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“I love you more than rainbows.” – Ryan Bingham (best original song, Crazy Heart) When I heard that, I went “AWWW”. How cute was that speech at the Oscar’s?! [I'm a total sap!] I’m watching it as I type, can you tell?

This (raw) fudge cake might just be more lovable than those colorful arches.

Strawberry Ganache Fudge Cake: the indulgent-tasting cake that looks good and makes you feel good

The oh-so-decadent-looking ganache–would you believe me when I say it’s made of dates, agave syrup, avocado, and cacao powder? Grins. No, it’s not April Fool’s Day yet. This total eye candy is good for you!

In the beginning I wasn’t sure it would be as good as Elle said it would. It’s not that I don’t trust her, or Ani Phyo (the cookbook author). It’s just that the ingredient combination was a bit foreign to me. Really? Avocado?! I grew up eating avocados as dessert topped with powdered milk and sugar, so the sweet part I got. But…with chocolate? You’re kidding!

My apprehension disappeared as soon as I prepared and tasted it. Oh…my…god!

Raw ganache: the stuff of raw dessert heaven!

This chocolate frosting is UNreal in flavor. Wow. You wouldn’t think it has avocado in it. It is as good-no even better-than it looks.

Each cake layer is made of ground walnuts, cacao powder, medjool dates and salt. The major challenge for me when I made this was shaping the cake into 2 stackable layers. My smallest springform pan was 8 inches, and that produced a layer too thin to hold its shape. I ended up using a smaller-diameter fondue pot that I lined with aluminum foil tso I can easily pop out the layer once it’s compressed into a compact disc.

This is my low-tech solution to shaping the cake layers. It works.

I was eager to devour it after putting on the first layer of ganache, especially after tasting it with some leftover cake crumbs. I love eating tasting everything while making stuff.

First cake layer frosted with ganache

The original recipe called for fresh raspberries. I had strawberries at the time, so I sliced and macerated them in agave syrup for extra softness and moisture.

Mascerated sliced strawberries

After much fussing around with the frosting to make it look decent (I’m not good with icing at all), I had to wait 2 hours for the cake to firm up before cutting it.

A piece of chocolate heaven.

It was love at first bite. I know I say that about a lot of desserts, but wow, this was on its own level of chocolate goodness. If I was to make a list of 100 Things To Eat Before You Die, this will definitely make the cut. Ultra smooth and creamy ganache on two layers of nutty cakes and a soft layer of macerated strawberries in the middle – what could be better? It’s raw and it’s healthy for you, that’s what! This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

Don’t even entertain second thoughts, just make this now. This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

STRAWBERRY GANACHE FUDGE CAKE (RAW)
Adapted from “Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats”
by Ani Phyo (2009, Da Capo Press).

Ingredients – makes about 6 servings

For the fudge cake:
•    3 cups dry walnuts
•    2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder
•    1/4 teaspoon sea salt
•    1 cup pitted Medjool dates

For the frosting:
•    1/3 cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates
•    1/4 cup agave syrup
•    1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh (from about 1 medium avocado)
•    1/3 cup cacao powder

For the filling:
•    1/2 cup sliced strawberries
•    1/2 tablespoon agave syrup

Preparation
1.    For the filling: Mix the strawberries and agave syrup in a small bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for an hour. Strain the juices out before putting on the cake (Step #5).

2.    For the fudge cake: Coarsely chop walnuts, cacao powder, and salt together in a food processor. Add the dates and pulse until thoroughly mixed. You may have to scoop it from the sides of the bowl with a small spatula if the bigger chunks stick.

3.    Shape the cake into two (2) solid, stackable discs using a 6- or 7-inch springform pan. You can use other flat-bottom containers, but line them with aluminum foil for easy removal of the cakes. Note that the thinner you make the cake layers, the more fragile they will be. Placing the cake discs in the freezer while you make the frosting will help set them.

4.    For the frosting: Pulse the following in the food processor until smooth, in this order: the dates and agave syrup; avocado flesh; and lastly, cacao powder.

5.    To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and frost the top with about one third of the ganache. Carefully place strawberry filling on the center and spread until about half an inch from the edge.

