Gesine Bullock-Prado's Blog, page 18

Demo for Rainbow Puzzle Cake

Because many of you have asked for it, this is a short version of the Rainbow Puzzle Cake demo at the Mohegan Sun.





Gesine at the Mohegan Sun Winefest - RAINBOW PUZZLE CAKE DEMO from Raymond Prado on Vimeo.

Pastry-palooza! The Mohegan SunWine Fest

Since I haven't had time to update you sweet peeps in the past few weeks, I wanted to share some of my pastry fun from this past weekend.

My contribution to the food fest:  Gateau St. Swanaré

I was invited to be a "celebrity" chef at the Mohegan SunWine Fest and participated  in the Celebrity Dine Around event on Saturday night where I joined an amazing group of chefs.  We each prepared 500 tastings for the hungry crowd.

I assured all diners that no swans were  harmed in the making of this pastry.

I was joined in the dessert section of the ballroom by Executive Pastry Chef of the Mohegan Sun Chef Lynn Mansel.  He and his pastry crew made an unbelievable assortment of treats.  I can't even explain how much and how wonderful.

With Chef Lynn.  He's my hero.  Google the man.  He's unbelievable.

My guest compatriots were fellow pastry chefs Dorie Greenspan (she brought a selection from her outstanding new cookie brand "Buerre and Sel) and Mindy Segal (she made a selection of tasty cookies) where we spent the first few hours feeding those lovely souls who believe in eating dessert first.  As the evening progressed, we were swamped with brave gastronauts who, whether they had room in their bellies or not, were going to slip a few sweet treats in their pie holes.  My kind of people.

A table of swans.
My partner in serving crime. Just drinking champagne, talking with the lovely people who are eating swans. 
I made individual Gateau St. Swanaré, my take on the Honoré comprised of puff pastry made with Vermont Creamery's maple/sea salt butter that was filled with maple/caramel pastry cream and topped with a little cream puff swan.  On the side, I made a little nest of maple cotton candy and topped it with a mini golden egg.

The Rainbow Puzzle Cake I demoed for the crowd in the grand ballroom.
Before I started the demo, I asked everyone to wave "hello!"   Demoing.  
On Sunday afternoon, I demoed my puzzle cake, rainbow style.  It was the perfect choice.  It's beautiful, it's a little mind blowing and there's suspense built into the process of cutting, flipping and cutting some more.  A fantastic way to wake up tipsy festival attendees.

Patiently waiting for the doors to open!

A table full of pistachio treats.
To cap off SunWine Fest, we three guest pastry chefs and Chef Lynn and his fabulous crew went back to our pastry drawing boards to create desserts for Bubbles and Bonbons, an evening of champagne and dessert (who needs dinner, right?).

Next time, I'm going to make a dessert with fewer elements if only to save my voice.

I made a trio of pistachio fun:  a layer cake of moist pistachio cake topped with cassis buttercream which was topped with a chocolate sponge cake that was then slathered with chocolate ganache that was in turn coated with a creamy pistachio diplomat cream.  I  love this cake.  The only problem is that describing the cake to dessert patrons takes for-freakin'-ever.  Next to the cake I placed my pistachio/cassis macaron and then finished it off with pistachio toffee.


It was a wonderful experience.  And I hope to join them again next year.  So put that in your calendar for 2014 so you can join in on the fun!

Mohegan SunWine Fest is Coming! Here's an article in the Hartford Courant...

