Swiss Meringue Buttercream

There are many kinds of buttercream out there, each with their own distinct personalities. German buttercream, my favourite, is made with a pudding or custard base. However, its slightly rustic nature doesn't suit it well for the more haute pastries. For thin, elegant layers, there's rich yolk-based French buttercream. But what if you want a pure-tasting, buttery frosting for a cake that focuses on the butter flavour and little else? You could make an american-style, powdered-sugar buttercream, but those tend to be too grainy for most applications. That's what Swiss meringue buttercream is for. It's incredibly easy, requiring no sugar syrup or difficult steps apart from making sure you don't overheat the egg white-sugar mixture. You don't need to worry too much about pouring the syrup in at just the right moment like with other meringues, so it's a good bet if you're accident-prone. 

Don't panic if you're beating in the butter and it looks really lumpy- as long as you don't add the butter to still-warm meringue, it'll sort itself out if you keep beating. Because it's so simple, you can add any manner of flavouring- I used vanilla and lemon zest, but anything will work. Another nice feature of this buttercream is the pure white colour, making it perfect for colouring and decorating with. You can also freeze buttercream for later very easily, defrosting in the refrigerator overnight and re-whipping if it gets too thick.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
From Brave Tart

5-6 Oz. Egg whites
5 Oz. Superfine sugar
2  C. (454 g.) Butter
1/4 Tsp. Salt
Desired flavouring: 1 TBSP vanilla extract, zest of 1 lemon, etc.

Mix the whites, salt and sugar with a whisk in a heatproof bowl. Over a saucepan of steaming water, heat until the mixture reaches 150℉ and the sugar dissolves.

Beat at high speed until the bowl's outside has cooled to room temperature. Once completely cool, add the butter in chunks until all is incorporated: it will look curdled for a while, but just keep beating and it will become smooth. Scrape down the sides and mix in. Finally, add your desired flavourings.

Use immediately or freeze for later.

Walnut and Apricot Torte

I made this for my father's birthday, and I like it because it's a very well-balanced combination of flavours and textures that can easily be recombined. The nut cake can be made with any ground nut you like- almond, pistachio, hazelnut and so on. You can use many kinds of jam and maybe even flavour the pastry cream. To me, this is the quintessential Central European torte, somehow simultaneously rich and light, easy but elegant, and perfect for any occasion. 

I made some flowers out of slivered dried apricots, but also decorated with walnuts, almond slices, white chocolate and some macaron shells I made that were in the freezer. Despite being tall and full of different components, it was not the type of cake that made you feel very full afterwards- my parents are pretty anti-buttercream in general, preferring whipped cream in most things. It definitely makes this cake easier and faster to make.

I have made variations of this theme for many birthdays before, and the two most important things to remember are to be careful grinding oily nuts like walnuts (if you go too far all you'll get is a cloggy paste) and to afford yourself lots of time and space so you don't get overwhelmed in the preparation of all the different components and assembly. I can't wait for the next birthday cake I'll get to make for my sister- that one will be a bit more American. I love all kinds of cake equally, after all.

Walnut and Apricot Torte

For the Walnut Sponge
Adapted from Baking, by Peter Jameson

4 Eggs
6 Egg whites
3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Cake flour
1 C. Ground walnuts, or about 2 C. unground
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
Pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 180℃. Butter two 9'' cake pans and place a round piece of baking parchment on the bottom. Grease the paper.

In a food processor, Blend half the sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and walnuts, pulsing the walnuts first a few times if they aren't already ground. Transfer to a large bowl.

Beat the cream of tartar and egg whites until it turns white and fluffy. Add the remaining sugar and beat until shiny, fluffy peaks form.

Mix 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the walnut mixture with a spatula to lighten it before gently folding in the rest, mixing only until just combined. 

Pour or scoop into the pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until they bounce back when poked.

Use a knife around the rims to dislodge the cakes, then remove and peel off the parchment on the bottom. Let cool completely before slicing each in half lengthwise.