6.    Position the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let it firm up.

Storage: According to the original recipe, the cake layers will keep in the fridge for many weeks. The frosting can be kept separately in the fridge for a week. The assembled cake with fruit will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes
- The trickiest part of this recipe is shaping the cake layers so that each disc stays in one piece. You might have to redo the first layer you make just to get the hang of it.
- Slicing the cake can get crumbly and messy due to the nutty cake layers. I would highly recommend making this in individual serving-sized portions, if you have small springform pans or even ramekins.
- You won’t have any problems with storage. This cake is small and is so good it will disappear from the table before you can even think of your second helping.

Nutella on crack — as in, Nutella made with more hazelnuts! Creamy, crunchy, and chewy Nutty Nutella Mochi (mochi = sticky rice cake) is like an Asian version of one of my guilty-pleasure chocolate, Ferrero Rocher. It’s very easy to make and lots of fun!

I used to be hooked on Ferrero Rocher as a child. I would have these gold foil-wrapped chocolates in my school bag and the pocket of my school uniform. When I discovered Nutella, it was like manna for my insatiable chocolate-loving young palate and definitely a much cheaper option than Ferrero Rocher. I would eat it mindlessly by the big spoonfuls (prior to Nutella, I consumed jar after jar of extra creamy peanut butter!). At some point I did learn to restrain myself…sometimes. Nutella lovers — you know what I mean, right? It’s just physically straining to not give in to the craving! Ha ha.

It is with glee that I will participate in World Nutella Day (hosted by these lovelies: Ms Adventures in Italy, Bleeding Espresso, and World Nutella Day) with this Japanese-inspired  treat:

I’ve always wanted to make stuffed mochi (addendum: I grew up with mochi or sticky rice cake, but we just call them by different names in the Philippines), so I thought I’d combine that with Nutella. And guess what? They are perfect together!

It’s very easy to make. Crushed hazelnuts and nutella are combined, lumped into balls and placed in the freezer to keep its shape when molding the rice cake around it. The rice cake is a combination of glutinous (sweet) rice flour, water and a little sugar. A little food coloring if you want to make it interesting. You can add flavors as you wish. The resulting paste is zapped in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then the wrapping begins!

The stickiness is the tricky part and it’s easy to solve by keeping your hands and work surface generously floured. Put in the freezer again to set. And voila! You got yourself some Asian Ferrero Rocher to snack on. No spoon needed.

I loved this experiment so much that I’m going to make more over the weekend. This will be a fun Valentine’s treat for friends, family and lovahs.

Happy World Nutella Day and Happy Friday!

NUTTY NUTELLA MOCHI (THE ASIAN FERRERO ROCHER)

Ingredients (makes 8 mochi balls – recipe easily doubled, tripled, what have you)

• 2 tablespoons Nutella spread (you can easily substitute w/ other hazelnut-based or chocolate spread…but really, why would you do that? J)
• 3 tablespoons (about 30 grams) hazelnuts/filberts without shells
• 6 tablespoons glutinous/sweet rice or mochiko flour, plus a lot of extra for flouring surface and hands
• 7 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• (optional) a drop of liquid food coloring

Other materials needed: aluminum foil, parchment paper – you don’t need anything longer than 4 inches in width when you tear it from the box.

Preparation

1. (Optional step – Roasting Nuts) Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 5 to 8 minutes (start checking the oven at 5). Be careful not to scorch it. Stir once during baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Ground hazelnuts in a food processor or grinder into rock salt consistency. Depending on your preference you can go finer than 3mm or you can go for chunky. Keep in mind that pronounced angular edges tend to tear the mochi as you mold it.
3. Mix Nutella spread and ground hazulnuts n a small bowl until all nut pieces are coated. Form 1-teaspoon balls using a measuring spoon and a small teaspoon. Scoop from measuring spoon, place the spread back in and scoop again until you form a ball. It shouldn’t take more than 3 strokes. Once you get the hang of it, it will be a breeze. Drop each ball on the aluminum foil. Place nutella balls on the foil in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour before making mochi so they will harden.
4. Combine glutinous rice flour, 6 tablespoons water, food coloring (if desired) and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Heat it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. If the sticky paste peels away from the side of the bowl as you stir, add the remaining tablespoon of water until combined. If not, return bowl in the microwave and heat in 20-second intervals until the paste peels away from the sides of the bowl, then mix with water.
5. Take the frozen Nutella balls from the freezer.
6. Dust the parchment paper and your work surface (could be just plate) with rice flour. Place a small mound of flour on your work surface for dipping. Flour your hands generously. I find that the best way to ‘dust’ my hands with rice flour is to wash and wipe, and flour my damp hands. Spoon at least half a tablespoon of sticky paste (a.k.a. mochi). Dip all exposed areas onto your mound of flour. Once it doesn’t stick anymore, peel it from the spoon with your hands, then dip all un-floured areas in flour. Press this mound of paste until you form a  4mm-thick wrapper. Dust your hand with flour whenever it sticks to the paste. Use that floured mochi to grab a Nutella ball from the foil, and then carefully wrap it around the nutella. You can stretch it a little, and flour any sticky surface as needed. Once two mochi ends meet, to pinch them together with floured fingers – it’s just like working with clay. It takes a little practice to get this right, but once you realize that the trick is really to keep your hands from sticking to the mochi, you will be fine. If all else fails, you can eat your mistake. Mmm..Nutella.
7. Lightly roll each Nutella stuffed mochi in flour, and place on the floured parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set. Or you can eat it right away, really.

