Che Chuoi Chung- Tapioca, Banana and Cassava Pudding

Mmm, che. I always feel very lucky to have grown up in Mississauga for being exposed to cultures that I never would have living elsewhere- amongst the many benefits of the mosaic-like society is the fact that I can try foods I'd never heard of before quite regularly. I was in a Vietnamese eatery (that same one where I discovered xoi gac) when I saw large tubs of what looked like puddings behind the counter. I asked about it and all of the ingredients sounded delicious, so I tried a couple. Along with che dau trang (my other favourite, recipe coming soon) I was fixated on how to make the delicious che chuoi chung. After all, there were no Western dishes like this that I'd ever tried, and I had no idea where to start but good ol' Google.

 I soon found that what I needed was simple- tapioca pearls, sugar, coconut milk, and some cassava and bananas. The last two were the only tricky part- but cassava is widely available in the freezer sections of Asian groceries, and the correct type of banana (firm, fleshy burro/sugar bananas tht hold up to extended cooking) are there as well, even available presliced. The garnishes of coconut topping and peanuts really do make the result perfect. I have found through the magic of the internet that in Vietnam, various types of che can be eaten at just about any time of day, for breakfast or a snack. I certainly wouldn't mind a greater availability of these!

There's nothing really tricky about making it yourself- just make sure that no component is over or undercooked. My cassava was precooked before freezing, so I didn't need to boil it for very long, but it's important that the cassava is tender, the tapioca pearls cooked through, and the bananas not overcooked. I added pandan leaf for a bit more aroma, which I find works very well. I have made the dish with both coconut milk and coconut cream, and while coconut milk is more readily available (and tends to be better quality, for some reason), both options work.

It's also nice to make this yourself so that you can adjust the sweetness, thickness, and amount of water compared to coconut milk/cream- I make mine on the richer side, and add sugar in differing amounts depending on whether I want it as breakfast or a pudding. While particularly welcome served warm on a winter's day, I'd have it at any temperature, any time. The mixture of textures and flavours is unparalleled, showing that even a very simple and humble food can be something special.

Che Chuoi Chung
Adapted from SBS

600 ml. Water
about 250 ml. Coconut cream (or, instead of 600 ml. water, use 350 ml. with 500 ml. coconut milk)
3-4 Burro/Sugar Bananas, sliced lengthwise into thin slices
100 g. Cassava, cut into 2 cm. pieces
140 g. Sugar
2-3 Pandan leaves, optional
40 g. Small tapioca/sago pearls
Pinch of salt

Cook the tapioca/sago in a saucepan of boiling water until translucent and soft, about 5-10 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Boil the 600 ml. water, half of the coconut cream, pandan leaves, salt, and sugar. Add the cassava and cook until tender. Add the banana slices and let simmer uncovered until thickened, about 10 more minutes. Add the remaining coconut cream and tapioca. Serve in small bowls or glasses.

For the Topping:
250 ml. Coconut milk
1 TBSP Sugar
1 Tsp. Tapioca or potato starch
Pinch of salt
35 g. Roasted unsalted peanuts

Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, salt and starch. Bring to a simmer in a small saucepan and let cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Spoon onto the che just before serving.

Crush the peanuts with a pestle and mortar or pulse in a food processor. Sprinkle onto the che before serving.

Xoi Gac- Baby Jackfruit Sticky Rice

Recently I've been on a kick with trying to recreate my favourite foods from a Vietnamese eatery in my local Chinatown. Of course, I'm limited to those things that can easily be made vegetarian, so mostly I go with the various types of che (sort of like porridge/pudding that can be breakfast, a snack, or a dessert) or the starchy sides that would normally be served with something else. I never thought to try making xoi gac until I encountered the baby jackfruit paste used to colour and flavour it in the freezer section of a Chinese supermarket. I found that it's actually incredibly easy to make at home, provided that you soak the rice ahead of time. 

I didn't exactly serve it the right way, because I used peanuts instead of coconut or ham, then also some toasted sesame seeds in another batch- but I like the contrast of the crunchy nutty taste with the soft and chewy rice. An additional sprinkle of sugar and pinch of salt also were very tasty.

If you want a more vivid red colour, you can always use food colouring, but I think that the natural pigment from the jackfruit is enough. You can also remove the jackfruit seeds, but I kept them in. Whether to eat it warm or cold is a manner of taste, but I like both. My siblings, who favour the dish, gave it their seal of approval. Try it!
Xoi Gac
Recipe from The Viet Vegan

1 C. Sticky rice
85 g. Baby jackfruit Paste
1-2 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Coconut oil
1/4 Tsp. Salt
Soya ham or shredded coconut, to serve (I used peanuts/sesame seeds+sugar+salt)

Soak rice in water overnight. Drain and mix with the baby jackfruit paste. Spread evenly in a steamer and steam for about 20 minutes, intermittedly stirring up the bottom layer so it cooks evenly.

