Peach pecan entremet

Some of my favorite projects are ones where creativity meets technique, and in which I can explore how a flavor pairing can work together in different ways. This peach entremet checks all of these boxes, which is why I wanted to share some of my process and the recipe for each component.

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This year I've really focused on using the freshest and most in season fruit in my baking. Sourced locally, I can not only get them at the peak of ripeness and flavor, but I get the opportunity to visit farms and pick my own, such fun for me and the kids as well! First came strawberries, then cherries, and then it was apricot and peach season. I got a large box of fresh local peaches and got to work, after playing with them in a few different ways this is the creation that emerged.

These are Goldensweet peaches from Frog Hollow farms, they are sweet and juicy freestone peaches, though firm enough to slice neatly. First, I picked out a few of them, halved them and baked them in the oven until the peel pulled off easily, they were soft throughout (but not mushy) and the juices caramelized slightly on the edges - I then pureed them and put the puree in an airtight container in the fridge to use a bit later. 

A few more of the peaches got chopped up (bowl in that first pic above) and I turned them into a fun and quick compote - a small dash of brown sugar just to draw out the juices because the fruit were sweet enough on their own, a splash of bourbon, some cinnamon and a little cornstarch to thicken. I cooked this all together until softened and slightly thickened, then spooned into hemispherical moulds and put in the freezer to set. 

For the next component I don't have any good pictures, I do need to plan my recipe development a bit more carefully that's for sure. I made a simple gelee with sparkling rose wine, peach puree, brown sugar and gelatin, and let it set on a quarter sheet pan covered in clingwrap. Note to self, lightly oiled foil may work better here, but it was workable. I let this set in the fridge while I whipped up a basic cremeux, then flavored it with a hearty dose of toasted pecan butter. Pecans made another showing in the cake base - a classic joconde sponge, only made with pecan flour.

Last but not least, the piece de resistance, the peach mousse to bring it all together. I used the oven roasted peach puree, gelatin and whipped cream to make a smooth and airy mousse in which I layered all the other components. I made a trial personal sized entremet (3") first to get a taste and decide, and I really do love how well peaches and pecans come together in all this.

For the finishing touch, I wanted to make a mirror glaze, but didn't want to stick with the classic white chocolate one as it felt like it would be too sweet for the subtle flavors of the entremet. Instead, I made a salted caramel mirror glaze with a touch of peach puree and poured it on the warmer side for a thin finish.

Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the theme I centered this dessert around. The larger sharing size entremet was assembled in a 6" hemispherical pan. I actually included the cremeux both underneath the compote as in the mini, and immediately on top of the sponge, with the rose gelee and a layer of mousse in between. I wanted to set up this gelatin based dessert as a jelly-fish, so I made tentacles out of gelatin, use cake scraps and chocolate candies as the bottom of the sea in a vase, and set up a blue backdrop. Not my tidiest work, but pretty fun, what do you think?

Sometimes less is more, even though I spent an eternity adding golden dragees on the bottom of the entremet for an extra touch, I ended up liking it all more without, but presented here is the most dressy version of this jellyfish before I got enjoyed at the table.

I partnered with a friend with experience in mixology, and she came up with two cocktails that paired with this dessert. The first one, refreshing and light, a little tart - puréed peach, peach bitters, rye, creme de peche, angostura bitters, lemon, and tarragon syrup. The second one, recommended to be served with dessert itself, was a strong drink, simple and sophisticated - rye, Lillet rouge, peach bitters, tarragon syrup, red vermouth. Cheers!

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Peach pecan entremet

~ Peach compote ~

Ingredients

• 2 peaches, chopped in even pieces
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

1. Mix peaches and brown sugar in a small pot, let sit for a few minutes to draw out juices.
2. Put pot on medium heat, stir occasionally as you bring it to a simmer.
3. Add cinnamon and salt, mix.
4. Add bourbon (off the heat to avoid flame-up), then cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Make slurry with corn starch, add and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
6. Let cool slightly, then chill in the fridge or put in forms in the freezer for entremet layering.

~ Bubbly gelee ~

For ratios and method, I referenced this recipe, only used 1.5 cups Chandon reserve rose for the bubbly, only 2 tbsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of peach puree along with the 3 tbsp of powdered gelatin.

~ Pecan cremeux ~

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 40 g granulated sugar
• 200 ml milk
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 160 g white chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp pecan butter

Method

1. Beat together yolks and sugar until pale and increased in volume slightly.
2. Combine milk and cream in a pot and bring to a bare simmer.
3. Temper the yolks carefully, pouring in the hot milk a bit at a time while whisking.
4. Return to heat set to medium-low and stir occasionally until thickened (back of spoon test or 180F).
5. Let cool slightly, then add chopped white chocolate and leave for a minute or two until it melts throughout.
6. Incorporate melted chocolate well, use stick blender if needed.
7. Add pecan butter and mix.
8. Transfer to piping bag, secure the end with an elastic and place in fridge until needed.

