Vanilla-Lemon Pudding Cakes

Nikki from Crazy Delicious Food also hosts Master Baker, where she chooses an ingredient once a month and you can bake anything that your little heart desires. Nikki does a round up at the end of the month and declares the "Master Baker." Unfortunately, this has been going on for a couple of months now, and this is my first entry. This months theme is Vanilla. This was a hard one for me because, you can use vanilla in just about anything.

Pudding cakes always make me giddy when they are finished baking and you have the cake on top, but the pudding on the bottom. Somehow, magically, the pudding just appears on the bottom! I have no idea how that works out, but I LOVE it! It is like getting a surprise!

So, here is the low down on this cake. You have a vanilla cake on the top and a tart lemon pudding on the bottom. Bakes for 30 minutes, let cool for at least 10 and there you go! Spring in a ramekin! :)

Vanilla-Lemon Pudding Cakes
from Chocolate and Vanilla by Gale Gand:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Grated zest of 2 lemons
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush eight 4-6 ounce ramekins or custard cups with 3 Tbsp of the butter and place them in a large baking dish. Bring a tea kettle or medium saucepan of water to a boil.

Ina mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining 5 Tbsp butter with 1/3 cup of the sugar until it's light and fluffy. One at a time mix in the egg yolks and then fold in the flour. Don't worry if the mixture separates. On low speed stir in the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined.

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (and in a dry, clean bowl), whip the egg whites on medium speed until they're foamy. Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, whipping on medium speed until the whites are glossy and stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, stir a large spoonful of the whites into the lemon mixture just to lighten it and then fold in the rest of the whites.

Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins, filling them three-quarters full. Pour boiling water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the puddings for 30 minutes, or until puffed and set.

Remove the puddings from the oven, uncover, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

TWD-Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Caitlin of Engineer Baker. To be honest, I did not want to make this cake. First, you can't find polenta in the regular grocery store here, and using yellow cornmeal did not appeal to me. It made me think of sweet cornbread, and I am not a fan of it either. Secondly, I am not a big fan of fig newtons. So, not really knowing what I was getting into was a little scary.

The recipe was easy to follow and easy to mix together, baked in the time that the recipe called for and viola...I have a fig/cornmeal/ricotta cake. My first bite...tasted like sweet cornbread. The next bite, tasted a little better. So on, and so on. I did decide that I did like the crunch of the fig seeds, and I really thought that I wouldn't. That is probably the only thing that I can say that I liked about this cake. That is part of being a part of the TWD chicks, baking new things, out of my comfort zone, knowing that I am not going to like everything that is chosen. This recipe was one of those, but I am glad that I did make it.

Thanks Caitlin for choosing this week and don't forget to check out the other TWD chicks, and still continue to grow! If you want the recipe you can find it on Caitlin's blog.

Next weeks recipe comes from Elizabeth at Ugg Smell Food the Peanut Butter Torte!

Daring Bakers make cheesecake pop!!

This months Daring Baker challenge was chosen by Deborah of Taste and Tell and Elle of Feeding my Enthusiasms. They chose a recipe from the book Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor. I have this book and it is one of my favorites. I would definitely recommend this as a buy for anyone who is in the market for a new cookbook.

I made these pops for a cookout that we had with some friends and they were a huge hit. I will absolutely make these again and again. It would also be great as a whole cheesecake.

A huge thanks to Deborah and Elle for a great challenge this month. And, as always, go and check out the Daring Bakers, there are over 800 of us now!!

I love this!!

So, normally I don't post about things other than what I bake, but...I found these plates while surfing around HWTM blog. If you haven't checked this blog out, you should. There are great entertaining ideas. Now, back to the plates....they are from Sarah Cihat's Rehabilitated Dishware. There are other patterns too that are really cute!

TWD-Carrot Cake

Sorry, but there is no carrot cake at my house this week. Time was not on my side this week.

Make sure to go and check out the other TWD chicks, and their cakes!

TWD-Marshmallows

This week was chosen by Judy of Judy's Gross Eats. I have made marshmallows before, but had never flavored them. This recipe was alot like the marshmallows that I have made before, but a little different. I chose to make the pumpkin spice, and I am so glad that I did. I had been wanting to make this flavor for a while, but just hadn't. This is just like eating pumpkin pie filling. YUM! The only problem that I had was a thin layer of gelatin settled on the bottom, but, it didn't effect the taste, only the look. I think that I like by previous marshmallow better, but I will definitely make different flavors, especially the pumpkin!

(Here you can see the thin layer that settled on the bottom)

Make sure to go and check out the other TWD chicks and see what flavors they came up with!


Next week's recipe is from Amanda over at Slow like Honey and she has chosen Bill's Big Carrot Cake.


Makes about 1 pound marshmallows

About 1 cup potato starch (found in the kosher foods section of supermarkets) or cornstarch
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar


GETTING READY: Line a rimmed baking sheet -- choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high -- with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with potato starch or cornstarch.


Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup -- without stirring -- until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites.


In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)


Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy -- don't over beat them and have them go dull.As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won't fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (I use custard cups).



Dust the top of the marshmallows with potato starch or cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They'll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more.Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you'd like -- into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they're cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.


SERVING: Put the marshmallows out and let everyone nibble as they wish. Sometimes I fill a tall glass vase with the marshmallows and put it in the center of the table -- it never fails to make friends smile. You can also top hot chocolate or cold sundaes with the marshmallows.


STORING: Keep the marshmallows in a cool, dry place; don't cover them closely. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 week -- they might develop a little crust on the outside or they might get a little firmer on the inside, but they'll still be very good.



Playing Around


RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS: Fruit purees are excellent for flavoring these candies.For raspberry marshmallows, you'll need a generous 1/3 cup of puree; reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon. After the batter is mixed, gently fold in the puree with a rubber spatula. You can use the same measurements and technique for other purees, such as strawberry, mango and passion fruit.


