Maple Mousse in Sweet Potato Chips with Bacon Crisps

Did I have you at "Maple Mousse"? Or was it "Sweet Potato Chip"? If one of those lip-licking titles got you, then I bet the "bacon" part made your finger hit the "go to" key, right?

Maple Mousse in Sweet Potato Chips

w/ Bacon Crisps
The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container.

I've been having a blast cooking along with the Daring Cooks and the Daring Bakers every month for almost 2 years. This month, for the first time, the two challenges worked together and asked us to create "edible containers." For the Daring Cooks we make savories, and now for the Daring Bakers we're making sweets.

Mousse is a very simple and validating dessert to make for yourself, family or guests. There is just a bit of prep, then you toss the whole thing in the refrigerator for when you need it. Mousse can be served in a glass by itself or garnished, and you can also use it as a filling for chocolates, cakes, cookies, or tarts.
I make a lot of small appetizers or nibbles in my catering life, and Sweet Potato chips are handy and healthy (not to mention delicious) edible containers. Bacon crisps for a garnish seemed like the perfect topper to the combo of maple and sweet potato. I'd love to say that I ate a few of these, but that would be a giant understatement.

RECIPE: Maple Mousse

1 cup (240 ml/ 8 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup (not maple-flavored syrup)
4 large egg yolks
1 package (7g/1 tbsp.) unflavored gelatine
1 1/2 cups (360 ml. g/12 fluid oz) whipping cream

Directions:
1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle).
3. Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed.
4. Measure 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatine. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a microwave for 45 seconds (microwave for 10 seconds at a time and check it in between) or place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stir to ensure the gelatine has completely dissolved.
5. Whisk the gelatine/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.
6. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour or until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white.
7. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour.
8. Remove from the fridge and divide equally among your edible containers.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chips

1 large Sweet Potato (peeled and thin sliced with a mandoline)
1) Preheat oven to 350F, place slices on parchment lined baking sheet.
2) Bake for 8 minutes, remove slices to a small muffin tin or an egg crate ceramic (as seen above) and continue to bake for about 4-8 more minutes until crisp (they crisp more while cooling.)

(There is also a quick way to make Sweet Potato Chips in the microwave.)

Allow the Sweet Potato Chips to cool, then fill with cooled Mousse (using a pastry bag and star tip), then garnish with crisp bacon pieces.

Thanks for stopping by :D

Joconde Imprime Entremet with Nutella Mousse - Daring Bakers 1-11

Joconde is a french term (after the Mona Lisa) used for a light spongy cake that has a design within the cake.

Entremet is a french term that in contemporary times has come to mean a decorated cake, fancifully ornate or multi layered.

I loved reading about the term, entremet. In ancient times, beginning in Rome, it was a moment during the meal that included "entertainment" to please the palate. It started out as simple porridge that had the colors of imported saffron and eventually turned into chickens and animals dressed like the host, or people popping out of elaborate cakes and musicians delivering the food. What an amazing party, right?

Almond Jocande Entremet

w/ Nutella Mousse, Espresso Ganache & Cherry Gelee
The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

One lesson I've learned in life: You can not rush excellence. One lesson I learned during this past Daring Baker's challenge: You can not rush excellence. Hmmm, you'd think I'd get it by now, but I just keep being taught the same lesson over and over. I loved making this Jocande Imprime Entremet, but I'll be honest with you; I rushed it. I can't wait to take what I've learned and try many other designs and more difficult fillings. I am hooked on the technique, and I will master it, just wait and see. :D

The recipe reads a lot more difficult that it really is to make. That being said, like a lot of the Daring Baker's Challenges - if you read it through and take it in step by step, visualizing along the way - you'll be great. My rush came in trying to fit it into a busy week of other deadlines and getting frustrated because I wanted to DO more than I had time to play around with. Ever have that happen? Just as soon as I have a "play-time", I have a million other ideas I want to try using this technique. Ohhh, I can't wait.Until then, YOU play and let me know how it comes out. On the Daring Baker's site, you'll see some spectacular cakes from many cooks who had never made one of these before, truly inspiring.
So, basically - you are making a recipe for a paste that you use to paint/draw or scribble with. It's very simple to make and then you can pipe it onto a silpat (that you lay on the back of a sheet-pan so there are no sides to bother you.) You freeze the drawing, design, scribbles, words - whatever-EVER you'd like to make and when it's hard, you pour this really easy-to-make batter... ...over the top very thinly and then bake it at a high temp. for a very short time.

