TWD Rewind- Tarte Noire

This week we were able to do a rewind for Tuesday's with Dorie.
I went to a dinner party earlier this month and was in charge of dessert, so I decided to make Tarte Noire. This particular tart was chosen back in July by Dharmagirl, who blogs over at bliss: towards a delicious life and you can find the recipe on her blog, HERE. This tart is basically a tart shell filled with chocolate ganache. I used Scharffen Berger- a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate.

I made this in my rectangular tart pan and also made a fruit tart, filled with this vanilla pastry cream and decorated with kiwis, raspberries, and pomegranate arils. Christmas spirit portrayed in the colors, of course. I wanted to please the chocolate lovers and the fruit lovers too.

This tart was beautiful and rich. Everyone ate a small piece and enjoyed it.

Go over to Tuesdays with Dorie and see what everyone else made for the rewind today!

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Milk Chocolate Ganache

One of the best things about living where we do, is the fact that we are close to grandparents. It is so fun for the kids to know them and to be close enough to see them frequently.
Recently Papa had a birthday and the girls wanted to make him a treat. We had a busy morning, so we decided cookies were the item to be gifted.

Papa loves chocolate and I had some milk chocolate ganache (leftover from these cupcakes) in the fridge that needed to be used, so I just had to find a cookie that would do the job.
I remembered this PB cookie recipe from a magazine and decided to switch out the PB & J filling the recipe called for and used the milk chocolate ganache instead.

The cookies were quick and easy to mix up. I used creamy PB instead of crunchy. I warmed the ganache slightly, slathered it on a cookie and then smooshed another cookie on top. Then the cookie sandwiches were ready to go.
The girls made some cute birthday cards and we took the treats over to Papa's house. They were enjoyed by those who tasted them. I let my girls try a cookie plain and they thought the cookies were great. So there you have it. Another successful birthday treat!
For the ganache I just heated some heavy cream in a saucepan and then mixed in milk chocolate chips, stirring until I got the right consistency.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

The Barefoot Contessa's Black and White Angel Food Cake

Do you remember when I said I had 15 egg whites in the freezer?
Well, I don't anymore and these pictures are the proof.

I have been wanting to make a angel food cake for awhile now, but haven't ever been able to accumulate enough egg whites-whose yolks were being used, to make a full-sized one.

Thanks to the lime curd, multiple ice creams and so on, I finally had enough egg whites and a reason to make the cake.

I was providing the desserts for a church gathering( I ended up making 7 desserts) and most of the treats I made were smaller, individual sized items, but I really thought this was a great time to make the angel food cake.
I don't really ever watch tv, but somehow I happened upon the food network and an episode of the Barefoot Contessa was playing. She was making this angel food cake. She made it look so easy and also said something about how angel food cake needs a little sprucing up and after watching her grate the semi-sweet chocolate and add it to the batter- I completely believed her.
Plain old angel food cake was not going to do.
I needed to make her cake with the tiny shreds of semi-sweet chocolate in the batter and the decadent ganache on top.
I didn't really have time to get a great photo of this, but it turned out absolutely perfect. I was kinda scared because the day I made this it was raining cats and dogs and I was paranoid that somehow that was going to make my cake deflate or ruin the texture, but it was perfect.
I also like that she has you measure out the amount of egg whites, instead of using an exact number.
This recipe was easy and so delicious. I thought the ganache on top was the perfect way to finish it off.
So, if you have 11 or 12 egg whites in the fridge or freezer, here is a way to put them to good use.
I actually can't wait until I have that many to use again, because this cake is delicious!


Recipe for Black and White Angel Food Cake

Video of The Barefoot Contessa making Black and White Angel Food Cake

One Year Ago-Brown Sugar- Pecan Shortbread

TWD- Mini Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tarts with Toasted Coconut Shortbread Crusts

This week's TWD, a very decadent dessert-Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart, is brought to you courtesy of Carla. You can find the recipe over at her blog- Chocolate Moosey or
elsewhere on the internet if you search for Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart.
I know because I wanted to see more pictures of this one and I googled it.
This is the sort of dessert that you would probably want to serve at a large gathering. A dinner party (like Wendy did) or at the end of your book club meeting (Nancy).

Some function that would benefit from a full-sized tart.
I knew that I would not be making this for that sort of function. Just because, well mainly because there was no such function to attend in a certain time frame.
I also knew that I had some leftover cookie dough in my freezer from when I made Toasted Coconut Shortbread.
A family of five just can't eat a whole batch of cookies at a time. Well, probably can, but shouldn't, so I had some cookie dough I needed to use.
I figured since we already had chocolate and caramel going on in this one, I might as well add some coconut. And please don't forget about the honey-roasted peanuts that are mixed into the caramel.
I had just enough cookie dough to make 5 little tarts in my muffin tin. Did I mention there are 5 of us? just kidding- I know I just mentioned that.
It worked out just perfectly.

