New School of Cooking - Pro Baking 1 - Class 5: Chocolate

I'm taking the Pro Baking 1 series at the New School of Cooking in Culver City (Los Angeles) this fall/winter. For Class 5, it was all about the Chocolate! As you can imagine, no one was absent from class! :)

We learned about cacao seeds, nibs, and the history of chocolate. We had a chocolate tasting with a bunch of Tasting Chocolates (these are expensive and NOT for baking). My favorites were the single origin chocolates of Michel Cluizel. These chocolates are made from a single plantation, not a combination of many growers.

Hint: The Trader Joe's Pound Plus blocks of chocolate are repackaged high end chocolate from Belgium. Get it. It's yum and way way cheaper. (By the way, you can usually find this chocolate above the freezer and near the little boxes of mini peanut butter cups and chocolate covered sunflower seeds, it is not in the baking section)

We made brown sugar chocolate cupcakes (made with Dutch-processed cocoa) and had a selection of frostings and toppings. So-called "Buttercream" (next week we'll make an Italian Meringue Buttercream - the real buttercream): Vanilla and Chocolate, and a chocolate gananche. We used jumbo cupcake holders to hold a nice topping of ganache.

Chef Carol, our instructor, also demonstrated making a Chocolate Decadence Cake or Flourless Chocolate Cake with a mound of chocolate ganache. The white lines are a combo of powdered sugar and heavy cream. You need heavy cream so you made the texture of the ganache...if you used milk, it would harden.

The next day, I practiced by making the cupcakes again and frosted them with some cream cheese frosting (just for you @justjennrecipes!) The little balls? Those are delicious Valrhona Crunchy 55% Chocolate Pearls (available at Surfas)

Recaps of the New School of Cooking, Pro Baking 1 course:
Baking Therapy: Going back to school
Class 1: Quick Breads
Class 2: Custards
Class 3: Soufflés & Pate a Choux
Class 4: Tarts, Pie, Crisps and Cobblers

Los Angeles Times Upside-Down Meyer Lemon Cake

Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

The Los Angeles Times Food Section is opening its vault and has the Top 10 recipes of the past 25 years on the website. See the listing here. Earlier, I made the Cafe Beaujolais' Buttermilk-Cinnamon Coffeecake from 1985.

And the LA Times Food Section will be moving to Thursday (from Wednesday). This will be tough! The Wednesday Food Section is such a "hump day" treat...oh well, it used to be on Thursday and it's going back. I know the Los Angeles Times staff has taken a beating in this economic climate...I can't imagine life without the LA Times, especially the Food Section. I've been reading the paper forever...and will run out to the driveway on Thursdays now to grab the Food Section. Thanks LA Times Food Section and @latimesfood for all the great recipes and articles!

My dad has a lovely Meyer Lemon tree. It's old, short and stout. Hum, that kinda sounds like my dad too. :) Anyway, when I saw the Upside-Down Lemon Cake on the LA Times website, I knew I had to use my dad's Meyer lemons.

I just bought a new cast iron pan for the TWD Tarte Tatin, and was happy to use it again! A layer of brown sugar and butter is topped with the lemon slices. Then a cake batter is cooked on top.

Although difficult to cut because of the rind (make sure you use a sharp knife), this was a fan favorite at the library. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Check out the other LA Times favorites over the years here: Opening the vault: 25 years of our best recipes. This recipe was part of: Top 10 recipes of 2007

Recipe:
Lemon Upside-Down Cake
From Los Angeles Times test kitchen director Donna Deane. Published March 14, 2007.

From the article (Hello, I'm a librarian and had to get the citation :)
Blingtime for lemons; Let this season's precious fewer fruits sparkle and shine in desserts that make the most of every sweet-tart bit of golden citrus. Susan LaTempa, Donna Deane. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Mar 14, 2007. pg. F.3

Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Printable recipe here or on Los Angeles Times

4 small lemons (about 4 ounces each) - I used Meyer lemons
One-half cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, divided
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split - I used 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste instead
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cut 3 of the lemons into one-eighth inch thick slices. (I ended up using 4 smaller Meyer lemons) Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.

3. Heat 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

4. Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. (I used 1 Tablespoon of vanilla paste). Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

6. Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife. (It is difficult to cut so make sure your knife is sharp to get through the rind).

Tofu Burger made with House Tofu Burger Patty Mushroom Mix

House brand Tofu Burger Patty Mushroom Mix

Folding tables at the end of aisle drive me crazy.
By crazy, I mean they make me throw additional stuff in my cart.

