Gourmet Kitchen Tales

Flourless Bailey's Chocolate Cake

April 15, 2013

As much as I love Bailey's, I had to hide its bottle at home out of my sight, because a tiny glass of it is enough to give me a terrible headache. That's why last year while picking my dessert among an array of cakes at a favourite eatery, I was immediately intrigued when a simple looking moist chocolate cake was introduced to me as 'the Bailey's cake'.

It came with a sour red berry compote and a scoop of vanilla ice cream I additionally asked for. My fork slid through the mousse-like, moist slice after breaking its low-resistant crust. With a smear of a little ice cream, intense chocolate tasted mildly sweet, just right to my taste; alcohol barely noticeable, yet the distinctive creaminess of Bailey's was there. This cake was to put an end to my self-imposed deprivation of Bailey's in the most tempting way possible. I had to learn how to make it.

I tried Cristophe Felder's butterless-guiltless cake from an Elle à Table issue back from 2010 which, I recalled, resembled this exact cake. It came out quite alright but spongy as opposed to mousse-like texture I was looking for, which I figured, could only be achieved by omitting flour all together. I played around with it to the extent that Felder's recipe was unrecognizable in the end, made three different versions, with a triumphant one at last. Now that it has no flour, double quantity of chocolate, one fifth less sugar, butter instead of cream and Bailey's instead of milk, I think I can call this palate-numbing cake my own. Enjoy!

 

Flourless Bailey's Chocolate Cake

- 200 gr dark chocolate 

- 80 gr butter

- 100 gr caster sugar

- 2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

- 4 eggs, separated

- pinch of salt

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Butter and flour a 22 cm round cake tin, preferably with a removable base.

2) Melt butter and chocolate together in baine-marie. Remove, add Bailey's and stir to obtain a homogeneous mousse. Stir in sugar, then egg yolks. 

3) Beat egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.

4) Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Do not over-mix. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.  

5) Let cool before removing the cake from the tin. Serve with vanilla ice-cream. 

 

Related articles

British Scones Revisited

Tagliatelle With Mushroom Cream Sauce

Mom's Meatballs And White Bean Salad

April 1, 2013

Meatballs are not just delicious round balls of meat.

They are the reason I will never commit to vegetarianism.

They are the reason I look forward to visiting my hometown for it has restaurants that make country-famous meatballs. They are why I like travelling by car to anywhere in the country (aside from my less relevant fear from flying) because on the way, there will always be a town renowned for its unique type of meatballs I will certainly want to have a bite of.

For us Turks, meatballs, known as kofte, are indispensable. The most popular kind though, are the homemade ones or 'mom's meatballs' which refer to those made by our mothers or grandmothers that we devoured in our childhood - probably the only thing we ate with appetite - and could never get enough of. Even as grown-ups, those meatballs complete our idea of a perfect meal. 

And naturally, the meatballs I often mention here that are the centerpiece of our rare family gatherings are made by my mother. She makes them effortlessly by weighing the ingredients with her eyes and in whatever form or manner they be, fried, roasted, grilled, round, flat, long, elliptical, cylindrical, they are always sensational. Because she never follows any formulas, I was not able to reproduce those meatballs up to now. Whenever I had them around I used the opportunity to capture them but was unable to provide a recipe, as seen here, here and here.

For years, I relied on the frozen stacks of koftes mom brought me every time she visited. But I couldn't depend forever on my mother each time I craved for her meatballs; it was about time I learned to stand on my own feet. My first attempts, about six years ago, yielded edible but not appetizing meatballs; they were bland, dry, spongy and barely held together in the griddle pan. Getting disheartened after a few more tries, I gave it up for a while. 

About a year ago, I set out a new series of attempts. I used the same old ingredients everybody uses with ballpark measurements mom told me, correcting the deficiencies of each batch in the next one. I fixed the texture issue by giving more time to kneading. I kneaded until my hand got sour, switched hands, rested and kneaded more.

I figured using lamb was one of the key secrets to mom's meatballs and although I have ruled out lamb completely of my diet, I asked the butcher to include a slightly fatty cut of lamb before he double-ground the meat for me. That took care of the blandness issue.

Then my koftes miraculously started to resemble those of my mom's and began receiving appreciation. I was ready to spread my wings and fly. In my last round, I finally measured the ingredients and documented the full proof formula. I'm now proud to share it with all those unfortunate daughters and sons who haven't been able to reproduce the perfect koftes of their mothers until now because they too weigh ingredients with their eyes. 

To obtain 500 ml ayran, whisk 300 ml chilled full fat yogurt with 200 ml cold water and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

 A typical side dish to grilled meatballs is 'piyaz'- white bean salad with tomatoes, parsley, onions and lemon, olive oil and tahini vinaigrette. Sumac is integral to piyaz for added sourness.

