Still on a salt kick here! The weather has been awesome here in Seattle lately, and I wanted to kick off the ice cream season with a salted caramel ice cream recipe from the NY Times. I have never made my own caramel before and I was a bit intimidated by it at first. Once I got a good idea of how fast the caramel browns it was significantly less intimidating. I also used 6 egg yolks instead of 10, because it just seems so excessive to use almost a dozen eggs on ice cream! One more note, you really need to taste the salt you use and adjust the amount to your personal taste. I used a more subtle salt and used almost a whole Tablespoon more than it called for. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Adapted from Nicole Kaplan at Eleven Madison Park, New York

Ingredients

Preparation

1.

Place 3/4 cup sugar and the corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Do not stir. Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar. Deglaze with the cream; then slowly add the milk. The caramel will harden. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring, just until the caramel has dissolved.

2.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, yolks and fleur de sel. Whisk a little caramel cream into the egg mixture to temper, pour the egg mixture into the remaining caramel cream and mix. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. Cool completely, preferably overnight, then freeze in an ice-cream maker.

At our house our essential condiments are hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and some sort of fancy finishing salt. We were given a selection of salts two Christmases ago, and we've been slowing working our way through them ever since. We can now debate the qualities of Hawaiian pink salt versus French sea salt but I digress. As far as I am concerned salt's best friends are chocolate and caramel. They all work together so well they should really hang out more often.

I needed to bake something small, chocolaty and portable for a girl's night out. So I started by doubling my Grandmother's fudge pie recipe and went from there. I skipped the crust and put them into cupcake tins. I switched out the Hershey's cocoa for some fancy cocoa from PCC, switched the vanilla extract for almond extract and added caramel candies to the center. I cooked them for about half as long as usual and then added fleur de sel to the tops as they cooled. The result was my first real original baking recipe - Sunken Chocolate Caramel Cakes.

I erred on the side of under baking these, as nothing is worse than a dry cake. The end result was that the texture was somewhere between a brownie and a molten chocolate cake with the crust being chewy and sticky. The salt on top really made it. And while it is tempting to thoroughly douse the cakes in fleur de sel because it tastes so good, I implore you to restrain yourself as I did. The handful of bites that get the fleur de sel really make the flavors pop and I think if it was covered in salt it just wouldn't work as well.

So here is the recipe I took to girl's night out. I plan on making these again but perhaps using a crust and baking them in mini tart pans instead of the muffin tins. There are no leavening agents in this recipe so technically it couldn't be considered a cake but since I didn't use a crust I didn't feel comfortable calling them pies. Ah well, technicalities! Also I noticed that the caramel got a little too hard after these cooled, next time I will make my own caramel sauce so it stays gooey!

This is a great recipe because almost everything you need is already in your pantry!

Sunken Chocolate Caramel Cakes with Fleur de Sel

Prep time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

2 sticks butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. all-purpose flour sifted
8 heaping Tbsp. cocoa
2 dashes salt
4 eggs beaten
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
12 caramels unwrapped
fleur de sel to taste

Preheat oven to 325 F. Melt margarine and cocoa together in microwave (about 1 min). Add sugar and remaining ingredients except for caramels. Beat with hand mixer until combined.

Pour batter into cupcake liners half way. Place one caramel on top of the batter for each cupcake. Add remaining batter to the top of the cupcake liner. These won't rise very much so the amount you put in each cupcake liner is roughly the size of the cupcake you will get.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until batter is set and the tops are beginning to crack like brownies. Once done, sprinkle fleur de sel on cupcakes before they have a chance to cool. You can press the crystals onto the tops of the cakes so they stick well.

Yields 12 cupcakes.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.

We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

This is my first daring bakers challenge and I really enjoyed it. I had trouble not changing the recipe for the Chocolate Valentino as this is similar to a flourless chocolate torte that I make often. Both recipes are incredibly simple, the daring bakers one so simple in fact that I made it in the ten minutes it took my husband to read four books to our baby.

I really became interested in chocolate this month. I checked out Theo Chocolates here in Seattle on Valentine's Day. I tried to take a tour of the factory but it was full. If I had enough money, I would have chosen Theo Chocolate's limited edition Ghost Chili dark chocolate as the base for my Chocolate Valentino. Alas, I just don't have that sort of bank roll. So I went with Ghiradelli's 72% baking chocolate, which I discovered is the perfect percentage of cacao for my tastes.

For the ice cream, I adapted the vanilla ice cream recipe to create a cardamom flavored one. It was so amazing, I think it deserves it's own separate post. It disappeared from our freezer faster than any other ice cream I've made. I think this is mostly because it has more butter fat than any other recipe I've attempted.

After trying both cakes, I have to say I prefer my flourless chocolate torte to this one. The Chef Wan recipe is a bit drier and less sweet where my torte is more moist and not 'too chocolatey'.

Here is my recipe:

Flourless Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce
Original Source: Renata Foucre

Preheat oven to 325 F.

9 oz semisweet chocolate
1 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 whole eggs
½ c. superfine sugar
1 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 Tbs. superfine sugar
2 Tbs. vanilla extract

parchment paper
9 in springform pan
12 oz frozen raspberries
3 Tb. Sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ pint whipping cream
1 tsp. sugar

Combine semisweet chocolate and butter in a double boiler, melt. Let cool.
Combine eggs and ½ c. sugar in mixer 1 min on high speed. Combine 1 Tbs. cocoa powder and 1 tbs sugar, add to eggs. Combine vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture. Pour in greased, sugared parchment lined springform pan. Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil to prevent water from leaking in. Place pan in water bath so that water is ¾ up sides. Bake at 325 F, 45-50 min. Cool on wire rack w/ form open, then invert.

Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in blender. Push through fine sieve with spatula. Combine whipping cream and sugar, whip. Spread extra melted chocolate on granite surface (if available). Scrape chocolate into curls. Sprinkle on top of torte with a little cocoa powder. Serve topped with whipped cream and raspberry sauce.

I've made these muffins twice and am beginning to feel more confident with the recipe. The last time I made them I mixed in frozen cranberries and walnuts. They were pretty good. Here is the recipe. Sorry, there are no photos because they get eaten so fast!

Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Muffins
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 12.

* 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
* 1/4 cup applesauce
* 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar (you could try agave nectar)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup frozen cranberries - though you could try dried
* 1/2 cup of walnuts
* 3/4 cup whole milk
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 Tbsp. cinnamon or cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place muffin cups in a 12-cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cranberries, walnuts and 2 cups cooked quinoa.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla and cinnamon. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

First things first, I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Not because I don't have a valentine, but because I don't like 'the man' telling me when to appreciate them and show my love. It means more when it is a random Thursday, don't you think? That said, I love any excuse to bake and Valentine's Day is a pretty good one. So I decided to bake 3 dozen cupcakes (2 dozen for my husband's work and 1 dozen for my mom's group) a few days before V-Day.

I stumbled upon this recipe for red velvet cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting on Oprah's website. The owners of a trendy bakery in Red Hook called Baked provided several recipes featured on her site. I had heard of Baked because one of my favorite sites already chronicled their interior design. I wish I could visit, but I don't have a trip to NYC or Charleston planned any time soon. So I baked this recipe and plan on baking the other ones from the oprah site as well.

Not many people have had red velvet cake before, it's definitely a Southern thing. Some people say it's just chocolate with red food coloring, but there is so much more to it than that. It is a subtle chocolate flavor balanced with buttermilk and a splash of vinegar. It is traditionally served with a butter roux frosting or cream cheese buttercream frosting. I was surprised this recipe used buttercream without the cream cheese, but I went with it. Baked is supposedly famous for their red velvet, so I thought I would give it a shot without modifying it too much.

My Grandmother used to make red velvet cake all the time because it was my Father's favorite. I'm pretty sure my Father's favorite is german chocolate cake, but my Grandmother loved any excuse for a sweet. She used to have dessert with every meal except breakfast! Now I will have to get her recipe for red velvet so I can compare.

A few tips before making the recipe below. The red food coloring (i.e. red #40) isn't very good for you. It has been linked to behavioral problems in children and generally I don't like to ingest anything that isn't natural for the most part. Next time I make this I would like to substitute beet juice for the red dye.

Most people (unless you live in the South) don't have shortening (Crisco) sitting around the house. I didn't see much point in buying it for a measly 2 Tbsp. so I substituted an equal amount of unsalted butter. It didn't seem to make much difference and I think it would have only affected the texture anyways.

Another item non-Southerners probably don't have in the fridge regularly is buttermilk. But you can easily make your own by adding 1 Tbsp of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Alternatively you could use 1 cup of plain yogurt.

One last thing you need not make a special trip to the store for is the cake flour. You can make a great substitution by placing 2 Tbsp of cornstarch in the bottom of your 1 C. measuring cup and then spoon all-purpose flour to the rim (using a knife to make it level of course). Then sift with your salt as called for in the recipe. I used whole-wheat pastry flour because I had it on hand and I wanted to see if the whole-wheat would make the final cupcake more dense. You can learn more about different flours and their uses with this pdf.


Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

If you are in the mood for the most decadent ice cream you've ever had, then this recipe is for you. It tastes like what I imagine the first ice creams were like. It is truly 'iced cream'. It may be a bit rich compared to what passes for ice cream these days but I've never been a fan of diet anything. I was craving cardamom ice cream just like I used to eat at the Bombay Ice Creamery in San Francisco so I put this recipe together.

I modified the vanilla ice cream recipe from The Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis by adding in cardamom pods during steeping and then a bit of dried cardamom before it goes into the ice cream maker. I referred to the spice house's recipe for cardamom ice cream but used the ingredients and proportions from Farrow/Lewis. I think it is the best of both worlds.

This cardamom ice cream is very similar to kulfi in that it contains cornstarch and uses heavy cream. I've never had legitimate kulfi, so it is hard for me to compare but I would like to try it out sometime to see the differences. The ingredients for kulfi include cardamom pods, milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and cornstarch. I imagine it is much more sweet than this recipe. I would check out this kulfi recipe from the BBC if you are interested in doing a taste test: legit kulfi.

Cardamom Ice Cream
Adapted from The Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis

Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
* 8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
* 6 Tbsp sugar
* 4 egg yolks
* 1 tsp cornstarch
* 1 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preparation Instructions

Put the milk, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods into a heavy pan and bring slowly to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Take out the vanilla bean and scape the seeds into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.

Beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until thick and foamy. Gently reheat the milk or cream and beat a little of it into the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the cream and return the pan to a low heat. Stir until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or you'll get pieces of scrambled egg.

Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until it has almost cooled. Whip the whipping cream lightly and fold it into the custard. Add the 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions.

I have a confession to make. I've never made bread without the help of a mixer. I also can't remember the last time I ate homemade bread. I tried out this recipe for no knead bread from the NY Times twice. The first time I didn't exactly follow the instructions. But the second time I actually did and I was so glad I gave it a second shot! It is incredibly easy and makes even beginner bread makers look like pros.

This bread is crusty and flaky on the outside and soft, tender and moist on the inside. It is everything a good bread should be. For what we pay in the store for 'artisan' bread, this could become a habit. I am looking forward to experimenting with different flours and flavors.

Here is a link to the article from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html

Here is the recipe (that I will follow next time!):

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.