Still waiting for my library BRAVETART reservation to come in, but just read this hint:

M

marilynfl

Moderator
(from the Washington Post)

"Parks spent five long years developing her recipes, and the smart tricks sprinkled throughout the book show it was time well spent. For her yellow layer cake, she recommends adding a tablespoon of super-absorbent potato flour to keep it moist. And though I grumbled about making a special trip to the store and paying $8 for a bag, she’s right. It works."

Has anyone tried this hint?

PS: Sorry, the article doesn't include the chocolate cake, but it does include one for Key Lime Pie.

PPS: Several years back, I ordered 40 pounds of chocolate from Qzina and they included several PASTRY AND BAKING magazines with my order. This magazine focuses on restaurant level quality and quantity and Stella and her Fauxeos were featured. They did turn out quite well, but I ended up using a gluten-free brownie mix with her filling for my sister.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/bravetart-is-packed-with-clever-upgrades-of-baking-classics/2017/07/24/40dac182-6b38-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.ee3abc74bf2a

 
my library copy is being returned because I bought the book:)

The book is so impressive! I made the white layer cake with marshmallow buttercream - it was divine. The instructions and 'help' pages were over 8 pages long!

 
My reservation came in tomorrow. That book is DANGEROUS! I spent a good 2-weeks

...decades ago trying to clone a Snicker's bar "tart" for Bern's steak house. I'd worked out (well, almost worked out to be honest) a "bake when ordered" personal apple pie for him based on his strange and constrictive requirements. Then I suggested that since his restaurant featured American cuisine and a Snicker's Bar was America's favorite candy bar, he should have a dessert that mimic'd it.

Had I only realized that if I waited for 25 years, Bravetart would work out that tricky fondant (nougat) layer for me.

 
LOL:)

I'm going to try her glossy brownies in the next day or so and I'm looking forward to 'homemade' sweetened condensed milk.

 
Marilyn - the Glossy Dark Chocolate Brownies are amazing!!

I made the yesterday - wowsa! worth the price of the book alone! Although for some odd reason the top of mine weren't too glossy.

 
I just kept clicking around inside yr link and up popped the Chocolate Cake REC==>

One-Bowl Devil’s Food Layer Cake With Milk Chocolate Frosting from BRAVETART

Stella Parks' One-Bowl Devil’s Food Layer Cake, a moist, three-layer stunner that all but demands a cold glass of milk, uses rich and slightly acidic ingredients such as coffee and cocoa powder to spur the baking soda to work its magic. This has the added benefit of allowing you to basically dump everything in a pot and stir, skipping the step of beating the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Tested size: 16 servings; makes one 8-inch, 3-layer cake

Ingredients
For the cake

-24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter

-1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) black coffee or black tea, such as assam

-1 cup (3 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa powder

-1 1/4 cups (6 ounces) finely chopped dark chocolate, about 72 percent

-2 cups loosely packed (16 ounces) light brown sugar

-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-1 teaspoon kosher salt (see headnote)

-6 large eggs, straight from the refrigerator, plus 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) egg yolks (from about 3 large eggs)

-2 cups (9 ounces) flour (see headnote)

-1 tablespoon baking soda

For the frosting

-3 3/4 cups (20 ounces) finely chopped 35 percent milk chocolate (see headnote)

-3 cups (24 ounces) heavy cream

-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see headnote)

Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 8-by-3 inch anodized aluminum cake pans with parchment and grease with cooking oil spray; if you don't have three pans, the remaining batter can be held at room temperature for 90 minutes. (The cakes won’t rise as high in 2-inch pans.)

Combine the butter and coffee in a 5-quart stainless steel pot over low heat. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa and chocolate, followed by the brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix in the whole eggs and yolks. Sift in the flour (if using a cup measure, spoon into the cup and level with a knife before sifting) and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then divide among the prepared cake pans (20 to 23 ounces each).

Bake (lower-middle position for the rack) until the cakes are firm, though your finger will leave an impression in the puffy crust, about 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will emerge with a few crumbs still attached. Cool until no trace of warmth remains, about 90 minutes.

For the frosting: Place the chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Heat the cream in a 3-quart stainless-steel saute pan over medium heat. Once it's bubbling hard around the edges, pour over the chocolate; whisk by hand until smooth and stir in the salt. Let cool until the mixture is no longer steaming. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or until thick and cold, around 45 degrees. (Alternatively, cool in a sink full of ice water, stirring and scraping from time to time with a flexible spatula, about 1 hour.)

Use the balloon-whisk attachment to beat the mixture on medium-high until thick and silky. This can take from 75 to 120 seconds, so watch it closely. It’s best to use the frosting right away; the yield is about 5 1/2 cups, all of which will be used for this cake.

