‘Bakewise’ goodies

Persnickity measurements, humorous directions and flawless results —- all hallmarks of the recipes in Shirley Corriher’s “Bakewise.”

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3 to 5 dozen cookies depending on size

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 3 1/2 hours

Use release foil to make the cookies easier to remove.

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons, spooned and leveled, bleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat together well flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat 2 1/2 cups sugar, oil and corn syrup together to blend. Beat in eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. On low, beat in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and beat in on low.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Take out about a quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. Pour 1/4 cup granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball very lightly in plain sugar first and then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar. By rolling in plain sugar first, the confections’ sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better.

Place release foil (nonstick side up) on a baking sheet. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart. For crisp cookies, bake 12-14 minutes. You can have several sheets of foil covered with cookies ready. When one sheet is done, you can pull off the foil and cookies to a cooling rack. Rinse baking sheet with cold water to cool and then slip the sheet under a foil with cookies and get it right back into the oven.

Per cookie, based on 3 dozen: 156 calories (percent of calories from fat, 25), 1 gram protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 18 milligrams cholesterol, 56 milligrams sodium.

Memorable Creamy Pumpkin Pie

8 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Creamy, smooth and flavorful —-this is no wimpy pumpkin pie.

Pie

2 tablespoons all-purpose bleached flour

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 3/4 cup (15-ounce can) pumpkin puree

1 large egg

3 egg yolks

1 recipe Shirley’s Adaptation of Stause’s Special Crust, at right

Sour Cream Topping, optional

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

Prepare pie. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

In a large heavy saucepan, stir together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Then, stir in vanilla, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, cream and pumpkin. Allow to stand on the counter for at least 1 hour for full absorption to take place. After 1 hour, place the pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes stirring constantly to take the chill off of the ingredients and slightly shorten baking time. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl mix together the eggs and egg yolks. Beat one heaping tablespoon of the warm filling into the eggs, then pour the tempered eggs into the filling and mix well. Pour into the prepared crust. Place on the lowest shelf in the oven. Close the door and immediately turn the oven down to 450 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes, the center will still be very jiggly when the pie is done so do not overcook. The center will firm up when the pie is cool.

Prepare topping. When the pie is completely cool and 3-6 hours before you are ready to serve, carefully and without stirring (which thins the sour cream) spread the sour cream over the top of the pumpkin pie. With your fingers and a coarse strainer, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the sour cream, covering the pie heavily with brown sugar. Allow to stand 3-6 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Per serving: 632 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 9 grams protein, 98 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 24 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 144 milligrams cholesterol, 664 milligrams sodium.

Per serving, sour cream topping : 134 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 1 gram protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 6 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 22 milligrams sodium.

Magnificent Moist Golden Cake (Dissolved-Sugar Mixing Method)

12 servings, 1 ( 9 x 2-inch) round layer

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Nonstick cooking spray

1 3/4 cups spooned and leveled, cake flour (NO SUBSTITUTE —-the cake will sink and not work correctly if other flours are used )

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 2 tablespoon pieces

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

3 egg yolks

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- x 2-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment circle.

With an electric mixer, beat flour and baking powder for a full 30 seconds at medium speed and then pour the flour mixture into a large bowl and set aside. Don’t wash the mixer bowl. Add the sugar to the bowl and place it back on the mixer.

Heat the water to a simmer in the microwave or on the stove and add it to the mixer bowl. Beat a few seconds to dissolve the sugar, and then beat in the butter, vanilla and salt. Add oil and mix on medium to blend.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the sugar mixture. Blend in on low with a minimum amount of beating. Continue adding the flour until all is incorporated. By hand, stir in the egg yolks one at a time and then stir in the whole eggs one at a time.

Place a bowl, beaters, and heavy cream in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Whip the cream until soft peaks form when the beater is lifted. Whip just a little beyond this soft peak stage. Stir about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the batter to lighten. Then, gently fold the rest of the whipped cream into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drop the pan onto the counter from a height of about 4 inches to knock out bubbles. Place the cake in the oven on the stone and bake until the center springs back when touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but moist, about 40 minutes. Ideally, the cake should not pull away from the sides until it has just come out of the oven. The center temperature should be about 209 degrees if you check by inserting an instant read thermometer.

Place the cake in the pan on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then shake the pan to loosen the cake all around. Spray the cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray and invert the cake onto the rack to finish cooling.

Per serving: 314 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 3 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 17 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 116 milligrams cholesterol, 177 milligrams sodium.

Shirley’s Adaptation of Strause’s Special Crust for Pumpkin Pies

8 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Unlike other pie crusts this one is fit into a springform pan. It makes a deep-dish pie with a very thin crust.

