Archive for July, 2010

I have made the cake for my dear husband’s birthday, on the 10th of July and I started writing this post on the 22nd of July so that maybe once in a while I maybe able to do something on time. Please, please be proud of me!
Do not get me wrong, I envy everyone who has the physical time to work full time, spend time with the kiddo, cook and bake everyday, photograph, post process the shots and then do charming blog posts. The kiddo time, the cooking and baking and the photography are the most enjoyable, the full time work is a must and unfortunately the last two are most often postponed indefinitely.

We will be on holiday from the beginning of August and I promised myself that I will try to talk to myself and make some kind of strategy for dealing with what I need and want to do (the need and the want are not the same, but I will have to hang in there for a while longer).

So back to the fun part, the ice cream. Boy do I love ice cream and apparently this runs in the family, as between the two of us (the kiddo and me) we manage to ingest pretty large quantities of ice cream every week (be it summer or winter). She challenged me to make all flavors that exist, convinced that this flavors thing has a beginning and an end. She will sooner or later understand that with ice cream (and a few other things) the playground is kind of limitless. She will be happy when she will fully understand that, as I am for sure.
For this month challenge I made an ice cream I was dreaming to taste since last autumn, but did not get the chance until cherries were back in season and I could take their pits for it. I first read about the cherry pit ice cream on Helen’s marvelous blog, then I read more details from Shuna and then I was haunted for several long months. Oh, but the wait was so so worth it. The ice cream tastes divine.
Then, I had to come up with the second ice cream to pair it with the superstar, and I remembered having nougat listed pretty high on my to do list and so, I went with a raw cocoa bean ice cream full of chocolate (pistachio&cashew) nougat bits. The ice cream was not new to us, but the nougat bits just gave it a different meaning – deliciooous.
The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.
For the original recipe, please visit Sunita‘s blog – she does not use an ice cream machine.
I need to use the machine, as the ice cream I make has a lower fat content, due to medical and even taste bud reasons and because I absolutely adore my ice cream machine. By the way, am I the only one who loves starring for minutes at the ice cream getting churned? The process simply amazes me and the soft serve ice cream right out of the bowl is just pure delight.
For the hotfudge sauce, I preferred to use a recipe using chocolate and not cocoa powder and I chose to make more layers of it, thinner than the original recipe, which seemed to overwhelm the delicate ice cream layers.

For the cake rolls
6 medium sized eggs
1 C / 225 gms caster sugar /8 oz+ extra for rolling
6 tblsp / 45gms/ a pinch over 1.5 oz of all purpose (plain) flour + 5 tblsp/40gm /a pinch under 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together
2 tblsp /30ml / 1 fl oz of boiling water
a little oil for brushing the pans

For the filling

250 g mascarpone
20 g honey
1 vanilla bean (seeds of)+ 1 tsp vanilla extract
250 g whipped cream

Preheat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans ( 11 inches by 9 inches ) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.
In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.
Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.
Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.
Place a pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the center is springy to the touch.
Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.
Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.
Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.
Repeat the same for the next cake as well.

For the filling, beat the mascarpone until creamy. Add the sugar and the vanillas and beat a little longer. With a wooden spatula, fold in the whipped cream.

Spread a layer of mascarpone cream over each roll, drizzle with some fudge sauce and gently roll the cake back. Wrap in plastic and place in the freezer for an hour before attempting to cut slices.

For the hot fudge sauce
(adapted from here)
225 g bitter sweet chocolate
84 g butter
320 ml water
130 g moscavado sugar
240 g honey

Over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling. Stir the chocolate- butter mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, honey and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.
Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

For the nougat

145 g sugar (moscavado)
45 g glucose
60 ml water
155 g honey
50 g egg white
10 g sugar
130 g chocolate (as black as possible)
125 g roasted pistachios
125 g roasted cashews

Prepare a pan with parchment paper inside, dusted with cocoa powder.
Melt the chocolate over a double broiler.
Whip the egg whites on low, while you place the sugar, water and glucose in a pan on medium high heat until it reaches 155 C.
At the same time, bring the honey to a light boil until it reaches 120 C. Before this, start whipping the whites on high and add the 10 g of sugar. When the honey reached the correct temperature, set the mixer on low and start pouring the honey over the whites. Increase the speed to high, and when the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, add it to the whites as you did with the honey. Increase the mixer speed back to high and continue whipping for 5 more minutes. Put the mixer back on low and add the melted chocolate continuing to whip for another minute.
Add the nuts and fold them in. Spread the nougat on the cocoa dusted pan you have prepared. Let sit at room temperature until cool. Dust the top with cocoa powder, cover with another piece of paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cherry pit ice cream
6 egg yolks
720 ml full fat milk
200 ml cream (I used 100ml 15% fat and 100ml 35% fat)
75 g moscavado
85 g honey
100 g cherry pits, crushed

Place the milk, the cream and the pits in a pan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat, cover the pan and let the milk infuse for 2-3 hours. Strain the pits, add the honey to the milk and bring back to a gentle boil. In the meantime, beat the yolks with the sugar until thick and pale. Pour the milk mixture slowly over the yolks while constantly mixing. Pour back in the pan and heat the preparation to no more than 78 degrees C and stir the mixture continuously. Place the pan over an iced water bath and when cool enough, place in the fridge to chill further overnight.

