Secret Recipe Club - Pumpkin Whoopie Pies + Mascarpone Filling

Ah, the final Secret Recipe Club of the summer. Next time around, I'll be back in a new and exciting dorm kitchen. Who knows what the future may hold? I'm okay with going back to school. I enjoy my time here, and I enjoy my time there. My mom commented that as I've gotten older, I've grown less restless. It's easy for me to be content with where I am. But not complacent. Let's not get those two confused. But on to the food, shall we? 

 

My assignment for this month was actually my SRC group's leader, Suzanne! Oh man, I hope she likes what I make! Will I get kicked out if she doesn't? Haha, I don't think so, she seems pretty cool. So I'm safe for now! Anyway, I know pumpkin is usually considered a fall flavor, but I do what I want! Cause I'm a rebel. 

This one looked messy, so I ate it instead of bringing it to work, haha.

Who came up with the name Whoopie Pie? Saying it makes me feel silly. So I usually just sort of mumble it and hope people get the gist. But man oh man are they awesome. If you've never had one, it's like a soft, cakey cookie with whatever the heck you want sandwiched in the middle. Like a macaron's less fancy cousin? Maybe. Okay also, and I highly, highly recommend doing this, I made my own mascarpone for the filling. It's so wonderful, and easy, and way cheaper than buying it in the store. I'll include a tutorial after the recipe.

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies + Mascarpone Filling

from Thru the Bugs on My Windshield

1 1/2 c Pumpkin Pie Filling or Puree

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1 whole egg

1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for the filling:

8 oz Mascarpone Cheese

1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mix the pumpkin, syrup, vanilla, ginger, egg, oil, and brown sugar in a big bowl and whisk until everything is smooth and incorporated.

Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour and mix together.

Heat oven to 350ºF and line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease the pans lightly).  Spoon on batter in 2″ (mine were more like 2.5) rounds.

Place in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes.  When they turn a bit brown and crack a little, they’re done! Let them cool completely before filling.

To make the filling...mix everything together. Haha. Using a knife or pastry bag, swirl on some filling to a cookie.  Top with another cookie. If the filling seems a little gooey, place pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to stiffen the filling.

Homemade Mascarpone

from The Pastry Affair 

2 cups heavy cream, pasteurized (but not ultra-pasteurized)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

In a large saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium high heat until a candy thermometer reads 190 degrees F (88 degrees C). The cream should be at a simmer. Be careful not to scorch the bottom! Stir in the lemon juice and continue to heat at 190 degrees F (88 degrees C) for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The cream should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Place a strainer lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth (or a few layers of coffee filters) over an empty bowl. Add the cream, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. Allow the cream to strain out for 8-12 hours, preferably overnight. Discard the whey; I only ended up with a couple tablespoons. When finished straining, transfer the cheese to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Use fresh mascarpone cheese within the week.

 

Merry Christmas - 8 Textured Tiramisu

Merry Christmas, all of you. It's such a joyous season, I feel blessed just to be here. There are so many unique holiday traditions out there, I really appreciate the diversity. My family does the whole Italian seafood thing; it's the one time of year I eat baked clams and lobster - yum. 

I made an extra special dessert as well : 8 Textured Tiramisu from the sadly now defunct blog Almost Bourdain. It's based off of this amazing cake from the Australian restaurant Quay, and it's really a showstopper (you'll see). Oh, and if you're wondering, the 8 "textures" are ladyfingers, zabaglione, vanilla pastry cream, whipped cream, mascarpone, hazelnut praline, grated chocolate, and hot ganache. 

Okay. This tiramisu seems incredibly daunting at first. I promise you, it's not, if you're organized, and I will make sure my directions are. The work really pays off. When it finally came time to present this, I felt so accomplished. Mm. It's a nice feeling. Anyway, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Innocent enough...

 

Whoa...

WHOA!!

Hehe. Cool, right? Merry Christmas guys, you're the coolest. 

8 Textured Tiramisu

from Almost Bourdain (the website has been deleted, aw man!)

DO THIS THE NIGHT BEFORE

Zabaglione Recipe
Ingredients:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract

Method

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

Method

Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.

Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled. 

THE HAZELNUT PRALINE CAN BE MADE AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS YOU'D LIKE 

 

Momofuku's Hazelnut Praline Paste
(Makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients

1/2 cup (70 g) whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
Tiny pinch of kosher salt

Method

Heat the oven to 325F.

Spread out the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 7ish minutes, until they're warmed through and aromatic. Remove from the oven and let cool. Grind them up in the food processor until fine, but not a paste. Don't start making the caramel until this is done.

Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Leave it alone and let it start to caramelize around the edges of the pan before you begin to stir it with a heat proof spatula or wooden spoon. Patiently and attentively shepherd the sugar into a state of delicious caramelization: stir it slowly and constantly, until it's medium amber - like the color of Grade B maple syrup - and is very fluid. Working quickly, pour the caramel into the food processor with the nuts and salt and process until it is a well blended mush. Get it out of the food processor! Put your dishes in the sink and soak them in hot water immediately unless you want to be scrubbing pots for the rest of your life. 

THE DAY OF: 

Okay. You're going to need a springform pan, and a small food ring or can (I used a mandarin orange can and it was perfect) or something. My pan was 9.5 inches (the original was 20 cm, or close to 8 inches) and it turned out fine. Don't use anything bigger). 

To make a chocolate disk : Turn a 9 inch cake pan upside down and place a circle of wax paper on the bottom of the pan. Melt 100 g chocolate and spread it evenly over the wax paper. Put it in the fridge to set and take it out a bit before you're ready to serve the tiramisu.

 PREPARE:

Whipped Cream Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

Method

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside. 

Mascarpone Cream Recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese 

Zabaglione
Vanilla pastry cream
Whipped cream

Method

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

 FINELY GRATE 100g DARK OR MILK CHOCOLATE

BREW A STRONG CUP OF COFFEE OR ESPRESSO AND SET IT ASIDE

Line the outside of the pan with ladyfingers (I ended up needing two packages in total). Take your can, food ring, whatever, and place it in the center of the bottom of the pan. Then line the bottom of the pan with ladyfingers brushed with the coffee or espresso. Sprinkle half the praline mixture and half the grated chocolate on the ladyfingers. Spread half the mascarpone cream on top of this, making sure it's smooth and even. Then repeat this process once more, layering brushed ladyfingers, praline, chocolate and cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SERVE IT, MAKE THIS

Hot Chocolate Ganache Recipe
(Makes about 2/3 cups)

Ingredients

125 g good-quality dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
65 g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
25 ml water

Method
Put the chocolate, butter and water into a medium-sized, heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring the mixture frequently, until the ganache is smooth. (I use a small flat sauce whisk for this, as it gets right into the corners of the pan where the chocolate tends to clump a bit.) The most important thing to keep in mind when you're making ganache is that it mustn't get too hot and boil; if it does, it becomes oily and grainy and there's not much chance of salvaging it. Once it's silky smooth, take it off the heat. Let it cool until it's barely warn and of a thick pouring consistency before using it.
Pour any leftover ganache into an airtight container, seal it tightly and store it in the fridge. When you're ready to use it, gently warm it over very low heat, then let it cool to the right consistency.

Top the tiramisu with the chocolate disk, and slowly pour the ganache over the center until it caves in. Ooh and aah.

The Blackest Forest Cake

I feel there are no signs of me getting my pictures anytime soon. But I'm not going to let that stop me from posting. I'll link to the site where I originally found this...delightful cake. 

I've been dreaming of this cake since I first laid eyes on it. It looked...mysterious, if you can call a cake that. And, totally out of my baking league. But I thought about it for months. I found myself staring longingly at its picture. Longingly. I longed.

These have nothing to do with the cake but they are beautiful. 

When I recently purchased some black cocoa, this cake dream started to become a reality. I made it. It was labor intensive. Also, the most deep, delicious, fragrant chocolate cake I've had in a long time. I'm not a cherry person, so I switched it out for a raspberry reduction. It was a good choice. 

Here's the moment you've all been waiting for...yah!

