Cake Crumbs: Specialty Cake Class

What a wonderful two day class with John and Susan Rota at their specialty cake shop Cake Crumbs in Encino.  The class was called Introduction to Baking I, but I feel like I learned much more than the basics as you will see.

The first day we began by mixing and baking a luscious three layer white cake which was so moist it could be eaten on its own.  We then made a light, creamy vanilla buttercream filling that was just the right level of sweetness. Now let me stop here and say I am not a big cake eater and often scrape off the frosting.  I don't like anything that is too sweet.  This cake and buttercream, however, were in a class of their own.  I would highly recommend them and only hope I can recreate them on my own at home.

Unlike many other cake creators, John makes his own fondant, which is easy to work with and tastes great.  He also insists on taking the time to create a fondant-lined cake board edged in ribbon that adds a clean, elegant look on which to display his cakes--much nicer than the typical foil boards.

We ended the first day by cutting out tiny flowers of fondant, which we would use the next day to decorate our cakes, and assembling our three layers of cake with the buttercream, which we covered in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

Day two involved decorating.  First we worked on the flowers:

Next we covered the cake with the fondant, which is an art in itself, but John is an excellent and meticulous teacher. 

                                      

 Then we gave the cake a base coat of paint.

Of course there are myriad ways to decorate a cake, but John suggested a unique design inspired by the work of artist Keith Haring. It involves a filigree piping in a maze-like design which was difficult to imitate at first but a blast once I got the hang of it.

Then we piped tiny balls all along the bottom of cake.

    

and last attached our flowers.

When I stepped back to look at it, I was amazed.  I still can't believe I made this stunning cake.

I managed to get it home intact.  It sliced easily--and oh my, tasted great. My husband loved it--especially the fondant. He said the same thing I did--It was not at all overpowering with sweetness, but just right, and the fondant had a chewy texture like candy.

I would encourage anyone interested to check out their website http://cakecrumbs.com and take a look at their classes.  It is definitely worth the cost to work with these highly skilled artists. I plan to continue my training in cake design with John and Susan.  As teachers they are generous, patient, and very knowledgeable.  As artists, they are talented and inspiring.  It is clear that they love what they do and it shows in their work.

Pies and Tarts, or Another "Green Tomato" Incident!

This week in my Professional Baking class at The New School of Cooking the subject was pies and tarts.  Carol's recipe produced a light flakey crust that was delicious.  We used all butter with just a tablespoon of sugar to soften the starchiness of the flour. 

Pie Crust:   Combine 2 1/2 cups all purpose (AP) flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 Tablespoon of sugar, 8 ounces of cold butter, and 6-8 Tablespoons of ice water.  I worked it with the tips of my fingers--like playing a piano, not squeezing--until it felt like wet sand with pea-sized pieces.  Then formed it into a ball.  

The secret is not to over-mix.  Pie dough should look like marble--not smooth. I loosely double wrapped the ball in plastic wrap and then pressed it flat about the size of a large pancake and put it in the refrigerator.  It should stay at least one hour, but is still good for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze it for a couple of months and then defrost in the fridge before rolling.  This recipe makes a double crust (top and bottom).  

I also learned that when you roll out your dough, it is a one shot deal!  If it cracks and tears, don't double roll.  Just piece it together like a puzzle and press. It will smooth out as it bakes. 

We made Apple Pie: Mix together 6 cups peeled and sliced apples, 1/2 cup sugar (brown or white or mixed),  1/1/2 Tablespoons of flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of salt, and then fill pie crust forming a nice rounded mound.  Cut 3 Tablespoons of butter into bits and tuck and dot around filling.  Cover with top crust, seal and flute. Cut steam holes.  Brush top with cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 350 degrees 40-50 minutes or more till done.

                                                 

Next we made a Lemon Tart. The tart dough is slightly different: 2 1/2 cups AP flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 8 ounces butter, slightly soft and diced, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Combine flour, salt and sugar.  Cut in butter.  Combine egg and vanilla and add to flour-butter mixture.  Mix with hands to form a nice smooth dough.  Blind bake: Place dough in tart form: special pan with pop out bottom, place parchment over the crust, fill with dried beans as weights, cut parchment leaving a couple of inches of parchment beyond edge of pan.  Bake 350 degrees filled 10 minutes, Remove parchment and weights and bake another 10 minutes.  Fill with lemon curd and bake another 5- 10 minutes.   