Except I forgot to weigh down the cookie dough with something, so it puffed up like crazy. I had to cut out the middle of my cookie/tart thingies, so there would be a little room for some caramel and chocolate.
I used milk chocolate in my ganache because my husband always think that ganache is too bitter with semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate and I really wanted him to eat one of these little minis.
I also sprinkled a little toasted coconut on top, before I put these in the fridge to set.

Kids loved it. They wanted to skip dinner and just move straight to the tarts.

It reminded me of a Twix candybar, but of course, much more delicious.

So, on second thought, don't wait for some sort of special occasion, since in reality everyday is a special occasion. Make this just for the heck of it. Whoever gets to taste a bite will be appreciative!

Go and check out what all the other Tuesday's with Dorie Bakers did when they made this tart!

One Year Ago- Pear-Oatmeal Muffins and Lime Cupcakes with Cranberry-Lime Filling and Marshmallow Frosting

TWD-Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

Clara of I heart food 4 thought chose this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe and I think I know why- They are the only cupcakes in the book! She has another really cute blog- I heart cuppycakes- dedicated to, yes, you guessed it, cupcakes. Get this recipe from her 1st blog I mentioned or go to THIS POST from a few months ago when I made these cupcakes because I had some leftover praline paste and ganache from a Daring Bakers challenge. The first time, I frosted them with Praline Buttercream and filled them with leftover ganache. TO DIE FOR!
I wasn't going to make these again just becuase I made them so recently, but then I needed to make some goodies for my husband to take to work and these were fairly simple, so I whipped them up. This time I used marshmallow fluff for the filling, but should have used more. I also used the ganache topping called for in the recipe.
I let my girls split one and the rest were whisked away.
Honestly, I thought they were amazing when I topped them with the praline buttercream and filled them with ganache, but this time they just weren't as tasty. They were still good, but the ganache wasn't my favorite for the topping.
I didn't have any problems with them turning out dry-both times I made them, they were moist and delicious, with great crumb.
Go check the Tuesday's with Dorie blogroll to see all the other cupcakes- you might just see some spooky ones!

Coming tomorrow- Daring Baker's Pizza-- 7 ways

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies, Phyllo Mini Tarts 3- ways, and Gale Gand's Butterballs

My husband knows how much I like to bake. In the past he has asked me to make dessert for his work functions. This happens every couple of months and usually everyone requests Cheesecake Pops and I make them. This time his boss called him and asked him to ask me to make some desserts for a small lunch and then the next week for a larger event. I am getting paid! Anyway, I told him I didn't want to make Cheesecake Pops again (I like trying out new recipes) and he didn't have any suggestions, so that left me to decide what I would try.

I remember seeing these Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies in Southern Living (I still get my subscription even though we moved to Utah) and at the time thought they looked a little too fancy for everyday, so I thought this was the perfect time to try them. I just made them in a normal muffin tin, with normal size aluminum liners and made two small pies in ramekins, so we could try some too. I made them the night before and kept them in the fridge overnight. They required about 5-10 more minutes to set then the recipe suggests and the centers fell a little. Everyone loved them though. I thought they tasted more like cheesecake than pie, which isn't really a bad thing. I got the last bag of key limes at my grocery store and garnished them with raspberries and sweetened whipped cream.

The ButterBalls, (isn't that a great name) are the cookie featured on the cover of Gale Gand's Chocolate and Vanilla Cookbook (well, the vanilla side cover) and I thought they looked cute, so I made them. I made the dough and the vanilla sugar the day before and these were the favorite item with the tasters here. I couldn't keep the hands away. They were grabbing them right out of the oven, with the chocolate and then with the sugar. I finally had to hide them!

The mini phyllo shells are just so versatile and I tried a couple of different fillings. Everything was a hit. Next week for my hubby's workplace, I am going to make Bakerella's Cupcake Pops and Red Velvet Cake Balls, more Butterballs, and a few other things, so make sure you come and check them out!

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies from Southern Living Magazine

Prep: 30 min., Bake: 20 min., Cool: 30 min., Chill: 4 hr.

12 jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups

Vegetable cooking spray

1 (9-oz.) package chocolate wafer cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons key lime zest

1/3 cup fresh key lime juice

3 large eggs

Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, fresh cherries and blackberries, fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place 12 jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups in lightly greased muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray.
2. Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumbs and butter; firmly press on bottom and two-thirds up sides of each baking cup (about 3 Tbsp. crumbs per cup).
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add lime zest and lime juice, beating at low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Spoon mixture into prepared cups, filling completely full.
4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until set. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and let cool 15 minutes or until completely cool. Cover and chill 4 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Mary's Butterballs from Gale Gand's Chocolate and Vanilla
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam or ganache*
2 cups vanilla sugar **, for rolling

In a mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it's light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in the granulated sugar and when the mixture is well blended add the flour and mix until it forms a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 3 hours to make it easier to handle. This also helps prevent the balls from flattening out too much when they're baked.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Taking off pieces of dough with your hands, roll small (3/4-inch) balls of dough (about the size of a hazelnut in the shell). Chill them for 30 minutes in the freezerm then place them 2 inches apart on cookie sheets to allow for some spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the cookies are firm but not browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans.
Spread the flat surface of half of the cooled cookies with the jam of ganache and top with a second cookie to form a little sandwiched ball. The filling will not show very much. Once you've sandwiched them all together, bury them in the vanilla sugar to coat the entire outside.
*Ganache (Gale Gand)
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. When melted, pour in the cream and whisk until combined. Remove from heat.

