Daring Bakers Challenge: Le Gâteau Saint Honoré

Once upon a time there was a beautiful swan
Who lived in a lake made of sugar and cream
The swan was happy in his little sweet dream
Surrounded by whipped clouds and caramel bun

When I first saw this month’s challenge, chosen by Helene and Anita, I was a little skeptical and afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make it. I’ve never made Le gâteau Saint Honoré before and I know that if it weren’t for my fellow daring bakers I would have never done it. I guess I am not an adventurous when it comes to this kind of cakes.
Having some bad memories from a greasy, sticky puff pastry, I just didn’t know what to expect with this one. But I wasn’t disappointed. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Not only the puff pastry turns out wonderfully flaky and delicious but also the making of this cake allowed me to challenge my pastry skills and to face my fear of…piping bag.

For years I’ve been avoiding recipes that involves piping bags, using instead ziplog bags or my handy dandy…spoon.
My icing flowers weren’t perfect. Actually they were far from being perfect but I haven’t given up hope that one day I will be an expert on this subject. For a beginner I am quite proud of my self.
The thing that I will change next time is making a smaller portion of this cake because it is just too much for only two persons. Or, I will invite all the daring bakers to share it with me!

Who wants the swan?

Thanks to Helene and Anita for this May’s challenge and for introducing me to this delicious cake that is Le gâteau Saint Honoré. Head over to their respective blogs to find the recipe in its entirety.
Don’t forget to check out other daring bakers’ beautiful creations.
I am now a daring baker and proud of it.

Challattone!

Don’t try to look this word up in the dictionary or any cookbook because it doesn’t exist.
What is Challattone?

Challattone is what happened when a woman wants to surprise her husband, a panettone fanatic, but doesn’t have a Panettone recipe.
What did she do?

She took a Challah bread recipe and turned it into a fake panettone by adding candied fruit peels and golden raisins. The result: Challattone.
Why did she choose the Challah recipe? Why not brioche?

Well, the woman thought the texture of Challah is closer to the Panettone, and making brioche can be too much work for her. The woman can be lazy sometimes.
So, making Challah bread is easier than brioche?

It is supposed to be easier, but not for this woman who has a funny way reading a recipe: first, she reads the ingredients, then reads the first part of the preparation then jumps to the baking time. What she forgot is that bread needs to rise twice. The result: going to bed at 2 AM.
Did they enjoy the bread?

They did. Challattone was far from tasting like a Panettone but it was a good and fragrant Challah bread. The husband is still hoping to have a warm, homemade Panettone for breakfast and the woman is still up for the challenge but this time she is armed with an authentic Panettone recipe and can’t wait to try it.
To be continued…

Challattone

Recipe: Challah adapted from Williams-Sonoma: Essentials of Baking

- 5 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 egg, beaten for glaze
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

- 2 tbsp candied fruits peels ( such as orange and lemon)

- 1/2 cup golden raisins

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 min. Add the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 ½ cups of the flour, the salt, the candied fruit peels, the raisins and the butter. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed, working in the remaining flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 min. Do not be tempted to add to much flour. The dough should stay soft and it will become less sticky with kneading.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a clean work surface. Make a braided loaf as shown in the pictures or you can make rolls or knots. Place the bread on the prepared sheet pan. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let it rise for 45-60 min. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 350F. Brush the bread gently with the beaten egg. Bake the bread until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30-35 min. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Challattone

In francais please: Challah adaptee du livre de Williams-Sonoma: Essentials of Baking

- 5 c.c de levure boulangere
- 250 ml d’eau tiede.
- 125g de sucre
- 3 gros oeufs, plus un oeuf battu pour badigeonner
- 780g de farine
- 2 c.c de sel
- 125g de beurre doux, a temperature ambiante
- 2c.s de pelures de fruits confits ( oranges et citron)
- 200 ml de raisins secs.

Dans le bol d’un petrin, dissoudre la levure dans l’eau et laisser fermenter, 5 min environ. Ajouter le sucre, les 3 oeufs, 700g de farine, le sel, le beurre et les fruits. Placer le bol dans votre petrin et commencer a petrir a vitesse minimale en ajoutant la farine petit a petit, si necessaire, jusqu’a ce que la pate devienne elastique et lisse, 5-7min environ. Ne soyer pas tente d’ajouter trop de farine puisque la pate doit etre souple et elle finira par etre moins collante avec le petrissage.
Rouler la pate en boule et mettre dans un bol huile. Couvrir d’un torchon humide et laisser reposer pendant 2 heures.
Garnir un plat allant au four de papier sulfurise. Donner un coup de poing a la pate et la transferer vers une surface de travail propre. Vous pouvez soit tresser le pain comme dans les photos soit les mettre en forme de petits pains ou de noeuds. Mettre votre pain dans le plat prealablement prepare. Couvrir d’un torchon sec et laisser reposer 45-60 min.
Positionner la grille de votre four sur le 3eme etage en conptant de haut et prechauffer a 180C. Badigeonner votre pain soigneusement avec l’oeuf battu et cuire jusqu’a ce qu’il devienne dore et semble creux quand vous le taper legerement en dessous. Laisser refroidir completement sur une grille a patisserie.

