Not that I like to dwell on the past, but after the baking whirlwind weekend I spent with Chris when she came to visit, I thought that a favorite from the archives might help me recover while I go through all the goodies she brought me (I got spoiled) and edit the pics of our baking ventures. I won’t post them all at once because it’d give you a headache!! I got to say, baking a multi layer cake with her was a tag team without word, priceless. More on that tomorrow…
Yes, another rhubarb post…it’s the season and I just can’t get enough….Sorry folks! When Marcela was planning her visit, one of her wishes was to get some rhubarb and Meyer lemons so we could bake something with them. She also wanted to keep the seeds of the lemon to grow her own tree back in Argentina. We searched everywhere for both to no avail and decided to stick with our original plan to make macarons instead. She did a fabulous job with the latter and I hope that macarons have no secret for her now and I got to tell you, buttercream and dulce de leche go really really well together!!
After dropping her off at the airport, B. and I headed for the farmers' market downtown and guess what I found by the bucket….rhubarb!!! Arghhhhh…..Wish I had it growing in the backyard but one has to do with what they have, right?! I need to add that since I mentioned I had found Loquat trees everywhere downtown, one of my clients told me she had her own tree and I was most welcome to head over her house and pick what I wanted. I did this afternoon and stopped at three bags full. Do you think I have enough fruit if you add the four pounds of strawberry that Marcela and I picked at a local farm yesterday afternoon?!!! There are going to be some fruity desserts coming up!!
This is the dessert I wanted to make for her had I found rhubarb before her arrival….alas, or as B. would say "Yum, more for me", this mousse cake is going to be dessert for us tonight. So here is to you Pip, as a thank you for a wonderful time in your company and especially last night at the restaurant where I don’t recall ever laughing so hard in my life…and it involved another woman kissing my husband….
For the mousse I used the same recipe I used for the Raspberry and Mascarpone Mousse Cakes, back in March. I replaced the lime with lemon and added cooked rhubarb to the mousse base. I don’t really have a recipe to cook the rhubarb but I usually go for 1 cup of fruit to 1/3 cup sugar, cooked over low heat until the rhubarb softens and I still get chunks of fruit in there. The cake ring surrounding the mousse looks complicated and involved, but really it isn’t. It is made with an almond cake batter very similar to ones used for jelly rolls called "ribbon sheet cake" or Joconde and a tuile cookie batter (also known as tulip paste) piped onto the baking sheet before you pour in the cake batter so while baking it leaves an imprint on your cake. If it were rocket science I would not be doing it….trust me. It is not more time consuming than baking a cake and I find the whole process tremendously more fun given the end result.
I went for stripes but you can easily make squiggles, lace patterns, dots, smileys, etc….It is best to prepare both the mousse and the cake early in the day if you plan to serve this for dinner as the cake needs to cool and the mousse needs to set, and you can keep them in the freezer for a month or so if you decide to make them way in advance. For a velvety effect on top, I mix powdered sugar and cherry pink food coloring on top and dust the cakes with it right before serving. Do not do this in advance as your powdered sugar will melt and sink in the mousse due to its moisture content.
For the tulip paste:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup egg whites, at room temperature
4 ounces all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 Tb cocoa powder.
Cream the butter and powdered sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and add to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix. Use right away or store in the refrigerator, taking it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it.
Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a ruler set on top of the sheet as your guide, pipe lines with the tulip paste onto the parchment paper, or any shape you desire. You can also smooth a large amount of the paste on the paper and using a ruler set on the rim of the pan, use a decorator comb to drag on the batter to form lines. When I make somewhat straight lines, this is the method I use, and I use the pastry bag method for lace patterns and others. Set the baking sheet in the freezer until the tulip paste is firm. Keep frozen until you are ready to pour the cake batter on top.
For the ribbon sheet cake:
4 ounces finely ground almonds (I used slivered)
3 ounces powdered sugar
1 ounce all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
1 ounce granulated sugar
1 ounce melted unsalted butter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almonds, powdered sugar, flour and 2 eggs until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl with a spatula and add the remaining 2 eggs and the yolk until well combined. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl until they appear foamy, add the granulated sugar in a steady stream and whip until you get a glossy meringue. Fold the meringue mixture into the egg/flour mixture. Stir in the melted butter and fold until all the ingredients are well incorporated but without deflating your meringue base.
Remove the baking sheet with the tulip paste from the freezer and pour the cake batter on top. Bake at 450F for about 6-8 minutes or until the sponge becomes to color. Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes and invert your cake onto a piece of parchment paper. Peel the baking paper. Let cool before using. You can keep it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for a month. Bring it back to room temperature before you fit it in the pastry rings. Line 6-8 pastry rings (depending on their size, mine are 3 inches wide) with parchment paper, cut 1.5 inches wide strips of cake and cut them to fit around the inside of your rings. Divide the mousse inside the rings and let set.
