Category:

About a Birthday...

4/8/2019

     Today is my daughter Claire's 26th birthday and since Mondays are busy for everyone, our family celebrated this milestone yesterday. Claire is a 6th grade stem-science teacher, and one week before her spring break began she said to me, "Let's go somewhere together!" New Orleans is where we ended up... my first time there. After having some great meals, and a roasted banana Gâteau Saint Honoré one night for dessert, this is what my daughter requested for her birthday cake. This is my rendition of the Banana Gâteau Saint Honoré.
     I've been debating whether or not to print out the recipe. I can't say it's a difficult dessert to make, but there were endless steps that I customized to make it exactly what I wanted the end result to be... pecan pâte brisée, choux pastry, roasted bananas, banana pastry cream, chiboust, caramel, whipped cream. Many components. Email me if interested??
     Below are several of my favorite photos from our trip to New Orleans. Low 80's and humidity felt really good after experiencing the winter from hell in Minnesota this year.

The birthday girl...

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Raspberry Éclairs

2/11/2019

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It would be easy enough to say that I made éclairs à la framboise because Valentine's Day is this week. All anyone needs to do is look at them to agree that Valentine's is the perfect time to bake and devour this pink pastry.

But it actually had more to do with the dismal weather we've been experiencing here in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It started with the Polar Vortex. The cold was a challenge for anyone heading outdoors, but especially difficult for my French Bulldog, Bisous. I never let him outdoors during the extreme cold unless I accompanied him; a good decision after our first time out together in the backyard. After two minutes, his feet were already so cold that he fell sideways and couldn't walk. I scooped up that 30 pound "little man" and ran like hell towards the house. Since then, it seems like every other day we've had ice or snow, or both.
We've also been dealing with a very sick, little granddaughter for the past 10 days. Liv is my culinary dream child... she loves everything that comes out of my kitchen. But there were several days she wasn't able to eat, and when she finally did start feeling better I wanted to take her something special. When I saw this New York Times recipe for raspberry eclairs, I knew immediately we all needed this colorful pastry!

Raspberry and Cream Éclairs

by Samantha Seneviratne | New York Times Cooking
recipe slightly adapted

FOR THE RASPBERRY CREAM:
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 teaspoon gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried raspberries (found at Trader Joe's), ground to a fine powder
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
FOR THE PUFFS:
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
FOR THE GLAZE:
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of kosher salt

1. Make the raspberry cream: Add 1 tablespoon cold water to a small bowl; sprinkle the gelatin evenly on top. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, smash 1/2 cup fresh raspberries in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, honey, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and half of the freeze-dried raspberry powder and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high. Stir in the gelatin mixture and cook until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then stir into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the puffs: In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, granulated sugar, salt and 3/4 cup water to a simmer over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to help the butter melt. As soon as it comes to a boil, add all the flour at once; stir constantly until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring the dough occasionally to cool.
4. Heat oven to 450˚F. Off the heat, add the eggs to the pan, one at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon (this can also be done in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment). The dough will break apart and slide around in the pot before it comes back together. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (it helps to place a small dot of the pastry dough on the back of each corner to help secure the parchment to the baking sheet). Pipe the dough into 4 1/2-inch-by 3/4-inch lengths about 3 inches apart. With a damp fingertip, flatten any points. Bake until deep golden brown and puffed, rotating the sheets halfway through, 20 to 24 minutes. They should be light and crisp. Turn the oven off. Poke each éclair on either end with a toothpick to allow steam to escape. Return the puffs to the oven and prop the oven door open slightly with the handle of a wooden spoon. Alow the puffs to dry out completely, about 15 minutes.
6 Prepare the glaze: Mash the fresh raspberries and push them through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving all the juice and discarding the seeds. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt to the reserved juice and whisk until smooth.
7. Finely chop the remaining 1 cup fresh raspberries. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Gently stir the chilled raspberry cream to loosen it, then fold in the raspberries and whipped cream. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Slice the top third off each éclair and fill the lower portion with cream. Dip the top of the top piece in the glaze, letting any excess drip off, and replace it. Sprinkle with the remaining raspberry powder. Serve immediately. Éclairs are best eaten the day they are made, but if there are leftovers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

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New Year's Day, 2019

1/2/2019

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HAPPY NEW YEAR'S! Wishing all of you the best in 2019...