Notes: I do repeat the importance of putting flour on the surface or your hands when making the mochi because it is extremely sticky. The mochi paste recipe has provisions for extra paste when you need to start over with the mochi wrapper.

Variation: You can wrap a whole hazelnut in Nutella and freeze it. You can use any imaginable filling you like and you can put any flavorings in the mochi paste itself – from extracts to powder. The mochi paste can also be just rolled in rice flour and eaten plain.

One of the best things about mochi is that you can be very creative about it. Make it savory, make it sweet, it will succumb to whatever flavor whim you fancy. It’s open to experimentation without a lot of fail.

For those who haven’t eaten mochi or sticky rice cake before, it is like a very soft (sticky/stretchy) pillow of gnocchi. I grew up eating sticky rice cakes and would prefer them to gnocchi on any given day. Try it! – Joy

I had long-shunned the pucker-ific sour Key lime pies until I made this. Lets just say that I’m now an enthusiastic convert of the Florida state pie. It is absolutely perfect in its balance of flavors, with the well-tempered tartness of the Key limes and a kiss of sweetness from the meringue. You will not regret the time you will spend to make it. I promise.

I’d lost any inclination to eat Key lime pie at any restaurant because I find them murderously sour, as if crushed with ascorbic acid tablets. Not my idea of a good dessert. I really thought that’s just the way it is. No offense to Key limes, but this was the reason I tend to cringe and do a 180° turn whenever I see them at the market.

According to a Flickr friend, Key lime pies in the South are much better than the ones from the West Coast. Is this true? Where do you get your Key lime pies dear Southerners? And if you're from the West Coast like I am, have you found one that you truly love?

To truthfully and finally decide for myself on the matter of Key lime pies, I made it. I wanted to know if it really should taste so repulsive and need to be delegated as a Fear Factor eating challenge where you’re required to have a neutral face. This took me the whole night to make, but it was so worth it. This is what happens when you don’t thoroughly read the instructions and end up having dessert at 11am.

Once again, The Craft of Baking made me overcome another fear: fear of eating key lime pie. The pie from DeMasco’s recipe was DIVINE. The sharp tartness of key limes were perfectly subdued in the silky curd with whipped cream–a beautiful marriage of flavors that simply made the long night of working in the kitchen less painful. The meringue was just a touch sweet, and with every bite of it with the curd and the crust, it’s perfection.

Hi, I'm a Key Lime Pie convert.

KEY LIME MERINGUE PIE

This recipe was adapted from Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox’s book, “The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own” (2009).

Ingredients

• Foolproof Pie Dough (You can also use your own pie dough recipe or a readymade 9-inch one

Key Lime Curd

• Finely grated zest from 4 Key limes
• 1/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (from at least 6 Key limes)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons or 1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream

Meringue

• eggs whites from 4 large eggs
• 2/3  cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Pre-bake/blind-bake your pie crust.Pre-heat oven to 375°F.Roll the pie dough on a floured surface to form an 11”-diameter disk. Loosely roll around a rolling pin and transfer into a 9” pie plate. Trim the dough and leave a 1-inch overhang to fold over. Crimp the edges. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.Prick crust on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, making sure to fill to the corner and sides. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove the parchment and weights, return to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes more until golden all over. Cool plate on a wire rack. Turn off oven.
2. Make the Key lime curd. Boil 2-inch-deep water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk Key lime zest, Key lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, egg yoks, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and heatproof bowl over the saucepan. Whisk the juice and egg mixture constantly until it becomes thick, about 12 to 15 minutes. Thickness test: when you trace your whisk across the bowl, the curd won’t immediately cover the track.Remove from the heat and transfer on a kitchen towel to secure it on the counter. Whisk in butter one piece at a time until it is well combined and smooth. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Line the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour.Whip cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Fold the whipped cream into the chilled curd. Pour into completely cooled piecrust.Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack positioned about 8 inches from the top of the oven.
3. For the Meringue: Whisk egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until bubbles begin to form. Increase speed to medium-low and beat for about 5 minutes until it begins to turn opaque and increase in volume. Add granulated and confectioner’s sugar in a slow and steady stream. Add vanilla and salt. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 10 minutes until meringue becomes very thick.Spread meringue over the curd and cover up to the edges of the curd. Swirl and create peaks using a spatula. To make really nice peaks, grab a small dollop of meringue with the pads of your fingers and touch and swoop it all over the meringue to create the desired effect.Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it halfway through the baking time. Peaks should be darker, and the “valley’s should still be white. Completely cool pie on a wire rack before chilling in the fridge for an hour before serving.

   This pie is best consumed the day it is made. Can be chilled, loosely covered in plastic wrap for up to 2 days. That is, if you have leftovers. ;-)

Happy baking and eating!

I love biscotti. For the longest time, I sat back in awe, envious of friends (on- and offline) who make it look like it’s a walk in the park to prepare. For me it was intimidating, especially the fact that it has to be baked twice. I don’t know why, but just the thought of that thwart any attempt at it! Enter Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox’s book, “The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own“. I pored through the pages, checking the ingredients and processes, and unapologetically drooled over the sweet delights. Then, like cowlick on a well-manicured lawn of a hair, 3 recipes stood out: those of the twice baked cookie variety called the Biscotti. Hello, self-imposed yoke.

It’s crazy to think that some of us have mountains to move when it comes to baking:

• Mt. Cake
• Mt. Macarons
• Mt. Pie
• Mt. Jelly Rolls…I’m still talking about baking here…
• Mt. Cinnamon Rolls
• Mt.Homemade Bread

What else? What’s your baking nemesis?

My friend is leaving to go back to her new home across the border, and I wanted to give her something for their long flight. Biscotti would make a perfect travel snack: light, TSA-friendly, and will survive the journey. And there it was, my work cut out for me and I was ready to face another fear in the kitchen. Luckily, my first try worked like a charm. DeMasco’s recipe is a winner.

Of course I had to try making the chocolate first. Priorities dears.

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti with Coffee. The coffee was just there for props. I haven't had coffee in 13 days. THIRTEEN! Days! And I'm ok. Really. Did I tell you I'm okay?

The dough was sticky and fragile to work with, but incredibly good to eat. I’m a dough/batter-eater. I cannot resist tasting it, unless it is yeasty. It pretty much goes that if the dough tastes good, the baked product will be good, too. So I do intensive testing. With my mouth. Do you? If not, you’re missing out. Well, unless you’re pregnant, then don’t do it if it has raw eggs like this one.

The trick to transferring this dough from the floured counter to the baking sheet is the speedy lift-and-support-entire-length action. It does have the risk of sagging and breaking apart.

Making biscotti and proof that I may have taken Karen DeMasco's"generously floured work surface" too far. It really didn't stick. At all. I mean, how could it?

The hardest part in making these is the baking time. Your kitchen and its surrounding open spaces will be filled with the come-hitherto aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and a hint of something that tickles your nose, trying to let you in on a little secret. You know what it is? Espresso. The book says the cookies will fall flat in taste without it, and I’ll have to agree. No, I don’t even want to try it without!

The Biscotti Council

These biscotti are not too sweet, and would make a perfect companion to coffee or plain milk. Thinking of tea? This is your mate. It’s not too overpowering, even for a light tea.

There are only a few left of this batch, and the generous bag of biscotti I gave my friend for the trip is on the verge of missing the flight, I was told. If that isn’t the best compliment for it, I don’t know what is.

