Dobos Torte - August Daring Bakers

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

I've actually had this dessert before. My friend Alex is married to a Hungarian man, and she makes this torte for him on special occassions. Her version is usually 10-12 layers high, with an elaborate spun sugar sculpture adorning the top. It is so impressive, that it's almost a shame to cut into it. Almost.

I decided to knock this recipe out earlier this month, before I had to start work again. Making mini-tortes allowed me to give away a few of them as gifts. One went to my friend Jennifer, who had recently undergone an arduous surgery and was recovering, and another went to hubs' mother. The other two we saved for ourselves.

The recipe is fairly time consuming. There are lots of steps, and the buttercream did not hold up well in our weakly-air-conditioned house (we have since replaced the entire a/c unit). I eschewed the caramel topping that is included in the recipe, and went for the spun sugar. It was my first time manipulating liquid sugar, and it was by far one of the messiest things I have ever done in the kitchen. The biggest challenge was cleaning up all the hardened sugar. It required lots of boiling hot water.

The end result, however, was worth the mess. The tortes were impressive, especially with all the layers. The sponge layers were rich, and the buttercream was even richer. Keeping the tortes chilled made for clean cutting. Unfortunately, the sugar nests did not last more than a few hours, but the melted sugar imparted a pleasant caramely flavor to each bite.


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

Dobos Torte

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

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.

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)

Finishing touches
• 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
• ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Directions for the sponge layers:

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.)

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

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.

Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

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.

ATK's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Hubs and I were both in the mood for cookies earlier this week. Luckily, a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated had their version of the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie. Their recipe calls for browning the butter, giving the cookies an even more caramely flavor. The recipe testers also strived for a crackly surface, which worked on one of the cookie sheets we used, but not as much on the other cookie sheet.

The cookies came out gigantic, but I should have expected that since the whole batch made only 16 cookies total. I'm not sure that they attained perfection, but they sure hit the spot.


Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Cooks Illustrated
May/June 2009

1 3/4 c unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 Tbs (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with
parchment paper.

Whisk flour and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat 10 Tbs butter in a skillet over medium high heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 Tbs butter into the hot butter until completely melted.

Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter, and whisk until fully mixed. Add egg and
yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds.
Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.
Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide dough into 16 portions. Arrange 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 cookies on
each sheet. Bake 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and puffy, and edges have
begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; cool
cookies completely before serving.

Lamb Ragu with Mint

Hubs was so excited after using the meat grinder attachment to make this recipe. He wanted to grind up everything in sight. He settled on a 5 lb leg of lamb. Since the recipe only called for 1.5 lbs of lamb, we have a lot of leftover frozen ground lamb. If anyone has any good recipes, we are looking for suggestions.

It was so nice to smell wine, and to taste its flavor in the ragu, without the messy effects of the alcohol. Wine is one of the foods that is a sacrifice to me while growing a baby. I can't wait until I can drink it again. I added an extra hit of mint and ricotta. The leftovers tasted even better, after all the ingredients had stewed together overnight.


Lamb Ragu with Mint
courtesy of Giada De Laurentis
as seen on foodnetwork.com

1 lb rigatoni
2 Tbs olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c red wine
4 c marinara sauce, homemade or store bought
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, torn up
2/3 c ricotta cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender
but still firm to the bite, stirring occassionally, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a dutch oven, warm olive oil over high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender,
about 3 minutes. Add the lamb, salt, and pepper. Cook until the lamb has browned and the
juices have evaporated. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the marinara sauce and simmer over low heat until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Add the mint and ricotta and stir until mixed. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Grilled Fish with Tomato Butter

Thanks, everyone for all the comments on the previous post! I think the ratatouille tart has been my most popular entry by far. Too bad all my food doesn't turn out as impressively.

This is a dish hubs and I made a few months ago, during my blogging drought. I saw it in the then-current issue of Food and Wine. Tarragon is not an herb that I usually cook with, and the slight licorice flavor was intriguing.

The tomatoes were fun to cook. The popping sound they made as they heated up was oddly satisfying.

We served the fish with a medley of grilled red potatoes and zucchini.

