SMS: Hazelnut Raspberry Layer Cake

After taking a break for the holidays, Sweet Melissa Sundays is back this week!  If you're a new reader, Sweet Melissa Sundays is a group that is baking its way through The Sweet Melissa Baking Book; we only have 16 recipes remaining so we're nearing the end.  We'll be posting every other Sunday from here on out and this week our recipe was chosen by Candy of Candy Girl: hazelnut raspberry layer cake.



I know it's January, which means lots of people have sworn off rich desserts like this cake, but I was pretty excited for it because I recently acquired 6" cake pans, which meant I could halve the recipe and still make a layer cake instead of resorting to cupcakes to scale back.  Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes but it's nice to have options.  This cake is a variation on one we've made before for the group -  toasted hazelnuts are ground with sugar to make hazelnut flour, which is combined with nutty browned butter (as well as vanilla, all-purpose flour, and baking powder) to form a thick batter.  The batter is lightened by folding in egg whites that have been whipped with sugar to create a meringue.  As they bake, the cakes puff quite a bit and then they shrink as they cool.  Mine sunk just slightly in the center, but it was nothing a little frosting couldn't fix.



Speaking of the frosting, the recipe was for an Italian meringue buttercream flavored with raspberries and raspberry liqueur.  Italian meringue buttercream is made by pouring a sugar syrup that's been heated to 240 F into a mixer bowl containing a meringue (egg whites and sugar whipped to stiff peaks) and beating.  Then, butter (and lots of it!) is added and the frosting is beaten until it comes together.  I was wary about adding whole raspberries that had been soaked in raspberry liqueur to the frosting, as the book directed.  I wanted a silky, smooth frosting, so instead, I made a simple raspberry puree (by heating raspberries on the stove top with just a tiny amount of water until they broke down, and then straining to remove the seeds and other solids).  I added the puree little by little until I achieved the color and taste I wanted - probably a few tablespoons total for my half frosting recipe.  The filling between the layers of the cake was simply seedless raspberry preserves.



After assembling the cake, I piped a few swirls on top and added fresh raspberries for garnish.  I wasn't able to smooth the frosting on the sides of the cake as well as I'd have liked, but otherwise, I thought it turned out well.  The cake portion was delicious - nutty from the hazelnut flour and browned butter, and very moist.  I don't recall previously having tried the hazelnut/raspberry combo, but it worked for me.  The frosting was just ok; I know it's an odd complaint for a buttercream, but this one was too buttery.  I've made other Swiss meringue buttercreams I liked and would use one of those in the future for this cake.  Many thanks to Candy for hosting this week!  You can find the recipe for the cake on her blog or on pages 119-121 of The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.

 

{Two quick final notes: First, I just wanted to remind you one last time (I promise) that I'm hosting a giveaway and today is your last chance to enter to win a copy of Eric Ripert's new book, Avec Eric.  You can find the details here :)  Second, yesterday I mentioned that I received a Speedlite for Christmas.  Subsequently, several readers asked for more information about it.  So, here's a link to a tutorial from White on Rice that has lots of great information and this is what my Speedlite looks like.}

Panko-Crusted Salmon

For Christmas this year, I received a few gifts that were camera-related.  One that I've really enjoyed playing with for the past few weeks has been my Speedlite flash.  It's opened up a whole new world - one in which I don't have to plan to take all of my pictures for this blog before 4 pm when the sun sets.  We're still very much in the "figuring it out" phase, but I love that I can now photograph our dinners on occasion and share them with you!  It's always bummed me out a little when we try delicious recipes at night in the winter and they don't make it to the blog, so I'm hopeful that'll all be changing now. 



This salmon was one of the first recipes I flagged in the new Barefoot Contessa book when I picked it up a few months ago.  I love simple weeknight dishes, and this one definitely falls into that category.  Salmon fillets are brushed with Dijon mustard then topped with a panko breadcrumb mixture before being seared briefly on the stove top and finished in the oven.  From start to finish, it's 30 minutes or less.  The dish was a big hit here - the fish was rich with just a bit of tang from the mustard and the crispy panko topping was a nice contrast in texture.  I bet it'll be even better next time we make it, when *hopefullly* I'm more comfortable with the Speedlite so we can eat our dinner while it's still hot :)  Luckily, Shane's a good sport, as we've eaten more than our fair share of lukewarm dinners recently!       

