Layered Vanilla Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies!

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Unfortunately my computer broke recently (initially thought to be a virus but now it looks like a problem with the hard disk) and I dont have a quick access to any of my pictures! I am just heartbroken because I had put in a lot of effort into these layered pannacotta!! I am trying really hard to recover atleast some of my pictures! Lesson learned for not backing up stuff! Stay tuned and I will post them asap, if I am able to recover them!

UPDATE: I was able to get the pictures that I had posted on Daring Baker's forum. There were a lot of other pictures on my computer. I will try to recover them as soon as I get a chance.

VERDICT: This recipe for pannacotta is simply awesome!! I was not too excited when I first knew of the challenge, but this challenge resulted in such an awesome creamy smooth dessert, I fell in love with pannacotta all over again! The gelee that I made was using Pom Pomegranate-Blueberry juice and the tart gelee worked magic with the smooth creamy and dreamy pannacotta. You can work wonders with the presentation and will leave you satisfied with the results!

The florentine cookies were also amazing! Again, I was not too thrilled about oat cookies, but these were really delicious crisp cookies! The ease of prep work is also something to be mentioned! I will definitely make them again!

Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta


Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is
cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let
stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
2. Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot,
but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).
3. Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and
stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
5. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.


Chocolate Panna Cotta:

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

2 cups (480 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)

½ cup (115 gm) (4 oz) sugar

¾ cup (145 gm)(5 oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the top, set aside for 2-5 minutes.

2. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a low boil.

3. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk the milk/gelatin mixture into chocolate cream mixture. Whisk until gelatin has dissolved.

4. Transfer to ramekins, or nice glasses for serving.

5. Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Nestle Florentine Cookies:

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter

2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats

1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar

2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour

1/3 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup

1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat.

2. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.

Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

4. While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).

5. Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).

6. Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

Coffee Gelée:

Adapted from this recipe in Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:

2 cups (480 ml) good quality brewed coffee

1/4 cup (60 ml) hot water + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water

1/2 cup (120 ml) (115 gm) (4 oz) granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place granulated sugar and 1/4 c. hot water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons cold water and let it soften 2 minutes or so.

3. Stir the coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla into a small metal bowl, add gelatin mixture and stir well until gelatin has dissolved. If pouring over Panna Cotta, be sure that this mixture is no longer hot, it will melt Panna Cotta if it is, let it come to room temperature.

Fruit Gelée:

Recipe by Mallory

Ingredients:

1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mango, blackberry, etc.)

*Note: Certain fruits interact with gelatin and stop it gelling like pineapple and kiwi etc.

3 tablespoons (45 ml) water

1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

Directions:

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water.

2. Place fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Now mix the gelatin into the strawberry mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool (close to room temp, again, if you're planning on layering on pouring on top of your Panna Cotta, a hot mixture will also heat up your chilled Panna Cotta).

Failed French Macaroons aka Awesome Meringue Cookies!!

Finally, the long awaited moment is here.. revealing the DB challenge for the month of October - French Macaroons!! I was really excited about the challenge because once again, this was a first for me. I have seen all these cute pictures of macaroons all over the blogosphere, but I had never dared to attempt them, ever..... But I only got a chance to try the DB recipe out over the last wekeend.

I attempted the recipe once on Saturday. I made 3/5 of the recipe (with 3 egg whites). The eggs were left at room temperature overnight and I followed the recipe to my knowledge. But as I was piping the macaroons I knew they were not the right consistency because the meringue was spreading too much. So I ended up with a lot of flat delicious thin cookies, rather than macaroons. But they didnt sit out for too long, as lil LM and I stuffed them in our mouths, moments after they were taken out of the oven.

The second attempt was on Sunday. Once again I made 3/5 of the recipe, and didnt overfold the batter. The pipings were kind of thick, but still spread a bit. But once again the baked products was cake-like, kind of flat and crisp on the sides and chewy in the middle. I had to resign to the fact that this recipe was not going to work for me. But I decided that I will post this attempt anyways because I tried this out twice and nevertheless, the results were quite delicious!! I was really happy that my lil girl who doesnt like most of the stuff, loved these!

