The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [312]
almond praline
MAKES ABOUT 2/3 CUP
Vegetable oil cooking spray
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup sliced blanched almonds
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Bring the sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until the sugar turns light amber, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the almonds and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until the almonds are toasted and the caramel turns dark amber. Pour onto the prepared sheet. Let cool completely.
3. Break into shards. Pulse until finely ground, with a few larger pieces remaining, in a food processor.
génoise
MAKES ONE 12 × 16-INCH SHEET CAKE OR
ONE 9-INCH ROUND CAKE
See the how-to on Cakes.
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2/3 cup sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (if rolling the cake)
1. Coat a 12 × 16-inch rimmed baking sheet or a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment; coat with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Stir together the flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Preheat the oven to 450°F for a sheet cake or 400°F for a round cake, with a rack in the lower third.
2. Put the eggs, egg yolks, and granulated sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Return the bowl to the mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Raise speed to high. Beat until the mixture is pale and thick, about 4 minutes more.
3. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the flour mixture over the top; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold it into the egg mixture, cutting through the middle and lifting gently over the sides. When almost incorporated, pour the melted butter down the side of the bowl; gently fold to incorporate completely.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the sheet or pan with a large offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch, about 6 minutes for a 12 × 16-inch cake and 15 minutes for a 9-inch round cake.
5. For the 12 × 16-inch cake: Run a small knife around the sides of the baking sheet; invert cake onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment. Reinvert the cake onto the rack. Let cool completely.
6. For the 9-inch round cake: Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; run a small knife around the sides of the pan. Invert onto a rack; remove the parchment, and reinvert onto the rack. Let cool completely.
strawberry cake
MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pie plate
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put the butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the flour mixture. Transfer the batter to the buttered pie plate. Arrange the strawberries on top of the batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the strawberries.
4. Bake the cake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake until the cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.