Tiramisu Lost and .....found

Hello Bakers,

Early last summer, I forgot to renew my Vimeo subscription and lost all the videos that had been embedded on this blog. It’s been on my list for ages to replace the post and finally here it is.

This is quick and easy. As a bonus there is a recipe for chocolate ladyfingers. They are really delicious.

Of course, store bought ladyfingers work just as well.

Please try this - the method is below and in the video. Any questions, please let me know.

Enjoy your baking!

Colette

Chocolate ladyfingers

68 g egg yolks
34 g sugar
3g vanilla extract
101 g egg whites
56 g sugar
100 g all purpose flour
10g cocoa powder
Before baking topping

Powdered sugar to sprinkle on the ladyfingers before baking.

1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder set aside

2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract at high speed until they are very light and thick and about three times their original volume.

3. In a separate clean bowl, whip the egg whites until they look like cappuccino foam and rain in sugar with the mixer on medium speed. Whip to a firm peak - the angle of the peak should be at 11:30.

4. Gently fold the meringue into the whipped yolks, alternating with the sifted flour and cocoa mixture. Fold in completely, but do not over mix.

5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip, and pipe the ½ of the sponge mix onto a parchment lined sheet pan in strips about 3-4” long and 1” wide.

6. Dust the top of the ladyfingers with sifted powdered sugar before baking.

7. Bake at 375’F for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Store ladyfingers in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Coffee Syrup

227g (8 ounces) water
227g (8 ounces) sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered espresso
2 Tablespoon rum (optional)

1. in a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, whisk to dissolve sugar, when the sugar is dissolved, pull from heat and add the powdered espresso.

   Mascarpone Filling

Mascarpone Mousse Mise en Place

6g (1 1/2 teaspoons) powdered gelatin
30g heavy cream
94g (about 5) egg yolks
112g sugar
4g vanilla extract
227g (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
227g (8 ounces) heavy cream

1. Sprinkle the 6g of powdered gelatin over the 30g heavy cream, stir to combine, and let sit 5 minutes.

2. Over a double boiler, in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the mixture reaches 150 degrees.

3. Attach the bowl to the mixer and using the whisk attachment, add the vanilla, whip the egg yolks and sugar on medium high speed for 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy and pale yellow.

4. Heat gelatin and cream in the microwave for 15 seconds. The gelatin will dissolve. Stop the mixer and add the gelatin mixture to the egg yolks and sugar and mix on high speed for 1 minute.

5. Add the cheese and the heavy cream and mix on medium high speed until the mixture begins to thicken when it gets to soft peaks.

Tiramisu Assembly

8”x 8” pan - glass, ceramic or metal
1. Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee syrup, until well soaked, and create a layer in the bottom - make sure the ladyfingers layer is has no spaces, they can slightly overlap, top with half the mascarpone mousse, dip more ladyfingers in the coffee syrup and create another layer. Top with remaining mousse and smooth top. Cover and chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Garnish top of Tiramisu with sifted cocoa or shaved chocolate before cutting and serving.

Challah for One or Two...aka Baby Challah...

Hello Bakers,

It’s challenging to find a recipe that makes a small sized challah. Challah is designed to be served with family and friends. It is an important part of Shabbat and it served at holidays and special occasions in the Jewish faith. Challah for one or two is almost an oxymoron…

However these days, I am single and I love making challah. I don’t need a challah that can feed six or eight. And this baby challah gives me a chance to braId dough - which I love to do. if you like braid dough and are baking for a small group then try this. The original recipe is the creation of my friend Gena - an amazing baker - she is adamant about the combination of whole egg and egg yolk - the extra bit of egg white protein helps with gluten structure. I heartily concur - this challah has a gorgeous crumb and a beautiful crust.

I have a braiding video (six strands) below - and it’s important to weigh the ingredients and the dough during the scaling process - they really need to be precise.

If not the braids may be less precise and the dough sticky or too dry and all of that is a problem.

Challah is designed to be served with a meal, makes great sandwiches and of course, french toast.

Baby Challah

70g Water - 80 degrees

5g Instant yeast

39g Vegetable oil

30g Egg yolks

38g Whole egg ** (a large egg weighs about 50 grams - beat up one egg and weigh half for the dough and keep the remaining half for the egg wash.)

250g Bread flour

25g Sugar

5g Salt - fine sea salt is best

Egg Wash (use half of remaining egg beaten with a good pinch of salt, strain and refrigerate.)

1. Combine yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit 5 minutes.

2. Add oil, egg yolks and whole eggs, flour, sugar and salt.

3. Mix on low speed for 4 minutes.

4. Mix on medium/low speed for an additional 4 minutes.

5. Knead the dough for 30 seconds - no flour is necessary - just to smooth the dough out.

6. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let bulk ferment (double in volume) for 90 minutes.