(the batter should be put on a lot thinner than I have it here *see below*)

The "paste" cooks into the "batter" as they both heat, and VOILA you have a design within your thin sheet cake (these were supposed to be flowers, but I drew them way too thick and too close together because I was rushing and not thinking ahead -- NOTE: do NOT do that :D )** oven smoking while the thick -- way too thick -- sponge cake drips over and off my pan onto the oven floor. Note: Do NOT do that :D ***

Then, you cut the thin sheet cake into strips, wrap those around the inside of a parchment paper lined mold and fill the mold with mousse, ice cream, pudding, ganache, jams, other cake, cookie crumbs - you name it (as long as it can hold up a bit) for serving chilled. It's a magnificent technique and unique to everyone that makes it.
RECIPE:
Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two 1⁄2 size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan
Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
11⁄2 cups plus11⁄2 tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
13⁄4 cup/ 420ml/ 73⁄4 oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation:
Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g.
Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:
1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.
3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.
5. Bake at 475oF /250oC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. (NOTE:** too hot and too long - try 400 for only 6 minutes**) You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.
6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and
pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two 1⁄2 size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan
Ingredients:

3⁄4 cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 22⁄3 oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
1⁄4 cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour
3 large eggs - about 51⁄3 oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
21⁄2 teaspoons/ 121⁄2 ml/ 1⁄3 oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and
light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in
remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in melted butter.

Preparing the Joconde for Molding:
Video: MUST WATCH THIS. This is a very good demo of the joconde and filling the entremets:

1. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
2. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is 1⁄2 the height of your mold.
This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full
height.
3. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)


This recipe looks more complicated than it is to really put together (you know the French; simple in their complexity and complex in their simplicity.) It's also a whole lot of fun, designing and dreaming of what you'd like to put on your cake.

Matcha Green Tea Sugared Doughnuts - Daring Bakers 10/10

I may never wake up from the coma I have gone into while taste-testing these doughnuts.

Matcha Green Tea Sugared Doughnuts

Let's be honest - soft yeast risen dough,

fried in quality oil (at a temperature that creates a crispy nutty flavored shell without taking in too much grease), and then quick shaken in a mixture of earthy Matcha Green Tea powder and organic cane sugar - it's impossible to just nibble. After several of these jeweled pillows of sweetness, I can most assuredly tell you - OH MY GOSH they are so good!

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

From what I've read, there are several stories about how the original doughnut started. The one that I like has the Dutch frying up left over bread pieces (love resourcefulness), but the centers were often undercooked. Home cooks (always thinking) filled the dough-heavy centers with nuts to balance the problem. Hello, "Dough-nuts".
Then, according to more of the stories, there was a sailor captain who didn't like the nuts his mom had put in these sweet breads she had sent with him on a mission, so he punched those out and stacked the breads on his ship's wooden wheel prong. Hello, "hole in the middle".

(If this story has any truth, my teenage son may be on to something with his quaint way of removing all the beans from every stew I cook. Maybe someday the beans removed will be some kind of weird snack food called "Stew-Aways"?)

My favorite recipe, given by Daring Bakers for doughnuts, was by Alton Brown. This recipe is amazingly easy to follow and very successful.

For the sugared topping, I used equal amounts of Matcha Green Tea Powder and Organic cane sugar. While the doughnuts are still warm, I simply tossed them in the tea/sugar combo and let rest on a plate.
I also glazed a few of them with a glaze mixture that closely resembled Krispy Kreme style glazing:


SWEET GLAZE:

1/3 cup milk, heated in a saucepan with 1 tsp. vanilla or caramel flavoring
Whisk in about 2 cups powdered sugar til creamy and smooth.
Dip each doughnut into the glaze, then drain on parchment or a rack.


