Erin's Take on Bill's Carrot Cake

Sorry, I am a little late in posting on this week's TWD Carrot Cake. What can I say... life gets hectic. In general, I am not a cake fan. I would take pie over cake any day. Except for carrot cake. I just have a weakness for carrot cake, or perhaps the cream cheese icing that is always used.

I took the cake over to a party at a friends house on Tuesday and invited constructive critisim to be included in this post. Here's what we came up with:
1. The taste of the cake was great - really hearty and spiced well.
2. The cranberries were a perfect replacement for the much detested raisins.
3. My cake was little bit dry. I kept in the oven for 47 minutes, so next time I take 5 minutes off the cooking time.
4. We all loved not having icing on the sides. This eliminated the common problem of way too much icing on a slice of cake. (I know to some people this is never a problem.)

This cake is definitly worth keeping on the make again list. Thought next time I am going to substitute half of the oil for the same amount of applesauce and see how it turns out.

Here's how the cake looked after we finished with it last night.

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TWD: Bill's Big Carrot Cake

This week's TWD challenge is from Amanda, of Slow Like Honey, who selected Bill's Big Carrot Cake, pages 254-255. Of course, I wondered who Bill is, and it turns out that he's Dorie Greenspan's late jeweler friend, Bill Bartholomew, who enjoyed her carrot cake which she makes using her 30 year old recipe. Talk about tried and true! He must have enjoyed his carrot cake hearty! And now that I've tried Dorie's recipe, I think I prefer my carrot cake hearty, as well. This cake has it all. Texture, crumb, flavor, and that irresistable, cream-cheese frosting.





I prepared her carrot cake batter with crushed walnuts made super-fine by way of a mortar and pestle, and added shredded coconut. Instead of a big party cake, I made cupcakes. I omitted raisins because David has strong feelings about raisins; he can't stand them and will stomp his feet and throw a tantrum if he finds one sneaked into a baked item. Well, he doesn't really have a tantrum. I'm just having some good old fashioned fun at my husband's expense. It's OK, he stopped reading Smell The Basil, anyhow, so he'll never find out about me exposing his secret disdain of the harmless raisin. Anyhow, my point is that this cake takes well to subsitutions and additions. Dorie Greenspan mentions that dried cranberries are a current favorite addition to this cake. I'll try that next time.
Please check Smell The Basil tomorrow, because my blogging partner, Erin, will post about her take on Bill's Big Carrot Cake. Thanks!
My cupcakes sank a little during the baking process, which could be due to the heavy batter, but this cosmetic flaw was easily repaired with an extra dab of frosting. Please check out the other TWD bakers to see their creations! Also, thank you to Amanda, for selecting a great recipe!

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan




Yields 10 servings



Ingredients:



For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs



For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)



Getting ready:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.



To make the cake:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.



To make the frosting:

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.



To assemble the cake:

Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.



Serving:

This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.



Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

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Eddie's Not-So-Weekly Wine Column

I have received complaints from some of you over the past several weeks concerning the infrequency of my “weekly” wine column. Some of you have even argued that I should write my weekly wine column once a week. But genius doesn’t work on a time-table. Did Einstein work on his theory of relativity once a week? Doubt it. Did Beethoven write a symphony once a week? I don’t think so. So why are you holding me to a different standard? Because my genius is greater than that of Einstein’s and Beethoven’s put together? Good argument. And perhaps you are correct, but I sincerely hope that you, my fans, understand that the mind of a genius works on its own time-table.

So let me tell you all you need to know about the Baltimore Wine and Food Expo held several weeks ago at the historic Tremont Hotel in downtown B-more. If you weren’t there, you missed an amazing time. For the entrance fee of $50, there was great food, great wine, and a little something extra I like to call the “wow factor.” I say “wow” because this wine festival understands what other wine festivals sometimes do not. Humans are affected by the intoxicating affects of alcohol. Recent studies have concluded that alcohol can impair one’s ability to drive, and even more surprisingly, it can impair one’s judgment and decision-making ability.

Spanish researchers reached similar findings more than 100 years ago, and they developed a treatment to sort of “doll” the affects of alcohol: tapas. Tapas are essentially little snacks provided to you when you order an alcoholic drink in any bar in Spain.

