Yes, I admit it.  I am meandering through cookbooks that I have not picked up in awhile.  I am a messy cook (ha! Understatement) and the books tend to get messed up. I waver between thinking that it is worth it to sacrifice the book in the quasi-anthropological quest for vintage recipes AND thinking that by the time I am finished the book will be compost.

Marc loves Boston Cream Pie and I have been on a pastry cream kick since the Great Daring Bakers Eclair Caper.

Anyway, decided to do this on Labor Day and I liked it.  The cake was sweet and light, although the batter was a little loose for what I am used to, it did very well.  It was a sticky cake with the texture of an angel food cake pumped up with air..if that makes sense.  I made it with the vanilla pastry cream but I intend to try it with the espresso cream that I used for the eclairs as well.  It was beautiful until it was cut and then, because the layers were so light it would not stand up properly for pictures.

I used to have the same problem with my kids on picture taking day.

So, try the cake, forgive the image, and have a great day.

Oh..and hey, I have less than 25 recipes to finish on the cookbook so I should be back en force at some point next week.

Boston Cream Pie

Cake:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour a 9 inch baking pan.
2. Heat the butter and milk until bubbles form and butter melts.  Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients
4. Beat eggs until very light and thick.  Continue to beat and add sugar gradually. Ribbons will form when the beaters are lifted.
5. Add vanilla and milk mixture beat well.  Fold in flour mixture.
6. Turn gently into the baking pan and bake for  25 to 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes and remove from the pan while still warm..split carefully.

Pastry Cream

• 2 cups half and half

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavor

• 1/3 cup butter

• 3 tablespoons organic cornstarch

• 4 egg yolks

1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the butter, almond, and vanilla.  Microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute until the mixture is thick adn creamy and coats a spoon thickly.
2. Remove from the microwave and add the butter and vanilla.  Place buttered wax paper on the top, against the surface of the pastry cream.  Chill.

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup (keeps it shiny)

1. Bring the cream just under a boil.  remove from heat.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until melted.
3. Add the butter and corn syrup and blend well.
4. Cool slightly and then smooth it over the top of the filled cake, allowing some to drip down the sides.

To Assemble:

1. Place one half of the cake with the cut side up on a cake plate.
2. Spread with the pastry cream.
3. Place the other half cake cut side down on the pastry cream.
4. Settle the layer by pressing down gently.
5. Smooth the chocolate over the top as directed.
6. Chill.

Serves 12

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

One of Marc’s favorite desserts is Boston Cream Pie. He isn’t the only one. Boston Cream Pie has been a favorite dessert for many people since it was created. The Parker House Hotel says that it has served Boston cream pies since it opened in 1856.

In 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was proclaimed the official Massachusetts State Dessert.A civics class from Norton High School sponsored the bill.

So, see? Boston Cream pie is important stuff. We are not the only ones that think so.

I wanted to do something just a little daring though. See, Marc is the reserved New Englander and I am the wild and fiery Texan. I had to do it folks. He needed some stirrin’ up.

What better way than to introduce some spice? And that is how I came up with ….

Chai Cream Cupcakes with Bittersweet Ganache Glaze

Cake:

I used an old recipe for a cake made with oil. It is called Lovelight Chiffon Cake. The oil keeps it moist and allows the chai custard to really take center stage.

2 eggs seperated

1 1/2 c sugar

2c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c oil

1 c milk

2 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 c of sugar and beat until stiff, glassy peaks form. Set aside.

Mix remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.Add oil, half the milk and the vanilla. Mix one minute on medium speed. Add milk and egg yolks and beat one more minute. Fold in egg whites.

Spoon into silpat lined cupcake cups and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cakes test done.

Chai Custard

2 c half and half

1/4 c flour

2 eggs

pinch salt

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 chai teabags

Bring half and half to a simmer. Steep chai teabags in the half and half for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess. Discard bags.

Add sugar, flour, and salt to chai mixture. Bring just to a simmer, stirring constantly. Whisk the eggs until mixed well, and then add a little of the custard mix to temper them. Add the tempered eggs to the custard beating all the time. Continue to cook, stirring until mixture gets thick and coats a spoon. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla. Chill covered so that a skin does not form.

Using a pastry bag and decorator tip squeeze filling into each cupcake.

Ganache Glaze

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c cream

Bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir chopped chocolate in until mixture is smooth. Cool until slightly thickened. Spoon over filled cupcakes.

Store in refrigerator

Makes 12

image: Marye Audet 

content:Marye Audet for baking delights

Post from: Baking Delights

Marc has a sweet tooth. Actually, I suspect it is more like a prehistoric fang although I see no evidence of it…well other than the constant intake of large hershey bars, twizzlers, whoppers, ice cream and anything with sugar in it that I create.  Luckily for him he is 6′6″ and works really hard to keep his weight hovering around a very muscular 200 lbs.  There are times that I do consider divorcing him to marry someone who has to diet, at least long enough to lose my own extra weight…

 Not really.

   I wanted to make him a special dessert for Father’s Day. In going through his favorites I remembered it had been some time since I had made a Boston Cream pie and I thought that might bejust the thing..but I wanted soemthing a little different….

  I made my favorite pound cake recipe in a loaf pan, sliced i into 4 layers horizontally, sprinkled the cake layers with coffee, put on a layer of chocolate, a layer of creme patisserie, and then repeated starting with a cake layer. I wanted to serve mine last night so I popped it in the freezer a few hours but I strongly suggest you allow it to chill and set up over night..I got one really good slice out of it for photography purposes (God is good, I was praying..) but the rest were messy..but delicious.

The cake is from a vintage cookbook, Cooking FOr American Homemakers, and I just love it. It is not as old as some I have but it is extensive and includes such delicacies as opossum and raccoon.. (yuck).

Thrifty Pound Cake

3 c cake flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 c unsalted butter

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tbs vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 eggs

1/2 c milk

sift dry ingredients together.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and add eggs one at a time beating until well incorporated. Add dry ingredients and milk alternating between the two and starting and ending with the flour .

Spoon into a greased oaf pan and bake 60 minutes at 350.  Cool thoroughly.

Creme Patisserie 

2 egg yolks

2 1/2 c half and half  ( I used goats milk..it has such a lot of cream)

1/4 c flour

pinch salt

3/4 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBS butter

mix everything except vanilla and butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave until thick, stirring every minute.  Remove from micowave and let cool slightly before adding the butter and vanilla  and stirring in….cover with greased wax paper and chill.

Chocolate

12 oz dark chocolate

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs light corn syrup

 Melt together in microwave..stir until smooth. Use warm.

To Assemble:

Place plastic wrap in loaf pan so it covers bottom and sides and there is enough on each side to totally wrap the cake when you are finished with the layers.Spray with cooking spray.

  Place the bottom layer in the lined pan and sprinkle with coffee, then smooth on a layer of chocolate and finally cover with part of the cream. carefully lay on a second layer and repeat until all layers are on. Cover the top layer with chocolate and sliced almonds..You will need to have someone hold up the sides ofthe plastic to support the top layer. Wrap the plastic tightly around the cake and chill over night.

  Using the plastic, pull out of the pan and slice carefully.

Post from: Baking Delights