The Art and Soul of Baking

A Taste of Tradition – Sour Cherry Linzer Tart

I love the fact that most Christmas baking is steeped in tradition, connecting us to generations of bakers around the world. Take, for example, the classic Austrian dessert called linzertorte, a spiced pastry with lattice-work top, cradling a filling of raspberry jam. It originated in the northern Austrian city of Linz, along the banks of the Danube River, many generations ago. The aromas of this tart while baking - a heady combination of nuts, spices and fruit - are enough to conjure snow drifts outside the window and ice skaters on a frozen pond, even here in California, which makes it a perfect celebratory ending for the holiday season.

The name linzertorte links this dessert to others with similar attributes, as tortes are a type of cake that have most or all of the flour replaced by ground nuts. True to form, the dough in the recipe below has a measure of ground nuts – both almonds and hazelnuts - along with the flour. The addition of cinnamon, cloves and citrus zest round out the Christmas flavors, right down to the red filling peeking through the lattice top. I think the presentation of linzertorte is prettiest when baked in a fluted, removable bottom tart shell, though I’ve used a cake pan in a pinch.

The classic filling is seedless raspberry jam (and there is a variation for this in the introduction of the recipe below), but I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I love dried sour cherries and think they are the perfect partner to the richly spiced tart dough, so I’ve come up with a fabulous filling that sends this recipe over the top. The presence of these chewy, sweet-tart cherries pumps up the flavor and gives this classic pastry a fun, modern twist that is irresistible.

If you add a bit of extra flour (about 3 tablespoons), the linzer tart dough can be used to make pretty window cookies for your entertaining and gift-giving. Roll the dough quite thinly – about 1/8-inch - and cut it into simple shapes, like circles or squares. Use a small, similarly-shaped cutter to cut a peek-a-boo window into half of the cookies. Be sure to bake the tops and bottoms of the sandwich cookies on separate pans because the cookies with holes in the center will bake more quickly. Once the cookies have cooled, spread a thin layer of seedless raspberry jam across the solid cookies, then dust the window cookies with powdered sugar before setting them atop the jam. These are easily the prettiest cookies on a holiday cookie platter (and the first to disappear). I have to give these away as soon as I make them; otherwise, I keep nibbling away at the stash until they are all gone.

More A Taste of Tradition ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Rattling Meringue Bones

Meringue, a mixture of egg whites and sugar is a (super)natural for Halloween baking. Ghostly white, like the color of bare, bleached bones, meringue is a great medium for fun Halloween treats. Left soft and fluffy, meringue can be plopped on top of cupcakes, then shaped into ghostly figures using a couple of spoons or your clean fingers (tip: dip the spoons or fingers into cold water and shake off the excess, leaving a thin film of water – this will keep the meringue from sticking). Or pipe the meringue through a plain round tip onto parchment-lined baking sheets to form gravestones, skulls or, my favorite, fingers and bones, which are then baked until crisp and dry.

French meringue is the easiest type to make, and is what I use for my meringue bones. There are several things you can do to ensure success with meringue. Start with a clean bowl and whisk attachment or beaters – wash them in hot soapy water just before use. Separate your eggs carefully so there are no bits of yolk in the whites (fat and dirt inhibit the whipping of whites, and may render them completely useless). Have everything you need ready to complete the project prepped and ready-to-use before you begin whipping. Preheat the oven. Trace your templates onto parchment (or simply pipe freehand, if you prefer), and turn the parchment pencil-side down on the baking sheet. For templates, draw a bone or finger, or trace around a bone-shaped dog treat. Put your piping tip in your pastry bag. If you are going to make bony fingers, paint whole, blanched almonds with red or black food coloring to use as fingernails, and give them 30 minutes to dry before starting the meringue (or, use candy-covered wedding almonds, which come in an array of pastel and bright colors).

In addition to being fun and creepy and sweetly delicious all at the same time, these are great make-ahead treats. They are baked for an hour, then left in a turned-off oven all night to finish drying completely. In the morning, they will be, ahem, bone-dry and very crispy. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep for weeks. Note: Do not attempt to make these on a humid day or they will never dry properly, remaining soft and soggy. The bony fingers with colored nails will be finished when baked, but I like to finish any other types of bones with a bit of “blood.” Melt white candy melts and tint with red food color (or purchase dark red melts if you can find them). Holding a bone by one end straight up and down, pour a spoonful of red “blood” over the end of the bone, allowing any excess to drip down the length of the bone. Once the chocolate has stopped moving, set the bone down on the parchment and allow the “blood” time to cool and set. You can also use this technique on the fingers, dipping the severed end of the finger in the “blood.” For a bit of extra fun, melt some additional colored-melts and pipe fancy rings on the fingers – you can even top the “jewels” with sparkling sugar crystals for extra glamour. These are good, crunchy cookie snacks, and are great fun tucked into clear cellophane bags tied with a black bow as party favors. I’ve even served them with chocolate fondue!

More Rattling Meringue Bone ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Desserts with Joe

In France, coffee is not served with dessert – it is offered only after the dessert course is finished. Here, the first thing a diner is asked after ordering dessert is, “Would you like some coffee with that?” I have to admit, a smooth, deep coffee is wonderful with something sweet…so why not put the coffee into the dessert? It’s a natural partner in the final course, since its bitter flavor helps to balance the inherent sweetness.

If I had to choose my favorite coffee dessert, it would be coffee ice cream. I love the cool, creamy sweetness against the bitter, bracing jolt of coffee. Put a small scoop between two crispy chocolate cookies and I’m in heaven. The weird thing is…I rarely drink coffee. I mean, considering all the espresso powder and coffee I use in desserts, one would think I’m a hard-core coffee addict. I guess I do like coffee, as long as it tastes like coffee ice cream – that is, with plenty of sugar, and milk or cream. I don’t think I’m alone. Look at the popularity of all those fancy coffee drinks at the coffeehouse – each one is a dessert!

When it comes to coffee desserts, I’m powerless in the presence of well-made tiramisu, that favorite of Italian sweets consisting of sponge cake soaked with espresso-rum syrup, and layered with sweetened mascarpone, and grated chocolate. The name, translated as “pick-me-up,” refers directly to the coffee within. Another one of my favorite Italian desserts is even simpler to make. Called “gelato affogato,” or “drowned ice cream,” it is an ice cream sundae of sorts consisting of a scoop of ice cream “drowned” with a shot of espresso topped with a spoonful of whipped cream. The ice cream starts to melt and blend with the hot espresso, creating a wonderful play of hot and cold with sweet and bitter. No doubt you can think of your own favorite coffee-spiked desserts.

And while the examples above offer a bold coffee profile, when used in moderation it can enhance other flavors without taking the front seat. For example, a bit of instant espresso powder or pure coffee extract added to a dark chocolate dessert makes the chocolate taste even more, well, chocolate-y, without tasting like coffee. It’s a trick pastry chefs have long used to boost and compliment the complex flavors of dark chocolate. Coffee is also a wonderful partner to milk and white chocolate endings, tempering their sweetness and adding another layer of flavor to the dessert.

Custards in particular are a great medium for coffee because you can infuse the milk and/or cream portion of the custard with actual coffee beans for a rich coffee flavor. Infusing is similar to making tea. You add the beans to the hot liquid and let the mixture sit. Once the flavor is strong enough, you simply strain out the coffee beans and continue with the recipe. Since you learned about the tricks to baking perfect custard in my last posting, give the Coffee Cardamom Pots de Crème below a try. The blend of flavors is intoxicating.

For many other desserts, this infusing method isn’t practical. In those cases, my favorite way to add a punch of coffee flavor is by adding a bit of instant espresso powder. And my favorite instant espresso powder is the Medaglia d’Oro brand from Italy. This small glass jar with a green lid and a label bearing the colors of the Italian flag boasts very fine granules that dissolve almost instantly, and the flavor is clean and pure. It is available in some supermarkets and many Italian delis and specialty shops. If you use an instant espresso with large, chunky granules, you’ll need to dissolve them in a tiny bit of warm water first, essentially making your own coffee extract. Try it in your favorite cake or cheesecake batter, cookie dough, even meringue. Desserts with joe are always a favorite, with or without a cup of coffee alongside.

