Daring Bakers March 2009 Challenge: Homemade Spinach Pasta, Béchamel & Ragu Lasagne

What a fun and tasty challenge this month’s recipe was. It really pushed me outside my comfort zone – I have never made my own lasagne sheets before, let alone ones containing spinach! But to me that just made the challenge all the more exciting – who doesn’t enjoy giving their skills and technical ability a little work out in the kitchen? The main part of this challenge was making our own spinach pasta lasagne sheets which we then had to layer with a white sauce (Bechamel) and ragu of our choice to create a lasagne. We were provided with recipes but I made my own Vegetarian style ragu in place of the meat one provided. I have however, also included the meaty ragu recipe below, in case you want to give it a go. All the recipes below (apart from the Vegetarian Ragu) are from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

Not having a pasta machine I made my lasagne sheets by hand. I real work out for your arm muscles! The dough starts off hard and tough but the longer you knead it the softer and more pliable it becomes. Thankfully I made it one weekend while I was home and my mum and I took turns at working the dough. It was worth the effort though and produced a silky, springy dough that was a lovely shade of green. The next challenge was rolling out the dough thin enough to cut into sheets. This was a little more tricky with just a rolling pin, but I found by only using a quarter of the dough at a time it was manageable.
For my Vegetarian ragu I decided to go with mushrooms and aubergine for their slightly meaty texture and ability to add a rich deep flavour. Along with other assorted veg I also included a tin of brown lentils which helped enhance the brown meaty appearance of the ragu. I’m not saying I wanted my ragu to taste like meat, but I did want to create a ragu that resulted in a traditional looking lasagne when layered with all the other components.

Once layered and baked it had a lovely golden surface and smelt wonderful. It sliced beautifully too, the individual layers all showing up well. Looking at them made all the hard work worth while and the colours were almost like the Italian flag of green, white and red (well reddy brown). My spinach lasagne sheets seemed to have swollen slightly during baking and were a little on the thick side, but still perfectly acceptable, and the veggie ragu was full of flavour with the Béchamel sauce keeping everything soft and creamy. All in all I was happy with my lasagne and my family seemed to enjoy it too. Well worth pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone and I may even attempt fresh pasta again now.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. Thanks for choosing such a fun and challenging recipe guys – it was great to attempt something so outside my comfort zone. Don’t forget to check out the Blogroll.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

9 litres salted water

1 recipe Spinach Pasta (recipe follows)

1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)

1 recipe Country Style Ragu or Vegetarian Ragu (recipes follow)

125g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheese

Working Ahead

The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking.

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Makes enough for equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 large eggs

300g fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 170g frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

400g plain flour (double zero or pasta flour preferred)

Method – By Hand

Mixing the dough:

Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:

With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:

If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag if not using straight away. Hand rolling is not necessary if you have a pasta machine.

Bechamel Sauce

60g unsalted butter

60g plain flour

approx 570ml milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Method

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Country Style Meat Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

60g pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium onion, minced

1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced

1 small carrot, minced

125g boneless veal shoulder or round125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 125g mild Italian sausage

250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut

30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma

160ml dry red wine

375ml chicken or beef stock

500ml milk

3 plum tomatoes from a can, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Lentil, Mushroom and Mixed Veg Ragu
400g tin green or brown lentils, drained
200g chestnut mushrooms
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion
2 carrots
½ large aubergine
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato puree
6 fresh basil leaves
1tsp dried mixed herbs
350ml vegetable stock

Method
Peel and finely dice the onion and carrots, about 1cm dice. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Cover with a lid and leave to sweat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, crush the garlic and finely dice the mushrooms and aubergine. Once the onions have softened, remove the lid and add the mushrooms, aubergine and garlic.
Allow to cook for 10 minutes before stirring in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and herbs.
Cook on a gently heat for 10 minutes before stirring in the lentils. Allow to cook, uncovered, for around 15-20 minutes until the veg is soft and the sauce slightly reduced and thickened. Season to taste.
Allow to cool to room temperature before using.


Assembling the Ingredients Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Have an approx 3 litre shallow baking dish at the ready.

Cooking the Pasta

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about one and a half tablespoons of the béchamel. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce. Top with a generous covering of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheese (I used cheddar). The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature, 20 degrees Celsius, for about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the centre (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out hot, the dish is ready). If you like a browned top then do not bother with the foil. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve.
Serves 6 to 8 as a main meal.