Sweet Star Power, Bullock Style, Coming to Sun WineFestby MARYELLEN FILLO on JANUARY 14, 2013 · LEAVE A COMMENT Celebrated pastry chef Gesine Bullock-Prado has written several cookbooks including “My Life from Scratch,” “Sugar Baby,” “Pie It Forward” and “Bake It Like You Mean It.” She is also one of the featured celebrity chefs who will be whipping up really good things at the Mohegan Sun WineFest Jan. 25 to Jan. 27. Java was intrigued because a) she lives in Hartford (VT) b) because she is a pastry chef, and c) because she is new to the WineFest this year. It wasn’t until hours before a Java interview, that I realized she is also the sister of actress Sandra Bullock, has her law degree and at one time, ran her sister’s production company, Fortis Films. Gesine lives with her husband on  their working farm with an assortment of animals and pets, including a dog who likes to chew up the bedspreads. A marathon runner, Bullock-Prado is also a contributing editor to a slew of magazines and can often be seen on a  variety of television show cooking segments. She was sweet and accommodating as she prepared to come to Connecticut to be part of the Celebrity Chef Dine Around on Jan. 26 and the Bubbles and Bonbons event on Jan. 27, and Spilled the Beans with Java.Q: What brings you to your first Mohegan Sun WineFest?A: I’ve really never really done one before, I actually stayed away from them. Then I was given the opportunity in Connecticut and thought “what the hell.” I think I stayed away from these events when I had my pastry shop because owning the business was so exhausting between the tax on your brain and body. I haven’t had the shop for a few years and have been writing the cookbooks and teaching. I am refreshed and just felt the need again to feed millions of people again. It’s a resurgence. I need to get the need to have a pastry shop again out of my system!Q: When did you know you wanted to be a chef/baker? Was cooking important in your family when you were growing up?A: My mother was a baker. I have been baking since I was a wee one. We were raised Germany so I grew up with this love of pastry arts from Europe, Austria, Germany, Hungary, but was also an American where Oreos are divine. We ate micro-biotic as kids but on the holidays, my mother took out the big guns and did wonderful baking. We were all very keen on sugar because we didn’t have it in the house except for Christmas. When I got to college I was able to finally have an oven of my own and while everyone else was studying for the bar, I was baking gingerbread houses. I find baking to be a release and a comfort.Q: You have your law degree, you ran your sister’s production company, you owned you own very famous bakery and now?A: I write my cookbooks, I teach. We have a little farm, a lovely plot of land. We have orchards with currants to gooseberries and raspberries. We have bees coming in the spring so we can have our own honey and we have maple trees we tap and make into syrup. We grow our own hops and brew our own beer. I make the excuse that the beer has a connection to baking. I am a marathon runner and run to raise money for cancer causes. And as a pastry chef, you have to run because of the butter, it has to come off the butt somehow.Q: What is the one thing a visitor could always find in your refrigerator?A: Butter. That’s the lovely thing about Vermont and New England. There are wonderful creameries. Vermont Creamery just came up with a maple and sea salt butter. Wonderful.Q: What would be your perfect meal?A: For me it’s seasonal. It will usually involve butter and eggs and a crusty bread. I am pretty easy, especially at dinner, a  lovely loaf of bread and cheeses and home brew and some homemade cured sausages.Q: TV reality shows on cooking are everywhere now. Would you ever do a show?A: I am doing one for PBS called “Life From Scratch” that will be about the sweet and the savory and looking at foods and ingredients literally. We are shooting in the spring. I think the popularity of cooking is a lovely thing. Cooking is terribly comforting and I think there is a broader range of people now who love it. And people aren’t just cooking anymore. They are going out and getting chicken coops for their yards so they have fresh eggs. People are getting more conscious about what they are putting in their bodies. And baking truly brings you back to family memories, the wonderful smells that emanate from an oven.Q: Your philosophy about baking, especially for those who are afraid of failure?A: I started baking in earnest after my mother died. Some of our favorite moments are around butter and sugar together. We both had a need to perfect something. I keep trying until I have mastered a recipe. I approach a recipe and say ‘I will be the master of you’ even if I make mistakes to get there. I tell people to keep trying until you have mastered the recipe. It can be done. I feel like the master of all the things I like to do.Q: Since you are the baker, I assume you are the one responsible for birthday cakes in your family?A: It is not even a question that when we get together I bring dessert. Although on a recent birthday of mine we were in Paris and chef Pierre Herme made my cake. As far as my sister, whatever I make she likes. She’s easy peasy.Q: What will you be cooking at the Sun WineFest?A: For the chefs big thing, probably Gateau St. Swanare, a choux pastry, pumpkin caramel swan thing, and for the Bubbles & Bons Bons, a lovely little maple cream that is a cross between a mousse and a crème Anglaise. And a little maple cotton candy.The Mohegan Sun WineFest includes the Celebrity Chef Dine Around, seminars, the elite Cru Tasting, Grand Tasting, Bourbon Tasting, Oyster Open, Bubbles & Bons Bons and Grape Stomp. Ticket information and schedule are at mohegansun.com.Tagged with: Gisene Bullock-Prado • Mohegan Sun wineFest • Sandra Bullock
 

Running Resolutely into the New Year

As most of you know, I run marathons to raise money for American Cancer Society.  You've helped me raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.  I'll keep running and raising money until I can't run anymore.