At many wine festivals I’ve been to in the past, the “food” portion was usually limited to tasteless crackers or other items that patrons had to pay extra for. What was so great about the Baltimore Wine and Food Expo is that great food was provided to everyone, throughout the expo, free of charge. Dozens of Baltimore area restaurants, ranging from everything like P.F. Changs (and other big chains) to Sotto Sopra and The Brass Elephant (smaller, more family-owned establishments), provided samples of their signature dishes. And I found that you could “sample” the same dish more than once. That Groucho Marx mustache sure did come in handy . . .

The wines were similarly diverse. The best wines were found in the V.I.P. room – which was not just a room for V.I.P.s like myself – V.I.P. is the distributer for many small, high quality vineyards in California. The best in show were several of the wines from Bink Vineyards. Bink is a small mom and pop style vineyard located in Mendicino, California, and they have everything from a Cabernet Sauvignon that will knock your socks off to a Pinot Noir that will slap you in the taste buds. Delicious. If you ever find a Bink wine at a restaurant or wine shop (and yes, many Baltimore restaurants carry this label), do yourself a favor and buy a bottle (and me one too, please.)

As I always do, I’ll conclude this column with what I know you’re all desiring. No, sorry, I don’t have any pictures of me in that leopard-print thong. I’m talking about a wine recommendation. This week, I give you two. Why two? Because this time of year, we get those cold evenings, where all you want to do is snuggle up to a rich bottle of red wine, and we also get those warmer evenings, where you want to be seduced and zinged by a bottle of crisp white wine.

For the red, try the 2006 Marquis Phillips Shiraz from South-Eastern Australia. It retails for about $12-15 and is even sexier than my leopard-print thong – well, I suppose that’s debatable. It’s full-bodied, yet not obnoxious. It’s silky smooth, yet not wimpy. It’s the gentle lover with a five o’clock shadow I know you’ve been looking for.

For the white, try the 2007 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. It retails for about $10-14, and is everything a good SB should have: crisp front, citrus tones, and a clean finish. The only downside to this wine is that each bottle only has 750 ml. O, and don’t let the screw cap fool you – all New Zealand wineries have switched to screw caps because studies have shown that the spoilage rate of wines from screw caps is about 100 times less than from traditional cork. Take that France.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy these great Spring wine picks. My next column will address what wines go great with that first Springtime Bar-B-Q or grill. And don’t rush me on it. Again, nobody rushed Picasso to produce his famous La Vie painting during his Blue Period.

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TWD: Part I. Homemade Marshmallows: A Lesson in Failures; Part II. Salvation found in the form of Rocky Road Ice Cream

Judy of Judy's Gross Eats selected Marshmallows, pg: 404-405, for this week’s TWD challenge. I must confess that I was tempted to sit this one out. In fact, I still have serious reservations not only about this recipe, but the entire point of making marshmallows from scratch. I just don’t see the allure. My reasons are simple: 1) I can buy a 1 lb bag of marshmallows at the grocery for less than 2 dollars 2) I think gelatin is really gross and should not be knowingly consumed 3) what on earth could I possibly do with a batch of marshmallows?! I mean, come on! Do you eat them with tea? I read Ms. Greenspan’s description of how she decided to include them in her spoon desserts section. Here’s where she and I part ways. If I were serving a spoon dessert to company, I would not feel comfortable serving marshmallows, even if they are lovingly made by hand. I would select homemade ice cream, crème brulee, mousse, or any of those sorts of spoon desserts. I don’t mean to quibble; I just think marshmallows are a component of s’mores and Rocky Road Ice Cream, and will never be the main attraction in my book. So, I decided to compose my email to the wonderful leader of TWD, Laurie, explaining my beliefs when I looked up and saw my hero, the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, in her immaculate kitchen, making, what else, but MARSHMALLOWS! Did any of you catch that episode last week? She made toasted coconut marshmallows and her lovably snooty description sold me and I decided to take it as an omen that I should attempt this week’s TWD. The outcome? I crashed and burned. I should have just hit “send” to that email to Laurie and called it a day. My marshmallows ended up .000000025 mm thick, that’s 2.5x10-8 mm for you mathmatics majors. (don’t laugh! I’ll troll all the unsuspecting math blogs out there trying to get them to link to our food blog!). In any case, have a look for yourself.




(If you are wondering why they are a shade of unappetizing tan, it's because I followed Ina Garten's advice and toasted some coconut for the marshmallows.



