For Valentine’s Day, I made a really nice lunch for Mamma Cream Puff and Brother Cream Puff and instead of ending with a chocolate dessert, I ended with a coconut one.

I’d had my eye on this pretty little thing for awhile and decided to finally try it: Coconut Rice Puddings with Crispy Coconut.

Needless to say it was so yummy! The rice was creamy with just the right touch of coconut flavour. The best part of the recipe, though, was the crispy coconut topping. Luckily I made extra, which I ended up eating out-of-hand because it was so good.

This is my Magazine Mondays entry for this week. For those of you that are new to MM, it’s a very informal event that I like to host every Monday where I invite people to send along links from magazine recipes that they’ve tried. It’s a good way to tackle that food magazine pile that we all have lurking somewhere in our house!

Here’s who joined me for this week’s edition of MM:

Simone of Junglefrog Cooking made a gorgeous White Bean Salad with Bacon and Rocket from Issue 37 of Donna Hay.

Dawn from Doable and Delicious made Shrimp with Israeli Couscous from Gourmet. She also made Asparagus Cheese Tartines from the September 2009 issue of Food & Wine.

Nicole of Sweet Tooth made Chocolate Mudslides from a 2005 holiday issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor made Ghirardelli Ultimate Double-Chocolate Cookies from Rebook Magazine.

Saveur of The Taste Space made Spiced Yogurt Muffins from the November 2008 issue of Food & Wine.

Remember, just send me a link to any magazine recipe you post and I’ll link to it in my next MM post! Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

I once wrote an ode to coconut on my blog because what’s not to love about coconut.

Unbelievably, for every person that I know who loves coconut, I know one more that hates it.

I don’t get it. How can you not love coconut?

I have a theory that much of the coconut-dislike relates to the dried or dessicated forms of coconut that you find in the baking section in most supermarkets. Sweetened shredded for sweetened flaked coconut can be a bit much, especially if it’s of poor quality.

I, however, have no such issues. I will eat coconut in pretty much any form in both sweet and savoury dishes.

When I saw the recipe for Vanilla-Bean Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting in the April 2009 issue of Bon Appétit, I was particularly intrigued because the recipe calls for reduced coconut milk, which is coconut milk that is cooked down until it’s thickened.

First of all, reduced coconut milk is now my new favourite thing. Secondly, the reduced coconut milk gives these cupcakes both a moistness and an extra boost of coconut flavour. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

As you know, this is my Magazine Mondays post. I don’t always go into the details but basically if you’ve posted a recipe on your blog from a magazine, send the link to me and I’ll include it in my next Magazine Mondays post.

This week I’m joined by Tamy of 3 Sides of Crazy who made Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops with Root Beer Pineapple Barbecue Sauce, Broccoli Green Almond Sauté and Strawblackberry Shortcake Topping.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ciao!

What is life without a little bit of the whimsical? The magical? The fanciful?

I think that is perhaps what I love most about the idea of decorating a wee cupcake: it’s an opportunity to let your creative heart out.

Call me silly, but I just can’t help but feel a bit of whimsy these days. Life is crazy as ever and the world is as strange as ever but some things never change.

I can smell spring in the air.

The other day I saw a few brave daffodils insistently pushing their way through the soil.

Today I saw the most perfect pair of summer sandals.

Ah, whimsy!

But whimsy also comes in other forms, namely a cookbook by the name of Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats by Kaye and Liv Hansen.

A very sweet and kind person sent me a copy of this book after reading about my experience baking cupcakes for the wedding of a coworker. I was so touched! I made a promise to myself that I’d take a look at the book and post about it and then work and life got in the way.

Happily, over the past few weeks I had some time to finally look through this book and I have fallen in love with it.

It’s just adorable. Not to mention the fact that it’s filled with some very good recipes for baking basics like buttercream, as well as numerous recipes for all sorts of cakes and treats. The book is organized into a series of “baking projects” that are all accompanied by detailed decorating instructions. Through the miracle of the Internet, those instructions are augmented by The Whimsical Bakehouse’s web site, which has a number of useful videos on how to create various decorative accents.