If you’re looking for a biscotti recipe to start you baking, look no further. This newbie approves. And for the seasoned biscotti bakers, this is a worthy addition to consider for your repertoire of old favorites.

For me, honestly, I can’t wait to make more that will last long enough to make it past the front door without being eaten, so I can mail them to friends! I love sending care packages of food, and it almost sounds selfish because I get such sheer pleasure in doing so. :-)

The full recipe can be found online (it’s the 3rd recipe down), and that’s the exact one in the book. I thought I’d just link to it because it’s a long one, plus I didn’t change anything in the recipe.

Happy baking this weekend!

This is my ode to the beet. I love it. It is good steamed/boiled, but why stop there? Surely the humble, yet provocatively deep red-colored, beet has more to offer beyond the boundaries of salads, or worse, as a natural red food color. The result of an evening of inspiration and creativity was this Creamy Sweet Beet Pie with Hazelnut Crust. The yogurt syrup makes it even better. Oh my! Even the beet skeptic might be swayed to the beat of the beet!

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Like a northern snowbird, I headed south last week. To get used to the time, I had this not-so-great idea to tough it out on my first night: stay up, finish writing this, get some work done, and be early to bed the next evening to ‘reset’ my circardian rhythm. My thirty-something body, on the other hand, had other plans–like succumbing to exhaustion before midnight, not feeling my laptop slip from the bed and not hearing the heartbreaking sound of the machine hitting the hardwood floor. Nope. I had woken up in a daze at 3am, local time, and slowly realized that ACK! MY LAPTOP!!! Blood drained from my face when I saw it closed, but monitor at the bottom. #$&(*&%! I leaped from the bed to assess the damage, praying that the screen didn’t $hatter into piece$.  Thankfully, everything was still intact except for the corner dent, and most importantly: it still worked! Whew. After that, I couldn’t bring myself to push my luck in the staying-up-too-late-to-post department for the rest of the week.

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Beets, we meet again. You and your unpretentious exterior.

Your unassuming presence change once peeled and cut, and you resemble rubies or garnets.

Just looking at you make me smile. Jewels, you are.

Oh, god, I talk to vegetables. Secret’s out!

Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back to being sane.

Enamored is an understatement as to how I feel about beets. I wanted to do something more than roasting and boiling them for salads. When I got more beets, I had PIE in my mind, thanks to the  apple pie and pumpkin pie I had in rotation in the kitchen, so pie it is.

For the crust, I wasn’t feeling the flaky dough crust, so I decided on a graham cracker crust. Well, well, guess who ran out of graham crackers (or crumbs)? Haha. I still had whole hazelnuts, so I ground them into powder consistency and added wheat germ and butter.

The ground-nut crust was borne out of last month’s almond-grinding for the macarons. Since then, I’ve ground more almonds and hazelnuts for crusts that have earned raves among family members.

The hazelnut and wheat germ crust went perfectly well with the beets.

It could have been a planet’s unattractive red surface at first glance, and I wasn’t quite confident of the outcome that I was ready to toss it if it didn’t turn out good. However, my doubts melted after I took my first bite. I was in awe of how good everything melded together. It’s an odd marriage of ingredients, spices and textures, for sure, which really made for an interesting dessert.

I wasn’t the only one taken by it, judging by how fast it disappeared from the pie plate, down to the very last crumb. And I mean…the very last.

If you haven’t had beets as a dessert, then here’s your chance! Yummy, yummy, yummy. Dare I say it’s even healthy?! I think so. :-)

Creamy Sweet Beet Pie with Hazelnut Crust and Yogurt Syrup

Ingredients:

Filling

• 500 grams fresh whole beets (approx 3-4″-diameter beets), peeled and cut into ½” cubes
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 7 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust

• 3.5 oz shelled hazelnuts, ground to powder consistency in a food processor
• 2 oz wheat germ
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Syrup

• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Equipment

• food processor (for grinding hazelnuts)
• 2 small mixing bowls
• 9″ glass pie plate
• 1 baking sheet
• parchment paper
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• 1 large mixing bowl
• aluminum foil

Preparation

For the Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the lower middle position.
2. Mix ground hazelnuts, wheat germ, brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl to create a gritty paste.
3. Transfer onto the pie plate. Press and level against the bottom and sides of the plate with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool on a trivet.
   Keep the oven on.

