Zoe's Gluten-Free Brioche, Poached Egg Salad and Some Chocolate and Praline Crunch Panini

Last week, after a couple of rather rough days, I received an unexpected package in the mail that really made my day. Zoe sent me copies of her two baking books "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". As you know, I am a cookbook addict and nothing makes me happier than discovering new books, especially if they are written by friends.

I started browsing through them right away and one recipe in particular caught my eye, the gluten-free brioche. I have experimented with gluten free baking before, but usually in recipes that are easy to adjust and that the gluten content is not the main requirement for its success. Bread baking is a whole different game though and I was intrigued to see what the texture of a brioche made mainly with cornstarch would turn out to be.



So I used our Halloween morning get-together to experiment with the recipe. The brioche has great flavor and texture and it is so easy to make that it even surprised me.

We had beautiful farm eggs that morning and what a better way to showcase their freshness than by poaching them. This technique immediately lets you know how fresh an egg is by just seeing how much it stays together once submerged in the poaching liquid. The yolks were so bright and colorful that really, there is no better ingredient for brunch.

Served the poached eggs on toasted slices of the brioche with a salad of watercress, purple basil and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. I had some toasted hazelnuts from before so I though a mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette would make the perfect dressing. So much flavor and texture.



I reserved some of the brioche to make hazelnut, chocolate and praline crunch panini. I don't have a panini maker so I just spread some organic, store-bought hazelnut and chocolate spread on slices of brioche with some praline crunch and toasted them on a griddle. It really was a decadent way to finish this Halloween weekend. I wish I could show you the kids' faces covered in chocolate and praline.



Gluten-Free Brioche

adapted from "Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" by Zoe François and Jeff Hertzberg

Makes enough bread for three 1.5 lb loaves

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
3 3/4 cups cornstarch
2 Tbs granu;ated yeast
1 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs xanthan gum
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1 cup neutral flavor oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Egg wash
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Whisk together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, yeast, salt and xanthan gum in a 5 qt bowl.

Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them into the dry using a paddle attachment until there are no dry bits of flour.

Cover and allow the dough to rest for 2 hours. The dough can be used now or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

On baking day, grease a 8.5"x4.5" pan. Break a 1.5 lb piece of dough and shape it into a round. Wet your hands as the dough will be sticky. Elongate the dough into an oval and put it in the pan. You might need to wet the top a bit to smooth it out. Let it rest for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you are using non refrigerated dough).

Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle raw sugar right before baking. Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.

Toasted Brioche, Poached Egg, Watercress and Apple Salad

Serves 4

8 slices toasted gluten-free brioche
4 eggs (preferably farm fresh)
2 cups watercress
Bunch of purple basil
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly slices
Few drops lemon juice
Water for poaching eggs
1 Tbs white vinegar
Mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette

Poach the eggs. Bring 3 qts of water and the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Break off the egg into a ramekin and gently submerge the egg in the simmering liquid. Do not let the water boil and only cook 1 or 2 eggs at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes or until white has coagulated but yolk is still liquid. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Thinly slice the apples and drizzle with some lemon juice so they don't oxidize.

Place 2 small slices of toasted brioche on a plate. Garnish with watercress, purple basil and thinly sliced apples. Place the poached egg on top and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle the mustard and toasted hazelnut vinaigrette on top.

Mustard and Toasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette

2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs minced shallot
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil

Place the mustard, minced shallots, hazelnuts, balsamic and apple cider vinegars in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking creating a light emulsion.

Thank you Zoe for sharing with us!

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Fall Flavors, Macarons and the Daring Bakers

It wouldn't surprise me if I am indeed the last Daring Baker to post the challenge today. "Phew..." It almost didn't happen! Life has been crazy with all sorts of unexpected events, travel and finishing up side projects before baby arrives.

I made the macarons right before I went on a weekend getaway, but did not have enough time to style and photograph them. My plan was to do it right as I returned from my trip, but I should have known better. "Never leave for tomorrow what you can finish today", my amama used to say. She was right.



Like most of you, I am super inspired by whatever fall has to bring. My initial intent was to make some membrillo, but quince is nowhere to be seen around here, so I chose to use asian pears, which are abundant and beautiful. Inspired by Stephane Glacier's apple tart tatin macarons, I cooked asian pears in caramel and butter. I combined both almond and pistachio macaron shells with the asian pear tatin and mascarpone cream.

