Tag: baking

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Cassata Siciliana

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I remember eating my first cassata, in a neighborhood restaurant in Catania, Sicily in 2005. Tyrone and I had flown in from Rome, rented a car, and found a hotel room close to the center. The individually sized, four-inch cake was beautifully decorated with candied fruit and garlands of white icing. I chipped off the sugary coating to discover a layer of marzipan around a tender, citrus-flavored spongecake and ricotta and candied fruit. Originally made at Easter by nuns or by Jews for Purim, the cake is often too sweet for my taste, so I cut the sugar in all components. There’s a special cassata pan with sloping sides which I haven’t bought because I like two layers of cake around the filling.

Of the ten or so cakes I call my “favorites,” cassata does not withstand much variation. The cake layers must be genoise (8 warm eggs, whipped until fluffy with 1 cup sugar, then sift/fold in 200 grams of cake or all purpose flour and 6 Tbs of clarified beurre noisette plus 2 tsp vanilla). Fill two 9″ cake pans whose bottoms are lined with parchment and greased. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until the cakes start to shrink from the sides of the pan. Turn out and let cool on racks.

And the filling must be ricotta and candied fruit: 2 lbs of whole milk ricotta, drained overnight in cloth or sieve, mixed with 1/2 cup each very small dice orange and citron (preferably Sicilian, no preservatives) rind, 1-2 Tbs powdered sugar, and 100 grams of bittersweet chocolate diced into pieces the same size as the candied fruit. If you can find sheep’s milk ricotta, that is more authentic and flavorful. I use Trader Joe’s “Dark Chocolate Lover’s Bar,” 85% and divided into two thin slices, which makes it easy to dice. The chocolate contains vanilla, but so does the cake.

I make the covering from marzipan (1 lb almond flour, 1 lb powdered sugar, 1/2 c corn syrup (or 2 egg whites instead of corn syrup) 1 tsp matcha tea,1-2 tsp almond extract: blend, knead, chill, then roll out into a circle large enough to cover the cake and sides. It’s an odd color green, but tea mitigates the sweetness of the marzipan, and it’s natural. You could use food coloring or you could make the marzipan from finely-ground pistachios, which are of course naturally green.

When you are ready to assemble the cassata, cut a thin layer from the tops and bottoms of the two layers. DO NOT skip this step. Genoise gets its moisture from syrup and baked tops and bottoms are gluey when wet. Make the syrup: boil 1 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar; let cool then add 5 Tbs (3 ounces) of citrus liqueur (Cointreau, Colombier, Limoncello, etc.) Sometimes I add a bit of desiccated lemon, lime, or orange powder (or lemon juice) to make the syrup more acidic. Find the plate you’ll assemble the cake on.

Hold a cake layer in one hand and drizzle 1/4 of the syrup over one side. Place on the plate, and drizzle with another 1/4 cup. Place the entire ricotta filling over the bottom evenly (a small angled spatula is useful). Then hold the other cake layer in one hand and drizzle with half the remaining syrup. Place it on top of the ricotta filling and finish by drizzling the remaining syrup evenly over the top layer. When I first started making syrup-moistened cakes, I experimented with using less syrup, a mistake. Use all the syrup.

Cover the cake with the thin sheet of marzipan (use powdered sugar to keep it from sticking) rolled to a 15 inch round about 1/8 inch thick (or thinner, if you can manage it). Freeze the trimmings for another use, for example, to make a layer inside another layer cake, or for stollen, or just eat it. If you want to decorate the cake with fondant and more candied fruit cut into shapes, it will look more like the cassatas in Sicily.

Cake (that serves at least 12) remains delicious for a week in the refrigerator and should be served cold.

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Fancy GF Toasts for Cheese

by natashasajeLeave a Comment on Fancy GF Toasts for Cheese

We were in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, without a kitchen, and wanted to try local cheeses. The cheese shop was out of baguettes, so we bought crackers. A 100 gram (3.5 ounces) package of “Fine Cheese Company Toasts” cost about $10. They were good despite being due to “expire” in December 2025. At home, I used the ingredient list to make my version, approximately using a small fois gras loaf pan, and two mini loaf pans. The first step is a simple quick bread dough. Bake it in pans or a pan, then cool and freeze. When frozen hard, slice thinly, and bake the slices again on low to make them crisp.

