Savory Bread Pudding with Asparagus, Swiss cheese, and Fines Herbes

Ingredients

1 12 oz loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
4 large eggs
1.5 cups whole milk
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram

Preparation

Place cut bread on a large baking sheet. Let stand uncovered overnight to dry out.
Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Mix cheeses and herbs in medium bowl. Place half of bread in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with half of asparagus, then half of cheese mixture. Pour half of egg mixture over. Repeat with remaining bread, asparagus, cheese mixture, and egg mixture. Let stand 20 minutes, pressing with spatula to submerge bread pieces.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake bread pudding until brown and puffed, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Chocolate Stout Cake

Cake:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter
2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee

Icing
1 pound bittersweet chocolate (54-60% cacao) chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder

For cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 11/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. Cover and store at room temperature.

For frosting: Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes). When icing is cold, whip with electric mixer.

Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Kókuszgolyó - Coconut Balls

50 dkg ground vanilla wafers/plain biscuits
15 dkg powdered sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

10 dkg (1 stick) butter, softened
some of the liquid from 1 jar of Trader Joe's sour cherries

1 tbsp rum

2 tbsp strong coffee

cherries from 1 jar of Trader Joe's sour cherries

1 package unsweetened coconut

In a large bowl, combine ground wafers/biscuits, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix in butter with your hands until butter is incorporated. Add coffee, rum and enough of the cherry liquid to form a ball of dough. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Break off about a tablespoon of dough, place a cherry in the middle, and shape into a ball with your hands. Roll ball in a shallow bowl filled with coconut. Place balls on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Place in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

Raspberry lemon French toast strata

1/3 cup pure maple syrup, plus additional for serving
4 cups 1-inch cubes day-old country-style white bread with crusts
1 pint fresh raspberries
4 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup half and half
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Arrange rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Lightly butter 11-inch oval gratin dish. Scatter bread cubes and raspberries in dish, pour in maple syrup.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt; pour over bread cubes.

Bake strata until puffed and golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack to cool 5 minutes, then serve warm with additional maple syrup.

Dobos torte

Sponge Cake Layers

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup (162g) confectioner’s (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together
pinch of salt

1. Position the racks in the middle of the oven and set it at 400 F (200 C).

2. Cut off a piece of baking paper, long enough to cover the entire area of the baking tray.

3. Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g), confectioner’s (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don’t have a mixer.)

4. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup (81g) of confectioner’s (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

5. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet, using a spatula to spread evenly. The mixture is adequate for covering 4 large rectangular baking trays. Don’t be concerned if the mixture is not spread out 100% evenly.

6. Bake sponge layer for approximately 5 minutes, or until the top starts to puff up and adopt a golden brown colour. Remove from the oven, place another piece of baking paper to cover the top of the layer and flatten with another baking tray. This ensures that the layer is even. Allow to cool and repeat above processes for the remaining mixture.

Chocolate Butter cream

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) superfine sugar
4oz (110g) 72% cocoa bakers chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

3. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes. (For this process, I would recommend getting someone to help. By the time I was done, my arm felt as if it was going to fall off)

4. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.

5. When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Caramel topping

1 cup (200g) superfine Sugar
100ml Water

Stir the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat without stirring
Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel, about 160°C/320°F
Tip: Don't let it leave your sight, it changes to caramel very quickly and becomes dark and bitter even faster
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly so it thickens a bit
Using a teaspoon, drizzle or pour the caramel onto the parchment or silicon mat, making patterns within each of the circles
Allow to harden

Recipe adapted from www.eatshowandtell.com

Crepes with strawberries and cream

Makes 12 crepes

250 g flour
2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 Tb. oil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup seltzer water

In a blender or food processor, combine all the igredients and pulse until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
Refrigerate, covered for an hour.
In a saute pan set over medium high heat, laddle 1/4 -1/3 cup batter (depending on the size of your pan) and cook 1-2 minutes on each side.

Pumpkin Spice Muffin

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 small packages (1/4 cup each) dried fruit and nut mixes (I used Trader Joe's Omega Trek Mix)

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2.Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in the fruit and nut mix.
3.Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.