This year, I made my 2013 race plan:   I'd run Burlington Marathon in May, try for the Vermont 50 in September and then the Marine Marathon (my mother's favorite race) in October.  I was looking at 2013 to be a record breaking cancer fundraising year.  I still am.

However, I encountered a roadblock.  ACS isn't sponsoring a team for the Burlington Marathon anymore, which means I can't raise money for ACS in May.  I could travel far and wide in search for another race that does have a team but I'm pretty attached to my home state's gorgeous run.

My friend Lisa Adams was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer late in 2012.  She's raising  money for Metastatic Cancer research through Sloan-Kettering. Lisa has supported me through every run.  Every single damn run.  She writes about her journey with brutal honesty and breathtaking insight on her blog and as a Huffington Post contributor, giving shape and life to my mother's struggle with Stage IV cancer in a manner that mom was never able to fully express.

So if you are inclined to contribute to my runs for cancer research, this year I'm running in support of Lisa's fundraising effort.  Let's help her bust open her $20,000 fundraising goal for metastatic cancer research.


Click HERE for Lisa's fundraising site.

Running Resolute in the New Year

As most of you know, I run marathons to raise money for American Cancer Society.  You've helped me raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.  I'll keep running and raising money until I can't run anymore.

This year, I made my 2013 race plan:   I'd run Burlington Marathon in May, try for the Vermont 50 in September and then the Marine Marathon (my mother's favorite race) in October.  I was looking at 2013 to be a record breaking cancer fundraising year.  I still am.

However, I encountered a roadblock.  ACS isn't sponsoring a team for the Burlington Marathon anymore, which means I can't raise money for ACS in May.  I could travel far and wide in search for another race that does have a team but I'm pretty attached to my home state's gorgeous run.

My friend Lisa Adams was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer late in 2012.  She's raising  money for Metastatic Cancer research through Sloan-Kettering. Lisa has supported me through every run.  Every single damn run.  She writes about her journey with brutal honesty and breathtaking insight on her blog and as a Huffington Post contributor, giving shape and life to my mother's struggle with Stage IV cancer in a manner that mom was never able to fully express.

So if you are inclined to contribute to my runs for cancer research, this year I'm running in support of Lisa's fundraising effort.  Let's help her bust open her $20,000 fundraising goal for metastatic cancer research.


Click HERE for Lisa's fundraising site.

Batty Battenberg to Say Farewell to a Batty Year

The Batty Battenberg on the left and a traditional on the right.
Is it just me or was 2012 a weird year?  And by "weird," I mean craptastic.
I won't compile a mealy mouthed list of whines.  I know darn well that my life is replete with blessings.   A tough year,  in retrospect, is lined with the moments that can make for a more meaningful existence.  All this I know.
I'm still going to celebrate kicking an "annus horribilis" out the back door with cake and champagne, with every hope that the next will be an improvement.
And in the event 2013 isn't any better, I can always drown myself in a piece of this glory of an almond cake because I've got extra that I'm hiding in the freezer for emergencies.

A BATTY BATTENBERG for a BATTY YEAR
Traditionally, a Battenberg cake is a marzipan covered almond sponge.  You slice it open to reveal four squares of alternating pink and yellow cake blocks.  It's named in commemoration of the marriage between Prince Louis of Battenberg (who later changed his family name to Mountbatten, for those keeping score) and Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine.
Germans might not have been well liked in England at the time but their artistry with pastry was very well appreciated.  The German prince's court pastry chefs brought their marzipan and brightly colored sponge batters and made plenty of friends at the nuptials with their sweet magic.

INGREDIENTS
For the cake
8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)1 cup granulated sugar4 large eggs, at room temperature1 1/2 cups cake flour (sifted before measured)1/2 cup almond flour (I only had sliced, skin on, almonds and just ground them and sifted a few times before measuring)1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon almond extract1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (you can substitute vanilla extract)2 drops red food coloring
To finish

2 tubes Odense marzipan or 14 ounces of almond flavored fondant (see my recipe), which I used
1/4 cup smooth apricot jam (I use Lingonberry because I always have it.  See why here.)

PROCEDURE

For the cake

•Preheat the oven to 350º.

