I Gotta Gelato: Mandarin Orange Stracciatella Gelato

Posted on 08/04/2015 by Caroline Siemers

I come from ice cream people. In our house, ice cream was pretty much another course, not even dessert. Our palate was determined by my dad whose taste veered toward fruit, peach especially, or strawberry. It was a great day when we had “Van-Choc-Straw” so I could carefully carve out the Choc with none of the dread strawberry on it. Vanilla was a good second – we always had plenty of Bosco syrup on hand to doctor it up and create ice cream soup.

Outside, we had Carvel or Friendly’s. Friendly’s was the bomb. Their mint chocolate chip (bright green and creamy) is still my desert island flavor. Weaned on the green, it took me a long time to cozy up to white versions, especially since my first exposure to non-green mint chip was a commercial brand whose texture was a bit grainy. When I went to college in Boston, I was introduced to Steve’s and the concept of the “mix-in.” Once I had Heath Bar in ice cream I was gone all over again. Then that magical day when Ben & Jerry’s appeared in supermarkets. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch – sublimity in every way. (Sadly now, it’s not the same. Fair Trade practices, which I totally support btw, caused B&J to switch from Heath Bar to some other toffee. I get it, I do. It just means that I also no longer get Coffee Toffee Crunch. Sigh.)

Over the years I’ve had different ice creams in different places: Berthillon in Paris, gelatos in Italy and Spain, small batch creameries here and there. It’s all good, it’s ice cream! While certainly not jaded, I did believe my ice cream “ah HA’s” were finished.

Until that Williams-Sonoma Holiday catalog arrived a few years ago. Featuring a bright red Cuisinart ice cream maker at a reasonable price point. (“Homemade” ice cream had meant heavy equipment, rock salt, and my Uncle Bob bribing us kids with quarters to turn the crank so that, in the end, we could “enjoy” mushy vanilla cones.) I read about this machine – no crank, no salt, no effort, I’m in! And I bought myself one.

And then I made mint chocolate chip ice cream. And then I, as they do say, died a little death. It. was. incredible. It put to shame EVERYTHING I’d had before and called “ice cream.” No point in trying to put into words that for which there are no words. The end.

I’ve made many a batch since then, but over time, SADNESS, I came to realize that dairy is not, actually, my friend. (Don’t speak.) So my cherry red ice cream machine sat unused for quite a while.

Until this past week when, doggone it, it was coming on August and I wanted some ice cream! Down came the machine, out came the dairy, in went the goodness, and…well, I think you can guess. (The little death.) Won’t you take this journey with me?

First stop, Marcella Hazan, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. A Bible, order it now if you don’t have it. Super easy Egg Custard Gelato recipe. My only modification was to use Cointreau (and less of it) instead of Grand Marnier.

Stracciatella. If I’m ordering real gelato, this is my go-to flavor – sweet cream vanilla with shards of dark chocolate. Perfection. In Italy, I learned the key to stracciatella is to introduce the thinnest possible stream of chocolate into the churning gelato. The chocolate hardens instantly and cracks as the churn turns. (Note to self: Soap opera in food world, As The Churn Turns.)

And then – reader, steady yourself for this next part – inspiration. Trader Joe’s carries a product called Soft & Juicy Mandarins. Dried mandarin orange segments in sugar. For the record, I do NOT care for sugary dried fruit, but these were by the register and so… Oh my, these are DELICIOUS. I don’t know how, and possibly don’t want to know how (sulfur), they do it, but these are bursting with juicy orange flavor. And the sugar, while there and seemingly a lot, actually doesn’t do harm. Dried citrus is typically not to be desired, but these mandarins – delish.

So what if they were diced and say, tossed into some churning gelato? What would that be like? (It would be like heaven. The nuggets preserve all their juicy citrusy goodness through the freezing process and become chewier (not toothbreaking).)

Trust me, friends, this is a spectacular ice cream. It doesn’t need a cake or cookie to support it, no sauce or fruit embellishment. But if you should desire a little something on the side, I suggest a tiny, dark dark dark chocolate shortbread cookie.

Mandarin Orange Stracciatella Gelato a la Marcella

Yields about three cups

Egg Custard Gelato (adapted from Marcella Hazan)

6 large egg yolks
¾ c granulated sugar
2 c milk
Zest from half an orange
2-3 Tsp. Cointreau (or Grand Marnier), to taste

Beat egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until they are pale yellow and a soft ribbon drops from the beater when raised.

Heat the milk and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat to a slow simmer. Do not boil. Strain milk through a fine mesh strainer into a spouted measuring cup. Wipe out sauce pan.