{Tomorrow is the last day to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Eric Ripert's new book, Avec Eric!  You can enter here if you haven't already!}

Panko-Crusted Salmon
adapted just slightly from Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon canola (or vegetable) oil
lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.  Add the olive oil to the bowl and stir until all of the crumb mixture is evenly coated with the oil.

With the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface, use a pastry brush to spread the mustard generously over the tops of the fillets.  Season the fillets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then distribute the crumb mixture evenly over the fillets and press to adhere.

Heat the canola oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes to brown the skin.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until the salmon is just about cooked through, and the panko mixture has browned.  Remove the skillet from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Serve with the lemon wedges.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I think it goes without saying that if you're a chocolate chip cookie fan, these cupcakes are right up your alley!  Each component - from the brown sugar chocolate chip studded cupcake base to the eggless cookie dough filling to the buttercream frosting - is utterly delicious and really does taste like cookie dough.  This was a project I took on for our New Year's Eve get-together with friends, and though I'd tasted each component separately, I wondered if the combination would be too sweet or too rich, especially for our friends, who don't necessarily have a sweet tooth like mine.  My concerns were quickly put to rest; the cupcakes were a big hit with everyone.  In fact, after trying them, Shane was disappointed I'd only made enough for him to eat two cupcakes.        



There are quite a few components to these cupcakes so I think the best strategy is to make them over the course of a few days.  I started off by baking the cupcakes, and while they were in the oven, I made the filling.  The cooled cupcakes went into an airtight container for the night while the filling sat in the fridge.  The next day I tackled the frosting and assembled the cupcakes.  Also, because I thought they were adorable, I took the extra step of making mini chocolate chip cookies (recipe here) to top them, per Annie's suggestion.  The best thing about that decision?   We had a ton of extra cookie dough, which I stuck in the freezer, and have used to bake fresh chocolate chip cookies for dessert most nights this week.   Not much beats a warm chocolate chip cookie from the oven :)  For those who like to scale back recipes as much as I do, I quartered this one and it worked beautifully - I got 6 cupcakes, and each of the components worked well, though the measurements do get a little tricky with some of the ingredients. 

Regardless of how many you make, these cupcakes are completely worth the effort.  I wish I'd taken a photo of the inside to show you, but I didn't make enough to try one before we went to our friend's house and completely forgot by the time we dug in.  Next time, I promise!  



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats

Cupcakes
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used whole milk), at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.  Measure the flour into a medium bowl.  Remove 1-2 tablespoons of the flour (don't worry about being exact) and add them to a second bowl with the chocolate chips, mixing with your fingers to coat the chips with the flour (we're doing this to keep the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes when they bake); set aside.  Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl containing only the flour and whisk to combine. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the bowl, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla.  Finally, add the chocolate chips that were combined with the flour, and use a rubber spatula to combine until evenly distributed.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, filling each well about 3/4-full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling: Use a hand mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and beat to combine.  Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the mini chocolate chips.  Wrap the "dough" in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it firms up, at least an hour. (I left mine in the fridge overnight and it was fine - I just let it sit on my counter for 30 minutes or so the next day before I filled the cupcakes.)

To fill the cupcakes: Use a paring knife to cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each cupcake (if you've never done this, helpful photos here).  Place a piece of the cookie dough filling in the hole in the center of each cupcake.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.  Finally, add the flour and salt and beat briefly to combine, then add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. 

Frost the filled cupcakes and garnish, if desired.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I rarely make New Year's resolutions, and I definitely don't make any related to dieting.  All things in moderation, right?  That said, there are a few things I've been working on for a while now.  One of them is making better choices for breakfast (as hard as I try, even I can't convince myself that cookies are a healthy way to start my day).  So, when I saw this pumpkin oatmeal while watching Food Network recently, I made a mental note to give it a try.  The thing I really love about oatmeal for breakfast is that its one of the few foods that keeps me feeling satisfied until lunch.  Plus, warm and comforting food is always welcome on cold winter mornings.  

I know it isn't really pumpkin "season" right now, but canned pumpkin is available just about year-round by me so I don't really consider it to have a season, and I love it too much to only eat it a few months of the year.  This is a simple recipe you can whip up on Sunday night or Monday morning, and then reheat for breakfast the rest of the week.  It's highly adaptable too.  You could add brown sugar to the pot when you start if you want extra sweetness, or switch up the dried fruit (or leave it out entirely).  I garnished my oatmeal with extra raisins, dried cranberries and a drizzle of maple syrup and highly recommend the dried cranberries, which pair beautifully with the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Oatmeal
from Aarti Sequeira (via Food Network)

1 (14-oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups water
2 cups milk (or water, if you prefer)
2 tablespoons raisins (plus extra for serving, if desired)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or substitute w/ a combo of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)
2 cups oats (I used Quaker old-fashioned)
maple syrup or honey (for serving, optional)
dried cranberries (for serving, optional)

Add the pumpkin puree, milk, water, raisins, salt and pumpkin pie spice to a large saucepan.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add the oats to the pan and lower the heat to medium.  Cook, according to the instructions included with your oats, stirring often, until the grains have absorbed the liquid and are tender.  My old-fashioned oats took about 15 minutes to cook completely.

