Daring Bakers March 2010 Challenge: Orange Tian

This month's Daring Baker's Challenge was Orange Tian. I'd never heard of Tian before this challenge, so I was quite pleased to learn something new.

tian
[TYAHN ]
A French word describing a shallow, earthenware casserole, as well as the food that it contains. A tian can be any of various dishes, but originally referred to a Provençal dish of gratinéed mixed vegetables.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

They call them "challenges" for a reason, folks. Everything must be made from scratch, including the marmelade, and there are a lot of steps. This is partly why I chose to make the dessert "family style" (this term will always remind me of The Salt Lick when we went to Austin, TX) rather than in individual portions. Also, I could bring this dessert to the manfella's mom's house for Easter this weekend.

Step 1: Blanch the orange slices 3 times to remove the bitterness from the orange peel and pith.


Step 2: Arrange orange (I used mandarins) segments in a shallow blow. Make orange carmel and pour it over top of the segments.


Step 3: Mince the blanched orange slices in a food processor, add an equal weight of sugar and pectin. Cook to make marmelade!


One orange, plus some orange juice made me a whole jar of marmelade!


Step 4: Make a pâté sablé crust.
Step 5: Spread the crust with a thin layer of marmelade.


Step 6: Layer the carmel-y mandarin segments in your tian vessel. In this case, I used a fluted rectangular tart pan.


Step 7: Layer stabilized whipped cream (that's whipped cream with gelatin, folks) over the mandarin oranges, then layer the pâté sablé crust--marmelade side down--over the whipped. Here you see the flaw in using a vessel that is narrower on the bottom than on the top, however it isn't THAT big a deal because the dessert gets inverted.


Step 8: Invert the vessel so that it is crust side down. Cut into slices.


Step 9: Before serving, drizzle each slice with some of the orange carmel you made in step 2.

Obviously I have over-simplified the steps for the sake of blogging, so the way I've presented it here may look like less work than it actually was. However, this dessert was very well-received! If I made it again, I wouldn't use equal weights of sugar and orange in the marmelade, as I found it a bit too sweet.

All in all though, my first Daring Baker's Challenge was a success!

March 29: Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles are the original cake truffle! Made with real chocolate, these little balls of brownies-meet-fudge are easy to make, roll and bake. Don't let their small size fool you; they're bursting with chocolatey flavour.

After you make up the dough, you roll each ball in a thick layer of icing sugar then bake.

As the dough bakes it expands, causing the dough to "crinkle". The dark brown chocolate colour shows through the white, causing an interesting looking contrast.

You must not over-bake these cookies! If you do, they will be hard lumps, rather than the chewy fudgy little treasures they're meant to be.

Final Grade: A. You can find the recipe for Chocolate Crinkles on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Chocolate Crinkles for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 28: Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies originate in Austria, and is the cookie form of the Linzertorte. Linzer cookies can be "white" or "brown", depending on whether or not you toast your almonds. Traditionally the cookies are sandwiched with a layer of black currant jam, but raspberry jam will also suffice if black currant jam can't be found.



All you need are cookie cutters of different sizes, though they don't have to be the same shape. Experiment with different shapes for some really cool-looking cookies!



I had fun with these cookies and made the bottom halves "brown" Linzer, and the top halves "white" Linzer. I figured I'd get the best of both worlds!!



These are very delicious! Sweet and nutty, with a tangy raspberry jam filling. Be sure to find seedless jam if you can, as the raspberry seeds create an unpleasant texture.

Some of the best cookies I've made so far! Final Grade: A+. You can find the recipe for Linzer Cookies on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Linzer Cookies for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 27: Speculaas

Speculaas come to us all the way from Holand. Traditionally made and served before Christmas to celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, this spicy cookie is served in both thin and crispy moulded forms, or soft and chewy rounds.



I made the chewy version because I don't own any cookie moulds, nor could I find any at the kitchen supply stores close to home. The chewy ones are much easier and less time-consuming, so you can mix your dough, roll balls, bake and enjoy all within less than an hour.