While I was tempted by many of the projects in this book, the one that drew me in was the “Flower Power” project that features lemon coconut cupcakes decorated with buttercream in the form of a variety of flowers.

For the cupcakes, I adapted the recipe because while I love lemon and I love coconut, in a very strange twist I do not love those two ingredients together. Instead, I created dulce de leche coconut cupcakes by adding a blob of dulce de leche to the base of each of my cupcake liners. I replaced the lemon juice in the recipe with buttermilk to create a very tender crumb. For the buttercream, I used a recipe from the book called “Kaye’s Buttercream” and added coconut extract to augment the coconut flavour.

To decorate the cupcakes, I couldn’t resist trying the rose decoration and the hydrangea decoration. I’m not sure how successful the hydrangea was, but I was very proud of the rose.

This is such a sweet little book. I hope that as spring approaches and everyone’s thoughts turn to lighter days and warmer weather, you’ll take a moment to let some whimsy into your life and perhaps bake a cupcake or two!

Ciao!

Dulce de Leche Coconut Cupcakes
Adapted from Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye and Liv Hansen.

Note: I used mini paper cups to bake these cupcakes. The recipe yielded 36 mini cupcakes. You can also make 12 regular-sized cupcakes. Be sure to grease a muffin tin and line with cupcake liners if you’re making the regular-sized ones. I used a buttercream recipe from the book but I didn’t adapt it in any way so I’m not going to post it here. For a really good buttercream recipe, try this one.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 (12 tbsp.) sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. coconut extract
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dulce de leche

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line paper cups on a baking sheet. Place a dollop of dulce de leche in the bottom of each paper cup. Set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. The mixture should be pale and fluffy.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the coconut extract and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in three stages, alternating with the buttermilk in between each stage.

Be sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure that the batter is well mixed.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the coconut.

Spoon the batter into the waiting paper cups. They should be halfway to three-quarters of the way full.

Bake for 20 minutes and check for doneness. If a cake tester doesn’t come out clean, bake for a few more minutes.

Remove the mini cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Enjoy!

When I read that The Domestic Goddess was bringing Sugar High Friday back to its beginning (so to speak), I was happy. It’s only right, after all, that the person who created such a popular event should get to host it every now and then. But I was even happier when I read that the theme for this month’s Sugar High Friday was The Sweetest Thing - our favourite desserts.

To be sure there have been SHFs that have been interesting, challenging and even a bit out there. But it’s nice, every once and awhile, to get back to the very foundations of your love for something - in this case dessert.

To say that one particular dessert is my very favourite is a bit difficult for me. I am a Cream Puff after all and I believe in supporting all of my family members, be they muffin, cake, pie, tart, custard or cookie. There is, however, most definitely one particular dessert that makes my heart swell with happiness as soon as I hear it mentioned: my Coconut Cream Cake.

Now to be fair, it isn’t really “my” Coconut Cream Cake. It is in fact a cake that belongs to Caprial Pence of Caprial’s Desserts (written with Melissa Carey). If you’ve ever seen the book or have the good fortune to own it, it’s the cake pictured on the front cover. I don’t often buy cookbooks without looking at them. But I bought this one as soon as I laid eyes on that cover.

I didn’t know what kind of cake it was, but I didn’t really care. I wanted it and so the cookbook had to be mine. As it turns out, it’s an incredible cookbook. I guard my copy jealously and I cherish every batter-stained page.

There’s no question, though, that were you to pick up my copy, it would almost definitely open of its own volition to page 236 and the recipe for Coconut Cream Cake.

As layer cakes go, it’s very straightforward. You begin with a sturdy cake with a soft and moist crumb that has been augmented by coconut milk. You add to it a delicious pastry cream made partly with more coconut milk and boosted by shredded coconut. And you finish with a lovely and simple buttercream, covered in toasted shredded coconut.

Really, on the surface there’s nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about this layer cake at all.

For me, it’s the coconut. My endless love.