I sandwiched them with chocolate ganache and drizzled a bit of ganache on top to make these really awesome meringue cookies. They were really delicious, kind of chewy and really sweet!! I really doubt I will make this recipe again, but I definitely would try to make Tartelette's macaroons, as suggested by many of the DB members, sometime soon!! Thanks Ami for choosing these macaroons for the challenge, but unfortunately they didnt work for me.

VERDICT:

The recipe didnt work for me, but the results were really delicious. The components that go into the recipe really works well together. I believe my meringue and macaroon making skills need a lot of polishing. Either my technique of folding the macaroons were wrong or my proportions in reducing the recipe was off. I bet that this recipe would give good results for experienced macaroon makers, but for a novice like me, it didnt yield good results. I would like to try a sure-bet recipe soon and feature that recipe on Tasty treats!!



The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Mandatory:

-Make Claudia Fleming’s recipe for macaroons
-Fill and sandwich the macaroons

Optional:
-Flavor variations and decoration
-If you have a nut allergy, find a good nutless meringue cookie recipe but you must make them into cookie sandwiches with some kind of filling

If you are vegan, I don’t know what you can use as an egg substitute. Suggestions are welcome.

Preparation time: Not taking into account the amount of time it takes for you to bring your egg whites to room temperature, the whole baking process, including making the batter, piping and baking will probably take you about an hour to an hour and a half. How long it takes to make your filling is dependent on what you choose to make.

Actual baking time: 12 minutes total, plus a few minutes to get your oven from 200°F to 375°F.

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.



5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami's note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons.

Thank you for visiting Tasty treats! Check out all my previous successful Daring Bakers Challenge here. Do check out the awesome french macaroons by other DBers here.

Milan Cookies and Mallows - Being a Daring Baker!!

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. Oh yes, this month we had two challenges - two recipes to battle it out with, or choose one of them as we please. I have always loved the Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies and so I had no question in my mind about the recipe that I will definitely try out. After the delectable pictures of the mallow cookies posted on our private DB forum, I was tempted to try those out as well!!

But once again, I was pressed for time to complete my challenge this month! Being sick for almost half the month of July didnt help matters either. So I decided that I will make the Milan cookies and then attempt the mallow cookies with store-bought marshmallows.

My experience :

I started my challenge just this last weekend. The batter for Milan Cookies was pretty straight- forward to prepare and was easy to pipe out. I used only vanilla extract to make the cookie batter and used 4 tbsp of that. I reduced the oven temperature to 325F. At first I piped them out on wax paper, but it started smoking a lot. The cookies were also a bit tough to separate from the wax paper. So I asked JM to get me some parchment paper, which he did quickly. Thanks to him, I had an easy time getting my cookies off the baking tray.

I also attempted to pipe the batter in several different ways using the 1/4" piping tip and found that three lines made the cookies the right size with the perfect oval shape. But I should say that the cookies baked on the wax paper were much crispier than the ones on the parchment paper.

I used Lindt 70% cacoa chocolate to fill the Milan cookies. Since I read from the forum that many DBers had cookies with cake-ish texture the next day, I left the cookies out so that they may remain crisp. But still, the next day, many of them were chewy rather than crisp. Nevertheless, the cookies were delicious and in great demand. Eventhough the dark chocolate ganache was a little too bitter when tasted on its own turned out excellent when coupled with the sweet Milan cookies. I omitted the orange zest in the cookie filling.

My only concern is the consistency in the shape of the cookies which may be helped if a stencil is used. Maybe the next time I will try spreading the batter using a stencil, rather than piping on the baking tray.

Milan Cookies

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.

2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.

4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.

5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.

6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.

7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.

8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).

9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.

10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

The second element of our challenge, if we opted to do, was to make Mallows which were Chocolate covered marshmallow cookies. Once again, the cookie recipe was very easy to follow and great to work with. I used a star shaped cookie cutter and a small wine glass mouth to cut out the cookies. I just didnt want to attempt the home-made marshmallows because I just couldnt find the time. So I bought some jet-puffed marshmallows and some marshmallow cream.