Add the oil, sugar and salt, mixing it in thoroughly. Steam for another 5 minutes. If desired, grease a small mold with coconut oil and stuff with the rice. Unmold onto a serving dish.

American-Style Pizza Crust- Or, Soft and Thick Pizza Crust for an All-Star Pizza

Hey now, you're an all-star.

Everyone needs to have at least one good pizza recipe in their repertoire. It's an incredibly convenient and universally beloved food, welcome at almost any occasion, and then there's that awesome feeling when someone goes "wait, you made this?" I live for that feeling.

Anyways, pizza has come a long way in America, and has changed into something quite different from its Italian predecessors. Its crust is thicker, chewier and holds up a much heavier weight of toppings- and while it gets a lot of flack for that, it makes it a lot easier to add vegetables as well. By doing that you can make what is often relegated to the junk food category into a complete meal

And pizza can be any meal! Have it for lunch or dinner, eat the leftovers for breakfast or in the middle of the night should you want a quick midnight snack. Eat it hot or cold. Have it on its own or with a thick layer or your favourite hot sauce. I've even seen people roll it up of flip two slices together to make a sandwich. Pizza has become a part of who we are, at least here in Canada. And out pizza tends to be of the American variety (though Italian-style, thin and simple pizzas are rising in popularity).

I was worried I couldn't make a good pizza without a real pizza oven (or, for that matter, a pizza stone) but this recipe has changed my fortunes. It's a very simple dough that has that nice chewy, soft texture you'd expect from an order-in pizza with a bit more flavour. And once you've got a good crust recipe, you're really free to go wild with the toppings.

Seriously. Above is my attempt to make an eggplant parmigiano pizza, with panko breadcrumbs on the thin eggplant slices. It might be a Frankenstein-like fusion of Italian dishes, but it is delicious. Once you unlock the secret of the crust, no longer will you be forced to pay exorbitant amounts for mere sprinklings of extra toppings- a few sad presliced bell peppers, spongy white mushrooms, and so on. Nor will you need to pay the premium for "artisan" pizzas that aren't all that spectacular. You know, like pizza with pesto or more than two kinds of olive? People will put the word "artisan" on anything and punch up the price. But you are free from that sort of corporate tyranny now. The world of pizza is yours.

 I list recommended ingredients for one of my favourite arrangements of a pizza, a simple celebration of the flavours of mozzarella and tomato, accented with oregano, garlic and peppery arugula. Of course, basil is very nice, but somehow the one in my garden refused to take off and I'm too stubborn to go an buy it. So for the time being, arugula it is.

Make sure you use a good-quality mozzarella- many have a chemical aftertaste from the brine they sit in, and the ones that are shrink-wrapped aren't an improvement. Bocconcini are a very good way to have your cheese in convenient pieces- just halve them and arrange. As for any other toppings, make sure not to overload- if you must, add some more separately cooked toppings after baking. A pizza with too many toppings won't cook properly, and you didn't wait that long for a mushy mess. Stick to thin, evenly distributed slices, especially with toppings that release a lot of water.

That's about it. Get your game on, go, bake!

American Style Pizza Crust
Adapted from Annie's Eats
1/2 C. Warm water
2 1/4 Tsp. Active dry yeast, or 22 g. Fresh yeast
1 1/4 C. Room temperature water
About 4 C. (22 Oz.) Bread flour, or 3 C. Bread flour and 2/3 C. Whole wheat flour
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Extra oil and semolina or flour, for the pans

Recommended Toppings for All-Star Pizza
About half of a large bottle of tomato passata, (2 C.)
4 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 Large shallot, thinly sliced
1 Large ball of fresh mozzarella, or 1 container of bocconcini (about 300-350 g.), in slices
1 Large sliced fleshy tomato
2 C. Shredded provolone (or for something with more American flair, Cheddar)
1 C. Sharp grated cheese, such as romano, asiago or parmesan
Assorted vegetables in thin slices- e.g. cremini mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, olives (!!!) (Optional)
1 C. Chopped basil leaves or arugula, optional
Black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water and yeast and let sit 5 minutes. 

Add the flour and room temperature water and knead until a cohesive mass forms. Add the salt and oil and continue kneading until stretchy and elastic, when the dough no longer sticks to the inside of the bowl. 

