Let me state for the record that this Russian Honey Cake was probably the best cake I’ve ever eaten, and certainly the best cake I’ve ever made. It’s not an especially fast, or easy bake, but believe me, as you’re enjoying this, there will be no regrets. Not about the effort it takes, at least. The calories might be another story.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
There is nothing quite like a batch of old-fashioned peanut
butter fudge, especially when it’s freshly made by your Grandma. Which is why I
really wish my Grandma would have made peanut butter fudge. Oh well, she gets a
pass because of the other delicious things she fed me.
This old-fashioned style of peanut butter fudge is not that
easy to find. Admittedly, I’ve not looked that hard, but the times I have run
across some, it always seems to be the soft, creamy version, which is not the
kind I’m into. If it’s going to feel like peanut butter in my mouth, then
what’s the point? No, I want something that feels dense, and firm in my
fingers, but will almost instantly liquefy in when it hits my tongue.
As I mentioned, you’ll want to cut this when it’s just cool
enough to get a clean slice. If you leave it in the fridge, and then cut it
ice-cold, it will tend to fragment. The good news is that peanut butter fudge
shards are delicious, so it’s not really that tragic of a problem. And yes,
this technique will work with other nut butters, like almond, or cashew, just
in case someone around you is allergic, but regardless of what you use, I
really do hope you give this peanut butter fudge a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 64 small cubes of Peanut Butter Fudge:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)
Banana, walnut, and chocolate are always an amazing
combination of ingredients, no matter what the delivery system, but it really doesn’t
get any better than in this ganache-frosted cupcake. A close second would be a
chocolate-dipped frozen banana, rolled in walnuts, which is also a great treat,
although much more awkward to eat in public.
Just be sure to buy your bananas way ahead of time. Using
green bananas would be one of the few ways to mess this up, so I’d pick some up
at least a week ahead of time, and wait until they’re starting to turn black
before using them. For some extra flavor, a little banana liqueur wouldn’t be a
bad idea, but these were great as is.
I thought the dark chocolate ganache was a perfect frosting,
especially after trying them with a banana-based buttercream, which ended up
being way too sweet for such a decadent cupcake. Of course, you can skip the
frosting all together, and simply make a batch of the world’s best chocolate,
walnut, banana muffins. Either way, I really do hope you give these a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 Chunky Monkey Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
12 banana chip for garnish, optional
- Bake at 350 F. for about 25 minutes.
For the Dark Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup very hot, but not boiling cream
- Pour cream over chips, wait a few minutes, and stir. Wait
until mixture is cool enough to be spreadable.
It sounds odd to say that a recipe’s biggest problem is that
it looks too good, but that’s sort of the case with this pear clafoutis.
Through no fault of its own, this crust-less, custard fruit tart looks a lot
sweeter, and richer than it actually is. So, please be sure to adjust yours and
your guest’s taste buds accordingly. Of course, you can make this sweeter, with
more sugar, or richer, with some cream instead of all milk, but there’s
something to be said for those rare recipes that I would describe as, “just
sweet enough.”
Which reminds me, be sure to taste whatever fruit you’re
using for sweetness, since you may want to adjust the sugar level based on
that. Another key, especially if you’re using pears, or apples, is to make sure
you slice them thin; otherwise they will not cook through by the time your
custard is cooked.
As I mentioned you could cook the fruit first, but I’ll
leave that up to you. If you use the traditional cherries, or something like
tender juicy berries, this will actually cook faster than the time is given
here, so I’d start checking for doneness after about 25 to 30 minutes. Speaking
of different fruits, apparently if we don’t use cherries, this is referred to
as a “flognarde,” which I’ll never get tired of saying. Hilarious names aside,
I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 portions:
(The baking dish I used was 10-inch wide)
2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, divided (one for pan ,
one for top)
3 generous cups thinly sliced sweet, ripe pears
1/2 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
For the batter:
3 large eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar depending on fruit’s
sweetness
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Bake at 350 F. for about 45 minutes, or until fruit is
soft, and custard is cooked.
I’ve never been to Baltimore, so I can’t comment on the
current state of affairs, but what I can tell you is that this easy to make,
yeast-based “cake” really is amazing, and would have been even more so with a
few minor tweaks. I was afraid of it coming out too dry, so I went with a very
wet dough, and also didn’t bake it quite as long as I could have, but these are
easy fixes, and my next one should be spot on.
