dessert

Pistachio, Chocolate and Dried Cherries Tart

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Valentine’s Day for some reason always means chocolate dessert for me.  Whether it’s a molten lava cake or a sachertorte or really any other chocolate dessert.  This would be great for this year’s weekday Valentine’s as it is easy to make ahead.

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We found this recipe after watching the Food Network and much to my pleasant surprise, this ended up being one of those recipes turns out exactly as you would expect.  I might have had to go to two or three different grocery stores to find the ingredients (dried cherries in a pinch are at Trader Joe’s, though I’d recommend buying from nuts.com if you have the time to plan ahead)!

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This is a very rich dessert though, so wouldn’t recommend making for a crowd that is looking for lighter desserts.  On the other hand, if one of your crowd members is a dedicated chocolate enthusiast (ahem, Matthew) this is a winner!

Also, I might have called this a cake for the 4 days it was around before Matt finished it off, and was reminded multiple times that this is a TART not a CAKE.  Not that that in any way diminished from its deliciousness.

Ingredients

Crust:
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing pan
  • Eight 4 1/2-inch-long plain or almond biscotti cookies, coarsely broken (about 5 1/2 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup cherry preserves or jam, such as Bonne Maman 
Filling:
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, such as Ghiradelli
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 3/4 cup chopped shelled pistachio nuts
  • Salt flakes, such as Maldon, optional

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the biscotti, butter and sugar in a food processor. Blend until the mixture forms moist crumbs that stick together when pressed. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until golden and feels firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Spread the cherry preserves over the cooled crust leaving a 1/2 to 1-inch border.

For the filling: Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the dried cherries and 1/2 cup of the pistachios. Pour the chocolate filling over the cherry preserves and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup pistachios on top. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.

Loosen the tart from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the edge. Unmold the tart and transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt flakes, if using. Cut into wedges and serve.

 From the Food Network, Giada de Laurentiis

Pear and Walnut Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I’m always intrigued by dessert recipes that sound hearty and rustic, so when Matt found this recipe in the Financial Times one weekend, it was a no brainer to try it out.  Of note, I had no idea which pears to use, and was surprised to find five different varietals at the store.

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I went with my gut of getting a crisper pear (Bosc pears) and it seemed to turn out fine. In fact the little bit of crunch went very nicely with the texture of the walnuts in the cake.

For the topping
(which starts as the base)

4 small pears (I used Bosc, and I think only about 3.5 ended up fitting)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into six pieces

For the cake batter

2 sticks and 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup ground walnuts
1/2 tsp ground nutmet
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
zest and juice of an orange
3/4 cup easy cook polenta
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Heat your oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Line your 9″ cake tin with paper, and then wrap the outside with foil (in case it leaks, don’t want it leaking into the oven which makes a mess)
  3. Peel the pears and halve them. Use a teaspoon to remove the seeds. Sprinkle the sugar on the base of the tin. Cut the butter into eight small pieces and place them in the pear cavity you created by removing the seeds. Place the pear on to the bottom of the tin in a flower formation so the butter touches the sugar and the flat part of the pear also touches the sugar. It should look like seven petals around and one in the middle. You may need to trim the pears so they fit snugly.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar, using a mixer with a paddle attachment or by hand with a large spatula, until they are well-combined but not too fluffy. Add two of the eggs and mix well, then add the remaining ingredients including the last two eggs and beat together until you have a smooth mix. Spoon the mix over the pears to cover entirely and use the back of a spoon to smooth it out as much as possible.
  5. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 30 minutes before rotating to assure an even bake, and continue for a further 20-25 minutes. This cake is a little tricky; the texture will feel rather soft when it comes out but it will settle and firm up after 20 minutes. Check the cake after the provided times — the centre of the cake should feel like the outer rim. The best way to tell if it’s ready is to poke the sides, then poke the centre — they should feel the same. If your finger sinks immediately, add another 10 minutes to the baking time.
  6. Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin. If you try and turn it out straight away, it will collapse. Set a timer for 20 minutes, then take a serving plate and place it on the baking tin, flip the cake and ease it out, peel away the baking paper and serve. It is lovely warm but will also keep well at room temperature.