Let rise in an oiled bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Oil two large metal baking trays or pizza pans and sprinkle with semolina or flour.

Preheat the oven to 250℃. Divide the dough into two balls and let rest 10-15 minutes. Stretch out to fit onto the pans, taking care not to tear the dough- if it does not want to stretch, cover with a cloth and let rest another 10 minutes.

Spread each pizza evenly with tomato passata. Sprinkle on the garlic and sliced shallot. Arrange the vegetables, if using, without making too thick or heavy of a layer (this makes the dough underneath raw and soggy).

Arrange the slices of mozzarella and tomato. Distribute a layer of the grated cheeses and sprinkle with the oregano. Add a dash of black pepper to each.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cheese is beginning to brown. If using basil or arugula, add to pizza and give one more minute in the oven.

Buttermilk Streusel Cake with Fruit

This is one of my recurring favourites, especially when I have a little buttermilk kicking about in the fridge. It's one of those infinitely variable cakes that you can adjust to suit whatever fruit you have on hand. Rhubarb, as the original recipe used, is great, but so are berries, stone fruit and mandarins. You can omit the streusel and use some sliced nuts or a sprinkling of sugar to further simplify the already extremely easy recipe, and change the flavours up a little- I used lemon zest to make it taste bright and fresh, but nutmeg goes very well with peaches, too. You can add a little almond extract for stone fruit, some orange zest with blueberries, cinnamon with apples, and so on. If you don't have any fruit, you can also just make a straight-up streusel cake, substituting a quarter of the flour used with cocoa powder to make a chocolate version. You can even marble the chocolate and vanilla parts- this is a very versatile recipe.

While it's delicious on its own, accompaniments are welcome. Vanilla sauce, whipped cream or sour cream all give a textural counterpart to the spongy cake and crunchy streusel. Which one you use depends of whether the fruit you chose is more sweet or sour- use the former two with more sour fruit, and the latter with sweeter ones.

I used a couple of peaches, some blueberries and raspberries, a nectarine and my leftover 18% sour cream. As always, this cake tastes extremely bright and summery, soft and tender with the right amount of crispy streusel, the fruits adding colour and flavour. Just make sure the fruits are in relatively light pieces so they don't sink into the cake. If you don't have cake flour, substituting 30 grams of the flour called for with cornstarch will let you use all purpose flour. This will make the cake lighter and more tender. Once good trick is to use vanilla pudding powder instead of cornstarch for this in order to add some extra vanilla and colour. 

Don't forget to make some coffee or tea to go with it!


Buttermilk Streusel Cake with Fruit
Adapted from Chefkoch

280 g. Sugar
3 Eggs, room temperature
2 Packets vanilla sugar
Zest of one lemon
Pinch of salt
375 ml. Buttermilk
375 g. Cake flour
2 1/4 Tsp. Baking powder

To Top:
400-500 g. Fruit, in thin slices if large
60 g. Butter, softened but cool
60 g. Sugar
1 Packet vanilla sugar, or 1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
90 g. Cake flour

Grease and line a 8"x8" or 9"x13" baking pan. Preheat the oven to 200℃.

Beat the eggs, zest, salt and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Whisk in the buttermilk and sift in the flour and baking powder.

Pour into the prepared baking pan and top with fruit. Mix the butter, flour and sugar with hands and sprinkle the pieces on top of the fruit.

Bake for 20 minutes at 190℃, and 15 minutes at 180℃. Serve with vanilla sauce, whipped cream or sour cream. 

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars

I made these over-the-top dessert bars with a bit of everything that I had left over in the pantry that was at risk of going stale- some graham crackers, nuts, coconut and chocolate chips. In fact, I think I might have gone overboard... the nuts had a hard time sticking to the bars because of how many toppings there were! I would definitely recommend sticking to the amounts in the recipe and not going nuts (literally and figuratively) like I did- chopping the nuts would have probably made them stick better, but I liked how the whole pecans looked.

They're loaded and tricky to cut, unless frozen for a bit, but definitely delicious. How can you go wrong with graham crackers, coconut, and loads of chocolate and nuts? You can add any kind of toppings you want, as long as you've got the seven that the name entitles. Graham crackers, coconut, sweetened condensed milk... the other four are up to you. I used white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts (and a bit of flaked coconut as a garnish...). So, they're kind of eight layer bars in my case. Why not?

These bars keep well in the freezer, and don't need to be all thawed out for consumption- I like 'em chilled. These are best eaten with tea or coffee while catching up on old TV shows that everyone else has already seen, while complaining about shoddily introduced plot points. 

Just give them about half an hour at room temperature if you aren't so inclined to them cold. Whatever temperature they are, you'll be glad to have a few in the freezer for a quick bit of something sweet and rich.

