Cashew blondies

“Videodrome” was on TV the other day and I was dying to watch it again – I saw it when I was a teenage girl – but I was so sleepy I could barely watch the first 5 minutes. One thing I did not recall about the movie was Debbie Harry as part of the cast, and that made me curious.

Speaking of Ms. Harry, I have blondies for you today. ;)

Cashew blondies
from here

½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted cashew nuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup (92g) white chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 20cm (8in) square pan, line with aluminum foil, letting it hang about 5cm (2in) over the sides. Butter the foil generously.
Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Use the flat beater to beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream well, another 2 minutes.
With a fork, beat the eggs in a small bowl and mix in the vanilla extract. Add to the butter mixture and blend well.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. In three stages, add to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the nuts and white chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula to distribute evenly.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use the rubber spatula to spread it evenly into the corners. Bake the blondies for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs clinging to it. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a rack.
Lift the blondies from the pan with the aluminum foil. Carefully peel the foil away. Cut into squares.

Makes 16

White chocolate passion fruit truffles

You may think that I’m on a passion fruit kick, but what really happened is that I got carried away, bought a load of passion fruit and therefore had to use them all. :)

These truffles are soft, delicious, and the zing of the passion fruit perfectly balances the sweetness of the white chocolate. You can follow Candace’s recipe and dip the truffles in melted chocolate, but I wasn’t bold enough to try that on a 32°C (89.6°F) day. :)

White chocolate passion fruit truffles
recipe from here; inspiration for making truffles from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

560g (20oz) good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
¾ cup (180ml) passion fruit pulp – I kept the seeds
icing sugar, sifted, for dusting

Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream and passion fruit pulp to a boil separately in small containers – it is important to heat the cream and pulp separately, as the acid in the pulp will likely curdle the cream.
Pour the hot cream and half of the passion fruit pulp over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute and then gently stir with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture is creamy and combined, add the remaining passion fruit pulp and stir again until smooth. Refrigerate for a few hours until firm.
Using a very small cookie scoop or spoon, portion out 2.5cm (1in) balls of the firm white chocolate mixture onto a parchment lined sheet pan. If the truffle mixture gets too soft, place back into the refrigerator to firm up. Gently and quickly roll each into a well rounded ball. Refrigerate the balls until they are firm again, then gently roll them in the icing sugar. Refrigerate.

Makes about 100 truffles – I halved the recipe above, used 1 ½ rounded teaspoons of mixture per truffle and got 30

Cranberry lemon cake

One can tell there’s something wrong with this blog when the last lemon recipe was posted 2 months ago. :)

Nothing better to make things right than this beautiful, tender, fragrant and delicious cake, courtesy of the equally beautiful – and I bet fragrant, too – Ameixinha. ;)

Cranberry lemon cake

Cake:
2/3 cup (150g) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (300g) caster (superfine) sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla
3 cups (420g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup (240ml) milk
2 cups (220g) dried cranberries

Glaze:
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
½ cup (60ml) lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Coat 4 mini loaf pans with vegetable cooking spray.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice, zest, eggs and vanilla until well combined.
In another bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with the milk to the egg mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in cranberries.
Divide batter among prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes if making mini-loaves. Remove to a wire rack, but leave in the pans.

Make the glaze: in a small bowl combine the sugar and the lemon juice. Pour over the hot loaves and allow to cool completely before carefully removing from pans. Wrap tightly to store.

Makes 4 – I halved the recipe above and used a 5 ½-cup capacity loaf pan

Chocolate chip coconut cookies

I once told you how much I love hopping from one link to another, then another, and another... I still do that a lot – old habits do die hard, I guess. :D

I needed to finish up a bag of shredded coconut – impulsive purchasing, anyone? – and my much beloved Food Blog Search got me here, then Memoria got me here... And Sheena’s recipe ended up in my oven.

These cookies are delicious and were a hit at Joao’s work – I hope you give them a try!