•Line an 8" x 12" baking pan (I used a hotel pan) with parchment paper.  Fold the parchment in half lengthwise to create a separator in the pan for the batters.  Spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.


•Sift together the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together with a for a minute.  Set aside.
•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes.  This takes a while, up to 7 minutes, so take your time.

•Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated into the batter and scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl before adding the next.

•Add the extracts and mix until just combined.

•Add the dry ingredients and combine on low until evenly distributed.

•Divide the batter evenly between two bowls (about 15 1/2 ounces in each) and add 2 drops of red food coloring to one of the batters, stirring until the color is even.

Since I was lazy and used skin on almond slices (and vanilla bean paste with it's' glorious vanilla bean flecks) the batter is very spotty.  This goes away with the bake.  No worries.
•Gently spread the batter in the prepared baking tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake gently springs back when poked.

•Allow to cool completely.

•Trim the top of each cake to  make sure they are level.  Measure the side of the trimmed cake (should be 1 to 1 1/2" deep) and using that measurement, mark the cakes lengthwise and cut strips (three strips from each cake) that measure 1 x 1 x 12 inches (or 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 by 12, depending on how deep your cake layer is).

•Spread a layer of jam on top of the plain layer and press the pink layer atop.  Spread the sides of the cake with jam.  Spread a layer of jam atop a pink layer and press a plain layer atop.  Spread the sides of the cake with jam.  Press the top layers together.  Cover with plastic wrap tightly and freeze for 20 minutes to an hour.  At this point, you've assembled a traditional Battenberg and can chill until set and cover at this stage without any more fuss but covering with marzipan.  Or you can give yourself more work and continue on...

•You'll have two strips of both colors left.  I cut them evenly in half and make a small Battenberg that I keep in the freezer for emergencies.

•Cut the cake in half diagonally and then again in half diagonally from the other corner.

You see, this is what a Battenberg looks like when sliced into.  At this stage, you would just cover with marzipan.  If you want to continue on, slice away!

•Carefully spread each triangular layer with more jam and then fit together the pieces to create pinwheel patterns.  Press the cake together firmly and wrap with plastic wrap.  Freeze for 20 minutes.

•Knead the two marzipan blocks together until smooth.  Roll the marzipan between to sheets of parchment into a 12" x 8 " rectangle.  Place the cake on one end of marzipan and carefully lift the other end of the marzipan to cover the rest of the cake, gently pressing at the seam and then trimming with a sharp knife.

•Using the back of a knife, make a diamond patter into the top of the cake.  Top with decorative sugar pearls if you've got them.

Pastry Year in Review: 2012

I'm looking forward to 2013 but this past year has had wonderful pastry moments that I felt compelled to revisit before the new year is upon us.  Here are a few highlights from the blog...


Once Upon a Time, We Opened a Pastry Shop


Rosemary Lemon Cake
This one I just made in an angel food pan.  If you prefer a light and spongy top instead of a crisp top, don't egg wash.  Spray the top with non-stick cooking spray and cover with foil during the bake.


Cinnamon Bun Wreath


Ikea Monkey Cake


Tea Cakes


Eclairs



Starfish Challah


Sacher Torte Redux


Morning Puff


Little Nims


Pumpkin Roundup


Mascarpone Lemon Cloud Cake


Chocolate Cake Plain and Simple

Caramel Green Apple Ice Cream


Kouign Amann


Better Homes and Gardens


Lemon Crunch Sugar Buns


Apricot Tart


Flag Cake


Patriotic Pie


Walnut Meringues on NPR


The Babies


Wild Spring Tart


Olivia's Cake



Pie It Forward




Sugaring Baby!


Love Round Up
Consider Bardwell Goat Cheese Cheesecake
And the last cake I made this year for a most special birthday boy:

Noel: Lemon Rosemary Cake with Strawberry Cream.

I'm sending everyone sweetness and light from my bakery.

Happy holidays.


SWEET NOEL CAKE



Lemon rosemary layers with strawberry cream filling.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

3 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
juice and zest of 1 whole lemon
1 teaspoon lemon extract

For the filling

1 eight ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
pinch salt

For the buttercream

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
5 egg whites
1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon extract

For the fondant

4 pounds confectioner's sugar
1 cup half and half
1cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons glycerin
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons gelatin

For the strawberries

2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced rosemary

For the royal icing

2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon egg white powder
1/4 cup milk

PROCEDURE

For the cake

•Preheat oven to 325º.  Line three 9" cake pans with parchment rounds and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

•In a small bowl, stir together the milk, lemon juice and zest.  It will start looking curdled...that's perfect!