I would crawl to the ends of the earth for coconut. I will eat it fresh or dried. I will eat it in sweet food or savoury food. I will drink anything even remotely associated with coconut flavour.

I remember the first time I tasted coconut like it was yesterday. I was a child, visiting my grandparents in Italy, and some friends of the family came to visit and they brought along some fresh coconut. After opening the coconut and cutting it into pieces, they plunged a plate of the stuff deep into the basin of the town’s fountain. And there it stayed for some time while the water turned the coconut icy cold. My first taste of it was a revelation! It was crunchy and sweet. But there was this hint of a nutty creaminess that I was immediately addicted to.

This cake makes me think of that first bite of coconut every single time I bake it. While I mostly bake for others, this is a dessert that I bake strictly for myself.

But of course this time around, I’m baking it for you too.

Enjoy …

Ciao!

Cream Puff’s Very Favourite Coconut Cream Cake
From Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey.

Note: It’s best to make the pastry cream and the cakes the day before assembling the cake. I usually make them the night before. I make the buttercream just before I’m ready to begin assembling the cake. Once I begin assembling, I like to refrigerate the cake after each step. To frost the cake, I find that a cake stand is invaluable. If you want to read an amazing post about what it takes to bake and decorate cakes, read Anita’s post all about it on her blog Dessert First. This cake will easily serve 12 people.

For the coconut cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into small cubes
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
3 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease two 9-inch pans. Line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper and then grease the parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar at high speed. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder and flour) and add to the butter/egg mixture in two additions, alternating with the coconut milk. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 25 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before unmolding them and peeling off the parchment paper. Let the cakes cool completely before filling them. If you make the cakes the day before assembling the cake, wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

For the coconut pastry cream:

1 cup half-and-half
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half and the coconut milk and heat on high until the mixture is just about to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the cornstarch and the sugar. Whisk until well combined and the eggs are pale yellow (about 3 or 4 minutes).

Dribble in a few drops of the milk mixture and whisk. Continue dribbling in a bit of milk (don’t add it all at once or you may cook the egg yolks) and whisking. Once you’ve added about half of the milk, you can then add the rest in a steady stream, whisking all the time.

Return the milk/egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat (whisking constantly) until the mixture becomes very thick. This should take about 5 minutes or so. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture bubbles and you can see the bottom of the pan as you drag the whisk through it. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded coconut.

Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap should touch the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to fill the cakes, whip two cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the cold pastry cream until combined.

For the buttercream:

2 cups half-and-half
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 pound unsalted butter (2 cups), at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Combine the half-and-half, the egg yolk and the cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to ensure that it’s smooth. When it comes to a boil it will thicken considerably. Remove from the heat and pass it through a sieve. Refrigerate for two hours.

After two hours, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes, stopping every once and awhile to scrape down the sides of the bowl. After 10 minutes, the mixture will be almost white in colour and very light and fluffy.

Add the salt and mix.

With the speed on low, add the cold half-and-half mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s well incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Use the buttercream right away.

To assemble the cake:

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Split the two 9-inch cakes in half so that you have four layers.

Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or cake cardboard. Spread about half a cup of coconut pastry cream on the cake layer. Leave about half an inch border all the way around to ensure the pastry cream doesn’t leak out.

Top with a second layer of cake, and once again spread about half a cup of pastry cream on the layer.

Top with a third layer and repeat with the pastry cream.

Top with the final layer and press down to ensure that the cake is firmly in place. At this point I like to refrigerate the cake for about half an hour to give the pastry cream a chance to settle and firm up a bit. I usually make the buttercream while the cake is in the refrigerator.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and begin icing. There are many different opinions on how to ice a cake. The way I like to do it is to spread a thin layer of icing on the top and the sides of the cake. Don’t worry if you pick up cake crumbs. Once you’ve done this, put the cake back into the refrigerator for about half an hour to firm up the buttercream.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and this time, add a nice thick layer of buttercream all around. Begin by putting a cup or so of icing on the top of the cake. Spread it evenly across pushing the buttercream all the way to the edges. Once it’s even on top, begin pushing the buttercream at the edges down the sides of the cake, adding more buttercream as needed. Once you’re done, smooth the sides of the cake as best you can. Even out the edges of the cake by placing your icing spatula flat on the edge and smoothly sliding it towards the centre of the cake. This should give you a nice edge all the way around.