Adapted from The Financial Times, Pear and Walnut cake

Vegan Apple Raisin Cake with Applejack Sauce

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments

vegan-apple-cake6My niece and nephew hosted Friday night dinner and I agreed to help by making dessert. Because of dietary restrictions, the dessert needed to be vegan. I decided to use this as an opportunity to come up with a new apple cake recipe that would be good enough for Thanksgiving or anytime you wanted something special for a crowd. I am using the Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake and my own Vegan “Honey” Cake as the source for this inspiration. This cake will not only feed a crowd, but is actually better made ahead so the flavors can fully develop. I find when I am preparing for a big holiday dinner, I like things that I can make ahead so I am not exhausted on the day when everyone descends. This cake could even be frozen without the Applejack sauce which could then be made the morning of or the night before you are going to serve it. Just defrost the cake fully before serving. And if you don’t want the Applejack sauce, you could simply dust this with confectioner’s sugar when you get ready to serve it. After a day, the center of this cake takes on an almost bread pudding-like consistency, fragrant with apples, raisins and spice.

Vegan Apple Raisin Cake with Applejack Sauce

Yield: About 10 servings  vegan-apple-raisin-cake

Ingredients

For the cake

5-6 flavorful baking apples (There are so many varieties out there and they differ locally so choose something other than Granny Smith. It could be McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Jazz, Jonagold, Braeburn, Ambrosia…) I used Jonagold and because they were on the biggish side, I used 5 apples.

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups plus 5 Tablespoons granulated or Demerara sugar

3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

1 cup Canola or other vegetable oil

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice, preferably fresh

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

3/4 cup raisins soaked for at least 1 hour in 1/4 cup Applejack, Apple Brandy or Apple Cider

Aquafaba from one 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas (This is the liquid from the can that has been strained. Use the chickpeas for a wonderful salad or in homemade hummus.)

For the Applejack Sauce

1.5 cups of confectioner’s sugar

4 Tablespoons Applejack (Hard cider) or apple cider

2 to 3 Tablespoons apple juice or cider OR reserved liquid from apple-raisin mixture

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

For the cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Either butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan with straight sides or use one of the cooking sprays with flour (Baker’s Joy or Pam – these have been a revelation for me and have made cake baking so much easier!)
  2. Peel, core and chop the apples into 1/2-inch dice. Toss them with the cinnamon, 5 Tablespoons of sugar and the lemon zest.
  3. Using a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, apple cider, vanilla and remaining 2 cups of sugar.
  4. Drain the chickpeas, placing the liquid in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the balloon whisk attachment, whip the aquafaba on high for 10 minutes. You should have soft white peaks.
  5. Stir the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. The result will be quite stiff. Drain the raisins and add them to the apples. Pour the remaining liquid into the batter. Now scrape all of the whipped aquafaba into the stiff batter and mix thoroughly with a heavy spoon until you have a smooth, workable batter. This takes a little elbow grease!
  6. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Using a spoon or your hands, take 1/2 of the apple-raisin mixture, straining any liquid that may be in the bowl and reserving it and place the apples-raisins over the batter in the pan. The reserved liquid can be added to your Applejack sauce. Cover the apples with the remaining batter and gently smooth it out so the batter is even. Now take the remaining apples-raisins and cover the top of the batter, gently pushing the mixture into the batter.
  7. Place the pan in the hot oven and bake for about 1.5 to 1.75 hours or until a tester comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. The top will sink down some but don’t worry – it’s fine. When you are ready to serve, turn out the cake and carefully flip it over onto a serving platter so that the apples are now on top again. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve the sauce on the side, if you are using it.

