Fresh Frasiers

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Well actually Fresh Cerise. The cherries looked so good at the grocery story I decided to use them instead of strawberries. It's a pick-your-own fruit kind of dessert.

The only problem with this recipe is that I am still working in my abbreviated kitchen. So no spring-form pan or piping apparatus for me. Just a good old-fashioned 9x13 and a butter knife. But it can be done! And it turned out a little, well, rustic. But that's okay, it was still delicious.

 Chocolate Chiffon Cake:

Ingredients:
3/4 c. + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.
5. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
6. Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
7. Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
10. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Pastry Cream Filling:

Ingredients:
1 cup  whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
3. Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
9. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Simple Syrup:

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.

To Assemble:

Take your cake out of the pan and cut it in half horizontally. I should have taken a picture. You're going to fill it up like a sandwhich. Drizzle half the simple syrup over it

Arrange your fruit around the edges of the pan all pretty-like

Smooth the pastry cream over the top

Put the other half of the cake on top and drizzle the rest of the simple syrup on top

Garnish with extra berries and enjoy

I Miss My Kitchen

We've moved to Florida for three months so my husband can do an internship here. Since I am a stay-at-home mom letting him go alone was simply out of the question. Plus, we're in Orlando. It's awesome. We've gotten a season pass to to Disney World and have been there at least three times a week (although the recent weather has made it interesting).
In any case, we're about halfway done here and I find myself counting down the days I can get back into my kitchen with all my gadgets and dishes that I have come to rely on. I did insist on packing my stand mixer into our little tiny Subaru. It went under my daughters feet for three days. It's ok, she's pretty short.
Aside from that, I am working in a minimalist kitchen.
Here are my resources:
1 frying pan
1 stockpot
1 9x13
1 stand mixer
1 blender (it's summer!! can't live without it)
1 silicon wisk
3 wooden spoons
1 can opener
1 spatula
2 mixing bowls
measuring cups (but not spoons)


Things I miss the most:
 rolling pin
 portioners
 single serving corningware
leftover holding dishes
 rubber spatula
bread pan
cupcake pan

I keep going to make things and then realizing I don't have the tools. Oh well, five more weeks without baking, and then I'll probably go crazy. Watch out friends! There are baked goods headed your way!

Healthy Potato Salad x2

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana! 

I had a fun time with this challenge. I made two different kinds of potato salad, both completely out of my brain. 
The first one was a traditional but low fat potato salad. Most of the time I use mayo instead of yogurt, but this is the stuff I bring to every BBQ I go to over the summer. It's fantastic and tastes even better as leftovers.

My Potato Salad
3-4 lbs potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces but not peeled, boiled until soft (about 15 minutes)
4 hard boiled eggs, cooled
6 - 10 chopped dill pickles
1/2 - 1 thinly sliced red onion 
1/2 cup brown spicy mustard (or whatever mustard is your favorite)
2 heaping tablespoons of plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1) combine mustard, yogurt, the cooked egg yolks, cumin and mix until smooth
2) combine the other ingredients in a large bowl
3) pour sauce over the vegetables and stir to combine.
4) chill and enjoy

*I also make sure to cut some pieces of potato a little smaller than the others so when you mix it up so mashed potato gets mixed into the sauce. It add a little more creaminess without having to add mayonaise.

Tomatillo Ranch Roasted Potato Salad
 3-4 lb potatoes cut into bite sized pieces, not peeled
1 red onion cut into bite sized pieces
1 white onion cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup low/no fat sour cream
4 tomatillos
1/2 package of ranch dressing mix (the powder)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 - 1/2 cilantro
salt and pepper
400 degree oven

1) place the potatoes and the onions on a cookie sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast them in the oven for about 45 minutes
2) boil the tomatillos in water for about 10 minutes until soft
3) Add the tomatillos, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, cilantro and buttermilk to the blender. Blend until smooth

4) let the potatoes and onions cool for a good hour, then place them in a bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Chill and enjoy.

* this would also be excellent with some lovely cotija cheese crumbled on top. 

I hope you're inspired to develop your own variations on potato salad. One I thought would be great is potatoes and pesto and ricotta cheese. Someone should try it. Happy Summertime!