Chocolate chip coconut cookies

½ cup (113g/1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (131g) light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (150g) shredded sweetened coconut
225g (½ lb) dark chocolate chips/chunks

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Cream the butter and the sugars until light and creamy, but not fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the egg - make sure it is incorporated. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula again. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk, stir to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate and coconut.
Roll 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball, place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart, then slightly press each dough ball down with your hand.
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

Makes about 45

Chocolate-chunk oatmeal cookies with pecans and cranberries

Just so you know it, these cookies – from Tara’s gorgeous blog – are delicious. And if you do not believe me, here’s the dialogue I had with one of my friends from work (the ones I shared the cookies with):

- You know, L., oats are really good for you, good for your heart.
- Well, those cookies were so delicious I would have eaten them even if they were bad for me.

I rest my case. ;)

Chocolate-chunk oatmeal cookies with pecans and cranberries

1 ¼ cups (175g) unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups (144g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (110g) pecans, toasted and chopped
1 cup (110g) dried cranberries
112g (4oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces about the size of chocolate chips
¾ cup (170g/1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 ½ cups (262g) packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl combine the oats, pecans, dried cranberries and chocolate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on medium-low, add the egg and beat until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn the mixer down to low, and add the flour mixture to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Finally incorporate the oats, nuts, fruit and chocolate. Do not overmix. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to give the dough a final stir and make sure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
Using an ice cream scoop to measure ¼ cup portions of dough. Roll these portions lightly between your hands, then place 8 on each baking sheet, spaced evenly. Wet your hands and lightly press the dough to a 2.5cm (1in) thickness. Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 12 minutes. Rotate the tray and bake for another 8 minutes or until the cookies are uniformly golden, but still wet in the middle. You might think that they're undercooked, but you're wrong - resist the urge to overbake, they will set up further as they cool.

Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 16 – I halved the recipe above, used 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 32

Mini lasagna + great people

I might be a little disappointed with Twitter, but on the other hand I’m surrounded by wonderful people – and that feels great.

Not many of you know, but I work as an executive assistant and September, 30 is considered our day; the beautiful cocottes you see on the photo were a gift from one of my bosses – the one who also gave me the blowtorch for Christmas; needless to say, I was completely speechless after opening the gift wrap – I wasn’t expecting such thoughtful, beautiful gift.

And speaking of wonderful people, every time I post something savory around here I think of my dear friend Ivan – I’m just not sure he likes lasagna. :D

Mini lasagna

There’s no actual recipe for this: it’s just a matter of layering pasta, tomato sauce – Bolognese, if you prefer – and cheese; you can find great step-by-step photos on Tati’s blog – that is where I got the idea for this dish.

Dark and bitter orange chocolate cookies

I’m not a chocoholic but love chocolate and orange together.
I know the thought of making the candied orange strips might make some of you discard this recipe, but let me tell you: these cookies are absolutely worth the “trouble”. :D

From U.E.’s blog – and I already have another recipe of his on my "to try" list. :D

Dark and bitter orange chocolate cookies

Candied orange peel:
3 oranges, preferably organic
2 cups (400g) caster sugar
2 cups (480ml) water

Cookies:
224g (8oz) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all-purpose flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (57g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (224g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
½ batch candied orange peel, chopped (recipe follows)