Magic Seven Layer Cookie Bars
Adapted from Viet World Kitchen

120 g. (1 1/3 C.) Desiccated unsweetened coconut
180 g.  (8-10 sheets) Graham crackers
113 g. (1/2 C.) Butter, melted
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 TBSP Sugar
1 C. Mixed chocolate chunks (dark, milk, white- should be at least half dark so it isn't too sweet)
1 C. Chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, roasted almonds)
1/2 C. Flaked unsweetened coconut, optional
14-15 Oz. Sweetened condensed milk (One large can)

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a 9"x13" pan and line with baking parchment.

Soak the coconut in boiling-hot water for 2 minutes and strain well in a sieve, squeezing out excess water. Mix with half of the salt and the sugar. Set aside.

Grind the graham crackers into crumbs with the remaining salt. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press onto the bottom and sides of the pan to form a crust.

Spread the coconut mixture evenly onto the crust. Add the chocolate chunks and nuts. Top with the sweetened condensed milk, and sprinkle on the flaked coconut (if using).

Bake for 30 minutes, covering with aluminium foil if it browns too quickly. Freeze for 15 minutes before cutting (refrigerating won't make it cold enough)

Tteokbokki- Korean Spicy Rice Cakes, Vegetarianized

Another attempt to replicate a delicious restaurant dish- I ordered it once not knowing that it's meant to contain fishcakes. Fortunately the very kind waitress remembered that we'd asked about some other dishes containing meat, so she asked if we wanted it made without. It's probably better with, but I was more than content with the vegetarianized version. So, I went to the Korean supermarket around the corner not long after reencountering the recipe, looking for the elusive chili paste and powder needed to get the distinctive flavour.

I found what I was looking for- the chili paste, gochujang, was in a small red tub with a picture of a pepper, so I got it and hoped for the best. The powder- gochugaru- was harder to find, but it was just hidden in a nondescript plastic baggie amongst the shelves. Both ingredients were firetruck red, as if showing off just how fantastically spicy and delicious they are. Of course, I should've gotten Korean soy sauce and corn syrup too, since they're not exactly the same as the sorts I already had, but I forgot in the excitement of acquiring my chili products. I adjusted to make do with what I had, and it still tasted pretty similar to the one I'd ordered, so it's not a total impossibility to do without those bits.

I also added vegetables and tofu to make it a complete meal- the one I'd ordered was only garnished with vegetables, but this way I could eat for lunch/dinner what was originally an appetizer-type dish. I've heard that variations of it are a popular street food in Korea... man, who needs hot dog carts? I want spicy rice cake carts in Toronto ASAP.

The rice cakes themselves are very interesting- chewy and soft, cooked perfectly in the sweet, spicy, nutty and savoury sauce. I found them in the freezer section of that same Korean supermarket, but some of the more diverse Asian supermarkets will also have them. The ingredients are definitely worth seeking out if they aren't a part of your pantry already. As I mentioned before, these can also be made without the additional veggies and things and eaten as more of a snack or appetizer. They're so easy to make that they can be fit in wherever and whenever.

Tteokbokki
Adapted from Messy Witchen
600 g. Korean rice cakes
600 ml. Water
4 TBSP Gochujang (Korean chili paste, available at many Asian grocery stores)
1 TBSP Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, a little trickier to find), Optional
1/2 TBSP Korean soy sauce (I used 1 TBSP of Chinese, light soy sauce)
1 1/2 TBSP Korean corn syrup (I used regular golden corn syrup), optional
1/2 TBSP Sugar
2 Cloves minced garlic
Mixed vegetables, optional; I used two zucchini, two carrots in matchsticks, two shiitake, half a red bell pepper and also some fried tofu. 

For the Garnish:
1 TBSP Toasted sesame seeds
1 Green onion, thinly sliced (I used chives, since I had none)
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil (optional)

Bring all but the rice cakes to a boil together. Add the rice cakes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes add the vegetables. 

Once the rice cakes are tender and the sauce is thick, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onion. Serve hot.

Hoddeok- Korean Yeast Pancakes with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Walnuts

I adore these pancakes. They're sold in Toronto's Koreatown with either a brown sugar or red bean filling, and sometimes the walnuts are replaced with roasted sunflower seeds, but they're always delicious. They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, with tea, and so on- just make sure you serve them hot so that the brown sugar is in its syrupy, gooey state.