~ Pecan joconde ~

Ingredients

• 185 g pecans or pecan flour
• 185 g powdered sugar
• 5 eggs, separated yolks
• 50 g all purpose flour
• 25 g granulated sugar
• 45 g butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven at 350F. Prepare a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. If using whole pecans, grind up until fine in a food processor.
3. Beat together powdered sugar, egg yolks and ground pecans in stand mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add flour and mix until just combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks.
6. Gradually add granulated sugar while whisking on high speed until fully incorporated and the meringue has achieved stiff peaks.
7. Carefully fold meringue in pecan mixture, trying to keep as much air into the meringue as possible.
8. Drizzle in the melted butter while folding until incorporated.
9. Gently pour batter in prepared pan and level using a large offset spatula.
10. Bake 8-10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean close to the center of the pan.
11. Invert on cooling rack, remove parchment and let cool.

~ Peach mousse ~

Ingredients

• 150 g granulated sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup peach puree
• 4 sheets of gelatin, soaked in cold water (or 4 tsp gelatin powder)
• 1.5 cups heavy cream

Method

1. First, make an Italian meringue: start by heating up sugar with a splash of water until melted.
2. Put egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.
3. When the temperature of the syrup reaches 240F, turn on the stand mixer on medium.
4. When the syrup reaches 250F, remove from heat. Make sure the egg whites are already frothy, and start pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl while mixer is still going.
5. Continue to whisk on high until meringue is glossy and it holds stiff peaks.
6. Warm up peach puree slightly in the microwave or in a small pot and add gelatin to melt.
7. Let puree cool slightly, but not set (80-85F), then carefully fold into Italian meringue.
8. Whip the heavy cream until light but still a bit runny, just below soft peak stage.
9. Fold cream into peach mousse and use immediately before it starts setting.

~ Caramel mirror glaze ~

I followed this tried and true recipe for the mirror glaze, blooming the gelatin in half water, half peach puree to tie in the flavors.

Assembly

I'm including the instructions for a straightforward, ring mould cake, the hemispherical cake or a silicone form require assembly upside down.

• Line ring mould with acetate or cling wrap to prevent sticking.
• Cut a circle of joconde to fit the ring mould, then place at the bottom of the prepared ring.
• Pipe a disc of cremeux on the joconde, leaving 0.5"-1" of space to the edges.
• Cut a disc of gelee the same width as the cremeux and place on top.
• Pipe or spoon peach mousse to cover the cremeux and gelee, making sure it fills all the spaces around the edges of the ring.
• Place frozen peach compote in the middle, then spoon/pipe more peach mousse until the compote is well covered by at least 0.5"-1" of mousse.
• Set in the freezer a couple of hours or overnight to set well.
• Bring mirror glaze to desired temperature for pouring (85F or just slightly warmer).
• Unmould cake, place on top of a rack or stable cup/ramekin smaller than the cake placed inside a baking pan to catch the excess glaze.
• Carefully but swiftly pour mirror glaze on top, making sure the sides are well covered. Alternately, you can pour the mirror glaze before unmoulding for a naked sides look.
• Let cake thaw at room temperature for an hour or in the fridge for a few hours, serve chilled.

German Crescent Cookies

I discovered these wonderful cookies when a friend baked me a batch a few years ago after my daughter was born, and I've been hooked ever since. They're tender, flakey and nutty but not overly sweet, the perfect snacking treat around the holidays, and frankly any time of the year. Excellent companions to hot tea or coffee as well, and incredibly easy to make. 

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The dough starts out almost like a pie crust, except it involves equal parts butter and cream cheese - the cream cheese makes the dough more tender and gives it a lovely tart and creamy note. It comes together in no time and all and you can use a food processor to make this part of the process even quicker. Chilling it after mixing is important, to give the flour a chance to properly hydrate and the fat to solidify so it maintains its structure through rolling and baking.

   

After the dough is chilled for 2 hours or overnight, cut it in quarters and shape it into discs. Ideally, you'd rolls this out into an even circle, but honestly perfection is not needed here, the cutting and rolling process is quite forgiving and the cookies will look wonderful even if they're not perfectly even in size. 

Here's where the magic comes in though - the dough doesn't get rolled out on a floured surface like any old cookie, but rather on a mix of nuts and sugar (cinnamon and lemon zest optional). This gets embedded into one side of the dough as it rolls out and coats it in flavor and texture. Don't worry too much if the mixture ends up on the top as well as you move the dough around and the rolling pin picks up some of the sugar-nut mix, but keep it on the same side as you roll it all the way out to a ~10" circle. The dough will be quite thin, but keep it as even in thickness as you can.