The Daring Bakers have also got a new logo and top notch website. Don’t forget to drop by and take a look!

Cappuccino Cupcakes

When I was in my teens I used to really dislike coffee. I found it far too bitter and to me it tasted like trying to drink a bonfire and I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to drink it. While studying for my A-Levels I got a weekend job working in the café/restaurant of a local garden centre and one of my jobs became being in charge of the coffee bar. The coffee bar was quite modern and used to grind the coffee beans fresh for every cup, and I made so many cappuccinos, mochas and lattes that I was permanently immersed in a cloud of coffee aroma. I used to find this quite off putting, but one day I suddenly realised I had grown to actually liked the smell, loved it in fact, breathing in the earthy smoky aroma of strong fresh coffee mingling with the childhood smell of hot frothy milk. I tried a cup of coffee when I went back home and really enjoyed it – I didn’t even need sugar and no one was more surprised than me. I suppose being around it for so long that I grew accustomed to it. I have heard that your main sensory flavour detectors are in your nose and based on my experience I can believe it.

Unfortunately my new found love of coffee had some drawbacks – it turns out caffeine and I do not mix well. If I have even one coffee after midday I am still buzzing from its effects by the time I go to bed and as a result I don’t sleep. I don’t go loopy or bounce off the walls, it just keeps me wide awake. One of my flatmates always has a coffee right before going to bed – I don’t know they do it! I still drink coffee, but only if I really need to stay awake. I know you can get decaffeinated coffee and I do have this if I go out, but I never make it myself as the rest of my family and friends all drink regular coffee and its easier just to avoid it. That being said, I love coffee used in cakes or desserts and find I can eat them without suffering long lasting caffeine effects (just don’t feed me tiramisu in the evenings!). Coffee cake is one of my favourites and so I decided to make some coffee cupcakes. I topped them with some creamy vanilla buttercream and a dusting of grated dark chocolate to remind me of the drink that got me into coffee – the cappuccino. Anyone else find caffeine really affects them? These cupcakes are yummy and the perfect mid-morning pick me up.

Cappuccino Cupcakes
For the coffee cupcakes
115g self raising flour
115g butter
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp instant coffee

Vanilla Buttercream Topping
75g butter
130g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
10g dark chocolate for decoration

Method
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee in half a tablespoon of hot water and set to one side to cool.
In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one.
Mix in the flour and baking powder. Pour over the dissolved coffee and beat until well combined.
Spoon into the cupcake cases, filling half way.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft and then sift over the icing sugar in small batches, beating well between each addition until you have a smooth icing.
Add the vanilla and beat again.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle and pipe small blobs over the surface of the cupcakes.
Using a fine grater, grate the dark chocolate over the top of the cakes to create a dusted effect.
Makes 10-12 cupcakes

The Cake Slice March 09: Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake

This was such a good choice for the Cake Slice Bakers this month – a lovely and light and zesty lemon cake. Perfect for the arrival of spring, lighter days and the hope of warmer weather. Plus its National Lemon Chiffon Day on the 29th March in the U.S. how fitting is that! It’s also Mother Day this Sunday in the UK and this cake would make the perfect afternoon treat to share with your mum. I gave mine to my mum as an early Mother Day treat and it looked lovely on the table next to some daffodils – picked fresh from the garden. I love the appearance of these bright and cheerful flowers, they always reassure me that spring is on the way.

Anyway, onto the cake itself. If you like lemons this is the cake for you. In total it uses around 5 lemons which results in a wonderful lemon hit. The chiffon cake was incredibly light and tender with a sort of marshmallow, springy meringue type consistency thanks to the use of so many whisked egg whites into the mix. It’s similar in texture to an angel food cake, but the egg yolks are also included, giving it a little more substance. The cake layers were delicately lemony and provided a great background to the zingy lemon curd we made to sandwich it together. Wow that lemon curd was so good – fresh, zesty and zingy and when paired with the sweet airy light sponge and the creamy frosting it was divine and so easy to make that I’ll definitely make it again. I had some lemon curd leftover and ate it spread on slices of crusty bread – heavenly.

I thought the cake looking a little dull left plain and so I coloured a little of the cream yellow and piped it on in a series of flowers and dots, which I think made it look a lot more sunny and spring-like. I think next time I might up the lemon zest in the cake for an even bigger hit. So for all you lemon lovers out there, this cake is a sure winner and guaranteed to give your taste buds a tingle. Click to see the other Cake Slice Bakers lemon cakes.

Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake
(Adapted from Sky High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne).
Lemon Chiffon Cake
8 eggs, separated
55ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
75ml water
½ tsp cream of tartar
225g and a separate 110g caster sugar
210g cake flour (180g plain flour and 30g cornflour)
½ tsp baking powder

Method – for the cake
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base of three 9inch/22cm cake tins.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water, lemon juice and zest.
In another large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until light and frothy. Slowly add the 100g of caster sugar, whisking until soft peaks form.
Sift the flour(s) and baking powder over the egg yolk mixture, add the remaining caster sugar and beat to create a smooth paste.
Add a quarter of the whisked egg whites to the flour batter and beat in to slacken the mix.
Fold in the remaining egg whites gently, until no streaks remain but no longer than necessary to retain as much air as possible.
Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for 15-18 minutes until risen, puffy and springy when gently pressed.
Remove from the oven and immediately run a sharp knife around the rim of the tins to release the cake. They will shrink and deflate slightly on cooling.
Once cool, turn out the cake and carefully feel away the greaseproof paper ready for assembly.


Lemon Curd
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
115ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
Grated zest of 3 lemons
50g butter, at room temperature

Method – for the lemon curd
Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest in the base of a saucepan. Gently heat the mixture, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Continue to whisk until the mixture is a thick spreadable consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow to boil.
Remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk in the butter while the curd is still warm before covering the surface with cling film, so it touches the curd and prevents a skin forming. Refrigerate until cool.


Lemon Cream
330ml double cream
3 tbsp of the lemon curd
2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)

Method – for the lemon cream
Whip the cream and icing sugar (if using) until it starts to thicken. Add the lemon curd and whisk until soft peaks form.
(You don’t want it too stiff or it won’t spread over your cake easily).

To assemble the cake
Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and top with a quarter (4tbsp) of the lemon curd. Place another cake layer on top and spread over another quarter of the curd and top with the final cake layer.
Cover the top and side with a generous layer of the lemon cream. Decorate as you wish and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow the cream to stiffen.
Makes one 9inch/22cm cake. Serves 10-12

Chewy Toffee Choc Cookies

These cookies are thin, crisp and wonderfully chewy. When just baked, they have the flavour of butterscotch thanks to the use of the brown sugar and toffee pieces, and are bendy and chewy like toffee too. They loose some of their chew on the second day, so they are best eaten as fresh as possible.

They are very quick to make and the dough only requires blobbing onto baking trays before they spread and crisp up into golden discs in the oven. Their thinness makes them perfect for scooping up softly melting ice cream or other creamy desserts, but they taste equally good nibbled in the afternoons with a cup of tea.

If you can’t find toffee chips then some crushed butterscotch sweets or small cubes of fudge would work well too.

Chewy Toffee Choc Cookies
(Recipe adapted from Leiths Baking Bible by Prue Leith)

Ingredients
110g butter
85g caster sugar
85g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
140g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate or soda
60g chocolate chips
60g toffee chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C.
Cream the butter and both sugars together until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
Sift over the flour and bicarbonate and mix until combined.
Fold through the chocolate and toffee chips.
Place tablespoonfuls of the batter onto ungreased baking trays, leaving a 3inch/7cm gap between each to allow them to spread.
Bake for 8-10minutes until thin and golden in colour.
Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling wire almost immediately as they stick to the baking trays if left to cool.
Repeat with remaining mixture.
Best eaten within 2 days.
Makes 16-18 cookies.

The Adorable Blog Award

The lovely Rosie from Baking Cakes Galore has kindly given me The Adorable Blog Award. Thank you Rosie, it really made my day!

The rules for The Adorable Blog Award are:

“Nominate as many blogs which show adorability, cuteness and charm. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.”

I have many blogs that I read on a daily basis, their posts always offering a whole host of tempting treats and creative inspiration. I have decided to pass this award onto just two people – The Caked Crusader and Natalie from Snooky Doodle Cakes.

The Caked Crusader is always baking wonderful temping homely cakes and desserts, including some great classics, many of which bring back fond memories of my own childhood. You are always guaranteed to be drooling over your screen at her tasty treats, all generously topped off with custard and ice cream. Nothing beats a bit of pudding and custard when you’re feeling down.