These are really, really easy to make, even if you're not experienced with yeast doughs. Just make sure the water isn't hot, and you're good to go. The ingredients are simple, and probably already in your pantry. The rise time is quite short, and you don't even need to knead it too much- just mix well with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The only step requiring any real work is shaping the dough into balls and filling them, which is quick work as long as your surface has enough flour to prevent sticking. They're vegan, too. What's not to love?

These are the best on a cold, wet, or otherwise gloomy day when you want something sweet with a drink of tea or coffee, but don't have the energy to make the whole shebang of a pastry. Of course, syrupy and fried things are always rather comforting, and these have the added bonus of making the vicinity smell like cinnamon and brown sugar.

If you want to switch it up, the filling options are very versatile. I made half of mine with a cup of grated mozzarella, a clove of minced garlic, a teaspoon of oregano and a fat pinch of red chili flakes to make a savoury version. Really, anything melty is very good. Suggestions include choco-hazelnut spread and banana slices, chocolate and mini-marshmallows, tomato sauce and cheese, maple sugar... whatever you happen to have on hand. I'd definitely try the more classic red bean paste option, too.

Have a big pot of tea ready so that both are hot and fresh at the same time. Commit the recipe to memory as I have and enjoy the wizardry of cinnamon and brown sugar together in fried yeasted dough as often as desired.

Hoddeok
Makes 8
From Messy Witchen

1 C. Water, lukewarm
2 Tsp. Active dry yeast (I used 25 g. fresh yeast)
2 C. Flour, All purpose or bread
2 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
Oil, to fry

For the Filling:
1/2 C. Brown sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Walnut pieces

Dissolve the yeast in the water and add the sugar. Mix into the flour and add the oil and salt, kneading together to form a sticky dough. Let rise, covered, for an hour.

Knead and let rest 20 minutes. Mix all of the filling ingredients and set aside. Form 8 balls on a floured surface. Flatten each and wrap around an eighth of the filling. Seal in well and form balls.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium-high. Add some oil and cook 1 1/2 minutes, pressing down with a spatula after 30 seconds to flatten. Flip oven and cook another minute.  Reduce heat to low and let cook one more minute, covered, to melt the sugar. Repeat until all the pancakes are fried, and serve hot.

Simple Sourdough Rye

This is a very simple sourdough rye that can be easily modified based on intuition if you're used to baking bread. You can use rye flour or whole wheat, or even different grades of rye flour. You can modify the amount of water used, which affects the porousness of the crumb. You can also try letting the bread take a long rise in the fridge overnight instead of 75 minutes at room temperature.

This is a very good simple bread. It's fluffy, has lots of rye and sourdough flavour without being overwhelming, and is easy to make. It has a nice crust and looks attractive, especially if you raise in in a Garkorb (hence the little lines on the surface).

I cut this while it was still a bit warm (which you shouldn't do with rye bread!) which is why it looks kind of squished, but you can definitely see that the bread has a nice crumb. Perfect for eating with stew or for making sandwiches.

Sourdough Rye
Adapted from Kochtopf

For the sourdough:
100 g. Sourdough starter, wheat
115 g. Dark rye flour
50 g. Water

Mix all and leave overnight at room temperature.

For the dough:
350 g. Bread flour
100 g. Rye flour, dark or medium to taste
50 g. Whole wheat flour
400 g. Water
5 g. Fresh yeast, or 2 g. active dry yeast
13 g. Salt

Knead with the sourdough until smooth and elastic, salt last.

Let rest 1 1/2 hours, stretching and folding at the 1/2 and 1 hour marks. Form a loaf and let rest another 75 minutes in a bowl or Garkorb sprinkled with flour.

Preheat to 250℃. Bake on a preheated baking sheet 20 minutes at 240℃, then 15 minutes at 220℃.

Prinsesstårta

Today was my mum's birthday, and for the third (or fourth? I lose track) year in a row I made one of her new favourites, the Swedish prinsesstårta. I came across the recipe by chance and was instantly taken by the combination of several of my family's favourite ingredients- marzipan, custard, whipped cream and raspberry jam. While it is a bit tricky to assemble, nobody ever complains that my cake is too messy- they're too busy eating it. 

Still, each year's attempt is a bit nicer than the last one. This year I decided to change it up and modify the original recipe a bit. I added some orange extract to the sponge cake, some rum to the jam (to make it more spreadable and aromatic), some fresh raspberries since they're very good this time of year, and some vanilla bean to the custard. I also reduced the amount of marzipan to make it neater and easier to put away into the fridge- yeah, the dome looks cool, but it doesn't fit with any of my cake covers and is very difficult to arrange nicely. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it one day.

