Clumbsy Cookie

Not your average Madeleine

2009-11-05T15:30:00.002Z

Everybody loves a good madeleine, a good, soft and squidgy Madeleine with a nice bump. Well, this is not your typical madeleine.

This is not really a recipe, but just an idea… I had some sugar cookie dough left and decided to play around with it.

So these are sugar cookie madeleines! It’s only a fun way to eat a simple sugar cookie. You just get your dough, press it into your madeleinle’s molds, bake it, and you’re good to go. As simple as that…

I’m always trying new sugar cookie recipes, I’m still looking for the ONE, but this that I’ve used here is pretty good. But any recipe will do, use your favourite.

You can enjoy them as they are, but I have to tell you that they don’t mind being sandwiched together with some Nutella…

… and I don’t mind that either! At all!...

DB's Macarons: two for the price of one

2009-10-27T21:59:00.006Z

Oh lá lá les macarons… This month the Daring Bakers transformed normal people into macaron-obsessed people! If you ask me I mush prefer macaron-obsessed people than normal people! I loooooooooooooove macarons!

Two for the price of one: Oreo and Rice pudding macarons!

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I usually do my macarons with cooked egg whites, but it’s always fun to try new recipes! I had a little trouble with this recipe provided, well, not the recipe exactly but the temperatures, I had to make some adjustments. My changes are in bold.

Oreo cookie or macaron?

I’ve always wanted to try making Oreo cookies macarons, so this was the perfect opportunity!

OREO MACARONS

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.) I’ve used 140 gr
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)
20 Oreo cookies (without the cream)

OREO FILLING

Filling of 20 Oreo cookies
¼ cup cream cheese

Mix and refrigerate until it’s time to use.

Very dunkable, like the real thing!

But then… since I had some rice pudding left, I had to try my hand on Rice pudding macarons too.

RICE PUDDING MACARONS

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)
1 tbsp cinnamon

Cinnamon shells

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) I’ve started at 320ºF. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl (time to add the grinded Oreos or the cinnamon). If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes (Baked mine for about 7 m). Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored. (I’ve lowered my temp to 300º F and let them for 4 minutes more).
Cool on a rack before filling.

RICE PUDDING FILLING

1 cup rice pudding
60 gr (2 oz) white chocolate

Blitz the rice pudding in the food processor until you have a cream. Melt the white chocolate and add to the rice pudding cream.

Bite me!

Once I start making macarons I just want to make more and more, but the thing is once I start eating them, I also just want to eat more and more. Is it just me?

Sorbets anyone?

2009-10-20T00:17:00.004+01:00

I don’t know when Fall is planning to arrive here. They say it’s tomorrow, so I’ll wait and see.

Lemon & honey trio

But the truth is that in the calendar it has already arrived a while ago. So it was time to go back to the artisanal ice cream factory where I do seasonal works to create ice-creams, sorbets and desserts for their website.

Sauteed pineapple cubes with pineapple & vanilla bean sorbet

If you know me you probably have guessed by now that this is the kind of work I do with great sacrifice. Ahahahah, yeah right!...

All the pictures in this post are from Pedro, a photographer that comes to take pictures of my desserts for the website. He says those are the only photo shoots that end up with him eating the models…

Caramelized rice pudding with orange & cinammon sorbet

Of course I can not give you the recipes for the sorbets, but I'll leave you the recipe of these nice lemon & honey cookies that are a part of the lemon & honey trio: tea, sorbet and cookies!

LEMON & HONEY COOKIES

• 90 gr (3.2 oz) butter
• 40 gr (1.4 oz) powder sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 60 gr (2.1 oz) honey
• 180 gr (6.4 oz) flour
• 2 lemons (zest)
• sugar (for sprinkling)

Beat the butter (must be soft) with the powder sugar. Add the yolks, lemon zest and honey and mix well. Lastly add the flour and mix just until the dough is uniform. Wrap in film and take to the fridge for at least 1 hour. Roll the dough, cut into shapes, pierce with a fork, sprinkle with the sugar and bake at 170ºC (325ºF) until golden.

If you live in the Lisbon area and want to try these and other sorbets and ice-creams you can go here! Hope you enjoy them!

swirling in Seville

2009-09-30T08:16:00.005+01:00

So I’m back from my beautiful Seville.

Plaza de España

Well, I’ve actually been back for a while, but my head stayed there for a few days more than my body did. So it’s only fair to say I’m only back now.

La Giralda

I really enjoyed swirling thru those streets that I know so well, seeing some of my best friends and of course eating in my favourite places! It was just as if I had never left…

Guadalquivir River and Triana neighbourhood on the left bank

I used to live in Triana, just on the back of those coulored buildings. I walked that street and crossed the bridge everyday to go to school.

I love this building, especially because it’s a pastry shop

The pastry shop sells traditional cakes and sweets. I wish I had bought one of each...

Mantecados and Polvorones

And speaking of food... Check out one of my lunches:

Papas bravas

Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and a huge slice of toasted bread with melted cheese, prosciutto and fried quail eggs. We were two and we couldn’t finish that one slice of bread!

