Espresso and Cream Bars

To me, one of the most enjoyable past-times is drinking a great cup of coffee.  I am extremely partial to the coffee produced by Coffees of Hawaii, and in particular their Ka'u.  I didn't really become a coffee drinker until about ten years ago.  Growing up, tea was the drink of choice in my family, and if we did have coffee it was always instant.  That is probably why I didn't like coffee back then.  My taste has definitely changed now and our coffee is always freshly ground before we brew it, and then it is timed to perfection.

Of course I love coffee desserts too - tiramisu, affogato, Kahlua brownies, coffee ice cream are all favorites.  I really wanted to create some type of bar cookie and I thought the flavors of espresso and cream would be perfect.  I did a quick search but didn't find exactly what I was looking for so I used components from a few different recipes to come up with my bars.  I used the base from a berry tart that I recently made, the cheesecake filling is from Bakerella, and the ganache topping is from the LA Times.  The combination was delicious.





Once all of the steps were complete I put the tart in the refrigerator overnight so that the ganache could harden.  After a few photos I cut it into bars.  I have already put it into containers so that my girls can take it to school tomorrow and share with their friends.  Having these in the house is just too dangerous for me - before I knew it I would have eaten way too many.

Espresso and Cream Bars

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

Base -

• 1 cup (2 sticks), melted and cooled
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Filling - 

• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons hot water

Ganache Topping -  

• 10 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, finely chopped 
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Decoration -

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 5 teaspoons hot water

Preparation

Base -

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a square tart tin that has a removable base.
3. Stir together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the flour and salt and stir to make a soft dough.
5. Press dough evenly into base and side of square tart tin with fingertips.
6. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, until pastry is slightly puffy.

Filling - 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cream the sugar, cream cheese, and flour with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.
3. On medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
4. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until just combined.
5. Mix espresso powder and hot water to dissolve, then add to cheesecake mixture, mixing well.
6. Pour on prepared crust and bake for about 40 minutes.
7. Remove and cool.

Ganache Topping -   

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Working with a whisk or spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together.
3. When the ganache is smooth, stir in the butter.
4. Cool the ganache slightly and then pour over the top of the tart.
5. Place in the refrigerator to harden.

Decoration - 

1. Place sifted powdered sugar in a bowl.
2. Place espresso powder in a small cup and add hot water, stirring to dissolve.
3. Add espresso liquid to powdered sugar and stir until completely smooth.  Add more hot water if needed.  Do not make icing too thin.
4. Place icing mixture into a piping bag and pipe lines across the top of the tart.
5. Take a skewer or a toothpick and drag it from one end of the pan to the other. Then go to the other end of the pan and drag back the other way.  Continue doing this until you have completed the design.

Recipe inspired by Bill Granger,  Bakerella, and the LA Times.

Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange Curd

Just when I thought I would never find a Meyer Lemon one of the stalls at the Farmers' Market had a basket of them.  They were quite green and I hesitated buying them, but I was assured that they would ripen up to a beautiful yellow. Once they were ripe I had a decision to make because I only had four lemons and about ten different recipes that I wanted to try. Since I still had a few Blood Oranges left I decided to juice both and make a curd.

The Meyer Lemon was first brought to the United States in 1908 by Frank Meyer, who worked for the Department of Agriculture.  It is native to China and is thought to be a cross between a lemon and either a mandarin orange or an orange. Meyer Lemons tend to be sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.  The Blood Orange is a variety of a regular orange that has a deep, red-colored flesh, that gives it its name.  The deep red is due to the presence of a red pigment called anthocyanin, a rich antioxidant, that is common in many flowers but not very common in citrus fruits.  It is actually a mutation of a sweet orange, rather than a hybrid.  They can be somewhat tart, but also have a lovely raspberry-like flavor.

The last time I made a lemon curd I used Alton Browns' recipe from the Food Network.  It was quite good but I wanted to try something different this time around.  A quick search brought me to the Fine Cooking website and a recipe by Elinor Klivans.  I was intrigued by this recipe because it involved beating the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs and juice before putting it into a saucepan to cook.  According to Ms. Klivans this was a foolproof method for making a luscious, light lemon curd.  A common problem when making a curd, especially if you are using whole eggs as well as egg yolks, is the little bit of curdled egg that needs to be strained out of the finished product. If a recipe could eliminate this problem then I was definitely willing to give it a try. 

