Delicious Seed Cake

I've used this recipe of Delia Smith's as a basis for some experimentation.

As is the recipe makes a brilliant old fashioned seed cake.

110 grams Butter

110 grams Sugar

Two eggs

150 grams wheat

25 ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

Some demerara sugar

Some flaked almonds

Basic batter making: Beat butter and sugar together and add the eggs. After that the wheat, baking powder and salt follows. Lastly gently add the caraway seeds and almonds into the mix. Add some milk to give the batter the right consistency (use own judgement) and drop into tin. Sprinkle demerara sugar and flaked almonds over the cake. Bake for 50-60 mins at 180°C or 350°F or until the cake is golden and the sides have started shrinking from the sides of the tin.

You can also skip the caraway seeds and add two tablespoons fresh, shredded ginger and the zest from one lime to make a very nice ginger and lime cake. In that case I recommend skipping the almond flakes on top and replace them with some lime zest.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

From here.

Paired with a glass of Champagne or a cup of hot coffee, this dense cake is a lovely conclusion to a special meal.

Ingredients:

For the torte:

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, plus 12 hazelnuts for garnish
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
    temperature
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

For the glaze:

• 9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
    temperature, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 Tbs. light corn syrup

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round springform cake pan.

To make the torte, spread the 1/2 cup hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. While the nuts are still warm, place them in a kitchen towel and rub with the towel to remove the skins. Do not worry if bits of skin remain. Set aside.

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over but not touching gently simmering water in a saucepan. Stir often until the chocolate melts, then remove from the heat.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, combine the skinned nuts with the 2/3 cup sugar. Pulse until finely ground. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Let cool; then add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa. Stir into the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the 2 Tbs. sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-fourth of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whites just until no white streaks remain. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.

To make the glaze, combine the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl set over but not touching gently simmering water in a saucepan. Stir often until the chocolate melts, then remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Let cool, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes; the glaze will thicken slightly.

Set the rack over a baking sheet, invert the torte onto the rack and lift off the pan. Pour on the glaze, tilting the torte to coat the top and sides completely. When the glaze stops dripping, place the 12 hazelnuts around the top of the cake. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Winter, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

Blueberry Pie (Cook's Illustrated)

Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

When perfecting our blueberry pie recipe, we found that adding a peeled, grated Granny Smith apple, rich in pectin, helped thicken the berries and enhance their flavor.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

This recipe was developed using fresh blueberries, but unthawed frozen blueberries (our favorite brands are Wyman’s and Cascadian Farm) will work as well. In step 4, cook half the frozen berries over medium-high heat, without mashing, until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Grind the tapioca to a powder in a spice grinder or mini food processor. If using pearl tapioca, reduce the amount to 5 teaspoons. Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor; do not substitute.

INGREDIENTS

• Foolproof Pie Dough
• 2 1/2cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus more for work surface
• 1teaspoon table salt
• 2tablespoons sugar
• 12tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2cup vegetable shortening , cold, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4cup vodka , cold (see note)
• 1/4cup cold water
• Blueberry Filling
• 6cups fresh blueberries (about 30 ounces) (see note)
• 1Granny Smith apple , peeled and grated on large holes of box grater
• 2teaspoons grated zest and 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 3/4cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 2tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca , ground (see note)
• pinch table salt
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1large egg , lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. For The Pie Dough: Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. 2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into 2 even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. 3. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate while preparing filling until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

4. 4. For The Filling: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 3 cups berries in medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Using potato masher, mash berries several times to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally, until about half of berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

5. 5. Place grated apple in clean kitchen towel and wring dry. Transfer apple to large bowl. Add cooked berries, remaining 3 cups uncooked berries, lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca, and salt; toss to combine. Transfer mixture to dough-lined pie plate and scatter butter pieces over filling.

6. 6. Roll out second disk of dough on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 11-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using 1 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut round from center of dough. Cut another 6 rounds from dough, 1 1/2 inches from edge of center hole and equally spaced around center hole. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least 1/2-inch overhang on each side.

7. 7. Using kitchen shears, trim bottom layer of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg mixture. If dough is very soft, chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

8. 8. Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

RECIPE TESTING

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

• 

  Pretty But Pasty
  

  Too much tapioca (or the wrong thickener, such as flour or cornstarch) results in a filling that holds its shape but tastes gluey and dull.

• 

  Fresh But Soupy
  

  With no thickener at all, there is plenty of fresh berry flavor, but the filling is loose and runny.

TECHNIQUE

NO-FUSS TOP CRUST

• 

  We used a 1 1/4-inch biscuit cutter to cut holes in the dough, but a spice-jar lid will also do the trick.

THE APPLE OF MY PIE

When making our blueberry pie filling, we found that if we used more than 2 tablespoons of tapioca, the texture of the filling took on a gummy consistency we didn’t like. But 2 tablespoons or less resulted in a filling that was too loose. Could we solve this problem with pectin, a gentle thickener that occurs naturally in fruit?

EXPERIMENT

As a control, we thickened one pie with 2 tablespoons tapioca. We then compared it with a second pie thickened with 2 tablespoons tapioca and a grated apple, which is high in pectin and has a mild flavor. (We hoped that grating the apple would make it less noticeable in the baked pie.)

RESULTS

As expected, the pie thickened with tapioca alone was loose and soupy. But the pie thickened with tapioca plus an apple had a naturally gelled texture that was just right. The apple bits seemed to melt into the berry filling during baking, boosting fruity flavor but leaving no textural sign of their presence.

EXPLANATION

Pectin is a natural substance, found in fruits and vegetables, that creates structure in a plant by helping to bind its cell walls together. This same substance is used to thicken jams and jellies into a set, but soft, mass. Pectin content varies from fruit to fruit and also within a plant (more pectin is found in the skin of a fruit than in its flesh, for example). Apples are a great source of pectin because they contain high levels of high-methoxy pectin, the best natural pectin for making gels. By mashing some of the blueberries and grating the apple, we helped to release the pectin from the fruits’ cell walls so that it could thicken the pie filling.

• 

  ON THE LOOSE
  Pie filling thickened without enough tapioca won't firm up. But too much tapioca leads to gumminess.

• 

  ALL FIRMED UP
  A little tapioca plus a grated apple created a juicy but sliceable filling.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

From allrecipes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.
3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Hamburger buns

Hamburger Buns Gourmet | June 2008

Adapted from Joyce McClelland

We couldn't pass up the chance to resurrect this recipe, first published in 2002. It's from reader Joyce McClelland, of Terre Haute, Indiana, and it's been handed down in her family for generations. We like to think that we're handing it down in our family, too. Yield: Makes bout 16 buns Active Time: 30 min Total Time: 5 1/2 hr 2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup warm water (105-115°F) 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp sugar, divided 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon salt 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash Equipment: a stand mixer with paddle and dough-hook attachments; a 3-inch round cookie cutter Bring milk to a bare simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool to 105 to 115°F. Meanwhile, stir together warm water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar in mixer bowl until yeast has dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Add butter, warm milk, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to yeast mixture and mix with paddle attachment at low speed until butter has melted, then mix in eggs until combined well. Add salt and 4 cups flour and mix, scraping down side of bowl as necessary, until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and beat in remaining 2 cups flour at medium speed until dough pulls away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes; if necessary, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time. Beat 5 minutes more. (Dough will be sticky.) Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled, about 2 1/2 hours. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Punch down dough, then roll out on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with floured cutter and arrange 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Gather and reroll scraps, then cut out more rounds. Loosely cover buns with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until they hold a finger mark when gently poked, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush buns with egg wash and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are golden and undersides are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 14 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely. Cooks' notes: ·If you don't have a stand mixer, stir ingredients together in same sequence with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes. ·Buns can be frozen, wrapped well, up to 1 month.

Notes: 
1. Heat milk  with butter in just until butter is melting.
2. Double the amount of yeast
3. Form buns into balls by hand
4. Let it rise for a long time!!!

No Knead Bread

Can be found at Steamy Kitchen with an adorable chef:

No Knead Bread Recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman of NY Times who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery. When the recipe first came out, it was the blogging community who took the bread to new heights, especially Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible. I followed Rose's experiments through the weeks and learned from her recipe adjustments and the why's of how this bread works.

ingredients:

3 cups bread flour (I like Harvest King bread flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water

Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)

directions:

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot, using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)

Baguette

This recipe was found at food.com

Ingredients:
1 (1/4 ounce) packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water (105 -115 F)
4 -4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
1 In a large bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2 With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups flour until combined.
3 Stir in salt and 2 cups of remaining flour until mixture forms a stiff dough.
4 On a lightly floured surface knead dough with lightly floured hands 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, kneading in enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour to keep dough from sticking.
5 Transfer dough to a lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat with oil, and let rise, bowl covered with plastic wrap, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
6 Preheat oven to 475-500°F (My oven does best with 475°, but it runs hot).
7 Punch down dough and form into a long slender loaf about 21 inches long and 3 inches wide.
8 You can also form individual mini-loaves.
9 Put loaf diagonally on a lightly greased large or 17 x 14-inch baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, about 30 minutes.
10 (Baguette may be made up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled.) Make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes on loaf with a razor and lightly brush top with cool water.
11 Bake loaf in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped, and transfer to a rack to cool.
12 Notes: For a chewy interior and perfect, crusty exterior, place a dutch oven filled with water in oven as it preheats for about an hour.
13 The humid enviroment will ensure the texture comes out right.
14 Baking stones don't hurt either.
15 If you don't want to put water into the oven, you can use a spray mister to keep the enviroment moist as it cooks.
Notes:

i) I used a 12g package of dry yeast. According to the instructions on the packet I mixed the dry yeast with the flour separately. I mixed the warm water, salt, and sugar also separately. I stirred the water vigorously so that the salt and sugar dissolved. I poured the water mixture over the yeast/flour mixture and blended them.
ii) I let the dough rise for 3-4 hours
iii) I didn´t grease the bowl and I didn´t grease the ban. I put milk on top of the bread instead of water before putting it in the oven