YumSugar

52 Weeks of Baking: Week 3 - Boston Cream Disaster

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:35:06 -0800

Last weekend I went to a friend's house for a small birthday party. I told them not to worry about the cake because I would take care of it. (After all, I like baking and this will be a great excuse for my 52 weeks of baking.) So when I asked what the birthday boy's favorite cake was, I was expecting it to be something standard like chocolate, carrot, coconut, you know, a normal "cake" flavor. I was not expecting Boston Cream Pie! I wasn't even sure I'd actually ever eaten one before, and I knew I sure as heck hadn't made one before. But, since I'm always up for a challenge, I said, "That sounds fun! I'll make one!"

That, my dear friends, turned out to be not such a great idea. I was doomed from the beginning and it turned out disastrously. I even contemplated not sharing this recipe with you guys, but no one's perfect (and I certainly am not), so here it is. To read about my Boston Cream Disaster, read more

Let me start by saying, I'm 100% sure it was me and not the recipe. I've heard of people having great results with this recipe, so if you try it, please let me know how it turned out. Second of all, I'd like you to know that today's baking experiment is really a demonstration of why proper planning, timing and equipment are CRUCIAL to a successful baking endeavor.

Having said that, let me get on with my story.
My friend's house is about an hour away, so I didn't want to make the cake, and have it sit in the car for hours (we had a few errands to run that were on the way there). In hindsight, this was my downfall (after all, it was cold enough) and the fact that I had to bring all the equipment and most of the ingredients with me, didn't really help either.

I ended up arriving at my friend's house at 6pm. Pastry Cream, for those of you that don't know, needs at least 3 hours to set up, if not longer. Unfortunately, it didn't get into the fridge until almost 7. Also, the fridge itself was packed (ie: not very cold) and the opening and closing for beers didn't exactly make for the best cooling environment in the world.

After the pastry cream was put into the fridge, I started on the Foolproof Sponge Cake. Sadly, I had forgotten the baking pans at home (the kitchen in this house is pretty bare) and ended up using a sheet pan instead. Luckily it worked out and I was able to cut the cake in half to make a rectangular layer cake instead.

Around 10 we decided that it was getting close to cake time, so I started on the glaze. When the glaze was ready, I went to take the cream out of the fridge, but WHAT!? it was still pretty liquid-y, like condensed milk. So I stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes, but still no luck. At 10:45, I gave up and tried to assemble the cake anyway. There weren't any plates large enough to hold the cake, so I used a baking dish and thank goodness, because the pastry "cream" oozed everywhere.

By this point, the glaze had started to firm up. I had tried to keep it warm, but hadn't been keeping an eye on it the entire time, so it was no longer the best glaze in the world. It was thick and messy, and I think I used too much chocolate. In the end I literally slathered it onto the cake. It was more like a ganache frosting than a "glaze."

The end result looked horrible to me. I had this vision of a beautiful cake and ended up with slimy, sticky goo. However, it tasted pretty good and the folks ate it up, so I really can't call it a total failure.

Note: I told PartySugar about the whole thing and she said I should have served it in wine glasses. DANG! Where was she on Saturday night?! That would have made for an elegant boston cream parfait!

Boston Cream Pie
From Baking Illustrated

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pastry Cream, chilled
Foolproof Sponge Cake, baked and cooled

Glaze:

Bring the cream and corn syrup to a full simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; cover and let stand for 8 minutes. (If the chocolate has not completely melted, return the saucepan to low heat; stir constantly until melted.)
Add the vanilla; stir very gently until the mixture is smooth.
Cook until tepid so that a spoonful drizzled back into the pan mounds slightly. (The glaze can be refrigerated to speed up the cooling process, stirring every few minutes to ensure even cooling.)

Cake:

While the glaze is cooling, place one cake layer on a cardboard round on a wire rack set over waxed paper.
Carefully spoon the pastry cream onto the cake and spread it evenly up to the edges.
Place the second cake layer on top, make sure the layers line up properly.
Pour the glaze onto the middle of the top layer and let it flow down the cake sides.
Use a metal spatula, if necessary, to completely coat the cake. Use a small needle to puncture any air bubbles.
Let the cake sit until the glaze fully sets, about 1 hour. Serve the same day, preferably within a couple of hours.

