I was excited to see that the May Daring Bakers Challenge was another cake. An Opera Cake, to be exact. I had never heard of it before.

So what is an Opéra Cake (OC)?

The classic Opera Cake is a work in six acts. There are three thin layers of almond cake, each soaked in a potent coffee syrup; a layer of espresso-flavored buttercream; one layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache; and a topping of chocolate glaze.

Although an OC is supposed to be made with coffee and chocolate, the challenge hosts specifically requested that no 'dark' elements be used in this challenge. Therefore, we were supposed to use 'light' flavors and colorings such as white chocolate, lemon, coconut, etc. I stuck with lemon mousse and coconut buttercream. Following are my notes from this challenge.

- I made the altered buttercream version given in the challenge recipe. Don't like it!!!! It is goopy. If I do it again, I will do the buttercream from the Party Perfect Cake instead. I think that's why some pictures of people's cakes have goopy looking filling.

- My joconde (the almond cake layers) came out of the pan with tattered edges, so I cut mine at 9 inches instead so I got better edges. It also meant I had a little left over to make a single serving taster. :-) Oh, and it also came out uneven. It's important to spread the batter as evenly as possible in the pan. One was thicker than the other because I obviously didn't split the batter in half accurately. You are supposed to soak the layers with espresso (traditionally). Here I used a coconut syrup.

-Because I disliked the buttercream I tried to spread it as thin as I could. I had not wanted to do the mousse because of the cost of this recipe, but decided to do it after I found out I hated the buttercream. This is why the picture hardly shows the icing between the layers.



- Others had said not to use white chocolate chips, which I had already bought. $$$$$ Between the cost of the chocolate and the cost of gas going around town trying to fine good quality white chocolate in a bar, this is one expensive recipe. Finally ended up using Ghiradelli Premier Baking Bars. But those are 4 oz, so I bought 3 and then just added a little less cream hoping that the consistency would be right.

The layers are as follows:
-joconde
-buttercream
-joconde
-buttercream
-joconde
-mousse or ganache (optional)
-glaze

Here I am putting on the mousse.



Overall assessment? First, expensive! Second, time consuming. But you can make the buttercream and the mousse a few days in advance. Taste? OK. I think my hatred of the buttercream was a big factor.

Basically I think I need to try this cake again the proper way - with chocolate! I'm sure it will be fabulous then. The white chocolate used in the glaze and mousse was alright, but the whole thing seemed to not have the real decadence I was expecting. I think the chocolate is an important factor here.

Challenge recipe:

For the joconde

(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)

What you’ll need:

•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds (Note: If you do not want to use almond meal, you can use another nut meal like hazelnut. You can buy almond meal in bulk food stores or health food stores, or you can make it at home by grinding almonds in the food processor with a tablespoon or two of the flour that you would use in the cake. The reason you need the flour is to prevent the almonds from turning oily or pasty in the processor. You will need about 2 cups of blanched almonds to create enough almond meal for this cake.)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).

3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.

5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.

6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

8.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

9.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.

10.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the syrup

(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)

1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream

(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)

(Update Note: The recipe for the buttercream that is listed below was originally based on the original but we had some typos. When testing the buttercream, we tested a modified version (we're crazy like that!!!) that had 2 cups sugar, ½ cup water and 1¾ cups butter. Yes. That's right. 1¾ cups of butter. The eggs remained the same. We ended up with a very creamy buttercream. VERY. CREAMY. )

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a candy or instant-read thermometer
•a stand mixer or handheld mixer
•a bowl and a whisk attachment
•rubber spatula

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (Note: If you are flavouring your buttercream and do not want to use the vanilla, you do not have to. Vanilla will often enhance other flavours but if you want an intense, one-flavoured buttercream, then by all means leave it out!)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.)

1.Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) [*Note: Original recipe indicates a temperature of 255◦F (124◦C), however, when testing the recipe I found that this was too high so we heated to 225◦F and it worked fine] on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!

5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

6.While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

7.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

8.At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

For the white chocolate ganache/mousse (this step is optional – please see Elements of an Opéra Cake below)

(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:

7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)

1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan or double boiler

Ingredients:

14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3.Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Assembling the Opéra Cake

(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.

Step A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Step B (if making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

I've actually been to Dad's Kitchen twice since it opened a month ago and have just neglected to blog it. Terrible, considering they are friends of mine and I want to help support their business.

