Lindser Tart

Dough for the tart crust

Spreading raspberry puree filling

Final product once baked

Serves 6ea

Ingredients

Butter 1.8lb

Sugar 1.2oz

Eggs 3ea

Cake Crumbs 4oz

Cake flour 1lb14oz

Cinamon powder 1/2oz

Baking soda 1/2oz

Hazelnut powder 12oz

Raspberry puree 2lb

Method

• In a bowl mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar.
• Once it has formed a nice creamy paste add the cake crumbs, cake flour, baking soda, hazelnut powder and cinamon powder.
• Once it has totally incorported add in the eggs and mix it throughly.
• The dough will be ready for making tarts.
• Organize the tart mold six each and a rolling pin,.
• Divide the dough into six equal portions.
• Dust the table with little amount of cake flour and roll the dough flat about 1/2 inch thickness (do not excess pressure as the dough will stick to the rolling pin).
• Roll the dough back on the rolling pin and gently place on top of the tart.
• Insert the dough into the tart gently making sure not to break the dough.
• Trim off excess dough from the sides of the tart mold.
• Spread the raspberry puree 25oz each over the bottom of the tart.
• Cut strips of the dough and arrange it in a criss cross design or any design of your choice.
• Place it a pre-heated oven at 450*F for 15 minutes or until done.

Cake Decoration series

Music theme cake

Wedding cake 1

Kids play cake 1

Banquet style cake

Wedding cake 2

Spring cake

Beach cake

Kids play cake 2

Wedding cake 3

Wedding cake 4

Wedding Cake 5

Wedding cake 6

Beach party cake 2

Wedding cake 7

These are some of the creations from the future patessiers of the world. These show pieces were created by students of the Culinary Institute of America. They were given themes that need to reflected in the cakes that they make. There are competations held by the student bodies to encourage bringing out the hidden talent in the students at this prestigeous college.

Crep Raisin Bread

Crep Raisin Bread dough
Crep Raisin bread after baking

As promised i have here the second recipe for the unique bread that i was talking about in my last post. It is great to enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread. Being a raisn bread it has a sweet fragnance when you bake these breads.

Ingredients

Bread flour 6.2lb

Rye four 2.4lb

Rye sour dough 7.5oz

Sugar 10oz

Salt 2.5oz

Milk 5pint

Yeast 5oz

Butter 18oz

Raisin 2lb

Pecan/Walnuts 2lb

Method

• Pass the flour dough, rye flour though a fine mesh
• Add the sugar salt and yeast to the flour and mix it thoroughly (make sure that the salt goes in first and mix it to the flour before adding yeast, as yeast will not raise if salt is added over the yeast. As salt can kill the yeast)
• Place in the mixing bowl and add the butter let bind and then add the milk and the rye sour dough.
• Once it is mixed throughly add in the raisin and the nuts and mix it.
• Devide into 1lb torpedo shapes and bake it in the oven at 350*F
  
  

Chocolate cherry bread

Chocolate cherry bread dough

Chocolate Cherry bread after baking

This is one of the two different bread recipes that i would like to introduce to you. The two breads recipes that i am going to bring to you have unique flavor and has a texture and taste that is not found in other breads.

Ingredients:

Bread flour 2.5lb

White sour dough (mother dough) 1.5lb

Water 1.5lb

Coco powder sifted 6oz

Salt 1.25oz

Yeast 1.5oz

Coffee powder 2oz

Pre-fermented dough 1lb

Chocolate chips 1lb

Dried cherries 1lb

Method

• Before you can start off with this recipe we need to have mother dough which is pre-fermented dough that has been fed for 1 day with 1.5lb bread flour, pinch of yeast and water.
• Once we have the pre-fermented and mother dough, sift the coco powder, bread flour and coffee powder through a fine mesh.
• Mix the pre-fermented and mother dough together in a mixing bowl and add in the sifted ingredients into the bowl.
• Add water to the mixture (luke warm water) to activate the yeast and the gluten in the flour.
• Finally add in the chocolate chips and dried cherries into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Let rest for the yeast to develop in the bread. (the process that is going on inside the dough is the sugars feed the yeast and produces co2 gases and this gives the dough volume)
• Bake it in a pre-heated oven at 400*F

Cookies delight Madeleines

Madeleines piped in moulds
Baked madeleines

I am sure everybody must have enjoyed the earlier post of the dutchess cookies that i had posted. I enjoyed making them and also the taste was absolutely great. This is another one of those easy to make cookies which is not time consuming and the ingredients are readily available. The great aspect of the baking process is that you dont need a commercial oven to prepare these cookies. It can be done with the oven at home.

