Every year, I tell myself I should challenge myself and enter some recipe contests. There is nothing I enjoy more than spending a day, or more a week testing recipes in my kitchen. I see so many of my fellow food bloggers entering all kinds of cooking challenges, and it looks like so much fun! But I always find an excuse not to do it, usually it relates to not having time to test recipes in the kitchen. Last year, my friend Aggie, from Aggie’s Kitchen was part of the Every Day Chef Challenge created by Pacific Natural Foods. So this past weekend, I spent all day Sunday creating two recipes for the Every Day Chef Challenge!

The nice thing about Pacific, is that they have all natural, preservative free, some organic and some free range meat broths in their offerings. So it is a good brand for people who are moving over to healthier ways of eating, but still like the convenience of store bought stocks, broths and milk alternatives.

I entered two recipes, this dessert is based on the Coconut Milk Panna Cotta Parfaits I made a few weeks ago. They were such a hit at our dinner party, and I had so much fun making them, I wanted to try some other flavor combinations. Plus, everyone loves a dessert made from pumpkin over the holidays and I wanted to create a pumpkin pie alternative for people who might be facing a family or group dinner where guests might have food allergies. This dessert is delicious, dairy, gluten, soy and refined sugar free. If you skip the graham cracker layer, you can also make it grain free. But this is perfectly delicious for those not suffering from allergies as well! My husband loved them, and he doesn’t even like pumpkin!

Here is a link to the recipe! I feel really weird about self-promotion…but here I go. If you like it, please vote for it on The Every Day Chef  Challenge website! You don’t have to register to vote or anything, just check out the recipe, and vote!  AND, you can vote for it every day, up until November 14th.  I would very much like to win a kitchen aid mixer. Something that I have been dreaming about adding to my appliances for years. If you really love the recipe, please feel free to share the link on your social media outlets. Thanks so much for supporting this blog!

I really wish I had a Norwegian recipe to post today. I have been really saddened by the tragic events in Oslo on Friday. As many of my readers know, I spent a year in Norway as an exchange student, in between high school and college, and I have very fond and vivid memories of my life there. The people, culture and independent spirit of Norway all have a very special place in my heart. I formed many long lasting friendships that year and still have many good friends and loved ones that live there, and a lot of them currently reside in Oslo. So  Friday and Saturday were scary days waiting to hear from everyone.

Photo Courtesy

JEG ELSKER NORGE!

I have been comforted these past few days by these words by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg:

“You will not destroy us. You will not destroy our democracy, or our commitment to a better world. We are a small country nation, but a proud nation. No one shall bomb us to silence, no one shall shoot us to silence, no one shall scare us out of being Norway. We must never stop standing up for our values. We must show that the Norwegian society can stand up to these testing times. We must show humanity, but not naivety.”

I keep reading this over and over and praying for the truth in those words. As an American, experiencing 9/11 and seeing the aftermath of such events and in many ways the loss of our many freedoms and our independent spirit, I can only hope that the Norwegians will keep that alive.

Although I know this does nothing, other than feebly lend support and love to my Norwegian friends and Norwegians all over the world, you can check out some of my Norwegian and Scandinavian inspired recipes from the past. Comfort food really is a comfort and can aid in feeding our spirit during trying times.

I spent all of Friday sweating over steamy vats of curds and whey and fluffing cheese curds at The Cellars at Jasper Hill – that is something for another post though…so when I got home that night, I hadn’t heard anything about what was going on in Norway. One of my best friends lives in Oslo, and so Roberto really was worried about telling me what had happened, but luckily she had posted on my facebook wall that everything was OK, and like a lot of other Norwegians, she and her husband were out of the country on holiday.

So in lieu of posting a Norwegian recipe, I am going to post about making homemade Nutella, because the first time I ever tasted Nutella it was in Norway. The first time I had it, I thought it was a Norwegian invention, and I was hooked! When I returned to the US, after my year in Norway, I was lucky to be able to find it in the grocery stores here, and so it has always been a staple in my house. Then I married an Italian (Italy is the actual birthplace of Nutella) and we just always had a jar in the pantry…until we noticed the ingredient profile had changed and it now included soy lecithin and vanillin – artificial vanilla …so we stopped buying it. We have found and tried several organic and more healthy versions, but they never really tasted that good, and were expensive.

In comes The Spunky Coconut blog. I am an avid fan of both the blog and the cookbook – The Spunky Coconut has really changed my life in a lot of ways, her baked goods are all gluten and grain free and don’t contain weird fillers and gums, like a lot of gluten-free baked goods do. I have tried several of her recipes, and they have all been fantastic – perfect taste and texture every time – and they don’t require any tweaking, which makes my life so easy!

So when she posted a recipe for homemade Nutella on her blog, I felt like our prayers had been answered – especially for Roberto.

The only thing I changed about the recipe was by adding a bit of maple syrup at the end to taste. Roberto, the official taste tester felt that it wasn’t sweet enough. I probably ended up adding a little shy of ¼ cup of it after all was said and done. The recipe makes 3-4 small mason jars full, and she says in the comments that she actually froze one jar of it – but I am not sure if it turned out OK.

Roberto’s tasting notes: Regular Nutella is now way too sweet for us (we have cut down on a lot of sugar and don’t use any refined sugar products), and it has more of a bitter dark chocolate taste than regular Nutella, however because it is less sweet, he says it is more versatile. He has been enjoying it spread on The Spunky Coconut’s Boulder Banana Bread (minus the walnuts, I usually add about 2 TBS of almond butter).

As I mentioned in a recent post, in order to give responsible and sustainable gifts this year, I am making gifts to send to family this year. Cookies immediately came to mind, and since I know from my Italian upbringing that biscotti keep well, and are easy to ship, I went with those. Biscotti are so versatile, as they can be flavored in a variety of ways. Plus, who doesn’t love a nice crunchy biscotto dipped in hot coffee, tea or cocoa?