I halved the cookie recipe and proceeded to make the cookies. I baked the cookies for about 7 minutes in a 350F oven until golden brown. The cookies were allowed to cool and I placed small mint melts on them. I piped the marshmallow cream so as to cover the mini-kisses shaped mint melts. Immediately I could see that the marshmallow cream was not going to hold its shape. The cream overflowed from the top of the cookies. So I just sprinkled a bit of round sprinkles on them and they looked stunning (but no pictures, though). Most of the star shaped cookies were done in this way, so I have none of them to display.

Then I decided to experiment with the jet-puffed mallows. I cut them in half, placed them on top of the cookies with a chocolate covered raisin on top. Then I put them in microwave for 3 seconds each so that the mallows would stick to the cookies.

I didnt have any more semisweet or dark chocolate at home, so I decided to use the cherry chocolate chips that I had at home. I wanted to make a cherry - white chocolate swirl on top the mallows. But when I mixed the white chocolate with the cherry chips, there were no swirls left. By then, my patience was also running thin, so I just dipped the mallow cookies in the melted cherry chips and left them to dry/harden (which they didnt as much as I would've liked). Some of the dipped mallow cookies were topped with sprinkles as well. Anyways, once they were easier to handle, I melted a bit more of the white chocolate and drizzled on top of the cherry mallows.

Eventhough I am not very happy with how my mallows turned out (I know, I shouldve gone with home-made marshmallows!), they were surprisingly very delicious. I am saying this because I really dont like the marshmallows alone, but the whole thing works well and is just an explosion of flavors and textures in your mouth! I feel a bit guilty saying this, but I think this turned out to be my favorite in taste and texture, though not in execution or ease.

Check out my final picture to see the cherry chocolate glaze, the white marshmallow, the chocolate covered raisin and my mallow cookie which all came together to make this wonderful flavorful piece of heaven!!

Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.

2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.

3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.

4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.

8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.

11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.

12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.

4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.

5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.

6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

* You can either do both recipes or just choose one.

Thanks for reading my post. You can check out my previous Daring Bakers Challenges - all 13 of them here. Please do visit the other Daring Bakers to check out their cookies at the Daring Bakers blogroll.

Thanks again and have a great week ahead!!

Tuile twists for Daring Bakers Challenge!!

The Daring Baker hosts for the month of January 2009 dug up an awesome challenge for the Daring Bakers across the world.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

After the sugar-high challenges of last year, they decided to go with something light - Tuiles. So what do you think tuiles are?

Traditionally, tuiles are thin, crisp almond cookies that are gently molded over a rolling pin or arched form while they are still warm. Once set, their shape resembles the curved French roofing tiles for which they're named. The Dutch angle: traditionally this batter was used to bake flat round cookies on 31st December, representing the year unfold. On New Years day however, the same batter was used but this day they were presented to well-wishers shaped as cigars and filled with whipped cream, symbolizing the New Year that's about to roll on. And of course the batter is sometimes called tulip-paste.

We were required to use one of the batters given (including a savory one!), shape it either prior to or right after baking and pair it with something light; fruit, sorbet, a mousse, or maybe even a fruit soup, think glazes or dips.



My experience:

This month had so long been really hectic for me. I had some stuff coming up so I had to prepare for it. I was super-busy this month. But I really was happy to see that this month's challenge seemed simple enough. So I didnt want to miss out on this awesome challenge at all. As each day passed, it got crazier and I couldnt find enough time to try my hands on the recipe. Anyways, I hadnt done it even by the posting date - today!! But I decided not to miss my chance and planned to make the tuiles today! Atleast I have till the end of the day! I knew I wouldnt have enough time to prepare an accompaniment to the tuiles, so I had some store-bought icecream on stand-by! ;-)

I had so many ideas for the tuiles - tuile cigars dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles, maybe a few filled ones too, tuile cups, cones and so on.... So many ideas and too little time. I couldnt even plan ahead on my stencils! Anyways, tried a few stencils on different materials ranging from cut-outs in parchment paper itself to cardboards and paper plates. The designs ranged from oval ones to butterflies to thin strips. Preparing the batter went uneventfully, it is one of the easiest batters to whip up. I refrigerated the prepared batter for exactly 30 minutes. A bit of the batter was mixed with cocoa powder to make the dark colored batter.

