Caramel-Coated Apples, a Halloween Special!

Dear Fellow Bakers, Viewers and Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I, along with the entire Dyann Bakes team, regretfully announce that we will no longer be producing or posting new episodes of Dyann Bakes to www.Dyannbakes.com or YouTube. However please know that the gmail email address DyannBakes@gmail.com will remain active and I will continue to welcome your questions and comments. My apologies for not responding to your emails over the past few weeks. I appreciate your patience...please expect to hear from me soon.

Many thanks to each and every one of you for your kindness and support over the past year. Sharing my joy for baking and love of teaching has truly been my pleasure. I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and hear the stories of so many wonderful people from all around the world. My hope is that you too enjoyed yourselves along the way.

You know where to find me, so don't be strangers! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

As always, happy baking!

Dyann

The Bûche de Noël, also known as the Yule Log, is a traditional French dessert served during the Christmas holidays. Made from sponge cake; this rolled cake can be filled and frosted with everything from butter cream to rich chocolate ganache. The cake is decorated to resemble a log by creating a bark-like texture with the outer frosting, sprinkling powdered sugar to resemble "snow", and crafting "mushrooms" out of meringue or marzipan as a final garnish. It's no wonder this beautiful (and delicious!) cake has been around since Napoleon I!!! Enjoy and Merry Christmas everyone!

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Download the recipe as a PDF file



Preparing the Plain or White Génoise
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cake flour and cornstarch and stir well to mix. Sift once and set aside.

Whisk the eggs, yolks and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar in a stream while whisking

Place bowl over a pan of simmering water and gently whisk until the egg mixture is lukewarm. Whip by machine on high speed until the egg mixture is cold, light yellow in color and increased in volume. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the cake flour mixture over the egg mixture, in a few additions, and fold in with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula

Bake the layer for 10-12 minutes. Be careful NOT TO OVER BAKE!!

Loosen the cake with a sharp knife from the sides of the pan and invert to a rack; immediately invert again so that the cake layer cools on clean paper right-side up.

for Chocolate Génoise Substitute 1/3 cup cake flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of baking soda for the dry ingredients used in the plain génoise. Continue to use 1/4 granulated sugar, 3 large eggs and 3 large egg yolks, and a pinch of salt
Preparing the Cake

1. Cover the cooled layer with a clean piece of parchment paper, and then cover the paper with a clean sheet pan
   
   
2. Invert the cake between the pans
   
   
3. Lift off the top pan, and peel off the paper stuck to the bottom of the cake layer
   
   
4. Replace the just removed parchment with a clean piece of paper covering the cake, and place a sheet pan on top of it
   
   
5. Invert the pans again; remove the top pan, and parchment paper. The cake layer now rests on a clean piece of parchment
   

Assembling the Bûche

1. Spread the filling of your choice (flavored whipped cream, butter cream, ganache) on the layer with a metal spatula
   
   
2. With the long edge of the layer closest to you, roll the layer by picking up the edge of the paper and easing the layer into a curve
   
   
3. Continue to use the paper to roll the layer into a tight cylinder
   
   
4. Wrap the paper tightly around the roll, and twist the ends like a piece of wrapped candy
   
   
5. Refrigerate for 2 hours (1 hour in the freezer) so cake can "set"
   
   
6. Remove the rolled cake from the refrigerator and unwrap
   
   
7. Trim the edges diagonally, cutting one piece to be 2 inches in length from the end of the log
   
   
8. Place the roll on a platter, and position the uncut end of the 2 inch piece about two thirds along the top side of the roll, making a short "branch" or "knot"
   
   
9. Cover the bûche with butter cream, ganache, or whipped cream (whipped cream is not the usual choice for the outer covering), making sure to cover the curve up the protruding branch on top of the log
   
   
10. Leave the branch ends unfrosted, or frost one of the two ends. Always leave the protruding branch end unfrosted
    
11. "Streak" the butter cream with a fork or decorating comb
    
    
12. Dust plate sparingly with confectioners' sugar to have "snow"
    
    
13. Cut diagonal slices to serve
    

Everything's ready! The pumpkin is carved, the costumes are made, and the yard is looking absolutely frightful. All that's missing from this Halloween scene is something sweet. How about gooey-chewy-sweet-n-crunchy caramel apples?

