A Mexican Getaway and A New Year

As you might know, we spent Christmas in Mexico this year in the small town of Platanitos in the Nayarit Riviera, about two hours outside of Puerto Vallarta. Our dear friends Paul and Robyn built their oceanfront dream house Casa Lagarto about three years ago and ever since we have been anxious to visit. It has been a trip in the making until all chips fell into place a few weeks before Christmas this year. What a great experience this was.

We got to really see and experience a real slice of Mexican life. No American resort with American food buffets, but real rural Mexico with local produce markets, freshly-caught oyster stands on the side of the road and even mariachis at 6 o'clock in the morning. Needless to say, I was blown away by the hospitality, generosity and natural beauty.





We spent our time in the pool, at the beach, cooking and baking, conversing, watching the whales swim close to the shore, napping and some sightseeing. We had no watches or clocks and any time any of us asked what time it was, all we would do is look at the sun and try to guess how much time we had until sunset. We woke up with the roosters at 6 o'clock in the morning and went to bed soon after sunset.





This was my first time ever in Mexico and I had heard about how poor some areas of the country are. I can say it is true. Small towns like Otates are very poor with no paved streets, tin roof homes, living off fishing and agriculture, barefoot children on the streets, but what I noticed is that these people are happy to live this way. I realized there is no real desire to accumulate things and that it is ok to live day to day as long as your friends and family are close. These are people who really appreciate friendship ties.

I was blown away by the generosity, which was very clear one morning when at 6am I was woken up by the mariachis who had surprised Paul and Robyn's neighbor Richard on his birthday. The mariachis showed up at Richard's door with a guitar, an acordeon and a bottle of tequila to wish him a happy birthday. That was a gesture that really said a lot.



All the kids had a fantastic time running around naked, swimming, enjoying hot chocolate at sunset and feeling free. This trip has made me reflect on many things and I have come away from it realizing that it's ok to let go sometimes and just live the moment a bit more. This will be my resolution for this new year. Live my life a bit more.

I wish you peace and health this new year and thank you.

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A Mexican Getaway and A New Year

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Daring Bakers and A Buche de Noel

This will be a short post as we have just arrived home from a week long vacation in Mexico, where I had the most relaxing time in years. Our friends Paul and Robyn were kind enough to share their vacation house Casa Lagarto outside of Puerto Vallarta. Lots of food, sun, peace and great conversation. I will share some photos from our trip soon, but first it is time for December's Daring Bakers challenge.

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

I made this yule log before we left for our trip during a very busy month full of other commitments and parties. It all seems like a blur now, but I can tell you this yule log was delicious and it was devoured in one day, in one seating. A layer of lemon crème brulee with gianduja praline feullentine, dark chocolate ganache, hazelnut dacquoise, dark chocolate mousse and covered in dark chocolate glaze.



Here are the recipes for it and please visit other Daring Bakers for other fabulous interpretations. Now I am off to bed...

Hazelnut Dacquoise

2.8 oz (3/4cup + 1Tbsp / 80g) almond meal
1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar
2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

Finely mix the almond meal and the confectioner's sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds). Sift the flour into the mix.

Beat the eggs whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.

Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.

Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it. Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inches (8mm).

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven), until golden. Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

2.5 sheets gelatin
1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp (10g) glucose or thick corn syrup
0.5 oz (15g) water
50g egg yolks (about 3 medium)
6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

Soften the gelatin in cold water.

Make a Pate a Bombe: Beat the egg yolks until very light in colour (approximately 5 minutes until almost white). Cook the sugar, glucose syrup and water on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 244°F (118°C). If you do not have a candy thermometer, test the sugar temperature by dipping the tip of a knife into the syrup then into a bowl of ice water, if it forms a soft ball in the water then you have reached the correct temperature.
Add the sugar syrup to the beaten yolks carefully by pouring it into the mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat the yolks. You can do this by hand but it’s easier to do this with an electric mixer. Continue beating until cool (approximately 5 minutes). The batter should become thick and foamy.

In a double boiler or equivalent, heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Whip the remainder of the cream until stiff.

Pour the melted chocolate over the softened gelatin, mixing well. Let the gelatin and chocolate cool slightly and then stir in ½ cup (100g) of WHIPPED cream to temper. Add the Pate a Bombe. Add in the rest of the WHIPPED cream (220g) mixing gently with a spatula.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).

While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.

Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.

Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Praline Feuillete Insert

3.5 oz (100g) gianduja
1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter
2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline
2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

Melt the gianduja and butter in a double boiler.

Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.

Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Lemon Creme Brulee Insert

1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
½ cup (115g) whole milk
4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks
0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar
Zest of half a lemon

Heat the milk, cream and lemon zest to just boiling.

Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white). Pour the milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.

Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

4g or 2 sheets gelatin
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) water
1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.

Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling. Add gelatin to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

Assemble the Yule Log

Pipe one third of the Mousse component into the mold.

Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

Close with the Dacquoise.

Freeze until the next day.

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Christmas and A Trip

We are off to a far, far away location to spend Christmas with our friends and family. I hope you are enjoying this time of year whether you are celebrating any of the holidays or just enjoying some down time. See you in a week!

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Christmas and A Trip

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Goodbye to Autumn with a Green Apple, Caramel and Milk Chocolate Mousse

Even though I live in an area where the changes in season are very mild and rarely apparent, I love to celebrate it and reflect it in whatever I am doing. We will be entering the winter season in a couple of days and I am having visions of white snow, branches and icicles just like all these flickr favorites that I have been bookmarking lately... I dream of one day spending winter solstice in Iceland.




My parents left this week leaving me a bit in shambles. It always takes me a few days to get adjusted to not having them around. It is always bittersweet. I made these bavarian mousse cakes for their going away dinner with some caramel cake and layers of green apple, caramel and milk chocolate bavarian. I promise to give you the recipe soon, but with all the holiday prep and organizing for our coming trip, I misplaced the sheet of paper where I wrote it all down. Soon, I promise.

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the last days of autumn before winter arrives. Have a great weekend everybody!

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Goodbye to Autumn with a Green Apple, Caramel and Milk Chocolate Mousse

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A Holiday Bakesale, Christmas Parties and Non-Stop Baking

December is always a busy month for everybody and this year has been no different for me. This year, for the first time ever in my life, we will spending Christmas away from home. We will be with close friends and family, but nevertheless, away. That means I have to be a lot more organized with my time and get every detail ready before the trip.

The month has been full of office parties, dinner parties and bakesales. Of course, I always volunteer for the dessert buffets. I can never get tired of doing it. So here is a little sampler of what I have been busy with the last week.




Curly-cue's school had a fund raising bakesale for which I made some mini chocolate cupcakes. I was impressed with the amount of work that many parents put into these events and I wish I had my camera with me to show you the incredible treats that everyone brought that day.

We also had a combined Christmas and Hanukkah party at my dear friend Deena's house. My friends seem to really like tarts and comfort desserts so I made a classic apple and hazelnut frangipane tart that we served with vanilla ice cream. Simple but delicious.

And finally, I made a large batch of chocolate chip cookies for all the kids that attended the different parties. I wrapped them individually in glassine paper with the custom holiday tags that Suann made from me. I love them.



I hope you are enjoying these days of planning, cooking and dining!

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A Holiday Bakesale, Christmas Parties and Non-Stop Baking

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Grapefruit Pudding Cake and a Guest Appearance

A few weeks ago, Leemei from My Cooking Hut asked me if I would like to bake something for the guest blogger series she was hosting on her blog. "Something simple", she said. So simple it is. This is a variation on the classic lemon pudding cake. Light, creamy, spongy and completely refreshing. We are in the middle of citrus season here in Florida and I am taking full advantage of it. You can click here for the full story and recipe. Thanks Leemei!

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Grapefruit Pudding Cake and a Guest Appearance

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Turron Macarons and some Christmas Memories

Growing up, one of the first things that really signaled the beginning of Christmas season was the display of all the different varieties of turron on the shelves of grocery stores, pastry shops and pantries. Turron duro is a hard nougat covered in wafer paper and normally comes from Alicante. Turron blando on the other hand, is a soft paste also made with ground almonds, honey and sugar and this usually comes from Jijona.

My fondest memories come from sitting down in my family's pastry shop and watching everyone peel the blanched almonds for the turron by hand. Sacks and sacks of almonds were ordered, blanched, peeled and ground by hand in the pastry kitchen right before Christmas. We all helped as much as we could, even us kids. This was a very busy time and still is, with tons and tons of holiday orders to fill. My family still makes turron every year and how I wish I could be there to help.




So I really wanted to make some macarons with those flavors in mind. Although I have talked about making nougat in this blog several times already, I did not make the turron this time since it is available in our store straight from Spain. I made a paste by grinding it in the food processor and mixed it in with buttercream to create a nutty and creamy filling for the macarons. I hope you try them.



Turron Macarons

180 grams almond flour
245 grams powdered sugar
140 grams egg whites
3 grams egg white powder
2 grams of finely ground sea salt
80 grams granulated sugar
edible gold luster or chopped almonds for the topping

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg white and the egg white powder. Whip in medium speed until egg whites start to increase in volume. When the egg whites are almost fully whipped and very fluffy, slowly start adding the sugar. After all the sugar is incorporated, continue to whip the meringue in high speed now until semi stiff peaks have formed. Add the food coloring now and whip.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the meringue. Fold until we achieve a shiny mass that is a bit runny but still leaves ridges. We are looking for a mass that spreads a little but not too much otherwise our macaroons will be flat. Test a couple to see if you need to mix some more.

