wafels and dinges

when i mentioned to allison that i’d never had a wafel and dinges wafel (*gasp*)– and i’d never heard of or tasted spekuloos (*GASP*), it quickly clarified our day’s conundrum (which of all the sweet treats at mad square eats–artisan stuffed cannolis, blondies/brownies –we should share).

for many years la petite abeille was a favorite neighborhood spot, for any meal of the day. but when it came to their waffels, there was only one for me: gaufre de liege. it looked plain served on a plate, but it had all the sugar baked right into it. if my memory is true, it wasn’t exactly light. but it was a good, modest size–each one was perfectly shaped (they were baked, individually wrapped, shipped from belgium and reheated on-site) and i was always happy and satisfied when i polished one off.

but wafels and dinges is a world apart.

who needs a perfectly shaped wafel when you get to watch one being liberated from the iron grill clamps?

at mad square eats...

if the batter is good and grill master is experienced, then you’d expect the fresh wafel to be superior in every way — smell, texture, taste.

(it’s all true here.)

the batter slightly sweet, and it’s grilled to just “medium rare” –the result is a wafel that is at once crisp and chewy.

allison and i opted for the “de throwdown wafel” — with spekuloos spread and whipped cream. it’s the wafel that strong-armed bobby flay –and i’m not surprised. only the seriously sweet-toothed need apply.  spekuloos spread (also: speculoos) is thick and nutty like peanut butter and cloying, like nutella. i loved it at first, but i can’t imagine this creation without the whipped cream chaser. it shocks the senses. even more shocking to me: spekuloos spread is made of crushed cinnamon-gingerbread cookies (a belgian specialty) and…oil.

i’m not sure why that information unsettles me.  i love cookies. but cookie paste?

it won’t stop me from stalking the wafels and dinges folks to try the wafel-ice cream sandwich, a mini-wafelini, and of course, the liège.

if you are similarly inclined, you can commit their schedule to memory  or follow: @waffletruck

(and: if you’re curious about the cookie paste, wafels and dinges sell the spread, too)

paris postcard: macaron wars (split decision)

one of the birthday gifts i received from my sister is a slim, beautifully photographed guide to baking macarons. i am almost certain she meant this to be an “inspiration” for the picture taking–ideas for lighting and simple prop styling–rather than as a nudge toward the kitchen. but you know, the macarons have an allure that’s so irresistibly feminine–they are so pretty, delicate, sweet, challenging–and the variations in this book can sound innocently flirtatious: honey cream, sweet ganache... i’m tempted to make them at least once, just so i  could say, oh my sweet, i made you some vanilla-honey cream …

ok. that’s a bit much.

still, it would be fun…

i read that the first step involves tracing 2.5 inch diameter circles on parchment paper to use as a guide for piping the batter (oh no, there’s drawing); next, i’d have to pulverize almond flour in a food processor (i don’t have one), and then there’s the matter of my gently sloping oven.

a perfect little meringue cookies, with” feet,”  might be an impossible dream… something to be saved for trips to paris… or the upper east side (more on that later).

****

rewind to may: i planned to make 2 stops for macarons and buy a dozen or so from each store to bring home for a little macaron face-off.

defending champ (by default) is ladurée –the brand that created the “double decker”/ sandwich macaron in the 1930s, and widely regarded as best in paris. i’ve had them before and i am guessing they are what every macaron aspires to.

the window display at laduree at 21 rue bonaparte...

the upstart challenger: pierre hermé.  i’d never heard of him or his boutique until recently — some “foodies” were making noise about his macarons being the best in town (and naturally, then, the world). hermé was hailed “the picasso of pastry” by french vogue, is the youngest to be named pastry chef of the year and the only pastry chef to be honored as chevalier (knight) of arts and letters. he’s known for his inventiveness, his use of savory ingredients like olive oil and balsamic vinegar in his sweets. his concoctions do sound exotic. his most famous macaron variation, ispahan, is made with rose, lychee, and raspberry.

but for the purpose of this taste test i chose:

infiniment caramel — salted caramel;

mogador – chocolate and passion fruit–which is, as an fyi, a winning combination of berthilion ice cream flavors…

the ladurée selections were similar: chocolate, bitter chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel, pistachio and coconut.

for the tasting here at home, the hermés were first up. RAVES–almost everyone declared his macarons “better.”  they thought they were fresher, sweeter, lighter. (but to be fair, this was before they even tried this year’s ladurée offerings. they were judging by “recall” from years earlier!)

