TWD: Fluted Polenta Ricotta Cake

This weeks TWD was chosen by Caitlin of Engineer Baker. This one was a bit of a stretch for my family. But we were all surprised that we loved it. I enjoyed it most with coffee the next morning.

This recipe was easy to put together. I had all but two of the ingredients in the pantry. I needed the ricotta and the figs. So Sat. morning C and I headed to the local market. It is only about a mile away so we decided to take alternate transportation...



(The basket was added yesterday by hubby so I can save more gas ;)

Then we came home and got to bakin'! C had her American Girl Cookbook out and I had my Baking Cookbook out. We had a great time in the kitchen! I used a 9" round spring form pan because I don't yet own a fluted pan.

Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake
(From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours)

About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed
1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal
½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. ricotta
1/3 c. tepid water
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.

Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.



Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.



Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the pan, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.

TWD: Marshmallows

This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Judy of Judy's Gross Eats and she chose Marshmallows. Boy was this a fun one. I couldn't wait to get started so that is just what I did. I am normally a procrastinator, but this week I got mine done on Wednesday. That morning after getting the kiddos off to school, I went out and got a candy thermometer. I love the candy thermometer.



It was an easy recipe and the finished product was amazing. They don't look like store bought mallows, but they sure taste alot better.



I did save some for our camping trip this weekend with friends. I took them out and the responses were priceless. "What do you mean you made marshmallows?" "I didn't know that you could make them, I thought they only came in bags from the store." and "Oh, these are wonderful."

Yes, the comments came from adults. I had lots of fun listening to everyones responses. No one roasted them though. They didn't want to "waste" them.

For more TWD go here.

TWD: Fresh Orange Cream Tart

I opted for making the Orange Cream Tart this week because of hubby's request. You have to keep the one who pays all of the bills happy, right? Anyway, I read the ingredient list, not to many ingredients so this should be easy! I noticed that it called for the zest of 3 oranges and one lemon. For my TWD I typically buy one new gadget a week. So this week was a microplane citrus tool...

I absolutely love this tool. It is very easy to work with. It has a zester, a scorer, and garnish cutters. Now, had I read the recipe before buying this I probably would have bought an instant read thermometer. (No, an oral thermometer won't work.) So I made this recipe according to the suggested times. This may have been my problem. It was delicious, but did not set up very well.



And here you can see how it didn't set up. Maybe it will look better for dinner tonight.



But, you know what they say, the uglier it looks, the better it tastes. I will definitely be trying this recipe again, after I purchase a thermometer...

For more TWD go here.

TWD: Gooey Chocolate Cakes

After a hiatus due to the big move, I was so excited about this weeks TWD. Leigh of Lemontartlet got to pick this weeks challenge. And boy am I excited. Its just too bad that Reuben is out of town and will only be able to enjoy this yummy treat through photos!



This recipe was simple enough. I didn't even use the mixer. Just a few bowls, a whisk and a spoon. The center even came out like chocolatey gooeyness. A little thicker than what liquid. Heavenly though. So for lunch I had a cake and a glass of milk. I even brought a couple to one of my new neighbors. (That's one way to make friends in a new place, eh?)

Without further ado, here is the recipe...

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces coarsely chopped
1 ounce very finely chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons of sugar



Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. butter (or spray – it’s easier) 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and the butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogenous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.



Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)



Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.