Yeast Doughnuts: (adapted from Alton Brown)

Preparation time:
Hands on prep time - 25 minutes Rising time - 1.5 hours total Cooking time - 12 minutes
Yield: 20 to 25 doughnuts & 20 to 25 doughnut holes, depending on size
Ingredients

Milk 1.5 cup / 360 ml
Vegetable Shortening 1/3 cup / 80 ml / 70 gm / 2.5 oz (can substitute butter, margarine or lard)
Active Dry Yeast 4.5 teaspoon (2 pkgs.) / 22.5 ml / 14 gm / 1⁄2 oz
Warm Water 1/3 cup / 80 ml (95°F to 105°F / 35°C to 41°C)
Eggs, Large, beaten 2
White Granulated Sugar 1⁄4 cup / 60 ml / 55 gm / 2 oz
Table Salt 1.5 teaspoon / 7.5 ml / 9 gm / 1/3 oz
Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp. / 5 ml / 6 gm / 1⁄4 oz
All Purpose Flour 4 2/3 cup / 1,120 ml / 650 gm / 23 oz + extra for dusting surface
Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil
(can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Directions:
1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)
2. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5
minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first
making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.
4. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one),
combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat
until well combined.
5. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.
6. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the
bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not
have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
7. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
8. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch (9 mm)thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured
otherwise your doughnuts will stick to the counter).
9. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch (22
mm) ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.
11. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brown (my
doughnuts only took about 30 seconds on each side at this temperature). 12. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

More Chocolate and Ice Cream, Please - Daring Bakers August 2010

I know. More chocolate and ice cream? Well, yeah. Can there BE too much chocolate and ice cream?

Chocolate Glazed Limoncello Ice Cream Petit Fours

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

This month I have been home for about 8 days out of 30, so this Daring Baker's challenge kinda snuck up on me. Oh, waaa waaa, I had to make cake and ice cream - may all my problems be like this!
The cake used in the Petite Four was a Brown Butter Pound cake (I know, right?) and it took a lot to not just eat the pan of the nutty-buttery smelling pound of heaven, before even finishing this project. I definitely recommend giving this recipe a whirl. Also, check out all the recipes and other pics at the Daring Kitchen right here.
I chose to add the Limoncello Ice Cream to this as a "Ciao" to my friend, Erika, who is studying in Perugia right now and LOVES all things lemon with chocolate. She swears there used to be a lollipop that was lemon with the chocolate center, but no one else agrees. Do you remember one like that?

Ice Cream Cake; It's the Bombe - Daring Bakers July 1010

I scream, you scream, we all...should stop screaming and eat!

Matcha Swiss Roll Cake w/Raspberry Curd
and Raspberry Ice Cream Bombe

I sincerely tried to make that title shorter, but could not bear to leave any of the delicious flavors out.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.-

After making my Watermelon Pickles, I was still inspired by those summery colors of greens and pinks with dark chocolatte specks. If you look at the pictures with your eyes crossed just a bit, I bet you'll see the watermelon-ish inspiration. Yes? No?

The Daring Baker's challenge used chocolate cake and fudge sauce, but we could change up the flavors to suit our taste. Whenever I have the chance to make a sponge cake (like the swiss cake) I automatically think of Matcha Green Tea. It just gives a wonderful earthy taste and a breather from the sweet ice cream and filling. Green Tea is so good for you, and that makes eating dessert GOOD for me - what's not to like.
I also changed up the fudge sauce for a Raspberry curd. Seriously, if you make just one thing from this post - MAKE the Raspberry curd. I tweaked it a few times and finally got the ratio's just right and it is so tasty, tart and fruity.

The Ice Cream is a recipe from school with the addition of fresh Raspberries that have been crushed in Sugar and Lemon juice first, then added after the Creme Anglaise is cooked for making the ice cream.

