Cinnamon Date Petits Fours

I enjoyed making the chocolate hazelnut dates for yesterday's post, but the only problem is I had about 15 leftover dates. OK - so I could have popped them in mouth all day long, but I decided to dust off an old book and look for recipes. The pastry gods must have been smiling on me as I opened the book and, voila!, there was a recipe for Cinnamon Date Pastries on the first page I opened to.

The book this recipe is taken from is Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques.

Cinnamon Date Petits Fours:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup stoned and chopped medjool dates
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped almonds
• 1 tsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp brandy
• Filo pastry sheets
• butter for finishing

Directions (yields 26 pieces):

• Make the filling by combining the dates, ground almonds, powdered sugar, cinnamon and brandy
• Cut 4" x 2" filo strips
• Fold in the long edges and brush the length with butter
• Place the filling at one end and roll up

• Brush with butter
• Bake at 350F for 10 minutes
• Cool and dust with powdered sugar

Chocolate Praline Stuffed Dates

"We Should Cocoa" posted a challenge for the month of December to blog about a recipe with chocolate and dates. This challenge is hosted by Choclette so a big 'thank you' shout out for making me think what I would like to submit. Although I am a pastry chef, I focus most of my efforts on baking and at first assumed I would use dates in my baking (cookies, cakes, breads, etc...). Since a date is such a wonderful alternative to a processed sugary snack, I decided to use them in their natural form.

Dates are naturally sweet and are high in fiber, magnesium and potassium. The Medjool date is considered to be the finest date grown in the world and this recipe even further enhances it's taste (and nutritional value!).

The recipe that follows will create a wonderful 'pop in your mouth' snack that fits in well with holiday dessert trays. The ganache beurre praline filling enhances the sweetness of the date and adds a slightly nutty flavor. The toasted hazelnuts add some crunch to this snack.

To make these dates you will need the following:
- 24 Medjool dates
- Handful of hazelnuts
- Ganache beurre praline (recipe below)

• Toast hazelnuts, let cool, and chop finely
• Make the Rich Ganache (6 ounces semisweet chocolate; 4 ounces heavy cream)
• Cut chocolate into fine pieces
• Bring cream to a boil over medium heat and pour over chocolate; let set for 3 minutes
• Whisk until smooth
• Cool to room temperature
• Make the Ganache Beurre Praline (Rich Ganache from above, 2 oz softened butter, 3 oz praline paste)
• Beat butter with paddle until soft and light
• Beat in praline paste
• Scrape bowl and paddle
• Add cooled rich ganache and beat until smooth (about 1 minute

• With a sharp knife make a slit on one side of each date and remove pit

• Fill pastry bag with ganache beurre praline and fill each date with mixture

• Sprinkle chopped, toasted hazelnuts over the filling
• Enjoy!!

Christening Cake - Lemons and Raspberries

http://www.confectionarydesigns.com/

Bogota, NJ

The above is a gift box cake we did for a dual baptism for two beautiful little girls. I really enjoy doing cakes like this because several of the design details can be made in advance and we are not rushing around trying to get the details together. For example, the gumpaste roses and the top tier's lid were all made several days in advance which allows for sufficient drying time.

Both tiers are a lightly-flavored Lemon Cake filled with Raspberry Meringue.

Lemon Cake: (note: this recipe can be halved to bake 2-8" pans)

• 8 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 20 oz. cake flour
• 2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 24 oz granulated sugar
• 4 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 20 fluid oz. whole milk
• 8 fluid oz. egg whites (about 8 large)

1. Preheat oven to 350F; butter and line baking pans (we used 2-10" and 2-7" pans)
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the lemon zest and extract
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites
5. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and beat lightly; scrape down bowl; beat in half the milk and egg mixture; add another third of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated; add the remaining milk and egg mixture and mix until incorporated; add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until just absorbed.
6. Fill pans about 1/2 full (if using 2" pans) and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
7. Cool layers for about 10 minutes, invert onto racks to cool

Buche De Noel: The History and Recipe

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The Buche de Noel is a wonderful traditional French dessert. The origins of this pastry can be found in the ancient Celtic tradition of celebrating the winter solstice. On this shortest day of the year, the Celts would search for a large trunk and burn it as a symbol of the rebirth of the sun. During the Middle Ages the ceremony of the burning log became more detailed as the logs would be decorated with ribbons and greenery.

It is generally accepted this pastry came to life when Napoleon issued a proclamation that all of Paris keep their chimneys closed during the winter because the cool air caused medical problems. This prohibited Parisians to use their fireplaces. But the French bakers then invented this dessert as a symbolic substitution around which the family could gather for story-telling and other holiday happiness.

To make this wonderful holiday display you will need the following:

• Chocolate Genoise (1 half-sheet pan): see recipe below; the key to making a successful Buche De Noel is the texture of the cake must be flexible enough to roll
• Coffee Buttercream (I like to use Swiss meringue)
• Simple Syrup (coffee flavored): combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 Tbsp Kaluha in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and let cool
• Marzipan and food coloring for decorations

Chocolate Genoise Cake: (makes 2 half sheet pans)

Whole eggs: 3/4 pint

Egg yolks: 1/4 pint
Salt: pinch
Sugar: 8 ounces
Cake flour: 4 ounces
Cocoa powder: 1.5 ounces
Cornstarch: 1.5 ounces
Baking soda: 1/4 teaspoon

Use the Genoise Sponge Mixing method:
1. Combine eggs, sugar, and salt and warm slightly over simmering water whisking constantly (note: do not heat too much or too quickly else you will have sweet scrambled eggs! Stop heating when the sugar just begins to melt and the eggs feel slightly warm to the touch)
2. Whip eggs on high spead until very light and thick (this process can take up to several minutes).

