September Daring Bakers Challenge: Get Creative!

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

I was really excited for this month's challenge.  First because I love sugar cookies (who doesn't) and second the challenge was to decorate the cookies in a way that reflects what September means to us.  September is Nate's and my anniversary (this year is the 3rd) so, needless to say, September is a very special month.  I decided to decorate the cookies accordingly--hearts and all.

The only modification I made to the cookies was the addition of almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract.

The quintessential sugar cookie for me will always be the recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook which uses almond extract and while it may not be the most sophisticated sugar cookie, it is delicious and reminds me of baking with my mom for the holidays when I was little.

I do have to say that these cookies were good but I think they were much more like a shortbread (due to the absence of a chemical leavener in the recipe) which is a little disappointing when you're expecting a sugar cookie.  These were more dense and not so chewy--2 things I love about sugar cookies.  They were however much easier to roll and cut than sugar cookies normally and in the end made a delicious treat :)

 

Basic Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup + 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
3 cups + 3 Tbsp All Purpose / Plain Flour
1 cup Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ tsp Almond Extract

1) Preheat oven to 350°F
2) Cream together the butter, sugar and extracts. Beat until just becoming creamy in texture.
3) Beat in the egg until well combined, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4) Add the sifted flour and mix on low until a non sticky dough forms.
5) Knead into a ball and divide into 2 or 3 pieces.

 

6) Roll out each portion between parchment paper to a thickness of about 5mm/1/5 inch (0.2 inch)

7) Refrigerate for a minimum of 30mins.
8) Once chilled, peel off parchment and place dough on a lightly floured surface.
9) Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a sharp knife.
10) Arrange shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for another 30mins to an hour.

11) Re-roll scraps and follow the above process until all scraps are used up.
12) Bake until golden around the edges, about 8-15mins depending on the size of the cookies.
13) Leave to cool on cooling racks.
14) Once completely cooled, decorate as desired.

Royal Icing

Ingredients: 
3 cups Confectioner’s Sugar, unsifted
2 Large Egg Whites
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Almond Extract


1) Beat egg whites with lemon juice until combined.
2) Sift the icing sugar to remove lumps and add it to the egg whites.
3) Beat on low until combined and smooth.
4) Use immediately or keep in an airtight container.

I think these cookies tasted best immediately after the icing dries.  The only thing that made September better than my anniversary and the cookies to celebrate it was the morning after I baked them Nate asked me to marry him over waffles!!!!!  Best month ever!!!

August Daring Bakers Challenge: Nutty and toasty meets cool and creamy...

 

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

I was a little hesitant about the August challenge; A few months ago we attended our friends Melanie and John's wedding where one of the favors were these amazing petit fours.  When we returned to Boston I tried to make theses cute little celebration cakes and it ended in DISASTER!  The trouble was the fondant--more specifically making and dipping the cakes in the fondant.  I vowed never to make them again but I really hate being bad at things so when I saw the choice between Baked Alaska and Petit Fours I couldn't resist the challenge again and I'm glad I didn't :)

I decided to stick with the browned butter pound cake and the chocolate glaze for the Petit Fours but for the ice cream I decided to mix it up and make pistachio ice cream, an absolute favorite of mine.  I started the project by making the ice cream with a recipe from Bon Appetit which was simple and delicious and top them with gold dusted pistachio halves to give them a slightly classy look!   These cakes took a bit of time to make and assemble but the brown butter pound cake was amazing enough on its own but when combined with the creamy subtleness of pistachio ice cream is was over the top tasty.

Pistachio Ice Cream

 

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 large egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted, coarsely chopped

Finely grind 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar in processor. 

 

Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Cook over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. 

Stir 1 cup whipping cream and chopped pistachios into custard. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container and freeze. (Ice cream can be prepared 3 days ahead.) 

Brown Butter Pound Cake

Ingredients:

19 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.
Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.
Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze 

Ingredients:

9 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir the heavy cream and light corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir to completely melt the chocolate. Stir in the vanilla and let cool until tepid before glazing the petit fours.

Assembly Instructions 

1. Line a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) pan with plastic wrap, so that no sides of the pan are exposed and so there is some extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides. Spread 1 ¾ to 2 cups (450ml to 500ml) ice cream into the pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and freeze several hours.
2. Once the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a cake leveler or a serrated knife. Then split the cake in half horizontally to form two thin layers.
3. Unwrap the frozen ice cream. Flip out onto one of the layers of cake and top with the second layer of cake. Wrap well in plastic wrap and return to the freezer overnight.
4. Brush remaining pistachio halves with gold dust. 

5. Make the chocolate glaze (see above.)
6. While the glaze cools, trim ¾” (2cm) off each side of the ice cream cake to leave a perfectly square 7.5” (19cm) ice cream cake. Cut the cake into twenty five petit fours, each 1.5”x1.5” (4cmx4cm).
7. Glaze the petit fours one at a time: place a petit four on a fork and spoon chocolate glaze over it and top with one gold dusted pistachio half.
8. Place the petit fours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for one hour.