Gastroanthropology

Victoria Sponge

I've been absent for a while...my nine month baking project is finally out of the oven! Kyle Wilder Mitchell arrived in London, on his due date, at 8lbs 10oz.

With the birth of our baby in London, the gorgeous spring weather and the upcoming Royal nuptials I thought I might make something very English for my first baking project post-baby...Victoria Sponge. Named after Queen Victoria, it is basically jam and whipped cream sandwiched between two layers of vanilla cake. It's not frosted or decorated in any way so it's super simple to make. Since we now have a little one, everything is baby sized, as are my Victoria Sponges. Of course you can make this in the traditional cake version or into regular sized cupcakes if you like.

VICTORIA SPONGE (Vanilla cake recipe adapted from Hummingbird Bakery)

• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 140 g sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 40 g unsalted butter, room temp
• 120 ml whole milk, divided in two
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Using a paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter until the mixture looks like sand. Add half the milk and continue to beat until just combined. Add the remaining milk, egg and vanilla extract and beat till mixture is smooth, taking care not to overbeat.

Divide batter into lined cupcake tin. I used a mini-muffin tin and this recipe makes 24 of them (would make a dozen cupcakes). Bake at 325ºF/ 160ºC for 20 - 22 min (15 - 18 min for mini) or until cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely, then slice the tops off and spread with strawberry jam (or raspberry) and freshly whipped cream. I used about 1 cup cream and 1/3 cup of jam for this recipe. 

Kyle was in a sling slumbering away without a peep during this entire baking project!

Hazelnut Flan + Roasted Strawberries

Springtime is all about inspiration in the kitchen. There are so many fresh ingredients in vibrant colors that you want to cook and eat everything. I was hoping to post this yesterday, but have been faced with an extreme case of writer's block. The weather is too nice to stay inside so I'm hoping to get this post out soon and close the laptop to enjoy the entire weekend of much needed sun till Monday rears its ugly head. While the ideas are struggling from pen to paper, I'm certainly not facing any pastry block. I've been furiously trying to catch up with all the dogeared recipes before the lovely produce disappears while I'm summering at the beach. Before you know it the berries and stone fruits will dry up, and root veggies return.

Unlike the aforementioned ugly step child, root veggie, nature's bounty in spring requires little to no cooking. I remember one of the best desserts I ever had was at Chez Panisse - just a simple bowl of cherries, still warm from the sun.

What could you possibly do to these strawberries to make them any better than they already are?

Well, the kitchen is my domain. It's where I get to exert all my power and my minions, strawberries in this case, have no choice but to give in to my commands. I usually don't bake with strawberries. I might toss a few in a scone, but usually they get a quick rinse and eaten fresh. One exception is my sun-riped strawberry jam (my first post!). Basically, you trim the strawberries, toss in the sugar, add a split vanilla bean, wrap in plastic and leave out in the sun to stew. Then you heat it up on the stove and jam as usual. It's absolutely the most intense strawberry jam ever. So, I realized that manipulating the strawberry might lead to something equally as good as the original thing. Inspired by my 20-hour apples, I decided to give slow-roasted strawberries a go.

These get trimmed and tossed in light brown sugar. Put a little bit of melted butter in the bottom of a non-metal, oven-safe pan. Cut 1/2 vanilla bean and scrape the pulp out and mix in with the butter. Place the strawberries trimmed side down, giving each one space. Place in a 200F oven for about 3 hours...a little more if they are large, but leave them whole. Try to pick small strawberries - I used about 4 dozen. I cut one of my large strawberries in half and much preferred the whole roasted strawberries. 

The strawberries shrivel and slump into what looks like a hershey kiss. Once they are cool enough to handle, gently remove them and set aside. Pour the roasted strawberry juices in a small saucepan and add an equal amount of Sauternes, or another sweet white wine. Reduce liquid by half, whisking occasionally. The leftover butter from the pan creates a richness and the final sauce is like liquid strawberry candy. Drizzle over the strawberries. Eat plain or with ice cream.

This got me thinking about roasting fruits I traditionally eat fresh. I came across a recipe in the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook for roasted cherries served with a hazelnut flan. Since its a few weeks till cherry season is in full-swing I thought the hazelnut flan could use some slow-roasted strawberries. Remember flan should be made the day before serving.

HAZELNUT FLAN ***adapted from Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

For the Caramel Layer -

• 3/4 c sugar

For the Hazelnut Custard -

• 1 1/2 c hazelnuts - (this is 1/2 c more than the original recipe)
• 2 c whole milk
• 2 c heavy cream
• 3/4 c sugar (scant)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 whole eggs
• 5 egg yolks

METHOD

To make the caramel for coating the bottom of the ramekins (8 - 6oz ramekins). You could also use french glass yogurt cups, which require no un-molding later! Melt the sugar with 1/4 cup water over high heat and let cook until sugar caramelizes to a deep amber color, about 7 minutes. Do not stir or walk away! Once the desired color is reached, turn off the heat and swirl the liquid sugar. Pour evenly amongst your ramekins and set aside until it hardens.

Toast the hazelnuts until gently golden, about 10 min in a 350F oven. Let cool and then roughly chop. Reduce oven to 300F.

Bring chopped hazelnuts, milk, cream, half of the sugar and salt to a scald. Cover and let mixture steep for half an hour. Reheat the mixture and whisk eggs, egg yolks, and remaining sugar together (do not whisk eggs with the sugar ahead of time - this will "cook" the eggs). Temper the eggs with the heated mixture, and thicken the entire mixture over a very low heat, constantly stirring, until it coats the back of the spoon. Strain through a fine sieve and pour evenly among the ramekins.

Place in a deep roasting pan and fill with warm water to reach halfway up the sides. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and carefully transfer to oven. Bake for 30 minutes, and then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes till the custard is set. It should giggle ever so slightly when the pan is tapped.

Once you can handle the ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, gently run a knife along the edge and un-mold onto the dish you'd like to serve it on. Serve with roasted strawberries.

No-Bake White Chocolate Cheesecake

London is littered with free newspapers. You can't walk down any major street without someone shoving a free newspaper in your already full hands. Packed full with ads, soft news, and lots of gossip on British celebs I've never heard of, they are only good for passing the time on the tube. This morning, however, I came across something interesting in the Metro (one of the many free London papers). An article on Lorraine Pascale - ex-supermodel turned baker. She's been getting some great reviews so I read on and came across this recipe for a no-bake white chocolate cheesecake. Simple to make, nothing to bake, and I love cheesecake. I scribbled the recipe down and went on with my day.

I collected all the ingredients on my way home and as I was measuring my ingredients I realized...while you don't have to bake it, it still needs 24 hours in the fridge. Bugger! No matter - cooking for me is the best therapy at the end of the day and I would have decadent treat for later.  

NO-BAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Adapted from recipe by Lorraine Pascale

• 200g ginger biscuits (ginger snaps)*
• 100g butter, melted 
• 500g white chocolate, melted 
• 250g cream cheese, room temp  
• 250g mascarpone cheese 
• 200ml whipping cream  
• 70g powdered sugar 
• vanilla bean, scraped  
• summer berries 

*The original recipe called for a combination of plain and ginger biscuits (cookies), but I went with all ginger...I think it would also be fine with graham crackers.

METHOD

Smash ginger snaps in a bag or in a food processor to make crumbs. Line the cake pan with parchment with extra paper over the sides so you can easily lift the cake out when its ready, or go with a springform.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in melted butter and press crust into a cake pan. I went with an 8x8inch square. In a separate bowl mix together cheeses, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a whisk. Make sure the mixture is well combined. Melt white chocolate over a double boiler. When just melted, combine with the cheese mixture. Combine well with whisk and pour over the crust.  

Gently press in berries and refrigerate overnight or preferably 24 hours. The cake was a touch too sweet for me, so I'll probably omit some of the sugar on my next cheesecake. The ginger snaps however made the perfect flavored crust.

Cut with a warm, sharp knife. Serve with extra fresh berries - some cut in half, some whole. 

 

I Hate(d) Birthday Cake and My Version of the Whoopie Pie

Over the last few years, especially in America, cakes and cupcakes, have gone through some revolutionary times. Go to a birthday party today and the host has made an amazing cake or gotten one from a bakery that always seems like the best cake ever. Times have changed because there once was a time when I hated Birthday Cake. I dreaded the cake portion of any birthday party, especially because the frosting made me sick to my stomach, and I immediately wanted to call my mom to come pick me up. Thinking back I think it was because when I was growing up cakes were most likely bought from the local Safeway's and produced en mass with ingredients more suited for making plastics or cleaning solutions. I always requested cheesecakes and ice cream cakes for my birthday to avoid consumption of frosting.

Along those same lines I have never eaten anything made by Hostess. That means my lips have never touched a Twinkie, Ding Dong, Ho Ho, Sno Ball, or CupCake - you know the chocolate one filled with "cream" and with the squiggly white line across the top. Never did those appeal to me and now I won't ever eat one for fear that some of the ingredients might pickle my insides. 

The last thing I couldn't stomach as a kid - and still can't - is Marshmallow Fluff. My dad and sister used to eat the stuff spoonful by spoonful. My sister loved that the fluff would sort of fluff back up and hide the evidence of an extra spoonful eaten. It was also a key ingredient for the Whoopie Pie...a popular New England treat of marshmallow cream sandwiched in between two pieces of chocolate cake wafers.

My aversion to some of America's favorite treats doesn't mean I don't love the concept of frosting on a cake or a cream-filled chocolate treat. When done right, with real ingredients, its enough to make me feel like I've just taken a hit of the best drug ever.

So here's my version of the Whoopie Pie. Fresh whipped cream (not Marshmallow Fluff!) sandwiched between two chocolate cake wafers. 

WHOOPIE PIE

• 2 c all-purpose flour 
• 2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 6 oz butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 c sugar 
• 1 c creme fraiche  
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 Tbs brewed espresso, strong  
• 2 cups cream, for whipping 

Makes about 48 wafers when using a small ice cream scoop, or 24 pies. 

METHOD

Combine and sift the dry ingredients. Cream butter with sugar for one minute. Mix in vanilla and espresso. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the creme fraiche into the butter + sugar mixture with a wooden spoon - the mixture will be thick and sticky. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the batter onto sheet pans. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 F/ 180 C, or until the little chocolate cake wafers are just barely cooked through. Do not overbake - they must be soft and with no crispy edges. If they are little too puffy when out of the oven, press gently to flatten. Do this when they are hot but be careful not to burn yourself. Set out to cool completely.

Once cooled, whip fresh cream. I used fresh Jersey double cream and I usually don't sweeten my cream. If you need a little sweetness add a bit of superfine or powdered sugar when whipping. Dollop a large heap of whipped cream on the flat side of one chocolate wafer and sandwich with another. Clean up the sides if necessary. 

Eat immediately. Or, these are great frozen as an ice cream sandwich. Just wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze for single sized portions.

A perfect summer treat. With real ingredients.

I saw these gorgeous Kent strawberries at the market today so I served them alongside.

 

Brown Butter Bars

View at dusk from my parents rooftop deck at their home in Carmel.

The little coastal town of Carmel has a love-hate relationship with the many tourists that frequent it. Sandwiched between Pebble Beach Golf Course and Big Sur, its certainly no secret. For the locals who live in Carmel there's a few places we'd love to rave about, but have to stop ourselves from being too excited for then more tourists might come. But then there are those places that you just have to share because you physically are unable to keep it secret. 

