The Literate Baker

Grilled Cheese...cake (mmhmm, that's right)

2012-01-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

In the pound cake post, I alluded to the phenomenon known as grilled cheesecake. Well, dear readers, I did it. And it was good.

I first learned about grilled cheesecake from CakeSpy, the devilish dessert angel who lives in Seattle and blogs about all things sweet. Her Grilled Cheesecake: A Sweet Take on a Classic Sandwich post intrigued me the very first time I read about it. Since I don't normally have pound cake around, I'd never been brazen enough to try it on my own.

Well, as you know, I did find myself with purposeless pound cake. As well as adventurous and sweet-toothed dinner guests (yes, Crystal and Avi, I mean you). And a semi-healthy mushroom and green pea risotto that sort of justified a decadent dessert.

It was on.

Per the lovely Cake Spy's directions, I sliced my pound cake and buttered it.

I sliced my cheesecake and sandwiched it. (Yes, I bought frozen cheesecake. Gasp.)

I griddled until GBD.

I marveled.

We stuffed ourselves.

This is not a desert for everyday. It's crazy rich. It is fun, though, and different. If I ever had a grilled cheese dinner party (which I think would be a ton of fun), this would definitely be on the menu. Maybe with a chilled strawberry puree standing in for tomato soup. I love things-are-not-as-they-seem sweets. A surprising way to...

Keep it sweet.

Pound It Out

2012-01-15T13:39:00.002-05:00

One of the things I served with my chocolate fondue was pound cake. Pound cake is one of those things I never thought I liked because I'd only been exposed to mass-produced, freezer-case varieties. You know, not terrible, but more utilitarian than tasty. For something with as many calories as pound cake, it should be, at the very least, tasty.

So I went looking for a recipe that had that magical combination of good reviews and lots of sour cream. Lo and behold, I found Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Pound Cake. (Leave it to Paula Deen to use a cup of butter AND a cup of sour cream.)

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

The batter is surprisingly light.

Literate Baker notes: I used two loaf pans since I was looking to cut my cake into cubes. I also used a tablespoon of vanilla and a splash of almond extract.

The cake is rich and dense, but not too dense. It holds its shape well for dunking. It would be lovely with tea, or covered in berries. I've thus far resisted the temptation to make a grilled cheesecake sandwich with the leftovers. There are, however, about four slices yet to be eaten, so we'll have to wait and see. Now that I have it in my brain and have to stop at the store on my way home and know that my store sells cheesecake by the slice, I'm thinking resistance is futile. Resistance is overrated anyway, especially when it comes to all things that...

Keep it sweet.

Life is Better Drenched in Chocolate

2012-01-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a cube of pound cake must be in want of chocolate. However little known the feelings or views of such a cake may be on its first being baked, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the potential eaters, that it is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their fondue pots.

Okay, so that's not exactly what Jane Austen said at the beginning of a novel not quite titled Pride and Pound Cake, but still. Everything is better with chocolate. And melty, dippy chocolate in the form of fondue? That, dear readers, takes the cake. Literally. Or the marshmallow. Or strawberry.

I had a long overdue housewarming party this weekend and wanted a dessert that was fun and easy to eat. Cookies? Too predictable. Cupcakes? Hard to manage with a cocktail in the other hand. My solution was obvious... chocolate fondue. (Actually, cheese fondue put in an appearance, too, but this is a baking blog so I won't bore you with that.)

Being Southern and not in possession of good notions of portion control, I started with five pounds of chocolate--half semi-sweet, half bittersweet. I melted that into six cups of heavy cream along with a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of instant coffee, and a splash of vanilla extract. I then added about a quarter cup of corn syrup (for shine) and the same of amaretto ('cause amaretto don't need a reason). The result: massive pot of chocolate goodness.

I made this the night before and my entire house smelled like chocolate. It. Was. Divine.