Tosta con queso fundido, jamón serrano y huevos de codorniz

But yet again speaking of food, I owe you an ice cream recipe, don’t you think I forgot! Here it is: a triple swirl ice cream (peanut butter, nutella and dulce de leche). You people know I love to swirl, don't you?

Do you want an ice cream with your swirl?

TRIPLE SWIRL ICE CREAM

200 ml cream
200 ml milk
50 gr (1.8 oz) glucose
80 gr (2.8 oz) sugar
80 gr (2.8 oz) egg yolks
1/4 cup dulce de leche
1/4 cup nutella
1/4 cup peanut butter

Heat the cream, milk and the glucose almost until boiling point. In a bowl mix well the yolks and sugar. Slowly add the milk mixture to the yolks, always mixing so the yolks won’t curdle. Transfer everything to the pan again and heat on low, always mixing, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon but don’t let it boil. Pass thru a sieve and cool completely (preferably in an ice bath). Churn only when it’s fully chilled. When the ice cream is ready to take out from the ice cream machine, add the dulce de leche, nutella and peanut butter (a teaspoon at a time and intercalating), give it a couple of more turns just until dulce de leche, nutella and peanut butter start forming nice swirls thru the ice cream.

Buen provecho! Enjoy!

Vols-au-vent meet Portuguese custard tarts

2009-09-27T20:12:00.005+01:00

Tell me something, do you think there's a chance of not loving something that involves a baked custard AND puff pastry? No? I thought so...

Custard filled Vols-au-Vent

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with Portuguese custard tarts, or what we call them here: Pastéis de Nata. They must be our favorite pastry here in Portugal, if you are ever in this part of the world please try them! So for this challenge I created a love child of vols-au-vent and these wonderful little tarts.

Ok, but let's start by the very beggining:

Puff pastry in the making

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough (Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan)

2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

Mixing the Dough: Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them. Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing. Incorporating the Butter: Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears,” or flaps. Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square. To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled. Making the Turns: Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!). With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn. Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn. Chilling the Dough: If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns. The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Forming the vols-au-vent: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting. Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile. Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well. Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.) Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.) Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Portuguese custard tarts filling

30 gr (1 oz) flour
150 ml whole milk
100 ml cream
1 lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
200 gr (7 oz) sugar
125 ml water
3 egg yolks
1 pinch of salt

Take the water and the sugar to a boil and let it boil for exactly 3 minutes. Set aside. Dissolve the flour and salt with a bit of milk and boil the rest of the milk, cream, lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Slowly add the boiled milk and cream to the flour and return the whole thing to the stove. Let it boil again, mixing always. Add the sugar syrup to this cream and let it cool. Once cold add the yolks.

To form the custard filled vols-au-vent: Shape and bake the vols-au-vent as in the directions but don’t bake them completely, take them out of the oven when they’re still quite blond. Spoon the cold custard almost up to the top and return to the oven until the custard appears almost set but still jiggles a bit (like a crème brulée). You can eat them like that or burn the top with a blow torch and sprinkle some icing sugar.

Of course I've also had to make Palmiers with the puff pastry scraps. I had to make them, you know... Obviously I also had to eat them...

Yummy is an understatement...

The bad thing about these is waiting for them to cool to non-burning-tongue temperature. Very hard… Well, but while you wait for them to cool you can check the other Baring Bakers’ Vols-au-vent!

My honey likes cinnamon

2009-09-13T08:30:00.005+01:00

As I promised, here’s another ice cream.

Here we’re still enjoying some warm summer days, but the chill nights remind us that autumn is just around the corner. Cinnamon and honey are, in my head, flavours from the autumn, but so perfect to use on this late summer treat!

CINNAMON & HONEY ICE CREAM

200 ml cream
200 ml milk
50 gr (1.8 oz) honey
80 gr (2.8 oz) sugar
80 gr (2.8 oz) egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon

Heat the cream, milk, honey and cinnamon almost until boiling point. In a bowl mix well the yolks and sugar. Slowly add the milk mixture to the yolks, always mixing so the yolks won’t curdle. Transfer everything to the pan again and heat on low, always mixing, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon but don’t let it boil. Pass thru a sieve and cool completely (preferably in an ice bath). Churn only when it’s fully chilled. I’ve served it in glasses that were dripped with honey before putting the ice cream.

Besides enjoying this wonderful ice cream I’m also enjoying a very short (but oh so well deserved) vacation. I have a friend over visiting from Spain and tomorrow I’ll be the one going to Spain to spend a few days in my beloved Seville, my home away from home. Sorry if I’m slow commenting or answering emails, but I won’t be around the computer much. I know you’ll forgive me because when I come back I’ll tell you all about my trip and I’ll give you some more ice cream. Deal?

these pretzels are making me thirsty

2009-09-08T00:06:00.001+01:00

No, these pretzels didn’t make me thirsty. These pretzels made me very happy! They were brought to me by a friend that lives in the US, she carried the bag of chocolate dipped pretzels during her 6 week vacation so she could give them to me just on the last day before she went back to the US. How cool was that? I think I would have eaten them! But I’m really glad she didn’t!