For the Applejack Sauce

  1. Sift the sugar to get rid of any lumps.
  2. Whisk all of the other ingredients together. Taste and adjust the sweetness by adding more confectioner’s sugar, if desired. Just before serving, give it a good stir with a fork or whisk. You can zap it in the microwave briefly, if you like- just enough to warm it without killing off the alcohol.  vegan-apple-cake5

Linzer Torte with a Rich Tart Pastry

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

img_2523I had two favorite cookies growing up – the famous “Black and White” Cookies and the linzer torte cookie, sometimes referred to as “Lunettes.” I still haven’t replicated the Black and White cookies and many that you can buy today are sickeningly sweet, but I have developed my version of a Linzer Torte. Because making cookies can be tedious, I prefer to make this as an actual torte. The only part that I make from scratch is the rich pastry dough, so the quality of the remaining ingredients that you purchase is everything. If you prefer to make a cookie, you can still use this dough recipe. I made this for my pre-Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends and it was a big hit. It also is great since it can be made a day ahead and any leftovers will keep for several days. The crust may soften a bit, but the taste is uncompromised.

Lisa’s Linzer Torte

Yield: One 9-inch Torte

Ingredients

For Rich Pastry Dough (Makes enough dough for two 9-inch pastry shells)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup frozen butter, cut into 1 Tablespoon-size pieces

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3 hard-cooked large egg yolks

1 large egg

Zest of 1 large lemon

3 Tablespoons cold water

For the filling

1o ounces of Raspberry Curd (If you want to make  your own, more power to you. I buy a good commercial brand. Since what is available can vary so much, just look for what is available and check the ingredients. The main ingredients should be fruit, eggs, butter and sugar.)

10 ounces of Raspberry Jam (Again, there are so many fine commercial or artisanal jams out there, that this is not something I personally would spend time on making. Whether you choose with seeds or without is purely personal taste. With seeds is more traditional, but it is your choice.)

7 ounces almond paste (I used Odense brand. I like the quality and it rolls out well which is what you need for this recipe.

1 egg yolk plus 1 teaspoon milk or cream

Casting Sugar or Confectioner’s Sugar (Optional)

Directions

For the pastry dough 

I like to make this in a food processor, but you could make this by hand.

  1. Using the metal blade, add the flour, butter, sugar, egg, egg yolks, lemon zest, salt and water to the bowl of a food processor.
  2. Pulse for 15 seconds and then turn on, processing just until a ball of dough starts to form on the blades. Since all flour is different, if you must add a bit more water for this to come together, add a 1/2 Tablespoon at a time and use as little as you can get away with.
  3. Divide into two dough disks and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Assembling the Torte

  1. Roll out one dough disk to fit a 9-inch fluted flan pan with a removable bottom. (If you don’t own one of these, you can use a 9-inch pie plate, but I highly encourage you to purchase this pan.) Leave a 1-inch overhang and trim off any excess dough. Fold the overhand under and smooth the top.
  2. Roll out the almond paste to fit the inside of the pan, not quite coming to the top of the sides. You might need to trim this a bit. Fit the rolled out almond paste into the ie shell. Ideally you will refrigerate the pie shell at this point, but when I made it, I had neither the time nor the space in my fridge to do this step and it was fine.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. When you are ready to bake the torte, fill the shell first with the raspberry curd and then cover that with the jam. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect and there is some mixing going on of curd and jam.
  5. Roll out the second disk of pastry into a rectangle and trim it so the ends are straight and even. Using a pastry wheel (straight or fluted) or a knife, cut 1/2 inch strips of dough. You will probably need 8 to 10 strips. Any leftover dough can be made into a simple but delicious cookie.
  6. Weave the strips into a lattice pattern (YouTube it) on top of a piece of cardboard. Once you have the pattern, you will carefully slide it onto the top of the torte. You can also weave it directly on the torte, but it is difficult to not get jam all over the dough that way. (I am admittedly still working on perfecting my weaving technique which is why I am advising you to YouTube it.) Carefully tuck the ends of the strips, trimming where necessary, under the edges of the bottom crust. Mine isn’t perfect but it was still wonderful so don’t be intimidated! Pinch the two doughs together and smooth it with your fingers.
  7. Whisk the egg yolk with the cream or milk and carefully brush the strips and outer rim of the torte with the mixture. You probably won’t use it all on this recipe. If you are using casting or sanding sugar, sprinkle it over the strips. Don’t be too anal about this. And if you prefer you can sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top just before serving, which is a bit more traditional.
  8. Bake for 23 minutes and then turn the torte. Continue baking until the pastry is golden brown. The jams will be a bit liquidy at this point but will thicken as the torte cools. This took about another 22 minutes in my oven, but ovens vary. Allow to cool completely and then remove from the flan ring and using a thin spatula, carefully remove the bottom. It should slide right off, so don’t use any big or abrupt moves or you will see your torte go flying! img_2506