Cut the circle of dough into 16 triangles, like you'd cut a pizza (in half, then quarters etc to ensure roughly even slices) - you can see in the picture above an example. Then, take each triangle and roll it from the short edge towards the opposite tip as you would a regular crescent roll, with the nut encrusted side on the outside and the (nearly) plain side on the inside. Repeat with the remaining 3 discs, you should end up with 64 little cookies ready to bake.

Place these close together in a pan, I like to use parchment or a silicone mat to ensure easy cleanup. They don't grow a lot in the oven, so in a standard cookie sheet pan I usually fit 32 of them, two rounds in the oven total. 

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 12-14 minutes until baked through and slightly golden on the bottom. They won't take on a lot of color when baking, so keep that in mind as you judge when they're done. Enjoy warm or cooled.

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German Crescent Cookies

Ingredients

• 300g flour
• 200g butter
• 200g cream cheese
• 60g sugar
• 60g brown sugar
• 60g ground hazelnuts
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• lemon zest (to taste, optional)

Method

1. Knead a smooth dough from the flour, butter and cream cheese. 
2. Wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator for at least two hours or better overnight.
3. Mix both sugars, ground hazelnuts, cinnamon and lemon zest in a bowl.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two cookie sheets with either parchment paper or silicone mats.
5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, quarter it and shape it into balls.
6. Sprinkle a little hazelnut-sugar mixture on your work surface and start rolling out one of the dough portions on top. Move around as needed to ensure it doesn't stick/the coating is everywhere under your dough. Keep rolling into an even thickness until you get a 10" disc.
7. Cut into 16 parts (like a pizza) and roll up into crescents.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes.

Notes

• I often skip the cinnamon and lemon zest, especially when I want the flavor of the nuts to really shine through. You can also use other spices and adapt the recipe to your taste.
• You can use any nut flour/ground nuts you prefer. Almonds and pecans work really well.
• The recipe is easy to scale up and down as needed, just make sure the amount of dough you roll out into a 10" disc is roughly the same as the original recipe.
• These cookies freeze really well, and they keep in a covered container at room temperature for several days.

Jaffa Cake Roll

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Chocolate and orange have long been one of my favorite combinations. So are raspberry and (dark) chocolate and more recently passion fruit and ruby chocolate, but I digress. Naturally, I was drawn to the Pim's cookies during my study abroad time in France and I loved the Jaffa cakes during my visit to Dublin a while back. There's even a debate on which one is best, but I'll stay out of that one. :)

Inspired by this combination, I started playing around with ideas on how to bring it together in a home made dessert. I made some muffin sized sponge cakelets topped with orange jelly and chocolate, but though they were tasty the ratios were off and the sponge texture wasn't quite what I envisioned.

Later on, I decided to steer away from the individual dessert format and into something that could work well as a centerpiece dessert, where I could focus on the flavor and texture components without the tedious piecewise assembly. Thus, I settled on the swiss roll. 

I made a pretty simple angel food cake style sponge, which is light, moist and flexible so it holds up to rolling and works as a great flavor canvas. For the rendition pictured here, I actually gave the whole thing a fall flavor twist, I'll include the variation details in the recipe notes - the sponge got a good dose of pumpkin spice mix to set the tone.

While the sponge cooled, I worked on the next essential layer - the orange jelly. For jelly made from scratch, the ratio I used is 1 tsp of gelatin powder to 1 cup of liquid - in this case, orange juice, orange zest and rooibos tea combined for the base, in which I dissolved bloomed and melted gelatin powder. For my fall inspired version, I used a pumpkin spice rooibos packet. I lined a pan the same size as the sponge with plastic wrap and poured the jelly mix inside, then set in the fridge to set. 

Finally, it was time for the chocolate - I of course planned to melt and temper some chocolate for the signature shell on top, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include it inside the roll as well, after all what's a swiss roll without a creamy filling? I made a simple chocolate mousse using chocolate and cream - melted the chocolate using part of the cream (I also melted a bit of gelatin to help stabilize the mousse), then let it cool to almost room temperature. Then, I whipped the remaining heavy cream and folded the ganache gently and gradually. I let it chill in the fridge before spreading it on the sponge and jelly for final assembly.

Last but not least, a Jaffa cake is not complete with the snap of a layer of chocolate - I tempered some dark chocolate and drizzled it over the roll to create a hay effect for the fall theme. you could also just pour a thin layer all over for a shell on top. This is a pretty well explained step by step to temper chocolate, I'm still working to hone my own skills so I claim no expertise in this area.

I wish I had more progress shots to illustrate these steps, but I was a bit too eager to get to the decorating part for the fall inspired jaffa roll so I put it together quickly while running ideas through my head of how I would decorate it. I made a batch of these fantastic pumpkin spiced marshmallows, which I topped with orange and white sprinkles and cut in the shape of pumpkins and leaves.

