I know, I've missed all the recent challenges. I'll have plenty of stuff to try later to catch up. Which I will do. After I get settled. And get a house. And unwind. Well, making all this stuff will probably be part of the unwinding.
Right now all I have to cook is my toaster oven, microwave, electric kettle and electric wok. My prep is done at a bathroom sink. I probably won't make the September ones either. I haven't really found a grocery store I'm happy with yet. But I haven't really looked because I've been busy and had other stuff to worry about. I have gone to the Lenoir Farmers market, which was OK but rather small.
Today I went to the Charlotte farmer's market. That was rather impressive. It was big with lots of farms each having their own stands. As you walked by the cantaloupes you could smell them. Same with the peaches. I bought more stuff than I should have since I just have one of those tiny cube fridges that is already almost full. If I had been thinking I would have taken a pic with my new cell phone that has a camera but I'm not that smart. One day I'll do some more exploring of Charlotte. And I'll get a GPS. And a lot of other things. But not today.
Anyway, I'll catch up eventually.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Getting Married
This post on The Paupered Chef is awesome. Getting married is not about sappy lovey dovey garbage that falls apart not long after the wedding. It's about tax savings, reduced car insurance, better health insurance and gifts! Getting all sorts of kitchen gear is totally a reason to get married, though I think I'd rather just buy it myself. I feel bad for people who think it's about all that sappy stuff because then they have nothing left at the end of it whereas I'd have money and everything I can imagine in the kitchen.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
All sorts of stuff
I know, it's been a while. I had a nice streak of about 2 months with at least 1 hit here, May 28th to be exact, and then I stopped.... well that streak got broken on August 8th. But I have a good excuse!
I didn't have any form of internet access for a week! From 8/10-15 I had nothing! It was disturbing. On the 15th I got internet access at work. Though that was Friday afternoon and I wasn't exactly going in to work on the weekend. But today I finally got internet access at home!!!
By home I mean the place that I am staying until I find a place. I am renting a suite off a house that this old lady owns. She makes the bed and replaces towels and stuff like a hotel. There is a lot more space than a hotel room and there are no extended stay hotels here so it's better than the hotels around.
But there are a few quirks. She is I guess a typical old southern woman. She is very conservative and friendly.
I got here Sunday night and was really sick so I got some food and went to sleep. The next day was my first day of work. That was a rough day. I was so congested I could barely hear when people talked to me. Then I looked at houses after work. So I got home and I was tired. I as pretty much just going to fall asleep. Then she came down. She offered to help me unpack. By offered to help I mean she started going through my stuff and putting it places. Pretty much I was forced to put everything somewhere where she couldn't see it. Then she sat down and just wanted to hang out for a while.
I was rather concerned after this. I like going home to an empty house. I like to go home and just sit down and relax. I don't want to talk. I don't want to entertain anyone. I don't want to be nice. Maybe I'll turn on the TV. Maybe I'll play with my computer. Maybe I'll make dinner. Maybe I'll go to bed. Maybe I'll sit and stare blankly at the wall. The point is, these are all activities I like to do by myself. And she was getting in the way of this.
Fortunately she stayed away for the next few days. While I can deal with people every once in a while, having her around all the time when I got home might have been a deal breaker.
Work has been hectic. Let's just say they don't really believe in a break in period. So I am running around all day at work and then looking at houses at night. And then stupidly watching the olympics until way too late (meaning past 10) at night. That's why I don't have cable!
Anyway, now I can catch up on reading blogs and stuff. I probably won't have many blog posts since I don't have a kitchen, though I do have my toaster oven, microwave, electric kettle, electric wok and a tiny mini fridge. I have my stand mixer too though I haven't taken it out yet... that probably won't come out until after I have chosen a house. I do my prep on the bathroom counter and then bake in the toaster oven, haha. So far this is what I have made: burgers (on foil in the toaster oven), brownies, tomato salad, egg salad and lots of sandwiches. I am sick of sandwiches. I don't think I had this many sandwiches in the last year before I came here. But I am wary of the eating out options and I think I would get sick of those quickly if I ate them more than 3 or 4 times a week. Well, after I get this house thing settled I'll be able to relax and cook some stuff myself.... hopefully.