Start by making the candied orange peel: remove the rind from the oranges by slicing off the two polar ends (stem and blossom ends). Score the fruit in wide strips from one polar end to the other, cutting through the rind and the white pith, but stopping just shy of the flesh of the fruit. Peel the rind and reserve the fruit for other use.
Put the rind in a small sauce pan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Drain the rind and return them to the sauce pan. Repeat the boiling process twice more. Set the rind aside to cool. If there is an inordinate amount of fleshy, white pith, gently scrape it away with a spoon. Slice the wide strips into thin strips – about the thickness of a chopstick.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the water and sugar. Place this over medium heat and bring it to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange rind strips and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the rind over a simmer until the strips of rind become translucent. The cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the rind. This will generally not occur until the sugar syrup has sufficiently thickened. However, if the syrup has become too thick, add a little bit of water. If the white of the pith is still opaque, keep cooking. At no time should the temperature of the sugar syrup exceed 110°C/230°F (use a candying thermometer to check the temperature from time to time).
Once the rind is sufficiently candied, remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into a heatproof container. Let cool completely. Store the zest in the cooking syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. When you are ready to use the rind, drain them from the syrup and let them dry on a baking rack for no less than 6 hours, but no more than 12 hours. In addition to using them in cakes, cookies, and ice creams, they can be dipped in chocolate.

Now, the cookies: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Pour water to a depth of about 5cm (2in) into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Put the chocolate into a stainless-steel bowl that will rest securely in the rim of the pan and place it over, not touching, the water. Make sure that the bowl is completely dry before you add the chocolate and that no moisture gets into the chocolate. Moisture will cause the chocolate to seize, or develop lumps. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and mix until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until incorporated before adding the next egg. Beat in the salt and vanilla, and then add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add the milk and chopped candied orange peel and beat until combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2.5cm (1in) apart. Bake the cookies until they are just barely firm on top when lightly touched by are still very soft underneath, about 7 minutes - mine needed 10 minutes. They will get firmer as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Makes 36 – I halved the cookie recipe and made 1/3 of the candied orange peel for it (got 26 cookies)

Chocolate pecan puddle cookies

Would you believe me if I told you that I made these cookies using only egg whites, cocoa, icing sugar and pecans?

I must confess that I doubted Aimée’s post at first – sorry, sweetie! – but since I was feeling pretty fearless I decided to see it for myself. And wow – these are so good! Sinfully delicious!

Now it’s your turn to be fearless and make these cookies – just be aware that they’re very addictive. :)

Chocolate pecan puddle cookies

3 cups (330g) pecans
4 cups (560g) icing sugar
2/3 cup (60g) cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 tablespoon good vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Toast your pecans, cool them and roughly chop them.
In a large bowl, sift together the icing sugar, cocoa and salt. Add the nuts, then stir in the egg whites and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Drop the batter in small mounds (about 1 tablespoon each) onto prepared pans, spacing them well away from each other.
Bake for 9-11 minutes – they will spread, puff, crack on top, get glossy and then turn matte. Slide the cookies on the parchment off the sheet onto a cooling rack and let them cool.

Makes three dozen 5cm (2in) cookies – I halved the recipe, used 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 24

Cheesecake ice cream with blackberry lemon swirl

After very cold weeks we’ve been having 30°C (86°F) days here in Sao Paulo – not very wintery, I admit it, but perfect for ice cream. :)

I bookmarked this delicious recipe last year but never made it during summer – that’s what happens when one has too many recipes on their “to try” list: lots of wonderful ideas to try, but not enough time to do it. :)

I tweaked Natalie’s recipe just a little to use the blackberries and lemons I had around, but she did not mind at all. :)

Cheesecake ice cream with blackberry lemon swirl

Blackberry lemon swirl:
generous ½ cup blackberries, fresh or frozen – I used frozen, unthawed
½ cup (50g) caster sugar
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
finely grazed zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup (60ml) water
1 tablespoon corn starch

Cheesecake ice cream:
112g (4oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 ½ cups (360ml) heavy cream

Start by making the blackberry lemon swirl: combine blackberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a small nonreactive saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch and add to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil and thickens – while you stir, break the blackberries with a fork so they dissolve into the jam.
Let cool completely.