•In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt for about 20 seconds.  Sift the mixture onto a piece of parchment

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and cream until light and fluffy.

•Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition.  Add the rosemary and the lemon extract.

•Scrape the bowl one last time and mix well.

•Add 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Mix lightly and then add 1/2 of the milk/lemon mixture.

•Continue alternating between the flour and milk until all are combined.

•Divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown and springs back when you gently poke the top.

•Allow to cool for a few minutes and then turn out the layers onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For the filling

•Soften the cream cheese in a mixer with the paddle attachment.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the strawberry jam.

•Whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks in the same bowl (don't need to clean it) to medium peaks with the whisk attachment.  Add the cream cheese and continue whisking until you achieve stiff peaks.  Along the way, test the filling for sweetness.  If it's not sweet enough, add 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar at a time until it's sweet enough for you.

•Refrigerate.

For the buttercream

•Combine the egg whites, sugar and pinch of salt in the clean bowl of a stand mixer.  Place the bowl over a bain marie and whisk until the sugar has completely melted and the mixture feels warm to the touch.  Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer with  a whisk attachment and whisk on high until the meringue reaches stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch.  Add the extract.

•Add small pieces of butter a bit at a time.  Usually I only need 2 sticks of butter for the butter cream to come together.  It will start looking as if it curdles just before it comes together.  Once it gets to this point, add another tablespoon of butter and allow to smooth out.

For the strawberries

•About a 1/2 hour before you assemble the cake, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest and rosemary in a small bowl and stir to coat.

For the fondant

•Combine all ingredients but the gelatin and the confectioner's sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter melts.

•Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the saucepan ingredients in an even layer.  Allow to sit until the gelatin looks soggy.  Once soggy, stir the gelatin over low heat until it's completely melted.

•Add 2 pounds of confectioner's sugar to a mixing bowl.  Pour the gelatin mixture over the confectioner's sugar and mix on low with a paddle attachment until smooth.

•Change out the paddle attachment for a dough hook and continue mixing, add the confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture forms into a ball.

•Transfer the fondant to a very clean work surface sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.  Knead the fondant until it is smooth and is no longer sticky, adding a bit of confectioner's sugar at a time.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.  You'll have extra fondant that you can keep covered in plastic wrap and then sealed in an airtight container.

To assemble

•Place a cake round on a platter and brush a thin layer with a pastry brush with the juices that have run off the strawberries.  Lay half the strawberries on top of the cake layer and spread half the filling on top of the strawberries.  Top the filling with another layer, brush with the strawberry juice and top with the remaining strawberries and filling.  Place the last layer on top of the filling and brush again with the strawberry syrup.  Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for an hour to set.

•Once the cake has set, cover the entire cake with a very smooth crumb coat of buttercream.  Refrigerate for an hour for the buttercream to set.

•Measure the height of the sides of the cake and the diameter the cake and add together.  IE, say the side of the cake is 8" tall and the diameter is 12", so you'd add 8+8+12 = 28".  So you want to roll out a circle a little larger than 28".

•Cut off 1/2 the fondant and roll it out on a very clean surface sprinkled with a light dusting of confectioner's sugar.  Lightly dust a rolling pin with confectioner's sugar.  Roll the fondant out to 1/8 inch thick and then carefully roll onto the pin and transfer to the cake.  Gently smooth the fondant onto the cake and trim the bottom with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

•Make the royal icing:  Stir the confectioner's sugar and egg white powder together with 1 tablespoon of milk.  Add more milk as needed to make a paste that is easily piped but still holds its shape.  Transfer the royal icing into a pastry bag fit with a small open tip.  Pipe dots and swags willy nilly.

Cinnamon Bun Wreath

Cinnamon buns.  They are delicious.  I keep them simple because adding geegaws to the dough or filling just ruins them for me.  But I DO make them festive by cutting the dough into a wreath ( I still smother them with glaze).



CINNAMON BUN WREATH



INGREDIENTS

For the dough

5 cups bread flour plus an extra cup in case dough is too sticky
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package Platinum Instant Yeast (make sure you use instant yeast)
2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

For the filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch salt

For the egg wash

1 egg whisked together with
2 tablespoons water

For the glaze

2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk


PROCEDURE

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook, mix together the milk, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste and eggs until the eggs are broken apart.