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Jaffa Cake Roll

Sponge Ingredients

• 2 eggs, separated
• 30g sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 35g milk
• 23g oil
• 7g cornstarch
• 30g flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325F, line a quarter sheet pan with parchment.
2. Separate eggs into two medium bowls, set whites aside for the moment.
3. Whisk oil and milk into egg yolks until smooth.
4. Sift flour and cornstarch into yolk mixture, whisk until well combined.
5. With clean whisk or hand mixer attachments, whisk egg whites until foamy.
6. Gradually add sugar while continuing to whisk, until soft peaks are achieved.
7. Add lemon juice and keep whisking to stiff peaks.
8. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture in 2-3 additions, careful not to deflate the whites too much.
9. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes until set and lightly golden.
10. Transfer sponge to a cooling rack with the parchment lining and lay another sheet of parchment on top to prevent drying out. Let cool completely.

Jelly Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water (or an herbal tea, if you's like some floral notes)
• 1 tbsp powdered gelatin

Method

1. Mix gelatin and water/tea in a small bowl and let sit for the gelatin to bloom.
2. Gently warm up to melt gelatin - this can be done in the microwave in short 20s intervals or over a bowl of hot water.
3. Pour melted gelatin in a medium bowl along with all the remaining ingredients (orange juice, zest, honey).
4. Line a pan the same size as the sponge (quarter sheet pan for this recipe) with plastic wrap and pour enough of the jelly mixture to achieve 1/4" thick layer. Let this chill in the fridge until set.
5. When ready, use plastic sheet to transfer jelly to the top of the sponge layer.

Chocolate Mousse

I used this recipe, except I mixed in darker chocolate with the semisweet for more depth of flavor.

Assembly

- lay out cooled sponge on work surface on a piece of parchment

- place jelly sheet on top, leaving 1/2" from one short edge and trimming the other end to make it just a bit smaller than the surface of the sponge

- spread chilled mousse on top with an offset spatula to a uniform thickness of about 3/4"

- using the parchment, roll the sponge tightly starting with the edge where the jelly left 1/2" space, careful not to let the jelly slip out as you do this

- twist the ends of the parchment sheet to secure the roll seam side down, and place in the fridge to set

- before serving, drizzle or spread tempered chocolate on top and decorate as desired

- slice with a clean knife to serve (dipping in warm water and wiping off with a kitchen towel before cutting ensures a clean line)

Notes

- for a fall themed variation, I made the following changes to the recipe: added 2 tsp of pumpkin spice seasoning to the sponge  at the same time as the dry ingredients; I used pumpkin spiced rooibos tea instead of water in the jelly mix; I added a pinch of nutmeg to the chocolate mousse

- I like desserts that are more subtly sweet, so I didn't add a lot of sweetness to the orange jelly. Consider including up to 1/4cup of sugar to the jelly to taste if you prefer.

Grandma's Apple Pie

 Sometimes nostalgia strikes - it's fun to be transported back to the time and land of my childhood through food. Based on a recipe for Hungarian apple pie and adding a bit of my own spin on it, I tried to recreate the apple pie bar my grandma would make in Romania. 

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Hosting guests was always a big event at my grandma's house, she would always go all out to impress - from a generous array of appetizers, soup, hearty main course and sides, and home made dessert, as well as ensuring appropriate drink pairings. Did you know the best way to start a meal in Romania is with smoked pork belly, red onion and a shot of plum brandy (palinca)? Now you do :)

Her desserts weren't particularly elaborate, but they had that homey goodness of a tried and true treat, passed down from one home cook to another. The additional perk of that is that the ingredient list is usually very accessible, mostly with everyday items that I can have on hand at any time at home. This apple pie is one of those recipes. This is not your classic American pie, not even close. It's somewhere between an apple bar and breakfast pastry, with a flaky yeast leavened dough (though I've heard of it made with baking soda as well) and a pre-cooked apple filling thickened with semolina, a staple in Romanian cooking. 

The dough starts similarly to classic short crust of American pies - cut fat into flour, add flavor and wet ingredients, knead briefly. I used cream cheese for half the fat component for a creamier, more tender crumb, but also added lemon zest for flavor and the wet ingredients include egg and a mix of yeast, warm milk and sugar. The egg adds richness, and the yeast provides the signature fluffiness of this pie bar. Mix the egg and yeast into the flour mix first with a spatula/fork to incorporate without fully melting the butter, then knead briefly to bring together without overworking it. Bring into a rough ball, cover and rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to get the yeast a chance to work its magic. 

While the dough rests, it's time to work on the filling. My grandma used to grate her apples, and recipes I've found recommended slicing them, I split the difference and cubed mine, I love the uniformity of a smaller cut in any apple bake I make. I also included a pear because I love the flavor and texture, and cut it the same size as the apples. Sautee the apples (and optional pear, or just use another apple) with sweetener of choice and flavorings until softened and the juices start to thicken, around 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat. I used maple syrup for that cozy fall vibe, and added vanilla paste, cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't think I ever encountered maple syrup before moving to the US, so my grandma definitely just used regular sugar, but I couldn't resist the toasty caramel flavor to pair up with the warm spices. Remove from heat, stir in semolina to thicken the filling and set aside to cool.