I decorated it with a hint of personalization, adding a Moominmamma figure (from the tales of Tove Jansson) to the top of the cake in honour of my mum. I also made a few vines and flowers, and added some toasted almonds around the sides. I think the modifications turned out really well- especially the fresh berries. You can also use strawberry slices very well in here. The only change I'll try next time is adding more custard, since you could always use more of that. 

A previous year's attempt, featuring the full length marzipan coat. Note how I tried to clean up the edges with slivered almonds.

What I find interesting about this cake is its history. It was originally named "green cake" in its late '40s debut, but received a name change in honour of the Swedish crown princesses' fondness for it. They were educated in household management, including cooking, and so would have been making these cakes themselves. There was even a series of cookbooks written by the home economics instructor for the princesses, featuring the royals on its cover, that published this cake for the whole world to make. Neat!

I one day hope to go to Sweden and try out this cake in its nation of origin- until then, I'm happy to make them year after year. 

Prinsesstårta
Adapted from Semiswede
For the Sponge Cake:
60 g. All purpose flour
82 g. Potato starch
1 Tsp. Baking powder
Pinch of salt
225 g. Sugar, including 1 sachet vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
dash of orange extract or a tablespoon of orange zest (optional)
4 Eggs, at room temperature
Butter and breadcrumbs, to line the pan

using butter, breadcrumbs and parchment cut into a 9" circle, line and grease a 9" cake pan.

Sift together the flour, starch, salt and baking powder.

Beat the sugar and eggs together until fluffy and thick, so that lifting the beater leaves a ribbon of batter in the bowl that lasts a few seconds. It should be pale yellow and very light.

Fold in the dry ingredients one third at a time until completely incorporated. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 180℃, or until golden, in the lower half of the oven.

Let cool and use a knife to pry out. Using a sharp serrated knife or a cake cutting wire, cut the cake lengthwise into three thin rounds and set aside.

For the Custard:
4 Egg yolks
2 TBSP Cornstarch
2 TBSP Sugar
1 C. Milk, preferably whole or 2% with a splash of cream
1 Packet vanilla sugar, or 2 Tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 a vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, otherwise another teaspoon of vanilla extract

Whisk together the yolks, cornstarch and sugar and a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk to a rolling boil with the scraped-out vanilla bean inside. Let steep for half an hour covered off heat.

Heat the milk back up until almost but not quite boiling. quickly whisk 1/4 of a cup of the milk into the yolk mixture, then another 1/4 cup. Pour the milk and yolk mixture back into the rest of the milk through a sieve and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to thicken. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until completely thickened.

Add the vanilla sugar and/or vanilla extract. Let cool and cover with clingfilm until ready to use.

For the Whipped Cream:
2 1/2 C. Cold whipping cream
3 TBSP Powder sugar, or more to taste
2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
2 Packets whipped cream stabilizer, optional but recommended (e.g. Whip It from Dr. Oetker)

Beat all on high until very firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Assemble:
3/4 C. Raspberry jam, about 2/3 of a jar (get a whole jar just to be sure)
1/4 C. Dark rum, to thin the jam (optional)
1/2 Pint of fresh raspberries, optional
200 g. Decorating marzipan (300-400 g. will be needed if covering the whole cake)
1 C. Toasted sliced almonds (optional, if using the lesser amount of marzipan)
Food colouring in green and any other desired marzipan decoration colours (pink roses are nice)
Powdered sugar

Mix the jam with the rum, if using.

Layer a slice of the sponge cake by covering it in one third of the jam (and raspberries, if using), then one third of the custard, then about a quarter of the whipped cream. Repeat for the second layer. For the third layer, finish up all the jam and custard, but spread one quarter of the whipped cream around the sides of the cake and the other quarter on top.

Colour about 150 g. of the marzipan green with a few drops of food colouring and knead in. Roll out between sheets of parchment until you have a 9" circle and cut it out. Place on top of the cake. (If you want to cover the whole cake, use 300 g. of the marzipan and roll it out into the largest, thinnest circle possible. Drape over the cake carefully and trim to fit.)

Decorate the cake with the toasted around the sides if only the top is covered with marzipan.

Use the remaining marzipan and food colouring to make decorations, such as flowers, leaves, hearts, stars, et cetera. Stick these onto the cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cold-Risen Baguette with Poolish

I have a dozen recipes for baguettes, depending on exactly I want to use them for. This one is a bit unusual it that it contains white spelt and dark rye flour, both usually available at good grocery stores or health food stores. It gives these a more hearty flavour ideally suited to hard cheeses, eating with stews or soups, et cetera- a more Northern European flair. The name is a bit funny, but my German isn't quite good enough to give a more accurate translation. Basically, this baguette takes two steps- making the poolish and letting it rise in a cold environment. 