I'd used up all my sliced almonds on the Alfajores the night before, so I simply flattened the balls with a measuring cup dipped in granulated sugar. The result is a tasty cookie with a little sparkle.



Final Grade: B+. Speculaas are yummy, but they didn't blow my mind. I've baked and tasted a lot of European spice cookies in the past month, and still have a place in my heart for the Basler Läckerli.

You can find the recipe for Speculaas on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Speculaas for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 26: Alfajores

I discovered the recipe for this cookie while searching for international cookie recipes for March of the Cookies. I didn't need to see the recipe to know that they made the cut; reading "These almond cookies are sandwiched with creamy layers of dulce de leche" cinched it.

Probably the best sandwich cookie I've ever tasted.

Once I made up and baked these cookies, however, I realized that it wasn't just the dulce de leche (literally "milk candy") that made them great. The dough contains lemon rind, vanilla extract and almond extract, as well as ground almonds. My baking instructor once said that you have to think about your flavour pairings and not use competing flavours, then used vanilla and lemon as an example of a bad match. As much respect as I have for Vita, this Alfajores recipe proves her wrong. This is truly one of the most tasty cookies I've ever had.

This cookie is already delicious, then you add the dulce de leche...and BOOM: magic.

You can, of course, buy dulce de leche, but I have found that jarred versions contain things like corn syrup, potassium sorbate (a preservative), and artificial flavours. Why eat that extra garbage when you can make your own? There are two ways to make dulce de leche, I chose to cook a can of sweetened condensed milk in a water bath and the result was excellent. I cooked it until it was a very thick spread, which was perfect for sandwiching the biscuits together.

You can take the awesomeness one step further by coating these in chocolate.

I could say so much more about these delicious cookies, but I will finish my saying, they're probably my favourite cookie I've made this month.

Final Grade: A+. You can find the recipe for Alfajores on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Alfajores for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 25: Rugelach

Rugelach is a cookie that you have to taste to believe. I'd never heard of Rugelach before making it in my baking class, and I knew when assembling the ingredients that it would be delicious. First of all, the dough has cream cheese in it, so you know it's going to be tasty. Second of all...well, that's it actually. Cream cheese.

Little rolls of cream cheesy apricot goodness.

I work near Yonge & Eglinton, which is close to Toronto's Jewish community. As a result, us foodies are blessed with a plethora of Jewish bakeries and delis...all of which serve amazing goodies like Rugelach.


However, Rugelach tends to be a bit on the expensive side because...

• ...it's rather labour-intensive. After making the dough, you divide it into several pieces, and roll each piece into an 8" round. Spread the round with your filling, cut into 8 pie-slices, roll them up, egg wash and sprinkle with almonds. Repeat the process for each piece of dough. Woah!
  
• ...each round you roll only yields 8 cookies. This process would go much faster if if you could make up the whole dough at once, or if each piece yielded more, however you would not be able to get the small rolls called for by the recipe.
  
• it contains an expensive ingredient. Cream cheese is pretty pricey, compared to the rest of the ingredients used.
  

In the bakeries I've been to, Rugelach is sold by the pound. I would guess that this is because seeing the cost of each individual piece would scare people from buying them. However, given how labour intensive they are, I can see why people would pay a premium to enjoy them without the work. That said, when you enjoy baking, these are fun to make!

So yummy, so worth it.

Final Grade: A. I used a simple apricot filling, but next time I make Rugelach I'll use a recipe that has cinnamon in it; cinnamon pairs well with the tang of cream cheese (that's why Cinnabon's frosting is so darned good!).

You can find the recipe for Rugelach on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Rugelach for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 24: Parmesan Rosemary Cookies

Another savoury cookie!

At first I tried this recipe, but it was gross.

Instead, try this recipe. It is better!

See?