*Note: My experience was more of a Boston Cream Disaster, however I know someone who has used this recipe and had fantastic results.

Pastry Cream
From Baking Illustrated

2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- Heat the half-and-half, 6 tbsp of the sugar and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.
- Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
- When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Print recipe with images | without images

Foolproof Sponge Cake
From Baking Illustrated

1/2 cup plain cake flour
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar

- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease pan and cover bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
- Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.
- Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Cover and keep warm.
- Separate 3 eggs, placing whites in the bowl of standing mixer, reserving the 3 yolks plus the remaining 2 whole eggs in another mixing bowl.
- Beat the 3 whites at low speed until foamy.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and gradually add 6 tbsp of the sugar; continue to beat the whites to soft, moist peaks. (Do not overbeat.)
- Transfer the egg whites to a large bowl and add the whole-egg mixture to the mixer bowl.
- Beat the whole-egg mixture with the remaining 6 tbsp sugar.
- Beat at medium-high speed until the eggs are very thick and pale yellow color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten eggs to the whites.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the beaten eggs and whites; fold very gently 12 times with a large rubber spatula.
- Make a well in one side the batter and pour the milk mixture into the bowl.
- Continue folding until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and whole eggs are evenly mixed, about 8 additional strokes.
- Immediately pour the batter into the prepared cake pans; bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, about 16 minutes for 9-inch cake pans and 20 minutes for 8-inch cake pans.
- Immediately run a knife around the pan perimeters to loosen the cakes.
- Place one pan on a towel and cover the pan with a large plate.
- Using the towel to protect your hands and catch the cake, invert the pan and remove the pan from the cake.
- Peel off the parchment.
- Reinvert the cake from the plate onto the rack.
- Repeat with the remaining cake. Cool cake layers to room temp before proceeding.

Note* I made this cake at someone else's house. This was the only cake pan they had. It still turned out perfectly.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 24 Photos ›

Print recipe with images | without images

Let's Dish: Whose Recipes Do You Trust?

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:50:54 -0700

Whether it's custard that won't set or brittle fleur de sel caramels, we've all had failed cooking attempts. But when disaster strikes while closely following a recipe, it poses the question: Whose recipes can be trusted? And whose cannot? Most religious recipe followers seem to have culinary experts they've come to trust. For example, I find it hard to pick on anything by famed perfectionist Thomas Keller. Same with any cookbook that's been tested over and over again, like those from the late Sheila Lukins. And I've never been able to find fault in a recipe from Tyler Florence or Ina Garten. Whose recipes have you counted on time and time again?

Get a Taste of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:30:24 -0700

This Friday, I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be having for dinner: spaghetti with meatballs. That's because I plan on catching a new movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, on its opening night, which I can already tell will make my mouth water.

Loosely based on the classic children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, Cloudy is an animated film produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The premise: A scientist hopes to solve world hunger when he discovers a way to convert water into food, but when he unleashes his invention on the world, it turns into an epic (albeit delicious) disaster.

I can't wait to get a helping of the computer animated adventure, which features the voices of comedians Andy Samberg and Anna Faris. I suspect the movie will only be more hunger-inducing in its 3-D, IMAX version. Will you be watching? Check out the preview trailer after the jump.

Let's Dish: What Recipe Have You Totally Screwed Up?

partysugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:45:37 -0800

Readers, I have a confession: sometimes I'm a failure in the kitchen. Take, for example, the picture below. My father recently watched Tyler Florence make the most delectable Spanish tapa where a raw egg is wrapped in jamon serrano, placed atop béchamel and toast, and baked in the oven. TyFlo made it look exceptionally easy.
However, when my dad and I went to recreate the dish, the ham wasn't strong enough to hold the eggs. The eggs rolled off the slippery white sauce and onto the baking sheet. After wasting eight eggs, we managed to get three nestled inside the ham. Then, when we removed the final product from the oven, the toast and eggs were stuck to the pan! Our breakfast was a complete disaster.

