Sass & Veracity

Danish Braids: Daring Bakers June Challenge

Call me Murphy because if anything could go wrong, it already has.  You know when you get to the end of a very long post and you see that spinning wheel?  The one that indicates that something's not quite right with your browser?  Yes.  That would be me about 3 minutes ago.  And now I'm supposed to start over because the whole freaking thing is gonzo. *sob*  It all happened when I clicked on that link for the Daring Bakers Blogroll...Can you believe it?

It's 12:46 am, and it's posting day for the Daring Bakers, something I can't wait for each month.  And this month in particular, since I'm one of the hosts, you'd think I'd have things all wrapped up.  I've had Danish Braid on the brain for about three months now, from thinking about choosing the recipe, to choosing it, to testing it, and baking it four different ways...and now it's time to raise the curtain and what do you think?

*crickets...*

My browser quits on me and my post is lost.  Crappity crap crap.  It's kind of like not showing up for your own party.

It's bad enough living in the farthest Southwest corner of the U.S. and always, always, always being the very last to be able to post, counting the minutes until midnight, barely waiting for my time to let it rip.  But have my browser quit on me?  That's just wrong.

Ahhhhh.....I guess I should have written this post a month ago, right?  Set it to fly when the clock hit midnight?  But no.

I've had Italy on my brain along with Danish Braid, because we're leaving in two days.  Two.  So this is my punishment for not being ready.

Nevertheless, it's time to give this another go.  To write again that which has been lost.  Right?

Um, nope.  I have no energy at this point.  Forgive me.

With what little grace I have at this point (like, ZERO?), it is so important to me to say thank you to Ben of What's Cooking? for being my co-host for this month's Daring Baker Challenge.  THANK YOU BEN!   I know Ben would have more dignity than I do right now.  *sigh* Right Ben?

Okay, enough of the melodrama and on with the pastry.

Danish Braid anyone?

This completely fabulous recipe is Sherry Yard's from The Secrets of Baking, and what a lovely recipe it is.  Cardamom, orange, vanilla...and lots of options for making it your own.  If you've ever wondered about whether you could make pastry, this is the recipe for you to try.  But I'm biased. I could have eaten all of it myself.

DANISH BRAID

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients 
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash:  1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1.    Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured  surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again.  Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2.    Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart.  Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3.    Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle.  Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover.  Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling.  This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished.  Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1.    Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.  Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2.    Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.    Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.  The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

DANISH DOUGH                 

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe) 
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
¼ cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine  yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice.  Mix well.  Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth.  You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

BUTTER BLOCK
1.    Combine  butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.  Set aside at room temperature.
2.    After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough  into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick.  The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.  Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.  Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.  Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.  The first turn has now been completed.  Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.    Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface.  The open ends should be to your right and left.  Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.  Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third.  No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4.    Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns.  Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.  Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.  The Danish dough is now ready to be used.  If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it.  To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze.  Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.  Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.  If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid.  (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet.  After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

Notes:

• I made two braids:  one with apple filling, and the other with a combination of strawberry jam & pastry cream.  I took the jam & pastry recipes from the Beatrice Ojakangas recipe for Danish Braid in Baking with Julia.  They are quickly and easily made in the microwave and were very good.
• I also made Danish Envelopes folded two ways.  Each had the apples described above, but also with a filling of 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. demerara, 1/2 egg,  and 1/2 tsp. vanilla well mixed and dolloped onto the apples. I sprinkled chopped pecans over the filling, baked them, and then drizzled dulce de leche over the top.  Mmmm....
• Speaking of those apples -- they're delicious.  This would make a beautiful pie filling or ice cream topping, or...add some nuts and just enjoy. 
• The egg wash for the top of the braid will produce a very brown crust, so be prepared. 
• Absolutely read the recipe several times before you begin.  The recipe is very straight forward unless it's not carefully read.
• Make sure you don't cheat on the 30 minute refrigeration times between turns.  The gluten needs to rest, and the butter to chill.
• If your kitchen is above 80 degrees F, the butter will most likely pose a problem, so make sure all your ingredients are cold to begin with, and if need be, refrigerate when necessary along the way to keep things cold.
• Make sure the "fringe" on the dough for the braid isn't cut too long or the filling will ooze out during the proof time, or even worse, during baking.  Hmmm...did I do this?
• I used green cardamom pods for this -- about 16.  It's time consuming to crack them and grind the seeds, but worth it.  The dough is very aromatic, and the pastry very special.

