Laura | Carmen

I can’t wait to teach a class on Doll Cakes this weekend because it was with a doll cake that my obsession with cake decorating really began, now nearly six years ago.  My niece Madison, who was turning five, saw a photo of a doll cake that had been made for her grandmother’s birthday when her grandmother was a little girl.  (Apparently doll cakes were all the rage in the ’50s!)  Well, Miss Madison had to have one, too, and I was determined to make her one.  I spent hours and hours (and hours and hours) watching a YouTube video on how to pipe icing decorations, and then I spent hours and hours (and hours and hours) practicing in the evenings after work.  I went through batches and batches of buttercream as I learned all the necessary techniques—ruffles, borders, and even roses—and finally Madison’s fairy princess cake came to life, wings and all.

Of course Madison’s little sister had to have one for her own birthday a few months later; hers was purple and white.  Over the years the cakes have gotten more and more elaborate; now I’ve made over 100 of them for friends and friends of friends, each one just as unique and special as the little girls for whom they were made.  And it looks like I’ll be busy making a few more in the coming months.  My friend Lisa mentioned me to the moms in the Golden Gate Mother’s Club and new orders are pouring in.  Perhaps I’ll have to hire some of my own students as assistants after this weekend!

If you’re here in the Bay Area and would  like to learn how to make this cake yourself, please join us on Saturday.  There’s one space left in the class.  Email me for more info at miri at lauracarmen dot com.

For more doll cake photos and assembly instructions, click here: http://www.lauracarmen.com/?p=42

Lemon bars hold a special place in my heart because it was with a batch of lemon bars that I won the 1988 Fourth of July Parade Baking Contest in my hometown of Orinda, CA.  I was nine years old. There I stood onstage next to the second- and third-place winners, women three and four times my age.  It was a moment of glory!

I wish I still had that winning recipe.  It was from a recipe book compiled by the PTA moms at my elementary school and sold as a fund-raising tool, not the kind of thing you could easily find reprinted for sale on Amazon.com these days.  If any of my classmates from Sleepy Hollow Elementary (or their mothers) out there still has a copy stashed away somewhere, I will pay top dollar for it.

Meyer lemons are in season right now, and in my neighborhood they are hanging off their branches in heavy clusters.  One family down the street puts a fresh crop out in a straw basket on the sidewalk every Saturday, free for the taking.  The lemons I used in this recipe were picked just days ago, and their freshness adds a magical zing to these bars.  Meyer lemons have a thinner skin than those year-round varieties you find in the grocery store, which is why you can chop one up—skin and all—and throw it into the curd in this recipe.

Pansies are blooming now, too, and this pretty pink one is from the flower pot outside my front door.  Pansies and their cousins, violas, make lovely garnishes, as long as they haven’t been sprayed with a pesticide or other chemicals.  Grow your own to be sure.

Make the Crust

Butter, for coating the pan
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Make the Filling

1 whole Meyer lemon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
Juice from 3 Meyer lemons (you should get about 1/2 cup juice)
Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch baking dish with a thin film of cold butter. In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt and zest until combined. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles sandy crumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, mix flour through zest in a medium bowl with a whisk, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives.) The dough should resemble course meal. Transfer to a baking dish and press into an even layer with your fingertips, or use the bottom of a greased jar or ramekin. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

To make the filling, clean the food processor bowl and return it to the base. Trim off ends and cut the whole Meyer lemon into small chunks, removing the seeds. Add to the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Set aside.

Whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then whisk in the lemon juice. Whisk the egg mixture into the sugar mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped whole lemon. Pour the  filling over the hot crust and return to the oven.

Bake 28 to 30 minutes, or until center is set but still gooey when poked with a toothpick. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar (if using) over the dish. Cut into 12 or 16 bars and serve.

Store covered, at room temperature, for up to 48 hours.

If this isn’t the most romantic looking cake, I don’t know what is.  All those ruffles give it such drama and sex appeal… ooh-la-la!  And that’s just the outside.  Slice into it and you’ll find layers upon layers of chocolate genoise, fresh raspberries, and tangy vanilla creme fraiche.

I taught a class last weekend on how to make this cake and it was a blast.  Each participant made her own chocolate ruffle cake and this one pictured here is, in fact, the work of one of my students, Amna.  Do you know how proud a teacher is when the work of her student is better than her own?  Amna’s success really made my day.  I had made a cake during the demonstration portion of the class and had stashed it in the refrigerator to photograph later. But when Amna finished hers, I knew mine wasn’t worthy of the lens.  Amna’s was spectacular.

This edible masterpiece did not come into being without a healthy dose of patience and perseverance.  Toward the end of the class when everyone was making their ruffles, we had a bit of an atmospheric disaster: The temperature and humidity of the kitchen got too high and the chocolate would not cooperate.  Ruffles were falling flat and melted, gooey chocolate was beginning to coat every surface.  Frustration was mounting and some students had no choice but to take their cakes home only half-ruffled.

