Summer nectarine and vanilla pie

Not sure why, but I’ve realized that as I get older very simple things make me really happy; do you feel the same way?

You wouldn’t believe how pleased I was by making a pie that looked like the ones I saw in cartoons when I was little – those pies put by the window to cool down. It really made me smile. :)

Summer nectarine and vanilla pie
adapted from Bon Appetit

Crust:
2 ½ cups (350g) unbleached all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick/113g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1.25cm (½in) cubes
½ cup (113g) chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1.25cm (½in) cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Filling:
2/3 cup (133g) + 2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar
½ vanilla bean, cut crosswise into 1.25cm (½in) pieces
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1.680g (3 ¾ pounds) firm but ripe nectarines, halved, pitted, each half cut into 4 slices (about 10 cups)
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Start with the crust: blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add the ice water and process until dough begins to clump together, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough together. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. If necessary, soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out).

Preheat to 200°C/400°F; lightly butter a 23cm (9in)-diameter glass pie dish.
Combine 2/3 cup of the sugar and the vanilla bean in processor; blend until vanilla bean is very finely minced. Sift vanilla sugar through strainer into large bowl; discard any large bits in strainer. Mix flour into vanilla sugar. Add nectarines to flour-sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.
Roll out 1 pie crust disk on floured surface to 30cm (12in) round. Transfer to prepared dish. Trim dough overhang to 1.25cm (½in). Spoon peach mixture into crust; dot with butter. Roll out second pie crust disk on lightly floured surface to 30cm (12in) round. Drape dough over peach filling; trim overhang to 4cm (1½in). Fold top and bottom edges under, pressing together to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Using small sharp knife, cut 5cm (2in)-long X in center of top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust lightly with whipping cream; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, nectarines are tender, and juices bubble thickly through cut in top crust, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool until lukewarm, about 2 hours.
Serve pie lukewarm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8

Spiced banana breakfast loaf

Sometimes when I’m going through my cookbooks I say things out loud: things like “I am so making this”, or “I’ll make this next weekend”, and so on; just so you know it, the hubby doesn't find it weird. :)

A couple of weeks ago I was “talking” to my books again when I said I was going to make a banana cake. “Another one?” Joao asked. I smiled back at him and said nothing, but thought “hey, don’t you know me at all?” – there’s no such thing as too many banana cakes. ;)

Spiced banana breakfast loaf
from Baking by Flavor

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (157g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (83g) pecans, lightly toasted and cooled completely, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 22.5x12.5x7.5cm (19x5x3in) loaf pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves into a large bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the butter, granulated sugar, eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla. Pour the egg-banana mixture over the dry ingredients, add the pecans and mix until the particles of flour are absorbed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until golden and rise and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the loaf in the pan on a rack for 5-8 minutes, then carefully unmold onto another rack. Cool completely.

Makes 12 slices – I made 2/3 of the recipe above and used a 8x19x5cm loaf pan; the cake did not rise much, and the texture was a bit on the dense side, but it tasted delicious

Pebbly beach fruit squares - and a lovely friend

I’ve “met” great people since starting this blog back in 2006, and there are a few that became part of my days, despite the fact that in some cases we’re half a planet apart. :)

I know that she lives miles and miles away from here, but I would certainly love having the lovely Susan as my neighbor: I absolutely adore her (even though we haven’t met personally), I crave the yummy food she makes and sometimes I wish I could “borrow” her adorable little helpers. ;)
I’ve always wanted to bake with her and we’ve decided not to let distance get in our way: a recipe from Alice Medrich’s new book is the start of our little baking project.

I am a huge fan of Medrich’s recipes – they work and taste great – but these cookies disappointed me: the pastry is too soft and almost impossible to work with (even after several trips to the fridge); the cookies were delicious, but I would definitely go for this recipe next time I make these.

Click here to see Susan’s beautiful take on this recipe – her filling choice is fabulous!

Pebbly beach fruit squares
from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup (110g) dried cranberries
¼ cup (50g) demerara sugar

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth but not fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated. Divide the dough in half and form each into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes to soften slightly. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll one piece of dough into a rectangle (21x42cm/8½x16½in). With the short side facing you, scatter half of the cranberries on the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the top half over the fruit, using the paper as a handle. Peel the paper from the top of the dough, scatter with the demerara sugar, pressing to make sure the sugar adheres. Freeze for 10 minutes, then trim the edges and cut into 16 squares. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place the cookies onto the prepared sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden. Slide the paper out of the pan and let cool completely.

Makes 32 – I halved the recipe above and got only 10 squares

Linguine with peas and lemon - and our 6th anniversary

Joao and I celebrated our sixth anniversary last Saturday with a magnificent dinner – great food, some wine... Just beautiful. But all that indulgence called for a simple lunch on the following day – and this recipe instantly popped in to my mind: it’s so good – and quick – I’ve made it three times already.

