Daring Bakers - Christmas Stollen

Again I'm late with my season's greetings. Let me start wishing you all a delicious 2011! Now on to the cake. Stollen is a traditional Christmas cake made with mixed peel, fruit and citrus zest. It was on my to do list for a while, just waiting for the opportunity. This Christmas I finally baked Stollen, and we all enjoyed it very much.

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.



Stollen Wreath
Makes one large wreath or two traditional shaped Stollen loaves.

Serves 10-12 people

¼ cup (60ml) lukewarm water (110º F / 43º C)
2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) (22 ml) (14 grams) (1/2 oz) active dry yeast
1 cup (240 ml) milk
10 tablespoons (150 ml) (140 grams) unsalted butter (can use salted butter)
5½ cups (1320 ml) (27 ozs) (770 grams) all-purpose (plain) flour (Measure flour first - then sift- plus extra for dusting)
½ cup (120 ml) (115 gms) sugar
¾ teaspoon (3 ¾ ml) (4 ½ grams) salt (if using salted butter there is no need to alter this salt measurement)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 grams) cinnamon
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (very good) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon extract or orange extract
¾ cup (180 ml) (4 ¾ ozs) (135 grams) mixed peel
1 cup (240 ml) (6 ozs) (170 gms) firmly packed raisins
3 tablespoons (45ml) rum
12 red glacé cherries (roughly chopped) for the color and the taste. (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) (3 ½ ozs) (100 grams) flaked almonds
Melted unsalted butter for coating the wreath
Confectioners’ (icing) (powdered) sugar for dusting wreath

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum (or in the orange juice from the zested orange) and set aside. See Note under raisins.

To make the dough

Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water into a small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and let stand 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast completely.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 ml) milk and 10 tablespoons (150 ml) butter over medium - low heat until butter is melted. Let stand until lukewarm, about 5 minutes.

Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl and add lemon and vanilla extracts.

In a large mixing bowl (4 qt) (4 liters) (or in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment), stir together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange and lemon zests.

Then stir in (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) the yeast/water mixture, eggs and the lukewarm milk/butter mixture. This should take about 2 minutes. It should be a soft, but not sticky ball. When the dough comes together, cover the bowl with either plastic or a tea cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Add in the mixed peel, soaked fruit and almonds and mix with your hands or on low speed to incorporate. Here is where you can add the cherries if you would like. Be delicate with the cherries or all your dough will turn red!

Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing with the dough hook) to distribute the fruit evenly, adding additional flour if needed. The dough should be soft and satiny, tacky but not sticky. Knead for approximately 8 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The full six minutes of kneading is needed to distribute the dried fruit and other ingredients and to make the dough have a reasonable bread-dough consistency. You can tell when the dough is kneaded enough – a few raisins will start to fall off the dough onto the counter because at the beginning of the kneading process the dough is very sticky and the raisins will be held into the dough but when the dough is done it is tacky which isn't enough to bind the outside raisins onto the dough ball.

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Put it in the fridge overnight. The dough becomes very firm in the fridge (since the butter goes firm) but it does rise slowly… the raw dough can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week and then baked on the day you want.

Shaping the Dough and Baking the Wreath

1.Let the dough rest for 2 hours after taking out of the fridge in order to warm slightly.
2.Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3.Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
4.Punch dough down, roll into a rectangle about 16 x 24 inches (40 x 61 cms) and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.

Starting with a long side, roll up tightly, forming a long, thin cylinder. Transfer the cylinder roll to the sheet pan. Join the ends together, trying to overlap the layers to make the seam stronger and pinch with your fingers to make it stick, forming a large circle. You can form it around a bowl to keep the shape. Using kitchen scissors, make cuts along outside of circle, in 2-inch (5 cm) intervals, cutting 2/3 of the way through the dough. Twist each segment outward, forming a wreath shape. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Proof for approximately 2 hours at room temperature, or until about 1½ times its original size.
Bake the stollen for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The bread will bake to a dark mahogany color, should register 190°F/88°C in the center of the loaf, and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Transfer to a cooling rack and brush the top with melted butter while still hot.
Immediately tap a layer of powdered sugar over the top through a sieve or sifter.
Wait for 1 minute, then tap another layer over the first.
The bread should be coated generously with the powdered sugar.
Let cool at least an hour before serving. Coat the stollen in butter and icing sugar three times, since this many coatings helps keeps the stollen fresh - especially if you intend on sending it in the mail as Christmas presents!

When completely cool, store in a plastic bag. Or leave it out uncovered overnight to dry out slightly, German style.

My thoughts on the challenge:
- I really enjoyed this Stollen recipe. Thank you Penny!
- I've made 2 wreaths with crystalized pear, raisins and cherries and Kirsch instead of rum to soak the raisins.