Pour the hot milk, in a thin stream, into the yolks, beating constantly. (Don’t be concerned if this foams up a lot. Mine did, to my consternation, but the end result was perfect.)

Add the Cointreau and beat for a few seconds.

Transfer the mixture to the saucepan, turn heat to medium, and whisk constantly for two minutes. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and pour into large bowl. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Once cold, freeze in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer’s instructions, about 20 minutes total time.

Mandarins

1/3 c Trader Joes Soft & Juicy Mandarins, chopped into a ¼-inch dice

Stracciatella

Melt 4 oz dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 70%) with 2 Tbs butter in a small glass measuring cup. Let cool slightly. Then transfer to Ziploc bag.

Finishing the gelato:

At the end of the churning time, sprinkle the diced mandarins over the churning gelato. Let them mix in well for a moment or two.

Then snip a tiny bit off the corner of the Ziploc and squeeze melted chocolate in a thin, steady stream over the churning gelato. Churn a moment or two to incorporate.

The gelato will now be super soft, so if that’s how you like it, dig in.

I prefer a firmer texture, so I transfer the gelato into a plastic container and let it sit in the freezerfor a few hours. Then I shave some dark chocolate over the top to make it pretty.

Serve in small scoops. Enjoy (and don’t be afraid to show your delight)!

Bada-Bing, Bada-Babka!

Posted on 07/28/2015 by Caroline Siemers

Where I live, in Los Angeles, there are billboards around town trumpeting the arrival of the full series of Seinfeld on Hulu. Each board includes a quotable quote from the show. I wasn’t really much of a Seinfeld watcher, but stopped at a light beneath one of these signs, I ruminated on the eps I had seen… George as the marine biologist, the close talker, Susan’s father’s love affair with John Cheever, the puffy shirt – and the babka, the chocolate babka.

Babka. Bab-ka. Baaab-ka. I’ve never made a babka. I’m not sure I’ve even had a babka, or a baba, or huh? I sped home to learn more about this mysterious bread coveted by Jerry and Elaine.

I read quite a few recipes and histories: Ukrainian origin, typically chocolate or cinnamon (although my Ukrainian friend swears her mother made it plain), adapted by other Eastern European traditions. In brief, a rolled brioche. Got it.

I find brioche the most heavenly of doughs. So soft and puffy, so strong and easy to shape. The recipes I read varied only slightly in their treatment of a basic brioche dough (a little lemon zest here, a bit of cinnamon there), so I worked with my tried and true recipe.

Note: Softened butter. I’ve always let it sit on the counter or played Russian roulette with the microwave. I hadn’t planned ahead for this babka so I Googled “softened butter,” et voila, a YouTube video where you put the cold butter into a large Ziploc and smack it around with your rolling pin. Ha! Never knew, works a treat. And fun! (Full disclosure, I smacked a brick of butter with a rolling pin in France, but there was no Ziploc and no witness.) You can also smack the butter between two sheets of waxed paper.

As it went, I ended up making two recipes (four loaves) over the weekend. Thatsa lotta babka! I used the same brioche for both, but varied the fillings:

Babka One – spread the rolled dough with softened butter and sprinkled with chopped dark chocolate and sugar
Babka Two – nipped from the Smitten Kitchen’s Better Chocolate Babka and made a spreadable filling of melted dark chocolate, butter, cocoa and powdered sugar

Babka One was good, but the chocolate seemed to weigh down the dough and I ended up with a loaf-long cavern and large hunks of chocolate. It tasted good, but I don’t love dark chocolate enough to have that version be the final word on IB4B babka.

Babka Two was, in a word, heaven. Heaven in a loaf pan, heaven on a cutting board, heaven in my mouth. SK suggests a pinch of cinnamon in the filling – perfection. My filling appeared more liquid than the paste in the pic on the SK site, so rolling up the babka log was a bit of a challenge, but still, fun and well worth it.

My babkas on both tries had glorious muffin tops. A slightly larger loaf pan would likely fix that. But who cares – as I say about all muffin tops, there’s simply more to love.

Make these a day ahead as they do take some time and I think are best enjoyed first as breakfast. Then go ahead with elevenses, luncheon, snack and tea. Then slice the second loaf for a bed time snack.

You’ll see – heaven in your mouth.

Chocolate Babka Two

Two loaves – or one serving, you know, depending

Dough

3/4 cup warm milk (105–115°F)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
2 whole large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
10 Tbs (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Filling

5 oz (130 grams) dark chocolate (60%-70% cacao)
1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s because I was out of Valhrona)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (SK says it’s optional, it’s not)

Egg wash

Beat together 1 large egg yolk and 1 Tbs whole milk

Make dough:

Stir 2 teaspoons sugar into warm milk and sprinkle yeast over. Let stand about 5 minutes until foamy.

