Chez Panisse Almond Tart

This blog entry was created by my friend and busy mommy of two, Jennifer Jacobs. Thank you so much! I love having you and your creations as a guest blogger. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Happy 40^th Birthday to Chez Panisse! The famed Berkeley, CA restaurant opened its doors 40 years ago, and forever changed how we think about eating local and seasonal food.

I began thinking more and more eating whole foods after the birth of our second child, Josephine, in 2009 and read a lot about Alice Waters and her sustainable food movement. Chez Panisse Desserts and Chez Panisse Vegetables are 2 of my go to cookbooks for delicious, inspiring recipes. The Almond Tart recipe by Chez Panisse’s executive pastry chef and co-owner Lindsey Shere, was one of the most popular desserts on the menu. Once you taste the caramelized almonds in a buttery tart you’ll understand why. The trickiest part is getting the tart dough spread thin enough without any holes in the pan, but working with room temperature dough makes it easy.

ALMOND TART
One 9- or 10-inch tart
Adapted From Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Shere

FOR THE TART PASTRY
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1. Mix the flour and sugar in a standing electric mixer or food processor.
2. Add the butter and mix or pulse until the butter is in very small pieces, the size of rice. Make sure the butter is well-integrated with no large visible chunks.
3. Add the water and extracts and mix until the dough is smooth and comes together, but do not over beat!
4. Press into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and chill thoroughly (about 45 minutes to an hour).
5. To put the pastry in the pan, let the dough come to room temperature and press the dough into a tart shell using your hand. I find dipping a flat bottom measure cup in flour and pressing it lightly towards to the edge of the pan, helps to spread the dough out smoothly and evenly. Once it reaches the sides, press it all the way up. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you just want to make sure the sides don’t collapse. If this does happen, you can take it out mid way through baking and push the half-baked dough back up the sides.
6. Put the tart shell in the freezer and chill thoroughly.
7. To bake the shell, preheat the oven to 375F.
8. Bake the shell for 20-25 minutes, until it is set and light golden-brown.

FOR THE TART FILLING
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced almonds
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon of vanilla (the original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier or Kirsch but I realized this on a Sunday when our liquor stores are closed).

1. To bake the tart, line a sheet pan with foil or a Silpat. Keep oven on at 375F.
2. 
   Heat the cream, sugar, and salt in a big, wide pan. I use my 4 qt heavy bottom sauté pan. Continue to cook and when it starts to foam up, remove it from the heat and stir in the almonds, and the extracts.
3. Scrape the filling into the shell. If you’re using a 9 inch tart it may be too much, don’t toss it; in case the tart leaks, you can use it to add more. Make sure there are no clumps of almonds and that everything is evenly distributed, then put the filled tart shell into the oven.
4. After the first ten minutes, check the tart. With a heat proof spatula, gently tap the surface of the tart to break up any clumps that form as the tart cooks. Tap gently enough to break up the surface crust that is forming but not enough to break the tart shell.
5. Continue to cook, checking the tart every 8-10 minutes, and tapping the surface gently. As it begins to caramelize, stop tapping it and let the tart do its thing. I also like to rotate the tart 2 to 3 times so it caramelizes evenly.
6. Remove the tart from the oven when the filling is a nice light caramelized brown about 30 to 40 minutes. Let the tart cool a few minutes on a cooling rack.
7. Slide a knife between the tart and the pan to loosen it so the sides don’t come off when you remove the ring. Place the tart on top of a bowl or other elevated surface and slide the ring off.
8. Slice into small pieces and serve. The tart will last about 4 days wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter. Enjoy!

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream

Found this easy, quick and fantastic recipe from The Cupcake Project blog. I've made it several times and it's been fantastic every time. I've made changes to it each time and each time it's been delightful. Not sure that I have a favorite. I'll list my options for you.


INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream
14 oz sweetened condensed milk (tried low-fat / regular)
1 2/3 cup irish whiskey (I used Jameson's)
1 tsp instant coffee (instant espresso for more coffee flavor)
2 Tbs chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's)
1 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla paste)
1 tsp almond extract (Lorann almond emulsion for more almond flavor)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender & set on high speed for 30 seconds.
2. Bottle in a tightly sealed container & refrigerate. Shake before using.
3. Will keep for 2 months.