A cake for a special occasion

I'm not good with special days like birthdays or any sort of anniversaries. They make me want to raise my arm and ask silly questions like 'why today' and not tomorrow or why not yesterday. I used to do the same when I was a kid going to schools with a strong religious inspiration, and asking the most profane questions. Lucky for me, my teachers were always kind with a 7 year old with a sharp tongue. I haven't changed over the years. I forget my friends' birthdays or I'm simply late, I mix up the days or the months... So why celebrate today and not tomorrow? It's not everyday you realize you've been blogging for 2 years. I don't quite remember the first year passing by, I admit. It was that good. I'm grateful for the wonderful people I met, I'm grateful for all that I've learnt and all the great experiences and happy days I had because of food blogging. So grab your fork, the cake is served! ;)



Cotton Cake
Adapted from Tachos de Ensaio

250 grs plain flour
200 grs caster sugar
70 grs vanilla sugar
150 grs unsalted butter, room temperature
400 ml milk
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
5 egg whites (about 150 grs)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. You'll need one large and two medium bowls. In a medium, sift flour and baking powder. Set aside. Using a second medium bowl beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.
In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add one third of the dries. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dries, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dries. Beat just until the batter is smooth. Gently fold the meringue without beating. Pour the batter into a greased, lined with parchment paper cake tin. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before halving it.

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
250 ml water
¼ cup cherry liqueur (I used ginjinha)

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add cherry liqueur. Cool completely before using.

Filling:
200 ml single cream
200 ml milk
150 grs sugar
2 yolks
2 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

Combine milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, yolks and sugar until fluffy. Remove the bean from the milk mixture and fold in the egg mixture. Cook until thickened, stirring with a whisk. Sieve if needed before using.

Berry compote:
1 cup mixture of berries such as blackberries, raspberries, red currants fresh (or frozen)
2 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes. Reserve until completely cool.

Assemble the cake:
Half the cake with a sharp knife. Pour the syrup over the bottom part. Spread the filling with a spatula, allowing about 1 cm all around. Place the compote on top (do not use any utensil to do it, just pour as evenly as possible). Cover with the other half. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with fresh red currants.

This cake is better eaten the day or the day after it's done. Keep in the fridge.

On chasing dragons & waterfalls

For those you know me, I'm on the rational side kind of person. I like to be in control of the situation, I love to plan, and I adore when everything comes together the way I've meant it to be. But reason will take you only until a certain point. After that is all about feeling... Emotion, reason and belief play a very important and meaningful role in our lives. Fear not, I will leave it at that! It's funny how we choose things, and how sometimes things seem to choose you. My personal bond with Slovenia was totally unplanned, and yet so special. One of the few souvenirs I've brought from Ljubljana was a cookbook (surprising, I know!) with slovenian recipes. I bought the book mainly because I wanted to bake a cake called Gibanica (aka 'moving cake'). Although Gibanica is a traditional dessert in the Balkan region - many different variations can be found in Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria -,Prekmurje gibanica is the slovenian national dessert.

We're off to Slovenia again - can't wait to chase Ljubljana dragon and waterfalls like this! In the meanwhile, grab a cup of your favourite coffee. I leave you with a slice of Gibanica. :)



Gibanica

Adapted from Heike Milhench's Flavors of Slovenia

8-10 sheets phyllo dough
3/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup (250 ml) milk
2-3 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water or rum, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped)
1 tsp cinnamon
Juice and zest of 1 small lemon (unwaxed, preferably organic)
680 grs ricotta or cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
1 cup walnuts, chopped
4 Tbsp butter, melted
Icing (confectioner's sugar) for sprinkling

Boil the poppy seeds in the milk until softened, about 20-25 minutes. Remove, drain, and set aside.

For the first filling, combine apples, raisins, sugar, vanilla (seeds or extract), cinnamon, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Prepare the second filling separately mixing the cheese with the eggs and the cream, until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF). Grease a rectangular baking pan. Place a phyllo sheet in the bottom, and brush with melted butter. Make sure the rest of the phyllo sheets are covered to prevent them to dry out. Spread a layer of cheese mixture over the dough. Cover with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter, and spread a layer of raisin and apple mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts and poppy seeds. Repeat until you run out of fillings. Be sure to cover everything with 2 phyllo sheets. Brush the top with butter. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with icing sugar.

DB#30 or Cheesy (cake) time!

I love cheese. Any cheese, all types of cheese, anytime! Cooked, simple, baked, in savoury or sweet recipes. I LOVE cheese.
What are my feelings about cheesecake? It's gooooood! Knowing that April's challenge would make the Daring Bakers to get into cheese land left me with a smile on my face when I first read the recipe Jenny had chosen. Thanks Jenny, it was a wonderful one!