Like a lot of these Daring Baker's challenges, at first glance it can be overwhelming. Take a minute, look through the steps and you'll see that it is not only worth it, but not that complicated. Besides, anywhere in the process you can stop and just eat what you have so far; it's just that good.
RECIPES (as used)

Matcha Green Tea Sponge Cake
(adapted from the Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake - inspired by the recipe of the same name from the Taste of Home website)
PreHeat oven to 400F. Lightly oil an 11 x 16 inch sheet pan, and cover bottom with parchment.

Ingredients:
6 medium sized eggs
1 C. caster sugar
6 TBS. all purpose (plain) flour + 1 TBS. of natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
3 Tbls. Matcha Green Tea Powder

Sift together the Flour and Cocoa Powder and hold.
In a bowl, whip together the eggs, sugar and matcha powder until the mixture is light and frothy.

Fold in the sifted flour mix. (* remove 1 cup of batter and reserve if you want to make the darker lines in the pastry) Pour into the prepared pan, making sure its even all around.

(*To make the texturing lines: Add 1 Tbls. Matcha powder to reserved 1 cup of batter and stir well. Using a pastry bag or cone bag with tip cut away; drizzle lines up and down on top of the poured batter in the baking pan. Using a skewer, drag through each line, creating a pattern along the way. *)
Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the pan and cake and allow to cool for a few moments. While warm, turn out onto a clean towel sprinkled with castor sugar, and gently roll from the short end. This will prepare the cake for rolling with filling in it.

For the filling:
2 C whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 TBS. of caster sugar

Whip these together until stiff peaks form. Keep cool.

When cake is completely cooled, Roll out and spread the filling on the cooled cake. Roll up again, lay with seam side down and cover in plastic wrap. Keep in Refrigerator until ready to proceed.
Vanilla Ice Cream
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until frothy. Chill and pour into Ice Cream maker as directed by your product. This can also be made without ice cream maker by whipping ingredients together, then placing in a freezer proof container and freeze til almost firm. Take out and beat, again until creamy. Return to freezer and do this about 2 more times.
RASPBERRY CURD:
In a saucepan, stir together on Med. -
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk,
1/2 cup sugar,
1 (5-6 oz.) basket of raspberries,
1 1/2 Tbls. Lemon juice,
pinch of salt.

Heat until bubbly and simmering, stirring constantly til thickened.
In a bowl, add 2 Tbls. butter, and strain the Raspberry mixture into the bowl. Then, stir the butter and curd together completely. Chill in a container for 2 hours or over night.
RASPBERRY ICE CREAM:
1 basket of raspberries
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 eggs
2 yolks
3/4 cup sugar (plus 1/4 for berries)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Heat Milk in a double boiler.
In a bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until light and frothy.
Temper the warm milk into the egg mixture, then return the mixture to the top of the double boiler , add the cream and cook, stirring (not whisking) until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

In a separate bowl, cover the raspberries with the 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Mash them with a large spoon.

Combine the raspberry mixture with the cream anglaise mixture and chill for 1 hour. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow instructions for making ice cream. (*optional: Just before the ice cream is firm enough to place in the freezer, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips). Keep in a container in the freezer til assembling.

ASSEMBLING YOUR SWISS CAKE ICE CREAM BOMBE -

Line a glass bowl with plastic wrap and plenty extra for covering.
Carefully slice the cake into 1 inch thick rounds. Start with two in the center, place the rounds to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover with wrap and freeze until firm.

Take the Vanilla Ice Cream out of the freezer and let it soften just a bit until you can spread it around the inside of the bowl evenly. Cover and freeze, again until firm.
Take the Raspberry Curd out and spread evenly around the bowl on top of the Vanilla Ice Cream. Cover and return to the freezer to firm.
Last step: Fill the center with the Raspberry Ice Cream, up and around the top. Wrap and freeze until firm and ready to SERVE!

When ready, unwrap and place a plate on top of the bowl. Flip the plate and bowl over. Remove the glass bowl and plastic wrap. If it doesn't happen easily, just wipe the top of the bowl with a warm wet cloth for a few moments and the bowl should release.
Wait just a few minutes, then slice and serve.