Please take time to visit the other Daring Bakers to see their sweet and savory, nutty, fruity Danish Braids.  They're amazing, as always, and far more entertaining than I am at this point.

Somebody needs to hose me down.

And here's a quick look at round two with my Danish Envelopes.  To get the rounded ones, I placed them in a Texas style muffin pan and wrapped the corners up over the filling.  Cute little things if I might say so myself.  Wish I had one right now, and I'd drown my sorrows in that yummy pastry.

Look how much nicer my dough was the next time.  All straight and perfect! Such lovely dough to work with. Okay, forget hosing me down.  Just wrap me in this dough, and I'll be happy.

 

Opera Cake: Intensely Apricot

One of the very best things I enjoy about participating in our monthly Daring Baker's challenges is procrastinating until the last possible second spending an entire day in my kitchen -- or as with the case this month -- a couple of days.  Spending a day in my kitchen isn't a rare occurrence, as I do that often, but it's usually trying to juggle all the things I buy that won't fit in my kitchen multitasking with dinner.  Thinking about one recipe, and then indulging myself in all the possibilities makes me completely bonkers giddy.  Bear in mind, this also means, I spend the time in my grungy pajamas comfies.  I head straight for the kitchen.

I'm a serious psycho food nerd.

This month, the Opera Cake made me want to rip my hair out presented some challenges for me with flavor combinations.  It wasn't so much not knowing what the main flavor would be since we were charged with going "light," because this is the time of year when apricots start showing up here.  Those lovely, sun-kissed, orangey-colored pieces of fruit that resemble  an ample derriere. The challenge was more of what goes with apricots, and how not to get carried away adding too many different flavors.  So many choices, so little time.  Sigh.

But have you ever heard of apriums?  Half apricot, half plum.  Go figure.  I saw some at our farmer's market and knew they'd have a place in my Opera Cake.  The question as the month went by was, where, exactly.
I told you they looked like derrieres...

As it turns out, I used fresh apricots, dried California apricots, Swiss apricot preserves, and aprium puree in my Opera Cake. And a touch of Italian marsala...

Apricots, anyone?

Heavenly.  Totally.

This month, in celebration of the Daring Bakers finalizing their divorce from Blogger to wallow in their very own space in the bloggosphere, The Daring Bakers' Kitchen, Lis & Ivonne, the illustrious creators of the Daring Bakers hosted the May challenge.  And the choice was amazing -- one that I'd never heard of before.

The recipe used to create this Opera Cake can be found at Creampuffs in Venice or La Mia Cucina and was influenced by Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle & Timothy Moriarty's Chocolate Passion.  Make sure you give a round of applause when you stop by the Queens of Daring Bakerness, and then if you want a purely calorieless adventure, stroll through the Daring Baker Blogroll.  It's always quite an amazing time.

And guess what?  I'm hosting the June Challenge along with Ben of What's Cookin'?  But you'll have to wait to see what the Daring Bakers create when revealed on June 29th!

In the meantime, here is my "light" version of an Opera cake whose bright and sunny cheerfulness is dedicated to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, Daring Baker Emeritus, and A Taste of Yellow, an event to recognize Livestrong Day. Cheers, Barbara!

Joconde: I made the recipe as written, using two jellyroll pans.  For once, I chose not to use a convection setting, and it did take more than the 5-9 minutes described.  Twelve minutes produced a pleasant joconde, very lightly browned on top. 

• What to work on next time:  Getting the batter evenly spread in the pans.  This was quite the thick batter!  And go back to my convection settings.  All that nice swirling hot air?  I'm hooked. 

Syrup:  After much deliberation, I chose an Italian marsala to flavor this.  The flavor was very pleasant, only hinting of the marsala, and thankfully not tasting like sometimes heavily boozy flavor of rum or brandy that I don't care for but will eat if you force it on me.

• What to try next time:  Amaretto.  I didn't have any and we have a cupboard full of booze we don't drink already...well, except for the tequila. I didn't feel like adding another one to the collection so I could use a tablespoon full once every blue moon.

Buttercream:  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  So heavenly tasting.  Truly!  The biggest challenge is finding that perfect place to position the pan the syrup cooked in to let it dribble down the sides of the mixing bowl.  I've made buttercream and meringue using this technique before, and I have to say this went very well.  No spun sugar effect decorating my whisk this time!  For flavoring, I chose to use whole vanilla bean, and following information I've used in the past for adding fruit purees from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible, I heated, cooled, and strained 1/2 c. of apricot preserves, adding it to the finished buttercream. The preserves were a perfect addition, never even giving the appearance of breaking the buttercream.  The tartness was a perfect compliment, and the color a delicate, pale, well...apricot. 