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

Café au lait cheesecake with caramel sauce

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 120 grams butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, (710 grams total) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 250 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional (I used whisky)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. take 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and heat it in the microwave for a short amount of time until very hot. Add 1-2 tbsp. instant espresso or instant coffee; stir to dissolve. Add this to the remainder of creaml. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Top cheesecake with homemade caramel sauce.



Ina Garten's Caramel sauce here.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!



My thoughts on the challenge:
- The recipe worked fine for me. I've used half recipe (2 small eggs) to bake 6 individual ramekins - it took about 25 minutes.
- Café au lait cheesecake with caramel sauce was a perfect match of flavours. I've added half a tablespoon of whisky which gave it a Bailey's Liquor taste that worked really nice with the remaining ingredients!
- Half recipe is enough for the sauce if not using full cheesecake recipe.
- I'll definitely be making the cheesecake again perhaps in a chocolate or fruity version.

Check all the amazing variations fellow Daring Bakers came up with here!

DB#28 or Two hearts as one!

We didn't have this cake for valentine's. In fact, we're not good at celebrating this date, which means that having been in Paris for St. Valentine's day in the last couple of years has been pure coincidence. But let me tell you that Paris has to be the most perfect place on Earth to be with your half! I've completed the Daring Bakers February's challenge last week, baking 8 beautiful heart-shaped cakes that were served with vanilla flavoured Quark and red-currants. Perfect combination indeed!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.



Chocolate Valentino
Adapted from Chef Wan

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.



My thoughts on the challenge:
- I've halved the recipe, and it worked just fine!
- Not having a mould to bake a heart-shaped cake, I've baked it in my silicone moulds - got 8 individual cakes.
- It's not warm in Lisbon. Not just yet. I really wanted to give it a try at a vanilla ice cream but in the end I couldn't find the time to make it or how to fit the bowl in my freezer. I've served the cakes together with Quark (added a little vanilla sugar) and red currants. Just thought some red was due!!
- My overall opinion about this recipe is really positive: the cake is easy to make and everybody liked it. It's not a cake to bake often but for a special occasion (if chocoholics are involved), I think it can be a nice option.

Thanks Wendy & Dharm for such a LOVEly recipe! ;-) Do check all the Daring Bakers creations: head over to the blogroll!

February, Paris & Madeleines

It's February, and we're on our way to a few days in freezing Paris, like we did last year. You've probably got it already from last post. Yes, we're heading for Paris again. And again. Casablanca is responsible for the famous "we'll always have Paris" to which I'd only had that we'll always be going back to Paris. Even when it's February, and no one in his/her perfect mind would choose any Central Europe destination. Oh well. The weather forecasts are quite bad - not at all like the sunniest of days we got there last June (photo above) but it's Paris, so we'll find many things to do, eat and see.

In between dreams of macaroons and crème brûlée, I've made madeleines. But not just any madeleines. This is Christian Constant's recipe (and you know how much a like him, don't you?). I've made madeleines for the first time last year when we got back from Paris. Chocolate Madeleines. The recipe is quite easy to follow, I just made 2/3 to fit my pans.



Madeleines
Adapted from Christian Constant, Ma Cuisine au Quotidien

Makes 20-25

2 large eggs
3/4 cup (90 grs) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (20 grs) honey
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (135 grs) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (135 grs) unsalted butter

Cream eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla extract and milk until combined. Sift flour and baking powder, and mix in.

You need "noisette butter" or beurre noisette (literally, "hazelnut butter") for this recipe. It's basically clarified butter with a fragrant nutty flavour. In a saucepan over medium to high heat, brown the butter until golden. Sieve, and set aside to cool. Carefully fold the cooled butter, using a spatula, without whisking. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a mold for madeleines, and sprinkle with flour (use a sieve for better and faster results).

Fill each mold with spoonfuls of batter until 3/4 full. Bake for 4 minutes. Reduce oven to 180ºC (350ºF), and bake another 4 minutes.

Queen Time!

And there it is: a brand new year. A time full of open possibilities where every wish can be made or renewed. Happy 2009 everyone!

Traditions are what we make of them. As a child, I don't remember a Christmas, New Year Eve or a Dia de Reis (Three Kings day, also known as The Epiphany) without Bolo-Rei, and like many children I didn't quite enjoy it, mainly because of all that candied fruits. It takes a bit of an adult taste to fully enjoy the richness of the cake. But even grown ups can be picky with candied fig and pumpkin, so many bakeries started a fancy cake made only with whole nuts and no candied fruits AT ALL. It's even richer, more expensive, and prettier than our traditional Bolo-Rei. Today, I offer you a different version from last year's King Cake (Bolo-Rei), a version made only with nuts: whole almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts. It's called Queen Cake!



