Allison of Zucchero Dolce made this beautiful Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling & Brown Butter Frosting.

Heather of Souffle Days used browned butter to make Salted Browned Butter Shortbread.

Jamie of Life’s a Feast incorporated the theme ingredient into a super unique, colorful “Peach Melba My Way.”

Denise of Oh Taste n See used buerre noisette in her Browned Butter Pound Cake.

Rebekah of The Cooking Vent baked a batch of Browned Butter Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Xiaolu Hou of 6 Bittersweets browned butter for the first time for these Browned Butter Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pizzookies.

Emily of Ales And Emily made these beautiful Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Janet of The Taste Space baked up golden and summery Blueberry Peach Brown Butter Muffins.

Denise and Lenny of Chez Us rose to the challenge with their Brown Butter and Wildflower Honey Gelato.

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen made Rava Kesari (Indian Semolina and Saffron Halwa or Pudding). She’s also the lovely host of Sugar High Friday #69, bite-sized desserts, so head over to her blog for the September announcement!

My friend Ivonne, co-creator of the Daring Bakers, was kind enough to help me out with the round up. You can see Part 2 of the round up on her blog, Cream Puffs in Venice.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Maybe you’re sick of hearing me saying it, but it’s the only thing on my mind right now – I’m so excited for college.

It’s been coming for months. I felt it in my bones as I reread my acceptance letter, checking and double checking every sentence. It crept up my spine as I leaned over a map of Massachusetts, marveling at the thrill of my school printed there on the paper. Most surreal of all, I might never forget the day I noticed our plane ticket confirmation on the table… two tickets for each of my parents, and a one way ticket for me. There’s no turning back.

And even though my friends have slowly left one by one, the change hasn’t felt real until the past week, when I myself began packing. My whole life fits into four suitcases. Now I look at my room and realize next week I won’t fall asleep beneath these glow in the dark stars, or wake up to these familiar blue walls. I know that each day is one of my last here, and I want to make the most of every one.

One of the best parts? I hosted the Daring Bakers this August. I’ve been a member for over a year, and it’s one of the most dedicated, inspired, supportive communities I’ve ever been a part of. I was beyond thrilled and grateful for the chance! The month they had in mind for me to host was a joint challenge with Sugar High Friday. The creator of SHF, Jen, picked the theme ingredient brown butter, so I needed to incorporate that into the Daring Bakers recipe.

In all honesty, it was difficult. Not only did the month’s challenge need to use brown butter, it also needed to be versatile, accessible, and summery enough for the end of August. Finally, it came to me – brown butter in the form of a toasty, nutty pound cake, with homemade ice cream as ice cream petit fours or a baked alaska.

Individually, I’d made the ice cream, meringue, and glaze recipes before. I knew they’d be successful. But I couldn’t ignore a hesitant uncertainty. I’d never browned butter before, and kept pulling the pan off the heat too soon, mistaking the chocolate brown milk solids for burnt scraps. I didn’t know if the cake would freeze well, or if I could properly glaze petit fours. Worst of all, I wasn’t sure if I could be a good host.

But I shouldn’t have been afraid. Sure, the recipe didn’t work out for some, and I spent plenty of time researching foreign ingredients to answer every person’s question. But I should have known that even if I’d been a complete flop, I’d be greeted with nothing but cheeriness and charm. For most people, the brown butter pound cake was a wild success, and even though last month’s challenge also included ice cream and cake, just about everyone tackled August with an open mind and stomach.

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

How cool is that? (That’s me, in the blog checking lines!)

Since my access to a kitchen will be limited the next ten months, this was my last Daring Bakers challenge, and admittedly my favorite one. Every day I opened the Daring Kitchen website to more and more photos of finished Baked Alaskas and ice cream petit fours, and every adaptation, failure, or success made me smile. I loved scrolling through photos and thinking, “At this very second – someone somewhere might be churning a batch of this ice cream, or snacking on brown butter cake scraps.” It’s like we’re all in this together.

And as you’re reading this right now, what am I doing? I might be in our living room, trying to force a stuffed suitcase shut, wondering if I can fit a few more socks in the gap. I might be on my one-way plane, peering out the window, trying to catch one last glimpse of the Puget Sound glittering in the darkness. More than likely, I’ll be in Boston when you read this. I might even be meeting my roommate for the first time, hugging my parents for the last.

Wherever I am, wherever you are, I’m glad we’re in it together – thanks for reading, baking, supporting and inspiring. See you on the other side.

