The Moral of the Story: Cool Your Bundt . . . (Triple Coconut Cake with Chocolate Glaze)

I knew there'd be trouble when I read that line of the recipe instructions--the one suggesting that the cake could be turned out of the bundt pan within 2 minutes of taking it out of the oven. What? All of my past experience warned that, for me at least, doing such a thing would be delusional at best and suicidal at worst. Good sense hovered in the room like a ghostly specter in a cute apron, whispering, "Don't do it, Jane. You know it won't work. It's never worked before. Just put down the bundt pan and step away from the cooling rack."

But I ignored every molecule of my better judgment. It was crazy risky and destined to result in a mess. I tempted fate, and she slapped me back into reality. Needless to say, I decided to top this baby with a shiny chocolate glaze. Like the makeup we wear, it can't hide every imperfection, but it sure can help. 

And even though its outer beauty was marred beyond repair, it was a fine tasting cake. Moist tender crumb and rich coconut flavor, all deftly enhanced by the dark chocolate. You should try it. But bring the sense you were born with into the kitchen with you when you do. Because clearly, I forgot to bring mine!

About this recipe . . . 

Adapted from the little book, Kiss My Bundt, by Chrysta Wilson, this recipe is one I'd definitely like to use again. I altered the formula by using more coconut milk than called for and no regular milk, to enrich the batter and add more coconut flavor. I also decided to reduce the amount of vanilla extract called for, and I added in a small amount of finely shredded, sweetened coconut. Though the recipe also calls for coconut extract as well, I have never, ever seen 100% naturally flavored coconut extract for sale anywhere, so I used several drops of LorAnn brand coconut flavoring. It's a high quality substitute that does indeed impart great coconut flavor to baked goods (and it should not be confused with pure coconut oil, which will not work as a substitute for a flavoring in baked goods, as far as I am aware). I liked the dark chocolate glaze a lot. It sets up well on the cake, yet stays shiny and kind of soft. I also rewrote all of the directions to reflect exactly what I did.

Triple Coconut Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze
(For a printable version of these recipes, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-cup bundt pan by thoroughly greasing and flouring, making sure it's coated completely, or by spraying liberally with baking spray. (I used a light colored metal bundt pan, and I used baking spray.)

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. coconut flavoring blend or "extract" (I used several drops of a concentrated coconut flavoring called LorAnn's; available in cake decorating supply stores or sometimes in craft stores like Michael's. Any good coconut flavoring should do.)
1 and 1/4 cups coconut milk (Available canned, often found in the grocery aisle with Asian food ingredients.)
2/3 cup finely shredded sweetened coconut (I pulsed it in my food processor a few times.)

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter for two minutes, or until completely soft. Pour the sugar in slowly, on medium low speed, and mix again for two more minutes.

One at a time add in the eggs, beating on medium speed after each addition until well blended. When all the eggs are in, beat for two more minutes, scraping bowl and beaters as needed.

In a separate small bowl, stir together fork the coconut milk and flavorings.

On medium-low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add in one third of the flour, then half of the coconut milk until it's all combined. Add in the shredded coconut until combined.

Fill your prepared bundt pan no more than 3/4 full. Bang the filled pan firmly on your work surface a couple of times to close up large air pockets.

Bake the cake for at least 40 minutes. Don't open the oven door at all until quite late in the baking cycle.

Be sure to cool the cake in the pan for at least 15 minutes or far more before you even attempt to remove it. (Some bundt cake recipes will even tell you to cool the cake entirely in the pan. Use your own judgment, but be careful. Don't make the mistake I did!)

Apply the glaze only after the cake has completely cooled. It will begin to set up quickly after being poured.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 oz. premium dark chocolate (I used a combo of Scharffenberger and Ghirardelli), chopped into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in all of the chocolate; let it melt in the pan, stirring gently as needed.

Add in the corn syrup and stir well with a whisk, until completely combined.

Let the glaze sit for a couple of minutes before spooning or pouring it over the cake. 

Signs of Spring

Quote of the Day:  my favorite springtime poem by Mary Oliver.

Such Singing in the Wild Branches

It was spring

and finally I heard him

among the the first leaves -

then I saw him clutching the limb

in an island of shade

with his red-brown feathers

all trim and neat for the new year.

First, I stood still

and thought of nothing.

Then I began to listen.

Then I was filled with gladness-

and that's when it happened,

when I seemed to float,

to be, myself, a wing or a tree-

and I began to understand

what the bird was saying,

and the sands in the glass

stopped

for a pure white moment

while gravity sprinkled upward

like rain, rising,

and in fact

it became difficult to tell just what it was that was singing-

it was the thrush for sure, but it seemed

not a single thrush, but himself, and all his brothers,

and also the trees around them,

as well as the gliding, long-tailed clouds

in the perfectly blue sky-all, all of them

were singing.

And, of course, yes, so it seemed,

so was I.

Such soft and solemn and perfect music doesn't last

for more than a few moments.

It's one of the magical places wise people

like to talk about.

One of the tings they say about, that is true,

is that, once you've been there,

you're there forever.

Listen, everyone has a chance.

Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you,

and does our own soul need comforting?

Quick, then - open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song

may already be drifting away.

Listen to Mary Oliver read more of her amazing poetry here.  She has a loving and emotional way of describing nature and all its glory.

The birds have come and woken up something new inside me.  I tried to capture a few on camera. 

I need a stronger lens or better bait.  I tried cut up oranges and grape jelly. 

So far, I've attracted ants.  I did see one come close, but of course, I wasn't ready with my camera.  So, this morning, I'm sitting in my kitchen with the deck door open.  A cool breeze is coming in, and I've heard a few birds, but none have landed on my deck railings.  This is the closest they came.

While I was looking for images of orioles verses yellow finches, I found this blog by Lisa Sabin-Wilson.  Her post on trying to capture her orioles on "film" was much like mine.  It was an older post, so I clicked her title to see what she's recently done, and discovered a glorious video of an NPR recording of Adele. Sweet, soulful music.

I had intended to write this post yesterday, but it didn't work out.  I ended up doing yardwork.  Here's what happened.  On Tuesday, Lisa, my friend and neighbor, asked if I had any hotdogs.  I had four left in a package, so I ran them over to her house.  On Wednesday morning, she came over to my house while I was at a meeting, and started digging up a voluntary tree that had grown from a seed that came down my downspout.  Once she got started, there was no stopping her.  She trimmed my bushes, and cleaned up the brush around my house.  We solicited the help of her nephew.

He was more than happy to pull the Radio Flyer to the back and call for Someone (me) to help him unload it. I offered up lemonade as a reward.

Birds, buds, blossoms, and being a good neighbor - that's what makes Spring so beautiful!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are some signs of Spring in your neck of the woods? Or, what are the signs of changing seasons in your part of the globe?

Avoiding Writing and Eating like a Hobbit

Quote of the Day:  Read the poem The Tao of Touch by Marge Piercy on The Writer's Almanac.  This poem was used there on May 5.  It spoke to me.

In order to avoid working on my next play, I caught up on blogs.  I actually zeroed out my Reader on Saturday morning!

I awoke to a loud thud. At first, I thought the twins were up and already going outside.  The door to the garage closes with a thud and rattles the house.  I got up, checked, and saw that they were still snoring in bed.  Hmm. I walked downstairs and didn't see anything out of order.  I heard the thud again.  Was that thunder?  No. It's cloudy, but not raining.  Then, I realized it was the sound of war manuevers at Camp Ripley, which isn't as far away as I think.  The entrance to the camp is about 20 miles south of here, but the land within the camp comes up to the Crow Wing River, very near my house.  It sounds like canon fire, (from what I've heard on tv shows) so I wonder, Why are they shooting off canons?  Are they just playing war games and Civil War re-enactments?  Probably not.

My imagination enjoyed playing with the sound, though.  Maybe it's trolls walking nearby, or using my roof as a percussion instrument.  And, speaking of Trolls, the boys and I decided that Saturday would be "Eat like a Hobbit" Day.  We enjoyed breakfast together - toast, cereal, an orange, coffee.  Then, we had a second breakfast - scones.  For Elevensies, I had a banana.  They had toast.  I thought I'd better take a walk after that, since luncheon was coming up.  And, for tea time, we had Oreo cookies and milk out on the deck.

Despite my best efforts - long walk, laundry, cleaning my room, and all that eating, I did manage to type a few more scenes in my play.  I'm now up to page 12!

The setting is the kitchen.

The main focal point is the kitchen table.

The characters are a family, trying to connect the past to the present, understand each other, and be whole.

I have a present day table setting, and one from the past.  This is the first time I've used flashback in a script.  I like it.  This story is a drama, filled with emotion.  I also included 10 year old twin boys, which lends to high energy and humor.

