Richard Kaloust Recipes

Making Charlotte Royale

Richard Kaloust — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:16:52 +0000

Just like a Charlotte russe, a Charlotte royale can take a variety of forms. This domed version is probably the classic, though I’ve seen lots of flat ones made in rounds as well. They can be just about any flavor. Mango is a true delight. It starts with a sheet of joconde, half as thick as my regular recipe calls for. It should be only lightly browned so that it remains flexible enough to roll. About like so:

Loosen it from the pan as soon as it emerges from the oven.

Then lay on a sheet of parchment and a rack.

Flip everything over and peel away the paper.

Apply another parchment sheet and another rack (or an upside-down sheet pan)…

…and flip it back. Remove the top piece of parchment and allow the cake to cool completely.

Reader Ed had the suggestion that instead of making one long jelly roll, which would leave leftovers of jelly roll and a bottomless Charlotte, I should use half the sheet for the roll and half for a bottom. It’s an excellent idea and it makes the finished Charlotte a whole lot easier to serve. Depending on the size of the form you’re using it can result in a shortage of pieces to completely cover the Charlotte, though that certainly isn’t the end of the world. I’m going with Ed’s suggestion. So I’ll cut the sheet in two…

…then trim off the crusty edges to make it easier to roll.

Now I’ll apply some orange marmalade.

I’ll spread it over evenly, but leave a small ridge at the far end to give the roll a “center” as it were…something for the cake to roll around.

Then I’ll just roll up the marmalade-covered half. To give the Charlotte a somewhat more refined appearance you can roll the joconde the “short” way. This will give you smaller cross-sections, though the sheet can be a bit harder to roll tightly and to slice (you need to cut the pieces quite thin so you have enough of the small pieces to cover). Either way the roll will crack here and there. Fear not.

I’ll wrap that in plastic wrap…

…then give it a gentle roll on the board to help ensure a tubular shape. I’ll then stash it in the freezer for a few hours (or a few days).

Then I’ll lay down a cake circle on the other half of the joconde sheet, one that’s the same size as my form, in this case eight inches. Then I’ll trim away the excess which I’ll eat when no one’s looking.

There’s my Charlotte bottom. Still needs a little trimming, but it looks good.

Now I’ll fetch my mold. You can use any sort of round-bottomed bowl, but the advantage of a stainless steel mold like this is that it won’t react with anything (like acidic fruits). Hey! Who’s the dork holding the camera?

To keep a round-bottomed bowl steady while you work, just place it in another smaller bowl that has a flat bottom.

Press in a layer of plastic wrap, which will ensure no sticking.

Now simply slice your jelly roll into 1/4″ to 3/8″ slices…

…and lay them into the mold, pressing gently.

Paint the interior with the rum syrup and stash the whole works in the fridge while you prepare your mango mousse.

When the mousse is ready, spoon it into the mold.

Apply the bottom (cardboard side up) and press it down firmly. Refrigerate everything for a minimum of three hours.

When you’re ready to finish the Charlotte, simply up-end the mold, loosen the plastic from around the sides and lift it off.

Peel back the plastic wrap and set your creation aside while you make the glaze.

Combine the water and gelatin and let them sit…

…while you heat the sugar and orange juice together in a small saucepan.

With the juice mixture at a simmer, add the gelatin mixture and stir until it’s melted.

Place the saucepan in an ice bath to cool it and encourage the gelatin to begin setting up.

Keep scraping/stirring with a spatula so it doesn’t set up in a mass. When you start to see tracks on the bottom, the glaze is ready.

Just paint it onto your Charlotte and you’re done.

The Charlotte is ready to serve immediate, but can be refrigerated for several hours prior to serving. It’s great served with the traditional sauce of crème anglaise, spiked of course with a little rum.

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05/23/11

Charlotte Royale Recipe

In coming up with this recipe I borrowed liberally from Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat’s The Art of the Cake. I liked the details they added (especially the finishing sauce) which I’m sure will produce a superior Charlotte. Or at least I’m pretty sure…so don’t try this until I’ve done it, K?

