Bakery Crawl

     So, the days are racing by - I will start my last real week at KC on Monday - it seems hard to believe.  One of the nice benefits of announcing my decision to leave several months in advance is that I have had plenty of time to spend with many of my friends and colleages to say a proper "good-bye".  While I've thoroughly enjoyed the coffees, lunches and cocktails I've been sharing, I might need to slow it down this last week or I will need to start wearing my "stretchy pants" to work every day!
     While each of these connections has been great in its own way, I must tell you about one that struck a special chord with this aspiring baker/pastry-chef - this week my friend Stephanie organized a "bakery crawl" for the two of us and several of her team members.  Seriously - how fun is that?  We headed to downtown Roswell for lunch and dessert(s - make that plural).  We started out at a place called Party Chic - a quaint lunch place that features KellyKakes. 

www.kellykakes.com

www.partychic.net

We politely but quickly ate our sandwiches and salads, saving space for the real star of the meal - Jumbo Cupcakes.  The cupcakes were amazing - big, fresh, tender and tasty, topped with creamy swirls of vanilla/cream cheese frosting composed of just the right ratios of these two ingredients.  We did have the decency to split two cupcakes (strawberry and chocolate) between the four of us, since we knew this was just the first stop on our bakery crawl.

Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes at Party Chic - stop #1 on The Bakery Crawl

   Even though we were feeling pretty full, we "crawled" down Canton Street for yet another dessert - heading to a great place called Pie Hole.   This homey establishment is a prime example of  doing one thing and doing it really well - it's all about Pie, and only Pie.  Pie Hole had about 10 different pies available by the slice (of course, you could also take a whole pie home if you so desired).  It's a simple, rustic establishment that revolves around a case of pies that are freshly made and oh-so-tasty, often featuring seasonal ingredients.  It has an interesting business model - does all of its' advertising on Facebook - so, log in and check out the pies-of-the-day, then crawl on over for a slice or two. 

www.facebook.com/ThePieHole

 

 

     I selected coconut while my friends chose key lime and chocolate derby - we were all blissfully satisfied and incredibly full!  I like to think of myself as somewhat of a pie afficionado - and I am totally smitten with Pie Hole - great flaky crust, lots of variety of flavors, fresh and homemade - what more could you want?

Pie Hole - stop #2 on the Bakery Crawl (oops - got so excited I dug into my coconut pie before I remembered to take the pic)

An amazingly homey apple pie - God Bless America and God Bless the Pie Hole

This breathtaking apple pie contains 3 pounds of apples - now that's a pie!

     So - I highly recommend a Bakery Crawl - grab a few friends, pull on your stretchy pants and head to a few different places for dessert - it's great fun.  Thanks Steph, Dave and Marianne for a fun lunch - I will miss you guys!

OMG - Oh My Ganache!

     You know, you just can't get too much chocolate - and, I think I have proof that I am not the only one who feels this way.  Two of my friends recently made some beautiful cakes that highlighted one of our all-time favorite things - chocolate.  Each of these creations was covered with a shiny, luxurious layer of chocolate ganache.  While ganache is a relatively simple thing - heavy cream heated and poured over chocolate to melt it - it's amazingly elegant and, quite frankly, a lot of culinary bang-for-your-buck.  Anything covered in chocolate ganache is guaranteed to get the reaction every baker longs for - you know, the one where people "ooh and ahh" and begin salivating the minute you unveil dessert!
     So - here's a couple of ganache-covered treats that look amazing - and, knowing the two talented ladies who made them, I'm sure they tasted just as good as they look!  And, if you want a guaranteed great reaction - make one of these beauties and serve it at your next dinner party - I promise you it will be a crowd-pleaser.

     First - Tunnel of Fudge Cake.  I've come across a food blog that I absolutely love - Annie's Eats.  I've attached the link - check it out, I think you'll really enjoy it!

www.annies-eats.com

     Annie is an interesting woman (physician, mother, foodie) who takes beautiful pictures and makes food that I really like!  Her blog is beautiful to look at and interesting to read - so, of course I have passed it on to all my friends.  One of her recent posts featured a tempting chocolate confection called a "Tunnel of Fudge Cake" - check out her blog for the complete recipe.  My friend Patti took the Tunnel of Fudge Challenge - and how gorgeous is that cake!  I can't help it - I am "oohing and aahing" from afar - only wish I had been home in Akron to give this one a try!

