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...
Wednesday, 21. October 2009, 01:34:50
Back to Basics, Sauce, chocolate, Ganache
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Besides the glossy chocolate sauce, which I had already talked about, there's another key chocolate composition that one must know, as a staple recipe. I am talking about Chocolate Ganache. It’s the most basic chocolate recipe you will find, as well as the most versatile.
Chocolate ganache is the simple combination of chocolate and cream. All kinds of chocolates may be used, as well as any kind of cream. Of course, the better the quality of your chocolate, the better will be your ganache. And keep in mind that the chocolate you use is key to the flavor, as it is the main ingredient that adds flavor to the ganache . Same attention must be taken to using heavy cream, instead of light cream, or UHT, to improve the texture quality.
But hey, with only two ingredients, how can this recipe be so versatile as I said? Simple: the ratio of Chocolate to Cream. The more chocolate you use, the thicker it will get. The more cream, the thinner. So, just by varying the ratio, you could have a runny chocolate sauce, a chocolate glaze, a thick chocolate filling, or even firmer chocolate truffles.Read more...
Monday, 21. September 2009, 01:43:12
Cookie, Neiman-Marcus, legendary, chocolate
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A couple of days ago, I was exchanging some tweets with two friends (at least, I consider them friends, now! XD) and we got to the subject of Cookies. Then, one of them (@adrianaoliveira) asked me if I knew that old story of the famous (maybe not so famous...) Neiman-Marcus Cookie. Well, I said no, and then she offered me the link to the story.
(Watch out! Spoilers!) In a nutshell, it is about a lady who was eating at a Neiman-Marcus Café, in Dallas, and had a wonderful cookie. Asking if she could get the recipe, the waiter answered “two fifty”. So, she decided to buy it. It was actually amazing US$250,00, and not US$2,50. So, as a pacific revenge, the lady decided to spread the recipe to every cookie lover that could ever get interested in.
After getting to know the story and checking the recipe, I thought it was well worth the shot, so me and another friend (@pratofundo) would try o bake it, to check what the results were.
Today, I decided to give my shot. I must say, it was one of the very first (almost) perfect mise en place I had ever done! (^.^ I’m proud!)
Well, the recipe is pretty straight-forward, just as my basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. It only demands more ingredients.Read more...
Thursday, 17. September 2009, 01:59:30
Sauce, Back to Basics, chocolate
Today (and I mean, about 2 minutes ago) I decided to start a new series of posts, that may continue every now and then. It’s not about really complex recipes, but more to basic ones, which are really useful and that can work like a lucky charm every time you need them. They’re like jokers, in a card set. Easy to make, easy to work with, they go well with lots and lots of things!
And as a start up, I decided to run to one of the most beloved ingredients: Chocolate! And using chocolate, I’d say one of the most basic recipes would be the chocolate sauce. As you can see, I used it in many different recipes.
As a chocolate glazing, as for my Dobos Torte.
Or as the glazing AND filling, for a basic sponge cake.
Or even as a chocolate topping, for some pannacottas.
Or if you prefer even more basic options, as an ice cream hot sauce, if microwaved for 5 or 10 secs before serving!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...
Wednesday, 5. August 2009, 03:16:37
trifle, dulce de leche, chocolate, pastry cream
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Some time ago, my sister was having a breakfast with a friend when this one just said:
-Oh, tomorrow I’ll have a dinner with friends, and I told I’d take dessert. And I neither will I have time to make something nor have I got an idea of what to buy...
-Well... My brother cooks... Maybe you could talk to him and see if he could help you with something.
Although I had only about 2 hours free (from 8am to 10am) the following day, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. My chance to practice my skills for an unknown taster, as well as to help someone with dessert needs!
Now think... What could be sufficiently impressive, easy and flavorful to whip up in about 2 hours, including shopping time, that could serve about 8 people? That could be a nice task for a Quickfire challenge for Top Chef.
(again, bad focus... But I really was in a hurry... Heheh)
After a long time meditating about the subject, I came to a verdict. A Trifle could be a perfect option. Its layers are beautiful, the recipes are usually easy enough, and it can be as tasty as my imagination. But I didn’t really wanted the average trifle... White and light. I actually wanted something more intense, slightly darker, more appropriate to a cold weather. So, I finally came to this combination.Read more...
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