Natalie of Snooky Doodle Cakes shows off her creative talents by producing beautifully decorated children’s birthday cakes and a range of other sweet treats. Her decorating skills are incredible.

Thanks girls for your culinary inspiration and for making me long for cake for breakfast whenever I visit your blogs in the mornings!

Apple Soufflé Pancakes

Pancake Day last week made me remember how much I love pancakes. Every year I tell myself I will eat them once than just that one day and hardly ever do. As pancakes were still fresh in my mind I decided to use them to make an easy light dessert – apple soufflé pancakes!

They are very simple to make and consist of a pancake filled with a meringue mixture that has been folded into some stewed apple. It’s then baked in the oven until the pancake is crisp and the inside puffy and set. It makes a wonderful light dessert, giving you that sweet treat without anything too stodgy. I love the contrast between the crisp pancake top and the soft; airy marshmallow like centre. Be sure to eat them immediately, as they can start to deflate slightly once out of the oven. They are not really soufflés but they way they puff up and then deflate slightly reminds me of soufflés, but you could call them apple meringue pancakes if you wish.
The recipes below make enough for around 8-10 pancakes and enough filling for 6 generous portions, so you will have a few pancakes left over, but I’m sure it won’t be hard to find some willing person to gobble them up with a bit of sugar and lemon.

Apple Soufflé Pancakes
For the pancakes
(Pancake recipe by Delia Smith)
110g plain flour
2 eggs
200ml milk
75ml water
50g butter

For the filling
2 egg whites
85g caster sugar
1 large cooking apple
1 tsp cinnamon
Extra caster sugar

Method
Firstly prepare the filling. Peel, core and dice the apple. Place in a pan with enough water to cover the base. Bring to a simmer and cook until all the apple has turned soft and mushy. Allow to cook until all the excess liquid has evaporated and you are left with a soft mush. Add a little sugar to taste, but leave it still lightly sharp. Set aside to cool.
To make the pancakes, sift the flour into a bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, whisking out any lumps. Mix the milk and water together and slowly whisk into the batter.
Melt the butter until liquid and stir half into the batter, keeping half back.
Add a small drizzle of the melted butter to a large frying pan and brush over the surface of the pan. Allow to get hot and then add a small ladleful of pancake batter to the pan and quickly swirl it around to create a thin circular pancake.
Allow to cook for around 45seconds before running a pallet knife around the edge of the pan and shaking gently to release it from the base of the pan.
Now either turn it over using the pallet knife or give it a toss in the air and catch it back into the pan. Allow to cook for a further 30-45 seconds until cooked.
Transfer to a plate and repeat with the reaming batter.
Once all your pancakes are made, preheat the oven to 200C.
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until foamy and soft peaks form. Slowly whisk in the caster sugar until a meringue has formed.
Spoon a third of the meringue into the stewed apple and fold in to slacken the mix. Then gently fold through the remaining meringue.
Lay a pancake in an ovenproof dish, with half the pancake draped over the side (at this stage you can brush the pancake with the booze of your choice – Amaretto or Cassis work well). Spoon a generous spoonful of the apple meringue onto the pancake half in the dish and fold over the other half of the pancake, sandwich style.
Scatter the top with some cinnamon and sugar and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until puffy and golden brown.
Once cooked, serve immediately as they can start to deflate once out of the oven.
Makes around 6 soufflé pancakes.

Daring Bakers February 2009 Challenge: Chocolate Valentino

When I saw this months challenge was a chocolate valentine I was highly curious as to what it was as it conjured up images of exploding chocolate volcanoes in my head. It turns out to be a rich, moist and wickedly chocolaty flourless chocolate cake – thankfully involving no volcanoes or explosions of any kind. (Yes I initially misread the title as a chocolate volcano!) It involves just 3 simple ingredients, chocolate, butter and eggs. No flour, no ground nuts and more surprisingly no added sugar! Yes that’s right, the only sweetness in this cake comes from the chocolate, so depending on how bitter or sweet you like your desserts determines on what type of chocolate you should use. Whatever cocoa percentage of chocolate you use, it should be good quality, as the chocolate really is the main flavour and ingredient of this cake – in involves a LOT of chocolate. I usually like my chocolate dark and intense, but the fact the recipe involved no added sugar left me feeling a little daunted, so I decided to go for a nice middle of the range 55% cocoa content, which I feel turned out just right.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

This month not content with just a chocolate cake to contend with but we were also given the choice of two vanilla ice creams to make to accompany the cake. I decided to go with Dharm’s ice cream recipe, as it used an egg yolk custard base and I had plenty of yolks left over from my latest Cake Slice challenge. I also flavoured my ice cream with Amaretto which added an interesting note as it melted on your tongue and I think it always pairs well with chocolate. I couldn’t resist dipping a spoon into the custard base before I tucked it away in the freezer, so creamy and comforting.