Yesterday was our 32nd (!) annual New Year's Day Brunch. Two of our regulars, unfortunately, were in France and not celebrating with us this year (unfortunate for us, not for them ;) We ended up being a group of eleven.

This year's menu took on somewhat of an Italian theme. I've been on a polenta kick recently, making pork ragu with polenta for Christmas dinner. Yesterday, I switched out the pork for a mushroom ragu with marsala. Of course, I hoped it would be good, but I was not expecting how good! Right now I cannot remember an entrée that I loved as much as this. If you're in need of a supreme, comforting meal anytime soon, make this!

The drinks table... Prosecco and orange juice, always.

To start off...

Four of my favorite attendees...

I used cremini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms, a total of 3 pounds, for the ragu; enough to feed 12.

Dessert was an Italian Trifle with Marsala syrup. The sponge cake was baked with fresh orange zest ( recipe HERE )

MUSHROOM RAGU
recipe, adapted, from Giada De Laurentis
+ The recipe below will feed 4 persons, although the original recipe says 6 persons. For my brunch, I tripled this recipe to feed 12, using slightly less broth (4-4 3/4 cups) in the process.
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake) chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• 2 cups chicken broth (if tripling this recipe, use less than 6 cups. See above)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan

In a large skillet heat the oil. When almost smoking, add the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions have wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high and saute until mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Remove pan from heat and pour in Marsala. Return pan to stove and allow wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 1/2 hour until the sauce has reduced by half. Add heavy cream and mix well. Take the pan off the heat and add the fresh parsley and Parmesan and mix thoroughly.

CREAMY POLENTA
+ adapted recipe from allrecipes.com
Serves 4-6
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Regianno cheese

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
3. Turn off heat and gently stir butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Stir and taste for salt before transferring to bowls. Top with Mushroom Ragu and serve.

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Pumpkin Scones

12/12/2018

2 Comments

     A quick post in this typically busy holiday season...

     I made these pumpkin scones from a King Arthur Flour recipe. They were fabulous! Love waking up to a treat like this in the morning!

     ENJOY!

• • • Pumpkin Scones • • •

+ adapted recipe from King Arthur Flour

• 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, diced
• 1 cup minced crystallized ginger or chocolate chips, or a combination of the two
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• turbinado sugar, for topping

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly (This can also be done in a food processor. If using a food processor, combine the dry ingredients, then add butter and pulse until the size of large peas).
2. Stir in the ginger and/or chocolate chips. (Transfer flour/butter mixture from food processor to a large bowl, if using, and stir in ginger and/or chocolate chips.)
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs until smooth.
4. Add the pumpkin/eggs to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Dust a little flour on top of parchment.
6. Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment and divide it in half. Round each half into a disk about 3/4-inch thick.
7. Brush each circle with milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
8. Using a knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
9. Carefully separate the wedges so there is about a 1/2-inch space between them.
10. Place the pan of scones in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This will help give the scones a high rise. (I will freeze the scones, then place in a zip-lock bag, and pull from the freezer in the mornings to bake a few, or quite a few!)
11. Preheat overn to 425˚F. Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Be sure to leave at least 1/2-inch between the scones when baking. You don't want them to touch each other.

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Bread Pudding with Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

6/19/2018

1 Comment

In my attempt to keep up with the bounty of strawberries and rhubarb in my garden, I revisited a recipe I've had for 35 years... Did I just write 35 years? That's almost impossible to believe. But it's been even longer that I've been clipping, writing down, bookmarking, copying, and tearing out recipes and filing them away -- into BIG files. And maybe that's why this recipe for bread pudding with strawberry-rhubarb sauce has gotten overlooked the past few years. Six years, to be exact, since I last made this recipe. But thanks to the abundance of strawberries (some days yielding 5 pounds) and my endless supply of rhubarb (good thing I like it so much), my attack plan has been to default to a super easy strawberry-rhubarb sauce. And that reminded me of this simple bread pudding. When served warm, or at room temperature with the chilled sauce, it is heaven.

I have so many strawberries, I added some to the top of the bread pudding before baking. A sweet little addition.
And don't limit the strawberry-rhubarb sauce just to bread pudding... cornmeal waffles, vanilla ice cream, french toast, and yogurt all benefit from a serving of this sauce, just to name a few...

