jammy almond crumb bars

we live 

in the country

not the county of estates and tag sales

but the country

of 

pastures and dairy sheep

so when

someone stops by

we wave them in

take their coat

and 

sit them down with a

hot cup of coffee and a sweet

these bars are a twist on the common crumble bar

i use whatever jam i have on hand

{usually something not too sweet loaded with bits of fruit}

the twist comes in the form of almond paste

it finds its way into these cookies

at every bite

jammy almond crumb bars

(printable recipe)

2 sticks unsalted butter--room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

7 oz almond paste (divided)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup high quality-not too sweet jam (ollalaberry, raspberry, blackberry, fruits of the forest, etc)

1/4 cup toasted pistachio nuts

place sugar, flour and 1/3 of the almond paste in a bowl.  by hand, work in the almond paste so that it is in small bits throughout the flour.  Add the butter and work by hand until you get a crumble that will stick when pressed together.

press about 2/3 of the dough into the bottom and up the sides of  a 9"x9"  fluted tart pan*. take remaining almond paste and lightly press a thin layer on top of the crust.  you may not use all of the paste. spread evenly with jam.  

Mix the pistachio nuts in with remaining dough.  Evenly distribute remaining dough by crumbling on top of jam.  (i like a thick layer of topping)

Bake at 350 for approximately 40-45 minutes. you want the crust and crumble to be slightly colored, but not over-browned.

*if you do not have a fluted tart pan, this works fine in a standard 9x9 cake pan, just be sure to bring the crust 1/4-1/2"  up the sides.

huckleberry ice cream

huckleberries are hard to come by

competing with bears after a long hilly hike

just ain't my thing

luckily

those whom are 

"into it"

are willing to share

with one little caveat

my dealer

is 1200 miles away

traveling for a case of berries

now that is

my thing

huckleberries are a bit like blueberries

with more punch of flavor

sweet with a tinge of sour

no pucker

just enough to 

wet your whistle

this gorgeous purple berry

 cuts rich vanilla ice cream

perfectly

Huckleberry Ice Cream

(vanilla base recipe adapted from David Lebovitz)

vanilla custard

1 cup whole milk

generous pinch kosher salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream

7 large egg yolks

4 tsp good vanilla extract

huckleberry swirl

1 1/2 cups huckleberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs lemon juice

heat whole milk with 1/2 cup of sugar, and kosher salt.  meanwhile whisk egg yolks with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.  once milk comes to a simmer, slowly pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  quickly rinse the milk saucepan to remove any dried or burnt milk.  transfer warm egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, constantly stirring with a spatula.  watch carefully, as to not overcook the eggs.  cook and stir just until the mixture coats the spatula (consistency of a light crepe batter).  remove from heat and run through a sieve into a clean bowl.  stir in heavy cream and vanilla.  place entire bowl into another bowl filled with ice and cool water.  stir until it is cooled to room temperature.  pour mixture into a covered container and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

make huckleberry swirl

in a small saucepan, place berries, sugar and lemon juice. cook until the berries throw off juice and all of the sugar has melted, then cook for about 10 minutes more..keep the heat low, you don't want to burn the sugars.  mash the berries slightly (you will want some whole, some mashed).  allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to freeze the ice cream.

when ready to freeze

place vanilla base into the bowl of your freezer.  freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  when your ice cream is finished...remove into your freezer container.  as you scoop into your freezer container, layer with your huckleberry swirl.  this will allow you to have a true swirl.  if you put the huckleberry swirl into the mixer, it will completely mix in.  continue to layer adding as much huckleberries and juice as you wish.