Thanks to all the Daring Bakers who made the August challenge a success! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this month, or how much I’ll miss you guys when September 27th rolls around. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with next.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake

19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze (For the Ice Cream Petit Fours)

9 ounces (250g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
1 1/2 tablespoons (32g) light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract

Stir the heavy cream and light corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir to completely melt the chocolate. Stir in the vanilla and let cool until tepid before glazing the petit fours.

Meringue (For the Baked Alaska)

8 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1 cup (220g) sugar

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.

Assembly Instructions – Ice Cream Petit Fours

Line a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) pan with plastic wrap, so that no sides of the pan are exposed and so there is some extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides. Spread 1 ¾ to 2 cups (450ml to 500ml) ice cream into the pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and freeze several hours.

Once the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a cake leveler or a serrated knife. Then split the cake in half horizontally to form two thin layers. Unwrap the frozen ice cream. Flip out onto one of the layers of cake and top with the second layer of cake. Wrap well in plastic wrap and return to the freezer overnight.

Make the chocolate glaze (see above.) While the glaze cools, trim ¾” (2cm) off each side of the ice cream cake to leave a perfectly square 7.5” (19cm) ice cream cake. Cut the cake into twenty five petit fours, each 1.5”x1.5” (4cmx4cm). Glaze the petit fours one at a time: place a petit four on a fork and spoon chocolate glaze over it. Place the petit fours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for one hour.

Assembly Instructions – Baked Alaska

Line four 4” (10cm) diameter tea cups with plastic wrap, so that plastic wrap covers all the sides and hangs over the edge. Fill to the top with ice cream. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until solid.

Level the top of the brown butter pound cake with a serrated knife or with a cake leveler. Cut out four 4” (10cm) diameter circles from the cake. Discard the scraps or use for another purpose.

Make the meringue (see above.)

Unwrap the ice cream “cups” and invert on top of a cake round. Trim any extra cake if necessary. Pipe the meringue over the ice cream and cake, or smooth it over with a spatula, so that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.

Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaskas on a rimmed baking sheet in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Printer-Friendly Version – Brown Butter Baked Alaska & Ice Cream Petit Fours

August has only just begun, but I can already tell it’s going to be one of the busiest months I’ve had. Sweet and short announcement today – it’s an honor to host the 68th edition of Sugar High Fridays!

Created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, SHF is an international dessert extravaganza. Every month a host picks a theme, whether an ingredient or category of baking, and foodies around the world create something around that theme. The results are showcased in a round-up at the end of the month, and I’m always amazed at how differently people are inspired by the same theme.

This month’s theme  ingredient is warm, nutty, extra indulgent and super versatile – you can stir it into cake batter, beat it into buttercream, brush it onto baklava… It could only be browned butter. Simmered it until it smells like toasted hazelnuts, speckled with chocolate brown flecks, browned butter is irresistable.  I can’t wait to see what everyone creates! It can be any dessert you can imagine, as long as it incorporates browned butter.

Anyone can participate. Here are the details:

— Make a dessert incorporating browned butter in some way between now and August 30th.

— Photograph the dessert and post it on your blog, with a link to this announcement.

— Email me your name, the name of your blog, the name of your dessert, a link to your post, and a 250x250px picture of your dessert by August 30th. My email is 17andbaking [at] gmail [dot] com.

— If you aren’t a blogger but want to join in, just email me your name, the name of your dessert, and the 250x250px image of your dessert by August 30th.

— Check out the round up of desserts on September 10th!

Regular SHF participants might notice the round-up is a little later than usual… This is because I’m flying out to college the last week of August and the usual end-of-the-month round-up would’ve been difficult to handle. It just gives you more excuses to bake with browned butter!

[PS: If you're new to browned butter, check out this great guide to browning butter. It's from Elise of Simply Recipes and includes handy step by step photos.]

[PPS: Regular post like always coming in a few days. Happy August!]

I wish I could travel more. Traveling is something I’ve barely done, and yet, it’s one of my favorite things. There’s so many things I love about it – mostly, I just love to experience something so totally different from what I’m used to. A different skyline, a different perspective and culture, a different lifestyle… and different food.

