A Stack of Dishes

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chocolate

SAVEUR Magazine’s Birthday Present to Me & the BEST Chocolate Cake EVER

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Dark chocolate birthday cake

If’s official, I am over the hill- and I will be honest, I am loving the view from up here! Last week heralded a demi-century of loops around the sun. Of course this is mind boggling for a woman who still has conviction that she is 25 years old- but now that I’ve passed the mark- I think it’s pretty awesome.

This past year has been especially wonderful and all indications are that this trend will continue. Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog. It has given back to me in ways that I never have imagined and that just tickles me to no end. I really love writing and cooking, and I promise I will be around for awhile.
The big announcement that I alluded to in my last post is that the very day before my birthday SAVEUR magazine chose me as one of their “Sites We Love” (!!!!)
Nov 8, 2012

Sites We Love: A Stack of Dishes

Gorgeous photos? Check. Engaging writing? Check. Seriously inspiring recipes, tips, and culinary curiosity? Check, check, and check. The best food blogs all seem to have a lot in common—but what separates them out are the strong personalities behind them. In our Sites We Love series, we sit down with some of our favorite bloggers to find out how they do it—and why it’s as much fun for them as it is for us.

Needless to say I am overjoyed and over the moon!!!! I am humbled to be in such astute and talented company as well. I did not see this coming, and it will certainly go down in history as one of the dandiest birthday presents ever!

Unfortunately I am having trouble with the code for the badge, so I will have that up soon as we sort out the glitch.

I am making dinner tonight for another Scorpio pal of mine and so we are having my favorite chocolate cake. For those who have tasted my chocolate wedding cake, I regret to inform you that this is not the same recipe (sorry, trade secret), but this version is pretty close and sensational. Rather than icing I whipped up some sweetened whipped cream, which is a fantastic foil to this dark rich cake.

Dark Chocolate Cake
3 tiered 9″ cake, enough for 15 servings
 
2c boiling water
1c unsweetened cocoa powder
2.75 c all purpose flour
2t baking soda
.5t baking powder
.5t salt
1c unsalted butter, room temperature
2.25c sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1.5t vanilla
 
Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease and flour 3 9″ pans and set aside.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat moderately until light and fluffy. Do NOT minimize this step. 
 
Add eggs one and a time on low and stir until incorporated. It will look grainy and mucky. Stir in the vanilla.
 
In large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, bs, bp and salt and stir to combine.
 
Add the egg/butter mixture into the bowl, then add the hot water in 3 stages and stir smooth.
 
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake until the centers spring back from the touch.
 
The average baking time is 30 mins- but please don’t go by that. The best rule of thumb I can give you, is when you start to smell the cake it’s “getting there”. Alternatively, at 20 minutes check on it every few minutes until it’s done. 
 
Please don’t over bake this yummy cake.
 
Cool completely before frosting with whipped cream.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Caramel Creme Anglaise, Day 4: Irene’s Beans

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Heading home today from my time in Guatemala- the land of chocolate and coffee. It has been a fantastic time brushing up on my crusty rusty Spanish, exploring a new place, and making new friends. Unfortunately I’ve managed to develop a wicked head cold that is making me foggy minded and a big goofy, so forgive the lack of chit chat, it’s onward to an amazing cake and delicious coffee.

This cake is super moist with a slightly mousse-like texture. It’s delightfully not sweet, which is fantastic since it then calls out for some sort of topping. The caramel Creme Anglaise is perfection. The milk creaminess is so wonderful and the caramel brings out the chocolate. The Creme Anglaise needs to be made in advance and cooled, if you don’t have the time, sweetened whipped cream would not be a hardship nor ice cream.

The coffee pairing for this is the French Roast. OK, one little bit of a chat. Amongst my close friends it is well known that I am really not so much a coffee drinker, but an espresso drinker. In fact so much so that I am teased mercilessly for it- mostly as a result of one rough morning in a New Orleans Supermarket when I was asked which coffee I would like for the apartment we were sharing with friends. No coffee, only espresso. La-di-dah! (Sorry Mary!) What can I say? A girl knows what she likes.

This cake is at it’s best warm, but seriously, cold is quite wonderful too.

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Caramel Creme Anglaise
serves 8
 
5oz bittersweet chocolate
6T unsalted butter
1T olive oil
3T sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
4T all purpose flour
1/8t baking powder (eye it)
large pinch of salt
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and boil a large pot of simmering water. Grease and line a 6″ baking pan. You will also need a larger baking/roasting pan to set the cake pan into.
 
Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir in the sugar and salt. Allow to cool until warm to the touch then thoroughly stir in the eggs and oil.
 
In a small bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Gently stir into the chocolate mixture.
 
Pour batter into the prepared pan, then set pan into the roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
 
Place the whole magilla into the center of the oven and bake for 30-35mins. Trend toward under baking rather than over baking.
 
Remove from oven and remove cake from water bath. Allow to cool for a few mins then remove from the pan and allow to cool another 5mins before serving.
 
Caramel Creme Anglaise
makes 1.5c
 
1c whole milk or cream
2t vanilla
4 egg yolks
4T sugar
2T water
 
In a heavy saucepan combine the water and sugar and place over medium high heat. Watching closely, boil the sugar until it caramelizes. Remove from the heat one shade lighter than you would like as it continues to deepen quickly at this point.
 
Pour in the milk or cream. It will steam and create a cold hard sugar lump on the bottom of the pan. Just ignore all that, but be careful about the steam.
 
Stir in the yolks and vanilla and gently warm again over a medium low heat. The sugar will dissolve into the sauce and it will slowly thicken.
 
Warm until the sauce is a thick heavy cream. It should coat the spoon. Be gentle with this, overheating will cause it to break.
 
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency remove from the heat immediately and strain through a sieve into a bowl.
 
Cool completely.
 
 

Peppermint Marshmallows: That Look As Pretty As They Taste

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I surprise most people when I tell them that I love the snow. It’s true. I don’t mind the cold, and I think snow is amazing. I love how it changes the landscape of the things I see everyday into something so beautiful and different. I even sort of love shoveling it- it’s true! Being out in the hush chill, getting all warm and toasty while making neat pathways…  I also love to ski, but that’s something different.
But one of the best parts of being out in the snow, either playing in it or just moving about- is coming in for hot chocolate. I am known for being a chocolate fan, but warm milky chocolate sipped with red cheeks is my kind of afternoon.
As you know, there is hot chocolate and there is hot cocoa. Essentially interchangeable, though different in preparation. Dark chocolate of any kind can be melted and stirred into heated milk and then sweetened to taste. This is my preferred style. Good quality chocolate has as many nuances of flavors as a glass of wine. Though I don’t boast knowledge of different chocolates- I can certainly tell the good from the… eh. When it comes to chocolate-I don’t do “eh”. Aside from this it was the way that the Mayans made Xocolatl, and I like that idea.
Roasted cocoa beans when ground eventually give up their oils and liqueur and turn into dark beautiful chocolate. I can see hands working the stone, placing some of the rich brown yumminess in a stoneware cup, adding hot milk and creating a drink. Gotta love that romance.
But Hot Cocoa is just as tasty- again- good quality cocoa is a must. No dusty dried out packets out of a box- make your own- get the good stuff, it doesn’t use much and turn a brown drink into a heavenly treat. THAT’s the way it was intended to be enjoyed, not as a glass of chocolate milk warmed.
Now- to that- marshmallows. I’ve been making my own marshmallows for a long long time now. They used to be a big thrill, but these days, everyone is getting in the game. Bravo!
For my beauties I took them just a little step further. First off I added a middling dose of peppermint. It’s a wonderful pairing as they melt into the chocolate. The second is I’m just not a fan of the cube. They’re ok, and I’m not opposed to the iconic shape, I just like to make pretty where I can.
I opted for two different shapes. The first is a rosette in three different shades of pale pink. Just SO pretty against the dark brown chocolate, and so lady like and sweet to behold. Using a star tip I simply piped them out of a pastry bag onto the tray into rosettes.
Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Clouds

The second shape is more like a cloud. Puffy folds of marshmallow float softly in the cup. So much nicer than a dusty cube, don’t you think? For these I used a Rose Tip icing tip and made random folds and mounds to my liking. Super simple and fun to make.

Homemade Marshmallows
makes tons depending on the size, enough for any crowd and more
 
 
3T unflavored gelatin
.5c cold water
 
12oz sugar
1c clear corn syrup
.5 c water
.25t peppermint oil or 1t peppermint extract
2c powdered sugar
 
red paste food coloring (optional)
 
In mixing bowl combine water and gelatin and let stand. Attach whisk.
 
In heavy saucepan combine sugar, syrup and water. Boil on high heat until the syrup reaches 240˚ on a candy thermometer or soft ball stage
 
With the mixer on medium low, slowly and carefully pour syrup over gelatin.
 
Continue to beat until cool, approximately 5-7 minutes.
 
Before it gets too stiff or cool, add the extract and carefully dab some food coloring into the marshmallow. A little goes a long way so start with the teeniest bit.


The consistency of the marshmallow needs to be stiff enough to maintain it’s shape when piped, but not too stiff for it to become stringing and tight.
 
To pipe rosettes: Using a pastry bag or large plastic freezer bag, fit with a #8 star tip.
 
Prepare several sheet pans with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. Alternatively you can line trays with plastic wrap and spray as well.
 
Fold down sides of bag halfway and fill the cone. Pulling the sides up, twist it closed.
 
While pinching the twisted part between thumb and first finger, squeeze the bag with the rest of your hand. Use your other hand to guide the end of the pasty bag. Sort of keep a finger on it so it doesn’t go rogue on you.
 
Make the swirls by starting on the outside and form a concentric circle in while applying even pressure on the bag. When finished stop squeezing and quickly lift the bag to break off the rosette.
 
This takes a little practice, so have fun and play around a bit at first. Learn the latitudes of more pressure vs speed etc.
 
To get the different colorations I started out with the palest pink. When I exhausted the marshmallow in the bag, I tinted the rest of the batch a little deeper and then repeated this again with the final piping round.
 
Once the marshmallows are piped sift some powdered sugar over them to cover completely and allow them to dry overnight.
 
Once dry remove from the paper and dust the bottoms to prevent them from being sticky.
 
Store in an airtight container or in cello bags.
 
To pipe clouds: Use the same technique as above to prepare your pastry bag, this time fitting it with a #104 Rose tip.
 
Make the clouds by randomly piping folds and ripples by placing the wider end of the tip towards the paper. This will create a thicker base and a frillier, fluffier upper edge.
 
Make them as random and pouffy as you like.
 
Dust them thoroughly as above and allow to dry overnight. Remove from the paper and dredge the bottoms in powdered sugar.
 
Store in airtight container or cello bags.
Hot Cocoa Recipe
makes 4c of rich delicious cocoa
 
.33c Valrhona Cocoa Powder
.75c white sugar
pinch of salt
.33c boiling water
3.5c milk
.5c cream
 
In a saucepan combine cocoa, sugar and salt and stir to combine. 
 
Whisk in boiling water and stir smooth
 
Add milk and cream and slowly and carefully warm to desired temperature. Take care not to boil or scorch.