While we laughed it off, and managed to take a couple tasty bites of the mess, I got to thinking about failed recipes. Have you ever gone through a similar experience, where the recipe doesn't work? What recipe was it and how did you handle the situation?

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Sweet and Spicy Brittle

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:15:29 -0800

During the holidays, I keep homemade brittle in pretty packages to ensure that unexpected guests don't leave empty handed. This year, I made two different types of brittle: a classic peanut brittle and a more exotic, spicy brittle with pine nuts. However, it's easy to make brittle with any nut, seed, spice, or dried fruit.
Making brittle can be a daunting task, but with a couple of helpful tips, the procedure is uncomplicated. A candy thermometer is essential. There's a limited amount of time between brittle and burned sugar disaster, so have all the nuts and other ingredients ready and waiting. When the amount of steam produced by the boiling water and sugar mixture lessens, you have reached the hard-crack stage. Most importantly, remember to be patient! Get started on this crunchy, sweet, and spicy gift when you read more.

Sweet and Spicy Brittle
From Epicurious

Ingredients

Classic Peanut Brittle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salted peanuts
Spicy Pine Nut Brittle
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly oil a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet, then warm in oven.
Cook sugar and water in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden.
Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until golden. If making the spicy variation, immediately stir in red pepper flakes, salt, and nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, about 1 minute.
Once brittle reaches hard-crack stage (about 300°F) quickly pour onto foil, tilting baking sheet to spread brittle evenly before it hardens. (If caramel hardens too fast, put in a 400°F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.) Cool brittle on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.
If you want to create brittle pops, cut skewers into thirds. Alternate the sticks on a foiled and oiled cookie sheet. Cook the brittle as directed above, pour on the foil covering 1/3 of the top of each stick. Once cooled, carefully break apart brittle pops.

Makes 1 1/2 cup brittle of each type.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 12 Photos ›

Ding-Dong - Guess Who’s Here?

Sponsor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:30:22 -0800

That super-competitive friend from middle school just called and wants to come see you. Are your digs a disaster or drop-in worthy? As we head into party season, here’s how to get ready for those unexpected guests.

Neatness: When you’re cooking, use dishwasher-safe pans and plates so you can keep the kitchen neat. And if you’re heading out, pick up those dirty socks and tidy the bathroom just in case you end up hosting the afterparty.

Nibbles: Stock up on popcorn, nuts, olives, and other emergency snacks, and make sure there’s a variety of drinks in the fridge. To really impress, check out the quick appetizer recipes in Amana’s microwave cookbook.

No worries: Remember, that friend won’t be looking at your kitchen floor. She’ll be looking at your bunny slippers. And you’ve got just enough time to change shoes before she gets here.

Don't forget to take our quiz to find out what kind of appliance you are and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a Jot™ Refrigerator from Amana!

Take the Quiz >

For official contest rules, click here.

'Wich of the Week: 'Ino's Pancetta, Lettuce, and Tomato

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:00:24 -0700

I've let Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book languish on my desk for too long, so this weekend I finally decided to make a recipe from this famously excessive sandwich collection. (Stay tuned for a full cookbook review.) Since I was having friends over for a casual dinner, I avoided the more labor-intensive recipes in favor of a simple but delicious sandwich that would showcase the fresh tomatoes I bought that morning at the farmers market.

This PLT - pancetta, lettuce, and tomato - is a variation on the classic BLT (from New York's 'Ino) using Italian pancetta and arugula. Silverton's book is designed so that, if you choose, you can prepare each ingredient without shortcuts - for instance, braising artichokes rather than buying jarred ones or even making bread from scratch. Since the recipe called for it, I opted to make my own lemon aioli from Silverton's recipe. But despite my ambition, this dinner ended up being something of a disaster. To find out why, read more.

Though I followed the directions for baking the pancetta in the oven, my very fatty (and delicious) cuts of pork weren't crisping up enough, so I transferred them to the broiler with the intention of leaving them in just a few more minutes. But you know I mentioned I was having folks over for dinner? Well, I got a bit distracted and forgot about the pancetta until it was too late; the gourmet meat burned to a crisp. (I documented the disaster in the gallery below.)