As you saw, I did test with toothpick, as you should, but I
made the mistake of sticking it between the peaches and not underneath one. If
I had, I would’ve popped it back in for a few more minutes, and it would have
been fine. Also, I’ve heard a thinner cake would have also helped the situation,
which simply means using a larger baking dish. I went with a 9 x 12, so if you
have the more standard 9 x 13, that should work out even better.
They say this recipe was brought to Baltimore by German
immigrants, who apparently used to top it with caramelized onions, which on one
hand seems like it would work, and yet on the other hand, doesn’t at all.
Anyway, maybe one of our more adventurous viewers will give that a whirl, but
regardless, I really do hope you give this unique Baltimore Peach Cake a try
soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one 9 x 13 pan:
3 or 4 sweet, ripe peaches
1/3 cup sugar
1 package dry active yeast
1 1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup melted butter, for the dough
1 large beaten egg
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon fine salt)
about 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons butter to grease baking dish, and to drizzle
the top
2 tablespoons demerara sugar, or any sugar for the top
For the glaze:
1/3 cup peach or apricot preserves or jam, heated up with a
splash of water to glaze the top
This new and “improved” peaches and cream recipe might not
have tasted any better than the classic, but at least it was more complicated.
Turns out that a splash of cold, fresh cream is all that sweet, ripe peaches
need, which is probably why no one ever cooks it first when making this.
It wasn’t like the first version was horrible to eat. It
wasn’t, but the cooked, sweetened cream, sort of fought with the peaches, both texturally, and with the natural sweetness of the fruit. The lemon didn’t help
things either, but at least I was able to appreciate the real one I made after
coming to my senses.
As usual, I’ve listed the amounts I used below, but you
should adjust the sugar syrup depending on the sweetness of your peaches. If
they’re amazingly sweet and juicy, just slice them, and cream them up.
Otherwise, modify as needed, but either way, I really do hope you give peaches
and cream, the classic version, a try soon. Enjoy!
I don’t really watch a lot of television, but one series I’m
hooked on is Killing Eve. If you haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil anything, but I
can safely tell you that it’s not a cooking show. Despite that, a recent
episode set in Rome inspired this Italian “crema” ice cream video, which isn’t
exceptionally delicious because of what’s in it, but rather what isn’t.
Gelato alla crema is the answer to the question, “What would
vanilla ice cream taste like without any vanilla?” Without any other flavors to
get in the way, all you taste is the sweet goodness of milk, and cream, which I
think is a revelation. Most gelato alla crema recipes say you can add an
optional spoon of vanilla, but I’m not making that same offer, and really think
you should keep this pure “crema.”
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still produce
a decent version using one of the many alternative methods, or “hacks” as the
kids call them, available online. If you do a web search you’ll see lots of
different approaches, most involving ice, salt, and a few plastic freezer bags.
Here’s one that outlines that process from Instructables; but my favorite is probably the
ice cube tray method from Serious Eats, which is covered in this post. But
regardless of how you make it, I really hope you give this less-is-more, Italian
crema ice cream a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 3 1/2 cups of Italian Crema Ice Cream:
If you like banana cream pie, you’ll absolutely love baked
banana pudding. Not only is there no piecrust to mess with, but I think the
vanilla wafer cookies pair even more perfectly with the fruit and custardy
pudding.
Speaking of banana cream pie, don’t even think of skipping the
meringue topping. Sure, whipped cream, or God forbid “whipped topping,” might
be a tad easier, but we need to use up those four egg whites anyway, so do it right.
As I said in the video, this is classically made in a clear
glass bowl or deep baking dish, so that you can see the beautiful banana
pudding beneath the meringue. That is a great look, but as long as it’s
oven-safe, and you can fit everything in, any baking dish will work. We’re not really “baking” the pudding, but just browning the top, so the
depth or shape of the pan isn’t really that important.
What is important though, is that you use nice ripe, soft
bananas. We want them close to the same texture as the custard-soaked cookies,
to really get the full effect, so make sure you buy them at least a week before
you make this. Other than that, not much can go wrong with this Southern
classic. In fact, this is so simple, and kid-friendly, it’d be a great thing to
make for mom on Mother’s Day, which is why I really hope you give it a try soon.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown's Famous Version Ingredients for 8 Portions: (I used a 10-inch baking dish) For the pudding:
1 box vanilla wafers (you’ll have extra)
3 or 4 very ripe bananas, peeled, and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the custard:
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon banana liquor, optional
1 tablespoon cold butter
For the meringue topping:
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons white sugar
- Bake at 400 F. for 7-10 minutes, or until nicely browned -- I think this is best served cold, but suit yourself!
