Baked Explorations (preview)

baked explorations

matt lewis and renato poliafito are the

authors of the IACP award–nominated cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008). Their first Baked bakery opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in 2005, and the second in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2009. The authors have been featured on Oprah, the Food Network, Martha Stewart’s daytime show, and the Today show. Lewis and Poliafito live in New York City.

who specializes in photographing food and children. Her work can be found regularly in Food & Wine, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Parenting magazines.

to place an order:

Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group at 800.759.0190 or fax 800.286.9471 to inquire about publicity:

Please call 212.519.1232 or fax 212.366.0809

115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com

matt lewis

& renato poliafito

ROLLOVER

photographs by tina rupp

ROLLOVER

cooking rights: world pub month: october

oon after Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito opened Baked—their charming and eclectic bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn—their signature brownie was chosen as one of Oprah's favorite things. Soon after, the two were featured on Martha Stewart's daytime show along with their famous Sweet and Salty Cake, and their brownie was named the country's best by America's Test Kitchen, as featured on the Today show. In 2008, Lewis and Poliafito published their first book, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, to much acclaim as well as an IACP award nomination in the baking category.

Classic AMERICAN desserts Reinvented

tina rupp is a New York–based photographer

baked explorations: classic american desserts reinvented by matt lewis and renato poliafito photographs by tina rupp 35 full-color photographs 224 pages, 9 x 9" hardcover with jacket isbn 978-0-58479-850-7 u.s. $29.95/can. $38.95/u.k. £19.99

s

For Baked Explorations, their second book, Lewis and Poliafito take to the road, sourcing 75 classic American recipes from across the country and giving each one their signature Baked twist. Mississippi Mud Pie goes from standard diner fare to a luscious dinner party dessert with tender chocolate cake baked into a chocolate tart crust, topped with chocolate mousse and whipped cream. Jello salad is turned into a sweet-salty confection by layering pretzels with fruit-studded gelatin topping and a cream cheese filling. And Orange Creamsicles are reimagined in tart form, with a sweet cookie crust, a tangy orange filling, and a vanilla meringue topping.

From New York City's Black-and-White cookies to the deep South's classic Caramel Cake, Baked Explorations has a dessert from and for every corner of America. The book includes tips on baking, from exceptional tart crusts to homemade marshmallow fillings.

baked explorations

1

Contents

introduction: getting baked, again.................. 00

tarts and pies................................. 00

everything you need to know to get baked...... 00

Classic Pie Dough

breakfast............................................ 00

Buttermilk Pie (with a Hint of Maple Syrup)

Monkey Bubble Bread

Mississippi Mud Pie (Version A), AKA Coffee Ice Cream Tart

Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts Three Ways with Chocolate Dip with Vanilla Glaze with Cinnamon Sugar

Orange Creamsicle Tart

Nutella Scones

Blackberry Pie

Carrot Coconut Scones with Citrus Glaze

Peaches and Dream Pie

Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt

Sawdust Pie

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pecan Tassies

Double-Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread New York Style Crumb Cake Malted Waffles Baked French Toast with Almonds and Raspberries Cornmeal Griddle Cakes Baked Cheese Grits Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins Honey Corn Muffins

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

Almond Joy Tart

Whiskey Pear Tart Malted Crisp Tart

cookies and bars........................... 00 Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies Chocolate Salt-’n’-Pepper Sandwich Cookies Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies Cowboy Cookies Classic Shortbread with Fleur de Sel Chocolate Whoopie Pies Red Velvet Whoopie Pies Black and White Cookies Grasshopper Bars Heartland Turtle Bars Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Rosemary Apricot Squares Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Joe Froggers, or Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies Baked Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies Aunt Sabra King’s Pudding Bars Speculaas

cakes....................................................... 00

confections and pastry........... 00

Mississippi Mud Pie (Version B), AKA Muddy Mississippi Cake

Buckeyes

Boston Cream Pie Cake

Bananas Foster Fritters

Devil’s Food Cake with Angel Frosting

Marshmallow Chocolate Cups

Caramel Apple Cake

Coffee Ice Cream

Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake with Caramel Rum Frosting

Strawberry Jell-O Salad

Stump de Noël

Simple Blueberry Parfaits

Quick Skillet Snack Cake

Caramel Popcorn with Peanuts and Chocolate

Aunt Sassy Cake

Vanilla Bean and Milk Chocolate Budino

Chocolate Coffee Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Meringue Mushrooms, or Shandi’s Candies

Tomato Soup Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Baked Alaska

Maple Cupcake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft Candy Caramels

Lady Praline Chiffon Cake

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fondue

Sunday Night Cake

The Chocolate No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal “Cookie” Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Simple Whipped Cream Classic Caramel Sauce (for Coffee Cake and the Like)

sources........................................................ 00 acknowledgments.......................................... 00 conversion charts......................................... 00 index............................................................. 00

monkey bubble bread Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake

i suggest only making this from-scratch bread if you are having a large gathering. Otherwise, you could end up (like me) eating more than you should. Simply put, this is addictive stuff. I liken these warm, gooey bread balls to the most amazing glazed doughnut hole you have ever had. There are several recipes floating about for monkey bread that use canned biscuit dough, but I ask you to kindly refrain from this expedient fix because the result won’t be as tasty and it is more expensive. The origin of the name monkey bread or bubble bread is quite hard to pinpoint, and while many dubious answers exist (the bread resembles a monkey puzzle tree or monkeys love to pull things apart), none of them are definitive, and some are cloyingly cute. I hate cloyingly cute. Suffice it to say that the source of the name is just one of life’s great mysteries, and we should leave it at that.

