Rose's Heavenly Cakes (84 page)

Nibs    
Nibs are the actual cacao beans after they are hulled from the pod, roasted, and cracked into little uneven bits. They add a delightful texture but can be perceived as excessively bitter. I like to caramelize them to temper this bitterness before adding them to a recipe, such as
Chocolate Ingots
.

Semisweet bits or chips    
These ubiquitous chocolate morsels usually contain 42.5 percent cacao unless otherwise stated (and a total of 29 percent cocoa butter). (See Chocosphere, in
Ingredients Sources
.)

Valrhona Les Perles    
These can be used in place of chocolate bits or chips and are less sweet, containing 55 percent cacao (and a total of 29 percent cocoa butter).

Chocolate Rolled Fondant    
An excellent chocolate rolled fondant called Pettinice is produced by Bakels of New Zealand (see
Ingredients Sources
). It is slightly sweeter than my homemade version, but it is more flexible and can be used to drape over and encase a cake without its cracking at the edges (see Pastry Chef Central, in
Ingredients Sources
).

Cocoa Powder

Unsweetened cocoa powder is pulverized pure chocolate liquor with three-quarters of its cocoa butter removed. Most European cocoa powder is Dutch processed, which means that the cocoa powder has been treated with a mild alkali to mellow its flavor by neutralizing acidity and make it more soluble. The term "alkalized" may appear on the container, but a darker colored powder is a good indication that alkalization has taken place. Most alkalized cocoa contains 22 to 25 percent cocoa butter, while nonalkalized cocoa may contain only 10 to 21 percent cocoa butter. I prefer the flavor of alkalized cocoa.

Cocoa powder offers a richer, stronger chocolate flavor to cakes made with flour than does bar chocolate (unless it is the primary ingredient, as it is in the
Baby Chocolate Oblivions
). Fewer cocoa solids are necessary to achieve the same flavor intensity, but it is usually desirable to dissolve cocoa powder in very hot water to unlock its full flavor.

It is not necessary to sift cocoa powder that will be dissolved in water. In recipes such as the chocolate
Lacquer Glaze
or the
Chocolate Rolled Fondant
, it is advisable to process or sift the cocoa powder if it is lumpy so it will incorporate more evenly. Also, if measuring rather than weighing cocoa powder, if you sift it first and then spoon it lightly into the cup or spoon and level it off, you will get a more accurate and consistent measure.

My favorite Dutch-processed cocoa powder is Green & Black's. Second to that is Droste. Both contain 20 to 22 percent cocoa butter and are alkalized, which I prefer. The flavor is a result both of the type of cacao beans used and the degree of roasting. Darker roasting produces a milder-flavored cocoa powder.

Cocoa Dusting Powder

This terrific product, called Coco-Dust, is imported from Italy by Cacao Noel, a respected French brand (see Pastry Chef Central, in
Ingredients Sources
). It has a combination of sugars, starches, and 22 to 24 percent cocoa powder, and its heavier structure is able to withstand moisture when sprinkled on hot or cold wet ingredients such as you find in
Tiramisù
.

Cocoa Butter

The quality of cocoa butter is directly related to the quality of the bean from which it was derived and the process by which it was separated from the chocolate liquor. ChefShop (see
Ingredients Sources
) carries an excellent Belgian cocoa butter in convenient-to-use granules.

When working with cocoa butter, keep in mind that it is solid at room temperature and has a low melting point, just below body temperature. In the industry this is referred to as a "sharp melting point," which means that it changes quickly from solid to liquid, unlike butter, where the change is far more gradual. Adding cocoa butter to mixtures will make them firmer, but it will also offer more of a melt-in-the-mouth sensation.

Always store cocoa butter in an airtight container so that it doesn't pick up other aromas. It will keep for several years refrigerated.

Storing Chocolate

The best way to store chocolate or cocoa is to keep it well wrapped in an airtight container at a temperature of 60° to 75°F/15 to 23°C, with less than 50 percent relative humidity. Chocolate is quick to absorb odors and must not be exposed to dampness. Under these conditions, dark chocolate should keep well for at least 2 years. I have experienced chocolate stored in ideal conditions for several years and it seems to age like a fine wine, becoming more mellow and subtle. Milk chocolate keeps, even in optimum conditions, for only a little over a year, and white chocolate, for about a year.