For the Pastry Cream
4 Egg yolks
1/4 C. Cornstarch
1/2 C. Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise
2 C. Whole milk
1 TBSP Butter

Heat the milk in a large saucepan until steaming. If using the vanilla bean, add and cover to let steep for 30 minutes.

Mix the yolks, sugar and starch. Bring the milk back to an almost-boil on medium-high heat and quickly whisk in a ladle full of the hot milk to the yolk mixture. 

When the yolk and egg mixture is completely blended, pour back into the saucepan through a sieve to catch any clumps. Cook on medium-low heat while whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes. Add the butter.

Once at room temperature, pour into a bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

For the Jam Filling
1 C. Apricot jam or fine preserves
1 TBSP Rum or apricot brandy

Mix well and warm gently in a bain-marie or add more liquor if very thick.

For the Whipped Cream
2 C. Whipping cream
2-3 TBSP Superfine or powdered sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Beat the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until very fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Garnish
12 Walnut halves
Slivered preserved, fresh or dried apricots

To assemble:

Spread a slice of the walnut sponge with the jam willing, then add a layer of pastry cream. Top with another sponge slice and repeat until all are used. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream and decorate with garnishes.

Gingerbread Trifecta- Croatian Medenjaci, German Lebkuchen and American Gingerbread

Medenjaci(top) and Lebkuchen (bottom) with royal icing.

My family has never made gingerbread cookies for Christmas traditionally, so I took it upon myself to try some recipes out and evade having to buy them for relatively high prices from local bakeries (or in the case of honey-based gingerbread, not being able to buy them at all). These cookies are great because they last ages without losing their flavour or texture, are easy to roll out and cut (provided you use enough flour and some baking parchment) and are great fun to decorate. We used two types of frosting, the regular decorative royal icing and also the more "American" icing made with shortening. Both work well for gluing sprinkles, candies, and other tidbits.

American gingerbread with the thicker, soft frosting.

Each kind has its distinct advantages. The medenjaci had a milder gingerbread flavour while still being well-spiced, and could easily be made any time of year (then again, there's no law against off-season Christmas baking...). Its ingredients are also more accessible than many other honey-gingerbreads for Canada. 

While the lebkuchen requires natron (hard to come by in Canada), lebkuchen spices (which one can make themselves using an online recipe- I used some from my grandmother) and white rye flour (available in Eastern European stores and some health foods stores), it's well worth the effort to gather the ingredients if you can- it's got a unique flavour and makes great ornamental cookies- and it's eggless, and can even be made vegan if shortening is used. 

The American gingerbread is also as good as any I've ever bought, and is different from the other two due to both the higher fat content and use of molasses. I would say that every one of the recipes was a keeper.

Medenjaci- Croatian Gingerbread
Adapted from Tara's Multicultural Table

3 C. All-purpose flour
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/8 Tsp. Baking soda
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Ginger
1/4 Tsp. Cloves
1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 Tsp. Mace
Pinch each of coriander, white pepper and cardamom
1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Honey, preferably wildflower
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Egg

Sift together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add honey, vanilla and egg. Incorporate the dry ingredients in spoonfuls until all is added. Once smooth, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 180℃. Roll out between sheets of baking parchment or plastic clingfilm until thin and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 10 minutes on parchment. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Lebkuchen
From Chefkoch.de

400 g. Honey, preferably wildflower
100 g. Water
100 g. Light brown sugar
60 g. Clarified butter, or shortening
300 g. All purpose or type 550 flour
300 g. White rye flour
6 g. Baking powder
1 Packet Lebkuchen spices
16 g. Natron

In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat together the honey, water and brown sugar until homogenous. Add butter/shortening and allow to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature.

Sift together dry ingredients and add the wet ones. Knead until a homogenous mass forms and refrigerate 6 hours, or overnight.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough and cut into shapes. Bake at 180℃ about 15 minutes, or until just beginning to brown at the edges.

