Tuesday, 27. October 2009, 14:21:48
Meringue, Daring Bakers, chocolate, macaron
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Practice makes perfection, says the famous quote...
The problem is, when one starts by failing miserably, to get anywhere close to just acceptable takes a lot of practice. And when we just can't do it in an almost daily basis, perfection is a nearly impossible thing.
But I am proud to say that there was, indeed, an evolution between last time I tried baking this, and this month's Daring Bakers' challenge.
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 have already talked a little bit about macarons in my other post, so this time, I'll go directly to my most recent experience.Read more...
Sunday, 27. September 2009, 14:02:01
Compotes, Vol au Vent, Puff Pastry, pastry cream
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I haven't got much longer to post today, but I must say a few words!
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.
This was one of the most exciting Challenges I have ever made! It is really an amazing sensation to make my own puff pastry! And after all that effort of rolling, folding and chilling, there is no more gratifying experience than watch your own puff pastry puffying up in the oven, getting taller and taller, and to see all the pastry sheets coming out from that thin layer!Read more...
Thursday, 27. August 2009, 21:13:11
Dobos, Cake, Buttercream, Sponge
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It’s Daring Bakers’ time again, and this time, we’re back to cakes!
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.
Dobos Torte is a nice invention of József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker. It’s was a great hit, all through Europe, by his time, and, luckily, after he passed away, he donated the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, for use of all members. (Gingerbread makers? Good Lord, they do take that category seriously...)
Now, the recipe is open to all human-kind (that feels like some kind of Cancer Cure) and therefore, we decided to take our own try, at Daring Bakers! As you may have tried to identify in my poor creation, a Dobos Torte (what a funny name. I just can’t helping keeping that side-smile when I read that) is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramelRead more...
Tuesday, 28. July 2009, 02:26:27
Pepperidge Farm, chocolate, Fail, Daring Bakers
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Miss Minami Kohime, this is for you!!!
It’s Daring Bakers’ time again! (and I’m happy that, although I have posted so little this month, again, there won’t be two DB’s posts in the same first page! Hahahah)
And today’s challenge was both a solution and a conclusion for me: The conclusion, I can’t bake spread-cookies; the solution, Silpat mat works magnificently!
The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.
Yes, my friends (and Miss Minami), we were supposed to bake marshmallow cookies and Milano Cookies. And I went for the all-time favorite Milano Cookies, from Pepperidge Farm!Read more...
Sunday, 28. June 2009, 02:41:29
Frangipane, Tart, Daring Bakers, Bakewell
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Good Lord, it's Daring Bakers time again! And I have only 3 recipes this month! Shame on me...
Sorry, guys, this was a crazy month for me and I'm still recovering from it.
This will be only a short post today, and tomorrow I'll leave the recipes! I promisse!
The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.
Just to let you know, Bakewell Tarts are tarts made from a short-crust (pâte sucrée) filled with a layer of a fruit jam or any other sweet spread, and then, covered with a thick layer of Frangipane, a cake-like layer, made of almond meal.
The final result? A delicious tart, with the right amount of sweetness from the jam, and a great texture and balance from the frangipane, held together by a thin layer of crust! Just lovely!
I made two versions: a large one, shown in the above picture, filled with Guava Marmelade, and mini tarts, which will be shown tomorrow, filled with strawberry jam.
Tuesday, 28. April 2009, 02:18:33
dulce de leche, Hazelnut, Daring Bakers, Cheesecake
[EVIL MAN: ON]I have once written that, for Macarons, "it's not just following a nice recipe that you'd be able to make 'em at home. One needs to know exactely what he's doing."
Well, same thing happens to Cheesecakes. They have such a straight-forward recipe that one just can't go wrong. WRONG! Cheesecakes only sparkle if they're done correctly, following many specific methods for cooking and cooling. They're quite tricky. Do their steps wrong and you may:
1 - Have an uncooked and gooey center;
2 - Have a crusty and almost burnt corner / top;
3 - Have your Cheesecake deflate like a cold suflée;
4 - Have a huge crack on top of your cheesecake.
All these may happen to your cheesecake, and I have already gone through some of them. After a couple of such bad endings, I had practically given up to make my own cheesecakes again. Until yesterday, due to major forces. [EVIL MAN: OFF/]
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.
Jenny says it's Infamous mostly because of this friend of hers, Abbey. But I must add: The recipe is soooo easy to follow, and she made it so well explained, I feel completely infamous for not having got it right before...
But at least, now, I am happy! Her process works perfectly! Even to a twice failed Cheesecaker!Read more...
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