Daring Bakers Orange Strawberry Tiramisu – Heaven on a Plate

  

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

The challenge included making our own zabaglione and pastry cream, ladyfingers, and mascarpone cheese with the given recipes. I don’t like coffee flavored desserts or candies, but after a quick online search, I found wonderful non-coffee variations that looked amazingly delicious. On Taste of Home they had a White Chocolate-Strawberry Tiramisu recipe that was calling my name. So I eliminated the coffee and liquors in the original recipes and substituted orange juice and strawberries.

I took this to a Valentine’s party and it got a little soft before I served it. But this truly was heaven on a plate! I know I definitely considered licking my plate clean!

Thanks Deeba and Aparna for choosing such a fabulous challenge this month. Stop by the DARING BAKER BLOGROLL and check out all the amazing DB Tiramisu creations!



Tiramisu is made up of several components which can be made separately and ahead of time and put together the day before serving. Making tiramisu from scratch requires about 2 to 3 days (including refrigeration) from when you start making the mascarpone to the time the tiramisu is served. So this challenge requires some prior planning.

Please read the instructions as you need to begin making the mascarpone at least a day in advance. The zabaglione & pastry cream also need 4 hours to an overnight for chilling, as does the main dessert. The flavors mature after an overnight rest, and the dessert can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days. Once assembled, the tiramisu can be frozen till you need to serve it, in case you are not serving it immediately.



Orange Strawberry Tiramisu

Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup strawberry puree, strained
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk

For the whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups orange juice concentrate (I wanted a strong orange flavor, so I used frozen concentrate mixed with 1/3 of the amount of water called for)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons grated chocolate

Directions:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the strawberry puree, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.

Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.

Pour orange juice into a shallow dish. Set asidel.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

To start assembling the tiramisu.
Working quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the orange juice, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.(Freezing it for a few hours before serving makes it easier to get clean cuts to serve it.)

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with grated chocolate or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Triple Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread

 

This is a very moist and delicious chocolate quick bread that my family gobbled up quickly. I would have liked a stronger chocolate flavor and next time I make this bread, I’ll add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to up the chocolate factor.  I also read that if you add a bit of red food coloring it gives chocolate bread a deeper color. I’d definitely like to give that a try next time as well.

I loved my addition of tart cherries. The original recipe adds a chocolate glaze as the third chocolate element in this bread which I didn’t add. I am sending this to Jamie, Life’s a Feast, for her Bread and Chocolate Monthly Mingle. Thanks Jamie for encouraging me to post this for the Mingle! 

Triple Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread
adapted from Taste of Home

1-1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries

Directions
Ina microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup chocolate chips; set aside to cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and cooled chocolate; mix well. Add applesauce and vanilla; set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix to combine. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and cherries.

Spoon into four greased 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Yield: 4 mini-loaves.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

 
I’ve been on an oatmeal kick lately, trying different recipes and different types of oatmeal. This Amish Baked Oatmeal recipe is my favorite so far! Baking the oatmeal changes the texture of the oatmeal and it tastes more like an oatmeal cookie. 

You make it the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning. It’s super easy and so delicious! My kids prefer cold cereal in the mornings, so I usually make up a batch, cut it into six squares and then freeze the squares and just warm them up in the microwave each morning. It is a perfect breakfast for me, just a little sweet, and the protein and fiber keep me full until lunch.

Amish Baked Blueberry Cranberry Oatmeal
Adapted from a recipe on RecipeZaar

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup milk
3 cups oatmeal (regular or quick)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions
In a mixing bowl combined eggs, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, no lumps. Whisk in butter and milk. Add oats and fruit, stir until combined. Pour in to greased 9x9 baking dish.

Refrigerate overnight, covered. (If you’re using quick oats, you do not need to refrigerate overnight.)
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-45 min, or until set in the middle. Serve hot with warm milk poured over.

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Maria, Two Peas and Their Pod, recently posted a Bruleed Steel Cut Oats recipe that looks fabulous and I’ll be making soon.

Carol, at Songberries, has a yummy Baked Oatmeal recipe that doesn’t require making the night before. Hers is a bit sweeter and my husband really liked it.

The Winner of the CSN Stores Giveaway is . . .

Thanks to everyone who entered my CSN Stores Giveaway! The winner is:

Carol, Songberries, who commented "Ok, who knew that they have shoes at CSN Stores! I found the cutiest little black shoes, they are the Nina Geenina in Black. That's what I'd pick!"

Congratulations Carol! I have a hard time deciding between buying shoes or cookware too!

Update: Carol ultimately decided on the          Le Creuset 6-Quart Stock Pot in Cherry. I'd love that one too!

Daring Cooks Mezze Challenge: Pita Bread and Hummus

The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

Mezze is a selection of appetizers or small dishes. The challenge requried us to make two mandatory items: pita bread and hummus.