Pour yeast mixture into bowl of an electric mixer and add 1/2 cup of flour; beat at medium speed until combined.

Add whole eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until combined.

Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.

Increase speed to medium and beat in softened butter, about a tablespoon at a time. (I cut open the Ziploc and scraped out tablespoon sized bits using a small offset spatula.)

Continue to beat for another 4-5 minutes after all the butter is in until the dough is shiny and pulls lacy strands from beater to bowl.

Dough will be super soft and sticky, and you will want to curl up in it.

Scrape dough into a lightly buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (warmer is better than in the AC), until doubled, about 2 hours.

Make filling

While the dough is rising, melt the butter and chocolate together in a 4-cup or larger measuring cup, stirring until smooth. Combine powdered sugar, cocoa and cinnamon, and sift over melted chocolate mixture. Stir to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Assemble Babkas

Line each loaf pan with a long strip of parchment paper cut the width of the short side of the pan and extending over the ends. Butter sides of pan. (You can, as I did, cut another piece of parchment to fit the long way in the loaf pan, but it’s really just extra work.)

Gently punch down dough and then halve.

Roll out one pie FILLING3 ce of dough on a well-floured surface into a rectangle about 18×10 inches, with the long side facing you. (Don’t worry if it looks like it’s rolled thin. It is.)

Pour half of the chocolate filling mixture down the center of the dough rectangle, then spread with a small offset spatula, leaving about a ½-inch border on all sides. (Why does the top pic look like it’s from the70s? Flour on my iPhone lens.)

Brush the long edge opposite you with some of the egg wash.

Slowly and gently, starting with the long side closest to you, tightly roll the dough over the chocolate filling. Because the dough is so soft, this will be more like nudging it over. Work slowly, from side to side, and try to make as tight a roll as you can.

Once rolled slice off ends. Then, form roll into an oval, pinching ends together.

Have your prepared loaf pan at the ready. Then twist your oval once to make a figure eight, and then again. Drop your twisted dough roll into your prepared loaf pan, nudging a bit here and there to get it all nicely nestled in.

Repeat with second piece of dough.

Cover loaf pans loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise again for about 1½ hours. They should just reach the top of the pans.

Bake Babkas

Preheat oven to 350.

Brush babkas with remaining egg wash and give a light sprinkle of turbinado sugar (if desired).

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and hollow when tapped on the bottom. Check on your babkas at 25 minutes and then keep an eye out. Mine were perfect at 30 minutes.

Let cool in pans on rack for about 5 minutes, then lift from pans using the parchment ends.

Peel off parchment, place on rack and let cool completely.

Enjoy!

I do d’eclair, you won’t stop at one

Posted on 07/21/2015 by Caroline Siemers

I visit Paris often. I am one of those classic femmes Américaines gaga over Haussmann architecture, pink light, and the Marais. When I go to Paris, I don’t make plans. I throw my scarf over my shoulder, adjust my sunglasses, and simply head out. In Paris, like in London, Rome and New York, wandering is a plan. These cities are made for discovery, like that time I stumbled across a Jewish bakery in Trastevere and proudly ordered “Due fiorentino e uno caffe macchiato” only to discover what might be the most delicious Florentines in the world.

In Paris, while I don’t make plans, I do carry a list of patisseries (by arrondissement) that’s as long as my arm. And what I’m after, my white tiger, my white whale, is the perfect éclair. Slightly chewy pastry, luxurious vanilla scented crème patisserie, and a swath of chocolate that snaps when you bite. For me, this is the éclair classique and a good one is very hard to find. Even in Paris. Where I don’t speak French (I speak Fromage, ha ha!), so I am often unsure of exactly what I’ve ordered.

Parisian fake out: Looked classique, but that’s mocha cream in there!

I’ve had éclairs that are filled with caramel, coffee, orange, pistachio, raspberry, banana (!), and chocolate creams. Où est la vanille? I buy at least two éclairs per visit to Paris and have yet to find an éclair that meets my classique criteria or that is even memorable. (Apologies, Pierre, but your mille feuilles would be my last meal.)

If not in Paris, dear reader, where, oh where will one find the perfect éclair classique???

I’ll tell you where: At the afore-reviewed Joan’s on Third. Yes, in Los Angeles, a city not known for it’s bakery culture. I’d pretty much given up on ordering éclairs anywhere after so many disappointments. But one afternoon I decided to give Joan’s version a try.

Revelation! Celebration! The hint of a tear in my eye! Sooooooo delicious, everything I look for and more: The pastry is always fresh, the chocolate subtle with the desired crackle, and the filling, the FILLING! Smooth, velvety, luxurious, incredible. Maybe it’s vanilla but you can’t really tell the note is so subtle. It’s fantastic. I’m embarrassed to say just how many of these I have eaten since that first bite.