I also made chestnut and praline macarons with the chestnut cream that my dear friend Deb brought back for me from Paris. I had been saving it for something special and I couldn't wait any longer. I made the praline by caramelizing the hazelnuts just like my grandmother used to do with a sandy sugar coating. Oh the memories that those smells bring!



I have several packages ready to give out to friends this week. This last month will be crazy for me and I have so many people to be thankful for. Enjoy!



The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Claudia Fleming's Macarons

Note: I made three different batches using three different nuts. Some all almond, some added half almond/half pistachio flour and some half almond/half hazelnut flour.

2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.) powdered sugar
2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.) almond flour
2 tablespoon (25 g, .88 oz.) sugar
5 (Have at room temperature) egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

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Baking with Persimmons and Some Childhood Memories

When I spotted the first persimmons of the season this past week, I almost broke out in laughter thinking about my childhood memories associated with them. Not all good, believe me.



Although I grew up surrounded by persimmon trees (we call them kakiak or caquis in Spanish), this was not a fruit we ate or knew how to cook with. Instead, the over ripe fruit would always end up smashed on the ground making a jam-like pathway on our way to school everyday.

My school was right next to a convent were the priests had their own vegetable garden and tons of fruit trees; persimmons amongst them. The trees were lined up right next to the sidewalk so when autumn came, boys loved climbing up and getting the hardest persimmons to use as shooting devices against us girls. I remember having many, many persimmon-impact bruises on the back of my legs. Thank goodness I can look back and smile.



If you have never had a persimmon, you must know that there are two types, which have different characteristics. The Hachiya persimmon is the variety I grew up with and unless they are very ripe, they are almost inedible when raw. They have an oval shape and are mainly used to make jams and cook with. The Fuyu persimmons on the other hand, are flat like a tomato and can be eaten raw like any other fruit. Some have large seeds inside, but some don't.

I was surprised to find that everyone of my friends that walked into our kitchen this week asked, "what are those?". I was surprised of how unknown they seem to be to some. I suppose their childhood memories don't include persimmon fights.



Growing up, I don't ever remember my mom baking any extravagant desserts, mainly because we grew up in the family pastry shop and we had abundant leftover brioche and pastries everyday. But I do remember her lemon, yogurt and olive oil cake that called for one yogurt container of this, three yogurt containers of that... So I took that idea and adapted it to include almond flour, muscovado and the traditional yogurt and olive oil. This makes such a moist cake and can be made alone or with basically any fruit.

The cool temperatures have also arrived in South Florida and at night I have been craving creamy desserts like these mascarpone and marsala sabayon verrines with pistachio and almond crumble and poached persimmons. I thought I lost my sweet tooth during the first months of this pregnancy, but I believe it is back and these did the trick.



Persimmon Upside Down Yogurt and Olive Oil Cakes

Makes about a dozen 3" cakes

2-3 Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sugar

275 grams flour
30 grams almond flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
7 grams baking powder
pinch of salt
4 eggs
200 grams sugar
40 grams muscovado
Zest of 1 lemon
250 grams plain yogurt
225 grams light olive oil
2 persimmons, small dice
Squeeze lemon juice

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and sugar together. Add the sliced persimmons and cook until softened about 3-4 min on each side. Place them on the bottom of the cake pans and let cool. Proceed with cake batter.

Cut the two other persimmons and toss them in lemon juice.

In a large bowl, combine flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugar, muscovado, lemon zest, yogurt and olive oil. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the diced persimmons.

Pour batter over the caramelized persimmons (make sure these are cool). Bake at 350F for about 15-20 min until golden brown and when knife is inserted, it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool before unmolding.


Poached Persimmon, Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon and Pistachio Crumble Verrines

Makes 4-6 large verrines

Poached Persimmons

400 grams water
200 grams sugar
4 Fuyu persimmons, medium dice

Make a sugar syrup with the water and sugar by bringing them to a boil. Slowly poach the diced persimmons in the syrup until softened, about 10 minutes. Note that the persimmons might still keep "a bite" and not become completely soft if they are not very ripe.