These are so delicious we ate them like cookies. but cheese complements them with creamy fat. In my quest for better nutrition, I made the crackers high fiber, whole grain and gluten free.

cheese toast slice

For about 70 thin slices… 1.5 inch squares, I baked the loaves in three small pans, but you could bake (longer) in a full size pan and cut the slices into quarters. Next time I’ll weigh the finished slices to compute how much a batch “is worth”–my guesstimate is 600 grams, or $60 worth of FRESH crackers.

2 cups buttermilk (I added buttermilk powder to regular milk)

3 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. psyllium husk

1 cup (140 grams) sprouted buckwheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2/3 cup sesame seeds (I used unhulled because that’s what I had.)

2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

2/3 cup raw pistachios, whole is fine

2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricot (I used Trader Joe’s “soft apricot”)

Whisk buttermilk with sugar, salt, and psyllium husk. The husk adds fiber and opens up the crumb, making the final product less dense and quicker to crisp. (I did not add oil because it was the last ingredient on the package list, meaning there was very little of it anyway. )Whisk in flour and baking soda, then stir in the seeds, nuts, and fruit. Spoon into loaf pans that have been greased and floured (I use baking spray with flour–for someone with celiac disease, use a parchment sling in the pan instead.) Bake at 350 (my convection oven reduces that to 325) for about 25 minutes for small pans, maybe 45 for one large loaf pan. Loaves are done when a pick comes out clean. Unmold after a few minutes to finish cooling on a rack. When completely cool, wrap well and freeze.

When you are ready to bake the slices (you don’t have to re-bake the entire batch at once, especially if you use small pans), use a sharp knife or cleaver to cut 1/8 inch slices and place on a baking sheet (no parchment necessary). Bake at 300 degrees (I used convection again, because the fan keeps the heat even) for about 25 minutes. Slices should be light golden brown and crisp. They crisp further upon cooling.

Other flavor combinations: cherry and hazelnut, fig and almond, cranberry and pecan.

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Salted Caramel Hot Fudge Sundae with Caramel Corn

by natashasajeLeave a Comment on Salted Caramel Hot Fudge Sundae with Caramel Corn

We discovered this dessert at the JG Grill (now named something else and with a different chef) in the St. Regis resort in Deer Valley, Utah, reachable by funicular so getting there felt like an adventure. The dessert hits various flavor and texture notes and the components can be made separately over several weeks. Of course Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sauce, and Caramel Corn can also be purchased, but they are not difficult to make. For each component, adjust the salt to your taste.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

For the ice cream (you will need a powerful blender), I use (about) 8 ounces of raw cashews, 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 cups of half and half, 2 TBS of cream cheese, 1/2 tsp guar gum. Simmer the cashews in filtered, lightly salted water until soft, about 1/2 hour; they give the ice cream more body (and protein). Let cool and drain. Burn the sugar into caramel in a medium saucepan until it’s the color of mahogany. Remove from heat. Add two cups of half and half and let the mixture sit over very low heat until the caramel is dissolved, stirring now and then. This might take 30 minutes. Whisk in room temperature cream cheese. (It’s OK if it’s a bit lumpy.) Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. guar gum. (You can also emulsify the ice cream with six egg yolks, cooked into a custard with the cream and caramel, and leave out the guar gum and the cream cheese.) Drain the cashews and put them in a blender along with the last cup of half and half; blend on high until perfectly smooth. Add the caramel mixture and blend again until smooth. Taste to see if it needs more salt. Chill until very cold. Then churn in an ice cream maker, and pack into containers–this makes 1 1/2 quarts. Remove container from freezer 15 minutes before scooping the ice cream. Lasts at least a month in the freezer.

