Hummingbird Muffins: A HEALTHY Start to Your Day

I know it must seem as if you've just entered an alternate universe, me posting a healthy baking recipe here.  But I've decided to post all my baking ventures on this one site instead of breaking up my life into messy and overflowing compartments.

To kick off this new posting philosophy, I'm sharing the latest recipe I developed for Runner's World as a contributing food editor for the magazine. One thing you can be assured of, it is tasty.  And if you like, you can replace the AP flour with an equal amount of whole wheat pastry flour.

 Hummingbird Muffin Recipe 

Bake these Southern-inspired muffins for an energizing prerun breakfast.

 By Gesine Bullock-Prado; Image byJoyce Lee
Published April 17, 2013

 Hummingbird cake is a Southern classic made with pineapple, pecans, and frosting. Bullock-Prado reinvented the recipe to make these tasty muffins more healthy.

 Ingredients
 FOR THE MUFFINS
1 cup turbinado or white sugar
1/3 cup honey
 2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup crushed, drained pineapple
1 cup very ripe banana (about 2 large), mashed with a fork
1 teaspoon vanilla
 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ounces vanilla whey protein powder
 1/2 cup chopped pecans

 FOR THE CRUMBLE
1/2 cup steel-cut oats (not quick-cooking)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

 Instructions

•Preheat oven to 350°F.

•Combine sugar and honey in a large bowl, microwave at 50 percent for 45 seconds, and stir. When cooled, whisk in eggs one at a time until combined. Add oil and applesauce. Whisk. Add fruits and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

•In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, protein powder, and pecans. Add to wet mixture and stir until combined.

•Prep two muffin trays with nonstick spray or liners. Fill each cup 3/4 full.

•Mix crumble ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on top of each muffin.

•Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 15 to 18 muffins.

 Nutrition Information Calories per serving 275 Carbs 43 G Fiber 2 G Protein 6 G Fat 10 G

Bake It Like You Mean It Hijinks on Chelsea Lately!

A Little Easter Inspiration For You from Access Hollywood Live!

For some Easter Inspiration from Bake It Like You Mean It, watch my appearance on Access Hollywood Live!  Just click HERE!

Pyramid Cake Fun on The Talk: Baking it like we mean it

Hey!  That's the book on the t.v.!  And I made that cake!  To see the clip, click here.  

I had a great time making caking magic on The Talk today.  I wanted to share the clip and the recipe with everyone.  This turns out to be fortuitous because there was a glitch in the printing matrix and a chunk of the recipe procedure was left out of the book.  So now I'm sharing the recipe in it's ENTIRETY here!  For an in depth photo tutorial of how to assemble the cake, you can find it in the pages of Bake It Like You Mean It.

TALK TAKEAWAY: COOKING WITH GESINE BULLOCK-PRADO

POSTED ON MAR 14, 2013 10:45AM

Pastry chef and author, Gesine Bullock-Prado, visited "The Talk" for a Talk Takeaway: Cooking segment. She showed the ladies how to make delicious, decadent desserts. Here are the recipes!

Recipes adapted from “Bake It Like You Mean It”

Chocolate Pyramid
Makes 8 servings

For the CAKE:
2 egg whites
1 (8-ounce / 225-g) package almond paste
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant cup (130 g) cake flour
1 cup (85 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use King Arthur Black Cocoa)

For the BUTTERCREAM:
2⁄3 cup (130 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
pinch salt
1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
8 ounces (225 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, melted, and cooled slightly

For the SIMPLE SYRUP:
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

For the GLAZE:
4 ounces (115 g) bittersweet chocolate
1⁄4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the ASSEMBLY:
½ cup (40 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder


For the cake:
Preheat oven to 400º. Line a half sheet pan with parchment.  Do not spray with non-stick spray.

In the bowl of a food processor fit with the blade attachment, combine the egg whites and almond paste.  Process until the two are combined and the almond paste is soft.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 1/4 of the sugar and beat until the mixture thickens but isn’t stiff.  Switch to the paddle attachment and add the almond paste mixture a small bit at a time to avoid getting lumps. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl and clean the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment thoroughly.

In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, combine the egg whites and salt.  Whisk until the egg whites become white and foamy.  Slowly add the remaining sugar and whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks. (Be careful not to whip to the point that they become chunky and dry.) Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture to lighten.  Add the remaining whites and gently fold until the two are incorporated.

Whisk together the flour and cocoa.  Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture and fold together with a large rubber spatula. Spread the batter onto the prepared sheet pan in a very even layer. Bake for 10 minutes or just until it springs back when gently poked.


Make the buttercream:
In a heavy saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) water and stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Stop stirring.

Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook until the sugar syrup reaches 240°F (116°C).

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Whisk until the eggs are broken. When the sugar has reached 240°F (116°C), continue whisking the egg mixture on medium speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup in a slow stream down the side of the mixing bowl. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to high and whip until the bowl is cool to the touch.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Transfer a large spoonful of this mixture to the melted chocolate and stir vigorously until incorporated. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the chocolate to the remaining buttercream mixture.


Make the simple syrup:
In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with 1 cup (240 ml) water and stir over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let cool slightly.


Assemble the layers:
Once the cake has cooled, use a pastry brush to gently brush off the top “skin” of the cake. Trim the edges of the cake, then divide the cake into 4 even strips, each approximately (or slightly less than) 4 by 12 inches (10 by 30.5 cm).

