Sunday, November 13, 2011

November Wedding!

This last weekend, I made and delivered this wedding cake. This was the furthest delivery yet and I was quite nervous, to say the least. Forty minutes of driving doesn't seem like a lot normally, but, when you have a wedding cake you've spent two days making and are bringing it for some one's big day, forty minutes is an eternity! However, it got there just fine, and, although it was a lot of fun, I'm very relieved it's done.




Friday, November 11, 2011

Tiramisu....

I don't know how many times I've been asked what my favorite dessert is! I guess it comes with the job. This question is the most impossible question! Choosing a favorite dessert is entirely to hard. I've tried many times, but just when I've thought I found the most amazing, scrumptious dessert, someone introduces me to one even more Delicious! More over, different times of the year, call for different types of desserts.

For example, right now pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon sour cream and spiced rum caramel sounds exquisite,

how ever, in July I might crave something brighter and fruitier like a black currant mousse and lemon cream torte. On the other hand, no matter what time of the year, no matter how cold, hot, snowy, or rainy it is, I can never turn down one dessert! Tiramisu!!!! Yum! I made some individual tiramisus yesterday, and they where scrumdidliumscious, if I do say so myself! Here's the recipe! Tiramisu






Tiramisu


Espresso Syrup
3 oz sugar
3 oz water
9 oz espresso
2 oz brandy

Sabayon
3 3/4 oz eggs yolks
4 1/2 oz sugar
3 oz sweet Marsala
12 oz mascarpone cheese
12 oz whipped cream
3 dozen ladyfingers
6 oz whipped cream
cinnamon
cocoa powder
chocolate grated



1. Bring syrup ingredients to a boil and set aside.
2. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, Marsala and place over a baine Marie.
3. Whisk continually over heat until light in color and thick.
4. Whip cream to stiff peaks and chill.
5. Take off heat and place in mixing bowl whip on low until cooled and light in texture.
6. Add soften mascarpone cheese and mix until incorporated.
7. Fold in chilled whipped cream.
8. Lay out ladyfinger in bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place them tightly together in one single layer. Brush with syrup making sure they are saturated.
9. Spread half of the sabayon mixture over the ladyfingers.
10. Dust with cinnamon and cocoa powder.
11. Repeat another layer.
12. Finish with a layer of sweetened Chantilly cream and chocolate shavings.

Monday, November 7, 2011

St. Martin's University Gala with Chef Mario Batali

Last Saturday I had the honor of volunteering to help Bon Appetit cater the amazing Gala for St. Martin's University. This dinner was exceptionally exciting, because Iron Chef Mario Batali was the guest of honor. It was so much fun! A night of learning and working with a group of amazing chefs, preparing delicious food. It really was such a pleasure and I learned so much!










Thursday, October 27, 2011

Cakes and Tortes..... Part I

In school I have been making cakes and tortes. This is one of my favorites parts of school so far. Here are some pictures.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte with a Raspberry Mirror Glaze

Chocolate Symphony Cake. ( Chocolate buttermilk cake, with dark, milk, and a white chocolate honey, mouse)






Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache Torte



Strawberry Yogurt Bavarian Cake





Sunday, October 9, 2011

Upside-Down Molassas Pear Cake

Fall is finally upon us. One of my favorite things about fall is the seasonal flavors; Pumpkin, molasses, ginger, pear, apple, nutmeg. All those warm comforting thick flavors. One of my favorite thing is thick, moist ginger bread. This dessert is a lot like ginger bread. However, it is baked upside down on delicious red pear in a caramel sauce. I then topped mine with a Mascarpone mousse. Here's the recipe.



Upside-Down Molasses Pear Cake

For topping

2 1/2 firm pears
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

 
For cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses (preferably mild)
1 cup boiling water
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten



Make topping:

Peel and core pears and cut each into 8 wedges.
Melt butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of skillet and cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all sugar will be melted). Pour Caramel into a spring form pan. Arrange pears decoratively over caramel. Set Aside.

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.


Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together molasses and boiling water in a small bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in flour mixture and molasses in 3 batches at low speed until smooth.


Pour batter over topping in pan spreading evenly and being careful not to disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool cake  on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate with a lip over pan and, using pot holders to hold pan and plate tightly together, invert cake onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.


 



Friday, September 30, 2011

Gateau St. Honore

On Fridays, I don't have any school. So, what do I like to do? Let me think..... Bake, of course! What else?
Well, today I undertook a project I have been planning to master for a long time. To make a Gâteau St. Honoré!
What is this you may ask.... It is a classic french dessert consisting of Puff Pastry, pâte à choux, Crème Pâtissière (vanilla and chocolate), and Caramel. It is named after the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, St. Honore.
Here is the finished Dessert!







 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Another Fun Week of Baking


 
<>
Chocolate filled Croissants
Lemon Sponge cucakes frosted with a blackberry french buttercream, and topped with lemon zest
Beautifully flaky and golden croissants!


Peach and Almond Struedel


A Napoleon made with fresh peaches, phyllo, and creme anglaise




Thursday, September 22, 2011

What I've been up too.......


Butter Horn Danish

Espresso Chocolate Eclairs


Cherry Cheese Danish
 
A first Birthday Cake!

 
Puff Pastry in the making.


Dylan's third birthday Cake!


Sunday, November 13, 2011

November Wedding!