At first, I had mixed feelings about this challenge. I’d been wanting to make homemade pitas for a while, but I’m not a big fan of hummus and I didn’t think my kids would like it much either. However, we did have the option of substituting nut butters for the sesame paste, and since we liked last month’s peanut dipping sauce, I decided to make a peanut butter hummus.

My family loves Souvlaki, so it was a logical addition to our mezze, along with Cucumber Raita and a crisp Greek Salad.

It was such a great meal and it came together quicker and easier than I had imagined. It was so fun watching the pitas puff up in the oven and fresh hot bread is always so much better than packaged. The peanut butter hummus is probably not something I’d make again, but it was delicious. It was so much creamier and less oily than the hummus I have had in the past.

Thanks Michelle for a really fun challenge! Visit the Daring Kitchen for the Mezze recipes.

Pucker Up - A Mac-A-Valentine

I’ve been wanting to create a Lemonade Macaron for some time now. So when Jamie and Deeba announced that Mac Attack #4 would be a Mac-A-Valentine, I thought making Lemonade Macarons would be the perfect way to get my Valentine to pucker up.

 

This was a very special Mac Attack because I had two fabulous food blogging buddies join me in the kitchen. Tiffany of Food Finery and Cristie of Tablerunner came to my house for a fun day of mac baking, lunching and Tweeting.

We each made our own batch, different flavors and colors, but we all used the same recipe - the Ottolenghi recipe Deeba had success with last month. Tiffany made the gorgeous lavender ones with a vanilla bean buttercream and blueberry-pear jam filling. Cristie’s beautiful red ones were filled with either a chocolate buttercream or a luscious citrus cream cheese filling. My little yellow ones were filled with a sweet, but tart lemon curd. All very different, but all wonderfully delicious!



The plan was to test resting times and baking temperatures to see what worked best at our altitude. The first batch we didn’t rest at all and baked it at 350 degrees. We got feet and a nice crispy shell, but when we put the next batch in after a 20 minutes rest, the tops browned too much. So we dropped the temperature on the third batch to 280 degrees and we baked it at 280 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes and the third batch was the prettiest batch of all.

 

Here’s a peeking in the oven shot. It’s so fun to flip on the oven light and see the little feet starting to develop.

  

I like to give the shells a gentle little shake to see if they’re done. You want them set but not firm.

 

We all followed the same recipe and carefully measured our ingredients on a digital scale, but got three different results. Mine were a bit too thick and my shells a bit bumpy; Tiff’s spread a bit more than she would have like; we all thought Cristie’s were just right. But we all got feet and more importantly, they all tasted delicious! (Because of course we had to taste them all.)



Macarons
Adapted from Ottolenghi - The Cookbook
110gm powdered sugar
60gm finely ground almond meal/flour
60gm egg whites (of 2 eggs)
40gm granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 310 degrees F

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready. (Setting the pastry bag in a glass while you fill the bag was a great tip I learned during this process.) (Also, I like to double stack the baking sheets.)

Combine the powdered sugar with the almond powder. (Pulse in a blender or food processor if you don't have finely ground almond meal.)

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. (To test to see if egg whites are ready, whip until the tip of the peak doesn't fold over when you pull the beater out of the meringue.)

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag. (You can put a spoonful on a plate to test it. If it slowly flattens out it's perfect. If it runs, add a bit more almond flour/powdered sugar. If it just stays in a blob, give it a few more folds.)

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart. (There is a great macaron template here.)

Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. Leave out, uncovered for 15 minutes, then bake them for 15-20 minutes. Give the macs a gentle little shake to see if they’re done. You want them set but not firm. It's better to undercook them.

Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.



Thanks Cristie and Tiffany for baking with me, and thanks to all of you who baked with us on Twitter! Visit Mac Tweets on February 14 for a complete roundup of the Mac-A-Valentine macarons.

If you haven’t enter my CSN Stores Giveaway yet, be sure and leave me a comment on the Giveaway post for a chance to win!

CSN Stores Giveaway - What to Choose?

 
Last week was my second blogoversary! So when Jason from CSN Stores emailed me and asked if I would be interested in holding a giveaway on my blog featuring their stools or cookware, it seemed like the perfect time to hold a giveaway and thank all of you for visiting and for your sweet comments over the past year!

CSN Stores is a collection of over 200 stores, including All Barstools.com, Toys and Games Online.com, and my favorite, Cookware.com. Jason offered me any item from their sites valued up to $40 to give away to one of my readers. I loved the Le Creuset French Onion Soup Bowls and the Calphalon Panini Pan with Press. But there were too many great things, I just couldn’t choose. So….

You get to choose! CSN Stores will give the winner of my giveaway a $40 credit so the winner can choose an  item from any of their sites.

To enter the giveaway leave a comment on this post before Sunday, February 14th at midnight MST telling me what item from CSN Stores you’d like to win. For an extra entry Tweet about this giveaway (leave a comment for each entry).

The giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Canada. Be sure your email address is included in your comment.

Good luck!

