Eclairs anyone?

It's the end of the month and time for another Daring Baker's Challenge. I have been a huge procrastinator lately and so of course I didn't even start this challenge until last night. Luckily it was a pretty straight forward and quick one so I wasn't worried about getting it done. This month's recipe was eclairs by Pierre Herme, an amazing french pastry chef.

The recipe called for a basic pate choux dough, a chocolate pastry cream filling and a chocolate glaze. We were allowed to have a little creative leeway. The only rules were that we had to use Pierre Herme's choux dough recipe and we had to use at least one chocolate component. I decided to make the filling a vanilla cream cheese pastry cream and to stick with a chocolate ganache for the glaze. Pretty straight forward and not too creative but that's what you get when you put the challenge off until the last minute. Although not my most creative endeavor, the eclairs were still absolutely delicious, especially as a midnight snack!

Anyone who knows my family knows that they are all huge Simpson's fans. So, when my husband heard that this months challenge was eclairs he had to retrieve this clip from an episode where Homer was a food critic. It's pretty hilarious.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by
positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with
waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.
Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.
Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.
The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the
handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the
oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue
baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking
time should be approximately 20 minutes.

Notes:
1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:
• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)
• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the
bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40
degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of
the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the
bottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms
with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream
and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:
1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,
stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create
bubbles.

2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk
• ½ cup (125g) water
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:
1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.
2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking
sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the
piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé
• 2 cups (500g) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted
• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.
2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.
4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.
5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes

1) The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.
3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.
Chocolate Glaze
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1 cup or 300g)
• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature
1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:
1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.
2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)

• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 g) water
• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar
1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.
2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Well,  school started back up last week and my house has quieted down significantly.  I didn't really realize how crazy it had gotten during the summer until now when we are back on a regular schedule.  While it's hard to have my kids in school it has also allowed me to get more things done around the house.  I actually haven't baked anything for awhile but I have made a few ice creams that I hope to post soon.  I plan on having more time to bake now that school is in.

When I was a kid, I always had to go to daycare right after school and then when I finally got old enough I was a latch-key kid.  Because of that I always envied the kids whose parents were at home waiting for them with freshly baked cookies or an after school snack.  I think because of that, I am so grateful that I am able to stay home with my kids.  I also overcompensate by having something freshly baked nearly everyday.  I am trying to come up with some healthy recipes so that I don't inadvertently make my kids unhealthy with all of my mothering.  There really isn't anything more comforting after a long day at school then a freshly baked treat.

Today's treat, that miraculously came out of the oven just as the kids were getting off the bus, was not really a healthy one but one that I made with what I had on hand (I really need to go to the grocery store!).   I had some peanut butter and a little bit of chocolate so I flipped through my favorite baking book (Dorie Greenspan's, Baking From my Home to Yours) and looked through the peanut butter section in the index.  I noticed the chocolate peanut butter cookies and thought that they would be a great hit in my house.  I was right, they were pretty darn good.  Although, I think that they'd be better sandwiched with some of the fresh vanilla ice cream I made a few weeks ago, too bad it was gone in one night!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

1/3 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate

about 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.   In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon (if using) and whisk to combine.

2.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.  Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute.  Add both of the sugars and beat for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  With the mixer running add the eggs, one at a time mixing until each is combined, then add the vanilla.

3.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time.   Mix until just combined.  Add the chopped chocolate and mix to combine.

4.  In a shallow bowl add the 1/2 cup flour.  Scoop the cookie dough (which will be soft) into heaping tablespoons and roll into a ball.  Drop the rolled balls into the sugar and roll to coat all sides.  Place on cookie sheets leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie.  Dip the tines of a fork into the sugar and make the crisscross pattern into each cookie.  Bake the cookies for about 11-12 minutes.  the cookies will be soft but will firm up as they sit out.  Remove the cookies to a cooling rack.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Pizza

I know That usually all of my posts are desserts but I just couldn't resist posting this delicious pizza I made the other night.  My husband was gone and so the kids and I had dinner by ourselves.  We had been out running errands so it was almost bed time when we got around to eating dinner.  I realized  that I needed to make them a quick dinner and get them to bed.  I got them all fed and into bed and decided that I should make myself a nice dinner.  This is what I came up with.  I must admit that I really love to eat by myself and actually prefer it to eating with everyone else.  There will be many night where I make the family dinner and then I make myself something when the kids are in bed.  I like to be able to enjoy making my own food and then be able to eat it in peace.  This night was no exception.  I took the time to make myself a nice meal and then sat down and enjoyed it in silence.

