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California Cuties: Citrus Tian Dessert

March 29, 2010 By kellypea

Blood Orange Tian

It’s nearly April, and with Spring having done its annual thing, the Acer on my patio is finally beginning to leaf out, I’ve replenished my sadly neglected herb box, and it seems everything is in riotous bloom.  The season has had a positive effect on me as well, because I actually completed a Daring Bakers Challenge within respectable time of its March 27 reveal date.  Will wonders never cease?

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.  Oh the possibilities for this particular challenge.

If you’ve not heard of a tian before, it’s a layered dessert comprised of a pate sablee, marmalade, flavored whipped cream and fruit — and in the case of this month’s challenge — oranges.  Living in the Golden State, or Southern California in particular, citrus is plentiful.  At this time of year, there are  lemons, Meyer lemons, Persian limes, key limes, pink grapefruit, yellow grapefruit, cara oranges (they’re pink inside), Valencia oranges, blood oranges, and Cuties.

Cuties are California mandarins.  They’re tiny, compact orbs of sweet, segmented deliciousness — especially if you want something for a healthy snack.  And since they were on sale at Henry’s, I decided they’d become the base of my dessert.  Thanks very much to Jennifer for this challenge.  A tian is a dessert that can be made ahead of time in parts, then assembled right before you’d like to enjoy it.

Wait — have you ever made marmalade?

Ah, well.  Therein lies the rub.

Cuties
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Filed Under: Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert, Fruit, Orange, Seasonal, Special Occasion, Spring, Summer Tagged With: , , , , ,

Nanaimo Bars Deconstructed

March 7, 2010 By kellypea

Nanaimo Bars Deconstructed

It’s been nearly three years since I joined The Daring Bakers and in that time, I’ve been quite diligent about making each month’s challenge and posting it on time.  Actually, I’ve had a slip here and there along the way, but recently,  I’ve struggled the past several months for a variety of reasons.  Suffice it to say I’ve had to reorganize my planning to bake or cook anything that is multi-stepped — something I usually enjoy quite a bit.  It’s all been consigned to the weekends and although that isn’t a bad thing on most weekends, there are recipes I’d like to try that sit alongside the monthly challenges and a husband who hopes he can peel me from my kitchen occasionally.  When I do decide to spend a day in my kitchen,  I indulge myself by making whatever strikes my fancy thereby avoiding the “have-to-get-it-done” feeling I’ve imposed on myself about our Daring Baker challenges.  Who knew that someone who writes a food blog could struggle with obsessive-compulsive tendencies?  (All food bloggers reading this, please raise your hands!).

Let’s call this my confessional, shall we?

I’ve missed the following challenges:

  • December, 2008 — French Yule Log.  Go ahead and call me a big chicken for not tackling this one.  Or remember (if you’ve been reading my blog for a while) that our house had been under construction for quite a while and I’d agreed to join a nice group of bakers posting 12 cookies in 12 days for the holiday season.  Oh, the memories.
  • November, 2009 — Cannoli.  I bought the cannoli forms.  Does that count?  To quote Scarlett O’Hara, “Tomorrow is another day.”  Of course, there are also more challenges.  Oh what a tangled web we weave,  when first we practice to deceive. Can you imagine hooking Scarlett up with good ol’ Will Shakespeare?
  • December, 2009 — Gingerbread House.  My youngest is nearly 18 so the wonder of making something like this has to be in my ability to simply entertain myself.  Bear in mind that I do not begin Christmas shopping until my vacation begins, so it all makes for a whirlwind holiday season with very little down time (like everyone else!).  I had a great idea that I still haven’t given up on which may become a summertime fad.  Or, perhaps not.  We’ll see come July.  Hold me accountable.
  • February, 2010 — Tiramisu.  I have no excuse for this one.  I’ll blame it on the fact that I couldn’t find (didn’t work very hard to find) cream that isn’t ultra-pasteurized so that I could make the mascarpone which is one of my favorite ingredients.  This recipe is definitely on my list even though my resident food samplers don’t especially appreciate the wonders of coffee.  A tea version is in the works.  It’s beside the fact that I need to learn to make ladyfingers as well.  Doesn’t everyone?

You noticed I skipped February, 2010, didn’t you?  Wonder of all wonders, I did complete that challenge graciously hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen.  She is Canadian and challenged all of us to make Nanaimo Bars, a Canadian confection.  Lauren also compiled and edited the cookbook A Hand for Haiti whose proceeds are all donated to the Red Cross as disaster relief.  She’s quite an inspiration, so I had to try my hand at Nanaimo Bars out of sheer respect.

If you’ve not heard of a Nanaimo Bar, it’s a dessert comprised of a chocolate layer containing graham cracker crumbs, nuts, and coconut, a pudding layer, and a final coating of dark chocolate.  I’ve created free-form deconstructions instead of the traditional cut bars.

