Jelly Roll

Jelly Roll
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 39.

I made this last weekend to take to some friend's for an after-dinner dessert. One reason I chose this particular dessert was to use some of a large jar of Sarabeth's Strawberry & Raspberry Preserves. The preserves were included in a gift basket we received at Christmas. It is quite delicious although I don't eat it that often and Michael never eats sweets at breakfast.

This turned out to be excellent (I love making roll-type cakes) and Michael said it was one of his favorite desserts that I had ever made from Maida's books.

4 eggs (at room temperature)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 cup tart jelly
Additional granulated sugar for sprinkling on cake

Adjust the oven rack to the center and preheat to 400. Cover a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan with foil (use enough so that it overlaps a bit on all sides). Butter the foil with melted butter. Set aside.

Place the eggs, baking powder and salt in a mixer bowl.

Beat at high speed for about 3 minutes.

Add the sugar.

Beat again at high speed for 10-12 minutes. (Cover the mixer with a towel to avoid a mess!)

Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour (again) over the batter and mix it only until incorporated - do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into the pan in two long ribbons. Spread with a spatula to make it even. Bake for about 12-13 minutes until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

As soon as the cake is done, sprinkle with a few spoonfuls of sugar.

Cover the cake with a towel.

Cover the towel with a cookie sheet.

Invert the cookie sheet and the cake pan (the cake pan is now upside down on top of the towel).

Carefully remove the foil from the cake.

Place the jelly (or preserves) in a bowl and stir it with a whisk. Pour it evenly over the cake. Leave about 1/2 inch along the borders uncovered.

Take the towel to help you start to roll the cake.

Slowly roll the cake tightly but gently.

Transfer the cake with the seam down to a platter. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate it for later.

Chocolate Intrigue

Chocolate Intrigue
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 51.

I have always enjoyed making loaf cakes. I think they are fun and they look so tidy and neat. This is a very moist and flavorful loaf cake that slices like a dream (all cakes should slice this well!). Mine looks a bit flat and I should have used a smaller loaf pan. The recipe calls for a 5-cup capacity loaf pan but a larger one is okay, your cake will just not be as tall. This makes 2 cakes and you will need two loaf pans. 

This recipe has a secret ingredient - pepper. It gives the cake an unusual kick. 

Keep the cake wrapped in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

3 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 TBS. dry instant expresso or coffee
1 1/3 cups boiling water
1 3/4 cups sifted unbleached flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper (fine)
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Adjust your oven rack 1/3 from the bottom and preheat to 325 degrees.

Butter or spray two 5-cup loaf pans and dust them with chocolate bread crumbs. Just mix enough cocoa powder into regular bread crumbs to give them a dark color.

 In a small saucepan or double boiler, melt both chocolates along with the expresso powder and the boiling water. Whisk it until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a container that has a spout and can be poured from easily (I used a measuring cup). Set aside to cool to lukewarm temperature.

 

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and pepper and set aside.

Beat the butter until soft and add the vanilla.

Gradually add the sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beat until smooth.

On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture...

and the chocolate mixture in two additions. Scrape the bowl as necessarily and beat until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pans.

The recipe says to bake this for 1 hour and 10 minutes. I think that is far too long especially if you are using larger pans. For me, this was done in 40 minutes! I would watch it carefully and check it with a tester - as soon as it comes out clean, it is done. Remove from the oven and let it sit in the pans for about 15 minutes. Then cover with another rack, invert and carefully remove from the pans. Let them cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. This is delicious served as-is or you can serve it with a chocolate sauce or ice cream.

Light Pound Cake

Light Pound Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 111.

This "light" pound cake is reminiscent of a sponge cake. It does have a light, airy texture and it is very moist. We thought it was delicious and very good served with sweetened fruit in syrup. I loved the slightly crunchy top.

Maida says that you can ruin the recipe by underbeating the eggs at the beginning or overbeating the flour and butter additions at the end. The recipes says to beat the eggs for about 25 minutes. This sounds excessive to me and I'm not sure if she was referring to using a hand-held mixer. I mixed it for about 15 minutes in my stand mixer. You will need to cover the mixer with a towel to avoid a mess! I did not have any problems with it and it turned out fine.