• What to work on next time:  making a freaking decision for gawd's sake.  I swear.  I am the MOST indecisive person at times.  Oh, and not licking my fingers.  I know there's two cups of buttah in this, but a person's gotta have a vice, right?  This would be it.  I've got 8 miles in for the week so far, so that helps, right?

White Chocolate Ganache/Mousse:  Um.  I was worried about white chocolate overload and was still wallowing in my love affair with apricots, so made a mousse with aprium puree instead of white chocolate while the first segment of the Opera Cake assembly was refrigerating.  I was able to remove my cakes from the fridge, then add the mousse and replace them in the fridge overnight.
    To make the puree, add 2 tablespoons sugar to  2 cups fresh apriums and let sit to macerate, then cook over medium heat until completely soft, about 15 minutes.  When cooled, remov seeds and skins, then  place in food processor to puree. Push through a chinois, removing all pulp to leave a velvety smooth puree. 
    To make the mousse, Add 1/2 tablespoon dissolved gelatin, then in a separate bowl, whip 3/4 cup heavy cream.  Slowly fold the aprium mixture into the cream on low speed.

• What to work on next time:  This is what took so long.  I wanted to use the white chocolate to stabilize the cream, but was worried about adding the apriums to this and could find nothing (five good sources...) to soothe my worries, so chickened out.  The mousse was fabulous under that white chocolate glaze, and perfect to cut the sweetness.  Perfect!  But it needs to be served immediately, as it begins to bulge a bit on the small rounds.  I could have used less mousse, but was experimenting...It didn't seem to be a problem on the larger squares.

Glaze:  At the eleventh hour (like...this morning at 7am?) I succumbed to the white chocolate demons and melted Vahlrona (14 ounces) with 1/2 heavy cream as called for in the recipe.  It went famously well, and I was able to pour the glaze into my four small rounds to pop back into the fridge, then pour a good quantity over each of the small square cakes, and pushing some over the edges to give that oozy goozy drooly effect.  My squares were free form, so drooling white chocolate glaze it was.  I have TONS left over. 

• What to work on next time:  Suck it up and make an apricot mirror for the top.  Now THAT would be amazing.

Additional Features: Apricot Jam to spread on each layer of joconde after the addition of the marsala syrup.  I used a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia for this.  In a 4 or 8 cup measuring cup, place 1 c. packed dried apricots, 1 c. water, and 1 cup sugar.  Microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until apricots have nearly soaked up the water.  Pour into the food processor fitted with the metal blade, then puree.  Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and a splash of marsala.  Cool to room temp, then with a wide knife, heated in a cup of hot water, spread thinly over each layer of joconde.

• What to work on next time: Leave more liquid.  The final mixture becomes very thick -- almost pastelike.  It's easily thinned with more lemon juice or even water, but it's difficult to work with if overheated.  This is such a great way to make a jam that I'm thinking it's perfect for ice cream, or biscuits, or thumbprint cookies.  The flavor is amazingly intense and it's so easy to make.

Assembly:   After measuring 10" squares from each sheet of joconde, I used the two remaining rectangles to cut 12 rounds for 4 small Opera Cakes.  The two squares were each cut into four more squares to have a 4 joconde layer Opera Cake.

Tah Dah!

   

The flavors work so well with one another, the tartness of the mousse so pleasant under the white chocolate glaze, and my favorite part -- the jam made with the dried apricots.  Very, very nice.

The two pieces I "taste tested" for breakfast this morning slid right down. Now, should I freeze the extra small square, or take it down to the middle school?

Black & White Cheesecake Pops

We've reached the end of another month, and you guessed it:  another Daring Baker challenge.  This challenge month has been special because it marks my first year as a member of that lovely group.  One year of fun, and learning about more than just baking:  a year of having the opportunity to get to know some of the nicest people I've met.  Ever.

As far as the learning goes, the challenges are a springboard for me.  Sometimes a technique is featured about which I don't know as much as I should.  Other times,  an opportunity to focus on something that I know I need to work on presents itself -- even if it may not be a challenge for others.  If there is one thing that I do know about myself with respect to cooking, and baking in particular...no, wait...make that life.  There is always something I can learn.  Always. 