Patti B makes a beautiful, ganache-covered treat - the Tunnel of Fudge Cake

     Our second tempting ganache-covered delight was Jennifer McClish's Boston Cream Pie, which she made for her husband Matt's birthday cake.  Mrs. McClish is an amazing cook - so, it's no surprise that this birthday treat tasted great.  Lucky for me this cake was within driving distance - so I actually got to enjoy this one.  Because she is who she is (and, we love her for it) - Jennifer didn't simply pick a Boston Cream Pie recipe - she sought out the best recipe for all three elements of this dessert and put them together to make "the ultimate Boston Cream Pie". 

A thing of beauty - Boston Cream Pie for Matthew's birthday

Here's her recipe - in her own words -- "This cake is comprised of three separate recipes because I am constitutionally incapable of keeping it simple...apparently"

Buttermilk Country Cake - adapted from Rose Levy Berenbaum's The Cake Bible

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted cake flour (I used all-purpose because frankly I know now that none of my fans can tell the difference)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a medium bowl combine yolks, 1/4 of the buttermilk, and vanilla.
In large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients--this includes the sugar, btw, for some reason that threw me. Blend for 30 seconds. Add softened butter and remaining buttermilk. Mix on low until dry ingredients moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minute to aerate, etc. etc. Add egg mixture in 3 batches, beating 20 seconds after each addition.
Scrape batter into prepared pan (I spray it and put parchment in the bottom). (This is enough for a 9 x 2 inch pan but I used an 8 x 2 inch pan so it would turn out taller.) Bake in preheated oven on 350 for 30 - 40 minutes (more like 45 for the 8 inch pan). When cake is cool, slice it in half horizontally with a serrated knife--lazy susan works well here. Fill with cooled cream custard and glaze.

Vanilla Cream Custard - adapted from Fannie Farmer

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Add sugar, flour, and salt to cold pan. Add just enough of the cold milk to make a slurry and press out any lumps. (Grandma method) Add rest of cold milk. Whisk over medium heat until steaming. Pour a little of the hot milk into the bowl of egg yolks. Whisk to temper then add the tempered egg yolks into the pot of steaming milk mixture. Stir constantly for 4 -5 minutes. Take off heat and add vanilla. Cool completely.

Velvety Ganache Glaze - adapted from Shirley Corriher's Bakewise

I got the idea of this glaze from Shirley, but she likes A LOT of glaze, so i used the proportions from another glaze recipe I have used on a chocolate bundt cake.  It chills well.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (that’s right, I used chocolate chips!)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Melt all ingredients in pot over low heat on the stove--stirring constantly--or in bowl in microwave. You can also use milk chocolate if you like a milder chocolate taste or bittersweet if you like it strong.

Champagne and Chocolate

     It's that time of the month - CAKE TIME!  It's time to unveil April's entry for The Year of the Cake.  An unexpected pleasure of this blog has been that several of my talented "foodie friends" have decided to bake along with me - how fun is that?  My dear friend Rose has also embraced 2012 as The Year of the Cake and has joined me in my quest to bake a new cake every month.  So, this post will actually be a double feature - I'll share the stories, pictures and recipes of both of our April cakes - which is only appropriate, since we actually shared the cakes with each other as a double feature dessert for last week's Sunday Supper.   
     Champagne and chocolate - what a great combination!  Rosie and I each selected a cake to honor one of these delicious ingredients. 

     Let's start with the bubbly - Rosie's Pink Champagne Cake.  For her birthday last month, Rose recieved a cookbook with a very intriguing name - Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine and Beer.  Now, come on - who can resist that?  We raised our proverbial glasses to the Year of the Cake with a Pink Champagne cake.  This recipe includes champagne in both the cake and the frosting - again, who can resist that?   