Using this simple “crepe cake” technique, you can turn any of your favorite cake fillings into visually stunning, multilayered masterpieces. By the way, I said this is simple, not fast, as it does take a little bit of time to make and stack all those crepes, but once you get rolling, it goes pretty quick.
I was going for a very light dessert here, in both taste and texture, but this technique really shines if you use a more traditional cake filling like buttercream. Since that gets nice and firm when chilled, you’ll get even more gorgeously defined layers. Chocolate ganache is also a great choice, especially layered alternately with pastry cream, which would create a sort of Boston cream pie.
The ingredient amounts below are just a guide, since it really depends on the size of your crepes, and how much filling you spread on. You’ll probably have a few more crepes than you need, which isn’t really a problem, and you can try to go even higher than I did. I also increased the cream filling ingredients below, since I had to make another half batch during my construction.
Speaking of filling, I probably could’ve just folded the strawberry jam into the whipped cream mixture to save time when assembling. I though it would be nice to have streaks of fruit in the cream, but once sliced, it really wasn’t that noticeable. Of course fresh fruit would also work, just be aware of the extra moisture that might add. Regardless of how you fill yours, or how high you stack, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
These easy to make soufflé pancakes use the same basic
technique as their extremely trendy Japanese cousins, but are much easier,
don’t require a mold, and actually taste like pancakes. Of course, these won’t
garner the same love on Instagram, but hey, what we sacrifice in verticality,
we more than make up for in less hot air.
The fully inflated version just isn’t dense enough to
satisfy me as a pancake, and mostly makes me want to bake actual soufflés. By
the way, no matter what pancake recipe you like best, if it has eggs in it, you
can do the same thing with the whites, and it almost always improves the
texture.
I joked about putting hot pancakes on cold plates in the video,
but in the restaurant business, this is no laughing matter. It’s one way you
can tell whether pros or amateurs are running the place. At home, I usually
just turn my oven to the lowest setting, and warm the plates in there, ideally
next to some bacon.
Running them under hot water also works, as does zapping
them in the microwave for 20 seconds. Regardless of the plate’s temperature
beneath them, or what you top these with, I really do hope you give them a try
soon. Enjoy!
Makes 4 large or 6 smaller Soufflé Pancakes:
2 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
pinch of salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon self-rising flour (see note below)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons butter for cooking Note: To make your own self-rising flour (2 cups worth): Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, with 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine salt.
Every year I try to post at least one Irish recipe, and this
time around I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary, and try my
hand at Barmbrack. I love corned beef and cabbage as much as the next guy, but
you can only film it so many different ways. Anyway, the thought of a nice,
moist, dense, fruity tea cake for breakfast, with a cup of hot, black tea,
sounded just about perfect, and so I started researching this ancient loaf…and
researching…and researching, until I had seen and read so many recipes that I
didn’t know which direction to go.
There are a huge variety of styles, from light, yeast-raised versions, to super-dense ones, similar to the often-maligned holiday
fruitcake. So, I decided to just wing it, and use the force, which usually works
out well, but this time, not so much. This is traditionally a Halloween treat,
and my experience was equal parts trick and treat.
I’m hearing from my Irish friends on YouTube that I should
have probably used baking soda, plus more tea to get a little more rise. They
also say that using half wholegrain flour will inhibit the verticality as well.
Notwithstanding my results, at the very least, I’ve hopefully made some of you
aware of barmbrack, and maybe you’ll give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one 9” x 5” loaf pan:
2 cups warm black tea
1⁄2 cup golden raisins
1⁄2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried currants
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole grain flour (I’m told this makes the loaf a lot
heavier, so maybe use all regular flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I’m told I should’ve probably
added a teaspoon of baking soda)
The fact that Kouign-Amann (Pronounced “Queen-a-mahn”) have
become a popular item in bakeries across America is quite a tribute to just how
incredible they really are, since to stock something that no one can spell or pronounce
is generally considered a retail sales no-no. As you may know, I pride myself
on mispronouncing things, but even I don’t like to be corrected by a
salesperson, and their judgmental, I can’t believe you just said “kooeegan-aman”
look.
