happy birthday mom!

My mother had the misfortune of being born two days before Christmas.

But she's had the fortune of celebrating her birthday when everyone's in holiday spirits and there are lots of sparkly lights and bottles of bubbly stashed in the refrigerator.

This year was her 75th birthday... a big one, by anyone's standards... and deserving of an over-the-top birthday cake. So I made one, inspired by a cake I've seen Alice Medrich demonstrate to pastry students.

It has all the bells and whistles: a crunchy base made from Rice Krispies, nuts and chocolate... a chocolate genoise soaked in rum syrup surrounding a rich chocolate mousse layer studded with raspberries.... whipped mascarpone topping with chocolate ruffles and more raspberries. As Ina Garten would say.... how bad can that be?

The birthday girl blew out her one commemorative candle, then we all put the champagne glasses aside and dug in. I have to admit that it tasted as over-the-top as it looked... which is a good thing in birthday cake land.

Happy birthday Mom! You are awesome and inspiring!

a very thankful day

I admit it. I kind of went overboard on the whole Thanksgiving dessert thing. I started keeping a list of things I wanted to bake, and the list kept getting longer... and longer.

I had a good excuse, though, because the guest list kept getting longer, too. I have four siblings, with lots of kids... and now those kids have boyfriends and girlfriends who have Thanksgiving with us. We have some close friends who are like family who join us every year... and then there are always a few extra friends who thought they were going to be out of town but now they're in town and didn't buy a turkey and of course you can join us! So we had 32 people, and I kept baking.

First I made a Chocolate-Almond Torte.. because there are chocolate lovers in every crowd.

I love Pear-Frangipane Tarts, so I made one of those.

My daughter wanted to use my new cupcake tree, so I made some yummy chocolate cupcakes with espresso and chocolate buttercream, expertly piped by Angela. We made them for the little people, but of course the taller people ate their share, too.

This is my first Thanksgiving without my dad, but I made his favorite dessert anyway. It's a French Apple Tart, with an apple-vanilla bean compote that goes down first, followed by a spiral of sliced apples. Of course I used the apple corer-slicer he gave me for my birthday for this job.

It turned out beautifully and I think it was the most requested dessert to take home. My dad would have had second helpings!

Also in the tart category, I made a Linzertorte.. and a Cranberry Streusel Tart.

Then it was time to turn my attention to pumpkin, but not another pie... I made a pumpkin roulade, with cream cheese filling and a ginger-caramel sauce. No left-overs of this one!

All told, I made seven desserts. We were all very thankful for butter, sugar, flour and eggs, among other things, this Thanksgiving.

Got a Minute?

You really can bake an incredible focaccia in such a short time.... what are you waiting for?

Just imagine the luscious aroma of that olive oil-rich bread wafting through your kitchen... that lovely rosemary, maybe some caramelized onions, a scattering of gorgonzola....YUM!

The dough comes together fast, then rises for an hour or so. You spread it out on a sheet pan, sprinkle on your toppings, and into the oven it goes.

Here's the basic recipe. Add whatever toppings seem right, or knead a few herbs or olives right into the dough.

Focaccia
6 cups flour
2 Tbsp instant yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 ½ cups water, room temp
6 Tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, mix 5 cups flour, instant yeast and salt. Make a well in the center and pour water and 3 Tbsp olive oil into it. Stir to mix, adding flour from the edges of the well until all is incorporated. When mixture begins to hold together, turn it out onto a work surface and knead until you have a smooth, firm dough. You may need to add up to 1 additional cup of flour if the dough is extremely sticky. Form dough into a ball.

Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic or a towel and set in a warm place, free of drafts, until double in size, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a half sheet tray. With the heel of your hand, spread the dough onto the oiled pan. Let rest about 10 minutes, then spread on toppings, along with an additional 3 Tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse salt. Put “dents” all over the dough with your fingertips, being careful not to poke all the way through. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden on both the top and bottom. Let cool briefly and cut into desired shapes.

Yield: ½ sheet

Topping ideas: Chopped fresh rosemary, sautéed red bell peppers, onions and olives, chopped green onions, caramelized onions, gorgonzola cheese, sautéed mushrooms, pancetta, walnuts, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, goat cheese. If using cheese, add in the last 10 minutes of baking. If topping with tomato sauce and cheese, bake foccacia first until golden, then spread on sauce.

the big chill

All the signs are pointing to fall. The mornings are downright chilly... the sunlight has that low-in-the-sky autumn look about it....and in the garden, we've picked most of the tomatoes. I confited the last of them, by simply halving them, placing them cut side up on a sheet tray, drizzling them with olive oil, salt, pepper, some minced garlic...and put them in a very slow 250 oven to roast for a few hours. Heaven by themselves, on a piece of crusty bread, or tossed with hot pasta.

But there's a new star in the garden-- the pumpkins! I think they're my husband's most reliable crop, year after year.

I love the way they grow on bright green vines all summer long.... and in the fall, when it's time to harvest, the vines are all dry and withered and the bright orange globes really stand out.

These are jack-o-lantern pumpkins-- but if you buy a Sugar Pie pumpkin (you can find them at grocery stores or the farmer's market) you can roast them and use them instead of canned pumpkin in any recipe. A 3 pound pumpkin will yield about 3 cups of puree. (You can also freeze the puree.) Just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds (save them to roast later!), and brush some oil or butter on the cut edges. Place it cut side down on a sheet tray in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, until it's tender. Cool it, remove the skin, cut it in chunks and process in your food processor until smooth.

Here's a delicious recipe for a pumpkin bread that I love because it's so full of walnuts!

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 cup water
1 ½ cups Sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat loaf pan with melted butter or pan spray and line with parchment that extends 1” beyond edge of both sides of pan. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices and salt until thoroughly blended. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and water. Add sugar and blend well. Add pumpkin, oil and vanilla and blend well.
Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until blended and smooth. Add walnuts and stir until distributed. Scrape batter into prepared pan and level top.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, until bread is firm to touch and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Yield: 1 loaf
(From The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet adapted by crc)

pomp & circumstance

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Six months and hundreds of pounds of butter, sugar and flour later... the Fall 2009 Professional Pastry Class at Tante Marie's Cooking School celebrated its graduation.

The students had three days to create their final projects, but it was clear how many hours had been spent in the all-important planning stages.

Each student created their own theme and display. There was a cake covered in fondant roses, a croquembouche that would have fit in perfectly at a French wedding, a tart shop, and many different celebration cakes in luscious flavors.

The invited guests sipped champagne and listened as the students described their work... and then it was time to cut into the creations to see if they tasted as good as they looked--and they did!

Congratulations to all my students who worked so hard, and best of luck as you launch your pastry careers!

wedding bells!

My pastry students have worked hard the past five months and here's their reward--Wedding cake week!! I think it's the week that all Pastry students wait for.

My students dove into this project with their usual enthusiasm. For many of them, this was their first experience with fondant, gum paste and royal icing.

They made their cakes in pairs, baking their cakes and making their buttercream during the first class. The second class was spent torting, filling, icing and freezing their cakes.

Guest chef Tracy Auseklis from Buttercream Studio (http://www.thebuttercreamstudio.com/) gave them instruction in creating beautiful gum paste flowers and bows.

Then it was finally the big day-- covering and stacking their cakes, and applying the final decorations.

The students made some beautiful cakes! There was a citrus chiffon, a ginger chocolate, a raspberry mousse... they really got into the royal icing "dots", luster dust... and did some creative banding and flowers.

I think it was a week everyone can be proud of!

a sweet party!

My professional pastry students at Tante Marie's Cooking School are half way through their six month course, so it was time to celebrate with a party!

They created a buffet of sweets, invited their families and friends, and showed off their talents!

Above, a mini hazelnut cupcake with caramel buttercream and a spun sugar garnish. At right, a delicious cookie plate with cornmeal, currant and rosemary cookies, linzer cookies and whole wheat cocoa nib sables.

Everyone loved the coconut frangipane petits four (above) and the raspberry ganache tartlets.

Porcelain spoons with a luscious bite of passion fruit bavarian, white chocolate mousse and chocolate mousse!

Little buttermilk cupcakes with sugared flowers were beautiful....

Mini pavlovas in two flavors. The chocolate pavlova with ginger cream and cherries was a big hit.

There were miniature choux treats, like the Gateau Paris-Brest above,

gorgeous lemon and passion fruit meringue tartlets, and TKOs (Thomas Keller Oreos) and meyer lemon sandwich cookies that I wanted to slip into my purse for a midnight snack!

The students have a two-week vacation (hope they're practicing!) then it's on to laminated doughs!

earth mother

It could be the perfect June day... when I get to go out to my tiny garden and plant lemon verbena.

I had the best tea of my life after a dinner party of cooking teachers at Mary Risley's home in San Francisco. Someone went into Mary's awe-inspiring garden, plucked a handful of lemon verbena leaves, put them in a clear glass teapot and added boiling water. The bright green leaves floating in the water and the herbal, lemony scent and flavor of that tea were memorable!

Or try this amazing ice cream....

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

2 cups cream

2 cups milk

1vanilla bean, halved and scraped

30 lemon verbena leaves, chopped
10 egg yolks (you can use fewer for a less rich ice cream)

1 cup sugar

Heat the cream, milk, vanilla bean and lemon verbena leaves. Let this mixture steep for about 2 hours, or until you love the flavor. Reheat until hot.

In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until well blended. Temper the eggs by whisking some of the hot cream into them, then pour the mixture back into the pot.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Don't boil or let it reach over 180F. Strain into a container and chill until cold.

Pour into ice cream freezer and freeze.

It's so effortless to grow herbs, and takes so little space. A tiny plot in your backyard, a sunny pot on a deck....they are very forgiving. It's so lovely to leave the world of technology and pick a handful of your very own herbs for a delicious salsa verde to drizzle over the grilled chicken for dinner. It's a connection to the earth that we can all have.

sweet perfection

Ahh... the sweet perfection of the madeleine. Just a simple, no-nonsense, buttery little cake. A tiny bit crispy on the outside. Moist and tender on the inside. In a perfect world, they'd be coming out of the oven every day just as you sank down in your easy chair with a cup of tea!

It's so easy to make this recipe your own, by adding zest or cinnamon or caramom... whatever your heart desires!

Madeleines
113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
133 grams (2/3 cup) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Generously butter two 12-mold Madeleine pans and dust with flour.
Melt butter and allow to cool.
Place flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and whisk until blended.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about 5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine
Sift a small amount of flour over the egg mixture and, using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs to lighten it. Sift the rest of the flour over the egg mixture and fold in being sure not to overmix or the batter will deflate.
Whisk a small amount of the egg mixture into the melted butter to lighten it. Then fold in the cooled melted butter in three additions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or several hours, until slightly firm.
Drop a generous tablespoonful of the batter into the center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. (This will result in the classic "humped" appearance of the madeleines.)
Bake the madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly touched. Do not overbake these cookies or they will be dry.
Remove the pans from the oven and rap each pan sharply against a countertop to release the madeleines. Transfer the madeleines, smooth sides down, to wire racks to cool.
When serving dust with confectioners sugar.
Yield: 24 - 3 inch (8 cm) madeleines.

The Good Life

It's nice being a pastry teacher.

That way, when it's 4:00 in the afternoon and you have a hankering for a chocolate souffle, you can just make one.... and tell people you're recipe testing. Two hours later when you're making tuiles, you can pull out that same story and it still works.

You do have to fit a salad in there somewhere... and maybe climb a few trails with your dog or swim a few laps, but it seems worthwhile.

My house is a very popular place for teenage boys after school, because they never know what they'll find.
Sometimes it's a crusty baguette, fresh from the oven and slathered in butter. Othertimes it's nutty financiers. They don't even mind snacking on the scraps when I'm trimming a cake. Their moms are used to getting bags filled with cupcakes or slices of pie.
I usually get pretty good reviews from the 16-year old set... who are good judges of the Yum Factor of a dessert. They encourage me to keep it simple... a good lesson in pastry and in life.

Chocolate Bliss

Truffles are one of those little secrets you can pull out of your sleeve to delight people. They are incredibly easy to make.... can be flavored a zillion different ways... and packaged in a small box or cellophane bag, are a lovely little gift.
Here's a perfect bittersweet chocolate truffle recipe from Alice Medrich. It uses an egg for its silken texture, which is craftily cooked for people who object to eating raw eggs.

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 Tbsp butter, chopped
1 egg yolk, room temp
¼ cup boiling water
1/3 cup cocoa powder

To make truffles, place chocolate and butter in bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Set aside, but leave skillet on low heat.

Place egg yolk in small bowl. Gradually whisk in boiling water. Place bowl in skillet and stir constantly until yolk mixture thickens slightly to the consistency of light cream and registers 160-degrees. Remove and scrape mixture over melted chocolate. Stir gently, just until egg is completely incorporated and mixture is smooth. Pour through strainer into clean bowl. Chill 2 hrs.

To form truffles, sift cocoa into pie plate. Dip melon baller or small spoon into hot water, wipe off water, and scrape across surface of truffle mixture to form a rough 1” ball. Pinch into shape if necessary; these should not be perfectly round. Deposit truffle into cocoa powder, coating it.

Store in refrigerator up to 2 wks or freeze 3 mos.

(from Chocolate Holidays by Alice Medrich)

Just Desserts

Man, it was hot this week for pastry chefs. My poor pastry students battled the elements when San Francisco turned into LA Monday night and boasted 95+ degrees at 6:00pm. They valiently tried to line tart shells with pate sucree... with very little success. It would have been the perfect bread-baking kitchen!

So tonite... when San Francisco returned to its cool, foggy, breezy self... we tackled the tarts once more.

Such lovely results. Students sheeted pounds of sweet pastry.... arranged fresh fruit on frangipane or pastry cream... poured ganache or lemon curd into shells to bake.

Their patience and attention to detail paid off as their creations began to line up in the front kitchen, one by one. Maybe it just takes a slogging-through-the-mud day like Monday to appreciate the beauty of Wednesday's tarts!

A Passion for Gadgets

My father is a mad inventor. He has a passion for gadgets, and the best gadgets of all are the ones he makes himself out of recycled materials found at garage sales.... things with wheels or latches or automatic watering systems. So it came as no surprise when he ordered this hand-cranked apple peeler-corer-and slicer... a really ingenious little gadget. This baby made him a whiz in the kitchen--he could get a dish of sliced apples, sugar and cinnamon in the microwave (ovens are way too slow!) in a matter of minutes! The apple machine was a big hit with the grandkids, too, who loved to see the whole apples magically turn into slices with no pesky seeds!



I, of course, had visions of buttery French tarts when I saw the perfectly sliced apples... the crisp puff pastry and rich almond cream framing a fan of beautiful apples.


I was in heaven when I opened my birthday gift this year and found my very own hand-cranked apple peeler-corer-slicer. Now every time the inspiration hits me, I can whip up an apple tart, cake, or crisp... the slow way, in the oven. And, I admit, I think it's a little bit magic, too.
Thanks, Dad!