sweet-lab

banana mini cupcakes and cake with vanilla frosting

Posted by vane on May 25, 2013 | 0 comments

This may be one of the most nerve-racking pastry jobs I’ve ever had. Banana mini cupcakes with vanilla frosting—well that doesn’t sound too difficult now does it? But when there’s the pressure of your beloved 1-year-old niece tasting and showing her honest reaction when she first bites into a creation you have very diligently and carefully written and prepared on her birthday…that’s a whole different story. Will her facial expression be of true satisfaction and content, or of brutal disapproval?

So yes, I felt a bit of pressure knowing this would be her first time eating a sweet treat and I wanted to make that moment very special for her…. and for me, as I almost became a coward and left during her first few bites of this banana vanilla treat during her birthday party. In my head I couldn’t help but to think that all the time I have been working as a pastry professional would become diminished and temporarily demolished by this little human being’s reaction. Yeah, this little person who can not yet spell her name, dress herself, or eat her baby food without drooling on herself, held the power of my confidence in the palm of her hand. Nonetheless, I decided to remain strong and stay by her side during this signifying moment in her life (her first cake!) and to accept the verdict, no matter how painfully harsh it may be.

The verdict: She loved it! Of course, she couldn’t personally tell me that with her own words, since as of now, her vocal sounds are limited to “mama”, “dada”, and a few more combined syllables, along with a yelping yell that she does when she’s extremely excited. But her strong squint, her lovely smile, and her sticky hand (which at this point was completely covered in frosting) coming back for more, were enough positive cues to let my past speculation rest easy. I was pretty thrilled. In my mind, it almost felt I had passed a Top Chef challenge.
I felted honored and proud to be responsible for my niece’s for sugar rush on her first birthday! I imagined her sensitive and lively taste buds vibrating, pulsating, and exploding with fireworks as on the 4th of July. SUGAR!!!!

My job was done.

So yes, my wonderful niece Isabel turned one year old just a few days ago. One whole year of tremendous happiness with my little girl. Since the day she was born, she has filled us with extreme happiness and love. I’m very thankful for who she is and am excited for who she will become.

Happy Birthday Isabel. Cheers to your first year in the world and for many, many, many, more to come!

A lot of love and kisses,

Tata Vane

Notes about the recipe: This cake is very moist and has a strong banana flavor. Very ripe bananas must be used or else the banana flavor won’t come through as much. Many American buttercreams and frostings may become grainy, dry, and even hard, hours after it’s made. After certain attempts and testing sessions, I wrote this frosting recipe, which I think is smooth and silky even after hours of it being made.

The recipe that I share with you makes 24 mini cupcakes and one 4-layer 9” cake. However, feel free to cut the recipe in half if you don’t wish to end up with as much cake. You can use this batter to bake-off cakes, mini cupcakes, cupcakes, or baked doughnuts that all have the same delicious banana flavor as long as you adjust the oven temperature and baking time accordingly for each item. I briefly explain how to assemble the cake in the recipe, but you can click here if you would like a more detailed description and demo of cake building for a raspberry lemon curd cake I once made.

Banana Mini Cupcakes and Cake with Vanilla Frosting

2 hours

Yield: 24 mini cupcakes and one 9” 4-layer cake.

Ingredients

Banana Mini Cupcakes and Cake:

8 oz butter, room temperature

12 oz natural cane sugar

8 oz organic dark brown sugar

7 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 C)

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

7 oz whole milk

5 oz buttermilk

10 oz pastry flour

6 oz all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 banana , peeled and cut into small pieces

Vanilla Frosting:

9 oz butter, room temperature

15 oz cream cheese, room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scraped off

3 ½ C confectioners sugar, sifted

3 T hot milk

2 C heavy cream

Instructions

Banana Mini Cupcakes and Cake:

1. For cake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line two greased 9” cake pans with parchment paper.

2. Combine wet ingredients (whole milk and buttermilk) in bowl or in a glass measuring cup and set aside for later use.

3. Sift dry ingredients (pastry flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) into a bowl. Set aside for later use.

4. Combine butter natural can sugar, and organic dark brown sugar into mixer bowl and mix on high speed until butter is light and fluffy.

5. Add mashed bananas along with the butter and sugars. Continue mixing on high speed until all ingredients are well combined.

6. Change mixer speed to low. Add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time. Turn mixer off and scrap sides of bowl.

7. Turn mixer on to low. Add alternate additions of dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients.

8. Scoop 5 cups of batter into each cake pan. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick that has been inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool down completely at room temperature. Refrigerate cakes until they’re ready to be cut into layers and iced.

9. For mini cupcakes, preheat oven temperature to 375 F. Grease a 24 mini-cupcake pan. Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each cupcake tin. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until a toothpick that has been inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool down completely at room temperature before frosting. Set aside for later use.

Vanilla Frosting:

1. Combine butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix on high speed until mixture is light and silky, at least 5 minutes. Turn mixer off and scrape sides of bowl.

2. Add vanilla and vanilla bean seeds to mixture. Continue to mix on high speed until well combined. Turn mixer off and scrape sides of bowl.

3. Add small amounts of confectioners sugar and hot milk in alternating additions while mixing on high speed. Be sure to turn mixer off and scrape sides of bowl as needed.

