Ask A Pastry Chef

Italian Buttercream

2008-09-19T18:07:00.002-04:00

There are many different types of Buttercream. I have listed recipes for a few different types previously but my favorite is Italian Buttercream. It has a very light texture and consists of mostly butter and air. It will take food color but since the sugar to butter ratio is so low, it takes time for the colors to fully develop. You can also decorate (as flowers, shells, etc.) with Italian Buttercream but you have to keep a cool hand. Handling the decorating bag in a warm kitchen is especially tricky and this Buttercream is always ready to melt into little puddles in my hot mitts.

I have written variations of this recipe several times already but never have I posted the original, so here it is.

Italian Buttercream

adapted from The Whimsical Bakehouse

1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (use only separated eggs or Eggology)
1 Pound plus 1/2 stick unsalted butter
Dash vanilla extract

In a small cooking pot, stir together water and sugar. Bring to a boil and using a pastry brush and water, wash down the sides of pan to remove any crystals. Do NOT stir again.

Boil 4 minutes then beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
With the mixer running, slowly pour the cooked syrup into the whites.
Beat at high speed until the bowl is cool to the touch (about 10 minutes).
Slowly add the butter and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Confectioner's Sugar Question

2008-08-23T11:28:00.003-04:00

One Google searcher from Sioux Falls, South Dakota wants to know, "How long does confectioner's sugar last?"

In my house, usually 1 year or less.

I buy confectioner's sugar whenever I find it on sale. Usually right after Christmas is a time when I need to replenish my stock after all of my holiday baking. Those stinkers at the grocery store know that people bake more during the holidays so they jack-up their prices because they know people need to buy ingredients with which to bake. Then after the holidays, they have a lot of stock they want to get rid of so the price goes way down.

I keep my supply of confectioner's sugar in a sealable plastic container. I have never had trouble with sugar becoming rancid or funky in any way but I have had trouble with kitchen moths and ants. Keeping the bags in a plastic container prevents those critters from invading my precious stash.

Q and A -- The Best Chocolate Icing

2008-02-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is on the horizon and V-day just happens to be MrG's birthday. I don't know if you know this but MrG is a chocolate fiend! I am not a huge fan of chocolate icing myself (I prefer the lusciousness of buttercream) however, I know there are plenty of folks out there who just can't be happy in a cake without chocolate icing.

So, there is my goal: Delicious chocolate icing.

I really had no other requirements or limitations for the test except that I must be able to ice a cake with it. Let me tell you, there are a lot of people out there who claim to have the best or even a really good chocolate icing.

One of the recipes I tested came from Googling "chocolate icing", all the rest came from BakeSpace (if you haven't checked out BakeSpace before, they are a foodie networking site loaded with member-submitted recipes). I chose recipes with a variety of ingredients so I was sure to get some variation to the end result.

I rated each icing on a density scale from zero to five. Zero being as dense as whipped egg whites, a five being as dense as fudge.

For all of the recipes, I used unsalted butter. I have no idea if that was a mistake or not since most home bakers tend to use salted butter rather than unsalted when butter is called for in a recipe. Only one recipe called for shortening rather than butter and this recipe included the addition of salt. If I had all the time and money in the world, I would have gone back and tested all the recipes again with salted butter to see if that was an improvement but I think the recipes made with unsalted butter came out fine. If you test one of the icings I have listed here with salted butter (or if you are the originator of the recipe) let me know.

The recipes are listed in no particular order. All comments in italics are those listed on the recipe. My notes will be separate.

#1 Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting
by krrispy at BakeSpace

2 Cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 Cup cocoa powder
6 large marshmallows
4 Tablespoons butter
1/3 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (or flavor of choice) extract

Sift confectioner's sugar and cocoa together in large mixing bowl and set aside.
Put marshmallows, butter and milk in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until marshmallows are melted about 3-4 mins. Remove pan from heat. Pour the conf sugar and cocoa misture over marshmallow mixture. Add vanilla (or whatever) and stir until frosting is smooth and satiny. (Here I put in my mixer and let it go! Results are much smoother than hand mixed). Frost cake all at once.

I beat this for 5 minutes and it looked much like packaged icing [i.e. Pillsbury] but glossy. There was no change after beating an additional 5 minutes.
The flavor is silky chocolate, not much bitterness, with a hint of marshmallow.
Density rating = 3. It did not hold its shape well so it would be fine for between cake layers or as a cupcake icing but for icing a layer cake, I'd choose something else.

