This is supposed to be the recipe of the year.  Let’s see.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts into the banana mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter.
5. Bake the bread for about 60 to 75 minutes, until the bread feels set on the top, and a paring knife (or other thin knife) inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter). If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking. 
6. Remove the bread from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.

I worked with this recipe.

Karen loves these at Le Pain Quotidien so I thought I would make them for her.

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted & browned butter, cooled
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries (reserve one blackberry for icing)
1 cup powdered sugar + 1 tablespoon milk for icing

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter muffin pans. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen the flour; the batter should not be smooth. Fold in berries. Spoon into the muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes each.

Mash blackberry and milk together.  Add powdered sugar and whisk well until smooth.  drizzle on muffins.

Just give me a latte and a few of these bad boys and I’m good.

INGREDIENTS

255 grams salted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
100 grams granulated sugar
50 grams light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
295 grams flour
2 tablespoons espresso powder
170 grams semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped in chunks
1 large egg
Demerara, turbinado, raw, or sanding sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as needed. Add flour and espresso powder, and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chunks, mix just until incorporated. Mixture will look crumbly.

Divide between two sheets of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and use your hands to form the dough halves into log shapes about 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly beat the egg and open up the chilled cookies logs to brush it over the sides. Sprinkle the coarse sugar on the open paper or plastic wrap and roll the logs into it, coating them.

Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds. You’re going to hit some chocolate chunks, so saw gently, squeezing the cookie to keep it from breaking if needed. Arrange cookie slices on prepared sheets one inch apart (they don’t spread much) and sprinkle each with a few flakes of salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to get golden brown. Let cool slightly before transferring to the cookies you don’t eat immediately to wire racks to cool.

I worked with this recipe.

First challenge of 2018.  Happy New Year. Bake more. Complain less.
INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Custard
2 cups whole milk
2 vanilla beans, split with seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup 1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Sponge Cake, Fillings, & Decorations
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar  + 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons jam
1 pound marzipan
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Red food coloring (gel, not liquid)
Green food coloring (gel, not liquid)
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS
For the Custard: In a pot over medium heat, heat the milk with the vanilla beans and seeds just until it starts to simmer. Turn off the heat and let it sit. Mix egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Remove vanilla pods from milk and slowly pour milk into bowl, stirring constantly. Return to the pot and whisk 4 to 5 minutes, until very thick. Add butter and stir until melted. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to overnight.

Make the Fondant Rose: Make the fondant by microwaving the marshmallows until melted (15-20 seconds). Stir in the powdered sugar and knead for a few minutes on a clean surface, adding more powdered sugar if it sticks, adding a few drops of water if it’s too dry, until smooth and pliable. Knead in red food coloring drop by drop until you have your desired shade of pink. Dust two small pieces of parchment or waxed paper with powdered sugar and one by one, place the balls of fondant between the sheets of greaseproof paper and flatten each ball out with your fingers, to a thin circle, approximately 2 cm/1 in in diameter, to form the petals. Roll the first petal up to form a center bud and wrap the remaining petals around the bud to make a rose. Leave to dry at room temperature for at least an hour.

For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 175 °C. Butter or spray a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment circle, then butter or spray that as well. In the bowl of a KitchenAid or electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar until very thick, pale, and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add almond extract. Sift flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder over bowl (or sift into a separate bowl first) and fold in with a spatula. Fold in the melted butter and stir just to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cool, use a serrated knife to carefully slice it into three even layers. Divide the jam evenly between the first two layers, spreading a thin layer over the top. Next, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the whipped cream and beat until it holds stiff peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream into the pastry cream, reserving the other half. Evenly divide the pastry-whipped cream mixture between the first two layers, spreading it carefully over the thin jam layer.

Stack the two first layers, then top with the remaining cake slice. Set aside one cup of the reserved whipped cream, then use a rubber spatula to shape the remaining whipped cream into a dome shape on top of the cake, then set the whole thing into the fridge for an hour to set.

While the cake is chilling, make the green marzipan exterior. On a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, knead the marzipan until it’s pliable. Add two dots of green gel food coloring and knead until the color is uniform. If you like, add another dot or two of food coloring until it reaches a light lime color. Place the marzipan between two sheets of waxed paper and roll into a 16-inch diameter circle, large enough to generously cover the cake.