When you're ready to assemble the cake, loosen the layers with a knife, invert onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment and then flip over to the original top. Trim the top crusts from the cakes with a serrated knife. Place one layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Cover with a cup of the frosting, spreading it into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Repeat with the second and third layers, cut side down. Finish the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

 
I'm going to get the book as well. Returned mine to the library so I wouldn't be tempted right

at this moment. Because, oh, how that girl tempts!

I noticed she changed the Oreo/Faureo process. A few years back she simply rolled out the dough, cut with a crimped cutter and moved to baking tray. Then she took reserved cookie dough, thinned it out a bit, and piped squiggles all over the top of each cookie using a small icing tip.

In the new version, she dusts the dough with cocoa powder, rolls thin, dusts again with cocoa and rolls an embossing roller across the dough to get a pattern. Only then does she cut out each cookie with a round crimped cutter and move it to the baking pan.

I think the extra cocoa might make a difference in that hit of dark chocolate.

 
REC: Chopped Chocolate Chip Cookies from BRAVETART

CHOPPED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES from BRAVETART

A pinch of nutmeg and a sprinkling of salt amplify the butterscotchy flavor of chocolate chip cookies, while a blend of milk and dark chocolate chunks provide
alternating bites of creamy sweetness and bitter intensity. You can bake the cookies until they're golden brown and crunchy, but I prefer to pull them while they're still a wee bit pale so they stay soft and fudgy, crisp only around the
very edges. See photos on pgs 28 & 33 of BRAVETART.

Yield: 32 3-inch cookies -OR- 64 2-inch cookies.

2-1/2 cups (14 oz) roughly chopped mixed dark, milk and/or white chocolate (NOT
CHIPS)
2-3/4 cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, soft but cool--about 65 degrees F.
1 packed cup (8 oz) light brown sugar
1 cup (7.25 oz) white sugar
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized), plus more
for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 large egg, straight from the fridge

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set a handful of chopped chocolate aside. Place remainder in a medium bowl, sift flour on top (if using cup measures, spoon flour into the cups and level with a knife before sifting), and toss to combine.

Combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat
until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, crack in the egg and continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour/chocolate and
mix to form a stiff dough.

Divide into 32 1.5-oz. (2 Tablespoon) portions or 64 3/4-oz. (1 Tablespoon) portions. Arrange on parchment-lined aluminum baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate and a pinch each of kosher salt. Bake until the cookies are puffed and pale gold around the edges but steamy in the middle, about 15 minutes for large, 12 minutes for small. Or, for crunchy cookies, continue baking until golden, 3 to 5 minutes more.

MAKE AHEAD
Divide the portioned dough among several heavy-duty zip-top bags and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months. Let stand at room temperature until quite soft (about 70 degrees F.), and bake as directed.

Mix It Up!
BROWN BUTTER: Ready for a total knockout? Up the butter to 10 oz. (2.25 sticks) and use 2 eggs. In a 2-quart stainless steel saucier, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase to medium and simmer, stirring with a heat-
resistant spatula, while the butter hisses and pops.
Continue cooking and stirring, scraping up any brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan, until butter is golden yellow and perfectly silent. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, making sure to scrape up all the toasty brown bits, and cool until semi-solid and opaque. Proceed with the recipe as directed, incorporating the second egg after the first.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE: For soft cookies with a brownie-like chocolate intensity, reduce flour to 6 ounces (1-1/3 cups) and sift with 6 ounces (2 cups) Dutch- process cocoa powder, such as Cacao Barry Extra Brute. Prepeare dough as directed, but flatten each portion into a 3/4-inch disc. Bake 8 minutes for small cookies, 10 minutes for large.

HOMEMADE FAMOUS AMOS: Hypercrisp and crunchy, these bite-sized cookies get an extra layer of flavor and crunch from 4 oz. (1 cup) toasted pecans. Chop along with the chocolate, and proceed with the recipe as directed. Divide into 1 Tablespoon (3/4 oz) portions and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Makes 64 cookies.

MALTED MILK CHOCOLATE: This variation is best with a blend of milk chocolates, one fairly intense and the other a touch milky, such as a mix of Endangered Species 48% and Valrhona's 32% Dulcey. Increase white sugar to 14 oz (2 cups) and omit brown sugar. Along with butter, add 1 ounce (4 teaspoons) barley malt syrup and 2-1/4 ounces (1/2 cup) malted milk powder.

