Maritozzi

 

I could literally kick myself for never having tasted Maritozzi, a traditional Italian breakfast treat consisting of a brioche bun filled with freshly whipped cream, whenever I visited Italy.  This enticing Instagram post from Bread by Elise motivated me to correct that grievous error. 

 

What especially drew me to Elise's bun recipe was the use of tangzhong.  This flour and milk roux added into the dough ensures that the bread maintains a soft interior long after baking.   As I was making the dough I could tell straightaway that the buns were going to be fantastic because the dough's texture was so elastic, light and easy to work with.    

Who doesn't love freshly whipped cream and maritozzis are filled to the brim with it, along with a layer of homemade tart raspberry jam.  A marriage made in breakfast heaven.  The only drawback, if you consider it one, is that the maritozzi tastes best when consumed à la minute, i.e., right away.    Next time I think I'll freeze some of the unfilled, baked buns and then reheat and fill them at a later time.  Now that I'm confident in my maritozzi-making skills I can save myself the price of a plane ticket to Italy, although I'd happily still go for pasta and shopping!

Dong Phuong King Cake

As a self-proclaimed foodie it's a bit ironic that I never had a desire to visit New Orleans, home of gumbo, jambalaya and po' boys, until I heard about Dong Phuong King Cakes.  Dong Phuong is a renowned Vietnamese bakery in New Orleans East whose king cake is considered by many to be the best in The Big Easy and even nationwide.  I can't remember where I first heard about it but I had to try their take on the traditional celebratory cake that's made and sold only between Epiphany and Mardi Gras.   

 

 

My introduction to king cakes was as a student in France where it's known as galette des rois and made with puff pastry and frangipane filling.  Its Louisiana cousin, however, is more like a large iced cinnamon roll  decorated with purple, green and gold colored sugars, the colors of Carnival and Mardi Gras.  What differentiates Dong Phuong's cake from all the others is the brioche-like bread which bakes up lighter and flakier and topped with cream cheese frosting.

 

 

Since winning the prestigious James Beard award in 2018 the popularity of Dong Phuong's King Cakes has skyrocketed.  The bakery only produces the cakes during Carnival season and in limited supply, which makes it quite difficult to get your hands on them.  There's definitely a time investment involved to procure one.  I tried to order a cake online, via Goldbelly, but  unfortunately all the pre-orders were sold out within weeks of going live.  Not to be deterred , and more determined than ever, with plane ticket in hand I headed to MSY.

 

 

 

Here's how I was able to get my hands on the elusive Dong Phuong King Cake....  

 

Without a pre-order there are basically two ways to get a cake: 1) purchase from an authorized retailer or 2) join the walk-in queue at the bakery itself.  Luckily I had success with both options.  The place I was staying at in New Orleans was close to one of their retailers.  I had called the shop in advance and learned their process for buying a cake.  [Note: Each retailer has their own process.] This particular shop passed out cards to fifteen customers each morning, first come first serve, which gave the card holder the right to return in the afternoon to purchase up to two king cakes each.  That's how I was able to buy my first Dong Phuong King Cake - the original cinnamon flavor. 

 

My strategy was to buy and taste one cake first to see if it lived up to the hype and decide if it was worth the drive to the bakery. One bite and the decision was self-evident...it lived up to all the hype and there was no doubt that I would joining the queue the next day so that I could buy some other king cake flavors. The bread was flaky and light and the cream cheese frosting was incredibly fluffy and not too sweet.  Heaven in a bite. 

 

 

I drove to Dong Phuong Bakery the next day (it was a Thursday) arriving half an hour before the 8am opening, where about twenty people were ahead of me in the queue. I highly recommend going on a weekday, ideally Wednesday or Thursday, as several people in the queue told me that lines and wait times were much longer on Fridays and the weekend.   When it was my turn to purchase I chose  three of the filled king cakes: strawberry, coconut and pecan.  The bakery also sells cream cheese filled and almond creme filled.  While all the cakes were delicious my favorite was the original cinnamon, followed closely by the strawberry and then the coconut.  I found the pecan one's filling was a bit too sweet for my taste.     

 

You're probably wondering, "Was it worth the cross-country trek for the Dong Phuong King Cake?" My reply: sans doute...without a doubt! I don't see myself returning to New Orleans any time soon but come Dec/Jan when online ordering is available I already know which flavor(s) of Dong Phuong King Cake I will buy.  