For the mousse:
1 egg, separated
2 TB sugar
2 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
75 ml. heavy cream
1 tsp. powdered gelatin (1/2 sheet) + 1 Tb water
zest and juice of one lemon
1 cup cooked rhubarb
Sprinkle the gelatin over the water, stir and let sit to bloom. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the sugar, add 1 egg yolk and whisk until well incorporated. Heat the gelatin for about 10 seconds in the microwave and quickly whisk it in the mascarpone batter. Add the lemon juice and zest. Whip the egg white until stiff, fold into the mascarpone mixture. Add the cooked rhubarb. Whip the heavy cream to medium stiff peaks, and fold into the mascarpone. Divide it evenly and carefully among the pastry rings. Store in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours or overnight.
Granted it takes a tad longer than a baking brownies but it is just as fun and as good, and if you like playing with shapes, batters and let your imagination run wild, this is a good project to tackle in the kitchen. The end result is so tasty you won’t be disappointed!
I know my mom is going to say "Ah! Finalement" (Ah! Finally) when she reads this post. You see it is not uncommon during our phone conversations for me to say "Oh, by the way, I saw this really cool ingredient, gadget, linen, etc…on a French site and I am having it come to your house so you can bring it next time you come visit or pop it in the mail with the next care package. Hope it’s not too much trouble!" There is usually a pause, sometimes a sigh, followed by "where the heck did you find this? What don’t you sleep at night for a change?"
The explanation is easy: B’s muscles unwind when he falls asleep by severely twitching which provokes him to jerks and send his knee(s) in my ribs or his arm across my face. One black eye and a many bruises later we both agreed that it was safer for me if I let him fall asleep first and then sneak in the bed half an hour later. Most of the time, I turn the computer on and start browsing….and find things I "need" for baking. You’ve been there, "surfing" the Internet…How long is your baking wishlist now that you’re blogging?!! That’s how I found a bunch of cool syrups one night that I "wanted" for baking. Flavors like cotton candy, pain d’epices, candy apple, lavender, and this strawberry syrup I used with the Tapioca Puddings. A few clicks and a phone call to the parents and they were on their way.
Now that Sprig is in full swing, I can’t get enough rhubarb. Every trip to the store and a couple of pounds end up in my cart, it’s like I am on auto pilot. My preferred method of cooking is to cut it large cubes and cook it down over the stove and stop the heat when I can still get some chunks. I can’t describe the feeling of biting into it when it is cooked that way. The mellow bite of flesh that gives out on your tongue, while your taste buds are tickled by the sourness of the fruit quickly followed by a hint of sugar. I like sour tastes so I have a tendency to go light on the sugar when I cook the rhubarb down. I also took opportunity of the oven being on one night I was cooking the cheesecake for the Daring Barker challenge to cut large cubes of it and roast it with a sprinkle of sugar at 325F. The end result was allright, a little bit too "stewed" down for my taste…but who cares? It’s rhubarb!!
I like rice puddings a great deal but there was this little container of small bead tapioca left to be used and in an effort to organize the pantry (and I hate to throw away) I used it instead for the puddings adding a touch of cardamom to the milk while it was cooking. Some tapioca or rice pudding recipes call for an egg custard but that always seem a little too rich for me so I skipped that one. Once cooled down, I spooned into glasses, topped it with the rhubarb and added a splash of the strawberry pie syrup my parents sent me. I understand you may not have the same syrup I sued available but you can substitute you favorite syrup with these like grenadine, reduce pomegranate juice, blueberry, etc…Seemed like the perfect pairing, strawberries and rhubarb. We’ve been feasting on these for the last couple of days feeling pretty happy and virtuous after an insane amount of cheesecake chocolate pops!!
Cardamom Tapioca Puddings With Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Syrup:
For the puddings:
1/3 cup tapioca
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup sugar
6 cardamom pods, crushed with the back of a knife
1/4 cup fruit syrup
In a heavy saucepan combine the milk, and cardamom pods. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat, let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the pods. Return the milk to the saucepan and add the tapioca, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens up, about 10 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
Roasted Rhubarb:
2 cups diced rhubarb, large chunks (1 inch)
1/2 cup sugar
Put the chunks of rhubarb in a large roasting pan and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake at 325F until the fruit barely starts to give when you press your fingers in one piece, 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Divide the pudding among 4 glasses or dishes and top with the rhubarb. Drizzle one tablespoon of syrup over each glass. Serve at room temperature.
What follows is a typical conversation you can hear at our house on a Sunday afternoon:
Me: Hey, what’cha got planned today?
Him: well, I found this electric saw (or drill, or vacuum,….) in the street and I thought I’d fix it up. You?
Me: I just picked some stuff up at the grocery store and I’d thought I’d play around a little.
Both at the same time: well, call me before you burn the house down!
