Sunday, November 1, 2009

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of MTP

Here are some cakes made for MTP's big 3-0. Cakes are gluten and dairy-free. I used regular buttercream between the layers and under the fondant. Paige actually free-handed the letters. Go, Paige! And she claims she's never done this before...

Start your engines!



Gluten-free Chocolate Coconut Cake
Makes 1 x 9 in square or 2 x 8 in round or 2 x 9 in round cakes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
4 eggs
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 cup potato starch
8 tsp. tapioca flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven. (350F for 9 in square, 375 for 8 or 9 in rounds) Grease a parchment lined cake pan(s). In large bowl, beat coconut oil and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add remaining ingredients. Beat for about a minute. Pour batter into pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 20-23 minutes for 9 in rounds, 22-25 minutes for 8 in rounds, and 35 minutes for 9 in square.

Cool for 5-8 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack to cool completely.


Gluten-free Coconut Cake
Makes 1 x 9 in square or 2 x 8 in round or 2 x 9 in round cakes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
4 eggs
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup potato starch
8 tsp. tapioca flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

See instructions for chocolate coconut cake above.


Fondant
Makes approx 1/2 cups fondant.

1 3/4 tsp powdered egg white
2 T water
2 T. Corn syrup
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
cornstarch

In food processor, combine egg white powder and water. Pulse a couple of time to combine. Allow mixture to stand for 5 minutes or so. Add remaining ingredients. Pulse until mixture is the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Dust work surface with small amount of cornstarch. Pour fondant onto work surface and knead until smooth (1-2 minutes). If mixture is too dry add a drop of water (a little goes a long way), if it is too wet add a bit more cornstarch.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Chicken Soup with Rice

The rice thickens this up so by the second day you'll have more of a stew-like consistency. I'd say it makes 6-8 servings.

12 cups chicken stock
1 1b boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup jasmine rice
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
2 T butter, divided
3 carrots, sliced
2 yukon gold potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste


In a stock pot, bring stock to a boil. Add chicken thighs. Simmer until chicken is cooked, approx 15 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, saute onion in 1 T butter until transparent, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic to onion and saute for another minute. Remove from heat.

When chicken in cooked, remove it from stock and set aside to cool. When it's cool enough to handle tear chicken into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, add rice mixture, onions, carrots and potatoes to the stock. Simmer until rice and vegetables are cooked. While vegetables are cooking, saute mushrooms in remaining 1 T. butter. When rice and vegetables are cooked, stir in mushroom, chicken and parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Pear Rhubarb Compote Shortcakes

Alrighty. So today I really, really, really wanted shortcake. Guess what? It's too early for much of the tasty summer fruit. Sigh. Luckily rhubarb is abundant!

So I started with this shortcake recipe from epicurious. I used a 2.5 in cutter, and it made about 8-9 shortcakes.

Pear Rhubarb Compote

1 1/3 cups cabernet sauvignon
3/4 cup sugar
zest of about 1/3 of a large orange
2 Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
1 lb rhubarb, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

Combine wine, sugar and zest in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil. Add pears to wine, lower heat, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the rhubarb. Return to a simmer. Cook for another 7-9 minutes until pears are tender.

Remove fruit with a slotted spoon, and reduce liquid to about a 1/3 the original amount. Pour liquid over the fruit and cool.

Serve 1/4 of a pear and a some of the rhubarb and syrup mixture on each shortcake. Top with whipped cream.

Serves 8

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Passion fruit curd

4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
9 T passion fruit puree, divided
4 T. unsalted butter
pinch salt
2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

Put 2 T passion fruit and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Have a fine mesh strainer available to fit over the bowl. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add 7 T passion fruit, butter and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Do not boil. Pour curd through strainer into the bowl with lemon zest and puree. Discard egg solids. Stir curd mixture to combine. Cool slightly and then refrigerate until set. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Passion fruit syrup

I use this syrup to moisten layer cakes and also for mixed drinks.

1 cup passion fruit puree
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring only until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes until slightly thickened.