I didn't have any form of internet access for a week! From 8/10-15 I had nothing! It was disturbing. On the 15th I got internet access at work. Though that was Friday afternoon and I wasn't exactly going in to work on the weekend. But today I finally got internet access at home!!!
By home I mean the place that I am staying until I find a place. I am renting a suite off a house that this old lady owns. She makes the bed and replaces towels and stuff like a hotel. There is a lot more space than a hotel room and there are no extended stay hotels here so it's better than the hotels around.
But there are a few quirks. She is I guess a typical old southern woman. She is very conservative and friendly.
I got here Sunday night and was really sick so I got some food and went to sleep. The next day was my first day of work. That was a rough day. I was so congested I could barely hear when people talked to me. Then I looked at houses after work. So I got home and I was tired. I as pretty much just going to fall asleep. Then she came down. She offered to help me unpack. By offered to help I mean she started going through my stuff and putting it places. Pretty much I was forced to put everything somewhere where she couldn't see it. Then she sat down and just wanted to hang out for a while.
I was rather concerned after this. I like going home to an empty house. I like to go home and just sit down and relax. I don't want to talk. I don't want to entertain anyone. I don't want to be nice. Maybe I'll turn on the TV. Maybe I'll play with my computer. Maybe I'll make dinner. Maybe I'll go to bed. Maybe I'll sit and stare blankly at the wall. The point is, these are all activities I like to do by myself. And she was getting in the way of this.
Fortunately she stayed away for the next few days. While I can deal with people every once in a while, having her around all the time when I got home might have been a deal breaker.
Work has been hectic. Let's just say they don't really believe in a break in period. So I am running around all day at work and then looking at houses at night. And then stupidly watching the olympics until way too late (meaning past 10) at night. That's why I don't have cable!
Anyway, now I can catch up on reading blogs and stuff. I probably won't have many blog posts since I don't have a kitchen, though I do have my toaster oven, microwave, electric kettle, electric wok and a tiny mini fridge. I have my stand mixer too though I haven't taken it out yet... that probably won't come out until after I have chosen a house. I do my prep on the bathroom counter and then bake in the toaster oven, haha. So far this is what I have made: burgers (on foil in the toaster oven), brownies, tomato salad, egg salad and lots of sandwiches. I am sick of sandwiches. I don't think I had this many sandwiches in the last year before I came here. But I am wary of the eating out options and I think I would get sick of those quickly if I ate them more than 3 or 4 times a week. Well, after I get this house thing settled I'll be able to relax and cook some stuff myself.... hopefully.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Fresh Pasta
My going away party was last Wednesday. I decided to have it at the Lazy Dog Coffeehouse in Minersville, just to mix things up a little. We were sticking with Amigo's for most of the going away dinners and I just wanted something different.
It's a cute little place. I had gone with Karthik there a few weeks ago and found it's probably the nicest casual place in town. A lot more modern in design and feel than the other places around here, most of which haven't redecorated since the 70's. It was a good night.
A lot of people showed up. We filled the place. For a while we were literally the only people in the restaurant. You could tell they don't do a lot of large parties and they had some small logistical issues. It happens.
Anyway, they gave me a few going away presents. The group got me a set of Kitchenaid attachments with the pasta maker, meat grinder and slicer/shredder. Now keep in mind I was planning on baking the cookies, the dough was in the bowl from the mixer in the fridge, cleaning the bowl and packing it up. Well that obviously didn't happen.
I had been diligently working at finishing off stuff in the fridge. But I still had some ground turkey, shimp, eggs and butter in the fridge, among other things. This was more than I could eat in a couple days.
