French Macarons: trend predictions and ego maintenance

Trend ALERT: Have cupcakes met their match with the French macaron? The macaron may not be mainstream quite yet, but it's been speculated that it's coming. Ask most people (and I have) if they know what a macaron is, and they say “sure!”. Confirm by stating it doesn’t contain sweetened condensed milk or coconut; a bit puzzled, they say “oh?”. Compared to its American namesake, French macarons are a much more sophisticated meringue-style cookie traditionally made with ground almonds. Sandwiched together with a ganache or buttercream or jam or curd, these confections are infinitely customizable by flavor and color combinations. I first read about them a few years back in a foodie magazine article about Christmas gift suggestions. Intrigued, I looked into ordering some as a treat for myself but was shocked to find the shipping price as expensive as the cookies. Determined to have a taste, my next instinct was to figure out how to make them on my own. That’s when I stumbled across the blog of the lovely and talented Tartelette and read every tip and trick I could gather from her. With a great virtual mentor and perhaps beginners luck my first batch ever (tinted purple and filled with a lavender ganache) was perfect! And then I never made them again…

Fast forward to this month where the 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe. I was extremely excited to be reacquainted with macarons—I’ve already done this!

Unfortunately my first batch (cocoa flavored with spooky Halloween decorations) was disappointing. They tasted fine, but looked like sad little cracked and deflated disks, almost too soft and flimsy to hold a filling. I had read much about the finicky nature of the meringue batter, especially the careful attention needed during the macronage process (the technique of incorporating the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites), but had yet to experience it firsthand. Things worked fine for me the last time. What was I doing wrong this time? Needless to say my kitchen ego was a little bruised, so I regrouped ingredients, pulled out the Tartelette recipe I was comfortable using (sorry Claudia Fleming) and started over. Round two (still cocoa flavored but with fall leaf and pumpkin sugar decorations) turned out so much better. I achieved the much sought after "feet"—that little ruffled edge at the base of the cookie. Complete success!

For the filling I wanted something that evoked the flavors of fall, so I chose a spiced pumpkin, dark chocolate ganache. I adapted it from a recipe shared with me by my favorite local chocolatier, Nancy Biehn of Sweet Gem Confections. I shouldn’t have strayed as far away from her recipe as I did, as the ganache turned out to be a mini disaster of its own—major, inexplicable cocoa butter seepage from the fancy chocolate in which I invested quite a fair penny! I couldn’t get it to pull together to be cohesive with the rest of the mixture. Having run out of ingredients and time to start fresh, I decided to drain off the liquidy cocoa butter and use the remaining spread as is to fill my perfectly-footed macarons. In doing so, I duly noted the additional opportunity for an ego check—making a ganache is usually foolproof.

Understandably, if this hasn’t enticed you to try making these yourself and you want to check if any bakeries near you sell French macarons, here’s a good place to start.

Will the French macaron supplant the cupcake as the next sweet trend? Hmm, perhaps not all regions of the country will readily take to the frillier dessert. If you ask me, I think pie might need to be thrown in the mix for good Midwestern measure. This is just my humble prediction, but it may be quite likely if the amount of flaky pastry dough coming out of my kitchen this year is any sort of barometer.

Chocolate Macarons

Ingredients
3 egg whites (separated from yolks 3 days before baking and kept at a cool room temp)
50 grams granulated sugar
200 grams powdered sugar
110 grams blanched almonds
2 TBS cocoa powder

1. Combine the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and almonds in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery. Sift into a large bowl. Regrind any large leftover bits of nuts in a coffee grinder and add to bowl.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment to a foam. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks and you achieve a glossy meringue.
3. Add sifted almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized rounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper). Let the macarons sit on the counter for an hour to harden their shells a bit.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Bake the macaron for 10-12 minutes.
7. Cool completely on a rack before filling.

Makes 2 dozen filled cookies

Spiced Pumpkin, Dark Chocolate Ganache
(this definitely needs tweaking)

1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup half and half
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
2 lbs chocolate, finely chopped and set aside in a large bowl

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients except for chocolate to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand for a minute or so and then stir to incorporate. Ganache should be cooled slightly until firm enough to spread onto macarons.

Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. This recipe is from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

As a broth-based soup, Pho (pronounced Fuh? as if you were asking a question) is only as good as the stock used for its foundation. Sure you can create a quick meal with a store-bought version veiled with spice additions, but it will never achieve the depth of flavor and overall satisfaction that comes from slow simmering in the DIY vein. The provenance of the stock I used kindly came from an earnestly adventurous and slightly River Cottage-obsessed friend. He learned to butcher and process a pasture-raised broiler chicken at Back Forty Acres, a farm just in the next town over. If you are familiar with the writing of Michael Pollan or the philosophy of Joel Salatin, than this is the stuff of which Polyface Farms is made: sustainable, pasture-based, local farming. Ironically, I used to live a short distance from Polyface, but never knew of its existence until I moved to Michigan, and the sustainable farming notion resurged with national press.

That very evening of the kill I was invited to dinner. AT LAST! This was my chance to taste fresh chicken, the chicken of the past, chicken that wasn’t raised in a CAFO and actually dined on grass: a chicken that genuinely tastes like, well, chicken. I gladly partook in the family-style roasted chicken feast and then knowing Pho was in my cooking queue promptly inquired as to the intentions for the stock. This particular stock was made from the carcass simmering for over half a day with carrots and kale and leeks and onion and garlic and thyme and bay leaf. It had the familiar aroma of Thanksgiving. Lucky for me plenty was available for this comforting soup, making it that much more special or, if you will, in more colorfully descriptive terms: pho-king amazing!

Pho Ga Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients:
For Broth:

1 onion, unpeeled and cut in half

1 3-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled

2 TBS whole coriander seeds

4 whole cloves

2 whole star anise


2 quarts chicken stock

1 whole chicken breast (bone in or boneless)

1 to 2 TBS sugar

1 to 2 TBS fish sauce

1 lb. dried rice noodles (¼-inch wide)

Accompaniments:
2 cups bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro
½ cup sliced red onions

1 lime, cut into wedges

Sliced fresh chili peppers

Directions:

Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4-inches from the heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and both should get soft. After cooling, rub the onion to get the charred skin off; peel the ginger and cut into thick slices.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise. Toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small dish to prevent burning.

In a large pot combine broth, charred onion, ginger, toasted spices, chicken, sugar and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface if necessary. Meanwhile, prepare rice noodles as directed on the package.

Once chicken breasts are cooked, use tongs to remove. Shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if applicable. Strain broth and discard solids.

To serve, ladle the broth into bowls, add shredded chicken breast and noodles. Allow each person to customize their own bowl with additional accompaniments.

Apples All Dressed Up: Polish Apple Fritters

Apples for me are a true harbinger for fall. Sure vendors at my farmer’s market proffered apples all summer, but no, no I whisked straight past towards berries and peaches half-believing those apples were even grown locally. Yes, I know there are early-ripening varietals, but for me, apple season coincides with days shortening, temperatures dropping, and leaves changing. They conjure warm scents of spice and longings for hot cider and doughnuts. Well, the season is certainly upon us now! I've been taking advantage by making cider and filled pastries and dumplings and preserves and sauce and pie...

Recently, a sweet, sweet grandfather-type co-worker shared with me a bag of fresh-picked apples and described his favorite way to eat them: Jabtusska w mundu kadi. This is a traditional Polish recipe that he said roughly translates as “apples all dressed up”. Essentially, these are apple fritters in that apple rings are dipped in a pancake-like batter and fried into deliciousness. By the look in his eyes when he talked about it, I could tell how special this recipe was to my co-worker. This made me that much more eager to try it. When I showed my him the picture of my results, he told me with much enthusiasm that I would “make a great European wife”. Well, I don’t know about that, but I am excited to be preserving a Polish tradition. Next he wants to teach me potato pancakes. I can’t wait!

Jabtusska w Mundu Kadi

2 eggs, separated
3 TBS superfine sugar
5 TBS milk
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1TBS masa harina
1 lb apples
½ cup butter
powdered sugar
cinnamon

Beat egg yolks with sugar and milk in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whites into yolk mixture. Sift the flours over this egg mixture and fold in lightly. This should make a rather thick batter.