Pipe the mass onto half sheet pans lined with silpats. Sprinkle the wet macaroons with chopped almonds or edible gold luster. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes so they dry. We want the tops to not stick to our finger when we touch them. This will ensure a crack-free macaroon.

Preheat oven to 350F. We will bake one sheetpan at a time. When you are ready to bake the first one, lower the oven temperature to 300F. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate and bake for another 8 minutes or so. Check to see if they are done by lifting one from the silicon mat. It's ok if they stick a bit, but just a bit. As they cool on the hot sheetpan, they continue to dry. It's a matter of trial and error.

Turron Buttercream

50 grams egg whites
100 grams sugar
150 grams butter, room temperature
50 grams of turron paste

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites and the sugar lightly. Place over a water bath until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Bring bowl to the electric mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping. It might seem like the buttercream breaks, but continue whipping as it will come together. Add the turron paste and mix until combined.

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Turron Macarons and some Christmas Memories

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Bonbon Oiseau and my Candy Cane Marshmallow

This is the story about another blogsphere friendship that developed over some matcha diamant cookies. It's about the lovely and super talented Deb and her delicate jewelry Bonbon Oiseau and my interpretation of what her pieces represent.

I have admired Deb's work ever since I found her blog "Your Destiny is Stone Golden" a few months ago. We started exchanging emails and as time went on, we decided that one day we would collaborate somehow. Deb asked me if I could photograph her work. Her necklaces are very delicate and almost angelic. I didn't know if I would be able to capture her essence, until I decided to pair them with something that I made. Suddenly, marshmallow entered my mind.

So here is my ode to you Deb, my ode to your fabulous work with some peppermint candy cane marshmallow.



Holidays are here and if you are looking for a perfect gift for a friend, loved one or even yourself, please checkout her fabulous shop. Deb has been kind enough to agree to offer a 20% discount on her pieces to all Cannelle Et Vanille readers until December 10th. Please visit her shop and mention the code "Cannelle Vanille" at checkout.



Peppermint Candy Cane Marshmallow

This recipe makes one layer of the marshmallow, so you will need to make it times two if you want to just make one color, or two times for the bicolor effect; one recipe with food coloring, the other without.

I used a 14"x14" square frame

320 grams sugar
12 grams glucose or corn syrup
130 grams water
40 grams powdered gelatin
130 grams water
45 grams egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
20 grams sugar
1 tsp peppermint oil (optional)
5-6 drops of natural red food coloring (optional)

In a small saucepan with tall sides, combine the sugar, glucose or corn syrup and water. Cook to 126C.

In the meantime, whisk the powdered gelatin and 130 grams of water together and let the gelatin bloom.

Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer and start whipping in medium speed. When the egg whites are almost fully whipped, add the 20 grams sugar and continue whipping in slow to medium speed depending on how far the sugar syrup is from reaching the desired temperature.

When the sugar syrup reaches 126C, turn the heat off and add the bloomed gelatin (will be a solid mass) to the saucepan. It will bubble up so be careful. Whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely in the syrup.

Add the syrup with the gelatin into the whipped egg whites while whipping in low speed. When all has been added, turn the speed up to high and let it whip until ribbons start to form. Add the flavoring and food coloring at this point. We don't want the marshmallow to cool completely because we want to be able to spread it. Remove from mixer and pour into the square frame that has been placed over a silicon mat. Let it harden.

If making the bicolor marshmallow, repeat the recipe and pour on top of the first layer.

If it becomes sticky, sift together half cornstarch and half powdered sugar and lightly dust this over marshmallow. Roll in crushed candy cane powder.

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Bonbon Oiseau and my Candy Cane Marshmallow

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Seckel Pears and Pate Feuilletee

Although it might seem I am all about sophisticated food, the truth is that I love rustic cooking. I dream of having a garden one day, growing some vegetables and surrounding myself with fruit trees. I live off soups, stews and fruit most of the time and fruit desserts and custards are my comfort desserts.

I find that making dough is a very earthy feeling. It is much about how it feels in one's hands. Whether it is soft, sticky and cool ferment or ice cold pie dough, I love touching my ingredients. Hard to describe. Laminated doughs intimidate many people, but in reality, they are easy to make at home. It requires time, a bit of attention and a cold surface always helps. The process is very rewarding and the result, amazing.




This time, I tried Pierre Herme's pate feuilletee inversee recipe from "Chocolate Desserts". Inversee or inverted means that the butter block is actually on the outside and the flour dough is the lock-in, which is the reverse method of most common puff pastry recipes. This one was very easy as it only has three folds. It makes enough to make four of these tarts and still leaves you with lots of extra to freeze.

The seckel pears are from our farmer's market, which was a surprise since I have not seen them anywhere this season. These are some sweet pears to eat raw, but this time, I poached them a bit and baked them in the puff pastry tart shell with some hazelnut frangipane. Crispy and buttery.