Queen Cake (Bolo-Raínha)
Lightly adapted from Eric Treuille e Ursula Ferrigno, Bread

2 small or 1 large cake

100 grs walnuts
50 grs whole almonds
50 grs whole hazelnuts
600 grs (4 cups) all-purpose flour
125 ml (about 1/2 cup) whole milk
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
165 grs (3/4 cup) golden caster sugar
100 grs butter (3/4 cup), softened
3 large eggs

Topping
24 walnut halves
bunch of almonds or/and hazelnuts
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
milk to glaze
icing sugar for decoration

Dissolve the yeast in 125ml of tepid milk and leave for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt - make a well in center of flour and pour in dissolved yeast. Gently fold some of surrounding flour into pool of yeast to form a soft paste in center of well. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar with vanilla extract. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition. Incorporate butter mixture into flour mixture and continue bringing in sides to form a soft dough. Knead the dough well, it should be smooth and elastic. Add nuts and knead to distribute evenly. Smother the dough in a little flour and cover with a clean cloth. Place bowl in a warm draft free area, and let rise until doubled in size, for about 1 hour.

Once dough has doubled, punch down and let rest for 5 minutes. If you're making 2 small cakes (like me), divide into 2 equal parts. Using your fingers, open a hole in the centre of each ball. (You can insert a floured glass to prevent sticking - that will keep the hole open) Cover with a towel, let rise again for another hour, until doubled in size. (Remove the glass, if using one) Glaze the dough with milk and arrange the nuts on top of the ring (push nuts a bit, so they won't fall as the dough rises whilst baking). Bake at 180ºC for 45-50 minutes or until golden.

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan, mix over stove until incorporated and a bit liquid, so it is easy to brush on finished cakes. After removing the cake from the oven, gently brush top and sides with this mixture. Sprinkle with (lots of) icing sugar.

Here it is my cake to celebrate Three Kings Day! Check all traditions like Galette des rois, Roscón de Reyes, Bolo Rei, King Cake, Dreikönigskuchen at Zorra's website.

DB#26 or Have a Christmas with lots of Chocolate!

In December, you expect the Daring Bakers to go wild on Yule Logs. I've never made one myself, so I - like many others - kinda of expected the challenge to be a Yule Log... and we were not deceived! A French Yule Log it was! 6 different components, 12 pages for the recipe, 24 bowls, pans, saucepans, you-name-it to wash up... This was probably the most challenging of all the recipes I've made with the Daring Bakers. My Yule Log had two almond dacquoise layers (bottom and top), aniseed creme brulée, almond caramel praliné, dark chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache and dark chocolate icing. I served it for dessert on Christmas Lunch. It was a hit!

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand. For the recipe, check Hilda's Saffron and Blueberry, and (as always!) for a few thousand versions visit the Daring Bakers blogroll.



My thoughts on the challenge:
- This was time consuming but not that difficult. Each component was fairly easy to make, and the recipes were very nice on their own, except perhaps for the mousse. It was pretty hard to make a pâté à bombe with such small quantities.
- I topped my Bûche de Noël with dacquoise, as well as using it for the bottom.
- I made 1 + a half recipe of the dark icing to prevent icing 'accidents' (I'm very prone to this kind of troubles!!).
- The most challenging of all was the insane number of dishes this took - it made me use dozens of bowls, saucepans, pans, spoons, spatulas, you name it! Huge thanks to my hubby who did most of the washing up, as I absolutely hate it.
- My overall thought is that it didn't feel very Christmas-ish to me (perhaps because it was a frozen dessert and I tend to think of those as summer desserts) but it was really delicious. And I'm not a chocoholic!

I don't think the photos do any justice to how nice it was and how yummy it tasted. I just didn't have time to photograph it properly with everybody around... Anyway, you can get an idea of how it looked with the chocolate decorations on top.

DB#25 or a Caramel Dream!

When I was a kid my drawings were always full of colour but I've never managed to keep them clean and tidy. It could be a stain, a colorful fingerprint or just everything a bit uneven on the page. Every time I'd complain, my mum would say my drawings were beautiful and perfect the way they were. I would roll my eyes, and start over (stubborn, me?). One day, after she gave me the same answer, I've explained her that I wanted my drawings to be "perfect BUT perfect in a perfect way". I was 4 years old. The "perfect in a perfect way" became a family mockery that has survived all these years. Even today, when I say something is perfect, there will certainly be a member of my lovely family to quickly ask "but is it perfect in a perfect way or just perfect?". And we all laugh.