Lemon Curd: Combine 4 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, zest from 2 lemons, 3/4 cup lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water (bain marie).  Add 8 ounces of diced butter and cook, whisking occasionally until thick. Strain into tart shell.  Bake as described above.

Now for the Green Tomato Incident!

Many years ago, when my daughter Claire was about three years old, I planted my first vegetable garden which included about 6 tomato plants.  I was so excited when I saw them sprouting little green balls--and so, you may have guessed, was Claire.  I vividly remember her bouncing into the kitchen proudly displaying two pails full of little green balls!  I was devastated--and have never forgotten it.  

Well...a similar thing happened to me this morning.  Yesterday I brought home my apple pie which I was looking forward to showing off..and enjoying of course.  My husband and I each had a small piece at dinner.

                                      

Well, when I woke up this morning and walked into the kitchen, this is what I saw!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I could think of was Claire and the little green balls.  Now it was Bruce and an empty pie dish!  After apologizing, he said I should be flattered: it was irresistibly good.  Plus he left enough for me to get this photo as evidence.  How could I be mad at either one of them?

Something About Bread

Creme Brulee, Souffles, Eclairs and Cream Puffs may look enticing and taste so delicious, but there's something about bread that I prefer.  Even my mother-in-law, who has become my most faithful taste-tester, says she enjoys the fresh baked breads the most.  Thanks Yolande!

I love everything about bread baking beginning with the simplicity of the basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing extravagant.  Nothing that is hard to pronounce or difficult to find.  While Peter Reinhart speaks of bread as transformational, alluding to its spiritual symbolism found in diverse religions, for me it's plain and simple.  I love the entire process.  Scooping and weighing.  Mixing and kneading. Shaping and proofing. Baking--smelling--and eating.

Since nothing worthwhile in life comes easily, I also love the time and effort required.  Bread baking demands patience and the willingness to plan your own precious time around the process. There's a seriousness and commitment that can't be denied.  Without it, the process fails.   For instance, if I don't feed my mother starter every five days, I have to start all over again.  I love the fact that in my refrigerator right now, waiting for me, are a container of mother starter--good until Sunday--and a container of sourdough starter-- made yesterday from a bit of the mother starter and ready to be added to more flour, water, salt and yeast to become 3 or 4 sourdough baguettes.  

My next venture is to attempt Acme's Rustic Baguette from Maggie Glezer's book Artisan Baking.  These are Glezer's favorite baguettes from the Acme Bread Company established in Berkeley, California in 1983.  This recipe is considered to be at an intermediate level because it involves two separate pre-ferments.  Now how exciting is that?  I'm ready!

It Just Keeps Getting Better: Chocolate Souffles and Cream Puffs!

This was last week's class and I haven't had a chance to write about it.  But again both the souffle and the pastries were easier than I anticipated.  The souffle base can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.  When ready to bake, bring to room temperature and fold in the whipped egg whites, bake and serve immediately.  We dropped a chocolate ganache ball in the center before baking and, oh, what a luscious taste and texture!  Haven't tried them at home yet.  As for the pastries, they began with pate a choux which is the pastry dough that puffs a bit leaving room to pipe the pastry cream inside.  We topped some with a chocolate gananche and the others with a glossy cocoa glaze. 

This week is pie week!  Stay tuned!

Sourdough Success!

My previous attempt at making sourdough bread failed miserably.  So I was pleased that this week and a half's careful, meticulous, scientific approach to bread baking was a success!  This time I followed Peter Reinhart's recipe for sourdough starter. (Once again: Artisan Breads Every Day--my bible for bread baking.) It includes pineapple juice which he says kills a bacteria (leuconostoc) that can sabotage your starter--and it produces a mixture that smells pretty good in the beginning too!

First: The Seed Culture
The seed culture takes about 6 days: Day 1 begins with a combination of flour (I used whole wheat) and pineapple juice which sits at room temperature for 48 hours.  Day 3 adds more flour and pineapple juice and another 24-48 hours at room temp.  Day 5 now adds flour and filtered water to the culture at room temp.  And Day 6 the same.  At this point the seed culture is ready to become the Mother Starter.

