Chocolate and Beetroot Cake

"Chocolate and beetroot? Crazy!"

That's basically what I thought when I first heard of this recipe a few years ago, but I've seen lots of other food bloggers and tv chefs making this cake, as well as one show doing a test to see who could guess which cake had the beetroot in it to which most got it wrong! I decided I had to do it and in fact last summer grew some beets in our veggie patch with this recipe in mind!

I have to admit I'm not a fan of beetroot as my memories of tasting beetroot was the pickled variety and I've since discovered I'm not a fan of most pickled things. Trying this recipe forced me to try some unpickled beetroot and while I discovered I'm not a fan of it on it's own, it's awesome in chocolate cake!!!!!

I took this cake to my youth group for a test and they loved it! Gurned their noses up when they discovered there was beetroot in it but some went back for seconds anyways!



Chocolate and Beetroot Cake
(Sourced from Nigella's Website)

Serves 8-12
Ingredients
175g Plain Flour
10g Baking Powder
75g Cocoa Powder
225g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
225g Raw, roasted, peeled and finely blended beetroot.
200ml Corn Oil

For the Chocolate ganache:
250g Dark Chocolate
250ml Double Cream

Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C and grease a 9" baking tin.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar).
3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the corn oil and blended beetroot.
4. Bake for 40 minutes.
5. Gently melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Once melted stir in the cream until the ganache is smooth.
6. Once the cake has cooled, top with the ganache.
7. EAT!

Daring Bakers 17:Dobos Torte

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.


This was an exciting challenge and a delicious one too. I made this and took it to youth group, which resulted in a request for me to make it again for someone's birthday cake!!!!

So, what is the Dobos Torta (or Torte)?

The Dobos Torta is a five-layer sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. (You may come across recipes which have anywhere between six and 12 layers of cake; there are numerous family variations!) It was invented in 1885 by József C. Dobos, a Hungarian baker, and it rapidly became famous throughout Europe for both its extraordinary taste and its keeping properties. The recipe was a secret until Dobos retired in 1906 and gave the recipe to the Budapest Confectioners' and Gingerbread Makers' Chamber of Industry, providing that every member of the chamber can use it freely.

Equipment
2 baking sheets
9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
a sieve
a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
a small saucepan
a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
metal offset spatula
sharp knife
a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
piping bag and tip, optional

Prep times
Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Finishing touches
a 7” cardboard round
12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted (optional)
½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)




Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
pinch of salt

Directions for the sponge layers:
NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)
4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Chocolate Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Directions for the caramel topping:
1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.



Assembling the Dobos
1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.


Storage
If you do decide to chill it, then I would advise also using a glass dome if you have done. I should also note that the cake will cut more cleanly when chilled.

Daring Cooks 1: Ricotta Gnocchi

Drumroll......... "Presenting the first ever Daring Cooks Challenge.............. Ricotta Gnocchi!!!!!"

Yes I'm like 2 weeks late posting this but life took over then sickness did so I'm only getting to post this now.




Ricotta Gnocchi

Ingredients
For the gnocchi:

1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)
½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)
about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)
all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce:
8 tablespoons (227 grams/1/4 pound/4 ounces) butter, sliced
2 teaspoons water

Recipe

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.
If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.
To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible.
Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.
Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture.
Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine.
Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt.
Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.
Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.
In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep.
With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.
Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.
At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.



Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.
If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.
Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them.
Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour.
You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.



Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside.
In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other.
Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.
Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi).
When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.
Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now.
With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Daring Bakers 14: Lasagne of Emilia Romagna

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

There's big news in the world of the Daring Bakers.

1. There is a brand spanking new website up and running - The Daring Kitchen is a fab new resource for people who take up the challenges or not, there's a great forum there with plenty of people ready to advise and generally just gossip the world of food, some great history on how the Daring Bakers came to be and has grown and details on DB in the press.

2. As well as this new site and forum there are new icons and "superheroes"




How cool are they, huh?

3. Finally, there is a brand new food event starting next month - the Daring Cooks! I've signed up to see how it goes but I'm excited for the first challenge. Each month the DB challenge is announced on the 1st and the DC challenges will be announced on the 17th of each month so the post dates are spread a little through the month.

Right, so on with this month's write up.

I was excited about this month's challenge because I've made lasagne before but never with pasta I've made myself. I was also excited because I've wanted to try making my own pasta for ages so this was perfect.



Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used cheddar instead - I just love it in lasagne)

Ragu
I used my own recipe for the ragu, it went as follows.

oil
1 onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, skinned and minced
500g mince beef
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 x 400ml tins of chopped plum tomatoes
worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
bay leaf

- Heat the some oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened
- Add the mince beef and cook through
- Stir through the basil and oregano and add the tomatoes, along with a few splashes of worcestershire sauce, some salt and pepper and the bay leaf.
- Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes





Spinach Pasta
Preparation: 45 minutes

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)


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

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



Stretching and Thinning:
- If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped.
- Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn.
- As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
- Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.



- Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
- Dry the pasta at room temperature by draping over a cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops and store in a sealed container or bag.



Bechamel Sauce
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

- Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat.
- Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth.
- Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Assembly
Assembling the Ingredients:
- Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand.
- Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove.
- Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

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

Assembling the Lasagne:
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel.
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu.
- Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese.
- Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.



Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
- Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne.
- Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through.
- Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Daring Bakers 10: Caramel Cake with Caramel Butter Frosting

I'm on time this month!!!!! Yaaaaaaaaaay! OK enough celebrating, on with the post.....

The Daring Bakers challenge this month has gone back to being a sweet baking challenge after the more savoury challenges we've had the last 2 months. Dolores, Alex and Jenny were the hosts this month and brought us the challenge of making Caramel Cake with Caramel Butter Frosting, with the optional extra of making Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels. I passed on the caramels with time pressures and all that, but the cake I was able to make all the components in about 2-3 hours and then assembled it all the next day with ease. Another great challenge that was devoured by my youth group!



Caramel Cake with Caramel Butter Frosting
Recipe from Bay Area Bites by Shuna Fish Lydon

Ingredients

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

1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
2. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.
3. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe above)
2 each eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract I used the insides of a vanilla pod
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/170˚C
2. Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
5. Sift flour and baking powder.
6. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}
7. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.
8. Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. 9. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

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

1. Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool. Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup and vanilla extract. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

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


Check out the other Daring Bakers' results

Jamican Jerk

Over the past few months I've noticed lots of blogs and tv shows that have been making Jamaican Jerk Chicken, with rice & peas and fried plantain. Anytime I've had jerk chicken I've loved it so it only seemed right to try this complete dish, so I set about trying to find plantain. I hunted and hunted for about 3 or 4 weeks and gave up, just when I did I happened to spot them! The lesson - give up searching sooner and you'll get what you're looking for.

I had bookmarked a recipe from We are never full when I had seen it a while ago so looked it up straight away and got cooking.

Cooking everything was all very straightforward and kept me busy in the kitchen for a bit while Rob was playing some xbox and it all came together at the same time. It was very tasty however the jerk may just have been a little too spicy for my tastes but that's easily fixed in future.



Jamaican Jerk Chicken

SERVES 2-3

Ingredients
2 breasts of chicken, skin on
2 legs of chicken, skin on
2 tbsp. allspice
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 scotch bonnet pepper (or other spicy hot pepper)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup of cilantro (you can substitute 1 teaspoon coriander seed)
juice of 1 lime
splash of orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 scallions
1 teaspoon soy sauce
pinch of salt and pepper

Recipe
1. Grind the spices down with a spice grinder. Then blend all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Adjust the amount of oil to make it a thick paste.
2. Rub this on your chicken and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
3. Cook your chicken pieces at 200˚C for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until juices run clear. For the last minute, crisp it up on a hot frying pan.

Rice and Peas

Serves 2-3

Ingredients
1 cup white rice
1 can red kidney beans
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic
1 scallion, sliced
chicken stock OR 1 can coconut milk and water

Recipe
1. Sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat for a few minutes then add the rice, scallions and beans and stir together.
2. Pour enough chicken stock/coconut milk & water over your rice that it comes up the width of 2 fingers above the level of the uncooked rice.
3. Bring to the boil and allow to cook down until it reaches the level of the rice, stir ONCE, turn your heat to low and cover. Cook on low for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes your rice will be perfect, give it a stir and enjoy.

Tostones (Fried Green Plantain)

Ingredients
2 Green Plantain
Vegetable oil
salt

Recipe
1. Heat the oil in a pan. It needs to be about 1/2-3/4" deep.
2. Peel plantains and cut on the diagonal, about 3/4" thick.
3. Fry the plantain once for about 2-3 minutes. Dry on paper towels, then give each a smash with a mallet. Return to pan and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Drain and serve seasoned with a little salt.