Moi et Ma Feta / Me and My Feta

Every two or three weeks it’s the same ritual. I go to the market to buy some feta: arrive at the deli, take my number and wait.
Thirty-six!
Yes, right here!
How can I help you?
I would like some Bulgarian feta, please
How much?
Hmmm! One pound
…
Anything else?
No, that’s it. Thank you.
You’re welcome. Have a great day!
Thanks, you too
…
Thirty-nine!

I then go back home and ask my self: “Why did I buy it again?”
I will probably start making some salad, usually a Greek salad with some feta on top or for a change I will use it with orzo pasta and shrimp or in a savory tart with some herbs and vegetables. But, as much as I love feta cheese and as much as my inspiration goes I just get bored sometimes with this same plain feta taste that I get again and again. Whether I use it to compliment a salad or a savory dish, it always leaves this same salty, goat cheese taste in my mouth.
By the time I finish my pound of feta, part of it would go bad spending most of its time lonely in the fridge.
A few weeks later, it’s back again.
Market. Deli.
Fifty-two!
Help you?
Feta. Please.
…else?
No. Thanks.
Good day!
You too.

Go back. Think. Salad? Quiche? Salad? Fridge? Bad!
Same old, same old.
Bo-ring!

Then one day it happened. The magic of the Internet and hours spent browsing other people food blogs have finally paid off.
I have found the solution. Or the solution has found me? Anyway, we have found each other at Haalo’s blog. If you don’t know Haalo yet, which I doubt, then you should take a glimpse at her original recipes and mouthwatering pictures. In her post she marinated the feta cheese with a variety of herbs and some “good olive oil” and then store it in the fridge for days to let the flavor develop.
I basically did the same except for the use of some herbs and some lemon zest in mine. I used Bulgarian feta cheese but you can use whatever feta cheese you like. If you like the taste of goat cheese then you won’t be disappointed with Bulgarian feta. My only advice, and it is my personal experience, is to avoid cow’s milk feta cheese because the best feta is the one made with sheep or goat milk. The recipe doesn’t have the exact amount of herbs because, again it is everyone taste whether you like to add some herbs more than others. Feel free to experiment with this versatile marinade and to use it in salads or just as a dip with a slice of your favorite bread. I know my next trip to the deli will be more exciting this time because I know exactly what I am going to do with my flavorful feta.

Marinated Feta:

Recipe:
- 1 pound of Bulgarian feta
- Parsley
- Chives
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Coriander seeds
- Fresh chili, finely diced
- 2 zest strips of a lemon
- Ground black pepper
- Good extra virgin olive oil

Pat the pound of feta dry on a paper towel. Carefully dice it in small cubes and place it in a bowl with the chili, the coriander seeds and the lemon zests. Chop the herbs and the garlic and add them to the bowl of feta. Toss gently with your fingers to avoid crumbling the cheese. Season with freshly ground pepper and toss again. Put it in a jar and add the olive oil until it all covers the feta. Seal and refrigerate. Prior to use it, put the jar of feta at room temperature until the olive oil is liquid again.

Feta Marinee:

In francais please:
- 500g de feta bulgarienne
- Persil
- Ciboulette
- Menthe
- Romarin
- Ail
- Graines de coriandre
- Piment rouge, Cisele
- 2 zest d’un citron
- Poivre noir
- De l’huile d’olive de bonne qualite

Avant toute chose, Faites secher votre feta delicatement avec du papier et la couper en petits des. Mettre la feta dans un bol avec le piment rouge, les graines de coriander et le zest de citron. Hacher les herbes et l’ail finement et les ajouter au bol de feta. Melanger delicatement en utilisant vos doigts. Assaisoner avec le poivre et melanger encore. Mettre dans un bocale a fermeture hermetique et recouvrir completement d’huile d’olive. Mettre au frais pendant des jours avant de le consomer. Avant de le deguster, Sortir votre bocal de feta et laisser-le a temperature ambiante jusqu’a ce que l’huile d’olive redevienne liquide.

Quelle Semaine! / What a Week!