Nuts

Most nuts have a fat content of between 54.2 and 72.1 percent. Freshly shelled nuts have the best flavor, but shelled canned varieties are excellent and a lot more convenient. All nuts are prone to rancidity, but higher-fat nuts such as walnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts are more prone to spoilage than others. Always taste nuts before using them: Rancidity will ruin the flavor of a dessert, and it's often not possible to detect this by smelling. Nuts keep well for several years if stored airtight in the freezer. I use either resealable plastic freezer storage bags, expelling all the excess air, or glass canning jars, filling the empty head space with wadded up plastic wrap before freezing.

Almonds

Almonds, which contain 54.2 percent fat, are the first-ranking nut crop in America and are grown mostly in California. American almond paste usually contains only almonds and 25 to 35 percent sugar. Marzipan is usually made with almonds, powdered sugar, and corn syrup, though the most delicious and silky varieties are made with bitter almonds and finely crystallized poured fondant. My favorites are the Lubek marzipan from Germany and the BIA marzipan from Sicily (available at Whole Foods; also available at Dean & Deluca, see
Ingredients Sources
). If using marzipan to make candles (see
Marzipan Candles
), the Odense supermarket variety is perfectly acceptable.

Walnuts

Walnuts, the second-ranking nut crop, are grown in California, and they are also grown and appreciated all over the world. Because of their high fat content—they contain 64 percent fat—they are also quite prone to rancidity and should be stored frozen. The very best walnuts I've ever tasted are from the Perigord region of France, where, logically the best walnut oil is produced. I once spent a stormy day in the beautiful home of Josette and Pierre Chouard, talking about life while shelling walnuts for a tart. It took hours with an antique nutcracker. Those walnuts were the best I ever tasted, and the process of preparing them induced such a feeling of supreme well-being as I will never forget. We ate the huge tart for dessert for the next three nights, and we were extraordinarily happy. Roasting walnuts improves their flavor and has the added advantage of being able to remove the bitter skins easily—200 grams nuts have 9 grams skins (4.5 percent).

Pecans

Pecans, which contain 71.2 percent fat, are a native American nut, ranking third in production after almonds and walnuts. They contain the most antioxidants of all nuts. The majority of pecans is grown in Georgia and Texas. Due to their high fat content, pecans are quite prone to rancidity and should be stored frozen. If using fresh pecans, 1½ pounds/680 grams in the shell will yield 13½ ounces/383 grams shelled. Good mail-order sources for fresh pecans, both shelled and unshelled, are San Saba and Sunnyland Farms, in Texas, and Pearson Farm, in Georgia (see
Ingredients Sources
).

Pistachios

Pistachios, which contain 53.7 percent fat, are a beautiful and delicious nut, but the salted variety should not be used for dessert recipes. Wonderfully flavorful, bright green pistachios from Sicily can be ordered shelled and unsalted from Keenan Farms, Kalustyan's, and SOS Chefs. My favorite pistachio nuts come from Iran and are also carried by SOS Chefs and Kalustyan's (see
Ingredients Sources
).

To Blanch:
Place the pistachios in boiling water for about 1 minute. Drain them and remove the peels by pinching each one gently and discard. Allow them to dry on paper towels for about 3 hours.

PatisFrance produces an excellent blanched pistachio flour for the food service industry. You can use it in place of the almonds in the
Gold Ingots
for an extra-special treat.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts have a slightly waxy, crunchy texture and unique mellow flavor. Because of their exceptionally high fat content (72.1 percent), they are particularly prone to rancidity and should be stored frozen. (If unsalted macadamia nuts are difficult to find, they can be ordered directly from Hawaii from the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. (see
Ingredients Sources
).

Toasting and Grinding Nuts

Lightly toasting nuts at 350°F/175°C for about 7 minutes greatly enhances their flavor. (At 375°F/190°C they will take about 5 minutes.) It is particularly desirable to toast walnuts because the skins are very bitter and toasting loosens most of them. If you toast 7 ounces/200 grams of walnuts, about 0.3 ounce/9 grams of skin will come off when you rub them lightly in paper towels or break up or chop them. Pick out the nut pieces and discard the skin. Toast walnuts and pecans just to the point where their color is a shade darker than the freshly shelled nut. They should not be allowed to brown because they will become bitter.