i was the holdout– i thought the passion fruit was plain weird. i didn’t like the lingering sour notes. and i don’t like butter cream–i wish i’d known that all the hermés i chose had butter cream filling, it might have changed the selection process. the stuff was fresh, to be sure, but i love biting into a macaron and meeting a thick, sweet ganache in the middle. i missed that. the test also underscored that i am, for the most part, a traditionalist. not a foodie. i like to exercise the old adventurous spirit, but if you asked me to choose–and i’ve said this before– i would take an ice cream sundae over some mousse-y thing, a chocolate chip cookie over a fancy dacquoise, and so on. the same is true for macarons: i will probably only have them if i am in paris*– and i’ll have mine straight: caramel…chocolate…pistachio… no top notes or contrasting flavors required.

i think my fellow “tasters” came to appreciate the ladurée macs that i brought home this time– it really is high quality pastry–though perhaps they were on the fence about which one is “better.”

but i know what i like, i know what i want….

THESE

ladurée: pistachio, chocolate, caramel, vanilla

*there is a ladurée shop opening on the upper east side this summer, i’m sure i won’t stay away…

***

links to ladurée and pierre hermé shops worldwide…

i scream…

happy 4th of july weekend!

a glace–chocolat, vanille…roland garros, may 28, 2011
© anita aguilar

recipe: new york style crumb cake

it’s hard to find a better way to start the day than a fresh piece of crumb cake and a mug of coffee. my fantasy? someone wakes me up from a blissful slumber on a saturday around 10:00 with a nice little plate of two small pieces of crumb cakes, a cup of strong coffee with a little cream and sugar, and a big glass of water. i decided to take matters into my own hands and create a situation like this on a recent saturday. (ok, a few things were different. a) i woke up at 8 am because they are drilling outside of my apartment), and b) i made the crumb cake and by the time it was done, my coffee was gone. but still! this crumb cake was so delicious.

the recipe comes from the baked explorations cookbook, by matt lewis and renato poliafito, owners of baked bakery in red hook, brooklyn and charleston, south carolina. their version stays true to the iconic new york recipe, and it is perfectly graced with what i consider just the right amount of cinnamon.

the batter, before the crumb topping is put on it (it was a thick batter, and quite tasty)

the cinnamon sugar crumbs atop the batter, ready to go in the oven

the final product: moist cake with an extra crumbly, cinnamony topping

recipe courtesy of baked: explorations

makes and 8×8 sheet of crumb cake

*note – i halved this recipe and condensed the instructions

paris postcard: “window-licking” at thevenin

these bright delights inspired a detour during my morning stroll

thevenin looks fancy on the outside but i observed the interactions inside (while i plotted my indulgence). this isn’t merely a shop for elegant, special occasion macaron cakes,  it’s a breakfast/lunch stop for the well-heeled workers of montparnasse: you can pick up your ”regular” croissant, your daily baguette, or  sit at one of the few tables and have a café … or get something to go.

what kind of every day life lets you look at these to the left, and pick a cellophane-wrapped sandwich, a prepared green salad, or a yogurt from the right?

i think i’d like to find out.

all photos © anita aguilar

***

ps. i picked up macarons and a delicious “chocolat religieuse”

paris postcard: let the macaron wars begin

2 chocolat + 1 vanille

(heavenly)

from patisserie thvenin

119 avenue gen leclerc, in the 14th arrondissement

istanbul, turkey: part 2 (on the street)

if there was ever a city for street food, istanbul is it. i thought we here in nyc had it made with carts, trucks and vendors on every block, but istanbul is quite the rival. some of our favorites are below.

sahlep. now that i know i may not be able to have this delicious rice-pudding meets white hot chocolate drink again for awhile, all i can do is think about it.

honey pistachio donuts with rose syrup.

these tasty, airy and honey glazed donuts were a sticky and delicious sweet treat to go with our sahlep. i found a recipe for them that i can’t wait to try!

the spice market!

more turkish delight than one could ever delight in!

durum are burrito-like wraps, wher thin turkish bread surrounds fresh and very well seasoned lamb (or other meat) and other fresh vegetables and pickled onions.

spoon: (still) ga ga ga ga ga

this is getting to be a habit with me…
started the week off with another trip to spoon, this time with allison…

allison and i almost never order the same items so that we can do the “taste and trade.” but we couldn’t resist the leek and mushroom tartlettes and the shiitake mushroom potato pancakes with smoked salmon & watercress. and while the specials are reasonably priced, these were too small–and good– not to have a serving all to ourselves.