It's called attitude.

So welcome to Daring Baker's Challenge number 12 for me:  Cheesecake Pops, hosted by the great team of Deborah of Taste & Tell, and Elle, from Feeding My Enthusiasms.  The original recipe, which can be found here, was created by Jill O'Connor in her cookbook, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.

Cheesecake is my favorite dessert.  Period.  For as long as I can remember, it's been my birthday cake of choice.  Clearly, I know my cheesecake, and since I've tried my hand at quite a few, I'm also familIar with the method often referred to as a bain marie, or water bath.  It can be used both in the oven and on the stove top to surround a dish, often custard, with moisture, cooking it gently.

To create a bain marie, you need two pans:  one large enough to contain a second, with enough room to allow hot water to be poured into the outside pan, surrounding the inside pan about half way up the side.  The size of your pans depends on the size of your oven and the amount of food you are preparing.  To use a bain marie, heat a kettle of water.  The quantity of wanter needed will be dependent on the size of your pans, so it is important to experiment before baking time to find out the quantity of water needed to rise about half way up the side of your cake pan.  On the counter, place the smaller pan in the larger pan and fill the smaller pan with the food you are preparing -- in this case, the cheesecake mixture.  Place both pans on the center rack of a preheated oven.  Push the oven rack most of the way into the oven and then carefully pour the very hot water in the larger pan so as not to splash into the cheesecake mixture.  Slowly push the rack all the way into the oven, being careful to not make "waves" with the hot water. Bake for the required time.

I halved the recipe and my cheesecake cooked at 350 degrees F on a convection setting for 25 minutes.

So what was my particular challenge with this technique?  Well.  Have you ever wondered whether a silicone baking pan would work in a bain marie?  I did.  You're laughing already, right?  I knew I wasn't going to scoop my cheesecake to make the pops.  I wanted to cut squares and diamonds, so needed an easy way to remove the entire cheesecake when finished.  I knew that after cooling, I'd be able to "pop" -- get it?  Pop?  Okay, whatever.  I'd get to pop the cheesecake out of the silicone with no problem.  Plus, my cakepan is square, eliminating waste -- no rounded pieces to mess with!

The other concern with using silicone in general is that it always needs to be on a sturdy surface like a baking pan so that it can be moved easily without dumping the ingredients.  The first time you use silicone, if you haven't thought of this, it's pretty funny.  There's no way you can lift that pan.  You can, however, sort of drag it onto a baking sheet if you have one handy.  How do I know this?  Because I learn certain things the hard way.  Moving right along...Since I'd have the silicone pan in the larger roaster, and was more focused on whether the pan would float or not, I didn't think about removing the pan after it was cooked.  And the water would be scalding hot. 

The silicone cake pan did float at first -- even filled.  But as it cooked, it settled a bit.  Regardless, it wasn't a problem.  The silicone doesn't heat up, so I was able to grab the edges and lift the cooked cheesecake out of the bain marie with no mess and no burns.

Another "challenge" for me this month was thinking about how I'd present my pops.  These cheesecake pops just scream "Kid's Birthday Party!"  All my kids are nearly grown, with the youngest being nearly 16, so a kid's party was out.  And there was no dinner party planned, unfortunately, but we do often have them and I think people would really think these pops are fun -- especially since you can just pick them up and not have to fuss with a plate.  So I enjoyed my planning for that experimenting with squares and diamonds with the theme of a Black & White Ball.  I think if I worked on it more, it could be pretty elegant with all the combinations possible.  I thought of using dragees, but they're not recommended for consumption, so I passed on that one.

 

Here's what I experimented with:

Dark Chocolate (Ghirardelli 60% cacao)

• white non-pareils
• shredded coconut
• shaved white chocolate
• melted white chocolate

White Chocolate (Girardelli)

• chocolate jimmies
• shaved chocolate
• cocoa powder
• melted chocolate

I cut the recipe in half and measured the 9-1/2 x 9-1/2" finished cheesecake so all the pieces would be as similar as possible.  Each square or diamond weighed 2 oz.  I inserted paper sticks into the chilled cheesecake on a flat side for half of the squares, and on the point for the rest before popping the pops into the freezer for about 3-4 hours.