Rosie's Pink Champagne Cake - looks as lovely as it tastes

Rosie joins me in celebating "2012 - The Year of the Cake"

     Now for the chocolate - for this I had to think "outside the box".  My husband's birthday is in April - so, he had the honor of selecting this month's cake.  What most of you don't know about my husband is that he has had a long-standing love affair with another woman - her name is Betty - Betty Crocker!  As much as it pains me to acknowledge this, my husband loves boxed chocolate cake - he craves a 9X13 pan of Betty's finest, topped with Chocolate frosting out of a can.  As you can imagine, I can't help but roll my eyes when my question "what cake would you like for your birthday, dear" is met with the same response year after year..."chocolate boxed cake".  While I am certainly not above making a cake from a mix and have done so many times, I worried that it wouldn't really be true to the intent of "The Year of the Cake".  So - I started my search for "the best chocolate cake" - hoping I could find a recipe that could banish all thoughts of Betty and her boxed treats from his mind. 
     For me, a really good chocolate cake means one thing and one thing only - MOIST!  No dark chocolate flourless torte or mocha mousse confection - I needed a homey, moist, rich chocolate cake that cried out for a big glass of whole milk, one that evoked thoughts of Grandma's kitchen table and made you begin to hum God Bless America.  As usual, when I'm looking for a recipe that won't let me down, I turn to our gal Ina - the Barefoot Contessa's Beatty's Chocolate Cake seemed like just the kind of chocolate cake that could go head-to-head with the beloved boxed tradition.  This cake uses buttermilk for moisture, a mix of cocoa and melted chocolate for a rich chocolate taste and a cup of coffee to deepen the flavor.  It was easy to make and turned out just like the picture in the cookbook - and most importantly, it tasted great.

Homemade chocolate cake - hopefully it compared with the boxed tradition.

     As you can imagine, we were all stuffed after each having a piece of both cakes.  But - I must admit, chocolate and champagne do go very well together! 

Pink Champagne Cake -- from Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine and Beer

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 egg whites
• A few drops red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups Champagne

Pink Champagne Frosting

• 3/4 cups (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• A few drops red food coloring

     Preheat oven to 350  F.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.

     In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and beat in egg whites one at a time.

     Mix in food coloring.  Beat in flour mixture and Champagne in three alternating additions, starting and ending with flour to prevent curdling.  Pour batter into pans and bake 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on rack.

     For the frosting:  In a mixing bowl, beat butter 1 minute.  Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, Champagne, milk vanilla, and food coloring - beat until smooth and creamy.  (Note - Rosie had to add more sugar to get a spreadable consistency)

Beatty's Chocolate Cake - slightly adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home    

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

     Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
     Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

      Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

     In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.  On low speed, add the chocolate and to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Guy's Green Thumb

My husband has many talents - not the least of which is his ability to grow just about anything.  Like many of his talents, this is one I really don't share, but I sure do benefit from! Every year he turns our small yard into a meticulously tended thing of beauty and sustenance, managing to grow not only flowers, but a surprisingly large amount of fruit and veggies in a relatively small space.  Well, it's that time of the year again, and all of his hard work is beginning to pay off.

Let's start with the pretty stuff first.  One of the newest additions to our yard is the jasmine that he planted a few years ago on a trellis on our chimney.  It took a few years for this climber to fill in, but this year it has peaked - it is full and lush, pretty much covering our entire chimney.  Its beautiful white blossoms and dark green leaves are a delightful addition to the front of our house - but, the absolute best part is the sweet and lovely fragrance that bathes our entire front yard and envelopes you the minute you walk out of the front door.  What a great way to start and end our day!

In addition to all the pretty, blooming things (azaleas, roses, rhododendren, gardenia and jasmine - just to name a few) he has begun planting all sorts of tasty things as well - tomatos, cucumbers, peppers and herbs.  Even though our back yard is quite small and gets almost no sun, because of Guy's hard work and green thumb, we somehow manage to harvest bowls of veggies throughout the summer and really enjoy our version of "living off the land".  Along with the veggies in the back yard, he's planted some strawberries and blueberries in our small side yard - and, we're already enjoying the fruit of those labors.  While this first harvest hasn't been a large one, it's certainly been a sweet and colorful one. 

Not quite enough of berries to make strawberry shortcake yet - I can't wait for that.  Oh well - guess we'll just have to enjoy these lovely red treats "au natural" - one at a time, just the way they are, straight from the garden.  How sweet is that?

Do I smell something burning?

Did you ever have one of those days?  I did -- last Saturday -- but, I'll get to that in a minute.