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Filed Under: Chocolate, Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert

Chocolate Macarons with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream

October 26, 2009 By kellypea

Chocolate Macarons with Peanutbutter Creamcheese Buttercream

I’ve tried to remember the first time I saw a macaron, but honestly, I can’t.  It surely wasn’t until I started writing here, more and more frequently crossing paths with amazing people who bake amazing desserts at home with little or no formal training.  I’d not heard of Pierre Herme, either.  No, I was caught up in the the world of savory dishes with only an occasional dessert made for a special occasion coming from my kitchen rather than the circular, often brightly colored sweet sandwiches that comically remind me of tiny hamburgers — or perhaps moon pies.

Even after I’d begun to realize that macarons were a fascination for many and saw them in every imaginable color and flavor, it wasn’t until a year ago that I tasted my first:  antique rose in color, delicately crisp, and oh so sweet, it tasted of rose as well.  For someone used to sinking her teeth into a nice bran muffin, I was a bit perplexed and beginning to understand what all the fuss was about.  There didn’t appear to be much to the tiny thing, and yet I knew it was quite the opposite.  A paradox.

I’ve wanted to make macarons for quite a while now, and yet I’ve procrastinated.  Instead of delving into the endless recipe variations, comparing quantities of ingredients, and analyzing techinque, I’ve gazed at the beautiful the colors and admired perfect the shapes.  Finally, I was forced to consider not only how a macaron is made, but to make them along with countless other bakers this month.  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.

After a few days of reading everything I could find about macarons and sifting through the forum comments and advice at The Daring Kitchen, I decided to devote a Sunday to the task.  Not a frilly person by nature, I skipped the gorgeous pinks and bright greens and headed straight for the sturdy, practical flavors of chocolate and peanut butter.

In a house full of men, what would you expect?

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Filed Under: Baked, Blogger's Recipes, Chocolate, Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert, Method, Nuts, Special Occasion, Tea Time Tagged With: , , ,

Vols-au-vent: Spiced Poached Pears with Hazelnut Sabayon

September 27, 2009 By kellypea

Vol-au-vent with Hazelnut Sabayon and Spiced Poached Pears
It was only a matter of time that I’d have to revisit the task of making pate feuilletee again.  My first run-in with the multi-layered French pastry dough was also my first Daring Baker challenge over two years ago.  The result was truly something that might qualify as an organic building material considering the sheer weight of it and lack of any discernible layers.  It was awful.  But when I saw this month’s  challenge, I knew I’d be ready to tackle it again.  After all, it’s been over two years, so my trauma has subsided and I’ve been more preoccupied by what kind of dessert I’d create with the puff pastry we were asked to make.

It’s officially Fall, so pears are plentiful here.  Nuts always make me think of Fall as well, but what kind, and what to fill the pastry with?  Leafing through  The French Laundry Cookbook, I found the perfect recipe and decided that it would be the perfect way to welcome in my favorite season.

The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ Challenge has been chosen by Steph of a whisk and a spoon. Steph chose Vols-au-Vent, which we are pretty sure in French means, “After one bite we could die and go to heaven!”

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Filed Under: Baked, Chef's Recipes, Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert, French, Fruit, Method, Other Cultures, Special Occasion Tagged With: , , ,

12 Layers: White Dobos Torte

August 28, 2009 By kellypea

White Dobos Torte I haven’t always been a contrary person, but when I saw the August challenge the Daring Bakers were to task themselves with smack in the middle of the dog days of summer, I knew I wanted  to work with a light cake  and feature some aspect of the summer fruit that is so plentiful at this time of the year.  Of course, I’m a chocolate lover, but not so much in the summer. Bear in mind that not following the recipe in a Daring Baker Challenge is not in keeping with the spirit of the experience, but I’ve been doing this for a few years now, so know that rule.  I couldn’t help myself.  Besides, I could work with white chocolate instead, which isn’t always as forgiving as traditional chocolate, and then I would feel as if I was not quite avoiding my responsibility with the challenge.  Add some homemade peach puree and put a cream cheese spin on the white chocolate buttercream, and a White Dobos Torte is born.

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 Caffes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.  Many thanks to them both for providing the inspiration behind my torte.  The original recipe can be found at either of their sites.

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Filed Under: Baked, Cake, Chocolate, Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert, Method, Special Occasion Tagged With: , , , ,

Mallow Cookies Three Ways

July 28, 2009 By kellypea

Giant Mallows I’ve consigned myself to being late and promising not ever to say that I’ll reform my ways when it comes to our monthly Daring Bakers challenges.  It seems not to matter what the excuse is, I’ll have one, and having been a teacher for many years, I’d say my excuses rank with the top excuses that my students used to explain why they didn’t have their homework. In fact, their excuses are superior to mine.  It’s pathetic, but at least I have good company in the form of Judy of No Fear Entertaining.   She manages, however, to not only pull off her challenge at the 11th hour — she completes her post on time.  Me?  It’s 6:15 pm, and I’m just beginning this post.  In fact, my husband will arrive home, collect our son, head to the gym to work out, and make dinner, and I’ll still be writing this post.

But I’m posting, right?

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.

If you’re someone who loves particular brands of store-bought cookies and have wondered how they’re made, then these Mallows are for you.

Mallow Snack

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Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Daring Bakers Challenge, Dessert Tagged With: , ,
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