Thanks to We are never full for this recipe.

I've used this as my entry for my Bookmarked Recipes food blog event for this week.

Daring Baker 4 - Opera Cake

As soon as I saw the length of this recipe I felt like I could cry - it was no where near as long as the French Bread Recipe but it included a lot of various stages and took a few days to plan, then execute.

The challenge for this month was Opera Cake (would you believe there's no Wikipedia entry for it?) and was picked by Lis, Ivonne, Fran and Shea - great challenge by the way ladies! And it is also dedicated to Barbara from Winos and Foodies who was an active Daring Baker once and is also runs the Live Strong Taste of Yellow food event.

So now to explain a bit about what opera Cake is exactly.... because believe me I needed this myself! So here's some details copied from the Daring Bakers Forum

....it's an extremely elegant and polished French dessert that is believed to have been created around the beginning of the 1900s. Many people credit a gentleman by the name of Louis Clichy with inventing the cake and that's why it's sometimes referred to as Clichy Cake.

So what exactly is an Opéra Cake?

Well it's a cake that is made up (usually) of five components: a joconde (a cake layer), a syrup (to wet the joconde), a buttercream (to fill some of the layers), a ganache or mousse (to top the final cake layer) and a glaze (to cover the final layer of cake or of ganache/mousse).



Any clearer? It took me a few reads of the recipe to get all the information into my head. Then I worked out what order I was going to do things in, also to work out how I was going to make it with the equipment I had to hand and what flavourings I was going to use.

So here is the recipe including my edits in red italics.

Daring Baker 4 - Opera Cake

Recipe

DAY 1
SYRUP
(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan

Ingredients:
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)I used orange essence

1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.


Even little Stewie was curious to see this cake... look at that face!!!!!

BUTTERCREAM
(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)

There were 2 buttercream recipes available, I opted for the original recipe instead of the edited version which turned out fine for me after adding a little extra butter

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a candy or instant-read thermometer
•a stand mixer or handheld mixer
•a bowl and a whisk attachment
•rubber spatula

Ingredients:

2 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla pod (split a vanilla pod down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract I used one of my recently purchased Vanilla Pods
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature Plus about another quarter cup to make it thicken up
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.) I added some lemon zest - had hoped to add some lime zest too but didn't have a lime to hand

1.Combine the sugar, water and vanilla pod seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.
2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225˚F (107˚C)
3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.
4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!
5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).
6.While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.
7.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
8.At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.
9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

DAY 2
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE/MOUSSE
(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:
7 ounces (200g) white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. double cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.) I left this out because I didn't want to spend money on a bottle of liquer only to use 1 tbsp of it!

1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.



JOCONDE
(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)

What you’ll need:

•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.) I only had one 12" x 8.5" swiss roll pan, so I divided the mixture into 4 and baked each layer one at a time
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.
2.Preheat the oven to 425˚F. (220˚C).
3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) one 12" x 8.5" jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.
4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).
7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter.
8.Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
9.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.
10.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
11.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature. Repeat steps 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11 until all the mixture has been used up

START OF ASSEMBLY
1. Place one layer of joconde on a lined baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
2. Spread about three-quarters one third of the buttercream over this layer.
3. Top with another layer of joconde. Moisten with the flavoured syrup.
4. Spread the remaining buttercream half of what is left of the butter cream on the cake
5. Top with the third layer of joconde. Moisten with the syrup, then spread the rest of the buttercream on top.
6. Top with the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour or overnight like I did).



DAY 3
ASSEMBLY CONTINUED
7. Spread the ganache/mousse on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.


GLAZE
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan or double boiler

Ingredients:

14 ounces (400g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake.

ASSEMBLY FINAL STEPS
8. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer. Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
9. Add optional decorations For mine I spread some Italian mixed peel over the top

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.



Check out some of the other Daring Bakers Opera cakes via the Daring Bakers Blogroll

Taste and Create: Orange Chocolate Meringues

I enjoyed taking part in Taste and Create so much last month that I just had to sign up again. This month I got partnered with Erin from The Skinny Gourmet which was really exciting because this girl has some fabulous recipes!!! However with a husband like mine I become somewhat limited in what I can make. I did find a great recipe that I knew that both of us would love - orange chocolate meringues.