My marshmallows suck. I honestly don’t see much difference between these and store bought, other than the store bought taste really chalky. But it’s a difference so slight that I’m unwilling to bother with making marshmallows again. After I realized that these marshmallows were content to sink unabashedly to the depths of my pan, thumbing their collective noses at me, I wondered what I could do with these. I asked my husband if he wanted to go camping (so we could make s’mores) and he said no and that he had to do our income taxes. I could have made rice krispy treats but I don’t have rice cereal in the house. So, I decided to make Rocky Road Ice Cream, which I alluded to above. And there you have it. Toasted nuts, chocolate, eggs, cream, milk, and those miserably thin, unsatisfying marshmallows.



Oh, and these super thin ‘mallows totally disappeared in the ice cream. The only remaining sign of those cursed marshmallows is that delicate, pleasant chew they lend to classic rocky road ice cream. See, marshmallows are best when they assume the role of quiet workhorse, behind the scenes, so the chocolate and toasted nuts can take center stage.



Please visit the other TWD bakers to enjoy their successful marshmallow experiences!

Marshmallows
From Baking: My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Makes about 1 pound marshmallows

About 1 cup potato starch (found in the kosher foods section of supermarkets) or cornstarch
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup cold water, divided
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

GETTING READY: Line a rimmed baking sheet -- choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high -- with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with potato starch or cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand.
Syrup: Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup -- without stirring -- until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)
Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy -- don't overbeat them and have them go dull.
As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.
Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won't fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (I use custard cups). Dust the top of the marshmallows with potato starch or cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They'll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more. Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you'd like -- into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they're cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.
Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you'd like -- into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they're cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.


Rocky Road Ice Cream
Adapted from “The Perfect Scoop” by David Lebowitz
8 ounces milk chocolate, at least 30% cocoa solids, finely chopped
1 (1/2) cup heavy cream
1 (1/2) cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
Pinch kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vodka, neutral flavor
¾ cup marshmallows, cut in ¼ inch pieces, or use miniature
¾ cup toasted almonds
1) Combine milk chocolate and cream in large, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted, then remove bowl from saucepan. Set it aside with a mesh strainer over the top.
2) Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, WHISKING CONSTANTLY, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
3) Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. See Eggbeater for a good description of making the crème anglaise.
4) Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the milk chocolate mixture. Add the vodka and mix together. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
5) Chill the mixture overnight in the refrigerator. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last five minutes of churning, add the toasted almonds and marshmallows.

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Apple Almond Yogurt Cake

Earlier this week, Deb of Smitten Kitchen posted about Ina Garten's famed lemon yogurt cake. This is a cake I've been meaning to try because I'm curious about the addition of yogurt to the batter, which promises a moist crumb. Wow, does this cake deliver. It's possibly the wettest cake I've ever tried, just shy of soggy and perfect with afternoon tea. As Deb mentions, the possibilities are endless, and she advises using Ina Garten's recipe as a guide. I decided to try apples and almonds because who doesn't love alliteration?


Apple Almond Yogurt Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive or canola oil (canola is more milder tasting)
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced apples (I used granny smith, but any sort which will retain is shape during the baking process should be equally delicious)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I wish I'd thought to toast them first, next time!)
1/3 cup apple juice
squeeze of lemon juice, fresh, from 1/2 lemon (more if you prefer tarter flavor)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the apples with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold apples and almonds very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup apple juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the apple/lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Many reviewers suggested using a toothpick to prick tiny holes into the cake which would allow the syrup to seep inside.

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Tuesdays with Dorie: The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

