Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake - Daring Bakers

This month's Daring Baker's challenge really caught my attention (Who am I kidding? Every challenge thus far has done just that...) Swiss cakes (a sponge cake that's baked flat, then slathered with a filling, then rolled up and sliced) never interested me. I guess it's because it reminded me of those pre-packed Swiss Rolls made by Little Debbie. I have to admit that I was obsessed with them when I was growing up. Not because they tasted good. Nope. I wanted those trans-fat-filled, artificially flavored, corn syrup laced snacks only because I wasn't allowed to have them. My mom NEVER bought them. On occasion she would give in and buy the Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies (Yummmm! Now those actually taste good - well at least I think they do because it's been something like fifteen years, possibly longer, since I've eaten one). The main reason this challenge appealed to me is because the recipe called for making your own ice cream without the use of an ice cream maker. Huh...thought that wasn't possible.

 Below is the vanilla ice cream. Turned out pretty nicely - smooth consistency and pretty robust flavor. It was my husband's favorite part of the dessert, and he truly hearts ice cream. That being said, I have to say, making my own ice cream has pretty much ruined eating ice cream for me. Ice cream's never been that high on my list of desserts. I have a cost-benefit analysis that all desserts that I consume must be subjected to prior to ingesting them. It all has to do with a saying I remember my seventh grade Spanish teacher uttering as she laced up her running shoes over her pantyhose before heading off on her afternoon power walk around the school, "A minute on your lips and an eternity on your hips." If I'm going eat something that will inevitably find it's way to my pouch or bum, it better be worth it. Ice cream just doesn't pass my rigorous dessert analysis, and after making homemade ice cream, yeah, I won't be rushing out for a cone or quart of ice cream any time soon. No sir. I can't even eat a bowl of cereal with whole milk because the whole milk is so thick it makes me want to gag, so there's no way I can consume of bowl of ice cream without remembering how much flipping cream I poured into the bowl to make the ice cream for this dessert. Just thinking about it makes me shiver.




Making the sponge cake for the dessert was much more of a pleasant experience. The texture of the cake was light and airy, and the cake was quite satisfying in it's chocolate flavor. What I didn't really enjoy was the whipped cream filling. It was fine when at room temperature, but because the entire dessert has to be frozen when put together, the frozen whipped cream didn't do it for me.  Here are the Swiss Rolls:






I've loved the Daring Bakers, but alas I've decided that this is my last challenge. I have too many of my own recipes lined up to try, so I have to say farewell to the group in order to make room for my own agenda!

Is that the Inside of a Dirty Diaper?

Who would have thought that I'd have a post on my food related blog about dirty diapers. Well, actually the post isn't about dirty diapers, it's about a chocolate pavlova with chocolate mousse (the Daring Bakers June challenge). But if you look at the photo of my finished challenge you can understand where the title for my post came from (let's be honest, my failure to actually pipe the mousse out onto the  meringue base resulted in the mousse looking like a pile of you-know-what).

I knew that someone in my family would comment about the dessert's visual appeal. It turns out that in all my infiinte wisdom, I was right. It  was my oldest brother in-law (who's been married to my sister for sixteen years - which is more than half my life, so I consider him to be my oldest brother - note there's no "in-law" prefix attached) who said what I think was on pretty much everyone's mind. I didn't actually hear him make the comment about the pavlova looking like the inside of a baby's diaper. All I heard was my husband bust out into a giddy laugh. When I looked over, my husband pointed to my brother in-law, and managed to mutter, "Did you hear what he said?" Although I didn't hear his comment, I instinctively knew that it had something to do with chocolate mousse and poop. So, I casually responded, "I didn't hear him, but I agree. It looks like a pile of poo."




A few years ago I would have been embarrassed or even hurt if someone said that about something I made, but I've learned that if there's any hope to enjoying life, you can never take yourself too seriously. So here's to the chocolate pavlova with a pile-of-poop-chocolate mousse on top. Thankfully it tasted a million times better than it looked!

My Obsession with Sandwich Cookies Continues...

