Baking with Less Sugar (14 page)

9. To make truffle filling:
Heat the cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until scalded—that is, small bubbles form on the edges of the mixture and it almost, but not quite, comes to a boil. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream mixture on top. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the egg yolks, butter, and salt until completely mixed. Pour into the baked pie shell and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is set and jiggles slowly like Jell-O when you wiggle it. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool on a wire rack to room temperature for about 2 hours or until completely cooled.

10.
Remove the mousse from the refrigerator. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk), whip the mousse on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it holds stiff peaks—that is, when you lift the whisk out of the mousse, the mousse stands tall and holds its shape. Scrape the whipped mousse on top of the cooled truffle filling and spread evenly with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.

11.
Using the back of a paring knife or a vegetable peeler, scrape the chocolate block to make chocolate shavings and scatter them evenly on top of the pie. Slice the pie with a thin knife dipped in hot water and serve immediately. The pie can be stored, in an airtight container or covered loosely with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Honey is a terrific all-natural way to add sweetness to desserts with fewer of the potential side effects of consuming too much refined white sugar. It contains nutrients and antioxidants (sugar is devoid of both), is more readily digestible to our systems, and has a lower glycemic index than sugar, allowing us to consume it with less of a blood sugar increase. And it's delicious! We've been eating honey since ancient times, both as food and as medicine. The treats in this chapter are unbelievably good and you won't miss the sugar once you taste the warm, mellow flavor honey brings to these desserts.

Our famous sticky bun at Flour is unapologetically sweet. It's drenched in a brown sugar–honey “goo” and chock-full of cinnamon sugar and pecans. Not only did it beat Bobby Flay in a
Throwdown
episode on the Food Network, he also graciously picked it as his choice for
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
in another TV show. It has become a signature item, and it has put us on the map.

I confess that I can only eat a few bites and then I'm done. It's incredibly rich, which is what makes it so good, but I longed for something just as decadent but in a lighter, less sugary way. These morning buns are the answer. Made with a light, yeasted, unsweetened dough, they get filled with chopped cashews (my favorite nut) and then baked in a honey goo that is rich with cream and butter, and sweet with a little honey, but not so much that they hide the flavor of the bun or cashew. I especially love the caramelized pieces on the edge of the pan.

MAKES
12
BUNS

BUN DOUGH

• 240 g/1 cup water, at body temperature (when you put your finger in it, it should feel neither cold nor hot)
  
• ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp active dry yeast or 3 g/0.1 oz fresh cake yeast
  
• 350 g/2
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus up to about 35 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup more, if needed
  
• 1
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp kosher salt
  
• 50 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup olive oil or other mild vegetable oil
  

HONEY GOO

• 115 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup unsalted butter
  
• 170 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup honey
  
• 120 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup heavy cream
  
• 120 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup water
  
• ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp kosher salt
  

BUN FILLING

• 240 g/2 cups raw unsalted cashews, chopped
  
• 115 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup unsalted butter, very soft
  
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  

1. To make the dough:
Lightly oil a large bowl.

2.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the water and yeast and let sit for 20 to 30 seconds to allow the yeast to dissolve and activate. Dump the flour and salt onto the yeast mixture, and carefully turn on the mixer on low speed. Let the dough mix for about 10 seconds. (To prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl, turn the mixer on and off several times until the flour is mixed into the liquid, and then keep it on low speed.) When the dough is still shaggy looking, drizzle in the olive oil, aiming it along the side of the work bowl to keep it from splashing and making a mess.

3.
With the mixer still on low speed, knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and supple. The dough should be somewhat sticky but still smooth, and have an elastic, stretchy consistency. If it is much stiffer than this, mix in 2 to 3 Tbsp water; if it is much looser than this, mix in 2 to 3 Tbsp flour.

4.
Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp lint-free cloth. Place the bowl in a draft-free, warm place (78 to 82°F [25 to 28°C] is ideal; an area near the stove or in the oven with only the pilot light on is good) for 2 to 3 hours. The dough should rise until it is about double in bulk. (This is called proofing the dough.)