•Add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.  Mix until the dough just comes together.

•Add the butter, small pieces at a time, until the butter is incorporated.

•Continue mixing until the dough comes together in to a ball.  If it is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

•Transfer the dough to a lightly flour work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, until the dough is shiny and smooth.

•Place in a large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and spray the top of the dough with non-stick spray as well.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm corner of your kitchen and allow to rise to double it's size, 1 to 2 hours.

•Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

•Roll the dough out to a long rectangle, about 21" x 10".   Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

•Roll the dough into a jelly roll, rolling from the long side, into a long rope.

•Transfer the rope to a parchment lined sheet pan and bend into a circle.  Pinch the ends together.



•Using a very sharp scissor, hold the scissors at a 45º angle and cut deeply into the dough but not so deeply that you cut all the way through.  Tilt the cut piece to on side.  Make these cuts every 1 1/2" and tilt the dough to either side.



•Cover with plastic wrap and allow the proof and room temperature until the buns double in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

•During the proof, preheat the oven to 350º.

•Brush the ring with egg wash and bake until the ring is puff and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

•Allow to cool a bit (you don't have to let it cool completely, just enough that the heat coming off the buns doesn't melt the glaze completely off.

•In a small bowl, stir together the confectioner's sugar, a few tablespoons milk and the vanilla and stir until you have a smooth glaze with the consistency of ketchup.  Add more milk or more confectioner's to achieve the right consistency.

•Drizzle the glaze over the buns.

Ikea Monkey Gets a Cake: Vanilla Tea cake with Lingonberry Diplomat Cream Cake

A monkey wearing a bespoke shearling coat and a diaper was snapped shopping at a Toronto Ikea a few days ago.  I believe I know his purpose:  he was on the hunt for lingonberry jam.  I know this because I too have run through an Ikea in a shearling with the same expression pasted on my face.  I skipped the diaper part because I can, although having seen photos of the monkey, I realize that it might have added a certain je ne sais quoi to my ensemble.

"I CAN HAZ LINGONBERRY?"  (This is a picture of the monkey, not me, by the way)


Anyway, I was tearing through the store on the hunt for the Swedish food court, hoping beyond hope that lingonberry jam and Anna's spice cookies were still in stock.  I have a thing for those little European cranberries, especially during shearling coat wearing season.

I now hoard enough lingonberry preserves to feed a zoo and the moment I caught site of the sweet little guy on the hunt for Christmas berry cheer, I had to make him a cake.  And with his adorable fashion sense and love of the ruby berry, I thought he might like a berry hued holiday themed treat.  This is for you Ikea Monkey.  I hope you got your lingonberry jam.



IKEA MONKEY CAKE

(Makes one 9" three layer cake)

For the cake

This cake uses the exact recipe of the Vanilla Tea Cake (that took me eight years to post so I figured I'd get some monkey mileage out of it).   I divide the batter among three 9" cake pans that have been lined with parchment rounds and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  I bake at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and springs back when gently poked.  This cake domes, even when baked on a stone or lined with cake strips, so I just go with the dome instead of leveling it.  I also love this batter for tiered cakes as it's dense enough to stand up to high stacking yet incredibly moist and delectable.  It's also great in a large bundt but has to be baked for over an hour at 350º and it's best to poke with a cake tester to check that it's done.

For the Lingonberry Diplomat Cream Filling

3 egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon gelatin (or half a sheet of gelatin, soaked)
1/4 cup lingonberry preserves
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup of water
pinch salt

For the Italian buttercream

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
5 egg whites
splash of lemon juice
3 sticks unsalted butter, slightly cooler than room temperature

For the meringues

1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lingonberry juice (the syrup that usually sits atop the preserves, optional)
2 drops red food coloring
Swedish sugar (optional and available at cake shops or online at King Arthur Flour)

To finish, candied lingonberries (or small cranberries) Optional

1/4 cup fresh lingonberries or small fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup superfine sugar

To finish

1/4 cup lingonberry preserves

PROCEDURE


For the candied lingonberries (or cranberries)

•Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar is completely melted.  Allow to cool.

•Puncture each berry with a needle and place in the syrup to soak overnight.