Caramel Corn

For the caramel corn, you’ll need 3 quarts of popped corn (made from about 1/3 cup raw kernels). I use a hot air popcorn maker. There are different ways to make caramel coating for the corn. Here’s one, adapted from the NYT: combine 1/2 cup corn syrup, maple syrup, or other invert sugar (agave, honey, golden syrup, brown rice syrup, etc.), with 1/3 cup sugar, 2 TBS molasses, and 6 TBS of butter in a medium saucepan. Simmer for about 8 minutes or until it thickens. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp baking soda. With utensils, combine the hot caramel (which will burn your bare hands) and the popped corn as completely as possible. Spread the corn on parchment-or silicone-covered cookie sheets and bake (convect is best) at 300 for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. The corn will crisp upon cooling and it stays crisp for about a week, if kept air tight.

Hot Fudge Sauce

For the hot fudge, combine 1 cup heavy cream, half and half, or evaporated milk; 2 TBS butter; and 1/2 cup sugar; and 1 TBS molasses; 1/2 tsp salt and simmer until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa, turn off heat, then whisk in 4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate. This reheats well in a microwave or water bath and lasts several weeks (if you can avoid taking a spoon and just eating it).

To serve, place a few tablespoons of warm fudge sauce into the bottom of coupes or bowls, add scoops of ice cream, then top with caramel corn (and more fudge sauce and whipped cream if you like). At the JG Grill, the fudge sauce was on the bottom of the bowl, a surprise that encouraged scraping.

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Thanksgiving: Easy Pecan Tart

by natashasajeLeave a Comment on Thanksgiving: Easy Pecan Tart

If you love pecan pie, but dislike sugary-gummy filling, try this tart. The frozen puff pastry is a time saver. A layer of unsweetened chocolate cuts sweetness and also gives the tart enough body to eat out of hand, like a cookie. Serves 10-12.

Prepare tart pastry:

Use ½ lb. defrosted but still cold butter puff pastry (half of one Trader Joe’s package; Dufour comes in a 14 ounce package, which means your tart will be slightly smaller). With a bit of flour, roll out more thinly to a  larger rectangle, making the new rectangle approximately two inches longer and two inches wider than the original. Keep the pastry on parchment (re-use the one it came in but turn the pastry so it fits).

With a knife, score  (don’t cut through) a smaller rectangle, creating a ¾ inch-1 inch rim for the tart. Prick the middle all over with a fork. I have in the past taken the trouble to blind bake with pie weights, but it’s not worth it. If the pastry puffs, just prick with a fork or press down with your fingers. You can also do this after you take it out of the oven so you don’t burn yourself. The weight of the filling compresses the pastry.

Bake 15 min at 375 on bottom rack of oven. Since ovens vary so much, keep an eye on it. You want the bottom of the pastry darker than the rest, and the top lightly golden.

While pastry is baking, make the caramel custard filling:

In a small saucepan, whisk 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup golden or corn or maple syrup, ½ cup sugar,  1 Tbs. molasses, (or 1/2 cup brown sugar, which is just sugar +molasses), 3 Tbs. butter,  ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ tsp salt (if butter is unsalted). Whisk over medium low heat until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 Tbs. bourbon. Taste and add a bit more salt if you like. 

Take pastry out of oven when very lightly golden; at this point you can also let it sit until you are ready to resume.  

Scatter pricked part of pastry with 3 ounces finely chopped unsweetened or 85% or more cocoa content bittersweet chocolate. The chocolate makes the pastry more firm at room temperature and it also counteracts the sweetness of the caramel. You can leave it out for a more traditional pecan tart. The photo below was taken before pouring the caramel and baking for a second time. You’ll see the chocolate melting below the pecans.

Cover with 6-7 ounces pecan halves. They can be arranged in a pattern or scattered.

Pour the prepared filling  over the center part of the tart with pecans (and chocolate, if using). If the filling is lumpy, pour through a sieve. Don’t use all the filling if it will run over the edges of the tart.

Bake again at 350 on bottom rack for 15-20 minutes or until filling is bubbling and looks drier and translucent (not necessarily in the middle) and the pastry is darker golden brown. Let cool 30 minutes before serving with whipped cream. The tart stays edible at room temperature for 3 days. It can be warmed a bit for serving, or eaten out of hand at room temperature like a cookie bar.