Sweet Sundays – Warren Brown, CakeLove – Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2012

We attended our first Sweet Sundays with Lisa and Andy near the very end of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The guest chef was Warren Brown and we were eager to see if the food preparation was on par with the sheet cake from the day before or on par with the bundt cake from the same culinary demonstration.

nora’s verdict… the berries were very good, the bacon was yummy, the turkey & cranberry sausage patties (hiding under the bacon) were not pleasant, the cheese quiche was very good, the frittata was icky, the brioche french toast was good, and the cheese blintz was good also. One disappointment, there was supposed to be bread on the buffet to eat with butter and marmalade, there was no bread – nick was quite disappointed.

Blueberry Muffins

serving makes 8 muffins

• 2 cups minus 3 tbs (9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• about 3 tbs (1 ounce) potato starch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbs confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tbs (plus more to accent the top), Turbinado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbs half & half
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 ounces fresh blueberries
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
• 3/4 cup extra fine granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set the rack on the middle shelf
2. Gently whisk the flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt, confectioners’ sugar, and Turbinado sugar together and set aside
3. Combine the eggs, milk, half & half, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and set aside
4. Toss the blueberries with 2 tbs of the flour mix and 2 tsp of the liquid ingredients in a medium sized bowl
5. Mix the butter and sugar until well creamed (low speed)
6. Drizzle the liquid mixture into the butter and sugar. It will look lumpy like cottage cheese
7. Add the flour mixture in 3 quick scoopfuls
8. Immediately stop the mixer and fold the berries in by hand with a rubber spatula. You will have dry patches – that’s good
9. Spray the muffin pan really well with non-stick spray, then line with papers
10. To get a big muffin cap, fill the papers to the top. Sprinkle with a little Turbinado sugar
11. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
12. When finished, they should be light and golden in appearance. Remove and rest at least 5 minutes before serving

Chef’s Note: Be sure to toss the blueberries with the flour mix and liquid ingredients ahead of time as directed. This activates the gluten in the flour which helps lock the berries in place rather than sink to the bottom during baking. For a different experience that requires a little bit of effort, substitute raspberries, sliced strawberries, small blackberries, or a combination of berries.

Butternut Squash Frittata

servings 4-6

• 1 pound butternut squash, neck only
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 5 oz (about 2 cups) cremini mushrooms
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 13 large eggs (10 +3 for topping)
• 3 oz grated smoked Gouda
• 3 oz grated sharp Cheddar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbs scallions
• dash paprika
• dash dried dill

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and set the rack on the middle shelf
2. Peel and slice the squash and onions thinly
3. Combine the squash, onions, mushrooms, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and toss
4. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F
5. Oil the bottom and sides of a deep 13″ x 18″ casserole dish with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt; set aside
6. Crack 10 eggs in a large bowl and whisk them for 1 minute
7. Using a flexible spatula, gently combine the cheeses and spices with the eggs, followed by the roasted vegetables
8. Pour everything into the oiled casserole dish. For a special touch, crack 3 eggs on the top of the frittata and sprinkle with salt and pepper
9. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 35 minutes until edges are brown and center doesn’t jiggle or appear wet. You can also test with a meat thermometer – the internal temperature should read 160 degrees F
10. Rest for about 10 minutes before serving
11. Reheat leftovers in the microwave for 20-25 seconds

Note… this was surprisingly good! The frittata served on the buffet was more in keeping with “Disney World Buffet Breakfast Frittata” a.k.a. dry and grainy. This was moist and smooth and extremely tasty.

Cinnamon Sugar Coffee Cake

Servings one 9-cup bundt or two 4 1/2 cup bundts

• 12 oz all-purpose flour (unbleached suggested)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dry ground ginger
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 1 tbs heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 18 oz (2 1/4 cups) super fine granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 oz sliced almonds or walnuts
• 2 tbs candied ginger, mini pieces
• 3 eggs
• 3 yolks
• Topping (recipe follows)
• Cinnamon Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place the rack on the middle shelf
2. Prep the flour, baking soda, salt, and dry ginger in one bowl; set aside
3. Prep the milk, lemon juice, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl; set aside
4. Mix the butter, sugar, almonds, and candied ginger in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed for 3-4 minutes
5. Add the eggs and yolks to the mixer one at a time; stop and scrape the mixer
6. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry and liquid ingredients to the mixer in 3 batches
7. Spray the non-stick bundt pan with non-stick spray (preferably a spray with starch); sprinkle evenly with topping
8. Scoop the batter into the pan to fill about 3/4 full; bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until it’s golden brown and a wooden skewer poked into it comes out clean
9. Remove from the oven and cool on a heat resistant surface for 5 minutes; invert the pan onto a cooling rack
10. Using a fork or whisk, drizzle heavily with a cinnamon sugar glaze

Chef’s Note: To prevent the cake from sticking, use plenty of non-stick spray, bake in a non-stick pan, and invert the pan to remove the cake within minutes after removing it from the oven

Topping

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dry ginger
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbs extra fine granulated sugar
• 1/4 c dark brown sugar
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts

1. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate it so that the butter is very cold when you put the topping in the pan

Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 c confectioner’s sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbs milk
• pinch allspice (optional)

1. Combine ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine with whisk or fork
2. Add more sugar to thicken to desired consistency

Gifts/Swag