For Mom's Day, the boys got me great gifts - movies, a candle, and smelly bath gel, and they took me bowling.  They did great.  I am one lucky Mama.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What would be on your menu for "Eat like a Hobbit" Day?  How did you celebrate Mother's Day, or enjoy the weekend?

Blueberry Banana Sorbet & Whimsical Tuiles . . . (How to Make Your Own Tuile Stencils)

I am psyching up to begin another pastry class next week. This one, Pastry II, goes until the very end of June. So, besides readying my psyche, there are a number of other things I need to prepare in order to launch quickly from the house come 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning. The supplies alone can require a pack mule--notebook, binder, textbook, recipe packet, apron, neckerchief, chef's coat and pants, chef hat, digital scale, digital thermometer, and the rather awkward and weighty knife-filled case that is the unmistakable identifying mark of a culinary student in transit.

Yesterday, while sorting through my papers from last semester, I happened upon the recipe for tuile dough that I used as one small part of my "practical final" exam in my Plated Desserts I class this winter. I'd always intended to make tuiles at home and blog about them, and this seemed like a good time to finally do it.

In case you're not familiar with them, a basic tuile (pronounced tweel), which means "tile" in French, is a very thin, slightly sweet, rather bland cookie made from an exquisitely short list of  ingredients--typically just butter, powdered sugar, egg whites, and flour, though additional ingredients like sliced almonds are not uncommon. A tuile's most unique characteristic is the fact that it can be shaped/curled/molded by hand while it's still very hot.

Tuiles are not really something that one can mass produce in a short period of time at home, but that's hardly a concern. They allow for so much customizing and creative interpretation, they're worth the trouble. And, best of all, they're actually a lot of fun. Do they require some planning? Kind of. If you want to make them into particular shapes, then yes, definitely, because you'll need templates. Rubber or plastic templates specifically made for tuiles can be purchased, but they're pretty costly. The templates I used are my own; I made them using thin, soft, non-toxic craft foam from Michael's craft store. I cut the designs out of the foam with an exacto knife.

The sky's the limit in terms of shapes if you're making the templates yourself. The foam sheets are very inexpensive so it's no big deal if you make a few mistakes. And, if you just want to make plain round tuiles, you won't necessarily need to use templates at all.

Tuiles make perfect serving vehicles for other dessert items. Ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, and mousse all love nestling close to tuiles. They provide the perfect crunch factor and their lack of assertive flavor works to their advantage. Case in point: What might go well with a wacky item like blueberry banana sorbet? A thick chocolate cookie? Yuck. An overwhelmingly lemony cookie? Ehh, not so much. A lovely, crunchy, sweet-but-subtle tuile? YES!

About these recipes . . . 

I adapted this sorbet from pastry chef David Lebovitz's book The Perfect Scoop, including twice as much banana as the recipe called for, along with a bit more sugar and slightly more blueberries (yeah . . . I had to get rid of  those speckled bananas languishing on the counter . . . again). It's a simple, casual treat, and it's even fat free. The flavor combo seems a little off the wall, but if it's good enough for David Lebovitz, well, enough said. You could make this and have it chilling in your freezer inside of half an hour if you're quick on your feet. It's easier than heck--no fussing required.

The tuile recipe is from Professional Baking, by Wayne Gisslen. That was the textbook used for my Pastry I class last autumn, my Retail Baking class a year ago, and even for my Plated Desserts I class that ended a couple of months ago. It's a pretty thorough volume. Another remarkably easy formula, it's practically impossible to screw up. And, you can make the dough ahead of time because it has to chill for at least an hour before you spread it.

Blueberry Banana Sorbet and Tuiles
(For a printable version of these recipes, click here!)

Yield: One quart of sorbet and at least two dozen average size tuiles

Equipment for sorbet:
-- food processor or blender

-- ice cream maker, or ice cream maker attachment for your mixer
-- 1 quart container in which to chill finished sorbet

Equipment for tuiles:
Food scale to measure tuile ingredients
1 or 2 Silpats (silicone pan liners) or parchment paper
1 or 2 very flat cookie sheets
1 small offset spatula
scissors
flexible tuile templates


Ingredients for sorbet:
2 and 1/2 cups frozen wild Maine blueberries (They're little, very blue, and sweet; I buy them in large bags from Costco. Of course, if you have good fresh berries on hand, don't hesitate!) 
4 medium size very ripe bananas
1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cold water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice 


In a food processor or blender, pulse together all of the ingredients until the blueberries look almost  pulverized and the mixture looks not-quite completely smooth. 

