This cake was very light and had good flavor, although mild in the way a pound cake is mild. We served it with red wine poached pears and a sauce made from the poaching liquid and cream, but it was also good the next day plain.
Olive Oil Cake
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, p.702
4 eggs, separated, plus 1 egg white, at room temperature
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tb orange flower water (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange and 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c plus 2 Tb olive oil
1 1/3 c milk
2 1/2 c sifted cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
Powdered sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Oil or butter and flour a 10-inch springform or bundt pan.
Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add 1/3 c of the sugar and continue beating until firm peaks are formed. Scrape them into a large bowl and set aside. In the same mixing bowl -- don't bother to rinse it -- beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and light colored. Lower the speed, add the flavorings and salt, then gradually pour in the oil. The batter will be thick, like mayonnaise. Slowly add the milk, then whisk in the flour and baking powder. Reach thoroughly around the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well mixed. Fold in the egg whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 F and bake for 40 minutes more or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake has begun to pull away from the sides. (It's better to err on the side of overbaking than underbaking this cake.) Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the rim or invert, if using a bundt pan, onto a cooling rack. When cool, gently transfer the cake to a cake plate and dust with powdered sugar.
Makes a tall 10-inch cake, serving 10-12
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Almost flourless chocolate cake: Boca Negra
I've made this cake several times for parties. Since it's so rich, I just serve it with slightly sweetened whipped cream; I've never tried the white chocolate cream.
Boca Negra
From Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
The cream:
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c bourbon (or more to taste)
The cake:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/3 c sugar
1/2 c bourbon
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, at room temperature
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tb all-purpose flour
Boca Negra
From Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
"The cake is meant to be served warm or at room temperature, when it is as moist, dense and dark as the chocolate you use to make it. Chilled, it has all the appeal of fudge. The white chocolate cream, which is made a day ahead, is one you can use with other desserts, and neither the cake nor the cream is a challenge for beginner bakers. In fact, if you make it in the food processor; it takes only 5 minutes." Makes 12 servings.
The cream:
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c bourbon (or more to taste)
The cake:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/3 c sugar
1/2 c bourbon
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, at room temperature
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tb all-purpose flour
Prepare the white chocolate cream at least 1 day in advance: Put the white chocolate into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a blender container. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and process until completely smooth. Add the bourbon, taste, and add up to a tablespoon more if you want. Turn into a container with a tight-fitting lid and chill overnight. The cream can be kept covered in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for up to a month. If you've frozen the cream, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper; butter the paper. Put the cake pan in a shallow roasting pan and set aside until needed.
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and keep close at hand. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup of the sugar and the bourbon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a full boil. Immediately pour the hot syrup over the chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Piece by piece, stir the butter into the chocolate mixture. Make certain that each piece of butter is melted before you add another.
Put the eggs and the remaining 1/3-cup sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the eggs thicken slightly. Beating with the whisk, add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Gently whisk in the flour.
(If you want to make the cake batter in a food processor, put the chocolate in the work bowl of the processor. Bring all of the sugar and the bourbon to a full boil and pour the syrup into the work bowl; process until the mixture is completely blended, about 12 seconds. With the machine running, add the butter in pieces, followed by the eggs, one at a time, and then the flour. Process an additional 15 seconds before turning the batter into the prepared pan.)
Baking the cake: Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, running your spatula over the top to smooth it. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake the cake for exactly 30 minutes, at which point the top will have a thin, dry crust. Remove the cake pan from its water bath, wipe the pan dry and cover the top of the cake with a sheet of plastic wrap. Invert the cake onto a flat plate, peel off the parchment and quickly but gently invert again onto a serving platter, remove the plastic.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the chilled white chocolate cream.
Storing: Once cooled, the cake can be covered with plastic and kept at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving. For longer storage, wrap the cake airtight and freeze it; it will keep up to a month. Thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper; butter the paper. Put the cake pan in a shallow roasting pan and set aside until needed.
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and keep close at hand. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup of the sugar and the bourbon and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a full boil. Immediately pour the hot syrup over the chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Piece by piece, stir the butter into the chocolate mixture. Make certain that each piece of butter is melted before you add another.
Put the eggs and the remaining 1/3-cup sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the eggs thicken slightly. Beating with the whisk, add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Gently whisk in the flour.
(If you want to make the cake batter in a food processor, put the chocolate in the work bowl of the processor. Bring all of the sugar and the bourbon to a full boil and pour the syrup into the work bowl; process until the mixture is completely blended, about 12 seconds. With the machine running, add the butter in pieces, followed by the eggs, one at a time, and then the flour. Process an additional 15 seconds before turning the batter into the prepared pan.)
Baking the cake: Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, running your spatula over the top to smooth it. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake the cake for exactly 30 minutes, at which point the top will have a thin, dry crust. Remove the cake pan from its water bath, wipe the pan dry and cover the top of the cake with a sheet of plastic wrap. Invert the cake onto a flat plate, peel off the parchment and quickly but gently invert again onto a serving platter, remove the plastic.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the chilled white chocolate cream.
Storing: Once cooled, the cake can be covered with plastic and kept at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving. For longer storage, wrap the cake airtight and freeze it; it will keep up to a month. Thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Granola
We got hooked on eating granola as breakfast cereal with milk when we started eating Cafe Fanny granola. Now we make our own version.
Granola
6 c rolled oats (not quick)
3/4 c sunflower seeds
9 Tb whole wheat flour
6 Tb wheat germ
3 Tb dry milk powder (optional)
3 Tb sesame seeds
1 c raw almonds, chopped, sliced or slivered
Salt to taste
1 1/2 c honey
3/4 c canola oil
raisins to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all dry ingredients. Stir in oil and honey.
Spread on a baking sheet, and bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The browner it gets, the tastier it is, but be careful it doesn't burn.
Spread out on wax paper to cool. When cool, add raisins and store in an airtight container.
Notes:Spread on a baking sheet, and bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The browner it gets, the tastier it is, but be careful it doesn't burn.
Spread out on wax paper to cool. When cool, add raisins and store in an airtight container.
The quantities are very flexible. I often add more nuts and seeds than the recipe calls for, or leave something out if I don’t have it. I also sometimes add ground flax seed after it has baked, while it’s still hot.
Whole wheat flatbread
Since we were making the focaccia so much, we figured we should try to make a healthier variation, especially so we feel better about feeding it to Camden.
Whole wheat flatbread
1 ¾ c water
2 Tb Olive oil
1 c bread flour
2 c whole wheat flour
¼ c amaranth flour
½ c oatmeal
2 Tb flax meal
1 ½ tsp salt
2 Tb sugar (white or brown)
1 ½ tsp yeast
olive oil, as desired, for greasing the pan and drizzling on top
Freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)
Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt to taste (optional)
Place all ingredients in the machine and run the dough setting. This takes almost 1 hour, 50 minutes with my machine, ending with the completion of the first rise.
Grease a half sheet pan with olive oil (be generous unless you really want it lowfat). Place the dough on the pan and stretch it more or less to the edges of the pan, and dimple it with the tips of your fingers. Cover the dough loosely and let rise again, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on your patience and the room temperature. The less it rises, the denser it will be; the longer it rises – to a point – the more big air bubbles and flavor it will have.
Remove the cover. If desired, drizzle the dough with more olive oil, grind pepper on top, and sprinkle on Fleur de Sel (or any flaky sea salt) to taste.
Bake in a pre-heated 425 F oven until brown.
Grease a half sheet pan with olive oil (be generous unless you really want it lowfat). Place the dough on the pan and stretch it more or less to the edges of the pan, and dimple it with the tips of your fingers. Cover the dough loosely and let rise again, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on your patience and the room temperature. The less it rises, the denser it will be; the longer it rises – to a point – the more big air bubbles and flavor it will have.
Remove the cover. If desired, drizzle the dough with more olive oil, grind pepper on top, and sprinkle on Fleur de Sel (or any flaky sea salt) to taste.
Bake in a pre-heated 425 F oven until brown.
Easy focaccia
This bread has good flavor, but is basic enough to use like French bread. I make it frequently since we no longer live near a bakery. The dough is very sticky. I make it with the dough cycle of my bread machine, but mixing it with a stand mixer would work just as well; if you make it by hand, you may need more flour.
Focaccia
1 ½ c water
1 ½ Tb olive oil
3 ¾ c. bread flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ Tb sugar
1 ½ tsp yeast
olive oil, as desired for greasing the pan and drizzling on top
freshly ground pepper to taste
fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt, to taste
Place all ingredients in the machine and run the dough setting. This takes almost 1 hour, 50 minutes with my machine, ending with the completion of the first rise.
Grease a half sheet pan with olive oil. Place the dough on the pan and stretch it more or less to the edges of the pan, then dimple it with the tips of your fingers. (If it springs back and you’d like it thinner, after the initial stretching, let it rest covered for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, then stretch it more.) Cover the dough loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise again, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on your patience and the room temperature. The less it rises, the denser it will be; the longer it rises – to a point – the more big air bubbles it will have.
Remove the cover and drizzle the dough with more olive oil, grind pepper on top, and sprinkle on fleur de sel (or any flaky sea salt) to taste.
Bake in a pre-heated 400 to 450 F oven until brown. If it smells like the olive oil is burning, turn down the oven.
Grease a half sheet pan with olive oil. Place the dough on the pan and stretch it more or less to the edges of the pan, then dimple it with the tips of your fingers. (If it springs back and you’d like it thinner, after the initial stretching, let it rest covered for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, then stretch it more.) Cover the dough loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise again, anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on your patience and the room temperature. The less it rises, the denser it will be; the longer it rises – to a point – the more big air bubbles it will have.
Remove the cover and drizzle the dough with more olive oil, grind pepper on top, and sprinkle on fleur de sel (or any flaky sea salt) to taste.
Bake in a pre-heated 400 to 450 F oven until brown. If it smells like the olive oil is burning, turn down the oven.
Pancakes
The whole wheat pancakes in the previous post are based on this recipe, which is the one my mom has always made.
Hotcakes
Serves 2
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg, separated
1 c milk
a little oil (about 1/8 c to 1/4 c)
Sift flour, baking powder, salt. Stir milk, egg yolk, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir. Beat egg white and fold in. Drop by spoonfuls on hot griddle.
"Healthy" Pancakes
This recipe was an experiment to make healthy pancakes for Camden -- something he'll eat but that's good for him. I am particularly trying to get more iron into him. They turned out better than I expected, light and fluffy and not too "healthy" tasting.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Serves 2
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c amaranth flour
1 Tb flax meal
1/2 Tb nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/8 c milk
1/8 c canola oil
1 egg, separated
2 apricots, diced (reconstituted, dried apricots or use 1 fresh)
1 banana, diced
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, egg yolk, apricots and banana. In a third, small bowl, whip the egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. When it is mostly mixed, gently fold in the egg white until just combined. Do not over-mix. Add more milk if you'd like a thinner batter.
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