Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Decadent Crackers and Bars **Daring Bakers**
The Daring Bakers did Graham Crackers and Nanaimo Bars for this month. The bars were something I have made because they are no-bake bars and this challenge was all the more interesting because the graham crackers were to be made from scratch. I usually make do with the ready-made crackers available in plenty at the stores. This challenge asked for gluten-free crackers which I so wanted to do but owing to the non-availability of the varied flours I had to make mine using AP Flour. The dough was a breeze to put together but mine was very sticky. It was easier to handle with a further 1/4 C of Flour. It was easy to roll out and cut into roundels, a shape I am most familiar with. The shape really doesn't matter in this case because they were in any case being crumbed to serve as the base for the bars. With the first tray in for baking with the required heat and time set, i set about watching Tv only to return to a tray full of charred crackers. So for the further trays, I stood there by the oven watching them bake. The crackers were nice to eat while it was cooling down. It was nice to bite into the sugar crystals. I still have some left after using the required amount for the base which will serve my cravings in the next few days.
For Graham Wafers (Adapted from 101 cookbooks)
2 1/2 C + 2 T all-purpose flour (I had to add a further 1/4 C )
1 C dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 t baking soda
3/4 t kosher salt
7 T unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 C mild-flavored honey
5 T whole milk
2 T pure vanilla extract
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
- Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
- Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
- Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
- Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
- When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.
Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:
These are bars that originated from Canada and is named after the city, Nanaimo.These are no-bake bars. They contain a base of cracker crumbs, a layer of custard cream and finally a layer of melted chocolate.
I made vanilla custard filling playing it safe but made the regular bars as well in floral molds. The heat played the melting factor here. I had to freeze them but soon the custard filling would ooze out. So it was freezing all the way. Mine were 2"x2" a piece so it wasn't too filling. I had reduced the sugar in the middle layer by 1/2 a C and used unsweetened coconut to suit our palates.
I made vanilla custard filling playing it safe but made the regular bars as well in floral molds. The heat played the melting factor here. I had to freeze them but soon the custard filling would ooze out. So it was freezing all the way. Mine were 2"x2" a piece so it wasn't too filling. I had reduced the sugar in the middle layer by 1/2 a C and used unsweetened coconut to suit our palates.
For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)
For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar
For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter
Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.
For a non-coconut loving family, these decadent bars were a treat.
The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.
The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Upside Down Cake
What does one do when one buys some apples and each is tasteless. And by that I mean very literally. So rather than them rotting on the counter, it is best put to use in tarts or the like. And I have done strudels, tarts, caramelized them, sauced them, spiced them for tarts, filled them in braids and croissants and muffins. What was left now... An upside down cake where I could caramelize the apples in sugar to lend the apples a role. I love the ultimate look of an upside cake as well. I can admire at their beauty even if I don't want to eat it.
The recipe is from Food Librarian's post on Mark Bittman's Upside down Cake.
What you need are:
Apples-about 2 peeled and sliced
Brown Sugar-1/2 C
Butter-8 T melted
Butter milk-1 cup (If there is no buttermilk, take a cup of mil, add in 1t of vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes).
Eggs-2
Sugar-1/2C
Flour-2 C
Baking Soda-1t
Salt-1/4t
Cinnamon Powder-1t
Melt 4T butter and pour into an 8" pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Arrange the apple slices and sprinkle cinnamon powder over this.
Whisk the remaining butter, buttermilk, eggs, and sugar. Sieve salt, baking soda and flour. Fold in the wet ingredients and pour the batter over the apples. Bake until done. The recipe calls for a 50 min baking time. Mine was done in 25 mins. Cool and topple on a serving plate and admire the piece of art.
Verdict:
Delicious
Sweet and Light
Definitely Addictive
Pretty!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Red Velvet Cake with a Walnut-Coconut Frosting
I have read and seen red velvet cakes but never tasted or rather made one. So the choice by the Cake Slice Bakers from the book, Nancie McDermott's cookbook, "Southern Cakes" was good enough for me. I have always been intrigued by the colour, not anymore .
A Red velvet cake is a rich, moist, sweet cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color. It is usually prepared as a layer cake somewhere between chocolate and vanilla in flavor, topped with a creamy white icing. Common ingredients are buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa, and eitherbeets or red food coloring. The amount of cocoa used varies in different recipes. A typical frosting is a butter roux (also known as a cooked flour frosting). Cream cheese or buttercream frostings are also used. (Source: Wikipedia).
