The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Cheesecake is a simple dessert to whip up. You just dump and stir all the ingredients. The trick is in the baking. Avoiding that dreaded crack or sinking hole in the middle is tough.

I flavored my cheesecake with orange and ginger. On a recent shopping trip, I found a store in Ottawa (Grace in the Kitchen) that carries spices from Montreal's Philippe de Vienne’s line of épices de cru (small-production "estate" spices). I was lingering over all the tins of spices displayed on their shelves, trying to find cinnamon. When I asked about the spices, the seller excitedly started telling me about Philippe de Vienne and his wife Ethné who travel the world searching for the best spices to bring back and package for the rest of us. He opened several sample tins for me to sniff. It was a veritable scent spa. From Mexican oregano to dried lavender, de Vienne carries many common spices and several rare ones. It was hard to choose. Since ginger is one of my favorite spices, I picked up a tin hand-picked from China and found cannelle de Ceylan as well.

On another trip to Grace in the Kitchen, I purchased de Vienne's Ras el Hanout, meaning "head of the shop" in Arabic, and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer. You'll have to check back to see what I do with this exotic blend of spices.

I also couldn't resist a little box of 12 spices cleverly packaged in a pretty box labeled Cuisine 101 with the following welcome on it: I am definitely enchanted!

To see the different versions of cheesecakes cropping up all over the foodblogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll.

Recipe: Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake with Orange and Ginger and a Homemade Graham Cracker Cookie Crust

Makes: 1 8- or 9-inch springform pan (I halved all the recipes, and it made 9 minis.)

• Graham Cracker Cookies from Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking The Art of Eating (affiliate link) by Michel Richard

• Orange Ginger Sauce adapted from Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking The Art of Eating (affiliate link) by Michel Richard

Ingredients:

Instructions:

To make the graham cracker cookies:
In a food processor, grind the graham crackers, almond meal, hazelnut meal and pistachios.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in the graham cracker mixture.

Form the dough into a log and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour until it is firm.

Preheat oven to 350°F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Cut the dough into slices about ¼-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie since they spread while baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

While they are still warm, use a cookie cutter to cut them to a specified size. Let cool.

To make the cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 350°F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour batter into prepared crust (if you're using a traditional graham cracker crust) and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done. This can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Tip: Use a disposable foil pan that is 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

I used a mini cheesecake pan to make individual cheesecakes. I didn't use a water bath and baked them for 25 minutes. Then, I turned the oven off and let them cool for 45 minutes in the oven. No cracks, but I had some sinking problems.

To make the sauce:
Combine the sugar, lemon and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes and the mixture turns an amber color. Carefully pour in the orange juice. Add the stem ginger and ground ginger. Add more orange juice, if needed, to thin the sauce.

Tasting Notes
The strong, spicy ginger in the cheesecake and sauce was perfect with the homemade graham cracker cookies. The hint of orange in both the sauce and the cheesecake cut the sweetness of the cheesecake. And the individual small cheesecakes were a perfect portion for this rich, decadent dessert.

Link
• Interview with Philippe de Vienne

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Fortune cookies have been on my mind this week. Since I've never made homemade fortune cookies, I thought this tuile recipe would be perfect, and it was. I used Le Cordon Bleu brown cane sugar with vanilla instead of the vanilla sugar called for in the recipe. This sugar contains crushed vanilla beans which show as black flecks in the cookie.

To form fortune cookies, place the paper fortune on top of cookie, fold the hot cookie in half, forming a semi-circle, and press the edges together gently. Then quickly fold the semi-circle over the edge of a small bowl to create the fortune cookie shape.

As well, the Daring Baker hosts asked us to make something "light" to go with our tuiles. I couldn't resist serving mine with my favorite flavor of ice cream: coffee. Not very light, I know, but delicious. For Christmas, I received a "Supreme Ice Cream Maker" that I think my kids have enjoyed more than me since we've made Smartie, Kit Kat, and Rolo ice cream several times. But I have squeezed in time to make Bailey's, vanilla, and this coffee ice cream since it's so easy to use (just a bit on the noisy side).

To see the different versions of tuiles cropping up all over the foodblogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umrühren bitte (aka Kochtopf) who hosted this month.

Recipe: Tuile Fortune Cookies and Coffee Ice Cream

Yields:: 20 small tuiles or 6 large

Preparation time: batter 10 minutes
Waiting time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch
Oven: 180˚C or 350˚F

With Christmas and the flu hitting our house, I wasn't able to make the Tuesdays with Dorie Tall and Creamy Cheesecake on pages 235-237 chosen by Anne of AnneStrawberry. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger!