4. Once all the confectioners sugar and hot milk have been added, continue to mix on high speed until all ingredients are well combined and frosting is smooth, about 4 minutes.

5. Add heavy cream and continue to mix on high speed for just about 4-5 seconds. Be careful to not over-mix frosting once you add the heavy cream. Otherwise cream will begin to break and become runny.

Icing Cake and Mini Cupcakes:

• Minicupcakes: Place some frosting into a piping bag that has a #15 star piping tip. Pipe a spiral on the surface of the cupcake by starting on the outside and moving inward towards the center of the cupcake until the whole surface of the cupcake has been covered in frosting. Place a small piece of banana in the center of cupcake.

• Cake: Remove each cake from cake pan. Place first cake on a stable surface to work on comfortably. A cake turntable is recommended for icing cakes. With a large serrated knife, cut dome of first cake by cutting back and forth until dome comes off. Cut cake in into two even layers by following same cutting procedure to end up with two layers. Repeat same procedure with second cake. You should end up with a total of four cake layers. Place a cake layer on a cake board. Place frosting over bottom cake layer and smoothen it out with a spatula until frosting reaches the edges and covers cake layer. Keep stacking and frosting cake layers until you reach the top layer. Apply a crumb coat by icing top and sides of cake. Smoothen frosting with spatula. Refrigerate cake until frosting becomes firm, about 15-20 minutes. Apply a second coat on cake by covering top and sides of cake once more. Decorate cake as desired. Trim cake board with scissors by cutting cake board around the base of the cake. Place cake on serving platter. Click here for a more detailed explanation on cake building.

Notes

Freeze for 4-6 weeks. Keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/05/25/banana-cupcake-vanilla-frosting/

spiced scones with dried apricots and pistachios

Posted by vane on May 15, 2013 | 8 comments

Sometimes I can behave like a silly adolescent. For example, if I hear the word “weiner” or “butt” spoken around me, I may chuckle like I’m still 11 years old.

“You said that you had weiner schnitzel for lunch?!! Bahahaha!”—yes, it’s kind of sad.

So it’s no surprise that while making these spiced scones with dried apricots and pistachios, Mark and I started to brainstorm and think of different nouns, phrases, and titles that rhyme with the word “scone”.

Yes, we did that…because we behave like immature children from time to time, but thankfully snap out of the playful jokes when it’s time to behave like adults, at least most of the time.

So here is a list of some of our favorite words and phrases that pay tribute to this delicious single-serving quick bread. This one in particular primarily hits you with the strong taste of apricots and pistachios, followed with a delicate tone of spice that is achieved by cinnamon and ginger, and a final sweetness that is derived from sugar and honey.

I hope you enjoy these scones and our scone list as much as we did! Please feel free to add some words or phrases of your own to the list if you please! It could be a lot of fun.

Our Scone List:

The Rolling Scones
Getting Sconed
Defscones
Alicia Silerscone
Queens of Scone Age
Sconey Island
Scone Thugs-n-Harmony
Sconer Kebab

..had enough yet?

(No drugs were consumed in the construction of this list)

Spiced Scones with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

45 minutes

Yield: 16 small scones

Ingredients

Scones:

9 oz AP flour

2 oz sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

3 oz cold butter, cut into small pieces

½ C pistachios, finely chopped

½ C dried apricots, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 oz honey

3 oz buttermilk + 1 oz buttermilk, separated

Cinnamon Glaze:

¼ C + 1 T confectioners sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp honey

2 ½ tsp water

Instructions

Scones:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Mix all dry ingredients (AP flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger) in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute until all ingredients are well blended.

3. Add butter to bowl along with the dry ingredients. Switch speed to medium and mix until butter is pea-sized.

4. Stop mixer and fold in pistachios and dried apricots.

5. Combine egg, 3 oz of buttermilk, and honey in a small bowl and whisk until all three ingredients are well combined. Turn mixer on to low speed and pour wet ingredients slowly into bowl. Continue mixing just until dough comes together.

6. Sprinkle flour over work surface and dump dough over flour. Divide dough into two pieces. Get one piece, round it, and flatten it to a 6”-7” diameter disc. Cut flattened disc with dough scraper into 8 equal pieces that have the shape of a triangle. Repeat the same procedure with the other half of the dough.

7. Place pieces on a sheet tray that has been covered with parchment paper, thinner corners towards the center. Brush the tops lightly with remaining buttermilk.

8. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until scones develop a nice golden color on top and bottom, approximately 11-13 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

9. Brush surface of scones with cinnamon glaze.

Cinnamon Glaze:

1. Combine confectioners sugar, ground cinnamon, honey, and water in a small bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are fully incorporated and glaze is smooth and lump-free.

Notes

Best when fresh. Keep baked scones at room temperature for 1 day and in freezer for 2-3 weeks. Refrigerate raw and shaped scones for 1 day and freeze for up to 30 days.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/05/15/spiced-scones-dried-apricots-pistachios/

almond cookies

Posted by vane on May 9, 2013 | 9 comments

My mom left for Spain today. She has been visiting me in D.C. for one month. One whole month of having her near me. Cooking together, laughing together, sharing her delicious food together, going on walks through the neighborhood, sightseeing, and on some nights…even sleeping in the same bed! (Yes, I like to cuddle with my mother—TMI?). Feeling her next to me fills me with ease and comfort, and since I don’t get to be with her as often as I would like to, the closer we are, the better (even if it’s while we’re sleeping).

