Here are some last minute recipes for Thanksgiving including savory as well as sweet, from side dishes to desserts as well as breakfast treats. Most can be made ahead to save you time.
Want more Holiday Recipes? Check out our Holiday Roundup!
Here are some last minute recipes for Thanksgiving including savory as well as sweet, from side dishes to desserts as well as breakfast treats. Most can be made ahead to save you time.
Want more Holiday Recipes? Check out our Holiday Roundup!
These Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Two Ways with their subtle spicing are an easy recipe that take no time to make but yield great taste. This make ahead, foolproof dough can go from dinner roll to breakfast roll with the addition of one ingredient.
To make Thanksgiving easier, these golden, soft and fluffy pumpkin rolls can be made ahead and frozen.
Back Row: Flour,milk and canned pumpkin. Second from Back Row: honey, instant mashed potato flakes, egg, butter. Third from Back Row: cloves, salt, ginger, vanilla. Front Row: nutmeg, instant yeast, cinnamon
See recipe for exact amounts of ingredients for the Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Step 1. The milk, butter, honey and instant mashed potato flakes in a saucepan after being heated together. They should be cooled to room temperature before using.
Step 2. The pumpkin, egg and vanilla in the mixing bowl.
Step 3: The pumpkin, egg an vanilla are blended together in the mixing bowl.
Step 4. The cooled milk mixture is added to the pumpkin mixture in the mixing bowl.
Step 5. The mixtures in steps 3 and 4 are combined in the mixing bowl.
Step 6. The flour, spices, salt, and yeast should be whisked together before adding to the liquid in the mixing bowl.
Step 7. The flour with spices and yeast are added to to the mixing bowl.
Step 8. The dough is completely mixed and cleans the bowl. It is soft and a bit sticky and that is how it should be.
Step 9. The dough is place in a container that has been sprayed with a non-stick baking release. It is covered directly with plastic wrap and a lid. It will take 2 ½ to 3 hours to double in bulk. At this point refrigerate the dough for 5 to 6 hours, overnight or up to 3 days before shaping.
Step 10. After chilling, the dough is divided into 10 equal pieces by weight.
Step 11. Alternatively, the dough can be rolled into a 10" log and then cut into 10 equal pieces.
Step 12. Take one piece of dough and flatten into a round. Gather the edges and bring them to the center of the dough. Pinch them together so there are no loose ends.
Step 13. The roll has been turned over so the pinched edges are now on the bottom.
Step 14. The roll is partially covered with a cupped hand for the final shaping.
Step 15. The roll is completely covered with the cupped palm of your hand. It is rotated, with moderate pressure on the roll, counter clockwise in a circle several times to seal the edges under-neath. Repeat the circling until the bottom is even and no edges are sticking out.
Step 16. The shaped dinner roll.
Step 17. Ten Pumpkin dinner rolls on a half sheet tray.
Step 18. The rolls are covered while they rise.
Step 19. The risen dinner rolls that have been brushed with egg wash. Five of them are halfway finished with Swedish Pearl Sugar for breakfast rolls. The easiest way to do this is cup your hand behind the roll and generously apply the sugar getting as far down to the bottom as possible.
Step 20. The tray was turn around so the unsugared part is facing you and the Swedish Pearl Sugar is applied again to completely cover the roll. Press the sugar in lightly to make sure that it adheres to the egg wash. Place in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes.
Step 21. Swedish Pearl Sugar is a specialty baking sugar that adds sweetness as well as crunch to baked goods. It is snow white and doesn't melt in the oven. It is one of my favorite ways to finish sweet breads.
Step 21. The Pumpkin Dinner Rolls and the Pumpkin Breakfast Rolls are baked.
See recipe for exact amounts of ingredients.
Sanding sugar can be substituted for the Swedish Pearl Sugar. It will not have the same visual effect but will still be very good.
These Dinner Rolls can be baked, cooled and frozen. Wrap well and store for several months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. The Breakfast Rolls can also be frozen but be especially careful when wrapping as the sugar decor can come off easily.
This Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart is a twist on the traditional pecan pie and is the perfect tart to sit next to a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The toasted pecans are sandwiched between a deep chocolate ganache and a homemade caramel, which is very easy to make.
The entire tart can be made ahead in steps or can be frozen in its entirety a month ahead making Thanksgiving that much easier.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]CLOCKWISE: Flour, granulated sugar, egg yolks, unsalted butter
BACK ROW: Semisweet chocolate, heavy cream
FRONT ROW: Corn syrup, unsalted butter
BACK ROW: Semi Sweet Chocolate, heavy cream
FRONT ROW: Butter, corn syrup and pecan halves
BACK ROW: Water, granulated sugar, heavy cream
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter, vanilla, corn syrup
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
Step 1. The unbaked Pate Sucree Crust ready to be baked.
Step 2. Foil is sprayed prior to lining the unbaked crust.
Step 3. The foil is flipped over so the sprayed side is touching the pastry. Fit the foil to the crust.
Step 4. It is important that beans or other weights fill the foil lined crust to the top.
Step 5. The weighted crust is placed on a rimmed baking sheet for easy handling in and out of the oven.
Step 6. The baked crust after the weights are removed. A crack in the crust may appear if slightly over-baked as it does here. That's fine as long as it doesn't go all the way through to the pan.
The Dark Satin Ganache is used in many recipes on this blog. Australia's favorite snack, Lamingtons. See my American take on the Lamington Torte using this ganache.
Using the ingredients listed in the Recipe Card, go to the Lamington Torte for process shots of the ganache.
Step 7. The chocolate ganache covers the bottom of the tart shell. Refrigerate or freeze until the top is just set. Do not let it get solid. Reserve the remainder of the ganache. Keep it at room temperature.
Step 8. Pecan halves cover the chocolate ganache. Press them in lightly so they adhere to the ganache.
Using the ingredients listed in the Recipe Card, go to Caramel A Building Block of Pastry for process shots.
Step 9. Freshly made caramel is poured over the pecans with the resultant air bubbles popping up.
Step 10. Breaking the air bubbles on the caramel layer with a toothpick.
Step 11. Piping an edge around the tart with the reserved chocolate ganache.
Step 12. The Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart completely edged. Refrigerate to set.
It is important when making caramel to use a candy thermometer or one that will go to at least 350°F. Caramel will be thinner or thicker depending upon the temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
The beans or pie weights keep the bottom flat and the sides from sliding down the side of the tart pan. It is important to line the unbaked shell with foil (do not use parchment paper, it isn't strong enough) that has been sprayed on the side that touches the crust. Fill the pan to the very top with the beans or pie weights. Follow the baking directions given.
Yes, there is the dry method and the wet method. The dry method melts and browns the sugar in a heavy pan - preferably cast iron. This is tricky, since some of the sugar melts faster than other and it can granulate easily. The wet method adds water to the sugar to make it easier for the sugar to melt and color uniformly.
The taste of the caramel depends upon how deep the color of the sugar is. A very light color will not have a lot of taste. The deeper the color the more intense the taste.
Caramel can become grainy when even one grain of grain of sugar is not dissolved. Washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush and cold water helps remove any grains stuck to the sides of the pan. Another aid is to add corn syrup which is a invert sugar. It is used in candy making to prevent granulation.
This pecan tart can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature to serve. It can also be frozen completely made. After it is made, freeze it, wrap well and store for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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This Pâte Sucrée Crust, with its sugar and egg yolk, is light, crisp, tender, slightly sweet, and sturdy enough to hold custards, creams, frangipane and curd fillings among others. It is a building block and master pastry for all sweet tarts.
It can be used for full size tarts as well as mini tarts and is easier than most tart shells to make. Four pantry ingredients is all it takes for this fantastic French crust. The Cinnamon Whiskey Tart, Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart, and the Peach Curd Tart are all good examples of this tart shell.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]There are three main French pastry crusts. Each one has its own particular use. All of them use the same ingredients but the method of putting them together makes the difference.
Clockwise from: Unsalted Butter, All Purpose Flour, Sugar and Egg Yolks
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.
Step 1. This is a 9 x 1 inch tart pan with a removable bottom which makes removing the tart a cinch. Step 2. Cut the butter legnth-wise, then crosswise into smaller pieces. Refrigerate to keep cold. Step 3. Pulse the flour in the food processor several times. Step 4. Distribute the cold butter in a circle over the flour.
Step 5. Process to cut the butter into the flour so that it is indistinguishable. Step 6. Pour the sugar over the flour/butter mixture in the food processor. Pulse several times to mix. Step 7. Add the egg yolks to the food processor. Step 8. Process the ingredients until they form a ball. Rearrange the dough as needed if it isn't forming a ball.
Step 9. Divide the pastry in half. Divide one half into half again making l large piece and two smaller pieces. Step 10. Spray the center of the tart pan only. Roll one piece of the smaller ball into a 14" rope. Step 11. Place the rope of pastry on one side of the tart pan going a little over halfway around the inside. Step 12. Place the second rope along the other edge making sure the ends overlap by about 1". Press them together firmly.
Step 13. Press the ropes along the sides of the pan. Step 14. Press the bottom edge out towards the center for about and inch. Step 15. Flatten the remaining piece of pastry and press it out to meet the pastry at the edge of the pan. Step 16. Press the side and bottom edges together so no seam shows.
Step 17. With the heel of your hand, press the bottom crust so it is perfectly smooth. Then press down on the top edge of the pan so it is even with the pan. Chill the pastry until very cold or frozen. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Step 18. Spray a large piece of foil with a non-stick baking spray. Step 19. Place the foil, sprayed side down into the pan. Press the edges of the foil against the pastry. Step 20. Fill the shell with pie weights or beans.
Step 21. Lift the 4 corners of the foil. Step 21. Remove the weights from the shell. Step 23. A partially or par baked shell that will be filled and baked. Step 24. The fully baked shell ready to fill.
Pâté Sucrée is French for sweet dough that is used for tarts. including fruit tarts and tarts with creamy filling. Although light and crisp in texture, it stays intact for creamy fillings and fruit tarts.
The shortcrust has more butter in the recipe resulting in a more flaky and crumbly baked shell requiring firmer fillings.
An American pie crust is usually made with shortening, not butter and has no sugar. Pea size pieces of shortening left in the finished dough makes it very flaky and tender. Pâté Sucrée is made with butter and sugar which are creamed together.
The pâté sucrée crust can be baked immediately filled or unfilled or it can be frozen, well wrapped for several months to use later.
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These Cranberry Orange Muffins are a variation of the Cranberry Vanilla Muffins which are equally good. Cranberries team up well with other fruits especially orange and nowhere better than in these muffins.
One of my most favorite things about Fall is cranberries arriving around the middle of October and this is a perfect recipe to use them in. Other recipes featuring cranberries on my blog you might want to try are, Cranapple PIe, Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tart and Cranberry Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake. My Basic Muffin Mix allows you to tailor your muffins to your preferences.
From Left to Right. Back Row: All-purpose flour, cranberries. Middle Row: Butter, eggs, granulated sugar, milk. Front Row: orange zest, baking powder, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt.
Step 1. Butter and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.
Step 2. The butter and sugar creamed together.
Step 3. The vanilla and almond extracts along with the orange zest are added to the creamed mixture.
Step 4. The extracts and zest added to the creamed mixture.
Step 5. One egg at a time is beaten into the batter.
Step 6. After both eggs are added the batter will most likely look curdled. That will be fixed in the next step.
Step 7. The baking powder and salt to be mixed with the flour.
Step 8. The first third of flour added to the mixing bowl. The flour will be added alternately with the milk.
Step 9. The first third of the flour mixed in.
Step 10. The first half of the milk added.
Step 11. The finished batter after 3 additions of flour alternating with 2 of milk.
Step 12. The frozen cranberries are placed inside a food processor.
Step 13. The frozen cranberries are pulsed in the processor to make smaller pieces.
Step 14. The cranberries are added to the batter in the mixing bowl.
Step 15. The muffins are filled ¾ full. This applies to either the mini, regular or Texas size muffins.
Step 16. Sanding sugar is sprinkled liberally on top to add a bit of crunch.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions
The number of muffins will increase if adding either of these.
These muffins can be stored for several days at room temperature or frozen for longer storage. Thaw at room temperature.
Freezing the cranberries before adding them to the batter keeps the batter from turning that dreaded gray color from fruit juices. Chopping them in the food processor and immediately adding them to the batter and filling the muffin tins keeps the color vibrant and inviting.
To use or not to use paper liners? The muffins bake up softer and stay more moist if paper liners are used. If they are baked directly in sprayed pans, they brown much faster and the outside of the muffins are sturdier.
This quick, easy Pumpkin Cake Donut Recipe doesn't get any faster. With no yeast to wait for, these are ready in no time. They stay fresh for days. No cake donut pan? No problem. There's a work around below.
This old fashioned cake doughnut recipe was inspired by another fall favorite, Apple or Crumb Cake Doughnuts which I'm sure you'd enjoy also. All of the cake donuts are baked and not fried.
Back Row: flour, brown sugar. Front Row: sugar, butter, salt
Step 1. Butter, brown and granulated sugars, salt in a mixing bowl
Step 2. The butter, sugars and salt creamed together.
Step 3. Add the flour all at once and mix on medium to form crumbs. Don't over-mix or it will become a paste. Refrigerate until needed.
Front Row: vanilla, baking soda. Third Row: ginger, oil, pumpkin puree, nutmeg. Second Row: salt, cloves, baking powder, cinnamon. Front Row: vanilla, baking soda.
Step 1. Spray 2 cake donut pans with a non-stick baking release and set aside. Alternatively, spray a 12 well, regular size muffin tin. Set aside.
Step 2. The dry ingredients for the pumpkin batter. Whisk together.
Step 3. The oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla in the mixing bowl.
Step 4. Pumpkin batter mixed.
Step 5. The crumbs from above are divided between the 12 cake donut wells.
Step 6. Spoon or pipe the batter over the crumbs. It is easier to pipe the batter using a piping bag or heavy plastic food bag with the tip cut off.
Step 7. If using a muffin tin, place the crumbs on the bottom and fill about ¾ full.
Step 8. Baked cake donuts cooling on a rack before dusting with powdered sugar.
These will keep for several days at room temperature. The powder sugar may need to be replenished. For longer storage, freeze without the powdered sugar. Thaw at room temperature and then powder sugar.
If you don't have the cake donut pan, a regular size muffin tin will do. It will take a few minutes longer to bake because of the depth. Both will make 12.
Gateau Breton is destined to become one of your favorites. An easily made butter pastry sandwiches a fruit filling that can be served for breakfast, as a great dessert, a snack or, if you’re like me, just have a piece whenever.
This marvelous French pastry comes from the Bretagne region of France; which is known for its butter and sea salt. Interestingly enough, unlike most pastry recipes, salted butter is preferred over unsalted for this recipe, particularly salted European Butter.
Prune Filling
BACK ROW: Prunes, powdered sugar.
MIDDLE ROW : Vanilla, water, dark rum.
FRONT ROW: Butter
Step 1. The prunes and water are placed in a small saucepan.
Step 2. Prunes and water boiling.
Step 3. The prunes are cooked until just a little water is left in the pan.