#2 Glossy Chocolate Icing Recipe
by saavedra at grouprecipes.com

Melt together:
3 Tablespoons shortening
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
Blend in:
2 Cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 Talespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Beat icing until it becomes smooth and glossy/thick enough to spread. Stir in 1/2 C. of nuts, if desired.
This will generously ice a 9X13 cake.

I beat this icing on high for about 10 minutes to achieve this volume. It was still quite dense after beating and became much more dense sitting overnight.
Density rating = 5. It has a dark chocolate flavor that is slightly bitter.

#3 Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
by annenhats at Bakespace

This version has a stonger, more distinctly chocolate flavor due to the boiling water which wakes up the taste of cocoa. From the Chocolate Cake Doctor cookbook.

Makes 3 cups, enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer cake or 30 cupcakes.
Preparation time: 10 minutes

2/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons boiling water, plus additional if needed
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar, more if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place the cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the cocoa comes together into a soft mass. Add the butter and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Place the confectioner's sugar and vanilla in the bowl, and beat with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 2 minutes more. Add more boiling water, a teaspoon at a time, or more confectioner's sugar, a tablespoon at a time if the frosting is too thick or too thin to your liking.

2. Use the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake or cupcakes of your choice.

I had problems with this recipe. I tried many times to scrape the bowl completely and get all of the chocolate reincorporated, but you can see from the photo of it in the Kitchen Aid bowl, it kept separating. Upon sitting overnight, the butter collected on the plastic wrap. I think the problem here is that the water and the oil from the butter have no intention of mixing.
Density rating = 4. The flavor was very rich and chocolatey.

#4 Fantastic Double Fudge Frosting
by culinarilyobsessed at BakeSpace

I did a review of this recipe as part of an article interviewing writer Ayun Halliday, author of the book "Dirty Sugar Cookies". This is my quintessential chocolate frosting. One taste of this and I was taken back to my childhood remembering the delicious food prepared by the little old southern ladies at our family reunions and church picnics.

(The recipe below is in the EXACT words of author Ayun Halliday.)

Ayun’s Double Fudge Icing

Put 1 1/4 C of sugar and 1 C of heavy cream in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring it every now and then so it doesn’t boil all over hell and back.

Meanwhile chop 5 squares of unsweetened chocolate to toss in the pan once you’ve removed it from the heat. Stir until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Whittle in a stick of butter and then when that’s melted, follow it up with 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Resist the urge to lick the spoon at this point because those tongue blisters would take a month to heal. Napalm is napalm, no matter how sweet it might taste. Put the pan in the refrigerator and go take a cold shower.

When the icing is cold, beat the hell out of it with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Now you can ice that cake, if you bothered to make a cake.

The Napalm in the pan made me very nervous after the previous recipe. I was sure there was no way it was going to whip into anything. I chilled it in the fridge for about 2 hours and you an see how light and fluffy it turned out.
Density rating = 3. Awesome chocolate flavor. If time were not an issue (and more often than not, it is an issue) I would use this icing every time.

#5 Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
by myrnalee at BakeSpace

Just Tried this recipe for Chocolate frosting instead of the one I usually use. It is great and so easy to make. Will use it often. I left in the internet url for the site where I got the recipe.

Buttercream Frosting
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com

Category: Chocolate Frosting and Icing
Serves/Makes: 3.25 cups Difficulty Level: 2

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
Cocoa powder, see below
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
For light chocolate frosting use 1/3 cup cocoa powder For medium chocolate frosting use 1/2 cup cocoa powder for dark chocolate frosting use 3/4 cup cocoa powder

In mixer bowl cream the butter. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency adding more milk if needed. Blend in vanilla.

Recipe Location: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/356/Buttercream_Frosting 59669.shtml
Recipe ID: 24848

Super fast and easy. I used the 1/2 cup cocoa and I felt it achieved a medium chocolate flavor. I did not add all the milk.
Density rating = 1. Light, fluffy, tasty, and easy. Definitely a keeper.
This recipe did not make a lot. There was only enough icing for 18 cupcakes.

#6 Chocolate Cream Filling
by annenhats at BakeSpace

This filling is ooey-gooey, chocolaty and sweet. Use this filling in the middle of cake layers, sandwich cookies or roulades. Recipe from The Chocolate Cake Doctor cookbook.