The first batch went in, being shaped using oval stencils. I left them in for 5 minutes and out came some crisp, almost burnt (brown all through) tuiles. So I gobbled them up then and there. There were delicious, not at all burnt and crisp! I shouldve saved them!! So the second batch onwards went in for probably 3 minutes each. I also had an idea of how fast they cool down and loose their pliablity so started working on just a couple of tuiles at a time. I tried out almost all the different stecils that were so unprofessionally made (by me!). Finally I could salvage just enough to take some pictures.

Verdict:

The ones I loved the most were the tuile twists shaped on the handle of a wooden spatula. I loved the taste of these tuiles, their design and their looks. Such a simple tuile dressed up the icecream so dramatically!! I dont regret not making spectacular ones because I am happy I somehow got to do this challenge and I know I had my time restrictions! I would definitely make these again, probably also try my luck with the savory ones too, once I get time to make some cute stencils!



Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

Recipe:

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable. If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones….



Alternative Baking:

Either un-glutenize the batter given substituting the flour for any nut meal or oat flour, or as an alternative use one of the following batters below:

Nougatine:

From Michel Roux: Finest Desserts

5.1/4 cups / 500 grams sliced almonds
(or 4.1/3 cups/500 grams slivered almonds)
3.1/3 cups / 660 grams sugar
4 tbs / 60 grams butter (optional)
2 tbs oil (vegetable, sunflower, peanut)

Makes 2.3/4 lbs/1.2 kgs! (This is the yield of the recipe given in the book, feel free to downsize!)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Preheat oven: 180C/350F

Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Cook the sugar in a heavy based saucepan over low heat, stirring gently and continuously with a spatula, until it melts to a light golden caramel. Add the almonds and stir over low heat for 1 minute, then stir in the butter until completely absorbed. (This is not essential, but will give the nougat an added sheen) Pour the nougatine onto an oiled baking sheet.

Shaping: place a bakingsheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable. Work with one piece at a time, of a size appropriate to the shape you want. Roll out each piece on a warm, lightly oiled baking sheet or lightly oiled marbled surface. It is essential to work quickly, since the nougatine rapidly becomes brittle. Heat the nougatine in a microwave oven for a few seconds only to soften it if needed. Roll the nougatine into the appropriate thickness for your desired shape, but never thicker than 1/8 inch or 3 mm. Quickly cut out your chosen shapes using cookie cutters, or the blade or heel of a chef’s knife. To mold the nougatine, drape it very rapidly over the mold so that it follows the shape and contours. Leave until completely cold before removing from the mold. Or, cut out and using your fingers or a knife, push into folds or pleats… use as a basket, twirl round a knitting needle..

Nougatine based shapes can be made two or three days in advance, Keep them in a very dry place and do not fill with something like a mousse more than 2 hours prior to serving.

Chocolate Tuiles

Michel Roux’s Finest Desserts
Makes 30
Preparation time: 15 minutes!

9 oz/250 grams dark or white couverture or best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup/75 gr slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

Temper the couverture, and stir in the toasted almonds. Place the template on a sheet of rodoïde (or use a clean sheet of sturdy plastic such as a folder) and fill with about 1 tbs of the mixture. Repeat the process a little distance away from the first one. As soon as you have 5 tuiles fit, slide them onto a mold or rolling pin (side of a glass) to curve. Let cool completely, lift tuiles off the plastic only after the chocolate has set and just before serving, so that they keep their shine.