This pizza is really simple to make it just takes a little time.  Caramelizing the onions takes about 30-40 minutes but is well worth the wait.  I usually will make some extra and keep them in the fridge.  I love how the onions become sweet and soft, almost like a jam.  The  onions are the sauce to the pizza so don't skimp on the olive oil.  You need to olive oil to properly caramelize the onions plus it keeps the crust moist as it bakes.  If you think that you don't like blue cheese, you've have got to try it on this pizza.  The tanginess of the gorgonzola balances out the sweetness of the onions and they just taste so perfect together.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Pizza

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbs. Olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp kosher salt

about 5 Crimini mushrooms ( button would work too), sliced

1/2 pound pizza dough

1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

fresh parsley, chopped, (for garnish)

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 1/2 Tbs. of olive oil and heat for a minute.  Add the sliced onions and salt and stir to coat with the oil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook stirring occasionally until the onions turn a caramel brown color, about 30-40 minutes.

2.  Heat the remaining oil in the pan and quickly saute the mushrooms until cooked and brown.  Salt to taste

3.  Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and heat to 450°.  Roll out pizza dough to desired shape and place on a pizza peel that has been dusted with cornmeal.  Spread the pizza dough with the caramelized onions.  Cover with the mushrooms and then sprinkle with the gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses.

4.  Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the baking stone and bake for about 7-10 minutes or until the crust is baked through and the cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with parsley, if using.

Peach and Custard Tart with Almonds

As a kid,  my favorite dessert hands down was and probably still is my mom's peach pie.   Every Thanksgiving, instead of the traditional pumpkin pie, we would have peach.  On my birthday instead of the traditional birthday cake I would always request peach pie.  I have a very soft spot in my heart for that delicious dessert and it is darn near impossible for something to take it's place.

I have been eyeing this tart for awhile and was weary of anything peach since it would be up against my Mom's killer peach pie.  I finally hunkered down and made this one with some of those delicious fresh peaches that are in season right now.  I will admit that it still wasn't as delicious as my Mom's wonderful pie but it was a close second.  This tart has a nutty shortbread like crust topped with sweet peaches and then covered in a sweet custard of cream, sugar and eggs.  The whole thing is then sprinkled with an almond and brown sugar streusel.  It was so rich that I really could settle for just a little slice.  If you're intimidated by pies, try the easier tart and enjoy the delicious results.

Peach and Custard Tart

Form Dorie Greenspan's,  Baking From My Home to Yours

Pate sable(Sweet tart dough) with nuts

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick plus 1 Tbs. (9Tbs.) very cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1.  Put the flour, nuts, sugar and salt in to a food processor and pulse to combine.  Scatter the butter throughout and pulse until mixture resembles small peas.  Add a little of the egg and then pule and continue the process until all the yolk is incorporated.  Then process in a few long pulses, about 10 seconds each, until the dough forms clumps and starts to come together. Pour the mixture out onto the counter and knead lightly to incorporate all of the dry ingredients.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°.   Butter a 9 inch tart pan.  Press the dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Place the frozen tart pan onto a cookie sheet and cover with butter aluminum foil, pressing it directly onto the surface of the dough.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and press down any dough that has puffed up.

Streusel

2 Tbs. Flour

2 Tbs packed light brown sugar

2 Tbs. Chopped almonds

2 Tbs. cold unsalted butter , cut into pieces

Working with your fingers, blend all the ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined.  Cover and refrigerated.

Filling

3 large ripe peaches peeled, halved and pitted and thinly sliced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. almond extract

1.  Preheat oven to 425°.  Arrange sliced peaches decoratively in the tart pan over the partially baked crust.  Mix the cream, egg, sugar and extract together and pour over the peaches.

2.  Bake the tart for 10 minutes then lower to oven temperature to 375° and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Pull the tart form the oven and sprinkle with the streusel mixture breaking up any big pieces.  bake the tart for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set and the streusel is golden.

Check This Out

I know that this isn't food related but I just had to share. My oldest daughter is a huge video gamer just like her dad. She has amazing hand-eye-coordination and can kick my butt at any video game. She loves to play Guitar Hero and is really pretty amazing at it for her age, she's already better than me. My husband made a video of her playing it and put it on YouTube, it is so cute. It is amazing when it gets to the solo and gets pretty tough to see her little fingers hitting all the keys. I really need get her a real musical instrument!