Grilled Fish with Tomato Butter
adapted from Food and Wine
April 2009

1/2 c chopped parsley
1/4 c chopped tarragon, plus 5 Tbs of whole tarragon leaves
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Four 6 oz snapper fillets
Olive oil for drizzling
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

In a medium bowl, toss the parsley, 1/4 c of tarragon, and lemon zest. Rub the herbs all over the fish; Cover and chill 2 hours.

Light the grill, and let heat up. Drizzle fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill fillets over moderate-high heat until just cooked, and slightly charred - about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add remaining tarragon and cook over moderate heat until fragrant. Reduce heat to low, and add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst and the butter is browned, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon butter sauce over the fish, and serve.

Ratatouille Tart

Why have I never used the slicer blade on my food processor before??? I guess it was simple laziness - not wanting to dig the blade out of the cupboard, and not wanting to deal with the clean up of all the parts of the processor. In the long run, the slicer saved me a ton of time, effort, and probably a few fingers. And having neat, uniform slices makes this tart so much prettier.

The food processor also came in handy when mixing the dough. I've watch food shows that have done this, but once again, was too lazy to do it. I may start making homemade piecrusts once again.

Anyway, this tart was fairly easy to put together, though a bit time consuming. I got to use the tart pan that my friend Jennifer gave me for my birthday last year. The result was well worth the effort. Hubs claimed that it was one of the best things I've made recently. He especailly liked the healthy portion of veggies.


Ratatouille Tart
adapted from Cuisine at Home
August 2009

Dough (recipe follows)

1 yellow squash
1 large zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/4 red onion
3/4 c shredded firm chevre (goat cheese)
2 Tbs thinly sliced fresh basil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

For the dough: Pulse 1 1/2 c all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp each of table salt and black pepper in
a food processor. Add 6 Tbs of cold, diced unsalted butter and 3 Tbs cold diced shortening; pulse
until pieces of butter and shortening are the size of peas. Add 3 Tbs ice water; pulse to combine.
Shape dough into a flat disk. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Fit dough into a 9-inch tart pan. Press dough into edges and trim excess. Cover dough with foil and fill with dried beans. Bake until crust feels dry, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake shell for another 5 minutes, until light brown. Let crust cool to room temperature.

Using a mandoline, or the slicer blade of a food processor, slice squash, zucchini, and bell pepper into rounds, and the onion into half-rounds. Sprinkle chevre and basil over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange vegetables around the edge of the shell, repeatedly overlapping two slices of squash, two slices of zucchini, a slice of bell pepper, and three slices of onion (or whatever combination you wish). Arrange a smaller circle inside the first. Use squash slices to cover the center.

Drizzle tart with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tart is golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes.

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

Photographing meat is one of my biggest challenges. It always seems to look grayish, and none too appetizing.

Hubs took over cooking duties last night, and made this yummy dish. Pregnancy hormones got the better of me, and I was in no mood to cook. He was totally stoked about using the meat grinder attachment for our stand mixer. Freshly ground meat is soooo much tastier than the pre-packaged kind.

The flavors from the fish sauce, green onion, mint, and cilantro reminded me of yum nua, a beef salad that is one of my favorite things to order at Thai restaurants. Although the original Cooks Illustrated recipe calls for pork tenderloin, we couldn't find one small enough at the store, and couldn't justify buying three times the called for amount. The country style ribs worked just fine - hubs trimmed a little excess fat, and we found the meat very flavorful. He also added some cucumber (on my request) for a little crunch, and to up the veggie content.

We also decided to eat these in the style of bulgogi - with cooked rice packed into the lettuce along with the meat.


Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
September and October 2009

1 lb boneless pork country style ribs
2 1/2 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs white rice
1/4 c low sodium chicken broth
1/2 c chopped green onions
3 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 a medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 Tbs roughly chopped mint leaves
3 Tbs roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated and whole

Cooked rice (optional)

Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a single layer on a large plate. Freeze meat until firm and starting to harden, but still pliable, about 20 minutes.

Grind pork in a meat grinder or a food processor. Stir 1 Tbs fish sauce into the meat and marinate in the refridgerator for 15 minutes.

