Apple Tarte Tartin with Creamy Caramel Sauce

Feb 25, 2018

Apple Tarte Tartin with Creamy Caramel Sauce – Candy Coated Culinista

A tarte tartin is a French dessert named after the hotel that served this as their signature dish. To me I entered making this dish with memories of my poorly maple-honey upside down cake. I am hoping for a decent caramel and a palatable dessert.

Yield/Serving: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Difficulty level is: Easy

From Donna Hay: Basics to Brilliance

Ingredients
Creamy Caramel
• ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cups unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
Apple Tarte Tatin
• 1 sheet store-bought all butter puff pastry, thawed
• ½ cup creamy caramel, plus extra to serve
• 3 granny smooth apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1 cm
• a few blueberries (optional)
• Vanilla ice-cream, to serve (optional)

Assembly
Creamy Caramel
1. Place cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring with a metal spoon until combined.
4. Bring mixture to a boil and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 350°F using a candy thermometer and the mixture is a deep golden colour.
5. Remove from heat and working fast, add butter mixture in a thin steady stream, stirring to combine.
6. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until caramel has thickened slightly.
7. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature.
Apple Tarte Tatin
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Using a small sharp knife, trim the pastry into a 30cm round and make a small cross incision in the centre.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Place the caramel in a 26cm round ovenproof non-stick frying pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
5. Add apples and cook for 5-6 minutes or until apples are just softened.
6. Remove from heat and top with pastry round.
7. Place the pan on an oven tray.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed.
9. Let cool slightly.
10. Turn out onto a lightly greased baking tray with parchment paper.
11. Bake for 5 more minutes or until apples are golden and caramelized.
12. Serve warm with ice cream and extra caramel if desired.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
I was very happy that my caramel actually turned out; but man was it sweet. It had me wishing I had made a salted caramel to cut some of that sweet. However; this tasted much better then it looked and for a person who eats 90% with her eyes first this was a hard one for me. Once I got past the copious amount of caramel; which would be a draw for most but for me a person who never liked caramel overall it just tasted okay. I batched down the caramel recipe as I knew I didn’t need three and a half cups of caramel and I am still left with way too much for my liking. The puff pastry was crispy and flakey and the apples were cooked well. This dish isn’t a looker even with the pictures I saw online as my aid and next time I think I’ll double the puff pastry layers and add much less caramel.

Under the Weather Soup with Crispy Kale

Feb 21, 2018

Under the Weather Soup with Crispy Kale – Candy Coated Culinista

I honestly can’t remember the last time I got a cold (knock on wood) and even now this hasn’t turned into a full blown cold yet and I’m thankful for that. I should have known my tonsillitis last week was perhaps a warning sign of things to come. So feeling a touch under the weather with a sore throat and slight cough, I had already picked up some soup essentials being preemptive. Now to make a new soup to help me feel better fast and nip whatever this in the bud.

Yield/Serving: 3-4
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: approx. 2 hours
Difficulty level is: Easy

Ingredients
• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and halved
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 900 ml vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Black pepper to taste, if desired
• a knob of ginger, if desired
• a little turmeric, if desired
• 3 leaves of kale
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare squash, sweet potato and carrot and place in a roasting pan.
3. Cover in extra virgin olive oil and roast for one hour and forty minutes, turning vegetable over halfway through.
4. Once vegetables are done let cool for 30 minutes.
5. Peel away the squash skin and add to a Dutch oven along with the sweet potatoes chopped.
6. Chop carrots and add one cup of water to a blender along with the carrots and blend.
7. Then add to the Dutch oven along with the vegetable stock and let simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and continue to simmer.
9. In a small frying pan, fry kale with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and once crispy drain on a paper towel.
10. Laddle soup into a bowl and top with crispy kale and serve.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
This is really a bare bones recipe for me. I honestly didn’t even add salt or pepper as I wasn’t feeling it and I wanted to keep this soup pure. You can also add ginger and turmeric if you want also. I saved that for my tea on the side personally. I even managed to not add onions and garlic as that might have muddied up the beautiful colour of the soup; which was sweet and simple. Blending the carrots prior to adding them to the Dutch oven really helped with the consistency of the soup and I’m very happy I did. This really took no effort which is perfect when your down for the count. Nap while the veggies roast and maybe 10 minutes on your feet actually tending to the soup. Perfect.

