Mini Bostock and chocolate almond bread pudding (what to do with brioche that didn't turn out the way you thought it would!)

First let me explain. I have a new book (thanks to a Christmas gift card) entitled “French Boulangerie: Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts”. Written by chefs at Ferrandi Paris, it “delves into the world of breads and viennoiserie”. It is chock full of classic techniques for creating breads, laminated pastries and so much more.

One of my projects was a laminated brioche loaf that didn’t turn out as expected. Hence the question - now what?? I certainly didn’t want to waste the end result since it did have a lovely flaky texture and buttery flavor (I used Kerry Gold for this one).

I’m not going to bore you with all the sordid details, but I had adjusted the recipe by portioning the finished dough to fit my longer, narrower loaf pan. The rolling and shaping process was interesting - cutting the rolled out dough into two lengths that were then folded again lengthwise and squiggled up to go into the pan.

Hmmmm . . . . interesting

After the rise it looked like some sort puffy smooshed monster. I was having serious doubts about this.

But . . . . . there may be hope! In spite of its unattractive appearance, once baked and out of the pan, the exterior layers were flaky and tasty!

hmmmmm . . . .

It was the sunken center that got me down.

Time to regroup! My thoughts turned to Bostock which I think of as the brioche version of almond croissants. It’s typically made using leftover brioche which is sliced, imbibed with simple syrup, topped with almond cream, maybe some jam or fruit, sliced almonds and baked. That’s it!

I proceeded to divide my odd loaf in half - one half cut into cubes for my mini version of Bostock and the other half smaller chunks that would become bread pudding (another favorite!)

For the Bostock: toast the cubes in a 325º oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. They can better absorb the simple syrup dunking that comes next. Once dunked, set them on a wire grid over a sheet pan to drip a little.

Now pipe a swirl of almond cream, add a center dollop of jam (cherry-raspberry here) and some crushed sliced almonds on top.

Assembly in process

Ready for the oven

Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes until the almond cream is set and edges golden.

All baked up

Once cooled, give ‘em a light dusting of confectioners sugar, just because. Enjoy as is with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. They keep in a covered container in the fridge for several days and do enjoy a 10 second or so refreshing warm up in the microwave.

Delicious bites of goodness

Next up - bread pudding! I’ve made various iterations of this luscious treat over the years, usually to use up left over croissants, brioche or other enriched bread.

As is true of so many things in the baking and pastry world, the base custard varies from recipe to recipe - could be all cream, half cream/half whole milk, less sugar/more sugar, whole eggs vs yolks or a blend of whole and yolks. You get the picture.

I’ve developed a general ratio for a tasty mixture. Here’s a good base recipe for a chocolate almond version I decided on.

Many recipes call for about a pound of bread cubes. I had ~1/2 pound of brioche to work with so I chose a 8”x8” square ceramic baking dish rather then a larger 2 quart 9”x13” one and halved the base recipe.

For this half custard recipe I used 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 40 g granulated sugar and 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk. Heat dairy and sugar on the stovetop to dissolve the sugar. Have eggs/yolk in a separate bowl. Temper the warm dairy mixture into the eggs, whisk in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract then strain into a pitcher or bowl. If not using right away, refrigerate it up to overnight - just whisk it back together when ready to use it.

Butter the casserole and layer 113 g / 4 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate in the bottom. Top with bread pieces then dollop on blobs of almond cream (around 3-4 ounces total for this half recipe), tucking in between and over the brioche cubes.

Assembling

Ready for the custard

Pour the custard over everything, letting it settle into the nooks and crannies. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Push the bread cubes down every now and then to keep things well soaked.

going into the fridge

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350ºF. Have an empty larger casserole dish ready, into which you can place your bread pudding dish. Fill the larger casserole with hot water about half way up the sides.

Remove the plastic wrap and generously sprinkle raw sugar over the surface.

Sugar sprinkled and ready for the oven

Place carefully into the oven and bake about one hour. Look for puffing, lovely golden color and the custard set.

Lift out of the water bath and place on a wire grid to cool a bit.

Puffed and golden - yum!

Oh so delicious! Served warm (and I admit a bit over the top with butter pecan ice cream, oat crumble and caramel drizzle), Steve and I were in heaven. We shared some with our neighbor Sandy and refrigerated the leftovers which keep well for several days.

And yes, we freely admit to savoring additional portions warmed from the fridge for a lovely winter treat.

Wishing all of you a belated Valentine’s day. Be safe out there.

Quiche

Sometimes I’m amazed at the baking adventures that I HAVEN’T written about. You would think that with my penchant for French-y type bakes, quiche would be at the top of my list.

I’ve made quiche a number of times and have enjoyed some delicious versions in various eateries both locally and on our European travels over the years. Let’s do it!

Some months ago I was tasked with making two quiches for my friend Kim down the road. I decided on a classic Lorraine type version with bacon and Gruyère and a broccoli/cheddar/caramelized onion number. The latter is what I’m highlighting here.

You know how I’m always going on about planning ahead for your baking projects. Well this is one great plan ahead-er. Blind bake your crust and hold it in the freezer for a day or two until you’re ready to fill and bake; make the custard base a day ahead and hold in the fridge; prep filling additions too, like blanching veggies, grating cheese, caramelizing onions. It makes it all so much smoother.

NOTE: I always blind bake the crust for quiche. Nothing is more disappointing than cutting into a piece of quiche and finding a soggy and nearly raw or barely baked bottom. Not cool!

Ready for assembly!

I prefer using my standard pâte brisée for the crust. If you’d like a refresher tutorial on that, check this post out. For savory applications like this, the crust is especially tasty when you sub in spelt and rye flours for some of the all purpose.

As many of you know, I’m a recipe comparer and often take tidbits from similar recipes to make my own version. The base custard filling is one of those, being an amalgam of a quiche recipe in the October, 2018 issue of Saveur and one from the book “Tartine” by Robertson and Prueitt. The one thing that makes it different is the addition of flour to the traditional milk/cream/egg in classic quiche recipes. It enhances the texture, making it more velvet-y.

Here’s my full recipe PDF for quiche Lorraine, including pâte brisée and steps for its preparation as well this broccoli/cheddar filling option + one more.

My blind baked crust is ready (using a deep fluted 9” tart pan as seen above). I blanched a cup of broccoli florets, grated 113 g / 4 ounces cheddar (I like Cabot’s seriously sharp cheddar) and caramelized a pound of sweet onions.

If you’ve made your custard ahead, just re-whisk it before pouring it in. It’s made with one cup whole milk, one cup heavy cream, 4 large eggs + one large yolk, 4 tablespoons all purpose flour, a teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme (or herbs of choice) and a few grates of fresh nutmeg.

Heat your oven to 375ºF. Place your already blind baked crust on a parchment lined sheet pan. Distribute your filling additions evenly over the bottom.

Start of assembly

Carefully pour your custard in, letting it settle into the crevices as you go. Fill to just below the rim. Keep any filling you might have left.

Carefully place the panned up quiche into your heated oven and bake 10-15 minutes. Now, if you have leftover filling, poke a hole in the center of the quiche with a paring knife and slowly pour in the remaining custard. Reduce oven temp to 325ºF and continue to bake an additional 35-40 minutes.

The center should feel firm - look for puffing, light browning and the filling set.

Just out of the oven

Let cool on a wire rack 20-30 minutes to allow the custard to set up before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Since I was making this for someone else, I decided to make a second one for Steve and myself - gotta test the product, don’t ya know.

We enjoyed a slice with a green salad and glass of red. Delicious!

Leftovers keep in the fridge over 2-3 days. Just warm up in a 325º oven for 15 minutes or so. Next day’s breakfast, brunch or lunch here we come!

A tasty light meal!

Create your own favorite combo of goodies for your next quiche and enjoy!

It’s February! What are you making for Valentine’s Day?? Have fun!

Caraway rye rolls

Rye flour has become a more frequently used ingredient for me in recent years, so when Steve requested a caraway rye bread of some sort, we procured a jar of caraway seeds for that very purpose. This is my first bake with those seeds.

After a quick look online I learned that caraway seed is also referred to as Persian cumin and is the fruit of a plant from the same family as fennel, carrots, and anise. Interesting!

The recipe is based on one I found on King Arthur Baking Company’s site. I tweaked it a tad and decided to make rolls instead of a loaf. Once you’re on their site you’ll find all sorts of recipes and indulgences.

Pssssst - there’s a “secret” ingredient - dill pickle juice! Not being a dill pickle eater, I have however enjoyed the flavor the juice can impart from enjoying my mom’s potato salad over the years. Gives it that certain je ne sais quoi.

Mise en place

Rye flour is lower in gluten and the dough made with it tends to be more sticky. I used a combo of Bob’s Red Mill dark rye and the coarser rye flour I bought back in the early summer at Farm Club in Traverse City MI. I talked a bit about that here.

Here’s the recipe. To begin you’ll blend 120 g medium or dark rye flour, 232 ml/one cup lukewarm dill pickle juice (or water), 4 teaspoons granulated sugar and 7 g / 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook to make a very soft batter. Let that rest for 20 minutes to allow the rye flour to absorb some of the liquid.

Just blended - pretty loose

Getting more sludgy

Now add 120 g / 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), 7-14 g / 1-2 tablespoons caraway seeds (I did ~10 g - would go up to 14 next time!), 4 g / 3/4 teaspoon table salt (if using water instead of pickle juice, increase salt to 9 g / 1.5 teaspoons), 290 g / 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour.

Knead the dough on low-medium speed 5-7 minutes until smooth. It will be sticky - don’t add more flour. With lightly oiled hands do a fold set and form into a ball.

