(Re)Quest

Gluten Free Dacquoise aux Marron (ダコワースのマロンケーキ)

“Probably Strawberry Short Cake” my son said for his birthday cake selection. “Every cake you make is (very) good” he added. He basically said “Whatever”. I should have recorded that conversation. When I presented him this Chestnut Cake he goes “Whaaa…t?” like that. Happy Birthday to you!

The matter of truth is I didn’t have strawberries. I went to the market yet I spaced out completely. Like he said, whatever I make is SUPER ( he omitted this word but I know he meant to say it) good so let’s try this new recipe, in all honesty, I was really not in the mood for one more trip to the store – request denied.

The origin of dacquoise name perhaps came from the town of Dax, southwest of France and means ‘People of Dax’. However the person who developed this recipe is Japanese.Takao Mishima (三嶋隆夫), a chef who worked at Arthur, Paris’ 16th district restaurant in the 1970’s. I have made many chestnut cakes in the past but I think this is the easiest so far. Because of almost identical ingredients, the flavor is similar to a macaron without footwork. Anyway, my quest for the perfect chestnut cake continues.

Ingredients and direction for dacquoise

Equipment you need: Food scale, 12x9 baking pan lined with parchment paper

• Egg whites 135g about 4 large eggs (the eggs below are gift from my husband’s co-worker, nice aren’t they?)
• Granulated sugar 25g
• Almond Powder 100g. Sift with powdered sugar 70g below. Note: use coarse mesh strainer, it’s tough to get the almond powder through.
• Powdered sugar 70g plus an additional 2-3 Tablespoons for dusting.

1. Preheat oven to 410F.
2. Beat egg white with electric hand held mixer or stand mixer at medium speed till it gets cloudy.
3. Add 1/3rd of granulated sugar and continue whipping till you can see the solid white color and when you lift up the beaters, they leave a trace.
4. Gradually add the rest of the sugar and make meringue with stiff peaks but still shiny and not dry.
   
5. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of the almond and powdered sugar mixture and gently fold it in with spatula until the almond disappears. Repeat until all the almond flour has been added.
6. Pour batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle powdered sugar through a strainer. When the powdered sugar disappears, dust again with powdered sugar.
   
7. Put in the oven. Close the oven door and immediately turn down the temperature to 392F. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Cool cake in the pan on the cooling rack. When it’s completely cooled, flip onto a clean flat surface. Cut cake in 3rds. Then carefully remove paper.

Make Filling

• Heavy cream 120g
• Granulated sugar 20g
• Chestnuts about 16 pieces – I used a jar of chestnuts from William Sonoma- chopped small. 4-6 whole chestnuts for decoration later.
  
  

1. Whip heavy cream and sugar till soft peak with electric mixer.
2. Add chopped chestnuts and gently combine with spatula.

Make Chestnut cream

• Unsalted butter 100g softened
• Can of chestnut cream 200g – similar item available in Whole Foods.
• Rum flavoring 1/2 teaspoon (optional). If using real rum 10g

1. Put butter in the bowl and whip with electric hand held mixer till the butter gets pale and fluffy.
2. Add chestnut cream and mix with lower speed till well incorporated.
3. Add rum and mix.

Syrup – although it’s optional, this will keep the cake moist.

• 1/3 cup warm water
• Sugar 2 Tablespoon
• Rum flavoring 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon (optional)

Dissolve sugar in the water and add rum flavoring.

Assembly

1. Lay first of three cakes on the plate.
2. Brush with syrup repeatedly using about 1/3 of syrup.
3. Spread 1/3rd of filling evenly on top.
4. Lay the second piece of cake and repeat step #2 and #3.
5. Lay the third and final piece on top and repeat step #2 and #3.
6. Put chestnut cream in the pastry bag with tip (I used a multiple hole tip but a one pin hole tip will work too).
   