Pate Feuilletee Inversee
adapted from Pierre Herme's "Chocolate Desserts"

400 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
175 grams all purpose flour

With the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the flour and mix until combined.

Scrape the mixture into a large sheet of plastic wrap and form a square that is about 6 inches (15 cm) wide. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

185 grams water
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white vinegar
420 grams all purpose flour
115 grams butter, melted and cooled

Place the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. While the mixer is on, add the melted butter and mix until starts to combine. It will be lumpy. Mix the water, salt, vinegar together and slowly add it to the flour while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until it starts to come together. Depending on the flour, you might not need to add all the water. The dough should be the consistency of soft tart dough.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a square that is about 2 inches smaller than the butter block. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Place the chilled butter block on a well floured marble surface (best). Roll it to a rectangle that is about 12"x7". Place the flour block on the middle half and fold the rolled butter block on top. Seal the edges well. make sure the block that is inside reaches out to all corners. Press it gently if you need to. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for another 2 hours.

To make the first turn, roll the dough on a well floured surface to about 21"x7". The size doesn't really matter that much as long as the dough is three times the length as the width, Give it its first book fold by folding one end of the dough to the middle, the same with the other end. Fold the dough in half at the center. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 2 more hours.

Repeat with a second letter fold and refrigerate overnight after this.

The following day, give it its last turn but this time it will be a letter fold. Roll the dough three times the longer than its width. Fold one end so it covers the middle third of the dough and fold the other end over it. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Roll the dough to about 1/8" thickness. Refrigerate the dough for another 30 minutes before cutting. You can also freeze the rolled puff pastry at this point. Just cut it into rectangles that will fit into your sheetpan and place parchment paper in between the sheets so they do not stick in the freezer. It will last up to a month in the freezer.

Hazelnut and Almond Frangipane

100 grams butter, room temperature
100 grams sugar
1 egg
10 grams flour
50 grams almond flour
50 grams hazelnut flour
Dark rum, to taste (splash)

Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, almond and hazelnut flours and mix until it comes together. Add the dark rum to taste (about 1 Tbs).

Poached Seckel Pears

200 grams sugar
400 grams water
1/2 vanilla bean
10 seckel pears

Make a sugar syrup with water, sugar and vanilla. Peel the pears leaving the stem on. Poach the pears in the sugar syrup in medium to low heat for about 15 minutes or until soft. Remove pears from syrup and let them cool. Store pears in cooled syrup in refrigerator.

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Daring Bakers, Shuna and Her Caramel Cake

It is time once again for the monthly Daring Bakers challenge, which I am very excited about because it comes from none other than pastry chef extraordinaire, Shuna Fish Lydon. Shuna has an amazing curriculum as a pastry chef and is the voice behind the blog Eggbeater, one of my daily reads. Her blog is filled with intelligent social and culinary commentary, photography and modern poetry. I had the pleasure to meet Shuna earlier this year and got a glimpse of where her artistry comes from.

When I learned we would be making her caramel cake for this month's challenge, I was jumping up and down with joy because this cake had so much buzz around it. This is what I would call a true American cake. Sweet, moist and buttery.




I really wanted to be true to the recipe as it was presented to us and the only small addition was a bit of orange zest to the cake batter. I wanted to play around with the decorations in the cake and I ended up making two versions of it. The first one is surrounded by baked meringue sticks and decorated with candied orange slices and pulled caramel paper. The second one is decorated with piped buttercream dots, candied orange, chocolate shavings and poured caramel.



All recipes by Shuna Fish Lydon

Caramel Syrup

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Caramel Cake

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

Caramelized Butter Frosting

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light

A big thank you to Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity, Alex of Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo and Jenny of Foray into Food for hosting this month's challenge. Please visit other Daring Bakers to see other interpretations of this cake.

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Daring Bakers, Shuna and Her Caramel Cake

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A Pie in the Making and a Happy Thanksgiving

We started our Thanksgiving dinner prep today by making the croutons for the stuffing, brining the turkey, making the cranberry sauce and rolling out the pie dough for the pumpkin pie. For me, the anticipation is the most exciting part of the whole thing. I love prep work and organizing every single step in my head.

We picked out some fresh flowers today called "wax flowers" for our table setting. We are using recycled spice jars as vases and placing them next to each person. I love little details.



I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

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A Pie in the Making and a Happy Thanksgiving

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Salted Chocolate, Peanut and Pistachio Nougat Ice Cream

I don't know about you, but the cooler weather always makes me crave chocolate. I am naturally a person that prefers fruit desserts over chocolate, but as soon as temperatures start to drop, all I can think about is having a piece of dark chocolate. I was writing down dessert menu ideas recently and I realized chocolate and nuts were in almost every single item that was roaming around in my head and this salted chocolate ice cream with chocolate, pistachio and peanut nougat pieces was one of them.

