f O O d
CHOCOLATE & VANILLA RECIPES
“CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA ARE OFTEN
POSED AS OPPOSITES,” SAYS ALICE. “YET
BOTH ARE EARTHY, PRIMAL FLAVORS
THAT WE ADORE AND CRAVE.”
C H O C O LA T E ST A C K LO A F
“D o n ’t w o rry —the b a tte r w ill seem low in
the p a n , b u t it bakes beau tifu lly to a
1
-inch
layer," sa y s A lice. “The fu d g e fro stin g needs
an hour or so to chill, to thicken a n d becom e
spreadable. D o n ’t su b stitu te fo r the n atural
u n sw eeten ed cocoa pow der."
PREP: 40 MIN. BAKE: 14 MIN. OVEN: 350oF
i
cup unbleached all-p urp ose flo u r
1
cup packed brow n sugar
/3
cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
/>
tsp. baking soda
/
tsp. salt
V i
cup unsalted b u tte r, m elted
2
eggs
V i
tsp. vanilla e xtra ct
/ i
cup h o t ta p w a te r
i
recipe Easy Fudge Frosting,
b elo w
N atural unsw eetened cocoa p o w d er
1
. P o s itio n ra c k in lo w e r th ir d o f oven.
P reh eat ove n to 350°F. L ig h tly grease sides o f
1 3 x9 x2 -in ch b a k in g pan. L in e b o tto m o f pan
w ith p a rc h m e n t paper; set aside.
2
. In la rg e m ix in g b o w l w h is k to g e th e r
flo u r, b ro w n sugar, V
3
c u p coco a p o w d e r,
b a k in g soda, an d salt. A d d b u tte r, eggs, and
v a n illa . W h is k g e n tly u n til d r y in g re d ie n ts
are m o is te n e d a n d m ix tu re resem bles a
th ic k paste. W h is k b ris k ly a b o u t 30 strokes.
Tap o r shake a n y b a tte r fro m w h is k . Use
ru b b e r s p a tu la to s tir in h o t w a te r, s cra p in g
sides as necessary, ju s t u n til b a tte r is
b le n d e d a n d sm o o th . W ith s p a tu la scrape
b a tte r fro m b o w l in to p re p a re d p a n and
spread to m a ke a th in even layer.
3
. B ake 14 to 16 m in u te s o r u n til a w o o d e n
p ic k in s e rte d in to c e n te r com es o u t clean.
C o o l in p a n o n w ire ra c k 10 m in u te s . S lid e a
th in m e ta l s p a tu la o r k n ife a ro u n d cake
edges to loose n fro m pan. In v e rt cake o n to
ra ck. R em ove p a p e r lin e r; c a re fu lly tu rn
cake rig h t side up. C o o l c o m p le te ly.
4
. C u t cake cro s s w is e in th re e e q u a l
re cta n g le s. T h ic k ly spread fro s tin g o n o n e
piece , to p w ith a seco nd p ie ce an d spread
w ith fro s tin g . Le ave to p u n fro s te d . T h ic k ly
fro s t lo n g sides. B e fo re s e rv in g , d u s t to p
w ith co co a p o w d e r. MAKES 12 SERVINGS.
EASY FUDGE FROSTING In m e d iu m saucepan
m e lt
6
Tbsp. u n sa lte d b u tte r. S tir in 1 cup
sugar,
1
cu p n a tu ra l un sw e eten ed cocoa
po w d e r, and a p in c h o f salt. G ra d u a lly s tir in
1 cup w h ip p in g cream . H eat, s tirrin g
constantly, u n til sm o o th and h o t b u t n o t
b o ilin g . R em ove fro m heat; s tir in 1 tsp. p u re
v a n illa extract. Set aside; co o l u n til th ic k e n e d
and spreadable. To co o l qu ickly, loose ly cover
and re frig e ra te 1 hour. S tore u p to 1 w e e k in
re frig e ra to r. M akes 2 cups.
EACH SERVING
396 cal, 23 g fa t, 98 m gchol,
182 m g sodium , 49 g carbo, 4 g fiber,5 gpro.
V A N ILLA -SP A R K LIN G W IN E
PO U N D C A K E
“I use van illa p a s te here fo r its intense
flavor. You can also use an equ al a m o u n t o f
van illa ex tra ct in p la ce o f the paste."
PREP: 30 MIN. BAKE: 50 MIN. COOL: 15 MIN.