So, my obsession with sandwich cookies continues with these beauties - Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. I find myself drawn to sandwich cookies, and I'm not quite sure why that's the case. At first I thought it was because sandwich cookies are so substantial. I mean one sandwich cookie is really two cookies smashed together with a delactible filling peeking out between the cookies (in the case with these cookies the filling isn't really peeking out, it's oozing out!). Another thought is that sandwich cookies are an example of a very simple method (using a tasty concoction to stick two cookies together) that often produces a rather show-stopping result (visually and gastronomically).While making these cookies this holiday season, I've come up with yet another possible explanation for my affinity for sandwich cookies. It boils down to this - you always want what you can't have. In the '80's, Oreos were made with lard. Good o'l fashioned pig fat. That made them null and void in my household due to dietary restrictions. That meant, if we wanted to eat chocolate sandwich cookies, we were forced to opt for Hydrox. I realize that there's a huge fan base out there for the now discontinued Hydrox, but no matter how many of those suckers I ate, I just knew that they weren't as phenomenal as Oreos (I actually didn't know because I couldn't eat the lard Oreos, but my nine-year-old instincts told me that Hydrox just fell short). I finally beheld the chance to test my instincts when, in the '90's, Oreos replaced the lard with vegetable fat. My gut instinct was right - Hydrox had nothing on Oreos. Thus, my love affair with sandwich cookies began (or at least that's my hypothesis as of right now).

On with the recipe for Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. The recipe is from the December 2005 issue of Bon Appetite, and can be found here. I made these (six dozen of them) for the 2009 Mother Daughter Cookie Exchange. They were a big hit, but hey, who could resist chocolate- peppermint-sandwich cookies rolled in crushed candy canes? Only the Grinch!

One of the biggest bonuses of this recipe is that the cookies are drop cookies (no rolling and cutting dough). I used a handy ice cream scoop. Then used my fingers to flatten the cookies. Next time I'll use the bottom of a drinking

glass to flatten the cookies because my fingers left a

bit of an indentation!

Crushing the candy canes was much more of a challenge than I thought. I found that placing them in a freezer-grade zip top bag (freezer-grade works best because it's thicker) then using a rolling pin and some good old elbow grease is the most efficien

t way to crush them.

Here they are, sandwiched together, rolled in the candy canes, ready to be devoured.

Better Than the "Real" Thing - Waaaay Better

So, the title of this post sets the bar really high, but I have to say that this recipe lives up to the hype. This recipe was originally described as "grown up Oreos," but I think they're waaaay better than Oreos. These cookies are so unassuming. They look plain and bland, but they are anything but boring. The cookies are wafer like - with a dark chocolate taste and a hint of saltiness. The filling isn't the usual pseudo buttercream (which I shouldn't knock, because the overly sweet powdered sugar/butter combo has its rightful place among baked goods). Instead, the filling is a creamy white chocolate ganache that balances the crispness of the chocolate wafers surrounding it.

I make the dough a day ahead of time, and roll it out in two batches. Each half of the dough is rolled between two pieces of parchment paper. Then I place them on top of an inverted cookie sheet, and place it in the fridge. (The cookie sheet allows me to easily remove the thin sheets of cookie dough without fear of destroying the dough while transporting it from the fridge to the kitchen counter.) One more important tip about the cookies: Do NOT store them in an airtight container because the cookies will become soggy and soft. I would suggest placing them in a traditional cookie jar or cake platter with a domed top in order to retain a crisp cookie.

Without further delay, here's the recipe for Double-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (from Gourmet):

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I use golden syrup because I don't like corn syrup. Golden syrup is available from whole foods.)
3/4 pound fine-quality white chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:
For the Dough:

Whisk together the dry ingredients (not including the sugar).

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form into a disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

While the dough chills, make the ganache:

Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, then stir into melted chocolate. Stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover surface with cling wrap and chill, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 30 minutes.

Back to the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line two 2 large baking sheets with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper about 1/8 inch thick. Slide dough in parchment onto a tray and freeze until dough is firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut out as many rounds as possible with a 1 3/4 inch round cookie cutter, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to a buttered baking sheet, arranging them 1/2 inch apart.

Bake cookies until baked through and slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely (cookies will crisp as they cool).

Assemble Cookies:

Beat ganache with an electric mixer at high speed just until light and fluffy. Spread ganache onto flat sides of plain cookies, then top with another cookie to make sandwiches. Chill, layered between sheets of parchment, in an airtight container until filling is set, at least 1 hour.

Makes about 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Cookies for Sweetie Mama's First Birthday

So, I've baked literally dozens of cakes and desserts for my family's special occasions (birthdays, weddings, engagement parties, etc.), so how could I pass up on making something for my daughter's first birthday. Yes - there will be almost 200 people there, but I'm crazy enough to attempt to bake something. I cannot let go...