 

In California, we have Highway 1 - its a road that hugs the entire coast of California, and quite possibly one of the most amazing coastal drives in the world. It starts south of Los Angeles in Orange County where the locals call it PCH. That's Pacific Coast Highway for short. It weaves along the coast north, through Big Sur and Carmel. Here there is a mandatory stop that must be made - I'll tell you where in a second. Continuing on, Highway 1 goes through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge. 

 

Nate always said we would only ever leave San Francisco when driving over the Golden Gate Bridge didn't amaze him anymore. Tempted by the romance of Europe we left San Francisco, but not at all because the bridge crossing lost any luster. This is how I know we will be going back. Highway 1 continues north past Marin, Tomales Bay, and Sonoma County - places amazing all on their own. 

Back to the mandatory stop on Highway 1. Big Sur Bakery. Address: Big Sur Bakery, Highway One, California. They have the best jelly donuts, burgers, pizzas, cookies, wood-fired bread, pancakes... Everything is the world's best but these are extra special. Brown. Butter. Bars.

The original Brown Butter Bars are made with homemade fresh peach jam. Here is where I have to make a huge modification - in London, there is no way I'm going to get my produce greedy hands on fresh peaches, so I'm using the next best thing. The next best thing is jam made by my fellow classmate, Sky Cracknell, who is the co-founder (with her husband) of England Preserves. A post on Sky's jam is coming soon where I'll be giving away a few jars. This is hands down the best jam EVER. More on England Preserves in a few days because right now it's all about Brown Butter Bars. Read through the recipe before making - its simple, but there are a few steps which require chilling time.

BROWN BUTTER BARS,** adapted from Big Sur Bakery 

For the crust:

• 8 oz unsalted butter 
• 1/2 c powdered sugar, sifted 
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour 

For the filling:

• 3 large eggs 
• 1 c sugar 
• 3/4 c + 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped  
• 5 oz unsalted butter 
• 1 c your favorite jam 

METHOD

For the crust: Melt the butter in a pan at medium-high heat till the butter starts to brown. When it turns a deep golden color and smells nutty strain through a fine sieve into a heat-proof container. Freeze till its solid - about one half-hour. Put the powdered sugar and flour in a large bowl. Cut bits of the cold brown butter into the sugar + flour. Using a pastry cutter or your hands mix together till you get a crumbly, sandy mixture. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Chill for one half-hour. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C. Bake at that temperature for 18-20 minutes, or until golden in color. Set aside to cool.

For the filling: Whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and flour in a large bowl. Place the vanilla bean and seeds with the butter in a pan and heat till the butter starts to brown. When the butter turns a deep golden color and smells nutty, strain through a fine sieve. Careful! The butter will be really hot. Pour butter into the egg mixture, whisking as you do so.  Remove the vanilla bean.

Assemble the bars: Spread half the filling over the baked crust. Spoon large dollops of the jam over the filling, reserving a quarter. Then spread the rest of the filling over the jam. Use the remaining jam and small dollop over the top. The 1 cup of jam in the ingredients list is approximate, you may need more, depending on the consistency of the jam and how liberal you are with the dollops. Bake until the filling is golden brown in color, about 25 to 30 minutes, at 375F/ 190C. 

Let cool. Cut into squares and share if you can bear it. Perfect wrapped up in paper for a spring picnic. 

**The original recipe, found here, includes the zest of two oranges for the filling. It also includes the recipe and directions for the homemade peach jam. I omitted the orange zest because of the jam flavors I chose. I used two England Preserves flavors: Strawberry Days and Ruby's Redcurrant+Rhubarb+Vanilla. Take a look at Sky's Strawberry Days Jam. 

Come back next week for more on Sky's jams and a chance to win some!

If you happen to be lucky enough to drive past Big Sur Bakery, make sure to stop. It's hard to say what time of day is best. Early means you might get a jelly donut before they sell out. But lunchtime means wood-fired Greek pizza, or dinner might mean real clam chowder with an oak grilled Ribeye. Looks like you may have to hang out all day. I won't reveal the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy that happens to be in Carmel in this post, but if you are visiting the town, email me and I will share with you my secret.