American Molasses Gingerbread
Adapted from Moje Wypieki

750 g. All purpose flour
15 g. Baking powder
5 g. Ginger
3 g. Nutmeg
2 g. Cloves
2 g. Cinnamon
2 g. Allspice
1 g. White pepper
113 g. Butter
113 g. Shortening
235 ml. Molasses
180 g. Brown sugar
120 ml. Water
1 Egg
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp. Salt

Mix dry ingredients. Heat together the sugar, water, and molasses until dissolved in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Add the butter and shortening and allow to dissolve. Let cool.

Add to dry ingredients along with egg and vanilla, and mix until homogenous. Refrigerate 6 hours, or overnight.

Roll out on a well-floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake at 180℃ for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool and harden on sheets before removal.

Royal Icing:
1 Egg white
2/3 C. Powder sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tsp. Lemon juice

Beat all at high speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Soft Piped Icing:
1 1/3 C. Powdered sugar
3 TBSP Shortening
1 Tsp. Vanilla
About 1 TBSP milk

Beat all at high speed until smooth, adding just enough milk to achieve a pipable consistency.

Ginger-Walnut-Date Granola

I'm not a granola person... at all. I love oats, and I love muesli, and those crunchy bars with the oats and nuts... but granola itself has always disappointed me in the past. It's too sweet, too bland, with not nearly enough of the mix ins, and usually too expensive. Still, the idea of sweet, crunchy clusters of flavoured oats with dried fruit and nuts is a very welcome one, so I figured that a homemade granola might be better. And indeed, it was.

This granola was probably the first that I've ever really, really liked. It's sweet and crunchy, but not too oily or sweet. The spices and vanilla make it almost cookie-like, but not too rich. And the combination of walnuts, dates and ginger is just right- the dates add some fruity sweetness and chewiness, the ginger is both sweet and zingy, and the nuts are toasty and crunchy in a perfectly complementary way. Walnuts and dates are well-known to go well together, but they make a wonderful menage-a-trois with ginger as well.

It's very satisfying to make granola- and easy. All you need to to is mix your dry ingredients- I added some oat flour to help cement my clusters together- and pour on the wet ones, mix the whole affair up well, and spread it on a baking pan. Once it smells ready, you just let it set, add the fruits, and break up your nice oaty chunks. This recipe is a little unusual in its inclusion of egg whites, but since I've always got a few left over from some custard or pudding, and it adds a little protein, I don't mind. You can just as easily leave them out, but they do help to make the granola clustery. The golden syrup is easy enough to find if there's a British products section in your local supermarket, but can also be substituted with agave nectar or, probably, corn syrup. I like golden syrup because it isn't too sweet, and has a unique raw-sugar flavour. It's definitely worth looking for.

Because of the sweet dates and crystallized ginger, no further sweetness is needed, so this granola is best eaten with plain yogourt or milk. It retains its crunchy character for well over a week, but shouldn't be kept out indefinitely (I froze half of my batch for later) and needs to be in an airtight container all the while. It also can be eaten all on its own as a snack.

And thus, I dream of the possibilities for many more granola variants over a bowlful...

Ginger-Walnut-Date Granola
Adapted from Food in Jars, by Marisa McClellan

3 1/2 C. (300 g.) Old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 C. (40 g.) Oat flour (or 1/2 C. rolled oats ground finely in a food processor)
1 Tsp. Ground ginger
1 Tsp. Cinnamon (optional)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1 TBSP Flaxseed meal (optional)
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/4 C. (60 ml) Neutral oil, e.g. sunflower or canola
1/2 C. (120 ml) Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 Egg whites, stirred until frothy
1 C. (140 g.) Crystallized ginger, diced
100 g. Pitted dates, diced
1 C. (130 g.) walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 160℃.

Mix salt, spices, flaxseed (if using), walnuts, oats and flour. Add oil, vanilla and syrup and mix until well-coated, then add egg whites. 

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, mixing well every 10 minutes.

Sprinkle ginger and date pieces onto the granola and mix in quickly while still warm, then leave to set in a dry place overnight.

Break up the cooled, dried granola into little clusters. Keep in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for several months.