GourmAndrea

Almond Butter Bites & Sponge Toffee

This months challenge is Candy Cornucopia. There were so many options you could make truffles/bon bons/gel candies/sponge toffee enough to make your head spin! I haven't completed the last two challenges (bad db'er) but I have an excuse; pregnancy :) The last two challenges just turned my stomach reading them but now I am coming around.

 Anyways I did Almond Butter Bites (basically the same idea as Reese cups)  I loved that this got me tempering chocolate for the first time its so easy all about temperature my husbands heat gun is so handy at times like these. I have to say total pain to clean off my counter the extra chocolate became like cemented butter! Then you know did it right ;)


 
I did a couple with raspberry jam.

 

 
I would use a little less dark chocolate next time I used Lindt 70% and even with sweetening the almond butter with icing sugar and graham cracker crumbs they still needed a bit of sweetness. But one little bite sure hit the chocolate tooth!

Tempering Chocolate

1.) In a bowl over a saucepan with gently simmering water melt small chocolate pieces until you reach a temperature of 113F.

2.) Pour onto a marble surface (or whatever I have laminate) and using a scraper move the chocolate around until it thickens and cools down to 80.6F

3.) Put the chocolate back onto heat and bring temp up to 84.2 to 89.6F  depending on chocolate your tempering (I went to 89F.) Thats it ready for dipping or molding.

Here is the sponge toffee I made you can dip in chocolate if desired but I kinda liked it just the way it was btw this is the easiest thing to make!

 

 

 

 
Sponge Toffee 

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

6 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp baking soda

veg oil for greasing pan

1.) Liberally grease a 10"springform pan with vegetable oil and then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper the oil again.

2.) Heat sugar,corn syrup,water and vanilla in medium saucepan do not stir! until it reaches 285F hard crack stage on a candy thermometer. It should take about 10 min. If sugar crystal forms on sides of pan brush them down with a wet/clean pastry brush.

3.) When you reach temperature remove from heat and quickly stir in baking powder (it will bubble up a bit) about 5 seconds then pour into prepared pan but do not touch it until cool

4.) When cool take out of pan and cut (I prefer break) into pieces enjoy!

 
Here is a random monkey pop I made with candy melts. The monkey perished soon after picture was taken :O

Baklava

 Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

 
 Home made phyllo dough was a first for me and it was not nearly as intimidating and scary as it sounds.

 

 
 

 
 
 This stuff, while so tasty, is crazy sweet. I was really excited about this challenge something I love but have never made before. I think I may use this recipe in the future to make Spanakopita. You can find the entire recipe here. I do have some recommendations if you plan to tackle this baklava. 

*Double the Phyllo for a 9 x 9 pan but keep the syrup and nut portion as is. 

*Instead of rolling and stacking phyllo (mine stuck like mad doing this) have your nut mixture and butter ready and then roll each sheet of phyllo then butter, then roll another piece until you have 5 layers then do your 1/3 nut mix then continue with rolling and buttering ect. The butter will keep them moist and it eliminates the need to stack them together.

* Use 00 flour for the phyllo and give it an overnight rest in the fridge it will be so easy to work with.

* The recipe also states to wrap the dough around your pin and flatten this way I had no problem just rolling it out continuously turning,rolling,flipping and then putting on your fist and gently stretching like pizza dough ect it became really thin that way.

Finally! If you use allspice berries I would chop them really fine with a knife or spice grind them they just broke into chunks trying to process them with the nuts, not the greatest idea to chip a tooth on an allspice berry.

Anyways give it shot it is more scared of you than you are of it :)

Filled Meringue Coffee Twist

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

 
This dough is a great recipe it makes most beautifully moist tender cake. It is not overly sweet so I decided to do a glaze on it.

My original idea was to do a braid with chocolate,nuts and raspberry unfortunately it didn't work for the raspberry part. I went with a jam which was a bad idea that and the meringue together made the dough too wet and eventually fall apart.

If I did it again I would go with fresh raspberries or go really safe with dried cranberries or apricots. I ended up abandoning the braid ship and going with a twist instead.

 

 

 

 
The twist was interesting each slice was different some more nutty and some slices had way more chocolate. It is a great recipe and a fun challenge. Here is a link to the recipe.

Sweet Potato "Pie"-Na Cotta

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

This month I decided to do a take on sweet potato pie. Part of this challenge was to make florentines, I have already made them before. This time I went with an almond/graham cookie base. I finished them with whipped cream and pecan brittle.

 

 

 

 
 
 
Sweet Potato Panna Cotta

Makes 12 muffin size panna cotta

2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp water

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1.) In a small microwave safe bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit for 3 min.

2.)In a food processor or blender puree the sweet potato,whole,milk,heavy cream,sweetened cond milk,brown sugar,spices,vanilla and salt together until smooth. Transfer mixture to a microwave safe bowl or a large glass measuring cup (makes it easier to pour) and microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm.

3.) Microwave the geltatin mixture for 10 seconds and then whisk it into the sweet potato mixture; let cool slightly.

4.) Line 12 muffin cup with liners and then spray the liners with cooking spray. Pour your mixture into each cup filling about halfway. Put pan and all into the fridge for about 3 hours to set gelatin. Note they will stick a bit to the liners and have to be inverted and coaxed out; if you would like perfect molded ones freeze then remove wrappers.

Pumpkin Spiced Pecan Brittle 

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup chopped pecans (any nut you want)

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

pinch of salt

1.) Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

2.) In a small bowl toss the nuts with the spices and salt, there may be excess left over.

3.) Combine 3/4 cup sugar with 1/3 cup of water in a medium saucepan and cook over high heat swirling the pan every once and awhile to promote even cooking. Cook for about 8-10 min until a medium amber color. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter and pecans; quickly pour onto prepared pan and spread thinly.

4.) When fully cooled break into shards.

Almond/Graham Crusts

Makes 12 cookie crusts

1/2 cup slivered almonds; toasted

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter; at room temp

1.) Preheat oven to 350F line 12 cup muffin tin with liners

2.) In a food processor grind almonds,graham crackers and sugar until fine crumbs form.

3.) Add in butter and pulse until crumbs stick together when you press them inbetween your fingers.

4.) Put about 1 1/2 tbsp in each cup and press down into the bottom of the liner fairly firmly.

5.) Bake for 7 min or until crust is set and lightly browned.

To assemble dessert place cookie on plate and then invert a panna cotta by slowly peeling the outside of the wrapper while holding it over the cookie and it will pop out with some coaxing. Then add a dollop of whipped cream and a shard of brittle and a lightly dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.

Strawberry Short-Cheesecake

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

 
So this months challenge was to make a patterned Jaconde-Paste and then you put a jaconde (sponge cake) on top and bake and then you get a lovely pattern. I chose to do strawberries, some of them look like they are going Oh My! hehe. This is how the patterned sponge works....

 
You pipe whatever pattern you like or you could write Happy Birthday Cutie,squiggles,circles ect. Then you freeze it and put the jaconde sponge on top when it comes out of the oven it looks like this...

 
When you invert the sponge it looks like this

 
What a great technique I really didn't expect it to turn out so well now I know I could have got pretty crazy with detail. Now for the inside of the cake....

 

Mmmm for the inside I went with a Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake from my "Juniors Cheesecakes 40 To Die For Recipes for New York Style Cheesecakes." Unfortunately I can't post the recipe I have contacted the company before to ask and got not reply. Its delish you make two sponges cakes and then inbetween the layers is stabilized whipped cream with fresh strawberries. In the middle is a wickedly decadent strawberry cheesecake. You bake and then freeze the cheesecake and basically just layer it when it is frozen (Ingenious!)

 
If you would like the recipe for the Patterned Jaconde-Sponge it can be found here. If you make this I recommend you make the pattern jaconde first and then the sponge while your pattern is in the freezer :) Happy Baking.