Well I decided to make fresh pasta on Thursday. I left work at 4, came home and started all sorts of prep and a few of my coworkers came over for dinner.
I just used the recipe for a basic dough that came with the attachments. It was flour, an egg and a little water. Knead, rest and extrude. Well for some reason I felt the dough needed to come together more so I kept adding water until it was the consistency of pizza dough. I fed it through the extruder and I got these long strands. Only trouble was, all the strands instantly stuck together. So I added some flour and re-extruded. I also sprinkled flour as it was coming out. It took a whole bunch of passes but eventually I got it all out and separated into strands.
Fresh Pasta
Recipe is the one from the Kitchenaid book that came with the attachments, with my commentary on what not to do
Assemble the pasta maker according to the instructions (note that it comes with the extruder screw, mixing piece and 2 of the dies already installed, I spent 20 minutes yelling at the box that I couldn't find the auger)
Measure 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted into the bowl of your stand mixer.
Add 3 large eggs. Mix with the paddle until integrated.
Add 2 tablespoons of water. Dough will be very dry. Do not add more water (to try to get it to come together, your pasta will just stick when you extrude it and you will end up adding more and more flour). It probably should just come together.
Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Extrude. Dust it with flour as it's coming out to keep it from sticking. Separate all the strands as you go.
Cook in a pot of boiling salted water. When the noodles float, they are done. Take out and toss in sauce to let it soak up all the yummy goodness.
Sauces:
Turkey meat sauce
If you can even call this a recipe
Brown 1 lb ground turkey (or beef or the limbs of small children, whatever makes you happy). Drain off any excess fat. Add 1 jar of tomato sauce. I used a jar of stuff I got from Aldi's, I forget what it was called exactly. Simmer until the pasta is ready.
Shrimp garlic butter sauce (scampi maybe?)
This is why I don't name recipes
Use a big hunk of herb butter, I had about 6 tbsp in the freezer that I threw in the pan on low and got the butter melted. If you don't have herb butter you could add dried parsley at this point or fresh parsley right at the end. Chop up about 4 cloves of garlic as fine as you have the patience for. Add the garlic to the pan. I used this garlic butter to make garlic knots, added more butter and proceeded. Feel free to skip that step, whatever makes you happy.
Turn the pan up to medium and add about 1 lb of peeled shrimp. No tails on the shrimp; who wants to pick tails out of their pasta? Turn them over when they just start to turn pink. Oh and add salt and pepper at some point too. Probably when you first throw them in. Take the shrimp out so they don't overcook. Add a glug or 2 of white wine and simmer. When the pasta is ready toss it in the butter sauce and add the shrimp back. Toss so that everything gets buttery and good.
For those of you working with extruders, it is a standard 3:1.5 (not quite sure if that terminology is correct, I've only seen x:1 but the flight length is 1 inch, the diameter is 1.5 inches and there are 3 flights so I decided that's how it is denoted) screw with a deeply grooved barrel. There is an optional mixing section, which is put on only for certain products. There are both plastic and metal dies, I have not tested both yet to see differences in behavior. I haven't established how much of a difference the mixing section makes yet either. All in due time..... I have been informed that I will need to optimize the process and create directives.....
And for those of you not working with extruders.... it really make sense, I swear!
It's a cute little place. I had gone with Karthik there a few weeks ago and found it's probably the nicest casual place in town. A lot more modern in design and feel than the other places around here, most of which haven't redecorated since the 70's. It was a good night.
A lot of people showed up. We filled the place. For a while we were literally the only people in the restaurant. You could tell they don't do a lot of large parties and they had some small logistical issues. It happens.
Anyway, they gave me a few going away presents. The group got me a set of Kitchenaid attachments with the pasta maker, meat grinder and slicer/shredder. Now keep in mind I was planning on baking the cookies, the dough was in the bowl from the mixer in the fridge, cleaning the bowl and packing it up. Well that obviously didn't happen.
