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Tag Archives: Baking
When Nanette of Gourmet Worrier invited me to participate in World Figolli Day, I said, YES! I thought it would be fun to try to find my inner Maltese, while baking a lovely Easter tradition.
If you are not familiar with either, let me fill you in. Nanette, is of Maltese decent, and lives in Melbourne. She writes the wildly popular food site Gourmet Worrier, when she is not being a mum to her darling children, and a wife to Huxley. Nanette and I kindled a friendship, a couple years ago, when our food sites happened to collide. We instantly hit it off, and have since enjoyed each others company virtually, and look forward to sharing a glass of wine, very soon. Her site is filled with wonderful recipes that share her love of her Maltese heritage with her readers.
Figolli is the most important Maltese Easter dessert. They have the texture of a shortbread cookie and are cut into shapes representing fertility. Before baking to a golden brown, a homemade almond paste is sandwiched between two of the cut out shapes. Traditionally, these cookies were enjoyed by children, post Lent, not only by eating them but also by helping mum bake them. Since, we don’t have children, I enjoyed the relaxing task by myself.
 
I followed Nanette’s recipe, almost to a T. Her recipe is heavy citrus influenced, which I love, especially during spring time. I could not find any lime, so added more orange zest, to my cookie base. As well, I cut the almond paste recipe in half, as I was concerned it would be too much for my small Easter cutters. I do adore orange blossom water, so I increased the amount by an additional cap full for the paste. I also used some of the heavenly scented water, in my royal icing recipe. It was lovely, and not over powering at all; like being in Seville, sitting in the middle of an orange orchard.
I have never had Figolli, and could not wait to try the finished cookie. Once, they were baked, and iced, I treated myself to a cup of mint tea, and a sweet bite. They were not overly sweet, which I like. Slightly crunchy, but with a nice, soft, almond middle. I really loved the citrus with the almonds, as well as the orange blossom scent. Definitely took me to a place far away from San Francisco.
Easter is still a few days away. You still have time to make these treats with your children, or even alone. They are easy to make, and easier to eat.
Oh, did I find my inner Maltese? No, not yet, but I am sure there is a drop of her somewhere.
What are some of your favorite Passover and/or Easter traditions?
Recipe: Royal Icing
What you need:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, I prefer the Nielsen Massey brand
- food coloring, your choice
What you need to do:
In a large mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the egg white, lemon juice, and orange blossom water; beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Color the icing what ever shade you like. I start with adding a very small drop of color, and proceed until I get the shade I am looking for.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Figolli around the world!
Figolli
Figolli
Figolli
Figolli
I have been keeping this bread a secret, the past two months, while I perfected it. *smirk across my face* I have not even let a drop of the secret out. *shame* This banana bread is the …….. BEST. MOISTEST. MOST DELICIOUS. I have ever eaten. Really! Honest!! Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but, it is even almost better than our banana chocolate chip banana bread.
Where did it start? Well, pull up a chair, and let me tell ya. I read an article in the New York times about coconut oil. As well, our friend Darya, was chatting about it on her online show, Summer Tomato Live. I am always looking for good, healthy, alternatives when baking. Don’t get me wrong, I am the original butter girl, and love the stuff; but, it might be nice to cut back a little. In moderation, virgin coconut oil is good for us. As well it is really versatile for cooking. You can use it with baking, sauteing vegetables, popping pop corn, your mind is what will limit your uses with it. I was very intrigued, and decided to play around with it.
I took my original banana bread recipe, the one with chocolate, and decided to change it around. The first couple times, I made the recipe, I added half butter, and half virgin coconut oil, along with the sour cream, and cream cheese, as I was not sure how it would work out. It was good, but still not what I was hoping for. The next couple times, I left the butter out, as well as the sour cream; it was really amazing. In fact, perfect. But, I decided to play with it again. The last time I eliminated the cream cheese, and used Saint Benoit Yogurt Cheese. Yogurt cheese has the same texture as cream cheese, and less fat; it is a healthy alternative. This time around, the banana bread, was incredibly moist, light, cake like in texture, and had a faint taste of coconut. Like when you are in the tropics, laying on the beach, and you can smell that faint smell of coconut in the distance. We had a couple loaves laying around for three days, and each one was perfectly moist the entire time. So, what are you waiting for? Add virgin coconut oil to your shopping list, and get baking. This would be perfect as a snack or even to serve with breakfast.
*yes, that would be some butter being served with that bread
Have you tried baking or cooking with virgin coconut oil? If so, what did you make?
