Donna Hay's Madeleines with Orange Glaze

I have an infatuation with little bitty things.  There's just something about little minis that is so cute and irresistible.  So when I spotted a teeny tiny madeleine pan I simply had to have it.  In my mind I had visions of mini madeleines in every kind of flavor imaginable.  So I bought the pan and it was so mini and cute that it actually fell out of the bag and got lost in my car.  For three months.  When I discovered the pan in the back of my car I was thrilled yet again.  In fact, I had the same visions of cute mini madeleines, but then I put the pan in the pantry for another two months.  To say I'm good at procrastinating is an understatement.

Every time I spotted that madeleine pan I felt like it was taunting me.  One day I took the pan out of the pantry and placed it on my kitchen counter as an incentive. I'll have you know that pan sat there on the kitchen counter for about two weeks before I gained the needed motivation.

Today I finally made these mini madeleines and I gotta tell you that mini is no longer cute to me.  AT ALL!  Turns out the mini madeleine pan only holds approximately one teaspoon of batter in each cavity.  Making these minis was the longest process ever!

However, I will tell you that these mini little madeleines with orange glaze are the daintiest little cake-like treats ever!  We really did love them!  They are very light and sponge-like in texture and the orange glaze really gives them a wonderful citrus flavor.  These would be a nice treat with a cup of tea.  Just do yourself a favor and buy a larger pan!

Madeleines

Adapted from Modern Classics Book 2

by Donna Hay

Makes 24

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 ounces butter, melted and cooled

Optional: Zest of one orange

For Glaze:

Juice of one orange

About 1 cup of confectioner's sugar

Optional: zest of half an orange and/or leftover zest from above*

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until very pale and thick.  Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and continue to beat at low speed until smooth.  Add the butter and beat until combined.

Grease two madeleine tins with 12 x 1-1/2 tablespoon capacity holes.  Spoon in the mixture and bake for 8-10 minutes or until risen and golden. 

Whisk together the juice of one orange and about a cup or so of confectioner's sugar until you get the consistency you're looking for.  For a thick glaze add more sugar.  For a thin glaze add more juice.

Theme: Fill The Tins!

Banana Fudge Bomb Pops {#SummerOfThePopsicle guest post @ girlichef}

This week I'm holding the (popsicle) stick over at my friend Heather's blog, girlichef.  I'm so glad Heather asked me to be a part of her Summer of the Popsicle event because I've been meaning to make these creamy dreamy Banana Fudge Bomb Pops for a super loooooong time!  These pops are a delicious reminder of my favorite childhood treat from the ice cream man.  They really hit the spot!

You can find the recipe for these yummy treats here at girlichef. 

 

If you are a fan of tasty frozen treats on a stick, Heather has them featured every Wednesday throughout the summer! You can link up your own ice pops, popsicles and paletas there too. (You can also find this fun event on Twitter at #SummerOfThePopsicle) 

  

Check it out! 

Clementine & Almond Syrup Cake with Chocolate Icing

Every once in awhile I have a total failure in the kitchen.  I don't really mind having kitchen failures because they help me learn what works and what doesn't work.  Those same failures also help me learn what kind of recipes my family likes and dislikes.  I'd go so far as to say that I've learned just as much from my kitchen failures as I have from my successes.    

However, this cake was the kind of failure that bothers me.  It bothers me because it was a rather expensive failure (clementines, almonds, good quality chocolate, and lots of butter).  It also bothers me because it was a very time-consuming failure (the majority of an afternoon and lots of dishes to wash). 

We didn't like this cake....AT ALL!  The picture of the cake certainly looks pretty in my copy of Jerusalem and it seemed like a really good choice since I found some great clementines at my market. I had high hopes, but they were crushed when I tasted a bite of the cake.  The cake was extremely dense and gritty (I'm guessing from the large amount of ground almonds).  The chocolate icing was gritty as well and there was really little I could do to fix it.  Additionally, the clementine flavor didn't really come through, although I'm not sure why.  The cake gets brushed with a beautifully aromatic clementine simple syrup that tastes very sweet and delicious, but you just don't get that flavor in the cake (either with or without the chocolate icing).  

All in all, I was very disappointed.  My family really enjoys the combination of orange and chocolate and we were all looking forward to this cake.  My husband and I shared a slice, both with and without the chocolate icing, and we just didn't like it at all.  Right now the cake is chilling in the fridge to see if that helps matters, but I'm thinking the cake will more than likely get tossed.  Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with the recipe.  It's possible that other people enjoy a very dense and gritty cake, but it's just not for us. 