Now, the cheesecake ice cream: in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until creamy and set aside.
Bring the milk to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and add ¼ cup of the milk to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Continue with 2 more quarter cups of milk and then add the entire mixture back to the pan with the rest of the milk.
Stir over medium-low heat until thickened slightly (should take around 3 minutes). Remove from heat, strain mixture and cool for 10 minutes. Combine the zest, heavy cream and cream cheese mixture together then refrigerate for 1 hour. Pour into your ice cream machine and freeze according to manufactures instructions.
When ice cream is thickened and finished freezing, slowly pour in the blackberry lemon syrup and let ‘swirl’ a few times in the machine before turning off - you can also do this by creating layers of the ice cream to a container and adding the syrup between layers , then swirl with a knife a few times.

Serves 6-8

Black bottom pecan praline bars

Aside my speedy cookies, another good solution for baking in a hurry is making bar cookies, like these delicious bars from Lisa’s blog (she has now another blog, equally beautiful and full of great recipes).

You quickly put the ingredients together, pop the baking pan in the oven and go do something else – in my case, watch Mr. Linus Roache *sigh* prosecute the bad guys. After that, you’ll make a lot of people happy – 25 bars are enough to share with your family and your coworkers. :)

Black bottom pecan praline bars

Brownie layer:
56g (2oz) unsweetened chocolate – I used dark (70% cocoa solids)
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (112g) caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cold large egg
¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour

Praline layer:
¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (70g) packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (140g) pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 22cm (9in) square pan* and line the bottom and sides with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Butter foil as well.
Start with the brownie layer: place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt with a wooden spoon (I prefer to use a silicon spatula). Add the egg. Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth, glossy, and beginning to come away from the sides of the bowl, 1-2 minutes. Spread the brownie batter in a thin even layer in the bottom of the lined pan. Set aside.
Now, the praline layer: mix the flour and baking soda together thoroughly and set aside.
Combine the melted butter, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the flour mixture, and finally the nuts. Drop spoonfuls all over the top of the brownie batter (they will spread and cover the brownies entirely during baking).
Bake until the edges of the topping are well browned and cracked, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 25 bars.

* I used a 20cm (8in) square pan

Makes 25

Vanilla bean macarons with roasted strawberry buttercream

You understand, right? That obsessed people can’t help themselves? There you have it, macarons again. :D

I was inspired by Jen’s breathtaking strawberry macarons and being a roasted strawberries addict I ended up adding them to the filling. The shells, on the other hand, have just a hint of vanilla, to let the filling shine through, but their smell while baking was so intense (and good) that even the hubby – the one who doesn’t like sweets – asked what was in the oven. :)

Vanilla bean macarons with roasted strawberry buttercream
shells adapted from here, filling from here and here

Shells:
150g almond meal
150g confectioners’ sugar
120g egg whites (room temperature)
185g granulated sugar
50g water
2 vanilla beans, scraped seeds only – I used 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Roasted strawberries:
16 strawberries, hulled and halved
1/3 cup (67g) caster sugar

Buttercream:
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
2 large egg whites
1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
roasted strawberries, without the syrup and processed into a paste

You will need 2-3 baking sheets for these , depending on how closely you pipe them; make sure you use good quality aluminum pans – if they’re too thin, the macarons might crack on top. I followed Ms. Humble’s tip and double layered the pans. I also used baking paper, this baking mat and this one and got the best results with the teflon one.

Prep a large pastry bag with a #11 Ateco tip (or a similar medium sized round tip, little under 1cm) – I did not use a tip, I just cut the tip of the pastry bag. Pre-heat your oven to 160-162°C (320-325°F) – I wouldn’t recommend making macarons with an oven thermometer.

You will need a candy thermometer for this method, as it will require bringing the sugar syrup to a precise temperature. Half of the whites I used had been in the fridge for 4 days (and had been previously frozen for 2 weeks) and half was from fresh eggs.
Weigh out your confectioners’ sugar and almond meal and give them a whirl for a minute, pulsing in a food processor. Pour the almond/sugar mixture into a large bowl, add the vanilla seeds and set aside.

Weigh out 60g of egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer (make sure the whites are yolk free and your mixer's bowl and whisk attachment are very clean and free of any traces of oil). Also measure out 35g of granulated sugar into a small bowl and set it near the mixer.
Weigh out another 60g of egg whites into a small bowl and set aside.