Heat rice in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice turns a deep golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Grind with a mini-processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine meal.

Bring broth to a simmer in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring
frequently, until about half the pork is no longer pink. Sprinkle 1 tsp of rice powder over the
pork; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until remaining pork is no longer pink. Transfer
pork to a large bowl; let cool for 10 minutes.

Add remaining 1 1/2 Tbs fish sauce, remaining rice powder, green onions, lime juice, red
pepper flakes, cucumber, mint, and cilantro. Toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves and cooked rice.

Cupcakes two ways - vanilla and chocolate

I'm working a summer music camp this week. This involves me and my friend Jessica and 31 kids who play string instruments. One of our coaches/student volunteers turned 18 today. I made cupcakes for everyone to celebrate. The birthday boy's favorite cake flavor was chocolate, but knowing that not all kids like chocolate, I also made vanilla cupcakes.

A while back, I was on a cake decorating kick. I got these two books for cupcakes, which ended up sitting on the shelf.


I finally tried a recipe from each. The vanilla cupcakes turned out a little on the dense side, and just a tad dry. I altered the order in which the ingredients were mixed, so this may have contributed to the dryness. They would be perfect for recipes where the middle gets cut out and replaced with a yummy filing. The chocolate cupcakes turned out incredibly moist, but just a bit on the delicate side. They would work better for recipes with lighter or plain toppings.

I had never done a swirl design for the frosting before, but got the idea from Annie's blog. I loved this for two reasons: 1) I wasn't sure I had enough frosting for the 40 cupcakes I had made, and 2) I'm not a fan of frosting in the first place, so the thin layer was the perfect amount for my taste.



Vanilla Cupcakes
from Bake Me I'm Yours...Cupcake
by Joan and Graham Belgrave

1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c superfine sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c self rising flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add vanilla. Mix in flour, blending until just combined.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling until just half full. Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 16-18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from tins, and cool completely. Makes about 18 cupcakes.

These cupcakes are super moist, spongy, and light. Handle carefully, as they are not too sturdy.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
from Cupcakes!
by Elinor Klivans

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to tepid.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down sides as needed. Mix in the melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla, and beat until mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain.

Add half the flour mixture, and mix on low until just incorporated. Stir in the water. Add in remaining flour mixture.

Spoon batter into liners, filling until 2/3 full. Bake until toothpick comes clean when inserted, about 17-19 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese, softened

3 Tbs butter

4 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

Lo Mein

After a week in the new house, just about everything has a place. There are a few random boxes that need unpacking, but save for the dining room table, just about all the surfaces are clear. The hard part is keeping them that way. Clearing the clutter is a constant battle of mine.

Lo mein used to be my favorite chinese take-out dish. There was one place in the little town where I grew up that made the best lo mein. It was garlicky, saucy, and not greasy. Most Chinese take-out places disappoint me. The food is too salty, and the amount of oil used in even the stir-fried dishes is way excessive. There are a few places I've found that locally that make a good Buddha's Delight, but sadly, I've had to abandon my beloved noodles.

I love this recipe for its flavor, and its light hand on the oil. We usually use cubed beef or pork when making it, but it would work well with chicken, shrimp, or tofu. The trick to stir-frying is to prep everything first, so when the cooking starts, you don't have to pause.

Lo Mein

adapted from Asian Noodles

by Nina Simonds

Marinade
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbs Chinese rice wine
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs sugar

Sauce
1 c chicken broth
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Chinese rice wine
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs corn starch

3 Tbs peanut or safflower oil
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
12 shitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 bunch of scallions, green parts sliced into 1 inch pieces

12 oz lo mein noodles or linguine

Combine meat with the marinade ingredients. Toss lightly to coat. In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients, stirring until there are no lumps. Set aside.

Heat a wok or a heavy skillet over high heat. Add 2 Tbs oil and heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the meat and toss lightly until the strips are just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Wipe out the wok.

Add remaining 1 Tbs of oil, and reheat the wok until the oil is hot. Add ginger and pepper, and stir fry for 1 minute. Add mushroom and scallions, and stir fry for one more minute. Add sauce
cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the noodles and meat, and toss lightly. Serve
immediately.