Roll out half the dough to the shape of your pan in a thin, uniform sheet - you're aiming for something large enough to cover the bottom of the pan and go up the sides about an inch, just like any other pie. Spread filling in to reach every corner of the pan and press gently to fill in all the gaps. Since this is a closed top crust pie, things won't move around and shouldn't sink as you cook, so what you arrange now is what you'll get when it's done. This is the step where you can also add marzipan if using, or you can choose to sprinkle some chopped lightly toasted nuts - almonds or pecans would work great. Roll out the remaining dough to the size of the pan, then pinch the edges to seal. 

For color and shine but also flavor, finish the crust with an egg wash - a whole egg or just a yolk works great. A tip I found is to brush the egg wash, let it sit for 5-10 min to slightly dry, then brush on an additional layer of egg wash - it will be smooth and uniform but richer than just one pass. Lightly poke the crust in a few places for steam to escape. I also make squiggly lines with the back of the fork across the crust for a fun design effect. Certainly not necessary but fun nonetheless.

Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 35-40 minutes, until gloden brown on top and baked through. For best structure/clean cuts, cool completely before serving. However, this is so good still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, so pick your favorite option and dig in!

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Grandma's Apple Pie

Makes a 10"x10" pie

Ingredients

• 250g flour
• 4 tbsp butter, chilled
• 4 tbsp cream cheese
• 65g powdered sugar, divided
• zest of one lemon, divided
• 1.5 tbsp warm milk
• 3.5g instant yeast (half a packet or 1 tsp)
• 1 egg
• 3 medium apples
• 1 medium pear
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 30g maple syrup
• vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp semolina
• 1 egg/yolk for brushing on top
• 2-3 tbsp marzipan (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven at 325F.
2. In a small bowl, mix 5g powdered sugar, the warmed milk and the yeast and set aside for 5-10 min to activate.
3. Cube butter and cream cheese and add into flour. Cut them in using a pastry cutter or butter knife until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
4. Mix in 60g of powdered sugar, half the lemon zest and a pinch of salt, combine lightly.
5. Add yeast mixture and one egg, then knead lightly until it comes together.
6. Cover bowl and let this rest for 30 minutes.
7. Chop up apples and pear in small cubes, then mix in medium pot with the maple syrup, remaining lemon zest and a splash of vanilla extract.
8. Bring apple mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cook a few minutes until the fruit is softened and the liquid thickened.
9. Remove from heat, add semolina and set aside to cool.
10. Roll out half the dough in a thin sheet, then lay in the greased pan to cover the bottom and 1" up the sides.
11. Gently press in cooled filling, and top within thin slices of the marzipan, if using.
12. Roll out the second half of the dough and lay on top of the filling, press together around the edges to seal.
13. Brush on top with egg or just egg yolk, then create a pattern on top using a fork.
14. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the bar is cooked through and the top is golden brown.
15. Let it cool for a bit before cutting in squares to server.

Notes:

• I added cream cheese in the crust for a lighter, most tender crumb. however, if you prefer a more crisp crust you can use all butter.
• If you don't have/want the pear, you can always just use 4 apples. Play around with the varietals to get some variety of texture. I used two Gala and one Granny Smith. 
• I couldn't resist and added some nutmeg to the fruit as well. Any combination of warm spices you enjoy would work well.
• I used an adjustable square form with parchment to get the 10"x10" size, but this would turn out quite well in a 9"x9". A rectangular 9"x13" would be ok too but the dough may be so thin that it wouldn't hold up.

Cheesecake Brownie Bars

 This little creation is a collaboration with my son, and it's hardly a recipe but I documented what we used for our own future reference and to share a starting point to what is a very flexible and adaptable treat - no bake brownie cheesecake bars.

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Last week my son learned that it was National Children Take Over the Kitchen Day and he enthusiastically embraced it and came up with dishes he could cook almost completely on his own and fed us all day. He's not even 7 yet so I was very impressed with both his determination and level of skill. He made soft boiled egg with toast and butter for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti bolognese for dinner. Pretty well rounded day!

For dessert we collaborated in coming up with a no bake, recipe free treat we could all enjoy, and it started with his idea to crush up some madeleine cookies that went uneaten because we've been so busy baking in our kitchen over the past few months. We mixed them with some cocoa, some coconut flakes and added almond butter and coconut oil for binding, then pressed them in the bottom of a parchment lined loaf pan and let it set in the fridge while we worked on the next layer.

I was sort of thinking cheesecake as a starting point, and as it happened I had instant pudding with a cheesecake flavor, but I figured it wouldn't set firmly enough to cut as bars on its own, so we started with room temperature cream cheese, we thinned it out with almond milk then whipped it up with the pudding mix. The resulting cream was smooth but thick and rich, and we spread it over the brownie base then put it in the freezer to set more firmly and more quickly. 