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with a great peach tart recipe.

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

It's the end of the month and time for another Daring Baker's challenge. I have really loved being a part of the Daring Bakers and trying new recipes each month. It is fun to see how all of the other Daring Bakers interpret the same recipe.

This months recipe was a hazelnut cake which was brushed with a simple syrup and layered with praline buttercream and whipped cream. The whole cake was then glazed with a dark chocolate ganache and decorated with more of the praline buttercream. Nothing in this recipe was really difficult, there were just many steps so you had to plan it out and do a few of the steps ahead. The only difficulty I had was in shelling the hazelnuts. I tried everything, toasting, blanching, steaming, toasting again. I ended up enlisting my husbands help and peeling the remaining stubborn hazelnuts one by one. Next time I would shell out the extra money for the pre-shelled hazelnuts. Apart from that little set back, everything went pretty smoothly. I didn't have a 10 inch cake pan so I went for two 9 inch cake pans. The layers turned out pretty thin but all in all it worked out perfectly. I also left out all of the alcohol and replaced it in many places with almond extract.

All in all, this was a fun challenge with delicious results. I loved the cake with it's slightly chewy nutty texture and the praline buttercream was light and smooth with a nutty caramely tang. The bittersweet chocolate just brought the whole thing together with it's velvety rich flavor. I would love to make this again with almonds or pistachios for a change in flavor and texture. Give this a try but don't forget to pace yourself. This isn't something that you can finish in a matter of hours. If you do your prep it comes together as simple as can be.

Check out what all of the other amazing Daring Bakers made. There are so many amazing cakes out there. Thanks to Chris from Mele Cotte for this fun challenge. I can't wait to see what we'll be doing next month!

***If you live near me (you know who you are) and are reading this, leave me a comment and I'll bring you a slice of this cake. ( I just don't want to eat the whole thing myself!)***

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert Genoise
1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum
1 recipe Praline Buttercream
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 recipe Apricot Glaze
1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise
Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.
1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned
2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. grated lemon rind
5 lg. egg whites
¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

1. Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.
Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

2. Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.
Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute.

3. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.
Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

4. With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon.

**If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.
Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup
Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

1. In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup praline paste
1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)
Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream
4 lg. egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a elevtric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.

2. Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.

3. Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*

4. On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.
Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

Wait! My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.

Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste
1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless
2/3 cup Sugar

1. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.
Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. **Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze
Good for one 10-inch cake
2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. water
In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.
Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze
Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake
**Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.
6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)
¾ tsp. vanilla
½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

1. Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.
Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake
Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.

Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.
Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-ich blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

 

I bet you all have been wondering where I've been.  I don't have any really great answers I have just been so busy.  We had a huge family reunion all weekend and there was so much to do before it to get ready.  Feeding 40 people all weekend takes a lot of food and a lot of Costco shopping :).  Overall it was a great time.  We ate way too much and swam all weekend.  My mother-in-law even rented one of those huge blow-up water slides which turned out to be taller than her house.  I think the adults had as much fun, if not more, than the kids.  After all of that fun I was exhausted so I spent this first part of the week resting and the rest trying to recover my neglected house.  So needless to say, here I am back with an amazing cookie recipe.

As a kid, one of the local gas stations had a bakery inside.  They used to make these giant soft sugar cookies that were almost more like cake.  I loved them and for me it was more about the cookie than the huge glob of pink frosting that they used to put on top.  I would always scrape off all of the frosting and sprinkles and go right for the cookie.  When I first tasted one of these cookies it brought me back to those days of eating those soft sugar cookies.  Wether you like your cookies covered in frosting or sprinkled with turbinado sugar (like me), they are easy and delicious.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

 

1/2 cup (1 stick ) butter softened

1/4 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

6 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, shortening and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  While the mixture is creaming, in a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

2.  To the bowl with the sugar and butter, add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running, mixing well after each addition.  Add the extracts and mix until combined.

3.  Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in 3 additions, starting and ending with the flour and mixing until combined after each addition.   Separate dough into thirds and transfer to plastic wrap to chill for at least and hour.

4.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut to desired shape.  If the dough becomes sticky add a little more flour and re-roll.  If desired, sprinkle with turbinado sugar before baking.  Bake for about 8 minutes or until puffed and cooked but not browned.  Let cool and frost with your favorite frosting.