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Download the recipe as a PDF file

1 1-pound box dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dark molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 chopsticks
12 medium Granny Smith apples
Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, toffee bits, mini M&M's, crushed cookies, shredded coconut) Melted dark, milk and/or white chocolate Whipping cream (if necessary)

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan (about 3 inches deep). Stir with wooden spatula or spoon over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves (no crystals are felt when caramel is rubbed between fingers), about 15 minutes.
   
   
2. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook caramel at rolling boil until thermometer registers 236°F, stirring constantly but slowly with clean wooden spatula, about 12 minutes. Pour caramel into a bowl and do not scrap the bottom of the pan. Submerge thermometer bulb in caramel; cool, without stirring, to 200°F, about 15-20 minutes.
   
   
3. While caramel cools, line 2 baking sheets with buttered foil or a Silpat. Push 1 chopstick into stem end of each apple. Set up decorations and melted chocolate.
   
   
4. Holding the chopstick, dip 1 apple into 200°F caramel, submerging all but very top of apple. Lift apple out, allowing excess caramel to drip back into bowl. Turn apple caramel side up and hold for several seconds to help set caramel around apple. Place coated apple on prepared sheetpan. Repeat with remaining apples and caramel, spacing apples apart (caramel will pool on the bottom). If caramel becomes too thick to dip into, add 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream and briefly whisk caramel in bowl over low heat to thin.
   
   
5. Chill apples on sheets until caramel is partially set, about 15 minutes. Lift 1 apple off off prepared pan. Using your hand, press pooled caramel around apple; return to sheet pan. Repeat with remaining apples
   
   
6. Firmly press decorations into caramel or dip caramel-coated apples into melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off, and then roll in nuts or candy.
   
   
7. Chill until decorations are set, about 1 hour. Cover; chill up to 1 week.

To supreme a citrus fruit is to remove the fruit's fleshy sections from the skin, pith, membranes, and seeds. This creates glittery wedges that are the perfect addition to fruit salads and other delicious desserts. Check out how to prepare these citrus-y segments!


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Autumn has finally arrived, and nothing celebrates this colorful season better than our favorite orangey veggie ...the pumpkin!

Watch as we bake mini loaves of moist and deliciously spicy pumpkin bread in this very special video. And just when you thought this quick bread couldn't get any better, we add a sprinkling of chocolate chips to make it irresistible!

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Download the recipe as a PDF file

3 cups granulated sugar
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C)
2. Grease and flour three 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, or 5-6 mini loaf pans
3. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, vanilla extract and eggs, and beat until smooth
4. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt to the flour and stir with a whisk to break up any lumps
5. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture in batches, blending after each addition until combined
6. Gently, fold in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired)
7. Bake for ~1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
8. Remove pans from the oven and allow to cool for ~5 minutes
9. Remove bread from pans and cool on wire racks.
10. Do not allow it to completely cool in the pan, as it will become soggy

Vanilla is an integral spice in the pastry kitchen. The fruit of orchids, vanilla pods are filled with thousands of fragrant little black seeds. Tune into this tip and learn the best way to extract these flavorful specks!


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Folding is a technique used to prevent deflating a light and airy mixture when combining it with a denser mixture. Watch and learn how to master this method of mixing!


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JoAnn from Seattle Washington wants to know, What is a springform pan? Listen to the audio stream and find out what they do and how to use them.

If you have a question or comment, write us a note, we'd love to hear from you.

Here's the perfect recipe for chewy gooey fudge brownies. Perfect with an ice cold glass of milk, you'll want to make these delicious bar treats time and time again!

If you have a tip or a comment about this episode, click here and let us know, we'd love to hear from you.

Download the recipe as a PDF file


1 cup butter (2 sticks)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips or coarsely chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter and flour an 8-by-8 inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring until well blended.
3. Remove butter/chocolate mixture from heat, and stir in sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Stir in flour; mix in chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
6. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips or chopped nuts evenly across surface.
8. Bake in a 325° oven for about 45-55-minutes or until brownie feels dry on top.
9. Let the brownies cool in the pan on a rack.
10. When completely cool, cut into squares and store airtight.
11. Cut into bit-sized pieces and enjoy!

Getting a lot of pieces from a round cake does not need to be difficult. Thick or thin, this simple tip will help you make the exact amount of slices you need!



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