This nougat is a softer version than the turron I grew up eating as a child around Christmas time. It is more like the Toblerone filling, but with chunkier nuts in it. How delicious does that sound? I used acacia honey along with salted pistachios and peanuts. I made a large batch and used part of it as a mix-in for a dark chocolate ice cream. If this doesn't satisfy your chocolate craving, I don't know what will.




A few months ago, I had someone ask me why everything has to have the word "salted" in front to sound trendy. I disagreed. Maybe the word itself was not used as often before, but salt has always been a great compliment for caramel, chocolate and nuts. It has always been there in many recipes and formulations, but perhaps wasn't noted in the name. So I do not think this is a trend, but a way to enhance a flavor and it will continue to be.



Chocolate Nougat

290 grams sugar
90 grams glucose
120 grams water
310 grams good-quality honey (I used acacia)
100 grams egg whites
20 grams sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
260 grams unsweetened chocolate, melted
250 grams salted and roasted pistachios
250 grams salted and roasted peanuts

It's best to work on a marble slab but if you don't have one, a large wood block will do. Set up a sheet of parchment paper in between two candy rulers (if available, if not it's ok). Lightly dust the parchment with cocoa powder.

Spread the peanuts and pistachios on a sheetpan and keep warm in a 250F oven until ready to use.

Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whip attachment. Start whipping the egg whites on low speed while we proceed with the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and the water until it resemble wet sand. Brush the sides of the pan with water to dissolve any sugar particles that are left. Turn on the heat and when it starts to lightly boil, add the glucose. Continue cooking the sugar on high until it reaches 155C.

At the same time, pour the honey into a small pan and boil. When it almost reaches a first boil, turn the electric mixer on high and let the egg whites get foamy and fully whipped. Continue boiling the honey until it reaches 120C. The honey will really bubble up and foam up at this point.

When the egg whites are whipped, add the 20 grams of sugar and continue whipping on high for another minute or so until it develops more body. Then, turn the machine to medium speed and slowly pour in the 120C honey from the side of the bowl. Turn the machine back to high speed and continue whipping the egg whites until the sugar syrup reaches 155C. Then turn speed back to low and pour this sugar syrup into the meringue slowly on the side of the bowl. When all the sugar has been incorporated, turn back to high speed and whip for another 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes, turn the mixer down to low speed and add the melted unsweetened chocolate. Turn speed higher and whip for another minute or so.

Remove bowl from mixer and add the warm peanuts and pistachios. Fold with a spatula. Spread the nougat in between the candy bars on top of the parchment. Spread with an offset spatula to even it out. Let it cool a bit. Cover with another sheet of parchment or silicon mat and let it set for 24 hours.

Chocolate Nougat Ice Cream

500 ml heavy cream
250 ml whole milk
25 grams cocoa powder
150 grams sugar
5 grams sea salt
100 grams egg yolks
125 grams 70% chocolate, chopped
150 grams chocolate nougat, chopped into small pieces

Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cream, salt, half of the sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk and bring to a boil.

In the meantime, place the egg yolks and the other half of the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Temper the cream mixture over the egg yolks and whisk. Return this mixture to the saucepan and cook to 82C or until it coats the back of the spoon.

Pour this custard over the chopped chocolate and whisk until it is all incorporated and melted. Strain this ice cream base through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and chill over an ice bath. Refrigerate overnight.

The following day, churn the ice cream base in the ice cream machine and when it is done, fold in the chocolate nougat pieces. Pour into container and freeze.

Note: Something I never mention about ice cream and that is very important, is to have your ice cream container (where you will store your churned ice cream) in the freezer before hand. This way, when your churned ice cream hits the container, it stays frozen. If this container were at room temperature, your ice cream would start to melt, losing the air that was incorporated during the churn.

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Anita Chu's "Field Guide to Cookies"

Today, I am very, very excited to share with you these wonderful cookies from Anita Chu's "Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable". As you know, Anita is the mastermind behind Dessert First, one of the most popular food blogs today. She approaches the classics with a modern and sophisticated touch and her photography is simple, clean and very evoking. And this book follows very much her style.

The first thing that surprised me when I read through "Field Guide to Cookies" was the amount of recipes and photos that were in it given its small size. It is a pocket book but features over 100 recipes and photographs. Really a well written cookie recipe book. I walked into Barnes and Noble on Monday to find this book on the shelves next to established pastry chefs and food writers. I was so proud Anita!




During the holiday season, I really like to bake for friends and family. Cookies make such great homemade gifts and I took this opportunity to review Anita's book to start thinking about what cookies I will be making for the holidays this year. Certainly a few out of this book like these chocolate crinkles, rosemary and parmesan biscotti and my favorites, raspberry linzer cookies.



For the chocolate crinkles I used 72% chocolate which made them really dark, bitter and rich. I love how these cookies look too, the contrast of black and white.