Savory tuile/cornet recipe

From Thomas Keller "the French Laundry Cookbook"

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (65 grams/2.1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (= 2/3 teaspoon table salt)**
8 tablespoons (114 grams/4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
2 large egg whites, cold
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter until it is completely smooth and mayonnaise-like in texture. Using a stiff spatula or spoon, beat the egg whites into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated and smooth. Whisk in the softened butter by thirds, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary and whisking until the batter is creamy and without any lumps. Transfer the batter to a smaller container, as it will be easier to work with. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make a 4-inch hollow circular stencil. Place Silpat on the counter (it is easier to work on the Silpat before it is put on the sheet pan). Place the stencil in one corner of the sheet and, holding the stencil flat against the Silpat, scoop some of the batter onto the back of an offset spatula and spread it in an even layer over the stencil. Then run the spatula over the entire stencil to remove any excess batter. After baking the first batch of cornets, you will be able to judge the correct thickness. You may need a little more or less batter to adjust the thickness of the cornets. There should not be any holes in the batter. Lift the stencil and repeat the process to make as many rounds as you have molds or to fill the Silpat, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cornets. Sprinkle each cornet with a pinch of black sesame seeds.

Place the Silpat on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the batter is set and you see it rippling from the heat. The cornets may have browned in some areas, but they will not be evenly browned at this point. Open the oven door and place the baking sheet on the door.*** This will help keep the cornets warm as you roll them and prevent them from becoming too stiff to roll. Flip a cornet over on the sheet pan, sesame seed side down and place 4-1/2 inch cornet mold at the bottom of the round. If you are right-handed, you will want the pointed end on your left and the open end on your right. The tip of the mold should touch the lower left edge (at about 7 o'clock on a clock face) of the cornet. Fold the bottom of the cornet and around the mold; it should remain on the sheet pan as you roll. Leave the cornet wrapped around the mold and continue to roll the cornets around molds; as you proceed, arrange the rolled cornets, seams side down, on the sheet pan so they lean against each other, to prevent from rolling. When all the cornets are rolled, return them to the oven shelf, close the door, and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to set the seams and color the cornets a golden brown. If the color is uneven, stand the cornets on end for a minute or so more, until the color is even. Remove the cornets from the oven and allow to cool just slightly, 30 seconds or so. Gently remove the cornets from the molds and cool for several minutes on paper towels. Remove the Silpat from the baking sheet, wipe the excess butter from it, and allow it to cool down before spreading the next batch. Store the cornets for up to 2 days (for maximum flavor) in an airtight container.

Dont forget to check out the creations of the other talented bakers in the Daring Bakers Fairyland!!

UPDATE ON SANTA'S HOLIDAY CHALLENGE:

I am pleased to announce that the final phase of voting for Santa's Holiday Challenge was closed last Sunday, January 25. I will be announcing the winners soon, most probably by the start of next week. I have been caught up in a bit of work, so please forgive the delay. Thanks to all of you who supported me and my endeavor by sending in entries and voting for your favorites! See ya all next week with the results!!

Santa's Holiday Challenge - Round-up

As you all know I was hosting my first event on Tasty treats - Santa's Holiday Challenge. It was an event all about desserts for Santa and indeed it turned out to be an impressive array of desserts. I am happy to let you all know that "Santa is pleased!!". Thanks a lot for each one of you for the overwhelming response to my event.

I received a rush of entries, 69 to be exact! There were cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, pies, puddings, tarts and anything else one could think of. I sure was excited to see the enthusiastic response of all my fellow bloggers, some of whom are new to me. Many of the entries were from my friends from the blogsphere, whose blogs I adore! But this event made me familiar with some extraordinary blogs of which I was not aware of previously. I am also elated about the diversity of the desserts that you all had whipped up.

I should give a special mention to Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, who sent in 8 entries, followed by Soma of eCurry with 4 entries!! A few of the other talented bakers follow with 3 entries each! Thanks a lot for your enthusiastic support, dear friends!

As you all know, this was intended to be a competition- a Santa's giveaway, and it will be. Once the round-up is up and everybody gets a chance to go through it, the judging will start. Whats better than choosing your own favorites and giving a New Year's gift to your friends! More details at the end of the post.

