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

Chicken pad thai with lime and peanuts

I pulled an Oliver Stone the other day while making lunch: much like he completely ruined "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" in the end I almost did the same to my pad thai by adding chilli to it – it was hot as hell and sort of difficult to eat. But we managed. So I’m keeping the chilli out of the recipe below, for your own safety. ;)

I just hope that using udon instead of rice noodles is not a capital sin: I wasn’t in the mood for grocery shopping and at the end what I had in my pantry worked just fine.

Chicken pad thai with lime and peanuts
adapted from the always gorgeous Donna Hay Magazine

200g udon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
200g chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped - I used parsley
2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Lime sauce:
¼ cup (60ml) lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Make the lime sauce: place the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Cook the udon according to the package instructions. Drain and keep warm. meanwhile, heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the carrot, udon and lime sauce and stir-fry for another 2 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the noodles are coated. Stir through the bean sprouts and cilantro (or parsley). Divide between plates and top with the peanuts. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Honey and dark chocolate truffles - a great gift

Cookies are my favorite things to give as gifts – they’re super tasty, easy to package and everyone likes them. But facing a lack of butter – I know, what kind of baker forgets to buy butter? – I turned to truffles. And it ended up being a smart choice – my friend was delighted to receive a box of these and told me they were absolutely delicious. And to make things even better I got to use a book I hadn’t flipped in ages.

Honey and dark chocolate truffles
slightly adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

250g (9oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
¼ cup honey
pinch of salt
unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling the truffles

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Combine cream, honey and salt in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until honey is dissolved. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Mix until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 3-4 hours or overnight. Using a small cookie-scoop or a spoon, make truffles with generous 1 ½ teaspoons of ganache per truffle and roll into the cocoa powder. Place in fluted paper cases and serve.
Truffles can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Makes about 30 truffles

Nutella swirl pound cake

So apparently many of you have been making croûtons using a frying pan and I was the last one to jump on the bandwagon... OK, no problem. :) Now tell me: what about a marble cake made with Nutella? Have you guys tried it? Because I’d never seen it before buying this book and now I want to bake it every weekend. :D

Nutella swirl pound cake
slightly adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats

4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
1 jar (13oz/364g) Nutella – I used 350g (the size of Nutella jars here in Brazil)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a round 20cm (8in) cake pan, line the bottom with baking paper and butter the paper as well*.
Combine the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
Scrape 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Spread ½ of the Nutella over the batter and smooth with a cleaned spatula. Scrape another 1/3 of the batter over the Nutella and smooth. Scrape the remaining Nutella over the batter and smooth. Spread the remaining batter over the Nutella and smooth the top. Run a butter knife blade through the batter to create marbling – do not overmix.
Bake the cake until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan over a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully unmold it. Peel off the baking paper then invert it onto the rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Keep cake in a cake keeper or wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 3 days

*you can bake this recipe in a 22.5x12.5cm (9x5in) loaf pan (buttered and dusted with flour). Bake it for 1 hour /1 hour and 10 minutes

Serves 8-10

Meatballs – Jamie’s and mine

I’ve been making these meatballs for so long I cannot remember when the first time was – they’re one of my husband’s favorites (and he doesn’t have that many favorite dishes). They’re delicious with both pasta and rice, but lately Joao’s been eating them in sandwich form – very Joey Tribbiani. :)

Adapted from one of Jamie’s recipes, found on this blog.

Meatballs – Jamie’s and mine
adapted from The Naked Chef

500g ground beef
2 teaspoons dried oregano
a couple of splashes of Tabasco
1 teaspoon table salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I use a lot)
½ teaspoon garlic infused olive oil (or use regular olive oil + 1 garlic clove, minced)
1 large egg
1/3 cup homemade breadcrumbs + about 1/3 cup extra to roll the meatballs
½ large onion, processed*
generous handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with a double layer of foil. Brush the foil with vegetable oil.
Place the beef, dried oregano, Tabasco, salt, black pepper, olive oil (and garlic, if using), egg, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs , onion and parsley in a large bowl and mix to combine (I prefer to use my hand to do that). Try to shape some of the mixture into a ball – if too wet, add 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs and mix again. Grab 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture and shape into compact balls (the job becomes easier if you lightly wet the palms of your hands). Roll the meatballs in the extra breadcrumbs. Place the meatballs onto the prepared sheet and bake until firm and cooked through (about 40 minutes).
Serve with tomato sauce.

* I’ve tried this recipe with chopped, processed and grated onions and to me the best way of using them is processed – chopped with a knife the onion pieces are too large (which makes rolling the meatballs more difficult) and grated the onion becomes too wet

Makes about 25

Spice muffins

It’s wonderful to see my little sister become an adult but being around her certainly reminds me that time really flies. I don’t have a problem with that – at least not yet – and the age gap between us sometimes delivers funny moments: when we watched “The Social Network” together last year I had to explain to her what Napster was. :D

Another sign I’m getting old: there are days that the thought of going somewhere gets me tired already. I prefer to stay home, with a good book or a good movie, and a muffin on the side – since I had no fruit to bake with (not even lemons or oranges, the horror, the horror), spices came to my rescue.

Spice muffins
from Deborah Madison’s vegetarian bible

2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup (132g) light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups (320ml) buttermilk*
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter a muffin pan with twelve 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffin cups or line them with paper cases.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined – do not overmix; batter should be lumpy.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups. Bake until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

*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

Makes 12

Butter rum cake for those who like to bake with booze

I had my first caipirinha on my honeymoon: influenced by my husband, I enjoyed the drink with him in a super hot day, by the sea. What a delicious day that was. After that, I became a caipirinha fan (but you know that already). :D I’ll admit it: I like a little bit of alcohol every now and then.