My first visit was with my co-workers over lunch. We arrived and sat in the back patio area (actually I sat there both times). I love what they did with the patio. They cleaned it up and did a bunch of landscaping and now it is inviting and relaxing. There is the smell of fragrant jasmine in the air. Another nice touch/idea is that they have a bunch of board games available if you want to hang out for a while. And they do have a beer license.

Anyway, we sat down and took a look at the menu. Turns out they have three different menus, which I will get to. But we were there for lunch and so the lunch menu contained a smattering of the salads and sandwiches that are popular over at Dad's Deli. Certainly my favorite Hot Tuna (tuna melt) was here too. The only new lunch items that differed from the deli were burgers, fries, and macaroni and cheese. The burgers are made with Niman ranch beef and three of us ordered those. Hand packed and tasty. My favorite thing was the varieties of ways they are serving their french fries. You can get them plain, seasoned, or with garlic/parmesan or blue cheese/chili oil.

My buddy, Eric, is the head chef and when I later saw him I told him that the only suggestion I had for him was that he needed to add a couple of other new items to the lunch menu. For the office crowd that I lunch with, there needed to be a couple more entree choices. I suggested maybe a quesadilla or some wings.

As I said, I took a look at the other menus, of which I'll mention breakfast now. Their breakfast menu was pretty basic egg dishes including eggs benedict and florentine. Sadly I missed the griddle items such as french toast or pancakes. Before they had opened I had talked to Eric about that and he had mentioned a french toast, but I don't see it. Maybe after they've been going for a while.

My second visit was with my Dining Out group for dinner. The stand out entrees were a rib eye, fish of the day, and the marinated chicken. I was tempted by the grilled artichoke and cheese sandwich entree, but opted to try the marinated chicken. They say it marinates for a few days before they grill it. The half chicken was ordered by almost everyone and we all enjoyed it. It came with baked beans and cornbread. I wasn't too fond of the beans and they seemed a bit undercooked. The jalapeno cornbread was a huge square, but I don't care for cornbread. I'll let someone else judge that. Christina had the asian salad and was very happy with it and the light dressing. Currently they only have a dessert-of-the-day, which was bread pudding that night.

Service was great and I was happy to see that the restaurant was full on a Tuesday night. I've seen another review by a vegetarian who was happy with their offerings. A friend of mine had ordered the fish and said it was delicious and highly recommended it. So I know I have to go back to try some other items.

I'm wishing them luck and hoping that they will get their newbie kinks worked out and change the menu a bit as time goes on.

At the end of the month you will find out our May Daring Bakers Challenge. It was costly and one of the 'mistakes' I made was buying white chocolate chips which I later learned would not work. So what to do with bags of white chips? Make chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

So I looked in Dorie's book and found her Chocolate Chunker cookies. Another great recipe with my only complaint being - it only made 24 cookies! LOL. But they are very chocolatey and rich. You take them out of the oven when they are just cooked so that the centers are nice and gooey. Her recipe calls for adding raisins, but I don't like raisins so I left them out.

5/11/08
I am pretty picky about cookies. I like them fresh and rarely find a cookie that keeps well over several days. These cookies are still munchable a few days later! Love em!!!

This post has two titles for two very distinct reasons.

The story begins way back at my cake decorating classes where one of my classmates was Marie, a Filipina. We didn't talk much, but after class she saw on my blog that I was half Filipina (she hadn't even guessed) and that I grew up in Saudi Arabia. She then emailed me to tell me she'd be happy to feed me (food adoption!) and that she had lived in Saudi also. She, in fact, had met her husband there and he worked for ARAMCO. Wow! I'm an ARAMCO Brat! Small world! So she invited me over for dinner.

Marie has a very beautiful home and yards in South Sacramento. I met her husband, Brian, and daughter and some of her coworkers. And, happily, she had prepared a Filipino feast. There was barbecued pork skewers, lumpia, and pancit noodles. This is homemade Filipino food - the good stuff! There was also cassava cake, flan, and halo halo.





We all talked about life in Saudi. My family was there from 1970-1987. Brian was there in the mid 1990's. Brian was way out in the oil fields. Marie was a nurse at a hospital in Yanbu, an export point, and my dad worked at the Saudi headquarters in Dhahran. Three very different experiences there.