Mom's Meatballs

Makes 30 45 gr paddies + 1 30 gr paddy

- 1 kg double ground meat (400 gr lamb + 600 gr beef)

- 3 medium size onions, finely diced

- 1 cup chopped parsley

- 2/3 cup fine breadcrumbs

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1,5 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 1,5 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1,5 teaspoon ground coriander 

- 3 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Knead everything together for 10-15 minutes until you have an elastic dough-like mixture. While you knead, check your palms and see if any fat gets stuck. If yes, the meat has enough fat, if no, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the mixture. Continue kneading. 

2) Dispatch 45 gram pieces from the mixture and roll them into a ball. Press them gently in your palms to give them an elliptical shape. Arrange them on a tray not touching one another and cover. Allow to rest in the fridge for one hour.

3) Bake meatballs in the oven in medium heat, preferably using the grill function, for about 25 minutes until risen and slightly crusted. Flip them halfway. Alternatively, brush a griddle pan with grapeseed oil or other frying oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and grill meatballs for 5 minutes on both sides. Reduce heat to minimum and grill covered for 5 more minutes until their insides cook evenly.

You can freeze meatballs for a later use and grill them straight from the freezer, without defrosting. 

Cold Bean Salad With Tahini Vinaigrette

yields 2-3 servings

- 1 cup dry white beans such as cannellini or sugar beans

- 1 red onion, diced

- a handful of cherry tomatoes or 1 ripe tomato, sliced or cubed

- a handful of parsley, chopped

For the vinaigrette:

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tablespoons tahini

- juice of one lemon

- 3 tablespoons vinegar

- 2 teaspoons sumac

- rock salt

1) Soak beans in cold water for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and boil them in pressure cooker for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2) In a bowl, emulsify olive oil, tahini, lemon, vinegar and olive oil with a whisker.

3) Combine beans, tomatoes, onion, parsley and toss them with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with sumac and rock salt. 

 

A Healthier Granola

March 28, 2013

Sipping on two cups of coffee in the stretch of an hour in the mornings, just like I'm doing right now, is a habit that leaves me lightheaded. I waste that one hour, good for preparing proper breakfast, by snoozing with my eyes open, a coffee cup in my hand, waiting for fog to clear off my mind, eyes and ears. And by the time I finish the two cups, I either don't have the time, the patience or the energy left to fix anything to eat. Before I dizzy any further, this granola comes to the rescue.

Since I came across this recipe in Bon Appétit, I made countless batches, each disappearing in a matter of days. Agave syrup and egg whites makes it different and healthier compared to other versions, not that I've ever made another version before. I miraculously ran into agave syrup in my local store in the organics shelf before I even set out a search mission. I made four batches with it and used the rest to drizzle my portions, as this granola is pleasantly less sweet. Before going down the lazy road and substituting it for honey, spend some effort to find agave syrup, as it is crispier and runnier than honey with a somewhat smokey taste similar to maple syrup. You will like it.

Speaking of Bon Appétit, laying hands on a copy here in Istanbul costs thirteen dollars in Turkish liras, an outrageous price for a magazine, obviously. I made it my masochistic habit to pick up a copy in the bookstore, leaf through its pages and put it gently back to the shelf after checking the price tag and seeing that they haven't come to their senses. Now, I love the ipad application not only because it costs merely three liras, nine times cheaper than its hard copy, but also because the magazine is much more fun to read thanks to its interactive content, tips and videos scattered among its pages. I don't know how they do it but as you rotate the tablet, photographs are recomposed to fit the horizontal or the vertical view, which I find mesmerizing. Plus, it appears on the ipad store weeks before it arrives in the bookstore. I highly recommend it. 

A Healthier Granola

Adapted from Bon Appétit's february 2013 issue

- 1 egg white, lightly whisked

- 3 cups oats

- 1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

- 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

- 1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

- 1/4 cup agave syrup or honey

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 1/4 cup sesame seeds

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 2 tablespoons dried (or fresh) coconut shavings

- 1 cup dry cranberries or any other dry fruit of your preference

1) Preheat the oven to 150 C/300F. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. 

2) Toss all ingredients in a bowl to coat dry ingredients evenly with wet ingredients. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking tray. 

3) Bake granola for 40-45 minutes until golden dark brown. Stir in every 10 minutes for an even bake.  

4) When cooled, add dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container. Serve with chilled yogurt and agave syrup or honey. 

 Lokum 'the turkish delight' posing as a bunny. What's that have to do with granola? Absolutely nothing. 

British Scones Revisited

March 16, 2013

I had shared a scones recipe a little more than two years ago after recovering from a nerve-wracking flu. I had adapted the recipe from the Fortnum and Mason cookbooklet while I was sick, with the little energy I had. Those scones became the only food item I had an appetite for; I ate them day after day.