strawberry crumb cake

strawberries are ripe, ripe, ripe

in my neck of the woods

every farm stand along my tuesday evening route

touts the sweetest and freshest

organic berries

i can't resist

particularly because i make a really great strawberry-rhubarb jam

that disappears faster than anything else in the pantry

i grab loads of the juicy red fruit

whenever i find it

which now

is a lot

being as we spend most days at the ranch now

finding ourselves at days end

counting idle minutes on one hand

it feels less guilty to indulge in a bit of sweet

at day's close

when i have a moment

i bake a cake

like this one

a simple twist on a classic crumb cake

using the sweet ripe fruit of the season

in its crumb

strawberry crumb cake

cake

1 1/4 cup cake flour (sifted, then measured)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature--cut into cubes)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tsp of your favorite strawberry (or strawberry-rhubarb) jam

place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  quickly give it a few turns to incorporate everything together.  add the butter. *the butter should be softened, but not warm and creamy.  you want it to mix into the flour mixture making more of a clumpy sand consistency, then a creamed.  mix the ingredients until the butter is finely incorporated into the flour mixture.  meanwhile, combine the buttermilk and vanilla.  add the whole egg and the egg yolk to the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.  use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to ensure there are no dry spots.  with the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk/vanilla mixture and mix until just incorporated. do not over mix  pour into a 8x8 buttered square cake pan.  strategically plop the 4 tsp of jam (you can add a bit more if you like) in the batter.  run the back of a butter knife through the cake batter to swirl the jam through evenly.  set aside while you prepare the crumble.

crumble

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups all purpose flour

10 Tbs unsalted butter--fairly cold--cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup fresh ripe strawberries--cut into 1/4" dice

mix together the sugar, salt and flour by hand in a large bowl.  drop in butter and either work in by hand, or use pastry knives/fork/blender to make fairly large crumble.  tip in the strawberries and work in by hand, using a bit of a firm hand, to get them mixed up well in the flour mixture.  don't squeeze and knead, you do not want to warm the butter, but allow the strawberries to fully incorporate into the crumb.  gently pile on top of the cake. *some of the crumbs will sink into the cake as it bakes, which is why i make SO MUCH CRUMB! 

bake in a 375F oven for about 35-45 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes and keep an eye on it.  the cake is moist, so it can tolerate a bit of over baking, but don't forget to keep an eye on it.  check  by using a toothpick or wooden skewer to see if it is done baking. allow to cool completely before eating

the french truffle {chocolate}

i do love the simplicity 

of a unfussed

truffle

no gild

or

frill

just quality chocolate

a bit of cream

a splash of cognac

a wisp of sea salt

and

butter

dipped and dusted

the french truffle

(printable recipe)

9 oz bittersweet chocolate (min 65%)

6 oz heavy cream

pinch sea salt

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs cognac

*chocolate for coating and cocoa powder (or powdered sugar) for dusting

bring heavy cream and sea salt to a simmer over low heat.  place chocolate bits in a large bowl.  cut the butter into small pieces and place in bowl with chocolate.  remove cream from heat and swirl in cognac until incorporated. pour over the chocolate bits and allow to sit 1 minute before stirring.  stir until the chocolate and butter is melted and fully incorporated into the cream.  the mixture should be thick.  allow to sit at room temperature until it hardens enough to form into balls. 

using a small ice cream scoop, or melon baller, form filling into balls. roll them between your palms until they are perfectly round.  allow to sit out (or place in the refrigerator) until they harden up again. if you put in the fridge, allow to come to room temperature. 

at this point, you may roll them directly into the cocoa powder or powdered sugar.  i like to enrobe mine in chocolate. it gives them the rough exterior as well as helps preserve the delicate filling.  

to enrobe:

it is not required to use tempered chocolate for this particular truffle because you will be rolling it immediately in cocoa powder. it is however, important that you do not heat your chocolate to too high a temperature otherwise it will not harden back up properly.  using a microwave safe bowl, cook about 8 oz of chocolate pieces 30 seconds at a time in the microwave.  after the first 30 seconds, check the heat of the bowl. if it is really hot, you can melt the chocolate in its residual heat.  remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the chocolate. if it melts completely, then you are done. if it doesn't melt at all...cook for another 30 seconds...if it is almost melted, go down to 10 second increments and watch to make sure that it doesn't get too hot.