Most of you here in ATL are familiar with The Cooks Warehouse - the amazing cookware store and cooking school that has been a home-away-from-home for me and a pivotal part of my culinary journey.  Cooks is a great place - I started taking classes there several years ago, then began assisting as a volunteer in cooking classes about 3 years ago.  I have met so many friends and fellow foodies through Cooks - and many of these folks have been a big part of my inspiration to embark upon this culinary path.

Well - I'm excited to say I am now officially a member of the Cooks Warehouse family - I got a part-time job (1-2 evenings a week) as one of the Principal Assistants for the cooking school.  As a Principal Assistant it is my job to make sure everything goes smoothly during cooking classes - working with the chef and the volunteer assistants to pull off a fun, educational and delicious evening for everyone involved.  I just started training this month and am really excited (and a little nervous) for my first "solo flight" this week.

There are many great benefits to being associated with Cooks - first, it's just a super great group of people; second, there's a sweet little discount on store merchandise; and, third, you get to take any class you want for free.  By far, however, the really great part of this gig is that you get to interact directly with some amazing chefs - many of them true giants in "the foodie world".  This perk is especially important to me since I am trying to network and meet as many chefs as possible to help me along my culinary journey. 

So - back to last Saturday.  Gena Berry is a pretty important player on the Atlanta culinary scene - she runs Culinary Works - and has her hands on most of the imporant culinary events in Altanta and even throughout the US.  One of my friends (someone else I had met through Cooks) happens to know Gena pretty well - and she had been nice enough to introduce me to her at another event and to mention my culinary aspirations to her.  When I found out that Gena was teaching a class last weekend  I quickly raised my hand to be a volunteer assistant (I was still in training as a Principal Assistant - hadn't yet received my "all clear" - so I was simply serving as one of the volunteer assistants).    My goal in this class was to get to know Gena better and, of course, impress her with my exceptional organizational skills and vast culinary knowledge.  So - imagine my complete and utter devastation when one of the other assistants uttered the damning phrase "Do I smell something burning" - and I look over to see that the dish I was responsible for was turning a deep and unappetizing color under the broiler.  SERIOUSLY???  I have melted cheese on nachos dozens of times - and THIS is the time I burn it - good grief!  Needless to say I was mortified - but I just kept on working and tried to smile, even though I was dying inside.  I must say, Gena was very calm about it and didn't even flinch - she simply trimmed off the burnt parts and served it up with a yummy black bean salsa and guacomole - and, actually it didn't taste too bad..   

Oh well - just have to shake it off, I guess.  I'm sure it won't be the last thing I burn - and I'm not going to let it keep me from reaching out to Gena again - perhaps I can impress her with my plucky "pick-yourself-up, dust-yourself-off" attitude, even if she may have her doubts about my culinary ability!

17 days and counting

How can something you've been planning for and anticipating for over two years suddenly seem to sneak up on you?  It's hard to believe, but I only have 17 more "real working days" left at KC.  I remember when I first started the countdown - it was "only 23 months to go" - and now I'm down to less than a month - incredible.  I am happy to report that things are actually going pretty smoothly - I'm finishing up a few last project items, but most of my work has been transitioned to my incredibly-competent replacement and I'm actually starting to settle into a less frantic routine.  As a matter of fact - I actually left work at 4:30 the other day - can't remember the last time I did that!  Life is still very busy with planning for a month in Europe this summer and sorting through choices related to culinary school - but, my stress level has seen a dramatic decrease, thankfully.

One of the things I wanted to take the opportunity to do before I left KC was actually bake for my team.  I know it sounds crazy that someone who professes to "have a passion for baking" was actually too busy to do it, but that is the sad reality.  In the past two years, I haven't managed to bring in a single home-made treat for my team - even though I hosted "Monthly Team Breakfast Meetings".  I am somewhat chagrined to admit I was a regular customer of Alon's to supply the requisite carbohydrates for these forums.  (Here's the real dirty-little-secret - there was even an occasional stop at Duncan Donuts when time was really tight.) 

But - no more - I want to take advantage of this waning level of responsibility and stress to roll up my sleeves and "bake someone happy".  Today's team breakfast featured one of my favorite scone recipes - Ina Garten's Maple-Oatmeal Scones.  These easy-to-make scones feature a light and tender inside and a crisp,  maple-glazed outside.  It worked out great - got them all prepped the night before and simply took them out of the fridge in the am and popped them into a hot oven.  I have found that even folks who "don't like scones" find this recipe hard to resist because the scones are so moist and flavorful.  I've included the recipe below, along with a pic of my ever-cheeful and uber-efficient admin assitant Deborah taking a break to enjoy one of my home-made treats.  Now this is my idea of a productive morning! 

I'm already thumbing through recipes trying to decide what to bring in for next week's breakfast...muffins or coffee cake?

Deborah and I enjoy a morning break - nothing better than a home-made treat!

Maple-Oatmeal Scones

For the scones:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash

For the glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.
To make the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of the glaze. I like to sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.

Recipe from Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

The Incredible Edible Egg

Most of you who know me know that I have a chicken fantasy -- no, nothing like that -- I would love it if we were able to have chickens in our back yard.  I love the thought of stepping off of my back porch and gathering up a handful of fresh eggs.  Until that happens, however, I must content myself with getting eggs from my friends with coops or picking them up at the neighborhood farmer's market.  The egg is certainly a glorious little food that deserves to be admired any day of the year - but, at Easter it seems only right to spend a few extra minutes singing the praises of these ovoid wonders.

A dozen beautiful brown eggs from my friend Henry's happy hens

Eggs of all shapes, sizes and colors form the base for several of my Easter dishes

So, while there's nothing quite like the beautiful orange-yellow color and and rich, luxurious taste of fresh eggs, I must confess that there's another "egg" that has become an Easter tradition for me - and it's anything but natural.  Guy and I are lucky enough to spend most holidays with our friends Matt and Jennifer McClish and their lovely children - Madeline, Ian, and Aidan.  When the kids were much younger I began a tradition of making Jello Egg Jigglers as part of our Easter feast - and, much to my chagrin (perhaps secret delight?), a bowl of  these non-natural, anti-organic, artificially dyed and flavored spheres of wiggling fun has graced our table every year since.  As you can see from the pictures below, these "eggs" are enjoyed by kids of all ages!

The makings of "Jello Egg Jigglers" - nothing natural to be found here!

Ian takes a minute to admire the "natural beauty" of the Jello Jigglers

It appears that the Jiggler is irresistable to kids of all ages.
Matt and Guy get caught sneaking one of these bright Easter treats.

In addition to the Jello treats, I did make a few other Easter dishes - and one that I wanted to share with you was my dessert - Martha Stewart's Easter Cheesecake.  This smooth, luscious treat was pretty simple to make and turned out to be a big hit with both adults and kids alike.  I have to believe that the fresh eggs were a big contributor to this cake's creamy texture and light yellow color.  It was a yummy end to a great Easter lunch - with a second piece making a great treat after an afternoon bike ride. 

Martha's Easter Cheesecake served with Betsy's Fresh Berry Sauce 

Easter Cheesecake (adapted slightly from Martha Stewart's website)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 pound finely ground blanched almonds
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 9"springform pan and dust with ground almonds; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, and beat until incorporated. Beat in zests and vanilla.
3. Pour into prepared pan and transfer to oven rack.  Additionally, place a roasting pan full of boiling water in the oven to keep cheesecake moist while cooking.  
4. Bake until firm, about 2 hours, adding more boiling water if necessary. Turn off the oven; keep the oven door ajar using a wooden spoon. Let cake cool completely in the oven.
5. Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.

I was going to top the cheesecake with some simple, sliced berries - but my husband reminded me of a great fruit sauce that was a staple of our dear friend and great Southern cook, Betsy Farnsworth.  While we didn't have Betsy's recipe, Guy had watched her make it often enough that we felt pretty confident we could re-create it.  This simple fruit sauce can be used to top just about anything - cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream.

Betsy's Fresh Berry Sauce

• 1 pint strawberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Cassis (or other liquer such as Chambord or Kirsh)

Place berries, sugar and water in medium saucepan.  Heat over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, then add in lemon and liquer.  Cook for a few minutes more, then turn off heat and let cool.  Once sauce is cool, puree in blender until smooth.  If desired, pass sauce through medium sieve/strainer to remove raspberry seeds.  Can be stored in refrigerator for several days to a week.