My mother's favorite dessert was a Filipino classic, halo halo. Basically it is shaved ice, milk (evaporated or coconut usually), and then a bunch of things like tapioca pearls, sweet beans, fruit, flan, and then topped with ice cream. It is as varied as the people who make it. Here Marie is making it with some of these ingredients...




The ingredients are layered like a parfait and then mixed up before eating. Here Marie has already mixed hers up, so it looks like a purple milkshake.



Marie was a wonderful host and sent me off with a bag of frozen lumpia and the promise of future invitations. I told her next time I want some cooking lessons. Until then, I have some lumpia to tide me over!

As in, forgot to take the pictures. Sigh. So my friends suggested taking a picture of the table and proclaiming a good time was had by all.

I am part of a foodie group that enjoys dining and socializing. There are five couples and myself in the group. Each month one household prepares a formal dinner for the rest of the group. I was the last in the line to host this past weekend. I had planned to take pictures of everything, but as usual, forgot.

My menu was:
- shrimp wonton appetizers
- fresh green salad with grapefruit dressing
- kumquat chicken over wilted spinach
- wild rice and quinoa pilaf
- semolina pudding with strawberry balsamic pepper sauce and black currant sauce

My intentions were good because I took a picture of the kumquat preparation. LOL



Anyway.....

The shrimp wontons are actually a Pampered Chef recipe that I really like. Of course, you need a mini-muffin pan to make them.

Shrimp Wontons

24 square wonton wrappers
1 T. butter or margarine melted
8 oz. shelled deveined and cooked medium shrimp
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 C. grated carrot
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 C. (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. With pastry brush, brush one side of each wonton wrapper with melted butter. Press wonton buttered side up into muffin cup. Bake 8 minutes or until edges turn light golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Finely chop shrimp. Combine cream cheese, garlic and Worcestershire sauce in bowl, blend well. Stir in chopped shrimp, green onions, carrot and mozzarella cheese. Using small scoop fill each wonton cup with rounded scoop of cream cheese mixture. Top with reserved shrimp. Bake 5 minutes or until wontons are golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges.

Yield 24 appetizers.

My goal for the meal had been to make things using seasonal items that people might not have had before. For the salad, I used the grapefruits from my tree to make the grapefruit dressing.

Grapefruit Dressing

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (about 3 grapefruits)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:
1. Pour oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté shallots 5 minutes. Pour in grapefruit juice and let boil over medium-high heat; cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Take mixture off of heat and let cool.
2. Using a food processor or blender, puree juice mixture with cilantro, sugar, and pepper until smooth. With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and blend until fully combined.

Kumquats are not too common in the grocery store and can be pretty expensive. Luckily, my best friend has a large kumquat tree in her backyard. So I was able to go over and pick a bunch. The recipe is from the Food Network. It calls for sauteing the chicken breasts. But I was serving nine people. I decided to make the sauce on its own and take the chicken breasts and cook them on my stoneware bar pan in the oven. One great thing about stoneware - it keeps meats nice and moist. The recipe also calls for wilting the spinach in the sauce. I had a lot of spinach (could have had more) and so I used a trick I read somewhere. I put the washed, wet spinach in a bowl, sealed it with wrap, and microwaved it for 2-3 minutes first. This reduces the size down by about half, making it easier to fit into the pan for the final wilting in the sauce. Lastly, since I was greatly increasing the recipe for nine people, I ended up guesstimating the amounts of the sauce ingredients. Luckily there was plenty of sauce. This sauce is also nice because it has a nice hint of heat with the red pepper flakes.

Kumquat chicken over wilted spinach

3 kumquats
1 large shallot
2 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/8-teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 cups packed spinach leaves (about 1 bunch)

Separately cut kumquats and shallot crosswise into thin slices, discarding any kumquat seeds. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and saute chicken, skin sides down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook over moderate heat until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.

Add shallot to fat remaining in skillet and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Sprinkle sugar over shallot and cook, undisturbed, until sugar is melted and golden. Immediately stir in kumquats, water, vinegar, and red pepper flakes and simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in parsley and salt to taste and, if sauce is too liquid, simmer until thickened to desired consistency, about 1 minute.

Transfer two thirds sauce to a small bowl and to remainder add spinach and salt to taste, turning with tongs until just wilted.

Divide spinach between 2 plates and top with chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken.

For the pilaf, I just made a big batch of quinoa and threw in a package of pre-cooked wild rice, green onions, and craisins. I kept it warm and ready in the crockpot.



