Categoria: Garnish

Pistachio Praline

5/5/2020

Taken from Philadelphia's pie boutique Magpie, this candy was surprisingly easy to make and makes a deliciously crunchy garnish!

5 tbsp / 63 g granulated sugar
2 tsp corn syrup
1 cup / 100 g roasted, salted shelled pistachios

Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease a baking sheet.
Combine the sugar and corn syrup with 3 tsp water in a small saucepan. Stir together, then set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, undisturbed. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture takes on a light golden color, 3 - 5 minutes.
Take the pan off heat and quickly stir in pistachios, mixing until the nuts are well coated with syrup. Pour the mixture out onto silicone mat and let cool completely. Transfer the praline to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Keep praline in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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Extraordinary Cakes: Decadent Yogi

5/12/2016

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This is from Extraordinary Desserts' bake book Extraordinary Cakes, which I've replicated here as an easy reference to myself since I always bake from my phone. I would highly recommend picking up their book - as complicated as many of the recipes may seem, once I wrapped my mind around the ingredients lists and components, they haven't taken me more than 3 hours to both make and do ongoing clean-up (and as you can see, results in some seriously beautiful and decadent desserts!). Even better, they're not to the usual saccharinely American-sweet standards - I would suggest making it to the letter first and then adjust from there to your own taste.

As for this particular recipe, I've seriously made it 3 times in less than 2 weeks - that's how quickly it's been disappearing. The cake is wonderfully moist, even after sitting out overnight with no cover, and the chocolate crisp is a huge hit amongst all age groups. Even the frosting is quickly becoming my favorite - I'm usually not a huge fan of frosting (especially the infamous buttercream) but this didn't have nearly as much cloying butter and the 100% cocoa powder helped to cut the sweetness to something that complements the cake.

Chocolate Cakes

1 10" bundt pan or a 6-cup bundt pan
Vegan butter stick, room temperature (for greasing)
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 cups all-purpose flour or (gluten-free) 1 cup brown rice flour + 1 cup sorghum flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup pureed banana (about 1 small banana)
2 tsp corn starch or potato starch
2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (3/8 cup) vegan butter, room temperature
2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sifted cocoa powder
3 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Crunch

2 oz (1/3 cup) vegan chocolate chips
2 tsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal

Chocolate Cakes

Preheat oven to 300 F. Generously grease the cavity or cavities of the bundt pan with the softened butter stick.
Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Bring 1-3/4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and whisk in instant coffee. When fully combined, whisk coffee mixture into cocoa powder.
In a stand mixture with a whisk attachment, combine oil, both sugars, banana, potato starch, and vanilla. Whip on medium until very well combined, 3-5 mins. Remove bowl from mixer and, using rubber spatula, fold in sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with coffee-cocoa mixture.
If using a 10" bundt pan, pour batter into pan. If using 6-cup bundt pan, use a 1/2 cup dry measure to fill each cavity with 1/2 cup of batter.
Place cake pan on rack in center of oven and bake until an inserted knife comes out clean, about 30 mins for smaller cakes, 50 mins for 10" cake. Cakes should appear moist and spongy. Allow cakes to cool completely.
When fully cooled, remove cakes from pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.

Chocolate Frosting

Whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 3 mins. It will appear fluffier.
Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and add to the butter. Whip on medium speed for about 2 mins. Add the soy milk and vanilla and whip until well combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature until ready to frost the cakes, but for no longer than 3 hours before using.

Chocolate Crunch

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and using a rubber spatula, mix in oil until smooth and homogeneous. While chocolate mixture is warm but not hot, fold in cereal until well incorporated.
Using a metal spatula, spread mixture as thinly as possible onto prepared baking sheet. Place Chocolate Crunch in refrigerator until firm, about 15 mins. Break up crunch into larger pieces and reserve in refrigerator until ready to use, or for up to 4 hours.

After cake assembly:

Refrigerate the decorated cakes for 2 hours to set. When ready, place frosted cakes on a serving platter, and allow to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.

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Candied Lemons or Limes

4/8/2015

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This was modified from original recipes, which for the most part, ask for equal parts sugar and water for the candy-ing process. But I simply couldn't stomach how much of a syrup it turned everything into - as one of my friends put it, they were like gummy bears - so I went for more blanching rather than sugar-preserving. The lime peels I found to be more bitter, so I blanched them for longer before chilling.

lemons or limes, sliced thinly but evenly
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
large bowl of iced water

Bring the water to a low boil in a pan or large pot. Blanch the lemons or limes by laying the slices evenly across the water - one layer is ideal, do not do more than two layers. If blanching lemons, leave them simmering for about a minute. If blanching limes, leave them simmering for about 3 minutes.
Fish the slices out with a slotted spoon and put them into the bowl of iced water. Mix the sugar into the still-simmering water. Once the lemon/lime slices have cooled, put them back into the simmering sugar-water. Leave for about an hour.
Fish the slices out and leave on a cooling rack to drain and cool. If you would like them dry completely, set an oven to 200 F and then place the slices onto a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes.

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Pistachio Praline

Extraordinary Cakes: Decadent Yogi

Candied Lemons or Limes

Sweet Enough

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