Baked Note

There are a lot of monkey bread misconceptions, and I will do my darndest to dispel them.

First, you do not need an icing or topping for this bread—too sweet.

Second, you can make the dough ahead of time. Once the dipped dough has been placed in the pan, wrap it tightly, refrigerate it, and bring it back to room temperature to “proof” the dough before baking. Lastly, this is one of those breads that exists to be eaten warm, straight from the oven.

Once the caramel begins to cool, reheat the bread in the oven.

monkey bubble bread

cinnamon sugar coating

1¼ cups whole milk 2 teaspoons instant yeast 4 cups all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1¼ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Make the bread: Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan

with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, warm your milk to slightly above room temperature, then remove it from the heat, add the yeast, and whisk to dissolve. (Do not warm it beyond 110 degrees or you will kill the yeast).

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined.

Keeping the mixer on low, slowly stream in the milk until combined. Add the melted butter and mix until the dough comes together. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment. Continue to mix on medium speed until

baked explorations

5

caramel popcorn with peanuts Yield: 24 cups

by and large, i have never been drawn to popcorn. It is a snack that I rarely think about and only eat a bit reluctantly, if someone offers me his or her bucket at the movies. It was not until Renato introduced me to the voodoo-like nature of homemade caramel popcorn that I understood the allure. The otherwise benign kernels turn into something else entirely. The salty peanuts, crunchy popcorn, and dark chocolate form an otherworldly snack that has the overall effect of encouraging epic consumption and borderline hysteria. Finally, since the yield on this recipe is rather large (entirely on purpose), we encourage you to get out cellophane bags and decorative bows and break down a portion of your caramel popcorn into gifts. It makes a great present and will save you a few otherwise unavoidable calories.

Baked Note

This caramel popcorn virtually begs for chocolate, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble and time of tempering it, we completely understand. You can just leave it out. Additionally, this recipe was adapted from none other than Matt's Aunt Judy, by way of a Land O’Lakes Butter recipe that she has kept for untold years.

1 cup unpopped kernels or 24 cups popped corn 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar ½ cup light corn syrup 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses ½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking soda 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1¼ cups salted peanuts 8 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, melted and tempered (page 000) 8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), melted and tempered (page 000)

If you are starting with kernels, pop them using any method you prefer and let them cool. (We like a hot-air popper best.) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Place the popcorn in a large roasting pan. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, start to melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses, and stir gently with a heatproof spatula. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring only occasionally, until the mixture starts to boil.

Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to the syrup to the softball stage, approximately 240 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt, the baking soda, and vanilla. Pour the caramel over the popcorn in large streams, then sprinkle with the peanuts. Use your spatula to fold the popcorn until it is completely coated with caramel.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to lift and flip the popcorn, then continue baking for another 20 minutes.

baked explorations

7

baked explorations

matt lewis and renato poliafito are the

authors of the IACP award–nominated cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008). Their first Baked bakery opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in 2005, and the second in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2009. The authors have been featured on Oprah, the Food Network, Martha Stewart’s daytime show, and the Today show. Lewis and Poliafito live in New York City.

who specializes in photographing food and children. Her work can be found regularly in Food & Wine, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Parenting magazines.

to place an order:

Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group at 800.759.0190 or fax 800.286.9471 to inquire about publicity:

Please call 212.519.1232 or fax 212.366.0809

115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com

matt lewis

& renato poliafito

ROLLOVER

photographs by tina rupp

ROLLOVER

cooking rights: world pub month: october

oon after Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito opened Baked—their charming and eclectic bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn—their signature brownie was chosen as one of Oprah's favorite things. Soon after, the two were featured on Martha Stewart's daytime show along with their famous Sweet and Salty Cake, and their brownie was named the country's best by America's Test Kitchen, as featured on the Today show. In 2008, Lewis and Poliafito published their first book, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, to much acclaim as well as an IACP award nomination in the baking category.

Classic AMERICAN desserts Reinvented

tina rupp is a New York–based photographer

baked explorations: classic american desserts reinvented by matt lewis and renato poliafito photographs by tina rupp 35 full-color photographs 224 pages, 9 x 9" hardcover with jacket isbn 978-0-58479-850-7 u.s. $29.95/can. $38.95/u.k. £19.99

s

For Baked Explorations, their second book, Lewis and Poliafito take to the road, sourcing 75 classic American recipes from across the country and giving each one their signature Baked twist. Mississippi Mud Pie goes from standard diner fare to a luscious dinner party dessert with tender chocolate cake baked into a chocolate tart crust, topped with chocolate mousse and whipped cream. Jello salad is turned into a sweet-salty confection by layering pretzels with fruit-studded gelatin topping and a cream cheese filling. And Orange Creamsicles are reimagined in tart form, with a sweet cookie crust, a tangy orange filling, and a vanilla meringue topping.

From New York City's Black-and-White cookies to the deep South's classic Caramel Cake, Baked Explorations has a dessert from and for every corner of America. The book includes tips on baking, from exceptional tart crusts to homemade marshmallow fillings.