Step 4. The prunes are mashed with a fork while they are hot.
Step 5. The remainder of the filling ingredients are added to the mashed prunes.
Step 6. The finished filling.
For a complete list of ingredients and amounts please see the recipe card.
Pastry for Gateau Breton
BACK ROW: Flour
MIDDLE ROW: Butter and egg yolks,
FRONT ROW: Sugar
For a complete list of ingredients and amounts please see the recipe card.
Step 1. Line an 8" round cake pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
Step 2. Draw an 8" circle on parchment paper. Turn it upside down and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 3. Cut butter in small pieces and keep refrigerated until needed.
Step 4. Reserve one egg yolk, covered and refrigerated.
Step 5. Place the flour and sugar in the bowl of the processor. Pulse several times to mix.
Step 6. Refrigerated butter is added to the processor.
Step 7. The butter is processed until it is indistinguisable. Do not let it form a ball.
Step 8. Five eggs are added to the processor.
Step 9. The pastry for the Gateau Breton is processed to mix completely. Be sure to scrape down and rearrange as needed until it comes together. Remove from the processor.
Step 10. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Place one disc in the bottom of the pan. If it is too soft, refrigerate briefly to firm it up slightly.
Step 11. Cover the disc with plastic wrap and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Remove the plastic wrap.
Step 12. Spread the filling to within ¾" of the edge of the pastry.
Step 13. Place the second half of the pastry in the middle of the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Place parchment paper or wax paper over the pastry and roll it out to fit the circle. Flip the paper over so the bottom is on top and refrigerate until firm but not hard.
Step 14. Moisten the edge of the pastry with water.
Step 15. Place the top crust over the filling. The edges of the top and bottom are pressed together. Make a cross hatch design on the top and brush with the egg wash.
Step 16. Bake the Gateau Breton for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is a medium brown. Cover loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly. Cool to lukewarm. Go around the edges of the pan with a small metal spatula and turn out. Cool completely on a rack.
NOTE: If the pastry is very soft coming from the processor, chill it just until firm enough to press in and roll out. Do not let it get completely hard or the large amount of butter in the pastry will make it difficult to roll out.
The pastry will keep for at least 5 days at room temperature if kept covered.
This Hazelnut Gianduja Cake is the perfect celebration or holiday cake and the updated methods and instructions make it completely approachable and doable for the home baker. The cake recipe consists of several component parts and three of the four can be made ahead. Actually, the entire cake can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen if desired.
Hazelnut Gianduja Cake is modeled on a European style Gianduja Torte featuring a hazelnut butter sponge, washed with a coffee syrup and finished with an almost cloud like chocolate hazelnut buttercream. The cake is rich but not overwhelming sweet, which is one of the reasons European cakes often differ from American cakes.
The buttercream recipe for this cake is based upon the Viennese Buttercream used for the Dobos Torte. A few quick turns in the processor and the buttercream is light in texture, smooth and intense. It's amazingly simple and literally melts on your tongue.
Hazelnut Butter Sponge
Back Row: Egg whites, flour, egg yolks, sugar. Middle Row: Sugar, ground hazelnuts, butter. Front row: vanilla, baking powder
Coffee Syrup
Hazelnut Gianduja Cake Buttercream and Decor
See recipe card for quantities.
Most hazelnuts are bought with the skins on. They should be toasted until deep golden brown and fragrant.
Hazelnuts straight out of the oven are skinned easily by placing them in the bowl of a mixer and mixing on medium for several minutes to remove the skins.
Separate the hazelnuts from the skins. As you can see some skins stubbornly cling to a few of the nuts but that's fine. Cool completely before proceeding.
Place the nuts in the food processor and process until finely ground. Be careful not to over process or they can turn into a paste.
Place the flour and baking powder in the processor with the hazelnuts. Process to further pulverize the nuts as fine as possible and mix the ingredients. Set aside.
Place the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in the mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat the mixture until very, very light and the mixture forms a ribbon as it drops from the whisk.
Place the egg whites in a clean bowl with a clean whisk. The egg whites should be beaten to the point the whisk attachment starts forming lines. Add the sugar a bit at a time and beat to the soft peak stage.
Pour the beaten egg yolks over the whites. Add half of the flour/nut mixture over the beaten egg whites. Fold in about ¾ of the way. Add the remaining flour/nut mixture and fold in.
Place about a 1 cup of the sponge in a medium size bowl.
Add the melted butter and whisk in until the butter is completely blended in the the mixture is emulsified. Return this to the main amount of batter in the bowl and fold in.
Divide the batter between 3 prepared pans. Bake until the layers spring back when lightly touched and a tester comes out cleanly. Do not overbake.
Coffee syrup adds another layer of flavor the the Hazelnut Gianduja Cake
Back Row: Sugar, water. Front Row: Instant Coffee, Kahlua
Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan to make a simple syrup.
When the syrup comes to a rolling boil, wash the sides of the pan down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to remove any sugar crystals.
Dissolve the coffee in the Kahlua.
Add the coffee/Kahlua mixture to the simple syrup. Cool completely.
Hazelnut Gianduja Cake Buttercream
Back Row: Cream, semisweet chocolate, nutella. Middle Row: Unsalted butter. Front Row: Kahlua, powdered sugar, vanilla
Melt the chocolate over hot water or in the microwave at half power. Cool slightly and place in the bowl of a processor.
Place the cut up butter, which has been out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes over the chocolate.
Process the chocolate and butter together.
Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until smooth, scraping down once or twice.
The finished buttercream is very light and smooth but will hold its shape.
Hazelnudt Gianduja Cake Decor
Semisweet chocolate coarsely ground in the processor for the cake decor.
Hazelnuts coarsely ground in processor for deco. Combine and place in the freezer until needed.
Assembly
Turn the frozen cake layers upside down, remove the parchment paper and brush each one with ⅓ of the coffee syrup.
Spread ½ cup buttercream over the bottom layer of the cake. Repeat with the second layer.
Place the third layer on, coffee side down.
Finish the sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Reserve about ⅔ cup of buttercream and use the rest to finish the top.
Mark the top of the cake in a 6" circle.
Chocolate-Hazelnut decor added to the edges and sides of the cake.
The inner edge of the top of the cake piped with the reserved buttercream.
Hint: To easily remove the last of the buttercream from the processor bowl and blade, go the Food Processor Tips When Baking
If hazelnuts aren't your thing, then substitute blanched almonds, toasting them as are the hazelnuts. Or, half almonds and half hazelnuts can be used.
If you don't want to use the Kahlua, substitute water in the same amount and double the instant coffee.
The Hazelnut Gianduja Cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours and then refrigerated. It can also be made in its entirety and frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator, covered if possible, overnight.
When working with sponge cakes, it is best to freeze the layers before filling and finishing the cake. It makes them much more stable and the resulting look of the cake much better.
Can all-purpose flour be used instead of cake flour? It can but the resulting cake will not be as tender. The cake flour has a lower protein count which makes it softer which is why it is important to some cakes.
Can anything be substituted for the Nutella? Go to Dobos Torte - A Hungarian Speciality and use the Chocolate Buttercream in that recipe.
Why is there baking powder in this sponge? I didn't think sponge cake used a leavening agent. Normally they don't. However, the addition of the butter in this sponge can cause the sponge layers to bake up shorter. This is especially true for novice bakers who are just learning the technique of folding ingredients together. The addition of the baking powder is an aid to getting the right outcome.
Why emulsify the butter with a small amount of cake batter? Melted butter added to a sponge or genoise cake can cause problems if folded in by itself. Because the butter is heavy, it immediately sinks to the bottom of the mixing bowl if added by itself. It is difficult to fold it in completely without knocking much of the air out of the batter resulting in a rubbery layer at the bottom of the baked cake layers. By removing a small amount of the batter and whisking the butter into it, the butter becomes one with the sponge batter making it much easier to return to the main amount of batter and fold it in.
What does Gianduja mean? The word Gianduja refers to a combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. It comes from the Piedmont district in Italy. It was created in 1806 i Turin as a way to reduce the amount of cocoa used in making chocolates. In today's world, white, milk or dark chocolate can be used.
Is Gianduja the Same as Nutella? They both share hazelnuts but in addition to hazelnuts, Nutella's ingredients include sugar, palm oil, skim milk, , cocoa, lecithin, and vanillan. So no, it is not the same.
Are Hazelnuts the same as Filberts? Yes, in America hazelnuts are referred to as Filberts. The same nut is referred to as Hazelnuts in Europe and that name is most commonly used.
Yeast is a primary ingredient in many breads. This white paper is a comprehensive discussion of the types of yeasts, it's uses, lean and rich doughs, preferments, temperatures, proofing and making a proofer, the structure of doughs, finishes, storage, how much to use, and more.
Yeast cells are single cell living organisms that are a part of the fungi group. Approximately 15 million are in one pound of compressed yeast. One of the oldest living organisms, dating back to the Egyptians, it continues to help mankind make bread and beer. Hieroglyphs show Egyptians 5,000 years ago in bread bakeries and making beer - maybe not the beer we know, but beer nevertheless. Both of these were dependant upon yeast, just as they are today. But it was Louis Pasteur who proved that living yeast is necessary for fermentation.
The yeast most often used today is Saccharomyces cerevisiae which translates in Latin to “sweet fungi of beer.” There are 1,500 strains of yeast that have been identified but that is just 1% of the strains believed to exist but are not yet named.
The yeast we use for baking is a domesticated wild yeast that manufacturing has stabilized and made 200 times stronger than it was in the wild. Plant scientists decide which characteristics of wild yeast are desirable and put them on a diet of cornsyrup to make them reproduce. When they reproduce to the desired degree, they are filtered, dried, packaged and shipped off to market.
The ability of yeast to rise is affected by food, moisture, the right acid balance (pH) and a temperature between 70 and 100 degrees. However, for the best taste the dough should rise at the lowest temperature so it can develop flavor.
While the correct amount of sugar will enhance yeast development, too much of it will either slow it down or kill it off. Salt should never be mixed directly with yeast. Salt is necessary to slow down the development of the yeast.
Dough heavy in sugar or fat (think eggs, butter) is a very slow riser. To compensate for this a sponge is often used. These will be discussed later in the article. The optimum amount of sugar, without using a sponge, is no more than ¼ cup per 3 cups of flour. There are basically two types of yeast dough: Rich and lean. A rich dough is a sweet dough and is, as you can guess, one that is heavy in sugar and fat. A lean dough is low in sugar and fat. Each of these is treated differently when it comes to yeast.
Baker’s yeast, like baking powder and baking soda, is used to leaven baked goods. Baking powder and baking soda react chemically to produce the carbon dioxide that makes the baked goods rise. Yeast, however, does not cause a chemical reaction. Instead, the carbon dioxide it produces in the form of bubbles is the result of the yeast literally feeding on the dough causing the dough to rise until killed by heat.
Today, there are a variety of yeasts offered but the two most important used by home bakers are instant or active dry yeast. All the others are variations of these two. While it was necessary in the past to dissolve active dry yeast in water, it can now be added directly to the dry ingredients as instant yeast is. If you are unsure your active dry yeast is still active, dissolve it in a ¼ cup warm water with ½ teaspoon sugar. In about 10 minutes or so it should bubble up to the ½ cup measure.
According to King Arthur Flour, Active Dry Yeast is considered slower to get going but eventually catches up to the instant yeast which is a quicker starting yeast. Fleischmann’s and Red Star are the two most prevalent active dry yeasts in the super markets. They come in 3 packets and in jars as well as vacuum packed.
Because active dry yeast is subjected to extremely high temperatures to dry out cake yeast and form the granules, many of its cells are destroyed in the process.
Because the outer cells are dead, this yeast must be dissolved in a warm liquid to activate the living cells in the center.
Instant Yeasts referred to as Instant, Rapid Rise, Bread or Pizza yeast are processed to 95% dry matter but are dried more gently resulting in every dried particle is living and active. The yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients without first proofing it in water. However, if both salt and yeast are added to the same bowl as the flour, they should be put on opposite sides of the bowl until mixed as salt in direct contact will kill the yeast.
SAF instant yeast is the leader among instant yeasts although Fleishman’s is on many grocer’s shelves. SAF is produced in France by the LeSaffre company who is the largest producer of yeasts in the world. Red Star also has a large share.
Although today’s active dry yeast and instant yeast can be used interchangeably, it is a common practice to use about ¼ less instant yeast than active dry yeast by artisan bread bakers. It is also not recommended to use the same amount of instant yeast as active dry in a bread machine as the machines use a higher temperature to raise the dough. If using instant yeast in a bread machine reduce it by about 25% to avoid the dough over-rising and then collapsing.
Thanks to www.asweetpeachef.com for this.
“Granted, purchasing yeast can be a confusing process due to different manufacturers not using the same names for their products or using the same names for different types of yeast. That being said, here’s a general guide to purchasing yeast using popular labeling and product instructions:
This chart from Red Star Yeast.
It includes cake yeast which is rarely found but I left it in as a comparison.
To use instant yeast in place of active dry yeast, 1 ¾ teaspoon of instant yeast is used in place of 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast.
Flour | Dry Yeast | Cake Yeast | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
cups* | packages (¼ oz) | grams | teaspoons | ounces** |
0-4 | 1 | 7 | 2+¼ | ⅔ (⅓ of a 2oz. cake) |
4-8 |
2 |
14 |
4+½ |
1+⅓ |
8-12 |
3 | 21 |
6+¾ |
2 |
12-16 |
4 |
28 |
9 |
2+⅔ |
16-20 |
5 |
35 |
11+¼ |
3+⅓ |
However, the amount of yeast to use can be altered by whether the recipe is a a lean or rich dough. Rich doughs that include sugar, eggs and butter require more yeast than lean doughs consisting of water, flour, salt, and yeast.
According to Red Star, if the ratio of sugar to flour is more than ½ cup sugar to 4 cups flour, an additional 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast per recipe is needed.
If too much yeast is used, the bread can rise too quickly, resulting in not much flavor and it can become misshapen when baked.
Depending upon how often you use yeast, it can be stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer for longer storage. Packages of active dry yeast contain 2 ¼ teaspoons per pack.
Instant yeast comes in a jar or, in larger amounts, in vacuum packages. I usually buy the larger package and transfer the yeast to an airtight container and store it in the freezer.
A smaller container is kept in the refrigerator for everyday use and refilled from the freezer as necessary.
Because so many different factors go into yeast dough rising, it is difficult to give definite times. If the room is cold, it will take longer, if it is too warm, it will go faster.
Also making a big difference the amount of yeast used. Artisan breads generally use smaller amounts of yeast for longer rising dough so it develop more flavor. American types of loaf breads are prone to using more yeast for a quicker rise, especially if ingredients other than flour, water, salt and yeast are used.
Sweet doughs invariably use more yeast per cup of flour.
There is a temptation by some bread bakers to use more yeast for a quicker rise. The problem with that is it produces CO2, alcohol and organic acids at a much faster rate. Acid, such as the alcohol produced, weakens the gluten in the dough causing it not to rise well. In other words, too much yeast will cause the opposite of a quick rising dough.
