seven recipes left! Next up on the schedule is a cake with an avalanche of root beer — the Root Beer Bundt Cake! Posting date is February 23.

Root Beer Bundt Cake
Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito
Serves: One 10-inch bundt cake
Ingredients
  • For the root beer bundt cake
  • 2 cups root beer (do not use diet root beer)
  • 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • For the root beer fudge frosting
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup root beer
  • 2/3 cup dark unsweetened
  • cocoa powder
  • 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • To serve
  • Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make the root beer bundt cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy—do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
Make the root beer fudge frosting
  1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with the ice cream on the side.