Recipe: Super Moist Banana Bread
What you need:
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil; you can use butter
- 1 cup yogurt cheese, or cream cheese
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 bananas, medium sized one
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 t soda
- 1 t baking powder
- pinch of salt
What you need to do:
Heat oven to 350. Line a loaf pan, with parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil or butter on medium speed, until soft; about 7 minutes. Add the yogurt cheese, and continue beating on medium speed, for 3 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat on medium speed, until fluffy; 5 minutes. Add the egg and bananas, mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients, mix on medium speed, until combined; about 3 minutes. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Each oven is different, start checking at 45 minutes. You want the bread to be golden brown, and a knive will come out clean, when you slide stick it into the middle of the loaf. Serve. Eat.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Organic Banana Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Avocado Banana Bread
To our American readers – Happy Thanksgiving, may your day be filled with love, warmth, family, friends and delicious food.
A few months ago, I was having a twitter session with John, Jennifer and Tamar about scones. Everyone was eager to make scones together, sort of a virtual bake-off. Unfortunately, I was not able to play along for a couple reason: 1) I thought it would be too time consuming and 2) life over-took me once again. Ever since I have had scones on my mind and have been tossing around different versions to make. The big question was, sweet or savory?
Back in October, I had some free time one morning and decided to tackle the scone challenge. I ran to the store, picked up some good Irish butter, some flour, pecans and pumpkin. Then I made a cup of coffee, turned on a little music and began. I wanted a scone that would be sweet, but not overly sweet as well I wanted it to smell of autumn; a little nutty, a bit spicy and comforting. Pumpkin and pecans would be perfect.
Most of the recipes I found, had me mixing the dough by hand as well asked for cake flour in addition to ap flour. I wanted the recipe to be simple, so I started with only ap flour. As well I used a food processor; I don’t like sticky hands. The dough came together really nicely, it was light and very flavorful; very easy to work with. One of the reasons I was so hesitiate on baking scones was the rolling of the dough into a square and then cutting. Why? I don’t know but I was. Instead I rolled the dough into a circle and cut it like a pie. Easy. I was so excited at this point, that I started a list of all the different flavors I wanted to start making.
The smell of pumpkin and cardamon, mixed perfectly with the pecans and butter while they were baking. Even though the scones were stand-up on their own, I decided after a couple bites, to make a sweet maple glaze. This was the perfect final touch, while drizzled over the tops of the scones while they are still warm. Not only would this recipe make for a perfectly light breakfast, but, it went well with a nice cup of hot chai tea as an afternoon snack.
What is your favorite scone; sweet or savory?
Recipe: Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
2 cups ap flour
1/4 cup sugar, we use unprocessed raw sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspooon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
6 tablespoons irish butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with silpat. In a food processor combine all the dry ingredients, give a whirl to mix. With the food processor running, at pieces of the butter, a couple at a time and pulse until pea sized. Continue adding the butter until it is used up. Add the puree and the heavy cream. Pulse until the dough comes together, not any longer. Scrape the dough out onto a floured surface, lightly knead and then bring together into a circle, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into triangles, I made 8 but you could make them a bit smaller or larger. Place onto the baking sheet, so that they do not touch. Bake for about 15 minutes. They will be light brown on the bottoms and the tops. Remove from oven. Drizzle with the maple glaze. Serve. Eat.
*disclaimer I made these a couple times and they come out much better when I used Irish butter instead of regular unsalted butter
Recipe: Maple Glaze
1/2 powdered sugar
3 – 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, depends on the consistency you want
Mix in a small bowl until you reach the consistency you are after. Drizzle over warm scones.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze
Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkin and Ginger Scones
I have been meaning to share this with you but have not really had the time to do much the past couple weeks. I had to get it to you for the weekend as you are going to want to make this immediately!!!!
I have admit ……. I have made this twice in less than thirty days. Yes, it really is that good! I made it once for Easter brunch and again, for a dinner party with Allison, Janet and Megan. I liked the second cake better. The first time was delicious but the texture was a bit creamy for me. I like my cheesecakes to be on a bit drier and I DO NOT mind the pretty crack that forms down the middle. I baked the first one for 40 minutes and the second cake I baked for 50.
Passion fruit. We both love passion fruit but have a hard time finding fresh around here. I have found a puree that I like so we use that very often in macarons, panna cotta, pavolas, cocktails and now curd. If you can find fresh, use that, as I think the addition of seeds would be beautiful. If not, puree is perfect. This recipe is devine. Smooth, creamy and slightly tart. The perfect pairing with this cheesecake.