I used the smallest sauce pan possible to melt the chocolate so I'd have enough to dip my square pops into.  After removing them from the dip, I turned the pop to allow the chocolate to begin to harden on the stick before sprinkling non-pareils, or placing the pop into the coconut.

Working with the dark chocolate was not a problem.  I'm fortunate to have chocolate burner on my stove so can leave it directly on the heat, keeping it warm between dips.

Working with the white chocolate was not as easy.  It coated the pops differently, and did not harden as quickly.  Plus, my experimentation with the diamond shaped pops became my greatest challenge.  Two of the sticks broke through the cheesecake and it all crashed into the chocolate.

ARG!  The diamond pops were too heavy to dip into the chocolate with the stick positioned at the point.  I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one, most likely pouring the chocolate over the pop while resting on a baking rack and then turning to coat the back side.  That means quite a bit more chocolate and a bigger mess.

In retrospect, the pops needed a longer freezing time -- at least for the white chocolate.  As far as the coatings went, the cocoa (which was mixed with icing sugar and sifted before coating the white chocolate bars in it) tastes great, but didn't match my theme.  It wasn't dark enough.  Maybe if I'd put it on the dark chocolate, it would have looked better.  The shaved dark chocolate was the same.  I was going for a truffle effect on both of these coatings, and I just didn't like the way they turned out appearance wise.  Picky picky, right?

Another challenge for me was thinking about how I'd present these at a dinner party, and the jury is still out.  I think they need to be propped in something, and I did try that, but clearly I need to think on it more.  Florist supply shops have blocks of green squishy stuff that I think will be perfect.  It can be easily disguised inside a box, or container and then wrapped or filled with raffia to look festive.

All in all, these were very easy to put together, so if you know how you'd like to decorate them, it's a fun way to entertain your adult guests, too.  I'm already thinking of other options, like, caramel and chocolate and nuts...Mmmmm....

Oh, and by the way, they're great for breakfast on a Sunday morning with coffee while blogging!

Don't forget to check out the other Daring Bakers to see what creative ideas they're featuring with Cheesecake Pops.

The Perfect White Layer Cake -- Period.

When I read that we would be digging into one of Dorie Greenspan's cake recipes, I couldn't resist a smile.  And as I read deeper into the recipe and saw the possibilities, I knew I'd enjoy imagining what could be done with this cake, the Perfect Party Cake: pure white, multi-layered, and frosting that hints of whatever I'd like it to...But then a funny thing happened.

I remembered a photo of a white cake covered with coconut and filled with lemon in my mother's old cookbook -- one that I'd imagined for years would be mine and never was.  My heart was broken.  *sniff*   So I knew I'd most likely stick very close to Dorie's recipe.  The idea of the lemon and the coconut was more than I could resist, and I just happened to have some blackberry jam.

I'm not like many of the other Daring Bakers I come across, and goodness knows there are about ten trillion of them in FoodLand now.  I'm always in awe of those who hop to each challenge, making it nearly before the web has cooled from its reveal to our masses.  And some bake their hearts out more than once on a challenge, experimenting and diligently learning.  It's quite admirable.

I usually wait until the last minute.  It's not because I'm not interested.  FAR from true.  I seem to wallow in all the possibilities, imagining what each challenge might bring.  Clearly I'm a process kind of person.  But I'm proud to say that on this challenge, I actually finished the cake more than a week ahead of time and it's been burning a hole in my pocket ever since.  Or something like that.

I would trade my world for a piece of that amazing cake right now.  And I don't just say that about any cake.  This cake was amazing.  Period.  And when I think back on all the Daring Baker challenges I've been a part of in the past year, this was the best.  I loved making this cake.  Okay, so peabody's Strawberry Mirror Cake was a very close second.  But still.

Maybe its wonderfulness was a reminder of childhood.  You know -- the long denied poor child whose mother never made that luscious coconut covered cake in the Betty Crocker cook book whose page I can no longer find because it was possibly drooled  on into oblivion.  Of course, I should mention that she gave in and did make the Baked Alaska once, perhaps as a consolation, and most likely because I'd brow beaten her for years over it all.  But the coconut cake....with lemon filling between the layers.  Mmmmm....

I'll have to ask her why she never made it.  Was it the coconut?  Hmmmm...which finnicky family member may not have liked it and so I was forever denied?

Until now!

So this was my chance.  After all these years, I'd finally get to see what my taste buds would think.  And yes, I do know that after our Lemon Meringue Pie challenge a few months ago, there've been quite a few confessions out there about people not particularly liking lemon.  How sad.

