Dobos Torte, The Daring Baker's Challenge (August 2009)

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: ExquisiteDesserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

The problem:

• Other then my caramel harden too quickly before I had a change to cut the sponge into section, and was crack a little when I cut it, everything was fine, and no stress involve!

Thank you to Angela and Lorrain for choosing such a wonderful and delicious Dobos Torte, and to Lisa and Ivonne who created the wonderful Daring Baker's Challenge.

Recipe can be found here or here!

Pistachio-Mancha & Apricot Mousse Cake

Summer is a perfect time to enjoy any mousse dessert. I can create many different kind of mousses using the same basic recipe, so can you. I like to use just about any fruit that is in season, because they are inexpensive, and more flavorful.

The sponge cake will take about 8 to 10 minutes to bake. You don't want to turn on the oven for a long time when it's hot outside, so this recipe is good for that reason. Recipe for apricot mousse can be found in this site. To make apricot sauce, all you need to do is to boil the apricot in sugar syrup until very soft, puree, then strain. Cool completely before pouring it into the cake.

Pistachio Sponge base

100 grams raw pistachios

⅓ cup of self rising flour

1 tablespoon mancha powder, optional (I was just curious how the 2 combine together. The mancha flavor was really mild)

½ cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

• Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Butter a sheet pan, line with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper as well.
• Place pistachios, flour and mancha powder in a food processor, and process to a fine powder. Sift and set aside.
• Whisk eggs and sugar in mixer bowl over simmering water until the mixture is warm. Take it off the heat, continue to whisk in an electric mixer until the mixture is cooled and triple in volume. Fold in gently with rubber spatula the pistachios-flour mixture in three addition. Spread evenly on prepared pan. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until firm and spring back when touch with finger. Cool completely.
• To assemble the cake, you can use any type of ring mold you have. I like to use an 8 by 1¾ inches square mould. If you don't have any mould at all, use a springform cake pan. Cut the cake to fit the size of your mold. Place the sponge cake in the mold, brush with syrup, and fill with the mousse. Refrigerate until set, then pour the apricot syrup. Refrigerate again at least an hour before serving.

* If you use an 8 inches mold, you will have plenty of leftover sponge cake. You can put another layer of cake if you like, or like me, I just eat the cake plain. It's delicious on its own.

Torta di Mele

She was right when she said it was so good you want it for breakfast. I made it just for that reason.

My husband and I had this for breakfast on Saturday morning with a cup of coffee. The torta was (psychologically) taste better when using apples from my own garden. I also used quite a bit, 5 large apples instead of 3, pack them as tightly as I could. Skipped the Sambuca, used 2 tablespoon calvados instead.

What a delicious lazy Saturday morning it was. Thanks for sharing the recipe Angela.

VIENNESE Chocolate Sablés

These sablés are so good, and you'll understand why after you look at the ingredients. Yes butter, lots of butter and Valrhona cocoa powder! OK, it is strictly forbidden to think about diet when you are eating this.

Recipe adapted from

Chocolate Dessert by Pierre Hermé

1¾ cups plus 1½ cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

5 tbs (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

2 sticks plus 1½ tbs (8¾ ounces; 250 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup plus 2 tbs (100 grams) confectioner's sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

3 tbs lightly beaten egg whites (lightly beat 2 large egg whites, then measure out 3 tablespoons)

Confectioner's sugar for dusting, optional

• Position the oven rack in the middle. Preheat oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C).
• Fit the pastry bag with a medium size open star tip. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour and the cocoa together, set aside
• With a whisk, beat the butter until light and creamy, whisk in the sugar and salt. Stir in the egg whites, the batter will separate a bit, it's okay. Gradually add the flour-cocoa mixture. Blend just enough to cooperate them together.
• Work in batches, spoon out about a ⅓ of the batter into pastry bag. Pipe dough in a "W" shape (I am not that good with piping, so mine wasn't really look like "W" shape), about 2 inches (5 cm) long and 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide, with 1 inch apart in between the cookies.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are set but not too brown, or too hard. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cool completely, dust with confectioner's sugar if desire.

Tarte Au Citron, The Simplest and The Best

The tarte is pretty humble, yet the best and have been a favorite lemon tart among our family, and friends. For a special occasion, I like to decorate the top with fresh raspberry, or red currant, and dust with a little bit of confectioner's sugar.

1 recipe of sweet pastry

1½ cup sugar

2 eggs

4 tbs butter, melted, then let it cool at room temperature

Meyer lemon juice from 2 large lemons

Meyer lemon zest from 2 large lemons

• Roll out the pastry dough to fit an 11 inches tart pan. Transfer onto the tart pan-trim the excess. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375⁰F
• Whisk the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, drizzle slowly the butter and contiinue to whisk until the butter is fully incorporated. Add lemon zest, whisk to mix. Turn off the machine.
• Add lemon juice into the batter, fold gently with rubber spatula. Take out the tart dough from refrigerator, pour the batter, shake the pan gently to distribute the batter evenly.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust and the filling is completely dark brown (it should be very dark, but not burn). Cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Napoleon

If you plan to make this for your guest, make sure to mention that the puff pastry is made out of chocolate. Why? Well, they might think that your pastry is burned!

I think this was the best Napoleon I've ever tasted, and my family couldn't agree more.  I was so please that, all my effort of making Chocolate puff pastry was really paid off. Worth every single drop of my sweat, eeeew!