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10.29.2007

Bostini Creme Pie




















This is my first Daring Bakers challenge. After a rather stress filled and hectic weekend, with all the ingredients in house, I said "if not now then never". Certain Someone was gone for awhile, and I got to play.Reading other Daring Bakers posts on the forums I knew where I would encounter the difficulty. I've done custards before, so really wasn't concerned about that aspect.The texture of this custard is not thick and is difficult to set, like a traditional custard. I love the specs of vanilla bean.However the chiffon I knew would be hit or miss. Rather than bake the chiffon in ramekins, I decided to cook it in a longer sheet style cake pan. I cooked it for precisely 25 minutes and it really looked fine. However when I put it on the rack to cool and flipped it out the pan , the center not being cooked thoroughly fell out through the rack. I could tell the main part of the cake was salvageable . Considering I was using cut out square sections, I cut away the good portion. Eggs are expensive in Chicago, and this recipe called for a lot! I had bulked up at Costco. I couldn't bare the 'waste' and starting all over again. The good parts I salvaged, were what chiffon should be in texture.So I just needed to cook it longer to accommodate the cake pan. I will definitely use chiffon cake again in my recipes. Getting over my embarrassment, I reminded my self that blog communities like Daring Bakers are for learning, making mistakes, and successes. We all learn and feed of each other. I'm proud to be a Daring Baker. Check out the recipe and see the few modifications I was allowed to make. And if you have a moment check out the Daring Bakers Blog Roll to see how these other great members meet their challenge.
Surprisingly Certain Someone noticed the custards in the fridge. This type of dessert appeals to him with all the chocolate and custard. I told him Sunday dinner was almost like being home in Germany. His mother makes great puddings and such.He got so into to it he even staged this picture and took it for me as I desperately need help with this aspect of blogging.I promise my plating and photos will improve. Thank you honey. We ate our deserts prior to watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. I almost missed it because the rich cream custard had a sleepy effect on the both of us. Good to have on hand as night cap. We even revisited the leftover custard a few nights later with just the chocolate sauce and quickly went out like lamps soon after.








Daring Bakers October Challenge #12



Host : Mary Alpinberry http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/

Bostini Creme Pie (from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala's Bistro)



Serving Size 8 generous Servings


Allowed modifications for Daring Bakers:




1. You can substitute with a flavor that you think complements the other components as long as you keep the chiffon cake "light colored". So nothing "dark" like chocolate or coffee/espresso.




2. Since the serving size is quite large, please feel free to half the recipe.




3. The chocolate glaze recipe makes a lot so make as much or as little glaze as you would like. Scaling this is straightforward since it's 1 part chocolate to 1 part butter.




4. You can play with the "size" of the dessert. You can make the custard and the cakes in smaller ramekins so that you'll have a bunch of miniature desserts instead of 8 regular sized ones.




5. High altitude modifications are allowed as long as you stay "true" to the recipe. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. is allowed too.


Any modifications I made are highlighted in blue.


INGREDIENTS

Custard

3/4 cup whole milk


2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 whole egg, beaten


9 egg yolks, beaten

3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean (EDITED: vanilla extract is okay)


1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake


1 1/2 cups cake flour


3/4 cup superfine sugar


1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder


1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil (I used vegetable)

1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice


1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest (I used orange icing fruit, a purred orange mix to add to icings and cake batters)


1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)


1 teaspoon cream of tartar


Chocolate Glaze

8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocalate Chips)


8 ounces unsalted butter



INSTRUCTIONS


To prepare the custard: Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.




To prepare the chiffon cakes: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups. Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter. Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.


To prepare the glaze: Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm. To assemble: Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.

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42 comments:

Julius said...

Hi glamah,

Thanks for your comments on my bostini post. :)

I too had some challenges - you should have seen me cussing like a drunken sailor when my cream boiled all over my stove (not a square inch spared of cream).

I love how you served the bostini!

Julius

Brilynn said...

Nicely done!
The chiffon cake was the biggest challenge for me as well, I've failed with them in the past but this one worked out well. I baked them in muffin cups.

Elle said...

Great save on the cake..in true Daring Baker style...and I'm impressed that you used vanilla bean...I'm sure it made it even more delicious.Great post!

Belinda said...

You did a great job with the Bostinis! I love that I learn something new with each DB challenge. My cake started to get brown, but I suspected it wasn't completely done, so I'm glad I left it another ten minutes. You would never know from looking at yours that you had a close call...it looks perfect. :-)

Gigi said...

Great Job with the bostini's. I just want to grab a spoon and dig right in :)

kellypea said...

