November 27, 2010

Baking| QUARK-TATA … Daring Bakers Crostata with Quark & Apples {& petit fours too}!

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
Oprah Winfrey

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

A crostata is an Italian baked dessert tart, and a form of pie. It is traditionally prepared by folding the edges of the dough over the top of the jam/marmalade filling, creating a more “rough” look, rather than a uniform, circular shape. The jams that are traditionally used as a filling are cherries, peaches, apricots, berries. The crostata can also be filled with pieces of fresh fruit and pastry cream (crema pasticcera), but then it is called torta di frutta. A typical central Italian variety replaces jam with ricotta mixed with sugar, cocoa or pieces of chocolate and anisetta; this is called crostata di ricotta.

I got to baking my crostata pretty early this month, and only because of the pressure of my home made quark which was nearing expiry. I didn’t think it would last another day, so I hit fast track and decided it was time for pie! I followed the pastry recipe that Simona provided, meandering from it characteristically as I was in a hurry, and used granular vanilla sugar instead of powdered sugar. Also added a scraped vanilla bean as I am wary of eggy flavours in pastry. I have a good stash of vanilla beans on hand, and love to use them where possible.

For the filling we had the option to go creative…pastry creme, baked fruit, fresh fruit, jam…whatever caught our fancy! My fancy? You guessed it … my crostrata would have quark! I had some quark that I had made yet again for a cake I wanted to try, but then along came this challenge. I decided to try my luck here. I also had on hand some apple mix left over from some Apple Walnut Cinnamon Parcels I had made a couple of days ago. The crostata was already a quark-tata, and would be a ‘fall tart’! I think I made a crostrata de quarka!

The filling was to be sweet, full of fall flavour, topping the experimental quark filling. I considered adding cream to the quark, but once beaten it looked quick thick and delicious, so I skipped the cream. Added some eggs and a spoon of flour to help set it, and thought if it wouldn’t set, we would just scoop it into our mouths! By the time it was baked, and beautifully puffy, I gave it a tiny poke on top to see if it was jiggly, and I was thrilled to see it was set. I think I love experiments, especially ones that work out well…LOL!

This is what I love about being a Daring Baker …the creative part. They give you a recipe, a basic which you need to follow, and then open it out for you to stamp it your own little way! This one was fun fun fun! I used a loose bottomed tart pan that my sis had got from the US, and a pastry cutter that she recently sent. I was dying to do the lattice, but figured that lattice on a hot pie might not work. I didn’t take into account the apple layer which was cold, but stuck the edges in a hurry. Next time, will try to weave a proper lattice. For this time, I was quite happy!

I used the left over pastry to make sugar cookies as suggested by Simona, and have hung on to them for too many days. The weather being cold, they have been sitting happily in an air tight box. I found them 2 days ago, and almost gave them to the kids to chomp. Then in a burst of creativity, decided to top them with some whipped home made lemon curd cream, left over from my Mum’s birthday cake, a Lavendar Chiffon with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream, yet to be posted!

Here’s what I made last night…

Petit fours … biscuits topped with home made lemon curd whipped cream, topped with strawberry cream, topped with fruit and biscuit bits. Ooooh this was good too, and definitely delicious!

Thank you Simona for the exciting challenge, and thank you as always Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice for hosting this fab kitchen!!

Quark and Apple Crostata
Pasta Frolla {pastry/tart shell}
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option)
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl with 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped

Method:
Put sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
Add butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
Empty food processor’s bowl onto your work surface.
Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball. {I needed a tbsp of chilled water to bind my dough}. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.
Lightly butter/grease the tart pan.
Roll out the pastry and line the pan. {I used about 2/3 pastry only}. Chill in freezer, while the oven is preheating at 190C
Bake blind for 20-25 minutes using pie weights, or as I did, a heavy metal plate {or metal bowl placed over baking paper}
Cool base in pan once done.
Pie Filling
200g quark, well drained {homemade recipe here}
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tbsp flour
Method:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl, and beat till smooth, 1-2 minutes. Turn into baked and cooled pie shell, and bake at 180C for 15 minutes.
While it’s baking, prepare the topping.
Topping:
2 apples, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1tsp flour
Apple filling:
Toss together all ingredients till apples are well coated. Take pie out after 15 minutes, and add topping, and lattice on top. Brush the lattice with egg white, and sprinkle over with vanilla sugar. Bake for another 45 minutes till nice and puffy. {Cover loosely with foil if the pastry is getting too brown.}. If you touch it gently, you will see that the filling is set and not jiggly. Allow to stand for at least an hour before slicing. Serve with unsweetened low fat cream!

♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥

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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

May 28, 2010

{Food Event} European Art of Taste – EAT … The taste of Europe on Indian Grounds

“The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love, for those you are cooking for.”

Sophia Loren

The other day I was excited to receive an invite for a Press Conference and cooking demo, followed by lunch at Smoke House Deli, from Caroline Rowe, on behalf of the hosts of EAT. EAT stands for ‘EUROPEAN ART of TASTE‘, a program supported by the European Union and the Italian Government that aims to present the best of Food and Wine from Europe. EAT promotes the following four product categories across India – Pasta, Olive Oil, Provolone Cheese & Wine.

As EAT says, with the saturation of European products in the Indian market, it can get confusing to judge what is best in terms of authenticity of taste. By lending it’s support to EAT, the European Union guarantees the quality, authenticity and safety of the products. The programme showcases pasta made of 100% durum wheat, olive oil of certified origin, provolone cheese and wines. {The event is promoted by RRO Connect, EAT’s official representatives in India.}

EAT has organized a Mission EAT week @ Delhi, which includes In-store demonstrations, Press Conference, Gala Dinner et. al. Chef Andrea Golina {specially flown from Italy} will demonstrate how to cook Authentic Italian food and how to combine it with the Finest Italian Wine. {Andrea hosted another live demo at the Olice Bar & Kitchen the next night, which I was unable to attend, though I would have loved to!}

The meet was an interactive one and began with representatives of food product companies for Barilla Pasta and Monini Olive Oil giving us a little introduction to the company’s product range. The highlights were the similarities between Indian and Italian food and cultures, whereby both are nations of food loving people. Both Italians and Indians are known to gather around tables laden with food, with families and friends and enjoy a hearty meal. Food is a binding factor across our cultures and the Italian government decided to take the initiative to formally introduce Italian cuisine to India.

Chef Andrea Golina flew in from Italy and kept us captivated with his culinary banter, engaging the crowd, keeping us in splits with his infectious sense of humour. In temperatures which were soaring as we sat in a covered outdoor area, he held our attention, introducing us to the basics of Italian. cuisine It was surprising to hear that the Italian al dente vs the Indian al dente were separated by double cooking times. In the sense, if the instructions said ‘boil pasta for 8 minutes till al dente,’ Indians here always tend to boil for 16 as we are seldom sure that it’s been cooked through! I am also an al dente sinner in a small way as I do go the extra 5 minutes! Live and learn it is, and I did!! Andrea threw in small tips like tear the basil with your hands to save essential oils from getting lost, add the provolone after the dish had been tossed & taken off the fire, discard the seeds of the tomato, reserve the liquid pasta has been cooked in to add to the sauce if necessary etc! He demonstrated how to cook two easy, everyday pasta dishes, with a generous helping of EVOO {extra virgin olive oil} – a penne with chicken & bell peppers, and a spaghetti al norma with aubergines. Both very simple, everyday Italian dishes, full of flavour and healthy fresh ingredients!

Was a wonderful demonstration, full of fun and laughter, made even better by the ever talented Andrea. Thereafter, we shifted in to have lunch at the Smoke House Deli. I opted for the vegetarian main of Feta and Grilled Vegetables on Capellini, and I have to say it was the best vegetarian Italian main I have ever had. Outstanding in every bite! Actually all the main courses seemed excellent. Caroline had the lasagna which was very good too. For dessert sampling, we were offered an assortment on a platter – cheesecake, flour-less mocha chocolate torte {I think}, and a walnut date cake. The cheesecake and date cake were very good, and so was the mocha torte, though it was a bit on the sweeter side.

Halfway through the meal, Andrea joined us at our table, and had us entertained for the rest of the afternoon. He sang praises of his favourite Indian dish, ‘Butter Chicken‘ {of course}, which he could not stop eating while in India. Told us how Rome is like a mother who holds you close to her heart and will never let you go. We exchanged notes on making tiramisu, flavouring EVOO with garlic and herbs. Interestingly he mentioned that most foods on the continent originated in France, from bechamel, to mayonnaise, pastry cream etc. Chef Andrea Golino was born in Rome, graduated in literature and cinema history, but did not forget his passion “Cooking”. He created the first personal chef service in Rome specializing in finger food. With different ways to interpret and perform food, to transgress the kitchen rules, he earned the nickname ‘Chef Guevera’!

EAT was a wonderful experience and we trooped home happily, laden with goodie bags with pasta, pasta sauces and olive oil! Thank you EAT for asking me to ‘Come to EAT with us’!! Used the pasta, the pasta sauce and EVOO to cook dinner tonight from a recipe on the Barilla website, and it was excellent!}

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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

February 27, 2010

TIRAMISU – Heaven on a Dessert Plate! … a Daring Baker Challenge co-hosted

TIRAMISU … Heaven on a Dessert Plate!