But today, she’s on a plane back home. Today I feel deep emptiness inside. Coming back to the quiet apartment after seeing her off at the airport literally makes my heart ache. Seeing the empty glass of water she left on the kitchen counter hurts. Opening the refrigerator door and glancing at a Tupperware full of her chickpea stew…such a void.

I know I’m not writing this on Mother’s Day, but I know that I will probably be posting this on that day or close to that day. Because on that day, and on every single day of my life, I think of her and of how special she is to me. I miss her so incredibly much when we are apart and I love her to the moon and back for being who she is— Mom.

And I love her for being supportive in my decisions and in the numerous paths I’ve felt the urge to explore. I love her for showing so much pride in what I do and in what all of her children have done. I love her for being there for me all the time, despite the distance. I love her for being the strongest woman I know. I love her for telling me to follow my dreams and to pursue my passion. I love her for believing in my talent (she advocates that I have one…) and for telling me that if I keep doing what I’m doing, it’s just a matter of time until things fall into place for me and I build a name for myself. I love her for loving my sweets and for her showing her happiness while eating them. I love her for spoiling me with her delicious home-cooked meals. I love her for her honesty.

And one of my favorites: I love her for assuring me that I am strong, despite how emotionally and physically wrecked I may have felt during certain times in the past.

So today I bring you these simple (yet super delicious) almond cookies for one simple reason. My mom loves them. Baking these cookies brings me back very pleasant memories of my mom filled with bliss and happiness while taking bite after bite, until there were no almond cookies left in the holiday cookie bag I made for her this past Christmas.

On that note, Happy Mother’s Day to my wonderful mother and to all the great mothers out there. It takes talent and a lot of love to be one!

Te quiero mucho mama.

(Note: This recipe can easily become a vegan option. Simply substitute the 2 oz of butter for almond butter. Therefore, instead of using 2 oz butter + 2 oz almond butter in the recipe, use 4 oz almond butter instead).

Almond Cookies

50 minutes

15 minutes

1 hour

Yield: 19 cookies

Ingredients

2 oz butter, room temperature

2 oz almond butter, room temperature

1 oz sugar

2 oz dark brown sugar

¼ tsp almond extract

4 oz AP flour

2 oz almond flour

¼ tsp salt

¼ C slivered almonds, finely chopped

2 oz almond milk

egg white and ½ C turbinado sugar for finish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine butter, almond butter, sugar, and dark brown sugar into mixer and cream on high speed until butter is light and creamy.

3. Change mixer speed to low. Add almond extract.

4. Combine AP, almond flour, and salt and gradually add it to butter mixture until dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

5. Add slivered almonds and slowly pour in almond milk. Continue mixing just until dough comes together.

6. Roll dough into a barrel that has the approximate diameter of 1”.

7. Roll each barrel into parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes—1 hour, until dough becomes firm.

8. Apply egg white all over barrel and roll barrel in turbinado sugar.

9. Cut ends off barrel. Cut barrels into ½” slices and place each slice on two sheet trays that have been covered with parchment paper.

10. Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are set and have developed a nice golden color, approximately 12-13 minutes.

Notes

Prep time includes the amount of time needed to freeze dough before slicing it.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze dough for 6-8 weeks and baked cookies for up to 4 weeks.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/05/09/almond-cookies/

extra virgin olive oil ice cream with orange ginger cookies

Posted by vane on Apr 14, 2013 | 6 comments

I love olive oil. Can I just say that? And I don’t love it in the way that I may love key lime pie or peach cobbler. I love olive oil, as if I had known it all my life. Because I have.

Having lived and grown up in Southern Spain has made me become extremely infatuated with this ingredient. But my adoration towards it is deep, yet nonchalant. I adore it and do put it on a pedestal when given the opportunity (if you still cook with butter or vegetable oil, I may try to swerve you in the other direction by praising olive oil aloud…well, it’s delicious and good for you. Where have you been for the past 12 years?!), but at the same time I think of it as that close friend or relative. Please don’t judge me…Not just yet.

I think of it as that close friend who has played and continues to play such an important part in my life and in the lives of those around me, in our growth and in our essence. It has been a part of me since I can remember and I cherish that, but I never really stop to mention it except for now. Never stop to think much about it because it’s a natural thing and that’s just the way it is. That’s just the way it has been, for many years.

Olive oil is that ingredient for me. My favorite ingredient in the whole world.

So here I pair extra virgin olive oil with orange ginger cookies. It’s a quite lovely combination. The olive oil has to be pure, to the point where it’s almost green in color. What a beautiful shade of green that is…Feel free to use the extra virgin olive oil for this ice cream recipe and then use the leftover oil in salads, drizzle it over whole wheat rustic bread, or use it to create your favorite marinade. The possibilities are endless. Or simply love it for how uniquely great it is.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ice Cream with Orange Ginger Cookies

4 hours

Yield: About 1.5 quarts

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ice Cream:

20 oz heavy cream

12 oz milk

12 yolks

12 oz sugar

6 oz extra virgin olive oil

Orange Ginger Cookies:

3 oz sugar

4 oz butter, softened

2 oz extra virging olive oil

2 tsp orange zest

1 1/2 tsp fresh ground ginger

2 oz fresh orange juice

1 T Grand Marnier

9 oz flour

¼ tsp salt

½ baking soda

¼ tsp ground ginger

about ¼ C sugar for finish

Instructions

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Ice Cream:

1. Add milk and cream to a pot and bring to a gentle simmer.

2. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. When milk and cream have come to a simmer, slowly temper egg yolks by pouring milk/cream mixture over egg yolks while whisking simultaneously.

3. Start to drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil very slowly while whisking continuously, until extra virgin olive is fully incorporated and emulsified with the eggs, sugar, milk, and cream.

4. Pour mixture back into pot and cook on a low and gentle heat so that eggs don’t become scrambled. Stir mixture in a figure 8 pattern with a wooden spoon so that all sides of the pot are touched as you cook it. Continue stirring until milk/cream naps the back of spoon. That occurs when the sauce in your saucepan is thick enough to stick to your spoon and therefore indicates that your mixture is ready. At this point you have made a sauce called a crème anglaise.

5. Pass crème anglaise through a sieve and it into a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until crème anglaise is cold all throughout.

6. Remove crème anglaise from refrigerator and pour into ice cream machine bowl. Make ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Orange Ginger Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large sheet tray with parchment paper.

2. Combine butter and sugar in a mixer and cream on high speed until butter is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil slowly and continue to mix.

4. Add orange zest, fresh ginger, and fresh orange juice. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated into mixture.

5. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and ground ginger together and gradually add it to butter mixture until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Turn mixer off.

6. Divide dough in half. Roll each half piece of dough into barrels that are about 1” in diameter.

7. Roll each barrel into parchment paper and chill for about 30 minutes—1 hour.

8. After dough has been chilled, cut ends off barrel and cut barrel into very thin slices that are approximately 1/8”-1/16” slices. Place each slice on sheet tray.

9. Bake cookies for about 8 minutes, rotating sheet tray midway baking time.

10. Finish by sprinkling sugar over cookies.

Notes

Store ice cream base 3-5 days in fridge and 3-4 days in freezer as ice cream. Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days and 6-8 weeks in freezer.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/04/14/extra-virgin-olive-oil-ice-cream-orange-ginger-cookies/

chocolate cranberry nut biscotti

Posted by vane on Apr 5, 2013 | 2 comments

Today I don’t have much to say. I just don’t.

Oh wait. That’s not entirely true. I have to let you know about these “biscotti delights”, as my aunt calls them.

They are true delights indeed, as they encompass complex flavors of orange, pistachio, almond, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate. The bright and intense spectrum of colors—green, orange, deep red, and dark brown—will doubtlessly make your heart sing and your taste buds crave several bites.

So don’t hold back. Dip, lightly soak, and enjoy. Enjoy every single bite of these biscotti delights.

chocolate cranberry nut biscotti

50 minutes

Yield: About 28 pieces

Ingredients

4 oz butter

6 oz sugar

2 tsp orange zest

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

10 oz flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ C slivered almonds, chopped

½ C pistachios, chopped

¾ C dried cranberries

about 14 oz of tempered dark chocolate–optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large sheet tray with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside for later use.

3. Cream butter, sugar, and orange zest with a paddle attachment in a standing mixer for about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add in the eggs one at a time along with vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape sides of bowl down.

5. Turn the mixer on low speed and pour in the dry ingredients slowly. Mix just until the dough comes together.

6. Add slivered almonds, pistachios, and dried cranberries. Continue to mix on low until all ingredients are well incorporated.

7. Flour a work surface and dump the dough out of the bowl right onto the floured surface. Divide biscotti dough in half and roll the dough into two cylinders, each being about 9” (length) x 2.5” (width). Pick up cylinders carefully and place them onto sheet tray. Press cylinders down to flatten them out a bit until each cylinder is about 1.5” high.

8. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and rotating sheet tray midway baking time. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

9. Slice the cooled loaves with a serrated knife on the bias into slices that are about ½” thick.

10. Place cut slices back onto sheet tray and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes on each side, until slices are lightly golden on top and bottom. Remove sheet tray from oven and cool completely.

11. Dip half of each biscotti into tempered dark chocolate if desired. Allow chocolate to set. Dip biscotti into hot coffee or tea and enjoy.

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/04/05/cranberry-nut-biscotti/

lemon cookies

Posted by vane on Mar 28, 2013 | 6 comments

Lately I feel the need of having to be everywhere. I want to be here. I want to be there.

I want to be in DC. I want to be in Texas…

There is currently an explosive combination of people and events taking place in Texas. My niece, my mom, my sister, my other half (Mark) and the Deftones performing on tour together, are all in Texas right now. Texas is basically on fire as we speak…well, for me anyways. That’s, in my opinion, too much of a good thing happening in one state and the strong energy pulls me in, as if by gravitational force. Of course I want to be in Texas. Oh and the Deftones…yeah, don’t even get me started on them. I really want to avoid sounding like an annoying teenybopper fan girl, so let’s just drop it because that would be quite embarrassing. Okay, too late.

But I’m not in Texas. I’m at home in DC and that is just fine, I keep telling myself. I’ve been through this kind of thing before…You know, when you become overly excited about the possibility of having something that you really want to work out, but knowing and strenuously accepting that it will just not happen.

Accepting something can be a tricky task for me sometimes. It’s a silly mind game that I have to trick myself into playing and winning.

