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Berry Blitz Torte

November 5, 2015 Betsy Kuller

I had been eyeing this cake for almost a year before actually getting around to baking it.  I made up lots of good excuses to not make it such as: it looks a little weird, it doesn't include chocolate, I have to make pastry cream, etc etc.

Those were stupid excuses because, let me tell you, this dessert is great and pretty easy to make. Yes, it is a bit unusual (the batter doesn't fully fill the pan? you add the meringue before baking? who wrote this recipe???) but my mantra is to always have faith in King Arthur Flour recipes.

And if you have never made pastry cream from scratch, I dare you to try it this time. If you ever thought pastry cream in an eclair in a refrigerated display case is good, you have never tasted it fresh off of the stove.


Berry Blitz Torte
from King Arthur Flour

Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks (save the whites for the topping)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour

Meringue Topping
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup Baker's Special sugar or granulated sugar (finely ground)
1/2 cup  sliced almonds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (or, better yet, vanilla paste)
1 oz corn starch
4 oz sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 whole egg + 1 yolk
1.5 oz unsalted butter

Make the cake: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolks. Beat in the vanilla or Fiori, the milk, baking powder, and flour. Spread the mixture in the prepared pans (the batter will barely cover the bottom of the pans; that's OK).

Beat the egg whites till light; gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat till the meringue is smooth, glossy and somewhat stiff (but not stiff enough to form stand-up points). Spread the meringue on the cake batter, and sprinkle with the almonds, cinnamon, and sugar. Note: If you're using Fiori di Sicilia, omit the cinnamon.

Bake the cakes for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove them from the oven, allow them to cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges and gently turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. If some of the almonds fall off during this process, just sprinkle them back on top.

Make the pastry cream: Place the milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Keeping an eye on the milk, whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add eggs to this mixture and mix until smooth.

Slowly add about one-third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly (tempering the egg mixture so the eggs do not cook). Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining milk. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. You know that it is ready when it is thick enough to stick to the back of a wooden spoon without sliding off quickly. Stir in the vanilla extract, then the butter until fully incorporated.

Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with a piece of parchment paper until cool. When fully cooled, store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap. If stored properly, pastry cream will keep fresh for up to three days (but definitely best on day one).

Assembly: Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving plate. Spread with the pastry cream. Add a layer of fresh berries. Top with the second cake layer, meringue-side up. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time. 


In Cake Tags cake, meringue, pastry cream, cake 1
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Surprise Party

November 3, 2015 Betsy Kuller

Today we celebrate the birthday of a former boss, a current friend, and a newly-turned old man. Let this cake remind us of how amazing it is for a wife to lie to her husband for months in order to gather friends and family (all donning masks) in a beautiful space filled with food and drinks for the sole purpose of surprising a Russian on his birthday. 

In Cake Tags cake, birthday, cake 1
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Oatmeal Cookies

October 27, 2015 Betsy Kuller

I have come to learn that there are two types of people: those who like raisins in baked goods and those who think that it is an abomination to put a raisin in anything. Clearly those people are crazy but we all have our issues: I, for one, feel that walnuts make any baked good completely and utterly inedible. 

I have been playing around with an oatmeal cookie recipe and in order to please both types of people I have made two different cookies: one with raisins and one with chocolate. I will be completely honest here and set the bar high: my husband said that these are the best cookies I have ever made. 


Oatmeal Cookies
from WSJ

 

1½ cups raisins or chocolate chips
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tbsp granulated sugar
2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
1 extra-large egg*
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

*You can use one large egg in this recipe if that is what you have on hand. Please note that if you double the recipe, you will need to adjust the amount of eggs that you use.

Make the cookies: Soak raisins in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Using an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down frequently. Take care not to overbeat.

Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in oats, followed by drained raisins, egg and vanilla.

Refrigerate dough for at least one day.

Use a size 20 or size 50 scoop and space cookies onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake cookies at 350 for 14.5 minutes (size 20) or 10.5 minutes (size 50).

 

In Cookie Tags chocolate, chocolate chip, oatmeal, cookie, cookie 1
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