Pineapple & Star Anise Upside Down Chiffon Cakes

We are almost able to take that big sigh of relief because the dreaded, yet unavoidable season of confounding forms, evanescent deductions, and really bad headaches will shortly be behind us.  A goodbye this tremendous begs to be celebrated.  There is only one proper way to celebrate, and that is with cake. 

My immense fondness for cake is no secret.  Cupcakes are a particular favorite with me.  One morning, in the depths of hunger (I had probably eaten two hours before, but that is neither here nor there), I decided that pineapple would be a pleasing partner for that oversized stock of star anise that I had been hoarding for months. 

Anise is a tricky spice to tackle.  Subtle is her sweet spot - she’s the backup dancer of your spice cabinet.  Though she does not possess the grace to carry off the leading role, she will spin intriguing, unobtrusive circles around your star ingredient, transforming that which was already good. 

Stop thinking about black jelly beans.  I caught you.  This is nothing like that.  Unlike those audacious “punch you in the face with my flavor” black beans of horror, the anise in this application is like a satin curtain, softly cascading over the sweet, acidic pineapple.  It playfully bounces about your palate in perfect harmony with the tangy fruit.  

So… Even if you, like myself, do not like anise AT ALL, there is no need to shy away from these humble celebratory cakes. 

Oh, did I mention that my brother loves black jelly beans?  Red flag if I ever saw one. 

I have always taken slight issue with the pervasive 1950s southern delicacy that is pineapple upside down cake.  The cloyingly sweet caramel combined with a dense, butter-fattened cake is just too rich for me to enjoy past two or three bites.  

In an attempt to lighten things, I went with a chiffon cake.  It is lifted with egg whites and fattened with oil, both of which produce an all around airier cake that is reminiscent of an angel food cake.

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If you realize halfway through preparing your mis en place that you are out of cake flour, you can use our friend, Joy the Baker's cake flour substitute .  It works like a charm, and thank goodness because, I’m really bad at buying cake flour.  

Though these tiny treats make a smashing dessert, they would also make very nice company for your morning cup of restoration, also known as coffee. 

I topped my warm cakes with a bit of whipped cream that I had sweetened with a drizzle of Turkish honey, and I really enjoyed the subtle floral notes it added.  

Remember to always flip with confidence and garnish with more whipped cream than what is considered socially appropriate.  It’s Wednesday, live it well. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Pineapple & Star Anise Upside Down Chiffon Cakes with Honey Whipped Cream

makes 4, 3.5 ounce ramekins / recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

- 1/4 cup brown sugar 

- 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use 

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground star anise

- 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

- 2 3/4 ounces cake flour 

- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

- 3 eggs 

- 3 ounces granulated sugar, divided use 

- 2 tablespoons water 

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 

- 3/8 teaspoons cream of tartar 

- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

- 1 tablespoons honey 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, stir in brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and ground anise.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling and has thickened slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in pineapple.  Divide the mixture evenly amongst the four ramekins.  Allow to cool while you prepare the cake batter. 

Sift to combine cake flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. 

Separate egg yolks from egg whites.  In a large bowl combine yolks and 2 ounces sugar.  Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until the yolks have lightened in color and have become somewhat thick.  Slowly beat in water, vegetable oil, vanilla, and orange juice.  Gently whisk in flour mixture until just combined.  Set aside while you prepare the egg whites. 

In a clean bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar, beat on high speed until the whites become thick and foamy.  Reduce the speed to medium and gradually add in remaining 1 ounce of sugar.  Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form; about 2 minutes. 

Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the batter and whisk until well combined.  Gently fold in remaining egg whites, until just incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins. You may have some batter leftover.  

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  While the cakes are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. 

Combine cream and honey in a medium bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks form.  Set aside until ready to use. 

Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes and then run a butter knife along the edges to loosen each cake and flip over quickly.  Serve with whipped cream.  Enjoy! 