I decided to also make a simple warm chocolate sauce to drizzle over the slices of cake when serving, which I think made the dessert complete. The cake puffed up and cracked in the oven but slowly relaxed into a flat surface while cooling. It was moist and very dense, but not heavy. Despite its appearance, it actually had quite a light mouthfeel, similar to a just cooked brownie. The deep, slightly bitter chocolate flavour was really intense, which as a dark chocolate lover I adored, but it may have been a bit too bitter for some people, but I suppose you could always add mostly milk chocolate for a sweeter taste. I wonder if white chocolate would work? It’s definitely more of an after dinner dessert rather than an afternoon tea cake. I kept the cake on the counter but moved it to the fridge on the second day and after that it became more like a giant fudgy truffle – I think it would be great cut into little squares and served with coffee like this.

Thanks Wendy and Dharm for a tasty chocolate challenge. Click to view their creations along with the other Daring Bakers Cakes.

Flourless Chocolate Valentino

(Recipe from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan)

Ingredients
455g semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (around 55%)

145g unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated

Method

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. Remove from the heat once melted.

2. While the chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Grease an 8inch/20cm deep springform cake tin and line with a parchment circle. Preheat the oven to 190C.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks until thick and slightly pale.

6. Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and gently fold in the remaining two-thirds until no white remains. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 60C, or until the top of the cake looks like it has a thin sugary crust and a soft interior, similar to a brownie. A cake tester will appear wet.

9. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.


Dharm's Ice Cream Recipe - Classic Vanilla Ice Cream

(Recipe from the Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis)Ingredients

1 Vanilla Pod (or substitute with 1tsp vanilla extract)

300ml Semi Skimmed Milk.

4 large egg yolks

75g caster sugar

1 tsp corn flour

300ml Double Cream
(I added 1 tbsp Amaretto)

Method

1. Using a small knife slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuseLift the vanilla pod up. Holding it over the pan, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife so that they fall back into the milk. Set the vanilla pod aside and bring the milk back to the boil.

2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy.
3. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle hear, stirring all the time.

4. When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it into a clean bowl and stir in the Amaretto. Allow it to cool before refrigerating.

5a. By Hand: Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon. Fold it into the custard and pour into a plastic tub or similar freeze-proof container. Freeze for 6 hours, beating the mix every 2 hours to ensure a smooth and creamy texture or else the ice cream may be icy and coarse. Freeze until firm enough to scoop.

5b. For Ice Cream Maker: Stir the cream (not whisked) into the custard and churn the mixture until thick (follow instructions on your ice cream maker).

Simple Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients
100ml double cream
60g dark chocolate
2 tsp runny honey

Method
Heat the cream until small bubbles begin to appear. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and honey until smooth.
Serve warm.

Midweek Veggie Pizza

This pizza dough has become my favourite of all the recipes I have tried. It involves very little effort as the ingredients and mixed and then left in the fridge overnight before being used, meaning you don’t have to worry too much about kneading or proving times as it works its magic overnight and always produced a lovely elastic dough. The dough can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge meaning you can make it Sunday evening and then its all ready to go any evening of the week, whenever the pizza cravings kick in after a bad day, it can be on the table in under half an hour with no hassle. I think the dough actually improves over time and becomes more like a sourdough, it has a good crisp and slightly chewy crust and a great flavour. The tomato sauce can also be made in advance, so everything is ready to go and the only preparation required is forming the dough and adding a few topping. Faster than a takeaway and much tastier too.

The pizza is cooked at the highest temperature your oven can manage, meaning it’s done in only a matter of minutes. By placing a pizza stone or sturdy baking tray in the oven while it heats up to temperature, you then simply slide your pizza onto the hot tray and it immediately starts to cook and crisp up underneath, ensuring a lovely crisp crust – no more soggy bases!