More Desserts with Joe ideas and recipes follow after the jump

Silken Custards

One of my long-time fascinations with pastry and baking is the almost limitless number of products that can be made with only a few simple ingredients. Take, for example, custards. The basic components are only eggs, sugar, and milk or cream. Yet the variety of possible flavors, textures and presentations is nearly endless. Members of this family include:

• Crème anglaise, a thick and velvety custard sauce served with many desserts
• French ice cream, which is that same crème anglaise frozen in an ice cream machine.
• Crème brulee, the richest of baked custards served chilled and topped with a thin crust of crackling caramel
• Pot de crème, a medium-rich baked custard that is always served in its baking dish
• Flan, also called crème caramel, a lean baked custard which is always turned out of its caramel-lined baking dish
• Cheesecakes, rich or lean, sweet or savory, always delicious
• Bread pudding, bread soaked with custard and baked
• Bavarian, a freestanding gelatin dessert with a light, mousse-like texture

Baked custards are one of our most well-loved comfort foods, and are great make-ahead desserts for entertaining, since they need a long cooling time in the refrigerator before serving. Baked custards include crème brulee, pot de crème, flan, cheesecake and bread pudding, and they all share a silken texture. To achieve that texture we all love, you must understand the ingredient that makes it all possible – eggs.

Eggs are the thickening and binding agents in custard. When heated gently, they hold everything in a delicate suspension, forming a tender network of strength. There are 3 key steps in baking custards, and the first is to go “low and slow.” That is, set a low oven temperature, about 325F and let them take their time. If you’ve ever scrambled eggs for breakfast quickly over a high heat, you know that while speedy, a high flame makes eggs toughen, and take on an unpleasant rubbery quality. It’s just the same with custards. Custards baked at too high a temperature, or those left in the oven too long, turn grainy and ultimately scramble into a curdled mess.

The second component that is often part of the slow-baking equation is a water bath. Known to professionals as a “bain marie,” a water bath insulates the custards from fluctuating temperatures, and moderates the exchange of heat between oven and eggs. To make a bain marie, choose a baking or roasting pan which will accommodate your custard dish(es), and is big enough to allow at least an inch between dishes, as well as the sides of the pan. Place the filled dish(es) in the pan, and then add enough hot water (faucet hot, not boiling hot) to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. This will ensure they bake at a consistent, low temperature.

The third key to silken smoothness is covering the custards as they bake. Creating a moist environment prevents the custards from forming a “skin” of leathery proteins on the surface, a result of direct exposure to dry heat. The foil traps some of the steam, preventing skin formation. A piece of foil laid flat across the top of the pan works well for this task. Don’t crimp the edges tightly onto the pan in an attempt to form an airtight seal, for if all the steam is trapped, the custards will quickly overcook. It’s custard, not steamed broccoli. Simply crimp the foil gently in 2 or 3 places around the pan, just to hold it in place, while allowing plenty of areas for steam to escape. Of the baked custards described above, crème brulee, pots de crème and flan all require a water bath and cover, while cheesecake and bread pudding can be baked successfully either with or without them – it’s up to the recipe and the discretion of the cook.

To tell when the custards are done baking, tap one of the dishes gently with a kitchen knife or wooden spoon handle. The sides should be set, but there should still be a loose looking area in the center of the custard, about the size of a dime in diameter. If you are using a large 8 to 10-inch dish or pan, you’ll want to look for a quarter-sized area. Remove from the oven, lift the dish(es) out of the water bath and allow them to cool to room temperature before chilling. To test for doneness in a bread pudding, uses a spoon to press down firmly in the center – if liquid custard comes up around the spoon, it needs more time, but if no liquid pools, then the pudding is finished.

More Silken Custard ideas and recipes follow after the jump