I have a lot swirling in my head lately, and several projects on the horizon. But most importantly, I have two recipes to share that hold a special place in my heart.
Andersonville Coffee Cake
in the Chicago Tribune
When Chicago’s iconic Swedish Bakery closed in 2017, I got to work recreating my favorite item from their vast selection. The Andersonville Coffee Cake reminds me of a giant twisted cinnamon roll—more like a sweet bread than a cake. The cardamom dough harmonizes with the cinnamon-almond filling. Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune. This recipe is one of the nearest and dearest to me. I’ve made it dozens of times, and even transformed it into a babka on the Great American Baking Show! I hope you give it a go.
Yes, the recipe may be behind a paywall. We need to support local journalists and writers, like me.
Get the recipe in the Chicago Tribune.
Black Emmer Carrot Cake
in Chicago magazine
I crave carrot cake with cream cheese frosting all year long. I love carrot cake so much that developing my own recipe took a lot longer than expected. What to put in it? Carrots, yes. Whole grains, of course. But what other goodies? What mix of spices to use? I love a carrot cake with pineapple and coconut, but not this time. (And no raisins ever, please!) I didn't want a cinnamon-forward cake, so I leaned into ginger (ground and fresh), as well as deeply toasted pecans. I went for a hefty dose of nutmeg (always freshly ground) and the vanilla extract.
Sometimes I find oil-based carrot cakes greasy and flavorless, so I made mine with a combination of butter (for flavor) and oil (for perceived moisture and softness). The whole-grain black emmer flour from Janie’s Mill gives this cake a warm earthy undertone without any of the bitterness that a hard whole wheat can give. If you can't get this gorgeous black emmer flour, I suggest using a white whole wheat or a whole wheat pastry flour.
This cake required a Cream Cheese Frosting, but I wanted a light, fluffy, and not-to-sweet rendition. Instead of the common cream cheese-butter-powdered sugar version, I opt for one that swaps out the butter for heavy cream. The cream gives you a light, airy, yet stable frosting that doesn't feel as heavy or as sweet as frosting made with butter and powdered sugar. And the cream dissolves the sugar, so you don't get any graininess.
(Oh, and I made the purple cake plate in the photo.)
Get the recipe in Chicago magazine.
Lemon Curd & Lemon Curd Snacking Cake
via WGN’s Daytime Chicago
I got to demonstrate making lemon curd and my one-bowl lemon curd snacking cake on WGN's Daytime Chicago last week. Watch and see how easy (and fast) the curd and cake come together! It’s always a challenge to demonstrate a recipe in the brief time allotted to TV segments, but this cake really comes together lightning fast.
Recipe and video at WGNTV.com.
Other musings of the week:
Not Using Kosher Salt
Several years ago, every blog, recipe, or content creator demanded that we use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt in their recipes. It became ubiquitous in recipes from baking to cooking. But it was near impossible for me to find, even here in Chicago. I'd order some online or stock up if I actually saw it in a store. I used it religiously in recipes, because I assumed that it was the ideal salt to use.
However, one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, Morton's Kosher Salt, and fine sea salt don’t weigh the same. So 1 teaspoon of Morton's will make your dish much saltier than 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. Most large kitchen scales don't do well at weighing small quantities (I have a mini scale for that purpose.), so I typically include any quantities 2 Tablespoons or less in volume measures. This gets tricky with salt. I got sick of explaining the difference in salt types, plus I got sick of paying too much for Diamond Crystal salt online. Most importantly, I know that most of my readers aren’t (and shouldn’t have to) go out and hunt for Diamond Crystal. I've been converting all of my recipes to use fine sea salt, because it tastes the same as Kosher salt and is cheaper and easier to find
Nik's article delves into the science and supports my theory. I hope other recipe writers follow suit. Thank you, Nik!
Cookbook Criticism
Tim Mazurek over at Lottie + Doof wrote an important piece about cookbook criticism, or lack thereof. I've always been a critic, like Tim. I critique any creative work that I consume, whether it's a film, play, concert, album, novel, fancy dinner, or cookbook. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you: Martin always has an opinion.
I've pondered cookbook criticism for a long time. (I'm a bit irked that Tim wrote about this before I got to, but that's completely on me.) There are very few high-quality thorough reviews of cookbooks. And I’m not just talking about rating a cookbook on Amazon, Goodreads or Eat Your Books. I mean a thoughtful review of the book, both its prose and the recipes, so that consumers can decide whether a book is for them or not. In baking for example: Some bakers' recipes are sweeter or richer than others. Some bakers favor butter-based cakes over to oil-based cakes. Some cookbooks assume a certain level of skill, so they include rather sparse instructions. Some cookbooks explain why and how a recipe works in great detail. Some give innovative tips. Many cookbooks include stories, history, explanations, and advice that makes them great to read cover-to-cover.
It's not common to see cookbook reviews where the reviewer has tested some or all of the recipes. I admit, that's a big task, especially compared to reviewing any other type of book. But readers and cooks want to know about the recipes. Are the recipes classic, or do they push the boundaries of flavor? Do they work? Are the recipes simple or more complex? Do the recipes rely on staple pantry ingredients, or will you have to order something online? Finally, are there glaring errors in the book or bad recipes? I have several books by famous chefs that consist of poorly written and untested recipes. I would never have bought these books if someone had pointed out these errors and bad recipes.
So let's have some thoughtful, high-quality cookbook criticism.
Happy Baking,
Martin