I'm already sold out out of these, but please consider sponsoring me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! I have other cookies for sale, so make your donation, then email me your order!

March 23: Rumballs

Rumballs are traditionally a Christmas cookie, but when your treats contain liquor...well, they're suitable for any time in my books!

Rumballs are a no-bake assembled cookie, in that they are made up of pre-baked ingredients and held together with a binding agent like corn syrup or sweetened condensed milk. Oh, and don't forget the rum.

There is no definitive Rumball recipe; there are unlimited combinations of nuts, toppings, cookies and binding agents.

Rolled in icing sugar!

Whenever I make a recipe for the first time, I fall back on Joy of Baking. I wasn't disappointed! I swapped out the pecans for hazelnuts, and the results were like boozy little Ferrero Rochers (I can't help it; anything with hazelnuts will remind me of them!).

Chocolatey nutty rummy balls of goodness!

They were certainly messy to roll, but much like making mud pies as a kid, messy can sometimes be fun.

You can find the recipe for Rumballs on my Recipes Page. To purchase your own Rumballs for a good cause, sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Make your donation, then email me your order!

March 22: Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

My friend Joanna gave me this recipe and I was very excited to try it. I'm sure it's clear by now that I prefer my cookies chewy, and this recipe marries that with my love of gingerbread.

You know those Chewy Ginger Cookies from Starbucks? These are them.

After making the dough, simply pinch off walnut-sized (or bigger!) pieces, and roll them into balls. Roll the balls in granulated sugar, flatten slightly, and bake!

Rolling these in sugar before baking give the cookies a nice sparkly look!

It's tempting to roll a ball, roll it in the sugar then place it on the baking sheet and start again, however your fingers get covered in sugar, which you then roll into your next ball of dough. This adds a) too much sugar to your dough, and b) prevents the sugar from sticking properly to the outside of the ball. Instead, I recommend that you roll all the balls first, and then roll them all in sugar. Then place them all on the baking sheet; there's no need to flatten them, just bake as is.

These were so good that upon tasting one, a coworker bought my entire supply.

Final Grade: A+. Thanks Joanna!

You can find the recipe for Chewy Ginger Molasses cookies on my Recipes Page. I'm already sold out out of these, but please consider sponsoring me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! I have other cookies for sale, so make your donation, then email me your order!

March 21: Pumpkin Currant Cookies

Me and pumpkin? We're friends. I love it, and it loves me. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin loaf, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin pie ice cream, all permutations of pumpkin are impeccably palatable!

As such, when I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Currant cookies, I knew right away that I HAD to try it.

They were really tasty, and even my manfella--who isn't a fan of pumpkin (this may be the reason we break up)--really liked them.

Orange pumpkin-y goodness!

These cookies are really moist, and the currants provide tasty little bursts of sweetness.

My only complaint is that these cookies are almost too soft; the combination of pumpkin--which already retains its moisture in baked goods--and the use of cake flour made these cookies more like little muffin tops. That in itself isn't a bad thing, but nothing about these screams "cookie". I think next time I make these I would use all-purpose flour instead of the called-for cake flour to give them more structure.

You can SEE how moist these are. The moisture makes these cookies delicate, but delicious.

Flavour Grade: A+. These cookies are really yummy! The combination of pumpkin and spices with currants is an absolute winner.

Texture Grade: C. Somehow...they're not cookies. This recipe as is would be best used with a muffin top pan, or substitute all-purpose flour to achieve something closer to a cookie.

FINAL GRADE: B.
You can find the recipe for Pumpkin Currant cookies on my Recipes Page.

If you'd like to order some of your own Pumpkin Currant cookies, please sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Simply make your donation, then email me your order!

March 20: Snickerdoodles

The only thing better than saying the word "Snickerdoodle" is eating one! These crispy cookies are coated in only cinnamon and sugar, and you would be amazed at how yummy these simple little cookies are. They're one of those recipes that have been around for ages, but don't mistake them for any old sugar cookie - traditionally Snickerdoodles are leavened by baking soda and cream of tartar, rather than baking powder.