Ingredients:

Sugar 14oz

Butter 9oz

Eggs 11oz

Vanilla extract (5 drops)

Lemon zest 1ea

Milk 5oz

All-purpose flour 14oz

Baking powder 1tsp

Method

• In a mixing bowl add the sugar and butter and whip it thoroughly until it forms a fine cream.
• Into this add the all purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and milk and mix it thoroughly, it will form a dough.
• Add the eggs one at a time giving time for the egg to bind into the dough.
• Once all the eggs are finished whip it thoroughly to form a fine paste.
• If you have a mold for the cookies, the mixture can be piped into the mould or if you do not have a mold it can be piped into a tray lined with parchment paper.
• It needs to be baked in a oven at 350*F for about 10 minutes.

Pate d Choux

This is a versatile recipe of pate d choux, which can be used for various uses in garde manger, pastry and stuffed pate d choux is something which we see in various hotels for display. As i was talking to chef Levy (the instructor for baking and pastry skills at the culinary institute of america), he jokingly told this would be a good test for any bakers or culinary professionals as this looks one of the easiest item to prepare but this includes a lot of skills to prepare. It is the right consistency that is required for the mixture to raise and leave the inside of the pate d choux hollow. The pate d choux can be stuffed with cream, marscapone, it is used in the filling of foie gras that is first prepared into a fine paste and then piped into the pate d choux. The techchiques have evloved from the past, the most intresting of the presentation with the pate d choux is the swan which has it's wings body and the neck piped sepearately and then once baked in the oven at 450*F for the the initial heat to brown the surface and then it is slowly cooked for it to retain the hollow shape. The different segements of the body,neck and the wings are then assembled together and held by the stuffing.

The recipe for making pate d choux is:

Water/diluted milk 1Pint
Butter 8oz
Salt 1tsp
Sugar 1/2oz
Eggs 10ea
Bread flour 11oz

These are the ingredients that are used in the production of pate d choux. As i had mentioned water or diluted milk is because, milk contains lactose which helps in the caramalization process and the pate d choux being baked initially at 450*F gives a dark brown color which does not enhance the eye appeal of the end product.

Method: Video 1 Video 2

• In a sauce pan pour the water add sugar and salt and bring it to a boil.
• Once it comes to a boil add the butter to the pan and let it melt and let is boil.
• When it is come to a boil add in the flour and immedietly mix it with a wooden spatula.
• Mix it thoroughly until the liquid in the mixture dries out.
• Transfer the dried dough to the mixing bowl and gently add the eggs one by one into the mixture until it gets a even glaze.
• Now the mixture is ready to be piped.

The other variation of the same recipe is Pommes d fin which is mashed potato mixed with pate d choux and fried in a deep fryer. This needs to control the amount of liquid being used accordingly as the potatos contain moisture.

Dutchess cookies

This is the dutchess cookies after baking

When you have guests in your house, waiting for the professional chef at home (the host) to prepare cookies for the tea party. It is best to have something that is simple and not tiring but easy to bake and also not expensive. This is just one of that wonderful cookies that you can try at home.

Ingredients:

Almond flour 8oz

Sugar 6oz

Cake flour 1.5oz

Egg White 4oz

For the common Maringue:

Egg whites 8oz

Sugar 3oz

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 450*F
• In a clean bowl mix Almond flour, sugar, cake flour and egg whites together.
• In a mixing bowl pour the egg whites and whip with a hand held blender until it gets frothy
• Keep the blender at high while generously adding the sugar until it comes to a stiff peak
• Fold in the mixture(almond flour, sugar, cake flour and egg whites) and mix everything together.
• Pour the mixture over a cookie mold or pipe it according to your requirements
• Bake it in the oven until it get a even golden brown color.

Crystal maze

Sugar decoration

Pretzels

Freshly baked Blueberry muffins

Pretzels right out of the oven

Pretzels are of different sizes and they are available all over the world. It is has its history dating back to 1111A.D, it has come a long way and has changed the way we make pretzel today.