What a week! I had a series of unsuccessful culinary concoctions in a single week.
For a post, I would rather share a cute little story with you than my shameful kitchen missteps but I had nowhere else to turn.

Sunday: I wanted to make a new recipe of pistachio macaroons that has been marinating in my head for weeks now. The result: The macaroons turned out looking like…nothing! I was so desappointed, I overcooked the second batch in purpose.

Monday: I don’t remember what I made for dinner but like my mother says: “if you don’t remember it then it wasn’t memorable”.

Tuesday: I was thrilled at the idea of trying my first homemade mascarpone cheese. Followed the recipe and waited 24 hours before the draining process. 24 hours later: ended up with a sour heavy cream but no mascarpone cheese. Not even a curd on top. Apparently, I shouldn’t have used Low-fat buttermilk.

Wednesday: I am stubborn. My first attempt, and if you would ask me my last one on making Thai Red Curry Chicken. I didn’t expect the curry paste to be that hot. So, being out of coconut milk I used brown sugar instead, to balance the taste. Too much brown sugar. God! The worst idea I have ever had. Our dinner: a salad, some Pilaf Rice and an awful chicken drained from the curry.

Thursday: Tried to play it safe by making chicken noodle soup. Nothing special. Had a small bowl of it just because we were hungry. The soup spent more time in the fridge than at the table. What is wrong with me? Not even chicken noodle soup?

Friday: Seeing the Rhubarb fever all over the blogs convinced me to try this celery-like fruit. I Made mini-cakes rhubarb with ginger, cinnamon and almonds. Run all excited over the oven to find out that my mini-cakes were not that “mini” anymore. There was more batter on the baking sheet than in the cake molds. Ate some of it anyway for the rhubarb that I found a little sour for my taste. Will give it another try.

And believe me, these are only the headlines. I spared you some details that would ruin my reputation if I have decided to air them. In fact, the only high notes of the week were some delicious marinated feta, some cute little hamburgers buns for mother’s day picnic, my all time favorite crepes and these insanely good chocolate pots. Seriously, they were a real treat, the perfect combination of what I look for in a chocolate dessert: light, creamy, not too sweet and not too chocolaty. See from distance, it doesn’t seem like a very elaborate recipe but believe me, despite my disappointing week I still know a good dessert when I have one, especially if it involves chocolate. I might say that this is by far my favorite chocolate dessert ever, and I can’t wait to make it again so that every week will be a memorable week.

The Best Chocolate Pots

Recipe:
- 3.5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 4.80 ounces heavy cream
- 2 tbsp coffee
- 5 ounces Greek style yogurt
- 1 vanilla sugar package
- A dash of cinnamon
- Grated semi-sweet chocolate
- Candied orange rinds

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with 3 tbsp of cream. Place it over a pan of simmering water and let it melt. Remove from the heat and beat in the coffee, the remaining cream, the cinnamon and half the yogurt. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Put in coffee cups or ramekins. Mix the remaining yogurt with the vanilla sugar. Spoon the yogurt vanilla mixture on top, sprinkle with some grated chocolate and decorate with candied orange. Chill for at least 1hour.



Les meilleurs pots de chocolat

In francais please:
- 100g de chocolat noir 60%
- 142ml de ceme liquide

- 2 c.s de café noir
- 150g de yaourt grec
- 1 sachet de sucre vanille
- Une pincee de canelle
- Du chocolat rape
- Des pelures d’oranges confites pour decorer

Mettre le chocolat et 3 c.s de crème dans un bol et mettre sur une casserole de bain marie. Laisser le chocolat fondre. Incorporer Hors du feu le café, le reste de crème, la canelle et la moitie du yaourt. Battre a l’aide d’un fouet jusqu’a obtention d’un mélange homogene et soyeux. Mettre dans des tasses a café ou des ramequins. Melanger le sucre vanille avec le yaourt restant. Verser une c.c de yaourt vanille sur chaque tasse, saupoudrer de chocolat rape et decorer avec les oranges confites. Mettre au frais au moins une heure avant de servir.

Du Recyclage / Some Recycling

With a little bit of know-how and imagination you can transform any left over into a nice meal. Here, nothing goes to waste, everything can be recyclable except if it has been “ forgotten” in the fridge for too long.
In this recipe, I took some left over roasted chicken and turned it into a Provencal cake.
Usually when I make savory cakes I use Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, but this time I went with another cheese that I discovered this weekend. It is called Bianco Sardo (named after the basket that it is matured in). It’s an Italian sheep’s milk cheese from the region of Puglia, south east of Italy. The texture of Bianco Sardo looks like Parmesan cheese. It has a dense, crumbly paste. Its flavor sweet, tangy and reminds me of Comte cheese. The silvered almonds give a nice, crunchy texture wich I was very pleased with.