Mary of Starting From Scratch selected The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart for this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie Challenge. This is a dessert that was at the top of my “to make” list ever since I read about how Dorie Greenspan acquired the recipe for lemon cream, which is the filling in this recipe. As it goes, Ms. Greenspan and the famed pastry chef, Pierre Herme were working on their first book together, when he quietly let her in on his creative genius in the form of lemon, egg yolks and butter. Rather than creating a traditional lemon curd, which gently cooks together butter, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice, producing an intense lemon flavored spread; Chef Herme’s lemon cream heats egg yolks with lemon zest, juice, and sugar, which is cooled and then blended with butter, producing an emulsion, which, as we know, is what happens when two liquids which ordinarily do not mix well, are merged together. An emulsion can be defined as a suspension of tiny droplets of one liquid in a second liquid. At any rate, this process of making lemon cream somehow takes it to a wholly luscious new level. It tastes like velvet in your mouth and you won’t ever want to go back to eating plain old lemon curd after this. Paired with Dorie Greenspan’s perfect, never-fail sweet tart dough, I can’t think of a better combination of flavors.
Erin also created this dessert as part of the TWD challenge. Here is what she had to say about her experience: This has been a hectic week and I thought I would not have time to make the tart this week. However, with a few modifications I made it last night. The first problem was that my grocery store had no lemons on Sunday night! Can you believe that, I couldn't find a lemon in site, not even in the organic section. Haven't checked to see is some type of lemon shortage here in Maryland, but I found this rather disturbing. I really love citrus desserts and wanted to try this out, so thought I would create a lime tart. I used the zests of 4 limes, and needed the juice of 5 limes to get the 3/4 cup necessary. I was nervous when making the dough. It just seemed like a fine powder for such a long time. Eventually the dough did come together, but it took longer than I expected. I realized that I only have a 11 inch tart pan (the recipe called for a 9 inch pan), so I had to be careful pressing out the dough so it would cover the entire pan.

Well, I am happy to report that the lack of lemons in Maryland did not make this challenge a failure. The lime cream is heavenly. I would have eaten a lot more of it last night if I didn't know how much butter was in it. Since my crust didn't come out of the oven until 10:30 last night I didn't have time to put the dessert together. I'm looking forward to doing that tonight.
Please visit TWD to vicariously enjoy all the other Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tarts out there!






The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart
"From My Home to Yours", By Dorie Greenspan
1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons (10 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, at room temperature

(1) 9-inch tart shell made with sweet tart dough, or sweet tart dough with nuts, or spiced tart dough; fully baked and cooled

Getting Ready: have an instant read thermometer, a strainer, and a blender (first choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy, and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk - you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling- you'll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point--the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience -depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting the temp can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180 degrees F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender or food processor; discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender or food processor on high and with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed to incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going, to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon cream dreams, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too hot, work in 1 minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

Sweet Tart Dough
"From My Home To Yours", by Dorie Greenspan
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 total tablespoons) very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Preparation: In the bowl of your food processor, pulse flour, confectioner's sugar, and salt to combine. Scatter pieces of butter over dry ingredients and pulse until butter is coarsely cut in (some pieces will be the size of oatmeal and some will be the size of peas). Stir the yolk to break it up and add it little by little, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses, around 10 seconds each, until the dough forms clumps and curds. Alternatively, you can cut the mixture in a large bowl with a pastry blender until you have clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead dough very lightly to incorporate any dry ingredients that escaped mixing.
Prepare your tart pan by buttering all inside surfaces. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer prior to baking.

To Bake Crust: Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. The crust can be baked without pie weights since you froze it prior. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Inspect your crust and press down any puffed up parts with the back of a spoon. Bake an additional 10 minutes until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer tart pan to a cooling rack and cool crust to room temperature prior to filling.

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Pizza Dough from Above

My husband and I often make pizza. He finds joy in creating the dough so that's his responsibility. Now that I think of it, I do very little when it comes to our pizza. Not by choice, mind you. I've been forever relieved of any dough-making responsibilities because I've killed yeast one too many times. So, now, my sole contribution to our pizza nights are preparing toppings only. Our favorite crust up until a week ago was Mario Batali's famed crust, the one with honey and white wine. This crust is pretty great, but seemed finicky. It wasn't consistently delicious, and occasionally dense which makes for a heavy, chewy crust. After reading about Peter Reinhart's extraordinary crust, we decided to give this one a go, even though it is quite intimidating. It's an involved crust, using cold water and cold flour to slowly coax the yeast into action. And then it rests overnight in the refridgerator, taking up all kinds of room because the dough requires flat, prime real estate to do it's thing. But after tasting this magical pizza dough, I'll cough up space in the fridge anytime. This crust had it all; it was thin, light, crisp in all the right places, yet it had flavorful chew where it needed to. You know the kind of pizza I'm talking 'bout. This dough is worth trying. It's worth the trouble, it really is.
Peter Reinhart's Napoletana Pizza Dough
By way of 101Cookbooks
4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)(David used oil both times we've made this dough and it seemed to make it more supple)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.
3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)
4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.
5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.
6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift a piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. One the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also ty using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.
7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. A "kitchen sink" approach will weigh down your dough and could make the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.
8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.
9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.
Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.
from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press) -

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