I had been diligently working at finishing off stuff in the fridge. But I still had some ground turkey, shimp, eggs and butter in the fridge, among other things. This was more than I could eat in a couple days.
Well I decided to make fresh pasta on Thursday. I left work at 4, came home and started all sorts of prep and a few of my coworkers came over for dinner.
I just used the recipe for a basic dough that came with the attachments. It was flour, an egg and a little water. Knead, rest and extrude. Well for some reason I felt the dough needed to come together more so I kept adding water until it was the consistency of pizza dough. I fed it through the extruder and I got these long strands. Only trouble was, all the strands instantly stuck together. So I added some flour and re-extruded. I also sprinkled flour as it was coming out. It took a whole bunch of passes but eventually I got it all out and separated into strands.
Fresh Pasta
Recipe is the one from the Kitchenaid book that came with the attachments, with my commentary on what not to do
Assemble the pasta maker according to the instructions (note that it comes with the extruder screw, mixing piece and 2 of the dies already installed, I spent 20 minutes yelling at the box that I couldn't find the auger)
Measure 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted into the bowl of your stand mixer.
Add 3 large eggs. Mix with the paddle until integrated.
Add 2 tablespoons of water. Dough will be very dry. Do not add more water (to try to get it to come together, your pasta will just stick when you extrude it and you will end up adding more and more flour). It probably should just come together.
Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Extrude. Dust it with flour as it's coming out to keep it from sticking. Separate all the strands as you go.
Cook in a pot of boiling salted water. When the noodles float, they are done. Take out and toss in sauce to let it soak up all the yummy goodness.
Sauces:
Turkey meat sauce
If you can even call this a recipe
Brown 1 lb ground turkey (or beef or the limbs of small children, whatever makes you happy). Drain off any excess fat. Add 1 jar of tomato sauce. I used a jar of stuff I got from Aldi's, I forget what it was called exactly. Simmer until the pasta is ready.
Shrimp garlic butter sauce (scampi maybe?)
This is why I don't name recipes
Use a big hunk of herb butter, I had about 6 tbsp in the freezer that I threw in the pan on low and got the butter melted. If you don't have herb butter you could add dried parsley at this point or fresh parsley right at the end. Chop up about 4 cloves of garlic as fine as you have the patience for. Add the garlic to the pan. I used this garlic butter to make garlic knots, added more butter and proceeded. Feel free to skip that step, whatever makes you happy.
Turn the pan up to medium and add about 1 lb of peeled shrimp. No tails on the shrimp; who wants to pick tails out of their pasta? Turn them over when they just start to turn pink. Oh and add salt and pepper at some point too. Probably when you first throw them in. Take the shrimp out so they don't overcook. Add a glug or 2 of white wine and simmer. When the pasta is ready toss it in the butter sauce and add the shrimp back. Toss so that everything gets buttery and good.
For those of you working with extruders, it is a standard 3:1.5 (not quite sure if that terminology is correct, I've only seen x:1 but the flight length is 1 inch, the diameter is 1.5 inches and there are 3 flights so I decided that's how it is denoted) screw with a deeply grooved barrel. There is an optional mixing section, which is put on only for certain products. There are both plastic and metal dies, I have not tested both yet to see differences in behavior. I haven't established how much of a difference the mixing section makes yet either. All in due time..... I have been informed that I will need to optimize the process and create directives.....
And for those of you not working with extruders.... it really make sense, I swear!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The all so popular Chocolate Chip Cookies
I've been rather busy lately so I haven't been able to keep up with all the food blogs that I used to read. My Google Reader has been at 1000+ for weeks now and I suspect I will never catch up without just hitting mark all as read on everything.
For those of you who do not already know, this is what is going on with me. I had been looking for a new job, which is how I started getting behind on my Reader in the first place. Well I got a job and have quit my current job. I will be moving to North Carolina next week. Yup. I will become a Southerner.
By moving I mean I will be going down there and looking for a place. Hopefully that will happen relatively quickly. This will be a bit of an ordeal because I am planning on buying a place and given how I am, choosing a place will be difficult.