Weigh out 150g of the granulated sugar into a small sauce pan. Add 50g of water to the sugar, attach your candy thermometer and place it over medium heat – use a very small saucepan so its tip will be immersed in the syrup.
When the sugar hits 87°C/190°F, start beating the egg whites in your mixer on medium low speed until foamy, while keeping a close eye on the sugar syrup. No need to stir the syrup, just let it come to a boil over medium heat (you're aiming for 110°C/230°F). Once the eggs are foamy, slowly add the 35g of sugar and beat to soft peaks on medium speed.

When your sugar mixture hits 110°C/230°F pull it off the heat, increase the speed of your mixer to medium high, and slowly pour in the syrup. You want to let the mixture trickle down the side of the bowl, so it doesn't splatter and get tossed onto the sides of the bowl. You want the sugar in your meringue, not a candy coated bowl.

Now you can relax, the hard part is over. Allow the mixer to beat the meringue for about 5-8 minutes until cool.

While waiting for your meringue to cool, combine the remaining 60g of egg whites with the sugar/almond mixture and mix until well combined.

Once the meringue is ready, add it to the almond/sugar mixture and quickly fold it together. You should fold until it is just barely uniform, using as few strokes as possible. It is very, very important you don't over mix as the batter will thin considerably with each stroke of the spatula. Your batter is perfect when you lift your spatula and a thick ribbon slowly cascades off, back into the bowl.
Now you're ready to fill your piping bag. If the mixture is just right, it will ooze from the tip slowly under its own weight. (If it oozes out quickly, something went horribly wrong and you'll need to start over.)

Pipe 3cm macarons onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few centimeters apart.

Once you complete a full pan, knock it on the counter gently, to bring up any bubbles and quickly pop them with toothpick (I forgot to do that).
Allow the macarons to rest like this for 15 minutes. (They can sit longer if you want to bake one or two sheets at a time, but will develop slightly thicker shells)

Bake at 160-162°C/320-325°F for 14 minutes (I baked mine for 17).

Once done, remove from the pans using the silicone baking mat and allow to cool completely (about an hour) before carefully attempting to remove them from the mat. If you're having trouble even after an hour, pop the sheet into the freezer for about 5 minutes and they should pop off easily.

Now, the filling: preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. To make the roasted strawberries, place them in a small baking dish (do not use a shallow dish because the juices will bubble away in the oven) and sprinkle with the sugar. Mix well and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the strawberries are soft and syrupy. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Buttercream: put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. Add the processed strawberries to the buttercream and fold with a spatula until fully incorporated. If not using right away, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and use to sandwich your macarons.
To store, keep the shells in an air tight container. Fill before serving.

Makes about 50 macarons (already filled)

Lemon cloud tea cookies

Let me tell you a secret: sometimes I feel like one of Mr. Ivan Pavlov’s dogs when I hear (or read, for that matter) the word “lemon”. :)

That is why I could not resist this recipe when I saw it on Joy’s blog – and I’m glad I didn’t, because these little cookies are delicious.

Lemon cloud tea cookies

1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
¾ cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
113g (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (140g) confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed with the paddle until well mixed. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until light, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Batter may look broken and curdled. Beat in the juice and zest.
Decrease the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a few good turns with your spatula to bring it all together.
Arrange rounded teaspoons of the dough on prepared pans. Space the balls about 5cm (2in) apart. After all the cookies have been placed on the pan, flour a fork and press a crisscross design into the top of each mound of dough. Bake the cookies until they spread and become golden, about 20 minutes. Slide the parchment paper off the pan to cool completely.