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Cinnamon Sugar Nutella Puffs

When I was in Portland, I visited the sensational bakery - BakeShop - and had something that nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes.  It was called a Nutella Puff, and it was perfection.  In my fantasy world, I eat one (read: three) for breakfast every morning.  

After taking that final, rapturous bite, I knew that through some form of kitchen magic, I would have to recreate what was truly one of the best pastries my lips had ever met. 

My fiance claims that he cannot strictly articulate the precise moment when he first realized he loved me, but I firmly believe that it was the first time he tasted one of my cinnamon rolls.

The man loves cinnamon rolls, and I love baking for such a handsome and grateful patron, but the frequency of his requests often exceeds even my enthusiasm.  

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That is when I have to change things up a bit, in order to feed my restless creativity and his insatiable sweet tooth. 

With those Oregonian Nutella puffs on my mind, and an unrelenting man at my side, our cravings materialized.  

Sweet, chewy dough, lightly spiced, generously buttered, studded with nuts, cut and twisted, and filled with a lavish spoonful of that ever-beguiling substance known as Nutella. 

These rolls-turned-chocolate-nests are nestled into a buttered muffin tin and brushed with melted butter. 

Then they get a facelift, by way of a warm oven.  This final proofing period will make them extra airy.   

After proofing, the puffs bake for a rapid twelve minutes, giving you just enough time to make a piping pot of strong coffee. 

After the puffs have baked to golden brown, they are brushed with - you guessed it, another coat of melted butter. 

These puffs are not overly sweet.  They are airy and light, soft and buttery - the perfect breakfast.  

It's almost as good as being back in Portland again. 

I think everything should have Nutella-filled centers.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Cinnamon Sugar Nutella Puffs

makes 9 puffs / dough recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown  

for the dough

- 8 ounces warm milk 

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 

- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

- 15 ounces all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

- 2 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)

for the filling

- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (divided use)

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

 - 1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (divided use) 

- 9 tablespoons Nutella

- confectioner’s sugar, optional

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine milk, sugar, yeast, egg yolks, flour, and salt.  Use the paddle attachment and combine on low speed for 1 minute.  Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 

Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add butter.  Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side.  

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form a large, taught ball.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

While the dough is rising, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Grease a muffin tin with melted butter. 

After the dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl and roll out onto a floured surface into a 15x12 inch rectangle.  Brush with a thin layer of softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and 2 tablespoons of chopped hazelnuts.  Pat the spices gently to press them into the dough.  

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  

Roll the dough towards you, tucking so that the roll is tight.  Cut the roll into 9 equal slices.  Roll each roll into a 6-inch rope and twist.  Pinch the two ends of the twisted rope to form a nest.  Place each nest into a greased muffin cup and place a spoonful of Nutella into the centers.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped hazelnuts.  Place the muffin tin in the oven and turn off the heat.  Leave the door half-way ajar.  Allow to dough to proof for 40 minutes.

Remove the muffin tin from the warm oven and set the oven to 400 degrees.  

Bake the puffs for 12 minutes, or until deep golden brown.  Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes before dusting with confectioner’s sugar and serving.  Enjoy! 

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Pretzel Dogs - a love story

The words were still leaving my cousin's lips when I turned to my fiancé and said, "We have to, I need to taste that."  

Several days after Christmas we were with yet another group of family members, and my cousin began telling us about a new place downtown where everything was made into a pretzel.  Stuffed pretzels, pretzel pizzas, pretzel calzones (I died) and...pretzel-wrapped hot dogs.  

Now, you know that I'm a highly snobby, slightly pretentious food snob, but I do love and thoroughly enjoy a good hot dog.  It's my #1 guilty pleasure food.   Load it up with sweet pickles and I'm close to fainting with joy.  

So, it is no surprise that when I heard the words "pretzel-wrapped hot dogs" I grabbed my keys and begged someone to help me find this heavenly establishment.  I ordered without hesitation and, after a few, long moments of anticipation, I was holding a bag of happiness.  The greasy, sweet, butter leaked through the brown paper bag and the perfume of freshly baked, yeasty dough consumed my senses.  This was going to be good.  