Chocolate Crinkles

adapted from "Field Guide to Cookies"

6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
confectioners sugar for rolling

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the meantime, whip the eggs with the sugar until thick. Add the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate and mix.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder into a bowl and add this to the chocolate mixture. Mix until combined.

Place this bowl in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until the dough hardens enough to scoop out.

Preheat oven to 325F. Scoop one inch balls. Roll these in powdered sugar and place them on sheetpans lined with parchment paper. Flatten the tops of the cookies a bit with your fingers and bake until set for about 12 minutes.



Rosemary and Parmesan Biscotti

adapted from "Field Guide to Cookies"

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp baking powder
2 springs fresh rosemary, chopped
3 1/2 Tbs freshly grated parmesan
2 eggs
3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the first six ingredients. In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and the melted butter and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Divide the dough into two and roll each half into a log that is 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the logs on a sheetpan lined with parchment bout 5 inches apart. Flatten the logs a bit and bake for about 30 minutes until lightly golden.

Let them cool completely and cut with a serrated knife into individual biscotti that are about 1/2 inch wide. Place them on the same sheetpan and bake at 250F for another 30 minutes until dry.



Linzer Cookies

adapted from "Field Guide to Cookies"

1 1/4 cups almonds
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raspberry jam
Powdered sugar for dusting tops

Finely grind the almonds with the flour in a food processor. Combine this mixture with the spices, salt and baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar together. add the egg and mix. Scrape the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Turn the dough on a clean surface and flatten to a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Roll the dough to about 1/16" thick. Sometimes these doughs tend to get soft easy so tpicking up the cut out dough and manipulating it too much can result in deformed cookies. To avoid that, I tend to roll the dough on a silicon mat so it is easy to transfer to the refrigerator if I need to. Once dough is rolled, cut with desired cookie cutters and place on sheetpan lined with parchment. Using a small cutter, cut a shape out of half of the cookies which will be the tops. Refrigerate the cookies for an hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for approximately 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely.

To assemble, dust the tops with powdered sugar. Pipe a little bit of raspberry jam on bottom cookies and place the top on the jam, applying a bit of pressure so the cookies stick.



I hope you go out to your bookstores today and take a look at this great book and please visit the following blogs to read this book's reviews, interviews with Anita and other great recipes.Thanks Anita for sharing this book with us!

Nov. 11th - Jen of Use Real Butter
Nov. 12th - Ari of Baking and Books
Nov. 13th - Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy
Nov. 14th - Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice
Nov. 17th - Helen of Tartelette
Nov. 18th - Veronica of Veronica's Test Kitchen
Nov. 19th - Cannelle et Vanille
Nov. 20th - Bea of La Tartine Gourmande
Nov. 21st - Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

And I also have to thank the lovely Suann from Simplesong for printing these cute cookie boxes for me!

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How to Explain Cranberries

This will be the first year since I have been living in the US that my parents will get to spend Thanksgiving with us. It's very exciting to be able to share a holiday meal with them. I grew up in a large family where holidays and gatherings revolved around food. We always had at least thirty people around the table. Space was always an issue but it never stopped us. Improvised tables, mismatched silverware, borrowed chairs. It was all fine as long as we could all be together, elbow to elbow. So this year, I am really going to sit at the Thanksgiving table, take time to enjoy the moment and be thankful for their company.

As my mom and I sat down to write down the Thanksgiving dinner menu, I realized how most of the traditional American holiday dishes are foreign to my parents' palates. Roasted turkey, stuffing, yams with marshmallows or cranberries. They have never tasted any of those. I have to admit I am not very fond of the cranberry jellies and compotes served at many dinner tables, but I really wanted my mom to try a new berry, something she had never had before.



Warm fruit crisps are always a comforting dessert and my mom happens to love cooked apples in any way, shape or form. So I combined sweet apples with tart cranberries and spicy candied ginger and topped it all with pistachio and almond crumble. And because us Europeans really enjoy fruit compotes in jars (check out these lovely ladies here and here), I made her a little cranberry and orange compote to go with a quick white chocolate mousse. I am not much of a white chocolate fan unless it is accompanied by something tart and sour to balance out the sweetness so I barely added any sugar to the cranberry compote.

Cranberry, Apple and Candied Ginger Crumble

100 grams fresh cranberries
2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and medium diced
100 grams sugar
5 grams candied ginger, small dice
Zest of an orange
Juice of half an orange
Pistachio and almond crumble (use half ground pistachios and half ground almonds)

In a bowl, combine the fresh cranberries, diced apples, diced ginger, sugar, orange zest and orange juice. Mix gently and let the fruit sit in the bowl for a few minutes until the sugar starts to lightly dissolve with the juices.

