ALMOND AND MASCARPONE BUNDT CAKE
Serves 12 to 14.
Note: To prepare orange powder, use a fine grater (a Microplane works well) to zest 1 orange, reserving zest on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place zest in a cool area to dry for a day or two. Using mortar and pestle, crush dried zest into a fine powder; store up to 3 months in an airtight container. Adapted from "Shefzilla: Conquering Haute Cuisine at Home" by Stewart Woodman (Borealis Books, $27.95).
For cake:
• 3 c. flour, plus extra for pan
• 1/2 c. almond flour
• 11/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan
• 3 c. granulated sugar
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 c. (8 oz.) mascarpone
For glaze:
• 5 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. orange powder (see Note)
• 1 c. powdered sugar
Directions
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, salt and baking soda and reserve.
In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until fully incorporated.
Increase speed to high and beat until ingredients are smooth and well-incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by a third of the mascarpone, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Repeat twice more, alternating ingredients and ending with mascarpone, mixing until well-combined but not overmixed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 90 to 105 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool for about 20 minutes, then invert cake onto a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before adding glaze.
To prepare glaze: In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, orange powder and powdered sugar, adding a little water if mixture seems thick. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake, slice and serve.
PALM BEACH BROWNIES
Makes 3 dozen bars.
Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. Dessert expert Maida Heatter writes that these brownies, adapted from her "Maida Heatter's Cookies," are the "gooiest, chewiest, darkest, sweetest, mostest-of-the-most" brownies, and she's right. They have a fudgy middle and a crispy-crunchy top, and they're completely irresistible. Whenever I have taken them to a party, they draw raves and requests for the recipe.
• 1 c. (2 sticks) plus 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 5 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. powdered instant espresso, optional
• 33/4 c. granulated sugar
• 12/3 c. sifted flour
• 8 oz. (2 generous cups) walnut halves
Directions
Adjust oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9- by 13- by 2-inch pan as follows: Invert pan and center a 17-inch length of aluminum foil, shiny side down, over pan. Using your hands, carefully press down on the sides and corners of the foil, shaping it to pan. Remove foil, turn pan right-side up, place molded foil in pan and carefully press into place.
Place 2 tablespoons butter in pan and put in oven until butter melts, then spread evenly with pastry brush or crumpled wax paper. Set pan aside.
In a double boiler over gently boiling water (or in a microwave oven), melt remaining 1 cup butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, beat eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, espresso powder (if using), sugar and flour until combined, about 1 minute.
Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture (which may still be warm) and mix just until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Stir in walnuts.
Turn mixture into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 32 minutes, reversing pan front to back once during baking. The cake will have a thick, crisp and cracked crust but if a toothpick is inserted into middle it will come out wet and covered with chocolate. Do not overbake.
Remove pan from oven to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover pan with aluminum foil and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.
A few hours before serving, remove from freezer, remove top layer of aluminum foil, invert pan, peel off aluminum foil and bring cake to room temperature. Using a long, heavy knife with a sharp blade, remove edges (and save for yourself; edges may be slightly burned, and that's OK) and cut into bars.
BLONDIES
Makes about 3 dozen bars.
Note: Adapted from "A Baker's Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies" by Dede Wilson (Harvard Common Press, $16.95).
• 2 c. flour
• 1 heaping tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for pan
• 2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 11/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 11/3 c. walnut halves, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and reserve. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk in vanilla extract, then eggs, one at a time, blending well. Stir in flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Make sure mixture is cool, then stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes (edges should begin to pull away from sides of pan, and top should be slightly puffed; a toothpick inserted in center should come out with some moist crumbs clinging). Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into bars.
