Great reviews from our bakers for the Nutella cookies this week — and one rogue baker!
Leave Your Links: Nutella Chip Cookies
Let’s see your cookies, bakers — leave your links here!
In the Oven: Nutella Chip Cookies
For our January 29 posting date, we’re making cookies with Nutella. Nutella fans rejoice!
- 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (280 g) Nutella
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (225 g) semisweet chocolate chips (about1 1/3 cups)
- 5 ounces (140 g) hazelnuts (about 1 cup), toasted (see page 19), husked, and coarsely chopped
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and Nutella and beat until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time,
- beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat again for 5 seconds.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough; alternatively, use a small ice-cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop. Using your hands, roll the dough into perfect balls and place them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and begin to show a few cracks, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm (a great cookie is a warm cookie, and if eaten warm, these are perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside) or at room temperature (they will still taste just as delicious).
Roundup: Caramel-y Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Bread Pudding
Elvis would approve of the tasty looking bread puddings this group put out!
Leave Your Links: Caramel-y Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Bread Pudding
Links here for this week’s bread pudding!
In the Oven: Caramel-y Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Bread Pudding
We’re returning to the front of the book for one last pass, and we’ll wrap up in September. We plan to begin baking through the first book after we’re done with Occasions, since Baked Sunday Mornings began with book #2.
For the first bake of 2017, we’ve got a gooey Elvis-inspired bread pudding to celebrate The King’s birthday. Posting date is January 15!
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1⁄4 cup (55 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 6 very ripe medium bananas, cut into 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) slices
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 21⁄2 cups (600 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (290 g) smooth peanut butter
- 2⁄3 cup (150 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 loaf day-old brioche (about 12 ounces/340 g, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes (see Notes)
- 5 ounces (140 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (optional)
- 1 pint (473 ml) premium vanilla ice cream (optional)
- Lightly spray eight 8-ounce (240-ml) ramekins or soufflé dishes with nonstick cooking spray (alternatively, pour a little canola oil on a paper towel and apply to the bottom and sides of the ramekins). Place four of the prepared ramekins in a large roasting pan and set aside. If you are lucky enough to own two roasting pans, you can place the remaining four ramekins in the second roasting pan. If not, bake them in two batches.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and dark brown sugar together and cook until bubbly. Add the banana slices and cook until lightly browned and encased in a thick syrup, about 10 minutes, tossing frequently to ensure even caramelization. Use a spoon to transfer the bananas to a large parchment-lined platter in one layer (some of the liquid will transfer with the bananas; this is a good thing).
- In a very large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg until blended.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, peanut butter, and light brown sugar. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it is just about to boil, then remove from the heat. Whisking constantly, slowly stream about 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of the cream mixture into the egg mixture. Continue whisking until well combined, then in a slow, steady stream, continue to add the remaining cream mixture into the egg mixture, again whisking con- stantly, until completely blended. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute to release excess heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir all of the cubed bread into the custard. Use a large spoon to stir and ip the mixture to make sure every piece of bread is coated completely in the custard; set aside for about 30 minutes to soak. During the soaking period, use the back of the spoon to push the bread back down into the custard every few minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil.
- Divide the chocolate equally among the prepared ramekins. On top of the chocolate, divide about half of the bread-and-custard mixture evenly among the ramekins. Add the bananas in an even layer to each ramekin. Top the banana layer with the remaining bread-and-custard mixture. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard is set: A toothpick inserted into the center of the custard should come out clean, the custard will start to pull away slightly from the sides of the ramekin, and the top will look baked, not wet. Remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the ramekins from the hot water with tongs, and allow the puddings to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Dust the warm bread puddings with confectioners’ sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Roundup: Baked Ultimate Birthday Cake
Our first roundup of 2017 contains a plethora of beautiful cakes, and one rogue baker!
Leave Your Links: Baked Ultimate Birthday Cake
Happy birthday, 2017 – let’s see those cakes!
In the Oven: Baked Ultimate Birthday Cake
Get your sprinkles ready, bakers… we’re going to welcome 2017 with Baked Ultimate Birthday Cake! Posting date is January 1.
- For the Very Vanilla Cake
- 2 1⁄2 cups (315 g) cake flour
- 3⁄4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
- 1⁄2 cup (100 g) vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 1 3⁄4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold water
- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 cup (190 g) rainbow sprinkles
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- For the Very Vanilla Frosting
- 1 1⁄2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1⁄3 cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
- 1⁄3 cup (75 ml) heavy cream
- 12 ounces (3 sticks/340 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into small pieces
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla paste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For Décor
- 1 to 1 1⁄4 cups (190 to 240 g) rainbow sprinkles
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter three 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
- Sift both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, and beat until just combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ice-cold water, milk, and buttermilk.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in three separate additions, alternating with the water mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; turn the mixer to low when you add the ingredients, then up to medium for a few seconds to incorporate. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds. Remove the bowl from the standing mixer, scatter the sprinkles across the top of the batter, and fold them in with a rubber spatula.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar just until soft peaks form; do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove from the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened to the consistency of a light pudding, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool, at least 7 to 9 minutes (you can speed up the process by pressing bags of frozen berries or corn against the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl). Reduce the speed to low and add the butter a few chunks at a time, every 20 to 30 seconds, while the mixer is constantly stirring; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vanilla paste and extract and mix until combined. If the frosting is too soft, place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then beat again until it can hold its shape. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is spreadable.
- Place one cooled cake layer on a cake turntable (or a serving platter if you don’t own a cake turntable). Trim the top to create a flat surface, and evenly spread about 1 1⁄4 cups (215 g) of the frosting on top. Add the next layer, trim it, and frost it as before, then add the third layer (trim the final layer for a completely flat top, or feel free to leave it domed for an old-school appearance). Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake and place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up. (This is known as crumb coating and will help to keep loose cake crumbs under control when you frost the outside of the cake).
- Place the turntable on a parchment-lined baking sheet with raised sides. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Grab a fistful of sprinkles and turn the turntable with your free hand while tossing the sprinkles at the sides of the cake. Using the leftover sprinkles from the parchment (i.e., sprinkles that didn’t stick), continue turning and throwing until the cake (including the top) is covered in sprinkles. Chill the cake for about 5 minutes to set before serving.
Roundup: Orange Pineapple Walnut Fruitcake
Our bakers closed out the year with a tropical fruitcake that was no joke. See you all in 2017!