It's such a bright, clean, cheerful flavor.  So fresh.  So...but I do understand, because personally, I've never cared for beets. Ugh.  They're just so...red.  And rooty.  Except when they're yellow.  But they're still rooty.  Ahem.

I know.  You're so over this already and you have 8,000 other blogs to read and all you really want is to see the photos.  You seriously want me to get on with it already.

But it's my birthday!  Well, actually, it's my blog's birthday.  Sass & Veracity was one year old as of March 19th, and so clearly, getting to bake such an amazing cake was perfect!  I can totally tell you're bowled over with enthusiasm on this news.  w00t?  Think of how difficult it was to not post this cake on my bloggoversary.  I was tempted.  Really, I was.  But the thought of the scandal was more than I could bear, posting ahead of the day...I'm such a rule follower.  Well except for the Lemon Meringue Pie challenge when I cheated on the meringue.

Okay, I've blathered long enough.  Credit -- tons of it --  for this fabulous challenge choice goes to Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts.  There seem to be quite a good number of happy bakers in FoodLand about now.  Nice.  If you're interested in the recipe for the Perfect Party Cake, consider purchasing Dorie Greenspan's Baking:  From My Home to Yours. 

And to keep in the spirit of challenge (because this cake was a delight to make) I've decided that since having read that Dorie admires a "neat cook" while skimming blogs one day, I vowed to keep my work area and kitchen clean while I was baking to my heart's content this month just to see if I could.  Although I usually begin in an organized fashion, by the end of whatever I'm cooking, disaster reigns afterwards.

I do have to say in my own defense that we celebrated Easter on Saturday and although I did make the cake on Friday, I prepared the frosting and assembled the cake on the same day I was also baking a whole ham, with all the trimmings of a complete dinner and family arriving at about 2 PM. So please, at this point, notice my clean kitchen.  I promise to show you the disaster at the end.

I also decided to experiment a bit with coconut, since I'm a big fan, and this was my chance.  I was prepared with a bag of sweetened coconut, as well as two fresh coconuts just to see what the possibilities might be.

My Notes about the Perfect Party Cake

• I used the buttermilk because it sounded perfect with the lemon extract.  I love tart things, and was not disappointed.  The lemon flavor was quite subtle and very rewarding.
• I used cake flour as called for and caster, or extra fine sugar because I often do when I bake. 
• I used 8" x 3" pans, and baked the cake at 350 degrees F on a convection setting, spinning the pans at about 20 min. into the cooking time, and removing them from the oven at 26 minutes.
• The layers were fragrant and came easily from the pans after cooling.
• The layers were baked the day before, wrapped in plastic and stored  at room temperature until assembly.
• The layers were sliced in half using a long serrated edge knife

Frosting...

• The frosting was made exactly as the recipe directed (I know this is difficult to believe...), beating for at least 15 minutes.
• Rubbing the sugar with the lemon zest was interesting -- I loved the texture and fragrance.
• There was no separation during the beating, and the outcome was light, surprisingly non-greasy (for the amount of butter in it...)
• I'm not a frosting person, but this frosting is amazing.  Really.  I loved the silkiness, the lightness, the hint of lemon -- very, very good.  And it was so easy to work with which isn't always the case with frosting in general.  It covered the cake quite well, keeping the filling between the layers from oozing out when I least wanted it to.

 

Filling...

• I used blackberry jam covered with frosting as the recipe directected on the bottom and top layer.
• For the center layer, I made my own lemon curd using one of Martha Stewart's recipes, and topped that with a mix of heavy cream, whipped with mascarpone, sweetened with vanilla.
• The lemon curd was made the night before and stored in the fridge.  It was stirred before using to get it to a more spreadable consistency.

Coating...

• After much playing around with fresh coconuts, whacking them with my rolling pin and dropping them on the flagstones on my patio, I deliberated about whether to use a cheese slicer, a mandoline, or my potato peeler to slice the coconut.  Although I tried all three, and sliced the greatest quantity with my mandoline, I ended up liking the potato peeler the most because the coconut curled a bit and was pretty.
• I decided to leave the brown peeling on the coconut because I used to eat it that way when I was a child, so why not?  Besides, I liked the idea of the dark edge on the coconut and thought it would look nice on the cake.
• In the long run, I decided to go with the sweetened coconut on the sides, and the fresh as a garnish on the top.  I enjoyed the rest of the shaved, fresh coconut a few days later as a snack that was quite enjoyable.