I’ve only visited the Studio City location, but I imagine these delectable nom-noms are available on Third Street as well. Locals and visitors alike, it’s well worth the journey from wherever you are to enjoy these beauties.

Note: I learned, whilst writing this piece, that “éclairs” are named for the French word for “lightning” because they are “eaten in a flash.” Buy a few because you will mourn the too-fast loss of just one.

Joan’s on Third, 12059 Ventura Place, Studio City, CA 91604; www.joansonthird.com

Is that a pie in your hand or…?

Posted on 07/14/2015 by Caroline Siemers

Hand pies are not a natural for me.

Pastry is hit or miss and while I love the idea of a peach, it’s just too easy to get a bum one (mealy, hard, squishy). Plus, for me, peaches require prep: I like them peeled, sliced and chilled. So, in general, I prefer nectarines.

But Trader Joe’s recently had 4 lb. boxes of beautiful peaches and I was going to an outdoor event…summer peach pie sounded so good. But a pie in a picnic setting is always a mess, so I thought, gee, hand pies are all the rage, how about that? (My only experience with “hand pies” was decades ago, the original MacDonald’s apple pie and the various sugar-glazed Hostess options. Gooey, gluey, yuck.)

I asked a baking friend if she’d made them – she hadn’t but reported a friend thought they were a lot of work for “essentially, a pop tart.” But still, the idea was so perfect, and I could picture little Martha-style parchment packets sealed with stickers…I decided to go for it.

I searched FullSizeRender online for a recipe, selecting one from Bakerella (which she modified from Handheld Pies, by Rachel Wharton and Sarah Billingsley).

The deciding factor was that the pastry included butter and cream cheese.

I made a few small modifications:

Used heavy cream instead of milk in the pastry (because that’s what I had on hand)
Added a small pinch of cinnamon to pastry
Added a tablespoon of brandy to the peaches

The peaches were not uniformly ripe (which makes for easier cutting), but they macerated to perfection sitting for an hour or so with the lemon juice, brandy and sugars.

The results were out of this world! Not too sweet and very peachy! The pastry was easy to work with – I made my pies bigger than the cute little crescents on the site, so only got 7 pies out of the recipe (and had a lot of leftover filling). Next time, I’ll double the pastry recipe since it’s easy to freeze any leftovers.

I’m already hankering for more of these. They were wonderful at the outing and perfect for breakfast the next morning.

Enjoy!

Portable Peach Hand Pies

Pastry

4 Tbs unsalted butter

4 oz cream cheese

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut butter and cream cheese into half inch cubes and freeze for 20 minutes.
Pulse flour, sugar and salt briefly in food processor to combine.
Add butter and cream cheese cubes from freezer and pulse until small clumps form.
Add heavy cream and pulse again a few times until dough forms.
Press dough together to see if it holds together. Add ice water by teaspoons and pulse until the dough holds together when pressed. (I needed 2 tsp. of ice water.)
Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead pieces together and then shape into two 1-inch thick round disks. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for two hours or overnight.

Peaches

3 cups diced, peeled peaches

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs corn starch

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 Tbs brandy (optional)

Stir all ingredients together and let sit until dough is ready.
(If your peaches are very ripe you don’t need to prepare the peaches until just before the dough is chilled.)

Assembly

Remove dough from fridge, unwrap and roll out on a floured work surface to about about 1/8-inch thickness.
Cut out pie 4.5x 5-inch shapes from dough and remove scraps. (You’ll end up with pies that are about 4.5×2.5 inches.)
Put a spoonful or two of filling on one side of the shape, fold over left to right like a book.
Press edges together on all three sides, then crimp edges with a fork.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate prepared pies for half an hour before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Before placing in the oven, brush each pie top with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Remove and transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Delicious warm or at room temp. If enjoying the next day, warm in a 375-degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Every Summer Day Tomato Spread

Posted on 07/06/2015 by Caroline Siemers

“What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?” asks the great Chinese writer and thinker, Lin Yutang, in his lovely book The Importance of Living. I always think of that quote in summer when I replace “patriotism” with “nostalgia.” (For some reason I am most nostalgic in summer.)