Well I had some time after I gave my notice where I was going home a lot earlier and just generally more relaxed and less tired and worn out. During this time I sporadically tried to catch up on my blogs. One thing that caught my eye while skipping through assorted blogs was the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. A number of people have tried it and posted about it.
I had been trying to finish everything in my apartment, foodwise. There was still some chocolate chips left. Good ones. They were Ghirardheli 60% dark chocolate ones. I knew if they ended up in storage they would be no good by the time I got them out. So they had to be used or brought down with me. I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do with them. Then I saw this recipe and it all came together.
I went out and bought brown sugar. I guess it can come down with me in my car. I also bought eggs but eggs are always useful. I have a couple days to go that they are sure to get used up.
Naturally I didn't follow the recipe exactly. If you read this blog or have ever had a conversation with me that would seem obvious. The original recipe called for cake flour and bread flour in equal parts, by weight. Well that wasn't going to happen. AP it is. They wanted chocolate disks rather than chips but that would have defeated the purpose in making them now. I made my cookies a lot smaller. I started making balls that were like 3x the size I normally make them. That was only 1.5 oz so that's what I ran with. The recipe called for sea salt; I used kosher. If you flipped the cookie upside down so that the top hit your tongue first you could taste actual saltiness for a second. For my smaller cookies I ended up baking about 12 mins per batch.
These cookies were quite popular. The over the top chocolateyness and butteryness made them very popular. Of course they were so good you ate a couple of them and then about 20 minutes later you felt like you were going to have a heart attack but oh well. I made the mistake of eating 2 of them first thing in the morning before heading down to start my last trial. I went down to see if they were ready to go and then all of a sudden it was like 'gasp... oh god... butter... chocolate... saturated fat.....*gurgle*.... dying....gasp.... well if i'm going to die I may as well have another cookie.... gasp... *final sigh before the eyes glaze over and fall over dead*' I tried to drink water to help keep the blood moving through me but that didn't seem to help.
And without further ado.....
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from this recipe from the NY Times
For those of you who do not already know, this is what is going on with me. I had been looking for a new job, which is how I started getting behind on my Reader in the first place. Well I got a job and have quit my current job. I will be moving to North Carolina next week. Yup. I will become a Southerner.
By moving I mean I will be going down there and looking for a place. Hopefully that will happen relatively quickly. This will be a bit of an ordeal because I am planning on buying a place and given how I am, choosing a place will be difficult.
Well I had some time after I gave my notice where I was going home a lot earlier and just generally more relaxed and less tired and worn out. During this time I sporadically tried to catch up on my blogs. One thing that caught my eye while skipping through assorted blogs was the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. A number of people have tried it and posted about it.
I had been trying to finish everything in my apartment, foodwise. There was still some chocolate chips left. Good ones. They were Ghirardheli 60% dark chocolate ones. I knew if they ended up in storage they would be no good by the time I got them out. So they had to be used or brought down with me. I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do with them. Then I saw this recipe and it all came together.
I went out and bought brown sugar. I guess it can come down with me in my car. I also bought eggs but eggs are always useful. I have a couple days to go that they are sure to get used up.
Naturally I didn't follow the recipe exactly. If you read this blog or have ever had a conversation with me that would seem obvious. The original recipe called for cake flour and bread flour in equal parts, by weight. Well that wasn't going to happen. AP it is. They wanted chocolate disks rather than chips but that would have defeated the purpose in making them now. I made my cookies a lot smaller. I started making balls that were like 3x the size I normally make them. That was only 1.5 oz so that's what I ran with. The recipe called for sea salt; I used kosher. If you flipped the cookie upside down so that the top hit your tongue first you could taste actual saltiness for a second. For my smaller cookies I ended up baking about 12 mins per batch.