I picked this recipe for several reasons -
1. Like I said I knew both of us would love this - especially Rob seeing as he likes to eat meringues like apples.
2. I needed some practice making meringues, seeing as it's something I've not been very good at in the past.
3. I was very fortunate to receive some Amano Chocolate from a Blakemakes.com giveaway and needed a fab recipe to use some of it in.


4. I remember talking to a meringue producer at Enjoy the Taste of Scotland who said they had tried to make meringue with chocolate through it but couldn't figure it out, which really surprised me because I've seen all sorts of meringue recipes with chocolate in it.

So with so many reasons and motives to make this what was I waiting for!?!?!?! Well some spare time to make them I suppose, which happened to be today!

I made a mistake on my first go at this recipe and only added half the sugar so the meringues ended up being quite soft - but still really yummy. I ended up baking it for much longer than the second batch hoping that they may have crisped up which is part of why they're a bit darker looking than the second batch.



I got it right the second time round and was even more impressed. The meringue came out perfectly - beautifully crispy inside and out and filled with fabulous orange and chocolate flavour that makes them so yummy on their own that you wouldn't want to eat them with anything else, but I'm sure they would still be delicious with other things like a little cream and mandarin segments... oh and now that I'm daydreaming throw on some chocolate sauce too!!!!



I'm sure I'll be using this recipe again even just the basic meringue part of it, because it worked so well.

Orange Chocolate Meringues

Erin was able to make 10 servings but I made 6 bigger portions.

Ingredients
2 large egg whites @ room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure orange extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips, finely chopped. I used 70% Amano Chocolate

Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (170˚C)
2. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff white peaks form.
3. Beat in the sugar adding it very gradually. Midway through adding sugar add the extracts (DON'T add more that 1 tsp worth of extract).
4. Fold the chopped chocolate into the meringue.
5. Drop required portion size onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
6. Bake at 350˚F (170˚C) until crisp (mine took about 30-40 minutes). Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container.

See Erin's post for more details and edits that can be made.



As for the Amano Chocolate, I had to taste a piece of each before doing anything else with it. This was some really tasty chocolate, really smooth, with great flavours that wasn't as bitter as other dark chocolates (of 70%) I've had before. I could have easily ate my way through these bars of chocolate as they were. Thanks Amano Chocolate and thanks Blakemakes.com for the free chocolate! I loved it!

Daring Baker 3 - Cheesecake pops

This month's Daring Baker's challenge was an interesting one - Cheesecake Pops from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor. It made me hunt out some new goodies for my kitchen like a mini ice cream scoop for making the balls (which I haven't really got the hang of yet) and a 10" (non springform) cake pan - I was really having no luck at finding one that wasn't ridiculously priced but ended up buying Promt from Ikea because it was a great price for all I'd probably end up using a cake tin of this size for and also because it's a 2 in 1 tin - yes it's a springform which wasn't recommended for the recipe but I lined it with 4 or 5 layers of tin foil to prevent the water from the water bath getting into the cheese cake. I'm not sure if it was because of the multiple tin foil layers that I ended up having to bake it for longer, however on the new Daring Baker's Kitchen forum I noticed a few people had commented on how they also needed to bake theirs for longer. My other problem with this recipe was a lack of shortening in the UK - I'm not sure if there's a British version or name for shortening. So after consulting with Deborah of Taste and Tell who was co hosting this month's challenge with Elle of Feeding my Enthusiasms, who said that leaving out the shortening would be better than trying to use butter or oil or anything. I also couldn't find the lollypop sticks so ended up using drinking straws which were a little weak but did the job alright.

Anyways this was a really fun challenge and worked great around my business seeing as I could do a couple of steps and leave it then come back to it the next day etc.

I'm taking them all down to my youth group tonight where I'm sure they will be devoured!!!



Cheesecake Pops

Makes 30 – 40 Pops (I got 46 out of mine)

Ingredients
5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature (1134g - but for ease I used 1150g) 2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream (double cream)
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks (I used straws cut in half)
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.) (Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible) I used 600g mixture of dark and milk chocolate
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (I left this out seeing as I couldn't find any)
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Recipe
1. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325˚F (160˚C). Set some water to boil.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
3. Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan.



Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes. However mine took 75-80 minutes



4. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
5. When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball.



Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.



6. When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety. Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
7. Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations.



You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.
8. Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.



Thanks Elle and Deborah for the challenge. It's been my first baked cheesecake so I've learnt loads!!!!

