I knew I had to make these cakes when I opened up my January issue of Gourmet; what I did not know was that it would turn into a prohibitively expensive venture. The recipe calls for 2/3 cup of vin santo, which, as a novice dessert-wine drinker, I had no idea costs at least $40 per bottle. Fortunately, my local wine store is staffed with people who are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to both wine and food, and they led me to a tawny port, which would ideally replicate many of the vin santo’s qualities for about $15. Now, if you happen to have a bottle of vin santo in-house, or are a fan of dessert wines and don’t mind investing, I would love to hear how these turn out when made as intended by Gourmet.
However, for the non-oenophile, tawny port seems to do the job. The flavors of the orange zest and the grapes blossom in the oven, and the port produces a warm, baking-bread fragrance that permeates the entire apartment. The mini cakes, baked in a muffin pan, are tastefully spare and unadorned, and would make a chic counterpoint to a substantial winter dinner of pasta bolognese or cassoulet. The only caveat: these are best served warm and fresh from the oven; after a day or so they lose their lovely aromatic quality and fluffy texture.
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Posted 14 January 2009 |
Baking
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I love this cake! Falling somewhere between angel food and pound cake, it has a sweet, crunchy outside and fluffy inside. It tastes both tropical and comforting, thanks to the complimentary flavors of coconut and cinnamon. Although not mandatory, I recommend toasting the shredded coconut, just for a couple of minutes, in a dry skillet before mixing it into the batter; the added toastiness really amplifies the coconut flavor and lends itself especially well to the cinnamon. This is the perfect cake to serve in the afternoon alongside coffee or tea. Continue Reading »
Posted 24 November 2008 |
Baking
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A couple of weeks ago I shared an amazing terrine at Bar Boulud, and was inspired to try making my own at home. I had been meaning to return to this recipe, from Clotilde Dusoulier’s Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, for quite awhile anyway, mostly for its use of my favorite herb, tarragon, and the way it incorporates sweet and savory elements.
The terrine is fairly simple to make: just mix a few basic ingredients together with your hands, layer with prunes in a loaf pan, and bake, turning on the broiler at the very end for a burnished, crispy outer layer. It’s delicious served hot, on or alongside a slice of crusty bread, and is perfect the next day in a sandwich, once the flavors have melded overnight. Continue Reading »
Posted 16 November 2008 |
Cooking
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When the beloved Brooklyn bakery, Baked, issued its first cookbook, I was all over it. The founders/authors, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, began with a mission and ended up with a great story: to create The Best Bakery in an industrial expanse, serving all-American treats with friendly service, while overcoming logistical challenges and having their signature product, brownies, featured as one of Oprah’s “favorite things.” I would have bought this book for that brownie recipe alone, but fortunately, it offers plenty more fodder for inspiration, albeit with a few complications.
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If there is one kitchen-related task that is, for me, totally daunting, it is making caramel. It doesn’t matter that I happen to LOVE the stuff–I have ruined enough pans, inflicted enough burn blisters, and suffered enough damages to my spirit to have lost all will to keep trying. Until this weekend. I have been making my way through Baked, the new cookbook from the Brooklyn bakery of the same name (more on this book in the next week or so), and I wanted to tackle what seemed to be the most difficult recipe in the book: Sweet and Salty Cake, which requires the baker to make caramel TWICE, once as a brushed-on layer and once to incorporate into frosting.
After one wrong start, I ended up with a batch of caramel–success! And no candy thermometer necessary (I have not found them very helpful when it comes to caramel-making), though it is important to be attentive while watching the progression of browning. Because it is such a sensitive, finicky process, I have outlined exactly what worked for me*: Continue Reading »
Posted 26 October 2008 |
Baking
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When I bought Dorie Greenspan’s Baking, From My Home to Yours (from which I have baked happily and extensively), one of the first recipes that caught my eye was this one, for Apple Cheddar Scones. It has somehow taken me over a year to get around to making them, but these will show up in my kitchen again soon–fresh from the oven, they are crusty, buttery, and a little bit sweet, with tiny pockets of melting cheese. They can also be whipped up relatively quickly, with no special equipment–perfect to make first thing in the morning, for breakfast, or on a chilly afternoon as a snack. I made a couple of changes to the original recipe, the most blatant being the substitution of fresh apples for dried ones–I think fresh ones add a little more sweetness and contrast. Continue Reading »
Posted 28 September 2008 |
Baking
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