Storing & Serving...

• Against Dorie's suggestion, I did have to put the cake in the fridge for a while after assembly.  I knew I'd have to do this because of the lemon curd and the cream.  I chilled it for only a couple of hours, and then took it out about an hour before serving.
• The cake definitely slides without refrigeration as I knew it would, but I had to find out what the combination of flavors would be like, so it was worth using the cream and lemon curd.
• The tartness of the blackberry jam and lemon curd was so lovely with the smooth flavor of the frosting and the crunch of the coconut, it will be a while before I taste a cake this good.
• I covered the cake with plastic wrap and had one more piece the next day before sending it home with one of my older sons so I wouldn't be tempted to eat the rest.

Dorie's Perfect Party Cake was a hit.  My hunkster doesn't like sweetened coconut, but admitted that this was good.  Other family members said they enjoyed it as well, but I didn't have to peel them off the ceiling, so I guess I'll have to live with "okay."  When I asked my hunkster why he didn't like coconut, expecting that he'd say he didn't like the sweetness, he said it was stringy.  Goodness.  Now I've heard everything.

Clean-Up...

It speaks for itself, doesn't it?  Besides, I question organzied creativity.

And don't forget to check out the other Daring Bakers -- nearly 900 strong as they all present this cake today.  It's amazing.

The Day Julia Child Kicked my Butt

Welcome to the latest adventures of one Daring Baker.  This month I took on a challenge posed by bread guru Mary at The Sour Dough and the lovely Sara of I Like to Cook who really put me to task on this one.  Yessirree.  If you'd like to see the recipe, please visit their sites for the study in wonder.  I could think of a much worse way to spend and entire weekend than with the incomparable Julia Child, whom I love with all my foodie heart and sweet soul.

My Dear Julia,

Like so many other foodies in this world, I love you, but I have a a confession to make.  I loved Martha first.  I've thought about this much over the years, and believe that it comes down to my evolution as a cook.  I bought Martha's big books on Entertaining and Weddings, subscribed to her magazine from the very start, watched her television show, and then, well, wanted to BE Martha.  And that's when I really met you.

Julia, you were on Martha's show quite a bit, and along the way, I learned that you authored Mastering the Art of French Cooking and that Martha had worked her way through the entire two volume set, learning from you.  But I have to say...

...Martha's recipe for French Bread can fit on one page in her cookbook.  Yours is struggling to be contained in under 20!  I do have to say, Julia, that writing anything that lengthy in Bloggsville is quite the faux pas.  No one reads it. (This post is Exhibit I)

But I did.  I read your entire recipe for Pain Francais like I was a college student again -- yellow highlighter in hand and a steaming cuppa extra strong French Roast to boot.  And this wasn't the first time I'd read it. 

Remember when I said I wanted to BE Martha?  That was in the early '80s and about the time that your publisher released new editions of both volumes of the French Cooking set, and I bought both.  If Martha could cook her way through your books, then so could I.  But I read first, and in doing that, saw a few recipes that stopped me cold in my hopes and dreams.  I looked at them, blinked, read through the recipe, closed the book, went back to it over and over thinking that there might be a smidgen of an inkling of a slight possibility that I could not make that recipe.  Ever.  One is the Filet de Boeuf en Croute (p. 181, VII) -- on a mere five pages, and the other was your Pain Francais.

And then last April, I became a Daring Baker and have found myself circling your recipe again with a stiff upper lip and a vow to succeed.  And do you know what, Julia?  There was one line in your recipe that caught my eye and it made all the difference from that point on:

It will turn into bread in the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.

Oh, how I now know that AND why the word for bread in French is spelled P.A.I.N.

Read on... 

FRIDAY
7:00 am:  I was going to begin my bread, but hadn't finished some cookies I made, and wanted to post those so blithely put off making Julia's bread one more day.  Big Mistake.  BIG.

SATURDAY
8:00 am :  I was going to get up earlier to begin Julia's bread, but didn't.  So I sat down and wasted time on the Internet the recipe swirling in my head all the while, taunting me...You can't do it.  You can't do it.

9:00 am:  I dawdle around in the kitchen emptying the dishwasher and clearing things off the counter.  You know.  Kind of like when people clear the room when they're going to dance or fight?