For the jelly roll:

1/2 recipe joconde
2-3 ounces heavy syrup
1 1/2 cups orange marmalade, melted and strained

For the filling:

1 recipe mango mousse

For the rum syrup:

1 tablespoon heavy syrup
1 tablespoon light rum

For the glaze:

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 ounces (1/4 cup) cold water
2 ounces (1/4 cup) strained orange juice
1 3/4 ounces (1/4 cup) sugar

To serve:

1 recipe crème anglaise spiked with two tablespoons light rum.

Prepare the joconde according to directions, except you’ll be using only half the batter to cover the same size (13″ x 18″) pan. The reason for this? Because you want a tighter roll and that means a thinner joconde sheet. Keep in mind that it’ll bake up in less time, about 8 minutes.

When the sheet has cooled, transfer it to a sheet of waxed paper or parchment. Trim the edges with a serrated knife. You’ll have to judge for yourself if the sheet is flexible enough to roll as it is. If it seems rigid, brush on some of the heavy syrup to give it flexibility.

Cut the joconde in two and apply the marmalade to half of the sheet. Then roll up the marmalade-covered half like a jelly roll, being sure to keep the roll tight. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it. Cut a bottom layer out of the remaining half and keep it in the freezer.

To assemble, slice the piece of frozen jelly roll into 1/4″ to 3/8″ (1 cm) pieces. You should have about 24 of them. Line a domed Charlotte mold (8″ across) or round-bottomed bowl in plastic wrap, then with the slices. Paint the slices with the rum syrup. Insert the mold into the fridge while you prepare the mango mousse.

When you’ve got the mousse ready, spoon it into the mold, apply the joconde bottom along with an 8″ cake circle, and insert the mold into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. A few hours before serving, de=pan the Charlotte by turning it upside-down and removing the mold and the plastic.

Now prepare the glaze. Stir the gelatin and cold water together and let the gelatin soften. Warm the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar melts. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until it dissolves. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and insert the bowl into an ice bath. Just as it’s starting to thicken, remove the glaze from the bath and use.

Glazed, the Charlotte can be eaten immediately or held in the fridge for several hours.

Grilled Avocado Guacamole

Richard Kaloust — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:58:08 +0000

4 ripe avocados
3 tomatoes
1 lime, zested
2 limes, juiced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, washed and dried
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, diced
1 serrano chiles, finely diced
2 cloves of roasted garlic
Salt

Roasted Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese

Richard Kaloust — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:43:33 +0000

26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
18 garlic cloves, peeled
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 lemon wedges

Perfect Brownies!!!

Richard Kaloust — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:12:47 +0000

I’ve tried lots of brownie recipes: Boxes, scratch, frosted, plain, nuts, chips, fudge … Each of them has something to like, but depending on my mood I might want a change of pace.

Not any more. My wife found this recipe, and it’s perfect. I’m done looking. Thisis the brownie recipe that I’ll use from now on.
Worried that baking these will make your kids fat? Click hereand take two minutes and go answer the poll question.

Ingredients

1½ cups sugar
¾ cup flour
¾ cup cocoa powder (see note below)
3 eggs
¾ cup butter, melted
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see note below)

Directions

A NOTE ON CHOCOLATE: You’ll notice the list of ingredients is very short. That means the quality of the chocolate makes a huge difference. The chocolate flavor is front-and-center — not the sugar, not the richness, the chocolate. I used Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder, and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.

The assembly is about as easy as you can get. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and melted butter and mix.

Do this by hand, until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet, and stop. You don’t need to beat it, and in fact want to avoid producing gluten from the flour. (Kneading flour produces gluten, the springy protein that makes bread chewy.)

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment. I over-did it a little bit here, because I wanted to be absolutely sure it didn’t stick. As long as you cover the bottom you should be good, as it will pull away from the edges while baking.

Pour the batter and spread it out. Don’t try to spread it like mayo on bread, or you’ll move the parchment around. Poke at it with the tip of a rubber spatula.

Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick inserted in the tallest part comes out clean. Keep in mind you’ve got chips in there. If you hit one with the toothpick it will have melted chocolate on it. You might need to poke a couple of spots to make sure you aren’t hitting a chip.