…which left room for dessert–we split a slice of chocolate croissant bread pudding.

sound like you’ll need your stretchy pants for this one? think again. flaky croissant, with rich bits of thick chocolate, even the “eggy” pudding parts were a touch sweet, but the lightness of this will surprise you. if you see it on the menu, don’t pass it up…

***

who wants to meet me on tuesday for a slice of king cake?!

recipe: tarte tatin

i love anything with apples in it. apple pie, apple bread, apple crisp – you name it, i’ll eat it. just mention “tarte tatin” and i’ll start salivating. this classic french dessert with a layer of apples covered in caramel, sheltered with dough, baked and inverted, is kind of like a more refined version of an upside down cake. i don’t know why, but i have always been intimidated by this dessert. sitting in my kitchen with a bag of apples and not knowing what to do with them, it dawned on me: i will make tarte tatin! i’m up for the challenge!

the dessert proved to be much easier than i had imagined. i used clotilde dusolier’s recipe from her book, chocolate and zucchini. it was perfect!

recipe: tarte tatin

(from the chocolate & zucchini cookbook, by clotilde dusolier), serves 8

ingredients:

for the dough:

½ cup sugar

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

8 tbsp. butter (1 stick) chilled, plus more for greasing the pan

1 to 2 tbsp. milk

for the caramel and filling:

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

3 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 lbs. apples (about 4 medium)

directions:

1. prepare the dough: in a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a wire pastry blender, until the mixture resembles course meal. add 1 tbsp. milk and knead the dough gently until it forms a smooth ball. if the dough doesn’t come together after a minute, add a little more milk and knead again. this can all also be done in a food processor. gather into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. butter the sides of a 9 or 10-inch cake pan (not springform) or quiche pan with the pat of butter.

3. combine the brown sugar and 1 tbsp. water in a small saucepan and melt the sugar slowly over medium heat. swish the pan around from time to time, but don’t stir. as soon as bubbles form on the surface (avoid overcooking the caramel – it can get bitter), remove from heat. add the salt and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted and blended into a paste with the caramel. pour immediately into the pan and use the back of your spoon to spread it over the bottom of the pan. the entire surface doesn’t need to be covered, but make it as even as you can. set aside.

4. preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the dough from the fridge. rinse, core and peel the apples and slice into eighths. arrange the apple pieces in a circular pattern over the caramel in the pan, stirring from the outside.

5. roll the dough into a circle, about 10 inches in diameter if you use a 9-inch pan, 11 inches if you use a 10-inch pan. prick the dough all over with a fork and fold loosely over the rolling pin, lay it over the apples in the pan and tuck in the flaps of dough.

6. bake for 45 minutes or until the dough turns golden.

7. take the pan out of the oven, run a knife around the sides and turn onto a serving dish (serve warm but not piping hot). you can always reheat this at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. best enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla gelato!

recipe: (irresistible) sticky buns

if you’re as much of a sweet tooth as i am, then i can guarantee you something. you will not, i mean, WILL NOT be able to resist these sticky buns. i first saw them on an episode of throwdown with bobby flay, then read about them on serious eats, then heard from a friend who tried them that they were life-changing. i was basically ready to take a trip to boston’s flour bakery to buy these sticky buns of my dreams. but wait! i got ahold of the recipe in the flour bakery cookbook (it is also in the throwdown cookbook) and knew instantly that i need to bake this treat as soon as possible. and what better excuse to eat sugary things than valentine’s day?

i adapted the recipe slightly by omitting the pecans and substituting whole wheat flour for bread flour. i must admit that this recipe was a ton of work. not  a throw-everything-in-a-bowl-and-mix type of project. this is definitely a weekend event, as the dough needs time to proof and such, but if you ask me (and my deliciously happy belly), it was completely worth it. these sticky buns were the best i’ve ever tasted! the brioche dough is super soft and moist, with a cinnamon-sugar filling, oodles of goo on the bottom and some more goo spooned on top. these are best served warm, but are quite easy to reheat in the oven.

the dough (below) was quite easy to roll out

the “goo” was incredibly easy to make (and involves more butter and sugar than i cared to tell the people who were eating the buns)

the goo pours right into the bottom of the pan, and the cinnamon rolls just bake on top of it, soaking up all of the decadent flavor

the finished product, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top

recipe for sticky buns courtesy of flour bakery

ingredients for the goo:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (345 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (110 grams) honey
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) water
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Basic Brioche Dough, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (100 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped

First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that’s ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.

On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and half of the pecans. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. Trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.

Use a bench scraper or a chef’s knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2-inches wide. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.)

Pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.

Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.

The buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

ingredients for brioche dough:

• 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 2 1/4 cups (340 grams) bread flour
• 1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1-ounce (28 grams) fresh cake yeast
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (82 grams) sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 6 eggs
• 1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.

Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.