Clementine & Almond Syrup Cake with Chocolate Icing

Adapted from Jerusalem

by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

Serves 8 to 10

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

scant 2 cups sugar

grated zest and juice of 4 clementines

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

 2-1/2 cups ground almonds

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted

pinch of salt

long strips of orange zest to garnish (optional)

Chocolate Icing:

6 tablespoons butter, diced

5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, broken up

2-1/2 teaspoons honey

1-1/2 teaspoon Cognac

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a 9-1/2 inch springform pan with butter and line the sides and bottom with parchment paper.

Place the butter, 1-1/2 cups of the sugar, and both zests in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat on low speed to combine everything well.  Do not work the mixture too much or incorporate too much air.  Add half the ground almonds and continue mixing until combined.

With the machine running, gradually add the eggs, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a couple of times as you go.  Add the remaining ground almonds, the flour, and the salt and beat until completely smooth.

Pour the cake batter into the pan and level it with an offset spatula.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes (mine was finished at 50 - watch closely).  Check to see if it is ready by inserting a skewer into the center.  It should come out a little bit moist.

When the cake is almost done, place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the citrus juices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil (the juices should total about 1/2 cup; remove some juice if needed).  When the syrup boils, remove it from the heat.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush it with the boiling syrup, making sure all the syrup soaks in.  Leave the cake to cool down completely in the pan before you remove it.  You can then serve it as it is, garnished with orange zest strips, or store it for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

If you wish to ice the cake, we recommend doing it on the day you want to serve it so the icing is fresh and shiny.  Put the butter, chocolate, and honey in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water).  Stir until everything is melted, then immediately remove from the heat and fold in the Cognac.  Pour the icing over the cooled cake, allowing it to dribble naturally down the sides without covering the cake completely.  Let the icing set and then garnish the center of the cake with the orange zest strips.

 

 

Theme: Fruitfull!

Lemon Meringue Fool

I made a really delicious Lemon Dream Cake for my Mom's birthday a few weeks ago.  In fact, if lemon is your thing and you like super easy cake recipes, I would highly recommend it. This particular lemon cake called for lemon pie filling, but I was unable to find any so I substituted lemon curd instead.  After making the cake I had a good amount of lemon curd leftover and I had no idea what to do with it. Well, actually that's a little bit of a lie.  Eating the remaining lemon curd by the spoonful crossed my mind several times, but it hardly felt like justice for something so delicious.  So I kept hunting for recipes.  Then I remembered this recipe from Nigella.

When I daydream about desserts I tend to think of cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies.  This is a shame in many ways, but mostly because I always forget how much I love a light, creamy, fruity dessert like this fool.  A fool is also a cinch to make and goes together so quickly.  A little lemon curd mixed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice then folded into some whipped heavy cream and you're pretty much all set.  Crumble some store-bought cookies into the mix, if you'd like, or eat it as is.  It's a very pretty dessert and can be very elegant if served in a martini or parfait glass. Everyone in my house really enjoyed this one. 

Lemon Meringue Fool

Adapted from Nigella Kitchen

by Nigella Lawson

Serves 2 or 4

2/3 cup good-qualit store-bought lemon curd, plus a little extra to decorate

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, or limoncello if you have it

1 cup heavy cream

4 small meringue cookies (store-bought is fine)*

lemon zest, to serve

*Note: I couldn't find meringue cookies so I used shortbread cookies instead.

Grate the zest of one lemon, reserving the zest for the garnish.  With the remaining lemon, squeeze one to two teaspoons of lemon juice into a medium-sized bowl.  Add the lemon curd to the lemon juice and stir.  If this mixture feels too thick add a little more lemon juice.  

Pour the heavy cream into another bowl and whisk until just thick.  It should hold to its shape, but not be so thickly whipped that it looks dry; it will thicken more as you fold in the lemon curd.

Drizzle half the lemon curd mixture over the cream and fold in with a rubber spatula, then do the same with the remaining half.  You don't want it all folded in completely, whipped cream rippled with lemon is what you're looking for.

If you have the meringue cookies, go ahead and crumble them with your fingers into the fool, and gently fold most of this into the mix.  Spoon it into 4 small martini glasses (or fill 2 large goblets) and decorate with some lemon zest curls and a drizzle of lemon curd, scraped out of the bottom of the bowl it was mixed in, or spooned out of the jar.  If you have any thin, crisp cookies put them on the table for serving. 

Potluck Week at IHCC (Sharing the recipes of Nigella Lawson, Mark Bittman, Giada De Laurentiis, Jamie Oliver, Tessa Kiros, Rick Bayless, and Yotam Ottolenghi)

Sucré (A Sweets Boutique) Giveaway!!

