by Cleo Coyle
Makes two cakes using loaf pans of 8½ × 4½ × 2 inches
¾ cup (1½ stick) butter, sliced into small pieces
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup brewed coffee or espresso
½ cup whole milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Espresso Glaze (recipe follows)
Step 1—Prep oven and pans: First preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of two loaf pans (size 8½ × 4½ × 2-inch) and create parchment paper slings. The handles of these slings will be used to lift the baked cakes out of their pans. Here’s how to make the slings: Trim a length of paper in each pan so that the bottom is covered and excess paper extends beyond the long sides to create handles. The butter will help the paper stick to the pan’s sides. For a tight fit, put sharp folds in the paper at the pan’s corners.
Step 2—Easy “melt-and-mix” method: Into a saucepan combine the sliced up butter, oil, sugar, chocolate, coffee, and milk. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and all ingredients are smoothly blended together. (Do not allow this mixture to boil or you’ll end up with a scorched taste to your chocolate.) You can also use a microwave to melt these ingredients, but be sure to use a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst to prevent chocolate from burning. Set aside to cool.
Step 3—Finish batter: Into a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, the sour cream, vanilla, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping down the bowl until all ingredients form a smooth batter. (Do not over-mix) Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4—Bake and cool: Divide the batter evenly between your two lined loaf pans. Bake for about 70–80 minutes (time will depend on your oven). Remove from oven. Allow cakes to cool 10 minutes in the pan, and then use the parchment paper handles to lift the cakes out. Let the cakes cool on a rack for another 30 minutes before slicing. Do not glaze until completely cool.
Step 5—Glaze and serve: While the cakes are cooling, mix up the Chocolate Espresso Glaze (recipe follows). Spoon generously over each completely cooled cake top. Use the back of your spoon to spread the glaze evenly. Be sure to push excess glaze over the edges for a nice drizzly effect down the cake sides. Serve slices with dollops of Whipped Coffee Cream (recipe follows).
Chocolate Espresso Glaze
This glaze pairs beautifully with chocolate, mocha, and coffee-flavored cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and croissants. For a frosting-like layer, spoon the glaze over the tops of your cakes and cupcakes then use the back of the spoon to smooth it. Or use a fork to drizzle the glaze back-and-forth across your pastry. Either way, it’s a stunning and delicious finish to your baked goodies.
Makes about 1 cup
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 4 ounces of block chocolate, chopped)
¼ cup brewed coffee or espresso
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 Tablespoon corn syrup (light or vanilla)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Place chocolate chips (or 4 ounces of chopped block chocolate) into a mixing bowl and set aside. Over low heat, bring the following ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan: coffee or espresso, butter, vanilla, instant espresso powder, and corn syrup. Pour the simmering liquid over your chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) and stir until all chocolate is melted and the liquid is smooth. Finally add in 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whisk until the glaze is completely smooth and shiny (with no lumps). You can spoon it over your cake and use the back of the spoon to smooth the glaze into an even layer. Or you can use a fork and a back-and-forth motion for a drizzling effect. Glaze will be wet at first and should set in about an hour.
Whipped Coffee Cream
2⁄3 cup heavy cream, well chilled
1 tablespoon brewed coffee, cooled*
1–2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Note: For vanilla cream, replace coffee with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (use clear extract for a prettier, whiter cream)
For best results pre-chill your mixing bowl and beaters. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until frothy and thick. Slow the mixer and beat in the cooled coffee and sugar. Increase speed and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Keep chilled in refrigerator. Dollop over slices of the cake before serving.
Clare’s Cappuccino Chiffon Cake for Mike
Clare’s “household for three” had its challenges, and on the night Mike Quinn finally grew weary of Matteo’s carnitas burritos, Clare whispered sweet foodie promises in his ear, namely a special roasted chicken dinner that would end in this “light-as-air” Cappuccino Chiffon Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting.
“A forkful of this cake,” she cooed, “should fill your mouth with the most delicate flavors, then dissolve on your tongue as if you’ve bitten into a cloud from heaven.”
Clare shares two variations for frosting this chiffon cake—vanilla or mocha—and she suggests finishing it with a generous sprinkling of dark and white chocolate curls.
Makes two 8-inch round layer cakes
4 extra-large egg yolks, room temperature (keep egg whites for next step)
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
¹⁄³ cup brewed coffee
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¹⁄³ cup + 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1¼ cups cake flour, sift before measuring
1½ teaspoons baking powder
4 extra-large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped Cream Frosting (vanilla or mocha)
Chocolate curls (dark and white)
Step 1—Prep oven and pans: First, preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of two nonstick cake pans with parchment paper, and coat the paper lightly with nonstick spray. Separate the eggs. You will need both the yolks and whites in this recipe.