Valentine’s Day Cranberry Tart with Blood Oranges

Feb 14, 2018

Valentine’s Day Cranberry Tart with Blood Oranges – Candy Coated Culinista

Happy Valentine’s Day! With everything today being about love & romance and everything adorned in reds and pinks I thought this deep red tart tart would add to the day. So today enjoy those flowers, chocolates, candies and desserts as I know for a fact calories don’t count today.

Yield/Serving: 2 – 6” tarts or 1 – 9” tart
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 55 min.
Difficulty level is: Medium

Ingredients
Cranberry curd
• 5 egg whites
• ½ cups granulated sugar
• 340g, (12 oz), fresh cranberries
• 1 stick of butter, cut into pats, cold
Crust
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lime zest, about 1 lime
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg yolk
Garnish
• Blood oranges, thinly sliced & halved, 3-4 slices

Assembly
Cranberry curd
1. Using a medium saucepan pour an inch of water to the pot and let simmer on medium-high heat.
2. Using a metal bowl combine egg yolks and sugar and whisk until smooth, about a minute. (Metal bowl should be able to fit into the pot without touching the water in the saucepan leaving a gap between the water and the bowl.)
3. Add lime juice and zest to mixture.
4. Once pot has reached a simmer reduce to low heat and place bowl over saucepan.
5. Whisk mixture until thickened, about 8 minutes or when mixture coats the back of a spoon and is a light yellow colour.
6. Remove from saucepan and stir in butter pats one at a time allowing each pat to melt before adding the next.
7. Pour into a container and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd.
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor or electric mixer combine flour, sugar and lime zest until mixed.
3. Add in butter and egg yolk and combine until crumbs starts to clump together resembling peas.
4. Pour mixture into two 6” tart pan with a removable bottom.
5. Press mixture down and up the sides of the tart pan with your fingertips.
6. Bake crust for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and let cool.
Tart
1. Pour cranberry curd over tart and bake until curd jiggles about 25 minutes and let cool.
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight to let the curd set.

Tips
• Curd can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
I’m crazy about tarts as you can see from the numerous times I post a tart and curds are quickly following behind because every time I bake one of my cakes I am left with egg yolks. Slightly tart and still sweet and with the addition of the blood oranges; which for the first time in 2 years I have found a decent bag of I knew I had to decorate with these. This is a seasonal tart that is perfectly coloured for Valentine’s Day and to share with your special someone.

Valentine’s Day Cranberry Tart with Blood Oranges – Candy Coated Culinista

T is for … Tangerine Crème Brulee

Feb 11, 2018

T is for … Tangerine Crème Brulee – Candy Coated Culinista

Nothing beats the cracking sound you hear when you break into a perfectly coated crème brulee. It’s like breaking into a present for me and my eyes light up. This is decadent, creamy and rich with a hint of tangerine … it’s simply divine.

Yield/Serving: 4
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty level is: Medium

Ingredients
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream
• Tangerine zest, from 6 tangerines
• 3 eggs
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ cups golden brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Tangerine segments, for decorating

Assembly
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
1. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and create a “bain-marie” of hot water filling the pan three-quarters up the sides of the ramekins. (A bain-marie is a fancy French term for a container filled with hot water that is used through the cooking process to ensure that the custard doesn’t scorch or boil. It’s an insulator for the custards.)
2. Now remove the ramekins from the water and place pan in oven.
3. Over medium-high heat, combine cream and tangerine zest in a sauce pan. Warm until the cream is scalding, stirring occasionally.
4. Using a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks together.
5. Stir in a half cup of the brown sugar and the tangerine juice.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the cream stirring constantly.
7. Add in the salt along with the vanilla extract.
8. Using a fine-meshed sieve. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.
9. Pour the custard mixture evenly into the ramekins, about three-quarters full.
10. Place the ramekins into the hot water bath and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes, or until they are just set.
11. Once cooked, remove custards from the bain marie and let cool for twenty minutes, then refrigerate covered with saran wrap until chilled through. (cover to prevent the custard from absorbing any other scents from inside the fridge)
12. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup sugar evenly onto the tops of the custards.
13. Torch the custards until sugar caramelizes.
14. Place a tangerine segment on top and sprinkle a little more sugar and torch if desired.