And for all who are waiting to hear about Enjoy the Taste of Scotland and also about our anniversary celebrations I'll hopefully have it all posted by Tuesday at the latest... I've just had a really busy week and had to cut a few corners quite often with the cooking and use jars of sauces! (I'm ashamed!!!!!) This week shouldn't be as bad though so I'll have lots to blog about. And sorry to people whose blogs I read and comment on, I should be back to speed and reading about all your lovely creations very soon.

Also don't forget about the Bookmarked Recipes round up! If anyone has any late entries I'd love to see them!

Creamy Old Fashioned Toffee

After announcing the new blog event, Bookmarked Recipes where people blog one of those recipes they've had bookmarked for a while, I was trying to find a recipe to do quickly and easily. I ended up not getting it done until tonight what with being away celebrating our First Anniversary Celebrations. We arrived back today and I read through my pile of magazines. I found a recipe for creamy old fashioned toffee in Easy Food Magazine (February 2008) and noticing that I had all the ingredients to hand I decided this was the way to go. I had bookmarked this thinking of my attempts at making English toffee to Rob's liking. Unfortunately it's not the toffee he's thinking of and isn't really that creamy like the name suggests, but it's a good crunchy toffee and fun for sucking.



Creamy old-fashioned toffee

Ingredients
190g Butter
315g soft brown sugar
190g golden syrup
190g condensed milk

Recipe
1. Add all the ingredients to a saucepan on a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Turn up the heat and stir continuously until it reaches the crack stage (see here for tips) or if you have a candy thermometer the temperature should be 150˚C.
3. Pour into a greased 15cm loaf tin. Leave to cool until just firm and cut into squares. Or leave to cool until hard then bash with a rolling pin to get rough shapes.

Daring Baker 1 - French Bread

This was my first month being part of the "Daring Bakers": a group of people who bake the same recipe and if they blog post it on the same day together. I've been very impressed by past recipes from the Daring Bakers and was in awe of their talents. Well I decided maybe I should give it a go and try learning something new and a little out of my comfort zone, so I signed myself up.

When I heard that it was to be French Bread, I felt relieved thinking bread can't be too complicated can it? As soon as I looked at all 17 pages of the recipe I felt nauseous. I read the equipment list and almost cried cos I had very little of it, ingredients were fine though, nothing too complicated there. I asked around people at church for equipment to borrow and gave up on finding things like canvas pastry cloths, thermometers, and cardboard/plywood, so I decided to be creative and use things from around the house like stiff teatowels with books, candles and rolling pins as supports.

Anyways I'm so glad I tried making this in the end because it wasn't as complicated as I first thought, but takes a fair chunk of time to make. they turned out fantastically well and the smell in my kitchen after it all was incredible! If you ever get the chance have a go at making this.

Daring Bakers - Julia Child's French Bread

Makes 3 - baguettes (24” x 2”) or batards (16” x 3”)
or 6 – short loaves, ficelles, 12 – 16” x 2”
or 3 – round loaves, boules, 7 – 8” in diameter
or
 12 – round or oval rolls, petits pains
or 
1 – large round or oval loaf, pain de menage or miche; pain boulot



Ingredients
1 cake (0.6 ounce) (20grams) fresh yeast or 1 package dry active yeast
1/3 cup (75ml) warm water, not over 100 degrees F/38C in a glass measure
3 1/2 cup (about 1 lb) (490 gr) all purpose flour, measured by scooping
dry measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess
2 1/4 tsp (12 gr) salt
1 1/4 cups (280 - 300ml) tepid water @ 70 – 74 degrees/21 - 23C

Recipe
The full 16 page recipe can be found here. This is a very very VERY abbreviated version.

1. Make the dough
2. Knead the dough
3. Leave to rise for 3-5 hours
4. Deflate and leave to rise for 1.5 - 2 hours
5. Split the dough into the amount of loaves you are making and rest for 5 minutes
6. Shape the dough
7. Leave to rise for 1.5 - 2.5 hours
8. Move the dough onto a baking sheet and cut slashes in the top of the bread
9. Bake for 25 mins at 450˚F/230˚C
10. Leave to cool 2-3 hours



This recipe took me 10 hours (not counting cooling time - I went to bed soon after I finished), but it was well worth it.

Thank you to Breadchick Mary at The Sour Dough and Sara from I Like to Cook for this month's challenge!

Have a look at the results of everyone else's bread at The Daring Baker's Blogroll

I'm excited to see the next challenge now.