World Nutella Day Candy Bar Cookies

Today is World Nutella Day! I’ve been addicted to this delightfully creamy, chocolaty hazelnut spread since I had my first Nutella banana crepe in Italy a few years ago. So World Nutella Day was the perfect excuse to join in the fun and bake something decedent. Of course if you'd rather, you can join in the delicious fun of World Nutella Day with a jar and a spoon too!



When I stumbled upon a recipe for Candy Bar Pizza on Fahrenheit 350° delicious blog. I knew it could be turned in to a perfect World Nutella Day treat. Kitty’s original recipe tops a chocolate chip chocolate crust with a peanut butter chocolate sauce sprinkled with a variety of chopped candy bars.

For my World Nutella Day Candy Bar Cookies I substituted Nutella for the peanut butter chocolate sauce. Imagine dipping your favorite chocolate chip cookie in Nutella and then sprinkling on your favorite candy bar before devouring it. I’ll wait while you think about that one….. Yep they are that good!

 

World Nutella Day Candy Bar Cookie Bars

Cookie Crust
1 ½ sticks softened butter
¾ cups white sugar
¾ cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips

13 oz. jar of Nutella
1 pound bag of M&M's
4-8 of your favorite candy bars (Kitty recommends Twix, Payday, Reeses, Snickers, Rolo's, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Nestle Crunch – I used Almond Toffee Symphony Bars and Rolls)

Crush, cut and/or mash candy bars into tiny pieces. Mix together in a bowl, set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. In a separate bowl, combined salt, baking soda, and flour. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Stir just until flour is incorporated. Add mini chocolate chips.

Spread into a greased jelly roll pan, or lipped pizza pan. (I covered it with parchment paper and used a rolling pin to help spread the dough.)

Bake at F350°, 10-12 minutes until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes.

Soften Nutella in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on 50% power, and stir until smooth. Spread evenly over cookie crust. Top with candy bars. Let cool.



Thanks to World Nutella Day hosts Ms Adventures in Italy, and Bleeding Espresso. Visit World Nutella Day on February 8, 2010, for a round-up of all submissions.

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I want to send a big thank you to Gera at Sweet Foods for giving me the Happy 101 Award and choosing me as one of the 10 bloggers who brightens her day. Gera has a fun Best of the Week weekly roundup of great posts published that week. Be sure and stop by and check it out. You're sure to find something fabulous to put on your baking list!

I also want to send a big thank you to Kris at Bake in Paris for giving me the Over the Top Award and for saying he found my blog inspiring! Kris has won many Good Looking Blog Awards and his photographs are amazingly beautiful works of art! If you're not following his blog you should be!

Whole Wheat Orange Cranberry Sticky Buns

Is there anything more wonderful than waking up to the aroma of sweet rolls baking in the oven? My sweet friend Jamie, Life’s a Feast, asked us to bake bread for her birthday. So for her virtual Birthday/Bread Baking Day #26, I woke up early and baked her Whole Wheat Orange Cranberry Sticky buns.

I’ve been seeing lots of scrumptious cinnamon rolls on the web lately, but since one of my sons isn’t crazy about cinnamon I decided to make orange rolls instead. I Googled orange rolls and came across a fun blog I hadn’t visited before, Frugal Dr. Mom. She had an Orange Sticky Bun recipe that I knew my troops would love.

I substituted my favorite dinner roll recipe for the buns. I used whole wheat pastry flour, bread flour and vital wheat gluten, but it works just as well with all purpose flour if you'd rather. I also used a simple orange glaze instead of the sour cream and butter glaze that Dr. Mom used and sprinkled on sweetened dried cranberries. These rolls were scrumptious – sweet and light and fluffy. My boys and I managed to quickly devour an entire pan full in one sitting!

Jamie and I were born in the same year and this is a milestone birthday for us. Be sure and stop by her blog on February 5 and wish her Happy Birthday and check out all of the scrumptious birthday treats the blogosphere baked up for her. Happy Birthday Jamie!

Whole Wheat Orange Cranberry Sticky Buns

Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons grated orange rind

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins)

Buns
2 c. bread flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

2 t. vital wheat gluten

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 c. milk (120º to 130º)

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter

1 t. salt

1 egg

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Filling: In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup of sugar with orange rind; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, wheat gluten, and yeast. Heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt until butter is melted and milk is between 120º to 130º. Add to flour mixture, add egg. Beat at low speed for 1/2 minute. Beat 3 minutes at high speed.

Mix in the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. (Add more or less if necessary.) Knead until smooth (6 to 8 min.). Shape into a ball. Place in greased bowl, turn. Cover, let rise until double (45 to 60 Min.).

Preheat oven to 350°. Punch dough down and turn out onto floured surface. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 12" circle. Brush circles with remaining butter. Sprinkle with orange-sugar mixture. Sprinkle with cranberries. Cut each circle into 8 pie-shape wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter for this.)

Cover the filling with a piece of wax paper and gently press the filling into the dough. Starting at wide end, roll up wedges. Place point side down in greased 9x13" pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until almost double in size, about 1 hour.

Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Combine powdered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle over rolls.