Posted by Marie 2 comments
This last weekend, I made and delivered this wedding cake. This was the furthest delivery yet and I was quite nervous, to say the least. Forty minutes of driving doesn't seem like a lot normally, but, when you have a wedding cake you've spent two days making and are bringing it for some one's big day, forty minutes is an eternity! However, it got there just fine, and, although it was a lot of fun, I'm very relieved it's done.




Friday, November 11, 2011

Tiramisu....

Posted by Marie 0 comments
I don't know how many times I've been asked what my favorite dessert is! I guess it comes with the job. This question is the most impossible question! Choosing a favorite dessert is entirely to hard. I've tried many times, but just when I've thought I found the most amazing, scrumptious dessert, someone introduces me to one even more Delicious! More over, different times of the year, call for different types of desserts.

For example, right now pumpkin cheesecake with bourbon sour cream and spiced rum caramel sounds exquisite,

how ever, in July I might crave something brighter and fruitier like a black currant mousse and lemon cream torte. On the other hand, no matter what time of the year, no matter how cold, hot, snowy, or rainy it is, I can never turn down one dessert! Tiramisu!!!! Yum! I made some individual tiramisus yesterday, and they where scrumdidliumscious, if I do say so myself! Here's the recipe! Tiramisu






Tiramisu


Espresso Syrup
3 oz sugar
3 oz water
9 oz espresso
2 oz brandy

Sabayon
3 3/4 oz eggs yolks
4 1/2 oz sugar
3 oz sweet Marsala
12 oz mascarpone cheese
12 oz whipped cream
3 dozen ladyfingers
6 oz whipped cream
cinnamon
cocoa powder
chocolate grated



1. Bring syrup ingredients to a boil and set aside.
2. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, Marsala and place over a baine Marie.
3. Whisk continually over heat until light in color and thick.
4. Whip cream to stiff peaks and chill.
5. Take off heat and place in mixing bowl whip on low until cooled and light in texture.
6. Add soften mascarpone cheese and mix until incorporated.
7. Fold in chilled whipped cream.
8. Lay out ladyfinger in bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place them tightly together in one single layer. Brush with syrup making sure they are saturated.
9. Spread half of the sabayon mixture over the ladyfingers.
10. Dust with cinnamon and cocoa powder.
11. Repeat another layer.
12. Finish with a layer of sweetened Chantilly cream and chocolate shavings.

Monday, November 7, 2011

St. Martin's University Gala with Chef Mario Batali

Posted by Marie 3 comments
Last Saturday I had the honor of volunteering to help Bon Appetit cater the amazing Gala for St. Martin's University. This dinner was exceptionally exciting, because Iron Chef Mario Batali was the guest of honor. It was so much fun! A night of learning and working with a group of amazing chefs, preparing delicious food. It really was such a pleasure and I learned so much!










Thursday, October 27, 2011

Cakes and Tortes..... Part I

Posted by Marie 4 comments
In school I have been making cakes and tortes. This is one of my favorites parts of school so far. Here are some pictures.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte with a Raspberry Mirror Glaze

Chocolate Symphony Cake. ( Chocolate buttermilk cake, with dark, milk, and a white chocolate honey, mouse)






Chocolate Cinnamon Ganache Torte



Strawberry Yogurt Bavarian Cake





Sunday, October 9, 2011

Upside-Down Molassas Pear Cake

Posted by Marie 1 comments
Fall is finally upon us. One of my favorite things about fall is the seasonal flavors; Pumpkin, molasses, ginger, pear, apple, nutmeg. All those warm comforting thick flavors. One of my favorite thing is thick, moist ginger bread. This dessert is a lot like ginger bread. However, it is baked upside down on delicious red pear in a caramel sauce. I then topped mine with a Mascarpone mousse. Here's the recipe.



Upside-Down Molasses Pear Cake

For topping

2 1/2 firm pears
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

 
For cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses (preferably mild)
1 cup boiling water
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten



Make topping:

Peel and core pears and cut each into 8 wedges.
Melt butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of skillet and cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all sugar will be melted). Pour Caramel into a spring form pan. Arrange pears decoratively over caramel. Set Aside.

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.


Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together molasses and boiling water in a small bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in flour mixture and molasses in 3 batches at low speed until smooth.


Pour batter over topping in pan spreading evenly and being careful not to disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool cake  on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate with a lip over pan and, using pot holders to hold pan and plate tightly together, invert cake onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.


 



Friday, September 30, 2011

Gateau St. Honore

Posted by Marie 1 comments
On Fridays, I don't have any school. So, what do I like to do? Let me think..... Bake, of course! What else?
Well, today I undertook a project I have been planning to master for a long time. To make a Gâteau St. Honoré!
What is this you may ask.... It is a classic french dessert consisting of Puff Pastry, pâte à choux, Crème Pâtissière (vanilla and chocolate), and Caramel. It is named after the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, St. Honore.
Here is the finished Dessert!







 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Another Fun Week of Baking

Posted by Marie 3 comments

 
<>
Chocolate filled Croissants
Lemon Sponge cucakes frosted with a blackberry french buttercream, and topped with lemon zest
Beautifully flaky and golden croissants!


Peach and Almond Struedel


A Napoleon made with fresh peaches, phyllo, and creme anglaise




Thursday, September 22, 2011

What I've been up too.......

Posted by Marie 0 comments

Butter Horn Danish

Espresso Chocolate Eclairs


Cherry Cheese Danish
 
A first Birthday Cake!

 
Puff Pastry in the making.


Dylan's third birthday Cake!