Peel, core and slice apples into ¼-inch thick rings. Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. Dip apple rings in batter, turning to coat both sides. Slip apples into hot butter, frying until golden and puffed; then flip to cook other side. Repeat with remaining rings. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4

Vols-au-vent with braised pork and grape-apple-quince chutney

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Puff pastry (pâte feuilletée) is something you probably would buy frozen at the grocery store or (for more instant gratification) already baked and filled as a treat from your favorite bakery. Why not try making it yourself? Coming away from this challenge, I can earnestly say that it is surprisingly easy and satisfying to do so--very much well-worth the effort! In preparation, I watched the on-line video from the PBS show “Baking with Julia”.
This was a pure treat to see Michel demonstrate making the pastry under Julia’s watchful eye and quite honestly a great confidence builder to observe the technique of an expert. Ever since watching the movie Julia and Julie and reading her memoir My life in France, I am admittedly enamored with the passion for good food and genuinely lovely personality of Julia Child. So this for me was an exciting challenge to complete!

Much like Danish dough and croissant dough, puff pastry is a laminated dough, which means it consists of a large block of butter (the beurrage) that is enclosed in dough (the détrempe). This dough/butter packet (termed a paton) is rolled and folded repeatedly (a process known as “turning”) to create the crisp, flaky, parallel layers you see when baked. Unlike Danish or croissant however, puff pastry dough does not contain yeast in the détrempe, and relies solely on aeration to achieve its high rise. The turning process creates hundreds of layers of butter and dough, with air trapped between each one. In the hot oven, water in the dough and from the melting butter creates steam, which expands in the trapped air pockets, forcing the pastry to rise. Another essential for achieving rise is to use a low-gluten flour. American all-purpose flours typically contain a lot more gluten then French “equivalents”. While in France developing recipes for her cookbook that was to be used in American kitchens, Julia Child had to take this difference into account. For this reason, a blend of cake flour and all-purpose flour are suggested in order to reduce gluten content.

Vols-au-vent are typically served hot and filled with a creamy, savory filling (often poultry or seafood-based), but cold fillings, such as chicken or tuna salad, are used as well. Sweet versions tend to include whipped cream or pastry cream with fresh or stewed fruit. Wanting to keep things savory, I tapped the finest local resource I knew for an appropriate filling that would pair well with the pastry. I purchased a delicious braised pork shoulder from Durham's Tracklements, a local culinary artisan of fine-quality, custom smoked meats and fishes. For those of you who know me, I know what you’re thinking…yes, I cook (for the most part) vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to order and enjoy a superb piece of meat! Excited about the project, I told Mr. Durham about how I planned to use his pork and about the concord grape, macoun apple, quince, and ginger chutney I was making to accompany the pastry. He told me that was the "fanciest way [he’d] ever heard of pulled pork being served". TR, I think I might just have to agree with you on that one!

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough



Ingredients:


2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour


1¼ cups cake flour


1 Tbs salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)


1¼ cups ice water


1 pound very cold unsalted butter (frozen for 20 minutes or so)

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers much like Play-Doh.

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a cross hatch pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. This can be great fun, especially after a stressful day, but take care not to mash your fingers like I did…ouch! The butter must remain cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour with your rolling pin, press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. (This will allow for the gluten to rest.) Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the flaps over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

Brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 or up to 60 minutes before repeating the rolling and folding process to complete the next set of turns. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent:

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1½” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2½-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” forr you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Prick the solid bottom rounds with a fork (do this lightly so as not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tbs warm water). Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” stack and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF, and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

Vegan Indian Dosas

The September Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Debyi from Healthy Vegan Kitchen. Inspired by a visit to one of the Fresh Restaurants in Toronto, she choose Indian Dosas from the Refresh cookbook by Ruth Tal. If you take a peek at Debyi’s blog you’ll notice that she takes healthy cooking quite seriously and uses almost no added fats in her techniques.

Pulling this dish together requires three components, the dosas (a thin crepe-like pancake), the filling (which is curry and bean based) and the sauce (a satisfying coconut milk and tomato concoction). I suggest starting backwards from this list by making the sauce first, then filling and finishing with the dosas. That way everything will be ready at about the same time. A few weeks ago my volunteer gig afforded me (along with my friend Kate) the opportunity to turn out roughly 200 crepes for a hungry breakfast crowd. Some crepes were vegan and some were egg and butter laden—all helped hone my technique. I offer these words of advice for the vegan version: ain’t nothin’ beats a non-stick pan. Yes, the first few crepes are always sacrificial until you get the heat just right, but without the Teflon coating you’ll blow through the entire batter with nary a dosa to show for it. I learned this the hard way trying to use my beautiful cast iron crepe pan, which has since intimated to me that in order to cooperate consistently it prefers butter. So Julia!