Bake until golden around the edges for a crunchy cookie.

The acidity of cream of tartar helps soften the protein strands of the eggs and flour, which results in a chewier product when slightly underbaked, although a crispier product can be achieved by slightly overbaking.

I chose to overbake my Snickerdoodles when I made them, because for some reason these struck me as a cookie that would be better crispy. When I bit into one I was instantly reminded of Cinnamon Toast Crunch--one of my favourites as a kid--and my FAC (friend and coworker) Sarah said the exact same thing. Spooky!

The characteristic crinkled look of the Snickerdoodle.

Final Grade: A. These cookies are easy to make out of basic ingredients and will not disappoint.

You can find the recipe for Snickerdoodles on my Recipes Page.

If you'd like to order some of your own Snickerdoodles, please sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Simply make your donation, then email me your order!

March 19: Vanilla Bean Spritzgebäck (Spritz) cookies

AAAAAAAAAAAnd we're back!

You cannot believe how much it's bothered me how far behind I've gotten on my baking and this blog, but I was so sick that at one point I was convinced that I was going to the hospital. I still have a bit of a cough but for the most part I'm well, and have upped the baking tempo to prestissimo.

Let me start the catch up with Vanilla Bean Spritz Cookies. Spritzgebäck (from spritzen, the German word for "squirt") is a cookie traditionally served around Christmastime. The dough is too soft to handle, so it must be squirted through a cookie press or a piping bag fitted with a tip. I don't own a cookie press (the last one I had was a cheap plastic one from Wal-mart that literally cracked under the pressure) so I used my piping bag and a large open star tip. The problem with this method, at least for me, is it's more difficult to get a consistent look to your cookies (although the photo from the Wikipedia article would have you believe inconsistency is just fine). However, if you don't spend your days typing like me, and you have strong tendons in your wrist (unlike me), you might be able to achieve consistent-looking cookies by not shaking when you pipe.

Some of these are lop-sided, the result of shaky wrists and uneven piping pressure. This is a skill that I may never be able to master due to my day-time profession, so I should buy a cookie press STAT!

I changed up the Joy of Baking recipe by adding a vanilla bean to the mix, giving these cookies the telltale vanilla bean speckle and richer, more genuine vanilla flavour. Also, just prior to baking, I added slivers of candied cherries to the tops to a) fancy them up, and b) give the cookies a little extra burst of flavour.

Seeing the vanilla bean speckles make these cookies instantly more delicious; after all, you eat with your eyes first!

These buttery biscuits almost melt on your tongue, largely because of how soft the dough is to begin with. Since they do not need to be handled, they require less flour which gives the cookies a lighter, airier texture and allows more of the butter flavour to shine through.

You can find the recipe for Spritz Cookies on my Recipes Page.

If you'd like to order some of your own Spritz Cookies, please sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Simply make your donation, then email me your order!

Technical Difficulties

Sorry for the delay folks, but I've been down for the count for a few days while I recover from some chest-cold-lung-infection-type thing. I'm behind on my baking, but I promise that 31 cookie recipes in March will be delivered!

March 18: Brownies

Mmm...brownies. Although these goodies seem to stand in a class by themselves, (as my friend and coworker Sarah said, "But, but... those aren't cookies, they're brownies!") they are actually a sheet cookie just like Nanaimo Bars. Brownies tend to be categorized as either "cakey" or "fudgey", and since neither of those descriptions scream "cookie", therein lies the confusion. However an excerpt from Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking will explain:

Sheet cookies are one of the easiest and least labor intensive of any category. A batter, which can be thin or stiff, is made up and evenly spread into a pan with sides. Some recipes include a cookie or crumb base that is pressed onto the bottom of a pan before a batter is poured over it. After baking, the cookies are cut into squares or even triangles or diamonds. There are endless varieties (e.g., Fudge Brownies).