when you are ready, place a shallow bowl of cocoa powder next to your bowl of melted chocolate.  dip each truffle in the melted chocolate, then immediately drop into the cocoa powder.  coat it completely, then remove to a lined baking sheet to cool.  i do not recommend putting the truffles in the refrigerator before or after dipping (to harden) because it can cause the filling to expand and contract, and break through the coating.  they should do fine at room temperature to firm up. I do however,  recommend refrigeration for longer term storage.  

you can also freeze the filling (once you have them formed into balls) well sealed for up to a month.  remove them and allow them to defrost in the refrigerator, then come to room temperature before dipping, being careful to remove any condensation.

affogato {drowned ice cream}

sometimes

afternoons

call for a snack

a pick me up

that is both

frozen and warm

punched 

with

caffeine

when

the mood strikes

fix yourself

one

of

these

affogato

vanilla ice cream

shot of espresso

this is not a sundae...nor it is meant to be a huge dessert.  use a nice vanilla ice cream and give yourself a nice size scoop.  while your shot of espresso is still warm (but not piping hot), pour over the ice cream. the espresso will melt the ice cream, so don't linger too long....

buon appetito 

banoffee brulee bites

i can't resist 

this perfect little bite

decadence

in a shot

with a

crackly pop 

of 

burnt sugar crust

fix a few

for the person you love

especially

if 

it is you

Banoffee Brulee Bites

1 recipe chocolate sable

(recipe here)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate-melted

dulce due leche prepared or 1 can sweetened condensed milk

small tub mascarpone

bananas

sugar

freshly grated nutmeg

edible gold leaf (optional)

if you are making your own dulce de leche, you need to start a day in advance.  pour the sweetened condensed milk into a pie or cake pan at least 8" in diameter.  place in a larger cake tin or oven safe pan that will leave at least a 1" (moat) around the pan.  fill the larger pan with water, half way up the rim of the smaller pan (making a bain marie). cover the smaller pan with foil.  place in a 425F oven for about 1 1/2 hours.  check after about 45-50 minutes to make sure the water does not evaporate completely. add more water if you see it getting low.  after 1 1/2 hours the milk should be caramelized.  remove it from the water and stir until it is smooth. allow to cool before using.  will last in the refrigerator about a week.

bake off the chocolate sable in small tart tins (about 1- 1/2"). a mini muffin tin is a good mold for these. let cool and remove from tin.  using a small paint brush, cover the inside of each shell with a thin layer of melted chocolate. allow to harden.

to assemble:

spread about 1/4 tsp of mascarpone in the bottom of each tart shell, allowing it to come up the sides.  top with a thin layer (about 1/4tsp) of dulce de leche.  top with a thin slice of banana (1/16"), spread just a whisp of dulce de leche on top of the banana, then top with another banana slice, a bit thicker (1/8").  sprinkle a bit of sugar on top, and a light dust of freshly grated nutmeg.  using a torch, caramelize the sugar. for a thicker sugar crust, add a bit more sugar and caramelize with the torch again.  top with a bit of edible gold (optional)

mayan truffle cake

in celebration

that today

 is

rather than

 isn't

i am sharing

a

special treat

to honor the mayans

who

loved chocolate

just as i 

mayan truffle cake for two

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon (plus more for dusting)

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

4 oz bittersweet (70%) chocolate--melted

cocoa powder for dusting

spray 2-8oz ramekins with pan spray,then line with plastic wrap.  set aside

pour cream in a bowl large enough for whipping.  add in the salt, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and smoked paprika. whip to soft peaks. allow to warm a little (you do not want the whipped cream to be super cold for the next step). 

add about 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir until it has been fully incorporated.  this will lighten the mixture a bit, which will make it easier to fold in the cream in the next step.  gently fold the remaining cream into the chocolate mixture.  if your cream is too cold at this point, your chocolate will clump up and not incorporate well into the mixture, so be careful.

pour into prepared ramekins, smooth down the top and place in refrigerator for about 2 hours or longer, if you have the time.

when ready to serve, invert onto serving place and dust with cocoa powder and cinnamon

serve with rich dark coffee

Simple Nut Tart

dinner parties

stump me

sometimes

being trained in pastry

there is a certain expectation

dessert will be served

and

it will be from scratch

normally

not a problem

however

occasionally

(particlarly when preparing

a full and complicated dinner)

i don't want to finish

with a

substantial & heavy dessert

sometimes

a simple nut tart

served with

strong coffee

paired with 

a bowl of clementines

is just the trick

 Simple Nut Tart

1 pastry crust, pressed into an 8" square tart tin--baked blind

1 cups walnut--toasted

1 1/2 cups pecans--toasted

1 cup almonds--toasted

1/2 cup pine nuts--toasted

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup water

1 oz whiskey

  

preheat oven to 350. place all nuts in a large bowl and mix until well combined.  put brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey salt and water in a heavy saucepan.  stir well, place on medium heat and bring to a simmer.  allow to boil for about 3 minutes.  carefully add the whiskey and bring back to a boil.  boil for 2 more minutes.  the sugar should get a bit syrupy, but should not smoke or turn excessively dark.  keep a constant eye on the sugar.  remove the sugar from heat and tip in the nuts.  stir well, giving each nut a coat of syrup.  immediately tip into the baked crust, gently and spreading to cover the entire crust. pop into the oven for 5-7 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

variations

-add orange juice in place of some water in caramel; a pinch of orange zest & a sprinkle of cinnamon to the nuts

-the addition of fresh rosemary when stirring the nuts into the caramel (light hand) make for a beautiful winter tart

--drizzle with bittersweet chocolate or drench in dark ganache

-substitute vanilla for whiskey

-be creative!

simple summer tartlettes

this is not a recipe

more

an idea

of 

what can be done

with

fresh

peak of the season

fruit

simple summer tartlettes

nectarines

apricots

marzipan

puff pastry

sugar

cinnamon

line tartlette pan with puff pastry, rolled to 1/8th inch thickness.  place in the refrigerator to get nice and cold.  meanwhile, thinly slice fruit, keeping skin on.  roll out marzipan to an 1/8th inch sheet and gently lay a round into the bottom of the pastry lined tin.  arrange fruit in a thin layer on top.  sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon on top (like you would salt and pepper...do not be heavy handed).  bake at 400 until the pastry is browned and crisp (about 15-20 min).

serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.

lemon lavender cake

i love lavender-trimming day

delicate buds

not yet spent

but 

given their pollen

to the bees

at the ready

for

culinary cajoling

i bundle the limping stalks

tacking my baker's rack 

with 

lines of purple

a

scent of  Provence

filling the air

i toss the dried buds

in everything 

from

simple syrup to custards

aioli to bitters

shortbread to biscotti

i especially love it

in this cake

lemon-lavender cake

(this is a riff on a classic 1-2-3-4 cake)

(printable recipe)

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 Tbs lemon zest

juice of 1 large lemon

1 generous tsp dried lavender buds

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each

addition. Stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula and resume beating until the mixture looks like

buttercream frosting. Meanwhile…in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and buttermilk together. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in

the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, in 3 additions. Do not over-mix, just allow the ingredients to come together. Stir in the lavender. Pour into 2 loaf pans that have been coated in pan spray. Bake at 325 F for approximately 50 mins. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. Cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.When cool, pour glaze over

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs cream

Juice of lemon (more or less to your taste)

Stir together and pour over cooled cake.

i've linked my cake up to this great weekly party

ripe figs with ricotta & honey

it is a given

if i were to find myself

naked

roaming the garden of eden

surely i would be

occupied

with

plucking and eating figs

not with

modesty

of.

any.

sort.

figs are good

fresh or dried

plain

&

gilded

for a simple and gorgeous treat

serve these

as an appetizer or dessert

gilded figs

ripe fresh figs

ricotta cheese (fresh if you can get it)

sea salt

honey

toasted walnuts

slice the figs in half, and put a generous scoop of fresh ricotta on top.  drizzle your best honey to just cover the ricotta, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt and top with a walnut half.  serve chilled or room temperature.