CAPPUCCINO MARSHMALLOWS: Sift 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon together into a small bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water and mix until smooth. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon, and add it to the espresso mix. After you add the sugar syrup and gelatin to the meringue, beat in the espresso mixture and continue.


LIGHT CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS: Melt 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon, and after the marshmallow batter is mixed, fold in the chocolate mixture with a large rubber spatula.


PUMPKIN SPICE MARSHMALLOWS: Whisk together 1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground allspice. After the marshmallow batter is mixed, fold in the spiced pumpkin with a large rubber spatula.

Dark Chocolate Soup with Cinnamon-Toasted Poundcake Croutons

(Yes, I know...bad lighting!!!)

This recipe comes from Jill O'Connor's book, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. This has got to be the cutest book that I have seen. I have had it for a while and have only made these. Flipping through the pages on a rainy day, this recipe just called me out and said...yes, you know you want me....well, I have to admit that I did. Except, I was thinking, by the look of the picture, that it was like a chocolate pudding, and that you would eat it warm. It is not like that at all. Now, don't get me wrong, it was very good, very chocolaty, what do you expect with 24 ounces of chocolate and 6 cups of half and half. But, it was exactly what it said...soup. Slurping from a spoon, soup. I am pretty positive that I don't like chocolate soup. I will probably make this again, but will use it as a hot chocolate drink.

On the other hand, the croutons. How can you go wrong with pound cake, butter, cinnamon and sugar? These were great just to snack on!

For the soup:

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup water

pinch of salt

6 Cups half and half

2 tsp instant espresso powder

24 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semisweet)

Combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and starts to change color. Increase the heat to high and boil until the syrup turns a deep amber color, 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully, as it can burn quickly. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the salt and half and half. Use a long handled wooded spoon to carefully stir in the half and half, as the caramel has a tendency to hiss and splash as the cold cream hits it. Bring the mixture just to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve the caramel into the half and half, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder and chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Divide the soup into 8 shallow bowls and top with croutons.

For the crouton:

1 loaf of your favorite pound cake

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the broiler. Cut a razor thin slice from both ends of the pound cake to reveal the interior. Cut the trimmed loaf of pound cake crosswise into 8 equal slices. Trim each slice to form perfect, uniform, squares. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Brush both sides of the pound cake slices with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. Place the slices on a large baking sheet and broil until the sugar on top stars to bubble and turn brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, turn the slices over, and broil the second sides in the same way. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool. use a serrated knife to carefully cut each slice into 4 equal squares.

TWD-The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Tart!

Try saying that title 3 times fast! :) This weeks recipe was chosen by Mary from Starting from Scratch. We had the choice of either lemon, or orange cream. My friend Chelle, who is anti-lemon, chose the orange version, and she compared it to a creamsicle. I am going to try that version too. I have to say that I absolutely LOVED this choice! This has become my "go to" lemon tart recipe. Easy to throw it together, and was probably devoured in less than the time it took to make it. The only problem that I ran into was cooking the lemon curd to 180 degrees. I never got to that temp, I could only get to 165-170, but, the lemon cream came out perfect. Not runny at all!! Very firm, and creamy, and lemony!

Our chick list over at TWD continues to grow, go and check them out!

If you are looking for a great lemon dessert, this would be the one to make!

Next week has been chosen by Judy at Judy's Gross Eats....Marshmallows!! This will be the time that I play with flavors!

Tart

1 cup sugar

Grated zest of 3 lemons

4 large eggs

¾ c fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)

2 sticks plus 5 T butter (10 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces, at room temperature.

1 9-inch tart shell made with sweet tart dough (see below).

Getting ready:

Have a instant-read thermometer, a strainer and a blender (1st choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy, and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture fees tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk- you whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling- you’ll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point- the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience- depending on how much heat you’re giving the cream, getting to temp may take as long as 10 minutes.

(I never got to this temp, and it took 30-45 minutes to get to the temp 165-170, but turned out perfect!)

As soon as it reaches 180F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the lender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor) and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going- to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests, and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. (the cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator)
When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

Sweet Tart Dough

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp salt1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 T) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in- you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal fakes and others the size of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses- about 10 seconds each- until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change- heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate and dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

To press the dough into the pan: butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Don’t be too heavy handed- press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferable longer, before baking.

To partially or fully bake the crust: center a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, against the crust. (since you froze it, you can bake it without weights). Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, carefully press it down with the back of a spoon. For partially baked crust, patch the crust if necessary, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack. To fully bake the crust, bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.

What do you cook for dinner?

I am always cooking the same thing each week for dinner. You know, spaghetti, hot dogs...chili. I also like to throw in a couple of new things, which brings me to this...

What are some things that you cook for dinner? I would love to hear what you fix for your family.

TWD-Gooey Chocolate Cakes

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by the Lemon Tartlet herself, Leigh. I am so glad this was a chocolate week! This one did hit the spot! The only problem I had, and this was completely my fault, I didn't get to eat one right out of the oven, it was at room temperature when I could get to it. The middle didn't flow like the lava cakes, but it was really moist. I can imagine it being gooey if it was hot.

This "little one" was very easy to put together, and came together quickly as well. However, Dorie recommended bittersweet chocolate, I used semi-sweet instead. This will be marked as a make again.

The TWD chicks have nested, if I have counted correctly, 113 little chicklets!!! Go and check them out too! Next weeks recipe comes from Mary at Starting from Scratch.

Gooey Chocolate Cake
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
~4 ounces coarsely chopped,
~1 ounce very finely chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons of sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. butter (or spray – it’s easier) 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and the butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogenous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.

Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)

Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.