Very carefully lift the parchment out of the baking dish. Get a spare set of hands if you can.

Peel the edges and let cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Pour yourself a glass of milk, and that’s it.

Pizza Monkey Bread

Richard Kaloust — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:18:06 +0000

Prep time: 60 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 cups Bread flour
1 cup AP flour
2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
5 Scallions, chopped
10 Basil Leaves, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 cup Marinara or Pizza sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the Bread flour, AP flour and salt. Set aside.
Combine the active yeast and water in a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Let it sit for a few minutes to make sure your yeast is working. Add the sugar and mix for a quick second. Add the flour mixture in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Let the dough hook work its magic for 5-6 minutes until the dough has come together into a large mass. Remove the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise for 60 minutes.
After an hour, remove the dough from the bowl and cut into small 1/2 inch cubes. Dust with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Set aside.
Butter and flour 6 small bundt pans. (You could also use a large bundt pan)
Melt the butter in a small bowl.
Combine the cheese, herbs, salt/pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together with a spoon. Toss in the cut dough and make sure it all gets a coat of the butter mixture. Start layering the cubes into the bundt pans until they are 3/4 of the way full. Let sit for 30 minutes for the dough to rise a little more.
Place bundt pans into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the bread and cheese is golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara sauce or pizza sauce.

Strawberry Margarita Jello Shooters

Richard Kaloust — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:37:20 +0000

Strawberry Margarita Jello Shooters

Cut the bottoms of the strawberry flat to get them to stand upright. When you do so, make sure that you do not cut off so much that there is a hole at the bottom.
Use a huller or apple corer to empty out the strawberry.
Once the strawberries have been emptied, use a towel to pat the outside of the strawberries dry.
Check each strawberry and make sure there is not a hole in the bottom before you start filling.

Margarita Mix

1 box Strawberry Jell-O
8 ounces tequila, preferably reposado or blanco
6 ounce Cointreau
Salt for garnish

Instructions

Boil one cup of hot water in a saucepan, then add in Jell-o powder and whisk until powder is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Measure out 1/4 cup of cold water and set aside.
Combine tequila and Cointreau, in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add liquour mixture to cold water and stir to combine. Then add cold liquour mixture to hot Jell-o mixture and stir to combine.
Pour final Jell-o mix into strawberries and chill overnight. Dip your finger in water or use a moistened brush to wet the edge of the strawberries, dip and rotate the strawberries in salt to rim. Garnish with cut lime triangles to finish.

Baked Banana Doughnuts

Richard Kaloust — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:43:59 +0000

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp. white sugar
2 tbsp. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F and grease baking sheet.

2. Beat bananas, egg whites, oil, and brown sugar in large bowl. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Mix until well blended.

3. Let stand for 5 minutes to let dough rise.

4. Scoop out heaping tablespoons (my scoops were probably 2-3 tbsp’s each doughnut) and place on baking sheet equally spread apart. Take a buttered knife and finger to form doughnut holes in the centre of each. Smoth edges of dough into a round doughnut as much as possible. It will be difficult as the dough is sticky. Do not feel discouraged- they don’t have to be perfect (see mine below for proof!). Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of white sugar.

5. Place in oven for 7-8 mins. at 425F.

Yields: 12 Doughnuts @ 165 calories each

After cooking about 5 mins, I took them out of the oven because I forgot to sprinkle the sugar on them! Oops.

With my leftover Maple Cream-Cheese Icing from the carrot cake (Eric’s doughnut- mine was plain):

My opinion?

These Baked Banana Doughnuts are a great way to satisfy a doughnut craving without resorting to the deep fried, fat-laden kind. I was shocked that the recipe only called for 1 tbsp. of oil! At 165 calories per doughnut (without icing and nuts), these are a great way to have a treat without breaking the bank.

If you are a dough-lover, you will love these. They were doughy and moist (from the bananas).

The centre near the hole was almost like raw dough! SO good!