Of course I’ve eaten most of them straight from the bag, but I’ve also used some to do an ice cream. And just for fun I decided I would add a swirl of dulce de leche to said ice cream. Just for fun, you know?! It tasted just like a candy bar! I could have named it “Chocolate covered pretzels with dulce de leche swirl ice crem”, but that’s a huge name, so went with “Candy bar ice cream”!

CANDY BAR ICE CREAM

200 ml cream
200 ml milk
50 gr (1.8 oz) glucose
80 gr (2.8 oz) sugar
80 gr (2.8 oz) egg yolks
1/4 cup dulce de leche
1 cup chocolate covered pretzels, cut into chunks (or crushed)

Heat the cream, milk and the glucose almost until boiling point. In a bowl mix well the yolks and sugar. Slowly add the milk mixture to the yolks, always mixing so the yolks won’t curdle. Transfer everything to the pan again and heat on low, always mixing, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon but don’t let it boil. Pass thru a sieve and cool completely (preferably in an ice bath). Churn only when it’s fully chilled. Meanwhile crush or cut the pretzels. When the ice cream is ready to take out from the ice cream machine, add the pretzels and the dulce de leche (a teaspoon at a time), give it a couple of more turns just until the pretzels are evenly distributed and the dulce de leche starts forming nice swirls thru the ice cream.

In fact this wasn’t the only ice cream I did recently, I have 2 more to show you, so I guess September will be kind of “ice cream month” around here! Come back with your spoons pointed at the screen!

The Daring Bakers bring me back with a tiny dobostorte

2009-08-27T08:07:00.001+01:00

Ok, let’s just pretend it hasn’t passed a month since I last posted. Let’s just pretend it, ok? To tell you the truth I have no idea where August went, I have no idea where this summer went… But I’m so sure of where this DobosTorte went! It went straight into my tummy!

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonfulof Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular DobosTorte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: ExquisiteDesserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

I remember eating DobosTorte when I went to Budapest a while ago. I really loved Budapest, so eating this cake again was like going back for a little bit! I could almost see the Danube again!

Very tiny DobosTorte with intercalated layers of milk chocolate buttercream and raspberry preserves.

Here's the recipe provided with my changes in italic:

DOBOSTORTE

Sponge cake layers:

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour
pinch of salt

Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C). Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.) Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour. Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. I've baked mine in a tray and used a round cookie cutter to cut the tiny round layers.

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers chocolate, finely chopped (I've used milk)
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency. When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Caramel topping:

1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon neutral oil

Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula. Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Assembling the Dobos:

Divide the buttercream into six equal parts. (My Dobos had 3 buttercream layers and 3 with raspberry preserves)
Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake. Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake. (I've used feuilletine)
Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour. (I've pipped buttercream on top to make a base for the caramel layer)

And just beacuse, I've also played arround and did a couple of Dobos Snails, with the caramel layer being at the bottom.

Dobos Snail

Speaking of snails, I promise not to be as slow as a snail when it comes to posting again.

Meanwhile enjoy this last bite while you check the other Dobos from the other Daring Bakers!

Baring Bakers' Mallow Milan Madness

2009-07-27T13:42:00.002+01:00

My mind is all about ice creams right now. It's just too hot to think about anything else. It's too hot to bake cookies. It's too hot to dip things in chocolate. What? That's what the Daring Bakers' challenge is all about this month? I'd rather have an ice cream... Fine, I'll do it... But only if I can trick myself into thinking they are ice creams!

Marshmallow Popsicles

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I've made 3 types of "ice cream" popsicles:

Vanilla marshmallows covered with dark chocolate and coconut
Peanut butter marshmallows covered with milk chocolate and nuts
Strawberry marshmallows covered with white chocolate and sprinkles

Peanut butter and milk chocolate heavenly popsicle

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies (Popsicles)

3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I've used vanilla)
12 tablespoons (170grams/6 oz) unsalted butter
3 eggs, whisked together
Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy. Add the eggs and mix until combine. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough. (I've used a popsicle stencil and cut the dough around it with a knife. I've also inserted a wood stick before baking to make the popsicles). Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. (I've poored my marshmallow mixture onto a tray and then cut the same popsicle shape and place them on the cookies) Let set at room temperature for 2 hours. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

A bite into the peanut butter & milk chocolate popsicle

Homemade marshmallows

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 egg whites , room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp strawberry jam

In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff. (I've divided my mixture into 3 parts, I left one simple and added peanut butter to other and strawberry jam to the last one). Transfer to a pastry bag.

Cheerful strawberry & white chocolate popsicle

Chocolate glaze

12 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Classic vanilla & dark chocolate popsicle

I haven't forgotten about the Milan cookies either, a clone of Milano Cookies. I used to love the original ones, but I decided to go with other flavours and made them bite size.

Orange & chinese five spice Milan cookies filled with dulce de leche ganache

Milan Cookies

12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder (for the chocolate ones)
zest of an orange + 1 tsp Chinese five spice (for the 5 spice-orange ones)
Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I've used half milk, half white chocolates)
2 tbsp dulce de leche (for the milk chocolate)
1 tsp peppermint extract (for the white chocolate)

Chocolate Milan cookies with white chocolate peppermint ganache

In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed. (At this point I divided the batter in half, adding the cocoa powder to one part and the orange & spice to the other). With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, blend well. (I've divided the cream in half and used white chocolate with peppermint extract for half, and milk chocolate with dulce de leche for the other). Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools). Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

I'll have one of each please!