 

 
Then process the mixture according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. (I used the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer, mixing on low speed for almost 20 minutes. Then, I put the sorbet into a container and froze it for several hours before serving. It doesn't freeze rock hard, and it scoops nicely.)

Ingredients for the tuiles: 
2 and 1/2 oz. (5 and 1/3 Tbsp.) of unsweetened butter (An extra high-fat brand like Plugra is often recommended for tuiles.)
3 oz. cake flour or all purpose flour, sifted (one scant cup) 
3 oz. powdered sugar, sifted (about 3/4 cup)
2 and 1/2 oz. egg whites (approximately, the whites of two or three large eggs)


In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar; start on low speed, then increase to medium as the sugar mixes in. Add in the egg whites and flour alternately, mixing until combined. The dough should be kind of thick, sticky, and stretchy.

Scoop all of the dough into a disposable pastry bag with an un-cut tip (not critical to have a pastry bag, but helpful to do it this way!) and refrigerate it for one hour or more. 

You'll trim the tip off the pastry bag right before you use the dough. 

If you'd like to make decorative little designs in the tuiles after the dough has been spread on the templates, separate out a couple tablespoons of the dough before it's chilled and mix a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder into it. 



Put this cocoa dough into a very small pastry bag, preferably one made of parchment paper (here's a site that shows how to make one of these; it's a foundation skill for cake decorators and pastry chefs!). It will need to have a tiny opening tip that you will trim with scissors right before you're ready to use the dough.


Once the dough has chilled sufficiently and you're getting ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325. 

Take a perfectly flat cookie sheet without sides (or use the back of a cookie sheet with sides), and place your Silpat or parchment sheet over it. This process is stress free if done on a Silpat type of pan liner, just fyi. If you're using parchment, it should be cut to fit the cookie sheet without overlapping the sides. 


Place your tuile template over the Silpat/parchment. Cut the tip off of the filled pastry bag, about an inch up from the point. Squeeze a plump line of dough onto each template shape you'll be using. 

With the offset spatula, carefully spread the dough smoothly into each cut-out. You may need to hold the template sheet in place with one hand if you're doing this on parchment. 

If you want to add decorative designs in the dough with the cocoa dough, do it now. Cut the tip of the parchment cone with the cocoa dough in it and create any designs you like, just squeezing a tiny line onto the plain dough.

When all the shapes you're using have been filled, gently lift the edge of the template and peel it off. 

Bake the tuiles for approximately 6-7 minutes,just until they begin to get lightly golden. They bake quickly and burn easily; keep a close eye on them. 

Using the offset spatula, carefully lift each piece, working with just one at a time, and mold it quickly with your hands or press it over a form (like a small, upside-down drinking glass) to make it into a bowl shape. It will be quite hot so use care. If a tuile cools into a shape you didn't intend, you can put it back in the oven to soften it and try again. The tuiles will start to harden within about 15 seconds, so you don't have any time to fool around once you start doing this. Store the finished tuiles away from moisture.

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click the purple COMMENTS below!)

Happy Mom's Day

Quote of the Day:  You never really get to know someone unless you sit down together at the table and share a meal. - from my mom, Jane Siberg Aalgaard.  Inspiring words for me as I begin work on my next play, Kitchen Table Confessions.

I think my mom has a similar pose with each of her six children.  This is the picture in the front of my baby book.  I'm number 4 in the family.  The caption under the photo reads:  Momie is clowning to get me to wake up and smile!  And, I've been smiling ever since.  I'm known for my smile.  It's big and ready to greet you.

I've noticed that people are posting photos of their moms on facebook and writing up blog posts about Mother's Day this week.  I'll gladly jump on that bandwagon.  One Mother's Day, a few years back, I think my twins were infants, we were at my oldest brother Nathan's house to celebrate the day.  Mom was talking about a friend, or someone, who had been honored by her kids.  She said, "It made me wonder how you'll remember me."  Nathan said, "You are a healer of body and spirit."  I thought that was so beautiful.  I wonder if either of them remember that. 

Mom went to school to be a nurse.  She talks about her nursing school days often, and with affection.  At the time, the nursing students lived together, worked together, studied together, walked the snowy trek to classes together.  She said they became very close.  It was a chance for her to experience sisterhood.  When one of them got engaged, they'd throw the bride-to-be in the bathtub.

Mom was the nurse living in our little farming community of Good Hope.  She was called with nursing questions, I know.  She was called upon to be there for neighbors, I'm sure.  She's a good listener and cares about the people in her community and knows how to connect.