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

As if Christmas isn't busy enough as it is, we have a Daring Baker challenge to deeply challenge all of us. 6 layers. Molds. Different timings for each element. Assembly instructions for making the log upside down, right side up, or with two pieces of Dacquoise. 20 pages of instructions. It makes putting together the kids' Barbie Diamond Castle Dream House a piece of cake!

To see the different versions of Yule Logs or Bûche de Noël cropping up all over the food blogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux who hosted this month. Also thanks to Flore from Florilège Gourmand.

History
Bûche de Noël means "Christmas log" and is meant to resemble a log for the fire. A popular story about the Yule Log is that Napoleon ordered everyone not to stop using their chimneys for fear that the draft was causing too many people to be sick. So instead of burning a real log in the hearth, a cake was born to draw families together. Traditionally, the cake is a moist, sponge cake that is rolled with pastry cream or buttercream. Usually, one end of the rolled cake is cut off and placed on top resembling a branch. However, this Daring Baker challenge had us make a more contemporary layered version that's molded and stored in the freezer.

Layers of Flavor
If I've learned anything this past year about French cuisine, it's layering. The layering is so important to draw out all the flavors you can in a dish. And it's so true in this dessert. My Bûche de Noël contains the following layers:

1) Almond Dacquoise
2) Dark Chocolate Mousse
3) Vanilla Cinnamon Crème Brûlée
4) Praline Feuillete Crisp
5) Dark Chocolate Ganache
6) Milk Chocolate Mousse
7) Almond Dacquoise
8) Dark Chocolate Icing

The foundation of the log is the Dacquoise, which is a dainty cake layer that's basically a meringue with nuts. On top of the Dacquoise is a delicate mousse followed by a decadent crème brûlée. To add some crunch, a crisp praline layer is next followed by ganache, another layer of mousse, and finally another layer of Dacquoise. A chocolate icing wraps this whole package up. I used a ring mold (an empty can of corn) to stack my layers instead of using a mold.

Recipe: French Yule Log

You probably will want to make the elements in this order because of what you can get done while some elements are baking and given some of the prep times. This is the order I made mine in:

a) Mousse
b) Creme brûlée
c) Praline and Praline Feuillete (Crisp)
d) Dacquoise
e) Ganache
f) Icing

Dark Chocolate Mousse & Vanilla Cinnamon Crème Brûlée
Praline Paste & Praline Feuillete Crisp
Almond Dacquoise & Dark Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Icing

Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking
Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper
Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible.

Ingredients:
2.8 oz (3/4cup + 1Tbsp / 80g) almond meal
1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar
2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

1. Finely mix the almond meal and the caster sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds).
2. Sift the flour into the mix.
3. Beat the egg whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.
4. Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.
5. Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it.
6. Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip, etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inch (8mm).
7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depending on your oven), until golden.
8. Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse

Preparation time: 20mn
Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula
Note: You will see that a Pate a Bombe is mentioned in this recipe. A Pate a Bombe is a term used for egg yolks beaten with a sugar syrup and then aerated. It is the base used for many mousse and buttercream recipes. It makes mousses and buttercreams more stable, particularly if they are to be frozen so that they do not melt as quickly or collapse under the weight of heavier items such as the crème brulee insert.

Ingredients:
2.5 sheets gelatin or 5g / 1+1/4 tsp powdered gelatin
1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp (10g) glucose or thick corn syrup
0.5 oz (15g) water
50g egg yolks (about 3 medium)
6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water. (If using powdered gelatin, follow the directions on the package.)
2. Make a Pate a Bombe: Beat the egg yolks until very light in colour (approximately 5 minutes until almost white).
2a. Cook the sugar, glucose syrup, and water on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 244°F (118°C). If you do not have a candy thermometer, test the sugar temperature by dipping the tip of a knife into the syrup and then into a bowl of ice water, if it forms a soft ball in the water then you have reached the correct temperature.
2b. Add the sugar syrup to the beaten yolks carefully by pouring it into the mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat the yolks. You can do this by hand but it’s easier to do this with an electric mixer.
2c. Continue beating until cool (approximately 5 minutes). The batter should become thick and foamy.
3. In a double boiler (or one small saucepan in a larger one), heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
4. Whip the rest of the cream until stiff.
5. Pour the melted chocolate over the softened gelatin, mixing well. Let the gelatin and chocolate cool slightly and then stir in ½ cup (100g) of WHIPPED cream to temper. Add the Pate a Bombe.
6. Add in the rest of the whipped cream (220g) mixing gently with a spatula.

Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert

Preparation time: 10mn
Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have a plunging mixer it comes in handy.
Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:
1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar
4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened

1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to a dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).
2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.
3. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
4. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)
Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).
Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or use an empty bottle of olive oil).
Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. If you do substitute cereal you should use half of the stated quantity, so 1 oz of cereal.
If you want to make your own praline, please refer back to the Daring Baker Challenge Recipe from July 2008 over at Mele Cotte.

To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes (lace crepes - recipe by Ferich Mounia):
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
2/3 Tbsp (8g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup – 2tsp (35g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp / 0.5 oz (15g) beaten egg
1 tsp (3.5g) granulated sugar
½ tsp vegetable oil
1. Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps.
3. Grease a baking sheet and spread the batter thinly over it.
4. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.

Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete:
3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate
1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter
2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline
2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
2. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate.
3. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking
Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper
Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
½ cup (115g) whole milk
4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks
0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

1. Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour.
2. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white).
3. Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.
4. Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center.
Tartelette says: You can bake it without a water bath since it is going to go inside the log (the aesthetics of it won't matter as much since it will be covered with other things)....But I would recommend a water bath for the following reasons:
- you will get a much nicer mouth feel when it is done
- you will be able to control its baking point and desired consistency much better
- it bakes for such a long time that I fear it will get overdone without a water bath
Now...since it is baked in a pan and it is sometimes difficult to find another large pan to set it in for a water bath, even a small amount of water in your water bath will help the heat be distributed evenly in the baking process. Even as little as 1 inch will help.
5. Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.

Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25 minutes (10mn if you don’t count softening the gelatin)
Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan
Note: Because the icing gels quickly, you should make it at the last minute.

Ingredients:
4g / ½ Tbsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets of gelatin
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content)
2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) water
1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.
2. Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling.
3. Add gelatin to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
4. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble Your French Yule Log

THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP.
You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR saran wrap or cling film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.

You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.
3A) Pipe one-third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.
4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set it on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
5A) Pipe the second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take it out of the freezer.
9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that the ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

OR

2B) Pipe one-third of the Mousse component into the mold.
3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
4B) Pipe the second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.
5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.
7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take it out of the freezer.
8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that the ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
9B) Close with the Dacquoise.
Freeze until the next day.

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is:
1) Dacquoise
2) Mousse
3) Creme Brulee Insert
4) Mousse
5) Praline/Crisp Insert
6) Mousse
7) Ganache Insert
8) Dacquoise

If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is:
1) Mousse
2) Creme Brulee Insert
3) Mousse
4) Praline/Crisp Insert
5) Mousse
6) Ganache Insert
7) Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY...
Unmold the log and set it on a wire rack over a shallow pan.
Cover the log with the icing.
Let set. Return to the freezer.
You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...
Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you choose.

Tasting Notes
I actually haven't had a chance to taste this yet, but we're planning to eat it for dessert at New Year's. I will keep you posted!

"It's not something that I sell. It’s a pain for me to make. It’s something special.
I go out of my way to make that." — Jacques Torres

He's right about that — it's definitely a pain to make. But it should be worth it! Happy New Year everyone!

Links
• Article from Serious Eats about Jacques Torres Bûche de Noël
• Article about Yule Logs in Paris

More to Explore:

• Index of Recipes
• Visual Recipe Index

This month for the Daring Bakers it's time to get back to a foundation ingredient in baking: sugar. Caramel takes center stage. It's in the caramel cake, the frosting, the spun sugar, and obviously the caramels.

This caramel cake comes from Shuna Fish Lydon of Eggbeater. I am a big fan of Shuna and have enjoyed her poetic posts on life and being a pastry chef since I stumbled on her blog earlier this year. When I saw this caramel cake months ago, I flagged it as one I wanted to make someday, so I was excited to find out we would be making Shuna's signature cake this month. After reading these two quotes, I realized that this would definitely be a "daring baker" event.

Caramel Syrup
The first thing to make is the caramel since it's used in both the cake and the frosting. When making caramel, I have always put the sugar and water in a heavy, stainless steel pot and left it alone to do its thing. I don’t cover the pan or brush down the sides or stir the sugar and water mixture, and I’ve never had problems. Once it starts to turn color, though, it requires babysitting since it can go from a nice light golden color to a burnt state very quickly. When you start to see some color, start swirling the pan to distribute the color. Also know the color of your pan is dark, making the caramel look darker than it is. Be bold, and hang on or test some on a white ramekin to see the color.

This caramel syrup becomes an ingredient in the cake and frosting. I also used it in a sauce for the cake. To add a festive touch to the sauce, I added some Candy Cane Eggnog to some caramel. This sauce with the cake was amazing!