MAPLE WALNUT: Toss 6 ounces (1-1/2 cups) toasted walnut pieces with the flour and chocolate. Increase white sugar to 10.5 ounces (1.5 cups) and omit brown sugar. Along with the butter, add 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 ounces (1/4 cup) grade B maple syrup. For either size cookie, bake about 2 minutes longer than directed.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT: Reduce chocolate to 9 oz (1-2/3 cups) of your favorite white chocolate, mixed with 7 oz (1-1/2 cups) lightly toasted macadamia nuts.

GLUTEN-FREE: Replace the all-purpose flour with 4 oz (3/4 cup) white rice flour, 4 oz (1 cup) oat flour, and 4 oz (1 cup) teff flour.

 
I wholeheartedly agree! I chopped chocolate 4 cookies 4 the 1st time on 7/7/17 when I tried

the Jacques Torres cookie recipe GayR had originally posted. I loved the bigger melt-y puddles of chocolate and subsequently do this all the time now in whatever cookie recipe I make so that any & all chocolate chip recipes have morphed into chocolate chunk recipes!

 
REC: Triple-Oatmeal Cookies from BRAVETART

TRIPLE-OATMEAL COOKIES from BRAVETART by Stella Parks

These buttery brown sugar cookies may be loaded with crunchy pecans and tart cranberries, but they're all about the oats: rolled for the heartiness of a granola bar, steel-cut for a toothsome chew, and oat flour for a tender crumb.
Pick up a bag of oat flour online or in stores, usually in the baking aisle. Whole wheat flour will do in a pinch.

Yield: Thirty-two 3-inch cookies

2/3 cup (3 oz) all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal
3/4 cup (2.5 oz) oat flour, such as Bob's Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills
1-2/3 cups (6 oz) old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick-cooking or instant)
1/4 cup (1.5 oz) steel-cut or Irish oats
1-1/4 cups (5 oz) pecan pieces, toasted
1 cup (6 oz) dried cranberries
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, soft but cool--about 65 degrees F
2/3 packed cup (5 oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5 oz) white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized), plus more for sprinkling (optional)
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, straight from the fridge

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Sift flour into a medium bowl (if using cup measures, spoon into the cups and level with a knife before sifting). Add oat flour, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, toasted nuts, and dried fruit. (Stored in an airtight container, this mix will keep for 2 months at room temperature.)

Combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat for about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, crack in the egg and continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix to form a stiff dough.

Arrange thirty-two 1-ounce (2-Tablespoon) portions of dough on parchment-lined aluminum baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Flatten into 1/2-inch
discs; if you like, sprinkle each with a pinch of a salt. Bake until puffed and light gold around the edges, but pale and steamy in the middle, about 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until set, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy warm, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room
temperature.

MAKE AHEAD--Divide the portioned dough among several heavy-duty zip-top bags and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months. Let stand at room temperature until quite soft (about 70 degrees F) and bake as directed.

Mix it up!
APRICOT-WHITE CHOCOLATE: Tart bursts of chewy apricot, creamy bites of white chocolate, and buttery pistachios make for a sophisticated variation. Replace
dried cranberries with 6 ounces (1 cup) dried apricots diced into 1/4-inch pieces and swap the pecans for 5 ounces (1 cup) toasted pistachios, roughly chopped. Add 6 ounces (1 cup) white chocolate chunks or chips.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE: With chewy oats and crunchy pecans already in the mix, all you need is a handful of dark chocolate and coconut to turn these cookies into
mini-German chocolate cakes. Simply replace the cranberries with 6 ounces (2 cups) sweetened shredded coconut, and toss flour/oat mixture with 12 ounces (2
cups) finely chopped dark chocolate, such as Valrhona's 72% Araguani. Bake until lightly golden all over, about 15 minutes. If you like, drizzle the finished cookies with Chewy Caramel (page 306), cooled until thick but still
warm. This variation yields 48 cookies.

TRAIL MIX: To capture the salty-sweet flavor and crunch of trail mix in cookie form, reduce the butter to 6 ounces (1.5 sticks) and add 2 ounces (a generous 1/4 cup) creamy peanut butter. To complete the illusion, stir in 6 ounces (1
cup) M&M's.

GLUTEN-FREE: Replace the all-purpose flour with 2 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca flour or arrowroot and 2 ounces (1/2 cup) coconut flour. Prepare the dough as
directed, but flatten each portion into a disc prior to baking.

 
REC: Snickerdoodles from BRAVETART

Snickerdoodles from BRAVETART (See photo on page 43.)

There's nothing quite like the smell of cinnamon sugar wafting from the kitchen, except perhaps discovering its source: a warm tray of snickerdoodles. Their crinkled tops and pillowy thickness come from a blend of butter and
coconut oil--a natural alternative to shortening (see pages 41-42). Shape big bakery-style snickerdoodles if you want to invest more real estate in their rich and chewy centers, or downsize if you'd prefer a higher ratio of crispy edges. Yield: thirteen 5-inch cookies or twenty-six 3-1/2-inch cookies.

Cookies:
2-1/3 cups (10-1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, pliable but cool--about 60 degrees F.
1/2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) refined or virgin coconut oil, solid but creamy--about 70 degrees F.
1-1/2 cups (10-1/2 ounces) sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, straight from the fridge

Cinnamon Sugar:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
2 teaspoons grated cinnamon, or to taste

Make the dough:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sift flour into a medium bowl (if using cup measures, spoon into the cups and level with a knife before sifting).

Combine butter, coconut oil, sugar, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, pausing to scrape with a flexible spatula halfway through. With the mixer running, crack in the egg and continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix to form a stiff dough.

Divide into thirteen 2-1/2-ounce (1/4 cup) portions or twenty-six 1-1/4-ounce (2 Tablespoon) portions.

Dust and bake the cookies:
Mix sugar with ground and grated cinnamon in a small bowl; add more spice if you prefer. Roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball, tumble in Cinnamon Sugar until fully coated, and arrange on parchment-lined aluminum baking sheets, leaving 2-1/2 inches between each. Flatten into 1/2-inch discs and generously sprinkle with the remaining Cinnamon Sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees F. until the Snickerdoodles begin to spread, about 6 minutes for either size, then rotate baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking until the cookies are firm around the edges but still puffy in the middle, about 5 minutes for small, 8 minutes for large. Cool on the baking sheet until the edges crisp, about 10 minutes. Enjoy warm, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD
Divide the portioned dough among several heavy-duty zip-top bags and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months. Let stand at room temperature until quite soft (about 70 degrees F) and bake as directed. Freeze leftover Cinnamon Sugar in an airtight container up to 2 months, for use in future Snickerdoodles or in Snip Doodles (see page 47).

Mix It Up!

BACON-BACON: Cook 12 ounces bacon (1 package or 12 strips) on a griddle over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and bacon is golden and chewy, but not yet crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bed of paper towels, then roughly chop. Cool 3-1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) bacon fat until solid and creamy, about 70 degrees F. and use in place of coconut oil to make the dough. After rolling the cookies in cinnamon sugar, top the flattened cookie dough with chopped bacon. Otherwise, bake and cool as directed.

BANANA BREAD: SIFT FLOUR WITH 1 OUNCE (1/4 CUP) OAT FLOUR. MASH 5 OUNCES (2/3 CUP) RIPE BANANA WITH 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES TO ADD AFTER THE EGG. FOLD 6 OUNCES (1-1/2 CUPS) TOASTED WALNUT PIECES INTO THE FINISHED DOUGH. PORTION AND ROLL IN CINNAMON SUGAR, BUT DO NOT FLATTEN, AS THIS DOUGH WILL SPREAD NICELY ON ITS OWN. BAKE AS directed.

COOKIES AND CREAM: My favorite ice cream in cookie form. Roughly chop 8 ounces Homemade Oreo Cookies (see recipe on page 212; about 20 sandwich cookies) and freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Stir into the dough after adding the flour. Portion and shape as directed, but skip the Cinnamon Sugar. Bake at 350 degrees F. until firm around the edges but pale and steamy in the center, about 12 minutes for small cookies, 15 minutes for large.

OATMEAL STREUSEL: After flattening the sugar-dusted cookies, top with a sprinkling of frozen Snickerstreusel (on page 48). You'll need about one teaspoon per small cookie or two teaspoons per large (5 ounces or 1 cup total). Otherwise, bake as directed.

TAHITIAN COCONUT: Make the dough with virgin coconut oil and a teaspoon of pure coconut extract in addition to the vanilla. For the topping, omit the cinnamon and blend the sugar with the seeds from Tahitian vanilla bean that has been split lengthwise and scraped with a paring knife.

GLUTEN-FREE: It takes an arsenal of gluten-free flours to give Snickerdoodles the same chewy/crisp texture, but the results are identical to the original. Replace the all-purpose flour with 4 ounces (1 cup) almond flour, 3 ounces (3/4 cup) tapioca flour or arrowroot, 2 ounces (1/2 cup) mochiko, 1 ounce (1/4 cup coconut flour, and 1/2 ounce (1 Tablespoon) teff flour. This variation is NOT suitable for Snip Doodles on page 47.

 
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