You can always cut back on the yeast, which will cause the dough to rise slower creating a very strong gluten structure to support a good rise in the oven. Allowing dough to rise overnight with a small amount of yeast will product a superior loaf.
One of the things that can greatly alter the rising time is how frequently you make bread. If you bake a lot of yeast products, there will be wild yeast in your kitchen which will aid in the rising of your products. If you bake infrequently with yeast, very little will be in your kitchen so it may take longer for your dough to rise.
While King Arthur gives some guidelines for how much yeast to use, if you are a beginner, I suggest following a dependable recipe. A basic dough using only flour, water, salt and possibly a bit of oil or sugar is fine to leave out on the counter for an all day countertop rise. These include baguettes, focaccia, and pizza doughs.
Any product that uses dairy should be refrigerated for a slow rise. I usually make my sweet dough the day before I want to shape and bake it as it is easier to handle that way. The dough won’t be as springy when rolling and will shape much easier. I allow it a first rise at room temperature, punch it down and then transfer it to the refrigerator.
The structure of the dough can be affected by many things. If it is a lean dough, the amount of water in the dough will give it a tight structure or an open, holey one. Baguettes have a tighter finished structure using less water than does ciabatta, which can be so wet as to be difficult to manage for the best open structure when baked. It’s sort of like trying to manage a wiggly blob when shaping.
Sweet dough will always have a tighter structure due to the ingredients, including the liquid.
Also the liquid used in the dough will make a difference. Yeast loves potato water and literally gobbles it up.
In the past, the instructions for loaf breads at the time were to keep adding flour while kneading the dough until it no longer stuck to the board. It invariably ended up with too much flour in it. The lack of hydration is what made the dough stale so quickly. Later I discovered that the dough, lean or sweet, should be soft which does not necessarily equate to sticky although it sometimes does.
While some people take great pride in hand kneading their bread to perfection, I am not one of them. I simply don’t have the time nor the desire. So I use my heavy duty mixer and a dough hook to knead my dough. I do knead it by hand for a minute or so to smooth it out before putting them to rise.
In any case, the kneaded dough should pass the windowpane test. A small piece of dough is stretched thinly with your fingers until you can see through it. If it breaks or will not stretch thinly enough, knead it some more until it does.
The flavor of bread can be controlled by three things. The flour used, the amount of browning during baking and the flavor built up during fermentation.
There are several reasons for wanting to increase the amount of organisms in your dough without adding additional yeast. Among them are rich doughs. A lot of sugar, eggs, milk or cream will slow the ability of the dough to rise. However, loading up these doughs with lots of yeast can lead to a “ yeasty taste” and can actually be counterproductive. So a sponge is often used to introduce more living yeast cells into the dough without increasing the amount of yeast.
A sponge consists of a small amount of flour, some yeast, water and sometimes a pinch of sugar are mixed together. They are then covered and allowed to rise until doubled. Since yeast is a living organism, you can see how when the sponge has risen, you have just increased enormously the number of live organisms ready to help raise a rich dough.
Lean dough often depend upon variations of this theme under the names, bigas (Italian), levains (French) Poolish, a liquid starter or sometimes they are just called starters. They all do the same thing, which is to allow very little yeast to be used. These often ferment for several hours or overnight introducing more flavor into the dough.
Another pre-ferment is to save a piece of dough from a batch made the day before and add it to the new batch of dough.
King Arthur Flours has a wonderful discussion on preferments that help clarify the confusing differences among all the different types. It is so important, I have included the entire discussion here.
“A preferment is a preparation of a portion of a bread dough that is made several hours or more in advance of mixing the final dough. The subject of preferments is one that can cause immense confusion among bakers. The variety of terminology can bewilder even the most experienced among us. Words from foreign languages add their contribution to the complexity.
A preferment is a preparation of a portion of a bread dough that is made several hours or more in advance of mixing the final dough. The preferment can be of a stiff texture, it can be quite loose in texture, or it can simply be a piece of mixed bread dough. Some preferments contain salt, others do not. Some are generated with commercial yeast, some with naturally occurring wild yeasts. After discussing the specific attributes of a number of common preferments, we will list the benefits gained from their use.
These terms all pertain to preferments; some are quite specific, some broad and general. The important thing to remember is that, just as daffodils, roses, and tulips all are specific plants that fall beneath the heading of “flowers,” in a similar way the above terms all are in the category of “preferments.” Let’s examine several of the terms listed in more detail.
Pâte fermentée, biga, and poolish, are the most common preferments which use commercial yeast. As such, we can place them loosely in a category of their own. We place sourdough and levain in a separate category.
pâte fermentée
Pâte fermentée is a French term that means fermented dough, or as it is occasionally called, simply old dough. If one were to mix a batch of French bread, and once mixed a portion were removed, and added in to a new batch of dough being mixed the next day, the portion that was removed would be the pâte fermentée. Over the course of several hours or overnight, the removed piece would ferment and ripen, and would bring certain desired qualities to the next day's dough. Being that pâte fermentée is a piece of mixed dough, we note that it therefore contains all the ingredients of finished dough, that is, flour, water, salt, and yeast.
biga
Biga is an Italian term that generically means preferment. It can be quite stiff in texture, or it can be of loose consistency (100% hydration). It is made with flour, water, and a small amount of yeast (the yeast can be as little as 0.1% of the biga flour weight). Once mixed, it is left to ripen for at least several hours, and for as much as 12 to 16 hours. Note that there is no salt in the biga. Unlike pâte fermentée, which is simply a piece of mixed white dough which is removed from a full batch of dough, the biga, lacking salt, is made as a separate step in production.
poolish
Poolish is a preferment with Polish origins. It initially was used in pastry production. As its use spread throughout Europe it became common in bread. Today it is used worldwide, from South America to England, from Japan to the United States. It is by definition made with equal weights of flour and water (that is, it is 100% hydration), and a small portion of yeast. Note again the absence of salt. It is appropriate here to discuss the quantity of yeast used. The intention is not to be vague, but it must be kept in mind that the baker will manipulate the quantity of yeast in his or her preferment to suit required production needs.
For example, in a bakery with two or three shifts, it might be suitable to make a poolish or any other preferment and allow only 8 hours of ripening. In such a case, a slightly higher percentage of yeast would be indicated in the preferment. On the other hand, in a one-shift shop, the preferment might have 14 to 16 hours of maturing before the mixing of the final dough. In this case the baker would decrease the quantity of yeast used. Similarly, ambient temperature must be considered. A preferment that is ripening in a 65°F room would require more yeast than one in a 75°F room.
sourdough and levain
The words sourdough and levain tend to have the same meaning in the United States, and are often used interchangeably. This however is not the case in Europe. In Germany, the word sourdough (sauerteig) always refers to a culture of rye flour and water. In France, on the other hand, the word “levain” refers to a culture that is entirely or almost entirely made of white flour. While outwardly these two methods are different, there are a number of similarities between sourdough and levain. Most important is that each is a culture of naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria that have the capacity to both leaven and flavor bread. A German-style culture is made using all rye flour and water.
A levain culture may begin with a high percentage of rye flour, or with all white flour. In any case, it eventually is maintained with all or almost all white flour. While a rye culture is always of comparatively stiff texture, a levain culture can be of either loose or stiff texture (a range of 50% hydration to 125% hydration). With either method, the principle is the same. The baker mixes a small paste or dough of flour and water, freshens it with new food and water on a consistent schedule, and develops a colony of microörganisms that ferment and multiply. In order to retain the purity of the culture, a small portion of ripe starter is taken off before the mixing of the final dough. This portion is held back, uncontaminated by yeast, salt, or other additions to the final dough, and used to begin the next batch of bread.
One important way in which a sourdough and levain are different from pâte fermentée, biga, and poolish, is that the sourdough and levain can be perpetuated for months, years, decades, and even centuries. When we make a preferment using commercial yeast, it is baked off the next day. We then begin the process again, making a new batch of preferment for the next day’s use. It would be tempting to say the pâte fermentée can be perpetuated, since each day we simply take off a portion of finished dough to use the following day. This is not actually the case. We could not, for example, go on vacation for a week and come back to a healthy pâte fermentée, whereas we could leave our sourdough or levain culture for a week or more, with a minimum of consequences.
During the initial stages in the development of a sourdough or levain culture, it is common to see the addition of grapes, potato water, grated onions, and so on. While these can provide an extra nutritional boost, they are not required for success. The flour should supply the needed nutrients for the growing colony. Keep in mind, however, that when using white flours, unbleached and unbromated flour, such as those produced by King Arthur® Flour, are the appropriate choice. Vital nutrients are lost during the bleaching process, making bleached flour unsuitable.
How does the baker know when his or her preferment has matured sufficiently and is ready to use? There are a number of signs that can guide us. Most important, it should show signs of having risen. If the preferment is dense and seems not to have moved, in all likelihood it has not ripened sufficiently. Poor temperature control, insufficient time allowed for proper maturing, or a starter that has lost its viability can all account for the problem.
When the preferment has ripened sufficiently, it should be fully risen and just beginning to recede in the center. This is the best sign that correct development has been attained. It is somewhat harder to detect this quality in a loose preferment such as a poolish. In this case, ripeness is indicated when the surface of the poolish is covered with small fermentation bubbles. Often CO2 bubbles are seen breaking through the surface.
There should be a pleasing aroma that has a perceptible tang to it. Take a small taste. If the preferment has ripened properly, we should taste a slight tang, sometimes with a subtle sweetness present as well. The baker should keep in mind that a sluggish and undeveloped preferment, or one that has gone beyond ripeness, will yield bread that lacks luster, and suffers a deficiency in volume and flavor.
There are a number of important benefits to the correct use of preferments, and they all result from the gradual, slow fermentation that is occurring during the maturing of the preferment:
Proofing can refer to activating the yeast in warm water or allowing the dough to rise as we use it in home baking. Professional bakers use the term fermentation when it comes to allowing the dough to rise either shaped or unshaped. It’s a little less confusing that way.
Yeast dough requires time, temperature and humidity to rise. Between the initial rise of the dough to the final rise of the shaped dough, there can be 3, 4 or more. Professionals use proofers to manage these requirements. At the bakery, I had a proofing box, which held sheet pans of products. At the bottom of the proofer was a container to hold water. The temperature could be set as desired. This can be easily duplicated at home with an oven.
In the summer, I have no problem with yeast dough rising, even the rich ones. However, in the winter, my kitchen is cold and it can take an eternity to get the dough to rise. So, I make a proofer in my oven. Just place a 9x13 inch pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven about 10 minutes before you are ready for the dough to rise.
This can be the first time or after shaping and setting it to rise before baking. Put your bread in the oven and close the door. I generally remove the water after about 30 minutes. Just make sure the temperature stays between 80 and 90 degrees. You don’t want the dough to rise too rapidly or to over ferment. Remove the product before preheating the oven for baking.
A second way is to use the light in the oven. Simply turn the light on slightly before, or even when you put the product in the oven. No water is necessary. Close the door and monitor the temperature. If the oven gets too hot, prop the door open slightly to maintain the temperature.
Above 50 degrees to activate the yeast
90 to 100 degree water to proof yeast
80 to 90 degrees to proof the dough
139 degrees the yeast is killed
Cold water should be used if making dough in a processor as the speed of the blade is about 30 miles an hour. This heats the dough. If warm water is used, the dough can become overheated.
Lukewarm water or liquid can be used in breads made in a mixer to give them a start on rising.
Knowing a few things about the final process, will help give you the loaf you are looking for.
Make sure the oven is completely preheated before putting the bread in. If it is a lean bread, the temperature is usually fairly high. For sweet breads, the temperature is lower as the dough usually contains butter, sugar or honey and possibly milk or cream, making it ripe for burning at high temperatures. I double pan any sweet bread, or bread with a lot of butter, chocolate, honey, cornsyrup, etc. This slows the heat to the bottom of the bread so that, when finished, the bottom is about the same color as the top of the bread.
Creating Steam in your Oven - I don’t usually create steam in the oven when I bake sweet breads. But often do for lean breads where I want a crusty finish. The steam should only last about 8 minutes. Professional ovens have steam injectors so it is easy to give it several bursts of steam to obtain a crusty finish. There are several ways to create steam.
Water - A pan, such as a 9x13 inch pan, can be put in the bottom of the oven and filled with several cups of hot water.
Ice Cubes can be added to the pan instead of water. This has the advantage of not having to pull out a pan of really hot water from the oven after about 8 minutes.
Misting – Another method is to use a mister and spray the oven every 2 minutes for the first 8 minutes of baking. Some people spray the interior of the oven before putting the product in to bake. I don’t favor this one, as I once blew out the oven light which was a mess to clean up.
Some breads require the tops to be slashed just before they go into the oven. It is important not to slash too deeply. About ½" is about as deep as the cut should go. This can be done with a single edge razor blade or a curved razor called a lame. Whatever you use, it has to be very sharp, so it doesn’t pull the bread but makes a clean cut.
Breads, lean or rich, often have some kind of wash applied just before going into the oven so the finished product will have a better finish or add to the crispness.
Water - Brushing the crust with water will add to the crispness of the baked crust. A mister is perfect here to give an even coat of water.
Whole Egg gives a shiny bronze finish. Make sure the egg is completely beaten.
Egg White Wash – Here again it is very important to beat the white well. This will give a transparent, very shiny finish.
Egg Yolk Wash – This gives a very deep brown finish with a soft crust. I like to use this on sweet breads.
Milk Wash – This gives a soft, not so shiny finish to the crust.
Cream added to egg yolk – Add about 1 tablespoon cream per egg yolk. This gives the deepest of mahogany brown finishes with a beautiful sheen. I use this on sweet breads.
Butter – Melted butter can be brushed on a loaf before going into or after removing from the oven. It will soften the crust with a dull finish.
Go here to see the different finishes.
Most baked breads freeze well. If frozen, they benefit from a few minutes in a 350 degree oven to return them to their original goodness.
Thaw the bread at room temperature. Place it in the oven. It is impossible to give times because there are so many types and sizes of bread. Larger loafs may take 20 minutes or so, smaller rolls 10 minutes. You only want to warm them not bake them so just feel them to see if they are warm or not.
Apple Fritters with Speculaas Spice are sure to become a fall favorite. The're a speedy version of a doughnut with apples that can be yours in about 30 minutes. Warm and crisp, they comes together easily using a few pantry ingredients, a bowl, a whisk, and a few measuring utensils.
The liquid used can be milk, water or beer. I like to use beer because it makes a lighter fritter and gives a bit more lift to the batter. That's pretty much it.
Fall Spices are often added to the batter as well as to the sugar in which the fried apple fritters are finished. I use Speculaas spice which is a combination of eight or more spices used in the German cookie of the same name. It has a deeper profile than just cinnamon alone. It can be used anywhere gingerbread spice is called for. An easy homemade version is included in the apple fritter recipe.
Back row: sugar, flour, beer. Middle row: vanilla, egg, salt, diced apple. Front row: baking powder, Speculaas spice
Apple Fritter with Speculaas Spice Batter
Speculaas Spice Ingredients - woody, spicy, warm, and sweet.