At the end of the day, hot or cold, cookies, chocolates or ice creams, it's all delicious in my world!

Bits and Bites

2009-07-22T12:05:00.006+01:00

Hello! Here are some bits (of granola):

The nice folks at Mix my Granola, a website where you can order costume made granola online, were kind enough to offer sending me a sample, but since it would be so expensive to ship to Portugal instead they're offering you a 15% discount if you order some. Yes, YOU! Just go to their website, choose your mix and at checkout tipe in CLUMBSYCOOKIE at the promotion code. Let me know if you like it!

And now for some bites:

MILK & FRUIT MUFFIN BITES

70 gr (2.5 oz) soft butter
100 gr (3.5 oz) brown sugar
80 gr (2.8 oz) sugar
3 eggs
2 medium ripe bananas
1 apple
70 gr (2.5 oz) dried coconut
1/2 orange (juice and grated peel)
80 gr (2.8 oz) flour
50 gr (1.8 oz) whole wheat flour
1 dl milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Cream the butter with the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time and incorporate them well. Next add the bananas (mashed with a fork), the orange, the vanilla and the coconut. Mix with a wisk the flours, salt and baking powder and add to the first mixture, alternating with the milk. Lastly add the apple cut into little chunks. Scoop (or spoon) the batter into mini muffin linners and bake in a pre heated over at 180º C (350ºF), until golden brown.

Ok, I'm biting out of here to do a bit of work! See you soon!

Back from vacations!

2009-07-14T18:24:00.001+01:00

So yes, I took a little vacation...

And where, you might ask? Well I've been in a very bright warm place, with a lot of food: My kitchen!... That's where I was all this time... Yes, my kitchen is bright, warm (summer+ oven on- ok, make that extra warm), with a lot of food and a lot of work too!

I usually have some fondant cake orders, but honestly I have no idea of what happened 9 months ago (in different years), because everybody seemed to have their birthdays these last weeks!

In between all that fondant, cake batter and fillings I don't know how I still managed to bake these cookies!

LEMON POPPY COOKIE

1 1/3 cups flour
100 gr butter (at room temperature)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
¼ tsp lemon essence
1 lemon (peel)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp poppy seeds
sugar for sprinkling

Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg yolk, lemon peel and lemon essence and beat more until they're completely incorporated in the butter-sugar mixture. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and the poppy seeds, and add to the first mixture. Mix just until all comes together. Form a ball, wrap in cling film and take to the fridge at least 2 hours. When it's time to use roll the dough and cut with cookie cutters. If you're making the sandwiches, cut a small circle in the middle of half the cookies and sprinkle those with granulated sugar. Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) until it's lightly golden brown.

The cookies were great by themselves, but sandwiched with the leftover Raspberry Curd from last month's Daring Baker's Challenge, they were even better! Here's the recipe again:

RASPBERRY CURD

100 gr (3.5 oz) fresh or frozen raspberries
120 gr (4.2 oz) sugar 2 egg yolks
60 gr (2 oz) butter cut into small cubes
½ lemon (juice)

Cook all ingredients on a bain-marie until it thickens and boils for about 5 minutes. Let it cool.

See? Great with or without filling! I always fill a bit of remorse when I eat a sandwich cookie, because that's eating 2 cookies while you think you're only eating one... But you know what? Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?

You can have this last one if you want! Enjoy!

The Daring Bakers bake well!

2009-06-27T00:22:00.002+01:00

Yes, the Daring Bakers bake well and bake Bakewell Tarts!

Or in my case, Bakewell Tart Bites

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

This tradicional UK tart has 3 components: a pastry crust, a layer of jam and frangipane (an almond cream). I’m crazy about anything with frangipane (I’m a nuts girl after all) so I love Bakewell Tarts! I used to do it a lot when I was working in a hotel in the UK to serve with the afternoon teas. I can not tell you how many scraps from the borders of the tarts ended up on my hips…

For this DB’s challenge I decided to transform the tart into chocolate covered bites, because everything is better with chocolate, right? My frangipane had hazelnuts besides almonds and as for the jam I’ve used an homemade raspberry curd.

Raspberry Curd

BAKEWELL TART BITES

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Almond & Hazelnut Frangipane

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds (I’ve used half almonds, half hazelnuts)
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

An inside look

Raspberry curd

100 gr (3.5 oz) fresh or frozen raspberries
120 gr (4.2 oz) sugar 2 egg yolks
60 gr (2 oz) butter cut into small cubes
½ lemon (juice)

Cook all ingredients on a bain-marie until it thickens and boils for about 5 minutes. Let it cool.

Assembling the tart

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatized for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter.

For the bites

Cut the cooled tart into squares and dip into semi-sweet chocolate. Decorate with slivered almonds or as you wish.

Bite me, bite me!

It was delicious! Much better than the scraps I used to eat...

It's a chocolate? It's a cookie? It's a chocolate cookie!