One of my local Asian grocery stores always has someone giving away free samples. And this isn’t just a little nut-cup filled with 1/4 of an Almond Roca like at Costco. These ladies cook.

So, one day I happened upon a nice lady handing out hot, cute little tofu patties. She was hawking the Japanese House brand Tofu Burger Mix. And I was buying.

Here is the package. The cover is in Japanese, but the back has a sticker in English with the ingredients, nutritional value and directions.

First, this is NOT a vegetarian or vegan product. It contains wheat, egg & milk products, dried bonito flakes, dried spices and, of course, a bit of MSG. Dried Bonito flakes are a staple in the Japanese kitchen – it is used to make dashi or soup stock that you find as the base of miso soup.

I’m sure you could make something similar with your own spices, but darn it, it is sometimes very nice to just open a packet to help you along. I don’t see this product on their House Food America page...but I know they have a different House Tofu Patty Mix (all in English I believe).

Take a block of extra-firm or firm tofu. Of course, House suggests their own brand of tofu (12 oz), but I happened to have an organic Tofu from Trader Joe’s (19 oz) in the fridge. As Esi says, I am a Trader Joe-aholic and I’m not quitting.

Drain the tofu. If you want, you can squeeze it in cheesecloth or press it between paper towels or a dish towel. I pushed it against this strainer. Add the House mix to the tofu and mash and stir. As you can see, there are a lot of Panko breadcrumbs in this mix and dehydrated spices.

Form into patties. You can make 4 patties from the mix. I made two large patties and a series of mini patties because I’m all about the mini.

Cook over medium heat with a dollop of oil. The best part of tofu burgers is that you are just heating it through and don’t have to worry about e-coli. Tofu is also much lower in fat and calories than meat, and has no cholesterol. The mix only adds 40 calories per serving and no fat (4 servings in a packet).

I served mine with okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce but thicker and sweeter) and some pickled ginger.

Overall, I liked this mix and it tasted Japanese-y. I really like anything with a fried crust and this patty uses less oil than if you fried up tofu slices. This is a pretty cheap meal too...I don't remember, but I think the mix was $2-3 and tofu is cheap.

When I feel up to it, I’m going to try to make my own with some Panko, green onions, probably an egg and some furikake (Japanese rice seasoning that kids (and food blogging adults) adore).

In the meantime, stand at the end of an aisle, give me something on a toothpick, and I’ll probably buy what you are selling! Cheers, Mary the Food Librarian

My Big Fat Greek Yogurt Lemon Bundt - Day #25 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 25 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
My Big Fat Greek Yogurt Lemon Bundt

If there is any movie moment that everyone identifies with the Bundts...it has got to be My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

It's a Bundt. Boont? BundTT. Bonk?
There's a hole in this cake.

And then the Greek family puts a flower pot in the center.

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo!

Today, on Day #25 (five days to go!!!! I feel like I'm on mile 25 of a strange 30 day marathon where you actually GAIN weight going through it...must rethink this exercise campaign soon)... I give you My Big Fat Greek Yogurt Lemon Bundt!

I took the Barefoot Contessa's awesome Lemon Yogurt Cake and bake it up in a 10-cup Bundt. It didn't fill that Bundt pan, so you can make it in a small 6-cup Bundt too. I used 2% plain Greek yogurt instead of her full-fat regular yogurt.

I love that this has TWO lemon glazes. Awesomeness.
You pour a warm lemon syrup over the cake while hot...

...and then a glaze after it cools.

I thought it most appropriate to use my Chrysanthemum Bundt from Nordic Ware for this flower cake! Don't you just love the mini-Gerber daisy?! One of my favorite flowers!

Yeah, yeah. Come back tomorrow for another Bundt. I hope you aren't getting sick of these yet...because I'm close to having H1N1Bundt1. :) No, my love of the Bundt remains strong...I just need a vacation for a few days after National Bundt Day (November 15th)! See you tomorrow!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake
from Food Network

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt
Day 13: Candy Corn Jello Bundt
Day 14: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day 15: Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt
Day 16: Nutella Bundt
Day 17: Carrot Walnut Bundt
Day 18: Pear Ginger Bundt
Day 19: Persimmon Bundt
Day 20: Banana Chocolate Marble Bundt
Day 21: Martha Stewart Chocolate Bundt
Day 22: Whipped Cream Bundt
Day 23: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bundt
Day 24: Brown Sugar & Chocolate Chip Pound Bundt w/ Maple-Espresso Glaze

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt from Sunset Magazine - Day #19 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 19 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Fuyu Persimmon Bundt

Ever play Monopoly with children who haven’t read all the directions? (Like who has?) And suddenly, the new rules say they are able to roll twice or buy all the hotels for 50% off?