But apart from those scones I had made, I hadn't tasted authentic ones ever in my life. I liked mines just fine: I gobbled them down with tea, spreading my favourite ginger-orange marmalade on them and never suspecting a thing. I recently had the chance to taste real British scones. The effect was a mind-blowing delight, immediately followed by a surging shame. They were puffy, light and melted in my mouth: if these were scones, I thought, what were mine, other than stiff balls of tasteless dough? 

Truth be told, I was oblivious due to high fever and also depressed, according to the title of that post in question. It's perfectly normal that my perception of what constituted as a delicious scone had been delusional. But why hadn't I discover the truth in other times I baked these scones with a clear conscience? I have no answer to that, other than bad taste. 

In my lousy version I hadn't added sugar. Slight sweetness in those heavenly scones I tasted was lovely, so omitting sugar was a bad choice. Secondly, I had used half and half yogurt and milk to substitute buttermilk, an ingredient not as easily available. But apparently milk, due to its less acidic nature, doesn't provide as much fluffiness as yogurt or buttermilk. Therefore this time I just used yogurt without thinning it out with milk. Finally, to play it safe I paid attention to not working the dough too much.

With these corrections, I tried baking scones by staying as loyal to the recipe as possible. It worked like a charm. They almost doubled in size, they were delicate, crumbly and slightly sweet, just like those scones that blew me away. Lesson learned; I won't meddle with recipes I have no familiarity with, ever again.

British Scones

makes 14 scones

Recipe: Tea at Fortnum and Mason

- 250 gr flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 85 gr butter, cubed and chilled

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 medium egg

- 150 ml (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) buttermilk or plain full-fat yogurt 

- 2 tablespoons milk, for brushing

- clotted cream and marmalade for serving

1) Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Line your baking tray with grease proof paper. 

2) Sift flour and the baking powder into a bowl. Add butter. Rub the mixture in between your hands until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the center.

3) In a separate bowl, beat together egg and buttermilk (or yogurt). Pour it into the well. Stir the ingredients with a knife than with your hands, to obtain a soft dough. 

4) Roll the dough into 2.5 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. (If the dough is too sticky, roll it in between two pieces of cling films.) Cut out rounds using a 5 cm cookie cutter. (If too sticky, cut triangles with a knife.) Transfer to the baking tray and brush them with milk. 

5) Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until golden and risen. Serve warm with clotted cream and marmalade. 

Tagliatelle With Mushroom Cream Sauce

March 8, 2013

My blog has been devoid of any pasta recipes so far because I didn't think I had an original recipe that would bring anything new to the table. I always had hunger for most classical pasta dishes so I always prepared those instead of experimenting new flavours. 

But say I had to choose one out of all classics, this would be the one I'd like to be able to master to perfection. I had been far from achieving that given all my attempts for creating a quality creamy mushroom pasta yielded average results, lacking in sufficient flavour and depth. 

In an effort to document some pasta recipes for a friend recently, I dedicated some time to figure out ways to make a pasta dish near to perfect. In due course, I discovered all the mistakes I had been doing and the tips I had been neglecting. For instance, that step which calls for reserving a ladle of boiling water before straining the pasta, to thin out the sauce? Although sounding trivial, does matter. Using the boiling water in your teapot doesn't do the trick. You need the starch in the boiling water your pasta is cooked in to bind flavours as well as to coat the pasta thoroughly with the sauce. 

Until now, I used to regard white wine as an extravagant addition. Its absence must have been the reason why my mushroom cream pasta lacked depth, I see now. Cutting on cream was an old habit too, in a vain effort to limit calories: but it turns out, cutting on cream is cutting on flavor. I stopped doing that too: if I'm going to have this pasta I'm going to have it all the way.

Other than that I always use butter, cook al dente, and never rinse the pasta (oh yes, some people still do that). With the above mentioned corrections, this pasta came as close as a homemade pasta can get to perfection. I hope you will think so too.

Tagliatelle With Mushroom Cream Sauce

serves 2

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

- 4 spring onions, chopped

- 300 gr mushrooms (button, porcini or cremini)

- 1/2 cup dry white wine

- 1/2 cup double cream

- 300 gr egg tagliatelle 

- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 3 tablespoons grated Parmeggiano Regiano

1) Boil salted water in a deep casserole.

2) Wash mushrooms and dry them with a towel.* Discard stems and chop. 

3) In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. When foam starts to form add garlic then spring onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly soft.  

4) Add white wine and reduce the sauce by thirds. Reduce heat to minimum, add cream, stir and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

5) Boil taglietelle al dente. Reserve a ladle of boiling water and strain. Transfer the pasta to the pot, add sauce and the reserved boiling water. Toss and transfer to plates with generous amount of parmesan. 

*I know mushrooms aren't supposed to be washed but I wash them anyway unless I've handpicked them personally (which never happened so far).