Place 4 small ramekins on a sheetpan. Spoon the fruit filling into the ramekins and top with some pistachio and almond crumble. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until the fruit starts to bubble over and the crumble is golden brown. If the topping starts to get dark but the fruit is not cooked yet, cover the ramekins with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn and continue cooking.

Cranberry Orange Compote

100 grams fresh cranberries
20 grams sugar
Zest of half an orange

Combine the cranberries, sugar and orange zest in a small saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes until cranberries pop open. You can serve it like this or puree it with a hand blended or food processor (which I did). Spoon the compote into the glass jars and let it cool.

Quick White Chocolate Mousse

150 grams heavy cream, soft peak
75 grams white chocolate, chopped

Place the white chocolate in a bowl and melt it over a double boiler. Remove the bowl from the heat when the chocolate is melted and let it cool slightly.

In the meantime, whip the cream to soft peak. Pour a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate and whisk. Pour this mixture over the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold not to overmix it.

Place the mousse in a pastry bag and pipe into the glass jars on top of the cooled cranberry compote. Return jars to refrigerator to cool completely and until the mousse hardens a bit more. Serve with white chocolate shavings.

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Montblanc and the First Chestnuts of the Season

This week we roasted the first chestnuts of the season. I have been feeling a bit under the weather and I needed something comforting and nothing says comfort like roasted chestnuts do. Besides, now that my parents are here, any excuse is a good one to cook, bake and snack. We are a bunch of non-stop grazers.




Montblancs are popular in France, but I had never tasted one until my French chef asked me to make some for Christmas brunch a few years ago. I fell in love with the chestnut cream and ever since, I have made them every holiday season. Buttery and not overly sweet cream. I even eat it on bread as a snack when no one is looking.

I built these on sable breton and inserted a mini chocolate mousse bombe in the center. Then the chestnut cream is piped on top with a special tip creating that spaghetti effect. How fun is that right?



Chestnut Cream

100 grams unsweetened chestnut puree
100 grams chestnut paste or chestnut cream
200 grams unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs dark rum

Cream together the chestnut puree and chestnut paste until smooth. Add the softened butter, vanilla extract and rum and mix. Press the cream through a fine sieve to remove any large chestnut puree chunks. Place the cream in a piping bag with a "spaghetti" tip and pipe the cream on top of the breton and chocolate mousse dome.

This is best served slightly at room temperature so the chestnut cream doesn't harden too much.

On another note, I am very flattered that Ez of Creature Comforts wanted to feature an interview with me in her blog. She is such an inspiration. Thank you Ez!

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Brioche, Burnt Milk Ice Cream and a Decadent Breakfast

In my family, we are known to indulge on breakfast once in a while. My grandfather was a man who enjoyed food. He liked to eat and he liked those around him to eat well. Because in the bakery work started around 4am, by the time doors opened around 9am and us children would go in, there were always eggs cooking, cheese, anchovies and so on. Worked stopped for a few minutes to enjoy a big breakfast in peace with a little cafe con leche and maybe a quick glance at the morning newspaper. I also clearly remember Christmas morning with cream cake and champagne. So big and sweet breakfasts are a tradition I have inherited.

During this last trip home, we drove all the way to San Sebastian partly to visit Galparsoro Okindegia. This little bakery located in the Parte Vieja (Old Town) has quickly become the most popular bread bakery in the Basque Country, supplying bread to all the Michelin Star restaurants such as Mugaritz, Martin Berasategui and more. They are known for their organic bread, but it was the brioche that stole my heart. It was buttery, tender, pulled away like a feather. Unreal.

It is moments like these when I am really inspired to create a dessert. I immediately thought of tostadas de pan (pain perdu or French Toast) with cinnamon and vanilla and paired with a burnt milk ice cream. This might sound like an unusual ice cream but it really represents very well the smells of a pastry kitchen. Slightly burnt and caramelized milk. It is unforgettable.



I have made brioche many times before and it is a favorite in my household. I have found that although most recipes tend to have the same ratio of ingredients, the procedures are often times different and in some cases elaborate. I am always intrigued by technique, so I set out to try a new recipe for brioche that I had not tried before. This time out of Rose Levy Beranbaum's "The Bread Bible".

The burnt milk ice cream is very light and it never really thickened much in the ice cream machine but once frozen, it was very, very silky. I suppose it resembles more a gelato than an ice cream since it contains mostly whole milk and just a small amount of heavy cream.



Basic Brioche

adapted from "The Bread Bible"

This dough takes between 24 and 48 hours to complete so have this in mind before starting. You will need a baking pan that is about 8"x4".

Dough Starter

30 grams water, at room temperature
13 grams sugar
1/4 tsp instant yeast
70 grams unbleached all purpose flour
1 large egg

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip this mixture with a whisk by hand for about 3 minutes until a thick batter forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap while getting the following ingredients ready.