Country Living Magazine | 1982

• 12 to 14 slices from a French Baguette, 1/2-inch thick
• 3 to 4 tablespoons soft butter
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk, or half milk-half cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce, recipe follows
1. Heat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 10-inch round or other shallow 2 quart baking dish. Butter each slice of bread on one side and arrange, buttered side down, in the dish with sides of the bread touching or overlapping slightly.
2. Beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well-blended. Pour over the bread slices. Allow the bread to soak up the custard for about 10 minutes.
3. Bake on the shelf just above the center of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly puffed and crusty. Serve hot or warm with the Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB SAUCE

• 3 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced in half (quartered if large)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated organic orange peel
1. In a medium-sized enameled saucepan, combine all the ingredients and let stand 10 minutes. Stir again, cover, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Increase heat and bring to a gentle boil, uncovered, over moderate heat. Cook until rhubarb is tender, but not mushy.

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Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

6/3/2018

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There are three birthdays in our family during the months of April and May. When my girls were little, their birthday cakes were almost always chocolate, filled with sweet cherries, and frosted with whipped heavy cream. But lately, I ask what I should bake them for their birthdays. They never reply with a flavor or a type of cake. They do research for days, if not weeks, for a recipe they like, never taking into consideration the complexity or the availability of certain ingredients. I guess I should be flattered that my daughters have faith in my ability to pull off whatever it is they choose.

The recipe for this lemon layer cake appeared in my inbox, sent to me by my lemon-loving daughter about a week before her birthday. I made the lemon curd filling and the lemon cream cheese buttercream three days ahead and the cake layers the day before I planned to assemble it, making it seem less labor intensive. If you love lemon, this cake's for you. It really was fabulous and I liked it even more after a couple of days when the flavors merged and became more intense.

I received an Ateco 612 Revolving Cake Stand this year and it makes all the difference in frosting a cake. If you bake a lot of cakes and don't have one of these... get one!

The big candied violet on top was purchased by my sister on a recent trip to Germany. Loved it! I suppose I need to start growing organic violets, too...

Lemon Layer Cake

Recipe, slightly adapted, from the website, MyCakeSchool.com

Lemon Curd
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (preferably organic)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute more.. Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into a small bowl with egg yolks and stir quickly until combined. Continue stirring, while pouring the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the curd is thickened (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Let the lemon curd cool, then press plastic wrap onto the surface, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top. Refrigerate.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool to touch
• 2 8oz packages full fat cream cheese, slightly softened
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoons lemon extract
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar, adding more if necessary
1. Cut butter into 1/2 inch slices and place in the bowl of your mixer. Beat until smooth.
2. Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter. Beat until blended.
3. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
4. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
5. Refrigerate frosting until needed. Allow frosting to soften slightly and remix before using. Do not microwave to soften. There will be enough frosting for a 3 layer, 8 or 9-inch cake.

Lemon Cake Layers
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional butter for greasing pans
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (preferably expeller pressed)
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract
1. PREHEAT OVEN to 350 degrees.
2. Grease three 8-inch cake pans. Line the base of each pan with a round of waxed paper; grease the paper and dust the interior of the pans with flour, tapping out any excess flour.
3. In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest of 2 lemons. Whisk to blend and set aside.
4. In another bowl, add the milk, canola or vegetable oil, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Whisk to blend and set aside.
5. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes until it is light in color and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
7. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Mix on medium speed until combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out.

ASSEMBLY
1. Pipe a dam of lemon cream cheese buttercream about 1/4-inch inside the edge of the first layer. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd inside the buttercream, then pipe and spread a layer of buttercream on top of it. Repeat with the second layer. Top with the third layer cake.
2. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of the buttercream frosting. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes, remove from refrigerator and finish frosting the cake with the lemon cream cheese buttercream. Refrigerate the cake if not eating immediately. Pull the cake from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving. And as I said earlier, I really think it tastes even better the next day.

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end-of-summer Peach and Raspberry Galette

9/12/2017

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There are still fresh peaches in the grocery stores. Go buy several and make this galette. It's the best dessert I've baked this summer...