Serve garnished with additional raisins or dried cranberries, or drizzle with maple syrup or honey.

TWD: Midnight Crackles

Just as my blog celebrated its 3rd birthday last week, it's time to mark another special occasion today - the 3rd anniversary of Tuesdays with Dorie!   I've been baking with the group since April of 2008, and it's still crazy to me sometimes to think it's been over two and half years.  It thrills me to know that eventually I will have made just about every recipe in the book, and that all I have to do is scroll back through my blog posts to recall how I felt about each and every one of them (an eminently useful tool for someone with a memory as terrible as mine).  Many thanks to Laurie of Slush, who founded Tuesdays with Dorie back in January of 2008, and has kept the group running, even as membership climbed to levels she never imagined.

This week's recipe was midnight crackles, a dark, intensely chocolate cookie that was a cinch to whip up.  The biggest tip I'd offer this week - don't leave the dough in the fridge for too long before shaping the balls for baking.  Dorie recommends at least an hour or up to 3 days; I left mine in for several hours, and when I removed it from the fridge it was hard as a rock.  The thermostat is set at a fairly chilly 60 F in my house most of the winter, and at that temperature it took forever for the dough to warm up enough that I could form it into balls without injuring my hands.  Also, the cookies don't spread much in the oven so it's not necessary to leave much space between them on the baking sheets.   I made 1/2 recipe and wound up with about 27 cookies.



The very first recipe I ever posted on my site back in December of 2007 was these chocolate crinkle cookies.  To this day, it's the single most-requested recipe by Shane - anytime I throw out the question "What should I make today?" the response is always chocolate crinkle cookies :)  The recipes are similar enough that I wondered whether these crackles might dethrone the crinkle cookies...  Well, the answer was no (it's becoming more and more clear that the chocolate crinkles might never relinquish their top spot) but the crackles were still a big hit.  Shane ate most of ours in 2 days if that's any indication.  I liked them a lot too; they were dark and rich, the kind of cookie that screamed for a glass of milk on the side, in my opinion.

Laurie and Jules of Someone's in the Kitchen selected this week's recipe, which can be found on the Tuesdays with Dorie site here or on page 74 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

{PS - I'm hosting a giveaway for a copy of Eric Ripert's new book Avec Eric!  You can enter here if you haven't already.}

Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Tart (and a Giveaway!)

A few weeks ago, a close friend contacted me to see if I'd be interested in a copy of Eric Ripert's new book, Avec Eric.  The immediate answer was "absolutely" - I was already in the queue at my library waiting to borrow a copy of the book so I could check it out.  I was thrilled when my friend's contact at the publishing company graciously sent me not one, but four copies of the book, and I am so excited to be giving away three of them today to say thank you to all of you for your support and for inspiring me to continue working hard in my kitchen!      

For those who don't know, the author, Eric Ripert, is the chef and co-owner of the celebrated restaurant, Le Bernardin in New York.  You may also have seen him appearing as a guest judge on Top Chef, or on his PBS show, Avec Eric, on which the new book is based.  One of the biggest reasons I was interested in the book was because it's more than just a cookbook.  Each chapter is a glimpse into a different travel adventure with Ripert; he explores a region, learning about its people, food and traditions and then provides a collection of recipes which were inspired by his visit to that region.  Two of my favorite chapters in the book were the first, describing a visit to Chianti, Italy which included hunting wild boar, and one detailing his connection to and experiences in the Cayman Islands (Shane and I have been twice and it's a stunning destination).  Gorgeous photos document the trips throughout, so this book would be equally at home on your coffee table, or among your other cookbooks.



As for the recipes themselves, I worried a bit that they might be complicated - either in length or technique - but there's quite a nice mix, something for every level of cook.  Though seafood recipes are definitely one of the focuses of the book, recipes for other proteins are included as well appetizers, soups, salads, cocktails, and a few desserts.  If you're curious, several of the recipes are featured on the show's website, which can be found here.