Flour Mixture

155 grams unbleached all purpose flour
25 grams sugar
4 grams instant yeast
3 grams salt
2 large eggs, cold
113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (very soft)

In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and instant yeast. Add the salt and mix. Sprinkle this flour mixture on top of the dough starter that is already in the mixer bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let this ferment at room temperature for about 1 1/2-2 hours. The dough starter might bubble in between the flour mixture and this is fine.

After this period of fermentation, transfer the bowl to the mixer. Add the 2 cold eggs and mix the dough with the dough hook for a couple of minutes in low speed until ingredients are well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix in medium to high speed for another 5 minutes until dough is silky.

Add the soft butter one tablespoon at a time and wait until the butter has been absorbed by the dough before adding the next tablespoon. The dough will be very sticky but don't add any flour.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl that has been slightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for another 1 1/2-2 hours.

After this time, refrigerate the dough for an hour. Deflate the dough with a spatula and mix slightly. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for another hour.

Remove bowl from refrigerator and transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Deflate the dough with your hands and form a rectangle. The size of the rectangle doesn't really matter. Give it a letter fold. Turn the dough 90 degrees and give it another letter fold. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and insert it in a large freezer bag. Refrigerate the dough for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and form a rectangle that is about 8"x5". Roll the dough forming a log. Seal the ends tightly with the palms of your hands. Place the dough in a lightly greased rectangular mold (8"x4") seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment for another 2 hours at room temperature.

Have the oven preheated to 350F for about 30 minutes prior to baking the brioche. When dough has doubled in size and has reached the top of the mold, brush with an egg glaze made with yolk and heavy cream. Cut the top of the dough with a sharp knife leaving about an inch on each side.

Bake in the preheated oven in a lower rack for approximately 35 minutes.

Burnt Milk Ice Cream

adapted from "Frozen Desserts"

900 grams whole milk
70 grams heavy cream
160 grams sugar
70 grams egg yolks

In a pan with tall sides, heat the whole milk with a quarter of the sugar in medium to high heat. The milk will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and may bubble up. This is fine and will give the milk its distinct flavor. If the milk starts to bubble over the pan, remove from heat and let the bubbles deflate. When it starts to smell like burnt milk, remove from heat and measure out 750 grams of the liquid.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks, remaining sugar and heavy cream. Temper the hot milk into the base and whisk. Transfer the custard to a medium size pan and cook to 82C. Because there is not as much fat as in a creme anglaise, the custard will never really thicken or achieve the "nappe" so go by temperature.

Strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and chill in an ice bath. Refrigerate overnight and churn in ice cream machine.

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Membrillo... Finally

Last week, I told you about my quince fiasco. I am not one to go back to the store and ask for a refund, but I couldn't let this one pass, mostly because I really wanted the produce manager to know what had happened. I went back the following day and noticed they still had some of the same batch of quince on their shelf. I spoke to the manager and told him what had happened. I asked him if he could cut one open for me and so he did. It was instantly obvious these were really old and had to be removed from the shelves. Embarrassed, he quickly apologized and promised he would have some fresh ones waiting for me at the store the following day, free of charge, of course. And so he did and they were triple the price they had been just a day prior, but this time, perfect.

Membrillo or quince paste is a very traditional component served to accompany cheeses in Spain. It is a thick confiture made simply with quince and sugar that resembles more pate de fruit than a jam or a jelly. This time, I made little baked crackers made with some Idiazabal cheese I brought back from my trip.

One of my earliest memories as a child is of me trying to ingest a crusty baguette with cheese and membrillo inside while I had a sore throat. I loved this bocadillo so much that I was willing to put myself through such misery!



Membrillo

4 large quinces
Juice of 1 lemon
Sugar (same amount as pureed quince)

Peel, core and quarter the quince. Cut the quarters in half. Place the cut quince in a bowl with lemon juice to stop it from oxidizing.

Place the quince in a large pot and cover them with cold water. bring this water to a boil and cook the quince until fork tender for about 20 minutes.

Drain the water out and puree the soft quince. Scale the puree. You will need the same amount of sugar as puree. In my case it was about 1100 grams.

Place the puree and sugar in a large pot and start cooking it in medium heat. When the sugar melts and it starts to get hot, it will bubble up and might burn so be very, very careful when stirring. wear gloves if necessary. Turn the heat down a bit but make sure there are still small bubbles forming. Cook this mixture for about an hour or an hour and a half. We want the sugar to caramelize. The color will start to turn into a deep orange.

Transfer the membrillo, which will be a thick paste, into a quarter sheetpan lined with parchment and let it cool. Store at room temperature covered with plastic wrap.

Idiazabal Cheese Crackers

Cut thin slices of the cheese and cut these into squares. Place the cheese on a sheetpan lined with a silicon mat and bake at 350F for about 12 minutes until lightly golden.

On another note, Cakespy just featured some of my photos and a fun interview. If you are interested in knowing a bit more about me, go check it out.

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