So, I decided the most practical items for me to make are cookies. I'm planning on having chocolate chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. Now, you might be thinking, "Well that's boring." But actually, purchasing good quality cookies is rather expensive. Supermarket bakery cookies just don't cut it for me. I love the chocolate, chocolate chip cookies from Panera. Mmmmmmm, so good.

So, here's my version minus the nuts (due to my nephew's allergies to nuts) and white chocolate.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use bittersweet chocolate chips)

Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined and stir in the chips.

Make sure to space the cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

For these cookies I used Hershey's special dark chocolate cocoa powder. It gave the cookies a nice, deep, chocolate taste without a lot of sweetness. I felt like it was as chocolaty as a Dutch process cocoa.

I have a rather strong type A personality (I think that's the only strength Type A personalities actually come in - honestly, have you ever heard of a mild Type A personality? Mild and Type A do not fit together), so I like to be organized, clean, and efficient when I cook/bake. Below are my ingredients all measured out, ready to be mixed, rolled, baked, and devoured in the form of a chocolaty bundle of satisfaction (otherwise known as a chocolate chocolate chip cookie).

Here's the batter ready to be scooped and baked:


Finally - behold the cookie! (I can't tell you how many of these I had to eat before packing them away for the party. Let's just say that I probably gained about five pounds worth of cookies!)

TWD - Devils Food White Out Cake

I was really excited to make this weeks TWD. The cake looked phenomenal on the cover of the book, and who doesn't love chocolate cake? It was my niece's birthday (Happy third birthday Choocher!), so I thought, why not make life easier and combine TWD and a family birthday. The frosting was easy to prepare, but I have to admit that it took a lot longer for the syrup to reach the right temperature before beating it into the egg whites. Other than that small unexpected twist, the frosting came together beautifully. 

I've never decorated a cake with cake crumbs because it always seems so untidy to me, but I thought I'd give it a shot this time. Crumbling the cake was a lot more fun than I expected (I actually thought I'd find it unsettling - ripping apart a perfectly nice cake layer). It also gave me an opportunity to taste the cake, and it was phenomenally moist, chocolatey, and delicious with the addition of the chocolate pieces. 

The finished cake actually did look untidy with the crumb decoration, but it still tasted delicious! I had so many crumbs that I put some on top of the cake as well. I left enough space so that I could pipe "Happy Birthday." 

Here's the inside of the cake. The picture is horrible, but the inside layers held up pretty well once cut. I have to say that the frosting wasn't my favorite. Its texture became too sticky and unpleasant after it was refrigerated. Overall the cake was pretty good, but the consensus in my family was that I've made many other chocolate cakes that were a lot tastier! Let's see what next week brings...

The Never Ending Search for THE Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I'm crazy about chocolate chip cookies (or have chocolate chip cookies made me crazy? hmmmm....) Since I can remember I've been obsessed with finding the perfect recipe for these delicious treats. Actually, I shouldn't say "the" prefect recipe because I've actually been on the hunt for two very different, yet equally perfect, chocolate chip cookie recipes. 

In my opinion, the vast world of chocolate chip cookies can be classified into three main categories: 1) Thin, crispy, crunchy cookies (not my favorite by far). 2) Chewy, soft chocolate chip cookies (love these) 3) The thick, fudge-like cookie that packs a punch. The fudge-like cookie I'm referring to in particular is the Carol's Cookies species. I first discovered Carol's Cookies in college. I lived in an apartment across the street from Whole Foods, and I stumbled upon these gems one fateful afternoon. 

In my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipes, I've been working on variety number two (soft, chewy) of late. I need to learn more about baking science before even attempting to recreate Carol's Cookies. 

These one's turn out pretty well. They are an adaptation of the Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies.  Here's the recipe:

11 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8 to 9 min. They may look underdone when taken out of the oven, but they continue to cook as they cool. They are delicious!

This entire plate of cookies was gone in one afternoon when guests came over for tea. I'm already thinking about ways to make it even better...hmmm.....

The First Annual Mother-Daughter Cookie Exchange

I always wanted to host a cookie exchange, but I never managed to get my act together in time for the holidays. This year I actually did it! It was a bit insane on my part because my daughter was only three months old, but with my husband, sister in-law, mom, and sisters' help, we did it! It turned out great. I'm all about starting traditions, and this is one I'd love to start with my own daughter. Above is a photo of about 3/4 of the cookies from the exchange.