Provençal cake

Recipe:
- 8 ounces all purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 baking powder package (1.5 tsp)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 ounces left over roasted chicken, diced
- 5 ounces black olives, pitted and sliced
- 3 ounces dried tomatoes, diced
- 2.5 ounces Bianco Sardo, grated (or use Parmesan cheese)
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, chopped
- Silvered almonds
- ½ tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper

Mix the flour, the cheese and the eggs. Milk the milk slowly while whisking. Add the ginger and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, olives, tomatoes and chives and mix just until blended. Do not over mix the batter. Pour the batter in a buttered cake mold. Top the cake with silvered almonds and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 45 min.
Let cool in the mold for 10 min then on wire rack. Serve warm.

Cake Provençal

In francais please:
- 220g farine
- 4 oeufs
- 225ml lait entier
- 1 sachet de levure chimique
- 175g de reste de poulet roti, coupe en des
- 150g d’olives noires denoyautees, coupees en rondelles
- 75g de Bianco Sardo rape ( ou comte)
- 75g de tomates sechees. Coupees en tranches
- 2 c.s de ciboulettes hachees
- 1 c.c de gingembre hachee
- Des amandes effilees
- ½ c.c sel.
- Poivre

Melanger la farine, le fromage et les oeufs. Delayer avec le lait. Ajouter la levure, sel, poivre et gingembre. Bien melanger. Ajouter le poulet, les olives, les tomates, et la ciboulette. Melanger doucement a fin d’obtenir un mélange homogene. Mettre dans un moule a cake beurre. Couvrir le cake d’amandes effilees et cuire pendant 45 min dans un four prechauffe a 180C. Laisser refroidir dans le moule pendant 10 min puis demouler sur une grille a patisserie. Servir tiede.

Le Marché / The Farmers' Market

I love Spring. The weather is warm, the flowers are blooming, the days are longer and the Downtown Rochester farmers’ Market kicks off. What else could we ask for?

Le Printemps est arrivé / Spring has Sprung

I haven’t been a very active blogger lately. Sometimes you find yourself drawn in the every day life and at the end of the day the only thing you want to do is to get some sleep. I will try to manage my time better.
Usually on weekends I like to cook things that I have never tried before; or give a new twist to an all time favorite but without spending the whole day in the kitchen. It’s the weekend after all!

So when I saw this recipe on the May issue of Food and Wine Magazine, I knew I would give it a try. It looked mouth watering on the picture, the recipe seemed simple and quick to make and it was a healthier approach to the popular Meat Loaf. So Mini Chicken Meat Loaves were going to be our Sunday lunch. Chef Sandro Gamba served it with red pepper sauce and wild rice but not being in the mood for a sauce, I decided to serve it with braised lentils and roasted tomatoes, which worked very well.
The use of sour cream, or cottage cheese in the initial recipe, keeps the chicken meat loaf moist and because chicken is leaner and higher in protein that ground beef, you will gain in nutrition and your waistline will thank you too.

Mini Chicken Meat Loaves

Recipe: adapted from the may issue of Food & Wine magazine
- 2 tbsp extra- virgin olive oil
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ pounds ground lean chicken
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- ½ cup low fat sour cream
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and the onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until, stirring, until softened, about 10 min. Let cool.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and knead until blended. Divide between the prepared pans. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 30 min. Serve with braised lentils and roasted tomatoes.

Mini Cakes de Poulet

In francais please: adaptee du magazine Food & wine, May 2007
- 2 c.s d’huile d’olive
- 1 carotte, finement hachee
- 1 pied de celeri, finement hache
- 1 gousse d’ail, emincee

- 1 gros oignon, finement hache
- 700g de poulet hache
- 2 blanc d’oeufs
- 100g de panko (chapelure japonaise)
- 125g de fromage frais
- 1 c.s de persil, finement hache
- Sel, poivre

Dans une poele, faites chauffer l’huile d’olive. Ajouter la carotte, le celeri, l’ail et l’oignon. Faites cuire sur feu moyen jusqu'à ce qu’ils deviennent tendres, environ 10 min. Laisser refroidir.
Dans un grand recipient, melanger la viande avec les legumes et le reste des ingredients. Assaisonner de sel, poivre et petrir jusqu'à ce que le melange soit homogene. Distribuer entre les moules individuels beurres et faites cuire dans un four prechauffe a 200C pendant 30 min. Servir avec des lentilles braisees et des tomates roties.