Place the cake in the refrigerator for about ten minutes. Remove the cake and carefully apply the toasted shredded coconut all around the sides of the cake and on the top of the cake if you wish. If you have any extra buttercream, feel free to pipe a decorative design on the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving.

Technorati tags: shf, sugar high friday, coconut, coconut cream cake, cake

May has been such an incredible and busy month for me.

To begin with there was the launch of my blog redesign, which I’d been planning for months. In around that event, several other things happened to me this month that I’ve been so eager to share with you.

Just before the launch, I got to spend a week in Florida, enjoying the sun and the water in Fort Myers and Miami South Beach. And prior to that, I had two very exciting experiences. Earlier this month, I had the honour of having lunch with Dorie Greenspan, one of my baking idols. While I have a separate post planned for that, I wanted to write about what happened at the very beginning of the month that was truly a first for me.

I was offered and accepted my very first baking job! I’ve baked for friends and family before, but for the first time someone hired me to bake for an event.

The event in question was a bridal shower being held by a close friend of my mother’s, L. This friend was hosting a shower for her sister who is to be a June bride. When my mother worked with this friend, I would often make my coconut cupcakes, based on a recipe from Ina Garten. L loved the cupcakes so much that she asked if I’d make 30 for her sister’s shower.

While I was happy to make the cupcakes, initially I was very reluctant to ask for money. For a long time now I’ve been mulling over the idea of how to start a baking business at home. Somehow, though, charging someone that I consider to be a friend just didn’t feel right. But L insisted that she pay me so, without much thought, I threw out a figure that I thought was fair and she agreed.

The night before the shower, I baked the cupcakes in plain white liners. On the morning of the shower I dressed up the cupcakes by putting them in a second, prettier liner. After icing the cupcakes, I tinted some of the leftover icing a dark pink colour and decorated half the cupcakes with rosettes. On the other half, I sprinkled edible pink glitter.

While I’m sure a professional would have been able to do something far more elaborate, I thought my cupcakes were pretty and they were fresh and made with the fresh ingredients. That’s very important to me.

I delivered the cupcakes and L was very happy with them. She e-mailed me later to tell me that they were a hit. But this brought up an issue, which I’d been thinking about for awhile. L mentioned that a few people asked for a card as they might be interested in hiring me.

But I have no card.

And I have no card because I still don’t have a clear focus for my vision. As I mentioned above, I’ve been contemplating the idea of being a baking caterer of sorts. But my ideas are still unfocussed. I don’t really have a plan. Part of the reason I wanted to redesign the blog is that I wanted to begin developing an image identifiable with Cream Puffs in Venice. Something that one day, I could use as a business identity.

But this particular experience raised so many questions. And it brought to light the fact that as far as the “business” side of it goes, there’s a lot to think about.

While I was happy to be paid, in actual fact I probably spent double what I received. The cost of ingredients, the cost of the cupcake liners and the items I used for decoration, the cost of the boxes to store the cupcakes, the cost of gas for my shopping trips and for delivering the cupcakes, and of course the cost of my time — these were all factors that I didn’t really think about.

And of course, there’s the card. I’d love to have a business card, but I don’t have a business yet. And I still don’t know how I’d like my card to look.

All of these questions and all of this wondering is both exciting and a bit scary. As fun and thrilling as it was to bake for an event and be paid for it, I also feel like I lost an opportunity by not having cards to promote myself.

And now that I’ve gotten a taste of being paid to bake, I want to do it more.

As I relive this experience, I’ve decided to not worry so much about all the questions. This tends to be a habit of mine. I get so worked up about the unknown that I eventually convince myself not to take that first or second step.

I’m going to enjoy the experience for what it was: my very first baking job.

Let the cupcakes fall where they may!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: cupcakes, coconut, coconut cupcakes