As temperatures rise, blurry Polaroids of memory fill my mind: My dad’s sweatshirt brushing my ankles as I follow my brother down a sandy path; the first scents of salt as we drive to the beach; biking to our local swim club every day; the whir of old-fashioned (even then) metal fans in every room of our un-air conditioned house. And my Uncle Leo’s tomatoes. The very best beefsteak tomatoes ever, anywhere, in the world, came from Uncle Leo’s backyard. My mother ate them like apples, leaning over the kitchen sink. I liked them sliced thick with a tiny bit of salt. I’ve eaten a lot of tomatoes in my day, and while many are very, very good, I’ve yet to find any tomato at any farmer’s market anywhere, that compares to the simple deliciousness of Uncle Leo’s. Such is the core of nostalgia (or patriotism) – remembered pleasures often outweigh present pleasures. C’est la vie. (sips wine, stares into middle distance)

So when summer comes and tomatoes abound, I tend to doctor them up, either with a good soaking of balsamic, or in panzanella or bruschetta. One recent weekend I had bruschetta in mind when I veered a bit to the left and came up with this spread. Which is amazing. And versatile. And oh, so good.

I’ve called it Every Summer Day Tomato Spread, because you will want to eat it every day.

And it’s so versatile, you can.

Every Summer Day Tomato Spread

1 lb. assorted heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large (backyard, farm stand or farmer’s market are best)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)

2 Tbs. olive oil (more or less to taste)

1-2 oz. sundried tomatoes, not packed in oil (drained and patted otherwise) (I use Trader Joe’s julienned version)

3-5 fresh basil leaves (to taste)

Smidge of anchovy paste, to taste – optional*

Combine cut tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and balsamic in a glass bowl. Stir to combine. Let sit for about an hour or so.

Drain tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Pulse tomato mixture in food processor until chunky. Add sundried tomatoes and pulse a few more times. Add basil leaves and process to a spread consistency. (Stop short of a paste.)

Transfer mixture to bowl. Check consistency. If the spread looks dry, add a bit of the reserved liquid and stir. You don’t want the mixture to be too wet. Add additional liquid until desired consistency. (Leftover liquid can be the base of a salad dressing on another day.)

Taste – adjust seasonings (salt, pepper) and don’t be afraid to add a pinch of sugar.

Let sit for 15-30 mins and serve with grilled bread, crostini, or crackers. (If you have leftover spread, refrigerate tightly covered and let come to room temp before using.)

Yields about a cup of spread.

*I’m afraid of actual anchovies. If you are not, chop one up and add as directed, to taste.

Variations

This is terrific as a topping for Spanish-style pan y tomate. Spread thinly on top of grilled or toasted bread that’s been rubbed with a garlic clove.
Put a dollop on the plate with grilled steak – delish!
Scrape an ear or two of grilled corn and add kernels to tomato spread – you get a kind of a relish that’s fantastic on it’s own or next to grilled meats or Italian sausages.
Spread grilled (or toasted bread) with fresh burrata and a thin layer of tomato spread. Top with a leaf or two of fresh basil that’s been on the grill for a few moments. Pour a juicy red and close your eyes. You’ll be in Italy in seconds.

Slightly Past Prime Cake, a recipe that never gets old

Posted on 04/22/2015 by Caroline Siemers

I’m particular about my fruit. I like my grapes firm and cold, bananas greenish or not at all, and strawberries blemish-free. Fruit that is just at or slightly past peak is not for me. The flavors are too intense, too fruity for my palate.

Oddly, these preferences alone don’t prevent fruit from aging on my counter or in my fridge. When it does, it’s time for “Slightly Past Prime Cake,” a homey and homely white cake to which you can add almost any overripe fruit, especially berries and stone fruit.

Strawberries in particular seem to sit for days in the market, hard and greenish, but ripen almost immediately as soon as they enter my house. As happened this week with a lovely basket of berries that I meant to get to on Sunday. By Monday, they were a touch squishy, and by Tuesday they were cake. It happens.

The basic recipe is straight out of the 1940s. My mom made a version of it throughout the summer that we called “Rotten Fruit Cake.” In my version, modernity comes from creme fraiche for the dairy and a generous sprinkling of turbinado sugar over the top before baking to get a crunchy sparkly crust. I serve it with mascarpone whipped cream and another pinch of the turbinado. It improves on sitting, second day slices are best.

I never get tired of this cake! Try it. You might think differently about aging!

Slightly Past Prime Cake

Oven at 350. Butter bottom and sides of a 10-inch cake pan with a removable bottom.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound berries or stone fruit, about 1/4 of the fruit reserved in a separate bowl:
- Weigh stone fruit only, not pits, sliced into about 1/4-inch slices
- Strawberries, hulled and halved
- Blueberries and small raspberries or blackberries can be used whole; extra large berries should be halved
2-3 Tbs turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. (I just toss this a few times with a balloon whisk.)

Sprinkle a little sugar over the reserved fruit and set aside.

Mix butter and sugar in an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce speed and mix in the egg, crème fraiche, and vanilla.