OVEN: 350OF
3
cups unbleached all-p urp ose flo u r
1
tsp. baking po w d er
V /
tsp. salt
1
cup sparkling w in e o r m ilk
3
Tbsp. so u r cream
2
cups sugar
3/
cup unsalted b u tte r, m elted
V /
cup sa fflo w e r o r canola oil
5
cold eggs
2
Tbsp. vanilla paste o r vanilla e xtra ct
1
recipe S parkling W ine Glaze,
right
1
. P re h e a t o v e n to 350°F. G rease a n d flo u r
1 0 -in c h tu b e pa n; set aside. I n la rg e b o w l
m ix to g e th e r flo u r, b a k in g p o w d e r, an d salt.
S ift m ix tu re ; set aside. S tir to g e th e r
s p a rk lin g w in e an d s o u r cre a m ; set aside.
2
. In large m ix in g b o w l be at sugar, m e lte d
b u tte r, and o il w ith e le c tric m ix e r u n til w e ll
com bined . A d d eggs, one a t a tim e , be a tin g
w e ll a fte r each. B eat in v a n illa paste. B eat on
m e d iu m to h ig h 3 to 5 m in u te s o r u n til
th ic k e r and lig h te r in color. A d d
one-third
the
flo u r m ix tu re ; b e at on lo w ju s t u n til
com bined , scra ping sides o f b o w l as needed.
A d d
h a lf
the w in e m ix tu re ; be at ju s t u n til
com bined . R epeat w ith
one-third
th e flo u r
m ix tu re , th e
rem aining
w in e m ix tu re , and
rem aining
flo u r m ix tu re . W ith ru b b e r spatula
scrape b a tte r in to p repared pan.
3
. Bake 50 to 55 m in u te s o r u n til a w o o d e n
p ic k in se rte d ne ar ce n te r com es o u t clean.
C ool in pan o n w ire ra ck 15 m in u te s. T u rn o u t
o n rack; co o l com pletely. D riz z le w ith
S p a rk lin g W in e Glaze. MAKES 16 SERVINGS.
SPARKLING WINE GLAZE In s m a ll b o w l
c o m b in e 1 c u p p o w d e re d sugar a n d 1 Tbsp.
s p a rk lin g w in e . S tir in a d d itio n a l w in e , 1 tsp.
a t a tim e , to re a c h d riz z lin g consistency.
EACH SERVING
361 cal, 14 g fa t, 90 m g chol, 145
m g sodium , 51 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 5 gpro.
V A N ILLA TA R T W ITH N U TM EG
C R U S T AN D SP IC E D PEA R S
“Tahitian vanilla adds ch erry fla v o r notes to
this tart, m akin g it a natural to p a ir w ith
nutm eg. O ther vanilla extracts w o u ld also
w ork."F ind Tahitian vanilla in specialty fo o d
sto res or fo r online sources see
page 172.
PREP: 30 MIN. CHILL: 30 MIN. BAKE: 20 MIN.
COOL: 1 HR. OVEN: 350OF
7
Tbsp. unsalted b u tte r, m elted
1
/
cup sugar
3 /
tsp. Tahitian vanilla e xtra ct o r vanilla
e xtra ct
V /
tsp. salt
1/8
tsp. fre s h ly grated nu tm eg
1
cup unbleached all-p urp ose flo u r
V /
cup sugar
2
Tbsp. plus
2
tsp. cornstarch
1/8
tsp. salt
2
cups half-and-half
2
tsp. Tahitian vanilla e xtra ct o r vanilla
e xtra ct
1
recipe Spiced Pears,
p a g e
168
1
. F o r n u tm e g c ru s t, p o s itio n ra c k in lo w e r
th ir d o f oven. P reh eat oven to 350°F. In
m e d iu m b o w l c o m b in e b u tte r, V4 cup sugar,
3/4
tsp. va n illa ,
1/4
tsp. salt, and nutm eg. A d d
flo u r; m ix ju s t u n til w e ll blended. I f d o u g h is
to o soft, le t stand a fe w m in u te s to firm up.
2
. E v e n ly press d o u g h o n b o tto m and sides o f
a 9- to 9
1
/
2
-in c h square o r ro u n d ta rt pa n in a
th in layer. (T h is takes patience, as th e re is ju s t
e n o u g h d o ugh.) R efrig era te 30 m in u te s to
fir m th e dough.
3
. P lace p a n o n b a k in g sheet. B ake 2 0 to
25 m in u te s , u n til c ru s t is a deep go ld e n
b ro w n , c h e c k in g a fte r 15 m in u te s. I f d o u g h
has p u ffe d fro m b o tto m o f pan, p r ic k a fe w
tim e s an d g e n tly press d o w n w ith b a ck o f a
fo rk . C o o l in pa n o n w ire rack.
4
. F o r v a n illa fillin g , in h e a v y m e d iu m
sau cepan w h is k V4 c u p sugar, c o rn s ta rc h ,
a n d
1/8
tsp. s a lt to b le n d . A d d
3 Tbsp.
166
FEBRUARY 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