9:30 am:  The dough is a simple mix of yeast, flour, water, and salt.  Lots of salt.  And I did have a few detours instantly over the quantity of flour called for by volume as opposed to weight.  I ended up using 1 lb. of flour, noticing that the quantity was 1/4 c. less that the volume requirement.

9:40 am:  I only used one hand, Julia.  Just like you said.  That way, when I began to knead the dough and it began to stick to my hand as I attempted to get it to a stage that it actually resembled bread dough, I could keep adding the flour a sprinkle at a time until I'd added the 1/4 c. that I'd not weighed AND I'd have a certain finger sans sticky dough to wave in the kitchen because already my dough was not cooperating.

And if I keep this up my post will be as long as Julia's recipe and I'll still be writing when the crickets begin to chirp later this evening...

10:00 am:  The dough is snug in the dining room in the very first un-oiled bowl I've ever put bread dough into with a thermometer sitting near it that reads 75 degrees F and a large folded bath towel sitting on top of it to keep it from escaping or something.  It is sunny outside, and it's Southern California for gawdsakes.  There was NO WAY this was going to take 3-5 hours.  No.  Way.

12:00 pm:  The dining room has lost a bit of its earlier warmth, so I moved the bowl to the living room floor in a patch of sunlight giving the dog an eye about even going near it.

3:00 pm:  No way?  Way.  The dough hasn't come close to the place in the bowl it needs to be, Julia.  And yes, I used the right type of bowl.  Yes, I poured the water in the bowl to make sure about where the 10-1/2 cup mark was.  I was only half way there.  FIVE HOURS had gone by.  So I moved the bowl to my bedroom where it's warm because the sun sets on that side of the house, keeping the room quite warm.  I moved the bowl with the towel and the thermometer and acknowledged that I was feeling a big crankiness settling in...

I'm beginning to think that I've somehow acquired another child and am now responsible for its welfare...

5:00 pm:  Finally, I decided to concede and bring the dough down to the kitchen to move along.  I didn't have to "rupture" it because it stuck to the sides of the bowl and I had to peel it away to get it onto the counter to do the whole flipping thing again, but not as much as the first time. I put it back in the bowl for a second rise which was supposed to be 2 hours.

9:00 pm:  Um.  Julia, my dearest one, I thank you for your "delayed action" suggestions, but at the rate my dough was rising, I knew that Hell had probably frozen over and that was why my kitchen was so freaking cold. 

10:30 pm:  I kissed my new dough child goodnight, made sure her towel was snuggly settled over her lest she escape in the night, and went to bed promising myself that I would NOT be as cranky the next day as I had been today.

SUNDAY
7:00 am: I yell at my Hunkster while he's going downstairs, "Don't you DARE lift that towel off that dough and if it's oozing out of the bowl I don't want to know about it."  Needless to say, I had to make my own coffee after that.  Feh.  But when I looked in the bowl, the dough child hadn't quite done her work in the night.

It looked, Julia, like you were seriously working me over.  But I smiled and continued on with the challenge even though I was beyond challenged at this point.  But NOT cranky.  Because you know what?  I remember you said that when I was done, whatever happened, I'd have bread.

So true. 

It didn't matter that even though I lovingly turned my three little boules round and round and round, they weren't exactly perfect looking.  I was their mother and would love them unconditionally.

It didn't matter that they didn't feel like rising in any hurry either, or that they stuck to the nicely floured dish towel.  Or that they really didn't like having their gassy bubbles popped.

Or that they didn't quite make it on to their baking sheets in any way that could be associated with any Art of French Cooking or any other cooking.

So forgive me Julia.  I am humbled in your presence even though I know you are only smiling and would never shake your finger at me or sort of nudge me out of the way like Martha would.

But you were so right.

We had bread that only a mother could love at about 3:00 pm -- about 30 hours after I'd begun your recipe.  And although I'm one who loves to languish in my kitchen, that's a record.

The menfolk -- all four of them -- ate every last bite.  I, on the other hand, was able to enjoy mine by dipping it into a gift from a very good friend -- French olive oil.  I know you said that as much as "bread is always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed itself," but I couldn't help myself. 

Goodness, Julia, you should have tasted it.

Sure, there were some nooks and crannies in the crumb as big as moon craters, but still.  It was mah-vellous, dahling.  Truly. 

Cheers to the wonder that you continue to be in the land of all things food.  I still love you.

Your faithful French Bread flunky,
Kelly

And that, foodie friends and neighbors, is the conclusion of