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup unsifted unbleached flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
Optional: confectioners sugar (to sprinkle on before serving)

Adjust oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10x4 inch tube pan (she recommends one with a fancy design - I just used my plain one since it is the only one I have that is large enough). Dust with fine dry bread crumbs and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Set aside to cool.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the eggs with the vanilla and sugar on high speed until the mixture is pale and falls in a slow ribbon when the beaters are raised (15-25 minutes). (See the note in the introduction (above) about this step.

Lower the speed and add the cooled melted butter.

Add the dry ingredients and mix only until incorporated. Do not overbeat.

Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until the top springs back when gently pressed with the fingertips. If the top is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Cover with a rack to invert the pan and remove the cake. Let stand until completely cool. She says that the top may fall slightly and this is okay. One small section of my cake fell a bit while it cooled. Maida recommends serving this in thin slices sprinkled with confectioners sugar.

Emilio's Cheesecake

Emilio's Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 142.

This is an unusual cheesecake in that it has no crust and is made in a 13x9 pan. It was first published in the New Yorker magazine in 1971 and was a famous recipe by Emilio Braseco in New York.

Maida notes that a friend (from Alabama!) says that it is better after being refrigerated for 3 days. I think the friend was correct because it is tastier after a day or two. It is very creamy and has a distinct lemon flavor. I would recommend serving this with fruit or whipped cream.

2 pounds Philadelphia Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
1 stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 TBS. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup less 1 TBS. cornstarch
7 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup lemon juice

16-24 portions

Preheat the oven to 350 and adjust rack one third down from the top. Butter a 13x9x2 inch pan and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese and butter until it is soft and smooth.

 

Add the vanilla...

And the sugar...

And the cornstarch.

On low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the cream slowly.

Add the lemon juice, beating only to mix.

Spray the bottom of the buttered pan.

Pour the mixture into the pan.

Place the pan in a larger pan (I used a jelly-roll pan) and place in the oven. Pour hot water into the bottom pan about 1 inch deep.

Place the pan in a larger pan (I used a jelly-roll pan) and place in the oven. Pour hot water into the bottom pan about 1 inch deep.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then increase the temperature to 375 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (for a total of 40-45 minutes). Carefully remove the pans from the oven and take the cake pan out of the water bath. Let the cake sit until the bottom of the pan is cool.

Cover the top of the cake pan with a board or tray and carefully invert so that the cake falls out of the pan. Refrigerate as is.

Creamy Coconut Cream Cheese Pie with Bimini Chocolate Sauce

Creamy Coconut Cream Cheese Pie with Bimini Chocolate Sauce
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg.68-69.

Okay, I was not impressed with this pie. When I first tasted it, I thought I had missed something so I went back and looked at the recipe again. I could find no errors. The pie isn't sweet enough and the coconut flavor is very mild. However, the chocolate sauce really makes it. So, if you make the pie, by all means, add the sauce! Maida says that it is optional but without it, I'm afraid this would be a very bland pie. :(

I did not have creme de cacao but instead used kahlua. I'm not sure if this affected the taste - perhaps so. I've never used creme de cacao and I'm not familiar with taste of it.

Crumb Crust

I just used a ready made graham cracker crust for this. If you prefer to make your own, just mix 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 TBS. sugar, 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 oz. of melted unsalted butter and press it into your pan.

Filling

6 oz. Philadelphia brand cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 TBS. sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 oz. (1 1/3 cup) shredded coconut
2 TBS. cognac or brandy
2 TBS. cream de cacao
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, milk, coconut, cognac (I used brandy) and creme de cacao (I used kahlua) in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Soften the gelatin in the water (about 5 min.)

Place the container of gelatin in a pan of hot water (not boiling) until it has dissolved.

Set aside 2 TBS. of the heavy cream. Whip the remaining cream until you have a soft shape.

Stir the 2 TBS. of heavy cream that you reserved into the gelatin.

Add the gelatin/cream mixture to the whipped cream while mixing.

Fold the whipped cream and the cheese mixture together. (If the mixture is runny, place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and fold gently until it thickens).

Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Bimini Chocolate Sauce  
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 TBS. unsalted butter

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat and stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted. 

Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Serve at room temperature.