7. Pipe out diagonally and  then again to form a cross-hatch or diamond pattern.
8. Clean sides with a pallet knife.
9. Decorate with chestnuts on top (optional). I used chestnuts in heavy syrup.I proudly announced that this cake is gluten free. ” I’m ok with gluten, you know that right?” said my husband. Yeah but this does not taste like it. Hummm, this looks like soba noodle.

Putting the kids to bed was an exhausting job indeed.

This is one of my first paintings.  

I needed to make amends with him with his favorite dish –  crab cream croquette but he was out with friends. Fine!

My son made us beef stroganoff over egg noodle under the guidance of Betty Crocker. It’s good though, my recipe is betty…better.

We went out for dinner last Saturday then stopped by the Petite Provence for a little treat. From the right – chocolate, vanilla, caramel, orange, half eaten raspberry and missing is pistachio.

 

 

 

 

Today’s cooking

Japanese style carrot cake

Japanese Broadcasting Network (日本放送協会 - NHK) has two no-nonsense cooking shows called ‘Today’s cooking’ and ‘Today’s cooking for beginners’. These easy to follow and no drama, I meant to say low-key, shows are filled with great techniques and tips and no one yelling ‘Time is up!’. The monthly publication of Today’s Cooking magazine is also useful and both shows and magazines have very limited advertising so unlike other magazines I won’t  be distracted …you can lose 10 pounds in a week! So and so fortune teller find you true love! Isn’t this nuts? Anybody wanna peanut?  Inconceivable!, you say? Have fun storming the castle! Ha! As you wish!The carrot cake was featured in the February issue of ‘Today’s Cooking’. I thought it will be great for an Easter blog post. At a Japanese book store I started writing it on the back of my receipt but it was getting too long and I ran out of space. I could probably go on line and print out recipe?…But really good other recipes… ALL-IN-COLOR! Heck, I will just buy the magazine.

Once I got home, I have to make this right away. I need a test run before Easter, right? 

Ingredients and instructions for 1- 8 inch round cake pan

Line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper Tips: Use regular parchment paper instead of non-sick paper. This will help cake side raise straight. Dot the side of the pan with butter to help the paper to stick to the pan.

Fist: Cook Carrot

• Carrots 300g Wash and peel, then grate 2/3 of carrots finely and 1 inch long julienne the rest to give it a little texture. Or you can grate them all.
   
• Lemon juice 2 Tablespoons
• Sugar 3 Tablespoon

Put everything in a microwave proof bowl and combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap then microwave for 3 minutes on 60% power. Set aside.

2nd step and beyond

• Butter 75g
• Lemon peel yellow part only finely grated about 1 teaspoon
• Eggs 4 – at room temperature with white and yolk separated
• Sugar 150g
• Weak power flour 195g sifted with baking powder below
• Baking powder 2 teaspoons

1. Heat oven to 392F

2. Put butter in a microwave proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minutes at 60% power to melt.
3. Add lemon peel to melted butter.
4. Combine with cooked carrots. Set aside.
5. Put egg white in clean and dry stand mixer bowl with whisk attached. Whip for 1 minute at high speed (speed #8). Add sugar in three separate steps. Continue for 3 more minutes until soft peak.
6. Add egg yolk and mix for 10-15 second at lower speed (speed #6).
7. Add a couple scoops of whipped egg mixture into the carrot/butter mixture (if this mixture is cold put back in the microwave to warm up about 20 seconds at 60% power before adding whipped egg) and mix well with whisk, about 10-15 seconds. Set aside.
   
8. Add half of flour to the egg mixture then gently fold in with rubber spatula.
   
9. When you no longer see the flour, add rest of flour and do the same as above. Do not over mix.
10. Gently combine carrot/egg mixture step7 and step9
11. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 338F and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
12. When the cake is done, cover with dry dish towel and a large plate on top until it has cooled down. Remove from pan and serve with whipped cream. Recipe below or cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon whipped cream  – Heavy cream 150g,  sugar 2 Tablespoons, cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon. Whip until reach soft peak. Sprinkle with cinnamon.Marzipan carrot is optional of course but it gives you a chance to go back to childhood and play with food!