Lets not wait any further! Here's the round-up of the awesome and creative desserts that I received from all of you. Thank you once again for making my wish come true and making this event a great success!! Please dont forget to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts and suggestions!

Creative Cookies :

All the crispies, chewies, cuties, crinklies, decorated and non-decorated ones.... There's one for everyone! Many of them are Oatmeal cookies, there are eggless ones too. Decorated ones, chocolate ones, novelty cookies, you name it, its here!! Cookies which we have grown to love, and those which are a great new addition to our favourites.. All of them make great Home-made Holiday treats to one's friends and family!

1. Eggless Lowfat Almond and Oats Cookie from Divya of ...and a little bit more.

2. Almond Coconut Cookies from Anu Sriram of Chandrabhaga.

3. Cookies filled with jam and nuts from Happy Cook of My Kitchen treasures.

4. Vegan Rice Krispies Oatmeal Cookies from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

5. Vegan Choco-oats Cookies from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

6. Oatmeal Cookies in a Jiffy!! (No-bake) from Sukanya of Sukanya's Musings.

7. Snowflake cookies from Soma of eCurry.

8. Benne biscuits from Kalai of Samaithu Paarkalaam.

9. Eggless Oat Cookies from Kalai of Samaithu Paarkalaam.

10. Oats and Dates Cookies from Mahimaa of Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

11. Oatmeal Cookies with a surprise from Preety of Preety's Kitchen.

12. Peanut Butter Cookies from Sukanya Ramkumar of Hot n' Sweet Bowl.

13. Walnut Crunchies from Poonam of Poonam's Kitchen.

14. Christmas Cookies from Uma of Essence of Andhra.

15. Eggless Butter Cookies from Renuka of Fusion.

16. Chocolate Crinkles from Harini of Tongue-ticklers.

17. Eggless Pudding Cookies from Madhuram of Eggless Cooking.

18. Jam Thumbprint Cookies from Mansi of Fun and Food Cafe.

19. Chocolate Nutella Cookies from Mansi of Fun and Food Cafe.

20. Eggless Chocolate Cookies from Gayathri Gopinath of My Adigemane.

21. Holiday Lights Cookie tree from Aquadaze of Served with Love.

22. Cranberry & Apricot Swirl Cookies from Purva Desai of Purva's Daawat.

23. Dark Chocolate Pecan Cookies from Yasmeen of Healthnut.

24. Thumbprint Cookies from Sowmya of Creative Saga.

Decadent Cakes :

Since it was the Christmas season, there are a lot of Christmas Fruit Cakes which seems to be very popular among our bloggers! But there are other options too, ranging from Stocking cakes to Red Velvet Cakes to Yule logs to Cheesecakes, even including a microwave cake! One could take a tip or two from some of the elaborately decorated cakes, but it also gives an idea that simplicity is also fantastic, especially for fruit cakes! There must be something here to please everybody, dont you think!?

1. Christmas Fruit Cake from Cham of Spice-club.

2. Spiced Cranberry Raisin Bundt Cake from Soma of eCurry.

3. Red Velvet Fruit Cake from Roopa of My Kitchen treats.

4. Fruit Cake from Aparna of Sumi's Weblog.

5. Chocolate Christmas Cake from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

6. Vegan Date Cake from Laavanya of Cookery Corner.

7. Apple Cake from Kalai of Samaithu Paarkalaam.

8. Rich Fruit Christmas Cake from Swapna Mickey of Swapna's Cuisine.

9. Eggless Vanilla Cake from EC of Simple Indian Food.

10. Eggless Tutti Fruity Cake (in microwave!) from Ramya of Pennin(g) my Cooking.

11. Christopsomo from Soma of eCurry.

12. Pineapple Upside-down Cake from Susan of Foodblogga.

13. Rich Rum Fruit Cake from Soma of eCurry.

14. Christmas Fruit Cake from Chandani of Chai's Corner.

15. Christmas Stocking Cake from Aquadaze of Serving with Love.

16. Christmas Cake from Divya Kudua of Easy Cooking.

17. Yule log from Aquadaze of Serving with Love.

18. Tropical Cheesecake from Gopi Shah of Health N Taste.

19. Rich Fruit Christmas Cake from Swapna Mickey of Swapna's Cuisine.

20. Apple Tatin Cake from Ranjeetha of Ranji's Kitchen Corner.

21. Christmas Fruits & Nuts Savarin Cake from Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

Delicious Custards & Puddings:

