Sabtu, 21 Januari 2017
Rabu, 07 Desember 2016
DOWNLOAD EPUB All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray
Melissa Gray is one of those talented people whose voices are never heard, but whose work behind the scenes gets All Things Considered on the radio every weekday. As a producer on the NPR afternoon news magazine, she is part of a team that strives to make the day’s events and other interesting developments both intelligible and listenable for two hours, Monday through Friday. Several million Americans drive home better informed, and possibly smiling, thanks to the show we call ATC. As a host of that show, as one whose voice is heard, I knowingly benefit directly from her newsy smarts and Southern wit; if you are a listener, then you benefit as well, and now you know it.
Melissa’s many gifts include a taste for baking (which is the subject of this book), an ear for radio, and a profound sense of irony. Two examples of that last gift are (1) she prepared for an utterly nonvisual career, producing radio, by going to art school and (2) she asked me to write the foreword to this magisterial work on baking for the office, knowing that I am the rare colleague who does not eat the cake she brings to work. (Avoiding cake between 9:30 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. is one of the few dietary restraints I manage to observe.) In truth, I do not have to eat Melissa’s cakes to appreciate the joy they bring to the staff of our program. For a producer, editor, or booker, partaking of a home-baked Melissa Gray cake every week is a palpable bonus of working on the program, a good thing since real bonuses are precious few and far between. Melissa’s art school training is also in evidence: her cakes look terrific.
In All Cakes Considered, I am delighted to read, at long last, Melissa’s long form writing about her baking projects. Like all of her colleagues, I am already familiar with the short form, the Monday morning e-mail message that describes what is freshly baked, edible, and sitting on the producer’s desk: “I wanted to make up something slightly different. It’s Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake, using Saigon cinnamon, which is a bit more kicky than regular cinnamon, which is not really regular cinnamon.” “ANOTHER version of the lemon-blueberry swirl that I’ve been working on for two weeks now. Changes this time involve folding meringue into the batter and adding (GASP) a sprinkle of coconut over the blueberry before layering and marbeling. Dig in. And no complaints about the coconut.” “Up front is another attempt at that *&^%$# Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake.”
These messages leaven the typical traffic of news reports, press releases, and sightings of earrings left in the fourth-floor ladies room that clog our desktop computers. They remind me that people who work together are a potential community, capable of sharing in some of life’s delights without distracting anyone from the tasks of the office. They are, of course, equally capable of being nine-to-five sharp-elbowed, paranoid snipers who steal one another’s ideas and office supplies. Of such colleagues I say, “Let them eat cake, baked according to Melissa Gray’s impressive and dependable recipes.” They will be better human beings.
Mimosa
Makes 4 drinks
A classy, welcoming first drink of the day – a fitting start to Christmas.
¼ cup Grand Marnier
sparkling wine or Champagne
⅔ cup fresh orange juice
Divide the Grand Marnier between 4 champagne flutes. Fill almost to the top with sparkling wine or Champagne and top each glass with about 2 tablespoons orange juice. Serve
Mango Daiquiri
Makes 6 drinks
A tropical cocktail is a great summer drink.
Daiquiris were created in Havana, Cuba – where there is an abundance of
tropical fruit and rum. Here in Australia, there is nothing like the smell of
mango to remind us that Christmas is on its way. Sip the rummy mango through
the finely crushed ice, using a straw or not, and know the festive season is
here.
2 roughly chopped mangoes
½ cup white rum
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon
juice
4 cups crushed ice
thin slices of lime and mint sprigs
(optional), to garnish
Put everything apart from the garnish in a
blender or food processor and process, scraping down the sides a few times,
until the mixture is very smooth but still frozen.
Pour the mixture into stemmed glasses and
garnish each with a slice of lime and mint if desired.
Sangria
Sangria
Serves 8–10
Outdoor summer parties in Spain always include
big jugs of this fruity, spiced wine punch. You can add seasonal fruit to give
an extra burst of variety and colour – it seems so festive and is the perfect
drink for a summer Christmas.
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1 orange
1 lemon
ice cubes
750 ml dry red wine (Spanish, if available)
1 × 1.25 litre bottle soda water
Combine the water, sugar and cinnamon stick in
a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to
cool. Slice the orange and lemon, place them in a bowl and pour the syrup over
the fruit slices. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
Fill a large glass pitcher one-quarter full of
ice. Add the marinated fruit, 1 cup of the syrup and the red wine. Stir well
with a sangria stick or a wooden spoon and add soda water to taste. Serve in
chilled wine glasses.
TIP
Peach slices, strawberries or other fruit
in season may replace the orange and lemon.
Panforte
Makes 2 × 25 cm round cakes
Devotees of panforte, the traditional nut and fruit cake of Siena, Italy, say this recipe is the real thing – it is rich and spicy, as it should be. Small individual ones make wonderful gifts.