Everything came together quite well and at first I felt as if I was beginning a cake rather than a curd.  Be warned though that once you add the juice it will curdle - seriously curdle.  I had my doubts about this coming back together as a smooth, luscious topping, but I stayed true to the recipe.  I put the mixture in the saucepan on a low heat and kept stirring and stirring, and before I knew it the butter melted and I had the beginnings of a curd.  I increased the heat, making sure it did not boil, and continued stirring as the mixture thickened.  Before long I had a beautiful pale pink-orange curd.

After transferring it to a bowl I pressed some plastic wrap directly on the surface as this stops a skin from forming on the top and then I put it into the refrigerator to cool overnight.   Of course I made sure I did some quality control and it tasted wonderful.  I am looking forward to having it on my English Muffin in the morning, and I think I will use the rest of it to make some Mini Meyer Lemon-Blood Orange Meringue Pies. Stay tuned for the recipe.

This has become my go-to recipe when it comes to making curd.  I love it because you do not have to temper anything, there are no little bits of egg that you have to strain out of the mixture, and you do not need to use a double boiler.  It couldn't be any easier.  Oh, and I also managed to find a Meyer Lemon tree that didn't cost and arm and a leg, so wish me and my black thumb luck in keeping it alive.  I have a lot more recipes that ask for Meyer Lemon so I need that tree to start producing, like yesterday.

Also, sorry for some less than stellar photos.  I included them because I wanted you to see the process, but I made the curd in the late afternoon, so the light was less than perfect.  Yes, there was lots of cursing under my breath as I tried every light in the house to get a good shot.  One day, I will have a proper lighting system, but until then it is what it is.  At least that is what I keep telling myself.   

Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange Curd

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup fresh Meyer Lemon juice
• 1/3 cup fresh Blood Orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon & orange zest

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for approximately 2 minutes. 
2. Slowly add the eggs and yolks and beat for 1 minute. 
3. Mix in the lemon and orange juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as the butter in the mixture melts during cooking.
4. In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth.
5. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Do not let the mixture boil.
6. Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the lemon and orange zest. 
7. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator.
8. The curd will thicken further as it cools. 
9. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months. 

 Recipe by Elinor Klivans - via her hairdresser.

To Try Tuesday - Jam Filled Buttermilk Donut Muffins

Checking through my extensive list of recipes I would like to try one day I wondered which would be the lucky one today?  I was in the mood for muffins and I found something that I thought sounded really good - cinnamon coated donut muffins.

I remember when I saved this recipe it seemed like everyone was making them.  I guess I am a little behind the trend, which quite honestly is nothing new.  I have to face the fact that I am not a trendy person, and for the most part I am OK with that.  I realized that I actually saved two recipes - one from Food Gal, and another from King Arthur Flour.  I honestly can't remember why these recipes stood out more than the abundance of others around at that time. It is hard to figure out who came up with the original idea because there were so many recipes and adaptations floating around.

In my refrigerator sat a lonely carton of buttermilk so I decided that I would make buttermilk donut muffins.  Then I spotted some Fruits of the Forrest jam that I had brought back from Australia, and I decided that I should fill the muffins too.

It was tough to decide which recipe to go with but I chose the King Arthur one, replacing the milk with buttermilk and sandwiching the jam between two layers of batter. The nutmeg in the batter really gives it that donut-like smell. This is quite a thick batter so I found it easier to spread the top layer of batter with my finger to smooth it out and cover all of the jam




I had mixed emotions about the end result.  Some of the jam over-flowed so I think that next time I will just fill them after they have been covered in the cinnamon sugar. Also, I used cupcake liners and I think that the muffins would be better without them.  Even though I greased them they were still hard to remove, and presentation-wise I didn't like the groove marks they created. As Randy Jackson might say, they were just OK for me.  In hindsight I probably should have gone with the other recipe as it was by Beth Hensberger.