There are a set of steps that occur within me to make me become accepting of a certain situation. In this case, the situation is not being able to go be in Texas to: 1. see my niece 2. hang out with Mark and see him perform with his band Periphery 3. (last but not the bit least) rock out to the Deftones one last time before their US tour is over while sipping on Vodka tonic (if you must know).

After giving it a lot of thought and spending numerous hours and hours looking at air fare and mapping different possibilities of how to make this function with work and everything else, I stare blankly at the white wall and tell myself, “Okay, this is not going to happen. Not this time. Hopefully next time. It’s okay (even though it’s really not),” even after knowing that it would’ve completely rocked my world to been able to go.

So yes, I’m in DC. Everything is okay though, remember? I don’t get to go to Texas. So what? It’s a little bit of a bummer, but silly to even write a post about, really. Oops.

Do you know why else everything is okay? Because I get to go into my kitchen and start a baking party. These delightful lemon cookies are guests of honor. These cookies will make you forget, if only for a few delectable seconds, that the only place where you want to be is right here and now…enjoying every single bite.

Enjoy fighting the acceptance battle and enjoy these lemon cookies!

lemon cookies

Yield: Approximately 70 cookies

Ingredients

Lemon Curd:

2 lemons, zest and juice

4 oz unsalted butter

6 oz sugar

2 large eggs

Lemon Cookie Dough:

4 oz sugar

8 oz butter

2 ½ tsp lemon zest

1 egg

2 ½ tsp vanilla extract

12 oz flour

½ tsp salt

additional sugar for finish

Instructions

Lemon Curd:

1. Zest lemons directly into a pot.

2. Strain lemons as you juice them over the same pot with a reamer. Push pulp down to get extra juice out.

3. Add butter to pan and bring mixture to a boil.

4. Meanwhile, crack eggs in a separate bowl. Add sugar to the eggs and whisk.

5. Temper eggs with hot liquid slowly.

6. Put mixture back into pot and cook on low-medium heat. Bring to a boil while whisking continuously. Whisk for 5 minutes after mixture is brought to a boil.

7. Sieve curd into a bowl when the five minutes have passed.

8. Place bowl on top of a bowl full of ice to cool curd down. Set aside for later use.

Lemon Cookies

1. Roll lemon cookie dough to 1/8”-1/16”.

2. Cut two separate pieces for each cookie (a top piece and a bottom piece) using a small a fluted small cutter. Place the top pieces on a baking sheet and the bottom pieces on a separate baking sheet. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes so that cookie dough becomes more firm.

3. Remove tray from fridge and cut a small shape out of the center of the top part of the cookie using a small cutter.

4. Bake cookies at 350 F for approximately 5-7 minutes, depending on how dark you want the edges. Sprinkle cookies with sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack and allow cookies to cool down completely.

5. Pipe a small amount of lemon curd in the center of the bottom cookie and place top piece over lemon curd. Lemon curd should be sandwiched in between cookies. Repeat procedure until all cookies are assembled.

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/03/28/lemon-cookies/

blood orange rosemary pâte de fruit

Posted by vane on Mar 1, 2013 | 8 comments

I was set on these. I mean set.

And when I’m set on something, it is pretty difficult to pull me back. I guess the correct term for that would be “stubborn”.

Although I’ve been politely corrected and told, “Nah, you just know what you want. That’s not being stubborn.” Oh, do I really know what I want? Okay, that’s a whole other issue that I won’t even get into right now.

I will admit it though. Yes, I am stubborn. You know, sometimes you just have to act and become completely and unreasonably obstinate about things or else life wouldn’t be quite as fun….or stressful.

For instance, if you have the urge to bake a pineapple upside down cake on your day off, then go for it…No, baking a lemon pound cake it’s just not going to do it. Because you’re stubborn…and know what you want. That pineapple upside down cake is what you want.

And if you want to have your nails painted deep purple, the color called “heart throb” probably won’t do it. The color “I think in pink” may not work either. Because you’re stubborn…and you know what you want. Deep purple is what you want.

And if you want to write a recipe for fruity treats that possess a harmonious balance of fruity tartness and sweetness and a texture that when you bite into them is initial resistance followed by a delicate bite, then writing a recipe for something that resembles gummy bears clearly won’t cut it. Although, I will revise that first attempt and bring it to you in recipe form soon because ummm…hello!!!! Gummy bears!! Kind of awesome, really.

So I knew that writing a recipe for these little pastry jewels would be a true test, but I was out to conquer the “Pâte de Fruit Recipe-Writing Challenge” (…a serious challenge that I had formed in my mind and that nobody else around me was hopefully aware of..).

It took three attempts to get the desirable taste, texture, and consistency right on point. Stubborn much? Nah, I just know what I want. Right…

blood orange rosemary pâte de fruit

Yield: Over 50 pieces, depending on the size of each candy

Ingredients

1 blood orange

4 oz blood orange juice

6 small sprigs of rosemary

4 oz water

11 oz sugar

5 oz certo liquid pectin

4 oz sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Spray 8" x 8" baking dish with vegetable oil. Line baking dish with a piece of parchment paper that extends about 2 inches beyond the rim of the baking dish. Set aside for later use. (Note: The dimensions of the baking dish do not have to be exactly 8" x 8", as long as it's close enough. I mean, let's keep it real...I used a tupperware that was about 9" x 5" and that worked wonderfully. The size of the baking dish will only affect the height of your pâte de fruit. The more area the baking dish has, the shorter your pâte de fruit will be. The less area the baking dish has, the taller it will be).

