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Archive for the ‘Bake’ Category

Ensaimada: Philippines scores 1 over France! and Spain!

Posted in Bake, Sarap (Philippine Cuisine) on July 12, 2009| 4 Comments »

The ensaimada has its origins from Mallorca, Spain’s largest island. This version is rolled into a tube and then coiled into a spiral shape. The Mallorcans take their ensaimadas seriously. There is even a regulatory council and a sampling committee that ensure that the “Ensaimada de Mallorca” meet certain controls and guidelines.

While the brioche has its origins in Rome, the French have perfected the art of this rich roll. The core ingredients of a brioche are flour, eggs, butter, milk, sugar, and yeast. When done properly, a brioche is light, buttery and really more a pastry than a bread.

The Philippine Ensaimada got its origins from the Spanish but has similarities as well to the brioche.

But I have my own version of how the Philippine Ensaimada began. I like to think three bakers, a Frenchman, Spaniard and Filipino were sitting around one day and decided to have a bread baking contest.

The Spaniard went first and his version was made with flour, water, sugar, eggs, pork lard and yeast. The Frenchman, not wanting to be outdone, decided to enrich the roll and replaced the water with some milk and the pork lard with butter. The Filipino baker went even further. He used the Frenchman’s dough and added some cheese before rolling it like a jelly roll and then into a spiral shape before baking. After baking, the baker topped the resulting roll with butter, sugar and even more cheese!
Guess who won?!?!

Recipe for 12 Ensaimadas

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp dried yeast

1/3 cup warm water

1/4 cup egg yolks (around 3 egg yolks)

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons milk

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup butter for the dough and another 1/3 cup for brushing

1/3 salt

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

  • Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water, let stand for 10 minutes
  • Blend egg yolks, sugar and milk and add to the yeast mixture
  • Add the flour and salt then knead and add the butter a little at a time
  • Leave in a warm place and let rise until double in size.
  • Punch down and divide into 12 pieces.  Form each piece into a ball and then roll out to 1/8 inch thickness
  • Brush each with soft butter and and sprinkle with grated cheese (I used parmesan)
  • Let rise for another hour and bake at 300F for 12 to 15 minutes
  • When done, cool and brush tops with more butter and sprinkle with more grated cheese and sugar

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Daring Baker’s June Challenge – Bakewell Tart

Posted in Bake, Dare on June 28, 2009| 9 Comments »

The June Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding
Makes one 23cm (9” tart) OR 8 mini tarts
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 8 mini tart pans, and a rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spread ability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it’s overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatized for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Blind bake pastry for 7 to 10 minutes at 180C then remove from oven and add a layer of jam to the pastry base. Top with the frangipane mixture and pop in the over for 20 minutes.

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The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish. When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is light yellow in color and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow color.

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