Let the dough rise until puffy, 60-90 minutes.

Gently deflate the dough and divide into nine portions (about 85 g or 3 ounces each).

Shape each portion into a rough ball and let rest 20 minutes under lightly oiled film wrap. Then proceed with final shaping, creating nice tight rounds. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Cover with lightly oiled film wrap and let rise 1.5 hours. During winter months I’ll use my turned off oven as a proof box. Place a bowl of warm water on the bottom rack and the tray of rolls above it. Just be sure to take them out before you heat your oven for baking!

Toward the end of the rise heat the oven to 350ºF.

Before popping them into the oven brush with water and make a crosshatch snip into the tops.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Brush the tops with melted butter if desired. Cool and enjoy.

Steve and I enjoyed these a few ways: as tuna salad sandwiches; with a simple slice of cheese; with scrambled egg/chopped greens. The dill pickle juice makes for a wonderful flavor combo with the caraway. Yes.

Enjoy!

Ricciarelli

A classic Sienese almond meringue cookie, these gluten free treats are delicious and straight forward in their preparation. Some say the name comes from the fact that the cookies are shaped to resemble grains of rice (riso in Italian), although I’ve also read it comes from the Italian word riccio which translates to hedgehog. Who knows!?

Historically made for the Christmas holiday season, over time they have become so popular that they can be found year round. Steve and I first discovered them on a trip to Italy back in the late 90s and not only loved their flavor and texture but their shelf life as well.

Made with almond flour, confectioners sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, lemon or orange zest and vanilla and almond extracts, they require just a couple of bowls, a hand mixer with whisk (or stand mixer if you prefer), spatula, bowl scraper and your hands. Have the egg whites at room temperature - they whip better that way.

Here’s the recipe. I use a large bowl to blend together 250 g almond flour, 250 confectioner’s sugar and the zest of one orange (or two lemons, or a mix!). Place 85 g / about 3 large egg whites in a medium bowl along with 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Start whipping on low-medium speed until they get foamy, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract then increase speed and whip to stiff peaks (kind of like that dacquoise I showed you recently).

Stiff peaks!

Now blend the whipped whites into the almond flour/confectioners sugar mix. You’ll be knocking the air out of the meringue - that’s OK. It will be like a paste. Once blended, form a rough oblong and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate over night.

The next day, when ready to proceed, remove the paste from the fridge; dust your work surface generously with confectioner’s sugar and roll the paste into a 5 cm (~2 inch) diameter log.

I made a double batch of paste for an upcoming demo so what you see below are two single quantities of paste. Make sure the log is well coated with confectioner’s sugar.

Slice the log into 12 cm (1 inch) wide discs, continuing to dust with confectioners sugar to prevent sticking. Form each disc into a sort of rice grain shape and place them on parchment lined sheet pans.

Dust with more confectioner’s sugar then set the pan(s) aside and let the cookies dry for 1-2 hours, uncovered and at room temperature.

Heat your oven to 300ºF. They’re ready to bake when you push on the edge with your fingertip and feel some resistance with the paste starting to crack.

Dried

Bake for 5 minutes, increase the oven temp to 350ºF and bake an additional 10 minutes. The cookies should crack during baking, showing golden cracks amongst the powdered sugared surfaces.

Let cool fully on the sheet pans then store in a covered container for up to a week.

Try ‘em, you’ll love ‘em!

French apple cake

I mentioned this cake in passing ONE YEAR ago (!) in one of my update posts. I had baked the first test batch back in autumn of 2023 in preparation for a demo session I did at an assisted living facility - it was a big hit. I’ve made it several times since and added it to my to-do list for the blog. Well here goes! Plus, you’ll have time to make it for your own New Year’s celebration!

Inspired by a recipe in Aleksandra Crapanzano’s book “Gateau”, I did some quick research and found a number of recipes for this rum scented classic French cake. While AC’s ups the ante a bit with adding rum soaked raisins to the batter along with the apples, the bulk of recipes on line follow a simpler approach.

When I did my stages in 2007 at Pâtisserie Pascal Pinaud in Paris’s 5th arr., Golden Delicious apples were the go to for apple tartelettes and apple cakes. They have a lovely flavor and hold up well when baked without getting all mushy. I still like using them but also find Fuji, Granny Smith and Jonagolds great for baking. Of course, one can play around with a mixture of favorites too!

I’ve made the base recipe in a 9” cake pan, two 6” cake pans and silicone muffin type molds (using molds with 3 ounce/85 g wells yields about 14 cakes). Silicone molds don’t require buttering but the pans should be buttered and lined with parchment - I like to butter the parchment and inner sides of the pan and dust with raw sugar. It gives the outer edges a nice hint of crunch. Below is a nine inch pan ready to go.

I add a couple of my favorite spices (coriander and nutmeg) to the batter and dot the top with diced butter and raw sugar sprinkle early in the bake.

Here’s my recipe. Eggs and butter should be at room temperature. In the foreground of the photo below is organic golden cane sugar, a Costco find that I’ve been using as my “house” sugar for awhile now. On the right are my diced butter and raw sugar for the top.

mise en place

I probably sound like a broken record, but the process here is very much like many cake recipes out there. Here’s the recipe again.

Prep your pan. Heat the oven to 350ºF.

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2” cubes.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 130 g / 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, a few grates of fresh nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream 113 g / 4 ounces unsalted butter and 130 g / 2/3 cup cane sugar on medium high about three minutes until light and fluffy.

Blend in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Blend in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 45 ml / 3 tablespoons dark rum.

Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in apples.

Ready to pan up!

Transfer batter into your prepared pan and level the top. Lots of apple chunks goin’ on!

Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and top with diced butter and raw sugar.

Place back into the oven and bake another 30 minutes, checking half way through and rotating the pan 180º. Look for a golden top and a tester coming out clean.

Looks good (and smells good too!)

Let the cake cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before gently turning out onto a cooling grid. If you’re using a springform pan or a removable bottom cake pan like the one above, it’s very easy to release the cake. You can then let it fully cool resting on the pan bottom. Then, once cooled, carefully slide an offset spatula under the cake to separate it from the parchment and place on your desired platter for serving.

I made this for a Thanksgiving family gathering so for transport (and to give it a hint of decor) I set it on a doily topped cardboard cake round and stashed it in a covered cake carrier for the road trip. Simple.

To snazz it up a bit I went with my favorite whipped mascarpone topping, dolloped on and spread into swirls. Whip 56 g / 2 ounces mascarpone with 4 ounces / 1/2 cup heavy cream, a teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons (or to taste) of either confectioners sugar or caramel (my preference here - so good with apple desserts).

A sprinkle of oat crumble sets it off.

Hmmmm . . . good!

As mentioned earlier, I’ve also made these in silicone muffin style molds. I’m a big fan of the mascarpone/oat crumble garnish!

The recipe also works well in two 6” cake pans. If you’re serving just a few people, you can freeze one of them for later. Not a bad deal.

You still have time to make this for your New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day gathering so get into that kitchen of yours and go for it!

Here’s to new adventures in baking and in life for 2025!

French Tarte Faves (FTF) No. 3: dacquoise

Here I am, back with another favorite - dacquoise in all it’s glory. I’ll warn you - this one’s kind of a mouthful with various components, assembly steps etc. But the end result is deelish! And it’s a great make-ahead project.

Dacquoise is a nut meringue made in a similar fashion to the ever popular French macaron. While very versatile for creating all manner of assembled desserts, it’s also delicious baked into petite button-like cookies that can be sandwiched or simply left alone. In fact, the term dacquoise can refer to the meringue base itself OR the assembled/layered dessert.

Here are a few posts on past creations: pistachio berry dacquoise; hazelnut dacquoise tarte; chocolate hazelnut marjolaine; vanilla/chocolate dacquoise.

This time I went with a passion/raspberry/pistachio flavor profile, feeling the dessert would be a good palate refresher after an Asian meal that Steve prepared recently for a group of friends. The idea actually goes way back to my Gracie’s days when I came up with a dacquoise/passion cream/raspberry number for the dessert menu. I won’t even begin to tell you how fussy that assembly was, but, boy oh boy, it was delicious!

The nut meringue dacquoise component is frequently made with almond flour but you can substitute in hazelnut or pistachio flour (or a mix of your favorite ground nuts). This time around I used half blanched almond flour and half ground pistachios.

Plan aheads are: bake the dacquoise a few days ahead/hold in the freezer until ready for assembly; make passion fruit curd and raspberry coulis a day or two before/hold in the fridge; make a basic crumble and hold in the freezer (or use some of your freezer stash); on assembly day whip heavy cream to fold into the passion curd. NOTE: once assembled you can freeze the whole shebang (except for last minute garnishes) too!

Here are the ingredients for the dacquoise base: almond flour, ground pistachios and confectioner’s sugar sifted into the bowl left/front. Then simply whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy, then gradually add the sugar. Once all the sugar is added, increase the mixer speed and whip to stiff peaks.

Dacquoise mise

Nice Stiff peaks

Blend the nut flour/confectioner sugar mix into the whipped whites in three additions then pipe your desired shapes.

I planned to assemble this in my mom’s longer, narrower Mirro loaf pan so I use the pan as a guide, placing it on Silpat and dusting over it with confectioner’s sugar to give myself an outline for piping my dacquoise shapes. I know I’ve shown you this trick before - it’s pretty slick.

I ended up with two rectangles plus a number of cookies for garnish.

Piped and unbaked

Once the dacquoise is baked at 350ºF for about 20 minutes, let it cool then gently release from the Silpat with a small offset spatula. You can freeze the pieces now if you’re not ready for assembly yet.