As much as I wanted my cakes to be "perfect in a perfect way", I've learned to like their rustic appearance. They have a thing of their own, some sort of perfect imperfection... and I like that! Of course, I still dream of caramel buttercream spread across without a single flaw, and luscious decorations running the sides and top of a tall, even cake. A girl can dream, right? ;-)

Let me welcome you to a Caramel Dream, pardon, to a caramel cake with Shuna Fish Lydon mark. I came across Shuna's blog, and work, through my friend Fer a while ago. It made me really happy to know an enormous bunch of talented people would bake her signature caramel cake... So let me welcome you to the Daring Bakers November challenge! This month we have a lovely hostess: Dolores of Chronicles of Culinary Curiosity, co-hosted by Alex of Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo, Jenny of Foray into Food, and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go. Check all the other Daring Bakers Caramel dreams!



Shuna Fish Lydon caramel cake's recipe can be found here, and some tips from Shuna over at Eggbeater.

My thoughts on the challenge:

- The cake is moist, and has a great texture.
- My idea for the cake was to keep it caramel only. My only concession was a handful of tiny little bits of dulce de leche on top of the cakes.
- As many people said it was extra sweet, I've reduced the sugar in the cake to a little less than 1 cup.
- I thought it was very important to cream the butter for the cake for a long 7-8 minutes. The 'dry, wet, dry, wet, dry' method was also very simple but important for the outcome. My batter was soft and light, with a beautiful golden colour.
- Instead of a large cake, I've made a medium one, and 6 individual cakes.
- I've halved the buttercream recipe, and again cut dramatically the amount of sugar (1/2 cup) but used the higher amount of syrup stated (plus a little more!). It worked fine, despite of all.
- The medium cake was a major success with my dad-in-law, covered with the buttercream on top, and some caramel syrup running.
- The day after, I served the individual cakes halved, with buttercream between the layers, dulce de leche crumbled on top, and paired with mulled pears. It was surprisingly good!
- Unfortunately, I didn't find the time to make Alice Medrich's Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels.



Mulled Pears

4 large, ripe pears (I used the portuguese variety Rocha), whole, peeled
4 Tbsp light muscovado sugar
400 ml red wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 star aniseed

Put the sugar, wine, cinnamon, and star aniseed in a large saucepan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears to the simmering syrup. Poach for 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Set aside to cool completely. Keep the pears in the syrup overnight. Serve with the cake.

Chocolate & Cardamom

Bakery's open on weekends here at home. I often ask my husband (aka Mr. Taster) what kind of cake he wants for the week. He always comes up with a couple of suggestions, depending on if we have extra fruits or any new recipe bookmarked. Last week I didn't even have to ask. Do you know you have 5... FIVE! different brands of chocolate bars in the pantry, plus 2 halved?? The remark was meant to express how he hates my (very) untidy pantry, and my messy shopping habits. Oh do I? I had no idea. (I can play the angel role with a fairly convincing voice when I want...) What do you think of a chocolate cake? I asked. Sure! All's well when it ends well. Except I wasn't in the mood to bake a layered, decadent, creamy chocolate cake. My gut feeling kept pushing me to the spice stand... Spices love chocolate. Cardamom loves dark bittersweet chocolate! I remembered Sue Lawrence's On Baking had a recipe featuring cardamom and chocolate. I did a few changes to suit our taste. This is a very fragrant cake. Decrease the cardamom amount if you dislike strong flavoured cakes.

Cardamom Chocolate Cake
Slightly inspired from Sue Lawrence's On Baking

1 Loaf (or 12 tea cakes)

125 grs unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, beaten
100 grs dark chocolate (I like Lindt 70% cocoa), cut into large chunks
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
2 Tbsp milk
3-4 large green cardamom pods (or more, to taste)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360ºF). Sift the flour into a bowl. Tip the the cardamom pods into a pestle and mortar and crush. Use a sieve to mix only the ground cardamom into the flour. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, until light. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flour and milk, and beat well. Add the chocolate chunks to the cake mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into a buttered loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

You can dust the cake with powdered sugar and good quality cocoa or leave it plain. Serve with whipped cream or lemon curd.



I'm sending this over to Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella for The Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challenge! Not sure this is my Best Ever Chocolate Cake but it was a success for tea.

Muffins & Presents

Today it's not so much about the chocolate muffins (which, not-so-coincidentally, is a Donna Hay's recipe!) but about how Hay, hay it's Donna Hay gave the opportunity to show my love for Donna. I could tell you how I love the books and specially the magazine, or how both make my cooking and baking much better... I could also tell you that winning HHDD twice made me jump and laugh, and that I had great fun going through the magazines to choose a theme and a recipe. But the most important thing is it gave me the chance to "meet" awesome people (you know who you are!), so thanks to everyone who made it so special for me. :) I've been spoiled by talented Bron Marshall with yummy and beautiful goodies for my 1st HHDD win. Thank you, Bron! And the colourful (and very useful!) spoons & cups were a sweet gift from Alexandra from the always inspirational Addicted Sweet Tooth, along with delicious Canadian Maple Flakes! Thanks a million, Alexandra!



Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from Donna Hay, New Food Fast, p.78*

Makes 9 (or 15 mini muffins)

150grs (unsalted) butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar (I used light brown sugar)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 (large) eggs
1 cup cake flour

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (360ºF). In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar, until smooth. Add, one at a time, whisking between additions. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Fold in the egg mixture. With a spoon fill the (silicone) muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for 12 minutes, or until baked but still wet in the inside.

*I own the Portuguese version of this book. Apologies if the recipe may be slightly different from the original, as it's my translation.

Far... and away

Once in a while, my hubby grabs a cookbook from the shelves (or the floor...) and picks up a recipe. You could make this, he says. It's always something I probably wouldn't choose by myself or simply a meat dish that somehow never makes the top of my list. This time, the Official Taster has put his finger on a Far aux pêches et à la menthe from one of my many French Marabout books. Often referred as Far Breton, a far is a fruity pudding cake, between a flan and a clafoutis, great served for breakfast or as a light dessert. With a kitchen full of stone fruits, the choice was spot on! Nectarines, peppermint (a gift from my lovely friend Marizé) and some slivered almonds... Mesdames et messieurs, voilá!



Nectarine Far with Almonds
Slightly adapted from Isabel Brancq-Lepage, Flans, fars et clafoutis, Marabout.

Serves 6-8

2 cups (500ml) milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup (100grs) all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup (125grs) superfine caster sugar + 2 Tbsp extra to dust
4 ripe (but firm) nectarines
4 peppermint leaves
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Butter an ovenproof deep dish (or 6 to 8 individual ramekins) and dust with sugar.

Peel the nectarines, remove stone, and slice into thin pieces. Arrange into the prepared dishes, with the mint leaves randomly disposed.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Sift flour and sugar together into a mixing bowl. Slowly, whisk in the milk and eggs, beating until batter is smooth. Pour batter over the fruit. Arrange slivered almonds on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and crusty around the edges. (Do not over bake. The interior should be moist, with a flan-like texture) Sprinkle with sugar. Serve warm, from the dish.

DB#21 or Winter in Summertime!

It's Daring Bakers time again! Chris from Mele Cotte chose a recipe of Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream (from Great Cakes by Carol Walter) that had a little smell of winter with nuts, chocolate and buttercream. Mine ended up with fruit in and on, which gave it a weird look of summer in wintertime! I hardly bake a full sized cake these days. Nothing new under the sun - you know my love for individual cakes. Sometimes I just think that I do it to hide my non-existing decorating skills... the bigger the cake is, the messier it gets for me. But this time, I've decided to go by the book, and bake a 'real' cake. It was my husband's birthday after all! As I had to make some substitutions to allow my mom-in-law to have it (she's lactose intolerant), things didn't go according to the plan, and I had a few issues with the buttercream. The flavours and combinations were also changed to match the birthday boy wishes when asked about his cake. Cherries, I want cherries. Cherries you'd have, my love. The cake looks... well, rustic. I blame it on using soy instead of cream, and Yes, those are blackberries and redcurrants, and No, they weren't suppose to be used if the buttercream had come together, which never happened.



My thoughts on the challenge

- The gateau was the only part of the recipe that I haven't changed any flavours. In the sugar syrup I replaced rum for Ginginha, a Portuguese liqueur made with sour cherries.
- My buttercream never completely came together, despite all my efforts re-heating and beating again as the recipe suggested. I had replaced the butter and that's why I think it didn't work out. But it tasted great with the praline. I'll definitely be doing this again with the right ingredients.
- I used cherry jam instead of apricot, to match.
- My chocolate ganache didn't have the mirror finishing. Again I think the substitutions are to blame.
- I used the runny buttercream in the cake but of course it was impossible to pipe it or use it in any kind of decoration. Ergo, the blackberries and redcurrants, as the cherries were all used in the filling...
- In the end, I did so many substitutions that the recipe can't be blame for all the problems I had. The hazelnut gateau was a winner, and the buttercream with the praline was perfectly balanced in flavour.
- Not my best challenge but the cake was very tasteful. I'll always have winter to try the recipe properly. ;)

For the original recipe, go to Chris post.



Thank you Chris from Mele Cotte for choosing a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream, and Ivonne and Lisa for starting such a wonderful group! Please visit all the other Daring Bakers for endless interpretations of the recipe.

