Baked figs with streusel topping and Marsala whipped cream and the reason why we like certain things

Do you ever wonder why you like certain things?

I was making lunch the other day and listening to some music – Toto’s Rosanna was playing. My husband said “I did not know you liked Toto”. I replied “I like this song, because I had an English teacher that loved it, for her name was Rosana”. She was one of the best teachers I had, and on top of that I found her so, so beautiful: she was a redhead and covered with freckles – it was then, at the age of 15, that I started liking my own freckles for until that moment I felt completely awkward with them (no one else in my family, at school or at my street had freckles).

Because of my teacher Rosana I stopped covering my arms in long sleeves even when it was insanely hot. Because of her I stopped hating the way my face looked with freckles everywhere – she never knew that, but she had a big part in my acceptance of my own features. That is why I think of her when I listen to “Rosanna” and my heart is filled with joy.

Now, the figs… I like figs because I first tried them in my godmother’s house, maybe at around 7 or so. The smell of the fruit takes me back to the days I spent with her – figs and peppermint tea, it is impossible for me to try these things without thinking of my godmother. She died a long time ago, however I have lots of fond memories of her.

My godmother was a very sophisticated woman who had travelled the world, so I believe she would like this dessert very much – the figs sort of turn into a creamy jam while in the oven and the Marsala whipped cream pairs beautifully with them. I don’t think the fruit skin benefits from the heat, though, therefore I recommend you eat the pulp and the crumble topping using a spoon and consider the skin a vessel for the deliciousness only. :)

Baked figs with streusel topping and Marsala whipped cream
own creation

For the figs:
6 small figs
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour
3 tablespoons demerara sugar
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold and diced
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Marsala whipped cream:
½ heavy cream, very cold
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Marsala

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a small baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the butter and rub ingredients with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Cut figs in half lengthwise and place them cut side up on top of the foil. Sprinkle the crumble topping over each fig half, packing it slightly with your fingers to make it adhere to the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crumble is golden.

In the meantime, place the cream, sugar and Marsala in a small bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Serve the figs warm with the whipped cream.

Serves 4

Strawberry rhubarb buckle and Mark Rylance

I have been able to catch up and watch all the Oscar movies of this year – it has not been a quick task but it certainly is a pleasant one. :)

One of the movies I have seen lately is Bridge of Spies – I was quite shocked when Mark Rylance’s name was announced as Best Actor in a Supporting Role and I know I was not the only one. I remembered him from Angels and Insects, a good movie I watched twenty years ago, but not much more than that, and I got very curious about his part alongside Tom Hanks.

The movie is… OK. Interesting story, but nothing out of this world (well, not a big fan of Spielberg here). And Mark Rylance’s performance is flat and silly - he should wrap his Oscar in bubble wrap and send it to Tom Hardy by Fedex. :)

I have a more interesting supporting “actor” here: strawberries – unlike Mr. Rylance, their flavor and smell work to create a super tasty buckle, in a beautiful combination with the rhubarb. I had trouble trying not to eat several squares in a row, so please be warned. :)

Strawberry rhubarb buckle
slightly adapted from here

Cake:
115g strawberries, trimmed and diced
225g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided use
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
85g unsalted butter, softened
finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream*

Crumble topping:
½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted

Butter a square 20cm (8in) baking pan, line it with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides and butter the foil.
In a medium bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries and ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar. Let it macerate for 30 minutes – in the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Make the crumble topping: in a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using a fork, stir in the melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate until needed.

Cake: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a stand mixer or another large bowl, beat the butter, lemon zest, and the remaining ½ cup (100g) of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Drain the macerated strawberries and rhubarb through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the liquid, and arrange them on top of the batter. Scatter the crumb topping on top.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack. Cut into squares for serving.

* homemade sour cream: to make 1 cup of sour cream, mix 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream with 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk until it starts to thicken. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour or until thicker (I usually leave mine on the counter overnight – except on very warm nights – and it turns out thick and silky in the following morning; refrigerate for a creamier texture)

Makes 16

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble + a lovely French movie

I find it impossible to think of French movies without thinking of Audrey Tautou – because of “Amélie” she occupies the place in my mind that was once shared by Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve (it’s just a matter of order, not talent, of course).

Yesterday I watched “Delicacy”, and felt so moved by it: a movie that is romantic without being cheesy, about love, loss, life. Tautou with those big eyes of hers makes you cry and laugh without resorting to silly things or situations, and by the end of the movie you’ll feel like catching a plane to Paris asap. :)

And to continue with the French feeling caused by that lovely movie, I bring you these tasty financiers: a French treat by a French chef – I would never have imagined that financiers could be topped with crumble, but I’m glad Eric Lanlard did. :D

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble
slightly adapted from the über delicious Chocolat (I bought mine here)

Crumble topping:
25g all purpose flour
25g icing sugar, sifted
50g almond meal
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
pinch of salt
25g unsalted butter, cold and diced