Next up: passion curd. Through Amazon I ordered Funkin brand passion fruit purée (reportedly popular with bartenders for making cocktails). It stores at cool room temperature - as long as it’s unopened, shelf life is great. Once opened, refrigerate it and use within 10 days. I only needed a portion of the total amount so I poured the extra into ice cube trays and froze them for future use. I do that with freshly squeezed lemon juice too.

Passion curd mise en place

Whisk 2 large eggs and 4 large yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan heat 150 ml / 1/2 cup+2 tablespoons passion purée with 45 ml / 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 150 g / 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I’m using a golden organic cane sugar here). Temper half of the passion mixture into the eggs then return all to the saucepan and cook stirring constantly over low heat until thickened and a couple of bubbles appear (165º-180º).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in 140 g / 10 tablespoons cubed, room temperature unsalted butter. Using an immersion blender makes for a nice creamy end result. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, let cool briefly at room temperature then refrigerate. This keeps in the fridge for up to a week and can be frozen. Here’s the recipe again

The curd recipe makes about 2.5 cups. I needed 360 g / 1.5 cups for this project so I froze the rest.

I often have different berry and other fruit purées in my freezer as well as whole raspberries and blueberries from summer crops. If you happen to have raspberry purée on hand, by all means use it. Otherwise thaw a couple pints of raspberries (or use fresh), smush them and strain out the seeds and add ~10% sugar to the purée to create a coulis. I used 120 g of purée set with 1/2 sheet of gelatin for the middle layer of my assembly. I saved the remaining coulis for garnishing and, if you have any of that left, freeze it for later. You’ll be ready for next time.

Let’s assemble!! Lightly oil or butter the insides of a loaf pan then line it with plastic wrap wide enough to have some hanging over the rim. Press one dacquoise rectangle gently into the bottom of the pan. You may have to trim edges a bit.

Whip 200 g heavy cream, blend it into the 1.5 cups of curd and set the blend by whisking in 1.5 sheets of bloomed, strained and squeezed out gelatin, creating a bavorois.

Use about half of that to cover the bottom dacquoise layer. Let the remainder rest in the fridge.

Pop the whole pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set before covering with the coulis.

Pour the coulis over passion cream and once again place the whole thing in the freezer to set.

Next I topped the berry layer with some pistachio olive oil shortbread crumbs that I had in my freezer. I had made the cookies a while ago and found them tasty but very crumbly so . . . . into the freezer they went for such an occasion as this!

Now carefully cover the crumbs with the remaining passion cream and smooth the top. Place in the freezer to set.

Finally place the second dacquoise rectangle on the top. Fold the plastic wrap edges up over the top and freeze the entire pan. I fully assembled this some days before the dinner event to make the day-of super easy. Plan ahead - my favorite mantra!

On the day you plan to serve, transfer the pan from the freezer to the fridge about 4 hours ahead. A couple of hours later, have a platter or even a simple cutting board at the ready. Gently lift the whole thing from the pan by the plastic wrap edges while it’s still semi-frozen without being rock hard. I find a warm, wet cloth wiped along the outsides of the pan helps it release more easily. Place it on the platter or cutting board, pulling the plastic away from the sides.

Hold it in the fridge where it will continue to thaw but remain cold. It should hold it’s shape.

When ready to serve, slice with a sharp knife (8 slices worked well here), plate and top with a dollop of whipped cream, some raspberry coulis, a few fresh raspberries and a petite dacquoise cookie. Yum.

All plated up

The new year is almost upon us. Take care of yourselves.

Caramel biscuit slices

Hi all! Christmas week is upon us, the winter solstice has passed by and now we can look forward to lengthening daylight in the coming weeks. I love it when the end of January creeps up on us and we realize “Wow it’s not getting dark at 5 pm any more!”

I’m easing back into life and want to share these delicious cookies with you. This Scandinavian recipe is compliments of Brontë Aurell’s book “Brontë at Home - baking from the Scandi Kitchen”. The word biscuit is used in Great Britain and Northern Europe for what we Americans think of as cookies. Tea and biscuits anyone?

One of this recipe’s ingredients is golden syrup which is made from cane sugar. Buuuut . . . . for my trial run I used honey since I didn’t have any of said golden syrup in my larder. That first batch of biscuit slices was a big hit, much enjoyed by those who were around to accept the role of samplers.

I ultimately got my hands on a couple of bottles of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a brand that’s been around a long time and an ingredient that I often see in baking recipes from the Brits and “Scandis”. Made by the British company Tate and Lyle, the story began in 1881 when businessman Abram Lyle built a sugar refinery on the Thames in East London. The golden syrup was a by product of refining sugar cane to create sugar. He started selling it from wooden casks and was soon supplying large quantities to London businesses weekly.

It’s an inverted sugar syrup, the golden end result adding caramel (almost on the verge of being burnt, in a good way) and honey notes to baked goods. It can also withstand higher baking temperatures and helps prevent crystallization.

On to the task at hand! Making the dough is a straight forward process, As a plan ahead step, I like getting it shaped into planks then wrap and fridge (or freeze) them until I’m ready to bake.

Here’s the recipe. For general baking I use unsalted butter such as Challenge or Land O’Lakes, but for cookies I’ve been experimenting with European style butters which contain a higher amount of butter fat. There are a number that I can find locally - Land O’Lakes Extra Creamy (salted or unsalted, black box), Vermont Creamery (salted or unsalted), Danish Creamery (salted - made by Challenge), Kerry Gold (salted and unsalted). So far I’m enjoying the flavors in the cookies I’ve baked with the salted versions, finding that the salt adds a certain je ne sais quoi. If you opt to use salted butter in a recipe that includes salt as an ingredient, simply reduce the recipe amount by half.

I often replace a quarter to a third of a recipe’s all purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, (WWPF) particularly in my shortbread cookies and pâte brisée. Pastry flour is softer with less gluten than all purpose, giving a more tender end result. Plus I like the flavor the whole wheat imparts.

Buuuuuuuut! This year I had a hard time finding Bob’s Red Mill WWPF which is the one I’ve been using for some years now. Luckily I found some at a local specialty market here in Grand Rapids, but sadly I’ve just learned that all of Bob’s pastry flours have been discontinued. Oh man!

Mise en place (FYI - my mise here is for a larger batch of dough than the base recipe)

The dough process is a familiar one - cream butter and sugar (lately I’ve been using golden granulated cane sugar from Costco); add in golden syrup (or honey) and vanilla and blend; mix in flour and baking powder until it all comes together. Here’s the recipe again.

Once the dough comes together, divide it in three portions about 215 g each. To create the dough strips I place them on plastic wrap and get a rough shape going. You’re looking for a final sized strip of approximately 2” wide by 14” long for each portion of dough. Of course you can play around with size variations - I’ve done some where I cut the strips in half lengthwise for nice mini bites. Yummy.

Fold the plastic wrap up around the pre-shaped dough, leaving a bit of room for rolling it to it’s final dimensions. At this point you can proceed with baking or stash your strips in the fridge or freezer for later.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350º and place two strips on a half sheet pan. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.

Bake about 8-10 minutes - you might need a few minutes more. You’re looking for the dough to appear set and golden in color. Remember every oven is different.

Pull the sheet pan and drizzle caramel in squiggles across the surface. Pop the sheet pan back in the oven for 3-4 minutes to set the caramel. Top with finely chopped blanched almonds and pearl sugar if you’d like. I’ve been keeping most of my batches pristine with caramel and sea salt. So good!

Let the strips cool on the sheet pan for 5-10 minutes, then cut into slanted strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. I gently push them apart with a small offset spatula and let them cool fully before enjoying.

They store well in a covered container for several days at room temp or in the freezer for several weeks. Simply take them out and place at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.

Chopped almond/pearl sugar version

I made these for several demo sessions I did for a local seniors group and they were a big hit. Below is a holiday cookie trio of these slices along with ricciarelli (delicious Italian almond meringues) and diamant au chocolat (classic French sablés).

Here’s a plate of the mini versions. One or two are simply perfect with my afternoon cup of coffee.

Give these a try - you’ll love them!

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas, peace, calm and all things bright.

Holiday Light show at nearby Meijer Gardens after a snowfall; Photo courtesy of Connie B.

Mom

February 1929

Remembering Bernice Audrey VanHalsema VandenBerg 8/09/1927-11/15/2024. My caring, smiling, loving mother has left this earth for another place - a heaven that she has been ready to welcome with open arms. Steve and I, my siblings and their spouses and my entire extended family are rejoicing in her life and thankful that the ups and downs she experienced in recent weeks are now behind her.

My baking has taken a back seat over the past couple of months, but I hope to be back in the kitchen and writing of more baking adventures soon.

For those of you in West Michigan/Grand Rapids, I’m putting a pause on offering any baking/pastry classes for the foreseeable future. I wish all of you a joyful and peaceful holiday season.

Rest in peace Mom. Love you.

June 2015

Autumn 2024

Hi everyone! It’s been a number of weeks since my spate of posts in August/early September. While I had hoped I’d have some baking projects to share with you during this my very favorite month of the year, alas, a variety of life events have taken up both Steve’s and my time and attention.

Our October days of late have been pristine, crisp, bright and beautiful with brilliant blue skies and colors that have been late in coming but are now popping out all over. The changing slant of the sun’s rays gives the light an ethereal quality, and the recent full moon only added to the thrill of the natural world we experience.

A bit fuzzy but you get the drift

I’m itching to make a caramel apple tarte to go with the butter pecan or vanilla ice cream that I managed to make with a bit of available kitchen time these past weeks. Now I just have to whip up a fresh batch of pâte brisée and fill it with some of the wonderful Michigan apples we’ve been eating.