What is your favorite cheesecake recipe? And why?
Recipe: Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Recipe: Passion Fruit Curd
We had an early tomato appearance at our house last week. I normally wait until May or June before buying the first of many tomatoes; but, they looked so pretty at the store that I could not refuse. I love heirloom tomatoes not only because of their amazing sugary sweet taste or their juicy texture; also, because they are not perfect. I love the different shapes, sizes, bumps, lumps and many colors. As soon as I saw these two odd shaped yellow and red ones I knew they were coming home with me.
I had help making this tart. No, not Lenny; that would have warranted a video to entertain you. I had E & M of MEM. I mentioned to them that I was going to make a tart out of tomatoes and their interest was definitely peaked. The girls have really taken on a huge interest in food and cooking, especially Ella. I have to say I admire her many questions and the desire to learn. She was there every step of the way, from lining the tart pan, to mixing the filling, to layering the tomatoes and then on to photographing even before sampling. She helped with setting up the tart on different plates until we got it just right as well she waited with anticipation after every click of the camera – wanting to see the picture, to make sure they were okay. Maggie, was not far behind, trailing after her big sister and wanting to do just as she was doing. Now we know we have some foodies in training; but, maybe there is a career of photography lurking also! It was definitely fun to have help making this tart, especially 20 little fingers and two big smiles!
The base of this tart is a slightly peppery and flaky crust. We made a goat cheese based custard filling for the base of the tart and then layered slices of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes over the top. Tomatoes and goat cheese are not complete without a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of maldon salt and fresh thyme from the garden. Serve this with a mixed green salad lightly dressed with white balsamic and olive oil, as well as a nice of Rose! Perfect! The girls even loved the taste of the tart!
How do you like to use your Heirloom Tomatoes?
Recipe: Savory Tomato Tart
(this is a long post, please keep reading, you will not want to miss any of it ….. delicious news)
(photo taken by Sara Remington)
After months of searching high and low and endless talking about how hard it is to find digital classes up in the Bay Area, we took the matter into our hands. We looked at the resources in front of us. We have so many friends who work professionally in a creative space, from photography all the way to film making; we sat with them explained the situation and the playground was born - Digital Media Playground. We are going to keep the workshops, small and intimate. We feel the best way to learn is by actually doing what you want to learn. We won’t sit you in a room, hand you a manual and fly through a session. You will get to work side by side with the instructor. You will ask the questions. You will learn. We are currently populating the calendar with an agenda; but we currently have some exciting workshops scheduled with some very talented photographers. We are starting off with beginning photography, studio shooting and food photography workshops. We personally know each photographer who will be teaching and can tell you right here and right now …. you will be learning a lot!!!
Our featured workshop for May will be with Sara Remington (the photo of the berries was taken by her). I am really excited that Sara will be teaching this hands-on workshop about food photography. I mean, have you seen her drool worthy photography? She currently has 15 books out there featuring her work, the most recent being: The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook and My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family and Big Sur . Sara believes in shooting organically, with ingredients and natural settings. If you want to learn how to shoot stunning photographs as well as how to style them, then this is the class for you. I caught a glimpse of the agenda a couple weeks ago ….. I am so excited for all of you. You are going to learn so much!!! You will not want to miss it! To sign up and for more information please visit this link. Or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to drop me an email or tweet me. As well be sure to check out some of her most recent work from shoot in Greece; but, prepare to become very hungry from these fantastic food scenes.
Now on to these delicious financiers….
I am so happy that berry season is lurking around the corner! Literally just waiting to burst into our lives. We are big berry eaters this time of the year, all the way to the last bite. Lenny and I don’t discriminate, we love them all, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, oallie berries. You name it, you will find throughout the season over at Chez Us. Not only are they the perfect ingredient, but they are the perfect snack. Come over on a weekend and you will find a big bowl of them on the counter.
I have fond memories of berry picking and summer is just not summer without a trip to the berry farm to pick. Since I don’t have kids to torture, I drag MEM (they do love it) and we pick berries and we eat berries. I love their little berry covered faces and fingers. All the way home we talk about how we are going to use the berries; ice cream, muffins, sauces for ice cream or the best way …. stuffed into our mouths! It really is a great way to bring the season into our kitchen.