   For the Filling:

4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour and spread cubed beets on the parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. After removing, place the oven rack in the upper middle position.
5. Put baked beets in a medium bowl and toss with lemon juice.
6. Mix flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg using a spatula in a large bowl. Pour beets into the mixture and toss to coat.
7. Beat eggs with heavy cream in the medium bowl from #5 with a fork. Pour over the beet and flour mixture, and stir together with a spatula until there are no dry spots left. Assembling the Pie:
   
8. Transfer the beet mixture into the pie plate with crust. Level with a spatula. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
9. Remove pie from the oven. Increase the temperature to 400°F and place the rack in the lower middle portion of the oven. Cover the pie plate with foil and return to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes.
10. Cool the pie (still covered with foil) on the trivet for 30 minutes, then uncover and cool for 30 minutes more.

    Making the Syrup:

11. Beat the icing sugar and yogurt together until smooth.
12. Slice beet pie and serve with yogurt syrup. Instead of the yogurt syrup, you can also top with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche.

Notes

Beet preparation: The original recipe calls for cubed fresh beets that are pre-baked to cook and dry a little to make them chewy. You can also  shave or grate the beets if you have trouble chewing or if you don’t like them chewy; and you may then skip Step #4.

Serving suggestions: You can top the pie with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche, instead of yogurt syrup. Best served warm. Re-heat in microwave for 10 seconds before serving.

Hazelnut Crust: Very versatile and I urge you to use it with other fruits (or veggies!).

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S of Baking Without Fear.  She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I’ve been meaning to make macarons since spring, when it wasn’t warm and I could still use the oven to my heart’s content without creating a heat wave. Then I had an army of excuses: I had no almond flour, no candy thermometer, no time, and just the thought of making them only to fail was exhausting.

Of course, that’s what the Daring Bakers Challenge is for: to push you to do things you do not like (haha), but we enjoy tough love anyway. I’ve been so busy with other things that the deadline for the challenge really crept up and then whacked me on the head last night. Yes, I only did my challenge last night. Oh, not just last night…LATE last night.

This is how I roll…

My fellow Daring Bakers have talked about their failures even after numerous tries with the recipe posted by the challenge’s host, so they eventually sought someone else’s recipe. I followed suit. I was doing this last-minute that I really cannot afford to try many times just to make it work. I need it to work the first time. Tall order.

I’ve had my eyes on Jef and Eliza’s (MyFoodGeek.com) macaron recipe for the longest time, so I picked that. Others I know used Helen’s (MyTartlette.com) or Aran’s (Cannelle et Vanille) recipes — and hundreds of readers can attest to the reliability of their recipes, so do check them out.

Ok, so I sort of used the recipe from My Food Geek. I made a boo-boo. What else is new? To make the long story short, I could not follow baking directions for the life of me. My macarons probably have way too much sugar in them. The truth is, now that they answered my question, my macarons shouldn’t have had sugar syrup. Haha. What do I know? As long as I saw magma-like batter last night, I thought I was doing the right thing. No wonder I’m bouncing up the ceiling all night and I’m having major drawbacks from the sugar rush this afternoon.

I won’t even tell you how many mushroom-like sugary caps I’ve eaten. I even had to bite into another one for the photos. Good reason, no?

I really am just glad that they closely resemble the real thing, except for the fact that:

• These babies have ’skins’ that remind me of ostrich eggs; and
• They have prim and proper “feet”. They stay within the perimeter of the mothership, no feet sticking out to the sides. No, ma’am. You’d think my macarons went to the Miss Manners night school for misbehaved macarons!

Their skins are so smooth and almost pebble-y. I did not use blanched almonds, so you see the flecks of almonds on them. What’s more, I made penance for my tardiness with the Daring Bakers gods by not only grinding my own almond powder, but painfully sifting it. It think that paid off.

One pivotal factor that made these macarons look like this is the drying/wait time. The first 3 trays that I put in the oven didn’t have time to sit. I mean, c’mon, I’m not a patient person at all. After 3 erupting episodes, I quickly searched on the internet and found out from a Pierre Hermé (the god of macarons) recipe that you should let them sit to brood and ponder their soon-to-be esteemed footed life for at least 45 minutes. So I did that. In the meantime, here are the remains of the magmatic macarons that certainly weren’t shy about their eruptions. [Some went totally criminal: Macawrongs!]