• A "cakey" brownie is achieved by using less chocolate and butter, creaming the butter with the sugar rather than melting it with the chocolate, and aerating the batter.
• A "fudgey" brownie is achieved by using more chocolate and butter, melting them together and using more egg yolks.
• A "chewy" brownie is achieved by using more flour and more whole eggs.
  

See this wonderful article on the nuances of brownie creation for more info.

Anyway, I once again relied on my go-to website, Joy of Baking, for the recipe, because it featured my favourite kind of brownie: chewy. A chewy brownie is half fudgey and half cakey, so you get the best of both in one.

"Gggggaaaaaaarrrrr! Arrrrhhhn."
(Chewie likes his brownies...uh, chewy.)

Le Creuset love!

Cutting the brownies into 2-bites. I love the crinkle texture on top.

These brownies were perfect, in my humble opinion, and I was especially pleased to once again get to use the Le Creuset square baker in kiwi that I won from Carol Ann's giveaway. That reminds me, your THANK YOU brownies will shortly be on their way, CAM!

You can find the recipe for Brownies on my Recipes Page.

If you'd like to order some of your own Brownies, please sponsor me for the Daily Bread Food Bank's Spring Challenge! Simply make your donation, then email me your order!

Oops!

On Wednesday night, when y'all were out drinking green beer, I was at home making Pfeffernüsse and while the dough was chilling for an hour, I figured I'd make more Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, since I kind of oversold them (Oops #1).

Since they were so popular I decided to make a double batch, and used the yield calculator tool on the online recipe to double the measurements. I measured out my butter, then my brown sugar, then when I got to the white sugar for some reason I doubled the measurements again in my head (it's like I remembered I was doubling the recipe, but forgot I'd already done the calculations) and poured in 2 cups of white sugar (Oops #2).

There was no way to pull out all that white sugar, so I just decided to quadruple the recipe, and add more butter and brown sugar so that it was proportional. At that point, however, I was frustrated, and it was getting late, and I still had Pfeffernüsse to roll and bake. I covered the butter and sugar and left it to be made up the next day.

So last night, Brownies were on the agenda, but I wanted to finish making up that Chocolate Chip Cookie dough (estimated bedtime: 10:45pm). I put it all in my Cuisinart Stand Mixer (thank goodness for the 7-quart bowl) and 8 (E-I-G-H-T) cups of chocolate chips later (which used up ALL of my chocolate chips [Oops #3]), I had cookie dough. A LOT of it:

There's something odd here...oh yeah, it's the biggest pile of cookie dough you've ever seen. That's what.

ZOOM IN ON THE MASSIVE...uh...MASS OF DOUGH.

Perhaps these photos don't convey the sheer magnitude of this dough, so I plopped the whole thing on my digi-scale to give you a better idea:

ELEVENTY POUNDS (and 1.2 oz) OF DOUGH...and that doesn't count the bits I kept snitching from it. Mmm...chocolate chip cookie dough.

There was a little something inside me that wanted to keep this precious precious five-year supply of cookie dough all to myself...

WAPS, yo! (Wicked-Assed Photoshop Skillz)

It occurred to me that my manfella and the rest of the crew were scheduled to be stuck at work until after midnight, so I baked some off and took them to his work as a "You have to work until midnight and that sucks, but here are fresh out of the oven cookies, and that doesn't suck!" surprise. That's a +1 for me, however I didn't get home until after 10:30pm, and still had brownies to bake (Oops #4).

1/8 cup scoop versus 1/4 cup scoop...

1/8 cup: Good












1/4 cup: Better










At least I was smart and had the batter half made by the time I got back. It was a matter of mixing the flour in, prepping the pans, pouring and baking. Actual bedtime: 12:35pm (Oops #5).

No wonder I'm getting sick!* Duh.






*Don't worry, I always employ proper handwashing procedure in my kitchen. None of you will get sick eating my cookies...although, if you did, it would be totally worth it.