TOP ROW: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
BOTTOM ROW: Anise Seed, ground, cardamom, ground coriander, white pepper
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Step 1. Put all the spices in a jar.
Step 2. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to mix the spices.
Step 3. Granulated sugar and speculaas spice.
Step 4. Sugar and spice mixed together for speculaas sugar to finish the fritters.
Step 1. Beat the egg in a medium size bowl.
Step 2. Add the vanilla, mix well.
Step 3. Add the beer to the batter, mixing in completely. Milk or water may be substituted.
Step 4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 5. Batter without the apples mixed.
Step 6. Add the apples to the batter.
Step 7. Batter completed with apples. Ready to fry.
Step 8. Heat about 1 ½ inches of oil in a pan or skillet to 350°F.
Step 9. The apple fritters should be fried in vegetable oil about 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
Step 10. Drain on paper towels.
Step 11. Immediately add the fritters to a bowl of speculaas sugar. Make sure the fritter is very warm or hot or the sugar will not stick to it.
Step 12. Roll the fritter around until completely coated in the sugar.
A batter of egg, flour, beer or other liquid, a leavening agent, sugar and flavorings encase apples either in rings or cut into pieces and deep fried. They are then rolled in sugar, or a flavored sugar.
There are various types of fritters but all are deep fried. They can be plain fritters of deep-fried chou paste or a yeast dough. Generally they can be small pieces of meat, seafood, vegetables, or fruit coated in or stirred into a batter and deep fried. The pieces used in the fritter
Try to keep whatever is being coated or stirred into the batter free of as much moisture as possible. The prepared fritters can be refrigerated until cold and then deep fried which keeps them from absorbing as much oil.
Fritters of any kind are best eaten immediately or within a few hours of making as is any deep fried item. To store any remaining, cover loosely with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until the next day.
This Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake is fat free and the fastest, loftiest, most tantalizing Angel Food Cake recipe to be found. It's a standout among homemade angel food cakes.
If you struggled with the getting the egg whites just right and then watched them deflate as you folded the flour in, that's all in the past. Why? Because this is not your Betty Crocker angel food cake since there is no folding in of the flour. It’s all done in the mixer and if you don’t believe it, just give this recipe a whirl. It's absolutely foolproof and you won't be disappointed.
With no fat and only a few ingredients, this is an ideal treat for anyone on a low fat diet. While it can be iced, it's perfect as is.
Top Row: Baker's Sugar, Egg Whites. Middle Row: Salt, Vanilla Extract, Cake Flour. Bottom Row: Almond Extract, Cream of Tartar
See recipe card for quantities.
An Angel Food Tube Pan is about 4" deep, has a removable bottom and legs extend from the top. The tube in the middle allows the heat to come up and bake the cake from the middle as well as the outside.
The pan should not be prepared in any way. Do not butter or spray it.
Granulated sugar processed to make baker's sugar.
Egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts, in the mixing bowl.
Egg whites whipped to the soft peaks stage and ready to add the sugar. The whites should be very high but not stiff.
Blend half the sugar, salt and cream of tartar together.
Adding a heaping spoon of ½ the sugar mixture at a time to the egg whites. Beat 10 to 15 seconds after each addition. Repeat until all of the sugar is gone.
Half the sugar added to the egg whites. They will be very glossy and high in the bowl.
Sift together the remaining sugar and cake flour to be added.
Sugar/flour mixture being added in four additions on low speed. Beat just until flour mixture is incorporated each time.
All of the sugar/flour mixture added.
Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake mixture in the pan.
Mixture smoothed out.
After baking, it is important to cool the cake upside down so it retains it height. If the Angel Food Cake pan has feet on it, simply turn it upside down. If not, hang it on a bottle.
After the Angel Food Cake has cooled, use a small, flexible,metal spatula to go around the tube in the middle. Tall isn't it? Over 4 inches of perfection!
Release the outer edge of the cake with the metal spatula. Make sure to keep the spatula pressed against the edge of the pan and not the cake.
After removing the side, go under the bottom of the cake to release it.
Hint: The key to a perfect Foolproof Angel Food Cake is beating the whites to the correct consistency at each stage. If they are initially under beaten, it will be difficult for them to attain the lofty heights needed for this cake since the air beaten in is the only leavening agent. If over beaten, they will be dry and some of the air will be knocked out because they will have to be beaten longer when adding additional ingredients.
Beating to the soft peak stage is important.
Citrus Angel Food Cake: Grate the zest from 1 lime, 1 lemon and 1 orange. Process half of the sugar at a time. Add the zest to the second half of the sugar and use as called for.
Chocolate Angel Food Cake: Add ⅓ cup sifted cocoa to the flour. Since coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, add 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in the almond and vanilla flavoring. Use these where called for in the base recipe.
The cake will last for three or four days kept covered. It can also be baked and frozen. Thaw at room temperature.
When adding the sugar/flour mixture to the egg whites, make sure the mixer is on low and beat only until each addition is incorporated.
sugar, divided (500 grams or 17.5 oz.)
large egg whites, preferably room temperature (2 cups, 450 grams are about 16 ounces)
These Best Plum Dumplings come from many countries in Europe have a version of Plum Dumplings from Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Germany. A potato enriched dough is wrapped around an Italian prune plum then briefly boiled and coated in butter browned bread crumbs. Perfect with pork or kielbasa or alone for breakfast these plum dumplings can be eaten, warm or cold.
Italian prune plums are in the markets briefly around the end of August and the beginning of September. They are small, purple and sweet when ripe and are the same plums from which prunes are made, hence the name.
Sugar cubes can be found in the sugar section of stores and come in little boxes.
Plum Prep
Back row - Italian Blue Plums. Front row - Sugar Cubes
Potato Dough
BACK ROW: Mashed potatoes, all-purpose flour.
FRONT ROW: Butter, eggs, salt
Bread Crumb Garnish
Back row - Left, breadcrumbs, brown sugar. Front,butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Plum Prep
Cut the plums in half from stem end to bottom. Remove the seeds.
Replace the seed with a cube of sugar. Alternatively, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Set aside.
Mashed Potato Dough
Place the flour, salt, and butter cubes in a mixing bowl.
Butter cut in until indistinguishable.
Add mashed potatoes.
Beat until the potatoes are completely mixed in.
Add Egg.
Mix well to complete Mashed Potato Dough for the Plum Dumplings.
Assembly
Cut into 16 - 4" squares.
Place a plum in the center of a square. Bring one corner up and over the plum.
Bring the opposite corner of the square over the top of the plum.
Take the left corner up and over the plum.
Bring the last corner up and over to completely cover the plum.
Pinch all of the edges together to seal the plum dumpling.
Rolling between hands
Finished Plum Dumpling
Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan.
Add the breadcrumbs and brown over low heat. Stir frequently so they don't burm.
Browned breadcrumbs
Removed from the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir to incorporate it completely. Set aside.
Plum dumplings ready to be cooked. Bring 6 to 8 quarts of water to a boil.
Plum dumplings in boiling water rising to the top of the pan when they are done.
Cooked plum dumplings in breadcrumbs.
Ready to eat plum dumplings
Hint: Watch the breadcrumbs carefully and stir frequently. They have a tendency to over-brown or burn quickly.
After shaping, these plum dumplings can cooked immediately or frozen for several months. After cooking, these can be left out at room temperature of hours but they should be stored in the refrigerator overnight.
There is no difference in the dough when using freshly mashed potatoes or instant mashed potatoes. The instant potatoes just makes it faster and easier. Since different brands have different reconstituting instructions, it is important to follow the directions on the box. Do not use the butter, salt or any other ingredient suggested. Use only the water and potato flakes.
This Peach Roundup is one last chance to use the last of the summer peaches before they disappear for another year. There is literally something for everyone in this peach roundup from soup, to pizza to a pie and a tart and a quick bread. Pick your favorite and head out to the store for a favorite summer fruit.
Want more Fall recipes? Try these Thanksgiving Recipes!
Chilled Peach Soup has an affinity with white wine and peaches making this a very interesting dessert. The two naturally go together along with amaretto, honey and vanilla.
To learn more about the different types of peaches and an easy method of peeling them that takes only the skin, leaving the flesh intact check out all about peaches.
Because peaches vary in sweetness, start with ⅓ cup sugar. After the soup is blended, taste it for sweetness. Add the additional sugar if necessary.
This Chilled Peach Soup couldn't be an easier dessert to make ahead - and perfect for the end of the peach season.
Looking for another soup or two: Try Easy Light Chicken Soup or Tuscan Vegetable Stew - both really easy, quick and more important loaded with flavor and fresh veggies.
Individual Island Baked Alaska takes the best of both states for this easy, make ahead ice cream treat. The island part takes its flavors from Hawaii. Toasted coconut and macadamia nuts are folded into ice cream, then scooped into Texas muffin tins. A pineapple foam adds a touch of tartness to balance out the sweet meringue.
The Alaska part emulates the snow-covered state with a snow white meringue enclosing the ice cream. Lightly toasting the meringue highlights the swirls of the décor. While meringues can sometimes be finicky, following the steps below will help ensure success.
Tucked away in the freezer, Island Baked Alaska is the perfect dessert for the end of a summer meal.......or any meal for matter.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream
Coconut Graham Cracker Base
Meringue
Pineapple Foam
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and instructions.
Step 1. Toast the coconut and macadamia nuts. Cool before using. Use this method to quickly cut the macadmias.
Step 2. Soften ice cream slightly before stirring in the coconut and macadamia nuts.
Step 3. Scoop into six Texas muffin tins using a #6 disher/scooper. Alternatively, measure ⅔ cup for each hole. Freeze until the tops are very firm but not completely frozen throughout.
IStep 4. ngredients for the coconut graham cracker base mixed together.
For more information please see my post on Meringue Shells.
Step 1. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to the soft peak stage before adding sugar.
Step 2. Slowly add sugar about a tablespoon at a time. Beat 10 to 15 seconds before adding additional sugar.
Step 3. Meringue ready to pipe when it is very stiff and glossy.
Step 4. Fit a piping bag with a ⅜" or ½"open star pastry tip. Pipe a small dot of meringue on the work surface.
Step 5. Place one frozen ice cream on top of the meringue to hold it in place while being piped.
Step 6. Pipe from the bottom up to the top edge, leaving about ¼" of the base unpiped. This will make it easier to transfer it without marring the decor. Freeze until hard.
Step 7. Pipe meringue on top connecting it to the side edges. Freeze until hard.
Step 8. Use either a propane tank or butane tank to brown the frozen meringue.
Step 9. This is a to your taste recipe meaning you add the sugar and rum to whatever amount of pineapple you have. Combine all but the Instant Clearjel. Stir well. Add half of the Clearjel directly into the mixture. Stir well. Wait for about 5 minutes. If the foam needs to be thicker, add a bit more.
Helpful Hint: Humidity makes it difficult to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Finish the Island Baked Alaska on a dry day with low humidity.
Any ice cream can be used for these. Actually any additives can be substituted for the coconut and macadamia nuts although it may not be an Island baked Alaska. Additionally, the meringue can be flavored with a teaspoon of whatever you like added at the very end of the beating.
These must be stored in the freezer.
Use a generous amount of meringue to finish each of the baked Alaskas. If you're not into piping, just spoon it on and swirl it with the tip of the spoon.
Hello Dolly Cookies are a really easy version of the Hello Dolly bars. Other names for the same bars are Magic Bars or 7 Layer bars. This recipe is beyond simple – just stir the ingredients together, drop and bake. That's it! These chewy cookies make a great take along for getting out and about as they pack easily or tuck into a pocket.
These are great to make in the summer since they only require a bowl, a spoon and a few measuring utensils. A short bake and they're done. Make ahead makes them even better.
Want to try something a little different? Check out Pryaniki - Russian Honey Spice Cookies!
Just measure the ingredients above, stir, drop and bake. In a few minutes the cookies are done.
A special note about the sweetened condensed milk. When testing this cookie I found that different brands of sweetened condensed milk have different thicknesses. The one that woks the best is Eagle Brand. The looser condensed milks will require more graham cracker crumbs to tighten up the liquid and stop the cookies from spreading.
Graham Cracker Crumbs - If using graham cracker cookies, you will need to crush them between your hands and place them in a food processor. Process to make crumbs. Alternatively, the cookies can be placed in a plastic bag and crushed with a heavy pan or rolling pin to make uniform, fine crumbs.
Cutting the Pecans - for an easier way to cut the nuts.
See recipe card for quantities.
Place the chips, coconut, and nuts in a large bowl. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over and mix well.
Pour the condensed milk over the mixture.
Stir so everything is evenly coated. It will be a very, very thick mixture.
With a #40 disher/scooper or about 2 tablespoons, drop the cookies 3 across and 4 down on the baking sheet.
With the back of a flat pancake turner or a glass, press the Hello Dollie Cookies about ½ inch flat
If they stick, which they probably will, they are easily scraped off with a table knife. Alternatively, just flatten with moist fingers.
Hint: Before putting the cookies in the oven to bake, be sure to double pan them.
These Hello Dolly Cookies are great freshly baked, these cookies are even better if stored for a day in a covered container. They will soften slightly and the flavors will come together. They will last for about 5 days in the container.
All condensed milk is sweetened. Evaporated milk is not but it is not the same product. Be sure to used sweetened condensed milk.
Summertime Cakes are as important in the summer as they are during the rest of the year. Cakes are made for celebrations even if you're only celebrating have a cake!
Here are a few of my favs that will brighten any occasion, summertime or anytime.
This Vanilla Mousse Torte is one of the perfect do ahead summertime cakes. There is no baking. In fact, it has to be made ahead to set up.
While this one is teamed with strawberries, other fruits work well such as blueberries and even raspberries as long as they are firm.
A vanilla wafer crust is topped with a vanilla mousse made with pastry cream folded into whipped cream and poured over the fruit of your choice.
Tuck it into the refrigerator a day or two ahead making your summer dessert one of the easiest ever to make.
This single layer, almond paste infused summer tea cake can be made in the food processor or a mixer. Concealed under the whipped cream topping is a layer of raspberry jam intensifying the flavor the of fresh raspberries. This is a great cake for a beginner as it is very straight forward, attractive and delicious.
The cake by itself is one of the perfect summertime cakes with a cup of coffee, tea or eaten out of hand.
A friend of mine told me about a lemon meringue cake she had in New York. I thought it was a great idea. It took a couple of tries but I love this cake.
The cake layers, which can be made and frozen, are unusual in that they are made with lemonade concentrate increasing the lemon flavor.
Lemon curd filling can be made a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator as well.
Meringue Layer
For my first test, I made the cake and filled the layers with lemon curd, finishing it all with meringue. But I was disappointed in the flavor. It was good, for sure, but I missed the sweetness of a Lemon Meringue Pie. So, for the second test, I added a layer of meringue on top of the lemon curd. It was just what the cake needed.
More meringue frosted the cake. This cake is light but intense in its flavor which is why it ranks as one of my favorites.
The banana cake layers for this cake were a challenge. Most banana cake layers are on the heavier side like banana bread. I wanted lighter layers for this version of summertime cakes and these fit the bill perfectly. Both oil, which keeps layers moist and butter, which adds flavor, are used.
The layers are filled with a lightened pastry cream into which crushed pineapple is folded and then topped with fresh strawberries.
Whipped cream is the finish of choice here to keep the cake light and luscious.
I love a recipe that makes the crumbs and the base of the cake in one fell swoop. This easy Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake has everything going for it. It's easy, loaded with blueberries, can be frozen and boasts a tender cake topped with a sweet-tart lemon glaze.
Anyone of these Summertime Cakes will brighten your summer days,
This No Churn Peach Swirl Ice Cream came about because I’m an ice cream lover of the first degree. While you can always find vanilla ice cream in my freezer for sundaes or root beer floats, I couldn’t resist adding them to plain vanilla no churn ice cream.
The idea for this Peach Swirl Ice Cream dawned on me when I bought Georgia Peaches to make my Peach Amaretto Jam. I love peach ice cream but it isn’t offered as much as it was in the past. So what could be easier than adding it to an ice cream that takes 10 minutes.
I originally posted this a few years ago and with peaches coming into the markets, it seem like a good idea to remind everyone again. There is a funny story attached to this recipe. One of my sons was visiting and I had this in the freezer. After dinner, he asked what was for dessert, a carry over from childhood when there was always dessert. I told him peach ice cream. His reaction was muted, definitely not excited. He told me peaches weren't his favs but he'd have a little. Well, long story short, a little turned into several more trips to the freezer as he magically turned into a peach lover - or at least a Peach Swirl Ice cream lover.
The one thing that can be problematic with this type of ice cream is that when frozen it can be rock hard. There’s a couple of things that can be done to avoid this.
First, if the cream is whipped to a really stiff stage, it will freeze hard. Whip it until it is medium firm. The softer the cream is whipped the less hard it will be when frozen. If the cream is whipped to the soft peak stage, it will freeze like soft set ice cream. However, I don't recommend that because it melts really, really fast out of the freezer.
Second, the alcohol in a couple of tablespoons of liquor or liqueur will keep the ice cream scoopable. If all else fails, and you have a rock for ice cream, just leave it out for 15 to 20 minutes and it will soften.
I have used my Peach Jam flavored with Amaretto for my swirl in my No Churn Peach Swirl Ice Creaml. While I highly recommend this step, 1 cup of pureed peaches can also stand in.
If you're into ice cream, take a look at these. The individual Baked Alaska is a complete do ahead, the Magic Shell is the perfect finish to a scoop of ice cream and last but certainly one you will want to make is the Easy Hawaiian Sundae with caramelized pineapple.
These Best of All Strawberry Muffins are not only easy, but the strawberries are used two ways. Strawberry puree intensifies the cut strawberries that add a burst of sweet/tart flavor to the muffins.
A full pound of this best of all summertime fruit is used so be sure to pick the ripest, most full of flavor strawberries you can find.
My favorite crumb topping is included along with either Swedish Pearl Sugar or sanding sugar. Both of these will provide some crunch. Anyone of these toppings makes a great finish for these strawberry muffins.
The crumb topping is the same one used on the New York Style Crumbcake and it is my idea of the perfect coffeecake. They are super easy to make as long as the mixture is not over beaten leading to a paste instead of crumbs.
Swedish pearl sugar is made by compressing sugar crystals to form larger, round, particles that won't dissolve in baked goods. It's a wonderful topping for all kinds of pastries and baked items. These pure white, crunchy sugar crystals don’t melt in the oven. But It shouldn’t be confused with Belgian Pearl Sugar which has quite large white crystals and is used in Liege waffles. Both of these can be easily found online.
Sanding sugar is made by drying out sugar syrup, then screening the granules that are left behind. Sanding sugar can be found uncolored which adds sparkle and crunch to baked goods or it is can be found in a wide array of colors.
Cake flour has the lowest protein count of all the white baking flours providing a softer texture to the finished item. It is the protein in flour that gives it its strength. Bread flour has a much larger protein count and is most often used with yeast. All- purpose is in the middle.
I specify cake flour when I want to ensure a soft outcome to cake layers, biscuits, scones, or muffins. Lacking cake flour, all-purpose flour can be substituted.
The easiest part of this recipe is that it comes from the whisk and a bowl category of mixing referred to as the muffin mix. Recipes using this method don't require a mixer. Barring using the crumb finish, the Best of All Strawberry Muffins use a couple of bowls, measuring equipment, a whisk and a rubber spatula.
These muffins are based on my Crumb Topped Orange and Date Muffins. I used strawberry puree in place of the buttermilk to sharpen the flavor.
It is advisable to use the red food coloring or the strawberries look an insipid pale bluish-red color.
Instructions include making these as Texas, standard and mini muffins. This recipe also makes quite a few. The excess can be frozen or the recipe can be halved. If cutting in half, use 1 egg and 1 yolk. The remainder of the ingredients will cut in half easily.
Stuffed Cinnamon French Toast with Orange Sauce
Belgium Waffles with Berry Compote
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake is absolute proof that sometimes the easiest cake to make is also one of the best. How could you go wrong with a brownie cake layer, peanut butter mousse and an extravagant deep chocolate glaze?
Whether it’s for Father’s Day or another day, this cake is sure to please all chocolate peanut butter fans.
If peanut butter is going to be teamed up with a cake layer, what could be better than a brownie turned cake layer. This cake layer is based on my Cocoa Brownies (not to be missed). Really easy and really good.
Peanut butter is much loved and for good reason. My husband, one son and a grandson could live on it. Lighten the filling with a bit of whipped cream and it melts in your mouth. Creamy peanut butter is best here. Don't use natural because it doesn't whip up the same.
I love this Dark Satin Ganache to finish this cake. The clear corn syrup gives the ganache a shiny finish. Ganaches are basically chocolate and cream, sometimes butter, sugar, and/or corn syrup.
I have seen methods where the cream is heated and then poured over the chocolate in another bowl. Maybe it's my baker's instinct to use as few dishes as possible, but I just add the chocolate to the heated cream, let it sit for a minute and then very gently whisk the chocolate to melt it. One less dish to wash! Don't get over enthusiastic whisking or the finished ganache will have air bubbles.
Also, don't let the cream boil. The resulting ganache will lose its shine if the chocolate gets too hot. When the cream starts steaming, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate.
This savory Southwestern Seafood Tart was a favorite tart from our take-out shop. This is an ideal summer patio lunch or dinner teamed with the super easy Black Bean Salad.
This tart is so beloved by my daughter-in-law Kate that I try to have it on hand when she visits or send it back if my son pops in alone. She tells me she rations it out to make the most of it.
Good warm, room temperature or cold, this is an impressive but easy dinner any time of the year, but particularly during patio times.
Kitchn recently ran a post on imitation crab and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, this tart does not have the same personality if real crab is used. It is flat. Jessica Harlan wrote in Kitchn, “The packages are not actually crab, but rather surimi, which is minced Alaskan pollack that’s been seasoned with sugar, rice wine, and other flavorings (including a tiny amount of crab and crab extract) to mimic the delicately sweet flavor of king crab or snow crab legs. At around $3 for an eight-ounce package, surimi is far more affordable than crab, it’s got a super-long shelf life, and it’s easy to use and prepare — you can even eat it right out of the bag (something I do quite a bit!).”
Surimi is often mislabled as “fake ” or “imitation” seafood when, in reality, there's nothing fake about it. As far as the nutritional value of pollock, like salmon, tuna and cod, it is a good source of lean protein and low in saturated fat. All of these fish are also a good source of vitamin B12, phosphorous, and selenium.
Louis Kemp, one of the companies that makes the imitation crab, has a great article about it. It’s worth a read.
I know there are some people who think the whole idea of imitation anything is bad and I wish they had called it something else. It goes by a bunch of other names including, "crab sticks," “crab delights”, "crab-flavored seafood," “sea legs”, "surimi seafood," "krab," and in Japan it is known as "kamaboko." I’m sure there are more.
It comes in different shapes and sizes and is a fraction of the cost of real crab. I love real crab, but I also love imitation crab. It is great used in salads, spreads, sandwiches, crab cakes, and California rolls any time of the year. In fact, a lot of sushi uses this very product.
This is an easy press in crust requiring no rolling and almost no time. It can be made in the food processor or the mixer. If using the mixer, it may have to be chilled before it can be pressed in. The crust is completely baked before the filling is added.
A bit of cornmeal and cream cheese are used for added flavor and a bit of texture.
This filling can double for a dip if you simply omit the crust. No need to bake it. Just make it and it's ready to go. It’s great with crackers or tortilla chips.
Pepperjack cheese along with cream cheese, salsa, green chiles and jalapeno peppers team up with the imitation crab for a really easy southwestern take on this savory tart.
This Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake (minus the lemon) was an exciting find for me and I think will be for you also. It originally appeared in the Washington Post Food Section Voraciously by Jessie Sheehan and I couldn’t have been happier to find it. A Poke cake is so named because you literally poke holes in it.
This is truly one of the longest posts I've written, but there is so much information to share because I want to make sure your cake brings you the raves you deserve.
This cake takes a bit of time but is so stunning when presented cut that it’s worth every minute. One of the fascinating aspects is it is not too sweet. It’s perfectly balanced to remember every bite and want more.
Blueberry and blueberry and lemon recipes abound for good reason. Here are a couple more sure to please: Lemon Blueberry Cake, Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake, and the Blueberry Pizza in a Brioche Crust (yep, the 60 Second Brioche that is the wonder of the brioche world.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]FRONT ROW: Cornstarch, granulated sugar, lemon juice
BACK ROW: Blueberries, water
FRONT SODA: Salt, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, baking soda
MIDDLE ROW: Baking powder, lemon, eggs,egg yolk, granulated sugar
BACK ROW: Oil, cakeflour, buttermilk
FRONT ROW: Vanilla extract
BACK ROW: Powdered Sugar, heavy cream
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and instructions.
Step 1. If the berries are frozen, do not thaw them. Mix the sugar and thickener together. Add the water and lemon juice to a medium size saucepan. Add the blueberries and then the sugar and thickener. Step 2. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil if using the cornstarch. If using the sweet rice flour, it will thicken before it boils. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature . Step 3. Add the cooled berries to the bowl of a processor or blender. Step 4. Process to puree as smooth as possible. The blender will make a smoother puree than the processor but both are fine. The puree can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Warm in the microwave or on the stove top to just barely warm or room temperature.
Step 5. Line the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch pan with parchment paper letting the paper overhang the edges of the pan. Spray the paper and side of the pan. Set aside. Step 6. Because cake flour is very fine it has a tendency to clump together. These clumps do not always mix in smoothly so it is important to sift before using. Step 7. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Step 8. Add the sugar, oil, butter, lemon zest and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl.
Step 9. Beat on low to blend them together. Step 10. Add the eggs and yolk. Step 11. Mix the eggs and yolk in completely. Step 12. Add the buttermilk and mix.
Step 13. Add the flour mixture. Step 14. Beat on low to combine completely, scraping as necessary. The batter will be rather on the thin side. Step 15. Pour into the prepared pan. Step 16. Bake as directed.
Step 17. The ½" smooth handle of a wooden spoon is used to make the holes in the cake. Step 18. Reserve 3 or 4 tablespoons of puree. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven poke the holes in it. Using the handle end of a ½ inch round, smooth wooden spoon or other utensil, poke holes almost to the bottom of the cake about 1 inch part. Twist the spoon from side to side for the best holes. After each poke, clean the utensil with a paper towel. Continue until the entire cake has been covered with holes. Sometimes the holes will partially fill back in. Re-poke them. I poked twice to make sure they would hold the most puree. Poking 5 across the 9" side and 7 down the 13" side works well. Step 19. Fill the holes to the very top with the blueberry puree. I found an ice tea or baby spoon works well here. Let the puree settle for about 10 to 15 minutes. Step 20. Repeat twice more, allowing the puree to settle before moving on. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Cover the top of the cake directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Step 21. After the cake has chilled, Go around the edges of the cake with a small metal spatula. Place a cake board or half sheet pan on top of the cake pan, keeping the plastic wrap in place. Step 22. Turn the pan over. Step 23. Remove the pan and parchment paper. Step 24. Place a second board or presentation platter on the cake and flip back over so the blueberry filled holes are now on top. Remove the plastic wrap.
Step 25. On the both the long and short side of the cake, place toothpicks on the edge of the puree so you will know where to cut for the most dramatic effect. Step 26. Cover the top with the whipped cream. Step 27. Spoon the reserved blueberry puree over the cream randomly. Step 28. With the tip of a small spatula or knife, swirl the puree. To serve, cut along the toothpick lines to expose the puree.
In order to have a cake absorb a liquid throughout, some cakes are poked with a fork or skewer. Poke cakes are different because ½" holes are made throughout the cake and purees, condensed milk, pudding mixes, all kinds of things are poured into the holes. Done correctly, they not only add flavor but when cut make a dramatic appearance.
It is important to have the filling thick and not to fluid. It is also important not to poke the holes to the bottom of the cake. They should be at least ¼"above the bottom.
Any flavor can be used. The cake should be a butter cake or one that is more substantial in texture than a sponge or genoise cake.
If you love this Blueberry Lemon Poke Cake, It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you.
Spooning the crust is something we did at the bakery which saved many a product when we released it from the pan. This tip will keep your end product looking pristine after releasing it.
Pre-baked crusts can have a gap between the pan the and crust. When a topping is added it can often leak down into that gap making it difficult to release. The technique I came up with at the bakery solves the problem enabling it to be released cleanly and easily.
Cheesecakes, lemon bars and other bar type cookies are good candidates for spooning the crust. I mention it in my latest book, Craving Cookies. It’s simple and effective. Examples of this technique on my blog can be found in Pecan Bars, Updated Lemon bars, Sour Cream Cheesecake and Apple Crisp Cheesecake.
Immediately after the crust is baked or partially baked, use the back tip of a spoon to reattach the crust to the side of the pan by gently pushing the crust back to the edge of the pan. Simply place the tip of the spoon between the gap and the crust. Drag it straight down the edge of the pan with a bit of pressure and the crust will adhere. This will prevent the liquid ingredients from seeping down the pulled away edges of the crust.
This technique can also be used to make sure a crust is tightly pressed against the side of the pan even if it isn't being baked such as a graham cracker crust.
This Updated Lemon Meringue Pie came about as a result of a Meringue class I taught recently on Zoom. Two things stood out. The meringue and how the filling is made. This update addresses both of those to make this easier and foolproof.
Please check out the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.
The is the usual filling for a Lemon Meringue Pie but how it is made can stand some modernization. Typically, the water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt are cooked until very thick. At this point, the yolks are tempered by adding the hot liquid to them three times. Then everything is put back in the pan and brought to a boil for 1 minute.
An easier, faster way is to simply put everything but the butter in the pan at the same time and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the butter off heat, whisk in and pour into the baked pie shell. Continue as in the blog.
Weeping or beading as the sugar beads are known can be a problem with Meringue toppings. The meringue sliding off the filling can be another problem. Both of these are easily solved by adding the how and when the meringue is put on the pie.
Several ingredients will make a difference. Baker's sugar or caster sugar is very finely ground sugar. Using this can make the difference between the sugar dissolving in the egg whites are staying undissolved. The undissolved sugar causes the beading.
The second ingredient that can help, especially if the weather is a bit humid is to add ¼ teaspoon cornstarch per egg white. Mix the cornstarch and sugar together before slowly adding to the egg whites. The sugar should be added a spoonful at a time and then beaten for 15 to 20 seconds before adding another spoonful. This will allow time for the sugar to fully dissolve.
An acid in the form of cream of tartar, lemon juice or white vinegar will help stabalize the egg whites. I prefer the cream of tartar because I don't like adding any liquid to the egg whites. Cream of tartar is added ⅛ teaspoon per egg white.
Our Pie to Try Recommendation: Banoffee Pie
Once the meringue is whipped to a stiff peak, how it is applied determines if it will slide off the filling or not.
First of all, many recipes tell you to put the meringue on the hot filling. Don't! The filling does not cook from the bottom on a hot filling because the filling isn't hot enough. That is just hooey! After the filling is added to the crust, press plastic wrap onto the top of the filling and allow it to come to room temperature.
It is most important to make sure the meringue is attached at every point to the inside of the crust. As I mention in the post, this is easiest done with a piping bag but spooning it on is fine as long as it is attached to the crust. This will keep it from slipping off the filling or shrinking back.
One of the things that will cause beading or weeping is baking the crust to brown it. Any undissolved sugar will form this little brown beads. I put my Lemon Meringue Pie on a sheet pan on the lowest rung of the oven on hi broil. Within minutes, it is beautifully and evenly browned.
These updated cookies really are the Best of All Spiced Molasses Cookies due to the muscavado sugar used. The original recipe with it’s crinkle finish is from “Julia Child and More Company” and has always been one of my favorites.
In order to accommodate the new sugar, I have changed the recipe slightly. These cookies will have crisp edges but will be soft in the centers.
Several posts ago, I talked about the different sugars used in baking. Among them was one that intrigued me the most - the muscavado dark brown sugar. Also known as Barbados sugar, it's very robust and the least refined raw cane sugar in which all of the molasses is retained.
It comes in a dark and light version with a rich, intense flavor. Muscavado sugar has a wet, sandy texture and has a stronger taste than regular brown sugar due to the increased molasses. Light muscovado sugar is about one sixth molasses, and dark about one third molasses.
It retains the most complex sweetness including the butterscotch flavors in candies and puddings. This sugar is key to the more intense flavor of these Best of All Spiced Molasses Cookies.
Not normally found in most grocery stores, it is available online
If muscovado sugar is not to be found, substitute the same amount of dark brown sugar and use dark or full flavored molasses. That will get you closest.
It is important to double pan these cookies as they feature really dark brown sugar and molasses which tends to over brown the bottoms. Placing one baking sheet on top of another will solve this problem. The cookie on the left was baked on a single pan while the cookie on the right was doubled panned.
Because these cookies puff up in the oven, it is easy to overbake them. After the initial baking, add a few minutes one or two at a time. They should be puffy, but not wet in the center. Usually 3 to 4 minutes more will do it.
These deeply flavored, richly spiced Best of All Molasses Cookies are extremely satisfying and perfect by themselves or with a cup of tea…..or coffee.
Mother's Day is defined by food and flowers as it should be. There was always a special brunch my husband and boys would make. It wasn't so much about the food and flowers, but the idea they thought about the menu, made it and then cleaned up. It was a day to be together and share - one of my favorite days.
In keeping with that tradition, I have rounded up some traditional and non-traditional treats I thought other mothers would enjoy. From sweet breads to desserts, snacks and candy. There's something for every time of the day and every taste.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread - is a favorite and can be made ahead and tucked in the freezer. Thaw and reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes to warm.
Sunny Side Up Apricot Pastries - if using a bought puff pastry, make sure it is made with butter for the best flavor. This gorgeous pastry that mimics sunny side up eggs can be made though adding the pastry cream to the puff and freezing them. Thaw the night before in the refrigerator, add the apricots and bake off for fresh pastries for a special mother.
Marvelous Variable Kolache - These Czechoslovakia pastries have an easy to work with yeast dough that shapes easily for any one of the several fillings or even better, make several of the filings to please everyone.
Traditional Apple Strudel - There was many a Sunday I sat and watched as my mother and grandmother would gently pull the small wad of dough into the thinnest of sheets over a big round table. It could be filled with many things, sweet or savory, but often it was apples. My job was to sweep up the flakes that had fallen from the dried ends of the dough. This Apple Strudel can be completely prpared in advance and frozen. Bake it from the frozen state, adding additional time to account for the freezing.
Greek Orange Yogurt Cake with Orange Syrup (Portokalopita) - One of my all time favorites. I could eat the entire pan by myself. It is one of the most unusual uses of phyllo I have ever seen with a intense orange flavor. Crushed up phyllo stands in for flour. If you don't need a 9x13 inch pan, cut the recipe in half and make it in an 8x8" square pan. If you've never made this, do try it sometime. It won't disappoint.
Chocolate Raspberry Pop Tarts - An upscale version of a popular favorite.
Kifle - is a childhood memory made possible by my mother's good notes. A yeasted crescent shaped dough holds a walnut filling, although others can be used. Kifle can by made, baked and frozen without the powdered sugar. Thaw at room temperature and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to refresth. Dust with powdered sugar when cool.
Salted Macadamia Rum Toffee -Mother's Day thoughts brought me to an elegant chocolate to finish the day.
So on this Mother's day, make something as special as she is.
Three easy sugar fixes may just get you through that recipe that needs one of these and guess what? You're out! If you saw Monday's post - Sugar, The Sweetest Part of Baking, you know there are many different sugars both dry and liquid. But all that knowledge doesn't help when there isn't any. Any one of these remedies may just help.
Brown sugar is simply granulated sugar that has been coated in molasses. The darker the sugar, the more molasses and deeper the taste. It’s easy to duplicate at home.
For each cup of light brown sugar, measure 1 cup granulated sugar. Remove 1 tablespoon and substitute 1 tablespoon light or dark molasses. If using weights, weigh 185 grams granulated sugar and add 1 tablespoon molasses.
For dark brown sugar, remove 2 tablespoons sugar and substitute 2 tablespoons molasses.
There is no need to mix the sugar and molasses together. Just add them to the recipe where the brown sugar is called for. If using a scale, weigh 175 granulated sugar (6 ounces) and add 2 tablespoons molasses.
Powdered, confectioners or icing sugar as it is can also be referred to, dissolves instantly in liquid. It is used for quick glazes, frosting for a cake or cookies and in some baked cookies for a softer texture. It can also be used as part of the sugar in meringues.
Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in a blender (do not use a food processor, it won’t work). Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch. The cornstarch will keep the sugar from clumping. Blend until powdered. Because this is lighter than granulated sugar, a cup will weigh 130 grams or 4 ½ ounces.
Superfine or Baker’s Sugar is a staple in bakeries. It is simply granulated sugar that has been ground very, very fine so it dissolves quicker and easier. While it can be hard to find in grocery stores, it is a cinch to make at home. Egg whites in particular, especially for meringues, call for superfine or baker’s sugar. It's also very useful when creaming butter and sugar or combining eggs or yolks with sugar
Simply place granulated sugar in a processor bowl and process 10 to 20 seconds until very, very fine. I make a larger amount than needed and keep a container of superfine sugar in my pantry so it’s ready when I need it.
This weighs 200 grams per cup or 7 ounces, the same as granulated sugar.
These Three Easy Sugar Fixes can be used in a pinch or really anytime. I especially keep a container of Bakers Sugar in my pantry. I noticed this week when shopping that they are selling Bakers Sugar - at really inflated prices.
Sugar, in one form or another is the most used sweetener in a bakery. It is used not only for sweetening, but as a tenderizer, moisturizer and for contributing brown color and a caramelized or baked flavor.
Sugars can be dry powders consisting of fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose and lactose.
Liquid syrups include, honey, invert sugar, corn syrup, molasses, sorghum, maple syrup, and golden syrup.
While used for sweetening, sugar also provides many functions including their hygroscopic properties which simply means their ability to attract and hold water.
After the sugar is dissolved, it prevents gluten formation, protein coagulation and starch gelatinization. Sugars delay the formation of structure and as a result they tenderize.
The more sugar that is added, the more delayed structure formation, the more tender the baked good.
Too little sugar in baked goods causes the structure to form too early before it can expand from the heat/steam in the oven. The product will be compact with a peaked and cracked top with little color.
Too much sugar will result in too little structure formation and it either won’t rise or will rise but collapse as it cools. It can cause the product to expand over the edge of a cupcake liner or pan, then collapse in the center.
Retaining moisture can be good or bad, depending upon what is being baked. While desirable in cakes, muffins, quick breads, scones, etc., it can ruin meringue.
The hygroscopic nature of sugar increases the softness and moistness in baked goods. It can also postpone drying out. Syrups such as invert syrup, honey, and high fructose corn syrup add more moistness and prevent drying out longer than dry sugars.
While brown sugars and syrups naturally provide a darker color to baked goods, most sweeteners contribute brown color through the process of caramelization and Maillard browning. Cooked sugar has a caramelized taste. The flavors of Maillard browning are diverse including roasted coffee and cocoa beans, roasted nuts, maple syrup and molasses.
Browning occurs when sugars are heated to a high temperature. Maillard browning is similar but proteins, in addition to the sugars, take part in browning faster and at a lower temperature. Because of the increased protein in bread flour, products made with it will brown faster than those made with all-purpose, pastry or cake flour.
Sugar assists in leavening because there is air between the irregularly shaped crystals. When dry sugar is added to batters and doughs, air is added. Air is a leavening agent.
Stabalizes Eggs. Beating egg whites, yolks or whole eggs with sugar makes them less likely to collapse. Think angel food, sponge, genoise and anytime butter and sugar or sugar and eggs are beaten until light. The light color is the air that is beaten in. That air expands in the heat of the oven and causes the product to rise.
In the case of meringue cookies or pavlova where egg whites are beaten with sugar to stiff peaks, they are dried out in the oven rather than baked at low temperatures to keep them from expanding and cracking.
Sugar provides food for yeast helping it grow faster. Often times, even in breads,itis added to help the yeast along without simply adding more yeast.
Reduce the iciness and harshness in frozen desserts by lowering the freezing point and holding onto the water preventing ice crystals.
Prevents Microbial Growth at high levels by lowering the water activity which is why the yeast in rich, sweet doughs rise more slowly than lean doughs.
Adds sheen to icings. Syrups, in particular add a glossy sheen to icings and ganache which is why corn syrup is often an ingredient.
Promotes Crisp Crust on Some Baked Goods. When moisture evaporates during baking, a crisp crust will form. Sugar promotes this crispiness as it recrystallizes during cooling. This is particularly noticeable in cookie, brownies and pound cake recipes high in sugar and low in moisture.
Spread in Cookies. The more dissolved sugar in the cookies, the more the cookies will spread. The finer it is, , the more they will spread. Although powdered sugar is a finer grind, the cornstarch helps prevents the spread of cookies.
Granulated sugar is a highly-refined, multi-purpose sugar made from sugar cane, sugar beets, or a combination of the two. It has had all of the naturally present molasses refined out of it. Considered a pure sugar, it has been crystallized and centrifuged then sent through a granulator where the crystals are dried, separated, and screened. It is the sugar most commonly used in baking.
Baker’s Sugar – is granulated sugar that is more finely ground, also referred to as superfine sugar, ultra-fine sugar or caster sugar. It is used professionally because it dissolves more easily in recipes and is particularly good for meringues and creaming butter and sugar together.
Caster Sugar – see Baker’s sugar as it is the same thing. The name caster sugar is used in Great Britain and it present or former colonies.
Confectioners sugar is also referred to as powdered sugar . 10X powdered sugar is the most finely powdered. It is used for dusting desserts, frostings, icings, and candy because it provides a smooth consistency. Because it dissolves so easily, it is often used in beverages. Confectioners sugar or powdered sugar contains about 3% cornstarch to prevent it from clumping.
Swedish Pearl Sugar consists of thick, white, opaque, white sugar that retains its shape under the heat of the oven. It is used for decoration as well as texture and taste particularly in Scandinavian baking.
Belgiun Pearl Sugar is the same as Swedish Pearl Sugar but is larger. It is used extensively with Liege Waffles.
Sanding Sugar is used for decoration reflecting light so as to sparkle. It comes in colors as well as clear with large crystal that hold up well to the heat of the oven.
Coarse Sugar has larger crystals than sanding sugar but is used for decoration also.
Sugar Cubes consist of granulated sugar that has been compressed into small squares. In the past it was used to sweeten tea. Often, flowers or other designs were painted on them.
Donut Sugar or Snow Sugar is a specially developed powdered sugar that will not dissolve or melt on baked items. It can be used for decorating donuts, breakfast pastries, fruit tarts, cakes and cookies. This is especially necessary when finishing something that is moist because this sugar will stay white and powdered. It can also finish a frozen product and now melt when thawed. Other names by which it is known are White Snow Sugar, Non-Melting White Donut Sugar, Non-Melting Powdered sugar and Snow White Non-Melting Topping Sugar.
Brown Sugar, Dark and Light – Brown sugar is the less refined version of granulated sugar in which some of the molasses has been retained. Less molasses is retained in light brown sugar than in dark brown sugar. It can also be granulated sugar to which molasses has been added back. Brown sugar is more difficult to measure correctly by volume. If measuring this way, always pack the cup. The most accurate way to measure is by weight. One cup of either brown sugar weighs 200 grams. Either brown sugar is also low enough pH for it to be deemed slightly acidic and will activate baking soda when the two are combined.
Demerara Sugar is raw sugar than has been nominally refined. It has large grains, is amber colored and has a subtle molasses flavor. It is often used for topping muffins and scones.
Turbinado Sugar is also minimally refined raw sugar made after the molasses has been spun off from the sugar,. As a result, the crystals are large and golden. Turbinado sugar is finer than Demerara sugar and often used in tea and coffee.
Muscavado Sugar is also known as Barbados sugar is a robust, least refined raw cane sugar in which all of the molasses is retained. It comes in a dark and light version with a rich, intense flavor. Muscavado sugar has a wet, sandy texture and has a stronger taste than regular brown sugar due to the increased molasses. Light muscovado sugar is about one sixth molasses, and dark about one third molasses. It retains the most complex sweetness including the butterscotch flavors in candies and puddings.
Sweeteners such as corn syrup, invert syrups, honey, and molasses prevent moisture loss and also help prevent sugar crystallization. These sweeteners make soft, moist baked goods.
Honey comes in many flavors depending upon where the bees are. It is used as a sweetener in baking and to finish desserts such as baklava.
Molasses, Dark & Light is a thick, dark syrup made by boiling and reducing sugar cane which produces sugar crystals and molasses. There are usually three cycles with each cycle yielding a darker and more bitter syrup. It also comes in mild, the first extraction and dark which is the second. Black strap molasses is the third and the most intense and bitter.