Did you know Michigan is in the top three apple producing states in the US? Yes sir!

Here’s just one example of a caramel apple tarte I made for a family supper earlier this year.

Yum!

Anyhoo! I’m plotting out some cookie projects for a couple of upcoming classes. Here’s one I tested back in the summer. It’s a Scandinavian recipe and quite tasty indeed. I’m calling them caramel/almond slices.

I also plan to test out some meringue type recipes using aquafaba (chickpea water) in place of egg whites for a vegan dacquoise/passionfruit/raspberry dessert - hope it turns out.

Meanwhile I hope all of you are enjoying your autumn baking and experimenting with new things. Here’s to sharing more goodies with you in the upcoming weeks.

Take care!

Maple blueberry almond butter teacakes

These craggy, chunky, fruity, crumbly teacakes are delicious! I mentioned them back in a “puttering in the kitchen” update back in August, 2020 when I first gave the recipe a try. I discovered it on the foil lid of a Siggi’s yogurt container and did a couple of different versions then. It calls for almond butter, an ingredient I’d like to use more often. Since I purchased a fresh jar of said butter a few weeks back, I thought it was time to give it another go.

Here’s the recipe and my mise below. Lots going on here but once you have all your ingredients laid out, the prep is very straight forward. Think calm, organized, methodical and you’ll be just fine.

My flour mix is all purpose, almond, spelt and dark rye (or whole wheat pastry) - play around with your own mix. The sweetener is a blend of maple syrup, dark brown sugar and honey in amounts that play down the sweetness. When I first made these, they seemed a bit flat on the taste buds, but once one gets used to the reduced sugar content, the other ingredients offer new found cake enjoyment.

Mise

In a medium bowl blend dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate larger bowl whisk together milk, almond butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, egg, vanilla and yogurt. Whew!

Dry and wet ready to blend

Fold dry ingredients into wet in three additions.

All blended up

Fill your chosen molds about 3/4 full. As many of you know I’m a sucker for Silikomart silicone molds in various shapes and sizes (set them on a wire grid placed in a half sheet pan - better air circulation for even baking). This time I went with one of my newer shapes - a pleasing rounded rectangle of sorts. Press a few blueberries into the tops and cover with streusel.

My streusel topping is made by blending 50 g / 1/4 cup sugar, 100g / 3/4 cup all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry) and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Then sand in 70 g / 5 tablespoons cool, diced unsalted butter to coarse crumbs and stir in 30 g toasted sliced almonds. Give the cakes a generous coverage even though it looks messy. And remember - if you’re making streusel, double or triple or quadruple your batch and stash the extra in the freezer for next time. Nothing like planning ahead.

Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes. Look for a tester to come out clean.

All craggy and crunchy

Let cool in the molds about 10 minutes then release the cakes onto a cooling rack. When baking plain cakes in silicone molds, I simply lift up an edge, tilt and let each cake fall out onto a rack, but when streusel/crumble is involved, it can be a little tricky to get them out of the molds. I pick up a corner, tilt it and gradually push each cake up from the bottom as you ease it out. You’ll lose some streusel in the process but just be gentle and go for it. Finish cooling on racks or sneak one while it’s still a bit warm.

The cake is nicely moist and the blueberries and streusel add just the right combo of flavors and textures. These keep for 2-3 days in a covered container at room temp and also freeze well for several weeks.

Have fun with it!

It’s still summer by the calendar, but we’ve already had a few crisp chilly nights in the 40s. I’m looking forward to the official start of autumn - anyone wish to predict the first frost?

Cheery late summer blooms

French Tarte Faves (FTF) No. 2: pots de crème

OK! My first FT FAVE post was on financiers in early June. Next up - pots de crème!

Custards have been one of my favorite things since as far back as I can remember. Back in the 50s and 60s, as more and more foods became available in “convenient” form, Mom glommed onto Jello brand pudding mixes, making the stovetop-cooked versions which were WAY better than the instant variety that came later. Vanilla still warm, topped with chocolate chips so they got all melty; butterscotch with chopped walnuts; chocolate with mini marshmallows. Oh those were the days. I would always snag one of my sibs portions (thanks Joybell for not liking pudding!) for an extra treat.

As I contemplate which FTFs I’d like to post about, I realize that I’ve covered many of them over the years in some way, shape or form. I see it as my chance to review and share a bit more about them as I update recipes and links (which believe me is no small task!).

This particular topic begs to include a discussion of custards in general but that becomes a bit overwhelming. I did write up a mini primer on custards that will give you a sense of the range that ingredient portions can take and how you can adjust them.

The custards I make most commonly are crème anglaise for ice cream bases; crème pâtissière as filling for profiteroles and tartes (or blending with crème d’amandes for frangipane - think galette des rois) and this post’s (and my!) particular fave, pots de crème. Think Jello pudding a thousand times better.

Briefly: the first two custards mentioned above are stove topped cooked versions, the primary difference being that crème pat (as the Brits call it) contains a thickener like flour or cornstarch (or a blend of both) and is brought to a boil to thicken/cook it. Crème anglaise on the other hand contains only egg yolk, dairy and sugar and is cooked to the nappe stage (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon), not boiled ‘cuz the eggs will cook and curdle. My standard ice cream base is a version of crème anglaise - flavor variations are endless as you can see here.

Even on hot summer days, working in the cooler morning hours, one can whip up pots de crème in a low oven and have them ready for a dessert treat that evening. Even better - they keep for several days in the fridge!

My favorite pots de crème are chocolate, maple, butterscotch, cappuccino and lemon (links are to each recipe).

The header image is the maple version (recipe compliments of Sur La Table) which I adorned with maple walnut shortbread, Chantilly and toasted, chopped walnuts. Love it! Truth be told, the garnishing is half the fun. It doesn’t have to be fancy, no sirree. Fresh berries and a favorite crumble will do the trick.

Petite lemon pots

The steps of preparation are essentially the same for all recipes but I’ll talk a bit about a couple of variations that add that certain something to the end result. I don’t want to bore you with too much detail, but I’ll also provide a few process pictures.

Below is prep for the butterscotch version which starts by making an easy “caramel”: melt 56 g / 2 ounces unsalted butter in a medium saucepan then blend in 200 g / 1 cup brown sugar, one cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste until smooth. That step can be done a bit ahead and the mixture set aside. You’ll blend three more cups of heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt into it and bring it to a simmer on medium heat.

Once I have my dairy/sugar mixture heating up, I separate my eggs as close to the tempering step as possible - that way they don’t sit too long and get shriveled. In this case the yolks are kept separate but note that some recipes have you whisk half of the sugar with the dairy and half with the egg yolks before the tempering step. In that case, whisk the yolk/sugar mixture thoroughly and aggressively until it becomes pale and thicker. If you let yolks and sugar just sit, the sugar can “burn” the yolks and they’ll get all grainy.

Preparing butterscotch pots de crème

When I first made butterscotch pots, I used a mix of 660 ml / 2.75 cups heavy cream and 300 ml / 1.25 cups milk. The end result wasn’t as thick as I like but the flavor was superb. And I saved some of the base, chilled it for a day or two in the fridge then processed into a most delicious ice cream. Yum! NOTE: the recipe link gives you an ALL cream version for pots de crème. If you want to make it into ice cream, use the cream/milk mix.

Butterscotch pots - too loosey goosey for me!

Here’s a lemon version so creamy and tart. The twist here is, rather than replacing a portion of dairy with freshly squeezed lemon juice and adding lemon zest, this one involves reducing a lemon zested simple syrup that is ultimately added to the custard at the end. A nice punch of flavor.

For the syrup you zest a couple of medium to large lemons and rub the zest into 50 g / 1/4 cup sugar; then squeeze yourself 180 ml / 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice and blend it all together.

Mise for lemon simple syrup

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and continue on a low boil to reduce down to 1/2 cup, stirring periodically.

Coming along nicely

Then you’ll follow along with the base recipe, blending in the reduced simple syrup at the end.

I typically bake my pots at 325º F conventional OR 300ºF convection. Both work although total baking times vary.

Carefully fill the ramekins to about 1/4” below the rim.

Ramekins just filled and ready for the oven

Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches half way up the ramekins. No splashing!!

Cover loosely with foil and bake 35-45 minutes. Some pots take longer - I usually check things at about 25 minutes then continue checking until the edges are set and there’s a quarter size jiggly circle in the center. Remember - every oven is different!

Carefully lift the ramekins out of the water bath and place on a wire grid.

Just out of the oven, cooling

Once the custards have cooled to room temperature, chill them in the fridge for several hours. If not serving that day, cover with plastic wrap, keep refrigerated and enjoy over the next several days. So delicious!

I haven’t made the cappuccino version for awhile but looking back over my recipes, I found a note from way back in May of 2010 when I made a batch for a dinner gathering. I wasn’t taking photos of my stuff back then (Steve was my official pastry photographer). I garnished that one with almond nougatine and Chantilly cream. Basically you could add instant espresso powder to any base - hmmmm, should be good in butterscotch or chocolate or maybe even maple.

Chocolate is the flavor I make most often. Check out this post from early pandemic days (6/22/20) where I describe the steps and also create a frozen treat from the same base. Cool!

Enough of all that! I hope I’ve given you an understandable summary and some good recipe variations for you to try. Be creative with your garnishing and have fun with it.

Lemon/chantilly/raspberries with financier on the side

It’s September and baking season is comin’ at ya!