These cookies were quite popular. The over the top chocolateyness and butteryness made them very popular. Of course they were so good you ate a couple of them and then about 20 minutes later you felt like you were going to have a heart attack but oh well. I made the mistake of eating 2 of them first thing in the morning before heading down to start my last trial. I went down to see if they were ready to go and then all of a sudden it was like 'gasp... oh god... butter... chocolate... saturated fat.....*gurgle*.... dying....gasp.... well if i'm going to die I may as well have another cookie.... gasp... *final sigh before the eyes glaze over and fall over dead*' I tried to drink water to help keep the blood moving through me but that didn't seem to help.
And without further ado.....
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from this recipe from the NY Times
Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
17 ounce of all purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips
Kosher salt.
1. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Cover with plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 48 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
4. Scoop 1 1/2-ounce mounds of dough onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment or foil sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Yield: 4 dozen 3-inch cookies.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Daring Bakers: Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
This month's recipe for the Daring Bakers is Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream, chosen by Chris, whose blog is Mele Cotte.
Wow this recipe has a fancy name. Well this recipe worked out pretty well for me because I have about 4 packs of hazelnuts in the freezer. They needed to be used up. I have been diligently working on cleaning out the freezer so this was perfect.
I made the cake on Friday night. I had decided I was gonna make it over the weekend and I was excited to make it and I had everything I needed so I started on Friday night. I decided I would make the cake on Friday, let it cool over night and make everything else on Saturday.
The cake was pretty straight forward. I used a 10" springform because that's my only 10" pan. My mini chopper didn't work so great chopping up the nuts. I kind of gave up after a while and decided it was fine enough. All the nut bits weren't small enough to go through a seive but after a half a dozen times I didn't care and just dumped them in. My cake came out only about an inch thick. Maybe I didn't whip the eggs enough or I did something wrong with the butter that made the cake fall.
Well Saturday got wasted at work so the cake sat in the fridge until Sunday. I woke up first thing Sunday and decided I needed to do the cake. The cake was thin so I was really cautious splitting it into 3 layers. The bottom layer failed miserably. I started a third of the way up the side but I guess I angled the knife downward because there was no cake in the middle when I went and lifted the other layers. At least the top 2 were OK.
I left out the liquor in all the components. I thought about replacing with vanilla but then I forgot and decided not to.
The praline was an interesting experience. This was my first time making a caramel type thing. I ground it up in my minichopper but the frosting ended up a bit crunchy. I am OK with that. Though ideally I would have something that could make a paste if I wanted it to. Maybe I'll get a food processor and/or a new blender one day. The magic bullet commercials are luring me in so maybe I'll get one of those.
The buttercream ended up incredibly soft. I didn't have the issues with separation or whatever that a lot of other people seem to be having but at room temperature my buttercream was so soft it was almost liquidy.
When I went to decorate the cake I decided I would try the whole pastry tip thing and actually make an attempt at decorating. You always see them using a zip lock bag with the corner snipped on TV so I figured that would work for me. As you can see from my pic, it didn't. The pastry tip popped out when I went to start trying to squeeze it out of the tip. It probably didn't help that the buttercream was chilled and I was having trouble squeezing it.
So then I had a zip lock bag with the corner snipped full of buttercream. I figured I may as well use the bag to squirt it on the cake. If it came out really bad I would use a spatula and attempt to smooth it. Well I ended up with an off center bulls eye type thing but I got the frosting on so that was good enough for me.
I don't know if it is just me or what but there was a ton of the syrup, buttercream and ganache left. Maybe because my cake didn't rise so much there wasn't as much to cover. Who knows. I will make cupcakes and use the rest of the buttercream and fill them with the ganache.
Here's the original recipe:
Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter
1 Filbert Gateau
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 Gateau
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)
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.*
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
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
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.
To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.
Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.
Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Wow this recipe has a fancy name. Well this recipe worked out pretty well for me because I have about 4 packs of hazelnuts in the freezer. They needed to be used up. I have been diligently working on cleaning out the freezer so this was perfect.
