Easy, Delectable Coffee Cake with Sour Cherries, Topped with Chocolate Cookie Streusel

October 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

I cannot believe it is nearly November and soon all the major holidays are coming up. It is the time when guests are keep coming over, and the question is what dessert to serve for the more casual gatherings?  At this time I am thinking of a simple cake for snacking, which would channel the season.

Fruits, nuts, and spices are the signature of fall holiday baking, most especially in fruitcake but in all kinds of other cakes as well.  Meanwhile, sour cherries are a cherished favorite of mine since childhood, not to be confused with their sweet but bland cousins, and I have a a few packs in the freezer.

Coffee cake is one of the most guest-friendly cakes you can serve.  It is easy to make, it is light, it keeps well (not in my place; it disappears in a New York minute), and it tastes delightful. So I had the outline of my dessert.

I felt I still needed a twist to make the cake stand out.  I was thinking to add a streusel top, a coarse crumb mixture of butter, sugar, flour, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and usually  ground nuts. But this is a “standard” addition on coffee cakes so it will not make the cake distinct.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had chocolate tart dough in the freezer, ready to be filled. I thought, why not try breaking it to small bits and pieces and use these pieces as topping on the coffee cake.  It is similar to cookie dough, so it should look and taste as chocolate cookie crumbs. What is wrong with that? Moreover, it should add an interesting texture to the cake as well. And yes, it makes the cake a perfect fit into the chocolate marathon month on the blog that I just started with the chocolate mousse. So, I rolled up my sleeves and went to work.

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Easy gluten-free pumpkin cake

October 5, 2011 by 8 Comments

WOW! I cannot believe it is October already.  September is always such a busy month for me that it disappears without me noticing. I am always hoping that next year I will be more organized; meaning I will have less stressful September days. Oh well, one can always hope.

But finally I have a few minutes to think about what’s next.  Suddenly I remembered that I wanted to try something from the Gluten-Free cookbook. I never made a gluten-free dessert or cake – in fact I never made a gluten-free anything, so just the thought of it made me a bit anxious.

I reviewed chapters, 6 and 8, that deal with cookies/cakes and desserts and pies and selected to try as my first gluten-free product the fall harvest cake. I also liked the idea that it is nearly pumpkin time so more people will be interested to see how it came out, how it tasted and how easy it is to make it.

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How to Make Easy, Creative Tiramisu in Less Than 30 minutes

September 30, 2011 by 3 Comments

Another year has passed and once again we ask the same question: where did this year go? It seems as if we just celebrated 5771 (yes, that is the year that just passed). I guess by now I should realize that time is not static.

Another traditional thing we do every year is asking for a “better” year. I do not understand why we need to ask for a better year next year. Why couldn’t this year be a great year ? – then we could ask for the same great year to continue.

I assume it must be a Jewish thing. Since we were persecuted throughout the history (and the tradition continues) we got accustomed to the fact that if we do not ask God for a better year next year while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, something bad will happen, for sure. By asking for a better year, God will listen to his chosen people and we will enjoy a great year. Is that makes sense? It would, except that we keep asking for the better year every year. I guess we need to define the meaning of “better year?”

Another thing we are asking repeatedly from God is: forgiveness. What if  we did not do anything  that requires forgiveness? The answer I received most often is that there is no such thing. We are all humans and it is in our nature to do thing we are not supposed to do; therefore, this is the time to get rid off that sin (or those sins) and hope that we will be forgiven, our sins will be forgotten and we can start to make new ones.

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Somlói Galuska: How to Make the Perfect Hungarian Trifle

September 22, 2011 by 8 Comments

 

Modern Somloi Galuska by Georgette

Hungary is famed for its fine pastries; many relate to our long Austrian association. There are dessert recipes, however, that are purely Hungarian.  Somlói Galuska (SHOM-lo-i GAH-loosh-kah), a kind of trifle on steroids, is an easy cake recipe and delicious member of the Hungarian dessert family.

To me, Somlói Galuska is Hungarian comfort food.   No self-respecting Hungarian’s day is complete without a cappuccino break accompanied by a rich cake.  Combining vanilla, chocolate, and walnut sponge cakes with chocolate sauce, rum, pastry cream, and whipped cream, Somlói Galuska satisfies the Hungarian appetite for indulgence simply and sweetly.

Somlo is a region in the Northwest section of Hungary, about 100 km from the Austrian Alps.  Noted for its white wine production, the history of wine growing in the region dates back to the Roman Empire.  Supposedly, a master Hungarian pastry chef created the Somlói Galuska recipe for his wife, who was born in the Somlo region.

A White Christmas in September?

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The Secrets of Successful Pate a Choux, Part I.

August 16, 2011 by 10 Comments

If you’ve ever eaten éclairs, cream puffs, gougeres (cheese puffs), or beignets (fritters), you’ve eaten pâte à choux (paht-ah-shoo).  It means “cabbage paste” in French.

This twice-cooked paste is probably the most versatile dough used in cooking and pastry making.  Pâte à choux can be savory or sweet.  It can be baked, poached, or fried.  It can be piped into various shapes, including my favorite, swans.