Hmm... Who could not love the Custards and Puddings, ranging from the all-time favourites like Caramel custard to bread pudding to creative originals like berrylicious desserts and ones dunk in chocolate!! There are quick ones, easy ones and elegant ones, one for every occasion!!

1. Very Berry Surprise from Purva Desai of Purva's Daawat.

2. Bread Milk Pudding from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

3. Layers of Chocolate Delight from Anupama of Food-n-more.

4. Fruit Custard from EC of Simple Indian Food.

5. Caramel Custard (Flan) from Vandana of Cooking up something nice.

6. Caramel Pudding from Sudeshna Banerjee of Here I Cook.

7. Quick Pudding from Renuka of Fusion.

Cuddly Cupcakes, Muffins, Tarts & Pies:

Christmas spirit had the creativity flowing in our dear friends with cute Christmas-sy snow-y cupcakes, healthy muffins (seems like orange flavor is a hit among us!), elaborate tarts and the famous Lemon Meringue Pie. There is also a healthy challah bread and home-made cinnamon rolls from our friends!!

1. Christmas Cupcakes from HappyCook of My Kitchen Treasures.

2. Christmas Cupcakes from Uma of Essence of Andhra.

3. Let It Snow Cupcakes from Bharti Khemani of Veggie Foodist.

4. Christmas Morning Muffins from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

5. Home-made Cinnamon Rolls from Kara Stevenson of What's Kookin'.

6. Fruit Challah from Yasmeen of Healthnut.

7. Eggless Orange Muffin from Archana Pritish of Archy's Recipe Book.

8. Almond Orange Muffins from Yasmeen of Healthnut.

9. French Apple Tart from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

10. Lemon Meringue Pie from Swapna Mickey of Swapna's Cuisine.

Irresistible Fudge, Bars & Brownies:

Chewy, sticky, gooey fudges, bars and brownies are the best medicine for a sugar-sick soul! But many of our friends prove that there can be healthy options too! There are ones with fruits, chocolate, nuts - eggless ones and sugar free ones - ones that can be made quickly in the microwave too - familiar ones and new flavors!!

1. Dates and Nut Fudge from Mahimaa of Indian Vegetarian Kitchen.

2. Khajur (Dates) Ladoo from Chandani of Chai's Corner.

3. Rice Krispies Bars from Priya Suresh of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

4. Decadent Eggless Cookie Bars from Madhuram of Eggless Cooking.

5. Chocolate Chip Fudge Brownies from Navita Hakim of Zaayeka.

6. Banana brownies from Navita Hakim of Zaayeka.

7. Chocolate and Walnut Brownies from Purva Desai of Purva's Daawat.

8. Sizzling Brownies (in the microwave!!) from Preeti of Khaugiri.

Santa's Holiday Challenge giveaway - details:

Because of the high number of entries, the judging will be done in two stages. The entries would be classified into 5 as in the round-up. There will be a voting poll on my blog next week for each of these 5 categories. Please pick 3 from each category - the ones you find to be the best. At the end of the first poll, the top 3 entries from each category will be put to vote again, to decide the winners.

The first prize winner will get a $20 gift card, the second place winner will win a $10 gift card and the third place winner will be featured on Tasty treats!

In short:

1. Vote for your 3 favourite entries in each of the five categories.

2. Please check back for the final voting list with 15 entries.

3. Vote again to pick our winners!!

The first voting starts on 12:00 AM Tuesday, 13 January and will be open till 11:59 PM Sunday 18 January. The date for the second voting will be announced as soon as the poll is compiled.

Thanks again for all the support. Have a great day!!