5. Meanwhile, make the honey goo:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let the goo cool for about 30 minutes before using, or until room temperature. The goo can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

6. To make the filling:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F [175°C]. Put the cashews on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Turn off the oven and set the cashews aside to cool.

7.
Punch down the dough to deflate it—literally give it a punch in the center of the puffy dough, which will allow you to roll it out more easily. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-in [30-cm] square about
¹
/
₄
in [6 mm] thick. It will be a bit stretchy and it may spring back, but keep rolling gently until it roughly holds its shape.

8.
In a small bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the butter, cinnamon, and cashews. Spread this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough square.

9.
Using your hands and starting from the top of the square, and working your way down, roll the dough loosely like a jelly roll until the entire sheet is rolled up. Using a sharp knife, trim both edges of the dough roll about
¹
/
₄
in [6 mm] to even out the ends. Using a bench scraper or a chef's knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces, each about 1 in [3 cm] thick. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap—either individually or stack them all and wrap as a tower—and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, remove the buns from the freezer. Leave them wrapped and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours; proceed as directed.)

10.
Pour the goo into a 9-by-13 in [23-by-33 cm] baking pan. Place the buns in the pan, evenly spaced. If some of the buns have become oblong or oddly shaped from the cutting and moving around, feel free to arrange them once they are in the pan into round spirals. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the buns proof at warm room temperature (78 to 82°F [25 to 28°C] is ideal; an area near the stove or in the oven with only the pilot light on is good) for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching.

11.
About 15 minutes before the buns are ready to bake, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F [205°C].

12.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the buns are pale and light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.

13.
Using a spatula, invert the buns, one at a time, onto a serving platter. Serve warm. (These are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. You could make them one day and serve them the next after warming them in a 300°F [150°C] oven for 6 to 8 minutes.)

When I was testing the recipe for the Nutty-Seedy-Fruity Energy Bars
(page 100)
, I went through several iterations to get the right proportion of nuts, honey, fruits, and spices. What stayed consistent throughout all of the trial batches was how much I loved the edge pieces of the bars—the bits that didn't quite meld together to form a bar, but instead baked up brown and crunchy. Thus—this granola! It's full of almonds and cherries and bound together with just enough honey to make it slightly sweet. It's fantastic on its own as a snack or mixed into yogurt for a super-healthy, delicious breakfast.

MAKES ABOUT
8
CUPS

• 180 g/1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups dried cherries (unsweetened if possible)
  
• 100 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup vegetable oil, such as canola
  
• 85 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup honey
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 150 g/1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups slivered almonds
  
• 50 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup almond flour
  
• 150 g/1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
  
• 60 g/
  ³
  /
  ₄
  cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 40 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup flaxseed
  
• 35 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup sunflower seeds
  
• 50 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup millet
  
• 35 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup sesame seeds
  

1.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F [165°C]. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

2.
Put the dried cherries in a medium bowl and pour boiling water over the fruit to cover. Let sit for 30 minutes.

3.
In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, honey, and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, almond flour, oats, coconut, salt, cinnamon, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, millet, and sesame seeds. Using a wooden spoon, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well until thoroughly combined.

4.
Drain the cherries into a bowl, reserving 2 Tbsp of the soaking water and discarding the rest of the liquid. Divide the cherries roughly in half, place half in a food processor or blender, and add the reserved soaking water. Process until you have a chunky jam. Add the jam to the nut mixture along with the remaining whole cherries. Stir well to combine.

5.
Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring the granola a few times to ensure even baking. Turn off the oven and leave the granola in the oven for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. Remove the granola from the oven and break it apart into pieces. The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Traditional Italian biscotti are meant to be super-hard and dry, perfect for dunking into an espresso and adding a bit of sweetness to your afternoon break. Here in America, we've taken that tradition and made it ours by adding butter and sometimes oil to the dough and generally making the cookies sweeter, softer, and richer.
Mamma mia!
What would the Italians think! I tried to split the difference here: these biscotti do not have additional fat, keeping it in line with tradition, but the use of honey as the sweetener helps soften the dough, resulting in a lighter, crunchier cookie. The walnuts, cranberries, and bright orange combine to make a delightful treat that will become your new family favorite—it quickly became the favorite of many of my recipe testers!