2009-06-24T11:49:00.001+01:00

You know when you don’t know if you feel like having a chocolate bar or a cookie? Well, this might solve that problem!

It’s a chocolate bar made out of chocolate cookie dough!

This idea came to me when I had some sugar cookie dough left. I decided to add a bit of cocoa powder to the dough and shape it as a chocolate bar.

As for the sugar cookie recipe I like to use this or this, but your favourite recipe will work as great, just add a bit cocoa powder and you’re set!

To shape the cookies, roll out the dough and cut it in rectangles. Use a wood skewer to make the indentations that will form the typical squares of a chocolate bar. Bake them according to the recipe you’re using.

I’ve made them in 2 sizes: small ones (the size of normal cookies) and big ones (almost the size of a chocolate bar), and both worked out great. Next time I think I might cover them in actual chocolate or use royal icing to make a fake wrapper, just to add some charm but even “naked”, I think they’re quite cute!

It's the perfect chocolate bar to take to the beach, it doesn't melt in the sun!

From Italy with love...

2009-06-14T20:47:00.000+01:00

Just a tease...

Just a small Italian tease...

My sister who lives in Rome came to visit this last week and I really had to share with all of you what she brought me. But hey, this is only a “virtual sharing”, I don’t plan to actually share my goodies with anybody! And I don’t think you can blame me!

Here’s what I got:

Rosemary focaccia
3 bottles of Bellini (a cocktail from Venice made sparkling wine and peach)
White chocolate liqueur
A bag of tarallini (crunchy savory cookies from the south of Italy made with wine. These ones are pizza flavored)
A bag of friselle (thick round toasts that look like half bagels, intended for making bruchetta)
Gianduja hot chocolate
White hot chocolate
A chocolate-hazelnut spread (like Nutella) from Magnum

See that?! You can’t really blame me for not sharing, can you?

So have you ever tasted or heard of any of these? Witch one would you like to try the most?

Pooh cookies

2009-06-01T06:38:00.004+01:00

A while ago I wrote a post about doing Hello Kitty sugar cookies without a proper cookie cutter and it turned out to be one of my most popular and visited posts. So I guess you will also be interested in knowing how to do Winnie the Pooh cookies the same way.

Here's some step-by-step pictures:

Start with a round shaped cookie.

Cut both sides at an angle, narrowing it at the top.

Use a small tear drop shaped cutter to cut half way on each side of the top, with the point of the drop facing down.

Use the same tear drop cutter to cut tear drop shaped pieces of cookie dough and place the on the holes you’ve made, kind of like a puzzle, creating the ears. Do it already in the baking sheet and don’t worry, while it bakes it will glue together. Press slightly with your finger on the fatter side of the ear.

They’re ready to go to the oven. I’ve also put sticks on mine.

Baked and ready for the frosting, mouth, nose and eyes.

And here it is, a happy Pooh ready to be eaten by a happy child (or adult).

I've also made a cake with a Pooh face to go with the cookies:

Winnie the Pooh and friends cake

Heffalump (don't you just love his name?)

Tigger and Piglet

And as Pooh loves honey so much, I wish you a week as sweet as honey!

DB's Apple Strudel... ice cream?

2009-05-27T14:21:00.002+01:00

It's DB time: The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of Make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Apple Strudel

Great, I thought! I had never made a Strudel at home, so although we had the option to be creative with the filling I decided that I would keep it simple. I decided to do just the classic Apple Strudel. Yeah, right….

Apple Strudel Ice Cream

As far as the Strudel goes, yes I did keep it simple and classic. But I couldn’t help myself and also transformed into an ice cream. Oh yes, I’ve made Apple Strudel Ice Cream!

Ok, but let's start with the Strudel itself:

Strudel dough + toasted bread crumbs

APPLE STRUDEL

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum

3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs

strudel dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts

2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

Filling: apples, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, rum and raisins

Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Tradition says the dough should so thin that you should be able to read a love letter thru it!

STRUDEL DOUGH

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Rolling the dough

Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary. Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can. Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Yummy!

Ok, now that the strudel is done it’s time to move on to the ice cream!

To transform the apple strudel into an ice cream I’ve used all the flavours that went into the filling. I started with a cinnamon ice cream base and then added caramelized apples, toasted walnuts and rum soaked raisins.

A sprinkling of baked crunchy strudel dough doesn’t hurt!

APPLE STRUDEL ICE CREAM

250 ml cream
250 ml milk
60 gr (2 oz) glucose
100 gr (3.5 oz) sugar
8 egg yolks
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 apples (sliced and caramelized in 1 tbsp butter and 1/8 tsp cinnamon & 2 tbsp sugar)
¼ cup toasted walnuts
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp rum
Baked crunchy dough

Heat the cream, milk, glucose and cinnamon almost until boiling point. In a bowl mix well the yolks and sugar. Slowly add the milk mixture to the yolks, always mixing so the yolks would curdle. Transfer everything to the pan again and heat on low, always mixing, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon but don’t let it boil. Pass thru a sieve and cool completely (preferably in an ice bath). Churn only when it’s fully chilled. Meanwhile prepare the other ingredients: soak the raisins in the rum, toast the walnuts in the oven (10-12 minutes ate 170ºC/ 325ºF) and caramelize the apples with the cinnamon sugar and butter in a pan. Let all cool completely. Churn the cinnamon ice cream and when it’s almost ready to take out of the ice cream maker add the apples, nuts and raisins and let it all be well incorporated. Take to the freezer to fully harden for about 3 hours. You can serve it with crushed baked strudel dough.