Well, the I Like Big Bundts project is my Monopoly game and I’m making up the rules! ;)

I decided early on to repeat two Bundts (less than 10% of the total project) because I want to showcase my favorite Bundts. I'm actually baking them again, not just reaching back into the archives...but I couldn't let this Bundterrific extravaganza go by without highlighting my two FAVORITE Bundts ever. Making them again was like visiting an old friend. A delicious friend, that is.

Today, it’s the Fuyu Persimmon Bundt from Sunset Magazine.

There are two types of fall’s favorite fruit, the Persimmon. And if you don’t know the difference, it could scar you for life!

1. Fuyu Persimmon – squat, persimmon that CAN be eaten hard, like an apple. I like to peel the skin, but it is edible. Photo above.
2. Hachiya Persimmon – heart shaped persimmon that MUST be totally soft and cannot be eaten hard. If you eat a hachiya before it is soft, it will horribly scar you! You will run from persimmons for the rest of your life, screaming like a little child (I’ve seen it before!). It will taste completely chalky and yucky. So, please don’t confuse the fuyu (eat hard) and the hachiya (eat soft).

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo!

I'm making 30 Bundts in 30 days...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th! Are you ready to Bundt?

Most baked persimmon recipes use the hachiya (soft) persimmon, but this one uses firm fuyu persimmons. Containing persimmons, golden raisins, walnuts and lots of fall spices, this is soooo delicious.

This is a classic recipe. Here is my original post from last year. I went back into the library's invaluable collection of Sunset Magazines. First published in the October 1978 issue of Sunset Magazine as "Crisp Persimmon Cake" by E.F. of Palo Alto, CA.

Fall. On. A. Plate.

Game #6 of the World Series is tonight. My co-worker says, If the Food Librarian played baseball...she wouldn't hit, she would always Bundt. Ha ha ha. There is your Bundt pun of the day.

From my parent's fuyu persimmon tree!

Tomorrow, wouldn't you know it? I'll have another Bundt! :) - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Fuyu Persimmon Bundt  (Updated 10/2015 - I heard the link is dead so I inserted the recipe below)
from California Fuyu Grower's Association (originally from Sunset Magazine, 1978)

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake Recipe
Adapted from Sunset Magazine. Also appears in Cake Simple by Christie Matheson

Ingredients:
3 cups firm Fuyu persimmons (about 3 persimmons), chopped (NOT Hachiya persimmons)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup or 1 stick or 4 ounces butter, softened
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 12-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with baking spray or greasing and flouring the pan. (My favorite Bundt pans are Nordic Ware and my favorite baking spray is Bak-Klene brand)
3. Fruit: In a medium bowl, mix the chopped fuyu persimmons with 2 teaspoons baking soda. Set aside.
4. Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
6. With the mixer on slow speed, add the fruit mixture into the batter.
7. On slow speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. It's okay if it's not fully blended as you'll fold the last ingredients next.
8. Fold in the walnuts and raisins. The batter will be thick.
9. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Smooth the top.
10. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11. Cool in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes then invert onto cooling rack and let cool.

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt
Day 13: Candy Corn Jello Bundt
Day 14: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day 15: Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt
Day 16: Nutella Bundt
Day 17: Carrot Walnut Bundt
Day 18: Pear Ginger Bundt

Nutella Bundt - Day #16 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 16 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

Nutella Marble Bundt

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

I saw Michael Jackson's This Is It documentary on Friday and it was really good. The concert would have been awesome. The documentary is very well done, and it breaks your heart to know that the crew and dancers lost their dream too with Michael's passing. They all worked really hard to create an amazing show. My friend, who I literally dragged to the movie, was very impressed too. I highly recommend seeing it in a movie theater because it needs to be, like Michael himself, larger than life. Hurry, it's only in theaters for a couple weeks.

Well, during the movie you catch Michael saying something like, This is why we have rehearsals.