Churn in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer instructions.

For the cocoa nib nougat ice cream
6 egg yolks
720 ml full fat milk
200 ml cream (I used 100ml 15% fat and 100ml 35% fat)
75 g moscavado
85 g honey
80 g cocoa nibs
200 g nougat, small diced

Place the milk, the cream and the nibs in a pan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat, cover the pan and let the milk infuse for 1-2 hours. Strain the nibs, add the honey to the milk and bring back to a gentle boil. In the meantime, beat the yolks with the sugar until thick and pale. Pour the milk mixture slowly over the yolks while constantly mixing. Pour back in the pan and heat the preparation to no more than 78 degrees C and stir the mixture continuously. Place the pan over an iced water bath and when cool enough, place in the fridge to chill further overnight.

Churn in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer instructions and towards the end of churning, add the nougat pieces.

To assemble

Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling film/plastic wrap.
Cut the rolls into 2 cm thick slices. Arrange slices on the bottom and up the sides of the bowl. Scoop some cherry pit ice cream and level it, drizzle some sauce. Add some more ice cream and then drizzle more fudge sauce. Continue with a layer of cocoa nib ice cream, fudge sauce drizzle and another ice cream layer.
I had roll slices left, so I arranged them on the “bottom to be”. Wrap in plastic and place in the freezer for a few hours.
Place a pan on the bottom of the bowl, invert it to release the cake, peel off the plastic wrap, cut and enjoy. And then enjoy some more….

I know, you know, all my friends know that I will never ever be awarded Miss Punctuality title. As a matter of fact I hate deadlines in my personal life (I live with them at the office). To make it sound nice, we can say I am an artist who thinks time pressure kills creative initiatives. Weell…. I am not, but still, it sounds better like this.

I finished the Pavlova in time, but since then there was not a spare moment for me (between work, my mom visiting, my daughter’s vacation and feeding my family) to sit down and post it.

So, I made the cocoa pavlova sprinkled with cocoa nibs for the extra crunch and munch, topped it with the chocolate mascarpone mousse, caramelized peaches and drizzled with some lavandel mascarpone cream. It is deeeelicious – crispy, strong, fresh and flavourful in the same time.

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard

Thank you Dawn for a wonderful challenge and excuse my ……….. for posting it so late.

For the Chocolate Meringue (for the chocolate Pavlova)
3 large egg whites
½ cup plus 1 tbsp (110 grams) white granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 grams) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder
cocoa nibs to sprinkle before baking
Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200º F (95º C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.
Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)
Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder over the egg whites and fold the dry ingredients into the white. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)
Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could just free form your shapes and level them a bit with the back of a spoon. (Class made rounds, hearts, diamonds and an attempt at a clover was made!).
Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse (for the top of the Pavlova base)

1 ½ cups (355 mls) heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent)
grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces (255 grams) 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups (390 mls) mascarpone (don’t forget we made this a few months ago – get the printable .pdf HERE)
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp (30 mls) Grand Marnier (or orange juice) – I used orange blossom water

Put ½ cup (120 mls) of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool. Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.). Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse. Again, you could just free form mousse on top of the pavlova.

For the Mascarpone Cream (for drizzling)
1 recipe crème anglaise
½ cup (120 mls) mascarpone
2 tbsp (30 mls) Sambucca (optional) – I did not use it
½ cup (120 mls) heavy cream

Prepare the crème anglaise. Slowly whisk in the mascarpone and the Sambucca and let the mixture cool. Put the cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.

For the lavandel Crème Anglaise (a component of the Mascarpone Cream above)

1 cup (235 mls) whole milk
1 cup (235 mls) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp (75 grams) sugar
1-2 teaspons edible lavandel flowers

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.
Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat.
Pour about ½ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK (it should be no more than 78 degrees C).
Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

For the caramelized peaches
5 medium peaches (diced, skin on or off)
30 g butter
moscavado sugar (to taste)
vanilla extract

Melt the butter untill bublling. Add the peaches and sprinkle the sugar. Let them boil and bubble until the liquid is reduced. Add a splash of vanilla extract and take off the heat. Let cool completelly before assemblying.

Assembly

Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas, spoon some peaches over and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top.