The cookies on the white footed platter are mine. I made two types of chocolate sandwich cookies. One is a Martha Stewart recipe called Chocolate Mint Sandwich Wafers. They were fantastic. The other cookie was from Epicurious. It's a more sophisticated version of oreo cookies with a white chocolate filling. I added crushed candy canes to the filling to make it more festive. You can see the recipe here.



I asked each of the participants to send me a copy of their cookie recipes in advance, and I put them together in a little booklet. It's a great way to recreate one's favorites from the exchange.


Along with the recipe booklet, there were bags for each person to fill with cookies. I included some decorations for the kids to decorate the bags. It was a hectic party that took a lot of organization, but it was enjoyable. Nearly all of the guests e-mailed me telling me how much fun they had at the party. Let's see if we can pull it off again next year...

Holiday Baking

This was the dessert spread I made for Thanksgiving. In the background you can see an Elmo tablecloth. We usually don't decorate for Thanksgiving with Elmo, but we also celebrated my niece's second birthday at Thanksgiving. Elmo was her idea!



Thanksgiving always gives me the opportunity to test a variety of pie/tart crusts to determine which ratio of butter/shortening creates the most flaky and tender crust. It's still a work in progress, but some recipes have become staples with my family. The chocolate tart above is one of them. It's quick, easy, and requires only a few ingredients - flour, butter, chocolate, eggs, cream, and sugar.


My mom loves pecan pie, but my husband and I have never been big fans because most pecan pie fillings are too sweet and mushy. A few years ago a stumbled across a recipe that isn't too sweet. Another plus of this recipe is that there's no corn syrup in it (most pecan pie fillings use corn syrup as the main ingredient). My recipe uses good quality maple syrup to provide a more complex flavor to the filling without making it too sweet. Now my husband looks forward to eating my pecan pies!


This year I branched out and tried a variety of fruit pies. Naturally I made a double crust apple pie (I've been making this pie since I was twelve). It's my brother's absolute favorite, and I often make it for his birthday instead of a cake. Lately I've been running into a lot of problems with the filling - but more on that sad topic later. The pie still looks beautiful, and more importantly it's still loved by my brother!


My oldest sister requested that I make a cherry pie. She was craving it, so I made one for the first time. I have to admit that I didn't taste it. I couldn't manage to spend precious stomach space and calories on a pie that I'm not too fond of eating. My sister and dad loved it, so that was good enough for me. I used tapioca to thicken the cherry filling, and I used tart cherries.


The blueberry pie was a disappointment.I used frozen wild blueberries from Whole Foods because fresh blueberries are really best in the summer. The filling was too dense, and the ratio of filling to crust was disproportionate. If I make this again, I have to alter the filling to make it lighter, and I'll use fresh berries. I'm actually not a big fan of blueberry pie, but years ago when I attended my brother in-law's medical school graduation in Maine, we ate at a lobster shack along the ocean. The blueberry pie they served there was phenomenal - light, flavorful, and the crust was crisp and flaky. Since then, I've been dreaming about that pie, and one of these days I'm going to dedicate some real research and time into recreating that delicious pie.



This year's pumpkin pie had it's positives and negatives. The texture of the filling was light and creamy. Unfortunately the taste wasn't as dreamy as I'd hoped. It was too spicy - I put way too much clove and nutmeg into the filling.


I thought I didn't like banana cream pie because I must have only eaten one long ago with artificial banana flavor. Regardless, I thought I'd try to make one this year. After looking at nearly a dozen recipes, I found one that looked delicious on the Cooks Illustrated website, and I thought, "Heck. Why not try it?" The recipe is actually pretty ingenious. The custard is light and silky made with real vanilla beans. And in order to prevent the crust from getting soggy, the bananas are placed between two layers of custard. (In most banana cream pie recipes the bananas are put directly on the crust followed by the custard.) Another method the wonderfully innovative folks at Cooks Illustrated utilized was to make the crust a grahm cracker/pastry crust hybrid. Actually pieces of crushed grahm crackers are rolled into the pastry crust so that the crust has a bit more heft in order to stand up to the wet custard. I wish I could post a link to the recipe from the Cooks Illustrated website, but you have to have an on-line subscription in order to view the recipe. (If you like to cook or bake, I would highly recommend getting a subscription to the website. As a subscriber you have access to all the recipes, equipment reviews, and you can physically view archived and current Cooks Illustrated Magazines.)

The pie turned out fabulous! It took center stage at Thanksgiving, and it's now a new family favorite. My middle sister already requested it for her birthday! Who knows which pies will show up next year. Maybe a lemon meringue pie, a key lime pie, or even a sweet potato pie...