Financiers:
40g dark chocolate, chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
75g unsalted butter, chopped
50g almond meal
125g icing sugar, sifted
40g all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
Crumble: place the flour, icing sugar, almond meal, zest and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate while you make the financier batter: melt chocolate and butter together in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Stir in the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan filling each cavity ¾ of its capacity. Generous sprinkle with the crumble mixture, packing it lightly to adhere. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of a financier comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and transfer to the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24

Raspberry crumble tart – the easiest tart you’ll ever make + the greatest actor I have ever seen

I watched "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" last Saturday and the fantastic movie – what an amazing cast! – goes right into my list of reasons why Gary Oldman is one of the greatest actors out there – possibly the best I have seen acting so far (Robert De Niro lost that spot a long time ago). The movie is not everyone’s cup of tea, though – I saw some people leaving the theater long before the movie ended. Well, their loss. I’d loved the movie already and this video made me admire it even more.

The picture of this tart on the book made my mouth water and realizing how straightforward it was made me love it even more: a very simple crust (that also works as the crumble topping) that doesn’t have to be chilled or blind baked, and a filling made with berries and sugar, only – it doesn’t get much easier than that. Or more delicious. :)

Raspberry crumble tart
from The Grand Central Baking Book

Crust:
2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen – I used frozen, unthawed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 25cm (10in) springform pan*.
Dough: whisk the flour and salt together. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy and light in color. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and stop mixing when the ingredients are fully incorporated but the dough is still crumbly – this happens quickly; don’t overmix, otherwise you’ll end up with a ball of dough. Set aside 1 cup of the dough and refrigerate. Sprinkle the remaining dough onto the prepared pan, distributing it evenly. Bring the dough slightly up the sides of the pan, then press it onto the pan to hold it in place. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then bake for 25 minutes or until toasty brown.
Remove the pan from the oven. Distribute the raspberries over the crust and sprinkle with the sugar – I forgot to do that and only remembered after sprinkling the dough over the berries; then I sprinkled the sugar over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of dough over the filling.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the berries collapse and begin to release their juices and the topping is slightly brown. Cool the tart over a wire rack before removing it from the pan.

* I made the exact recipe above using a shallow 24cm tart pan with a removable bottom; I used 1 ½ cups of dough for the topping

Serves 8

Lavish cinnamon brunch cake

Now that the fear of emptying the pantry with crumb cake recipes is long gone I can gladly present you this cake: delicious, full of cinnamon flavor – and I do love cinnamon, you know that – and super tender, to the point of being difficult to slice. The streusel is tasty, crunchy and smells so good you’ll be glad that there’s a very generous layer of it.

Bake the cake today and thank me later. ;)

Lavish cinnamon brunch cake
from Lisa Yockelson’s amazing bible of flavors

Cinnamon streusel:
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (175) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks/168g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (110g) pecans, coarsely chopped

Cake:
2 2/3 cups (373g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (40g) cake flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (132g) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk**

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 32.5x22.5cm (13x9in) baking pan.
Start by making the streusel: in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the butter chunks and, using your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until medium crumbs form. Sprinkle over the vanilla, add the pecans and mix. Refrigerate until needed.
Now, the cake: sift the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat for 1 minute; add the granulated sugar and continue beating for a minute longer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in three additions with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter, squeezing portions of it with your hands to form larger lumps.
Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or until he topping is set and firm and wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving.

* homemade cake flour: 1 cup (140g) all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons corn starch

**homemade buttermilk: to make 1 cup buttermilk place 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a 240ml-capacity measuring cup and complete with whole milk (room temperature). Wait 10 minutes for it to thicken, then use the whole mixture in your recipe

Serves 20 – I made the exact same recipe using a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan

Strawberry crumble bars

One of the movies I’ve watched a dozen times and will watch again every time it’s on TV is “Under the Tuscan Sun” – can’t get enough of all those beautiful locations! And Diane Lane is absolutely gorgeous – I think Joao has a crush on her, but I don’t mind. :)

Last week I received the latest issue of my favorite magazine and there it was: a recipe for beautiful rhubarb crumble bars – because of my current rhubarb/strawberry obsession I considered it a sign - and much better than the one Francesca received in Bramasole. :)

Strawberry crumble bars
adapted from Donna Hay magazine

Base:
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (78g) caster sugar
1 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (225g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder, sifted
pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g unsalted butter, melted

Strawberry filling:
450g strawberries, hulled and chopped*
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (112g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumble topping:
1 ½ cups + 2 ½ tablespoons (225g) all purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (78g) caster sugar
150g cold unsalted butter, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan and line with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the foil.
Place the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, egg and butter in a bowl and mix to combine. Press into the base of the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and firm. Let cool completely.
While the base is baking, make the filling: place the strawberries, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
Make the topping: place the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Using a slotted spoon and shaking off any excess juice, distribute the strawberries over the base**. Top with the crumble topping and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden.

* or use 500g rhubarb, chopped, instead

** don’t throw the juices away – pour them over some yogurt, yum!

Makes 16 – I made 2/3 of the recipe above and used a 20cm (8in) square pan