We had a very similar conversation last week but this time I was on a mission. I was standing in the middle of the fruits and vegetables stands, starring at gorgeous stalks of deep red rhubarb when my friend S. called. "Remember my bridal shower next July?" Yesssssss….(can’t you just tell what’s coming?!) "Change of plans…it’s in two weeks otherwise I’ll have to throw a baby shower with it!" Yesssss "Can you think of something pretty, girlie, decadent, pink, red, white….?" Yesssss…I love S., she is the exact opposite of me in almost everything and in that regard she is the ultimate girlie girl, ultra pink and fuchsia, which makes me look like a Gothic tomboy (and if you know me, you know I am not which gives you a pretty good image of S.) Good thing I was holding pretty red rhubarb when she called and that she happens to love it too.
So here I was, back in the kitchen letting my brain do its usual selection of all the wild ideas running through my mind. A charlotte is always a prettything and since the weather has been very clement and her shower would be an intimate affair (12 ladies), I thought about a chilled/frozen filling. Bananas are one of my favorite ingredients for frozen mousses because they provide good body and sweetness without being too heavy. When cut in long strips and prepared just a bit, the rhubarb graciously replaces the traditional ladyfinger casing of a charlotte. While the leaves are toxic, the stalks can be used to your heart’s contents but they need a good dose of sugar as they are very tart and make cranberries look weak in that department.
When working with cold or frozen individual plated desserts you can use metal pastry rings but since they are not cheap and I tend to accumulate mini pans of all shapes and sizes I rely on a big stock of different pvc pipes. Yep, hardware stores are a cook’s treasure land sometimes! For a minimal fee you can select all the diameters you like and if you smile big enough (maybe throw in a little eyelash action for good measure) they might even cut the pipe for you. Since the pipe is almost indestructible, I am not worried about storage, bending or rust. To make sure the "rhubarb ladyfingers" would not stick to the plastic mold, I just lined them with parchment paper that I secured with tape. The rhubarb is cut in paper thin slices and barely softened in a low temperature oven for 10 minutes, to retain the color without caramelizing them. Once filled and frozen, the charlottes popped right out and all I had to do was to carefully peel the paper.
After the stalks, I chopped up the remaining tidbits, cooked them down with some sugar until I had a deep red puree and just stared at it mesmerized. Just kidding! Although I just wanted to spread that delicious jam on fresh toast, I thinned it down a bit and used for the plating along with some of the frozen banana filling. I topped each charlotte with caramelized banana slices and a little rhubarb bow with strips cut in the soft slices. as a homage to S’s girlie-ness. She came over that night for dinner and loved it, from the presentation to the taste…Ouf! (that’s French for "big sigh of relief!)….Now I have got the think about that baby shower of hers!!
Frozen Rhubarb And Banana Charlottes:
Serves 4. The molds used are 3 inches tall and 3 inches across.
For the Rhubarb "ladyfingers":
12 to 15 rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut to measure 3 inches
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat your oven to 200F. With a sharp knife and without peeling the stalks, cut them into thin slices (1/8inch thick). Keep the ends and trimmings for later. Set them onto parchment paper lined baking sheets (or silicone ones), and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
Cut strips of parchment paper to fit inside the molds and carefully line the inside of the mold with the sliced rhubarb easier to do if you lay the mold on its side). Place the rings in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Frozen Banana Mousse:
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 cup pureed bananas
1 cup heavy cream
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold the banana puree into the yolk mixture. Whisk the egg whites until they foam and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tb. at a time and continue to whip until glossy. Fold the whites into the banana mixture. Whip the cream to soft peaks and add to the banana batter. Keep about 1/4 cup of the mousse to use as a sauce for plating if desired. Spoon the mousse into the rhubarb lined rings and freeze overnight.
Caramelized Banana Slices:
Cut 2 bananas into thin slices. In a pan, melt 4 Tb sugar with 4 TB butter, and cook until the sugar is melted. Add the bananas and cook them until barely soft. Remove them from the pan and let cool. It is preferable to do these the day you plate up the whole dessert.
Options for plating:
Cook down the bits and pieces of rhubarb you have left from cutting the slices with some sugar (to taste) until soft and jam-like and let it cool completely. If it becomes too thick the next day, thin it down with a bit of water to use it as a sauce.
To Serve:
Carefully unmold the charlottes from the rings by pushing down gently from one end, peel off the parchment paper. Quickly set the room temperature banana slices on top, use some of the rhubarb jam and leftover mousse for sauces. Make a bow if you have it you (which I know you do since you all wrap presents so well) I got to tell you that was a rather sticky experience!!
You might have leftover mousse when you fill the rings. I just layered it with some cooked rhubarb and pop these in the freezer for an easy weeknight dessert.
Not that I like to dwell on the past, but after the baking whirlwind weekend I spent with Chris when she came to visit, I thought that a favorite from the archives might help me recover while I go through all the goodies she brought me (I got spoiled) and edit the pics of our baking ventures. I won’t post them all at once because it’d give you a headache!! I got to say, baking a multi layer cake with her was a tag team without word, priceless. More on that tomorrow…