Apple Strudel AND Apple Strudel Ice Cream

I can’t decide witch one I prefer… While I think about it I’m going to check all the other strudels that my fellow Baring Bakers did.

A banana bread that will swirl you around

2009-05-20T08:42:00.003+01:00

Yes, I'm still here. And I’ve brought you Banana Bread!

Life has been swirling me around lately. A lot of work came my way but I don’t complain cause it’s all fun stuff. I swirl happy thru it!

So much swirling around that I ended up swirling some dulce de leche in my banana bread batter. And just for fun I also added toasted coconut and pecans. Yes, I’m crazy like that.

"SWIRL ME AROUND" BANANA BREAD

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup butter
1 large egg
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup toasted coconut*
1/2 cup peacans
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cream cheese
1/4 cup cream
1/3 cup dulce de leche (or to taste)

*Toast your coconut in a pan, mixing all the time until is golden. Remove immediately from the pan as soon as it's ready.

Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mixing well. Then add the mashed bananas, cream and cream cheese and beat until incorporated. On the side mix the flour, baking soda, toasted coconut and pecans. Add these dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until it all comes together. Flour and butter a loaf pan dump 1/3 of the batter. Add dollops of 1/3 of the dulce de leche and swirls with a knife cutting thru the batter. Repeat with the rest of the batter and dulce de leche, making a swirl on top. Bake in a 180ºC (350ºF) preheated oven until it’s nice and golden and when you insert a toothpick (or knife) and it comes out clean.

This banana bread will swirl you around! And as for me all this swirling will stop at the end of the month, but until now I’ll leave you with a nice slice of bread! Enjoy!

Oops, I couldn’t help but bite it! But can you see that dulce de leche in the middle? It was really calling my name…

DB + Cheesecake + Ferrero Rocher = Happiness!

2009-04-27T08:58:00.002+01:00

I'm happy to introduce you to my Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake!

It's Daring Bakers time! The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Jenny provided us with a wonderful cheesecake recipe from her friend Abbey and told us to use it as a blank canvas and be creative with flavours. What a great idea!

I love Ferrero Rocher chocolates (who doesn't, really?) and I wanted to use it in baked goods for a while so this seamed like the perfect opportunity!

Here's the recipe with my changes in italic:

ABBEY'S INFAMOUS CHEESECAKE

Crust:

2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs (I’ve used Digestive biscuits)
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp cocoa powder

Cheesecake:

3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice (I didn’t use it)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional (I’ve used Frangelico)
½ tsp salt
10 Ferrero Rocher chocolates cut into large chunks
3/4 cup Nutella
2 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan. Set crust aside.
Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and Frangelico and blend until smooth and creamy. Lastly add the chopped Ferrero Rocher.
Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water. 5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Then playing a little bit with the Ferrero Rocher theme, I covered the top with Nutella (softened a bit in the microwave) and chopped roasted hazelnuts.

I've also baked 4 little cheesecakelets, with a whole Ferrero Rocher inside. They weren't bad either...

They got the same Nutella and hazelnuts treatment on top.

Look at the whole Ferrero Rocher inside!!! You get crunchy, then creamy, then crunchy again, the chocolate, the hazelnut, and creamy again... You know, the kind of thing that makes me happy!

Saying this was good, is a complete understatement.

Ok, take this last bite and go check all the other creative cheesecakes from my fellow Daring Bakers.

And so this is Easter...

2009-04-10T18:00:00.001+01:00

...and what have I done?

A chocolate egg filled with dulce de leche pannacotta!

The pannacotta is awesome on its own, so you don't have to go to the trouble of filling chocolate eggs, but it's a cute idea for an Easter dessert.

DULCE DE LECHE PANNACOTTA

100 gr (3.5 oz) sugar
100 ml milk
600 ml cream
1/2 cup dulce de leche
6 sheets of gelatine

In a large pan that will fit all the ingredients, start by caramelizing the sugar until it's golden brown. Meanwhile boil the cream and milk together and add to the caramel as soon as it has the desired color. Be careful because it will boil up, turn the heat down and whisk. Part of the caramel will become hard, but that's fine, because it will melt again. Keep whisking until all the caramel is dissolved. Take the pan out of the stove and add the dulce de leche mixing well. Add the gelatine as well. When working with sheets you need to soften them in cold water first, so make sure you don't skip this step. Pass the mixture through a sieve and put into glasses or moulds and refrigirate. If you're going to fill the chocolate eggs wait a bit!

To fill the chocolate eggs with the pannacotta you first need to cut one small cap on the eggs, do that cutting very carefully with a hot knife. Then you need to stabilize the eggs, you can do that by putting each egg inside a small espresso cup with pieces of kitchen towel. Last you need to cool down your pannacotta, otherwise it will melt the chocolate, just leave it at room temperature and mix it every once in a while. The trick is filling the eggs while the mixture is not hot anymore but it's still not as cold that it starts getting hard from the gelatine.