But Amna stayed to the end.  We returned the chocolate-coated sheet pans to the refrigerator, opened the windows and waited.. and waited… for the kitchen to cool.  Finally, the stars aligned and things started to go our way.  We not only got some great ruffles, but some curls and dramatic spikes, too.

I think all my students would agree that the greatest lesson of the day was this:  Sometimes in baking, and in love, the unexpected happens.  All you can do is take a deep breath, exercise a little patience and understanding, and keep going.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

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Chocolate Ruffle Cake Assembly and Instructions:

1 eight-inch chocolate cake, baked and divided into three even layers (Genoise has a nice, light texture, but any chocolate cake will do.  You can’t really go wrong, so just use your favorite recipe.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or other liqueur of your choice

2 cups creme fraiche (cold)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pints fresh raspberries
1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1-inch pieces.

Materials:

Pastry brush
One 6-inch cardboard round
One sheet of .005 Mylar (available at art supply stores.)
One 18-by-13-inch jelly roll pan, washed and dried.  Do not use nonstick.

Make the simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the liqueur, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Prepare the creme fraiche filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the creme fraiche, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed until the creme fraiche is stiff.

Assemble the cake: Brush the bottom of the bottom layer of cake with simple syrup, using a pastry brush.  Set the cake layer onto the cardboard round, syrup-side down.  Brush the top of the same layer with more simple syrup, then spread about 1/2 cup of the whipped creme fraiche over the top.  Arrange 8-10 raspberries over the layer, then push them down gently into the creme fraiche.  Spread another 1/4 cup of whipped creme fraiche over the tops of the berries.  Repeat with the remaining cake layers, filling, and raspberries, ending with a layer of creme fraiche over the top cake layer. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

Make the chocolate band: Trim a band of Mylar to the exact circumference and about 1/2 inch higher than the assembled cake.  Melt 1/4  of the chocolate in a bowl suspended over an inch of simmering water (or in the microwave in 10-second intervals on high) until the chocolate is smooth and spreadable.  It should feel warm to the touch, but not hot, so be sure to remove it from the heat just as soon as the last bit of chocolate is melted.  Lay the Mylar strip flat on a piece of wax paper and then, working with an offset spatula in one hand and the bowl of melted chocolate in the other, pour and spread the chocolate over the Mylar band, covering it completely and spreading the chocolate all the way over the edges.  The layer of melted chocolate should be about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Allow it to stiffen ever so slightly while you remove the cake from the refrigerator.  Slip your fingers under the band, grip it at either end, and then affix the band to the cake by pressing the chocolate-coated side against the cake all the way around.  Transfer the cake to the refrigerator (leaving the Mylar strip intact) once again and refrigerate for another 30 minutes while you make the ruffles.

Make the ruffles: Melt the remaining chocolate in the same fashion (using a bowl suspended over an inch of simmering water or in the microwave) and pour it over the back of the jelly roll pan, spreading with an offset spatula to a thickness of about 1/16 inch thick.  Transfer the jelly roll pan to the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the refrigerator and slowly bring the chocolate back to room temperature.  (The room should be cool and dry, about 68F is ideal.)  At the point where the chocolate is malleable but not too soft, fashion ruffles with an offset spatula.  Holding the spatula by the handle with one hand and gripping the tip in the other, push the edge of the spatula against the pan, starting at one edge and moving the spatula in an arcing motion.  Transfer finished ruffles to a chilled plate or pan, moving them to the refrigerator in batches so they hold their shape.

Create the ruffle top:Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully peel away the Mylar strip.  You should have a glossy, solid band of chocolate encasing the entire cake.  Arrange the ruffles in concentric circles over the top of the cake starting at the outside edge, setting them into the creme fraiche at a slight angle so they are sticking up and jutting out in all directions.  Finish the cake with one perfect raspberry in the center of the ruffles.

Final step (and this is essential): Eat it with someone you love.

Dearest Readers,
Where has the time gone? First, let me blame technology.  My internet has been down for almost a month, which means I can only blog from work, which I really shouldn’t do (although I’m doing it now… don’t tell!).  I live in a 100-year-old building, and some hungry creature finally chewed through the wires.  Comcast has repaired the line and the electricians are busy rewiring it.  They say I’ll be up and running next week.

Second, I’m back in school for the final semester of my MBA program, after a long and leisurely seven-week break.  Free time will be scarce again until I graduate in May.  Wow — May?!  I can’t believe it’s only a few months away.  Meanwhile, I’m buried in case studies, term papers and midterms.

And just as school started back up, I decided to start a little remodel project on a house I own that’s about 100 miles away.  My long -distance project management skills have been put to the test, but it’s coming together nicely.  I have a crew of painters, handymen and general contractors who are all just total gems.