Lastly was dessert. I had tried semolina pudding in an earlier post. This time I wanted to use strawberries since they are now in season. Then I had a huge bag of frozen black currants from my dad's bushes in Oregon. So I made a sauce from those as well. It was quite a difference between the sweet strawberry sauce and the tart currant sauce.

Balsamic Strawberry Pepper Sauce

2 cups strawberries (about 1 pint), trimmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Preparation
In a small heavy saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring, and skim surface. Simmer mixture, stirring and skimming foam occasionally, 15 minutes, or until thickened and translucent. Remove pan from heat and cool preserves completely. Preserves keep, covered and chilled, 1 month. (I pureed the sauce.)

Finally I decorated the table with these beautiful flowers.



All in all, the meal was a success. Considering my usual track record of not having enough food, I did pretty well except for a little low on the spinach. Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal.

La Provence prides itself on so many awards for this and that - Reader's Choice, Best French, 5 star, 4 star, on and on. Our experience was just 3 star.

I had gotten one of the Y92 Half Price Thing discounts. You pay $25 for a $50 gift card. I had read such good things about the restaurant and had been meaning to go for some time. La Provence is not exactly in a convenient location though. It is out in suburban Roseville in a residential area. We finally took the time to drive out that way for an 8:00 dinner.

The restaurant is large and very spacious and open. It has gas fireplaces, high ceilings, and a rustic look. We were seated promptly and handed the menus. The menus had many interesting dishes. We knew it was pricey, but that also added to our high expectations.

We started with the escargot. Not everybody can take eating snails, but I can get it done if I turn off the "it's a snail!" voice in my head. They were served piping hot with plenty of garlic and herbs. They were tender and delicious. A good start.

The first entree selection was Navarin d'agneau Printaniere - spring leg of Placer County lamb, baby vegetables and steamed Yukon gold potatoes. This was a very flavorful dish that was really a stew. The description implies a lamb leg or a cut of the lamb leg. Instead it was just small chunks of lamb, and not much at that. Good, but chintzy on the meat.

I had the Lapin a la Moutarde - fresh rabbit quarters roasted with thyme and Dijon mustard, bacon-wrapped stuffed loin, Yukon gold smashed potatoes, haricots verts and Dijon mustard sauce. The picture is above. Although tasty, the rabbit meat was very dry and there was hardly any sauce to offset the dryness. It was also a real chore to eat the rabbit. I struggled considerably with it. Not tender or easy to enjoy at all.

As for the service, it was mediocre. As it would be in France, the time between courses is lengthy. French take their time and enjoy their meals over a few hours versus 45 minutes like Americans do. That wasn't an issue since it was to be expected. But we were annoyed that such a nice restaurant would not have taught the waiters better serving etiquette. Our server was constantly reaching right across us to get a water glass or light a candle. It was like an invasion of your personal space and not done gracefully or politely.

I'd like to give La Provence another chance sometime. I'll probably wait for another coupon though. Certainly not inclined to go out of my way to full price based on this experience.

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was the Perfect Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. Everyone was so happy to have a cake for this month's challenge, and an uncomplicated one at that.



I loved this challenge for the fact that you could do this one in stages. So I made my first part - the cake - early in the month. The cakes came out nicely, but not as thick as I thought they were supposed to be, since you were supposed to cut the two layers in half to make four layers. Anyway, I froze the cakes. I've learned in my cake decorating class that freezing the cakes makes them easier to handle when you have to level and slice them and reduces the crumb factor. So in the freezer they went.



During the month other people were posting how they were doing. In fact, Dorie herself heard about our challenge and chimed in with some tips. In the end I decided I needed another cake batch to get my layers. So I made the second set and then threw those in the frig to cool and then took the other frozen layers out to thaw.



Now it was time for the buttercream frosting. This required cooking the egg white/sugar mixture, adding the butter, etc. Yummy! I'm not a frosting person. I tend to scrape frosting off of cakes. But this was dee-lish!



The cake and the icing were lemon flavored, so I decided to keep with the theme and fill between the layers with my lemon curd. (See microwave lemon curd) I also found that three layers was tall enough, so I just refroze the fourth I had. Because my layers didn't quite match, I had to trim, as you see here...







So I figured I better do a crumb layer of icing first.







I finished off the cake with a final layer of icing and decorating.







And how did it taste? It's fantastic! The cake itself has a subtle lemon flavor and the cake is dense, but in a good way. So different than cake mixes or supermarket cakes which are so soft and airy. This tasted real. Also, it keeps well. Don't you hate how a cake goes stale and the exposed cake gets all dry and crusty? I put a loose piece of saran wrap against the exposed cut and it kept great for two days. Then I couldn't eat it all (and I even sent a third of it to the neighbors) and so I took the last quarter and wrapped and froze that. Later in the month I took the frozen quarter out, thawed it and ate it. Still awesome even after a freeze.



I didn't overdue the lemon curd either. So it was not lemon overkill. The buttercream was just right as well. I was good on eating the cake without having to scrape off the frosting.



This picture is the same cake, I just ended up changing the decoration on the top. I didn't want to eat the royal icing daffodils I made, so I took them off and just added more buttercream. So here you see it sliced before I enjoyed it.







This recipe is a keeper! I plan on making it again and again!



BTW, I recommend checking out everyone's cakes by launching from the DB site. Especially this one where the person used peanut butter and bacon in hers!?!?

DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

There are a lot of clam chowder recipes out there. This one is from Rachel Ray. I like it because it is packed full of clams and veggies and the soup is thin. Those thick chowders are ok, but that's a lot of carbs from the thickening agents like flour. In fact, I'm thinking of putting even less of the potatoes in next time. There is a good enough chunk factor from the onions, celery, and clams.

Rachel Ray's Clam Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery with greens, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pint half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock, from soup aisle
1 cup hash brown style raw shredded potatoes, from dairy aisle of the market
2 cans whole baby clams and their juice

In a medium pot over medium high heat melt butter. Add bacon and onions, celery and thyme sprigs. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and cook 5 minutes. Add flour and cook a minute more.

Add half-and-half and stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in potatoes and clams. Bring soup back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and soup has thickened to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the thyme sprigs from the soup. The thyme leaves will have fallen off into the soup. Stir and adjust seasonings in your soup. Pour soup into mugs.

When it is a beautiful, sunny, spring day the road will beckon to you. "Let's go out of town", it says. So you pile into the car and happily continue for a nice Sunday drive to a picturesque town called Nevada City.

Well, actually, the purpose of the trip was to return a defective wine opener that was bought in one of those quaint gift shops in December. But the reason is just the excuse you need to visit NC. Even though I've been to the same shops over and over again, I still go into them.


One time last year we were there and stumbled across the Top Floor Tea Room after we had already eaten. We knew we would have to go back some day to try the scones. Today was the lucky day. We arrived at around 11:00 and found that the after-church crowd had not arrived yet. The tea room is situated on the top floor (obviously) of an old merchant building with an antique store occupying the first floor. As you can see in the picture, it is all very 'quaint'. The menu consists of light salads and sandwiches, soup and quiches. Or you can opt for a 'tea' tray. We chose the top-of-the-line 'Top Floor Platter'.



There were four quiches that day and I selected the 'Alsace', thin sliced potatoes, bacon, and caramelized onions. We shared one slice and then split all the tray goodies. There were two scones, a lemon and an apricot. They were served with a little pot of jam, another of lemon curd, and the third with the clotted cream. The next plate had an assortment of finger/tea sandwiches. One had an egg salad with tarragon, another with a chicken curry salad, one with a tuna salad, a cucumber sandwich and, finally, a smoked salmon. The last plate had the sweets. There was a small bowl of panna cotta with berries, a puff filled with chocolate mousse, a biscotti, a cookie, a lemon square, and a slice of flourless chocolate cake.

The tea room has plenty of tea, of course. They have over 50 varieties of loose teas and then coffee as well. I have never been a coffee or tea drinker, but I know there are so many kinds out there that I probably just need more exposure to them. We agreed to try a fruity blend of strawberries and other things (can't remember) in a mix called 'Alice's something or other' (memories really getting bad). It was a lovely dark rosey-colored tea that was just right for tea novice Catherine.

The servers were attentive and explained everything to you. Your bill arrives with an invitation to shop the store downstairs with a coupon. We stumbled out into the glorious sunshine with happy grins and satisfied bellies. The perfect brunch was light, tasty, evenly balanced savory and sweet and all within a beautiful, relaxed setting.

Top Floor Tea is at 210 Main St. in Nevada City and serves tea until 4.