Wild grapes

Citrus olive oil almond flour yogurt cake

Wow! That title is one heck of a mouthful. Here’s another cake quickie with more citrus coming at ya! I’ve shared a couple of other citrus cake beauties with you in recent months - orange and lemon - and this one sort of rounds those out as summer wanes. Soon I’ll be gearing up for autumn with buttery pâte brisée, croissant and puff laminated doughs, nutty/caramel-y tartes and so much more.

While citrus is typically heralded during winter and early spring, the flavors marry so beautifully with summer fruits - lime with strawberry or cherry; lemon with raspberry or blueberry; orange with blackberry come immediately to mind. You’ll find many recipes for things like fruit crisps, jams, fruit sauces or purées that call for a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten flavors. I’m on board.

One lazy warm summer afternoon as I was reviewing recipes from various sources, this one caught my eye. It’s from Aleksandra Crapanzano’s book “Gâteau” which offers a wonderful array of simple classic French cakes. There’s a section specifically focused on yogurt cakes in which she offers some interesting versions and flavor choices. This is one of them. And besides - I had yogurt and some almond flour to use up! It’s a straight forward prep that doesn’t even require a mixer. Nice!

I first wrote about the French approach to a simple yogurt cake here. And you’ll find an orange olive oil cake here - I made this one during the early weeks of the pandemic when I was abuzz with free time and the need to bake.

As is often my wont when making a loaf cake, I use my mom’s longer, narrower Mirro loaf pan which gives a slimmer, less bulky looking end result. I like that. Butter, line with parchment, then butter and raw sugar coat it for that hint of a sugar crunchy edged result.

Here’s the recipe PDF. My mise is below where you can see I decided on a mix of lemon, orange and lime zests which I rubbed into the sugar to release the oils. I’m sure many of you know that trick. Eggs should be at room temp. I use Chobani whole milk plain yogurt and a fruity Italian extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). I’ve been using Mandelin blanched almond flour for several years now - I used to order the 5 lb bag from the company but you can now find it on Amazon. Costco sells 3 pound bags of their Kirkland brand at a decent price too.

All mised up

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, yogurt, sugar/zests, EVOO, vanilla and almond extracts. Blend in almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt then sift in the all purpose flour and blend. Remember - the recipe is here just for you!

Flour is the final addition

I thought I’d try a suggested variation of sprinkling sliced almonds on top before baking, but once I had done that I said to myself “Susan - these babies are going to sink - I should have added them after the cake had started to set”. Guess what - I was right. Down they went! Sometimes our brains tell us something for good reason.

Almonds soon to disappear!

The cake bakes at 350ºF about 40-45 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Even though the almonds sunk, the result was a lovely golden brown with a pleasing aroma of citrus.

Next time I’ll wait about half way through the bake before sprinkling almonds on top. Or, even better, forget the added almonds and check out some serving suggestions below.

No almonds to be seen

Let cool about 10-15 minutes. Rather than lifting it out of the pan, I opted to turn it out so the bottom side ended up top. Looks pretty good to me. I think I see a fleck or two of sunken almonds.

Moist, tender and citrus scented, serve a simple slice with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. For a light dessert, serve with Chantilly, a sprinkle of fresh berries and toasted or candied sliced almonds. Or amp it up a notch and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, warm berry sauce and a crunchy crumble. I think you’ll like it.

I see some almonds!!

Autumn is coming! Yay!

Classic plum torte

Hi again! This one will be a quicky. Just wanted you to know about this if you aren’t already familiar with it. Perfect for fresh summer fruit nestled in a buttery cake. The recipe comes from Marian Burros and was published in the NYT every September from 1983 to 1989. Then readers were so bummed when it went AWOL that the Times makes sure the recipe is easily available for everyone. Play around with different fruits - I shared a peach/blueberry version with you back in an autumn update in 2022. You can add spices, sub in different flours - make it your own.

Here I’m using a mix of red and yellow plums from Nyblad, my favorite fruit vendor at the Fulton Farmers Market here in Grand Rapids. Now’s the time!

All mised up

It couldn’t be simpler and the results are delicious. You can choose an 8”, 9” or 10” pan such as a springform or round cake pan. Some folks double the recipe and bake it in a 9”x13” pan. I like to use my 8” springform - the end result is so pleasing to me. The coriander and ginger are my choices. You could add cinnamon if you’re of a mind.

Here goes. Heat oven to 350ºF. Butter the bottom of your pan, place a round of parchment in the bottom then butter/flour bottom and sides of the pan.

Cream 150 g / 3/4 cup sugar with 113 g / 4 ounces softened unsalted butter. Blend in 130 g / 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour (I do half all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, a pinch of ginger, a pinch of salt and 2 large eggs. Beat well.

Transfer batter to the prepared pan, smooth top and place plum sections skin side up on the batter. Sprinkle top with granulated or turbinado sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coriander and a little lemon juice.

Marian’s original recipe calls for 24 halves of pitted purple plums. I eyeballed it, cut mine into narrower slices and had plenty for my needs. I like the mix of red and yellow skins.

Oooooh boy! Going in . . . .

Bake about one hour. Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes then release the springform ring. I carefully slide a long offset spatula underneath and slide the cake off the parchmented pan bottom. Cool fully on a wire rack.

Enjoy as is or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Chantilly. The cake freezes well for some weeks - be sure it’s well wrapped. Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly at 300º if desired.

More fun coming up - I’m on a roll!

Here’s a natural beauty I’m seeing along my walking route. Enjoy nature - it’s the best.

Elderberry bush

Baking with rye flour: cookies two ways

Hi! The days continue to fly by! It’s been awhile since I’ve posted but I have a few drafts in the hopper on projects I accomplished during the cooler weeks of late spring/summer. I’ve worked on them helter-skelter without giving myself enough time to finish and publish them.

In the coming weeks I hope to share a citrus yogurt olive oil loaf cake, maple blueberry almond butter cakes, a classic plum torte and the second topic in my recently launched FAVE series - pots de crème. Leaning more toward simple and delicious cakes seems more appropriate for warm summer days, especially when fresh local fruits are teeming at the farmers markets. It’s best to leave the laminated dough and flaky pâte brisée for the cooler months.

Summer plum torte

My days are peppered with regular exercising, admiring late summer flowers along the paths, recipe writing and organization, planning for autumn classes through our local school district’s adult enrichment program, looking into a couple of small home improvement projects, hosting family, celebrating birthdays (including Mom’s 97th!) and anniversaries, along with a grand cousins’ reunion to boot. That’s summer for ya!

Classic summer - black eyed susans!

Enough of all that. Let’s talk rye!

On a late spring trip up to Traverse City to met up with friends Patty and Paul, we enjoyed a variety of food and wine adventures. One was a visit to Farm Club, a calming and beautiful spot in the countryside outside TC. A blend of restaurant, brewery, farm gardens and market, it’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a beautiful afternoon no matter the season. We happened to be there over the Memorial Day weekend, enjoying a delicious lunch and taking advantage of a bit of shopping in their eclectic market.

Bags of recently milled rye flour on the shelf caught my eye and so it was that I came home with one of said bags. Although the staff there that day couldn’t give me the particulars as to whether it was dark, medium or light rye, I wanted to see what I might do with it once back in Grand Rapids.

I compared it with the stone ground dark rye from Bob’s Red Mill that I’ve been using for awhile and found it to be a whole grain, coarser grind with bran, germ and endosperm clearly visible.

For some time now I’ve been incorporating rye flour into some of my breads, rolls, tart doughs, puff pastry and cake batters, seeing how it marries with all purpose, whole wheat, spelt and nut flours. So far I enjoy the deeper, nutty taste it imparts. Rye is lower in gluten than wheat flours so the two are often combined to give that just right texture and somewhat earthy flavor that one might be looking for in their baked goods. Plus rye has some nutritional benefits - better control of blood sugar, high dietary fiber, some help with cholesterol reduction and it contains important B-vitamins and certain minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium.

My goal this time around is to share a couple of rye chocolate chunk cookie recipes. The steps are familiar to many since both of these are made very much like a standard chocolate chip cookie.

If you prefer not to scroll through the post (I know I do go on and on sometimes), here’s the link to recipe one using both rye and all purpose flour, chopped chocolate and dried tart cherries; the cookies are toasty blond (header photo) like many chocolate chip cookies. Recipe two uses all rye flour and contains cocoa powder to give the cookies a through and through chocolate look.

First up - this one is based on a recipe from Mokonuts, a cafe/bakery in Paris’ 11th arr. which I learned about from Dorie Greenspan, the prolific cookbook author and Paris guru that I’ve admired for many years. I made these once a while back and have been wanting to revisit them. How about now?!

Mokonuts makes them with dried cranberries but I went with Michigan dried cherries, typically a staple in my baking cupboard. Chocolate chunks and poppy seeds add to the interesting mix. Here’s the recipe with the mise below. A picture says a thousand words.

All mised up

The plan ahead prep includes cubing 140 g / 5 ounces unsalted butter which should be at cool room temp and chopping 113 g / 4 ounces of chocolate. My cherries needed a little pick me up so I soaked them in hot water for a bit then drained them and paper toweled dry. I like my cookies on the small side so I snipped the cherries into smaller bits.

I used a combo of the Bob’s Red Mill dark rye and the Farm Club whole grain rye along with all purpose. Here’s the familiar cookie drill: dry ingredients whisked together in a separate bowl; butter and sugars creamed in the mixer; egg blended in; dry ingredients blended in then add cherries, chocolate and poppy seeds.

For awhile now there’s been a much greater emphasis in the cookie world on refrigerating cookie dough overnight for a more chewy yet crispy end result. That’s the case here. Scoop out your chosen portions and store them in the fridge overnight in a covered container or on a parchment lined sheet pan covered with plastic wrap. You can store them close together then spread them out for baking. I used a 25 g volume scoop for a not too huge end result and my yield was 34 cookies.