Macaruins

The 4th tray in the oven, which sat on the counter for the longest 45 minutes of my past-midnight baking shenanigan, came out with beautiful, proper hats and walking feet. As for the filling, I made buttercream and used the rose water given to my friends. That thing is strong…like, I-want-to-put-it-on -me strong. But it was delicious.

I think I will try to make some again this week, if I don’t die from all the sugar. Hah.

I’ll post the recipe tonight! Watch out for my blank promises. LOL.

Macarons with Lemon-Rose Water Buttercream (recipe last updated 11/12/2009)

These are my first ever macarons and I completely made a mistake on the recipe I was following. This mistake, however, gave me such smooth, perfectly shaped macarons. A number of people still requested the actual recipe I ended up with for the macarons. So here it is!

This recipe makes about 30-35 sandwiched macarons.

Ingredients

Macarons

• 100 grams egg whites (give or take, 3 large eggs), divided
• 100 grams confectioner’s sugar
• 100 grams sliced or whole almonds (can be blanched or not, up to you)
• 180 grams granulated sugar
• 90 grams water

Macaron Filling

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 4 teaspoons rose water [You can use less for just a tiny hint.]
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• a drop or two of red liquid food coloring (Optional. Amount will vary depending on your color preference.)

Equipment

• Food processor or grinder/chopper
• Hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• 2 Large size bowls
• 1 Medium size bowl
• Small sauce pan
• Candy thermometer
• 2 to 3 baking sheets (we will bake double-panned, having an extra sheet will allow you to continuously bake one batch after another)
• Silicone baking mat or Parchment paper sheets to fit cookie sheet
• Piping/Pastry bag with plain tip (a storage bag like zip lock would work, too)
• Spatulas

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°F with the rack in the upper middle portion. You can pre-heat later on during Step #11). Place baking sheets one on top of the other (called double panning) and place the baking mat or parchment paper on the topmost sheet, and set aside.For the meringue cookies –
2. Grind almonds and confectioner’s sugar together in a food processor for 2-3 minutes, until you get a a powdery texture. If you have a mini one, you can use half the sugar for it to fit.
3. Sift mixture into a large bowl. If you still have big pieces left, put them back in the grinder.
4. Stir 40 grams of egg whites (about 1 egg white) with the ground almond mixture using a spatula. Mix until you get a uniform paste. Set aside.
5. Whisk 60 grams of egg whites (about 2 egg whites) on high speed in a large bowl until you achieve soft peaks. Set aside.
6. Pour water and granulated sugar into a small pan and place on your stove on high heat with the candy thermometer dipped into the mixture. Allow to boil until it reaches 230°F.
7. Resume whisking the egg whites on med-high speed in the large bowl and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the bowl. Whisk for about 10 minutes. You will end up with a puffy and shiny meringue.
8. Quickly fold meringue into the bowl with the almond paste for 30 seconds, then slowly to check the consistency. Do not overmix. The resulting mixture would be thick, fluffy and viscous. It will not be watery. It will almost feel and look like marshmallow fluff.
9. Transfer meringue mixture into a pastry bag.

10. Pipe mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Create small domes about 1-½  inch in diameter, 2 inches apart from each other to allow for spreading. If you have 3 baking sheets, you can pipe on 2 sheets.

11. Leave on your kitchen counter for at least 45 minutes, to allow a film to develop on each circle.

12. Place baking sheet into the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

13. The cookies should be easy to peel off the pan. If not, put return the baking sheet into the oven for 2 more minutes.

14. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring. Bake the next pan. Don’t forget the 45-minute sitting time for the piped meringue.

15.  The baked cookies have a smooth, eggshell-like top, a soft-ish center, standing on frothy-looking “feet”.

For the buttercream –

16.  Mix butter in a medium bowl until fluffy. Pour confectioner’s sugar and mix with a spatula until most of it is incorporated. Beat for a few seconds.

17. Pour rose water, lemon juice and a drop of food color and mix with a spatula first, before using your mixer.

Assembling the macarons –

18. Spread buttercream on the flat side of the meringue cookie and top with the flat side of another meringue cookie to form a sandwich. Press lightly.

Enjoy, but watch out for the sugar rush!

Apple Crumble Upside Down Cake

Four taste-testers don’t lie: this is some heavenly combination! A layer of light and moist cake underneath a generous overlay of sweet apple chunks and plumped up dried cranberries, then the coating of  crunchy, buttery cornmeal streusel… I mean, could it get any better than that?