1 1/2 cups instant flour (like Wondra or Shake and Blend), poured into measuring cup and leveled

7 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons butter-flavored shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 scant teaspoons non-fat dry milk powder

1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

4 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons water

Nonstick cooking spray

2 tablespoons very fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it and preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Place the flour and shortening in the food processor with the steel blade and process with quick on/offs until clumpy —- almost pasty. Be aware that this is more than you would normally work the shortening into the flour for a pie crust.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together salt, non-fat dry milk, corn syrup, vinegar and water. Drizzle this liquid into the flour-shortening mixture at little at a time, processing with a quick on/offs after each addition. Process until dough comes together. Do NOT refrigerate as you normally do with pie crust. This is a dry dough but if you roll it out immediately it works well. Roll between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle fine crumbs very evenly over the bottom only. To get the dough centered in the pan, fold the dough in half, and then fold in half again to make a quarter section. Place the point of the folded section in the center of the pan, and then unfold the dough circle. With your fingertips, press well across the whole bottom of the pan to press the crumbs into the dough. Run your fingers around the sides to press against the pan and use your thumb to even and press down the top edge very slightly—just so it is not thin on the upper edge. Set aside unbaked until the filling is finished.

Per serving: 191 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 3 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated), trace cholesterol, 285 milligrams sodium.

Shirley’s Boston Cream Pie

12 servings, 1 ( 9-inch 3-layer) round cake

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: (for icing cake) about 45 minutes

1 recipe Magnificent Moist Golden Cake (prepared with 3 tablespoons Myers’s rum add when you add the vanilla), see below

1 1/2 recipes of Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere), see below

1 recipe Velvet Ganache, see below

Prepare cake and Pastry Cream. When the cake has cooled, slice it horizontally into 3 layers. Place one cake layer, cut side up, on a serving platter, on the serving dish, or on a cake circle. Spread half of the Pastry Cream on the cake. Gently place the middle layer on top of the Pastry Cream. Press down just enough so that the Pastry Cream layer spreads out to be even with the cake layers. Now, spread this second layer with the remaining Pastry Cream and place the last layer on top, cut side down. Again press down just enough so that the Pastry Cream spreads out to be even with the cake layers. Gently cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

When you are ready to ice the cake, prepare the ganache. Follow the double icing directions and divide the ganache in half. When the ganache cools to 90 degrees, ice the cake with one half. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the icing. Heat the second half of the icing and strain it into a measuring cup with a spout. Pour the ganache on the cake and tilt to spread. Do not use a spatula to spread the ganache. Refrigerate in a covered cake dish. Cut with a serrated knife.

Per serving: 672 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 7 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 43 grams fat (22 grams saturated), 295 milligrams cholesterol, 299 milligrams sodium.

Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)

8 servings (Makes about 3 cups)

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

1 large, plump vanilla bean

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon (pinch) salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

5 egg yolks

Pry the vanilla bean open with the tip of a knife and scrape some of its grainy black interior into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla bean itself, milk and cream. Heat over medium heat until the mixture just begins to steam. In another medium saucepan stir together the sugar, salt and cornstarch. Remove the vanilla bean (see Note). Drizzle the hot milk into the sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.

In a medium bowl stir the egg yolks. Stir about 1/4 cup of the hot mixture into the yolks, then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Return it to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly scraping the bottom until the custard becomes thick and smooth. This will be very thick and go blop, blop, but you must be sure to get this entire mixture to a good boil to kill enzymes in the yolks or these enzymes will destroy the starch and the custard will turn thin and to soup upon standing.

Transfer the custard to a bowl. Add any additional flavorings, and if this is a part of another recipe, stir the pastry cream and other components together while the pastry cream is warm. Dot the surface with butter or cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the entire surface of the custard. If this custard is stirred after it is cooled, starch bonds will be broken and it will thin. Keep refrigerated.

Note: Vanilla beans can be rinsed, dried, and reused. They will have less flavor after you have scraped out the insides but can still contribute a rich vanilla taste to a dish.

Velvety Ganache Glaze 12 servings (makes 1 2/3 cups )

Hands on: 5 minutes

Total time: about 45 minutes

This is a butter-and-water ganache patterned after Alice Medrich’s wonderful Sarah Bernhardt Chocolate Glaze. It is the perfect glaze for cakes that are refrigerated because it stays beautiful when chilled.

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in 2-tablespoon pieces

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon water

Place the chocolate and butter in a food processor with the steel blade. Pulse chocolate and butter together with quick on/offs until finely chopped. Place the chocolate-butter mixture with the corn syrup and water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50 percent power for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Alternatively, prepare a hot water bath. Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch of water and heat to a simmer. Place all ingredients in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl in the simmering water. Stir constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. After 30 seconds, turn off the heat. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Divide the glaze in half. When the temperature of one half drops to 90 degrees, ice the cake.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 173 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 15 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium.