my toolbox

A toolbox in the kitchen is basically the ‘nuts and bolts’ of cooking. These are the building blocks of the cooks’ repertoire, the recipes upon which hundreds of dishes are based. As the seasons’ change and new ingredients present themselves, it is the toolbox I turn to for inspiration. The idea is too take one recipe or technique and master it, so then you have the freedom to take it with you through the seasons.

I thought I would take the next couple of weeks and share with you some of my favorite toolbox recipes that are tried and true. From infused oils, vinaigrettes, spice mixes, and stock.

We’ll cover the sweet side of the toolbox as well with my favorite pastry base on which I bake tarts, pies, galettes, and cobblers. We will touch on vanilla custard or crème anglaise which pairs beautifully with numerous desserts and is also used as the base for creamy ice cream, whether fruit, chocolate or caramel flavored.

Lastly, we will end with cake or génoise; a vital basic cake and a building block for many confections. It is sturdy, firm, adaptable, and amenable to almost any flavoring. The génoise is to the French baker what the sponge cake is to the American baker.

This toolbox really works for me and I hope it will for you too!

Enjoy!
Shannon

a cup of tea

If we drink coffee to get us up and moving, we drink tea to wind us down. So it should come as no surprise that there are health benefits in the consumption of tea. Many scientists agree that tea; both black and green contain important antioxidants and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

But did you also know that tea like wine can be paired with foods to enhance your baking, cooking, and your dining. And this recipe is proof that tea and cake definitely go together. I came across this recipe in my ever expanding file of “things to make” and decided it was time to get baking.

The recipe, a dense chocolate cake that has an infusion of earl grey tea could be served easily for brunch, afternoon tea, or for dessert.

Produced in Sri Lanka, China and India, Earl Grey is traditionally scented with bergamot oil, which gives it an orange-citrus flavor. And when paired with rich dark chocolate it can’t be beat.

Enjoy!

Shannon

Chocolate-Earl Grey Cake
Adapted  from a recipe in Real Simple Magazine 2007

6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 Tbsp. loose Earl Grey
1 cup water
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup crème fraîche
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-cup fluted tube pan with cooking spray. Brew the tea in the water 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag or strain the leaves and set the brewed tea aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together, set aside. Using a mixer, beat the butter, eggs, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Blend in the chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture, crème fraîche and brewed tea. Pour into pan and bake 50 minutes, or up to an hour, until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of pan and cool.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 10 servings

double decadence

Knowing my daughter was going to be home from college this past weekend and also knowing that she is pretty over the top regarding anything chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I decided to make a rich dark chocolate ice cream that has, not only one, but two types of dark chocolate.

The lush, luxurious texture of this dense chocolaty ice cream has a hint of Frangelico liquor as well as some roasted hazelnuts that provide a wonderful crunch.

Serve a couple scoops of this chocolate decadence drizzled with extra-melted chocolate and top with a maraschino cherry, if you like.

Enjoy!

Shannon

p.s.

She went back to school today...the ice cream container is empty.

Double Decadence
Serves 10

9 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla paste
2 Tbsp. Frangelico
8 ounces good quality dark chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa, sieved
2 ½ cup whipping cream
8 ounces crème fraîche or sour cream
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, skins removed, coarsely chopped
Maraschino cherries (optional)

Whisk yolks, sugar, vanilla seeds and Frangelico in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until mixture is tripled in volume, thick and pale and holds a ribbon (4-5 minutes).

Remove bowl from heat and continue whisking until cooled (2-3 minutes). Add chocolate and cocoa and mix to combine.

In another bowl whisk together cream and crème fraîche until blended. Add to the chocolate mixture. Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker for approximately 20 minutes, it will still be quite soft. Add the chopped hazelnuts right at the end, just until mixed through. Then transfer to an airtight container and put in the freezer to firm up.