2. Cook the blood orange in boiling water for about 30 seconds in a sauce pan, until the peel has softened a bit.

3. Cut the ends off and discard them. Cut the blood orange into segments.

4. Place blood orange segments into food processor and pulse until blood orange is finely chopped. Add blood orange juice to food processor and pulse until mixture is well pureed.

5. Pour blood orange puree and 3 sprigs of rosemary into a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Turn heat off. Put a lid on the sauce pan and infuse for about 30 minutes, until the blood orang puree tastes like a hint of rosemary.

6. Place water and remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary into a separate small sauce pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. Turn heat off. Cover pan with a lid and infuse for about 30 minutes, until water tastes like rosemary. Set aside for later use.

7. Strain blood orange puree into a bowl to remove the pulp, peel, rosemary, and fruit chunks. Pour liquid into the same sauce pan along with sugar.

8. Remove rosemary from water. Add water to sauce pan. Stir blood orange, sugar, and water to combine.

9.Cook over low heat until it forms a very thick syrup that coats the back of the spoon and the temperature is of 180 F. Be sure to whisk constantly. Mixture should never come to a boil, but rather maintain a gentle and very low simmer. You may have to adjust the temperature as you cook it.

10. Once the mixture has reached 180 F and the mixture has become thick and syrupy, turn off the heat and add the Certo. Whisk until well combined.

11. Pour into prepared baking dish and allow it to sit at room temperature for up to 5 hours.

Unmold onto a work surface. Peel off and discard parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut into small squares or rectangles.

12. Spread remaining 4 ounce of sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the pieces in the sugar to coat. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Notes

Equipement: scale, candied thermometer, food processor, baking dish or tupperware that’s approximately 8″ x 8″, whisk, strainer.

Store for one month at room temperature fully enrobed. Keep well-wrapped in fridge for 2 weeks

http://sweet-lab.com/2013/03/01/blood-orange-rosemary-pate-de-fruit/

hazelnut cheesecake

Posted by vane on Feb 22, 2013 | 15 comments

I have to think about this one for a second. Should I do this?

Yes, I think I should.

Okay here it goes. I recently read an article somewhere which stated that food bloggers are multitalented…Not only do they possess knowledge about baking/cooking, but they are also adequate writers and photographers, at least that’s what is expected from them and those are the qualities they should possess in order to be successful in the field.

Well, to me writing is the trickiest of the three qualities, and I’m not talking about proper grammar usage or correct verb conjugation. I’m talking about trying to transmit my thoughts fully and properly with words. I have never been a person of many words, especially spoken words. An introvert like me, would rather express herself in other ways. But as I read over some of my posts, I have to admit that I have frequently and conveniently mistaken this blog for a diary, where I’m permitted to ramble on and on and then shyly hit the “publish” button. That doesn’t mean I’m a great writer. That just means that I happened to find the correct words in that specific time and place to express a certain feeling or thought. And thank God I did.

Well, today, as I think about these cheesecakes I made, a bundle of emotion is stirred up inside of me and I might have to “let it all come out” and come clean once again…through words.

Here is the story. I made hazelnut cheesecakes today. I made one set for Periphery and one for me. Incase you didn’t know, Periphery is a progressive metal band that is doing really wonderful things in music.They just left for an Australian tour and I made them these treats before they left on their journey.

About a year and half ago my other half, Mark, was offered the position of becoming one of Periphery’s full-time guitarists. He was offered the opportunity of a life time…of his life time. At the time, I was almost convinced that this opportunity, as rewarding as it may have been for him, did not match with what I had in mind for us. To keep things brief, after having been with Mark for many many years, I deeply believed that this sudden change of pace and life style in our lives would be a problem. I was stuck in the notion that the idea of the two (the band/touring and me) could not coexist. I was stubborn and pushed away. This would either make us or break us.

Luckily we are still one, stronger than ever. It took some adjusting and getting used to, but after some compromise and care from both sides, we got over the unexpected bump on the road and swerved back to our path. After testing the waters and giving it a try, I realized that this situation is not that bad. I won’t bother listing the pros and cons. He is doing what he loves and that is very important.

So today, I made two sets of cheesecakes: one for me and one for Periphery to take on their trip. Mine has chopped and toasted hazelnuts along with striped dark chocolate on the top. Theirs has the band’s logo on the surface of each individual piece. Mine is a larger and thicker piece (I know, I know), while theirs are smaller and thinner mini cheesecakes, to the point where they almost resemble cheesecake cookies…Cheesecake and cookies united as one?! Simply delicious.

They are both different, but still alike, since the same batter, method, and care, were taken to elaborate both. After all, we can all coexist peacefully.

And even better? The guys enjoyed their treats quite a bit and as you probably figure, few things in the world gratify me more than to bring happiness to others through sweets. I hope you find them to be just as tasty.

• Yield: Six mini cheesecakes and one 6″ x 2″ medium-sized cheesecakes. However, the yield varies depending on what size pan you prefer to use. I’m sure you can probably get two 8″ cheesecakes out of this. Freeze for 3-4 weeks well wrapped. Keep in fridge for about 2 days.