Jam Filled Buttermilk Donut Muffins

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• ½ cup jam
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin, or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. 
3. Add the eggs, beating to combine. 
4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. 
5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. 
6. Spoon the batter about ½ way into the prepared pan, add about 1 teaspoon jam, and then fill muffin cups almost full with the remaining batter.
7. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown.
8. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
9. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping.
10. Brush the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
11. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Yield: 16 muffins. 
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

 

The Cake Slice March 2011 - Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

Wow, the time really flew by quickly and it is Cake Slice Bakers time again. This month the group is baking a Chocolate Cream Pound Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. It sounds good just saying it, doesn't it?

This really is a very easy cake to put together. I am used to a darker chocolate cake, so it did throw me a little in the beginning as this one has quite a light batter. It is more like a milk chocolate. I loved the chocolaty smell as it was baking.  My cake was done in one hour, so make sure you check to ensure your cake does not over bake.

I must say that this was not the prettiest of cakes when I took it out of the oven. Mine sank a little on top, and it looked a little dry. All of this hides the deliciousness within. I thought the flavor of this cake was divine, and it is quite moist once you cut into it. In the end I decided that the drier, crackly top provided a good foil for the moist interior.

I can't comment on how well this cake keeps because it was gone by late afternoon. Everyone kept going back "for just another little piece", and before I knew it all that was left was an empty plate and a few crumbs. This is one that I will definitely make again, but I think I'll double the recipe because one loaf just wasn't enough. To see what the other members of our group thought about the Chocolate Cream Pound Cake please visit the Cake Slice Blogroll.



Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
3. Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl.
4. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling.
5. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
6. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
7. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bow once or twice as necessary.
8. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until smooth.
9. With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
10. Stir in the vanilla.
11. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
12. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
13. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
14. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
15. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely.
16. Slice and serve.
17. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.

Chunky Scookies

I was at the supermarket a few days ago and I saw some 5-grain cereal in the bulk bins.  I immediately thought about how great it would be as a substitute in an oatmeal cookie.  I quickly grabbed a bag and purchased a few scoops.  I also picked up some golden flax seed and desiccated coconut (the grated, dried, and sweetened - and sometimes unsweetened - fresh meat of a mature coconut).

Next I needed to find a recipe to suit what I had in mind.  I decided to have a quick look in my new favorite cookbook, Flour by Joanne Chang, hoping for a starting point.  Of course I wasn't disappointed and found a recipe called Chunky Lola Cookies (page 110), and this is what I intended to make substituting the 5-grain cereal for the rolled oats, but this is not what I ended up with.  I don't know why but I have trouble sticking with the recipe written in front of me.  My brain tends to go into overdrive and I keep thinking about other ingredients that would make a great addition to the recipe.  The end result is a completely new recipe.

This original Flour recipe had rolled oats, pecans, bittersweet chocolate, and shredded coconut.  The new recipe ended up with 5-grain cereal, banana, macadamia nuts, golden flax seed, desiccated coconut, and white chocolate chips.  Completely different but still delicious.  I did put the dough in the refrigerator for three hours to firm up a bit. I think it would have been even better had I left it there a little longer (or even overnight as the original recipes recommends) because as you are scooping the cookies the dough quickly becomes quite soft and sticks to your hands as you slightly flatten them.

When family and friends tried them there was some debate over whether they tasted more like a cake, a scone, or a cookie.  My daughter said that they tasted like a scookie - a cross between a scone and a cookie - so that is what I called them.  They are delicious on their own, but become decadent when you dip them in ganache.

Chunky Scookies©

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas, cut into chunks
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup 5-grain cereal
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1½ tablespoons golden flax seeds

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or Silpats.
3. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix an additional 2 to 3 minutes until well combined.
5. Add banana and mix until roughly broken up.
6. In a separate bowl combine the flour, 5-grain cereal, baking soda, salt, white chocolate, macadamias, coconut, and flax seed.
7. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed. 
8. Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 3 to 4 hours before baking.
9. Using an medium cookie scoop drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
10. Slightly flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand.
11. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden around the edges and slightly soft in the center.
12. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes, before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool completely.
13. Once cooled dip half of each cookie in ganache, if desired.

Makes about 36 cookies.