Frozen or refrigerated nuts must be brought to room temperature before grinding in order to keep them from exuding their oil. A tablespoon or two of cornstarch, flour, powdered or granulated sugar—borrowed from the rest of the recipe—will help absorb oil and prevent ground nuts from clumping.

A small food processor seems to work best for grinding nuts evenly. The Mouli or Zyliss hand grinders also do a fine job.

To produce the most even ground almonds, use the sliced variety. For 1 cup of ground almonds, you will need 1¼ cups sliced almonds. If using whole nuts, first pass them through the grating disk of the food processor. Then insert the metal blade and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.

Nonstick Cooking Spray

This product is mostly oil and lecithin and is ideal for keeping cakes from sticking to the wire cooling rack. I prefer Pam to other nonstick vegetable spray products because it has virtually no odor. It is composed of lecithin, a natural emulsifying agent derived from soybeans, and a minute amount of soybean oil.

Baking Spray

This odor-free spray, widely available as Baker's Joy (see
Ingredients Sources
) is a combination of flour and oil and is used for spraying on baking pans. It is faster and neater than greasing and flouring.

Extracts, Oils, and Essences

Vanilla Extract

Pure vanilla extract is essential for two reasons: It adds an indescribably intoxicating aroma and flavor to cakes, buttercreams, and other toppings; at the same time, it enhances their intrinsic flavors. There are many glorious pure vanilla extracts. The most widely available top-quality vanillas are produced by Nielsen-Massey (see
Ingredients Sources
). I particularly like their Tahitian vanilla. My favorite is produced by Eurovanille and is imported by Crossings; it is also carried by SOS Chefs (see
Ingredients Sources
). In the United States, it is not technically considered an extract because it is distilled in glucose instead of alcohol. Glucose serves to retain vanilla's flavor better during baking as it is far less volatile. Another top-choice vanilla extract is the Mexican vanilla carried by the Vanilla Queen (see
Ingredients Sources
).

The recipes in this book that call for vanilla extract refer to pure vanilla extract. Vanilla "flavor" is not an acceptable substitute. Though easy and convenient to use, vanilla extract should be dispensed judiciously; unlike the vanilla bean, used in excess, vanilla extract will impart a bitter edge.

Nielsen-Massey recommends storing vanilla extract at room temperature in a cool, dark area away from direct heat. They say that refrigeration is fine, but since flavoring material precipitates out when chilled, the bottle must be shaken before use.

Vanilla Bean

There is some confusion as to the use of the words "vanilla bean" because when the seeds (sometimes referred to as grains) contained in the pod are used in a product, they are often referred to as vanilla beans (for example, in ice cream or crème brûlée), even though only the seeds are used and not necessarily any of the bean's pod. A vanilla bean is actually the pod and seeds. The average vanilla bean contains sixty thousand seeds.

The seeds contained inside the vanilla bean pod add a subtle depth of flavor and unique sweet quality to baked goods. I find it most effective to scrape the seeds into the sugar in the recipe and process them together. Then I allow the pod to steep in any liquid used in the recipe. After removing it, I rinse the pod and dry it in a very low oven or near a hot burner. When it is dry, I bury it in sugar. I use the resulting vanilla sugar in recipes, replacing about 8 percent of the sugar.

Vanilla beans vary widely in quality. The best beans come from Tahiti, Madagascar, and Mexico. Tahitian beans, my personal favorite, are about twice the size of the others, with a floral quality so aromatic that I use one-half a bean in a recipe specifying one bean. To replace vanilla beans in a recipe with extract, the rule of thumb is this: a 2-inch piece of bean (1-inch piece, if Tahitian) equals 1 teaspoon of extract. Vanilla beans are carried by Nielsen-Massey, SOS Chefs, and the Vanilla Queen (see
Ingredients Sources
). Suppliers caution against refrigerating vanilla beans because the beans can mold. However, I find that if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they keep perfectly for several years, and they freeze well, keeping their moisture if wrapped airtight. Some chefs like to store their vanilla beans immersed in vanilla extract. This is more practical if you are using the vanilla for baking in quantity.

If a white substance appears on the vanilla beans, it is probably flavorful vanillin crystals that migrate to the surface rather than mold. To determine which it is, simply touch your finger to the bean. If what you touch is mold, it will not disappear; if it is vanillin crystals, after a few seconds they will vanish.