Bakers Formula: April 2016

Yukiko Sekiya of Yuki Bakery in Montreal shared this strawberry recipe to highlight the use of seasonal fruits on the dessert table (can you hardly wait until June?). Apples can be substituted to make spiced apple cupcakes. 

Strawberry cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese icing

INGREDIENTS
Strawberry cupcakes
Yield: 40 cupcakes

• 338 g Butter, room temperature
• 450 g Sugar
• 276 g Eggs
• 3 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• 150 g Bread flour
• 255 g Pastry flour
• 25.5 g Potato starch
• 3 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 300 g Whole milk
• 225 g Sour cream
• 390 g strawberries, sliced

Strawberry cream cheese icing

• 450 g Butter
• 910 g Powder Sugar
• 560 g Cream cheese
• 5 tbsp to 9 tbsp Homemade chunky strawberry purée (recipe follows)

Chunky strawberry purée

• 1060 g Frozen strawberries
• 320 g Sugar
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice

For CUPCAKES

1. Cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes in a mixer fitted with paddle.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Sift together dry ingredients and add 1/3 to the bowl followed by 1/2 of the liquids (whole milk and sour cream mixed together). Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, 1/2 of the liquids, finishing with the rest of the dry. Add strawberries and mix briefly just to combine.
4. For spiced apple cupcakes, add 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon and replace strawberries with 450 g of sliced apples.

FOR ICING

1. Mix butter and sugar with paddle attachment.
2. Add cream cheese.
3. Add strawberry purée

FOR PURéE

1. Mix everything in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Cook down to about 1200 g in weight.
4. Blend briefly with a hand blender.

Classic vanilla crème brûlée
By Sarah Bell and Allyson Bobbitt

Ingredients
Yield: 6 4 oz ramekins

• 2 cups 35% cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C). Place the ramekins in a deep flat bottomed baking dish or cake pan and set aside.
2. In a saucepot, heat the 35% cream over medium-high heat until scalding. While the cream is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until well blended.
3. Once scalding, remove the hot cream from the heat and temper it with the yolk mixture by slowly adding the hot cream while whisking constantly.
4. Remove any cooked bits of egg by straining the custard mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Skim off any foam that forms.
5. Fill the ramekins up to the top with custard mixture.
6. Pour hot water into the pan that contains the ramekins until the water reaches halfway up the sides. Cover the whole baking dish with tin foil and poke small holes through the tin foil to allow some steam to escape.
7. Carefully place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check the crème brûlées in the last five to 10 minutes of baking to ensure that they are not over baking. You will know they are done when the ramekin is gently jiggled and the custard appears set and moves ever so slightly. If the custard still appears slightly soupy, bake longer until set. 
8. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once the custards have cooled, gently remove them from the water and store them in the fridge for several hours to chill and fully set. Discard the water in the pan.
9. When ready to serve, sprinkle about a tablespoon of granulated sugar on the tops of each crème brûlée and heat the sugar with a crème brûlée torch until it forms a golden melted sugar crust.