Easy Peanut Butter Cake...Oreo...truffles

INGREDIENTS

1 package Oreo peanut butter cookies...use the whole cookie including cream
1 4 oz package cream cheese (softened)
4 oz peanut butter (I used Peter Pan Honey Peanut Butter)
Finely crush cookies in a food processor or place them in a Ziploc bag and crush them into a fine consistency.

Combined in processor & formed ball

Cream softened cream cheese and peanut butter together.

Stir in cream cheese mixture or add to the food processor to blend until the mixture forms a ball and will hold it's shape when rolled.

If not using a food processor, use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

Roll the mixture into 1" balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Cover with cellophane.

Place in freezer for 5 minutes ONLY for a fast cooling (do NOT freeze). Afterwards move into refrigerator. Remove only a few balls at a time to work with while keeping the others chilled.

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate. Tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. You can sprinkle tops or drizzle them with the toppings of your choice. A peanut butter chip or broken up peanut butter cup would be great.

Ginger Icecream - surprisingly good

I thought I would give this a shot after my Aunt was telling me that this was  her favorite ice cream and that my great grandmother used to make this from scratch. This was surprisingly good. I like ginger, but I also know it can be a bit too much at times. This recipe if made in the same quantities as shown is very mild and surprisingly refreshing. The ice cream is very creamy and rich, but the ginger seems to cut that a bit. It adds a bit of interest. My 3 yr old son and husband even ate it and they typically do not care for ginger. My daughter...not so much.

It was perfect 2-3 hours out of the freezer after churning but did get a bit hard and there are a few things that you can do to prevent this. I have added them to the original recipe and added "*" next to the items.

INGREDIENTS:
* indicates ingredients that are optional. I've added these to help keep the ice cream from becoming too hard when frozen for over 4 hrs.

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp invert sugar / corn syrup *
• 1/4 cup coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger root
• 2 Tbs water
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt *
• 1 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla paste)
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum*
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger (available at some supermarkets & specialty foods shops)

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl lightly whisk yolks.
2. In a 3-qt heavy saucepan cook sugar, corn syrup/invert sugar if using, water, and fresh ginger over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add half-and-half and bring to a simmer.
3. Add hot half-and-half mixture to yolks by drizzling down side of bowl in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into a pan.
4. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170 degrees F. (Do not let boil)
5. Pour custard through a sieve into cleaned bowl & stir in cream, salt (if using), and vanilla. If adding xanthan gum, add a pinch/sprinkle in a little at a time while whisking. Do NOT dump in as it will be a clumpy mess.
6. Chill custard, cover its surface with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 3 hours, and up to 1 day. (To further help smoothness and make more scoop able, you may quickly whisk the custard again before putting into the ice cream mixer, but be careful not to overdo or you will end up with butter!!)
7. Finely chop crystallized ginger. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker, adding the crystallized ginger three-quarters of the way through freezing process. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container to harden. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.



Chocolate Chunkers - Caution: cookies taste yummier than they appear!

Another Dorie Greenspan recipe I had to try. Her description of these were "truly fabulous". Though these look kind of ho hum they are far from. In my photos you can only see the white chocolate chips and maybe a peanut here and there, there is also mixed plump raisins, semi sweet chips in there as well!

After reading the measurements again, I weighed the chocolate chips rather than use a whole cup.So my cookies are as filled and there's more cookie dough.  Don't forget, if you are not chopping up premium chocolate but using chips, it's a whole cup. Either way....wow!

A note on the chunks: these cookies are very good made with store-bought chocolate chips, but are stupendous made with hand-chopped excellent quality chocolate....according to Dorie Greenspan.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 Tsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store bought chocolate chips or chunks

6 oz premium quality milk or white chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips or chunks

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts, preferably salted peanuts or toasted pecans

1 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or finely chopped moist, plump dried apricots

I used my favorite Sun Maid Mixed plump raisins for this recipe. I love using these. They are so big and plump and really add to any recipe that requires raisins.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Please do NOT forget..if your pan is dark or nonstick...make it 325 degrees! This does and will affect the cookies. The bottoms will burn before the cookie is finished. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats (I love mine).

1. Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
2. Set a heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Add the butter, bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted - the chocolate and butter should be smooth and shiny but not so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the heat and set it aside to cool.
3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until they are pale and foamy.
4. Beat in vanilla extract, then scrape down the bowl.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted butter and chocolate, mixing only until incorporated.
6. With rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl, then on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough, which will be thick, smooth and shiny.
7. Scrape down the bowl and, using the rubber spatula, mix in the semi-sweet and milk(or white) chocolate chunks, nuts and raisins - you'll have more crunchies than dough at this point. (The dough can be wrapped in plastic and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
8. Drop the dough by generous heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between them
9. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 or 12 minutes. The tops of the cookies will appear dry but the interiors should still be soft. Remove the baking sheet and carefully, using a broad metal spatula, lift the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
10. Repeat with remaining dough, baking only one sheet at a time and making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.
11. If, when the cookies are cooled, the chocolate is still gooey and you'd like it to be a bit firmer, just pop the cookies into the fridge for about 10 minutes.



Vanilla Bean Cupcakes - I

For my daughter's birthday this year I needed light colored cupcakes for her cake tower and I was on a vanilla bean paste kick. I discovered this one little item and most everything centered around vanilla for some time!

The vanilla cake was delightful, the frosting outstanding and I filled them with a fabulous, light homemade caramel mousse. The other half of the cupcakes were pina colada cake with the same frosting as well. But this is about the vanilla!

INGREDIENTS FOR CUPCAKES
Makes 24 cupcakes

• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp almond extract (I used almond emulsion)
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 oz)
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 oz)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp table salt
• 12 Tbs unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool & cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine egg whites, milk, almond extract & vanilla paste in a large glass liquid measuring cup with a fork until blended.

Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at low speed. Add butter and beat on low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixture and scrape down sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 30 seconds longer.

Divide batter evenly between cupcake cups. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until cupcakes test done - a toothpick should come out with moist crumbs.

Let cupcakes rest in pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pans and let them cool on a rack.

VANILLA BEAN FROSTING

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pkg (8oz) Philly cream cheese
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract + 1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out)
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
3. Add the vanilla paste and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.

CREAMY CARAMEL MOUSSE

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla paste
• 1 oz (2 Tbs, 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1. Bring 1/3 cup of cream to a boil in a 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook the granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, honey, and vanilla paste in a 2 quart heavy-duty saucepan over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Brush around the inside of the pan with a pastry brush at the point where the sugar syrup meets the sides of the pan to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Do this two times. Cook the mixture over high heat, without stirring, until it turns amber colored, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium and slowly add the hot cream while stirring constantly with a long-handled heat-resistant spatula. The cream will bubble and foam. Continue to stir to make sure there are no lumps. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter until it is completely melted. Transfer the caramel sauce to a 2 quart mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, cool to room temperature, then chill until thick, about 2 hours.
3. Whip the remaining 3/4 cup of cream in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the wire whip attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Set aside 1/3 cup of whipped cream and fold the remaining whipped cream into the chilled caramel sauce in 3 stages.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

First of these were wonderful!!! I have a few hours a day to spend with my daughter while my son is at summer camp and I wanted to find something that she may enjoy making with me.

I ordered a book by Cindy Mushet of Sur la Table named "Baking Kids Love". I think we will be pulling some more of her recipes out as we approach the holidays for some new family traditions.

Something else you should know...this makes a lot! When it says you need 2 large bowls, you need 1 XLarge bowl to dump it all into. If you have 1 large and one x-large for the dry you are set. It took a bowl the size of the metal bowl of my KitchenAid stand mixer.

A tip I wish I'd read ahead of time: You can bake some of the cookies today, and freeze the rest of the dough balls for another day. Put the balls close together on a pan and freeze for 30 mintues, or until hard. Transfer teh frozen balls to a resealable plastic freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, take out as many cookies as you need, and space them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Let them thaw for 15 minutes, then press down on them to flatten slightly, and bake as directed.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup canola or corn oil
• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups tightly packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats (NOT instant)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups Kellogg's Corn Flakes (for best results, stick to this brand)
• 1 (12 oz) bag miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Before you begin:

Postition 1 oven rack in the top 1/3 of the oven and 1 oven rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the dough:

Put the butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl or x-large bowl & stir with wooden spoon until blended. Add the oil and beat well until combined. It will look like a mess, but that's okay.