The dough should remain cold until ready to bake so get your oven heating to 425ºF and when it’s ready, space your cold dough balls about 2 inches apart and pop ‘em in the oven!

Bake one sheet at a time. If you only have one sheet pan, make sure it’s completely cool and the dough cold before baking the second round. Bake about 10 minutes, remove from the oven and tap the tops lightly with a small spatula. Let them rest a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Et voilà

Yum! Nicely crisp with a center chew and the chocolate/cherry combo is divine. Yes.

As if you haven’t had enough yet, the second recipe is from Brontë Aurell’s book “Brontë at Home”, this one using cocoa powder blended in with the dry ingredients to yield an obviously chocolate end result.

All mised up

For the prep, coarsely chop 100 g / 2/3 cup chocolate - I used my Guittard 61% discs - OR use either milk or dark chocolate chips. Melt 150 g / 11 tablespoons unsalted butter and set aside to cool. Blend dry ingredients (rye flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt) in a separate bowl. I used solely the Farm Club whole grain rye flour for this one. Mise out both brown and granulated sugars in a small bowl. One egg plus one yolk, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract round out the roster. If you prefer, scrape the seeds of one vanilla bean into your dry ingredients. Don’t forget to save that pod!! Let it dry and pop it into a container of granulated sugar.

This dough is wetter than the first and also needs a chill. In this case, wrap it as one in plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. The chilled dough is much easier to scoop out the next day.

I opted for two different sizes, one using my smallest one tablespoon scoop, each weighing in at 15 g. My next size up scoop is slightly less than 2 tablespoons and those weighed in ~ 25 g. I simply wanted to see how each baked up.

Answer - pretty much the same, apart from size. They bake about 8-10 minutes at 375ºF/190ºC. My yield: 18 of the 25 g; 24 of the 15 g. If making all the 25 g size, the yield should be around 33 cookies.

I like these! An interesting whole grain chew with a nutty hint, just the right cocoa-ness and not too sweet. Steve liked ‘em too!

I admit I’d give the cherry chocolate chunk version higher marks but both of these cookies have qualities many will enjoy. While cookies are always best freshly baked, both versions keep in a covered container over 2-3 days. But my go to method is freezing them in ziptop bags and popping a few out when the craving hits. They’re delicious cold!

Enjoy the remaining summer everyone and have fun! Autumn is just around the corner.

Lemon Cake

OK, so I’m on a bit of a cake kick lately. Being a lover of laminated pastry projects, breads, rolls, pizza dough, financiers/teacakes, shortbread cookies, tarts, and ice cream for our home larder (and the occasional order request) throughout the year, I’ve become more and more intrigued by the vast array of cake recipes out there. New cake related books seem to be popping up more and more.

Truth be told, baking full sized straight forward cakes like this one is less work than multiple small cakes, particularly when garnishing is involved, plus they’re great to take to cookouts or family gatherings or share with neighbors. Please NOTE: I’m not talking multi-layer, highly decorated cakes here which I know take a LOT of time and creativity by those who choose to follow that path. Kudos to those artists!

Again inspired by FOOD52’s “Genius Desserts”, this lemon cake is from Maida Heatter and her daughter Toni Evins and is offered up in the cakes section of this wonderful book as one of the “Lazy Cakes”. These are the ones that involve making the batter, spreading it into a prepped pan and baking - no layers, no garnishing or frostings, just cake, brushed with lemon glaze right out of the oven.

Mise en place

The recipe calls for a 9 inch tube pan so I opted for my mom’s angel food cake pan that has been around a looooonng time. I became its keeper when Mom moved to assisted living right before the pandemic.

This cake recipe has been around for many years. Just google “Maida Heatter’s East 62nd Street Lemon Cake” and you’ll find it from many sources. My goal here is to simply share my experience with this one - I’ll outline the ingredients/steps below but you can easily find this recipe online.

One trick that Maida Heatter used in her cakes was in the pan prep - rather than butter/flour, she replaces the flour with fine dry bread crumbs. In my case I went with crushed up plain panko. Using crumbs avoids any flour residue that might be left after baking and also helps the cake release more easily from the pan.

Floured and panko’d

The process is straight forward. Plan a bit ahead - butter (2 sticks) soft, eggs (4) at room temperature and milk (one cup) is OK cool/cold or room temp.

Heat the oven to 350ºF. Prep the pan. You’ll need 3 cups / 350 g SIFTED all purpose flour (weighing vs measuring, sifting or not - now those are separate topics for discussion!) and blend it with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, beat 227 g / 8 ounces / 2 sticks soft, unsalted butter for 2 minutes on medium high until creamy. Add 400 g / 2 cups sugar and beat about 3 minutes until incorporated. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each. It may look curdled. Don’t worry.

Now with the mixer on low, blend in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with 240 ml / 1 cup whole or low-fat milk in two additions. Beat only to incorporate - don’t overdo it.

Scrape the batter into the prepped pan and smooth the top.

Ready for the oven

I place the pan on a parchment lined sheet pan just in case some batter tries to sneak out during baking.

Place into the heated oven and bake about 65 - 70 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out pretty clean with perhaps a few crumbs attached.

During the bake, make the lemon glaze by blending 135 g / 2/3 cup sugar with 80 g / 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Voila! Beautifully golden

Let cool about 5 minutes then place a wire grid cooling rack on top (a bit interesting with the angel food pan!) and flip the cake over onto the rack. Lift off the pan and place the rack/cake on a half sheet pan.

Ready to glaze

Brush the glaze all over the hot cake - it will soak in nicely. Let cool completely.

NIce shine!

It’s best to let the cake sit a few hours to allow the glaze to continue soaking in. The cake stores well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Or slice up any leftovers, wrap and freeze for several weeks.

In my case, I planned to take this to a family gathering so I whipped up some Chantilly cream and made a nice raspberry coulis to drizzle on top. Delicious!

Try this one - I think you’ll like it! Until next time. Ciao.

French Tarte Faves (FTF) No. 1: financiers

This is the launch of an idea I came up with recently - a series of posts entitled “French Tarte Faves” that I hope to pop into the mix every now and then! I bake/make a number of things that never end up as the subject of a blog post, and so I’d like to include some of those treats now and again.

Even though I have posted on this one, I’m going to start with one of my tried and true favorites - financiers. I do mention them periodically in some of my seasonal updates and, in fact, make them so often that I can’t even begin to recall all of the versions Steve and I (and others!) have enjoyed. Check out this post from many moons ago. Back in my Pawtucket shop days, pear ginger was a standard. So good.

The beauty of financier batter is its relative ease of preparation, versatility, wonderful texture and all around deliciousness. Here are a few recent variations you might like to try - or create your own.

As is often the case, a project may be spurred on by various components/ingredients I have on hand from other baking adventures or classes I’ve taught. This time some blueberries and blackberries, lemon curd, dark chocolate ganache, ground hazelnuts, dried apricots and the remainder of a bag of almond flour (before I open a new one!). Once baked, they hold well in the freezer to be plucked out for those times when the urge for a little treat strikes.

I baked several versions on a couple of different days. As usual, I use my silicone molds for these babies - no buttering/flouring. I have a number of shapes and sizes, the first day’s session involving ovals and mini-muffins.

First, here’s a link to my base recipe. Made with egg whites, browned butter, confectioner’s (or granulated or brown) sugar, all purpose flour and almond flour, it’s a straight forward task to prep the batter and refrigerate it until ready to bake off. You should give it at least a 4 hour or so chill, but I usually make the batter a day or two ahead. It will keep for several days so you can choose to bake it as desired, scooping out a portion of batter and adding chosen flavors like citrus zest or spices, dried fruits or chopped chocolate to create your own unique versions. It’s also common in the mignardise world to simply top the batter with a berry or two before baking. Crumble isn’t bad either.

Back to the task at hand. I’ve explained before (I think) how to determine the quantity of what I’ll call “chunky” additives for a batter. Weigh out the finished batter. Take 10-15% of that weight to figure your additive(s). E.g. if you have 500 g batter, blend in 50-75 g of chopped chocolate, dried fruit pieces or toasted chopped nuts.

It’s different for flavor additions like citrus zest, spices and extracts - that’s really more of a learning curve based on trial as well as experience. E.g. with my base recipe I might add the zest of one large orange or two medium lemons or three limes - adjust as you like. I tend to amp up citrus so I might even use more.

OK. For this project I added chopped dark chocolate to half the batter and piped it into my favorite mini-muffin silicone molds. Remember - no buttering necessary!

After baking and cooling I spread a swirl of dark chocolate ganache on top and sprinkled ‘em with chocolate cookie crumbs. Yum.

For the next I added lemon zest to the other half of the batter, piped it into ovals, made a shallow well, piped a dollop of lemon curd in and topped with blueberries..

Once baked, I gave them a light lemon juice/confectioners sugar glaze for that extra special something.

The next duo involved subbing ground toasted hazelnuts for half of the almond flour. When ready to bake, I divided the batter in half and to one half added about 2 tablespoons finely diced crystallized ginger and about 50 g diced, dried apricots that I had soaked in some hot water and a splash of rum to soften them up. Pat the apricots dry before adding to the batter.

My square savarin molds give me a blank canvas for garnishing. I had some lightly spiced peach apricot Swiss meringue buttercream in the freezer from a previous macaron project. A nice swirl is all it takes to dress these up a bit. You could even put a dollop of apricot jam in the well before piping on the buttercream.

How about some garnish?

You could even top ‘em off with some oat crumble or toasted candied pistachios for some added texture.