• Note: I used tart pans for the mini cheesecakes. I know you may be thinking, “Tart pans are meant to be used to bake tarts, not cheesecakes! Duuuh!” And you are so right. However, that’s what I had in hand and I made it work just fine. Since the material of the cake pans is so thin, the baking time decreases significantly because the heat reaches the batter sooner and with more force. If using a spring form pan, be sure to wrap the bottom and sides of cake pan with aluminum foil to prevent leakage.

ingredients for hazelnut cookie crust:

4 oz butter

2 oz sugar

3.5 oz AP flour

1/4 tsp salt

2.5 oz hazelnuts

recipe for hazelnut cookie crust:

1. Place hazelnuts into a food processor and grind until hazelnuts are finely crushed. Set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar until butter is light and fluffy.

3. Mix AP flour, ground hazelnuts, and salt together.

4. Slowly add all dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture and mix on low speed until dough comes together.

5. Drop spoonfuls of dough two inches apart onto a sheet tray that is covered with parchment paper. You will most likely need two baking sheets to bake off all the cookies. Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes, until cookies become golden brown. Allow cookies to cool off.

ingredients for cheesecake:

hazelnut cookies

8 oz cream cheese

4 oz sugar

6 oz Nutella

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 oz mascarpone cheese

2 eggs

1 yolk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

2 oz of dark chocolate

recipe for cheesecake:

1. Grind hazelnut cookies in a food processor until cookies are finely ground. The natural oils in the hazelnut will come out when this happens, so adding melted butter is not necessary to keep the crumbs together.

2. Grease six 3″ x 1″ tart pans and one 6″ x 2″ round cake pan  with vegetable spray. Cut out circles that have the same circumference as the base of the pans and place each circular piece of parchment paper on the base of each pan.

3. Press grounded hazelnut cookies into prepared pans. Bake at 350 F for about 10-12, until crust becomes golden brown. Allow crust to cool off completely.

4. Preheat oven to 275 F. Cream cream cheese and sugar on medium speed for a couple of minutes until cream cheese is light, fluffly, and smooth. There should be no solid chunks of cream cheese at this point. Add Nutella and vanilla.

5. Add mascarpone cheese and continue to mix just until mixture is creamy and well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and be sure that all ingredients are well integrated.

6. Add yolks and eggs one at a time on low speed until batter is very smooth.

7. Strain batter into a large bowl. Ladle batter into prepared mini tart pans, until batter reaches almost to the top of each pan. Ladle remaining batter into 6″ x 2″ cake pan.

8. Place mini tart pans onto a baking sheet tray. Place sheet tray into preheated oven and pour water into sheet tray, until water reaches about halfway the sides of each pan. Place 6″ x 2″ cake pan onto a separate baking pan with sides. Pour water into baking pan so that water reaches about halfway the sides of cake pan. Bake mini cheesecakes for about 20-30 minutes and larger cake for about 1 hr 20 min, until cakes jiggle in the center when tapped.

9. Cool cheesecakes completely at room temperature. Place cakes in freezer for about 1-2 hours.

10. Turn frozen cheesecakes upside down over a flat surface that is covered with parchment paper. Torch the sides and bottom of each cake and tap firmly until cheesecakes are released. Turn cheesecakes over.

11. Time decorate your cakes…sprinkle a handful of toasted/chopped hazelnuts over the surface of each cheese cake. Place dark chocolate in a small bowl and melt over a bain-marie. Place melted dark chocolate into a pre-made paper cone. Cut the paper cone’s tip and and move swiftly and quickly back and forth over the cake to create thin lines of chocolate on its surface. If you don’t have a paper cone and don’t feel comfortable making one, you could try dipping the tip of a fork or a spoon in the melted chocolate and moving it back and forth over the cake so that chocolate drizzles over it.

You can then play around some more with the chocolate…It’s fun to do so and you may have trouble containing yourself.

You can also draw the logo of a progressive metal band with the chocolate, that’s just one idea for instance…

Now comes the best part. Move the cheesecake onto a serving dish or platter with an offset spatula. Cut yourself a small piece or various pieces and enjoyyyyy! Be ware though, this dessert is super decadent and rich. A small piece goes a long way.

dark chocolate bon-bons with rosemary ganache filling

Posted by vane on Feb 14, 2013 | 2 comments

Hey there! Just wanted to wish everyone a very sweet and happy Valentine’s Day with this chocolate treat. I hope you enjoy these dark chocolate bon-bons with rosemary ganache filling.

May you find yourself surrounded with lots of sweet and kind love–not just today, but every day.

Notes:

1. This recipe requires a technique called tempering. To make things short, the temperature of the chocolate increases and then decreases so that the end result is a glossy, shiny, and streak-less chocolate that possesses a nice snap. I don’t explain the methods ( which are seeding, cool water, and tabling) in this recipe, but there is a lot of information out there of how to do so. I can also provide explanations if anyone would like me to.

2. This recipe requires a bon-bon plaque. The best quality plaques are made from heavy polycarbonate plastic and they will give chocolate its best shine and are nearly indestructible. However, I’ll tell let you in in a little secret and say that I bought mine in Sur La Table for $ 2.95. They are plastic and not quite as durable, but they did the trick just fine.

ingredients:

about 10 oz 70% dark couveture chocolate (this chocolate is used for tempering, so be sure that it’s couverture)

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (about 2 grams each)

4 oz heavy cream

2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 vanilla pod (or 1 gram)

recipe:

1. Place one sprig of rosemary on a sheet tray and bake at 450 F for about 10-15 minutes, until fresh rosemary becomes dry and crunchy.