  The poolish and long cold rise also adds flavour, so what you're left with is the polar opposite of the bland quick-made baguettes usually sold at grocery stores. It's a bit sour, a bit malty, and very complex, definitely not what you'd expect from a baguette. The only real challenge is planning ahead and starting the poolish the morning before the day you want to bake the baguettes. 

This recipe makes two very big baguettes, but considering the size of the average oven, you'll probably want to make four smaller ones. You can halve the recipe easily to end up with only two, but since bread freezes so well, you can always keep a couple for another day. The crumb is dense enough to hold up well against different fillings, and the use of poolish helps keep these baguettes from going stale far longer than a plain white one. My recommendation is to serve it in thin slices with sharp gouda and tomato to make lots of mini open-faced sandwiches- my favourite way to eat a baguette. 

Cold-Risen Baguette with Poolish
From Chefkoch

450 g. T65/ French-style flour (or AP flour)
450 g. White spelt flour
100 g. Dark rye flour
700 g. Water, cold
20 g. Salt
15 g. Diastatic Malt powder
20 g. Fresh yeast, or 7 g. Active dry yeast

For the poolish, mix 150 g. of the wheat and spelt flour with 30 g. rye flour. Add 330 g. of the water and 5 g. of the yeast (or 2 g. if it's dry yeast). Let rise at room temperature 12 hours.

Add the remaining ingredients and knead well, for about 20 minutes or until elastic. (If using fresh yeast, dissolve in the water first.)

Let rest 30 minutes. Fold the dough once and let rise in the fridge for 12 hours. 

Allow to come to room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. Form baguettes and let rise 1 hour.

Bake at 240℃ for 25-30 minutes.

Monkey Bread Loaf

Sometimes I come across a recipe that it seems everyone else has been familiar with since birth, but is completely alien to me. I've seen all kinds of renditions of monkey bread on the net, but never in bakeries or grocery stores- I guess it's one of those cultural phenomenons that only exists in the homemade state. And that makes perfect sense- it's very easy, and also tastes the best fresh out of the oven. 

It can be made in the cheatey way probably invented by '50s housewives in the dawn of a glorious age of premade baking mixes and doughs, with canned biscuit dough and plain old sugar. Just take bits of dough, roll them in sugar, adhere them together and bake. Add whatever spices or enrichments you like, but it all comes back to that simple formula. Of course, yeast doughs are also a possibility, such as this recipe here (you could use store-bought bread dough... but why you'd want to do that is completely lost on me) and the dough itself can be further varied to be a sort of brioche or egg bread, simple white bread, t cetera. 

The top sugar is crispy, yet conceals a gooey underbelly, like a lava flow! Only safer and better tasting.

I really like this buttermilk-based, very simple dough that I've jazzed up just a tad with orange extract and vanilla. It's tangy and mildly sweet, tender, and requires no eggs. The orange goes really well with the vanilla- lemon is also good, or even tangerine zest would be excellent.

The sugar itself is the basic brown sugar plus a bit of cinnamon and cardamom for what I'd hoped would be some Nordic flair. I lived in Finland as a toddler, and while I remember nothing of it, my mother always tells me of how all the pastries were flavoured with cardamom. I like to think this spice has imprinted itself on me that way- I now use it in biscuits, on oatmeal, in puddings, even on plain old bananas. You can imagine how much I like Indian sweets, which use a lot of cardamom. But you can always try another spice- maybe replace the cinnamon and cardamom duo with 1 1/2 Tsp. of apple pie, pumpkin pie, or even gingerbread spice. You don't really need any spices, but they definitely add something to the sugary buttery aura of the bread.

Speaking of butter- you don't need to use it, so long as you get the sugar to stick to the dough bits in some way or another, but it adds a lot of flavour and welcome richness. Not too much, not too little. Just right for breakfast, with tea, or to pick off with a fork while reading on a rainy day. 

Definitely a party favour favourite. The Carnage has already begun, as the missing chunks indicate.

Monkey Bread Loaf
Adapted from Baking Bites

2 1/2 Tsp. Active dry yeast
1 1/2 C. Buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 Tsp. Orange extract, or the zest of one orange
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/4 C. Sugar
3 to 3 1/2 C. Bread flour

Topping Mixture:
1/2 C. Butter, melted
1 C. Light brown sugar, or a mixture of white and dark brown sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Cardamom

Grease a 9" loaf pan with butter and set aside.

Mix the yeast, buttermilk, extracts and sugar. Add just enough flour to form a sticky, cohesive dough and knead until elastic- it will remain sticky. Let rise covered for about an hour, or until doubled.