Tips
• Make sure there is enough room between racks in the oven or remove the top rack if needed. I had them too close and it made it quite difficult to add in a heavy pan full of water that I couldn’t shake too much as I put it into the oven.
• It’s better to under cook than to overcook the crème brulees.
• Use a thermometer to ensure the cream reaches the correct temperature. Be careful once the mixture hits around 150°F it climbs fast and you can pass the simmering stage.
• Do not waste the egg whites. Mr. C. asked for an egg white scramble with diced green onion and green pepper with salt and ground black pepper. Or use it in another recipe that calls for egg whites. So this recipe calls for a little pre planning with two recipes on hand, or like me just make scrambled eggs.
• If you have a kitchen butane torch, it will make burning the top much easier. Alternatively set the oven to broil to brulee the tops until the sugar has caramelized..
• This is also a two day task as after you have baked the crème part of this recipe; let the crème set in the fridge overnight for best result. You can brulee and serve the same night if you give yourself enough time. This makes a good recipe to make in advance as all you need to do is add your sugar and brulee the tops when you are ready.
• Custard will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator un-bruleed.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
I love love love a good crème brulee. I have had enough poor and odd flavoured crème brulee’s to know when one tastes amazing and this one is a keeper.

Cranberry Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Feb 7, 2018

Cranberry Orange Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting – Candy Coated Culinista

I just love cranberries, so much so I purchase enough cranberries in the winter season to last me all year until the winter season comes by again. They will go in my daily smoothies and in cakes through of the year. I’m just drawn to these sweet & tart fruits and they get me every time. I found this recipe when I found Live for Cake on IG and since she is a fellow Canadian blogger I wanted to give this recipe a try.

Yield/Serving: 10, makes 4- 6” cakes
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Difficulty level is: Medium

From Liv for Cake blog

Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Cake
• 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp tangelo & clementine zest
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup coconut milk, room temperature
• ½ cup tangelo & clementine juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, coated in 1 tsp of flour
Cream Cheese Buttercream
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp tangelo zest
• 8 0z (150g) cream cheese, softened
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations
• Fresh cranberries
• Orange slices, if desired
• Thyme sprigs, if desired

Assembly
Cranberry Orange Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray four 6” round pans with non-stick cooking spray and then place parchment paper at the bottom.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and zests until smooth.
5. Add sugar and beat on medium-high until mixture is pale and fluffy, approx. 3 min.
6. Reduce speed to low and alternate flour mixture with orange juice & coconut milk mixture beginning and ending with flour; fully incorporating each addition.
7. Coat cranberries in flour and gently fold into batter.
8. Spread batter evenly into the four tins, smooth the tops and slam on the counter to release any air bubbles.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out mostly clean.
10. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool for ten minutes and then turn out to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Buttercream
1. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and zests until smooth.
2. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined.
3. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract; beat on medium-high for 5 minutes and then reduce to low speed and beat for 2 minutes.

Assembly
1. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate.
2. Apply the crumb coat and let set in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
4. Using a large offset spatula make a pattern swirling on the sides and top.
5. Add a crown of cranberries. Add orange slices and thyme sprigs if desired.

Tips
• Swap coconut milk for dairy milk
• Use any type of citrus if desired. Use the same type of juice if you change citrus fruits.
• Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Fresh preferred though.
• Add orange slices when you are serving it immediately. If the cake is being given away like mine was. Wait until you are going to delivery it.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
Now I have never been a fan of cheese and pastries. If I make a carrot cake you better believe there is not cream cheese frosting. A cheese Danish I turn my nose up at and borderline gag and cheesecake is barely tolerable for me. With all this I really wanted to try a cream cheese frosting and the only cream cheese frosting I consumed without making weird face was a citrus cream cheese frosting many years back. My only alterations to the original recipe was cutting back on the sugar and using two types or citrus zest and coconut milk. The result were fantastic and for once I decided to make myself a baby cake to keep for myself in the house for Super Bowl Sunday. I gave the 3 layer cake away and kept my single layer to serve after all those wings and sausage rolls, fries and veggies. Sounds like an odd time to serve this cake; but you know what no one-minded one bit. The texture was great and I think if I have a cream cheese citrus frosting, light on the cream cheese I may be able to enjoy this from time to time and the decorations turned out quite nice.

Cranberry Orange Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting – Candy Coated Culinista

Cranberry Orange Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting – Candy Coated Culinista