All it took was a bite...

When you think about it, it’s a cake, that’s a pie, that’s a crisp! Haha. Oh, and  just one of the many ways to enjoy the gifts of the Fall season that I so love.

Speaking of Fall...we’re excited to collaborate with Vault Communications and Aloutte Cheese for a fantastic Fall Wine and Cheese Party Giveaway! It’s been a while since we’ve thrown a contest, oh dear. But check it out!

Gourmet Fall Cheese Tasting Party Giveaway

• Mariposa Gourmet Two-Toned  Wooden Cheese Board w/ Wine & Cheese Access. (Board is made of Natural Wood.)
• Cheese Markers
• Customized Cheese Rating Cards w/ Pens (Party of 10) – customized with your name and date/year of party.
• Alouette recipe cards for entertaining
• Alouette coupons for Baby Brie, Spreadable and Crumbles
• Slow Down & Savour Tips

That’s right, you’ll get all of these lovely items (a $150 value). Wine, wine glass and fruits not included. ** IMPORTANT: PRIZES CAN ONLY BE SHIPPED IN THE U.S. **

To enter, just answer this question in the comments section:

How do you slow down and savour life’s moments?

If you tweet about it, let us know in the comments. Each legitimate and unique comment to this post qualify as one entry.

Contest ends October 29, at 12 noon. Good luck!

[Contest disclosure: We have received the same items from Alouette Cheese, c/o Vault Communications. We have no advertising/sponsorship commitments with either company.]

Oh, and here’s the recipe:

Apple Crumble Upside Down Cake

It’s a cake, that’s a pie, that’s a crisp– light, moist cake underneath a generous layer of sweet apple chunks and cranberries, sprinkled with the crunchy and buttery cornmeal streusel.

Ingredients [Serves 8]

Apple Filling

• 3 medium-sized apples, peeled, quartered, chopped into ¼ x ½  x ½ -inch chunks and fills about 5 cups. Use what you have on hand or your preferred variety. (I used Okanagan Fuji apples.)
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• pinch kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon triple sec liqueur (optional)

Crumble/Streusel topping

• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Cake

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Place the rack in the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch round, 2-inch-deep nonstick cake pan; set aside.

3. For the apple filling

• Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Toss the apple chunks in it.
• Melt butter over high heat on a Dutch oven until it begins to turn amber in color and the milky froth from the butter has almost cleared (don’t allow it to burn).
• Add the apples into the pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the cranberries and stir. Cover for another 5 minutes or until the apples begin to soften and break down in the steam. Juice will collect on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from the heat and pour over a strainer with a large bowl underneath to catch the juice.
• Pour the juice back into the Dutch oven over high heat and mix it with heavy cream and triple sec liqueur (if used). Stir until the mixture is reduced and thickened. It’s done when you drag your wooden spoon on the bottom of the pan and it leaves a trailing line. Turn off the heat and toss the apples and cranberries in it.
• Transfer the fruits and any remaining liquid into the prepared cake pan. Lightly press into an even layer. Set aside.

4. For the crumble/streusel topping:

• Mix flour, brown sugar and cornmeal in a medium bowl with a fork. Drizzle melted butter while continuing to mix it until it forms pea-sized chunks.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the streusel mixture evenly on top of it.
• Bake it in the pre-heated 425°F oven for 5 minutes. Watch closely once you hit the 4-min mark. It might start to burn depending on your baking sheet.
• Take it out of the oven and set aside to cool on a trivet for 5 minutes. Toss the crumble with a small spoon to prevent it from burning if it is already getting dark. Set aside.

5. Decrease oven temperature to 350°F with the rack in the same position.

6. For the cake:

• Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl until thick and homogenous, for about 45 seconds.
• Slowly beat in butter until thoroughly combined. Add heavy cream and vanilla and continue to mix. Pour flour mixture and blend until just combined.
• Pour batter into the cake pan and spread evenly over fruit.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven until cake is golden grown, about 35 to 40 minutes. When you insert a toothpick into the center it will come out clean.
• Cool pan on wire rack for 20 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the cake pan.
• Carefully invert cake pan onto a large plate, and allow the cake to cool for another 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy with some vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped crème or crème fraîche on top.