Sorghum syrup was introduced into the south in the early 17th century from Africa with the slave traffic. It has a thinner consistency than molasses and was often used as a drizzle on cakes, biscuits and bread.
Maple Syrup has multiple which vary in flavor and thickness. It is used for both sweet and savory applications including as a flavoring for pies and cookies.
Corn Syrup is made from the starch of corn and contains varying amounts of sugars. It is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, and prevent crystallization of sugar. It come in a clear variety that is enhanced with salt and vanilla and the dark corn syrup that contains molasses.
Golden syrup is a translucent, golden-amber colored, sweet syrup, which was created in London in the 1880s. It is made from white sugar which has been inverted, meaning that the sucrose has been broken down into two simpler sugars, fructose and glucose. Beautifully golden, hence it’s name is has a light caramel flavor. It is used where honey or corn syrup is used and as a syrup over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, etc. (I can eat this by the spoonful all by itself.)
A show stopping Triple Lemon Cake will have everyone asking where you got it. Watch their reaction when you tell them you made it! It's the perfect spring cake.
This cake contradicts the normal assembly of a cake. The “filling” is on the outside of the French sponge cake, genoise. The crumbs on the outside are cake crumbled in the processor. To protect the “filling” from crusting over, meringue is piped on top.
To make things easier it consists of easy component parts that can be made ahead and assembled when needed.
While originating around 1500 in Genoa, Italy, the French named it genoise when they took it over. French baking borrowed recipes liberally from other nations, renaming them as they went along. Genoise has a reputation for being two things - difficult to make and dry.
Used as a foil for many fillings and finishes, the cake is a type of butter sponge in which whole eggs are beaten with sugar to incorporate air. This is the only leavening in the cake. Processing granulated sugar will turn it into bakers sugar which is very fine, allowing it to become incorporated with the eggs much easier, better and faster. The eggs should be room temperature. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, just put them in hot water while you get everything else ready.
The genoise layer can be made months ahead, frozen, wrapped really well and held in the freezer awaiting the final assembly.
The cake can be dry and dense if the flour is folded in too forcefully or too long. Sift the first half of the flour over the egg mixture and fold it in about ¾ of the way. Repeat with the second half. A very light touch is needed here. Emulsify the butter and fold it in.
When I wrote my first book, The New Pastry Cook, I struggled mightily with getting the melted butter folded into the batter. Despite having a wonderful French pastry chef instruct me, my butter always ended up on the bottom of the baked cake, making a rubbery, dense, unattractive and unwanted layer.
What I ended up doing was whisking some of the completed batter into the butter. By whisking vigorously, it became emulsified. The butter becomes suspended in the batter and is no longer liquid. That was added back to the majority of the batter and quickly folded in which solved the main reason this cake was thought to be difficult.
If you think about it, it is so much easier to beat whole eggs than whipping egg whites and yolks separately, then folding in together with the flour. The chances of knocking the air out of them is much higher than with genoise.
There are several reasons for using a soaking syrup. The most important is to add flavor, either to intensify the main flavor or to add another dimension. The second reason is to add moisture.
It is added to this Triple Lemon Cake to maximize the lemon flavor.
If you love lemon meringue pie, you will love this “filling”. The lemon is intense but not biting. It is added as the top layer of the cake and on the sides as the glue to keep the crumbs in place.
The filling needs to be refrigerated, preferably overnight to firm up before it can be used.
Using cake crumbs to finish the outside of a cake is a very “bakery” thing to do. Especially, since there are often cake trims or leftover cake around. Simply tear the cake into pieces and add them to the processor. Pulse to make crumbs.
This works for any plain cake. If not needed immediately, store the crumbs in the freezer for later.
While there are three basic types of meringues, I chose the Swiss meringue for this cake because I wanted a denser meringue – sort of marshmallowy.
The egg whites and sugar are heated together in the mixing bowl and then whipped to hold stiff peaks. Piping or spooning them over the exposed lemon “filling” will prevent it from crusting over.
One of my readers Liza had a great idea. If you don't want to go the Meringue route, use fresh berries. Blueberries or raspberries would be perfect because of their size.
Who doesn't want a quick food processor tip? This Thursday Tidbit is all about cleaning food from the processor blade while it is in the processor.
How many times have you been frustrated trying to remove the last of the food from the food processor blade? There's a really simple way to do it.
Early in my food career I was a consultant to Cusinart. I specialized in using the food processor for baking and pastry. I spent an exciting two weeks in their test kitchen learning the ins and outs of this useful machine.
In my post Food Processor Tips When Baking I share much of what I learned. This Quick Food Processor Tip is just one of many useful ways to get the most out of your food processor.
Remove as much as you can from the processor using the heavy plastic spatula that comes with the machine. Do not use a rubber spatula as the sharp blade will cut into it.
Leave the blade in place.
Put the top on the processor and pulse it several times.
The centrifugal force will fling whatever remains on the blade to the side of the bowl where it is easily removed.
I came across Tourte Milanase years ago. It’s a spectacular tour de force. And, as with most spectaculars, it requires a bit of preparation to get it finished. But when it’s done and you cut into it, the striking layers of green, red, pink and white are dramatic.
While impressive, it isn’t difficult but time has to be set aside for sure.
While I am making the original Tourte Milanese, feel free to switch out ingredients. Don't like spinach? Switch to marinated artichokes or broccoli. Trade the ham for turkey. Cheddar cheese would be good and you can really add excitement with hot pepperjack cheese.
Don’t let the length of the recipe deter you. Much of the prep can be made ahead to speed things along. The tourte can also be assembled and held completely baked or unbaked.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Both the book and the PBS series, Baking with Julia, featured Michel Richard along side Julia Child. It’s as relevant today as it was then. Tourte Milanase is the creation of Michel Richard, a French born pastry chef who was adventurous, jovial and fond of experimentation. Born in France, he became a citizen of the United States. He was known to be open to the many culinary influences of this country with his hybrid French-Californian take on food.
The original recipe featured puff pastry as its crust. But I feel the puff is too light for the hefty filling, so I changed it to one of my favorite savory crusts, pasta frolla as used in the Torta Rustica.
CLOCKWISE: Cake flour,eggs,salt, cream and unsalted butter.
I have no idea why I put the spinach in this photo. It is not included in the omelet.
FRONT ROW: Oregano, salt, and pepper
MIDDLE ROW: Parsley, water and chives
BACK ROW: (omit the spinach), eggs.
FRONT ROW: Garlic, nutmeg and salt
MIDDLE ROW: Pepper, olive oil and butter
BACK ROW: The spinach, and cream
CLOCKWISE: Swiss cheese, smoked ham, fire roasted red peppers and an egg
Using the ingredients listed in this recipe, the pasta frolla crust for the Tourte Milanese should be made just before assembly.
For ease of preparation, I used chopped frozen spinach and jarred fire roasted red peppers. For some reason, spinach stays frozen longer than any other vegetable we handled. Thaw a couple of days in the fridge or set it out at room temperature for several hours. Failing everything else, microwave it. It should be very well thawed. Drain in a colander and then squeeze the water out until it is very dry.
The red peppers should be well drained and patted dry or, if using fresh peppers they should be roasted and cooled.
Use your favorite ham as long as it isn’t loaded with water. If the ham has a casing, cut it off.
For the Omelets, I cut the chives and parsley and set them aside. When cooking the eggs, I sprinkled them with the herbs, salt and pepper before I flipped them over. Because they are large and awkward to flip, I cut each in half making it much less intimidating.
The omelets, spinach filling and red peppers can be made the day ahead and refrigerated making this a very manageable entree.
Have the ham and cheese sliced thinly.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions
Step 1. Pour the 5 beaten eggs into a pan and sprinkle with the herbs. Step 2. Cut the omlet in half to make flipping it easier. Step 3. Flip each half over and finish cooking. Step 4. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool. This can be done the day before and refrigerated if desired.
Step 5. Saute the spinach for several minutes. Step 6. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and cream. Mix quickly so the spinach absorbs the cream. The mixture should not show liquid. Step 6. Pour the spinach onto a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Cover with plastic wrap. This may be done the day before and refrigerated.
Step 9. Divide the dough in half. Divide one piece in half again, as seen in the top of 9. Roll into two 9" circles. Step 10. Place one circle in the bottom of the well sprayed pan securing it to the edge of the pan. Refrigerate the second round for the top, covering it with plastic wrap. Step 11. For the sides, divide the other half of the dough in 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 11x4" rectangle. As they are rolled, place them against the side of the pan. There will be a 1" overhang. The spray should keep it in place. Step 12 Continue in this manner with the 2 other pieces of dough completing the bottom crust. Join the seams well by pressing firmly together. Set aside.
Step 13. Place one of the egg omelets on the bottom of the crust. Step 14. Spread half of the spinach filling evenly over the omelet. Step 15. Add half of the cheese on top of the spinach. Step 16. Then half of the ham goes over the cheese.
Step 17. Cover the ham with all of the well drained, patted dry red peppers. Step. 18 Continue layering the the remaining ingredients in reverse order - ham, cheese, and spinach ending with the second omelet on top. Step 19. Turn the overhanging crust over the omelet. Step 20. Brush with egg wash.
Step 21. Remove the second circle of dough from the refrigerator and let it warm just slightly so it doesn't crack when added to the pan. Step 22. Place it on top and trim if necessary to make it fit tightly into the side. Step 23. Mark the top, without going through the dough into the desired number of pieces. Brush with egg wash and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before baking. Brush with egg wash again. Step 24. Bake until a dark medium brown.
The Tourte Milanese has a layered filling of vegetables, cheese and ham enclosed in a pastry crust.
The original crust was puff pastry as the tourte was designed by Michel Richard, a French chef of note. However, other, more substantial crusts can be used.
It sure can. It can be completed, baked or unbaked and refrigerated several days ahead. If baked it should be freshened and warmed before serving or it can be assembled the day before and baked when needed.
If you love this Tourte Milanese or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. I appreciate each of you being here
Meringues have been a source of uncertainty to many when it comes to baking. And they really needn’t be. What kinds are they? How do they differ? Where are they used? Can you overbeat them? Why use an acid when making them? Why does the weather matter? How to minimize cracking when drying.
This class is going to answer all of these questions and more. Meringue is one of the easiest of all baking and pastry base recipes. There is so much that can be done with it from buttercreams to cookies to fillings, toppings, and more.
Light and airy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, meringues can be flavored (but where and when is of utmost importance), colored or left snow white. They are easy to make and last indefinitely in a closed tin. And don’t forget they are gluten free if that is a concern.
Types of Meringue and their uses.
Lemon Meringue Pie – meringue part only. This Answers the question: "How do you keep meringue from weeping or pulling away from the sides of a pie after it is baked?
Meringue Shells also known as Pavlova which can be filled with curds, ice cream or whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Spanish Windtorte - a gorgeous meringue case to be filled with whatever your heart desires.
To sign up for the Meringue Class, please click here.
As always you will receive the recipes, including the Lemon Meringue Pie, the recording and the class notes of general interest.
All of my zoom classes are demonstration so you just need to show up. They usually last about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Recipes and the link to the class will be sent several days before the class takes place.
Saturday April 2, 2022
2:00 PM Central Daylight Time
Cost: $45.00
Please go here to sign up.
Fig Stuffed Anise Sweet Bread is not only beautiful, it has an “how did you do that” look to it. Swirled into an easily made S shape it is a picture of old-world elegance. Not overly sweet, this large loaf of sweet bread is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
The shape of this bread is based on the Pane Bianco which is a savory stuffed Italian bread.
What I particularly like about this lightly sweetened dough is how luxuriously soft and velvety the dough feels. While slightly sticky when made, an overnight rest in the refrigerator makes it ideal to work. This is really important when it comes to the length to which the dough needs to be rolled. There is none of the dreaded spring-back so prevalent while rolling yeasted doughs. However, it is important to roll it the dimensions called for and pick the dough up from time to time as it will always shrink back slightly.
The anise flavoring is subtle even with the fig filling. If anise is not your cup of tea, it can be flavored with vanilla or orange or lemon rind.
I used Mission Figs for this Fig Stuffed Anise Sweet Bread for their depth of flavor in this easy to make filling. Below is just one of the brands available.
The dark figs come with their stems attached. Just cut them off at the top and they are ready to go into the processor. After quickly processing to chop them, the remaining ingredients are added and processed.
I remember when dried fruit was truly dry, always needing to be soaked. But nowadays, much of the dried fruit is moist and so much better and easier to work with. These Mission figs fall into that category. They don’t need to be soaked or otherwise prepared to use.
Although the shape looks complicated, it's really very easy to do. One long roll, sliced deeply with one side turned down and the up to make the S. That’s it.
I chose to finish the Fig Stuffed Anise Sweet Bread with Swedish Pearl Sugar to give it a bit of crunch. Sanding sugar can be used or it can simply be egg washed.
The Fig Stuffed Anise Sweet Bread is doubled panned when baked. Rich doughs that have egg and sugar can become overly browned on the bottom easily. By placing the pan with the sweet bread on a second pan, it will slow down the heat to the bottom preventing over browning or burning. It will increase the time slightly but the outcome will be much better.
While I have never gotten the hang of decoratively slashing loaves of bread, I do love to shape them and this loaf is appealing in more ways than one.
I am updating this post because I found something else that would be helpful when using this technique which is why there are two different nuts shown now.
Chopping Nuts has never been one of my favorite things to do when baking. At the bakery, we would buy whatever size nut we wanted in 30 pound boxes. Since we used most nuts toasted, we would toast the entire box, cool them, and then re-box and store them in the freezer. It worked out wonderfully.
I have no idea why I dislike cutting nuts. Spoiled perhaps? Probably. But whatever the reason, I do. Then I came up with a quicker way. I understand I can buy chopped nuts in small amounts but I am skittish about how long and under what circumstances, the nuts have been stored. They are also really expensive in smaller amounts.
In the fall, when the new nut crops come in, I buy large bags of pecan and walnut halves and large pieces to store in my freezer. These are softer nuts and heavy in oil. They can go rancid fairly fast if not kept cold or frozen. Almonds and hazelnuts are harder and don't seem to become rancid as quickly although they go in the freezer also. I usually buy these whole or in the case of almonds slivered but not sliced.
When I had the bakery, I sourced my nuts from distributors that specialized in selling nuts and kept them refrigerated which ensured they would be good to use anytime of the year.
When I have to chop nuts, I prefer to do it by hand and not in the processor. Because the processor blade whirs around at about 30 miles an hour, it can really pulverize nuts in a hurry. Even if they are pulsed, there seems to be a lot of powder. While I save the powder to use elsewhere, it seems like a waste.
Here's my latest technique.
If the nuts are frozen, let them sit in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet for a few minutes until thawed. If toasting them, do it before chopping them. Let them cool and then continue.
Place the nuts in a rimmed baking sheet for this technique because they will scatter. Cover the nuts with plastic wrap placed directly on the nuts. This will keep them from flying out of the pan while being smashed.
Using a meat pounder as seen below or a heavy pan, simply smash them. Continue until they are the size you need.