 

Tarte Aux Pommes – Apple Tart

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

img_2298I have been making this tart for over 25 years and it is always wonderful. Unfortunately, this is one of those hand-written recipes that I have and where it never occurred to me to write down its origins. I’m certain that I have made some changes over the years since I have scratched out amounts and made additions in the margins. It’s not particularly difficult to make and it gives a lovely presentation. It does not replace my mother’s apple pie recipe; however, I have never been able to duplicate that to my satisfaction. I periodically try, but there is something about the apples I have available – or perhaps it is simply that reality cannot live up to my memories and I have never tasted another apple pie that compares.

The French Apple Tart is lighter than an American apple pie and is delicious in its own right. I traditionally made this with a rich tart pastry dough that had egg and butter in it, but nowadays I make it with a basic Crisco crust, which is vegan. If you have no issue with eggs or butter, go for the richer crust. Otherwise, it will still be delicious with a vegan crust.

Tarte Aux Pommes

Yield: One 9-inch tart

Ingredients

Pastry for one 9-inch tart

5 large, unblemished Golden Delicious or similar baking apple like a Jonagold (do NOT use a Granny Smith. You want a sweeter, more tender apple.)

2 Tablespoons butter or vegan buttery sticks

Zest of 1 large lemon

Generous 1/4 cup of granulated or raw sugar plus about 2 Tablespoons of sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Generous 1 Tablespoon of Calvados, Rum or Apple Jack

1/4 cup of apricot or apple jelly, melted

Directions

  1. Roll out your pastry dough into a 9-inch fluted flan pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
  2. Core and peel 2 of the apples and cut them into thin slices. Heat 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch skillet and add the apple slices. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and 1/4 cup of sugar. Cook, gently tossing for about 10 minutes or until the apples are tender but not mushy. Turn off the heat and add the Calvados, Rum or Apple Jack.
  3. Mash the apples lightly and chill. (Use a potato masher or fork.) This can be made up to one day ahead.
  4. When you are ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  5. Remove the pastry-lined pan from the fridge and fill it with the mashed apple mixture, spreading it thinly and evenly.
  6. Core, peel and thinly slice the remaining apples and lay them over the mashed apple mixture in concentric circles to form an attractive pattern. Slightly overlap the apples since there will be some shrinkage when it bakes.
  7. Sprinkle generously with the sugar cinnamon mixture and dot with the remaining butter. Place the tart on a baking sheet to catch any leaks, although generally there aren’t any.
  8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pastry is browned. The apples will continue to cook even when this is removed from the oven, so do not over-bake. You will learn to smell when pastries are done, but also use the pastry itself as your guide.
  9. Remove the tart to a cooling rack and when cooled so that the apples have sunk into place, melt your jelly. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush each apple slice so that it shines like a jewel. Be careful to not disturb the pattern. Allow to cool completely before serving.