I piped the remaining half into mini muffin molds and pressed some halved blackberries into the top.

While these are delicious as is, I gave them a nice swirl of orange caramel Swiss meringue buttercream. Mmmm . . . . . good!

These petite cakes are simply delightful, no matter how you make them. What a wonderful way to vary your creations by flavors, seasons, favorite fruits or nuts or . . . . . . You get the idea. Now go make your own version of financiers!

One big bearded iris among giant allium. Love that purple!

Gorgeous rhodedendrons at D&D’s in Massachusetts

Flowering astilbe along our front walk

Orange cake

One of my favorite baking books is “Genius Desserts” written by the FOOD52 folks. I’ve mentioned it on and off in recent years and highly recommend it. I had tagged this cake as one to try - it’s billed as “whole orange cake”, the recipe published years ago in Sunset magazine. From a quick internet search I discovered that Sunset was first published in 1898!! Guess what - it’s still being published and the recipe is on their website.

Not long after I had added it to my baking agenda, lo and behold, over the next week or two, it popped up in my life, seemingly by happenstance. First I came across the same recipe in the NYT and then heard about the experience of making it from a woman attending a baking demo I was giving at a nearby assisted living facility. Kismet I say.

I’ll admit that what really drew me to baking this was the swirly Nordic Ware pan that I’ve had my eye on for awhile now. I kept telling myself “Susan - you don’t need another pan”, but I ordered it anyway. In my defense, the well-worn traditional style bundt pan that I used to have so many years ago is long gone and I had no urge to replace it. After all, I tend to prefer petite teacakes - love those financiers! - rather than large slices.

Buuuuttt . . . . Nordic Ware has been producing some very cool designs over the years and this one caught my eye - so classy without being too ornate. Something about those swirls.

10 Cup Heritage Bundt

While there are some whole orange cake recipes out there that require boiling whole oranges, this one calls for 2 oranges (about a pound), ends cut off but otherwise left unpeeled, then chunked up, seeded and pulsed in a food processor to a somewhat coarse purée. You can do that part ahead and hold it in the fridge until ready to make the batter.

I’ll go through the steps and link you to the recipe here. It is readily available on a number of sites and is certainly not unique to me. Who knows the countless number of folks who have made and enjoyed this cake over the years! Oh! You might notice my navel and cara-cara oranges in the photo below - seemed like a good combo.

As you plan your project, the do-aheads are: butter and flour the pan (or use pan spray), purée the oranges (you’ll portion out 355 g / 1 1/2 cups for the batter and compost or dispose of the rest), have 3 large eggs at room temp and 227 g / 2 sticks unsalted butter at soft room temp. When ready to make the batter, mise out 250 g / 1 1/4 cups sugar, 320 g / 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

You’ll be glazing the cake after baking - whisk together 150 g / 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar and 35 g fresh squeezed OJ. You can always do this during the bake.

Here’s how my purée looked - remember I used a combo of navel and cara-cara.

Heat the oven to 325ºF. Cream the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until lightened and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each fully before adding the next. Blend in the orange purée. Looked a bit like orange cottage cheese.

Hmmmm . . . . interesting look

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend until incorporated and smooth.

Everything blended!

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Ready to bake

Bake about 55 minutes - you want a golden top, firm to the touch and a tester with just a few crumbs clinging. Let cool in the pan about 10 minutes then turn out onto a grid over a pan and cool completely.

One note here - I made sure to butter and flour all the crevices thoroughly even though the pan is billed as non-stick. This cake released from the pan beautifully. One of the frustrations I used to have with the old bundt-form pan I had years ago (a lighter weight knock off) was getting the cake out of the pan without leaving some pieces here and there. Grrrrr . . . . but not any more!

Hmmm . . . maybe I should do a test without buttering the pan - makes me nervous but gotta try it.

Spoon and brush the glaze over the top, into the crevices. I prefer my glaze on the thinner side - gauge the way you like it by starting with less OJ to confectioner’s sugar for a thicker consistency or add additional OJ or even a bit of water for a thinner glaze. Once glazed I pop it back into the oven for 3 minutes or so to set the glaze.

All glazed up

Delicious, moist and tender with just the right amount of orange flavor and a hint of sweetness - a perfect balance.

Steve and I enjoyed a slice with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and some strawberries. Yum. A slice with morning coffee was good too, and the remaining slices went into the freezer for future enjoyment. Yes I would make this again.

I’ll be back with you as the weeks go by. Enjoy!

Paris

Paris - the name says it all. Many of us have been put under it’s spell. We often ask ourselves “what is it about this place?” The answer often eludes us, but we know how we feel when we’re there.

When we travel, we like to think of it as BEING in a place. It’s not a vacation but an adventure in learning and experiencing what that place has to offer. How does day to day living compare to what we’re used to at home? Appreciating the social fabric, how the locals spend their time, eat, work, relax, and relate to each other. That’s what Paris has become for us - it draws us back. Sure it has issues as all places do - homelessness, strife, inequality, citizens wanting change - but there’s a feeling that’s indescribable.

If nothing else, it’s a feast for the eyes and the soul. From histoire to les musées to les monuments to les fleurs, les jardins and les marchés to les arts en general; to the food, les bistros et brasseries, les pâtisseries et boulangeries; to exploring and finally to the simple act of being flaneurs - strolling down previously undiscovered streets, stopping at a café for a coffee or a glass of wine and some people watching.

Strolling in Le Jardin des Plantes

Tulips - Le Jardin des Plantes

I’m writing this after our return to Grand Rapids. It’s good to be back home in a familiar space and the regularity of day to day life.

Steve and I had an interesting reaction as we arrived in Paris this time. We knew, of course, that we were only going to be there for three full days, but, after many nights in hotels, eating out all the time (other than our short stay with friends Richard and Pauline), not having much room in our hotel lodgings to feel like we could relax, sit, enjoy - the minute we arrived at the AirBnB we had rented, we felt like we were home.

The first night’s sky

Paris at this time of year brings beautiful fresh fraises which we took advantage of for our breakfasts in the apartment - yogurt, fresh berries, fresh brewed coffee, toast with delicious French beurre et fromage, le jus d’orange. So good.

Seasonal fruit - les fraises sont arrivées!

Believe it or not, we didn’t enter even one pâtisserie or boulangerie this time around. We certainly enjoyed some window viewing (lèche-vitrine) with so many tasty looking goodies on display, but our primary indulgence came on our first afternoon out and about.

We decided to treat ourselves to a favorite spot on Place Des Vosges. Carette is an elegant cafè that has been around a long time, serving brunch/lunch, afternoon tea/coffee, hot chocolate, pastries, cakes and more. Outdoor seating is available under the portico but we opted to sit inside.

I ordered le fraisier, the classic sponge/mousseline/strawberry layered number that’s so popular during spring. It’s one of the recipes I learned/made during the basic pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu oh those many years ago.

Steve, being a sucker for anything made with choux paste, chose a classic èclair au chocolat. Our coffees were accompanied by a tasty shortbread cookie - right up my alley!

The spread

Fraisier

Not feeling at all rushed to do/see things on this short visit, we enjoyed leisurely mornings and spending afternoons with old (and new!) friends.

We happened to be in Paris over the May Day (1 May - Labor Day)) holiday when many are out enjoying a day off, hanging out in street-side cafés et bistros, handing out bouquets of muguet des bois (lily of the valley) or strolling in the cemeteries. Demonstrations and marches are also de riguer with the focus on workers rights.

Back in 2006 during my pastry schooling days, Steve spent a lot of time in Paris’ cemeteries, photographing and blogging about his discoveries. Marie, a native French teacher-of-English living and working in Paris, contacted him through his blog and they became die hard buddies through their mutual interest and fascination of all things cemetery (particularly Parisian ones!). We met up with Marie at Pére Lachaise, enjoying lunch at a nearby café followed by wandering the avenues et chemins past so much sculpture, history, greenery and flowers - spring had sprung!

photo courtesy of Steve Soper

Strolling in Pére Lachaise - photo courtesy of Steve Soper

Photo courtesy of Steve Soper

The following day we had an agenda. First (after some morning relaxation) - a visit to my favorite store carrying a vast array of baking and pastry needs - Mora. I had a few things in mind such as piping tips and silicone molds that would be easy to pack. Mission accomplished!

Ready to shop! Photo courtesy of Steve Soper

We then sidled over to nearby Detou, another foodie shopping destination full of ingredients the likes of chocolates, nuts, flours, dried fruits, pastes, vanilla and SO much more. And all at much better prices than we might find at home. We did succumb to purchasing a bag of toasted Marcona almonds and one of cashews “for the road”. I would have liked an extra small suitcase to fill with almond and pistachio flours, whole raw pistachios and hazelnuts, Valrhona chocolates and on and on. . . . .

We lost track of time and had to hurry over via metro and by foot to meet up with Jill, that new friend I mentioned earlier. For a bit of back story - some time ago I came upon a blog entitled “Paris Breakfasts” written by American watercolorist Carol Gillott. Through her blog I learned about Jill Colonna, author of the blog “Mad About Macarons” (as well as the book of the same name) and the book “Teatime in Paris”. I subscribed to Jill’s monthly newsletter, enjoying her recipes and her take on what’s going on in Paris, both seasonally and in general.

Jill is Scottish, married to a Corsican Frenchman, living in Paris and very connected to the food world in general. We had emailed a bit back and forth and by luck we were able to find a window of time that we might meet in person. We met in the Marais at Mariage Frères for pots of Earl Grey tea and lively conversation. Cool.