2. Remove rosemary leaves from stem. Grind leaves in a mortar and pestle until leaves resemble powder. Set aside for later use.

3. Temper chocolate using whichever tempering technique you prefer and fill bon-bon plaques with tempered chocolate. Fill cavities with tempered chocolate. Grab plaque from two corners and vibrate it to release air bubbles from the chocolate. Be sure to hold end of tray and tap multiple times. Hold opposite end of tray and tap multiple times. Knock out chocolate into bowl, tapping and scrapping with bench scraper or spatula so that chocolate comes out. Place plaque upside down over parchment and drain for less than 60 seconds. Pick up plaque and give it a last scrape. Put plaque in the fridge so that chocolate sets completely.

4. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small pot and place two rosemary sprigs and vanilla pod in heavy cream. Cover pot and allow heavy cream to infuse with the rosemary and vanilla for about 30 minutes. Remove rosemary and vanilla pod from heavy cream and scrape vanilla seeds into cream. Uncover pot and bring cream to a simmer again.

5. Place white chocolate into a bowl and pour simmered heavy cream over white chocolate. Allow cream and chocolate to rest for about a minute so that chocolate softens and melts. Stir mixture gently from the center until everything is well combined. Add 1/2 tsp rosemary powder to ganache and stir. Allow ganache to cool completely at room temperature.

6. Place rosemary ganache into a paper cone or a piping bag with a small piping tip. Fill each cavity with rosemary ganache just below surface.

7. Re-temper chocolate and pour it on top of plaque to fill all cavities.

8. Smooth with scraper or spackle knife, removing excess chocolate. Allow chocolate to set completely.

9. Turn plaque over and bang firmly to release chocolate bon-bons.

10. Place a small pinch of rosemary powder over the upper right corner of each bon-bon for décor.

Enjoyyyyyyy!

fried baklava with honey cinnamon cream

Posted by vane on Feb 3, 2013 | 4 comments

Two words for you: Fried Baklava. I’ll let the pictures say the rest.

But really, this recipe is simple to execute and super gratifying to taste. It’s magnificently light and crispy on the outside while being decadently rich on the inside. The blend of honey, cinnamon, dates, and nut flavors will keep you coming back for more. More good news? Once the baklava are assembled, you are bound to enjoy them in a matter of seconds, as this baklava is…fried.

On another note, today is February 3, 2013. For me it’s just another regular Sunday, but for a multitude of other people, today is the Super Bowl, an event that in my opinion holds just as much power as a holiday.

Over the years, I have never watched the Super Bowl. I know nothing about the sport of football. Like really….. nothing. Oh wait, I guess I do know that people tend to enjoy chips and salsa, chili, various types of dips, an assortment of precut veggies, and of course….lots and lots of booze. And then there’s the other stuff. This year for example, Beyoncé will perform during half time. And those commercials…aren’t they good? See? I know a thing or two.

I have zero emotional connection to this sport, so instead of watching the Ravens and the 49ers fight over the Super Bowl trophy, I am keeping myself busy by reviewing this recipe I wrote a few days ago and bringing it to you. I hope you enjoy this as much as you may or may not enjoy the Super Bowl!

Yield: About 24 pieces. Serve immediately.

Ingredients for Baklava Filling:

3/4 C dates, roughly chopped

1/2 C walnuts

1/4 C pecans

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp honey

small pinch of salt

Recipe for Baklava Filling:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mixture is finely grounded and comes together to form a paste. Set aside for later use.

Ingredients for Honey Cinnamon Cream:

1 C heavy cream

1/4 C honey

2 tsp cinnamon

Recipe for Honey Cinnamon Cream:

1. Combine heavy cream, honey, and cinnamon in bowl. Whisk until cream thickens and stiff peaks form. Refrigerate and set aside for later use.

Ingredients for Fried Baklava:

phyllo dough

baklava filling

egg wash

vegetable oil for deep frying

honey cinnamon cream

honey

walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Recipe for Fried Baklava:

1. Stack three sheets of phyllo dough over a cutting board. Make 2″ marks along the bottom edge of stack. Cut vertically along each mark to create 2″ strips.

2. Scoop 1/2 tsp of baklava filling. Form the filling into a ball with your hands and form the ball into a cylinder.

3. Place the cylinder at the bottom of each strip of phyllo dough.

4. Lightly apply eggwash along the strip of phyllo dough with a pastry brush.

5. Roll phyllo dough over the filling and keep rolling until the dough has gone around the filling four times. Cut across the phyllo dough to separate the roll. Place roll on a dish with seam side down. Repeat steps 1-5 until all of the filling has been used.

6. Heat up vegetable oil in a small sauce pan over low-medium heat and fry until golden brown. This happens fairly quickly, about 8-10 seconds.

7. Place fried baklava over a napkin to soak up excess oil.

8. Meanwhile, place honey cinnamon cream in a piping bag that has a #3 plain tip. Pipe spirals of cream on a serving plate. Place baklava over cream. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of finely chopped toasted walnuts.