Gotta Have That Funk
I am in a cake funk; I have no special occasion to bake a cake for (although Zetta says I should bake her a cake because she decided to rent a space on the mountain). I need a special occasion otherwise delicious and terrible baked goods would start to overtake all counter space in my tiny kitchen and would eventually end up on my already very ample hips and ass.
So no new exciting posts for you. Just a post about the giant log I made for a special occasion that ended up being an evening of talking about poo in all its smelly glory.
September 17, 2005
Punkins Love Each Other
Chocolate LOG (aka Giant Gourmet Ho-Ho)
A flourless chocolate soufflé rolled around mocha whipped cream with toasted hazelnuts
A serious dusting of cocoa powder
(9/13) Zetta has invited the punkins over for dinner and socializing Saturday and she assigned me the task of dessert. Her request: chocolate cake. So, a chocolate cake I will make. I am ready to branch out from butter cakes as of this moment. I love the freakin butter cake, but there are so many other options for dessert…I was thinking of the chocolate genoise with a Kahlua syrup, and some sort of frosting. But then I thought of the chocolate cherry almond pound cake (calls for brandied burgundy cherries) (which I don’t think we have enough of here). And then I thought of the simple chocolate bread and bringing over some of the last of the summer berries and mascarpone. And then as I was flipping through The Book last night I came upon this hidden recipe for a berry meringue tart. What is this??
RLB sneaks the recipe at the end of her quick crème fraiche recipe, exactly where one would look for a berry meringue tart. You make three meringue discs, and layer between the discs a cup of the crème fraiche and a handful of berries. You top the tart with another cup of crème fraiche and berries. If you serve it right away the tart will still have a crunch, but if you wait a while your tart will be softer. But again, the textures—I love the textures!!
And then my mind began racing with the possibilities: choc meringue discs, sweetened mascarpone (I love the stuff), strawberries or cherries, maybe even curls of bittersweet chocolate…even roasted (fresh) apricots with a little drizzle of honey, plain meringue, mascarpone, bittersweet chocolate curls.
You could go all sorts of crazy with this recipe.
(9/20) I ended up making a log. A giant ho-ho. Chocolate sushi roll. I wanted something light and I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before. I would have done the berry meringue tart but no more berries, and I would have needed to bake the meringues the day before.
The cake for the log is gluten free which is really cool. I had to beat up the yolks separate from the whites and it would have been nice to have had either a hand mixer or another kitchen aid bowl. I cheated and held a Pyrex mixing bowl under the kitchen aid beater. Don’t try this at home, kids.
I’m not so sure I would add the toasted hazelnuts again…somehow I think raspberry, coffee/mocha, and toasted hazelnuts (or toffee) go great together but they don’t really! I’m not so sure I would use the mocha whip cream again, although it turned out really well. Hmm. Dunno. Also, the outside of the log wasn’t so pretty which is why I dusted the hell out of it with cocoa powder. What else would I do? The cake is so light and airy I wouldn’t really want a ganache glaze on it. More whip cream? Maybe the thick kind…hmm.
I think there is an egg conspiracy. I always need more yolks than the number of eggs she calls for—this time I needed eight egg yolks to get the proper grams of what should have been 6 yolks. I think chicken keepers are getting their girls to lay eggs with less yolk so that they can make eggs look healthier in nutrition facts. That’s my theory.
So no new exciting posts for you. Just a post about the giant log I made for a special occasion that ended up being an evening of talking about poo in all its smelly glory.
September 17, 2005
Punkins Love Each Other
Chocolate LOG (aka Giant Gourmet Ho-Ho)
A flourless chocolate soufflé rolled around mocha whipped cream with toasted hazelnuts
A serious dusting of cocoa powder
(9/13) Zetta has invited the punkins over for dinner and socializing Saturday and she assigned me the task of dessert. Her request: chocolate cake. So, a chocolate cake I will make. I am ready to branch out from butter cakes as of this moment. I love the freakin butter cake, but there are so many other options for dessert…I was thinking of the chocolate genoise with a Kahlua syrup, and some sort of frosting. But then I thought of the chocolate cherry almond pound cake (calls for brandied burgundy cherries) (which I don’t think we have enough of here). And then I thought of the simple chocolate bread and bringing over some of the last of the summer berries and mascarpone. And then as I was flipping through The Book last night I came upon this hidden recipe for a berry meringue tart. What is this??
RLB sneaks the recipe at the end of her quick crème fraiche recipe, exactly where one would look for a berry meringue tart. You make three meringue discs, and layer between the discs a cup of the crème fraiche and a handful of berries. You top the tart with another cup of crème fraiche and berries. If you serve it right away the tart will still have a crunch, but if you wait a while your tart will be softer. But again, the textures—I love the textures!!
And then my mind began racing with the possibilities: choc meringue discs, sweetened mascarpone (I love the stuff), strawberries or cherries, maybe even curls of bittersweet chocolate…even roasted (fresh) apricots with a little drizzle of honey, plain meringue, mascarpone, bittersweet chocolate curls.
You could go all sorts of crazy with this recipe.
(9/20) I ended up making a log. A giant ho-ho. Chocolate sushi roll. I wanted something light and I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before. I would have done the berry meringue tart but no more berries, and I would have needed to bake the meringues the day before.
The cake for the log is gluten free which is really cool. I had to beat up the yolks separate from the whites and it would have been nice to have had either a hand mixer or another kitchen aid bowl. I cheated and held a Pyrex mixing bowl under the kitchen aid beater. Don’t try this at home, kids.
I’m not so sure I would add the toasted hazelnuts again…somehow I think raspberry, coffee/mocha, and toasted hazelnuts (or toffee) go great together but they don’t really! I’m not so sure I would use the mocha whip cream again, although it turned out really well. Hmm. Dunno. Also, the outside of the log wasn’t so pretty which is why I dusted the hell out of it with cocoa powder. What else would I do? The cake is so light and airy I wouldn’t really want a ganache glaze on it. More whip cream? Maybe the thick kind…hmm.
I think there is an egg conspiracy. I always need more yolks than the number of eggs she calls for—this time I needed eight egg yolks to get the proper grams of what should have been 6 yolks. I think chicken keepers are getting their girls to lay eggs with less yolk so that they can make eggs look healthier in nutrition facts. That’s my theory.
OK! No more threatening letters delivered to my house on the back of stray animals! I'll do it, I'll do it!
ReplyDeleteDoes the cake need to be shaped like the mountain? That would require money.
ummmmm.
ReplyDeletehave yet to make tiramisu, however i think it ranks as one of my top five desserts. creme brulee is up there too.
cake is neither yin or yang, it is of The One. being so balanced, you can eat it anytime, anyplace, anyhow. the proper stomach time is between 7 and 9 am, and i personally like to be asleep during those times, but like i said, cake is of The One so you can safely eat as much of it as you want at any time of the day.
and WHY would you choose to burn a cake instead of eating it?!
feb bon appetit you say? dark chocolate souffle with CARDAMOM creme anglaise?
ReplyDeletethere's much goodness in this.