The Home Creamery (18 page)

1 cup whole-wheat flour

3½-4 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm whey. Stir in the sugar, salt, and butter and let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.

2.
Add the whole-wheat flour and beat well. Slowly mix in enough of the bread flour to make a stiff dough. (The dough can also be mixed in a standing mixer using a dough hook.)

3.
Invert the dough onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest 15 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

4.
Place the dough into a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

5.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly oiled board. Cut the dough in half.

6.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut each dough half into 10 pieces. Shape each piece into a 14-inch rope. Fold the rope in half, and seal the ends together. Twist, and then coil into a roll. Tuck ends under. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough half. Let rolls rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

7.
Beat together the egg and the milk in a small bowl. Brush the rolls lightly with this glaze. Bake the rolls for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKES ABOUT 20

DESSERTS GALORE

On these pages is a collection of irresistible pies, tarts, and puddings featuring a variety of flavors — fruit, nuts, custard, cream, and more. From traditional to exotic to rich and sinful, you’ll find just the right dessert to treat the kids or to serve to dinner guests.

Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Spice Cake with Pecan Frosting

Fudge-Swirl Cappuccino Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

No-Bake Lemon-Raspberry Cheesecake

Italian Ricotta Tart

Cherry Cheese Tart

Tiramisu

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Ricotta Pudding with Nuts and Chocolate

Coffee Mascarpone

Cream Cheese Brownies

Brownie Shortbread

Pecan Swirls

Coeur à la Crème

Poached Pears and Ricotta

Peach Melba Yogurt Parfaits

Tropical Frappé

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK LAYER CAKE

Your childhood may be many years behind you, but this old-fashioned layer cake will take you back. The cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
PAGES 28
AND
31
),
cut into small pieces

⅓ cup sugar

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE

1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

¾ cup vegetable oil

1½ cups
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK (
PAGES 38
AND
39
),
stirred well

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups hot water

1.
Make the frosting: Combine the cream, butter, sugar, water, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. Pour the frosting into a large bowl, and let cool until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.

2.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and dust with cocoa, tapping out excess.

3.
Make the cake: Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water with an electric mixer set at low. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

4.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Gently tap each filled pan gently on the countertop to remove any air pockets. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Set the cakes in pans to cool on wire racks about 20 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and turn out onto rack. Cool completely.

5.
Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread one-third of the frosting over the cake. Top with the second layer, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Let cake stand for 2 hours before serving.

MAKES ONE 8-INCH LAYER CAKE

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CAKE

Sour cream gives baked goods such as this a dense, rich texture and moist, tender crumb. This cake is portable, it’s tasty, and it will keep well up to 1 week.

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
PAGES 28
AND
31
)
, softened

3 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup
HOMEMADE SOUR CREAM (
PAGES 50
AND
52
)

1 cup boiling water Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.

2.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed, beat in the flour mixture on low speed, alternating with the sour cream until well blended. Beat in boiling water slowly on low speed.

3.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.

SERVES 8 TO 10

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Cut this close-textured, superbly rich pound cake into thin slices and serve with fresh fruit for dessert. It can be made 3 days ahead, wrapped airtight, and kept at room temperature.

1 cup
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
PAGES 28
AND
31
)
, softened

1 cup (8 ounces)
HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE (
PAGE 60
)
, softened

2½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour

1.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and beat 10 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange juice concentrate and vanilla. Beat in the flour at low speed until batter is smooth (do not overbeat). Transfer batter to pan.

2.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack; cool completely.

SERVES 12 TO 16

SPICE CAKE WITH PECAN FROSTING

This spiced layer cake, fragrant with cinnamon and cloves and topped with old-fashioned boiled icing, will conjure images of a country kitchen from days gone by. Store the cake at cool room temperature until serving time; then loosely cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

CAKE

½ cup
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
PAGES 28
AND
31
)
, softened

1¼ cups sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK (
PAGES 38
AND
39
)
, stirred well

PECAN FROSTING

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1.
Preheat oven 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans lightly. Line the bottoms with parchment and lightly butter the paper.

2.
Make the cake: Beat the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

3.
Whisk together the remaining ½ cup of sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl. Add to the egg mixture and beat until blended. With the mixer on low, add the flour alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour the batter in the prepared pans, dividing evenly and smoothing the tops. Tap each filled pan gently on the countertop to remove any air pockets.

4.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Set the cakes in the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out onto the rack and remove the waxed paper. Turn the cakes right side up and cool completely.

5.
Make the frosting: Mix the cream, sugar, and egg in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Let cool completely.

6.
Place one cake layer on plate. Spread one-third of the frosting over the cake. Top with the second layer, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Let cake stand for 2 hours before serving.