Of course, if you're not looking for a gallon of fondue, you may want to try a single bag of chocolate chips with a cup of cream, a tablespoon each of corn syrup and the booze of your choice, and a wee bit of coffee and vanilla. In this ratio, you can still easily serve six.

For dipping, I made brownies, pound cake, and shortbread cookies. I also put out graham crackers, pretzels, marshmallows, and sliced apples and pears. Strawberries and cherries are amazing in fondue, but always disappointing (not to mention expensive) at this time of year. Really, though, you can dip just about anything... and that's part of the fun.

The leftovers beckon to me even now. Warm me... Swirl me... Eat me...

Keep it sweet.

The Tangential Baker

2012-01-09T16:49:00.000-05:00

So, what do the Literate Baker and Ryan Gosling have in common? Um, I'm thinking not much. But still. I'm way overdue for a blog post. And I haven't baked anything super interesting lately. And, well, see if you can follow this...

One of my Facebook friends posted the Hey girl. I like the library, too blog, filled with adorably dorky memes about Ryan Gosling loving the library (and librarians). It made me giggle. I told someone else about it and was then pointed to the Feminist Ryan Gosling blog. Good stuff. Today, instead of paying bills or writing thank you notes on my lunch hour, I decided to surf for Ryan Gosling baking memes. Lo and behold! I found Ryan Gosling Bakes. It's a fledgling little blog, but I think there is lots of potential. Like this one I just whipped up:

I promise I'll write about actual baking again soon. Promise. Until then...

Keep it Sweet.

Cheesecake, Squared (Falls Flat)

2011-11-30T10:42:00.001-05:00

#meh

So, I wanted to make a cheesecake. Only, I couldn't find my springform pans. Not to be dissuaded, I opted for cheesecake bars instead.

Only, I was almost out of graham crackers. Not to be dissuaded, I opted for half graham crackers, half ginger snaps for the crust.

When a baking endeavor begins this way, sometimes it's a sign. Only, I don't usually pay attention to such signs. And then I dropped a giant blob of cheesecake batter on my favorite pink slippers. Sigh. I should have known.

The resulting bars were... meh. Not bad, by any means. Better than some I've had. They even looked nice. Yet, there was something, well, flat about them. The crust wasn't spicy enough to be a true gingersnap crust, but spicy enough to smother the sweet, buttery goodness of a good graham cracker crust. The chopped chocolate wasn't enough to make them really chocolaty, but just enough to distract from the rich, cream cheese flavor you want in a good cheesecake.

Edible, but not inspiring. Half the pan ended up in the trash and I will not be repeating this experiment. Perhaps the cake gods were trying to tell me something. Perhaps, it was just a bad baking day.

Not the most inspiring post, but you should know it happens to all of us now and again. Fear not, I shall cheesecake another day, always aspiring to...

Keep it sweet.

The Pie Less Traveled

2011-11-30T09:26:00.001-05:00

And I, I baked the pie less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference.

I hope this post finds everyone recovering nicely from the indulgences of Thanksgiving. I'm sure many of you have been waiting with baited breath (yes, the Literate Baker loves hyperbole) to find out which of the pies from the Not Your Mama's Pecan Pie post I decided to make. I'm happy to report that my friend Annie's recipe was the one of choice and the results were delectable.

First, to give proper credit, the story of the recipe is as follows:

The recipe is from when I worked on "In Food Today," my first food television show hosted by David Rosengarten and Donna Hanover. The guest chef I want to say was from Cowgirl Cafe or something like that. This was her recipe. She was blonde and pretty, but this pie is really what I remember from her segment. It was just too damn delicious!

Annie is a production goddess who worked on a number of Food Network shows before heading west and starting the super awesome Actual Industries with her husband Brad. I have vague memories of "In Food Today" from the early days of my Food Network addiction, er, appreciation.

Second, I'll show you how it came together:

The mix.

The bake.

The slice.

The pie was super rich and sweet, but not cloyingly so. The chocolate chips sank to the bottom as the pecans floated to the top to create an almost layered effect. So. Good. Oh, and I went with an all-butter scratch pie crust. Again, so good.

That said, I remain intrigued by the Tyler Florence recipe, in which chocolate is melted into the "custard" of the pie. I think I might have to make it as well, and I promise to let you know whose cuisine reigns supreme. (I wonder if that phrase if copyrighted? Or is it trademarked? I can never remember which is which. Well, if I get a cease and desist letter, I'll tell you about that as well.) Until then...

Keep it sweet.

Black Friday Baker

2011-11-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

Whether Black Friday or Cyber Monday, word on the street is that we should be gearing up to spend lots and lots of money on lots and lots of stuff. Although queuing up at department stores opening at midnight is not my idea of a good time, finding cool gifts for the special people in my life is always fun. Shopping for myself isn't too shabby, either.

In that spirit, I present to you...

The Literate Baker's Top Ten Gift Ideas for the Baker in Your Life

10. Silicone baking mat. Since I first became aware of these things, I've wanted one. The fact that I've managed just fine without one has not dissuaded me in the least.

Non-stick-arama.

9. Top-view measuring cups. Both Oxo and Pampered Chef make them; there are probably others. I love mine and use them for all things liquid, whether baking or bar tending.

8. Absurd vintage kitchen stuff. I could spend days on Etsy. I am at times delighted, at times dumbfounded by what people make and sell, but I'm always entertained.

7. Absurd baking-themed other stuff. See also #8.

My favoritist charm necklace.

6. Kick-ass rolling pin. Rolling pins don't need explanation. They just are.

5. Fancy-pants ingredients. We all know how I feel about my fleur de sel. Artisanal chocolate? Awesome. And if someone gave me a big boxful of almond paste? They'd be on my sweet list the whole year.

4. Awesome apron. Being of a femme persuasion, I'm partial to frilly, but there are endless options. I love the one I got for Christmas last year from Flirty Aprons; they make all kinds.

Pretty.

3. Atypical cookie cutters. Seriously, you can find just about every shape, size, and iteration these days. I mean, who would have ever thought that Williams-Sonoma would hook up with Star Wars?

I have these.

And clearly need these.

2. Silicone scoopy-scrapey-stirry things. Whether you call it a spatula or a spoonula, it's ridiculously useful for many a kitchen task. And since they're silicone, they don't get all wonky if you happen to leave them in a hot pot.

1. Mixer to die for. I know. It's such a cliche. Yet, there is no tool or toy in my kitchen that is more loved or more used than my stand mixer. It isn't even the uber-fanciest of the stand mixers and I heart it. It will change the way you make baked goods. Really. I mean, I'm looking to upgrade to the 20-quart Hobart, but that's just me.

Prettier than the apron.

Hope this helps you find the perfect something for the baker in your life. Remember, gifts are about making a person feel special, so whether you spend $2 or $2000, keep it personal and always...

Keep it sweet.

Not Your Mama's Pecan Pie

2011-11-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

Well, at least not my mama's. Although, technically, I don't know if my mama has ever made a pecan pie. My grandma made a mean one, but this isn't hers, either. This is my friend Annie's pecan pie. (I think it might really be Tyler Florence's Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie, since I first tasted it when she was a producer on one of his shows.)

Regardless of whose pie it is, it's my pie of choice for the Thanksgiving table this year.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post to bring you... The Conundrum of Two Recipes!

Has this ever happened to you? You want to bake something and you find two similar, yet different, recipes for it? Which do you use? Do you try to combine them into a hybrid? Do you make both?

Well, dear readers, in my attempts to gather and accurately credit the source for the above-mentioned pie, I managed to get myself into this very situation. On one hand, I have the Tyler Florence recipe, courtesy of foodnetwork.com. It looks like this:

Pie Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup finely ground pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup or sugar cane syrup (such as Steen's)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups pecan halves

Directions

To make the pastry: combine the flour, ground pecans, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly and trim the excess around the rim. Place the pie pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easy to move in and out of the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling: melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, remove from heat and let cool. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy and then blend in the sugar. Stir in the syrup, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and the melted butter mixture until well blended.
Arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and carefully pour the egg mixture over them. Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a thin knife in the center of the pie, if it comes out pretty clean, you're good to go. Transfer the pie to rack and cool completely before cutting.

On the other hand, I have the recipe me friend Annie me last night after I sent her a facebook message asking her about it. It looks like this:

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
NOM NOM NOM

Ingredients:

- Refrigerated pie crust
- 4 eggs
- 1 C light corn syrup
- 6 T melted butter
- ⅓ C sugar
- ¼ C packed light brown sugar
- 3 T bourbon
- 1 T flour
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1 C coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 C (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Instructions:

- Fit pie crust into 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under & crimp
- Whisk eggs, corn syrup, and everything else except the pecans and chocolate together until smooth; then stir in pecans and chocolate; pour into pie crust
- Bake on lower oven rack at 350 for 1 hour or until set

What is a baker to do? Any thoughts? Votes? (No, really, feel free to vote.) Well, Thanksgiving is a mere two days away, so I'd better decide quickly. I am, after all, trying to be a more decisive person. Ack. If only deciding between recipes weren't a part of my life's mission of trying to...

Keep it sweet.

A Salty Sweet Tart

2011-11-14T12:52:00.001-05:00

Caramel. Pecans. Cherries. Almonds. Chocolate. Forget raindrops on roses, these are a few of my favorite things. And when you put them all together? Well, dear readers, you've got yourself a ticket to Indulgenceville.

Served a little warm, because who wants to wait?

What you actually have is a slightly modified version of the Caramel-Cranberry Nut Tart from the October/November 2001 issue of Cooking Pleasures, the fabulous magazine that comes with membership in the Cooking Club of America. And before you ask, yes, I mean the 2001 issue--I keep them all and after a couple of years, they seem brand new!

Here's the recipe:

Crust:
1 cup flour
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. water

Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup slivered almond, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Garnish:
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. In medium bowl, stir together flour, 1 T sugar, and salt; add 1/2 cup butter. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine water and vanilla; add to flour-butter mixture, stirring until dough holds shape when pressed together.

2. Press pastry dough evenly in bottom and up sides of 9-inch tart pan. Place in freezer at least 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 375F. Bake crust, uncovered, 15 minutes. Check crust; if beginning to bubble, gently prick bubbles. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

4. Remove crust from oven; cool until ready to fill.

5. In heavy medium saucepan, stir together 1 cup sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As sugar begins to melt, swirl saucepan gently to combine sugar and syrup. Continue to cook until mixture begins to caramelize.

Watch carefully; if necessary, remove saucepan from heat occasionally to stop cooking. When caramel reaches rich golden brown color, remove from heat. Carefully add 1/2 cup butter and cream. Return to heat; stir until mixture is smooth and butter is melted.

6. Pour caramel into large bowl. Stir in pecans, almonds, and cranberries. Pour into baked crust, evenly distributing nuts and berries. Sprinkle chocolate over top. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Serve chilled as caramel will soften at room temperature.

TIP: To toast pecans and almonds, spread on baking sheet; bake at 375F for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Literate Baker notes: I used dried cherries in place of the cranberries, because I love them even more. I also used milk chocolate because I was sharing this with a milk chocolate lover and because I had leftover chocolate bars from Halloween. Oh, and I also threw 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt into the caramel, because that's how I roll.

This tart is crazy rich. It is saved from being too sweet by the buttery crust and, in my opinion, a touch of salt in the caramel. Unlike pies at tarts with a more liquid filling, it keeps very nicely in the fridge for days. I mean, if it lasts that long. The possibilities for mixing and matching nuts and fruits and chocolate make this definitely one to keep, and one to...

Keep it sweet.