This carrot cake is exceptional! Light and moist.

Today’s (my son’s ) cooking: Chicken Taco Salad?

March 3rd is Girl’s Day in Japan. I take out a Hina Doll patchwork quilt done by my friend in Fukuoka Japan. She teaches quilt classes for over 70 students and has won numerous awards. Knowing her is bliss.And I made fondant Hina dolls from left over carrot project just for fun. Memo to myself: it will take more time than you think, do not attempt when you’re in rush. “We have to go” said my husband. Just a sec…Oops! See honey, what you made me do! Her make-up is ruined! They are supposedly a gorgeous couple. ….Anyway, Happy Girls Day! 

Favorite Thing

Marron Cake

December is fleeting and I’m not even near to Christmas-ready as in my Christmas past. It’s taking quite some time for me to be in the mood. My husband is not so enthusiastic either, that’s coming from his humble background. Although he never received a great amount of gifts as he was growing up, he has a reservoir of happy Christmas memories. I, on the other hand, had very Japanese Christmases – not mainstreamed to exchange gifts yet at that time, Christmas equal Christmas cake – no requirement to be Christian to celebrate Christmas – that sounds not quite right however, I enjoyed fabulous Christmas cake all those years. 

I was quite ambitious when I decided to make this cake for friends because chestnut cake is a very popular item among friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful to make it and cerebrate an early Christmas? I quickly discovered though, I was in over my head on this. So many components involved and many pans and bowls were filling my kitchen sink fast. Time is running out and frantic me screamed “Oh heck!“. How in the world?

I forgot to take many of the process pictures and made some mistakes but I’m sure I’ll revisit this cake at some point when I’m not in such a rush. After all, friends liked it despite it’s shady looks. Can’t you see? Baking is my favorite thing. What? What’s that honey? Oh, ok, I meant to say one of…elementary, my dear, you come in the very top! I’m sure.

Almond Génoise (Almond sponge cake)

Equipment  15-1/2 inch jelly roll pan, parchment paper, food thermometer, food scale and card dredge.

• Raw almond paste 150g. Keep in refrigerator. Take out 30 minutes before you start so that it has time to soften. Cut in small pieces.
• 8 eggs or 400g beaten.
• Granulated sugar 180g
• Hot water 3-4 cups keep the temperature at 140F
• Weak power flour 240g –sift twice. Discard flour left in sifter.
  
• Unsalted butter 60g melt and keep the temperature at 122F.

1. Prepare jelly roll pan by lining with parchment paper.
2. Put almond paste and 1/4 of egg in blender or food processer and blend until combined.
3. Add 1/3 of egg into the blender and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape side of blender with rubber spatula.
4. Add rest of egg and run for 30 second more then transfer to bowl of stand mixer.
5. Add sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.
6. In a large bowl, pour hot water (140F degree) and use it as a bath for the stand mixer bowl in. Swirl around with whisk to reach 90F degree. Temperature should not go over 95F. Cool down to the right temperature if it’s over 95F.
7. After reaching the correct temperature, put stand mixer bowl back in stand then mix on high speed (8 on my machine) for 7 minutes then lower the speed (4) and mix 4 more minutes.
8. Take the bowl out from the stand mixer, sprinkle in flour. Fold in flour with rubber spatula just until you no longer see the flour. Preheat oven to 320F.
9. Put 1 ladleful of egg/flour mixture into a smaller bowl. Add butter and whisk to mix. Return the egg/flour/butter mixture into the bowl of stand mixer and mix gently with rubber spatula 8-10 times.
10. Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Spread evenly to the corners of pan with card dredge.
     
    
11. Bake for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness after 18 minutes.
12. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and wrap with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.

