Walnut cake with apricot preserves

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour
9-inch springform pan, greased, floured
Food processor
Electric mixer, handheld
Knife, serrated
Wire rack
Cake plate
Walnuts	10 ounces
Sugar, golden	2/3 cup
Baking powder	2 teaspoons
Eggs, separated	6 large
Apricot preserves	½ cup
Sugar, confectioners’	Dusting
Cream, whipped
Peaches, sliced	1

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F; ensure a rack is in the middle. 
2. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts with a pinch of the sugar until very finely ground. 
3. Add the baking powder, and pulse to combine. 
4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. 
5. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar at medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. 
6. At low speed, beat in the walnuts, just to combine 
7. Stir in one-third of the egg whites into the batter. 
8. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining beaten whiles in two batches, until no streaks remain. 
9. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 40 minutes, until golden and springy. 
10. Transfer to a rack, and let cool in the pan. 
11. Run the tip of a pastry knife around the edges, and unmold. 
12. Using a serrated knife, split the cake horizontally. 
13. Set the bottom layer on a cake plate, and spread with the apricot preserves. 
14. Replace the top layer, and dust with confectioners’ sugar. 
15. Cut into wedges, and serve with cream and peaches. 

Recipe from Food & Wine, September 2013.

Squash & tomato gratin

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 45 minutes Servings: 4
Food processor
Cast-iron skillet
Breadcrumb, fresh, coarse	1 cup
Parmesan, shaved	½ cup
Olive oil,	2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons
Salt, kosher
Pepper, freshly ground
Tomato, sliced	1 large
Squash, thinly sliced	2 large

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F; ensure a rack is in the middle. 
2. Toss breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper together. 
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. 
4. Add the tomato, stirring occasionally until the juices are bubbling, about 4 minutes. 
5. Season with salt and pepper. 
6. Top with squash and breadcrumb mixture, and bake until the squash is tender and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Recipe from Bon Appétit, August 2013.

Deeply dark jam cake

First dark: dark chocolate mousse filling

Second dark: dark cherry jam cake

Flour, all purpose	13 ¾ ounces
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	1 teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Cloves, ground	¼ teaspoon
Dark cherry jam	17 ¼ ounces
Buttermilk, room temperature	¾ cup
Butter, unsalted, room temperature	¾ cup
Sugar, granulated	10 ½ ounces
Eggs, room temperature	4
Almonds, sliced, toasted	1 cup

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F; ensure a rack is in the middle. 
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and slat, and then whisk the mixture to ensure the ingredients are well distributed. 
3. In a small bowl, stir together the jam and buttermilk. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
   As you make the batter, stop the mixer frequently, and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a spatula. 
5. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. 
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
   After each addition, mix until just barely blended, and stop and scrape the bowl. 
7. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated, and complete the blending by hand with a spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the mixture. 
8. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans (approximately 1 pound 4 ounces per pan), and smooth the tops. 
9. Bake until the centers are just barely firm with lightly touched, 32 to 34 minutes. 
10. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing them from their pans. 
11. After removed, continue to cool the cakes on the rack, top side up, until they reach room temperature. 
12. Leave the parchment paper on until you assemble the cake. 

Third dark: dark chocolate buttercream frosting

Assembly

1. Place one of layers on a flat plate or cake board. 
2. Using a thin metal spatula, spread half of the dark chocolate mousse evenly on top; repeat with the second layer. 
3. Place the last layer on top, and frost cake with light crumb coating of frosting; refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. 
4.  Frost with remaining buttercream, and carefully embed almonds into the side.

Blueberry pie

Gooey mess served with ice cream

Crust
Flour, all purpose	3 ¼ cups
Butter, unsalted, cold, cut into cubes	½ cup
Vegetable shortening	¾ cup
Salt, kosher	1 ¼ teaspoons
Water, iced	2/3 cup
Egg, beaten	1
Filling
Blueberries	6 cups
Sugar	¾ cup
Nutmeg, freshly grated	¼ teaspoon
Lemon, zest	1
Flour, all purpose	3 tablespoons
Crème fraîche	¼ cup
Butter, unsalted, cut up	1 tablespoon
Coat
Egg, beaten	1
Sugar	2 tablespoons

Crust 

1. Combine the flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. 
2. Remove the flour mixture from the freezer, and using a pastry knife, cut the butter and shortening to the size of peas to almonds. 
3. Make a well in the center, add the ice water and egg, and mix with your hands until just combined. 
4. Divide, shape into two discs, wrap each with plastic wrap, and then freeze for 30 minutes. 
5. Preheat the oven to 450°F; ensure a rack is in the middle. 

Filling 

1. Combine the berries, sugar, nutmeg, and zest in a bowl; cover it with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperate for 30 minutes. 
2. Sprinkle the flour over, toss, add the crème fraîche, and mix until the berries are coated. 
3. Roll the pie dough out to two 12-inch discs. 
4. Lay one disc in a 9-inch pie dish; gently press the dough over the bottom of the pan and up the sides, leaving a lip over the edge. 
5. Spoon the berry mixture into the pie shell, and dot with butter. 
6. Place the second disc over the filling. 
7. Trim the excess dough to the border of the pie dish, and crimp the edges. 
8. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar. 
9. Cut slits into the top of the crust to allow steam to escape. 
10. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to 375°F, and continue baking for 45 minutes. 
11. Let the pie cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Recipe adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook: A Year In The Life Of A Restaurant.

Ratatouille spirals

Tomatoes, beefsteak, score bottoms with an X	3 pounds
Olive oil, extra-virgin	2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon + Brushing
Garlic, finely chopped	2 cloves
Red pepper flakes, crushed	½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher
Bread, cubed	2 cups
Zucchini, medium, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips	2 ½ pounds
Eggplants, Japanese, small, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips	2 ½ pounds
Bell peppers, red, roasted, cut into ½-inch strips	3
Anchovies, oil-packed, cut into thin strips	24 to 28
Mozzarella, fresh, cut into 24 to 28  sticks	¾ pound

1. In a medium-sized pot of boiling water, blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds; drain. 
2. Slip off the skins, and halve the tomatoes crosswise. 
3. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, keeping the juices and seeds. 
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
5. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. 
6. Add the garlic and pepper, and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. 
7. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and season lightly with salt. 
8. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, about 25 minutes. 
9. Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. 
10. Toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once, until golden. 
11. In two separate colanders, toss the zucchini and eggplant with 1 tablespoon of salt each, and let drain for 15 minutes. 
12. Shake out the excess liquid, and pat the slices dry. 
13. Spoon the tomato sauce into a shallow 2 ½-quart baking dish, and scatter the bread cubes on top. 
14. On a work surface, top each zucchini slice with a slice of eggplant; blot dry if necessary. 
15. Place a strip of roasted pepper and anchovy, and then a stick of mozzarella at one end of each stack, and roll up. 
16. Stand the rolls in the baking dish, and brush with oil. 
17. Cover with parchment paper.
18. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and the ratatouille is bubbling; remove the parchment halfway through baking. 
19. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe from Food & Wine, September 2013.