Cheesecake

Formula*: yields 2 - 8" cakes
2.5# Cream cheese, room temp
14 oz. Sugar
0.75 oz. Cornstarch
3.5 g. Lemon zest**, grated
0.25 oz. Vanilla extract
5 g. Salt (aprox. 1/2. tsp)
8 oz. Whole eggs
3 oz. Egg yolk***
4 oz. Heavy cream
2 oz. Milk
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
6 oz. Graham cracker crumbs****
3 oz. Sugar
3 oz. Butter, melted

Tools: mixer, spring form pan (or cake pan lined with parchment paper), rubber spatula

*adapted from Gisslen, Professional Baking Ed. 5, pg. 528
**lemon zest will dry out if you do not combine it with something else.
***can combine with whole eggs
****adapted from Gisslen, Professional Baking Ed. 5, pg. 290


MOP: assembled
To make Graham cracker crust take crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and mix on low with paddle attachment until all the ingredients are fully combined and slightly moist. Press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan. If you are using a cake pan make sure it is sprayed and that a parchment circle is sprayed on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 5 minutes in heated oven (temperature does not matter) or until the moisture in the crumbs has dried out and are hard. Set aside.

In mixer break down cream cheese with paddle attachment. Stop mixer to scrape down as necessary. You want the cream cheese to be soft and at a spreadable consistency. When softened add zest (and lemon juice) to cream cheese. Move mixer to slow speed and add in sugar. When sugar is incorporated increase to medium speed. Continue mixing to get out lumps. Stop mixer to scrape down bowl as necessary. Pour in eggs in stages. Mix until smooth. When mixture is smooth decrease to low speed and add cornstarch, milk, and cream.

If your mixture is still lumpy run it through a sieve. Pour into two pans. Can be baked in a water bath, but is not necessary. Water baths, for cheesecake, aides in browned tops and unbrowned sides.

Bake at 320°-325°F deck oven with settings 0-10-10 for 12-15 minutes, or until the center is not jiggling and the sides have separated slightly from the pan sides.

Cool the cake before refrigerating or freezing to set. Let set and chill before serving.

Crème Anglaise

Crème anglaise is a light vanilla flavored custard. It was the base for the Bavarian cream used in the strawberry cake, because it is essentially just an eggs, milk, and sugar custard. This is also going to be the same custard that is used for our bread pudding and the crème caramel recipe.

This formula, like most custards can be made by either doing a cold infusion method or a hot infusion method. This method of preparation describes how to do a hot infusion. To see the technique for a cold infusion see Crème Brûlée recipe. Reasons for using one method over another depends on speed and if you are using an acidic flavour or infusion for your custard. The acid, like lemon, will curdle the milk if it is heated up so for that kind of baked custard you would use a cold infusion.

Formula*: yields 12 portions, 5 oz each
16 oz. Eggs
8 oz. Sugar
0.08 oz. Salt (1/2 t)
0.5 oz. Vanilla Extract
2 lb 8 oz. Milk

Tools: saucepan, wooden spoon, whisk, stainless steel bowl, plastic wrap
*This formula is from Gisslen, Professional Baking Ed. 5, pg. 523

MOP: hot infusion
In a saucepan scald, or heat your milk.
In a separate bowl add your eggs, half of your sugar (4oz.), and salt. Whisk to combine.
When the milk starts to heat up add the other half of sugar to the milk. Stir to dissolve the sugar granules. When the sugar is dissolved temper the milk into the sugar (in approximately 3rds for this amount).
Cover the mixture with plastic, make sure the plastic is touching the custard. This step will help the air bubbles settle from the custard as it sets up. If you are using the custard for bread pudding you do not need to cover it before baking.

Crème Brûlée

This crème brûlée formula honestly wasn't my favourite. And I'm also not a huge fan of crème brûlée... But non the less it does use a cold infusion technique that is quite simple to make. So if you are in a pinch for an easy dessert this is it.

Formula*: yields approximately 6 - 5 oz. portions
6  Egg yolks
3 oz. Sugar (have more on hand for garnishing)
24 oz. Heavy cream, hot
0.125 oz. Vanilla extract (3/4 t)
3/8 t  Salt (you can kind of eyeball this to be just a tad more then 1/4 t)

Tools: Soufflé cups, large stainless steel bowl, spatula, whisk, ladle or scoop if desired
*This formula is adapted from Gisslen, Professional Baking Ed. 5, pg. 524

MOP: Cold infusion
In a large mixing bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar until combined. Temper in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic, allow the plastic to touch the custard to help get rid of air bubbles. Chill, but do not freeze (optional). Chilling the custard briefly helps it set and get rid of more air bubbles, you still want the custard to be liquid however so it doesn't need to chill too long.

Fill soufflé molds half of the way up in an ungreased mold.

                                      

Bake in a water bath (get a larger pan to put the soufflé molds into, fill

this pan up to half the height of the custards with water). Bake in a 300° F  deck oven (with settings 0-10-10) with the dampers open. Bake at 250°-275°F in a convection oven, cover when baking.
When finished baking, let cool on a cooling rack before freezing.
Take out when you want to serve. Dust the top with sugar. Use blow torch and burn the top of the custards. You should ideally get a thin layer of caramelization on top. Serve within an hour or two so the carmel doesn't soften.

Chocolate Soufflé

The important thing to note about soufflé's is that timing is very crucial. The different components of the soufflé: the streusel, pate a choux, and the meringue can be made separately and in a service environment the streusel can be made ahead and held in a refrigerator for quick and easy use.

Formula*: yields 10- 12 portions
Streusel:
     3 oz.  Bread flour
     3 oz.  Butter (have extra on hand for lining soufflé cups)
     3 oz. Sugar
Pate a choux:
    16 oz.  Milk
    4 oz.  Sugar
    6 oz.  Egg yolks (aprox. 8-9 yolks)
    0.33 oz.  Vanilla extract (2t)
3 oz. Unsweetened chocolate
1 oz. Sweetened chocolate
Italian meringue:
    10 oz. Egg whites (aprox. 10 whites)
    2 oz. Sugar

Tools: soufflé cups, sauce pan, large stainless steel bowl, mixer, wooden spoon, portion scoop
*This formula is adapted from Gisslen, Professional Baking, Ed. 5, pg. 550


MOP:
In mixer combine bread flour, butter, and sugar to make the streusel. Using the paddle attachment mix on low speed until combined. Streusel can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated, especially as you can use it for a variety of different baking products. Set aside.
Prep your soufflé cups while you are mixing the streusel. Use your hands to generously butter each cup.

The following steps you want to do right before service. Soufflé are best served when hot and while they still retain their shape. If you pre make them they will look flat and taste dense and old.

In clean mixer make a meringue from the egg whites and sugar. Bring this to a soft peak. And set aside. This can be done while you do the following steps.

Heat milk in sauce pan. Let milk come to a scald, not a boil. In a separate large stainless steel bowl add both chocolates, vanilla extract. Set aside.

Add your streusel to the milk. Continuously mix while it thickens and heats up. You want to heat this until the mixture starts to bubble. When it starts to bubble add this to the chocolate mixture. Stir to dissolve chocolate.

Add egg yolks in stages. Mix to throughly combine. When all the eggs are incorporated and in your meringue, folding gently to combine into a smooth batter.

Use a portioning scoop to divide the batter into the soufflé cups.

Bake at 375 in a convection oven for approximately 10-12 minutes.