I prefer a little crunch, so next time I would definitely add some nuts and I would probably subtract a 1/2 of white flour and add 1/2 cup of oats. I know oats aren’t supposed to be in doughnuts, but I think I would love it.

This recipe can also be turned into ‘Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts’ by substituting 8 oz. of packed pumpkin puree for the 2 bananas. I must try this!

Apple Toffee Blondies!!!

Richard Kaloust — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:41:12 +0000

My morning went a little something like this…

I woke up mad because I had a dream that I was married to Prince William and he left me for a woman who could tie a cherry stem with her tongue.

Of course that made me angry at my REAL husband for being a man. “YOU ARE ALL PERVERTS!”, I yelled at him.

He had no idea what was going on, but just shrugged in agreement.

I made a cup of coffee and clicked on the morning news, only to discover that the White House crasher wife, Michaele Salahi left her husband for a guitarist from the band Journey. I don’t know what to make of that piece of information, but it was a lead story on Good Morning America. So it MUST be important.

Next I saw that Toddlers and Tiaras is still a show. Like as in STILL ON TV. I am horrified by the fact that people watch that.

Then my 8 year old gave me a one-arm hug as he ran to catch the bus. Like a cool-guy hug. Not an, “I’m gonna miss you so much today, Mom.”

Finally I saw that the Kardashians have started a clothing line. It’s heavy on jumpsuits and leopard. They are selling it at Sears…which makes me scratch my chin.

Anyway, it’s been a weird morning so far…

and it’s getting even weirder because I am posting a dessert with fruit. Which I am sort of fundamentally against. But these are acceptable because you can eat them with your hands.

AND they have frosting. So yeah, I accept you fruit. This time.

This is a straight forward recipe. The hardest part is chopping your apples.

Then mix up your batter and spread it in your pan.

Bake it, let it cool and spread some yummy frosting on top.

Now, go on, eat your fruit.

2/3 cup room temperature butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (1 large)
1/2 cup toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Spray 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking or baking spray.

3. Cream butter and brown sugar in mixer until smooth.

4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until combined.

5. On low, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing until just combined.

6. Stir in the chopped apples and toffee bits until evenly distributed.

7. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the center is set.

8. Let cool completely before slicing or frosting.

Adapted from:

1001 Recipes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk.

3. Let cool until it thickens enough to spread.

4. Stir before spreading on top of blondies.

5. Let frosting set for 30 minutes and then cut into bars.

Nutella Mug Cake

Richard Kaloust — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:19:57 +0000

POSTED BY ANGIE MCGOWAN ON MARCH 15TH, 2011 AT 4:19 PM

I have been experimenting with different mug cakes every since I heard about them about a year ago. None of them have been winners. They were either too chewy, too dry, or not sweet enough. Well, I continued experimenting, and thought why not add some decadent Nutella into the mix. I modified the classic mug cake recipe, added Nutella, and a little more milk and oil than I had been using before. The results were beyond amazing. Finally, chocolate mug cake perfection, with a hint of Nutella flavor. This mug cake maybe a little high in fat, but it is the perfect decadence to help fulfill a chocolate craving after dinner. And the best thing about this dessert is that it’s quick and easy, and you can have it ready in under 5 minutes, start to finish.

I made these quick desserts today for my father and sister-in-law. They were the perfect thing to make for unexpected company. Thanks to my sister-in-law for posing as my hand model today showing off the ooey gooey goodness of the mug cake. She has beautiful, youthful hands, and the steadiness of a surgeon so I could get the perfect shot. If only she was around all the time. Sigh.

Nutella Mug Cake

Ingredients

4 tablespoons self rising flour
4 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Whisk well with a fork until smooth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 3 minutes. (Time depends on microwave wattage. Mine took 1 /2 minutes.) Top with whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce if desired.

2. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Enjoy!

Note: Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you may have to increase cooking time.

Makes 1 very large serving.

Richard Kaloust — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:43:45 +0000

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th of nuggets • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 164.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Protein: 22.1 g • Carb: 7.7 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Sugar: 0.1 g

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp panko
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.

Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 – 10 minutes. Turnover then cook another 4 – 5 minutes or until cooked though.