I made the cake on Friday night. I had decided I was gonna make it over the weekend and I was excited to make it and I had everything I needed so I started on Friday night. I decided I would make the cake on Friday, let it cool over night and make everything else on Saturday.
The cake was pretty straight forward. I used a 10" springform because that's my only 10" pan. My mini chopper didn't work so great chopping up the nuts. I kind of gave up after a while and decided it was fine enough. All the nut bits weren't small enough to go through a seive but after a half a dozen times I didn't care and just dumped them in. My cake came out only about an inch thick. Maybe I didn't whip the eggs enough or I did something wrong with the butter that made the cake fall.
Well Saturday got wasted at work so the cake sat in the fridge until Sunday. I woke up first thing Sunday and decided I needed to do the cake. The cake was thin so I was really cautious splitting it into 3 layers. The bottom layer failed miserably. I started a third of the way up the side but I guess I angled the knife downward because there was no cake in the middle when I went and lifted the other layers. At least the top 2 were OK.
I left out the liquor in all the components. I thought about replacing with vanilla but then I forgot and decided not to.
The praline was an interesting experience. This was my first time making a caramel type thing. I ground it up in my minichopper but the frosting ended up a bit crunchy. I am OK with that. Though ideally I would have something that could make a paste if I wanted it to. Maybe I'll get a food processor and/or a new blender one day. The magic bullet commercials are luring me in so maybe I'll get one of those.
The buttercream ended up incredibly soft. I didn't have the issues with separation or whatever that a lot of other people seem to be having but at room temperature my buttercream was so soft it was almost liquidy.
When I went to decorate the cake I decided I would try the whole pastry tip thing and actually make an attempt at decorating. You always see them using a zip lock bag with the corner snipped on TV so I figured that would work for me. As you can see from my pic, it didn't. The pastry tip popped out when I went to start trying to squeeze it out of the tip. It probably didn't help that the buttercream was chilled and I was having trouble squeezing it.
So then I had a zip lock bag with the corner snipped full of buttercream. I figured I may as well use the bag to squirt it on the cake. If it came out really bad I would use a spatula and attempt to smooth it. Well I ended up with an off center bulls eye type thing but I got the frosting on so that was good enough for me.
I don't know if it is just me or what but there was a ton of the syrup, buttercream and ganache left. Maybe because my cake didn't rise so much there wasn't as much to cover. Who knows. I will make cupcakes and use the rest of the buttercream and fill them with the ganache.
Here's the original recipe:
Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter
1 Filbert Gateau
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 Gateau
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)
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.*
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
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
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.
To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.
Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.
Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Recipe IP
Read this exchange between a food blogger and Cooks Illustrated or whatever is their conglomeration is. And go and look at the comments. People are really going nuts with it. I originally saw the posting from Evil Chef Mom, which I check with some frequency because she is entertaining and ranty and she was amused by Pi Day!
I knew there were probably some rules about what you could use/borrow from people in terms of recipes but I have always figured that I never really follow recipes very well anyway so it shouldn't be an issue. Sometimes I have even forgotten where the original recipe is from but after all the things I forgot...errrr..... modifications I made I never really cared. Plus I don't exactly have a following the way some real food bloggers do. That and with my horrible permutations on what starts off as a good recipe, they probably don't want to be associated with the monstrocity that I create.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Though maybe I should make sure to at least put a link into all of my recipes so you can see where they come from... at least from now on...
I knew there were probably some rules about what you could use/borrow from people in terms of recipes but I have always figured that I never really follow recipes very well anyway so it shouldn't be an issue. Sometimes I have even forgotten where the original recipe is from but after all the things I forgot...errrr..... modifications I made I never really cared. Plus I don't exactly have a following the way some real food bloggers do. That and with my horrible permutations on what starts off as a good recipe, they probably don't want to be associated with the monstrocity that I create.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Though maybe I should make sure to at least put a link into all of my recipes so you can see where they come from... at least from now on...
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