A lot of the appeal in making pâte à choux comes from the ease with which you can make a great variety of elegant pastries with it, including Gateau Saint-Honoré, or Croquembouches, stacks of profiteroles glued together with caramel.  And what kid wouldn’t love to make pets de nonne (nun’s farts)?

It achieves its puff not through leavening but through steam deriving from its high moisture content, like popovers.  The cavities that result can conveniently be filled with anything from chicken salad to chocolate mousse, while the exterior remains crisp.

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IMPRESSIVE, EASY-TO-PREPARE HUNGARIAN DESSERT

July 11, 2011 by 2 Comments

A variation of Rigo Jancsi (Double chocolate sponge cake, with mile high chocolate mousse and whipped cream fillings)

If you have visited me often, you know that I love to teach and I love to share my knowledge with anyone interested to listen. Lately, I have carried out my wish  for “sharing” by guest posting on other blogs, where readers can try out my recipes, read about different techniques in baking or just enjoying getting exposed to desserts they may not have seen before.

My Hungarian heritage  is constantly reminding me the desserts I grew up with;  it seems as if they were implanted into my brain forever.  Not that anything is wrong with that; on the contrary. Most of my dessert-associated memories are pleasant; I either envision myself painted with chocolate all over my face , or licking pastry creams off my fingers or helping my Mother roll out a flakey dough for cheese pockets. One dessert that invades my dreams the most  is “Rigo Jancsi”, a double chocolate sponge cake with a thick layer of chocolate mousse filling (and if this is not enough chocolate), glazed with chocolate ganache. Now you know why I am a chocolate addict.

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Tired of the Same Old Cheesecake – Bake This

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Yesterday I had a surprise visit from my friend and she brought some dairy stuff from her refrigerator because she had to travel unexpectedly to visit a family member that became ill.  I received a few packages of farmer cheese (each weighs 8 ounces), goat cheese (each weighs 4 ounces), butter, sour cream, milk and some other stuff I did not really care for.

I was happy that she thought about me because I love both, farmer and goat cheese and they always welcome into my kitchen. She told me that I am the only “baker” and “food blogger” in her circles, so she was sure I will have good use for them, particularly for the cheeses and butters. She thought correctly. It appears that she buys the same Irish butters I do (Kerrygold’s Pure Irish Butter). BTW, I recommend to anyone that likes to bake to use Kerrygold’s butter, whenevr the recipe calls for it. It adds an exceptionally wonderful, buttery flavor to your cakes, tarts, pies and even makes a difference in chocolate ganache.

These items are, however,  all perishable and you cannot store them for long time; not to mention, I would hate to throw them out. I was wondering, why would she buy so much farmer cheese, but I did not want to ask; it may sound as if I am complaining.

I know I can make a nice cheese spread that we all like. It is made with farmer cheese mixed with yogurt or sour cream (sometimes I add a tablespoon or two  cream to make it softer) and scallions, radishes and cucumbers chopped into extremely small pieces. The last thing I add is a heaping tablespoon of sweet Hungarian paprika, a dash of hot Hungarian paprika, a teaspoon of cumin seed (or cumin powder) and salt and black pepper. It is great with fresh sour dough bread, but any other fresh artisan bread would do.

I was also thinking about making other Hungarian stuff, like cheese balls, or cheese crepes, but who will eat all those cheese dishes? Then it occurred to me, that I used to buy some great desserts from the “Dessert Truck” in New York City when I was living there, but the only thing I was not crazy about is their cheese cake made with goat cheese.  I was thinking to re-create that with my recipe, when I’ll have the time and inclination. Well, no time is better than the current time.  Please remember, however, that this will be the first time I will be making this dessert and mostly I will build it with components based on my knowledge and understanding of these ingredients.

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How to Read Recipes for Baking

May 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A copy of the recipe I used for baking my sweet-bread. Please follow it to the letter for a great sweet-bread

Hi. Thanks for stopping by. I am still waiting for questions, because I enjoy explaining things, teaching, and in general helping people to create baking goods from scratch. There is no comparison between store-bought pastries and the one you creat in your kitchen (even if it is not perfect). So what are you waiting for?  There is no such thing as a “stupid” question (some answers maybe stupid, but it is only me who does the answering and I already forgave myself). I hope you will do the same.

Alternatively, you could share with us your latest masterpiece.

Won the Coveted Award of the Worst Looking Brownie in the West; No. 2 (Silver Award) for being the Best Useless International Cake, 2010

I am sure you are questioning the reason(s) for separating the recipes for baking and cooking.  In addition, you are puzzled by the title, because you are reading recipes for years and did not think there is a need to be educated about how to read them.

I do not blame you for being a cynic because I was at your place not so long ago.  If you are anything like me, you do not want to feel stupid or exposing yourself to be vulnerable, so you do not ask questions in public.  You will make every effort to find the answers to your secret questions by reading, by surfing on the Internet and perhaps even through consulting with a limited number of close friends. If none of these methods deliver results, then you just “file” the question.

Before I continue, I’d like to tell you that if you see a beautiful photograph of a cake in a cookbook that looks as if it wants to leap off the page right into your mouth, most likely, it was created by a person that asked a lot of questions and read and tested plenty of recipes.

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