Crème patissiere (custard cream)  Makes about 500g

• Milk 400g
• Vanilla beans 3 inch; split length wise and scrape seeds off.
• Egg yolk 95 g
• Weak power flour 35g sifted.
• Granulated sugar 25g and 50g
• Unsalted butter 20g cut in small cubes.
• Ice cubes and water in large bowl

1. Put milk, 25g of sugar, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod in a medium pan. Set aside.
2. Put egg yolk and 50g of granulated sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until the color of the egg became light and it thickens.
3. Add about two tablespoons of milk mixture into egg mixture. Mix well.
4. Sprinkle flour in the egg mixture and make big circle with whisk to combine, you should not over mix here but make sure all the flour is dissolved.
   
5. Heat milk mixture at medium heat.  Remove the vanilla pod when it floats to the top. Turn off the heat when milk mixture has come to a boil.
6. Pour 1/3 of milk mixture into the egg mixture and mix well with whisk. Set aside.
   
7. Return the pan to cook top and cook at medium high heat. When it starts boiling, pour in rest of egg mixture (#6). Whisk constantly and quickly to mix. It’s very easy to burn at this point so move your whisk very fast.
8. Continue to mix and boil the egg mixture, at some point it gets heavy and you can see the bottom of pan when you whisk.
9. When the mixture suddenly gets light and easier to stir then lower the heat and continue to mix till the whisk is coated with thin veil-like membrane (2 -3 minutes).
   
10. Add butter and mix well.
11. Put on the top of icy water bowl and stir with rubber spatula to cool completely. Strain through sieve for smoother cream.
12. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard and let it rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
    

Crème Diplomat

• Crème patissiere 240g Take out of refrigerator and stir until soft with spatula.
• Cream Chantilly – Heavy cream 100g and 10g of granulated sugar whipped till soft peak.
• Chestnuts 12-15 See photos. Chopped in small pieces.

Gently combine crème patisserie and cream Chantilly then mix in the chestnuts.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ~ I instantly start singing this song when I see the chestnuts. You could use any of the above chestnuts minus the song. From the left, chestnuts cooked in heavy syrup is sold at Japanese grocery store, it’s pricey so I use mainly for decoration, whole roasted chestnuts available in Whole Foods or Williams Sonoma, and this inexpensive bag of roasted chestnuts from Asian market.

Chestnut cream

• Unsalted butter 100g softened
• Store bought chestnut cream 200g–Oh come on! It’s a big project. Give yourself little break by using store bought chestnut cream.
• Rum 10g or rum flavoring 1/2 teaspoon (optional).

Cream butter well and add chestnuts cream and rum. Mix everything till creamy and light with whisk.

Assemble

1. Cut cake in 1/3rd then trim the edge for neat look (you could slice in half again to make a 6 thin layered cake if you dare).
2. Spread some of crème diplomat (about 1/4) cream on top of one cake.
3. Put another layer on top and spread some crème diplomat on top.
4. Put the last cake on top and spread top and side with rest of crème diplomat.
5. Put chestnut cream in the pastry bag with tiny hole tip.
6. Pipe out diagonal and crosswise to make a cross-hatch pattern.
7. Decorate with chestnuts on top.

Here are some foods that I made for Christmas luncheon.Thrice steamed sweet rice inari sushi.Matsutake mushroom soup.Fried tofu and lotus roots cooked in soy broth. Ah…where are the main and salad pictures? I didn’t take any friends photo either? That sucks!

Took a Glass Art class last Saturday. It was a fun class. I made a pig necklace according to the finished sample on the left. This will go in the special oven to be fired.I also made Christmas ornaments and a sister pig, I hate to say it but she is my favorite. Lovely Yoko sensei. She is way nice and talented!Oh! Hi! Hello deer (there) – this joke is not so funny second time around (see last blog). The neighbor’s lawn ornament I enjoy very much without any effort on my part.