Transfer a cake layer to a serving platter. Using a pastry brush, brush a layer of simple syrup over the entire cake surface. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the sponge layer, spreading it as evenly as possible, about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Top the buttercream with the second cake layer, pressing gently to adhere. Brush with simple syrup and spread with buttercream. Continue layering with cake, simple syrup, and buttercream until the fourth layer is applied. Cut the cake in half lengthwise. Spread an even layer of buttercream on top of one half and place the second cake half on top so you are left with 8 cake layers. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.

Trim any uneven sides off the cake: Dip a long, very sharp serrated knife in scalding water and dry it off. Cut the cake in half diagonally, forming two long triangles.

Flip the triangles so that the uncut sides are facing each other.

Spread a thin layer of buttercream along one of the uncut sides, then press the two uncut sides together, with the buttercream acting as glue. You’ve now created a triangle. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Make the glaze:
Place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Bring the cream and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Place the cake on a cooling rack. Spread the glaze over the cake with a small offset spatula. Sift the cocoa powder evenly over the cake to coat the glaze. 

The Big BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT Winner!!!

The Random Number Generator has chosen a lucky ducky!

The winner of a signed copy of Bake It Like You Mean It and a super cool Shannon Reed apron is....drum roll, please!

LORENE VOSKINARIAN

Lorene, please email me your address and to whom you'd like the book signed at gesineconfectionary@gmail.com.

Congratulations!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and left such lovely messages!

BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT IS HERE!

Today is the day that BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT hits bookstores!  I'm in love with this book.  I wrote it, so duh.  Of course I'm in love with this book. But these are the cakes and pastries that I feel genuinely represent me as a pastry chef and now I get to share my crazy baker's brain with you in all it's permutations, from meringue to sponge cakes to butter cakes to mousses&cheesecakes and yeasted pastries.  It's all there.  I didn't hold back, not a single thing.  I hope you enjoy baking from it.  I have a sneaking suspicion you will.

Check out my BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT Today Show Appearance 

To see me make Rainbow Cakes on Fox & Friends, click on the link below!

To see me demo some beautiful and super fun cakes from the book, stop by and take a look at my appearances on The Today Show and Fox & Friends.

Baba au Limoncello

An aprés ski treat.

I lent a neighbor my New England style hot dog bun mold.  A few days later it was returned to my doorstep in the same "Lebanon Feed Store" bag in which I'd originally placed it.  But inside was more than the bun mold.  A beautiful bottle full of sunshine sat nestled in one of the bun nooks.   Homemade Limoncello.

I love limoncello.  It's a beautiful closer to any meal, coating your taste buds with bright citrus and coaxing a full belly into believing that there might be room found for a morsel of dessert.

Norm's Limoncello.  Perfect.

It's also the perfect soaking syrup for liquored up cakes.  And right now, with winter scheming to overstay his welcome, a cake that manages to both keep you toasty and give you a sweet taste of spring is a must on every menu.

BABA AU LIMONCELLO

This is a riff off of baba au rhum, a rum soaked yeast cake that's topped with chantilly cream and fruit.  One thing to note before you dive in is that, unlike almost every other yeasted preparation, a Baba is more a BATTER than a dough.  You can also bake it in two different kinds of molds:  a savarin mold or a dariole mold.  Savarin molds come in individual sizes or in large sizes, like mine.  You will adjust baking time for each type of mold.

Two Savarin molds.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 large Savarin sized cakes

for the Baba

2 1/2 cups AP flour, I use King Arthur
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 packet instant yeast, I use Red Star Platinum yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
zest of two Mandarins.  Strips of rind taken from 2 more mandarins for decor

for soak and assembly

2 cups Limoncello
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup creme fraiche (I use Vermont Creamery vanilla bean creme fraiche)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

PROCEDURE

for the Baba

•In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

•In a small sauce pan, bring the milk to a simmer.  Take from the heat and add the butter and zest.  Allow to sit until the butter is completely melted.  Stir and test the temperature of the mixture to make sure that it's not too hot, luke warm is perfect.

•In another small bowl, whisk the eggs until completely broken apart and slowly pour the milk/butter mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.

•Add the egg/milk mixture to the flour and mix until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 5 to 10 minutes.

•Place a moist kitchen towel over the bowl and place in a warm spot in your kitchen to rest for 1/2 hour.  If your kitchen is as cold as mine, it may need an hour of rest.

•Spray the savarin molds with non-stick spray or coat with butter.  I've used both to great success on my non-stick savarin molds.

Just filled.  One coated with cooking spray and one with butter.

•Transfer the batter to a large pastry bag (you don't need a tip attached, just a large opening) and pipe the batter evenly among the molds.  Spray the exposed batter with a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray and allow to rest in a warm area of your kitchen until almost doubled in size.  In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350º.

Rising!

•Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are golden brown.

Cake's out.  Limoncello's in.

•Immediately flip the cakes out of molds and pour 1/2 cup of Limoncello into each of the cavities.  Put the cakes back into the molds to soak up the Limoncello.  Pour the remaining Limoncello over the tops of both the cakes.  Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes or until cool.

Soaked in sunshine.

To finish

•Whisk together the cream, creme fraiche and confectioner's sugar until stiff peaks form.  Pipe the cream in the middle of the cake and top with mandarin slices and zest twirls.

•Can keep, covered, for several days up to a week.