I ate it all.  Well, I had to share a little bit with my fiancé, but he got no more than a small bite.  It was everything I had dreamed it would be, and at that moment I knew I was going to create my own version of this delicacy at home. 

The task was really a simple one, and I am no stranger to pretzel-making.  I began by making a batch of my favorite pretzel dough and then waited eagerly for it to rise.  I chose the fancy all-beef, no nitrate hot dogs because that is the only kind I can will myself to buy, but if you would like to go for something a bit more traditional - well, I won't tell. 

The hardest part of this recipe is wrapping the hot dogs.  It is not overly difficult, but the hot dogs do tend to resist being wrapped up at times.  I dried mine a bit to remove any excess moisture that would prevent the dough from clinging as it should.  

This video shows the simplicity of the wrapping process, as well as my mad dough-rolling skills.  Ha. Haha.  Kidding.  Oh, and that bench scraper is also my highly sophisticated kitchen ruler.

 After the dogs have been swaddled, they are boiled for thirty seconds in a baking soda bath.  The reason for this is threefold.  First, the baking soda will assist with browning and give the pretzels that deep, mahogany color.  Second, the baking soda will also give our pretzels that pretzel-y taste we all love.  Lastly, the boiling will give the bread a lovely, chewy texture.  

Do not even think about skipping this step!  An unboiled pretzel is not a pretzel.  

After their bath, these pretzels receive a coating of egg wash and a heavy sprinkling of kosher salt. 

I once tried to make pretzels with regular old table salt.  The result was less than pleasing.  It's gotta be the coarse stuff.  

While the pretzels were baking, I turned my attention to a dip.  The dog I ordered was served with honey mustard and it was fantastic, but I wanted something different.  At the time, I was also thinking that these would make pretty amazing game day food and then I thought of a bunch of guys screaming on the couch, and then I thought of beer and cheese, and then I made this wonderful mess. 

As soon as the pretzels come out of the oven they are brushed with melted butter to make them just a little bit more wonderful.  

Portion the dip into little bowls, there is no way around double-dipping when it comes to hot, melty cheese dip.  

Classically succulent hot dogs enveloped in soft, salty, buttery pretzels.  Could it get any better?  I think not.  

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Pretzel Dogs with Smoked Gouda & Beer Dip

pretzel recipe slightly adapted from Alton Brown / makes eight

for the pretzels

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 package active dry yeast

• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, roughly 4 1/2 cups

• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

• vegetable oil, for greasing

• 8 all-beef hot dogs

• 10 cups water

• 2/3 cup baking soda

• egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of water)

• course-ground kosher salt or sea salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, sugar, and kosher salt.  Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. 

Add the flour and melted butter to the yeast mixture and fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment.  Mix on low speed until the flour and butter are well incorporated.  Change the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  This will take about 5 minutes.  

Remove the dough gently and place in a large bowl greased with vegetable oil.  Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine baking soda with 10 cups of water.  Bring to a rolling boil.  

Turn the dough out unto a floured surface and portion into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each piece of dough into a 15-inch rope.  Wrap the rope around each hot dog, twisting tightly to form a case. 

Place the pretzels in the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds.  Transfer the boiled pretzels to the prepared sheet pans.  Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.  

Bake the pretzels until they are deep golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  While the pretzels are baking, prepare the dip.  

for the dip

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 cup dark beer

• 3.5 ounces smoked gouda, shredded

• 3.5 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, 1-2 minutes, until the flour has just started to brown.  

Whisk in salt, mustard, and milk.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the milk has thickened, then add the beer.  Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and the beer has cooked off slightly.  

Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheeses.

Pour the dip into an oven-safe pan and place under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, until the top has browned.  Serve immediately with freshly baked pretzel dogs.  Enjoy!