Spun Sugar
I have always wanted to make spun sugar, and recently Zoë from Zoë Bakes did just that which inspired me to try it myself. It wasn't so hard, just messy. I covered my counter and floor with newspaper and set out three pot handles to dangle over the edge that were sprayed with cooking spray. Then, after cooking the caramel to just the right temperature, I used one of the whisks I've owned for just this purpose but never used. Dipping and flicking the sugar onto the pot handles was childlike fun. As the caramel fell to the paper-lined floor, it made a web of spun sugar strings. After I flicked all the caramel, I gathered it up into a ball or nest, and it was ready to decorate the cake. Then, I had a big mess to clean up!

Caramels
Mackintosh Toffee has always been one of my favorite treats. I used to pick it over chocolate bars, and I still buy the odd one for a treat. Well, now I don't have to buy it because the caramels I made this week are so much better! It's dangerous to know how to make them. I used a liner from a bag of Oreo cookies to pour some of the caramels into so they came out ridged. I also used a silicon mini muffin pan to make some. Wrapped in cellophane, I now have some Christmas treats ready to go to friends and family.

To see the different versions of caramel cake cropping up all over the foodblogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Delores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity who hosted this month, along with Jenny of Foray into Food and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go who came up with the gluten-free version.

Recipe: Caramel Syrup

Ingredients:

White Chocolate Toasted Pistachio with Ground Cherries and Passion Fruit Filling in Deep-Fried Pizza Dough

Try this unique dessert: deep-fried pizza dough filled with a creamy white chocolate, toasted pistachios, ground cherries, and passion fruit filling. A sweet twist on pizza!

All month I've been wondering what to do with this month's Daring Baker challenge. Pizza just isn't the draw for me that it used to be before kids. Now, it's on the menu way too often at our house. So, what to do to make it interesting.

Here's what I came up with: deep-fried pizza dough sprinkled with confectioners' sugar and filled with white chocolate, toasted pistachios, ground cherries, and passion fruit. Since the pizza dough recipe makes a lot of dough, we also made cheese pizza that was so popular the kids fought over the last piece. And, I made a grown-up pizza topped with fajita chicken, salsa, and mushrooms. Everything was delicious!

To see the different versions of pizza cropping up all over the foodblogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Rosa from Rosa's Yummy Yums who hosted this month’s Daring Bakers event.

Also, we were asked to try tossing our own pizza dough. I tried, but caused a major hole in my dough. Here is a fun video showing a pro tossing pizza dough.

Recipe: Basic Pizza Dough

from The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread (affiliate link) by Peter Reinhart

Makes: 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches in diameter)

Ingredients:

This month, the Daring Bakers were asked to make Lavash Crackers with a vegan and gluten-free dip. Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread of Armenian origin. (This is going to be an "almost wordless" post since it's been a busy month! For my Lavash crackers, I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds and black pepper on them. I used half the dough to make cracker bowls by cutting the dough into squares and carefully laying the square inside a sprayed ramekin.

To see the different versions of Lavash crackers and dips cropping up all over the foodblogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Natalie from Gluten-A-Go-Go and Shel of Musings From the Fishbowl who hosted this month’s Daring Bakers event.

Recipe: Lavash Crackers

from The The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread (affiliate link)by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Copyright 2001. ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6)

Note: The following recipe includes directions for both gluten-free crackers (care of Natalie from Gluten-A-Go-Go) and traditional all-purpose flour crackers.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
1 tbsp (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
1 tbsp (.5 oz) vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350˚F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Recipe: Honeydew-Peach Salsa

from The Splended Table

Try the salsa with grilled seafood and poultry, or over rice noodles. Chile could be added to taste. It is best eaten within several hours of preparation. Use organic ingredients if at all possible.

juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 Red Fresno and 1 Hot Yellow minced chile (seeds removed)
1 to 2 tsp sugar,
1/2 ripe sweet honeydew melon, cubed into bite-sized pieces
4 small, ripe peaches, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh coriander, or coriander and mint combined

In a medium bowl blend the lime juice, garlic, onion and chilies. Let stand 20 minutes, then blend in sugar and fruits with salt (a generous pinch) and pepper (to make piquant) to taste. Refrigerate up to 3 hours. Fold in fresh herbs just before serving.

Copyright 1997 Lynne Rossetto Kasper, all rights reserved.

Tasting Notes
The crackers were easy to put together and tasted wonderful, even after storing for a day or two. The salsa was a big hit and definitely a recipe worth keeping.