 

Italian Prune Plums Take Two

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

img_2167This cake just oozes plums. Unlike the polenta pound cake where the plums are a delicious accent, here the plums are the star. I took Deb Perelman’s mom’s apple cake recipe and adapted it slightly to make this luscious, moist, plummy cake. You can’t go wrong with either plum cake. Next year – plum frangiapane tart!

Italian Prune Plum Cake adapted from Deb Perelman’s Mon’s Apple Cake

Yield: 1 large cake that serves 12 to 16

Ingredients

3 pounds of Italian prune plums

1 rounded Tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups plus 5 Tablespoons of granulated sugar

2.75 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup Canola oil

1/4 cup vanilla soy milk (or other milk)

2.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

4 large eggs

1 generous cup chopped walnuts

1 generous Tablespoon Cognac or other brandy

Zest of one lemon

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Using a non-stick spray with flour, generously spray a 10 inch tube pan with straight sides.
  2. Halve, pit and chop the plums into about 12 pieces. Toss them with the cinnamon and 5 Tablespoons of the sugar and set them aside.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, soy milk, remaining 2 cups of sugar, vanilla bean paste and the eggs.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones,scraping down the bowl. Stir in the walnuts.
  5. Pour and spread about half of the batter into the prepared tub pan. Spread half of the plums on top of the batter. Pour and spread the remaining batter over the plums and then the remaining plums over the batter, gently pressing down on the plums.
  6. Bake for about 1 hour and 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Ovens vary so start checking the cake after 1.5 hours.When ready, remove the pan to a rack to cool completely. Then flip the cake out onto the rack and using a plate, flip the cake again so the plums are now on top. When ready to serve, you can dust with confectioner’s sugar if you like. It’s pretty, but not necessary. The plums will have a wonderful tart/sweet plummy taste and the cake towards the top will almost have a slight custardy texture. The cake will keep well for several days if wrapped properly or if kept under a cake dome. Treat yourself! They are so pretty and actually useful.

Lemon Berry Bundt Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

IMG_1975I follow the Apt. 2b Baking Co. and this recipe came in an email the other day. The cake is made with ricotta cheese, cornmeal and berries and looked just gorgeous so I couldn’t wait to give it a try. I did not have the Nordicware 10-cup Heritage Bundt pan and was not about to go out and buy one when I had a perfectly serviceable and pretty bundt pan already. In the photo, the cake had a beautiful, deep purple berry glaze which I was deciding if I wanted to use since I am personally not that big on glazes, seeing them as simply a way to add more sugar generally.

I also noticed that the directions neglected to mention when to add the eggs, which for me was not an issue, but could be a problem for a more novice baker. The cake came out beautiful and moist, but looked NOTHING like the photo! I chose not to glaze it. It has a lovely lemony, berry taste and thanks to the ricotta, it is only getting moister by the second day. The only things that you have to watch out for are: 1) properly preparing your pan with butter and flour or Baker’s Joy (a spray with flour in it) and 2) not crushing the berries when you fold them in. Give it a try while berries are still so plentiful. Go step by step and it isn’t difficult.

Lemon Berry Bundt Cake from Modern Potluck by Kristin Donnelly

Yield: One bundt cake IMG_1972

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 cup softened unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)

2 cups granulated sugar

zest of 2 large lemons

1.5 cups whole-milk ricotta

3 large eggs

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 cups berries (I used a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)

Glaze (I chose not to use the glaze, but here is the recipe if you feel differently)

1/2 cup berries (use the same mix as above)