Congrats on your first challenge! And considering that I just finished licking that custard off a spoon, I'd agree with you that it has a drowsy effect...

Anne said...

Great job on completing your first challenge! Sorry the cake wasn't a complete success though!

Pille said...

Ouch - I can only imagine how if felt to see the cake fall through the rack! You've certainly managed to plate the cake nicely - well done!

Karen Baking Soda said...

That's my fear whenever I turn cakes out, they manage to look beautiful in the oven but then the moment of truth! Good job!

Anne said...

simply lovely! well done on your first challenge :)

Sheltie Girl said...

Lovely job on your Bostini's!

Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go

Unknown said...

great job on finishing your first challenge looks great

Lis said...

You couldn't be more right.. it's all about learning! And just between you and I.. I like the posts with the mishaps the best. ;)

Regardless your Bostinis turned out beautifully! I love the bowl!

Terrific first challenge! I look forward to seeing what you'll do next month. =)

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Great first challenge. Agreed that the learning, from a fantastic community, is the best part!

BC said...

Good problem solving with your cake. Our difficulties are always more interesting and challenging than perfection.

Megan said...

so... Better then a sleeping pill?
Great job and here here, to the Daring Bakers

Laura Rebecca said...

The Bostini looks great! Congratulations on your first DB challenge.

slush said...

Way to stick it out! Looks great and putting you to sleep would be a rave review?? Natural sleep aid, woot!

Grats on your first challenge!

Anonymous said...

I just LOVE that tea set! :)

Annemarie said...

Congratulations on your first challenge, and well done on seeing it through after being 'challenged' by the done-ness of the cake. I hope your future challenges treat you better. :)

Deborah said...

When I joined the Daring Bakers, I promised myself that I wouldn't be too hard on myself if one of the challenges didn't turn out well. It's all about learning. And even though part of your cake was undercooked, it all still worked out wonderfully and it looks great!! Great job on your first challenge!

Andrea said...

I had trouble with the cake, too, but it was edible. It sounds and looks like your dessert turned out well! Congrats and welcome to the Daring Bakers!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on completing your first challenge!

Great job!

The Caked Crusader said...

How can custard look so cute!?

I love that we've all presented so differently

Your Bostini's are beautiful

Julie said...

I kinda went "eep" when I saw that first photo! Then I realized it was a negative image. Whew! It looks good! And your dishes are so cute, too! Here's hoping the inflated price of eggs breaks soon (pardon the puns).

Alpineberry Mary said...

Nice job on your very first DB challenge. I'm glad you were able to save most of your chiffon cake. A good test for doneness is to lightly press the center of your cake and see if it springs back. If it stays indented, then it needs more baking.

Madeleine said...

Well done on our first challenge!!

Thanks for your comments in my blog! :)

Congratulations for save a part of the chiffon cake... We learn more from the mistakes... hehe! :)

xoxo

Unknown said...

Your custard looks a lot like mine did after I spooned it out of the pan...wouldn't unmold! Glad y'all enjoyed it.

Dagmar said...

Welcome to the Daring Bakers! Great save with the cake, you're a true Daring Baker!!

marias23 said...

Gorgeous bostini and I love your reverse photography effects! Very cool!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Congratulations on your first challenge! You did a great job! Wonderful!

Cheers,

Rosa

breadchick said...

Congrats on completing your first challenge! And I love the double handled cups you served them in!!

Christine said...

Great job on your first challenge!

african vanielje said...

Welcome and well done. They look gorgeous. And you do feel a sense of accomplishment onec you have done it. It certainly gets me out of my comfort zone

Dharm said...

Well done on the challenge! I love how being part of the DBs pushes us and gives us new skills. So what if your cake fell through... just chalk it up to experience - thats after all what its all about! :)

Dolores said...

Yes! Learning is an important part of the process. And we're proud to have you with us as we all learn together. Congratulations on a successful challenge!

Helene said...

COngratulations for your first challenge in spite f the mishaps along the way! I love the oversized cup, makes for oversized dessert...heheheh!

David T. Macknet said...

You know, there are so many things which are consumed before we get to taking pictures of them ... and we're sitting there, at the table, and say to each other, "hey, we should've taken pictures of this." And it's too late.

Welcome to the crowd!

Jenny said...

Always great to make a dessert that is enjoyed by everyone!

Steph said...

Thank you so much for your comment about my "first paid cake" :) I think your Bositinis came out beautifully and I love the idea of putting them in a cup! Good job!!

Gabi said...

Beautiful Bostinis - great job on your first challenge and welcome to the DBs.
xoxo

Peabody said...

Well done...way to stay in there even when it got challenging.