Your egg foam should look like the consistency in the above photo

3. Sift dry ingredients
4. Sift and fold dry ingredients into egg foam in three additions. Make sure all flour is incorporated and be careful not to deflate.

5. Spread batter evenly on two half-sheet pans and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
6. Place pans on cooling racks and let cool for 5 - 10 minutes and turn out to cool completely
7. Trim the genoise to remove any rough or crispy edges and put on a piece of parchment or a tea towel
8. Using a pastry brush, apply simple syrup generously to genoise
9. Spread a thin layer of the coffee buttercream on the genoise
10. Using your towel or parchment, roll up the genoise tightly from the long end. Wrap and refridgerate until firm.
11. Once firm, trim the edges of the cake at a diagonal, cutting one edge about 2 inches away from the end. Position this piece on top of the Buche.
12. Cover with buttercream and use a fork to make impressions.
13. Decorate as desired with marzipan pieces (e.g. mushrooms, berries and holly, powdered sugar for snow, etc...).

Sables Korova - "Easy to Eat" Chocolate Cookies

I've always thought there are two ways to eat Sables (aka 'Sandies'):

1. Take a bite and let the buttery goodness melt in your mouth!
2. Take a bite and chew it - you're mouth will feel that 'sandy' texture so make sure you have a glass of milk nearby to truly enjoy the experience!

Most of us are familiar with the packaged Pecan Sandies in the cookie aisle. This recipe is taken from Pierre Herme who has been dubbed 'the Emperor of Pastry.' The bits of chocolate scattered through the cookie make them extra special for that melt in your mouth goodness!

Ingredients:
175 grams AP flour
30 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
150 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
120 grams light brown sugar
50 grams sugar
1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
150 grams chopped bittersweet chocolate

Directions:
1. Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda together
2. Cream butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl until light and creamy
3. Mix in the vanilla and salt
4. Reduce mixer to low and add the dry ingredients until incorporated (the dough will look crumbly); mix in the chocolate pieces using a spatula
5. Turn the dough onto a work surface and divide in half; shape each half into a log 1.5" in diameter

6. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (may be kept in the freezer for 1 month)

7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325F (165C); line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silpat
8. Slice off pieces that are 1/2" thick; place on the lined pan leaving 1 inch space between them.

9. Bake each sheet for about 12 minutes. The cookies will not look done nor will they be firm. Let cool slightly and transfer to a cooling rack.
10. Pour a big glass of milk or coffee and enjoy!!

Beautiful Cake and Cupcake Stands - Handmade!

Whoever says 'social networking' isn't the perfect medium for finding some of the best products around is dead wrong.  We met up with a very talented woodworking artist on facebook who makes the most beautiful cake and cupcake stands by hand, Robert Edward Woodworking.  We were so impressed with his work we asked him for permission to post some of his pieces on our blog to share with you. I can just imagine our decorated cakes or cupcakes sitting on these stands in an elegant venue! Please read more about Robert below:

"My love for woodworking started at a very young age – probably about 10 or 12.  I was always making things from scrap pieces of wood from my Dad’s workshop. As I got older, my attention shifted to pencil sketching, oil painting and much later photography – particularly architectural photography.

During a recent trip to Savannah, Georgia I took many photographs of all the beautiful homes in the historic district. I thought I might try and sell some of my work. One of the homes I photographed was the Mercer Williams House, in my opinion, the most beautiful home in Savannah. I sent some of my photographs to the owner and Carriage Shop manager and we developed a very good relationship. I mentioned to the Shop Manager that I do woodworking – things like very detailed bird feeders, candle holders and planters. The Shop Manager liked my work, but didn’t think there was a market for it. She suggested I build a replica of one of the gazebos in Savannah and try to sell it as a wedding cake topper. Since this gazebo was popular for weddings, it might be of interest to wedding planners.

It took me several months to build the gazebo, but once it was completed, I was totally hooked on woodworking. Building that gazebo convinced me to start a woodworking business and in 2008 Robert Edward Woodworking was born. The gazebo cake topper idea never really took off, but it lead to the cake stand concept after speaking with one of the wedding planners in Savannah."

 Following are some of Robert's spectacular stands we can't wait to use!

Please visit Robert at www.robertedwardwoodworking.com to see more of his work.

5 Days of Christmas: Part V

http://www.confectionarydesigns.com/

 

This cake is a little extra special for me as it was made for my step-grandson who cannot eat eggs or gluten. So what's a baker to do!! I found a great gluten-free recipe (see below) and used an egg-replacer by Ener-G. The cake is wrapped in a chocolate transfer which you can find at cake decorating stores or online (just search 'chocolate transfer sheet').

The hardest part about this cake was the white chocolate curls on top - it took several tries to get them to curl properly, but after working with the chocolate for a while I found it was 'all in the wrist.' I used a vegetable peeler on a white chocolate bar and put more pressure on the end of the peeler that was away from me; then flicked my wrist in a 'curling' action, and voila! white chocolate curls!

For a good step-by-step tutorial on wrapping a chocolate transfer around a cake go to Fancy Flours.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake: (recipe taken from Bob's Red Mill website)

Ingredients

•1-1/2 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
•1 cup Brown Sugar
•1/2 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened
•1 tsp. Baking Soda
•1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
•3/4 tsp. Salt
•1/2 cup Milk (cow, soy or rice)
•1/3 cup Butter, Margarine or Shortening
•1 large Egg (I used the egg replacement for this but you can use an egg if desired)
•1 tsp. Vanilla
•3/4 cup warm brewed Coffee
Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 11" X 7" nonstick pan (note: I used 2-6" rounds). Set aside. Place all ingredients, except coffee, in large bowl and blend with electric mixer. Add coffee and mix until thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Serves 12.