At Mariage frères

Our next stop - Les Antiquaires, a bistro just down the street from Musée d’Orsay where we had 6 pm timed tickets to see the currently running Impressionist exhibition. Again by luck, we found a time window to meet up with friend Val from my LCB pastry school days. Val was my classmate during the basic pastry part of the program and was my savior in the translation department. Having lived and worked in Las Vegas for 5 years some time ago, she speaks English like an American. Thanks Val!

Steve and VAl

And so our Paris time came to an end. Flights home went smoothly and we’re working our way back into some sort of daily rhythm. My walks offer such calm. I leave you with some favorites along the walking path.

Lilacs

Viburnum

Beautiful irises

Happy baking! Until next time.

Desserts in Bordeaux and a bit beyond

Warning! Lots of dessert talk coming up. Trust me, I rarely eat dessert at home.

After spending 10 days in Catalonia, off to Bordeaux we went to meet up with our British friends Richard and Pauline. From the pastry standpoint, canelés are the iconic Bordelaise treat and the company Baillardran the most recognized name for these caramelized mini flans.

I make canelés on occasion and am thinking it’s time to do that again, particularly after tasting them in Bordeaux. Here’s a post I wrote on them quite awhile back. On this trip I learned from our French friend Marie (who attended university in Bordeaux) that one can choose canelés on a scale of 1 to 3: 1 being less baked/lighter in color and thus a less caramel-y, crispy exterior and 3 being most baked with a darker caramel crust of sorts. The interiors will be more soft and custardy with 1 and less so with 3. Get it? This was also confirmed by French friend Valerie who prefers the darker caramelized exterior. To each her own.

I had no idea that canelés are used to create more elaborate desserts. But why not, eh? Below are three different versions of ostensibly the same canelé profiterole dessert experienced at three different eateries - quite a contrast I think.

The first was for Steve and Richard at our hotel - an interesting approach with canelés split in half, topped with ice cream and accompanied by Chantilly and chocolate sauce. They enjoyed it. I wondered about calling them profiteroles . . . when in Rome.

First night’s version

The next evening at Le Bistro de Musée Richard and Steve opted for a similar dessert, this one more polished, with a more professional presentation and tasty to boot.

Second night’s version

I however made the mistake (retrospectively) of ordering a similarly described dessert the following evening at Chai Maestro which in my estimation was over the top portion wise. Fortunately Richard was there to finish what I could not.

Third night’s version

My favorite dessert in Bordeaux was at Le Bistro de Musée. I first experienced a Café Gourmand in Belgium during a trip to visit niece Christina and her family in Lille, France in 2016. Curiously enough, we met up with Richard and Pauline on that trip as well, visiting some of the WWI battlefields in Belgium and northern France.

Cafe gourmand at Markt 38 in Poperinge Belgium, 2016

On another visit to Lille in spring of 2018, we dined with Glen and Christina at a lovely restaurant in the city. Christina and I enjoyed delicious strawberry-pistachio tartelettes served with a vin jaune sorbet. Glen went with the café gourmand - a very broad selection of petite treats.

Café gourmand in Lille, spring 2018

The café gourmand I had in Bordeaux was on a smaller scale than many - right up my alley. Crème brulée (one of my faves), panna cotta/raspberry sauce and a moist apple cake. Perfect!

Café gourmand in Bordeaux, 2024

Training from Bordeaux to Agen and then by car to R&P’s home in Mouchan (near Condom in the Gers département de Gascogne), we spent a couple of days enjoying and appreciating their hospitality. Our visit was short but lovely after spending many nights in hotels.

We happened to be there on a Sunday, a day when many French enjoy a proper Sunday lunch out. We went to an auberge/chambre d’hôte out in the beautiful Gascon countryside where we were presented with the formule for the day. Water/wine already at the table, aperitif, amuse bouche, three courses (starter, plat principal and dessert), coffee and digestif all included (all for 31 euros, about $33). The food - absolutely scrumptious with a depth of flavor hard to be beat. It left us well satisfied without feeling stuffed to the gills.

Here’s where I made an interesting decision. Since I typically don’t order dessert (and rarely eat it at home), I spent a little time debating about ordering one at all. I went for the assiette gourmand, described to me by the staff as small (note I said small) portions of each of the five desserts on the menu. I love tasting, what can I say!

The image below shows you what I was faced with. As an aside, I noted that our table received some interesting looks from other diners (and even the staff) when the dessert was delivered as if to say “is she really going to eat all of that?”.

Ice cream and Chantilly cream played a large role in this assortment, as you can see below. From the left going clockwise: crêpe de noisette wrapped around ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce; apple croustade (my portion seemed to be from a corner of the pan without too much apple); profiterole (ahem - more ice cream); gratinée framboise - custard topped with raspberries and a sprinkle of sugar then run under the broiler. In the center - ice cream, rum sauce, Chantilly cream and some crunchy bits.

Whoa! Are you serious?

Yes, I did taste each one, preferring the gratinée and the apple crostade in terms of textures and flavors. Custard, fruit, flaky pastry - you bet. And yes, I did leave a fair amount on the plate (Richard didn’t even finish it off)! I’ll be more thoughtful if faced with the same decision in the future. Live and learn.

Country side near the Auberge (photo courtesy of Steve Soper)

Up next - Paris!

Pastries and more in Catalonia

Girona specialty - custard filled sugar buns

Hi! I’m writing this during our travel adventure to France and Spain. After flying to Paris and staying for a night, we hopped on the high speed train and headed to Catalonia.

For more details on our trip, check out Steve’s blog too!

We have never visited this part of the world, and I must admit I didn’t quite know what to expect. Not only have we found ancient cathedrals, Roman ruins, the gorgeous aquas and deep blues of the Mediterranean, but plenty of friendly folk ready to help and explain new things. Beautiful flora too!

Our first stop - Girona (about 6.5 hours from Paris by high speed train).

As usual, I/we seek out the local pastries to experience their flavor, texture and uniqueness. In the parts of Europe we’ve enjoyed over the years, we always find the classics like croissants, pain au chocolat, tortes, sablés, choux puffs, turnovers and more. Let’s not forget that the bases of pastry are pretty much the same in many parts of the world. The differences exist in how a particular town/region/country decides to create their own versions.

One of the perks of our lodgings - breakfast included!! I’ll tell you European breakfasts are the best! Tables laden with bread, meats, cheeses, eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit, juices, cereals, granola, an array of pastries and readily available coffee choices the likes of latte, cappuccino, espresso and variations thereof.

Just one part of the breakfast at Hotel Ultonia in Girona

We soon learned about the Girona specialty xuixo (shu-sho) - a custard filled laminated pastry that reminded us of one of our favorite treats in Florence years ago - bomboloni. Similar to what some know as a Berliner or Bismarck or the Jewish sufganiyah or sufganiyot, think yeast raised dough, light and airy, quickly fried and sugar coated, filled with custard or jam/jelly.

Xuixo

I fondly recall childhood memories of eating a similar treat from our small west Michigan town’s bakery. Some of our favorites were what we referred to as jelly donuts along with glazed loaves of raisin bread, lemon filled “sticks”, lovely sweet bun type dough in a long rectangle with lemon filling down the center. Although my tastes have changed over the years, leaning away from overly sweet stuff, an occasional reminder of some of these long ago treats isn’t all bad.

We spent time in Girona, Tarragona and Barcelona and found similar treats at our breakfast buffets. After some “healthy” starters such as whole grain bread, egg, cheese, granola and/or yogurt with fruit, I usually treated myself to a trio of petite goodies, varying my choices each time. Of course these had to be accompanied by the requisite cappuccino.

Girona: raisin swirl, apple cake, chocolate croissant

Tarragona’s lodgings had an even more extensive spread than Girona’s, offering a revolving number of choices for our three breakfasts there.

As an aside, we did lots of walking this trip which justified a bit of indulgence here and there.

Tarragona pastry offerings

This particular morning I sampled walnut braided pastry, palmier and coconut tarte.

Coconut tarte, walnut braid, palmier

Another involved a generous slice of apple torte which I found too sweet and opted not to eat the whole thing. A moist slice of marble cake and a simple, plain sweet bun pastry (referred to as ensaïmada) dusted with powder sugar rounded out the trio.

A quick internet search told me that ensaïmada is a light, airy yeasted bun traditionally from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. It’s made as a typical sweet bun might be with bread flour, water, sugar, egg and yeast but uses pork lard as opposed to butter (which you can substitute if you prefer). It involves a short poolish type preferment, a first bulk rise that can be done in the fridge overnight for flavor enhancement and ease of shaping the following day. Maybe I’ll try it.

Apple torte, marble cake, ensaïmada

So as not to bore you with pastry photos, here are a few images from Tarragona, a beautiful seaside town southwest of Barcelona.

Inside the large indoor market, Mercat Central

Typical hot climate vegetation

Dipping my toes into the mediterranean

From Tarragona we traveled to Barcelona for the end of our Spanish adventure. We enjoyed a number of sites, some tasty (and not so tasty) food and nothing too unique in the pastry world after Girona and Tarragona. We took advantage of a metro pass which got us on busses as well. A modern, well designed, clean and user friendly system. Gotta love it.

View of barcelona’s harbor and the Med

Orange trees abound

Lavender - ahhh the aroma

You’ll think this odd perhaps but one of the most satisfying things in Barcelona was doing laundry! We discovered a small laundromat right around the corner from our hotel, all automated, instructions well signed and easy to operate - didn’t even have to put detergent in - it was dispensed automatically. It held three washers, three dryers, well timed and efficient. Total cost 7 euros, total time about 55 minutes.

Sometimes its the day to day stuff that can lift us up on a dreary, rainy day.

A laundromat from heaven

Coming up - Bordeaux and Paris tidbits.