Luscious Berries

I don't think I've ever been so behind with my posting... No worries, this will be my only remark about time! I usually shoot whatever looks like a good recipe, a different version or a featured recipe. After that, I choose what to post without much thinking. Checking my recipes to post, I counted around 20 queuing... My mind was made: I will not shoot before posting at least half of those! Whilst reading Food Blogga I realized Susan was hosting Sugar High Friday, under the theme berries! I *just* love berries!! I wasn't entering until those raspberry financiers looked fitting to the theme, and I could keep my promise!

Raspberry Financiers*

Makes 8-10

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 Tbsp sliced almonds
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 large egg whites
pinch of salt
1/3 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 tsp rose extract, or to taste (optional)

Place the butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside. In a food processor, put the almonds, sugar, baking powder and flour, and pulse until no almond chunks are visible. Add the egg whites, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt, and the rose extract, and mix until smooth. Mix in the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or best overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (360ºF). Stir the mixture briefly to deflate it. Spoon the batter into each mold and sprinkle with the berries over the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.

* Financiers, also called Friands, are small almond cakes, usually with a rectangular or trapezoid shape. Round molds can also be used, like muffin tins. I used heart shaped silicone molds.

I'm submitting my raspberry financiers to this month's Sugar High Friday, hosted by Susan at Food Blogga, and originally created by Jennifer at the Domestic Goddess.

Go Bananas!

Portugal has a close relation with Africa, not only because of its proximity with the black continent but specially thanks to the former Portuguese Colonies overseas. Not surprisingly, Portuguese food has some roots on African cuisine, sharing the love for spices and fruit on both sweet and savoury dishes. Banana breads are not traditional around here or at least not the American way and certainly not very popular across the country. It's not current to find banana bread in coffee shops or at people's places. Except when you have ripped bananas in your kitchen that cry for use, like often happens with me... then banana breads become overly popular. And what a success it usually is! I like banana bread a lot with a ball of vanilla ice cream. It always takes me to the seaside where my parents little apartment's porch makes the perfect place to eat a slice of it, facing the garden with jacarandas and hibiscus trees. For me, nothing could be more fitting to complete a summer day at the beach! This recipe has been pieced together from various other recipes over the years, adding and/or omitting some ingredients. It makes a huge cake in a large square pan or a couple of cakes using bread pans (like I used below).



Banana Bread, my way
makes 1 large or 2 medium cakes (halving the recipe works fine too)

6 medium eggs
2/3 cup cream (150 ml)
2/3 cup unslated butter, melted and cooled (about 100 grs)
1/4 cup olive oil (50 ml)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark muscavado sugar (loosely packed)
1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinamonn
pinch of nutmeg
1 large or 2 medium banana(s), chopped + 2 medium bananas, sliced
3 Tbsp liquid caramel

Preheat oven to 180ºC. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the muscavado and granulated sugar on medium speed until sugar has dissolved completely, about 2 minutes. Add butter, cream and olive oil, whisking all together. Slowly, mix in sifted flour with spices and baking powder. Add chopped banana(s).

Get the pan(s) ready by spreading the caramel (use a brush, if you like), covering the bottom and sides throughly. Place banana's slices. Pour in the batter, carefully not to disturb the banana. Bake for 35-40 minutes ou until cooked through. Remove from oven. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan before removing it to the serving plate.

NQN is holding a Banana Bread Bake off event - this is my entry for the banana bread bake off, hosted by Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella. Get ready for zillions of banana bread recipes!

The roundup is now up! Go check out those beauties here and vote for your favourite!

DB#17 or Let's Party!

There's this song by The Divine Comedy that has played in my head all month since the Daring Bakers March challenge was posted by our lovely hostess Morven.

Give me your love
And I'll give you the perfect lovesong
With a divine Beatles bassline
And a big old Beach Boys sound

The song goes on (check it out on the right bar if you're curious), very cheesy and full of (beaten) love sentences. After all every love song is suppose to be a bit silly or it's not real love!! But why would I remember that whilst reading the DBs challenge? Because it's the Perfect Party Cake by Dorie Greenspan! So give me your attention and I'll give your the perfect party cake recipe. ;)



My thoughts on the challenge:

- I love individual savoury pies, sweet tarts or little cakes. Even when a bake bread I always end up doing two loafs instead of one or a bunch of buns in place of a loaf... I don't have an explanation for this. It's easier for me to plan 3 dozen tarts than to bake a large cake! So with the excuse that I don't own a couple of large pans that match, I've baked 16 little cakes using my muffin tins.

- What type of flour to use was one of the discussions going on during the month. I used cake flour. The cakes didn't rise a lot but enough to create four-layer individual cakes that turned out lovely.

- I've used a couple of tablespoons of lavender to flavour the sugar I used for the cakes and the buttercream (1/2 recipe), discarded the lemon zest for the cakes and added only half the quantity of lemon juice to the buttercream. I also had the coconut with the lavender for some time before sprinkling the cakes.