Mom loves her gardens and her Bible studies and good music.  She's the one who encouraged me with piano.  When I was a speech coach, one of my students recited the poem Thanking My Mother For Piano Lessons by Diane Wikoski.  I don't know if I ever thanked Mom officially, but I'll do it now.  Thank you, Mom, for piano lessons and encouragment, love and affirmations!  Have a Happy Mother's Day, planting flowers and watching them bloom.  I've often said that I am a unique flower in the weed patch of life.

I wonder what my sons will remember about me.

Journaling Prompt:  Write about your mom. What did she encourage in you?  Do you know her story, where she grew up, what she wanted to be?

Birthday Bash and Baseball

Quote of the Day:  Baseball quotes found here.

You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too. ~Roy Campanella

Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up. ~Bob Lemon

I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us. ~Walt Whitman

Double the cake. Double the guest list. Double the fun. Double the volume (alright, the volume was more than double).  My own Minnesota Twins turned 11 last Friday.  It was a big birthday bash. Then invitations read, "and bring a baseball glove."  Thank God for nice weather.  They all ran, walked, or rode anything with wheels down to the park and set up their game of baseball.  When I got there, I suggested they turn the diamond around and hit towards the trees, not the road.  They hit.  They ran.  They argued.  I determined that middle school age boys still need an ump.  I did not volunteer.  I said, "Hey, I'm just here to take pictures."

It made me wonder.  Is the baseball field the first place where the male child tries to use his voice to get his way? 
Your foot wasn't on the base!
Yes, it was!
You didn't tag me!
Yes, I did!
I got there first!
I caught the ball before you stepped on the plate!

And, so on, until I thought, How can this be any fun? 

I stood up to leave and shouted, "I'm ordering the pizza."  Then, walked home, trailed by the pack of boys.

After the pizza, they used the football.  I think this is a game of 500.

I thought these pictures turned out great.  And, how can you argue?  The guy holding the ball is the one who caught it.

Finding your voice in the world isn't easy.  What's harder is being still and listening, and accepting that you're not always right, safe, or the winner.

Journaling Prompt:  You've just hit the ball and are running full speed to first base.  As your foot hits the base, you hear the ball land in the first baseman's glove.  Are you safe or out?  At what age can you play a "friendly" game of ball?

A-Z Challenge Review

Quote of the Day:  a Poem by Shel Silverstein

Alphabalance

Balancing my ABCs

Takes from noon to half past three.

I don't have time to grab a T

Or even stop to take a P.

That pretty much sums up what it was like to do the A-Z blog challenge this year.  I loved writing a post a day.  As soon as I signed up, I took out my handy-dandy notecards and jotted ideas for each letter. I asked my brother to write a guest post the first day about our family name, Aalgaard.  My sister Nancy challenged me to write about a name for each letter.  I didn't quite make that challenge.  I had planned to use a theatre or writing term for every letter, and I don't think I technically did that, but with the guest posts, I was able to offer up a variety of inspiring voices.

I connected with many new (to me) bloggers, including the great Nate Wilson at Sometimes, the Wheel is on Fire.  He gave tips on S Day, I think, on playing Scrabble.  That's my mom's favorite game.  I did win one game when we visited over Easter.  Since I'm non-competitive, I'd rather challenge myself to come up with the most clever word, so I sometimes miss the bonus squares.  Who cares? It's about spending time together.

During this challenge, I've built followers and friends. I've enjoyed reading a variety blogs.  My goal was to get some diversity, and I did.  My sisters told me they liked reading my blog with their morning coffee.  That's all I need to feel success.

In May, I'll plan to post at least three times a week, maybe more.  I'm also getting back the the Scriptfrenzy challenge that was happening in April.  I wrote five pages the first day, then got caught up with the blogs, Easter, the death of our cat, a big birthday bash for my twins, 15 piano students and our recital, and more.

Life is Good. (Tess Hilmo challenged us to write a Life is Good post.  I think this is a good start.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting a Fun and Games Challenge.  With a blog title like Play off the Page, how can I resist.  That will appear June 6.

I signed up myself and my son Bobby to do the Tour of Lakes bike ride in June.  35-40 miles for me and 65 for him.  We'll probably finish about the same time.

Peace, and happy creating to all of you.  Thanks for reading my blog. I feel honored and encouraged.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Pretend you have a whole week to yourself in a cabin in the woods.  What will you be doing?