Elinor Klivans is a name you may not know — you should — but it is quite possible you have tasted her food. For over 20 years, Elinor has been a prolific author of baking books: cupcakes, cookies, and cakes fill her life and her wonderful books.Many, many home bakers depend on her books, her recipes and her expertise. Try one of the chocolate chip cookies and you'll understand.
This volume is 19 years old and is a baking treasure. The idea here is simple: you have some spare time, bake a great dessert and freeze for future use. Her treats can be frozen for a few days, if they are fruit-based, but up to three months for cakes with frosting [cakes without frosting are good only for a month, which is just one more reason to always make frosting!]
Now, I have to say this: if you make one of these desserts, I think you are going to be extremely tempted to NOT freeze it and instead to eat it IMMEDIATELY. But, that is just my greedy perspective and you are quite free to do what Elinor suggests: bake, freeze and enjoy later.
The book begins with a chapter called The Frozen Pantry. Here, she gives you a set of components that can be used in later recipes: sweet butter pastry, multiple cookie crumb crusts, a Devil’s food cake, chocolate soufflé cake, chocolate sauce, caramel filling, caramel sauce and many more.
Then come the chapters filled the deep chocolate satisfaction:
- Fast Chocolate Desserts for Sudden Chocolate Attacks
- Brownies, Bars, and Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pie, Tarts, and Confection
- Mousse Desserts
- Cheesecakes and Steamed Puddings
- Outrageous Chocolate Cakes
- Tube Cakes and Loaf Cakes
- Coffee Cakes and Yeast Cakes
- Ice Cream, Sundaes, Sandwiches, and Pies
There are many “basic” recipes here. Brownies and chocolate chip cookies and chocolate pies — all solid recipes perfected by Elinor for freezing and storage. For me, the interesting recipes are those “special” ones I have not encountered before. Things like:
Chocolate Pecan Rugelach
Dense Fudge Frosting
Black Russian Chocolate Chip Cake — named for the vodka and Kahlua syrup poured over this cake, a syrup you could employ on the pound cake of your choice
Mocha Pie with mocha whipped cream
Milk Chocolate and Caramel Pecan Tart
Mocha Crumb Cake
Somewhere, or somewheres, in this book you will encounter a recipe that demands “Make Me Now” and you should do that. You can freeze it, as Elinor suggests, or you can follow my example. I have never made anything from this book and frozen it. Never. The only way that is going to happen is if I make a double batch. And that will require negotiation with my wife, Suzi. You see, she bakes bread, lots of bread, and our freezers [multiple freezers] are pretty well stashed with bread.
I’m happy not to disturb my wife’s baking routine. I’ll cooperate with her and simply bake from Bake and Freeze and eat while still warm. And I bet Elinor won’t mind.
With the holidays upon us, many homes will make the traditional yule log cake: chocolate cake with whipped cream filling. This picture is Elinor’s riff on that delight: chocolate sponge cake filled with white chocolate buttercream and studded with dark and white chocolate rectangles. Yes, I’ll post the recipe just before Christmas!