Food is one of the biggest highlights of my travels, limited as they might be. It’s as important as the monuments, the museums, the shopping. Bagels, pizza, and cheesecake in New York, the best bubble tea and bao bing in Houston’s Chinatown, french brioche toast and tea in Victoria, Canada. Oh, but Paris…

I was in 8th grade when I went to Paris with my French class – such an amazing trip. While I didn’t photograph any of our meals, I remember them vividly. Crêpes, bought right on the street and spread with nutella; fresh sandwiches made with beautiful, crackly baguettes; and a fresh, flaky croissant served with orange juice and chocolat chaud every morning for breakfast.

And Fauchon, the famous luxury bakery! My French teacher told a story of a boy one year who was left behind in Fauchon, so mesmerized by the pastries that he did not notice the group leave the patisserie and board the subway. Madame called it a nightmare. Me, I think it sounds like a dream come true!

I really wish I would have discovered my love for baking at that point in my life. At the time, I’d never heard of Fauchon, and while I left feeling full and impressed (I bought an excellent fig éclair at what I thought a ridiculous price), I didn’t fully appreciate the visit.

When I saw that April’s Sugar High Friday, hosted by Heather of Diary of a Fanatic Foodie, was to make a dessert inspired by travel (“Take Me Away”), memories of Paris came back to me with surprising strength. There were so many unbelievable desserts I tried. But what made me think utterly of Paris? And what was simple enough to make at home, right after school?

This lovely pear tart was the ticket. Back to Paris, I mean. :)

The pastry that I always try first in a new French bakery is always the pear and almond tart. To me it seems like such a classic, something so simple but incredible when done right. Maybe it’s a little unfair, but I tend to judge bakeries right away based on that tart.

(The best pear tart I’ve ever had was in Paris, if you were wondering. It wasn’t even in a fancy or expensive pastry shop, but a teeny patisserie we passed on the street. I don’t even remember it’s name. An unknown pastry shop in Paris produces better pear tarts than most “genuine French” bakeries in Seattle!)

Unfortunately, my mom doesn’t care much for pear and almond tarts. The problem is mostly the custard, which is too rich for her. I didn’t want to make anything that she wouldn’t enjoy. I also decided on making just enough for two mini tarts, the perfect dessert for two.

The solution was this simple pear tart, which is nothing but a flaky, buttery crust and sweet, soft pear. It’s a snap to make, and of all the tarts I’ve ever made – this was probably my favorite. My mother surprised me by saying it was among the top 3 best things I’d ever baked, in her opinion. Quel succès!

You could double the crust and quadruple the pears and make a full sized tart, baking times adjusted accordingly.

Simple Pear Tart
Adapted from Carole Walter
Makes two 4″ tarts

2 Sweet Tart shells, baked (recipe follows)
1 Anjou pear, slightly under-ripe
Fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp apricot jam, divided
1/4 tbsp butter, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the pear and slice it in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. Core each half with a melon baller or a teaspoon, then coat with lemon juice to prevent browning. Slice each half lengthwise into 1/4″ slices. Toss in a bowl with sugar and cornstarch.

Spread a thin layer of apricot jam onto the bottom of each tart shell. Lay the pear slices decoratively on top – I overlapped the pears, using the longest slices in the center of the tart. Pour the juices left in the bowl over the pears, then dot with butter.

Bake the tarts for 45 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Mix a tablespoon of apricot jam with a teaspoon of water, brush it over the pears as a glaze while still warm. Cool tarts completely before removing from their pans.

Dorie Greenspan’s Sweet Tart Shell
Crust adapted from Dorie Greenspan via Smitten Kitchen
Makes enough for two 4″ tarts, plus scraps

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4.5 tbsp frozen unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 large egg, scrambled (crack a whole and use half)

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is cut in, with little “butter balls” the size of peas and of oats. Add the yolk bit by bit, pulsing after each time, then once all the yolk is added pulse the dough in long, 10 second intervals. When the dough clumps up, knead it gently a few times on a work surface just until it comes together. Chill the dough 1 hour before rolling.

Butter two 4″ fluted tart pans with removable bottoms. Divide the tart dough in two and roll each half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off one of the sheets and invert the dough on top of a tart pan. Pat the dough onto the bottom of the pan and ease it into the corners and sides. Gently and carefully remove the second piece of plastic wrap, then use a knife to trim the overhang to 1/4 inch. Fold the excess dough over, into the pan, to create double-thick sides. Prick bottom with a fork, then freeze at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter the shiny side of two squares of aluminum foil. Press them into the chilled tart pans, then bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and press down on any puffiness with a spoon. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Printer Friendly Version – Simple Pear Tart for Two

P.S.: My birthday is in two days… expect some birthday cake! :)