On my project of posting 30 Bundts in 30 days, there ain't time for a dress rehearsal. Thus, my imperfect Nutella Bundt. :)

If you Google "Nutella Bundt" you will find a recipe that uses yellow cake mix. Since I'm baking from scratch, here is how I adapted things:

1. Made Martha Stewart's Basic Yellow Cake batter. This makes enough for one 8-inch (one layer) cake and you can multiply it as needed.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup Nutella with 1 large egg together to loosen the Nutella mixture. Take 1/3 of the yellow cake batter and mix it with the Nutella. This is the Nutella batter you'll swirl into the cake. (Remember, this is enough for a small Bundt...if you were going to use a regular 12-cup Bundt, I would use 3/4 - 1 c Nutella and 1 egg).

Because I was using a small Bundt (6-cup), I poured the yellow mix in the pan and scooped the Nutella mix on top of that. Then I took a knife and marbled the two batters together. However, next time, I would lay 1/2 the yellow in the pan, followed by dollops of Nutella batter (using 1/2 the Nutella batter), followed by the remaining yellow and Nutella batter. Finally, a quick swirl with a knife would marble the two layers.

I sprayed the non-stick small 6-cup Bundt pan with Pam with Flour, but I still lost the "skin" of the top half of the Bundt. On one hand, though, it does give you a look at the marbling! :)

Um, I see a guinea pig in this one. Yes, I see things in my Bundts. Oh dear.

I threw some melted chocolate on top (to cover up the missing layer of cake) and I would totally NOT do this again. It was just too sweet. I think a quick glaze of powdered sugar and milk or just a dusting of powdered sugar would work too.

I'm going to work on this one in the "off season" when I've recovered from the Bundt project! :) hee hee.

The countdown is ON, people! Only 14 more days until National Bundt Day! You ready?! Come back tomorrow for another Bundt... - mary the food librarian

Original Recipe:
Basic Yellow Cake
from Martha Stewart Weddings
Added ingredients: Nutella and 1 egg

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt
Day 13: Candy Corn Jello Bundt
Day 14: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day 15: Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt

Candy Corn Jello Bundt - Day #13 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 13 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo! I was driving home last night and heard Sir Mix-a-Lot on the radio! Of course, no endorsement is implied...but I really think he'd like a Big Bundt!

Every so often, I check Google Analytics and find that some of my Jello posts still get hits. The Broken Glass Jello and Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello are most popular. So, I thought I would try to hit a few themes with this creation....Candy Corn Jello Bundt. It's Halloween! It's everyone's favorite Jello! It's Bundt shaped!

A huge shout-out to my co-worker. Everyone at the library knows of my love of the Bundt and Jello. I've been going to Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores looking for vintage Jello molds. One day, after a particularly disappointing weekend (I got sick and had to cancel my trip to San Francisco), I found a beautiful green Tupperwave Jello mold in a bundt shape on my chair. I almost cried. My co-worker was cleaning out her kitchen and gave me her seldom used Jello form! How awesome!

Don't you love how the mold makes these look like little Candy Corns?! How perfect is that?!

If you want, you can also make the orange and yellow layers opaque by tweaking my Easter Jello recipe and adding condensed milk to the layers.

Sure, technically, this Jello mold isn't a "Bundt CAKE", but I hope you let me slide on this one! This mold has a hole in the center...my definition of a Bundt style creation! :)

Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Since there are all different shaped molds, there isn't a real recipe...I'll just tell you what I did. The recipe needs to be adjusted to fit your Jello mold. Mine holds about 5 or 5 1/2 cups of liquid.

The top layer is a sweetened condensed milk mixture. I sprinkled two packages of Knox gelatin onto 1/2 cup cold water. Let that sit for 5 minutes and the gelatin will bloom. Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water. Combine the gelatin mixture with the 1 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Then pour in 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (do not use evaporated milk). Stir completely and pour as much as you need into the mold. I think I used about 2/3 of the mixture and tossed the rest. Yes, probably not very efficient, but I was winging it!

After at least 4 hours in the refrig...longer is probably better, I placed 1 large box (6 ounces) of orange Jello in a glass measuring cup. I added enough boiling water to equal 2 cups of mixture. I stirred until dissolved, let it cool a bit, and poured most of it on top of the white mixture.

After another round in the refrig, I did the same with a large box of lemon Jello and placed it in the mold.

I'm almost half-way. Whew! Come back tomorrow for Day #14 of my 30 Days of Bundt...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. You have it on your calendar, right?!??!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe ideas from the Food Librarian's Jello past:
Broken Glass Jello
Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello
Easter Jello
Layered Jello

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt