I sometimes get the weirdest looks for saying this, but it’s true: I love the cold. To me, cold days are perfect for staying in, baking, watching TV under the covers... So good!
My mom was from Santa Catarina – in the South of Brazil - and I spent many vacations there as a little girl. My favorite time of the year there was in the middle of the winter, in July – my aunts used to prepare delicious treats and (very) hot chocolate for me and my brother. Some days were so freezing that my mom did not let us play outside, but I didn’t mind: I loved writing and playing school with my imaginary “students” – I was always the teacher, of course. :D
I saw these cakes and they screamed “fall” – perfect to celebrate my second favorite season.
Little couscous cakes
from Little Cafe Cakes
¼ cup (60ml) rum or brandy
½ cup (120ml) olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 cup (180g) couscous
2 eggs
¾ cup (150g) sugar
½ cup (70g) flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (82g) dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/338ºF. Grease and flour 12 individual cake or muffin pans or one 20cm springform pan.
In a saucepan heat rum or brandy with oil, orange zest and juice. Place couscous in a bowl and pour over hot liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to steam for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff up couscous with a fork.
Whisk eggs and sugar together until thick and pale. Stir this mixture into couscous along with remaining dry ingredients and cranberries.
Spoon into prepared pans and bake for 15 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched.
Makes 12 – I halved the recipe and got 9 (my pans hold 1/3 cup batter each)
Mmm, these couscous cakes look amazing!!! I don't think it's weird at all to love cold weather--you can snuggle up, bake, and enjoy all those wonderful wintry and fall flavors.
ReplyDeleteI love cold weather too:) this recipe is really interesting. I bet they were delicious !
ReplyDeleteI love couscous and I have never had them as a sweet. I will have to try.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to use couscous!
ReplyDeleteHah, I love the cold-- more opportunities to glam up your wardrobe. Heh heh :) Not *freezing* though!
ReplyDeleteWow, those couscous cakes are quite unique! I wonder what the texture is like?
Wow, I really like couscous but I've never heard of using it in baked goods before. I love it with citrus and cinnamon so I bet I'd love this!
ReplyDeleteI am putting these on my "to make soon" list. They look delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a unique recipe! I will have to give these a try.
ReplyDeleteYou are the 1st one to leave me a comment! THANK YOU.
ReplyDeleteI gave a look at your blog and it is just so great, pictures are amazing and recipes seem just so DELICIOUS!
see you soon!
I love reading about you experiencing the opposite seasons as me there. While I am craving the warmth and the light, fresh, greenmarket fare, you are getting ready to hunker down to comfort food!
ReplyDeleteI have never baked with couscous. I can only imagine the delicate texture. Must try this!
ReplyDeleteThose look great! couscous is always in my home!
ReplyDeleteI love cold, too -- you can always get warm, you can always heat up the kitchen with cooking and baking, and then you can always curl up with a blanket and a book and some wonderful little couscous cakes!
ReplyDeleteThose look fun! I haven't seen anything like that before, but the flavors are all familiar and wonderful sounding.
ReplyDeleteI hate the cold. I love the heat. These are lovely little cakes Patricia.
ReplyDeleteElyse, thank you, sweetie! Can't wait to start making soups. :D
ReplyDeleteNatalie, they had a very interesting texture!
Melanie, I love couscous too but had only had it in savory dishes. I was really curious about these cakes!
Dragon, thank you!
Mark, they are grainy - delicious to chew, I mean. :D
Oh, and you are right - I love wearing scarves. :D
Anna, the olive oil adds lots of moisture to these.
Heather, I hope you try them!
Kelly, I was intrigued by it, too. :D
Laure Sophie, thank you for stopping by, too - your blog is full of delicious food!
See you! :D
Sarah, I have that feeling reading you and the others in the Northern Hemisphere, too, darling!
Aran, these are interesting. :D
Jennifer, thank you for stopping by!
Lydia, you've said it all, darling. :D
Brittany, these were completely new to me, too!
Barbara, my brother and my sister are just like you. :D
There are lots of great things about cold weather! Like getting cozy under lots of blankets, and as you said, baking. =) These couscous cakes look awesome. I've never seen such a thing.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a cake with cous cous in before, they sound good.
ReplyDeleteI just finished making and eating one of these, they taste fantastic :-)
ReplyDeleteits a great recipe and really easy to make, thanks!
Hi Edward! I'm so glad to know the recipe worked for you - thank you for coming here to tell me! :D
ReplyDeletei love couscous! but i've never had it as a sweet or a cake! gotta try it!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I am so THANKFUL for you and this recipe right now! I'm doing a report on Morocco and for my project I wanted to incorporate a taste of their country without going for the predictable presentation of couscous. But I'm subbing the eggs for egg replacer, hopefully that works out!
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