Another great thing about pizzas is that you can put almost anything on them and I’ve found a whole host of ingredients which work well, if not considered a little unusual by some, including grated carrot and apple. This week’s find was beetroot, the fresh kind, not the pickled variety. I had some boiled beetroot sitting in the fridge and though – why not? So I added a few slices along with some peppers, mushrooms, red onion and slices of jarred artichoke hearts that were another fridge lingerer. I loved the taste of the beetroot, its short oven roasting really brought out its flavour and added a little zing against the other components and created a moody purple ring into the surrounding sauce. I don’t know why more restaurants don’t offer it as a pizza topping; I bet it would be fantastic finished with a bit of crumbled goats cheese.

Midweek Veggie Pizza
For the pizza dough
320g strong plain white flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp instant yeast
30ml olive oil
210ml water
2 tsp caster sugar

Tomato topping
1 onion
1 large can of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp sundried tomato paste
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings
2 mushrooms
2 artichoke hearts from a jar
½ red pepper
¼ red onion
Grated cheese or slices of mozzarella
1 cooked fresh beetroot (not pickled)

Method – For the pizza dough
Add the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl. Mix with your fingers and make a well in the centre.
Pour over the olive oil and water and mix together using the tips of your fingers until a sticky dough is formed.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth, around 5 minutes. The dough should become less sticky although still tacky to the touch.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with clingfilm. Place in the fridge overnight or up to 5 days.
Tear off chunks of dough when required. Enough for 3 x 9inch pizzas.

For the tomato topping
Peel and finely dice the onion. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and oregano. Cook until soft, then finely crush the garlic and add to the pan. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sundried tomato paste and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer for 15 minutes until the mixture has reduced and thickened.
Allow to cool in the pan, then transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge until required.
Makes enough sauce to cover 3 pizza bases.

To assemble
When ready to eat the pizza, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, usually around 250-275C. Place a pizza stone or baking tray into the oven to heat up.
Have a sheet of baking parchment or a silicone mat ready and dust the top with flour or fine cornmeal.
Lightly dust your hands with flour and tear off a third of the pizza dough. Gently stretch it, pulling from the middle outwards, to your desired thickness.
When the dough is quite thin, lay it onto a sheet of baking parchment or a silicone mat and pull into shape. (Can create a 9inch/23cm circle or 25cmx15cm rectangle).
Spread a third of the tomato sauce over the top, leaving a small rim around the edge.
Add slices of mushrooms and other assorted vegetables or meats of your choosing.
Grate or crumble the cheese of your choice over the top.
Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and quickly slide the sheet of baking parchment with your pizza on it, onto the baking tray and return to the oven.
Bake for 8-9 minutes until the crisp, golden brown and bubbling.
(If you pile lots of topping on, then baking may take a couple of minutes longer).
Eat and enjoy.

The Cake Slice February Cake: Southern Coconut Cake

This is Februarys cake of choice for The Cake Slice Bakers and what an unbelievable cake it was. It looks quite unassuming, all elegantly white and rather like a giant snowball which was perfect considering the snowy weather we had earlier this month. Don’t let its snowball appearance fool you into thinking it’s a plain boring cake, for it contains a whole host of wonderful flavours and textures. The cake layers themselves are so soft and tender thanks to the addition of coconut milk into the batter which gives it a fantastic smooth and sort of creamy mouthfeel. It is also made using only egg whites which resulted in a wonderfully light texture. This is going to sound odd, but imagine the feel of silky soft cotton wool on your skin, well it’s a bit like that, soft and smooth in your mouth – (without the nasty woolliness) I know its sounds strange but that was honestly the first thought that came into my head when I ate it. It’s got quite a close texture with no large air holes and yet it’s so light, I’ve never had a cake like it before.

The frosting was a new revelation for me too. It’s your basic cream cheese frosting, but it then has Italian meringue whisked into it which made it much lighter and allowed it to sort of melt on your tongue. Creamy and slightly sweet but without being too rich. I added the grated zest of a lime to my frosting too, as I think coconut and lime complement each other so well. It wasn’t obviously limey but it just added a subtle zesty undertone while still allowing the coconut to be the prominent flavour. A word of advice though is to ensure you use an American cream cheese when making the frosting, such as Philadelphia, I don’t normally suggest brands but I used a UK own brand first time but it sort of collapsed into a wet mess and I ended up with an icing that was more like soup and had to start again – lesson learned. I also reduced the sugar to 400g for the cake without any ill effects.