Linguine with peas and lemon
from Holiday

1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (28g) butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup (180ml) white wine
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g linguine
2 cups fresh shelled peas – I used frozen
freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the lemon zest and cream and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced; season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of slightly boiling water according to the packet instructions or until al dente, adding the peas for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time. Drain well and toss the hot pasta with the sauce.
Serve immediately with grated parmesan.

Serves 4

White chocolate mousse with passion fruit

When I was a teenager I had this big dream of going to Australia to learn English; unfortunately, $$ was an issue then and I had to study the language here.

My love for Australia hasn’t changed – Joao and I plan to go there for vacation someday; while that doesn’t happen, I go on listening to Aussie bands and cooking recipes from Aussie mags and fabulous foodies. :)

White chocolate mousse with passion fruit
from here

250g good quality white chocolate chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (375ml) heavy cream
6 tablespoons passion fruit pulp

Place the white chocolate, milk and vanilla in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Heat until the chocolate is just melted, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.
Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks form then fold through the chocolate mixture until just combined.
Whisk the egg whites in a large, dry, clean stainless steel bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large metal spoon, fold through the chocolate mixture in two batches.
Divide the mousse between six 1 cup (240ml) capacity serving dishes/bowls.
Cover and chill for 3 to 4 hours, or until set.
Spoon passion fruit on top of the mousse just before serving.

Serves 6

Rustic plum tart

I once told you that I can be pretty lazy from time to time; therefore, today’s recipe is dedicated to the lazy – and lovely – people reading me right now. ;)

It’s a tart, indeed, but there is no chilling of the pastry nor blind baking involved; you won’t need to wait for the crust to cool down to fill it and you can even serve this tart warm; in fact, it tastes delicious this way, and I tried the tart both warm and at room temperature so I could share the info with you – scientific purposes, only. ;)

Rustic plum tart
from Pure Dessert

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/6 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly whisked
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, firm but not hard
4-6 juicy, flavorful plums – you need plums that are both sweet and tart (much too sweet plums won’t work in this recipe)

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Generously butter a 24cm (9 ½in) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the egg and butter and use a pastry blender or a large fork to cut the mixture together, as though you were making pie dough – the dough is ready when it resembles a rough mass of damp yellow sand with no dry flour showing.
Press the dough evenly over the bottom but not up the sides of the prepared pan.
If the plums are no bigger than 5cm (2in) in diameter, cut them in half and remove the pits. Cut larger plums into quarters or sixths, removing the pits as well. Leaving a margin of 1.25cm (½ in) around the edge of the pan, arranged halved plums cut side up over the dough, with a little space between each one; if using plum wedges, arrange them skin side up over the dough (like I did), pressing them slightly into the dough so that they will not turn onto their sides while baking.
Bake until pastry is puffed, deep golden brown at the edges and nicely golden brown in the center between the plums, 50-55 minutes. Set the tart on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the rim of the pan before cooling further. If you find a small pool of syrupy juice in the center of halved plums, use a small table knife to spread it over the cut surface of the fruit.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

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

Pandoro with peach jam

I’ve been trying, for a while now, to cook and bake using seasonal ingredients – influenced by my good friend Ana Elisa – and for that reason this recipe was kept on my messy files for almost a year. Finally the peaches are in season and I could make it – this jam is so delicious it was worth waiting that long for it.

The pandoro itself is not very sweet, therefore perfect to be eaten with the luscious jam – add a bit more sugar to the dough if you have a sweet tooth.

Pandoro with peach jam
from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Pandoro:
½ cup (120ml) lukewarm whole milk
28g dry yeast (4 sachets)
2/3 cup (66g) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for glazing
4 1/3 cups (605g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (183g) unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cream, for egg wash

Peach jam:
6 yellow peaches, ripe yet firm
½ cup (100g) caster (superfine) sugar

Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a bowl. Set aside until foamy (5-10 minutes). Sift in 50g of the flour, mix and stand until foamy (5-10 minutes). Place the remaining flour and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and remaining sugar and, with the paddle attachment, beat until creamy. Change attachment to a dough hook, add yeast mixture, egg yolks and cream and beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms (10-12 minutes). Transfer dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
Meanwhile, make the peach jam: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off. Halve the peaches, remove the stone, then coarsely chop flesh, place in a saucepan with the sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until jam consistency is reached and volume has reduced to 375ml (20-30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F. Knock back dough and roll out to a 65cm (26in) long log shape. Twist log, bring ends together and knot to seal. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 170°C/338°F. Brush cake with the egg wash, scatter with the extra caster sugar and bake until cooked through and golden (30-35 minutes).
Serve cake warm with the peach jam.