Take the cake out of the fridge and gently drape the marzipan over the whipped cream dome. Shape and smooth the marzipan around the cake to get a clean appearance. Trim the edges and tuck them neatly under the cake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip with the reserved cup of whipped cream, and pipe a row of stars around the edge of the cake to hide any imperfections.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (in 10-second increments). Make a skinny-tipped cone with parchment paper and fill it with the melted chocolate, then snip off the tip to create a makeshift pastry bag. Carefully pipe the chocolate over the top of the cake in a swirl or curlicue. Top with the pink rose in the center.

Thanks for the recipe Food52.

The Italian Doughnut comes to Mar Vista.

INGREDIENTS

Doughnut
2 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
75g (heaping ⅓ cup) granulated white sugar
100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
20g fresh cake yeast or 1 package (7g) dry instant yeast
7g (1½ tsp) salt
150g (3) whole large eggs
40g (2) egg yolks
110g (1/2 cup) lukewarm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
granulated sugar, for coating

Pastry Cream Filling
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cake flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 heavy cream for whipping before filling

DIRECTIONS
First, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, and allow it to sit until it blooms.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all ingredients except for one of the whole eggs, and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, then high speed for 5 more minutes.

Add in the remaining egg, and beat on medium speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms {you may have to add a little more flour if it seems too sticky}.

Knead by hand for a couple of minutes, then place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours until tripled in size.

While the dough is chilling, make the pastry cream. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until well combined, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture until thick and pasty. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and cream until bubbles just start to form around the edges. Do not let it boil.

Remove the milk from the heat and slowly drizzle into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Scrape the egg mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 3 minutes. Boil, whisking, for 10 seconds (the cream will become thick and glossy and won’t have any foam on top), then immediately remove from heat.

Pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve set over a small bowl and whisk in the vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

After the first rise, lightly knead the dough, roll it out to 1/2 inch thickness, and cut out rounds.

Transfer all your rounds to baking sheets lined with wax paper, spray lightly with water, and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the bomboloni to rise another hour and a half until they triple in size once more.

When ready to fry, heat vegetable oil in a large, deep pan to a temperature between 330-350 degrees F.

Fry the bomboloni a few at a time, making sure to not crowd the pan. Fry them for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown, then drain off the excess oil, and set them on a wire rack to cool.

While they are still warm, pour some granulated sugar in a small bowl, and roll the bomboloni around until completely coated in the sugar.

Whip cream until still and fold in pastry cream.  Fill will pastry cream once cooled.

I worked with this recipe.

When you have this stuff lying around, magic happens.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 apple finely chopped
1/2 pear finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/4 crumbled gorgonzola

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Or line the cups with papers, and grease the papers.

Blend together the dry ingredients.

Beat the milk, butter, and eggs until light.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Take a fork or wire whisk and blend the two briefly — about 20 seconds.  Gently fold in fruit, nuts, and cheese.

Fill the cups of the muffin pan two-thirds to three-quarters full. 

Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, and as soon as you can handle them turn them out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

Seems like the perfect treat for Christmas day and a cup of tea. From Ottolenghi & Goh’s book, Sweet.

INGREDIENTS

180g unsalted butter at room temp.
160g dark brown sugar
160g light brown sugar
Zest of one large orange
3 large eggs
120g sour cream or yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin spice
220g flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenhiet. Greast a standark 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Place the butter, both sugars and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until lightened and smooth but not too fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs by hand. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth.

Sift the mixed pumpkin spice mix, flour and salt together into a separate bowl and set aside.

In alternating batches and with the machine on medium low speed, add a third of the egg-yogurt mixture to the creamed mixture, followed by a third of the sifted dry ingredients. Continue with the seance and third batch, continuing to beat until combined. Stir the baking soda with the vinegar in a small bowl; it will fizz up a little but that is fine. Add this to the mixture and as soon as everything is combined, turn off the machine. Don’t worry if the mixture starts to split; it will still cook up well. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack for about 15 minutes to cool before inverting onto a cake plate.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.