I wanted to make at least one recipe to share today in conjunction with the giveaway, and I'd flagged several as I read through the book.  When people pose the hypothetical question "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you pick?", I can never make up my mind, but caramelized onions are definitely on the short list so it's probably not surprising that I kept coming back to this simple tart.  Its ingredient list is short, but enticing: buttery, flaky puff pastry acts as the base for sweet caramelized onions, which are topped with my favorite cheese, nutty Gruyere.  The only change I made was to substitute the thyme in the recipe with rosemary, as it was all I had on hand.  The tart was simple enough to whip up amidst the holiday chaos and was every bit as delicious as I'd imagined it would be.  It was definitely best slightly warm from the oven, but I gladly snacked on pieces at room temperature as well.  I'm really looking forward to having time to try additional recipes from the book now that the holidays are over!

How To Enter

To enter to win a copy of Eric Ripert's Avec Eric, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite travel destination, or the destination you'd most like to visit next.  Maybe it's a beach vacation, a ski destination, or one of the many bustling cities around the world...I can't wait to hear!

To receive bonus entries:

1.  Follow @twilhelmsen on Twitter.  Come back and let me know you are following by leaving an additional comment.

2.  Subscribe to Tracey's Culinary Adventures via RSS or Google Friend Connect (using the widget at the bottom of the right sidebar).  Come back and let me know you've subscribed by leaving an additional comment.

Comments on this giveaway will close on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.  Three winners will be chosen using random.org and emailed.  The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Good luck!

**Updated: Comments are now closed.  Winners will be announced tomorrow!**

Disclaimer:  The copies of Avec Eric were provided to me at no cost by the publisher, but this is not a sponsored post and the opinions expressed are my own.

Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Tart
adapted slightly from Avec Eric, by Eric Ripert

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thinly
2 sprigs of thyme
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Roll lightly until the sheet is an 11x11-inch square.  Use a small plate or other round template to cut two 6-inch circles from the sheet   of puff pastry.  Repeat with the second sheet so you have four 6-inch circles in total.  Place the circles on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, thyme, and garlic to the pan, stirring to coat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften and release some moisture, about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply browned, about 30 more minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator.  Distribute the caramelized onions evenly among the four puff pastry rounds, leaving about 1/2-inch border around the edges.  Top the onions with the grated Gruyere.  Bake for 13-17 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.

Cut the tarts into wedges and serve warm.

Pineapple Champagne Sorbet

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a safe and fun New Year's Eve.  We had a low-key night with good friends, and it was the perfect way to ring in 2011.  To get things off on a festive note, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe today that incorporated that bubbly beverage so many of us were probably drinking when the clock struck midnight - champagne!

This pineapple champagne sorbet wasn't in the original plans (we won't talk about the strawberry champagne cupcakes I had such high hopes for that were a total flop) but this is probably one instance where plan B should have been plan A anyway.  It's January, and maybe after a very rich December you're looking for a dessert that's a little less heavy.  If so, this sorbet definitely fits the bill.  It's light, refreshing and sweet - pure pineapple goodness.  On the first day I churned it, I could definitely taste the champagne but on day 2 I thought the flavor was more muted.  The champagne does have another important job, though - it keeps the sorbet from freezing rock hard.  Immediately after churning, and even with a few hours in the freezer, the sorbet was fairly soft.  Nearly 24 hours later, it had hardened some; the texture reminded me of Italian Ice, which was a very good thing in my book. 



One final note - You only need 3 ingredients to make the sorbet, and if you can't find fresh pineapple in the store right now, don't worry: canned pineapple works too.  I used it for mine this time, though I will certainly make it again when ripe, juicy pineapples are plentiful and I'm sure it'll be even more delicious.

Pineapple Champagne Sorbet
from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz

1/2 pineapple, peeled and cored (2 cups or 500 mL of puree)
6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) champagne or sparkling wine

Cut the pineapple into chunks and add it to your blender along with the sugar.  Puree until smooth.  Stir in the champagne.

Alternatively, if you want to use canned pineapple: Make sure you use unsweetened pineapple canned only in its own juice, not in syrup.  Add the pineapple and the juice to your blender, and puree until smooth, then measure out the 2 cups of puree called for in the recipe and continue.  {Note: I used a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks and wound up with about 3 cups of puree total.}   Blend the pineapple puree and the sugar until smooth and then stir in the champagne.

Chill the mixture thoroughly (overnight is good) then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least a few hours before serving.