Step 2—One-bowl mixing method: In a large bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder into the brewed coffee (if the coffee is very hot, wait until it cools before proceeding). Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Beat well with an electric mixer, at least 3 minutes. Stop mixer and add flour. Sprinkle baking powder evenly over the flour. On a lower speed of your mixer, blend until a smooth batter forms, but do not overmix at this stage.
Step 3—Lighten batter with whipped egg whites: Choose a very clean glass, ceramic, or metal bowl for this next step. (For best results do not use plastic. Grease clings to plastic and this will prevent you from properly whipping the whites.) Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until you see stiff, glossy peaks. Very gently, fold these glossy, sweetened egg whites into the batter mixture from Step 1. Divide your final chiffon batter between your two cake pans.
Step 4—Bake: In your well-preheated oven, bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove cake pans from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow cakes to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pans. To remove cake layers from pans, wait until completely cool, then carefully run a knife around the sides of each pan and invert cakes onto plates. Peel away the parchment paper on the bottoms.
Step 5—Big finish: Frost with Clare’s Whipped Cream Frosting (see next recipe). Decorate this frosted cake liberally with dark and white chocolate curls to finish. For ins
tructions on how to create chocolate curls, turn to page 349.
Clare Cosi’s Whipped Cream Frosting
2½ cups heavy whipping cream, well chilled
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
23⁄4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear vanilla for whiter results)
Note: For a Mocha Whipped Cream variation, replace the vanilla with ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.
Step 1—Create the stabilizer: First place mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator. Chilling will give you better results in the next step. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Pour in ½ cup of the cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking continually until the mixture thickens (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to come to room temperature—to accelerate the cooling, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer.
Step 2—Whip up frosting: In a large pre-chilled mixing bowl, whip the remaining (well chilled) 21⁄4 cups of cream with an electric mixer until frothy and slightly thickened. Slow the mixer and beat in the stabilizing cream from Step 1 then increase the speed to high and whip until firm peaks form.
Warning: Before frosting any cake, be sure it is completely cooled or else you’ll melt this frosting. Store any unused frosting or uneaten cake in the refrigerator.
Clare’s Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Lime for Mike
Rosemary and lemon may be a classic flavor combo for chicken, but Clare saw a beautiful green mountain of plump, juicy limes at her local market and decided to bring their refreshing summer flavor to a gently roasted bird. Mike Quinn flipped for it, and she made good on her promise, roasting this chicken for him the Sunday before he hopped the Acela Express down to Washington. With a side of her Fully-Loaded Colcannon and a slice of Chiffon Cappuccino Cake for dessert, Mike swore he’d be back for a visit the very next weekend—and he was.
4–6 pound whole chicken
5–6 fresh limes (medium size)
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Step 1—Prep meat: First preheat your oven to 350º F. Allow the chicken to reach room temperature (20 to 30 minutes outside the refrigerator). Rinse the chicken and pat dry. If your limes were in the refrigerator, warm them to room temperature, as well.
Step 2—Stuff the bird: Quarter one lime and place the sections inside the chicken cavity, along with a dash of sea salt and white pepper. Close the cavity. (Use a simple wooden skewer for this.)
Step 3—Create the rosemary-lime slurry: Place the sea salt into a small bowl and smash the garlic on it. Mix in the freshly squeezed juice of 2 to 3 limes (enough to measure about 1⁄4 cup). Add the chopped rosemary, poultry seasoning, white pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Now rub this slurry all over the bird and place breast side up on the greased rack.
Step 4—Roast: Lightly coat the top of your broiler pan or roasting rack with the final tablespoon of olive oil. (For easier cleanup, I also like to cover the bottom portion of my pan with aluminum foil.) Place your pan in the center of your oven for about 25 minutes per pound, giving a bird of 6 pounds about 2½ hours of cooking time; a bird of 4 pounds about an hour and forty minutes. You’re watching for the thickest part of the thigh to reach an internal temperature of 165º F.
Step 5—Finish: Once cooked, allow the chicken to stand for 15 minutes before carving. To keep it warm, tent foil over the bird. This resting period is important. If you cut into the bird right out of the oven, the juices will run out and your chicken will be dry instead of succulent, which is almost as bad, in Clare’s opinion, as missing a clue.
Clare’s Fully-Loaded Colcannon for Mike
Growing up in a big, Irish-American family, Mike Quinn ate colcannon on a regular basis. The dish takes its name from the Gaelic word cál ceannann, meaning “white-headed cabbage”—and kale or cabbage is in the traditional recipe, along with potatoes, onions (or scallions, chives, or leeks), and cream and/or butter.
Clare often made the traditional version for Mike, but for this recipe, she decided to give it an Italian kiss of olive oil; a warm, sweet hug of garlic; and a big old American-style finish of gooey melted cheddar and smoky crumbled bacon. Like a “fully-loaded” baked potato, she’s loaded Mike’s colcannon with comfort-food flavor.