Finally, the fruit topping - we cleaned out the fridge for this one and used strawberries, blueberries and peaches cut up to be about evenly sized with the smallest of them (the blueberries). A splash of cranberry juice (water would be ok too) and a bit of cornstarch were all they needed to soften and thicken on the stove for a quick and delicious final layer. Sweeten to taste if needed, our fruit was sweet enough that we didn't add anything else, but a bit of sugar or honey would work here to balance out the flavors. After spreading the fruit we returned the pan for a final hour in the freezer to set together, then sliced while still cold and let it warm up a bit before enjoying. 

These bars work well straight out of the freezer almost like ice cream sandwiches, or warmed to fridge/room temperature as indulgent cheesecake bars. All of us were big fans of the final result and my son was incredibly proud of the fruits of his labor - all day, not just dessert. I love seeing him embrace a love of cooking.

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Cheesecake Brownie Bars

Ingredients

• 4-5 crushed madeleine cookies
• 2-3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

• 3 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 packet cheesecake flavored instant pudding 

• 1 lb mixed fruit, chopped
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 2-3 tbsp cornstarch

Method

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal
2. Crush up cookies - for the individually packaged madeleines, pressing them in the packet works well, then open each bag and pour into medium mixing bowl.
3. Add all the other crust ingredients - cocoa powder, coconut flakes, almond butter and coconut oil and mix well. Only add as much coconut oil as you need to bind all the crumbs together in a smooth dough.
4. Press mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan and chill to set.
5. Whisk cream cheese with hand mixer to soften and smooth out before adding milk to get a thinner creamy consistency. 
6. Add pudding mix and whisk until well incorporated and it starts to set. 
7. Spread over brownie base, then return to fridge or place in freezer to set.
8. Mix all three fruit layer ingredients together and cook on medium heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. 
9. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until thickened and the fruit is softened, stirring constantly to prevent burning or clumping.
10. Let cool to room temperature, then spread over set cheesecake layer.
11. Return to freezer until firm, then pull out of pan using parchment and cut up in serving portions.
12. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

• If you don't happen to have a lot of forgotten madeleine cookies in your pantry, crushed graham crackers or other stale treats could work as well, just tweak the amount of wet ingredients accordingly to get a thick paste consistency
• Coconut flakes are optional, you can also include chocolate chips, dry fruit or nuts for extra flavor and texture.
• Any nut butter works well, as well as melted butter instead of coconut oil if you prefer.
• White chocolate instant pudding or even vanilla would work well here, it just helps set the cream cheese mixture without egg or baking.
• We used strawberries, blueberries and peaches for the fruit layer, but almost any combination would work here - depending on the amount of pectin in the fruit, you may have to adjust the amount of cornstarch needed to thicken the mixture appropriately. If the bars are served frozen there's a lot of room for error in this part :)

Birthday Cake Project

When I started the new chapter of this blog, I envisioned it as a mix of project chronicles and recipes. These past two weeks I've undertaken one of my more ambitious projects to date, simply because I've been dying to stretch myself a little and practice some old favorites while trying my hand at new skills. Perfect opportunity - my own birthday cake. Using inspiration and feedback from a friend, I set out with some general goals in mind: strawberry cake, naked cake aesthetic with the cake tiers cut out in number shapes, try as many techniques as feasible in one dessert. 

As I thought about it more and various things piqued my interest, I settled on the final flavor profile: strawberry, dragon fruit and black sesame. I want to document all the different components that went into this dessert here not only for having a place with richer context for the final result, but as a reference to myself to find some of what worked best for later reference. A birthday diary, if you will. 

First, the cake - I wanted to make a strawberry cake since the fruit is in season and wonderfully flavorful, and my favorite recipe is, unsurprisingly, from Sally's Baking Addition (link). I wanted an ombre look (are we doing technique bingo? we should haha) so I replaced a quarter of the strawberry puree with thawed pitaya puree (pink dragonfruit) for a brighter pink in one of the batches, followed the recipe exactly in another, and substituted 1tbsp of liquid in the third with white coloring for a lighter pink. I baked each in a half sheet pan, then cooled thoroughly before cutting out the numbers using a template. 

I knew from the start that the buttercream would have to be Swiss Meringue Buttercream - it's my favorite, it's light and silky and would be the perfect texture to showcase in a naked cake design. My dear husband volunteered to make the buttercream for me as his contribution to my birthday dessert and I happily presented him with my all time go to recipe, the one from Liv (link). Perfect execution, made me proud :) For the black sesame flavor, he added 1/4 cup of black sesame powder after it was perfectly fluffy and velvety, whisked it in and it was a beautiful thing. 

I noticed a related link for German Buttercream and I was intrigued, so I went down that rabbithole as well. I first made the creme patissiere, then incorporated it in fluffed up butter and whisked in reduced strawberry puree for a mildly sweet, incredibly creamy buttercream. 