Sucré Sweet Boutiques and Confection Studio are located in New Orleans, Louisiana and offer the definitive dessert and confection experience.  They have a wide array of offerings, including their award winning French macarons, artisan chocolates, toffee, pecans, and also regional specialties like king cake.  Chef Tariq uses only the finest ingredients, local if possible, to craft his one of a kind delights.

The Sucré King Cake is a signature buttery danish pastry sweetened by cinnamon and raw cane sugar, then folded with a light layer of creole cream cheese.  It has been voted a "favorite" by the Times Picayune and also voted "best" by the Washington Post.  Sounds like a winner to me!

After browsing through the collection of sweets I became enamored with all their chocolate offerings, especially this Caramel + Brown Butter Collection.  Avery chocolates, filled with a butter-soft caramel milk chocolate ganache, paired with our brown butter filled Meuniére chocolates make for a sinfully delicious collection.  Add in the chocolate almond toffee and dark chocolate caramel cookies and I'm totally in!

I'm also slightly obsessed with their aritsan chocolate bars, namely this Salted Pretzel Chocolate Bar. It's hard to beat the sweet and salty combination of creamy Swiss milk chocolate studded with pretzels sticks.

However, in the end it was these absolutely gorgeous and colorful macarons that won me over!  Don't they look irresistible?  Delicate little French macaron cookies filled with luscious mousseline.  Available in wonderful flavors such as pecan, chocolate, salted caramel, almond, pistachio, strawberry, hazelnut, and bananas foster. The picture above is Sucré's Signature Macaron Collection and one lucky reader will win their very own box!

Would you like a chance to win this gorgeous box of macarons?  All you need to do is visit the Sucré website, and tell me which treat you'd most like to try, then leave a comment below, along with your contact information (email address).  The contest ends this Saturday, March 2nd at midnight EST.  A winner will be drawn randomly (via random number generator) and announced on Sunday, March 3rd.  This drawing is open to U.S. residents only!

Caramelized Apples with Pistachio Cream

Warm spicy apples swimming in a lightly spiced whipped cream topped with pistachios.  Very reminiscent of apple pie, but without the crust.  This is the kind of dessert that feels like a great big hug. A perfect treat to indulge in when the weather outside is too cold for comfort.

There are no rules when it comes to this recipe. I used Golden Delicious apples, but feel free to pick your favorite tart, firm apple.  No pistachios on hand?  You could easily sub any type of nut.  Personally, I think walnuts would be fantastic.  Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking, using more or less.  You really can't mess this up. If you want a healthier dessert go ahead and sub yogurt for the whipped cream.  I'm sure it would be equally delicious.

Caramelized Cardamom Apples with Pistachio Cream

Adapted from Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

by Madhur Jaffrey

Serves 4

For the Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

For the Apples:

 6 tablespoons butter

4 medium-sized tart/firm apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon finely ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Garnish:

2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream and sugar until you see soft peaks.  Add in the spices and stir.  Place bowl back in refrigerator to chill.

Melt the butter over low heat in a large, nonstick frying pan.  Take the pan off the heat.  Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly dropping the slices into the melted butter as you cut them.  Fold them into the butter as you go so that they do not discolor.  Add the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.  Cook on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring very gently now and then, until the apples are tender and have caramelized lightly. 

Serve on individual plates with a dollop of the cream on top of the apples.  Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and serve.

Theme: Sweet Endings

Copycat Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark

Williams-Sonoma's Peppermint Bark.  If you've tasted it, then you know it's magical.  If you haven't tasted it, then you really need to.  This bark screams the holidays and it is so darn delicious and addictive.  For years Williams-Sonoma has been selling their peppermint bark for upwards of $30-40 per pound and people have been willing to pay good money for it because it is so darn delicious.  No need to pay big bucks any longer.  You can totally make this stuff at home.

This copycat recipe is spot on.  The real deal.  Worth it's weight in gold.  I'm not kidding.  Peppermint and chocolate are all the rage this season and I think you should seriously make this.  Ditch the cookies.  Give your oven a break.  Make this for yourself.  Eat the whole batch.  Then again, it's the season of giving.  Make another batch.  Wrap it up.  Gift it.  It definitely looks pretty all wrapped up with a bow.  People will love it.

Just please promise to use good chocolate.