Why have just hollow eggs when you can have this caramelly creamy filling? Really, why?

I have a sweet tooth!

2009-04-01T22:19:00.005+01:00

I swear to you these are not my gradma's! They're made out of white chocolate!

Have you ever seen these silicone moulds? They're originally made to put ice in, but ever since I saw them (here) I knew I wanted to try with chocolate. Because I have nothing against ice, but hey, chocolate tastes much better!

Can you believe I've actually made this to my dentist? Can you imagine his face? He really loved it!

Here's how I've made them:

After filling the teeth part with just white chocolate I've colored the rest with an oil based red food coloring. Only oil based food colorings will work when coloring plain chocolate, but instead of doing this step you could use pink candy melts.

Then I've filled the rest of the moulds with the pinkish chocolate and let it set.

Are they cute or what? You almost could use them to play a joke for April Fool's Day!

Ouch!

I'll have to bite it next! Oh sweet revenge!

These sweet teeth really put a smile on my face!

Foodbuzz 24 24 24: 24 hours eating cookies

2009-03-28T23:34:00.014Z

I love cookies so much that I often think I could spend a whole day just eating them. What about you? Ever wonder if you could spend 24 hours eating just cookies?

And why not? You just have to get a meal and "cookie-it"! Just get everything you would eat for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack or dinner and transform it into a cookie! You can think of it as portable meals!

Ok, let's start with Breakfast! You're having a bowl of cereal with milk and banana slices? Yes, it does look good, but let's "cookie-it"!

Bowl of milk + cereals + banana = Breakfast Bowl Cookie

BREAKFAST BOWL COOKIES

2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup butter
1 ripe banana (mashed)
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup wheat cereal (crushed)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the powdered milk, egg, banana and vanilla and mix well. Incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). At last add in the crushed cereal. Scoop portions of the dough into a baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).

Serving them in a bowl is obviosly optional, but it does add a bit of charm!

Now say good morning to my mom! She really approved the breakfast cookie! Again, eating with a spoon is optional!

The morning goes by so fast it's already time for lunch! What do you think if we have Pizza? Or, even better, pizza cookies?

Bacon & Mushroom Pizza = Pizza Shortbread Cookies

PIZZA SHORTBREAD COOKIES

250 gr (9 oz) flour
125 gr (4.5 oz) butter
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp oreganos
1/8 tsp ground pepper
¼ cup small chunks of fried bacon (cooled)
¼ cup small chunks of cooked mushrooms (cooled)
1/8 cup grated cheese (plus more for topping)

In a food processor place all dry ingredients (flour, salt, garlic, oreganos and pepper) with the cold butter cut into medium chunks. Pulse a few times until it has a course consistency. Mix the tomato sauce with the water and add to the flour-butter mixture and pulse a few more times until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured table and incorporate the cheese, bacon and mushrooms. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Roll the dough and cut into shapes. Bake in a 180ºC (350ºF) preheated oven until golden brown. On the last minute of baking put a little bit of grated cheese on top and let it melt before taking out the cookies from the oven.

You can make them round...

... or in the shape of pizza slices! For that cut big circles of dough (use a plate over the dough and cut arround it with a knife). Score the slices slightly before baking and finishing cutting them with a serrated knife after they've cooled down.

You're hungry again? Ah, you feel like having an afternoon snack, don't you? Ok, let's be healthy and have a cup of tea and an apple. You want a bit of chocolate as well? Sure. Not satisfied yet? Maybe some nuts will help. Ok, just give me all that, I'll transform it in a cookie for you!

Tea + Apple + Chocolate + Hazelnuts = "I feel like a snack" Cookie

“I FEEL LIKE A SNACK" COOKIE

115 gr (1/2 cup) butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 apple (grated)
60 gr (2 oz) melted dark chocolate
2 black tea bags*
½ cup toasted (and skinned) chopped hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Add the melted dark chocolate and then incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Open the tea bags and add the tea as well. At last add in the hazelnuts and the grated apple. Scoop portions of the dough into a baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies, making sure you don’t over bake them. They should come out of the oven when they still look slightly under baked. * The tea bags I’ve used had almost pulverized tea, but if you have only leafs, you should grind them to a powder before adding to the dough.

And here they are!

And a look at the moist interior. They were delicious!

Just ask my neighbour Mónica! Or do you think that's a fake smile on her face?

This is being a lot of fun, but the day is finishing! It's time for the last meal for today! I think we should have a nice dinner: Chicken breasts with mustard, white rice and steamed broccoli. I bet you want to see the cookie version of it!

Chicken with mustard + Rice + Broccoli = Chicken & Broccoli Biscotti

CHICKEN & BROCCOLI BISCOTTI

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp mustard
½ chicken breast (cooked and cooled)
2 small pieces of broccoli (cooked and cooled)

Mix olive oil, egg and mustard. In another bowl mix all dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder). Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with your hands. Dice in small chunks the chicken and broccoli and incorporate them into the dough, carefully, because the broccoli is very delicate. Shape the dough into a log and bake in a preheated 180ºC (350ºF) oven until it starts to appear baked but it’s not golden brown yet. Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes and lower the oven to 150ºC (300ºF). Then slice into diagonal pieces and put the pieces cut side down into the baking sheet. Bake for until golden, the time will depend on the thickness of your biscotti.

