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Today I’m celebrating with four of my best friends. I have advanced to the third challenge in Project Food Blog, which requires the contestants to hold a luxury dinner party. As I brainstormed how to execute this challenge while staying true to my blog’s goals, I realized that creativity was the most important [...]]]>

Today I’m celebrating with four of my best friends. I have advanced to the third challenge in Project Food Blog, which requires the contestants to hold a luxury dinner party. As I brainstormed how to execute this challenge while staying true to my blog’s goals, I realized that creativity was the most important aspect. We are given prompts for the challenge, but allowed to let our imagination run wild. Sometimes, that can be a dangerous thing…

Almost as dangerous as the gossip that flies when women get together. Here are my two friends, chatting it up while waiting for dinner.

The challenge prompts us to share our secrets for planning a menu and involving guests in the prep. In my answer to this challenge, the guests ARE the prep! Cupcakes are picky eaters, and don’t generally have a varied diet. It’s no surprise that they have a sweet tooth, and I usually see them digest cream filling or fruit. My goal was to get these cupcakes to eat outside their comfort zone! I assembled a menu including many local and organic ingredients, all of which are exotic to the palates of my guests.

Practically everything had been prepared before the cupcakes sat down. The only last minute task was to slice the apples. As the cupcakes took their seats, I began to serve the first course.

The appetizer introduced the cupcakes to a combination of sweet and tart. Local organic apple wedges were served atop slices of sharp Gouda cheese. The cupcakes were impressed with the pleasing combination.

Plenty of lively conversation accompanied the first course.

The apples and cheese settled into the cupcakes’ bellies while I put the finishing touches on the entree.

As a main course, I prepared a simple yet elegant pasta dish. Sauteed organic veggies from the farmers’ market were tossed in a light lemon sauce and served over a bed of spinach vermicelli. The cupcakes made quick work of this dish!

The vermicelli was even slurp-worthy. I’ll take that as a compliment to the chef!

These two couldn’t resist hamming it up for the camera with that famous scene from Lady and the Tramp.

As the sun went down, my friends took a break from eating to allow the first two courses to digest and make room for dessert.

After an evening of savory combinations, the cupcakes were ready for a sweet finale. We took the party outdoors on a balmy night to roast some marshmallows over a bonfire.

As the melty marshmallows and chocolate made their way into the cupcakes’ bellies, our lovely evening came to a close. I promised the cupcakes that I would invite them back for another soirée soon.

Voting for this challenge begins on October 4th at 6AM Pacific Time and runs through October 7th at 6PM Pacific Time. I’d be ever so grateful for your support!

Are you ready for your own cupcake party? Here’s a rich chocolatey recipe to get you started.

Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook
Yield: approximately 30 cupcakes, or two 9 inch cake layers

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups rice milk plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (canola oil would work, too)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake tins with paper wrappers or grease pan.

Combine the apple cider vinegar with the rice milk and allow to sit until needed.

In a small saucepan, bring the coffee and cocoa powder to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, and egg yolk. Mix on low speed with the whisk attachment until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the milk mixture, applesauce, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix for another 30 seconds. Stir in the flour, mixing on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the coffee mixture and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

Fill cupcake cups 3/4 full, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan to cool on a cooling rack.

Fall Spice Frosting
Created by Simple Math Bakery

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (I used rice milk)
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

With an electric mixer, cream the butter, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth. Add the pumpkin pie spice and mix until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Start with 4 cups of powdered sugar, adding more if you prefer a stiffer consistency. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth.

*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, it’s easy to mix your own! I use 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, 4 teaspoons ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon ground allspice.

Tiramisù translates from Italian to mean [...]]]> The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Tiramisù translates from Italian to mean “pull me up” or “pick me up”. And it is certainly true to its name! Layers of spongy savoiardi (ladyfingers) dipped in sweetened espresso, separated by layers of rich custard. Definitely a heavenly dessert!

Just like the tiramisù itself, this challenge was multi-layered. Everything was made from scratch over a span of 2 days. Savoiardi, mascarpone, zabaglione, pastry cream, whipped cream, and finally tiramisù! It’s really not as much work as it sounds, and it all culminates in a wonderful and well-deserved treat!