•Take the berries out and allow them to drain on a parchment lined sheet pan for at least 20 minutes.  Roll in superfine sugar to just coat.

For the meringue trees

•Preheat your oven to 225º.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and salt.

•Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.

•Whisk the egg whites until foamy and slowly add the sugar mixture (I count to 10 for every tablespoon).

•Once the egg whites achieve stiff white, shiny peaks, add the food coloring and mix until well saturated with color.

•Transfer the meringue to a large pastry bag fit with a large star tip.  Pipe a large star to start and turn your tip 45 degrees and pipe a slightly smaller star on top of the first.  Continue turning and piping about 5 times and end by stopping the pipe and pulling straight up to create a lovely peak.  Continue piping little trees (of varying sizes), sprinkle with Swedish sugar and bake for 2 hours or until the meringues are dried out.  Allow to cool.

For the Lingonberry Diplomat Cream filling

(***NOTE***Diplomat cream is simply a pastry cream that's been lightened with whipped cream.  You can either use it with just the whipped cream or you can stabilize it with gelatin.  You use it plain, without gelatin, if you're filling cream puffs or eclairs.  It's best to stabilize when the cream needs to hold it's shape, as when you use it in a Napoleon or a layer cake)

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until smooth.

•Bring the half and half to a simmer in a saucepan.  Slowly pour the simmering half and half down the side of the bowl and into the whisking egg yolk mixture until completely added.

•Transfer the mixture back into a heatproof metal bowl, scraping the bottom of the mixing bowl to get any errant cornstarch clinging to the bottom.  Fill the saucepan you've just used half way up with water and bring to a simmer.  Place the metal bowl with the custard over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayo (this can take a LONG time, minutes and minutes, be patient).  Stir in the lingonberry preserves.  Place a piece of plastic wrap over the custard so that it touches the exposed custard (otherwise it will form a skin) and refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours or overnight.

***Before you go on to the next step, make sure your cake layers are cool and your buttercream is ready***

•Pour the 1/8 cup of water in a small, microwaveable bowl and sprinkle the gelatin in an even layer over the water.  Allow to sit until the gelatin look completely saturated with water.  Nuke on 50% power for 10 seconds at a time, swirling the bowl in between blasts, until the gelatin is completely melted.  Allow the gelatin to cool just a little but not so much that it starts to harden.   If it's too hot, it will start to sieze in small chunks if you add the cool cream mixture to it.

•Whisk the heavy cream until you achieve stiff peaks.

•Fold the heavy cream into the lingonberry cream.  Take a large spoonful of the cream and stir it into the gelatin mixture until smooth.  Quickly fold the gelatin mixture into the remaining Diplomat cream.


For the cake

•See the note above about baking the Vanilla Tea Cake in cake pans.

For the Italian Buttercream

•In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice.  Stir over low heat until the sugar is completely melted.  Use a damp pastry brush to brush down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan so they fall back into the pan.  Attach a candy thermometer and bring the sugar syrup to 234º.

•While the sugar is coming to temperature, combine the egg whites and salt in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment.  Whisk until white and foamy and slowly pour the hot sugar into the whisking egg whites by first pouring the sugar down the side of the bowl so it slowly incorporates into the egg whites (if this makes you nervous, transfer the sugar to a heat proof pitcher with a spout).  Whisk until the meringue achieves stiff white peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch.  Add the butter, very small pieces at a time.  Continue whisking until the buttercream comes together as a smooth icing (it may look curdled and awful at first but that just means that you're doing it right and it will smooth out soon).

To assemble

•Place a cake layer, dome up, on a cake round (making sure to remove the parchment).  Brush the layer with lingonberry preserves.

•Place 1/3 of the buttercream in a large pastry bag fit with a large open tip.  Pipe a bead of buttercream along the inside edge of the cake to create a dam for the filling.

•Place 1/2 of the filling inside the buttercream dam and top with another layer of cake, dome side up.  Brush the second layer with preserves, piping a dam and spreading out the remaining filling.  Top with the last layer and brush the remaining preserves on the top cake layer.  (If you have a tall cake ring, you can build the cake inside the ring for better stability).  Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and allow to set in the freezer, about an hour.

•Spread a crumb coat on the cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

•Spread the cake with a smooth finishing coat of buttercream and then top with meringue trees and sprinkle the candied berries willy nilly atop the cake.