Kiss the book

KISS THE COOK Cookbook

TABLE OF CONTENTS Whenever I'm asked how I got here - presumably, to a place where you'd have my cookbook in front of you, not my writing lair with a bay window overlooking the sea my sofa with an explosion of wooden train tracks around me. Chocolate mousse 01 This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make! 03 Corn pie Trinidadian corn pie has two my favorite ingredients – corn and cheese so of course I as head over heels at first bite. I created this version using a spicy habanero cheese which kicks it up several notches!

Cupcakes 05 Cupcakes are small, tasty snack cakes that are favored for their portability and portion-control. Honey waffle 07 Honey Waffles are fluffy, sweet and super easy to make. Strawberry cake 10 Fresh strawberry cake! 11 Apple crostata Crostata is the Italian term for a simple rustic tart, or galette. Croissant 13 Crostata is the Italian term for a simple rustic tart, or galette. Special tips The perfect cake 16 This useful information will help guarantee your next cake is the perfect cake.

Chocolate Mousse This classic chocolate mousse is light yet intensely chocolate. Don’t be fooled by the French name — it’s quick and easy to make!

CHOCOLATE \"Anything worth MOUSSE having takes time.\" Directions STEP 1 STEP 4 Fold egg yolks into cream using a rubber Add 1/4 of beaten egg whites into spatula – 8 folds max. Streaks is ok. chocolate mixture. Fold through until incorporated – “smear” the spatular STEP 2 across surface to blend white lumps in – aim for 10 folds. Check Chocolate Temp: Touch the chocolate. Should still be runny but only STEP 5 lukewarm. If too thick, microwave 2 x 3 seconds until runny. Pour chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold through until incorporated and no STEP 3 more white lumps remain – aim for 12 folds max. Pour chocolate into cream yolk mixture. Fold through – 8 folds max. Streaks ok. STEP 6 Divide mixture between 4 small glasses or pots. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. Meet the chef 02

CORN PIE I’m always inspired by my travels when it comes to cooking. I had Trinidadian Corn Pie on one of my trips to Trinidad and fell in love. Trinidadian corn pie has two my favorite ingredients – corn and cheese so of course I as head over heels at first bite. I created this version using a spicy habanero cheese which kicks it up several notches! I used frozen corn which I defrosted in the microwave and strained any excess liquid. Most recipes call for canned corn but I prefer frozen over canned because it tastes better and there are no preservatives. If using canned, be sure to strain all the liquid. Trinidadian corn pie makes a great side dish for any Sunday or holiday meal. Essential ingredients Butter 4 oz Finely diced red bell 3/4 cop Chopped onions 1/2 cop pepper Creamed corn 1 1/2 cop Whole or evaporated 1 cop Frozen corn 1 cop milk Salt 1 tsp Finely ground cornmeal 3/4 cop Black pepper 1/2 tsp Cabot habanero cheddar 1 cop Egg 1 cheese

The basic 04 STEP 1 Directions Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion STEP 6 and peppers and saute for until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add 1 beaten egg a little at a time while stirring vigorously. STEP 2 STEP 7 Add milk and bring to a boil. Add cheese and mix in. STEP 3 STEP 8 Add cornmeal, a little at a time and stir after each addition. Place in a greased baking dish and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30- STEP 4 35 minutes. Stir in creamed corn and whole corn STEP 9 kernels. If using frozen defrost, and if using canned corn, drain before adding to the Cool before serving. pot. STEP 5 Add salt and black pepper and stir to combine.

Cupcake recipe 05 Cupcake Cupcakes are small, tasty snack cakes that are favored for their portability and portion-control. They are batter cakes baked in a cup- shaped foil or temperature resistant paper. A cupcake can be prepared from a variety of formulations and can be decorated with cream and icings. Its composition is not that different from traditional high- ratio layer cakes. The only difference is the cupcakes higher batter viscosity, an important aspect for better processing and baking tolerances.

HOW TO MAKE Prep Time CUPCAKE 15 Mins 1 Hr 10 Mins Serves Level 4 Easy Ingredients Direction Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp STEP 1 Vanilla 2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and Eggs 2 position a rack in the middle of the oven. Unsalted butter 1 1/2 tbsp Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin or two Sugar 2/3 cop 24-cup mini-muffin tins with cupcake Flour 1 1/2 cop liners. Milk 1/2 cop Topping STEP 2 Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. STEP 3 In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the melted butter and then the vanilla. STEP 4 While mixing slowly, add half of the flour mixture. Then add all the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture; take care not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tin. STEP 5 Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, rotating the tin about halfway through baking time, 18 to 20 minutes for standard cupcakes or 10 to 12 minutes for minis. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on the rack completely. Frost and decorate as desired. Enjoy

07 HONEY WAFFLE Honey Waffles are fluffy, sweet and super easy to make. They only require 5 pantry staples and a single bowl to whip up. Make a stack of these for breakfast or brunch in under 30 mins. Prep Time 15 Mins 30 Mins Serves Level 4 Easy Ingredients Melted butter 1/8 tsp Granulated sugar 1/8 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Eggs 3 Vanilla 2 tsp All-purpose flour 1/2 cop Baking powder 1/2 cop Baking soda 1/2 cop

ALTHY A ND EASY RT . HE Direction . DESSE STEP 1 STEP 4 In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff Combine egg yolk mixture, flour mixture peaks form. Set aside. and melted butter and mix well. Gently fold in egg whites. STEP 2 STEP 5 In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Bake in heated, greased waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. STEP 3 STEP 6 In a seperate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add milk and mix well. Serve with maple syrup or other favorite topping. It's a reliable batter with honey instead of sugar.

STRAWBERRY CAKE Prep Time Serves Level 15 Mins 30 Mins 4 Easy

Strawberry cake recipe 10 Fresh strawberry Ingredients cake Salted butter 1/8 tsp Direction Granulated sugar 1/8 tsp All-purpose flour 1/2 tsp STEP 1 Eggs 3 Vanilla flavor 2 tsp Place Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk well for 1 Fresh milk 1/2 cop minute. Baking powder 1/2 cop Fresh strawberry 1/2 cop STEP 2 Add Dry ingredients then whisk well until lump free. STEP 3 Pour half into cake pan, smooth surface. Scatter over diced strawberries. STEP 4 Top with remaining batter. Smooth surface, then top with halved strawberries, cut face down. STEP 5 Bake 50 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. If you need to cook longer, cover with foil if it starts getting too golden. STEP 6 Stand 15 minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto cooling rack. STEP 7 Cool 15 minutes+ before serving warm or at room temp. Dust with icing sugar, and serve with cream or if serving warm, ice cream!

11 Ingredients Unsalted butter 1/8 tsp Pasta flour 1/8 tsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Apples peeled 3 Vanilla 2 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 cop Fresh apple 1/2 cop Nutmeg 1/2 cop APPLE CROSTATA Direction STEP 2 STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet. with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to STEP 3 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice For the filling, peel, core, and cut the water all at once through the feed tube. apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange but stop the machine just before the zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

STEP 4 STEP 5 Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, and allspice in the bowl of a food until the crust is golden and the apples are processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at butter and pulse until the mixture is room temperature. crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Prep Time Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the 15 Mins 30 Mins dough, pleating it to make a circle. Serves Level About menu 4 Easy Crostata is the Italian term for a simple rustic tart, or galette. To make this apple crostata, we toss some apple slices with lemon, sugar, cornstarch, and spices, roll out a round of dough, and arrange the apple slices in the center of the dough. Fold the sides of the dough a little over the fruit and bake. It's easy!

CROISSANT Prep Time Serves Level 15 Mins 30 Mins 4 Easy

Strawberry cake recipe 14 Ingredients It’s all about the French Type 55 flour 500 g layers… Water 140 g Whole milk 140 g Direction Sugar 55 g Soft unsalted butter 40 g STEP 1 Instant yeast 11 g Salt 12 g In a medium bowl, combine the flour, water and yeast and mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. STEP 2 Let the sponge stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. STEP 3 In a small saucepan, heat the milk until lukewarm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine both of the flours with the sugar, salt and yeast. Scrape in the sponge. At low speed, drizzle in the lukewarm milk and mix just until the dough comes together. Let stand for 10 minutes. STEP 4 Knead the dough at low speed until it forms a ball, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Punch down and refrigerate for 3 hours. STEP 5 Meanwhile, on a sheet of parchment paper, arrange the sticks of butter side by side so they touch. Cover with another sheet of parchment. Using a rolling pin, pound the butter flat and roll out to a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Refrigerate until ready to use.

STEP 6 STEP 8 Remove the butter from the refrigerator and Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with let stand at room temperature for about 10 parchment paper. On a lightly floured minutes, until soft and pliable—the butter surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll should yield gently when you press it with out the layered dough to a 13-by-36-inch your finger and hold the indent, like a ripe rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or sharp avocado. On a lightly floured surface, using a knife, cut the dough crosswise to form nine lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough 13-by-4-inch strips. Halve each strip to a 12-by-28-inch rectangle. If the dough lengthwise on the diagonal to make 18 long springs back, cover it with a kitchen towel triangles. Starting at the shortest side, roll and let rest for 5 minutes before rolling. each triangle into a crescent shape. Arrange Arrange the butter in the center of the the croissants on the prepared sheets, tip dough so the short sides are parallel. Fold side down and spaced 3 inches apart. Cover over the 2 short sides of the dough so they loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room meet in the center; pinch together to seal. temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 Pinch the long sides of the dough together hours. to completely seal in the butter. Turn the dough so that a long side is facing you and STEP 9 roll out to a 12-by-28-inch rectangle. Starting from the bottom, fold the dough into thirds Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small bowl, like a letter. Brush off any excess flour and beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. wrap the dough in plastic. Chill until firm but Brush the croissants with the egg wash and pliable, about 1 hour. bake until deep golden brown and crisp, 20 to 23 minutes. Transfer the croissants to a STEP 7 rack to cool. Arrange the dough on a lightly floured MAKE AHEAD surface with a short side facing you. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the The baked croissants can be frozen for 1 dough to a 12-by-28-inch rectangle. Fold month. Reheat in a 350° oven until warm into thirds like a letter, wrap in plastic and and crisp. freeze overnight. Before baking, let thaw in the refrigerator until semi-firm and pliable, about 3 hours.

Special tips THE PERFECT CAKE \"Happiness With every recipe I publish and tip I share, my is a habit.\" goal is to help you become a better baker. As a home baker turned cookbook author and recipe publisher, I’ve made THOUSANDS of mistakes in the kitchen, especially when it comes to making the perfect cake. Let me share the cake baking tips I’ve learned over the years. This useful information will help guarantee your next cake is the perfect cake.

Tips 1 DON’T OVER-MIX, DON’T UNDER-MIX Whether a recipe calls for mixing batter with an electric mixer or simply using a whisk, make sure you’re mixing the cake batter together *just until* the ingredients are combined. Over- mixing batter, whether that’s for cakes, cupcakes, breads, muffins, etc, lends a tough- textured baked good because you’re deflating all the air and over-developing the gluten. Don’t turn on the mixer then leave the room! Likewise, don’t under-mix. Obviously we want all of the ingredients incorporated together. Tips 2 CAKE FLOUR The more cake baking experience I have, the more often I reach for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. You see, cake flour is a low protein flour that’s finely milled into a delicate consistency. This soft, tender texture directly translates into your baked cake. Tips 3 If you prepare cake one day ahead of time, you can bake and cool it, then cover it tightly and STORING & TRANSPORTING CAKES keep at room temperature. Fresh frosting tastes best, so assemble and frost the day of serving. If Unless otherwise noted, cakes taste best storing a frosted cake, keep it covered in the at room temperature. (Love chocolate refrigerator. Set it on the counter before serving mousse cake cold though!) so it warms to room temperature. All of my cake recipes include make-ahead instructions.

Cookbook KISS THE COOK