Makes 48 tiny cookies – I halved the recipe above and still got 32 cookies

Best cocoa brownies

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this recipe – my 16 year old sister loves these brownies and was surprised by how easy to put together they are the first time she saw me making them. It was a hit with my brother and at work, too. I left a comment on Chuck’s post on June, 2008 – that was the first time I baked these.
So why on earth did I wait so long to post such a great recipe? Because every time I made these brownies they disappeared so fast I could never get them photographed. :)

Best cocoa brownies

10 tablespoons (140g/1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ (250g) cups sugar - I used vanilla sugar
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (74g) walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm (8in) square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the foil.

In a medium heatproof bowl, add the butter and set on top of a large sauce pan with barely simmering water. Melt the butter, then add sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. Next add the cocoa powder and stir until mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Chuck’s note on chocolate: any unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder works well here. Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes, which maybe more exciting for you. Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker brownie with a mellower, old-fashioned chocolate pudding flavor, pleasantly reminiscent of childhood.

Makes 16 large or 25 smaller brownies

Strawberry crumble

This cold weather makes me crave hearty, comforting food, both savory and sweet. On the savory side soups get all my attention, but when it comes to sweet recipes crumbles are THE winter dessert to me – I could easily have one a day. :)

This delicious crumble comes from Valentina’s fabulous blog – and just so you know it, I’m just getting started on strawberry recipes around here. :)

Strawberry crumble

185g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon caster sugar
½ tablespoon lemon juice – I used lime
3 ½ tablespoons (49g) cold unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (80g) all purpose flour
3 ½ tablespoons (42g) caster sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Butter two 1-cup capacity ovenproof bowls and divide the strawberries among them. Sprinkle each with ½ tablespoon sugar and drizzle with the lemon juice.
Place the butter, flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl and, using your fingertips, rub them together until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the strawberries, place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm with cream or yogurt.

Serves 2

Milk chocolate cookies

Everyone is talking about “Lost” these days and I feel completely left out – I did not watch the show when it started and therefore never followed the episodes.:(

Since I cannot write about that popular show, I’ll choose something even more popular: chocolate. This is one of Lizzie’s gorgeous cookie recipes – the buttered rum meltaways are next on my list.

Milk chocolate cookies

1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
340g (12oz) good-quality milk chocolate, 170g (6oz) coarsely chopped and 170g (6oz) cut into 6mm (¼ in) chunks
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt 170g (6oz) of the coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.
Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks*.
Using a 3.75cm (1½ in) ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 5cm (2 in) apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft). Let cool on paper on wire racks.
Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

* if you want, chop a little more chocolate and place 2-3 chunks on the top of each cookie before baking them

Makes about 3 dozen – I halved the recipe above, used ½ tablespoon (leveled) of dough per cookie and got 34

Lemon glazed madeleines

My favorite director has been making good money at the box office with his new movie: the trailer made me insanely curious, the plot seems really interesting and the cast is full of good actors – if I were an actress I’d work for Scorsese for free. :)

From one favorite to three more: madeleines, lemons and Pea’s blog.

Lemon glazed madeleines

3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups (175g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
9 tablespoons (126g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

Glaze:
1 cup (140g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.
Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and fold in using a rubber spatula.
Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)
To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter which you think will fill it by 3/4’s. Do not spread it.
Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by stirring together the icing sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth.
Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
Drizzle glaze over madeleines. Allow glaze to set.

Makes 24 cookies – I made 1/3 of the recipe (but added the zest of 1 whole lemon anyway) and got 15 using 1-tablespoon capacity pans

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

Oatmeal haters, please, hear me out: these cookies are going to change the way you feel about oats. Trust me and Deb on that – they are absolutely delicious.

And since I don’t want the other readers to feel left out: the oatmeal lovers like me will adore them, too. :)

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (196g/1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup (200g) sugar
¼ cup (44g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups (288g) old-fashioned rolled oats
168g (6oz) good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 2cm (3/4-in) thickness.
Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie.
Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Makes 24 - I halved the recipe, used 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 19

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream

Today’s post is a short one: I almost sliced off the tip of my middle finger, so it’s pretty difficult to type. :(

All I’ll write is: make this ice cream. Right now, if possible.