Put flour, sugar, brown sugar, oats, salt and baking soda in another large bowl and whisk until blended. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir well with a spoon. You can even use your hands to squish all the ingredients together. Sometimes your hands are the best tools.

Put corn flakes into a gallon size resealable plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the top. Squeeze the bag until the flakes are broken into tiny pieces (do not use a food processor, it grinds the flakes too small). Add the crushed flakes and the chocolate chps to the dough and stir until evenly blended.

Shape the cookies:

Use a large (3 Tbs) or small 1 Tbs ice-cream scoop to shape the dough into cookies. You can also shape the dough by measuring out level tablespoons - 3 for each big cookie, 1 for each smaller cookie-- and then roll the dough between your palms into balls.

If you are making large cookies, bake only 6 at a time on each baking sheet, spacing the balls about 4 inches apart. These cookies spread when they bake. If you are making the smaller cookies, you can fit 12 cookies on each pan. Press down on each ball with your palm to flatten slightly.

Bake the cookies:

Place 1 baking sheet on each oven rack. Bake the large cookies for 7 minutes or the smaller cookies for 6 minutes. Using the oven mitts, switch the pans between the oven racks. Bake until light golden brown, another 7 to 8 minutes for large cookies, or 6 to 7 for smaller cookies.

Transfer the pans to the cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely. You may need to reuse the pans to finish baking all of the cookies. Let the pans cool before you put more dough on them for baking. Store the cookies in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 1 week.



Grasshopper Cupcakes

 

Looking through my new Baked cookbook I found a recipe for Grasshopper cake. They had taken the old grasshopper pie of the 1950s laden with alcohol and created a 3 layer 8-inch cake. I decided to use 2/3 of the batter for x-large cupcakes and the remainder for cakeballs. Let's see how it all turns out. The cupcakes ended up like Girl Scout cookie Thin Mints on steriods!

The chocolate cake recipe in this is just spectacular! I wouldn't change a thing and it will probably be my go to chocolate cake for many things. The chocolate mint mousse filling was easy to make and make the huge cupcakes, not quite so heavy. The chocolate mint ganache added a suprise between the cupcake and frosting. And the frosting...whipped creme de menthe buttercream (whipped, not heavy at all). The frosting had me very worried. It was runny and instructios said to refrigerate to firm up and so I left it overnight. The following evening I rewhipped it with my stand mixer to see it looking "curdled". I panicked, but looked up buttercream issues and found that until warmed up a bit, it wouldn't whip and would separate at first, but keep the blender going and sure enough....a thing a beauty about 10-15 mintues later.

FOR THE CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

Yields approximately 18 xlg cupcakes/36 regular cupcakes/3 8" round layers

3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1 1/4 cup hot water

2/3 cup sour cream

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 Tbs pure vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans or line cupcake pans. Line the bottoms of cake pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream and set aside to cool.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachements, beat the butter & shortening on medium speed until light & fluffy & ribbon-like, about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
5. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6. For the cake pans:  Divide the batter among the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the cneter 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 the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
7. For the x-large cupcakes: cook for about 20-25 minutes
8. For regular size cupcakes: start with 15 and add as needed. I didn't make these so it's a guessing game.

I changed a white chocolate mousse recipe I found on The Food Network to dark chocolate for the filling of the cupcakes.

MINT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:

• 9 ounces dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 Tbs creme de menthe 

1. Put the pieces of chocolate in a bowl, and sit this bowl over a pan over simmering water until it melts, stirring gently with a spatula every now and then. When it's melted, stand the bowl on a cold surface to cool down a little.
2. In another bowl, and using an electric handheld whisk for ease, whip the cream, egg white and extract together. You want soft peaking rather than a stiff mixture.
3. Put a big dollop of cream onto the slightly cooled chocolate and mix, and then gently fold the chocolate mixture into the cream.

FOR THE CREME DE MENTHE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
• 2 Tbs creme de menthe



Now That's a lot of butter!