Divide into small pieces, about 16. Form balls. Mix the light brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Dip the balls of dough firstly into the butter, then into the sugar mixture. Place the balls into the pan and once all the dough is used up, pour any remaining butter and sugar on top. Let rise 45 minutes covered.

Bake at 190℃ for about 35 minutes, or until the inside of the bread registers 190℉ with a thermometer. Let cool before unmolding- or eat straight from the pan while warm.

Graham Crackers

These are some of the most useful things for the aspiring American-style baker. Commercially available almost everywhere are boxes and bags of crackers and crumbs, used to make crusts for pies and tarts, bases for bars, all manner of no-bake sweets, not to mention s'mores. However, a brief look at the ingredients list and you'd never guess that these were originally meant to be a sort of pure, all-natural food created by a reverend to help stave off lustful urges (well, if you say so...). Mind you, the original crackers didn't contain nearly so much sugar either, but that's an adjustment that I certainly don't mind. Otherwise they wouldn't be nearly so good for baking with.

Though the original recipe used only white sugar, some of the distinctive graham flavour comes from molasses and/or honey, so a bit of brown sugar and honey is called for. You also need whole wheat pastry flour (or alternatively, white whole wheat flour) since the whole wheat content is one of the hallmarks of graham crackers. One might not be familiar with the leavener- baker's ammonia. Baker's ammonia usually refers to ammonium carbonate, but I used ammonium bicarbonate (a.k.a Hirschhornsalz or hartshorn), which works just as well - it's sold more and more commonly at well-stocked grocery stores, especially those with lots of Italian or North European products (as the ingredient is used extensively in biscuits there). You need to dissolve the ammonia in water to prevent any lumps from being left in the dough- you really don't want to bite into that. But mixing it with the liquid portion is all you need to do. 

The cinnamon is a matter of taste, but I don't think it'd taste like a proper graham cracker to me without it. Likewise, you don't need to sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar, but it does add a nice touch of flavour and texture.

This recipe is remarkably easy to make vegan- egg replacers won't work everywhere, but since you only need one egg here as a binding agent, an equivalent amount of egg replacer works just as well. This was very handy when I was making these for my Jain friend, so that she could also enjoy some campfire s'mores (along with vegan marshmallows). That also means you don't need any fresh ingredients whatsoever, so you can whip these up whenever. With such an untemperamental and easy to work dough, the only caveat is letting them dry properly for full crispiness- but that's completely effortless, just switch off the oven and let the door stay open a while. Think about how cool you'll look when you tell everyone you make your own graham crackers. It's some domestic goddess level stuff right there.

If you need any more motivation to make these cheap, delicious, preservative-free biscuits in lieu of shifty, extra ingredient-laden, and often expensive storebought ones, consider that they last weeks in a well-sealed container, and months in the freezer. You can keep them on the ready for whenever you feel like making a cheesecake base, an oven-broiler emergency s'more, or something decadent like a seven-layer bar. I have a boxful in my freezer right now! Go for it.


Graham Crackers (easily vegan!)
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 C. Whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
2 TBSP Honey
1/2 Tsp. Baker's ammonia (ammonium carbonate) or ammonium bicarbonate
1/4 C. Vegetable oil (or melted butter)
1/4 C. Water (or orange juice)
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Egg, or egg replacer equivalent (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer)
Additional cinnamon sugar (optional)

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Add the egg (or replacer), honey, and oil. Dissolve the baker's ammonia thoroughly in the water (make sure there's no clumps, lest they burn your mouth if you bite into them) and add. Mix well until a cohesive dough forms, and chill for about 15 minutes to make it easier to work with.

Preheat the oven to 160℃. Divide the dough into two halves. Between sheets of baking parchment, roll out the first piece of dough as thin as possible without tearing it. Remove the upper sheet of parchment, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (if desired). Poke with a fork all over and repeat with the second piece of dough. Bake both sheets of dough for 10 minutes. 

Remove from the oven briefly and score lines with a sharp knife to make rectangles of the desired size of your crackers- don't separate them, you can snap them apart later. Place back in the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes, switching the positions of the trays in your oven halfway through for even baking. The crackers will be slightly browned when done, but still soft to the touch- don't keep baking, as they get crisp during the cooling process.

Turn off the oven and let the crackers cool gradually with the oven door ajar. When the air in the oven is at ambient temperature (hover your hand in front of it to see how warm it is) remove the crackers. When completely cool they can be snapped along the lines you cut earlier into individual crackers, or you can leave them as sheets. Keep in a well-sealed container for about 3 weeks in a dry place, or freeze for several months.