This is the meat pounder I use to smash the nuts. A heavy skillet or pan will work. The next two photos were the before to my afters above.
If you gather them up under the cupped palm of your hand and shake them around, the large pieces are easily separated out in case they need to be "chopped" further.
This works for any nut.
If using the nuts to add to cookies or a cake, just scoop them up and add where called for.
If using for decoration that will be seen, strain the nuts to remove any powder so the finish will look clean.
That's pretty much it. Quick, easy and no chopping!
This Bailey’s Cheesecake, is everything a cheesecake should be - creamy, easy to make and full of flavor. To reinforce the Bailey's flavor, a Bailey's White Chocolate Glaze finishes the cheesecake.
But the best thing about this cheesecake is that it is super simple and a great place to start if just getting into cheesecakes. Within minutes it will be in the pan and going into the oven.
This cheesecake is based on my Unbelieveable Cheesecake using the same 4 ingredients but water instead of Bailey's.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]The difference between a cheesecake pan and a springform pan is how the sides are made. The cheesecake pan has a solid rim and a perfectly flat removable bottom. While it requires a different method to release the cheesecake, it is easily and quickly done. The flat removable bottom allows for easy removal of the cheesecake. When we made cheesecakes requiring water baths, we simply wrapped these pans in aluminum foil to keep the water out. Parrish's Magic Pan line has this pan in different sizes.
Parrish's Magic Pan line is the one we used at the bakery. I am still using some that are 30 years old. They last forever, are easier to clean and are reasonably priced compared to others. We used their cake pans, wedding cake pans, and cheesecake pans in different sizes. We literally had 100's of their pans. Here are a couple of sources: Sweet Treat Supply or Charlies Fixtures. Be careful to get the cheesecake pans and not the regular cake pans.
Most springform pans do not have a perfectly flat removable bottom making it more difficult to remove the cheesecake. Also, after years of use or if not stored properly, the spring can get sprung making it unusable.
Baileys is a type of alcoholic liqueur called Irish cream.
While know as just Bailey's, the proper name is Baileys The Original Irish Cream. Irish cream was first developed in 1974 in Ireland. Original Baileys Irish Cream contains Irish dairy cream, Irish whiskey, vanilla and chocolate flavors.
Baileys is designed to be served neat (without ice or mixers) or used as a flavoring in foods like Irish coffee, ice cream toppings, baked goods, and confectionery. The uses of this popular liqueur are endless.
The glaze is made with White chocolate which is made of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla, and a fatty food additive called lecithin. That's it!
White melting wafers or coating chocolate is made by several companies and can include: Sugar, Palm And Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Whole Milk Powder, Sorbitan Tristearate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor. As you can see there is no cocoa butter. While they melt, they are not white chocolate and they don't taste like white chocolate.
It can be tricky to melt white chocolate because it seizes easily and quickly if too high a heat is used to melt it.
First, the chocolate needs to be chopped in small pieces. That will allow the heat to melt it more uniformly.
Next, place the Bailey’s in the top of a double boiler or a bowl that fits snuggly into the pan below. Make sure the water beneath it is only simmering, not boiling, and the bottom of the pan doesn’t touch the water. Add the chopped white chocolate. At the first sign of melting, stir gently and constantly until it’s melted. It's ok to use a whisk if you use it to stir very slowly so air bubbles don't form. If in doubt, use a spoon.
While I love the microwave for many things, I don’t like using it to melt white chocolate. It is very finicky and burns really easy. If you asked me why I know this, it’s because I have burned more than once even using half power.
This is the same crust we used at the bakery for cheesecakes using a chocolate crumb crust.
CLOCKWISE: Melted butter, graham crackers, cocoa, powdered sugar
FRONT ROW: Granulated Sugar, Bailey's liqueur
BACK ROW: Cream Cheese, eggs
Left to right: White Chocolate (do not use if the ingredients incude palm oil, or other ingredients), Bailey's liqueur
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients & instructions!*
Over the years, I have found there is a distinct difference in how the cheesecake is mixed. When using the processor, it is much easier to mix the cream cheese without lumps. Using the processor also makes a very creamy, but firmer cheesecake that cuts beautifully.
Mixing the filling in a mixer makes a slightly less firm cheesecake that isn't quite the same texture but is also fine.
Step 1. Place the graham crackers, powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Step 2. Whisk together to mix. Step 3. Mix together with a fork. Step 4. Make sure all the ingredients are coated with butter and uniformly mixed.
Step 1. Place the graham crackers, powdered sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Step 2. Whisk together to mix. Step 3. Add the melted butter. Step 4. Toss the crumbs with a fork and make sure all the ingredients are coated with butter and uniformly mixed.
Step 5. Pour the crumbs into the sprayed cheesecake pan. Step 6. Spread them evenly over the bottom. Step 7. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. Step 8. Make sure the crust is pressed up against the sides of the pan.
Step 1. Place half the room temperature cream cheese in the processor. Step 2. Process until smooth. Step 3. Add the remainder of the cream cheese and sugar in the processor. Step 4. Process until completely smooth, scraping down as necessary.
Step 5. Add the eggs to the cream cheese. Step 6. Process to mix. Step 7. Add the Bailey's and process to incorporate. Step 8. Pour over the crust in the pan. Bake as directed, cool to room temperature and chill several hours or overnight until cold.
Step 9. The cheesecake baked in the pan. Step 10. Place the cheesecake on a can. Step 11. Using a hair blower on high, go around the outside of the pan to release it. Step 12. Release the bottom using a metal spatula placed between the crust and the metal bottom.
Step 13. Place two pancake turners under the bottom of the cake on both sides. Step 14. Lift the cheesecake from the pan bottom to a cake board or serving plate. Step 15. The package of real white chocolate. Do not use white compound. Step 16. Chop the chocolate.
Step 17. Place the Bailey's in a bowl over simmering water. Step 18. Add the white chocolate. Step 19. Bring the water to a bare simmer. Do not let it boil or touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat to melt the chocolate. After the chocolate starts to melt, stir it gently to avoid air bubbles in the finish. Step 20. Pour the glaze over the chilled cake and spread it out to the sides. If some drips down the sides, that's fine. Refrigerate to set.
Yes but less than 0.5% by volume which is much lower and liquors.
Because of the very low alcohol content and the fact this cheesecake is cooked, it is probably ok, but check with your doctor to make sure.
Pour over ice cream, mix into coffee, or enjoy it with ice for other ways to enjoy this liqueur.
For over 6 years I was on the local CBS TV station demonstrating a recipe in 4 minutes. It was a challenge much of the time. You can see the last segment I did making this cheesecake without the liqueur. It was a really fun time in my life as you can see.
If you love this Bailey's Cheesecake or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. Thank you and I appreciate each of you being here!
This Irish Apple Cake was the end result of a search for an Irish dessert for St. Patrick’s day.
What I’m excited to share is a wonderfully moist cake filled with apples and topped with a streusel. There are several versions online, mostly without the topping. That is what drew me to this recipe. I love streusels and crumb tops. Gemma Stafford posted this on her blog under the title, “My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake Recipe”. Her opening line is, “It doesn’t get much better than my mum’s Irish Apple Cake recipe” and she couldn’t be more right. Lucky for us!
Granny Smith apples are specified for this Irish Apple Cake and I stuck with those. While Gemma’s recipe calls for “one even layer” of apples, I took that to mean a single layer as in most of the other recipes. However, after peeling, coring and slicing 3 apples as called for, I added all of them, in one even layer.
I’m also going to show you a quicker way to core an apple for slicing. After peeling the apple cut it in half from top to bottom. Cut each half in half again making 4 quarters.
Place the knife at an angle just above the seeds and slice down. Once you get the hang of it, it is much faster than scooping out the seed pod.
I made a few minor changes like using brown sugar instead of granulated in the streusel and a bit more butter to ensure it holds together in the oven. The good news is there is lots of streusel topping.
I felt it was only fitting to use Kerry Gold salted butter if I was going to make this authentic.
The cake itself is cinnamon flavored backed up with vanilla. It’s a snap to put together. Don’t be put off by the relatively small amount of batter when spread in the pan. By the time the apples and streusel are added there is a full 2” layer of cake.
This cake is ideal served anytime of day. We especially liked it in the morning with a cup of tea. It’s not too sweet, the apples are soft but not mushy and the streusel adds one more layer of flavor. For me, this is a perfect coffee cake or snack cake.
You don’t want to let this Irish Apple Cake go by.
If you like crumb topping as much as I do, take a look at these recipes:
Easily Made Raspberry Ripple Coffeecake
Curdled Cake Batter can be alarming but it is easily fixed. Have you ever creamed butter and sugar together into a light fluffy mixture? And then, when eggs are added one at a time or all at once, the light, fluffy mixture breaks down separating into clumps that look like rice in liquid? Depending upon how much butter and sugar have been creamed one or two eggs might not do it. However, the third or fourth cause the dreaded curdling or breaking of the mixture.
Many articles will tell you it’s the temperature of the eggs and butter. When you beat the butter and sugar then add eggs an emulsion is created. Most emulsions occur in baking when fat is suspended in water. Eggs contain water in the whites. However, at some point, the mixture will curdle or break if too many eggs are added because the fat from the butter cannot hold any more water. This won't happen when adding yolks alone, because they don't have water. Since yolks are fat, adding fat to fat isn't a problem.
Having the butter and eggs around 72° to 74°F helps since adding cold eggs to a warmer creamed mixture can cause the butter to seize breaking into little clumps which isn't curdlig. Covering the refrigerated eggs in hot water while the other ingredients are being assembled will ensure they will be warmed when needed.
Although room temperature ingredients are helpful, I rarely remember and it honestly doesn’t matter.
Remember too much water will cause the curdling also as will not beating the eggs long enough for the water and fat to come together.
There are basically two ways to fix the problem. The first is to simply raise the speed of the mixer. But this isn’t the best solution because it can ramp up the gluten in the cake batter making it less tender.
The best way to fix curdled cake batter is simply to add the flour and mix on low. It will all come together in a beautifully emulsified batter with no hint of curdling.
At the end of some cake recipes they will add the flour and liquid alternately to the mixture in the bowl, starting and ending with the flour. That's to prevent the mixture in the bowl from curdling. If you added the liquid first, chances are it would curdle, so the flour always goes in first and last.
Recently, I’ve seen a number of articles that suggest adding a couple of tablespoons of flour as the curdling appears. But this isn’t necessary. As you can see by the photos, add all the flour after the eggs have been added and it will come together as if there had been no curdling at all. Just remember to beat on low to medium low.
This Lamington Torte is an adaptation of Australia’s much loved snack, Lamington Squares. Traditionally, they are made of sponge cake, dipped in chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut. The sponge can also be split and filled with whipped cream or jam.
However, in researching this treat, I found that here in the states the cake usually runs to a butter cake. The recipes did stay true to the original powdered sugar icing.
I liked the idea, but I am not a fan of sponge cake except in a few instances where nothing else will do. My Lamington Torte consists of four layers of yellow butter cake, raspberry jam filling and a rich chocolate ganache rather than the powdered sugar based icing.
I also use sweetened coconut that is toasted then flattened with a rolling pin so it lies flatter than regular coconut when covering the cake. Toasting coconut is one of those things in baking where you need to be around, as it has to be stirred every few minutes to achieve a luscious deep golden brown. Unless, of course, you go to have lunch in the den with your husband and leave the timer in the kitchen. When you do that this is what your coconut will look like. Don't do this!
The fillings are rich so they are spread thinly. The cake is finished in a very thin layer of ganache into which the toasted coconut is pressed. This insures that with every bite you taste all the components whereas either the raspberry or the chocolate could dominate with thicker fillings.
This Lamington Torte is great for beginners since there is no decorating. It isn't necessary for the glaze to be perfect since it will be covered by the coconut. This cake freezes well so can be made ahead.
Following my usual practice, I baked the yellow cake in four layers rather than split two layers. However, if you have only two pans, then split the cake layers.
I visited these blogs in researching this blog. You may find these interesting also.www.joyofbaking.com/Lamingtons.
https://www.marthastewart.com/334313/lamingtons
https://australianfood.about.com/od/bakingdesserts/r/Lamingtons.htm
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/11/lamingtons-recipe-chocolate-coconut-cake/
This Chocolate Glazed Bakewell Tart is an American take on an English dessert that can be found wherever Britannia ruled. It's a popular dessert in the UK, named after the Derbyshire town of Bakewell. It consists of a shortcrust pastry filled with a layer of jam, frangipane, and is usually topped with flaked almonds.
The history of the Bakewell Tart can be found on Tina's Traditional.
This Chocolate Glazed Bakewell Tart is given an American spin with it's chocolate sour cream ganache. The tart itself features a press in pate sucre crust over which a jam or preserves of your choice is spread. A traditional frangipane fills the tart which is baked and glazed when cool.
The Pate Sucre Crust is butter rich and easy to make in a processor. Even easier, it can be pressed into the shell so there is no rolling out of the crust.
It should chilled to firm up the butter before partially baking. By baking about two thirds of the way, it will ensure the crust is completely baked when done.
Frangipane is a classic almond flavored cream or pastry. While this recipe uses almond flour, almonds may be ground finely in a food processor and used as well. This is not a cooked cream so it goes together quickly.
The addition of sour cream to a ganache give it a subtle depth that cream alone doesn't. It's important not to let the sour cream/heavy cream come to a boil or the sour cream may separate.
Here are a few more recipes that you might enjoy -
This Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Muffin recipe can be altered by changing the fruit and/or nuts used. Almost any combination will work.
There is a term in baking called the muffin mix which refers to mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combining them. It’s as easy as that.
I originally found this recipe in The Butter Book which is an online baking course from The French Pastry School. Information about it can be found here. They use metrics in their recipes. I kept the metrics but also added volume and ounces as I normally do. I made minor changes to the recipe.
What I like about the recipe is that it doesn’t use a commercial GF flour substitute. In the past I have found that some work, some don’t. I have used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure substitute with success but I am frustrated by the fact you have to buy directly from them and the shipping charges are often as much or more than the cost of the product.
This recipe uses white rice flour which is pretty standard as well as cornstarch which isn’t. When I first read the recipe, I thought it might have a starchy taste but it doesn’t and it works well. The one item that is necessary in almost all GF mixtures is xanthan gum. Xanthan gum takes the place of gluten in flour by binding the ingredients together.
White rice flour is readily available on grocer’s shelves. Xanthan gum can be found online.
While it’s true these are easy to make there is one place that can cause concern. Often when combining eggs or liquid after creaming butter and sugar together, the mixture will break or curdle. However, there’s and easy fix when this happens. One of two things can be done. Raise the speed of the mixer. This sometimes solves the problem or lessens it. The easiest way though is to add the flour mixture which will bring everything back together in a smooth, homogenous batter.
Oftentimes, when making a cake, the liquid and flour are alternated to keep the batter from curdling always starting and ending with the flour.
I like to use frozen fruit in my muffins because it disperses better without smooshing. One really neat trick I learned was to place the frozen fruit in a plastic bag and then crush it with your hand or a meat tenderizer before adding it to your batter.