**Vanilla Sugar from Alton Brown
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Cut bean into 3 pieces and bury down in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as regular, granulated sugar.

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE KISS from Athens Fillo recipes
Ingredients
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup marshmallow creme
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 Athens® Mini Fillo Shells (1 box)
15 Hershey's® Kisses

In a small bowl, place peanut butter, marshmallow and vanilla. Blend well. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling into each Fillo Shell. Top with Hershey's® Kiss. Serve immediately.

Lemon Cream Phyllo Tarts by Mary Ann
1/3 cup lemon curd
1/2 cup Cool Whip
Athens mini fillo shells

place lemon curd in a bowl. Stir until color changes and well mixed. Add in Cool Whip and stir until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate or if ready to serve, fill phyllo shells. Garnish with whipped cream, Cool Whip, blueberries or other fruit.

Pumpkin Phyllo Tarts by Mary Ann
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup Cool Whip
2-5 Tbls brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger and nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp allspice
Athens mini fillo shells

Combine pumpkin, Cool Whip, brown sugar and spices in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Right before serving, fill shells and garnish with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Coming Tomorrow- A Simple, Family Favorite-Cashew Chicken and Chow Mein Cookies

Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes with Praline Buttercream and Ganache Filling

What to do with the leftover praline paste and ganache from the Daring Bakers challenge? I couldn't let it go to waste, so I whipped up a simple buttercream that Chris (our DB host from last month) told us she used as a substitute, added the leftover praline paste, baked some amazing chocolate cupcakes (Thanks once again to Dorie), I mean they were delicious with nothing on them, warmed up the leftover ganache and filled those cupcakes and called it good. These were great immediately, but even better after a little time in the fridge because the ganache firmed up and all the flavors melded together. I still had some ganache left, so I sandwiched it inbetween some Nilla wafers. What great tasting leftovers!

Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes- makes 12 cupcakes from Baking by Dorie

Greenspan, pg. 215-16

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins or use paper liners. (I used Crisco with Flour spray)

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then yolk, beating for 1 minute, after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce mixer speed to low, and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, before unmolding them. Cool to room temperature before frosting of glazing.

Praline Paste*

1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless

2/3 cup Sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. **Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Praline Buttercream

1 stick butter, at room temperature

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup praline paste*

Cream together butter and cream cheese, until creamy and combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth and creamy. Beat in praline paste, until you have a smooth buttercream. Use immediately and refrigerate any leftovers.

Ganache

6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate,

6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

¾ tsp. vanilla

Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture.

DB-Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

I love baking cake, so when I saw this months Daring Bakers challenge, I was very happy and excited! This months challenge was chosen by Chris over at Mele Cotte. After reading through the recipe I realized it was going to be very similar to the Opera Cake we made in May, in that it had a genoise base, that is brushed with a simple syrup, then layers of buttercream and whipped cream, a glaze and the ganache. No fear here. I waited until yesterday to make it and it came together quickly. I was able to work on it uninterrupted (almost) for a few hours and had it ready in a jiffy. I have made swiss buttercream before, so I knew what to expect there. One taster just was cleaning the bowl from the buttercream and mixed it with a little leftover ganache and asked if they could have this for their next birthday cake-even without trying the cake! My favorite part was making the praline paste. It was so fun to watch the sugar and nuts transform to the brittle. I was amazed as I watched the brittle turn into paste. Very interesting! I halved everything except the ganache and made it in a 6-inch round. I omitted all the liqueur, except for rum flavoring in the sugar syrup. Luckily, we had just made apricot jam, so I was able to use some that was very fresh. It was beautiful and delicious! This was a great challenge. Make sure to check out the DB blogroll to see everyone else's beautiful cakes!



Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert Genoise

1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum

1 recipe Praline Buttercream

½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

1 recipe Apricot Glaze

1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using

3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise

Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.

1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned

2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

7 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. grated lemon rind

5 lg. egg whites

¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan. Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup

Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur (I added 1/2 tsp rum flavoring)

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake.

*Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

1 recipe Swiss Buttercream

1/3 cup praline paste

1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)( I omitted this)

Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream

4 lg. egg whites

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm

1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice (I omitted this)

1 tsp. vanilla

Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a elevtric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows. Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside. Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.Wait! My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together. Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste

1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless

2/3 cup Sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter. Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble.

**Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze

Good for one 10-inch cake

2/3 cup thick apricot preserves

1 Tbsp. water

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze

Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake **Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.

6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt

6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional) (I omitted this)

¾ tsp. vanilla

½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside. Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream. Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes. Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-ich blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake. Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.