Makes 3 cups
Preparation time: 12 minutes

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1. Place the chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl and place in the microwave on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and stir the chips with a wooden spoon until they are melted. Do not over-cook, as the melted chocolate will harden back up.

2. Add the butter, marshmallow creme, and vanilla to the chocolate. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the sifted confectioner's sugar and beat on low speed to incorporate, 30 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute, or until light and fluffy. The filling will be quite thick.

Ooey-gooey is right. This is not a super-chocolatey icing. If you like the flavor of marshmallow, you will like this icing. The only problem I see with this recipe is the length of time listed to melt the chocolate chips. I think I set them in the microwave for 20 seconds, stirred, then in for another 10 seconds and stirred again and that was enough to melt the chips without the chocolate separating or seizing.
Density rating = 2. I expected it to ooze off the cupcake but sitting 2 hours, it held the original shape.

To answer the question of emailer, Mumu (sorry Mumu, I tried to respond directly but the email was rejected) : there is no difference in the terms icing and frosting. You will find most home bakers refer to the topping of cakes and cookies as frosting and fancier bakeries and pastry chefs refer to it as icing. The terms are interchangeable. To note in a recipe whether your product will end up thick or thin, you must refer to the amount of liquid called for and make your best guess. You can always add more powdered sugar of you feel your result is too thin to work with.

Technorati tags bakery+chocolate+frosting+icing+food+Valentine's Day

Cheesecakes Large and Small

2007-11-24T09:47:00.001-05:00

Cheesecake and I have a love-hate relationship. I adore Cheesecake and yet, any recipe I have tried to bake comes out looking like a miniature Grand Canyon. A truly great Cheesecake should be creamy, sweet, and delicious. A perfect Cheesecake will have no cracks on the top.

Cheesecakes must be baked at a very low temperature, typically recipes will run anywhere from 200 degrees to 275 degrees. I have also heard many many times that if you place a pan of water in the oven with the Cheesecake this will reduce cracking. Alton Brown suggests baking at a low temp. then turning the oven off, opening the oven door for a moment then closing the oven door and allowing the Cheesecake to cool in the warmish oven.

Still I have had no luck with crack-free Cheesecake. My challenge to you dear reader is to submit a recipe for delicious Cheesecake that doesn't crack when baked. No-bake Cheesecake is cheating... so forget it.

Recipes may be emailed to me by clicking the link at the top of the page. Just label your email "Cheesecake Recipe" so I won't think you're Spam. Submitted recipes will be tested and any that pass the CheeseBabe test (delicious with no cracks!) will win a Fabulous prize!

update: despite the promise of a fabulous prize I have had no takers of this challenge. Did I mention you can win a fabulous prize?? Alright then, let's up the ante. I'm now offering my copy of The Artful Cupcake and a jar of either my homemade Watermelon Pickles or a jar of my homemade Fabulous Lady Applesauce (whichever you choose). The rules listed above still apply.

Q and A -- Cream Cheese Icing; Semi Homemade Icing

2007-11-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

A Yahoo! searcher from Herndon, Virginia would like to know:
How long does Cream Cheese Icing last?
If kept in a tightly covered container in the fridge, cream cheese icing will easily last 10 days.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/4 cup (4 ounces) butter, softened
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pound box powdered sugar, sifted
Cream butter and cheese. Add vanilla. Add sifted powdered sugar and whip until completely combined. Cakes made with cream cheese frosting should be kept in the refrigerator.

A Google searcher from Fertile, Minnesota (sounds like a lovely spot doesn't it???) would like to know about Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade Frosting.
The query included 'add powdered sugar to store bought frosting'.
I could not find a Semi Homemade recipe that stated this, however you certainly can add powdered sugar to cans of premade frosting in order to thicken them enough for piping borders on cakes or for making other decorations. A lower priced alternative to purchasing cans of frosting would be to make your own American Buttercream which can be made heavier (with more powdered sugar) or lighter to your preference.

American Buttercream

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.
American Buttercream will form a bit of a 'crust' which some people prefer. It helps the iced cake to retain moisture very well even when refrigerated for a couple of days.

An aside to the Google searcher from Rochester, Michigan who was looking for a recipe for Sugar Cookies made with Limburger Cheese... those big kids were making fun of you!