The recipe for making pretzel is:

Bread flour 5#

Water 2Quart

Soft butter 7oz

Malt 2oz

Salt 2oz

Yeast 2oz

Pre fermented dough 1#

For the lye

Sodium Hydroxide pellets 10oz

Water 1 quart

• Mix the dough by adding the flour, pre fermented dough, yeast, malt, salt water and soft butter, the dough should be mixed until the flour on the sides of the bowl must come clean.
• Once it is mixed let it rest, covered until relazed for 30 mintues.
• Devide the dough into 5oz pieces.
• One at a time, stretch each piece of dough to 12 inches and make a loop, twist it once and then fold the end into the top loop.
• Place it on greaced perforated sheets and then let it rest in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Prepare lye louction, combine the waer and sodium hydrozide pellets, stirring until the pellets are completely dissolved. (Wear protective gloves and googles be careful not to get any of the soultion on your skin).
• Remove the pretzels from the freezer and alow them to stand for 5 to 10 minutes. (If you dip the pretzels right away, the water temperature will drop and the sodium hydroxide will be less likely to stay in the solution).
• Using tongs, dip the pretzels in the lye solution and then place them on the perforated sheets again to drain out excess liquid. Sprinkle immediately with coarse salt.
• Bake the pretzels in the oven at 475*F until it reaches a deep golden brown color, in 12 to 15 minutes, and let cool.

Working with lye

After pretzels are shaped and proofed, they are dipped in a solution of water and sodium hydroxide before baking. This caustic solution, known as lye, gives the surface of the pretzels their characteristic color, shine, and tangy, salty flavor. When the pretzels are baked, the sodium hydroxide is transformed into inert salts. Use caution when working with a lye solution. Wear googles and rubber gloves to prevent contact with the soultion. As the pretzels are dipped, they should be placed directly on perforated sheet tray to drain. Once they are all dipped, they need to directly go into the oven.

Mousse

Rolls before the egg wash

The rolls right out of the oven

Creme Brulee being garnished

Though the photos do, not relate to the topic mousse, i just would like to bring the activities that happen in our kitchens.

Mousse

The name for this delicate dessert cmes froma french word that translates literally as frothy, foamy or light. To make a mousse, an aerator such as a whipped cream and or a meringue is folded into a base such as a fruit puree, vanilla sauce, cream or pudding, curd, sabayon, or pate a bombe. The base should be light and smooth so the aerator can be incorporated easily.

To make an egg-safe mousse, use pasteurized egg whites or a swiss or italian meringue. Stablizers such as gelatin may be used in variying amounts depending on the desired result. If a mousse is stablilized with gelatin, it will begin to set immediately, so prepare all molds, serving containers, and so forth before preparation.

Folding is the techinique used to combine a foamy mixture, such as meringue, shipped cream, or beaten egg whites, into a base mixture. The base is usually denser or firmer than the foam and will inevitably collapse the foam somewhat. Proper folding ensures that the foam loses as little volume as possible.

The base should be cooled if necessary befoe the foam is added. Add the foam to the base, rather than the other way around, and if using more than one foam, add the least stable one last. For example, if you are adding both a meringue and whipped cream, add the meringue first and then the cream.

Working quickly, add a small amount of the foam to the base to lighten it. Some pastry chefs add the foams in thrirds for the greater possible volume. Fold the foam in with a rubber spatula or other tool with a similar broad, flat surface. Using a cirular motion, gently run the spatula over the mixture, down and across the bottom of the bowl, and back up to the top again. Rotate the bowl as you work to mix the foam in evenly. Continue to fold the base and foam together until you have an even color and consistency, with no visible pockets of meringue, whipped cream.(Above topic taken from baking and pastry mastering the art and craft)

Maringues are devided into three types:

Common ratio 10oz sugar, 1#egg white

Swiss ratio 1#egg white, 1to2#sugar

Italian ratio 22oz sugar, 7oz liquid and then add common maringue.

Cherry clafouti

This is a recipe that serves for 4 people

For the clafouti

Eggs 6ea
Sugar 3oz
Vanilla bean Split and scraped 1ea
Salt 1 pinch
Brown Rum 2Tbsp
Milk 3/4cup
Flour 3oz
Butter for greasing
Fresh Cherreis pitted 1.5#

For the Cherry Sauce

Fresh Cherries pitted 1Cup
Confectioners sugar 1Tbsp

For the Garnish

Fresh Cherries
Melted White chocolate
Confectioners Sugar
Cookie twirls
Mint

Directions:

For the clafouti: Crack the eggs into a bowl, and sugar and whisk together until foamy. Add the vanilla bean and salt, whisk in the rum and milk, then fold in the flour. Liberally grease four oven-proof remekins with the butter. Fill each ramekin 1/4 full with the batter. Divide the cherries evenly among the remekins, and fill to the top with the remaining batter. Bake in a 325* oven for 40 minutes. Remove, allow to cool slightly, then turn the clafoutis out of the remekins.

For the cherry sauce: Place the cherries and sugar together in a blender and puree to a smooth consistency.

To Serve: Cut a wedge out of the clafouti, positon together on the plate, and spoon the sauce onto the plate beside it. Place fresh cherries on the plate and drizzle the chocolate over them. Garnish the dish with the confectioner's sugar, cookies and mint.