When making gifts for others, I always use the best ingredients, including organic flours and sugars, fair trade chocolate, organic nuts and farm fresh butter and eggs. Although I do not eat cane sugar or wheat flours, it doesn’t mean the recipients of my gifts don’t. So I found a good balance in creating these biscotti – using the best ingredients that I could, but creating cookies that my recipients would love without question. After all, these cookies are gifts to them.

If you don’t have any food allergies, you can easily use this recipe as a base and use whatever you have on hand to accent them with. I have listed some of my favorite combinations below. I also imagine these recipes would lend themselves well to gluten free flours, like oat or coconut flour and maple sugar would also be a fine substitute. I will soon share with you gluten free Venetian style biscotti, made with polenta, my personal favorite.

This recipe I adapted from my favorite cookbook for a sweet tooth – Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina De Palma, of Babbo fame. This book is fantastic, covering everything from cookies to cakes, budini (custards) and fruit. Gina has such a wonderful way with Italian inspired ingredients and this book has many wonderful surprises and flavor combinations to tempt your palate. I recommend getting yourself a copy or put it on your wish list this year! I hear Santa is very obliging when it comes to cookies and sweets. He is an expert and I know for a fact that he likes biscotti dunked in his milk.

Anyway, these biscotti are simple to make, and make a lot – about 4 dozen a batch. So whip up a few batches for some of your favorite people this holiday season!

I have a few more cookie recipes to share with you this year like Limoncello-Lavender La Befana Stars, gluten free Venetian Biscotti and gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free fruit and nut drops with rum!

For more Holiday cookie ideas, from years past check out these posts:

Cuccidata, Sicilian Fig Cookies

Pizzelle, Italian Waffle Cookies

Yule Log Cookies

No Bake Apricot-Coconut Balls (gluten free, dairy free and egg free) + Egg Nog Cookies

Night Before Christmas Mice

Not Cookies, But Certainly Festive:

Yule Log Cake

Limoncello Cupcakes filled w/ Lemon Curd
******************************

Basic Biscotti

INGREDIENTS:

3 ½ cups organic all purpose or spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
4 large farm fresh eggs
2 large ff eggs, plus 1 ff egg white for glaze
½ cups pure granulated cane sugar, plus 1 ½ TBS for glaze
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional:

12 oz. (or about 1 ½ cup) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or coconut, or dried fruit
2 TBS pure, fair trade cocoa powder
4 cups nuts, coarsely chopped – pistachio, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, macadamia – mix and match

Some combinations I made were: Chocolate-Pistachio-Hazelnut, Maple-Walnut-Cranberry, Coconut-Macadamia

METHOD:

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt – set aside.

Using an electric mixer beat together eggs, egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until pale and thick – about 2 mins. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients (about ½ cup at a time). Then fold in the optional ingredients, until dough is thoroughly mixed.

Preheat oven to 325 F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using floured hands divide the dough into 5 equal portions. On a floured surface shape each portion of dough into a log about 1 ½ inches in diameter and about 10 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet a few inches apart.

In a small bowl beat egg white until frothy. With a pastry brush, brush each log with egg white and sprinkle with cane sugar, maple sugar, coconut, crushed nuts, etc.

Bake the logs until lightly golden and firm to the touch – about 20 – 25 minutes. Rotate the sheets 180 degrees halfway through baking, to ensure even baking. Allow logs to cool on baking sheets on a wire rack until they are cool to the touch – about 45 minutes.

With a sharp, serrated knife, slice the biscotti slightly on a bias into ¼ inch wide slices. Lay the slices on the baking sheets in a single layer. Return to the oven and bake about 20 minutes more. Gina suggests reducing the heat to 200 F for this second toasting, but I found it took much longer than 20 minutes at 200 for the biscotti to firm up and become crispy and dry.

Cool biscotti completely. Can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.

Makes about 4 dozen biscotti.

If you would like to join a fun cookie exchange this holiday season, please check out Cynthia over at Cupcake Provocateur!

We have had some really scorching days lately! The past several of them have been in the 90′s! I thought I left Florida to get away from the heat, but it looks like it must have followed my mom up here. She arrived on the coolest day we’d had in weeks, lending credence to her idea that we live in The Great White North, but in less than 48 hours, it became an absolute inferno. She loves the heat, so she’s not complaining, but the rest of us are lethargic, even the pets!

So naturally this kind of weather calls for ice cream! But really, we love ice cream and have it quite often no matter what the weather. When I was in Italy, I fell in love with what I called my perfect combination of gelato – one scoop of Frutti di Bosco and one of Nocciola – “Fruits of the Forest” or mixed berries and hazelnut. Such a dreamy combination. Light yet rich at the same time. So I decided to make my own perfect flavor at home, using kefir, a fermented, probiotic dairy drink as the base. We make kefir here at the homestead fresh every day and I love finding new uses for it, beyond a glass straight up for breakfast! So I can now confirm it makes a really delicious ice cream! Next time I will probably add an egg or two to the mix, for a more creamy consistency. But there was nothing lacking in the taste department here! So if you are as hot as we are, or just looking for a different kind of ice cream flavor to cool off on a hot summer day, give this one a try! I promise you will love it!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of plain whole organic dairy kefir
1/3 cup of fresh organic heavy cream
¼ cup Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
½ cup of raw hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup frozen or fresh organic raspberries
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD:

I have a Vitamix, so I placed all the ingredients, in order listed into the Vitamix and blended just until the nuts were pulverized. I was looking for a creamy consistency. Then I placed all of it, in my ice cream maker and made it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You can serve it before placing in the freezer for a more “soft serve” texture, or freeze for a harder consistency. I have also found that adding a ¼ cup of alcohol also lends to better scoopability.

How good does that sound? Unfortunately I did not serve these items together, but I wish I had! They would have been perfect together. I have been meaning to post the cake recipe for over a month now. I made it for my cousin Michelle’s birthday. She is a well known chocoholic, and so I knew I wanted to make a super chocolate birthday cake for her to celebrate! Sweets for the sweet!

The recipe was based on one from Peanut Butter and Julie’s Blog (thanks Julie!).

The recipe calls for melting chocolate in hot strong coffee! What a revelation! This was a perfect way to really up the ante and flavor profile of the cake. I used nothing below 75% cacao chocolate and I substituted extra virgin coconut oil and blood orange salt to add to the underlying flavor as well . I made a 9-inch round cake and layered the cake with leftover cream cheese icing that I had frozen when I made too much for the wedding cake and then topped it with crushed hazelnuts. It was totally a success! I am not much of a chocolate lover, but I really loved this cake. I reduced the amount of sugar from 3 CUPS to 3/4′s of a cup – resulting in a deep chocolate flavor without an overly sweet taste.

As for the ice cream, I mentioned in my last post that I have switched over almost exclusively to goats milk. My friend Judy at No Fear Entertaining told me a long time ago that she had made an awesome chocolate pudding using goats milk, so it inspired me to try goats milk in my desserts. Normally when making ice cream, I don’t put eggs in the base as a shortcut and time saver. But this time I decided I really wanted a creamy custard, so I used both goats milk and cream, as well as eggs. I added a bit of crushed cardamom pods while the vanilla bean was steeping in the milk/cream. It added a really rice flavor and I think enhanced the vanilla flavor of the ice cream. The consistency was good, but it was very rich. I think next time, I will skip the cream and just go with the eggs and goats milk.

Recipes below the cut…

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Makes one 9-10 inch layer cake

INGREDIENTS:

pat of butter for greasing pan

1 1/2 cups hot strong coffee (I made espresso)

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (nothing below 75% cacao)

3 large organic eggs

3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

3/4 cup pure cane sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups Dutch processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (I used blood orange infused)

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. Grease cake pans with butter.

Mix the hot coffee with the chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the eggs until they are slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the coconut oil, and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until well combined. Slowly add the buttermilk, coffee mixture, and vanilla, and mix until blended.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three additions on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 55-65 minutes. Cool for 15 in the pans, and then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost the layers as desired, decorate, and serve!

Goats Milk Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/3 cups whole goats milk

2 1/3 cup organic heavy cream

1 whole vanilla bean

1 cardamom pod crushed

3 large organic eggs

½ cup pure cane sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

METHOD:

Combine milk and cream into a medium saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use the blunt egde to scrape out the seeds. Crush the cardomom pod. Stir vanilla seeds and pod, and the crushed cardamom into the milk/cream mixture. Bring mixture to a slow boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about a half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Combine eggs and sugar into a medium bowl. Use hand mixer and beat until the mixture is thick, smooth and pale yellow, about 2 minutes.

Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk/cream mixture and discard. Measure 1 cup of the hot liquid. With hand mixer on low speed slowly pour the milk/cream into the eggs/sugar. When combined, pour mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk/cream and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and covers the back of a spoon.

Transfer to a large glass bowl. Stir in vanilla extract, cover and chill completely.

Pour chilled custard into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions!

I have really so enjoyed my ice cream maker since we got it back in March as an early wedding present from my mom. Ice cream is a big passion of mine, it is something we eat almost everyday, in small amounts (sometimes!) and I find that it has been a really fun and creative outlet for me! But…we have been making so much ice cream since we got the maker, that I literally have a backlog of recipes to share with you all. So consider the next few days, the ice cream chronicles, as I share with your our creations!

I am always looking out for new and great recipes for ice cream, gelato (although you can’t really make true gelato without the proper equipment), sorbetto and slushies. I hoard little bits of this and that away in the freezer for future ice cream endeavors, especially from Daring Bakers Challenges.

This is the inspiration for today’s two recipes!

For the Pistachio-Cherry, I broke down and went with an egg base, something I have been avoiding. However, I had 6 leftover egg yolks in the freezer from a Daring Bakers challenge that needed using. So I decided to finally do an egg based ice cream to remember what the difference in texture is. Texture has been the most difficult thing for me to perfect in past attempts. I was really frustrated to see that there really is a difference. This ice cream was so creamy, its nuts! And this ice cream TRULY was nuts because we went a little nuts with the pistachios! But I was really struggling with the consistency issue and not using eggs. I was determined to find something that will work besides eggs, and I believe I found my answer …in BOOZE (see more on this farther down)…

Roberto loves Pistachio gelato, or ice cream. It is his absolute favorite. Second runner up, Amarena, otherwise known as black cherry. So we decided that this ice cream should incorporate these two flavors making the Ultimate Roberto Ice Cream. Unfortunately, we did overdo it with the pistachios, which means that flavor really overwhelmed the sweet cherry flavor. But it was still good, just not very cherry.

I had a lot of fun getting the cherries ready for this endeavor. I really enjoy cutting into rich red fruits, like pomegranates and cherries and watching their juices stain everything from the cutting board to my fingers. I can’t explain it, but it makes it fun. I guess it is the kid in me.

The second “leftover ice cream” was made from the cake remnants from the last DB challenge – the Hazelnut Gateau which was kind of a disaster for me. So I had a LOT of remnants. I had it stuffed in the freezer and had pretty much forgotten about it until I asked Roberto what kind of ice cream he wanted next. We had recently gotten a bottle of Bailey’s to experiment with making cocktails and so we decided to make a Bailey’s ice cream. That night, I DREAMT about adding the gateau pieces to it (this is how obsessed I am about ice cream!) and I am telling you guys, it is worth making the gateau, to put in this ice cream! I feel so validated now! Ben and Jerry’s really needs to buy this recipe from me to mass produce! LOL! The Bailey’s, since it is alcohol, doesn’t freeze so it made this ice cream so soft and scoopable and creamy!