- As I assembled the cakes in two different days, first I used chopped strawberries in a light lavender syrup with buttercream and shredded coconut and for the second 'batch', I used strawberry jam and fresh strawberries with whipped cream and mascarpone cheese. Both takes were very nice but I really loved the fresh fruit between the layers.

- I kept the cakes (without filling) in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Stone or cat?

Why would a cake be named after a rock? I'm aware marble cake is called that way because of its chocolate effects. But a stone? In Sweden it's called Tiger Cake (or Tigerkaka, to be more precise) - colour tones are much closer and feline imagery is much richer than stones'... A cat is a cat and a stone is a stone. Marble or Tiger, this is just a cake.

I'm not mad about nutella. Oh wait, I wasn't suppose to tell, was I? Let me try to explain. I'm not crazy about chocolate. Unbelievable, I know. It's not that I dislike chocolate, it just doesn't trill me. February, the 5th is Nutella Day. This is a nutella recipe from a non-believer. Try it at your own risk!

Tiger or Marble Cake

150 grs caster sugar
80 grs butter, unsalted
2 large eggs
100 ml non-fat milk
100 ml cream
100 grs chocolate (64% cocoa or nutella)
1/2 vanilla bean, open, seeds scrapped
250 grs all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder

In a heat-proof bowl over boiling water, melt milk and chocolate or nutella together with vanilla bean (reserve seeds for the batter). In a medium bowl, cream sugar and butter (at room temperature) until smooth. Add one egg at a time, stirring after each addition. Mix in cream and vanilla seeds. Add in flour and baking powder, without over mixing. Pour half the batter into nutella mixture, mix to incorporate. Remove vanilla bean.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. In a greased and dusted pan, alternate a spoonful of each mixture, until all is used. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean. Allow to cool over a rack.

A cake fit for a King & Pay It Forward

Today, we celebrate 'Day of The Kings' and Epiphany. According to the Bible, it's the day when The Three Kings meet Jesus. Upon meeting him, the Magi hand over gifts - three highly symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Apart from deep religious meanings, it's a moving sharing moment. In Portugal, January the 6th is mostly seen as the end of Holidays and it's not a very festive day. However, King Cake is traditionally served on this day but also very popular throughout the Christmas season.

Pay It Forward

Paying it forward, what a great concept! I can’t think of a better way to keep the holiday spirit now that it's finished. I've got this idea from Michelle of Culinography, who got it from Kristen of Dine and Dish, who got it from Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe and so on. Here's how to participate:

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Paying It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, which is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

Isn't it cool?! So, if you would like to take part, just leave a comment. ;) And now on to the recipe!

King Cake (Bolo-Rei)
Adapted from Eric Treuille e Ursula Ferrigno, Bread

2 small or 1 large cake

100 grs crystallized cherries (or candied peel), chopped
50 grs raisins
50 grs pine nuts
1/2 glass Oporto Wine
600 grs (4 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
125 ml (about 1/2 cup) warm water
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
100 grs (1/4 cup) caster sugar
100 grs butter (3/4 cup), softened
3 eggs

Topping
12 crystallized cherries
50 grs raisins and pine nuts (or candied peel)
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
(remaining Oporto Wine)
milk to glaze
icing sugar for decoration

Soak chopped cherries, raisins and pine nuts in Oporto Wine, at least for 6 hours (or best overnight).

Dissolve the yeast in 125ml of tepid water and leave for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt - make a well in center of flour and pour in dissolved yeast. Gently fold some of surrounding flour into pool of yeast to form a soft paste in center of well. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar with vanilla extract. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition. Incorporate butter mixture into flour mixture and continue bringing in sides to form a soft dough. Knead the dough well, it should be smooth and elastic. Add macerated fruits and knead to distribute evenly. Smother the dough in a little flour and cover with a clean cloth. Place bowl in a warm draft free area, and let rise until doubled in size, for about 1 hour.



Once dough has doubled, punch down and let rest for 5 minutes. If you're making 2 small cakes (like me), divide into 2 equal parts. Using your fingers, open a hole in the centre of each ball. Cover with a towel, let rise again for another hour, until doubled in size. Glaze the dough with milk and arrange the crystallized cherries, raisins and pine nuts on top of the ring (push raisins and pine nuts a bit, so they won't fall as the dough rises). Bake at 180ºC for 45-50 minutes or until golden.

Place remaining Oporto Wine in a small sauce pan and add a little water and sugar, mix over stove until incorporated and a bit liquid, so it is easy to brush on finished ring. After removing the cake from the oven, gently brush top and sides with this mixture. Sprinkle with icing sugar.