250 g blanched almonds
250 g blanched hazelnuts
310 g caster sugar
310 g honey
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
750 g dried mixed fruits, using a mixture of currants, raisins and mixed peel
icing sugar, to dust
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay the almonds and hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven until golden. Melt the sugar and honey together in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat, then allow to boil until it reaches a temperature of 115°C on a sugar thermometer. Alternatively, test a little mixture in cold water; it should not disintegrate but flatten of its own accord when picked up with the fingers.
Meanwhile, sift the flour and spices into a large bowl and add the toasted nuts and dried fruit.
When the syrup has reached temperature, pour into the bowl and mix quickly and thoroughly together. Tip into 2 × 25 cm cake tins or a tin 28 × 38 cm and 2.5 cm deep (or a little larger than this) which have been lined with baking paper. Pat the mixture into the tins using hands that have been dipped in water.
Bake in a 160°C oven for 45 minutes. Dust liberally with icing sugar and store in airtight containers. Cut into wedges or rectangles to serve. The flavours develop and improve with age.
Rich Chocolate Truffles
Rich
Chocolate Truffles
Makes 18 pieces
Very rich, very moreish and very French – and
shaped into small balls or nuggets to resemble the ‘black diamonds’ French
chefs prize so highly. Once made, they can be finished in a variety of ways and
kept in the refrigerator.
1 tablespoon instant coffee
¼ cup boiling water
250 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
125 g unsalted butter
2–3 tablespoons brandy or rum
cocoa powder, for dusting
In a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering
water add the instant coffee powder, boiling water and chocolate. Melt,
stirring a little, until the mixture is smooth.
Cut the butter into small pieces and beat into
the chocolate mixture gradually, a little at a time, until all the butter is
thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the brandy or rum, adding enough to suit taste
and chill for at least 3 hours or until firm enough to handle.
Break off pieces of the chilled mixture and
roll into small balls. Place in a dish containing a generous amount of sifted
cocoa powder and shake until the truffles are thoroughly coated. To store,
place truffles in paper or tiny foil cups, arrange in an airtight container and
keep refrigerated.
Variations
for finishing the truffles:
• Roll in coarsely shredded dark or white
chocolate
• Roll gently in toasted desiccated or
shredded coconut
• Roll in praline powder (crushed almond toffee)
• Roll in finely chopped toasted hazelnuts or
almonds
• Stud with pieces of macadamia nut
• Stud with pieces of glacé ginger
Snowballs (Boules de Neige)
Snowballs (Boules de Neige)
Makes about 18
Little balls of almond and hazelnut meringue are rolled in snowy white sugar and baked into the most delectable crispy sweet treat. Offer these special treats as a petits four, after Christmas dinner, or package in a pretty box or cellophane bag as a gift.
¼ cup ground almonds
¼ cup ground hazelnuts
¾ cup icing sugar, plus extra, for dusting
1 egg white
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the ground nuts, sugar and egg white together in a large bowl to make a firm paste, which can be rolled in the hand.
Divide the mixture into pieces the size of large hazelnuts. Roll each ball in sifted icing sugar to coat thickly. Arrange on the baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes, until well puffed. Dust with icing sugar if liked. Cool and transfer to paper cases to serve. Store in an airtight container.
Mandorlas (Amaretti)
Mandorlas (Amaretti)
Makes about 80
An Italian specialty, known also as amaretti,
Mandorlas are perfect to have on hand over the festive season. Serve with
coffee after dinner, or package in a glass jar or nice box for a great gift.
4 large egg whites
500 g ground almonds
1¾ cups caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon almond essence (optional)
1 cup icing sugar mixture
200 g red or green glacé cherries (or both)
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking trays
with baking paper. Beat the egg whites in a bowl with a whisk or fork until
foamy.
Combine the ground almonds, caster sugar and
baking powder in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the almond essence,
if using. Add the egg whites gradually, mixing all the time. To mix, use a
wooden spoon and begin at the centre of the bowl mixing with a circular motion
that gets larger as the ingredients become blended. This method will help to
prevent over mixing, which may toughen the dough.
Mix together thoroughly with your hand to form
a sticky dough. The dough should be firm enough to hold together but not dry.
When mixing dough, use the tips of your fingers as much as you can to keep the
dough light.
Roll 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball.
Repeat with the remaining mixture. Roll in icing sugar mixture to coat and
arrange on the prepared trays. Press a glacé cherry into the centre of each
biscuit. Bake for 15 minutes, until risen, cracked and very lightly coloured.
Cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to wire racks to cool
completely.
Almond and Pistachio Bread
Almond and Pistachio Bread
Makes plenty
This is like the delicious almond bread you find in good delicatessens. Simple to make at home, almond bread is first made then sliced very thinly and baked again to achieve the lovely thin wafers. A perfect Christmas hamper treat for friends.