Makes about 6 cups
1 pound red potatoes, cut into uniform pieces
2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (or four regular bacon slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
½ head cabbage, sliced thin (approximately 6 cups)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
²⁄³ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Step 1—Cook the potatoes: Steam the sliced up red potatoes until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Clare uses a simple collapsible steamer basket in a deep pot. Remove the pot from heat, drain any extra water, and cover to keep the potatoes warm.
Step 2—Render bacon and sauté veggies: While potatoes are steaming, chop bacon into ½-inch pieces and cook over a very low heat to render the fat. When bacon is brown, remove from pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium, and add the olive oil to the drippings in the pan. Then add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring often.
Step 3—Simmer: Reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, butter, salt, and white pepper; cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 8 minutes.
Step 4—Finish: Add the hot cabbage mixture in with the potatoes. Mash with a metal potato masher or large fork until the ingredients are blended. Fold in the cheese and cover the pot until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with crumbled bacon bits.
Dominic Chin’s “Chitalian” Chicken (or Shrimp) Lo Mein
Clare Cosi snagged this recipe from City Councilman Dominic Chin. With an Italian mom and a Chinese dad, Dom famously grew up on one grandmother’s biscotti and the other’s moon cakes. As for this recipe, according to Dom, mein means noodles in Cantonese, and lo mein means “stirred noodles,” which refers to the method of stirring them into the pan at the end of the cooking process.
Because Chinese lo mein noodles are flat and wheat-based, Italian linguine, spaghetti, or “thick spaghetti” (Dom’s favorite for this recipe) are good substitutes, which is the Italian part of this Chinese-inspired dish. Cooking time is under 30 minutes, and to make life easier, Clare suggests using a frozen veggie mix so you don’t have to spend time cleaning and cutting.
Both Clare and Dom have a final word of advice for cooks in a hurry: Do not skip the prep step! Marinating the chicken (or shrimp) boosts the flavor enormously in this dish, and it’s very easy. The “Chinglish” marinade recipe follows this one, and you can use it in plenty of other recipes, too. May you cook it with love, and eat it with joy!
Makes 4 servings
1 pound marinated chicken, chopped (or whole shrimp, marinade directions follow)
1 cup of dried spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccini (about 1⁄3 of a 16-ounce package)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger (dried powder from the spice aisle)
½ teaspoon dried/powdered chicken bouillon
Dash of ground white pepper
2 tablespoons hot tap water (or scoop out water from noodle pot)
1 tablespoon oil, either sesame or peanut oil (if you can’t find, use canola)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
3 cups (about ¾ of a 1-lb bag)
frozen peas and carrots (or “Asian-style” frozen veggie mix)*
Note: 1 large chicken breast or 4 chicken thighs will equal about 1 pound of meat, which is the amount needed for this recipe.
The frozen vegetables can be increased to 4 cups or reduced to 2, depending on your taste.
Step 1—Marinate the chicken (or shrimp): See Dom’s easy “Chinglish” marinade recipe for chicken or shrimp, following this one. When ready to use, remove the chicken pieces (or shrimp) from the marinade liquid and drain well. If using shrimp, be sure to peel them and drain well.
Warning: Do not add sopping wet chicken or shrimp to hot oil or you’ll create dangerous hissing and spitting of hot oil! (Also, be sure to discard the marinade liquid; do not reuse.)
Step 2—Cook the noodles: Follow the package directions; do not overcook. Rinse in cold water to prevent sticking, drain well, and set aside.
Step 3—Prepare finishing spices: Mix together soy sauce, ginger, chicken bouillon, and white pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons hot tap water—or do what Dom does: scoop the hot water right out of the pot of cooking noodles. Set aside for end of cooking process.
Step 4—Sauté onion, garlic, and chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat until good and hot. Add the chopped yellow onion and garlic. After about five minutes, when the chopped onions appear translucent, stir in the green onion and chicken pieces. Stir often until chicken is no longer pink. Create a well by pushing chicken pieces to outer rim of pan.
Step 5—Add veggies: Add the frozen vegetables into the center of the “chicken well” and cook, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, stirring often. Do a taste test on the veggies to make sure they’re thawed, hot, and ready to eat. When the veggies are ready, fold in the chicken.
Step 6—Put the “lo” in the lo mein: Stir the cooked noodles into the pan and pour the little bowl of finishing spices (that you made in Step 3) over everything. Mix well to distribute flavors and cook for another few minutes to make sure everything is nice and hot. Taste and adjust final seasonings to your liking; maybe you’ll want a splash more of soy sauce or sprinkling of white pepper, and enjoy!