Click through to see how we made them.

Very Pistachio Cherry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups ripe black cherries
2 TBS agave
1 TBS brown sugar
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp each: vanilla extract and almond extract
6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup raw, unsalted pistachios – toasted

METHOD:

In a large saucepan combine cherries, agave, brown sugar and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes so the cherries release their juices. At the same time, toast the pistachios in the oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until aromatic. Remove the pistachios and set aside in a clean bowl.

Remove half of the cherries from the saucepan and set aside. To the cherries in the saucepan add milk, and extracts and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg yolks, 1 whole egg and 1/2 cup raw cane sugar. Whip for about 5 minutes or until pale yellow, smooth and thick like a runny mayo. With the mixer still on low, add two cups of the hot milk mixture, slowly a cup at a time and blend until incorporated. Then pour this into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture. Cook over medium-low until it coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a food processor, grind the reserved 1/2 of the cherries and 1/2 of the pistachios with a spoonful of the custard. Then add this puree to the saucepan. Allow the custard to cool and then chill for 30 minutes. Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions. Before putting the bowl in the freezer, fold in the rest of the pistachios.

Baileys Hazelnut-Gateau Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups whole milk
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
2 TBS maple sugar
1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of Tahitian vanilla extract
leftover cake

METHOD:

In a mixing bowl combine the milk, sugars, Bailey’s and vanilla and mix together until sugar is dissolved. Add the cake and mix until the cake has been incorporated into the ice cream, as much as you would like.

Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions.

Let me just start this off by saying that I love the word Gateau, and the more times I can use the word Gateau in a post, the happier I feel. Why? Because I just love the sound of the word rolling off my tongue. There is a sophistication to the word, something refined, that “cake” just doesn’t quite measure up. I mean just look at it. A Gateau is something posh people eat, at an upscale bakery, after a nice dinner out that a super talented pastry genius prepared. Gateau gets washed down with a nice strong cup of quality coffee or espresso if you will, and it is meant to be savored. Cake is something that comes out of a cardboard box or even worse a plastic container already baked and smothered in plastic icing. Unfortunately my particular monstrosity, or Franken-cake really has no place being called a gateau, now does it?

That first photo? The only salvageable piece of gateau-ness I could muster. The rest, mushy disaster.

This DB challenge started off with issues. There is the whole Filbert vs. Hazelnut deal. Lemme give it to you straight, they are not the same nut. First of all, Filbert sounds like the the guy in that comic about the world of cubicles- Dilbert. Ever since they started with this Filbert thing, I have been against it. Its like the checkers at the grocery store who look at my cilantro and ring it up as parsley. Or call a honeydew, cantaloupe. I was lulled into the lies too- thinking Filberts and Hazelnuts were the same. Unfortunately my mouth and tongue did not agree, when I bought a very expensive Filbert cake at Whole Foods years ago for my birthday (back when I didn’t bake) and my mouth itched the whole night immediately after taking one bite. Something that never happens when I eat something with “hazelnuts” in the ingredients. So what gives? I have had this discussion many times with different people and my conclusion is that Filbert is American and Hazelnut is European and that there must be a genetic variation somewhere!

That wasn’t the last time I was lulled into a false sense of security regarding these nuts as we will soon see….I was really excited about this gateau challenge because I just love anything with hazelnuts. I am a real sucker for them – I love them in chocolate, just plain as a nut, and my favorite way in gelato. I also love apricot so things were looking up. The only way I significantly changed the recipe was instead of using hazelnuts for the praline paste, I used pistachios. Roberto’s favorite nut – so it was a marriage between the favorite nuts in the family (pun totally intended!). I also had to add some white chocolate to the ganache, because I didn’t have enough regular. I was feeling pretty smug, not only was the cake coming along but, I also had a little leftover apricot preserves after making the glaze, so I made a simple syrup with that as a base for a fabulous cocktail -

Apricot – Hazelnut Gateau in a Glass (you’ll have to read through the rest of this, to get to that)

I was feeling pretty good about things. All until last night when it came time to put the gateau together.

So, first problem arises when I was skimming through the directions and saw in the assembly section second paragraph:

” Spread the bottom layer with a 1/4 inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with 1/2 of the whipped cream”….

UM, whipped cream? Where did that come from? So I look through all sections, all ingredients, and the only heavy whipping cream I see is 6 oz. for the ganache…well, I don’t have extra heavy whipping cream lying about, so it was back to the store for me…oh joy. (later I realize my mistake! – oh and SUPER THANKS TO CHRIS FOR HELPING ME HERE!!!)

Next problem occurred after dividing the cake into 3 layers…my cake was a bit too thin for that, so it began to break apart, especially after adding the sugar syrup, which made it mushy. I had chunks falling away like bits of an iceberg breaking off. So I decided, hey, why don’t I make cute mini cakes…using my super cute cookie cutter?…that will fix everything!(ah, the innocence…) Well that second photo…that is what happened when I tried to cut the cake into cute little shapes. Luckily Roberto heard all the expletives flying from my mouth in the kitchen, so he came with his artistic eye and cut the nice “model” for the first photo into shape. The rest as they say, is history…

So was the cake worth all the pain and suffering? Roberto seemed to think so, although the only pain and suffering he experienced was licking the chocolate off the spatula and chomping on the deformed gateau lying about. So I am not sure I can count his vote. For me, it was just okay. I liked the idea of it better than it actually turned out. But I am happy because there are lots of cake scraps left and I can use them to make ice cream, like I did with the opera cake scraps! Yum…ice cream….

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream (Jenn calls it a Hazelnut Gateau with Pistachio Praline Buttercream)
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert (Hazelnut) Genoise
1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum
1 recipe Praline Buttercream
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (ah, yes, here it IS) LOL!
1 recipe Apricot Glaze
1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
3 tablespoons filberts (hazelnuts), toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert (Hazelnut) Genoise

Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.

1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (notice here it is being called hazelnut and not filbert???…not interchangeable people!!!), toasted/skinned
2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. grated lemon rind
5 lg. egg whites
¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 -110 degrees)

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 X 2 inch round cake pan.

Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds.  Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture.You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar.  It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step.When finished, the mixture should be ribbony.  Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so.  Continue to beat for another ½ minute.
Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hands working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter.Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon.  **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter!  It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan.  Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan.Cool the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup

Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake  split into 3 layers (I made a little extra for the ganache – because the ganache recipe calls for corn syrup and that stuff is something I never buy)

1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur (I used the rum)

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake.*Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup praline paste
1  – 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)

Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream

4 lg. egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice (I used Godiva Liquer)
1 tsp. vanilla

Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved.  The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.
Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue- about 5-7 minutes. *Do not over-beat*. Set aside

Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not over-beat or the butter will become too soft.*

On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute.  Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.

Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

Wait! My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not over-beat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.

Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl-“ making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste

1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts (again with the hazelnuts…so I used Pistachios), toasted/skinless
2/3 cup sugar
Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.

Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet.  Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals.  If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides.Cook until the mixture starts to bubble.  **Remember extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor.  Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place.  Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze
Good for one 10-inch cake

2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. water

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.

Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm.If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze

Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake

**Ganache can take on many forms. While warm- great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled- can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid- the base of candied chocolate truffles.

6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
6 oz. (¾ cup) heavy cream
1 tbsp. light corn syrup (corn syrup is evil so I made extra sugar syrup and used that instead)
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or dark Jamaican rum (optional) – I went for the rum again
¾ tsp. vanilla
½ – 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.

Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil.  Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate.  Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ – 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.

Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream.  Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake.Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.

Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake.  Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely.Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings.  Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center.  Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance.The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

To garnish the cake, fit a 12 “ 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream.Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting.  Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.

Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap.Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.

Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

***********************************

Now, if you have read all the way to this point, I will reward you with the ingredients for my special cocktail:

Apricot – Hazelnut Gateau in a Glass:

4 TBS Apricot simple syrup
1 shot vanilla vodka
1 shot frangelico
1/4 cup Tropicana Pure Mango, Papaya, Peach juice

shake together in a martini shaker and serve with a dried apricot garnish.

Apricot Simple Syrup:

1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup water – pour this into preserves jar and shake all around
1/3 cup apricot juice or nectar
1/4 cup sugar

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is melted. Set aside until cool.

Recently we had my family over for an open house. We have been in our new place for a while now and not everyone had been here to see it. So we decided to do a luncheon. I had two ideas going into this party – I wanted to make something rustic and old-school hearkening back to the times that Italians stopped what they were doing to enjoy a nice lunch spread together out in the fields, on a big slab of wood turned into a table. Also along this theme, I really wanted to make something using ingredients that we already had at home.

Too many times when preparing for a party, I decide on a menu and then go and buy all the ingredients. This time, I wanted to challenge myself more and use what was around. We had been to the Farmer’s market the day before and had gotten our staples: potatoes, tomatoes, squashes, onions and beautiful bread. We also had a bag of frozen mussels in the freezer. So I decided to make a regional dish from Puglia, called Tiella di Cozze or Mussel Casserole – it is said to have descended from Spanish Paella. Since we were having a crowd, I also added some shrimp to the dish, which was topped off with a delicious bread crumb and parmesan topping! It was wonderful.

We served it with a nice green salad,Garlic-Rosemary Foccacia from Maria, the bread lady at the Farmer’s Market and finished with a

Yogurt Carrot Cake with Toasted Hazelnuts . Keep reading for the recipes.

Tiella di Cozze

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs mussels
1 lb shrimp
½ cup wine
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 lb potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large yellow squash, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
salt & pepper to taste
4 ounces grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup bread crumbs
½ TBS dried oregano
½ TBS dried tarragon
reserved liquid from shellfish

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Scrub and rinse the mussels well. Pull away beards and discard them. Throw away any mussels that have cracked shells or are open. Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Wash and pat dry. Put mussels and shrimp in a large sautee pan, add the wine and cover the pot. Steam them until mussel shells begin to open. Take the shellfish out of the pan – while doing this remove the top shell from the mussels and discard – leaving the mussel in the bottom half. Set these aside.

Spread olive oil in a casserole dish. Arrange a layer of onions over the olive oil. Add a layer of potatoes, squash, zucchini and tomatoes on top of each other. Then place the mussels in their shell as well as shrimp on top to make another layer. Salt & pepper to taste.

Combine cheese, bread crumbs and herbs together in a small bowl. Spread some on top of the mussels. Keep layering vegetables, shellfish, and breadcrumb mixture until all is used up. You want your top later to be the breadcrumbs. Pour reserved liquid down the sides of the casserole. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Scoop with a spoon to serve. Serves about 8, generously.

Yogurt Carrot Cake

I used a store bought carrot cake mix and instead of using oil, I used plain yogurt. I made whipped cream using Tahitian vanilla extract for flavoring and used the whipped cream to ice the cake. I then sprinkled the whole thing with chopped, toasted hazelnuts.

The reason we are all gathered here today- at least in my corner of the universe, is because February 5th is
World Nutella Day 2008. This is the day that my buddies, American expats in Italy, Sara, Michelle and Shelley decided we should all sit back, relax and enjoy the Nutella.
This is a day to celebrate this delicious chocolate-hazelnut spread that puts smiles on faces young and old all across the world.

My first encounter with Nutella was when I lived in Norway, in 1994. Bread is a big thing in Norwegian cuisine. You eat it for breakfast and lunch with a wide variety of meats cheeses and spreads. My favorite was always Brunost (Brown Cheese) – I had it for breakfast and lunch, every single day. Of course, I was a foodie back then, too, I just didn’t know it yet, so I was addicted to going to the grocery stores there and seeing what kinds of products I could find that were unique to Norway. When I came across Nutella and realized you could eat it on toast for breakfast, I thought it was pure genius. I mean who doesn’t love the combination of Chocolate and Hazelnut? But for breakfast!? I thought this was a Norwegian invention and I was forever indebted, until I found out it was an Italian creation! Gotta love Italy. Anyway, I fell in love with the stuff. I discovered how good it went with waffles, another big treat in Norway. Well by that point I was hooked. When a Dutch friend of mine told me they eat chocolate sprinkles on their toast for breakfast, I began thinking we Americans are totally depraved.

Anyway, I digress. You are wondering about these wonderful pudding cakes I made. Well there is a story behind them too- I will try to be quick about it. Remember the Dolce Italiano Event back in November, where I, along with the geniuses behind World Nutella Day made recipes from Gina DePalma’s newest cookbook: Dolce Italiano: Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen? I made this and this.Well we were only allowed to make 2 desserts for that event (as if I was in any capacity with the impending holidays to make MORE than 2), but there was a third I was really wanting to try, her Chocolate and Date Pudding Cakes. I love dates and chocolate and pudding, so for me it was another match made in heaven. When I was thinking of a recipe to make for World Nutella Day, I immediately went to Gina’s cookbook to look for inspiration. I rediscovered these pudding cakes and decided to alter them to fit the bill for this fabulous celebration that I am sure Ms. DePalma would certainly sanction.

So what I did was instead of using the bittersweet chocolate and butter mixture, I decided to use Nutella. And in place of walnuts, I went for Hazelnuts, much more my liking and a much better match for the Nutella.

The verdict? These cakes are succulent. Yes, that is the word.

As Gina puts it : “The Medjool dates…contribute a deep caramel flavor that holds hands with the chocolate like a smitten teenager.”

Oh boy, does it. That with the warm taste of the hazelnuts underneath they are just pure heaven. I baked mine for 20 minutes and not minute longer. This made the centers perfectly moist and delicious. Bet you can’t have just one!
Happy World Nutella Day to everyone – get out there and get your Nutella on!

World Nutella Day: How you can participate.

Nutella-Date Pudding Cupcakes
(adapted from Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano Chocolate and Date Pudding Cakes)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup organic hazelnuts
8 large Medjool dates (6 oz) – don’t second guess it, go for the Medjool over regular dried dates.
½ cup organic whole milk
@ 5 oz. Nutella (I eyeballed it – the original recipe called for 4 oz. Bittersweet chocolate and 4 TBS butter)
¾ cup organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 TBS unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
2 large organic eggs
¼ cup organic natural Florida crystals (raw sugar)
¼ cup packed brown sugar (organic Florida crystals as well)
1 tsp pure bourbon vanilla extract
¾ cup organic heavy cream

( as you can see, I have used mostly organic ingredients. I am trying to do my best with finding good organic baking products. Part of my personal new health initiative).

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 325 F and position rack in the center. You can use 8 6oz. Ramekins, or like I did a 6 -cup muffin tin. If you are using ramekins, lightly grease them.

Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until golden and aromatic (about 15 minutes -but check after 10). Set them aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cut the dates in half lengthwise to remove the pits. Then roughly chop. Place in a food processor. In a small saucepan, heat the milk to scald it. Add it to the dates immediately and process it until it forms a paste. Reserve. It may be a bit lumpy, according to Gina, but I processed mine for about 2-3 minutes and it got very smooth.

In another small bowl, wish together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In an electric mixer (or as I did, with a hand mixer) beat the eggs and sugars together on medium speed until they are thick and light creamy yellow, about 4-5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract, followed by the Nutella. Scrape down the sides and add the dry ingredients, ¼ cup at a time on low speed until incorporated (at this point the batter is pretty thick). Beat in date puree, followed by the heavy cream.

Process the hazelnuts in the food processor and then beat that into the batter.

Divide the batter into the cupcake cups (I used a smidge less than ½ cup per cupcake cup). Bake pudding caked for 12 minutes, then rotate and bake an additional 8 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool about 15 minutes before removing them from the cupcake pan. If you are using ramekins, you can serve them right in the dishes. They can also be refrigerated for 24 hours before heating them up to serve.

Yields: 16 small cupcakes

This has been a lucky year full of wonderful surprises and accomplishments. I stepped out of my comfort zone to pursue my dream of working in food, turning my passion for Mediterranean cooking and leftovers into a job description I made up for myself:
Professional Foodie. I am still not exactly sure what path lies ahead of me, but I am sure I am at least going the right way as it seems I have been rewarded each step of the way. I have met so many lovely foodies online from all over the world and have gotten little signs everywhere confirming that I am on the right path. One of these signs is a great honor I have been given. I am so excited about it that I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. I have been asked to participate in a very special food blogging event.

Shelley from At Home in Rome lives in Rome (Obviously), which just so happens to be Roberto’s hometown. She also just so happens to know Gina DePalma, the pastry chef for
Mario Batali’s Babbo Restaurant in New York City.
Gina’s newest cookbook: Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen has just come out and in order to commemorate this event, Shelley, along with a few of us fortunate food bloggers have had the honor to try two recipes from Gina’s new cookbook and blog about it. How fun is that?!

But that is not where the fun ends – oh no siree – you too can join in too. Go blog hopping with us and comment on each Dolce Italiano post on each of our blogs and you will be entered in a contest to win a Dolce Italiano cookbook signed by Gina herself (who is such a nice person to boot!).
Here is how you enter: Check out each of these blogs on the days mentioned (if you are just hearing about this contest for the first time, be sure that you go to visit all these blogs for their posts THIS week) and then comment on the post about Dolce Italiano. Do the same next week and you will have 10 chances to win that book! Here are the other great blogs and the days you need to visit them:

MONDAY: Sara – Ms. Adventures in Italy
TUESDAY: Ilva – Lucullian Delights
WEDNESDAY: Sognatrice – Bleeding Espresso
THURSDAY: Shelley – At Home in Rome
FRIDAY: Jenn – The Leftover Queen – RIGHT HERE!

Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano is a must have for foodies that love Italian food. Even for someone like me, who does not fancy herself a baker or pastry person, despite all the baking I have been doing through the Daring Bakers, I found the recipes to be well-explained, unique and wonderful – just full of the flavors of Italy. It is also a fun book to read! I can really relate to Gina’s intense passion for the food she makes and also her story as an Italian American deeply in touch with the foods of her roots. I am so excited to have this wonderful cookbook in my collection as I know I will be using it often!

So on to the great recipe!

One of my choices of recipe just had to be Salame di Cioccolato. This is a dessert that every child in Italy has had. It is like Nutella, ubiquitous when talking about the foods of Italy for kids. I first heard about Chocolate Salami from Roberto when I asked him what the first thing he remembers cooking was. This was it. Apparently there is (at least when he was a bambino) what he describes as a Disney/ Boy Scout guidebook for kids in Italy known as Manuale delle Giovani Marmotte (Jr. Woodchucks Guidebook) and a recipe for Chocolate Salami was in his version of the book. In his memory it was crushed up cookies and cocoa powder rolled up, chilled and then sliced. Well, as soon as I saw the upgraded, new and improved version in Gina’s new cookbook, I knew I had to make it for Roberto and bring him back to his childhood. So we spent the afternoon in the kitchen making this delicious concoction and having a wonderful time. In his opinion it is WAAAAY better than the one from Manuale delle Giovani Marmotte, shocking, isn’t it?

Try a chocolate salami today!

Salame di Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami)

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
4 TBS unsalted butter, softened
2 TBS Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup whole shelled unsalted pistachios ( I used salted as it was the only available)
½ cup whole hazelnuts, skinned or unskinned
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted and finely chopped
@ 2 ounces (3/4 cup) of plain cookies such as biscotti or butter cookies crushed into coarse chunks (Gina recommends using Stella D’Oro original cookies or anisette toasts – I went with the original)
4 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 TBS grappa or dark rum (I did not have either, so I subbed Godiva liquor)
freshly grated zest of 1 orange
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

METHOD:

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking to combine them; set aside in a warm spot (I was making Lasagna this day, so I just set it on top of the stove).

In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water and set aside. Coarsely chop the pistachios and hazelnuts with a sharp knife and combine them with the chopped almonds and crumbled cookies in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment on medium speed and beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale yellow and thick (about 1 minute). Beat in the grappa and orange zest.

Whisk in the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate and butter then add that mixture to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

Add the nut mixture and beat briefly to incorporate the ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the mixture until it is firm enough to handle, about 1 hour.

Lightly dust your rolling surface with confectioner’s sugar. Using your hands roll the mixture into a plump log about 2 inches in diameter to resemble salami (we made two smaller salamis so we could eat one and then freeze the other for another occasion). Lightly dust the surface of the salami with more confectioners’ sugar . truly making it look like a real, cured salami. Wrap the salami in a sheet of parchment paper and twist the ends. Chill for 2 more hours.

To serve, cut thin slices, either straight or on the bias. I served mine with a pomegranate syrup drizzle. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap. The salami may be kept, wrapped and chilled, for up to three days.

As everyone here knows I am in love with Nocciola Gelato (Hazelnut Italian style ice cream). It is a craving that can never be fulfilled. I always have room for it and I am always searching for it. There are no gelaterias where I live. I do not have an ice cream maker, even though ice cream is by far my favorite dessert. Though you can make home made ice cream without an ice cream maker, it is time consuming. So being that my life has become very busy as of late, I wanted the taste of hazelnut gelato without a lot of the fuss! Then it dawned on me, Semi-Freddo! Freddo means cold in Italian, so Semi-Freddo is basically what it says, kind of cold. It has the creamy soft consistency of gelato, but none of the hassle in making it. I served mine with a dollop of Arance Sanguinelle (Blood Orange) Sorbetto and a shortbread cookie make from the leftovers of the DB tart.

INGREDIENTS:
4 large free-range egg (separate whites from yolks )
2 heaped tbsp runny honey
3/4 chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 vanilla bean (or in a pinch a few drops vanilla extract)
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups heavy cream
salt, just a pinch

METHOD:
Remove the seeds from the vanilla bean by scoring down the length and scraping the seeds out of each half.

Whisk vanilla seeds and sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale.

In another bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. (Don’t overwhip or it will go flat!)

In a third bowl, whisk (or beat egg whites with your electric mixer) with a pinch of salt until they form very firm peaks. To know if you are at this point, if you pull the egg whites in any direction, they don’t fall or flop over.

In the egg yolks bowl, add honey and hazelnuts and stir together, add the cream then the egg whites.

Gently fold in (Remember! Do not overmix as you want to keep in as much of the air you’ve whipped in).
Immediately scoop contents into your container, cover with plastic film and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving (overnight is best!).

I think I am now officially a Daring Baker. I have to admit I was rather smug during my first two challenges – Bagels and Strawberry Mirror Cake, completing them with no real difficulty and having a great time while doing so…a kind of baking bliss. Before becoming a Daring Baker, as many of you know, I did not bake at all and was very intimidated to bake. So with two challenges under my belt, I was feeling pretty good about this whole baking thing – it wasn’t such a big deal. I was actually amused by the stories other Daring Bakers shared about their experiences, people who actually BAKE, about frustrating moments and culinary crisis, imagining that if it were I who were in those situations I would have kept my calm and remained cool. This baking thing wasn’t gonna get me, it was fun, and dare I say EASY. Well I was about to experience the mother load of baking karma!

Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart hit my buttons big time.

I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to going to the grocery store. I like to be in charge of the list and check everything off one by one as I cruise up and down the aisles. Before heading off to the store, I make my list, I check it twice – against what is already in the house, and I make sure to put exact amounts of things I need – especially when it comes to a Daring Baker’s challenge. I don’t want to be left in the lurch! So naturally I had on the list 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 ¼ cup of whipping cream. One little problem, it was not I who went to fetch the ingredients and when the bags arrived home with only 1 – 8 oz. container of heavy whipping cream, I was gone…out of my mind! Apparently we had 1 – 8 oz. container already in the fridge, which I of course had accounted for – but I wanted extra in case anything happened. I mean, if there had been 2 – 8 oz. containers of heavy cream in the bag, I could have managed. But at this point when I found out, right as I was about to start the project on a day where I had an afternoon engagement, I just freaked all the way out. There was yelling, and cursing and oversized, big Sicilian drama happening. I was so wound up that instead of just allowing anyone else to rectify the problem, I went to the store myself, got the ingredients and headed home to start the baking. But my problems had already just begun. Here is the tale of melted chocolate mousse and runny caramel and what finally went from a regular tart all the way to a new frozen dessert!

Here is the recipe, with pictures and all the pitfalls along the way!

Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart

Ingredients

½ lb (250 g) chocolate shortbread pastry (see recipe below)
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 g) heavy cream (30-40 percent butterfat) or crème fraiche
¼ cup (50 g) butter
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
2 ½ tablespoons (15 g) flour
1 ¼ cups (300 g) whipping cream
½ lb (250 g) milk chocolate

First you must make the Chocolate Shortbread recipe the day before.

Ingredients for shortbread:

1 cup (250g ) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 g) confectioners’ sugar
½ cup (50 g) ground hazelnuts
2 level teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon
2 eggs
4 ½ cups (400 g) cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
1 ½ tablespoons (10 g) cocoa powder

Method for Shortbread:

(Note:this makes 3 tart shells. So if you only want one tart, which serves 8, I suggest saving the rest of the shortbread dough to make cookies.)

1. In a mixing bowl of a food processor, cream the butter.
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, the ground hazelnuts, and the cinnamon, and mix together
3. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing constantly

4. Sift in the flour, the baking powder, and the cocoa powder, and mix well.
5. Form a ball with the dough, cover in plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

(Note: The dough will be very hard the next day, so let it sit out for a while before working with it)

To make the tart :

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C).

2. Line the baking pan with the chocolate shortbread pastry and bake blind for 15 minutes.
(Note:when lining the tart pan, I had to take chunks of the dough and piece meal it together as the dough was quite hard)

3. In a saucepan, caramelize 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar using the dry method until it turns a golden caramel color.

Incorporate the heavy cream or crème fraiche and then add butter. Mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

(Note: the caramel tend to want to clump up, so you may loose a bit to the whisk – but then, you can always give it to your willing loved one for snacking!)

4. In a mixing bowl, beat the whole eggs with the extra egg yolk, then incorporate the flour.

5. Pour this into the cream-caramel mixture and mix thoroughly.
(Note: my caramel mixture was swirly and did not incorporate all the way – not sure if it mattered or how to avoid that if I were to make this tart again…)

6. Spread it out in the tart shell and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

(Note: not sure what the consistency of the caramel layer was to be once it was cooked. After 15 minutes it was still totally liquid. So I actually baked it for 20 minutes and it got a bit more solid, like custard around the edges, but still pretty liquidy in the center, but I figured maybe it would set up more in the fridge, during the cooling process, but I was wrong…in the future I would probably let it cook until it was the consistency of custard all the way through.)

MOUSSE SOUP

7. Prepare the milk chocolate mousse: beat the whipping cream until stiff. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave or in a bain-marie, and fold it gently into the whipped cream.

REPAIRED MOUSSE

(Note: First problem in this step was that my milk chocolate did not get very syrupy, so I actually had to add a bit of cream to it to thin it out and turn it to a liquid form – I am not sure if it was bad chocolate or what the deal was, but it really had a weird texture. Also against my better judgment, I did this all as one step as directed and what happened was what I predicted – the melted chocolate melted my whipped cream, meaning I had a chocolate soup going on. To repair this, I cooled the now chocolate soup in the fridge, made a fresh batch of whipped cream and incorporated the cooled chocolate soup to it to create the mousse. To avoid this, I would suggest letting the milk chocolate cool before folding it into the whipped cream. However, it might get hard, so I am not sure what to do really).

8. Pour the chocolate mousse over the cooled caramel mixture, smoothing it with a spatula. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

To decorate: melt ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar in a saucepan until it reaches an amber color. Pour it onto waxed paper laid out on a flat surface. Leave to cool. Break it into small fragments and stick them lightly into the top of the tart.

So after all was said and done, the mousse was wonderful, but the caramel layer was runny, which meant when I cut the tart to serve it, the layer ran out. So after the first night we put the remaining slices in the freezer and on subsequent evenings ate it as a frozen pie! Which was very nice!

So this challenge really was a challenge in many ways, but now I feel that I am prepared for even tougher baking obstacles! So bring it on! Can’t wait to do the next one!