Let’s see, what else?  I’ve started teaching pastry classes once a month!  I would have written about them sooner but the first few classes sold out almost as soon as I posted the schedule and I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off  just trying to get things in order.  The first class on basic cake decorating was in early January, and the next class is tomorrow.  We’ll be making a chocolate ruffle cake for Valentine’s Day… one of my favorites.  My students are some of the most creative and fun women I’ve ever met and we’re having a blast together.   I’ll try to photograph some of the action in tomorrow’s class and post something next week.

And lastly, I’ve become obsessed with filming my own cooking demos.  I had been thinking for months about how to add more engaging media to my blog, and it seemed that there was an absence of good video content out there.  So I asked around and found a great videographer and we started filming all sorts of things.  (You can see the early stuff here.)  The only trouble is that it has taken me forever to get over my camera fright.  I’m so confident and outgoing, it never occurred to me that this would be difficult!  Giada and Rachael make it look easy, that’s for sure.  But I’m getting better. I finally took the plunge and bought some of my own equipment so I can film in my own apartment on my own time, which gives me more time to practice and play around with it.  But getting the equipment set up and learning to use it has been an all-consuming activity.

Here’s my very first self-directed, self-produced video, filmed last weekend.  Now if someone can help me fix the audio, that would be fantastic.

That’s “all” I’ve been up to for the past few weeks.  I do have a delicious recipe for lemon bars to post, just as soon as the electricians are done working their magic.  So please don’t give up on me yet.

I’m on a whole-fruit-as-dessert kick.  There’s just something so elegant and simple about serving a piece of fruit in its whole and natural state, lightly sweetened and topped with nothing but a bit of ice cream or creme chantilly.  After those Baked Apples with Lemony Brown Butter syrup a few weeks ago, I was dying to do something with pears.

Flipping through Donna Hay’s Flavors (yes, again) I found my source of inspiration: Pears poached in sugar syrup with a pinch of saffron.  The saffron not only adds a lovely flavor but also an orange tint to the syrup that stains the pears ever so slightly, giving them a deep, golden glow.

I invited some friends over for dessert after we ate dinner at our favorite restaurant last week and served these pears topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with a spoonful of the poaching syrup.  Divine!

Vanilla-Saffron Poached Pears

4 cups water
2 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch saffron
1 whole vanilla bean
4 bartlett pears, ripe but still firm

Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and saffron in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the liquid, then add the scraped bean to the liquid, too.  Bring the liquid to a simmer.  Meanwhile, peel the pears carefully leaving them whole with the stems intact.  Carefully lower the pears into the simmering liquid and simmer, turning occasionally, until the pears are soft and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pears from the liquid and set aside.  Remove the vanilla bean.  Bring the remaining liquid to a boil and boil until reduced by about half to a thick syrup.  Serve the pears warm with the syrup, with a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream if desired.

 I eat cold cereal for breakfast. I’m not  much of a coffee-and-pastries kind of girl–I like pastries but it’s just so hard to find anything worth the calories in this grab-and-go world. Coffee shop muffins are greasy and tasteless, croissants are dense and dry. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to. Or I might say they just don’t make ‘em like they do in Paris, because Parisians do not mess around with their pastries. Everywhere you go, they’re divine: flaky, buttery, warm, and moist, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Just the way they ought to be. Commercially produced pastries in the U.S. don’t hold a candle.

So you can either spend a lot of money and take a trip to Europe, or you can invest a little time and make some good pastries yourself. It’s really not difficult, just a little labor-intensive. The list of ingredients is short: flour, butter, yeast, milk, a bit of sugar and pinch of salt. It’s really a small miracle that these six ingredients combine to make something so wonderful.

I found myself stuck at home on a workday one day last week while my contractor was installing new carpet. With nothing to do but sit around and wait, I started a batch of croissant dough. I used the recipe from the Tartine Bakery Cookbook (a lovely and detailed book, I must say), which begins with a pre-ferment: a mixture of flour, yeast, and milk that gives the croissants a rich and tangy flavor.  The pre-ferment was transformed into dough with the addition of more flour, milk, sugar, and melted butter, and after several sessions of kneading and folding and letting the dough rest, I had a large batch of croissant dough wrapped and sealed in the freezer, ready to be thawed, rolled, and shaped.

While the rolling and folding and resting may seem like a lot of work, the beauty of it is that you can spread all the action over a couple of days.  By refrigerating the dough, you can retard the yeast activity and be quite leisurely about the whole ordeal.  And by letting the dough rise slowly and rest often, you give it a chance to develop a flavor that’s deep and yeasty.  So there’s no need to be frantic about this process or set aside an entire day to do the whole thing in one marathon baking session.

I’m not going to reprint the entire recipe for making croissants here because explaining all the steps of rolling and folding is like writing a short novel.  I highly recommend the recipe in the Tartine Bakery Cookbook, and there’s another good one in Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

My croissants turned out beautifully, and my apartment still smells like heaven… all warm and buttery.  I ate one perfectly flaky croissant for breakfast yesterday with a dollop of raspberry jam, and then wrapped the rest in a cloth to give as a New Year’s gift to my neighbors.  Frequent travelers to Paris that they are, they were delighted.