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisù as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Le Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

I do love the classic coffee-chocolate tiramisù and I always like to try out the original recipe first, just to make sure I can replicate it. Then I let my imagination run wild! Since blood oranges are currently in season, I decided to make a blood orange variation.

The blood orange tiramisù shown above was chilled in the fridge overnight. It’s more custard-like in texture than the traditional flavored tiramisù below, which I chilled in the freezer overnight.

The first part of the challenge was to make our own mascarpone cheese, one of the ingredients in the final tiramisù. It took a long time for the cream to reach the desired temperature on the stove, so I was nervous about the results. When I placed the cream in the fridge to drain overnight, it became rock hard and only a few drops of liquid had drained. But after sitting at room temperature for a little while, it was soft enough to stir.

Mascarpone Cheese
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

1 pint organic whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a small pot. Reduce the heat to medium so that the water is simmering. Place the cream in a metal bowl and place the bowl over the pot of simmering water. Heat the cream, gently stirring, until it reaches at least 180°. If you don’t have a thermometer, look for small bubbles pushing their way to the surface.

Add the lemon juice and continue to stir gently until the mixture curdles. The cream will become thick and you will see streaks of clear whey where the spoon moves through the cream. Remove the bowl from the water and let it cool for 20 minutes.

Line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth. Transfer the mixture into the sieve. Do not press or squeeze the mixture through the cheesecloth, just let it set there until completely cool. Then cover the entire thing with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. The next day it will be wonderfully creamy!

The next part of the challenge was to make the savoiardi/ladyfinger biscuits. These biscuits get soaked in sweetened coffee or fruit juice to create a cake-like layer in the tiramisù.

Savoiardi/Ladyfinger biscuits
Yield: about 25 biscuits (depending on size)

3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the granulated sugar, gradually, continuing to beat until the egg whites become stiff, glossy, and smooth.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork. Then gently fold them into the whipped egg whites, using a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the flour (and corn starch, if using) over this mixture, and fold it in gently, just until combined. If the batter is folded too much, it will deflate. Try to avoid this!

Using a plain circular pastry tip, or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the batter into strips 5″ long and 3/4″ wide. Leave about 1″ in between the strips on the baking sheet.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the confectioner’s sugar over the piped batter and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining sugar, then carefully tap the excess sugar off of the baking sheet. No need to get it all off, in my experience it doesn’t burn in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and still soft. Place the baking sheets on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet and cool directly on the rack.

If making the biscuits ahead, store them in an airtight container until ready to use.

And now, the main event!

Tiramisù
Yield: 8 servings

Zabaglione:
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk

Whipped cream:
1 cup chilled organic whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisù:
2 cups brewed espresso, warmed (I used double strength instant coffee)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ladyfinger biscuits (depending on size and shape of your dish)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

To make the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler, or place a few inches of water in a pot to boil. Make sure you will be able to place a metal mixing bowl over the water without it touching the surface.

In a large metal bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, marsala, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water, or pour the mixture into a double boiler. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit while it cooks.

Cool the mixture to room temperature and transfer it to a small bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

To make the pastry cream:
Combine the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the egg yolk and half the milk, whisk until smooth.

Place the pan on the stove and cook on low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling. Pour in the rest of the milk, a little bit at a time, still stirring constantly. Continue to cook the mixture until it becomes thick and begins to bubble, about 12 minutes. Ideally, it will have no lumps, but if it does you can just put it through a strainer.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

To make the whipped cream:
Place your empty mixer bowl and beater into the fridge for about 30 minutes before whipping the cream. Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

Now you’ve got all the pieces, and you’re ready to put it together!

To assemble the tiramisù:
In a small bowl, whisk together the warm coffee and sugar. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon until smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, stirring just until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream and set this mixture aside.

Get your serving dish ready. An 8″ square dish will work, but feel free to use any other size or shape you’d like.

Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture for about 1 second per side. They will be moist but not soggy. Immediately place the lady finger into the serving dish. Repeat this process, placing the ladyfingers as close to each other as possible, until the bottom of the dish is covered by a single layer of ladyfingers. If necessary, break the ladyfingers to ensure that the dish is completely covered.

Spoon half of the cream mixture (or 1/3 of the mixture if you want three layers) on top of the ladyfingers. Carefully spread the cream over the ladyfingers and all the way to the edges of the dish. Dip another layer of ladyfingers, line them up, then cover with a layer of cream. Repeat this process for as many layers as you desire (or until you run out of ingredients!).

Cover the tiramisù with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The tiramisu will be more flavorful if it sits in the fridge for two or three days. It can also be frozen, which will facilitate neater slices.

Just before serving, garnish your tiramisu with cocoa powder sifted through a fine mesh strainer, or any other garnish of your choice.

For the blood orange variation:

Whisk together 1 cup warmed blood orange juice and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Set this mixture aside to cool while you prepare the cream layer. Use this mixture to dip the ladyfingers, instead of the coffee mixture.

Make the zabaglione and pastry cream as above. Make the whipped cream, and then fold in 1/4 cup blood orange syrup (see recipe below) before mixing it with the zabaglione and pastry cream.

Blood Orange Syrup
Juice of 5 blood oranges
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until syrup has reached desired consistency.

Assemble tiramisù according to the instructions above, garnishing with extra syrup and orange slices.

I have to confess: I don’t often use nuts in my baked creations.  But sometimes I make an exception.  This cake is one of those exceptions.  The toasted hazelnuts add just the right flavor to the coffee and bittersweet chocolate.

Generally, I like to keep things simple.  But sometimes it’s fun to [...]]]>

I have to confess: I don’t often use nuts in my baked creations.  But sometimes I make an exception.  This cake is one of those exceptions.  The toasted hazelnuts add just the right flavor to the coffee and bittersweet chocolate.

Generally, I like to keep things simple.  But sometimes it’s fun to get out all kinds of bowls, and use the mixer, the stove and the oven all at once.   I had a party to attend and this seemed like just the thing to show up with.  And it didn’t disappoint.  Super chocolatey, but not overly sweet.  It got rave reviews at the party.

I saw this cake on Joy the Baker.  Have you seen Joy’s website?  It’s beautiful, and packed with amazingly delicious recipes.  Joy just won Best Baking Blog in the 2009 Foodbuzz Blog Awards.  Congratulations Joy!  And thanks for the inspiration!

Mocha Hazelnut Marble Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
9 ounces (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips)
1/4 cup coffee (hot or cold)
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a bundt pan or tube pan with cake release, or grease and flour the pan.

To toast the hazelnuts: Spread the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until fragrant.  Let cool, then grind with a food processor or mortar and pestle.

Combine flour, hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of water in it.  Make sure the bowl is not touching the surface of the water. Heat the water to a gentle simmer.  Cut the 2 tablespoons of butter into 4 pieces, and add to the bowl along with the chocolate, coffee, and instant coffee.  Keep the heat low and stir the mixture often until it melts and becomes smooth.  Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Use a mixer to beat the remaining 2 sticks of butter and the sugar for about 3 minutes at medium speed. The mixture will be a thick paste, not light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after adding each egg. The batter will become smooth and velvety. Add the vanilla extract and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts alternately with the milk in 2 parts, beating on low speed after each addition. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary.

Spoon a little less than half of the batter into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and stir to blend completely.

Scoop the batter into the pan, alternating between the chocolate and white batter. Use a knife to swirl the batter. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the whole pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the cooling rack.

Mocha Sour Cream Glaze

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (again, I used a scant 1 cup of the Ghirardelli chips)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, over gently simmering water.  Stir the chocolate while it melts.  Remove from the double boiler and stir in the sour cream.

Add the corn syrup and vanilla, stirring to incorporate.  Slowly add the brewed coffee a little at a time, mixing until well incorporated.  If you’d like the glaze to be a thinner consistency, add more corn syrup and coffee.

Spread onto the cooled cake.