Serves 10

Peanut butter financiers

Every time I get a new cookbook it takes me forever to choose which recipe to try from it first – the exception was Rose's Heavenly Cakes: I had to start with the weirdest recipe (in my opinion, of course). :)

I have made quite a few financier/friand recipes so far and these have gone straight to the #1 spot around here (sorry, pear friands). :)

Peanut butter financiers
from Rose's Heavenly Cakes

75g whole almonds
10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (148g) icing sugar
6 tablespoons (60g) all purpose flour
4 large egg whites
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°C; butter and flour sixteen ¼ cup (60ml) capacity financier molds.
Spread the almonds in a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring a couple of times, or until fragrant. Let cool completely, then process the almonds with the sugar in a food processor until very fine. Pulse in the flour.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted – do not use a dark saucepan otherwise you won’t be able to check the color of the butter. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching carefully to prevent burning, until the butter turn dark golden. Immediately pour the butter through a strainer into a small heatproof bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the almond flour mixture, beat well with a whisk, then gradually drizzle the hot butter over the mixture, whisking well. Add the peanut butter and whisk until evenly incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling each about two-thirds full. Place the molds onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the financiers are golden and spring back when lightly pressed in the centers.
Let the financiers cool in the molds for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
Financiers can be kept in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or 5 days in the fridge.

Makes 16 – I halved the recipe above, used 2 tablespoon-capacity pans and got 12 financiers

Spiced plum clafoutis

Let me introduce to you the most delicious dessert I have made in a long time – and that, my friends, is a HUGE thing for a blog as sugary as this one. :)

As much as I would love each and every one of you to try this recipe – yes, it is that good – I must be honest and tell you that if you’re not in clafoutis mood the plums, with that out-of-this-world syrup, would turn any vanilla ice cream into a work of art.

Spiced plum clafoutis
slightly adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Spiced plums:
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
2 cinnamon quills
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 ¼ cups (300ml) water
6 ripe plums, halved, stones removed

Batter:
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (250g) caster (superfine) sugar
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (80g) all purpose flour
400ml heavy cream

For spiced plums, bring sugar, spices and water to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Add plums, skin side up, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the plum halves, cook for another 2 minutes, or until tender (prick flesh with a fork to check it the plums are cooked). Remove plums from syrup using a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, cut into wedges. Divide plums among six 200ml-capacity lightly buttered ovenproof molds.
Return syrup to heat, bring to the boil, cook over medium-high heat until syrupy and reduced by half (10-12 minutes), cool completely and set aside.
Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F. Whisk eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl until just combined (do not overwork). Add cream, stir gently to combine. Pour batter over plums, transfer molds onto a baking sheets and bake until just set and lightly golden (15-20 minutes).
Serve immediately with the plum syrup.

Serves 6

Peach frozen yogurt

A bowl of beautiful, ripe peaches was the beginning of this recipe, but my first idea was making the peach ice cream from the same book this frozen yogurt came from; I changed my mind after considering that using yogurt instead of cream would allow me to eat more dessert – talk about fat thoughts. :)

Peach frozen yogurt
from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

675g (1 ½ oz) ripe peaches (about 5 large peaches)
½ cup (120ml) water
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar*
1 cup (260g) plain whole-milk yogurt
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Peel the peaches: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off.
Slice the peaches in half, remove the pits and cut into chunks. Cook them with the water in a medium, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and cooked thought, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar, then chill in the refrigerator.
Purée the peach mixture in a food processor or blender with the yogurt until almost smooth but still slightly chunky. Mix in the lemon juice. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

* I suggest adding less sugar and taste – mine was a bit too sweet

Makes about 3 cups

Plum tray bake with a cheesecake ripple

There was a rumor on Twitter last month saying that delicious would end – I was in complete panic because I find the tool extremely useful; luckily, it appears to be just that: a rumor.

How else would I have “remembered” this delicious cake – I mean, extremely delicious – bookmarked on Oct, 7, 2008? ;)

Plum tray bake with a cheesecake ripple
adapted from here

Cheesecake ripple:
200g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

Cake:
3 eggs
175g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
400g ripe plums, halved, stoned and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 28x18cm shallow baking pan, line with baking parchment, making sure that the paper comes higher than the rim of the pan, and butter the paper as well.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and caster sugar and beat until smooth. Set aside.
Place the eggs, butter, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla in a separate bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
Spread half of the cake batter mixture onto the base of the prepared pan, then dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over it, spreading an uneven swirl through the base mixture. Scatter with half of the plums. Spoon the remaining cake batter on top and dot with the rest of the cream cheese.
Scatter with the remaining plums then bake for about 45 minutes until risen and just firm to touch – when cooked, the surface of this tray bake should feel just firm to the touch, but bear in mind that it will firm-up slightly as it cools; if over baked, it will lose its moist texture.
Leave to cool in the pan before cutting into pieces. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream.

Serves 10 – I made 2/3 of the recipe above and used a 20cm (8in) square pan

Cherry crumble

Happy New Year everyone!

After a month it’s time to (reluctantly) get back to work – I could definitely use a couple more weeks of vacation… *sigh*

If you, like me, need a boost to get back to work I highly recommend this dessert. :)

Cherry crumble
adapted from here

320g fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons demerara sugar

Topping:
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 ½ tablespoons (35g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Put the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the cubes of butter, using your fingers until you have a mixture like coarse sand. Stir in the sugar. Refrigerate while you get on with the fruit.
Mix the cherries with the lemon zest, juice and sugar and divide among two 1-cup (240ml) capacity ovenproof ramekins.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit, place the ramekins in a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling.

Serves 2