Oooh. Aaah. Stephanie is an absolute genius. This make made me realize that I'm capable of making nice, pretty things. This summer, I've been given permission by my sister to make all the desserts for her graduation party. And if all goes well, perhaps others will allow me to cater for their events? I can dream, right? 

Recipe recipe time ^_^ 

The Blackest Forest Cake tweaked from Desserts for Breakfast

Blackest Forest Gateau
makes one 2-layer 9" cake. For suggestions on other sizes, see the tips below the recipes.

for black chocolate cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/3 cup black cocoa powder
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tspn salt
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease, flour, and line the bottoms of two 9" round cake pans.  If desired, line the cake pans with bake-even strips.
2. In a mixer bowl, combine sugar, flour, black and Dutch-processed cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Mix to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, vegetable oil, and milk.  Stir to mix.  Then, with the mixer on low, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Mix on low until evenly distributed.
4. Pour the boiling water into the batter and mix on medium low until smooth.
5. Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out cleanly, the cakes are done.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

for dark chocolate ganache:
3 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
2.5 oz. manufacturing or heavy whipping cream
1 Tbspn butter
1 Tbpsn Godiva chocolate liquor, optional

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the cream and butter just until simmering.
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate.  Let sit for a minute or so.
4. Whisk the cream into the chocolate until smooth.  Add the liquor, if using, and mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Spread a thin layer of ganache on top of both of the cooled chocolate cakes.  Let set for at least two hours, or an hour in the refrigerator.

for raspberry filling:
1 cup frozen raspberries
4 Tbspn sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tspn cornstarch, sifted

1. In a nonreactive saucepan, saute the raspberries on medium high until they begin to release their juices.
2. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and sifted cornstarch to the raspberries, making sure to whisk to combine the cornstarch.
3. Stirring constantly, bring the contents to a boil and simmer until the raspberries have reduced and are thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Set aside.

for mascarpone whipped cream:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
4 cups manufacturing cream, or heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Combine the mascarpone cheese and cream in a bowl.  Whip until soft peaks.
2. Add the powdered sugar to the cream, continue whipping just until you reach stiff peaks.  Be careful not to overwhip!  Use immediately.

assembly:
1. Spread a layer of mascarpone whipped cream on the prepared ganache-chocolate cake.
2. Top the whipped cream with the raspberries.
3. Place the next layer of cake on top of the raspberries and whipped cream.
4. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining cream.  Decorate with chocolate shavings, chocolate trees, fresh raspberries, or a dusting of powdered sugar/cocoa powder, if desired.
5. Store in the refrigerator.

To make what I made (2 two layer 4 inch cakes), half the cake and whipped cream recipes, and bake in two 4 inch round pans. Slice the cakes in half, and fill as directed.

It's Beginning to Sort of Resemble Christmas I Guess.

pasta

Home for the holidays! It's weird to like...not have homework. I will take advantage of this new freedom. Prepare yourself for Christmas cookie posts. 

These are not cookies. But they are festive and beautiful. 

It's so nice to be able to sleep and cook and eat until your diaphragm starts pushing on your lungs so you can't breathe and uh...just be a slackeroni in general. On the topic of slackeronis (awesome segue, right?) I made some nice pasta sauce. Gotta reacquaint myself with the home kitchen. 

Even dinosaurs like tomatoes...

I'm thinking I'll make this for my friends for dinner sometime when I get back to school. This sauce is chock full of onions, tomato and mascarpone cheese. Swoon. I could (and sometimes do) eat it by the spoonful. If you don't know mascarpone...it's the stuff that makes tiramisu all creamy and delicious. 'Nuff said. Serve this with some exciting pasta and bread and you're good to go. 

Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

adapted from Jamieoliver.com

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

a bit of fresh, chopped basil

1 onion, chopped

4 oz. mascarpone cheese

salt and pepper

Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a medium sized saucepan, and throw the onions in when the oil gets hot. Crush the garlic and add it to the onions. Add the tomatoes and basil, and let it simmer. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. When you're ready to eat, add the salt, pepper and mascarpone and stir until everything is mixed together smoothly. Add the pasta directly to the sauce. Serve right away, and with a little parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes if you so desire.