I salvaged enough to make one PLT, but the other guests got TLTs, made with turkey I happened to have on hand. (You can see the turkey lurking in the background of the photos.) Given, the sandwiches were still tasty, even with turkey. Drizzling the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkling them with kosher salt really brought out the summery flavor, and the lemon aioli tasted tangy, garlicky, and remarkably fresh. I substituted soft ciabatta for the sliced sourdough, and the pillowy bread went wonderfully with the Italian flavors. So I definitely recommend the recipes, with one caveat: It's better if you don't burn the pancetta.

'Ino's Pancetta, Lettuce, and Tomato
Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book

Ingredients

1 recipe lemon aioli
8 ounces pancetta, sliced into 16 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling over the tomatoes
2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, core end discarded, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
8 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread*
Approximately 2 cups arugula leaves, loosely packed (about 1 to 1 1/2 ounces)

Directions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the slices of pancetta about 1/2 inch apart from each other on a baking sheet. Cook them for about 20 minutes, until they're cooked through, but not crisp.
Drizzle the olive oil over the tomato slices, and sprinkle them with salt. Allow them to sit for 5-10 minutes.
Grill the bread.
To assemble the sandwiches, spoon about 1 tablespoon of lemon aioli on one side of each slice of bread. Arrange the slices of pancetta on the bottom slices of bread, and place the tomato slices over it. Arrange the arugula on top and cover with the top slice of bread. Cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

*I used one loaf of ciabatta, sliced horizontally, then cut into four separate sandwiches. Since I was using the ciabatta I skipped step 4 and left my bread untoasted.

Print recipe with images | without images

Lemon Aioli
Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book

Ingredients

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons warm water
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Using a mortar and pestle, pulverize the garlic and salt to a smooth paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic with the flat side of a chef's knife or a garlic press.
If your mortar is too small to whisk the entire amount of oil in (or you don't have one), transfer the mashed garlic and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer or a medium stainless-steel bowl. Whisk in the egg yolk by hand.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, drop by drop, whisking constantly. As the mixture begins to thicken, add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of warm water.
Once you've added almost half of the oil, place the bowl in the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on medium speed. Or continue to whisk in the oil by hand. Pour the oil in a slow, steady trickle, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
As the mixture thickens, add a little more of the lemon juice and water and continue whisking until the remaining olive oil is completely incorporated and the sauce is thickened. Season with lemon juice and zest and salt to taste.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 4 Photos ›

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:30:00 -0700

A fruity, nutty, crunchy crumble is the perfect way to celebrate late Summer.
Check out our gallery of the world's best food museums.
Inspired by New York Fashion Week, I planned a swanky, stylish party of my own.
We share (and commiserate) our biggest disasters in the kitchen.
This week's nachos combined sweet with savory for a scrumptious result.
Our step-by-step instructions for peeling shrimp will have you making scampi stat.
How well can you identify different regional hot dogs?
PartySugar reviews a delicious, exotic Spanish wine that I'm definitely adding to my list.

Did You Watch Last Night's Kitchen Nightmares?

partysugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:31:42 -0700

Last night on the second episode of the new season of Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay was on a mission to turn Long Island's Handlebar around. With a chef who doesn't like to cook, an unmotivated owner, and an emotional train wreck of a wife, the restaurant was a complete disaster. I've always liked the concept of Kitchen Nightmares more than Ramsay's other television show, Hell's Kitchen. I greatly enjoy watching him transform the restaurant and feel so happy when, in the end, it succeeds. How about you? Did you catch it?

Photo Courtesy of Fox.

Let's Dish: What Was Your Biggest Kitchen Catastrophe?

partysugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:00:17 -0700

Recently I was making dark-chocolate raspberry ice cream. A friend was over and he was desperate to help. Always one to encourage cooking, I told him to prepare the raspberries. Before adding the sugar to the pan, he held up the quarter-cup and asked me for permission to add it to the saute pan. However, his cup was filled with rock salt! Luckily, our disaster was averted, but replacing sugar with rock salt is a serious error that would make the dish inedible.
We all make mistakes, especially when new to the kitchen, so everyone should have something to share. Fess up: from burnt cookies to boiled-over pots, what ended up in the trash instead of on the table?

Source