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Recipe
Source:
In the Sweet Kitchen:
The Definitive Baker's Companion
© by Regan Daley, 2001, Artisan, a division of
Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
This professional-quality, 704-page reference was singled out
by the International Association of Culinary
Professionals as the
2001 Cookbook of the Year, in addition to being chosen as the
best book of its category (Bread, Other Baking and Sweets). “The
recipes I’ve included in this book are both simple and seductive. My own
desserts have never been highly structural, elaborate and precarious
creations;
I leave those to the frustrated architects among my
professional colleagues. I
think the best desserts are those that are
satisfying and exciting enough to serve
in the most festive situations,
but not out of place on a plain old Tuesday night
when you really need a
taste of something wicked. Most of the recipes can be
made in little time,
with minimal equipment and by even the most novice baker.
Others may take
more time to prepare, but are nevertheless straightforward and easily made
by the home cook.”
From “Cakes
and Tea Cakes”
Pecan Toffee Coffee Cake
Serves 12 to
15
“Rich with the
flavours of pecans, sweet butter and creamy toffee, this simple
coffee cake
exceeds all expectations. It has a velvety fine crumb and just enough
sweetness to be the perfect complement to a strong cup of espresso. Toffee
bits
are a fairly new addition to the baking section of many supermarkets
and I have already found about two dozen uses for them (muffins, cookies,
pancakes…snacking…). Here, they add a distinctly caramel-like flavour,
without the need
to go to the trouble of making butter toffee yourself.”
Filling:
1/2 tightly
packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons
granulated sugar
1 teaspoon
instant espresso powder
1 1/2
tablespoons unsweetened
cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons
cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup
chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup (half
of a 225-gram package)
English toffee pieces
for baking,
such as Skor Bits
Cake Batter:
3 cups
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
3/4 teaspoon
salt
2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup
unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups
tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
3 large eggs,
at room temperature
2 1/2
teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups
full-fat sour cream
3/4 cup (or
the other half of the package)
English toffee pieces
for baking,
such as Skor Bits
3 tablespoons
confectioners’ sugar, sifted, for decoration
1. Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees [F.] Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube or Kugelhopf
Bundt pan and tap out excess flour. Prepare the filling:
in the bowl of a
food processor or a clean coffee or spice mill, combine
the brown and
granulated sugars with the espresso powder. Pulse several
times to grind the
mixture quite finely and transfer to a small bowl. Add
the sifted cocoa and
spices and mix with a fork until well blended. Add
the nuts and toffee
pieces and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Prepare
the cake batter: sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon
and nutmeg into a medium-sized bowl; set aside. In the bowl of
an electric
mixer, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine the butter, brown sugar
and granulated sugar. Cream on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or about 5
minutes by hand, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at
a time, beating well after each addition, beating in
vanilla with the last
egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically
to make sure the mixture
gets evenly blended.
3. Add the
flour mixture to the batter in three additions, alternating with the sour
cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix
just to blend after each addition and be careful not to overbeat at this
point, or the crumb of the cake with be tough, not delicate and fine. When
the last of the flour has been incorporated, fold in the toffee bits.
4. Spoon about
1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using
a teaspoon,
spread the batter evenly over the bottom and make a little
moat
all the way
around the centre to cradle the filling. Spoon 1/2 the
filling into
the
groove, being careful not to have any of the filling touch
the center tube
or
the sides of the pan, or it could scorch, making a
graceful unmoulding
very
difficult! Smooth the filling down a bit, then
add another 1/3 of the
batter. Again, spread the batter over the filling
and up the sides of the
pan, creating another moat. Fill this groove with
the last of the filling
and cover
it with the remaining batter. Using the
spoon or a rubber spatula,
spread
the batter smoothly and evenly, mak-
ing sure it goes right to the
edges of
the pan, blanketing any exposed
filling. The two layers of filling
must be
well
separated by batter, or
the resulting cake will have an
unpleasantly
sugary
and crunchy centre.
Rap the pan on the counter once or
twice to remove any trapped air
bubbles.
5. Place pan
on the centre rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50 to
65 minutes, or
until the cake is golden brown and the centre springs
back when lightly
touched. A wooden skewer inserted about 2 inches
into the centre of the ring
should come out clean, except for any stray
toffee that
it may have speared.
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for
5 to 7 minutes, then invert the cake
onto another rack and leave to cool
completely. This
cake must be absolutely
cool before you attempt to slice
it, or you’ll end
up with one pile of cake
and another of nutty toffee!
The cake keeps very
well for 2 or 3 days, well
wrapped at room
temperature. To serve, sift
confectioners’ sugar over the
top.
White Chocolate Tropical Chunk Cookies
22 to 25
cookies
“I love
the combination of white chocolate and dried tropical fruit, and these
chewy, chunk colourful cookies are positively addictive. I use dried mango
in this recipe, but papaya would work, too. The freshness and quality of the
dried fruit and nuts is what makes or breaks these cookies. Try to find moist, preferably unsulphered fruit, sweet-tasting nuts and make sure the white
chocolate is good.
For a change, substitute cashews or pistachios for
the macadamia nuts and
dried pineapple, banana or even dates for the mango.
The cookies could be
made smaller, but because there is so much good stuff
in the dough, I like
the hearty size!”
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup good-quality white chocolate chips
(or white chocolate
chopped to
about
the size of chips)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts,
preferably raw and unsalted
3/4 cup (about 18 to 20) dried apricots,
chopped about the size of
chocolate
chips
1/4 cup chopped dried mango, sweetened or
unsweetened, preferably unsulphured
(or substitute dried papaya), chopped to
about the size of
chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees [F.] Line a heavy, not
non-stick, baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly butter it. In the
bowl of an electric
or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a
large bowl if mixing
the cookie dough by hand, cream the butter and brown
sugar together until well blended and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla
and scrape down the
sides
of the bowl.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the
flour mixture to
the creamed mixture in two additions, blending well after
each. Fold in
the coconut, white chocolate chips or chunks, macadamia nuts
and dried
fruit.
At this point, there is nothing better with which to mix
the dough
than your hands. Get in there and scrunch the ingredients together
until
the chunky
bits are evenly distributed and there are no clumps of un-
studded batter.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough somewhere between the size of
a walnut and
a golf ball and roll it into a ball, packing tightly. Place it
on the prepared
baking sheet and repeat until the sheet is full, leaving 2
inches between
each ball. Slightly flatten the balls with the bottom of a
glass, then set
the sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the
cookies are golden brown, the bottoms are slightly darker and the tops still
yield when
touched
in the centre. For chewier cookies, bake for a little
less time,
for crunchier
ones, leave them in a little longer – watch
closely,
through, the fruit, nuts
and chocolate can burn easily if left too long.
These cookies will keep in airtight containers at room temperature
for
up to 1 week, if they aren’t devoured before then!
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Spiced Pecan Cake with Pecan
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