On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Using an old fashioned potato masher, pastry cutter or two forks, mash the reserved fruit. (Pour off some of the juice if the mixture is very wet. You can use it in cocktails before dinner.)

Add the mashed fruit to the batter and mix on low until combined. Be careful not to over-mix, you want some small pieces of fruit.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Arrange the strawberry halves decoratively over the top, pressing them down slighty with the offset spatula. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake in the 350 oven for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 and bake for about an hour, testing in the last 10 minutes with a toothpick – it should come out clean.

Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.

Push cake up from the bottom of the pan and slide onto rack. Place a cookie sheet, bottom side down on top of the cake. Gently grasp the sides of the rack and the cookie sheet, and flip the cake onto the cookie sheet. Remove the rack and, using a small offset spatula, gently pry off the pan bottom. Replace the rack and gently flip the cake back onto the rack to cool completely.

Good the first day, better the second, having sat at room temp loosely covered with plastic wrap. Serve with mascarpone whipped cream and a pinch of turbinado sugar. (After day two, either refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.)

Magical Tweed Torte

Posted on 04/10/2015 by Caroline Siemers

When I tell people about my mother, the word I most often use is “magic.” She proved it again and again during walks in our favorite nature sanctuary. We’d sit very still on rocks, barely breathing, and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, deer appeared. It felt like Mom apparated them just for me. (Perhaps it was her Finnish heritage, but my mother made all of nature an enchanted forest.)

She revealed a most potent magic one afternoon when I was about three or four. I wanted cookies. “We can make them,” she said. Wha-a-t? What was this “making” of cookies? She parked me in a kitchen chair, pulled ingredients from shelves, and made a quick batch of drop sugar cookies. I was amazed. It was magic how an assortment of ingredients could come together and become something else, something delectable. That moment lit the spark for baking that still burns. I feel the same amazement today when a pile of stuff becomes a cake, or bread, or pie.

I’ll admit, though, that some transformations amaze me more than others. Few more so than egg whites beaten with sugar until stiff, additional elements folded in and baked until it becomes a CAKE. How is that possible?

A favorite version of this manifesting comes from another wonderful Alice Medrich* book, Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts (Quicker Smarter Recipes by Alice Medrich). The recipe, Chocolate Walnut Tweed Torte, is simplicity defined but complexity experienced. (The fact that it’s gluten free is a happy bonus.) It’s dense, sort of chewy, chocolaty, but exceptionally light – exquisite. I’m not a walnut fan so I make it with almonds.

Chocolate Almond “Tweed” Torte Adapted from a recipe by Alice Medrich

1 cup almonds (3.5 ounces) – I’ve used slivered, sliced and whole almonds and always measure by weight
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
9 ounces 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate (I use Valhrona)
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 large egg whites (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Put oven rack in the center. Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan.
Pulse the almonds with 1 Tbs of sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Wipe out the processor bowl with a paper towel to remove any lingering oils.
Pulse the chocolate with one tablespoon of sugar until crumbled into small pebbles (no larger than ¼-inch).
Combine the chocolate and almonds with the salt and side aside.
Fit your electric mixer with the whip attachment and beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating at medium speed while slowly adding the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, but not dry.
Fold half of the nut and chocolate mixture into the egg whites with a large rubber spatula until nearly incorporated. Then add the remaining nuts and chocolate, and continue folding until evenly incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the torte is puffed and brown. A toothpick will come out clean except for some melted chocolate.
Cool the torte on a rack. Run a knife around the edge before removing the spring-form.
Transfer to serving platter and serve with coffee whipped cream (I just add a touch of coffee extract to lightly sweetened whipped cream).

It’s just terrific and comes together in about an hour. It doesn’t really need the whipped cream. The torte keeps covered for about two days, but I freeze remaining slices after serving. To me, it’s just as delicious ice cold, but frozen slices can sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

My mom would love it.

*I first “met” Alice through her 1990 book, Cocolat (now out of print, but available through Amazon resellers), named for her chocolate truffle and baked goods empire. Cocolat is a beautiful book. The recipes are complex but extraordinary, and there are copious tips and notes throughout. I didn’t start small with this book. My first outing was a dessert called Pate Trompe: A deep, dense chocolate mousse chilled in a loaf pan containing about ¼-inch of coffee gelee. Plated, surrounded by mounds of diced gelee, the effect is of a traditional liver pate. It’s a show stopper. I have made many cakes from Cocolat in the ensuing years, but none as often as the Aztec Layer Cake, tantalizing layers of pecan meringue, chocolate genoise, and chocolate buttercream, scented with coffee and cinnamon. It’s divine. Alice is definitely a soul sister.

Viva la Joan’s on Third:Studio City

Posted on 04/07/2015 by Caroline Siemers

A friend recently mentioned that I seem to be doing a lot more baking than braking on this blog. Tis all to FullSizeRender o true – I have been dealing with a recurring health issue for lo these past three months. (Dear reader, let me just say that if your eye doctor offers you the optional retinal exam for an extra fee, get it.) So I haven’t been getting out much. But I recently had the opportunity to visit the Studio City outpost of Joan’s on Third.

Angeleno’s, you no doubt know Joan’s 3^rd Street location, for a long time, its only location. Parking was miserable but everything on offer was so delicious and the space so delightful, it was worth circling the block 10 or 15 times. For those who don’t know, Joan’s on Third is sort of an upscale deli plus gourmet market. I first discovered it about, gosh, 17 years ago? I was looking for Israeli couscous for a special dinner date. My relationship with Joan’s has far outlasted that with said date!

Joan’s had me at black-and-white tiled floor. That first trip I found the couscous plus a ham-and-brie on baguette that is still my favorite. Over the years I’d visit every so often, for that sandwich or to order boxed picnics for the Hollywood Bowl, that sort of thing. And then I moved away.

And then I moved back. And was very happy to learn that Joan’s had opened a new location, larger than the original and less than a mile from my house. It was on! Just as soon as I could get there.

Joan’s on Third, Studio City, is in a lovely spot on Ventura Place, high ceilinged and airy. There’s the same divine black-and-white tiled floor. A well curated selection of cookbooks and various gourmet items line one wall. I found myself looking at artisanal chocolates with interest and a sudden longing to be back in Bruges where I bought chocolate from just about every shop I came across. I don’t do that at home. But I may start.

I purchased my standard order: Apricot Glazed Ham and Brie on baguette, and a Dream Bar (more on that later). I also ordered my version of a “tasting”: A chocolate cupcake with about three inches of chocolate covered marshmallow on top, a slice of chocolate roulade, and a slice of Crown Cake.

First, the Dream Bar, which didn’t last long enough to photograph. It’s sort of a brownie base with toasted marshmallowy stuff browned on top. There may be more in it, but I don’t really care. It’s marvelous and always has been.

Chocolate Roulade: What I love most about this is that Chocolate Roulade is something we all often want but can’t often find – it’s a regular item at Joan’s. While there’s nothing new in the preparation, it’s very good, tender and not too sweet. The cocoa showered over the outside does make it a touch messy. (At home, I tapped most of it off into the sink.)

Crown Cake: My sister-in-law is a fantastic baker. She’s renowned in the family for her Strawberry Shortcake which is a soft-as-velvet white layer cake with crushed strawberries and cream between the layers, and a whipped cream frosting. I don’t care for the traditional biscuit version, but I could eat my SIL’s all day long. Joan’s Crown Cake is redolent of home: Light white cake with a delicate whipped cream filling and frosting. Very subtle strawberry infusion. I really loved this. It lets you have party cake “just because.” It, too, is a staple menu item.

Marshmallow Cupcake: Joan’s is well known for its cupcakes, which are exceptional: Not too big, just the right amount of frosting, and not overly sweet. Except for this marshmallow topped version. New Yorkers, picture a Carvel chocolate bonnet on top of a chocolate cupcake. That’s the aesthetic. I cut it down the middle – that’s alotta marshmallow! There was no practical way to have cake and topping together so I tasted them separately. The marshmallow was just too much. The cupcake, though, was as good as ever. Moist, chocolaty and delish. In this instance, more is not more. Order any other version of a Joan’s cupcake. You’ll be so happy.

Overall, I’m delighted Joan’s on Third has moved into the neighborhood. As with the original location, it’s popular and super crowded. Take advantage of the takeaway aspect and enjoy a French-style picnic anywhere.

Joan’s on Third, 12059 Ventura Place, Studio City, CA 91604; www.joansonthird.com

Who’s in the kitchen with Gwyneth? Mac! And Cheese!!

Posted on 04/04/2015 by Caroline Siemers

Gwyneth Paltrow has become a polarizing figure in many ways. I don’t really have a dog in any of those races. Where Gwyneth and I cross paths is in the kitchen. Her cookbook, My Father’s Daughter, Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness, is one of my favorites. (In fact, when I recently downsized my living space, hers is one of the few cookbooks I brought with me (out of a rather large personal library).)

This book satisfies on so many levels. It’s the perfect combination of name dropping, anecdotes, and recipes that work and are easy to accomplish. (One of my guilty pleasures is celebrity gossip. Safari can autofill people.com, let’s just leave it at that.)

And so, here (call it healing #2), ironically, is a recipe for macaroni and cheese. Specifically GP’s Mac and cheese. A word before we dive in: I enjoy Mac and cheese well enough. But all that orange cheese or wettish sauce has made our relationship hit or miss, and generally I feel if I’m investing in a thousand calories, I’d rather have something else. Capisce?

So when reading My Father’s Daughter, I noticed that GP’s recipe calls for mascarpone and Parmesan – nothing orange (Wisconsin or otherwise). Intrigued, I gave it a whirl. And, dear reader, we’ve been dancing ever since.

The recipe as written is good, but I found the flavor a touch…delicate. (GP includes several options for jazzing it up.) So I typically make the following tweaks:

Rice pasta instead of traditional elbows
Cream instead of milk
Crushed rice cereal instead of bread crumbs for the topping
Add caramelized shallots
For fun, add browned, diced bacon (because with the cheese and cream, more is more, right?)

Note: I’m not 100% gluten-free, but I avoid it when I can. In this dish, trust me, when it’s all done, you cannot tell that you’re not eating standard pasta and breadcrumbs. It’s delicious.

So here you go – take Gwyneth’s Mac and cheese out for a turn. You don’t always have to dance with the one what brung ya’. It’s a recipe you’ll come back to. Enjoy!

Macaroni and cheese Adapted from a recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow

Oven: 350

Rub a baking dish bottom and sides with butter (to get a nice crust all around)

1 lb. rice pasta (I use Trader Joe’s brown rice and quinoa), boiled a few minutes shy of al dente

1 c. packed shredded Parmesan

8 oz mascarpone

1/2 c. cream

Pinch of nutmeg (genius on GP’s part!)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1-2 medium shallots, diced and caramelized in butter

1/3 c. browned diced bacon (optional)

Topping:

1/2 c. shredded parmesan

1/3 c. crushed plain rice cereal

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Combine the mascarpone, 1 cup of parmesan, nutmeg and cream in saucepan and melt together over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the sauce into cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add caramelized shallots and bacon (if using), and stir to combine. Pour into baking dish.

Combine ½ cup Parmesan with rice cereal and sprinkle over top. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy with a mustardy frisee salad.

Sincerely the best quiche ever

Posted on 03/22/2015 by Caroline Siemers

A few years ago my team at work held a bake-off. I pretty much had it in the bag between a bread pudding (that I have yet to write about) and Sherry Yard’s Triple Silken Pumpkin Torte. And then in walked…this other person, carrying her entry, a large pan of macaroni and cheese. She won. I came in second and third. And I have never gotten over it. Mac and cheese is baked, yes, but the spirit of a bake-off is sweets. I mean (as I have said countless times), you wouldn’t bring a baked chicken would you? Would you? Harrumph. Pffft. I’m still peeved. But as it’s going on 5 years ago now, let’s consider this post a healing. Because here I am, presenting to you on my very own baking blog, a recipe for quiche.

I’ve been serving this Ham and Potato Quiche for nearly 10 years. From the first time I made it (using a recipe that Russ Parsons wrote about in the LA Times), it has been my go-to quiche. Before then, I used to make up my own combinations and was rather known for my wild mushroom and smoked gouda tart. But then this happened.

The article focuses on Thomas Keller and the precise, military-cornered recipe he serves at Bouchon. I love Chef TK and Bouchon, but…ham, potatoes, cheese…. The recipe is attributed to Josie La Balch, chef/proprietor of Santa Monica’s Josie and Next Door by Josie (both faves). You can find the complete recipe by following the above link to the article. Below is my ever so slightly tweaked version (no crust and diced ham) – it’s easy, but as ever, make sure your ingredients are impeccable and be prepared to make no other quiche again. Ever.

Ham and Potato Quiche (Adapted from a recipe by Josie La Balch)

9-inch or other quiche pan, bottom and sides rubbed lightly with butter

1/2 c. diced raw potato

1 Tbs. butter

1/2 c. finely diced onion

1/2 c. creme fraiche

Generous 2/3 c. diced Fontina cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1 c. diced Black Forest ham, plus 1-2 whole slices reserved

3 eggs

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Boil potatoes for 4-5 minutes, until cooked but still firm. Drain and reserve.

Saute onion in butter until soft, 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add creme fraiche, potato, diced Fontina, Parmesan, and diced ham, being careful not to break up the potato cubes. Set aside to cool for 10 mins.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream, and gently stir into the potato-cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper.

Pour filling into quiche pan, laying reserved ham slices over top (I try to go for decorative here).

Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes. Filling should be set.

A note about no crust: I was having a gluten-free friend for lunch one day (with fava beans and a nice chianti, ha ha ha) and, once tasted, realized I’d never miss the crust again.

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