Toppings

The toppings are where I got to flex my technique muscles/try new things. I wasn't good about taking progress shots of each one as many of these happened late at night with Netflix playing in the background, but see if you can spy them on the finished cake :)

- chocolate cookie chips: I adapted this recipe for the cookie topping for melon buns to incorporate cocoa powder, and cut them in thin circles that I baked until lightly crisp and trimmed to a neat circle when still hot.

- cream puffs: I made regular cream puffs (1/4 recipe) but piped them really small and baked half of them with a thin wafer of the above mentioned cookie dough on top, it worked as a chocolate craquelin in a pinch. The second half of the cream puffs got dipped in a simple dragon fruit sugar glaze (powder sugar,  a few drops of pitaya puree). I filled all of them with chocolate buttercream.

- white chocolate mousse spheres: I melted white chocolate with a simmer mixture of coconut cream, vanilla bean and glucose, then mixed in a bit more cream and chilled until set in the fridge. Later, I whisked it until fluffy and piped into spherical molds that went into the freezer until ready to use. Lesson learned - coconut cream does not like heat, it held up nicely in the fridge after assembly though.

- air sprayed macarons with dragon fruit jelly filling: the one and only Not so humble pie recipe finally broke my bad streak of sad macarons in the new oven. I got smooth and perfectly risen cookies with consistent texture, and I piped some with spiky edges and basil seeds on top to look like slices of dragon fruit. I then air sprayed them hot pink to look like the pink skin of the fruit and filled them with black sesame buttercream sandwiched with pitaya jelly.

- strawberry macarons with white chocolate coconut mousse filling: I followed the same recipe from above, but added pulverized freeze dried strawberries (to replace some of the powder sugar), probably a bit too much as I struggled to get the consistency quite right, but overall happy with the results. I painted on "seeds" with edible marker and filled with white chocolate coconut mousse left over from spheres.

- meringue cookies with strawberry/black sesame: I piped meringue cookies (recipe) in different shapes to play around with what would hold up the best, and sprinkled pulverized freeze dries strawberries on some and powdered black sesame on others.

- dragon fruit jujubes: I pureed fresh golden dragon fruit and mixed it with simmered agar agar syrup then let it set in a thin layer in the fridge, cubed it up and it was ready to go (recipe).

- dragon fruit jellies: I used frozen dragon fruit puree (pitaya) that comes in a hot pink color with intense pigmentation, and used this recipe to make soft set jellies for accents.

- strawberry + dragon fruit mousse spheres: I followed my own fruit mousse recipe from the entremet project, replacing mango with reduced strawberry puree and a dash of the thawed pitaya puree. I piped the mousse in the same kind of spherical moulds as the white chocolate mousse and let them set in the freezer. The kids loved the leftovers from the mousse on their waffles for breakfast. 

- strawberry jelly pearls: what's a crazy project without a dose of molecular gastronomy? I used fresh strawberries and agar agar to make fruit caviar. Easy to do, magical to witness, the kids really loved this one.

- candy melt curls:  this is very straightforward, no recipe required, only a little bit of patience. I gently melted hot pink candy melts in the microwave, then dropped them in dollops on a strip of acetate and spread it with the back of the spoon to get a petal effect. I used tape to curl them slightly and let them set in a champagne flute in the fridge (glass just happened to be about the right width).

- black sesame lace cookies: I didn't want the black sesame to be the only flavor that didn't show up in more than one form, so I added these to the lineup last minute. I love lace cookies but I don't get to make them very often, so this sounded fun and I love the visual effect of the black sesame seeds floating in an airy wafer of sugary delight. I used this recipe to make a small batch and left some larger for shards while I cut others to small circle size while still hot from the oven so they cooled to a crisp in perfect little coins.

- fresh strawberries: just wanted to highlight these as well, the only secret here is the non-melting sugar. It's a nifty dessert pantry ingredient, essentially just powdered sugar with a bit of incorporated fat that prevents it from readily melting in surface moisture from desserts. I dipped the edges of a couple of halves strawberries in it to give them a bit of a highlight and put them directly on the cake.

Assembly

This is where my passion for mise-en-place really paid off. There were really two stages to assembling this cake - carving the layers and stacking them with buttercream, and decorating. 

I did the first part the night before, letting each layer firm up. a bit in the fridge before placing the next to be more forgiving to uneven pressure when transferring the laters on top of each other. After the last layer firmed up, I wrapped everything in plastic to prevent the exposed edges of the cake from drying out. The strawberry cake is so deliciously moist that it kept really well, no syrup needed.

Then, after finishing dinner prep and with the casserole already in the oven, I set up my decorating station - all the toppings, all the tools I needed and of course, the cake. This was the easy and most satisfying part of the process, seeing it come together. Apart from eating it, of course, it was both delicious and well enjoyed by everyone in the family which always makes my heart sing. A wonderful birthday indeed!