Technorati tags icing+cake+cream cheese+buttercream+food

Cheese Curds

2007-11-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

A Yahoo searcher in Bel Air, Maryland would like to know where they can purchase cheese curds in Maryland.

I am near Annapolis, which is about 50 miles south of Bel Air. I have found cheese curds at the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market in the Harbor Center shopping village at 2472 Solomon's Island Road in Annapolis. I warn you however, when I purchased my cheese curds there, they were not fresh and became rancid within one day of my purchase. I am told that in the Dutch Market they will gladly allow you a taste of any product you would like to purchase and I highly recommend that you do this.

Fresh cheese curds with have a fresh milk scent with no trace of sourness to it. They should squeak when you bite them or they are at least 2 days old. Two day old cheese curds are still perfectly fine to eat, in fact cheese curds should be good for at least a week in the fridge (if they were purchased fresh). Cheese curds can be kept in the freezer for up to six months but will not squeak when defrosted (unless you microwave them for a few seconds).

I also have been told (though I haven't confirmed this yet) that Trader Joe's will be carrying cheese curds. Please let me know if you find cheese curds and Trader Joe's and the location.

Technorati tags cheese+Trader Joe's+Dutch+cheese curds+food+Farmer's Market

The Value of Cake

2007-10-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

"How much should I expect to pay for a cake?"

Cake prices will vary according to demand, geographical location, expertise of the decorator, by how complicated the cake will be to assemble and decorate, and quality of ingredients used to create your cake.

Demand will often drive the cost of a cake up or down. For example, if a new bakery is trying to establish a name for themselves they will keep their prices low to entice buyers to try their product. A company whose business is exceeding their competitors by a wide margin will increase their price simply because they can without their business suffering a loss. Look at the prices of cakes at Charm City Cakes or CakeLove before and after their owners had popular shows on the Food Network and their prices have likely increased considerably.

Location will affect the price you pay. Prices are higher in New York City vs lower in Bismark, ND not because the cakes are necessarily better in NY but simply because the overall cost of owning and running a business is higher there than in the Dakotas.

Expertise. The more knowledge your cake decorator has about cake decorating, the more you're going to be satisfied with the quality of work they have performed on your cake. Lines will be more precise, buttercream will be as smooth as glass, fondant will not have seams, cracks, or wrinkles, and you'll never worry about whether or not your wedding cake is going to cave in on itself.

Complicated assembly costs more because it takes more expertise to create. A single-layer sheetcake that your auntie can make in her kitchen can be made by... well, your auntie. If you want a topsy-turvy cake or one that's built to look like the Guggenheim Museum, that's going to require quite a bit more planning than your auntie's cake that is served out of the 9x13 pan.

Quality of Ingredients is, in my mind one of the most important aspects of cake design. Sure, people will ooh and ahh and ask, "How could I ever eat such a beautiful thing?" but when it comes right down to it, people buy a cake to eat it. True, some people will swear that 'box' cake is their favorite and many wonderful cakes have come from box mixes but I believe that a truly ethereal cake must come from the highest quality ingredients that have been lovingly assembled into something amazing.

All of these aspects can come together for just a couple of dollars per serving for a beautifully (albeit simply) decorated cake for a child's third birthday or they can jump beyond $10 per serving for an elaborately decorated, multi-tiered wedding cake.

If you talk to a bakery about your cake idea and they quote a price that you feel is too high, it probably is. Look around at other bakeries in your area and don't forget to check out the grocery store bakery aisle -- truly, this is a way of getting your berings if you become lost in a sea of ideas and prices. Grocery stores will make a cake that is just a step (maybe two) above your auntie's 9x13 cake mix cake with very little lead time (grocery store bakeries only require an hour or two to complete a decorated cake because their cakes are made ahead and frozen until you order), this way they can keep costs low.

Happy Shopping!

Technorati tags wedding+value+decorated cake+elaborate+birthday+food

Lemon Meringue Pie Question

2006-05-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

This question comes from Reading, Pennsylvania via search engine: How long do you cool a lemon meringue pie before you put the meringue on it?

Typically, a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe is made using the following method:
A flaky pie crust is rolled and placed into a pie pan and blind baked until golden brown. You can keep the edge of the pie crust from becoming too brown by gently wrapping a thin strip of aluminum foil over just the edge after it becomes golden and continue baking until the bottom of the pie crust is golden and fully baked. If you are using a glass pie pan, be aware that it will take up to twice as long to bake as with an aluminum or Teflon-coated pan.