1/4 cup water

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously butter and flour every crevice of a bundt pan or spray with a baking spry like Baker’s Joy that has flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set a cooling rack on top. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate medium bowl, mix the lemon zest with the sugar. Mix it through to moisten the sugar and to infuse the sugar with the lemon.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, on medium speed, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes.)
  4. Add the ricotta and the eggs and beat until everything is fluffy and well incorporated.
  5. Add the lemon juice and mix through.
  6. Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches and mix well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  7. Using a long spatula, very gently fold in the berries. Don’t worry about being too exact or getting it absolutely evenly distributed. You don’t want to crush the berries. You could probably use frozen, unthawed berried, which would be a bit firmer, but berries are so beautiful now, it would be a shame not to make use of them.
  8. Carefully scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
  9. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 90 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester comes out clean. Since ovens vary, start watching it after about 80 minutes. If you take it out too soon, the cake will never turn out of the pan in one piece!
  10. Transfer the pan to the prepared cooling rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully flip the pan over onto the cooling rack and allow to completely cool. If the pan was well, prepared and the cake was sufficiently baked, it will come out in one piece. If you wish to glaze it, wait until the cake is completely cooled.

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For the Glaze

Combine the berries and the water in a small pot and cook over medium heat, using a spoon to press on the berries until they are broken and have released lots of their juice. This takes about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture, pressing on the solids to release as much of the colored juice as possible. Don’t worry if a few seeds fall through.

Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl and whisk in 2 Tablespoons of the berry juice until a smooth glaze forms. Add more juice, if necessary, for the desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake and allow it to drip down the sides.

 

Java Brownies

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

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Once people get past the initial “Oooooo brownies!” you generally find that everyone has their own opinion of what makes a great brownie. Cakey vs. chewy, frosted vs. no frosting, nuts or no nuts, cocoa powder vs. chocolate. For me, the perfect brownie is dark, chocolaty, chewy, with a background of a good coffee to bring out the chocolate and to cut the overly sweet. While I love nuts, my perfect brownies have neither nuts nor frosting.

I have been making these brownies for over 25 years and I am sorry to say that I have no idea where I got the original recipe. I hadn’t made them in awhile and I recently tried making them using a rather expensive chocolate. Somewhat to my surprise, they weren’t nearly as good as when I used Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate. So don’t try to improve these – they are absolutely perfect as they are.

Java Brownies

Yield: 9 to 12 servings (these are rich)

Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened “Bakers” brand Chocolate

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of dark brown sugar or Demerara Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons instant coffee granules (Any good, dark coffee will work)

pinch of Kosher salt

3 large eggs

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (or spray with Pam) an 8-inch square glass pan. (I’ve used metal and it just comes out better with glass.)
  2. Melt butter and chocolate on a low heat in a heavy pot. Watch it and just before the chocolate is totally melted, remove from the heat and stir with a spatula to finish the melting process.
  3. Add the sugars, vanilla, flour, salt, baking powder and coffee granules and mix well. Then add the eggs and mix until the eggs are fully incorporated.
  4. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for about 48 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy as is or this makes a truly decadent brownie sundae.

Rich Tart Pastry – Pasta Frolla

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

IMG_1846This blog isn’t about inventing new recipes, although on occasion I do. I see my role more as finding the best recipes and getting the kinks out for you. Everyone should know how to make their own pastry dough and there are many different kinds and they are not all interchangeable. The following rich pastry dough recipe is best for fruit tarts and leftovers make flavorful, delicate dookies. What are dookies? My mother was a wonderful baker and when she had leftover pastry dough, she would make cookies for the children to gobble up while we waited impatiently for dessert. My sister misheard or mispronounced “dough cookie” and they have forever after been known in our family as “dookies.”

This dough is delicious and once you get over the fact that you will be doing some patching, which won’t be visible in the finished product, it is perfect for all of the ripe summer fruit that is now in season. I used plums here and a good quality canned almond paste. You could just as easily use a good jam or if you are feeling ambitious, you could make a pastry cream. Since I was baking the tart, I pre-baked the pastry just enough for it to set up and then finished baking it once I had added the almond paste and plums. If you are using a pastry cream then you would fully bake the dough and allow it to cool before adding the filling.

Rich Tart Pastry

Yield:  Dough for two 9 inch tarts  (leftover dough can be frozen for up to a month)

Ingredients

Pasta Frolla from the Italian Baker by Carol Field The recipe in the book said this made enough dough for 3 tarts. She must have been dreaming.

2.25 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour sifted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of Kosher salt

1.75 sticks of unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

grated zest of one lemon

Directions

This can be made by hand, in a food processor or in a standing mixer. I tried it using a standing mixer.

  1. Cream the butter and the sugar  in a standing mixer using the paddle blade until pale and creamy.
  2. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
  3. Add the sifted flour and salt until the dough comes together and is consistent but still soft. DO NOT OVER MIX or the pastry will be tough.
  4. Flatten the dough into 2 rounds and wrap with plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for at least one hour but no longer than 1 day. I used one dough round and froze the second one.
  5. When ready to use, allow the dough to stand at room temperature for about 30-45 minutes or until supple enough to roll out easily. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and carefully roll it onto the rolling pin. Ease it into the pan and unroll. I used a fluted flan pan with a removable bottom. If you plan on doing much baking, these pans are a must. This dough smells divine – lemony and rich – but fair warning, it does not roll out easily. I had to do LOTS of patching. However, since it will all be hidden under the filling, it was fine. Just don’t stress if it happens to you. I might try just pressing the dough into the pan with my hands next time instead of rolling it out.
  6. Refrigerate the dough-lined pan for at least 20 to 30 minutes before baking to reduce shrinkage.
  7. To partially bake the dough, line the dough with aluminum foil and cover with dried beans or pie weights. I have been using the same dried chickpeas for years, storing them in a glass jar once they have cooled completely.
  8. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans. Add your filling and continue baking, in my case for an additional 45 minutes.
  9. If you are fully baking the pastry shell, take a fork and pierce the dough all over before placing in the oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. You will smell it and it should be a lovely golden brown. Ovens are different so watch it until you learn how your oven performs. Remember – any patches will be covered by the filling.

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Baklava

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

For our dessert for our Greek party we made this very straightforward recipe for baklava.  Not having any walnuts or almonds as the original recipe suggested, we just used the pound of pecans hanging out in our cupboard and it turned out scrumptious anyways.  Once a pounds of pecans are doused in the honey and sugar, how could they not taste anything but amazing?

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In other news, I now think of this Aladdin song whenever I hear “baklava” after going to a Disney trivia night where the challenge was to finish the line from a Disney song.  This song specifically ends with “How about a little more ____?” The answer was “baklava,” and someone very funny (or truly hearing impaired) wrote in “broccoli rabe.”  Say it out loud a few times and it kind of makes sense… sort of.

Anyways while I can’t say this is as healthy as broccoli rabe, it’s a perfect end to a Mediterranean meal, or just a long Tuesday.

Ingredients

Syrup:

3 cups sugar, or 2 cups sugar and 1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 to 6 whole cloves, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Filling:

1 pound blanched almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or any combination, finely chopped or coarsely ground — I used pecans (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)
1 pound (about 24 sheets) phyllo dough
About 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter or vegetable oil

Directions

1. To make the syrup: Stir the sugar, water, lemon juice, and if using, the corn syrup, cinnamon sticks, and/or cloves over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes (it will register 225 degrees on a candy thermometer). Discard the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Let cool.

2. To make the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan.

4. Place a sheet of phyllo in the prepared pan and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets. Spread with half of the filling. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Use any torn sheets in the middle layer. Spread with the remaining nut mixture and end with a top layer of 8 sheets, continuing to brush each with butter. Trim any overhanging edges.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 equal lengthwise strips (about 1 3/4 inches wide) through the top layer of pastry. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide diagonal cuts across the strips to form diamond shapes.

6. Just before baking, lightly sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water. This inhibits the pastry from curling. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 additional minutes.

7. Cut through the scored lines. Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. If the baklava dries out while being stored, drizzle with a little additional hot syrup.

From Epicurious