Topped off with desiccated or flaked coconut for a nice contrasting texture this cake was a joy to eat. I’ll be making it again soon as I’m sure it will be a hit with my family back home. Click to see the other Cake Slice Bakers coconut cakes.

Southern Coconut Cake
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne)
For the cake
5 egg whites
110ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
360g plain flour
475g caster sugar
4½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
220g butter at room temperature
225ml unsweetened coconut milk
250g desiccated or flaked coconut for decoration

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of three 8inch/20cm sandwich tins and set to one side.
Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk gently until slightly foamy but not so that they become white and fully aerated. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the soft butter and coconut milk and beat with an electric whisk until combined. Increase the speed and whisk for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Add the egg white mixture a third at a time, whisking well between each addition.
Divide the batter between the three tins and bake for 30 minutes until risen, springy when pressed and lightly golden in colour.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Cream cheese meringue buttercream frosting
(Use Philadelphia or other American brand of cream cheese – UK own brands for some reason collapse into a wet mess during this method)
350g cream cheese
200g butter at room temperature
125g icing sugar
2 tsp granulated or caster sugar
55ml water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites

Method
Beat the cream cheese and smooth and fluffy. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, beating well until combined.
Sift over the icing sugar and add the vanilla and mix until well incorporated. (Add any additional flavouring you wish – I added the grated zest of 1 lime).
Mix the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to bubble for 2-3 minutes until syrupy and measuring 112C on a sugar thermometer.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then slowly drizzle in the sugar syrup while combining to whisk until the syrup is all incorporated. Continue to beat until the mixture cools and a stiff meringue has formed.
Continue to whisk the meringue and beat in the cream cheese mixture a tablespoon at a time, beating well until smooth and fluffy.
To assemble
Place one cake layer on the serving plate and cover generously with the meringue buttercream. Top with another cake layer, more buttercream and the final cake layer.
Use the remaining buttecream to completely cover the top and sides of the cake.
Scatter the desiccated or shredded coconut over the top of the cake and press it onto the sides using a cupped hand (I sort of tossed mine at the sides and scooped up any bits that fell off).
Place the cake in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before serving to allow the buttercream to firm up.
Takes even better the next day when the flavours have melded together.
Serves 12 generously.

Individual Apple & Cinnamon Oat Crumbles

Today is my blogs 2nd birthday! I can’t believe it’s rolled round again so quickly. It doesn’t feel as though 12 months have passed since I made the spiced apple cake for the blogs 1st birthday last year. Keeping with the apple and spice tradition, and as I’m still in the ‘everything individual is so cute’ stage I decided to make some apple and cinnamon crumbles to celebrate.

These were so quick to make as no pre cooking of the apple is required. I didn’t think they would need it as the crumbles are baked in individual ramekins and so would get a good heat exposure on all sides. It’s simply a matter of chopping the apple and topping with crumble mix before baking. You can be eating it in under an hour which is always a bonus when you get the sudden urge for something sweet. I think it’s nice to get a whole individual dessert to yourself, rather than having a spoonful out of a bigger dish, as I find it seems to satisfy me without creating the urge to go back and have another scoop as can happen with bigger dishes. Plus it prevents squabbles that someone has got more topping than someone else or they’ve taken the crispy edge bit that they wanted.

I found some new cooking apples in my local market recently, not the usual Bramleys I often get and I found them to be much sweeter than normal cooking apples (can’t remember what they are called though – sorry). So much so that I didn’t add any sugar to the apple mix itself, as I like my apple to be a little tangy. However, if using Bramleys I would suggest tossing the apple in a tablespoon of caster sugar before you use it, to prevent it from being too sharp. Served with a little cream or custard these make wonderful quick and tasty desserts.

Individual Apple & Cinnamon Oat Crumbles
Ingredients
2 medium or 1 very large cooking apple
100g rolled oats
75g butter
150g plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon
100g soft brown sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Peel, core and finely dice the apple. Depending on the sharpness of your apple, toss in a tablespoon of caster sugar or if sweet then leave plain. Divide the apple between 4 ramekins.
Add the rest of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and rub the butter into the flour-sugar-oat mixture until it resembles crumbs.
Scatter handfuls of the crumble mixture over the top of the apples, pressing down lightly.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and the crumble has turned golden brown.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with custard, cream or ice cream.
Makes 4
Update: I have since found out that the apples I used are called Howgate Wonder.