Bakers Royale

To make brown sugar cake Preparation: Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Whisk to combine all flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside.
2. Place oil and egg in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until well combined. Add in both sugars and switch out whisk for the paddle attachment and beat until creamy. Add in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk and blend after each addition. Add in vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and level with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake is golden and springy to the touch Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with plastic wrap leaving a two inch over hang on each side. Using a 9x5 loaf pan, trace out each side and cut with parchment attached (this will make handling the pieces easier). Place cut outs in pan cake-side down, then peel off parchment; and set aside.

To make Snickers semifreddo

1. Place eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water and using a hand mixer beat until mixture is pale and thick (mixture should resemble cake batter), about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to beat for another 4-5 minutes to cool mixture. (Optionally, you can place the bowl in an ice bath to quicken the cooling). Place heavy cream in a chilled bowl and using a hand mixer beat until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Fold the two mixture together until combined. Add and fold in chopped Snickers.
2. Pour 1/2 cup or more of semifreddo mixture into cake lined pan and drizzle strips of caramel and chocolate on top. Continue to layer like this until all ingredients are used. Wrap semifreddo cake in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until set.

To make chocolate malt buttercream:

1. Combine and stir malt powder, sweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee granules and boiling water; set aside.
2. Place the ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup milk in a pan an on medium heat, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over chopped chocolate and let stand for a few minutes. Stir mixture and place over low heat, and whisk until chocolate has completed melted. Add melted chocolate mixture to malt mixture and  whisk until combined. Set aside to cool to room temperature
3. In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn down the speed and add the cooled chocolate mixture (scraped down bowl as needed). Gradually add the confectioner sugar beat until smooth. Remove cake from freezer and frost. (Buttercream will lighten in color as it sits in the freezer)

To make chocolate glaze

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and water mix to combine. Mixture will appear lumpy at first, keep stirring and it will become smooth. (If you need to add more water for a pouring consistency, add 1 teaspoon in at time after each addition). Pour glaze over chocolate malt buttercream.

**Optional: Finish with a caramel drizzle and more chopped Snickers.

A few notes:

• Don't be intimidated by the length of this recipe. To stay ahead: Make the cake 1-2 days ahead and keep covered with plastic wrap. The chocolate malt buttercream and chocolate glaze can be made up to a week in advance and kept refrigerated and brought to room temperature before use.
• Ingredients notes: For the instant coffee granules, I prefer to use Starbucks Via Italian Roast - it has a good strong flavor. For the chocolate malt powder, I used Ovaltine. For the caramel sauce I recommend homemade. But if you use store bought, I recommend Marzetti's caramel dip (to use place in a plastic baggie and snip off a corner for drizzling). It's a thicker than the regular caramel sauce you find in the ice cream section--a necessary thing as it will keep it's form in the semifreddo longer.

Cut and separate ribs into four pieces; pat dry.

Heat oven to 375 degree F.

Mix together dry mustard, salt and pepper. Rub seasoning onto ribs. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot over high heat, quickly brown all sides of ribs (make sure not to crowd ribs when browning). Transfer meat and to a large plate; set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat. Add shallots, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cumin, dry mustard, smoked paprika and tomato paste. Add broth, beer, and tomatoes, then add ribs with any juices and bring to a boil.

Cover pot and transfer to lower third rack. Braise until meat is fork tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove from oven, skim off fat and discard bay leaves. Separate and shred meat away from bones.

To make the gravy

Place mesh strainer over a bowl and place all leftover vegetables and juices from the ribs.  Press vegetables with back of spoon to extract all juices.  Let rest, and skim the fat.

Place sauce into small saucepot and reduce by half Mix 1 tbl of cornstarch with 2 tbs of water to make a slurry. Mix some hot boiling sauce into slurry, then place slurry into saucepot.  Wisk until thickened. 

Notes: Gravy process new, not from adapted Bakers Royale recipe.

Wash and clean potatoes; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch sticks. Rinse potatoes in cold water until water runs clear; drain and pat dry until water is absorbed. Pour enough oil into a large heavy bottom pan to submerge 1 cup of potatoes by 1/2 inch (about 8 cups in a 5 quart pot). Heat oil to 375 degrees F. To make sauce: Place butter in large heavy bottom saucepan and cook until browned and fragrant. Add shallots, cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add Newcastle Brown Ale, bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. In the meantime, stir together water and cornstarch until mixture is well combined for a slurry. Add 1 cup of beef broth into Newcastle mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil once more; cook and stir until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste. To make fries: Heat oven to 200F. Line two baking sheets with paper towels; set aside.  Fry potatoes in batches, stirring occasionally until golden, about 5-6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer fries to paper towel lined baking sheet and transfer to heated oven to keep warm. Make sure oil is returned to 375 degrees before frying next batch. To serve: Plate fries, layer with cheese curds, gravy and short ribs.

1. Place 8 oz. chocolate in a Bain Marie or in a heat-proof bowl above simmering water. Heat on low until chocolate is melted. Add in crushed chocolate wafers. Pour chocolate wafer mixture onto parchment-lined pan, then using an offset spatula spread chocolate until smooth. Transfer pan to freezer to chill for about 3-5 minutes or until melted chocolate becomes solid.
2. Place remaining semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream in a Bain Marie or in a heat-proof bowl above simmering water. Let chocolate and heavy cream heat on low and stir until chocolate is melted and combined with heavy cream. Add in Peppermint Kahlua, stir to combine. Place truffle mixture in refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until truffle mixture resembles thick cake mix (homemade – not box cake mix, which is never thick). Remove truffle mixture and pour it over the chocolate layer. Return pan to refrigerator and let chill for another 20 minutes.
3. Place 8 oz. white chocolate in a Bain Marie or in a heat-proof bowl above simmering water. Heat on low until white chocolate is melted. Pour melted white chocolate over truffle layer, then using an offset spatula, spread chocolate until smooth. Sprinkle Peppermint Andes candy on top of white chocolate. Let bark stand at room temperature for 1-2 minutes. Then score the white chocolate with a knife for easy cutting and to prevent cracks while cutting. Set aside bark for another 5-8 minutes to set (white chocolate can set without being refrigerated). Cut and serve.