They're great plain...

... or to dunk in your soup, as you would dunk your sweet biscotti into your coffee or tea!

Ok, we're done, you can have a cookie for dessert!

Cookies make people happy! Eat cookies!...

... And go from a) to b) in just a few bites!

Daring Bakers Green Lasagna

2009-03-27T07:37:00.003Z

Who doesn't love Lasagna? Really, do you know anybody who doesn't love it? I know I don't!

I think I'll call mine Lasagna Burger...

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I love to make Lasagna at home, but this was my first green one! And I'm now a green believer!

Only 3 ingredients.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce
1 recipe Country Style Ragu
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

I've used my own bechamel and ragu sauces, they're made without recipes. I like to eyeball them as a true Italian Mama! But if you want to check the original sauces, you can find the recipes at the blogs of the hosts.

I love a hands-on job! Even if it's messy!

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours. (I’ve used a pasta machine to roll it out). Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag. Cooking the Pasta: Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagna from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Roll it baby, roll it!

Assembling the Lasagne: Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Layers and more layers. Yummy and more yummy!

Baking the Lasagne: Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Gotta love a cheesy topping!

After baking my lasagna I cut round portions of it ( they looked like lasagna burgers) and served them on a grilled portobello mushroom (the bun?). It was a delicious meal!

Aren't you a tiny bit green with envy? So go to the awesome new site of the Daring Bakers and check all the other lasagnas!

PBRWCC COOKIES

2009-03-19T17:34:00.005Z

WTH is PBRWCC?

Well, that's very easy. Pbrwcc stands for Peanut Butter Rosemary White Chocolate Chunks, how come you didn't guess that?

When I was at Pastry School I was presented to strange combo flavours that I had never tried before. Combos like white chocolate and black olives (very good by the way) became normal to me. Not only I've became very open minded to new flavours but I can imagine them in my head before I actually taste them.

I knew (or I hoped) before tasting these cookies that they would be good. When searching for a flavour to add to the leftover rosemary powder in a cookie, somehow peanut butter just seamed so right. And white chocolate too. Problem solved, I've used both.

To create these cookies I've started with my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe (found months ago at Cookiemadness), but I'm sure you can use your own favourite pb cookie recipe.

PBRWCC COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups (170 gr/ 6oz) flour
1 cup white chocolate chunks
3 1/2 tsp rosemary powder
sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Cream the butter and both sugars. Beat in the peanut butter and egg. Scrape sides of bowl and beat in the salt, baking soda, rosemary powder and vanilla. When well blended, add flour and stir until it is blended. Finally stir in the chocolate chunks. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll each ball into sugar and place on cookie sheets about 5 cm (2 inchs) apart. Flatten balls with the bottom of a flat glass and bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.

Would you look at those crunchy sugary edges?! Everybody loved them and I'm sure you will too!

And don't worry, I'm not going to use rosemary for a while!

Mango & Rosemary Ice-Cream

2009-03-19T14:10:00.001Z

So I've kept you waiting for a long time to see what I had done with my Rosemary Powder. But here it is, and it's not a cake, shortbread, a pasta dish or focaccia, as some of you guessed. It's an Ice-cream!

I don't know what's happening in your side of the world, but here we're enjoying some extremely hot winter days, that make me crave refreshing ice-cream. Well to be honest, I crave ice-cream all the time, but you get the idea...

This is a very easy recipe and if you have everything on hand, it will take less than 2 minutes to make (plus churning time). And did I mention it's delicious? Well, it is! And refreshing!

MANGO & ROSEMARY ICE CREAM

1 cup mango puree*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp milk powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp rosemary powder

Combine all ingredients mixing very well (I´ve used an immersion blender) and churn in an ice-cream maker. Yes, it's that easy!

*Mango Puree: I've used store-bought puree that has 10% sugar.

Have you ever used herbs in ice-creams?

What a great way to use my rosemary! Oh but wait, I still have some left...

Rosemary powder

2009-03-13T21:54:00.007Z

I love rosemary, it's one of my favourite herbs.

Today I'm going to share with you a very quick and easy way of drying and making a rosemary powder using the microwave and a small strainer. Yep, that's right!

Wash the rosemary and discard the sticks. Spread the leaves in a plate and take to the microwave.

For about 1/4 cup of rosemary it should take arround 2-3 minutes total, but check it every 20-30 seconds, moving the leafs arround. If the leaves can still be bent like in the picture, give it a bit more time...

... Until they break up easily like that and feel very "crunchy".

If doing a large quantity of course you can use a food processor, but for a small amount like I did, a strainer is what it works better. Just put some "crunchy" leafs into the strainer and break them with your fingers, working back and forward, pushing the powder out.

In a little while you'll have fresh rosemary powder ready to use and also your fingers will be slightly green and smell very "rosemary-y"!

Smells divine! Where would you use it? What about me? Where am I going to use it?...