**tastes great accompanying a cold glass of prosecco

cherry frangipani tart

we went cherry pickin' this week

and the whole time

all i could think about 

was

my corporate days

when i said things like

"don't cherry pick the good deals"

&

"let's start with the low hanging fruit"

thinking 

everyone would understand the analogy

 not fully realizing until in the orchard

how

much more relevant

the statement is

when you are

 actually

cherry picking, the low hanging fruit

especially

when you are

only

5

feet

tall

i love

frangipani

which is an almond paste

custard of sorts

cherries

&

almond

are a delicious combination 

cherry frangipani tart

(printable recipe)

1 pie crust for 10" tart pan

8 oz almond paste

1.5 oz sugar

3.5 oz butter (softened, but still slightly firm)

3/4 oz all purpose flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 extra-large eggs ( room temperature)

3 cups pitted sweet cherries (fresh or frozen)

line a 10" tart pan with crust.  refrigerate while you make the filling.  preheat oven to 350F.  using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat the almond paste and sugar.  gradually add in the butter in large pieces until fully incorporated.  add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.  stop the mixer and scrape down the sides as you go.  after all eggs are incorported, beat for 30 seconds on high speed.  add vanilla.  stir in the flour and salt until just incorporated.  pour into the tart shell.  working from the outside in, place cherries in the almond custard in concentric circles, close together, but not touching.  place tart on baking tin and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.  the frangipani will rise and brown, but should not souffle.  it is done when just firm to the touch and the crust is slightly golden.


i'm linking up to

wedding+cake

although i know how

i 

rarely make wedding cakes

here's the deal

elaborate

fancy

wedding cakes 

take time to 

build

(yes, just like pedro says)

which means

by the time

you

cut into that cake

it

is

old

yes

there are tricks

soak it in syrup

it will seem moist

(when really, it is just wet)

freeze it

suspending the stale
or

up the filling to cake ratio

all good ways to get the job done

but

not my thing

i'm a bit of a jerk about it

wedding cakes are expensive

and should be

delicious

which means

for me

baking and assembling

as
the bride is donning her veil

that being said

there are times

when you can't keep me from 

making a cake

last weekend 

was one of them

my younger brother got married

last of the lot

&

the bride requested

lemon

i 

made

this

lemon meringue cake
(recipe and instructions)

fondant topper
honoring
the year of the dragon

flowers
matching the bride's bouquet

Guava Cheesecake {guest post}

recently

hubster returned from a meeting

raving about the dessert

one of the attendees

made a guava cheesecake

blush pink

and

light as a mousse

he declared

it was 

blog-worthy

several days later

a large piece of cheesecake

was hand delivered 

to my kitchen

it was every bit as good 

as hubster described

definitely

blog-worthy

i asked my friend

odie tollefson

if she would share her story

and a recipe

lucky for us all

she agreed

Odie was born in Cuba and enjoyed the combination of cream cheese and guava as a child ...

One of my families’ favorite desserts when I was growing up was guava and cream

cheese…a true Cuban delight! My dad would buy the guava paste in bars, slice it in

about a ¼ inch thick slices and take a bar of cream cheese and slice it in about the

same size. Other times we’d sandwich the guava between two slices of the cream

cheese. Another Cuban favorite is a “refugiado” pastry (literal translation…refugee.)

Porto’s bakery in Glendale makes the best! It’s a light, flaky pastry filled with guava.

No Cuban get-together is complete without these! As the stories I’ve heard go, the

pastry got it’s name because it’s what the Cuban refugees back in the 60’s could

readily afford to make and eat.

So when I ran across this guava cheesecake recipe many years ago in a cookbook

entitled Miami Spice, I knew it would become a favorite in our household and it

certainly has brought smiles to both family and friends over the past decade and a

half.

Enjoy!

Guava Cheesecake

from Miami Spice

Crust:
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
Filling:
1 cup guava paste
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, or to taste
4 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Glaze: (optional)
¼ cup red currant jelly
About 1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9” springform pan.