Choc chip salted butter caramel ice cream
from the ice cream Wiz

2 cups (480ml) whole milk
1½ cups (300g) caster sugar
4 tablespoons (58g) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt (I used Maldon)
1 cups (240ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
140g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Start by making an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread the sugar in a medium saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)
Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go – be extremely careful, for the caramel will bubble like crazy once the cream is added; you might want to step away from the pan.
The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (240ml) of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 71-77°C (160-170°F).
Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
While ice cream is freezing, melt chocolate in clean metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently, then transfer to a 1-cup glass measure. When ice cream has finished churning, carefully pour chocolate in a slow stream directly onto ice cream as it churns and continue to churn 30 seconds (chocolate will harden in streaks). Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Because of the caramel in this ice cream, once churned and frozen, it'll remain nice & creamy (as shown in David’s photo.) To make it firmer, crank up your freezer a bit or store it in a shallow pan.

Makes 1 generous liter (quart)

Banana cake with passion fruit icing

As some of you already know, I spent part of my vacation with my lovely and dear friend Valentina. We visited beautiful places, ate delicious food and had a wonderful time together – I miss her already! :D
I’ll soon post the photos on Flickr.

Not only is Valentina an amazing and generous friend but also a very skilled cook and baker – Trembom was the first food blog I ever read and the inspiration for me to create TK.
One of her recipes + a couple of bananas going more freckled than yours truly turned out into these divine little cakes.

Banana cake with passion fruit icing

Cake:
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (125g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup + 1 ½ tablespoon - 150g – packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups + 1 ½ tablespoons (225g) self-rising flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup mashed ripe banana
½ cup (130g) plain yogurt
¼ cup (60ml) milk

Icing:
1 ¾ cups (245g) icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons passion fruit pulp, seeds included

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; butter and flour a 15x25cm loaf pan or a 20cm round cake pan.*

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg over the creamed butter and mix using a wooden spoon. Mix in the banana, yogurt and milk until combined, but do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer (time may very if using 20cm round cake pan).
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan, on a rack, for 5 minutes. Unmold, transfer cake to rack and set aside to cool completely.

Make the icing: place all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water. Mix continuously until the icing is thick enough to be poured over the cake. Pour it over the cake immediately, as the icing sets quickly – you can cover the cake completely with the icing or only the top.

* I halved the recipe, used ½-cup (120ml) capacity mini loaf pans and got 7 little cakes

Serves 8-10

Orange poppy seed sugar cookies

I have tried, people. I swear I have. I’ve baked with strawberries and bananas to shake things up a little around here. But then I go to Joy’s beautiful blog and there is this amazing column there, on the right, called “citrus bits”, full of mouthwatering photos... I gave in. :D

These cookies are very easy to make and you can freeze one of the dough logs for later – but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Honestly.

Orange poppy seed sugar cookies

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
finely grated zest of 2 large oranges

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl and poppy seeds together.
Put the sugar in a medium size bowl, add the orange zest and use the tips of your fingers to rub them together until sugar is fragrant.
Using an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the fragrant sugar and zest and continue to beat for about 2 minutes until mixture is light and pale.
Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer to low speed and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated. Because the dough is best when it is worked the least, you might want to stop the mixer before the flour is thoroughly blended into the dough, and finish the job with a rubber spatula. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy and malleable.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide in half. Shape each half into a chubby sausage - about 5cm (2in) in diameter* - and wrap in baking paper. The dough must be chilled or at least two hours. Well wrapped the dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Center the rack in the oven and preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Use a sharp, thin knife to slice into 6mm (¼-in) thick rounds, and place the rounds on prepared baking sheets, leaving a little over 3.5cm (1 ½-in) of space between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheet at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest 1 minute before carefully lifting them onto a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

* my dough sausages were 4cm in diameter and I got 5cm (2in) cookies

Makes about 45 cookies