The contrast of the bright red against the white frosting is what makes it appealing. I chose to halve the recipe and make it in a bundt rather than make two layers because coconut in a cake is not a favorite at home.
The recipe called for 2 T of food coloring, which made me a little hesitant but not using that wouldn't give me the much awaited red color, so I gave in.But believe me, any surface I touched had a red tinge especially my fingers. Apart from this, the cake turned a beautiful red once it was baked. Once I unmoulded the cake, the crumb was too tender and it did tear while handling. I did taste the crumb here and it had a slight tanginess probably owing to the use of buttermilk and vinegar.
I expected a cream cheese frosting and was surprised to find the recipe had no cream cheese at all. Instead, flour and milk are cooked to a paste and then mixed with butter to form a smooth frosting. I used walnuts for pecans and went low on the use of sweetened coconut shavings. But when these were added to the frosting, it turned thick but nowhere to being fluffy but tasted good although a little too sweet.
This cake was actually good with the slight tanginess complimented by the coconut-walnut sweet frosting.A very moist and a very tender crumb.And yes the cake did stain my platter as well :)
January’s Cake: Red Velvet Cake
(Recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)
For the Red Velvet Cake
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (see note below)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp red food colouring
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
For the Coconut Pecan Icing
1 cup milk
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Method – Red Velvet Cake
To make the cake, heat the oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line them with waxed paper to kitchen parchment. Grease the paper and flour the pans.
Prepare three separate mixtures for the batter. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and use a fork to mix them together well. Combine the cocoa powder and the red food colouring in a small bowl, mashing and stirring them together to make a thick smooth paste.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute until creamy and soft. Add the sugar and then beat well for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl now and then. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until the mixture is creamy, fluffy and smooth. Scrape the cocoa-food colouring paste into the batter and beat to mix it in evenly.
Add a third of the flour mixture and then about half the milk, beating the batter with a mixer at low speed. Mix only enough to make the flour or liquid disappear into the batter. Mix in another third of the flour, the rest of the milk and then the last of the flour in the same way.
In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar and stir well. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to quickly mix this last mixture into the red batter, folding it in gently by hand. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes until the layers are spring back when touched lightly in the centre and are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans.
Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for 15 minutes. Then turn them out onto the racks, remove the paper and turn top side up again to cool completely.
Method – Coconut Pecan Icing
Combine the milk and flour in a small or medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking or stirring often until the mixture thickens almost to a paste, around 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scrape it into a small bowl to cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat the butter with a mixture at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar in thirds, beating well eacg time until the mixture is creamy and fairly smooth. Add the cooled milk and flour mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides now and then to combine everything well. Using a large spoon or spatula, stir im the vanilla, coconut and pecans, mixing to combine everything well into a thick, fluffy, nubbly icing.
To Assemble
Place one cake layer top side down on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a third of the icing on top. Place the second layer, top side up, on top. Frost the sides and then the top of the cake with the remaining icing. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the icing set.
NOTE: If you can’t find buttermilk, stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes before using.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Au Gratin
With the holidays behind me and with the monotonous routine back, there are several many meal times, where I crave for one pot meals. An Au Gratin it had to be in such instances. Cheese and potatoes in anything make meals so much better.
Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or broiled to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish. (Source; Wikipedia).
Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or broiled to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish. (Source; Wikipedia).
My so-called Gratin on the other hand has a crust that is the "mother of all sauces": the Bechamel Sauce.What went into the gratin is an assortment of vegetables with sausages to complement the vegetables. These were then topped with the white sauce and baked and served right from the dish.
What you need to make this are:
- Peas - 1 C (boiled)
- Potato- 1 big (chopped) or enough to fill 1 C
- Carrot- chopped (1C)
- Mushrooms- 1 C
- Parsley-chopped (2T)
- Sausages- 100g chopped (optional)
- Butter-2T
- Garlic-chopped to make 1 T
Heat butter in a pan and saute the garlic. Add in the vegetables and saute until the water evaporates. Add in the parsley and season and Set this aside.
For the Bechamel Sauce, I used the recipe that is always picked at home. But this time around I added in a few other ingredients to get the consistency of sauce. What went in were 3-4 chopped garlic cloves and 1/2 a C of fresh cream and parmesan cheese. The cream was added along with the seasonings. Once you turn off the stove, whisk in the cheese, garlic and parsley. Set the sauce aside too.
In a shallow dish, layer all the vegetables. Pour the sauce on top. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C until the crust turns a golden brown. Serve right from the dish. This is a versatile dish considering the choice of vegetables you could add.A simple dish yet so flavorful and filling!
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