Peach Raspberry Galette

recipe from Martha Stewart

• 1 disk Galette Dough (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for parchment
• 2 1/2 pounds peaches (about 5), halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3/4 cup plus 1-2 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 cup plain yogurt or full-fat sour cream
1. Roll the galette dough to an 18-inch round on lightly floured parchment.
2. Combine peaches, lemon juice, flour, salt, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Gently stir in the raspberries and mound the mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 3-inch border. Dot the top of the fruit mixture with butter. Pleat the edges of the pastry around the fruit filling and brush pastry with eggs wash. Sprinkle with almond and turbinado sugar. Slide the galette and parchment onto a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake galette 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until pastry is golden and juices are bubbling, another 30 minutes (or more, depending on your oven). Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
4. Stir together yogurt or sour cream and remaining 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for serving.
NOTE: If there is a hole or crack in the dough, you will have seepage of juices. Using a spoon, occasionally scoop up juices and drizzle over the fruit while baking.

GALETTE DOUGH
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup ice water
1. Place about 3/4 of the butter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until hard (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, refrigerate remaining butter.
2. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add refrigerated butter and pulse to combine. Add frozen butter and pulse until mixture is coarse with some pea-size pieces.
3. Slowly, add ice water while pulsing. You may not need all of the water. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together. Add more water and pulse a few more times, if necessary.
4. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Bring edges of plastic together and gather dough, pressing into a mass. Form the dough into a 1/2-inch disk, wrap in the plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes (and up to 2 days).

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Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread

7/12/2017

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Two years ago for Father's Day, I bought my husband two raspberry bushes. He planted them at the back of our yard, next to the strawberries and behind the raised vegetable beds. I've honestly forgotten about them until this summer, since they're shielded by the tuteurs that hold my tomatoes. Several weeks ago he told me how he needed to build a 6 foot grid frame to support the two plants. I actually thought that sounded a bit excessive, but I didn't argue (well, maybe a little)... But you know what? They definitely needed the support of that frame. They're massive plants. Now, each morning I go out and pick a pint of raspberries. I just made a Cherry-Berry Pie (recipe HERE) that is a combination of sweet cherries, blueberries and my garden raspberries. Tomorrow there's going to be a raspberry cake. And if they continue to produce berries until the fall, there will be many more raspberry recipes ahead.
The other day, we were just eating the raspberries as is, with a little pastry sauce drizzled over. I thought a little shortbread cookie would be perfect with the berries.

• recipe from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook •

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1. Grind the flour, pecans, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar. When the mixture is very smooth and creamy, mix in the pecan mixture.
3. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 300˚F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Gather up the scraps, reroll, and cut into as many cookies as possible. Place on the prepared cookie sheets and bake until colored, 20 to 25 minutes.

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Sponge Cake with Rhubarb and Strawberries

5/16/2017

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It was a beautiful day...
I spent it in the kitchen baking and walking my French Bulldog, Bisous. What could be better than that? The weather has been fantastic and we dined alfresco on the patio with family and friends. This sponge cake with rhubarb compote and fresh strawberries tucked between the layers was our dessert... always looking for ways to use my yearly bumper crop of rhubarb.

Sponge Cake with Rhubarb and Strawberries

• recipe for sponge cake from thejoyofbaking.com

INGREDIENTS:
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sifted cake flour (make your own... recipe HERE)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated white sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• Zest of a lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pound strawberries, 3 reserved and the rest of the berries hulled and sliced
• Rhubarb sauce, recipe below
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar

EQUIPMENT:
• 1 ungreased, 2 piece, 10-inch tube pan

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Separate the cold eggs, placing yolks in one bowl and whites in another bowl. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature. In the meantime, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Place the egg yolks and 2/3 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat
on high speed until thick and light colored. When you raise the beater, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon. Beat in the vanilla extract, water, and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. In a clean bowl with the whisk attachment whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are shiny and just form stiff peaks.
5. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the beaten egg yolks and gently fold into the egg yolk batter with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour, then gently fold a little of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Add the rest of the whites, and fold just until incorporated. Do not overmix the batter -- it will deflate. Pour the batter into the tube pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and invert the tube pan and suspend over the neck of a glass wine or water bottle. Cool the cake completely (about 1 hour). Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and lift up on the tube to removed the center of the pan. Run the knife along the bottom and around the tube of the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
1. At least 2 hours before serving, pour the heavy cream into a bowl and whip until starting to thicken. Add the Confectioners' sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Set aside (or place in refrigerator if a warm day).
2. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake into 3 equal layers. Take the bottom cake layer and place on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon half of the rhubarb sauce evenly over the cake layer, including just enough of the rhubarb's syrup to moisten the cake. Take half of the sliced strawberries and scatter them evenly over the rhubarb. Cover the rhubarb and strawberries with about 1/3 of the whipped cream. Take the middle layer of sponge cake and place on top of the whipped cream, strawberries, and rhubarb; press sponge layer gently onto the whipped cream. Spoon the remaining rhubarb, and some of the syrup, plus the strawberries onto the second sponge layer and top with another 1/3 of the whipped cream. Place the last layer of sponge on the top and cover with the remaining whipped cream. Slice the remaining 3 strawberries into fans and place on top of the cake. I also sprinkled the top of my cake with strawberry sugar from Zuk-Zak.
3. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve. The cake is best when eaten the same day it is made.

RHUBARB SAUCE:
• 3 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat on the stove. Cook until rhubarb has softened, making sure that the rhubarb has not broken down and you still have whole chunks of rhubarb. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely before assembling the cake.

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Lemon Meringue Cake... for a birthday

4/8/2017

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Today is my youngest daughter's 24th birthday. Yes... time flies.

The driving force behind choosing this cake recipe, from Liz Pruitt's TARTINE, was the large bag of lemons in my refrigerator.

As you can see in this photo, I went a bit overboard with the caramel spread between the cake layers, resulting in a gentle oozing that bothered no one but me. And with any recipe from TARTINE, you can't go wrong.

• TARTINE'S recipe calls for using a 10-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. I used two 8-inch pans with 2-inch sides, and one 8-inch pan with 1 1/4-inch sides to bake. I split the two taller cakes in half to use in this recipe.

CAKE:
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ cups sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 10 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1./4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch cake or springform pan with 3-inch sides with parchment paper cut to fit exactly; don’t grease the pan. (• See above for what pans I used in this recipe.)
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the salt and whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Make a well in the flour, add the yolk mixture, and then whisk thoroughly and quickly for about 1 minutes until very smooth.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly while beating on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Add a third of the egg whites and fold into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whites until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing the top if necessary. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. (About 40 minutes if you use 8-inch cake pans). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, run a thin knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake an then release and lift off the pan sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment.

CARAMEL:
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Pour the cream into a small, heavy saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the pod halves into the milk. Place over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream warm.
2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, salt, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then cook, without stirring, until the mixture is amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. The mixture will continue to cook off the heat and become darker, so make sure to have your cream close by. Carefully and slowly add the cream to the sugar syrup. The mixture will boil vigorously at first. Let the mixture simmer down, and then whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add to the caramel one at a time, whisking constantly after each addition. Then whisk the caramel periodically as it continues to cool.

LEMON CREAM:
• 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the lemon juice, eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Whisk them together constantly until very thick, or 80°C (180°F) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and let it cool down until warm to touch (60°C or 140°F on a thermometer). Place the lemon cream in a blender and with the motor running, add the butter in small pieces. Allow to cool completely. (You may refrigerate it, but allow to come to cool room temperature before using.)

LEMON SYRUP:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
1. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Transfer to a cool bowl, let cool for a bit, then chill for half an hour. Stir in the lemon juice.

ASSEMBLY:
1. Split the chiffon cake horizontally into four equal layers. Place one layer on your serving plate (which I lined with wax paper around to cake) and moisten evenly with ¼ of the lemon syrup. Spread 1/3 of the caramel over the cake, then 1/3 of the lemon cream. Repeat with 2 more layers, using up the remaining caramel and lemon cream. Top with the fourth cake layer and moisten with the remaining lemon syrup. Cover the cake completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.
NOTE: If using smaller cake pans than the 10-inch springform pan used in this recipe, reduce the amount of caramel and lemon cream between the layers.

SWISS MERINGUE:
• 7 egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
1. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt and whisk until the whites are hot to the touch, about 120F, about 5 minutes. Beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick and holds stiff, glossy peaks.
2. Unmold the cake and spread the meringue all over. Use a spatula or a spoon to create dramatic swirls. Using a propane torch if available, scorch the meringue, blackening the tips and swirls.

TAKE a LOOK:

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