2. Prepare the crust. Mix together the cookie crumbs, melted butter and

sugar in a mixing bowl to form a crumbly dough. Press the dough over the

bottom and up the side of the springform pan. Bake the crust until almost

dry, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Melt guava paste in the lemon juice in a

nonreactive heavy saucepan, whisking steadily, over medium heat, 2 to 3

minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

4. Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer. Add the sugar and

beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, adding one at a time, beating

until each incorporated before adding the next, and scraping down the

sides of the bowl frequently. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest, and melted

guava. Pour the filling into the prepared pan.

5. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil.

6. Wrap a sheet of aluminum foil around the bottom and sides of the

springform pan to prevent water from seeping in. Place the pan in a large

roasting pan and pour 1 inch of water.

7. Bake the cheesecake until the top is firm and the filling no longer jiggles

when the pan is shaken, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. If the top of the

cheesecake begins to brown before the filling sets, tent the cake with

aluminum foil. When the cake is done, turn off the heat, open the oven

door a few inches, and let the cheesecake cool for 20 minutes.

8. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and

refrigerate for at lest 6 hours, preferably overnight.

9. Prepare the glaze: melt the red currant jelly in the water in a small

saucepan, over medium heat, until the mixture is the consistency of heavy

cream. Thin with additional water, if necessary.

10. Gently brush the top of the cheesecake with the glaze. Cover and chill for

at least 30 minutes.

11. To serve, run a slender knife around the sides of the srpingform pan.

Remove the sides and serve.

raspberry-port chocolate spread

this morning

i raced to my favorite

ethnic grocery

for some reason

i had it in my head

that 

one year ago

to. the. day

sour cherries had arrived

the problem is

produce goes quickly

at this particular store

and

 once it is gone

it. is. gone

surprise...surprise

i was wrong

not

even 

close

3  months off

actually

however

they did have

raspberries

local

organic

&

a dollar a punnet

i couldn't resist

why should i?

raspberry-port chocolate spread

(printable recipe)

6 cups raspberries

3/4 c. port

3 cups granulated sugar

pinch salt

18 oz 70% bittersweet chocolate (broken into pieces)

place berries, port and sugar in a heavy, large pot.  cook over low heat until the berries break down.     remove from heat and strain in a chinois or medium seive (you want the seeds removed, but you want as much pulp as possible in your final liquid.  return the liquid back to the pot and simmer until it reduces by half (3 cups).  meanwhile, place the chocolate in a glass bowl.  allow the raspberry syrup to cool only slightly, then pour over the chocolate.  using a whisk or a hand blender, blend until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.  place in jars and keep in the refrigerator.

use on bread, sweet tea cakes, as a filling for cake, or just spoon it from jar to mouth

creme fraiche

no story

no fancy words

just a simple plea

make.your.own.

and 

use.it.liberally.

creme fraiche

3 cups heavy cream--room temperature

6 Tbs plain greek yogurt--room temperature

stir the yogurt into the heavy cream.  put into a glass jar and cover with a bit of cheesecloth (to keep out bugs and dust, but allow for airflow)

let sit draft free at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours

-the longer you leave it out, the more tangy it will become-

give it a good stir, it will thicken right before your eyes

tightly cover and pop in the fridge

enjoy where you would otherwise enjoy cream or sour cream

mix with a bit of brown sugar and pour over berries

stir into warm soup

create a calvados cream sauce for roast pork

pour over warm peas, carrots

or 

cold beets

just for starters....

when life gives you carrots....

i really like carrots

raw dipped in a bit of sea salt

honey roasted with onion dip

deep fat fried loaded into a feedbag

all good

but 

best of all?

baked in cake

 

 carrot cake

-this recipe comes from my culinary school notebook, it is not my own

(printable recipe)

4 large eggs--room temperature

6 oz vegetable oil

14 oz granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

9 oz flour

1 Tbs cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 lb carrots--peeled and grated

2 1/2 oz walnuts-toasted and roughly chopped

whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whisk together the eggs and oil until the eggs are thick and pale yellow (about 10 minutes).  mix in the dry ingredients, just to fully incorporate.  fold in carrots and walnuts.

split evenly into 2 prepared* 9" cake pans. bake at 325 for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

*preparing cake pans includes spraying with pan spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper

allow to cool and split each cake round into 2 layers.  

frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting**

decorate with marzipan carrots

**i'm not opposed to sharing my cream cheese frosting recipe, but truth be told...i don't measure.  i   use 1 part unsalted butter to 2 parts cream cheese, a pinch of salt a bit of vanilla and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired sweetness. 

guilty eatings

have you ever stood over a cheesecake

fork in hand

mouth full of sweet regret

the even weight on your shoulders

devil on left

angel on right

 muddled words ping-ponging

i should stop

and

just one more bite

shoveling it fast

before you change your mind

thinking of all those poor people

for whom store bought

is the only option

or even worse

no. bake.

side glance to the dogs

looking so disappointed

not because you are gorging

but because

you aren't sharing

me too

thankfully

the phone rang

heart palmiers

we have neighbors

with fabulous taste

crown molding

silver service

art gallery lighting

kind of taste

i almost wonder

if hubs and i 

are their pro-bono friends

while residing in california

we rang in 

london's new year

together

complete with

champagne

caviar

and

crown roast

imagine my horror

as i catch

from the corner of my eye

hubs

in all his glory

hands full of palmiers

flaky crumbs falling to his beard

a smile as broad as his shoulders

complimenting the hostess

on her fabulous dessert

turning to me

gave a grand wink

and said

"you should make these"

so i did

   simple easy heart palmiers

1 sheet puff pastry--cold but not frozen

2 Tbs unsalted butter--melted

2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup granulated sugar for dipping

place puff pastry on a sheet of parchment. in a small bowl, mix together the 2 Tbs granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. using a pastry brush, brush the butter evenly covering the entire piece of pastry. evenly and liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the butter. measure or eye the center of the puff pastry and gently score with the dull end of a knife (do not cut through) starting on one end, tightly roll the dough to the center.  roll the opposite end to the center, forming what looks like a scroll.  gently press together, and if you would like an exaggerated heart shape, pinch the bottom to a point.  wrap in parchment and/or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill. after 1 hour and up to 24 hours, preheat the oven to 375F.  line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a saucer or shallow bowl. remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice crosswise in 1/4" sections.  reshape as necessary, then dip both sides in the sugar. place on parchment paper approximately 1" apart. bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.  allow to cool a bit, but not fully before removing from the parchment.  the sugar will cause them to stick if they cool too much.  allow to finish cooling on a wire rack.

eat with abandon!

linking up to

504 Main--tickled pink

almond cake

i owe david lebovitz a debt of gratitude

while searching for 

an almond cake recipe

not calling for almond flour

i came across his recipe

one he admits comes from chez panisse

my pantry held marzipan rather than almond paste

so, i changed the recipe

ever so slightly

this cake looks light and airy

and it is

but it is also

incredibly moist

and almondy

have a slice on its own

or pair it with

 brandied cherries

peach ice cream

toffee

this cake

would be a gorgeous addition

to your 

thanksgiving dessert display

almond cake

printable recipe

(v.slightly adapted from david lebovitz)

1 cup + 2 Tbs granulated sugar

7 oz marzipan paste (i used odense)

1 cup all purpose flour--divided

1 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp pure almond extract

6 large eggs

preheat oven to 325^F.  butter and flour a 9" springform pan.  line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

using a food processor with the metal blade, process the marzipan, sugar and 1/4 cup flour until it resembles fine sand. in a separate bowl, mix together the remaining flour, salt and baking powder.

to the almond mixture, add the butter, vanilla extract and almond extract and pulse until a smooth batter forms. add the eggs one by one, and scraping the bowl as necessary in between additions.

add half of the flour mixture and pulse until just combined.  add the remaining flour and pulse a few times. if need be, hand stir the flour until it is fully incorporated.

pour into prepared pan and bake for about an hour.  begin checking after 50 minutes.  you can use the toothpick test to check for doneness, or whichever method you prefer.

once removed from oven and while the cake is still hot, run a sharp knife around the perimeter to loosen the cake. do not open the springform pan until the cake is completely cooled.  allow the cake to cool in the pan.  

serve with a dusting of powdered sugar