I was excited to receive this challenge as I adore Indian food and have acquired quite a handful of vegan friends of late. I present the recipe here as I received it with only minor ingredient substitutions noted. If I were to make it again, I most definitely would make my own curry or if in a pinch, use a curry paste. Curry powders have always tasted flat to me, so I try to avoid using them and should have done so with this recipe. You should know, though, that this dish tastes even better the next day. Just reheat gently if going this route so as not to cause the sauce to separate. Oh, and I served this with steamed kale and okra. It’s a great time of year to be eating okra. I highly recommend the "O is for Okra" recipe from the abecedarian tribute in this month's Gourmet magazine. [Can't seem to find link.] Not only because of my preference for the letter "O", it truly is delicious!

Indian Dosas
Serves 4

Coconut Curry Sauce

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic

½ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp coarse sea salt
3 TBS curry powder

3 TBS spelt flour (or all-purpose GF flour)

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups coconut milk

3 large tomatoes, diced

1.Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
2.Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
3.Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
4.Let simmer for half an hour.

Curried Garbanzo Filling

5 cloves garlic

1 onion, peeled and finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)

2 medium hot banana chilies, minced

2 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS oregano

1 TBS coarse sea salt
1 TBS turmeric

4 cups cooked (or about 2 cans) chick peas
(I used Borlotti beans from my favorite heirloom legume purveyor)
½ cup tomato paste

1.Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, vegetables, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of water if vegetables begin sticking to pan. 2.Mash the beans and add along with the tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.

Dosa Pancakes
 (I suggest doubling this to ensure extra batter for practicing your technique)
1 cup spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp curry powder

½ cup almond milk (or soy, or rice…)

¾ cup water

cooking spray, as needed

1.Combine the dry ingredients in a blender, slowly add the liquids, blending until smooth.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, as needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.

Celebration Matcha Cake with Ice Cream and Kukicha-Infused Whipped Cream

I've mentioned my friends Jeremy and Aubrey a few times now in recent posts. They own an organic tea company called Arbor Teas. I was highly flattered when Jeremy and Aubrey recently asked me to start contributing recipes using their organic loose leaf teas to their blog SustainabiliTEA. Jeremy and Aubrey are as passionate about tea as I am for food and our values in regards to protecting the environment are well-aligned. They source only the highest quality USDA certified organic and fair trade teas from around the world and are committed to lessening environmental impact through various means such as using recyclable packaging. One rainy summer afternoon over a bottle of Moscato d'Asti, my tea education began and a collaboration was born. I'll be contributing recipes regularly to their blog (and cross-posting here), showcasing the various organic fair trade loose leaf teas that Arbor Teas carries. This will be a fun challenge for me, inviting lots of creativity and of course a great learning experience, sampling a wide variety of high quality organic loose leaf teas.

So in the celebratory spirit of this inaugural venture and the joy brought through collaboration among friends, let’s have organic matcha tea cakes and ice cream! Matcha, traditionally consumed during the Japanese tea ceremony, has a thick, rich green taste with a discernable bitter quality. Its flavor is strong enough to be retained when combined with butter, eggs, milk and sugar in this delectably moist cake. Plus, the green powder lends such a lovely vibrant-hued crumb with an ever so slightly grainy texture. On a whim (and with a nod to the end of the summer season), I paired this cake with sweet corn ice cream, which is NOT for the faint of vegetables! Lavender, agave, honey, buttermilk or tea-infused ice creams or gelatos (perhaps a future post) would all be wonderful substitutions. The cake is topped with an organic kukicha green tea-infused whipped cream. One of my favorite Arbor Teas, kukicha is made of a gorgeous variegated combination of leaves and stems, which yield a delicate green tea flavor. It imparted just the subtle flavor I was after for this whipped cream so as not to compete with the matcha cake.

The verdant color and melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the matcha cake further enthused me to make petit fours with some of the extra cake layers. These adorable little gems are enveloped in marzipan and topped with crystallized lilacs and just perhaps may be a welcome accompaniment to a warm cup of your favorite organic tea from Arbor Teas.

Matcha Cake


1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs
 plus 2 large egg yolks

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

⅛ tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 TBS organic matcha

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a ½ sheet pan by rubbing with butter, covering with parchment, rubbing with more butter, and dusting with flour.

2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.

3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add eggs/egg yolks one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.

5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to batter and mix to combine.

6. Mix matcha in with the milk. Add to the batter and mix until combine.

7. Pour into prepared sheet pan and smooth flat.

8. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Green Tea- Infused Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
1 TBS loose green tea leaves, such as Arbor Teas' organic kukicha
1 tsp agave nectar (optional)

Steep tea in cold cream for 20-30 minutes, keep refrigerated. Strain tea into mixing bowl and add agave nectar if desired. Whip cream until soft, pillowy peaks form.

Assemble


1. Cut rounds of cake using a biscuit cutter. 

2. Place a scoop of ice cream on top of each round and smooth with an offset spatula dipped in hot water.

3. Place another cake round on top. Store in the freezer.
4. Pipe whipped cream on top when ready to serve.

Dobos Torta

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

So, what is the Dobos Torta?

The word 'dobos' means 'like a drum' in Hungarian. However, this cake is named after its creator. This rich torte is made by stacking 7-9 extra-thin layers of GÉNOISE (or sponge cake) spread with chocolate buttercream. The top is covered with a hard caramel glaze. A classic Viennese layer cake.

One of the great "fad" desserts of the 19th century, the Dobos torta or torte (sometimes Anglicized as "Dobosh") was invented by the famous Hungarian confectioner Jozsef C. Dobos in 1884. Dobos owned a well-renowned shop in Budapest that specialized in gourmet foods at a time when shipping food over distance was usually unreliable. His shop routinely featured as many as sixty imported cheeses, as well as foreign wines, breads, and occasionally cakes. His high profile often took him to international food exhibitions, so that he became, for his time, what we would think of as the equivalent of a superstar TV chef/food impresario. The fame of the torte to which Dobos gave his name was probably at least partly due to its extravagant use of chocolate buttercream, at a time when most cakes were iced or filled with cooked creams, whipped creams, or custards.

Dobos had brought the buttercream recipe back with him from one of his many exploratory journeys -- in this case, a trip to France -- and shortly thereafter introduced the cake at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885, as well as featuring it in his shop. Due to all this publicity (for it became a favorite of the Emperor and Empress of Austro-Hungary), people in cities across Europe began clamoring for it, but Dobos refused to license out the recipe. Instead. Dobos developed a special container in which it could be safely shipped, and "the cake with the secret recipe" soon started appearing in all the great European capitals. In fact, Dobos actually toured with the cake, personally introducing it in city after city, until the early 1900's, when he retired. He then gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, on the condition that all members should be able to use the recipe freely.

So here it freely is for you to try too...

Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 ⅓ cups confectioner's sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

I added hazelnut paste to the buttercream to really amp up the flavor, for this cake became a birthday treat for a friend that adores hazelnuts.

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
4oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup hazelnut paste
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Caramel topping

1 cup superfine sugar
12 tablespoons water
8 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Finishing touches

7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
½ cup peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Directions for the sponge layers:

1. Position the racks in the top and center thirds of the oven and heat to 400F.

2. Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" cake pan as a template and a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over so that the ink doesn't touch the cake batter.
3. Beat the egg yolks, ⅔ cup of the confectioner's sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes.
4. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining ⅔ cup of confectioner's sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about ¼ of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in;

repeat with the remaining flour.
5. Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper.
Using a small offset spatula, spread about ¾ cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking

sheets. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six (or possibly more) layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" cake pan as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round.

Directions for the chocolate hazelnut buttercream:

1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5. When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. Add hazelnut spread and continue to beat. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Directions for the caramel topping:

1. Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a 8-9” silicone cake pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Cut the reserved cake layer into 12 equal wedges. Reform into a circle and place on the paper. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2. Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel. This could take some time, be vigilantly patient.
3. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until set, about a minute or so. Using a sharp, hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Assembling the Dobos

1. Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with additional cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
2. Press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
3. Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavor.