Daring Bakers Challenge February 2009 - The Love Of Chocolate

Thank you to Wendy a wmpesblog and Dharm at Dad - Baker and Chef for hosting this month's Daring Baker's Challenge
I have been unable to participate in the last two challenges so it was nice to join in again. This month's challenge was for Valentino cake accompanied by home made ice cream of our choice. I was pleased about this as I have recently purchased an ice cream maker so I was able to put it to good use. The cake was simplicity itself to make. It was supposed to be made in a heart shaped pan for valentines day but I did not have this so it was baked in a spring form round. I made rum and raisin ice cream to go with it and drizzled a little dulce de leche over the cake. I loved the combination of chocolate caramel flavours. I was not sure about the texture of the cake. I followed the instructions to the letter and used a thermometer. I would make it again but I think I would bake it a little longer as I was not keen on the mousse type centre the cake produced. That of course is only my opinion. Longer baking may dry it out too much. It was a good challenge and for all those chocaholics out there this is definitely the cake to make. It uses a huge amount of chocolate. It had me scrabbling around my cupboard as I didn't have as much chocolate as I thought. I used a mixture of milk and plain. I did not use any high cocoa content as
1. I had run out of it and
2. I thought it would make the cake very bitter for my taste.

Recipe comes from 'Sweet Treats' by Chef Wan

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

I made my own ice cream-

Rum and Raisin Ice Cream


3 egg yolks
75gms/3oz caster sugar
225mls/8 fluid oz whole milk
225mls/8fluid oz double/heavy cream
50 gms/2 oz raisins
50 msl/2 fluid oz rum.

Heat the raisins in the rum for a few minutes and leave to cool and absorb the rum.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl
In a saucepan slowly bring the milk to boiling point then pour over the egg mixture beating well.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat gently stirring all the time until it thickens slightly coating the back of a spoon. Do NOT let it boil.
Remove from the heat and allow to get cold
Mix in the cream and rum and raisin mixture and churn according to the manufacturers instruction of your machine.
This makes about one litre of ice cream.

Buttermilk Pancakes

It just wouldn't be Shrove Tuesday without pancakes. Rhyley and I set to after school today. No fancy crepes in this house as they are not much liked. I do buttermilk ones on the griddle. They don't last too long being eaten by the vultures as soon as they are cooked. A dusting of icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice is all that's needed although I confess a liking for the American way with maple syrup.

Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them.

Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration as well as penitence, because it's the last day before Lent.

Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent.

During Lent there are many foods that some Christians - historically and today - would not eat: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.

So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off.

The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour.

Buttermilk Pancakes

These can of course be made with sweet milk and baking powder but somehow they are not the same.

40z/100gms plain flour
pinch salt
1 teasp baking soda
1oz/25gms caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 pint/150mls buttermilk

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth.
Heat the griddle or frying pan over a moderate heat then rub the surface with white fat (not butter as it will burn)
Drop tablespoons of the batter onto the pan spaced well apart.
When they start to go bubbly flip them over with a spatula and cook the other side for a minute or two.
Keep them warm in a tea towel or between two warm plates while you cook the rest. They won't last long mind you.


Makes about twelve

Going To The Sun

My Blog will be lying dormant for the next couple of weeks as we are off on what has become our annual trip to Barbados. The weather is so cold and dark here it will be a relief to feel the heat of the sun on my skin. It is the most wonderful little island. So very worth the nine hour flight. The people are so friendly, the food is wonderful, the beaches are glorious, the sea is warm and the climate perfect. What more could a body ask for. I shall be content for someone else to do the cooking and serve my food to me for two weeks. Absolute heaven. By the time I return I hope the days will have lengthened a bit here and maybe spring will be round the corner.
Happy cooking all and I will look forward to catching up when I return with a suntan, a larger waistline and hopefully lots of energy after the rest

Chilli Cheddar Flatbreads

I wanted to make flat breads but I had it in my head I would like something with a tongue tingling bite. What if I put some chillies in it? At worst I would blow our heads off. I really know very little about the varieties of chillies out there. I see so many mentioned on various blogs. It doesn't help that different parts of the world seem to call them different names. There are literally hundreds of varieties. The only thing I know is the smaller they are the hotter they seem to be. I stuck to the ones I buy in my local supermarket which I think may be red jalapeno peppers but in truth I am not sure. I only know they are not too ferocious. I was sorry I hadn't some green ones just to give a bit of extra colour.
They were very tasty. Not too hot but just a nice bit of heat.

Ingredients

2-3 chilli peppers de seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
( I did this in the food processor)

500gms/18oz Strong white bread flour
1 tablespoon dried active yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
300-400mls warm water
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for glazing
100gms/4oz grated cheddar cheese
1 good teaspoon english mustard powder or made mustard.

Method

Stir the yeast and sugar into 300mls warm water and let it froth up for five minutes

Place the flour in a bowl (I used my stand mixer)
Make a deep well in the flour and pour the yeast mixture in.
Stir some of the flour into the liquid until you get a smooth paste.
Cover and leave for twenty minutes
Add the oil peppers garlic mustard salt and cheese and mix well. If the dough appears a little dry add some more water but just a very little at a time until the dough comes away clean from the side of the bowl.
It is quite a soft dough
Mix thoroughly for a few minutes
Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume
Oil your worktop and hands and pull the dough out onto the work top.
Divide into four and then four again.
Form each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet.
Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise again for half an hour.
While they are rising again pre heat your oven to 200.C/ 180.C fan/400F/Gas 6
Dimple each bread with your finger tips and coat generously with oil
Bake for about 15 minutes until they are a nice golden brown.

No there is no need for fire extinguishers.....................really.

Morrocan Chicken

This delicious and simple recipe comes from the Blog of our dear departed friend Pistachio. She has gone from us but her Blog still remains. There are some wonderful recipes so it is well worth having a wander round.
I have not made very much in the way of middle eastern dishes and am still trying to sort out the lovely aromatic spices used. I need also to master the art of flavouring couscous. This is a very tasty dish. I used chicken thighs as that is what I had. I cooked them first and then added the sauce ingredients to the juices in the pan. I also added some peppadew peppers which added a little warmth without taking away from the flavours. I always have a jar of these in the fridge as I just love them. Really nice on a salad too.

Ingredients

500g/Approx 1lb chicken fillet, cut into 2cm dice
4 tbsp (Aus. 20ml) flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp sumac
4 tbsp sultanas
250ml chicken stock
50g/2oz toasted pine nuts
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
Serve with couscous, greek yoghurt and Lebanese bread.

Method

Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour.
Heat 40ml of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until hot, then cook the chicken in batches until golden and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan.
Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until golden and softened.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the spices, sultanas and stock.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes until heated through and thickened slightly.
Stir in the pine nuts, coriander and lemon juice.

Serve with couscous, yoghurt, bread and lemon.

Keeping Tea Cosy For Breast Cancer

No you are not seeing things. These wonderful ladies from New South Wales ARE wearing tea cosies on their heads. It's all part of a drive to raise lots and lots of money for breast cancer. The idea is to knit make or create wild tea cosies which will be sold in aid of this very worthy charity.
They are members of the Country Women's Association and there are only twenty two of them so this is a huge project for them. If you would like to join in from anywhere in the world you will find the details here. Pictures of your tea cosy will be published and there is a prize too.

Come on you cooking ladies. I know you can create lots of stuff outside the kitchen too and it looks so much fun.

Chocolate Amaretti Cake

I have a love of all things Italian. From the food to the language to the opera and of course to the gorgeous shoes and bags that come from there. I don't know why this should be. I have no Italian blood in my family and have only been there once. I took my mother to Rome years ago. I have always meant to go back but as yet have not made it. My father was stationed in Rome during the second world war. I don't know if looking at his photos as a young child triggered off this love affair with Italy but it is there for whatever reason. I found the recipe for this wonderful cake in Rachel Allen's 'Food For Living'. She says she was served a slice of this with a glass of Amaretti while in Italy. Gorgeous almond flavours mixed with orange and chocolate. Absolute heaven. During Roman times, almonds were considered a fertility charm, and newly-weds would be showered with almonds during weddings. There have been documented findings that nutmeats and dried fruits were treated as delicacies of this time, because the cultivation of these foods was not as prevalent as today. Imagine the value of something as small as a nut being a cherished gift for so many centuries! Back to the cake. It is dense and moist with a crunchy top and keeps extremely well. This makes it a great dessert for a dinner party as it can be made in advance. I imagine it would also be lovely served with some berries and /or cream on the side. Perfect. The plate it is served on came from Italy as a gift from a dear forum friend, Carlotta. It seemed appropriate to serve this gorgeous cake on such a lovely platter.

Serves 8-12

150g good dark chocolate (at least 55% cocoa solids, preferably 70%)
50g amaretti biscuits
100g flaked almonds, chopped
175g caster sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
100g butter, cubed
4 eggs, beaten
Cocoa powder or icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Line the base of a 20cm-diameter springform tin with greaseproof paper and butter the sides.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water.

Place the amaretti biscuits, almonds, sugar and orange zest in a food processor, then whizz until the biscuits and almonds are almost finely ground – I like to leave them a bit gritty. Add the butter and eggs, whizz until blended, then add the melted chocolate and briefly whizz again until well combined.

Pour into the prepared tin and pop straight in the oven. Cook for 35 minutes until the cake is puffed and slightly cracked around the edges. Remove and leave to sit for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a plate. The top is quite crisp, and cracks easily, so I dust it with lots of icing sugar or cocoa powder before serving, to hide any imperfections.

Notes: I did find this cake to a little longer to bake than the specified time. I suggest the use of a skewer. It is sticky in the middle so don't over cook.

I used ground almonds as that is what I had.