3 egg whites
½ cup caster sugar
1 cup plain flour, sifted
¾ cup whole almonds
¼ cup shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a small non-stick loaf tin. Beat the egg whites until stiff without being dry, then gradually beat in the caster sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is thick and glossy. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour, almonds, pistachios and vanilla essence, mixing well. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until pale golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and wrap in foil. Place in the refrigerator and leave overnight – this will help to cut thin, even slices.
Cut into thin slices and place on an ungreased baking tray. Bake in a preheated 180°C oven, until pale golden and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve with fruit or creamy desserts or with coffee.
TIP You can leave out the pistachios if you prefer, in which case use 1 cup of almonds.
Gingerbread Men (Boys & Girls)
Makes 14, depending on size of cutters
Gingerbread men bring out the cannibal in everyone – nibbling away at feet, legs, hands and finally the head. Use your skills with the icing to pipe buttons, eyes, mouths, bikinis, skirts or whatever you like, giving each biscuit its own personality. Kids love to decorate gingerbread people, so let them do their own thing.
¼ cup golden syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125 g unsalted butter, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2¼ cups plain flour, sifted
currants and glacé cherries, to decorate
icing
½ cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line 2 baking trays. Combine the golden syrup, sugar and spices in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture bubbles.
Mix the butter and the warm golden syrup mixture together in a large bowl. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
Add the egg and 1 cup of the flour to the bowl and mix well. Add the remaining flour and bring the dough together using hands. Knead gently on a lightly floured board, until the dough is soft and smooth. Halve the dough and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.
Roll a portion of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to 5 mm thick. Using gingerbread cutters, cut out 14 people shapes. Arrange on the baking trays. Re-knead the dough scraps and chill before rolling out again. Repeat with the remaining dough.
To decorate the biscuits, press in currants for eyes and buttons, and a sliver of glacé cherry for a mouth. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until starting to colour and firm to the touch. Cool on racks before decorating further.
Icing
To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and hot water together in a bowl until smooth. Using an icing pipe with a fine point (or make baking paper triangles into cones for piping), ice the biscuits.
TIP If the dough is very soft and difficult to handle, place on a baking tray in the refrigerator until firm.
Kids may not want to make the dough, or roll it out, but they have a lot of fun cutting out the men and making eyes, mouths and buttons for their new creations. Look for boy and girl shaped cutters for fun.
Makes 2 loaves
Stollen
Makes 2 loaves
This traditional German bread is a specialty
of Dresden, from where they are exported around the world. Stollen is not at
all difficult to make at home. Being a rich, moist fruit bread, it improves
with keeping. Germans often make two loaves of this bread for Christmas – one
for keeping and one for giving.
⅔ cup mixed peel
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup currants
⅓ cup green glacé cherries, halved
⅓ cup red glacé cherries, halved
½ cup slivered almonds
⅓ cup rum
1 tablespoon plain flour
yeast dough
4 cups plain flour, sifted
large pinch of salt
7 g packet instant dry yeast
125 g butter, melted, plus extra, to brush
¼ cup lukewarm milk
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
topping
¾ cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
mixed peel and toasted flaked almonds, to decorate
Mix the fruit, almonds and rum together in a
bowl. Cover and set aside to soak overnight. Drain and dry the fruit well with
paper towel. Sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat.
To make the yeast dough, combine the flour,
salt and yeast in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the combined
butter, milk, sugar and eggs. Bring the ingredients together to form a dough.
Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface for 10–15 minutes, until
smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and a dry cloth. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour,
until the dough has doubled in size. Knock down the dough and turn onto a
lightly floured surface. Shape into a square. Spoon the prepared fruit and nut
mixture into the centre and knead gently, until well incorporated. Return to
the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for a further 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line an oven tray
with baking paper. Halve the dough and roll each half on a lightly floured
surface into a 23 × 18 cm oblong. Fold lengthwise into three. Lightly flour
hands, taper the ends slightly and pat the sides to mound the stollen in the
centre. Place on the prepared tray, seam side down, and brush with extra melted
butter. Stand in a warm place for 30 minutes, until doubled in size. Bake for
40–45 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack. Mix the icing sugar and warm
water together and brush a thin coating over the stollen while still warm.
Finish with a sprinkle of mixed peel and toasted flaked almonds.
Festive Cupcakes
Festive Cupcakes
Makes 24
These favourites of children’s parties are now appreciated for all occasions. So why not introduce them at Christmas? I like to decorate them with tiny holly sprigs found in cake decorating shops and some supermarkets.
125 g butter
¾ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup dark choc bits
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
⅔ cup milk
glacé icing
1½ cups icing sugar
2–3 tablespoons boiling water
20 g butter
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line 2 × 12-hole deep patty pans with paper cases. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla essence and choc bits.
Lightly fold the flour and milk into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon into the patty cases to three-quarters full. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
To make the glacé icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the boiling water and butter. Stir until smooth and shiny. Spread the top of each cake with the icing and decorate with tiny holly sprigs moulded from a firm icing, or cut holly with leaves from red and green glacé cherries.
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