• 2 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Instructions for the buttercream:

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar & flour together. Add milk & cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
3. Add the creme de menthe & peppermint extract and mix until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then mix again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, then mix again.
4. Leave the buttercream at room temperature while you make the ganache.

WAY EASY GANACHE

• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1-4 Tbs butter (adds shine to the ganache, I used 4)

• sugar (as much as you like. I added just 2 Tbs)
• 1 tsp extract of your choice (vanilla was called for) I used peppermint

Directions

1. Dump the chips and butter into a food processor.
2. Bring the cream and sugar to a boil.
3. Don't burn it!
4. Dump cream mixture into chips, turn processor on.
5. Once it's mixed, cover and stick in fridge until the mix is the right texture for frosting.



Ganache layer before frosting

6. If you're in a hurry, put some ice cubes in a big bowl, and the chocolate mix in a smaller bowl.
7. Place the bowl with chocolate into the larger bowl on top of the icecubes (No! Don't put the cubes into the chocolate mix!) Stir and the mixture will thicken as it cools.
8. Perfect and yummy.
9. Don't work it too much or it loses its shine-- though it's always delicious.
10. I imagine a blender will work-- you might have to add more cream to supply more liquid. I haven't tried.
11. Add vanilla or, for a more grown-up taste, substitute a tablespoon of Kalua or Grand Marnier, etc.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes: ooops, cake balls!

My first batch of key lime cake balls were a huge hit, except, the only graham crackers were a dusting on the white chocolate coating. A big part of key lime pie is the graham cracker crust. So needless to say, I was bothered. So I found another recipe at The Cupcake Project and decided to give it a whirl.

Milk Chocolate Coating

Rather than making cupcakes, I wanted to try cake balls. Very mixed opinion on these. Personally, I liked my first recipe for the cake balls better...BUT my husband really liked these. My biggest complaint was with the candy coating. I do NOT like candy melts, but thought I would try a better quality melt. Not too bad. I have found and will test out a company that makes the tempered chocolate the Belgian way and their reviews have been outstanding. Will let you know if they live up to their praises!

White Chocolate / Vanilla Coating

For the frosting let me say, I LOVED it! I normally don't  like frosting, but I loved it. If you are one that is weird about textures, you may want to try a different frosting. This you can feel the little crumbs of graham cracker, but I think that added to the interest. I think these would ROCK as cupcakes and will do that next time. The texture is not an issue if blending into the cake for cake balls.

KEY LIME PIE CUPCAKES:
Yield: 18 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 C cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pink of salt
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 C sweetened condensed milk (I used the low fat version)
• 3/4 C key lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners if making cupcakes...or in my case I prepared a cake 13x9 inch cake pan with spray flour and butter. It's what I had and I know it will cook faster and cool faster if spread out. (NOTE: If using a dark pan or cupcake pan or non-stick pan, please remember to lower your temp to 325 degrees F.)
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter and sugar.
4. Mix eggs into butter/sugar, one at a time.
5. Mix sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice into wet ingredients.
6. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
7. Divide evenly between the 12 cupcake liners (or pour into the cake pan). Note: The batter will be very liquid. This is normal.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for cupcakes or about 20-25 minutes if using the 13x9" cake pan for cake balls, or until it bounces back when touched lightly. The center will still be wet. It solidifies as it cools.
9. Once the cake is cooled, crumble it into a large mixing bowl. You should not see any large pieces of cake.
10. Read instructions at bottom of the frosting.

GRAHAM CRACKER FROSTING

• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 C finely crushed graham crackers

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time.  Note: You can add more if you prefer a stiffer consistency.
3. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Fold in graham crackers.
5. Mix into crumbled cake for cake balls until the desired consistency is achieved. Use the back of a large metal spoon, until thoroughly combined. You do not want the mixture too moist. The mixture should be moist enough to roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and still hold a round shape.
6. After rolling the cake balls by hand, place them on a wax paper-covered baking sheet.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator or place in a freezer for about 5 minutes. You want the balls firm but NOT frozen.