Mascarpone and Marsala Sabayon

3 egg yolks
50 grams sugar
25 grams marsala
110 grams mascarpone
70 grams heavy cream, soft peaks

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and marsala together in a medium bowl. Place this over a double boiler and cook until it thickens while constantly whisking. Make sure the water in the water bath is simmering not boiling.

When the sabayon thickens, remove from heat and whisk in the mascarpone cream. Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Then fold in the soft peak heavy cream.

To assemble the verrines, layer pistachio crumble, poached persimmons and the sabayon.

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Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts and a Clafoutis

It has been all about pumpkins in our family lately. Pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, baking with pumpkins, books about Halloween and the meaning of it all... I never thought I would say this, and forgive me if I sound like a cliche, but children's enthusiasm for holidays can really be very, very contagious. Life through their eyes takes on a complete new meaning and to be able to experience it makes my heart flutter sometimes. Of course, I am also in a constant hormone-induced emotional state, which doesn't help either, but I love this time of year more and more.



I have never been a big fan of any fried dessert, but ever since Lara started on her doughnut cookbook project, I have become increasingly curious about testing new recipes myself. Then earlier last week, I stumbled upon an old cake doughnut recipe we used to use at work. "We are making pumpkin doughnuts today!", I told my little boy. His face lit up and immediately went to drag his step stool into the kitchen. Big mistake on my part as a meltdown soon followed when he found out he couldn't stand in front of the hot frying pan. "Why not?", he asked.



I know I should have probably roasted my own pumpkin, but this time I cheated and used canned pumpkin puree. Some pumpkins are too watery to use in such preparations so if you are going to roast your own, make sure to use a cheese pumpkin or even butternut squash which are meatier. I also added some hazelnut flour into the doughnuts and coated them in a hazelnut cinnamon sugar mixture while hot.

I had some leftover puree and immediately thought of Claudia Fleming's pumpkin and hazelnut clafoutis. Comfort and rustic food at its best. And no need to mention that both of these should be eaten right away. Love that.



Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts

375 grams flour
55 grams hazelnut flour
10 grams baking powder
8 grams baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
10 grams salt
110 grams pumpkin puree
60 grams whole milk, room temperature
40 grams sour cream, room temperature
100 grams sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
60 grams butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying

400 grams sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50 grams hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and finely chopped

In a large bowl mix together the flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, milk, sour cream, sugar, eggs and melted butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until it comes together. Don't worry if it's lumpy.

Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and dump the dough on it. Knead lightly until it comes together. Dust the top lightly with flour and roll to 1/2" thick. Using a doughnut cutter or two round cookie cutters, cut out the doughnuts and place them on a sheet pan with a silicon mat or parchment and dusted with some flour.

To fry the doughnuts, fill a pan up to 2" of canola oil. Heat the oil until it reaches 375F. Do not over-crowd the pan with doughnuts. Fry about 5 at a time (depending on the size of the pan). They will sink to the bottom but then float to the top. Turn them over and let them cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Drain them on paper towels and while hot, coat them with the cinnamon-hazelnut sugar.

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Soup and a Tart for... "In The Kitchen With" Design*Sponge

Over the summer, I was so excited to be featured as a guest in Design*Sponge's "In The Kitchen With...". This is one of my must-read weekly columns, as I discover so many new talents and artist. It is always so interesting to see everyone's approach on food, styling and photography and the story behind each and every recipe.

So when I was approached by Kristina again to do a second feature, I was more than flattered. "Why don't we try something savory this time?", she asked. "Perfect!", I thought since I have really been inspired by produce and comfort food recently.



I could live off soup everyday and never get tired of it, but I always have to have "a little something" to accompany it. Whether it may be simple cheese on toast or a slice of tart, it adds something special to the whole meal, so this time I created one of the soups we eat most during the fall, a butternut squash and orange cauliflower soup and to go with it, a leek, baby broccoli and smoked salmon herb tart. Believe me, it makes a full lunch.

Along with the recipes, you can also find Kristina's favorite cookbooks and a list of some of my latest kitchen obsessions. Hope you try it. You can find the full recipes here.



I also want to thank Kaytlyn of Beneficial Design for helping me create the most beautiful banner once again and to Nadia, for the loveliest mini crabapples straight from her farm.

Have a great weekend!

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