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

When Aparna wrote to me in July last year saying she had had a very Daring idea, and asked if I’d be willing to join her cohost a DB challenge in 2010, I was game. What a brilliant idea! For the next 2 months we toyed with many different ideas for the challenge.

1. Sweet or savoury?

2. Cake kind of thing or what?

Probables off the top of my head were

1. Phyllo pastry with the option of sweet or savoury filling

2. Pavlova

3. Meringue baskets

4. Macarons (scary) … and then we both finally agreed that it was time to Tiramisu!

The idea clicked with us instantly and being in India, where we don’t have the luxury of local savoiardi and mascarpone available in every corner store, we just knew this was to be a fun challenge. A bit intimidating at first read, but once we tried it, we were both singing the Tiramisu Anthem.

This months challenge involved three recipes.

A. Tiramisu (includes zabaglione & vanilla pastry cream)
B. Mascarpone Cheese
C. Ladyfinger/ Savoiardi Biscuits
(You can find them at the bottom of my post)

Tiramisu is made up of several components which can be made separately and ahead of time and put together the day before serving. Making tiramisu from scratch requires about 2 to 3 days (including refrigeration) from when you start making the mascarpone to the time the tiramisu is served. So this challenge requires some prior planning.

Please read the instructions as you need to begin making the mascarpone at least a day in advance. The zabaglione & pastry cream also need 4 hours to an overnight for chilling, as does the main dessert. The flavours mature after an overnight rest, and the dessert can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days. Once assembled, the tiramisu can be frozen till you need to serve it, in case you are not serving it immediately.

The recipe is Carmin Antonios‘, and for me, is a winner, original in every way and it allowed plenty of room for creativity. One look at the forum after puting the challenge live, we were floored by the response. Thank you, you daring baker types of people, you have made every second of this month worthwhile. The creativity and enthusiasm has blown us away. Thank you for taking Tiramisu so whole heartedly. It is a fab recipe and certainly lives up to it’s name Heaven on a Plate.

RECIPE SOURCE:
Mascarpone Cheese- Vera’s Recipe (Baking Obsession) for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.
Savoiardi/ Ladyfinger Biscuits- Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home
Tiramisu- Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007

We chose Baltimore pastry chef Carminantonio Iannaccone’s version of tiramisu for a couple of reasons…

Firstly, his recipe is different from most other tiramisu recipes as he makes a zabaglione, an egg custard which is flavoured with Marsala wine (you may use coffee instead). Even more important is that his zabaglione is cooked so there is no risk from using raw eggs.
He also makes a vanilla flavoured pastry cream which we haven’t seen in other tiramisu recipes.

The good thing also is that we’ve discovered that making ladyfingers / savoiardi are simpler than anything in the world, and so forgiving. They get all covered by the luscious cream, so it doesn’t really matter that they aren’t ‘all good looking‘. Some of the DBs found them pretty yummy too, and had a second go at doing the challenge and/or savoiardi. That in itself was so heartening to hear.

Though a few of the DBs had issues making the mascarpone, I think the panic comes in only the first time you make this beautiful cream. Once you’ve been past the experience, you know what to expect and are never disappointed. Having made mascarpone several times in the past using Vera’s recipe, and I do mean several, the challenge was a learning experience for me because I never once thought that it might pose a problem of any sort. The response on the forum was amazing, very soap opera types sometimes … drama, mystery, euphoria, everything in there, and in the end - FUN!

It has been our absolute pleasure to have hosted the DB challenge for February 2010, the month of love, where many DBs lovingly created the dessert for Valentines. Thank you Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, the ladies behind this wonderful DARING KITCHEN, for having given us this opportunity. We loved it, and couldn’t have done it without your patience and support! Thank you Aparna for cohosting with me; you were wonderful to work with!!

Please do make sure you stop by the DARING BAKER BLOGROLL and check out the creativity of our DB’s. You will be amazed!

~ THE RECIPES ~

TIRAMISU

Recipe source: Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )

This recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the zabaglione:

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar/50gms

1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)

1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:

2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed

1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)

1/2 cup/110gms sugar

1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese

36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)

2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

For the zabaglione:

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

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

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

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

For the pastry cream:

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

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

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

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

For the whipped cream:

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

To assemble the tiramisu:

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8″ by 8″ should do) or one of your choice.

Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.

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

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.

Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

MASCARPONE CHEESE
Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese
Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

LADYFINGERS / SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2″ to 3″ long) ladyfingers.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner’s sugar,

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5″ long and 3/4″ wide strips leaving about 1″ space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner’s sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.