7. Gently degas the dough and divide it in 6 equal pieces. The best thing is to weigh the dough and then do the math.

8. Shape each piece into a rough cylinder - then follow the video.

9. Once the challah is shaped, cover lightly with plastic wrap or place in a proofing bag - this is one time not to use the hot water in the bag - extra humidity will cause the strands to become less defined.

10. Let proof at least an hour - it takes quite a while. The challah s proofed when it looks like it has risen about a third. Also squeeze the sides of the challah and the finger impression should stay and not spring back.

11. Halfway through baking preheat the oven to 375.

12. Brush with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake and additional 10 minutes until the loaf is a beautiful deep golden brown and has an internal temperature of 208-210 degrees.

Jiffy Mix Corn Casserole - I never finished the Jiffy MIx Thread...

Remember our first quarantine…baking supplies in short supply, no yeast and empty shelves.

And in all this I rediscovered Jiffy Mix - the little blue and white boxes - last spring they were just about all I could find during quarantine to bake with or post about…

Last week I almost knocked over 5 cases of Jiffy mix stacked up in the baking aisle of my local Ralphs. And as I steadied the boxes…I realized I never finished my story.

Time to finish the story. My spring posts got the attention of the Jiffy Mix historian on Instagram. In one post, I used the original Jiffy Mix Biscuit slogan “So easy a man can make them” in my title. Thinking it was throwing a little shade on guys in the kitchen…

Little did I know…I was so wrong…and the Jiffy Mix historian set me straight. Here is true story behind that slogan. It came from a playdate. Except they didn’t call them playdates in 1930, that term didn’t come along until the 80s.

Here is the real story…back in 1930…Mabel White’s twin boys brought a friend home to play.

(Mabel White was the creator of Jiffy Mixes and owner of the Chelsea Milling Company)

At lunch time the child refused the delicious lunch being served. Insisting instead, on eating the sad, thin hockey puck like biscuits his father had sent with him. Recently widowed, the father was trying to keep up and take care of his children.

Mabel was inspired and wanting to help not only her neighbor make better biscuits but anyone in that situation. She created a mix that required only milk to make perfect biscuits. “Jiffy” mix was born.

That’s the story behind the slogan. I am so happy to set the record straight.

Jiffy Mix today (and for years) has a variety of delicious mixes.

I always have a box of corn muffin mix in my pantry. Recently, my friend Cathy from high school and I were talking about Jiffy mix and she shared her Mom’s Corn Casserole Recipe with me. And I am sharing it now with you. I checked the Jiffy website to see if it was there and it wasn’t. Only here…and so delicious.

Video and recipe below….

Enjoy your baking!

Colette

Mom’s Jiffy Mix Corn Casserole

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

4 ounces butter, must be room temperature

2 eggs

1 16 oz can creamed corn

1 can corn

8 oz plain yogurt or sour cream

6-8 ounce Shredded cheddar cheese 

To Modernize this recipe: as mentioned in the video: Replace the can of corn with 8 ounces of frozen roasted corn (I used Trader joe’s brand) and add 3 green onions, white and green part, minced.

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients except for cheese.  Pour in greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and continue baking for 30-40 minutes. 

Serves 8

Biscotti - Master Recipe...You chose the nuts, the chocolate and the fruit....

Biscotti - a Master Recipe

Years ago, I bought the Fannie Farmer baking book written by Marion Cunningham, it was full of “master recipes” . Base recipes that once master could be customized once the technique was mastered.

Wow - that was for me - if I ever wrote my own baking book that’s how I would write it.

I love giving you master recipes to get creative with. There are a few on the blog - the madeleine master recipe has always won rave reviews.

Here is a master recipe with video for Biscotti using the sponge method. I think you will like it and it uses the sponge method for cookies.

Please let me know how you like these and let me know if you have questions.

Enjoy your baking! - Colette

Biscotti Mise en Place

Biscotti - Master Recipe

In grams and volume - but please use a scale if possible

255g (2 cups) All Purpose Flour

6g (1 teaspoon) Baking Powder

102g (2 each) Eggs

189g (7/8 cup)Sugar

4g Salt (1/2 teaspoon)

6g Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon)

2g Almond Extract (1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 orange or 1 lemon or 1 lime (if desired)

Nuts, Chocolate chips, dried fruit (combined total 57g each)

Garnish: Egg wash (1 egg or 1 egg white beaten well), granulated sugar or sanding sugar (large grain sugar)

Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl, whisk over simmering water until the eggs are warm to the touch and the sugar is almost dissolved (about 120 degrees).

Whip on high speed until thick and pale yellow. This will take several minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment and add the orange zest and vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour in two increments, mixing only until combined on low speed.

Add nuts, dried fruit, inclusions.

Divide dough in half - form into logs and place on a parchment lined baking tray.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar - optional.

Logs may be chilled for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350 until firm and golden brown.

Let cool and then slice into ½” slices.

Place cut side down on sheet pans.

Toast at 275 until toasted and a light golden brown.

Biscotti keep for weeks in an airtight container.