I had some leftover egg whites the other day and needed some new creativity, so I put a tweet out. Normally I make macarons; but, Pim convinced me (which was not very hard to do) to venture over to Dorie’s kitchen and to make her financiers. If you are not familiar with them, financiers are a little square French cake. They were created by a French pastry chef by the name of Lasne in the nineteeth century. They are made of egg whites, ground almonds, sugar, flour and a lot of butter (the first time I misread the recipe and added 3 sticks). It is not quite time to hit the berry farm; but, I did manage to find a few pre-season raspberries that looked great and were slightly sweet. As well I had a few blueberries laying around, so I decided to add a little berry kiss to each of the financiers. As well I did not have the square little pans that are normally used and could not find them in San Francisco. Pim said to use a muffin pan which worked perfectly. These little cakes are delightful and you will definitely be seeing them more often over at Chez Us.
Recipe: Berry Financiers
(click the above link for a printable & down-loadable recipe)
I have a huge problem paying upward of $2.50 for one little bun at our neighborhood bakery and the urge is hard to control. I love Hot Cross Buns! As well I don’t think they should be saved for Good Friday. I originally wrote about Hot Cross Buns same time, same place, last year. This year I could not wait until Easter to devour them so I did not wait. I had a couple, gave some away and Lenny literally ate about 10 of them – I am not lying after all this is about one of the holiest breads out there!
You will notice this recipe is a bit different. While I love the original recipe, I have to say I like this one better. The recipe moves a long faster then the other one. I had it finished in about 4 hours from start to eating. The addition of marmalade mixed into the batter was a great idea. I used one of Pim’s marmalade’s, the Bouquet des Fleurs. I love that particular marmalade and have been savoring it for the past year. It gave the bread a slightly citrus flavor, a little tart, a little floral and slightly sweet – the perfect addition to the buns. This recipe also came out very light, fluffy and moist. It is a keeper!
Recipe: Hot Cross Buns
*inspired by Sunset Magazine
3/4 cup warm whole milk (100 – 110 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, used freshly grated
1/4 cup marmalade
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup dried currants
1 egg, beaten – for egg wash
1 tablespoon water
3 teaspoons meyer lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
In a bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk and yeast, let stand until the yeast has softened, about 10 minutes. Add the egg, granulated sugar, butter, salt, nutmeg and marmalade. Beat on medium speed until blended, about 3 minutes.
Using a dough hook, blend in 3 cups of flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and stretchy, about 15 minutes. Add just enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly tacky. Add the currants, give a couple whirls of the mixer and then continue to mix with your hands to distribute the currants. Return the dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down dough. With buttered hands, shape into 16 smooth round balls. Evenly space apart in 2 buttered 8 or 9 inch square pans. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled and puffy, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400. Brush buns with an egg wash (one egg and about 1 tablespoon water). Bake until a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon into a small sandwich bag, snip a small hole in the corner and squeeze icing onto the buns to form a large X.
Serve. Eat.
Despite the last few crazy rain storms we have had out this way, spring is definitely in the air. When I open the back door every morning the first thing I smell is sweet succulent jasmine starting to bloom. I love the dewy fragrant smell and always wish I could bottle it up and bring it in. At our old apartment we had planted four big bushes of lavender and that is what we smelled mixed in with intoxicating jasmine. I love lavender as it takes me to a far away place …. this dreamy little farm house in the middle of France. There are a few chickens, a couple goats and yes, Jacqueline, a pig. As well there are fields upon fields of lavender. When we open the doors in the morning to enjoy the sunshine on our feet while making coffee the lavender wraps it sweet arms around us. This is spring!
For this months’ Mac Attack Challenge 5 (can you believe it has been 5), we are participating in “World Macaron Day, which is March 20. The lovely duo Jamie and Deeba challenged us to put a little bit of spring into our macarons. I decided to make a soft but sweet lavender macaron with a vanilla bean buttercream. I was very pleased with this round as every one of the macarons came out perfect. Beautiful little feet, perfectly round, slightly crunchy but still a little chewy – perfect! I am so pleased with myself as I feel I have finally, after 3 years of making these petite bisous, I have done it! I have Jamie and Deeba to thank for pushing me beyond the comfort zone and to keep with it! Be sure to check out all the lovely spring time macarons over at the MacTweet site.
Recipe: Lavender Macarons with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
I used my basic macaron recipe but I added a couple drops of violet colored paste. As well before drying the macarons I sprinkled a touch of culinary lavender. I filled them with a buttery vanilla bean buttercream – simply leave out the bergamont and add the beans from one vanilla bean pod. This macaron is definitely all about spring time.
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