The Mother Starter:
Day 7 a combination of seed culture, flour and water are combined and kneaded, placed in an oiled bowl, covered and left to double in size.  This is the Mother Starter. It is ready to use or refrigerate and is good for 5 days.  Some of it can be used to make bread immediately.  The rest is refreshed periodically and kept in the refrigerator for future use.

I then followed his recipe for San Francisco Sourdough Bread which produced a nice workable dough.  This one took another two days because it involves a wild yeast starter ( part mother starter, part bread flour, and water) that needs to sit for a day before use. They shaped and baked nicely.
                                          
And they had a wonderful taste and texture!   I will definitely be baking these often.

Crème Brûlée! is Easier Than Pie!

 I have to admit that I was a bit worried about over-cooking the eggs in the custard, setting up the bain marie, and working with the chef's torch, but all of it turned out just fine.  In fact, I can't tell you how easy it is to prepare this lovely dessert. (Actual recipe--see previous entry.)

I began by putting the eggs and sugar in a bowl and heating the cream in a pan until it bubbled on the edges and moved a just bit in the center.  Then I slowly tempered the heated cream into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time, adding 1 tsp vanilla extract to the combined mixture (since I didn't have vanilla beans).   I strained the custard into another bowl, poured it into ramekins, and placed them on a half sheet lined with a towel.
                                                                                                                  
                                  

I carefully put them in the oven and then poured hot water into the tray, filling it until it reached about 1/3 up the sides of the bowls. 

                   

I baked them about 25 minutes until they shook evenly when I tapped the side.  Then I cooled them on a rack for 30 minutes and covered each with plastic wrap and placed them in the frig.         

It's best to let them set for at least 6 hours before bruleeing and serving, but they can keep for up to 3 days. So as pointed out before, you can make them ahead of time and simply torch and serve when needed!

                                               

The next evening, I sprinkled a layer of sugar on each, smoothing it evenly across, lit the torch, and carefully bruleed back and forth until a nice layer of caramelized sugar formed.  They were wonderful!

Crème Brûlée!

This week at New School of Cooking we focused on custards and puddings.  My favorite was Crème Brûlée.  As fancy as it looks, it's actually very easy to make.  I even stopped at Surfas to pick up some ramekins and a chef's torch so I can practice this week and add them to my repertoire of desserts. Here's the recipe:

4 egg yolks

4 T sugar 

1/2 vanilla bean

2 cups heavy cream

sugar for caramelized topping

1. Combine egg yolks with sugar in a bowl--set aside.

2. Split vanilla bean down the center lengthwise, scrape out seeds

3. Add both pod and seeds to the 2 cups of cream in a pan.

4. Heat cream until bubbles on edges and movement in center--do not boil.

5. Slowly temper in hot cream mixture to egg mixture, small amount at a time, or eggs will cook!  Use wooden spoon to stir constantly.

6.  Let steep for 10 minutes with vanilla bean.

7.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat 4-6 ramekins lightly with cooking spray.

8. Set them on a kitchen towel in a deep baking pan. This will create a water bath or bain-marie which prevents egg-rich dishes from overcooking.

9.  Strain custard (toss bean) and pour into ramekins almost to top.

10.  Place pan on middle rack of oven.  Carefully pour hot water into the pan so that it comes about 1/3 of the way up sides of the dishes.

11. Bake 300 degrees  20 -25 minutes.  Do not overcook. Tap side gently--should shake evenly. (CIA says: done when edges have set and a nickel-sized spot in center jiggles slightly.)

12. Remove dishes from bath and set on wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.  Wrap individually and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days before finishing with brûlée layer.

13. When ready to serve: evenly coat the top of each custard with a thin layer of fine sugar-- about a tablespoon.  Use chef's torch to evenly melt and caramelize the sugar. (Move torch constantly, back and forth, until sugar browns.) Serve immediately. 

What I love about this impressive dessert is that you can make it a day or two ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to serve, and then dramatically torch in front of your guests and voila--Crème Brûlée!