We had a delightful family dinner to celebrate the day, and finished on a sweet note with slices of this cake. Obligatory crumb shot to show the nice and even layers, but also it how moist the layers of cake are throughout. Onto another exciting trip around the sun and many exciting projects to come!

Mother's Day Chocolate Celebration

I love chocolate, and I love holidays - I am the kind of person thrilled about baking my own birthday cake because I love the process just as much as I love the treats. Of course, Mother's Day was a perfect opportunity to indulge a little, both in the excitement of a project and the fruits of my labor. Around a week before Mother's Day, I came across a list of "must try" recipes from NYT Cooking, and among them fudgy brownies - count me in! I wanted to share with a friend (by mail) and based on her feedback I decided to replace the nuts in the recipe with caramel bits, so I went ahead and made caramel candy from scratch as well. Then, I went ahead and tried a host of (also chocolate based) ideas and created my own version of a lightened up chocolate mini bundt - wholesome but rich and decadent, perfect combination to share with the kids.

Jump to recipe

The fudge brownies are indeed delightful - the ingredient list is short which means that quality of each and every one of them shines through, pick good stuff if you try it (find the recipe here). First, I made a batch of caramel candy. I had to work with what I had in my pantry (which did not include corn syrup), so I found this old school recipe - make sure you follow all the steps carefully when making caramel from scratch, it's really finicky and many things can go wrong, I've personally experienced several of them. It's important to keep the sugar from crystalizing, so don't mix as the temperature rises once the sugar is melted, and be diligent about brushing the sides of the pan with water to prevent sugar crystals from forming on the edges. Watch the temperature carefully too, but don't rush it! Mine took forever to get past 300F then got away from me pretty quickly at some point after that, then I made a second batch that I watched like a hawk :) I chilled it thoroughly then cut in really small pieces and sprinkled it all over the brownies (I made 1.5x the recipe and baked them in a half sheet pan).

Before I launched into the creative process of figuring out my own recipe based on sweet potato, I made a batch of nut butter chocolate chip cookies following this recipe with some modifications - instead of almond butter I actually used half Justin's hazelnut chocolate butter and half creamy peanut butter, then used only a fourth of the amount of sweetener as a result (maple syrup). They came out so tasty, you can't really go wrong with a chocolate hazelnut flavor profile after all.

Finally, I drew some inspiration from my friend Elif (her insta here) and whipped up a batch of chocolate tahini glaze, so easy and so much flavor - just tahini, cocoa, a dash of maple syrup and almond milk. It's delicious and versatile, like a chocolate ganache that stays at the perfect consistency without hardening or breaking apart. Tip: this is so good on strawberries!

First step for sweet potato cake is well, the sweet potato. Baking it really draws out the sweetness and creates an irresistibly creamy texture. I washed two small sweet potatoes well, then put them in a 375F oven for 40-45 minutes until cooked through and very soft - poke test should meet almost no resistance. After the potatoes were done, I let them cool to room temperature - not only are they easier/safer to handle but having all ingredients at room temperature when baking is generally best practice anyway.

The wet ingredients are pretty simple - the sweet potato (I measured out 5 oz), 2 oz of almond milk (I love toasted coconut and almond milk for the added flavor notes) and vanilla extract get blended together, or simply mashed/whisked if the potato is soft enough, then mixed in with 2 tsp of flax. You could use 2 egg yolks instead of the flax here if using whole eggs, see notes below. Separately, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt until uniform and there are no clumps (pass through a sieve if there are too many clumps present that the whisk can't break up). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, but only until all of the powder is moistened, do not overmix!

I wanted to lighten this up a bit so I used a couple of egg whites, reconstituted from dried egg white powder (pantry friendly). If you prefer to use fresh egg whites, then follow the same steps and consider replacing the flax with the yolks from those two eggs in the wet ingredients mix. Whip the egg whites (4tsp dry egg whites + 1/4 cup water for the equivalent of two egg whites) until soft peaks form, then gradually add the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites in stages with the rest of the mix - the first third is useful in loosening up the thicker batter, then the second and third additions should be folded carefully with a spatula, keeping as much air in the whites as possible and avoiding overmixing (a few white streaks are ok, better than deflating the meringue to be extra thorough).

Spoon or pipe using pastry bag in nonstick oil sprayed bundtlet pans or cupcake tins, then bake at 350F for 13-15 minutes until set. After pulling out of the oven, let cool in a the pan for a couple of minutes, then turn out and chill on a cooling rack or in the fridge if you with to consume sooner. You want these cool both to set and to hold the glaze well. Dip one by one in the tahini glaze, decorate as desired and enjoy! The plate below was our family dinner dessert platter on Mother's Day - the kids spoiled me with wonderful home made cards and compliments and I even got flowers, and then in return they thoroughly enjoyed every component of the dessert, they even asked for seconds of the bundtlets!

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