Allow egg whites to come to room temperature prior to whipping then prepare meringue according to the recipe. Hold prepared meringue for only a few minutes while the lemon filling finishes cooking.

Lemon custard filling is then made in a saucepan on the stove top using the preferred recipe. Pour the hot lemon filling directly into the baked pie shell or allow it to cool up to 5 minutes. The hotter the filling is, the less likely your meringue is to weep after toasting. Add prepared meringue and place under the broiler of a preheated oven until meringue becomes golden brown.

Marshmallow Icing

2006-02-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

This recipe requires few ingredients and as long as you have a stand mixer it's very simple.

Marshmallow Icing

2 Cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
3/4 Cup water
1 1/4 Cup pasteurized egg whites (Whippin' Whites or Eggology), at room temp.
1 Cup miniature marshmallows

In a medium sauce pan bring sugar, cream tartar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (235 degrees).

While syrup is boiling, whip egg whites to medium peaks (Stop mixer and lift beater out of whites. Foam peaks should rise up but bend over just at the end.). Run mixer at lowest speed until syrup reaches proper temp.

With the mixer running, slowly pour in a stream of syrup near the side of the bowl (out of the way of the turning beater). Increase mixer speed to medium-high and add marshmallows, a few at a time.

Don't forget to turn off the burner of the stove.

Beat at highest speed (work up to highest speed if it threatens to leap out of the bowl) until the bowl is cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

After adding syrup

Getting impatient waiting for the bowl to cool down.

Finally!

Ice cooled cakes immediately for best result.
If allowed to stand in the mixing bowl, icing will dry out a bit and become quite bubbly. If this happens simply re-whip until it comes back together.
Icing may be refrigerated up to 1 week. To use after refrigeration, add a bit more cream of tartar (up to 1/2 tablespoon) and whip until icing becomes smooth and fluffy. Some volume will be lost after refrigeration.

*Makes enough to ice and decorate two 10-inch cakes (pictured at top).

This icing does not sag or weep like regular meringue and 'toasts' just fine with a kitchen torch. I have not attempted to toast this icing with an oven broiler.

How To Clean a Fine Mesh Strainer

2006-01-09T17:55:00.000-05:00

An interesting question from Randi:
How do you clean a finemesh strainer? I have an OXO one and when I strain custards or soups, they get so gross!!

This is the type of strainer I believe Randi is talking about. I have a similar problem when I strain fruits for jam. Here's what I do to clean mine:
First I begin by turning the strainer upside down and running a good blast of water all over the bottom side of the strainer so the wedged-in bits will come out. Then I use a plastic bristled scrubber

to speed up the process a bit. I find the worst area to clean on a strainer like this is under the metal rim of the basket. If a lot of gunk is stuck under there, I'll soak the strainer in a big pot of hot water for an hour or so and then repeat the above process.

I hope this is helpful Randi!

Italian Pastry La Sfogliatella (lobster tail)

2005-12-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

A question from Ann:
I came across an Italian pastrywhose name meant "lobster tail".It looked more like a clam shellwith its grooves winding around andaround from a apex, spreadingoutward. The texture was crisp,fried not baked. The fillingwas ricotta flavored with orangepeel and citron chunks. Slightlysweetened. Do you know anything about it?

I just recently heard about this pastry. It sounds delicious.

Photo and description from Mike's Pastry.

The history of this extraordinary and popular item dates back to a 16th century convent on the Amalfi Coast near Naples. This original ancestor of the lobstertail was called La Santarosa (named after the convent, now a popular motel, where the owner of Fiat Italy is said to frequent), and its filling was a creamy white, which oozed out of the sides, and was typically served up hot. In Naples coffee shops, this is still something to die for.
La Santarosa gave birth in the 19th century (il "Novecento") to what was then and is now known as La Sfogliatella. The English term for this is Lobstertail, though that is not a literal translation. The structure of it obviously resembles the architecture of a lobster's tail, as its shell is made of layered and crusty baked pastry, interlocking in the way that the parts of a lobster's tail does. How wonderful!

A recipe for this pastry can be found at Uncle Phaedrus's Lost Recipe Finder.

Ask A Pastry Chef

2005-12-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

It looks like this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful frienship.