Yet, despite the difficult name, they’ve thrived for the
very simple reason that this is one of the world’s great pastries. Maybe the
greatest. I guess that depends on who you talk to, but the irresistible
combination of sweet, salty, sticky, buttery, crispy, flaky, and tender, is
hard to beat.
I guess you could just buy some frozen puff pasty, or
croissant dough, and skip to the last step, but unlike many of those, the base
here is a fairly lean bread dough, which I think is one of the secrets. A
richer milk-based dough, which already contains lots of butter and sugar, won’t
necessarily provide the same contrast.
Speaking of secrets, I think the real magic of these is the
salt. Apparently the authentic ones are fairly salty, and just as savory, as
they are sweet, but you don’t want to over do it. I suggest starting with less
than I call for in your seasoned sugar mix, and then tasting on a wet finger to
see where you’re at. Then, add more until you think it’s right.
Part of me hopes you have a bakery that does these nearby,
so you can easily taste them for yourself, but another part of me hopes you
don’t, so you’ll try to make them. Either way, you’re in for a huge treat.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 Kouign-Amann:
For the dough:
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the seasoned sugar (mix, taste, and adjust):
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons of sea salt or kosher salt (less if you’re using
a fine table salt)
For the rest:
8 ounces ice cold unsalted butter (2 sticks) for the pastry
This “burnt” Basque cheesecake is one of the rare trendy
recipes that I’m actually posting while it’s still trendy. I usually wait like
three or four years, and by that time people have lost interest, and it seems
like I’m doing it to be ironic. Well, this time the hype got to me, and now I
understand why all the fuss.
By cooking the cheesecake in a very hot oven, we get a
beautiful, dark exterior, which not only looks great, but the bittersweet notes
it provides makes the light, creamy cheesecake inside seem even more rich, and
flavorful. Besides the taste and texture, this method is just plain easier, as
long as you can find some parchment paper.
Depending on the size of the roll or sheet you buy, you may
have to overlap it, but as long as the pan is covered, and it comes up a few
inches past the top, you’re fine. I assumed this technique was adapted from
some ancient Basque recipes, but as it turns out, it was actually developed at
a café in San
Sebastian, called La Vina in the 70’s. That probably explains the Philly cream
cheese.
Anyway,
if you haven’t had the best luck with traditional cheesecake methods, you
should stop trying, and just make this exclusively. Just make sure you tell
you’re guests it’s supposed to be “burnt,” although if they’re on social media,
they probably already know. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for one 9-inch cake pan (8-10 Portions):
24 ounces soft cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (or 3/4 to 1 teaspoon Kosher salt)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 extra large eggs (you can use 5 large eggs)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- Bake at 400 F. for 50 to 55 minutes, or until puffed and
well browned. For a little more color, you can crank the oven up to 425 or 450
F. for the last 10 minutes or so.
I tried to create a flan that tastes like cheesecake, but
ended up with a cheesecake that tastes like flan, and yet I wasn’t disappointed
in the least. While this may not have lived up to its enticing name, it was
still one of the most delicious flans I’ve ever had.
Based on a cream cheese flan, I thought the addition of
Parmigiano-Reggiano, and some graham cracker crumbs, would create the perfect
hybrid, but our caramelized sugar had other ideas. It’s amazing how such a thin
layer of caramel can dominate the other flavors, but that’s exactly what
happened here, and if we really wanted a “cheesecake flan,” we’d need to omit
that from the recipe.
Except if we did that it wouldn’t be a flan, and we’d have
to call it “cheesecake custard.” So, let’s move past the name, and simply focus
on what a great dessert this really was. I’ll probably skip the crumbs next
time, since they didn’t add much, and annoyingly soaked up the pool of caramel
on the plate. But, regardless of whether you include the crust, or what you
decide to call it, I really do hope you give this gorgeous recipe a try soon.
Enjoy!
Makes 4 Cheesecake Flans:
Please Note: I used four 5.5 ounce ramekins, and had a
little custard mixture leftover, so you can probably get 5 out of this recipe
if you use a slightly smaller ramekin, or fill them with less batter.
For the ramekins:
1 teaspoon melted butter or vegetable oil to grease ramekins
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar, caramelized to an
amber color over medium heat