Copycat Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

Adapted from Food Network 

Makes about 2 pounds

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

12 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces*

1 pound good-quality white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces*

1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

3 candy canes or 12 round hard peppermint candies, crushed

*Note: To do this recipe right you really need to buy good chocolate.  Don't buy chocolate chips because they will not yield the same results.  Buy good quality chocolate in bar form.  I used 3 (4 oz.) bars of Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate and 4 (4 oz.) bars of Ghirardelli white chocolate. 

Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles.  Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming.

Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat.  Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted.  Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed.  Do not rush this step:  it should take about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.

Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl.  Stir in 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.  Firmly tap the dish against the counter to remove any air  bubbles.  Set aside at room temperature until almost set, about 10 minutes.  (Mine took a little longer to set.  I ended up putting it in the fridge for just a few minutes).

Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry the bottom of the bowl.  Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer.  Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate.   Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour.  Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break into pieces, or simply lift the bark out and cut into squares (this is what Williams-Sonoma does).  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

I'm all about a bar cookie.  I'm also all about Ina Garten's recipes.  Her recipes are pretty much foolproof.  Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks her recipes are foolproof because she actually named her newest cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.  Say what you will about Ms. Garten, but the lady can write a fantastic recipe.  

My daughter is participating in a bake sale this weekend and I wanted something that was reliable, delicious, and easy to package.  Ina's Chocolate Chunk Blondies are all of that and more.  With over a pound of chocolate in the recipe, this is definitely a cookie for all the chocolate lovers out there.  Please keep these blondies in mind for the upcoming holidays because they are fantastic! I really do believe this is one of those desserts that would be enjoyed by all.

 

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

recipe found online at Food Network

Makes 12 bars

1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temp

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs, at room temp

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1-1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks 

Note:  I substituted regular chocolate baking chips because my store was out of chocolate chunks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8-1/2 x 12 x 2-inch baking pan (I used a 9 x 13 size pan lined with greased parchment paper for easy removal). 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speeds for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Don't overbake!  The toothpick may have melted chocolate on it but it shouldn't have wet batter.  Cool completely in the pan and cut into 12 bars.

Fresh Lime Ice with Berries

 
I don't like hot weather at all.  Anything above 90 degrees is pushing it for me.  This 100 degree heatwave we've been having has really been testing my limits.  However, in an effort to be positive and go with the flow, I've tried telling myself that I love the hot weather.  If you say it enough times it must be true, right?

When I'm wheeling my grocery cart across the blacktop in the middle of the day, with two kids hanging on me, I tell myself the heat feels wonderful.  After all, I love hot weather.
 

When I get in my car and the temperature gauge says 120F I tell myself it's good for my character.  You just gotta tough these things out sometimes, right?  When the kids start whining about the heat I tell them the same thing. I chuckle to myself because they love it when I tell them things like that.   

 

When I get home and it's time to carry in all the groceries (and the back of my shirt is already soaked with sweat) I tell myself I should just be thankful to have groceries to carry in the house. 

For the past two months I've tried convincing myself that I love the heat.  I was successful in my endeavor until this past Thursday.  On Thursday I was walking out of the grocery store and I literally reached my melting point.  It was crazy stupid hot and miserably humid.  I felt like laying down and having a temper tantrum just like my five year old.  Right then and there I decided I was going to quit lying to myself.  The fact is I just can't stand the heat.

So, for the rest of the summer I'm hiding inside.  The only reason I'm going outside is to check the mail or walk to my car.  On the off chance I'm forced to brave the great outdoors you will find me rewarding myself with something really cold like this super icy refreshing lime ice.  This lime ice stays really cold.  Almost too cold to eat.  It's the stuff of dreams on a hot summer day.

Fresh Lime Ice with Berries

Adapted from Mexican Everyday

by Rick Bayless

Serves 4-6 

5 to 6 large limes (or enough to make 3/4 cup lime juice)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

2 to 3 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries or strawberries for garnish

Grate the zest (colored part only) of 2 of the limes and scrape into a large bowl.  (If the zest is in large pieces, finely chop it.)  Juice the limes, measure 3/4 cup and pour it in with the zest.  Add the sugar, corn syrup and 1-3/4 cups water.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the mixture into the canister of your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.  The ice will have the best texture if you transfer it from the ice cream maker into a container and let it firm up for several hours in the freezer.  The ice is best eaten within 24 hours.  Scoop it into small dishes and sprinkle with the berries.

Alternatively, pour the mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, slide it into the freezer and "still-freeze" the mixture - stir it thoroughly after 45 minutes, then twice more at 15 minute intervals.  It's that easy,  (This is my preferred method for making any fruit ice.  I think the texture is so much better than using your ice cream maker).

Theme: Nieves (Icy Cold Treats)