COATING YOUR CAKE BALLS:

Melt the candy coating of your choice following instructions on the package. Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring with a spoon in between. You can use a double boiler. Make sure you do NOT overheat the coating. Use a bowl deep enough to dip your cake pops and remove them in one motion. Do NOT get any water in your candy coating. If microwaving, plastic bowls are best, glass gets hot.

Now you are ready to dip. Take a few balls out of the refrigerator or freezer to work with. Transfer the rest to the refrigerator at this point, so they stay firm but do not freeze. Do not dip frozen cake balls. Let them thaw a bit in the refrigerator if this happens.

Cover the entire ball with coating. Cover the entire ball with coating using a spoon, without stirring or moving the cake ball around in the coating. Lift it out of the coating with your spoon. With the ball still on the spoon, stap the handle of the spoon on the side of the bowl several times, until the excess coating starts to fall off and back into the bowl. Then let the cake ball slide off the spoon onto a wax paper-covered baking sheet to dry.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

After the recent royal wedding of William and Kate, all I heard about was the grooms cake. A chocolate biscuit cake that he had eaten since he was a child. Biscuit cake? I had never heard of it, but good enough for royalty, it would have to be good enough as a "gift" at a little get together...especially since the hosts were originally from England..right?

Well it ended up being a hit. I did give in and taste a tiny bite. Holy cow! Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Rich, yummy decadence. It wasn't even that difficult to make. I will make this again for a dinner or another hostess gift.

The recipe out of all the many I found was by Alison Ladman. I did review one that was supposed to be by the chef who cooked for the royal family, but this one just looked better...I did however choose to add the white chocolate drizzle as suggested in the "original" recipe. 

**NOTE: I did not have a small 7-8" spring form pan, only a 9 inch, so I doubled the ingredients for the cake. There was just enough of the glaze in the original recipe to cover the cake, but just enough.  

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 12 servings

For cake:

   1 (7-ounce) package butter/rich tea biscuits (sold in the cookie aisle. I used McVities)

   1 cup heavy cream

   2 tablespoons honey

   1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

   16 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 1/2 cups)

   1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used vanilla paste)

  

For glaze:

   2 tablespoons butter

   1/4 cup heavy cream

   6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

1. Make the cake. Coat a 7- or 8-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. Break up biscuits with your hands into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces; you want chunks, not crumbs.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup cream, honey and 1/4 cup butter. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until bubbling. Add 16 ounces chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, then crumbled biscuits.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, using the back of the spoon to smooth the top.
4. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air pockets. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
5. Once the cake is chilled, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup cream. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add 6 ounces chocolate, stirring until smooth.
6. Carefully remove the sides from the springform pan (you may need to slide a paring knife around the inside upper edge to ensure the sides come away cleanly from the cake). Invert the cake onto a wire rack, then remove the bottom of the pan. Set the rack over parchment paper to catch drips.
7. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing it to drip down and completely cover the top and sides. Allow to firm up, then transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate leftovers.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on a Caffeine Buzz

So what do you get when you have 4-5 over ripe bananas, one last fresh farm egg that needs to be used, little time or energy after getting the kids a bath, dinner and ready for bed? You get these marvelous muffins! Dense, moist and packed full of flavor. You can taste every bit of the banana, chocolate, and yes, the hint of coffee/espresso. And even better, they were super easy to make!

I just received a highly recommended book in the mail yesterday, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito. I couldn't wait to give a try and was thinking maybe this weekend, but the bananas sent me searching for something quick and easy, but I didn't want just another banana bread. Although their Banana Pecan Piloncillo Ice Cream sounded just wonderful, sorry guys, I don't just have piloncillo sitting around...and what is piloncillo anyway?! Guess I'll have to find out!

OK, enough jabbering, here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS  (yield 12 muffins) ( I made 18)

1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium) (I used 5)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp instant espresso powder (NOT ground) (I used 2 tsp of instant coffee)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli mini chips>

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg.





In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

Fill each cup about 3/4 full. (These barely rise) Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean.

Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Go ahead! Give them a shot. They're great and a wonderful change from the ordinary.

(Note: Bananas that are over ripe, but you are not ready to bake with yet, may be frozen, then thawed when ready for use. So go ahead, save that one or two in your freezer and you may accumulate enough so that when you are ready, you'll have plenty to use!)