 

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

 

Mardi Gras King Cake

 

 January 6 marks Epiphany (sometimes called Three King's Day) in the Catholic faith.   When I was a student living in Dijon I came to learn that the French celebrate this holiday by enjoying galette des rois throughout the month.   Because I've already made that puff pastry and frangipane treat before I wanted to try my luck at making this Mardi Gras King Cake from Murmurs of Ricotta's blog.  This year Mardi Gras falls on March 1st, but King Cake can be enjoyed starting at Epiphany.

 

Although I've never visited Louisiana or New Orleans before (it's on my list!) I have actually tasted a traditional NOLA king cake before.  A former co-worker of mine grew up in Louisiana and her mom used to send her a king cake every year.   The "cake" is actually an enriched bread, filled with cinnamon and frosted and decorated with purple, gold and green sprinkles.  I think it tastes similar to a cinnamon roll.   What intrigued me about this recipe in particular was the claim that it was soft and fluffy and inspired by the in-demand cakes sold at Dong Phuong, a popular Vietnamese French bakery in New Orleans East.

 

 

The enriched dough couldn't be easier to make, but it does require some patience, as it needs to proof in the fridge at least overnight.  When forming the king cake be sure to roll out the dough evenly, otherwise you'll end up with a plump middle section and skinny ends, like I did.  My King Cake really lived up to the fat moniker of Mardi "Gras".  Still tasted great though!  Just as the blog described, the brioche-bread was soft and fluffy, and quite delicious.   

 

The hardest part was waiting for the cake to cool completely before frosting it with the brown butter cream cheese frosting.  A final flourish of Mardi Gras colored sprinkles and the King Cake was complete.  NOTE: For some reason my purple non-pareils look more indigo in these pictures, but I can assure you they are purple!

Hot Cross Buns

This year my friend Gracie decided she was going to give up bread for Lent.  It sounded interesting enough so I thought I would join her.  Truth be told I knew it was going to be a sacrifice but I guess that's the whole point, right?

For the most part it wasn't as hard as I would have thought EXCEPT in the morning.  I had no problems eating a hamburger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun - I just pretended I was on the Atkins diet.  But in the morning there's nothing more I love than a dark, toasted English muffin dripping with butter.   Oh it was painful I tell you.  

With Easter only one day away I'll soon be able to indulge once again in my beloved gluten.   In preparation I made these glorious hot cross buns using a recipe from Bouchon Bakery.   Their version uses a rich, butter and egg laden brioche dough for the buns, the ultimate indulgence.   I pray that I can hold off until tomorrow to taste these gems.   A few Our Fathers and Hail Marys may be in my future...lol!

Happy Easter to all!

Bee Sting Cake | Bienenstich

Bee Sting Cake.  The name of this dessert intrigued me when I saw it in the Oct/Nov 2014 issue of Cook's Country.  And where there is intrigue there is inevitably a strong inclination to action so I had to make it.  It's German in origin, Bienenstich, and is basically a honey and almond coated brioche cake filled with vanilla pastry cream.   

My family prefers desserts that aren't too sweet so this cake fit the bill perfectly.  They're favorite part, and mine, was the delicious and crunchy honey almond topping.  I could just eat that alone.   Oktoberfest is just around the corner and if you need a cake to accompany your beer and pretzel why not give this bee sting a try?

No-Knead Brioche

Any time a recipe sounds too good to be true there's always a bit of skepticism on my part.  BUT, and this is a huge but, any doubt is essentially erased when we're talking about a Cook's Illustrated recipe.   Why?  Because I know they've done all the leg work for me and I'm pretty much guaranteed success.

It's always a red-letter day when the newest issue of the magazine is published online.  I find myself giddy as a child combing through the site for the latest recipes - first and foremost for the baking ones.   When I spotted the recipe for No-Knead Brioche I earmarked it as a definite must-do.

I've made Mark Bittman's dutch oven version of no-knead bread before with great success but I was intrigued if a similar technique would work for brioche.   Indeed it does!  Traditional brioche isn't difficult to make but does require some effort.  This version is fantastic if you don't have a lot of time but still want the same delicious end product.   Now that I know how easy brioche can be to make I predict that brioche bread pudding may be in my future.....stay tuned!