Therefore, once I started baking with rum there was no turning back – for that reason, one of the first recipes I tried with my new Bundt pan had to be Lisa Yockelson's butter rum cake: there’s rum in the batter and there’s more rum in the glaze. Yum, yum. The cake is very tender and rose beautifully despite the tiny amount of baking soda (and no baking powder). Definitely a keeper.

Butter rum cake
from the always great Baking by Flavor

Cake:
3 cups (420g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups (450g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210ml) buttermilk*
3 tablespoons dark rum

Glaze:
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (74g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60ml) dark rum
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Butter a 25cm (10in) Bundt cake and dust with all purpose flour. Tap out any excess flour.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar in three additions, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 45 seconds after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Blend in the vanilla extract.
On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three additions and the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl again. Add the rum and beat for 30 seconds. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes or until risen, set and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the pan, over a wire rack, for 8-10 minutes, while you prepare the glaze.

Glaze: place the butter, granulated sugar and rum in a small, heavy nonreactive saucepan. Set over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Off the heat stir in the vanilla extract.
Carefully unmold the cake onto a wire rack. Using a soft pastry brush, apply the warm glaze onto the top and sides of the cake. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

*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 16

Feta, ricotta and lemon pasta with olive breadcrumbs

This recipe combines two types of cheese, black and green olives, lemon, a touch of thyme + a delicious topping in only one pasta dish, which turned out fantastic; I guess I should rename it and call it “Steven Soderbergh pasta” – after all, who besides him can gather so many stars in one single movie? I can only think of the late Altman.

Feta, ricotta and lemon pasta with olive breadcrumbs
adapted from the always delicious Australian Gourmet Traveller

Pasta:
200g penne
½ onion, finely chopped
100g ricotta
100g feta cheese, crumbled
60g black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
60g green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive breadcrumbs:
50g fresh breadcrumbs
15g black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
15g green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Return pasta to the saucepan with reserved water.
While pasta is cooking, combine olive oil, onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat and sauté until very tender and starting to caramelize. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Add the ricotta, feta, olives, lemon zest and juice and thyme and mix. Season to taste. Add the pasta and mix well. Transfer to a lightly oiled 1 quarter (1 liter) capacity baking dish.
Make the olive breadcrumbs: combine the breadcrumbs, the olives, the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste. Spread evenly over the pasta mixture and bake until bubbling and golden (15-20 minutes). Serve hot.

Serves 2

Caramel crumb bars and recipes perfect for sharing

Every time I want to bake something for my coworkers I look for recipes that yield a lot – I want them to eat and have seconds if they feel like it (the sweet tooth in me finds that kind of thing important). :D
Therefore cakes, bars and brownies baked in a 13x9in pan are perfect – like these delicious caramel bars that so far have been the quickest baked goods to disappear at the office (beating these brownies’ record).

Do you have a great recipe that feeds a crowd? Maybe from one of the books I own? I would love to know. ;)

Caramel crumb bars
from the delicious Saveur

Crust:
1 cup (224g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour, divided use

Filling:
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 395g (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 32x22cm (13x9in) baking pan, line with foil, butter and flour the paper and the sides of the baking pan*.
Start by making the crust: in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until creamy. Add 2 ¼ cups (315g) flour; mix. Transfer ¾ of the dough to pan; press into bottom; chill. Rub remaining dough and remaining ¼ cup (35g) flour into large crumbles; refrigerate. Make the filling: combine butter, brown sugar, syrup, and sweetened condensed milk in a 2-qt. heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until thick and creamy and the mixture pulls away from the sides and bottom of the saucepan, 8–10 minutes. Pour over dough; scatter crumbles over top. Bake until golden, 25–30 minutes (mine needed 40). Let cool. Cut into bars.

* I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan with a removable bottom – therefore, I just buttered and floured the pan, without the need of using foil

Makes 32

Coconut, lime and macadamia cake - a surprising cake

I bought a bag of limes especially to make this cake – the idea of mixing them with coconut and macadamias sounded really good. Like many Saturdays, I removed the butter from the fridge very early in the morning so it would become soft for my baking section. Then, reading the recipe and placing all the ingredients on the sink I stopped, read it again and then again – there’s no butter in the cake. There’s no oil either. Ok, so the fat will come from the nuts, fine. Stop worrying and carry on, Patricia.
I placed the cake in the oven and started thinking: will it be dry? I hate dry cakes. Well, it was too late for that – all I could do was wait for it to be ready.
After spreading the deliciously sharp icing over it I could no longer resist: I cut a rather small slice of it and tasted it. One bite and I was in heaven: not only was the cake extremely tender but it also tasted wonderful. Absolutely rich. I should have known all along: it’s one of Bill Granger’s recipes after all. :)

Coconut, lime and macadamia cake
slightly adapted from the great Bills open kitchen

Cake:
150g unsalted macadamia nuts
3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (124g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 2 small limes
1/3 cup (34g) sweetened shredded coconut
pinch of salt

Lime icing:
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20cm (8in) round cake pan, line the bottom with baking paper and butter the paper as well.
Place the macadamias, flour and baking powder in a food processor and process until the nuts are ground. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Fold through the lime zest and coconut, then the nut mixture. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, add the salt and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold lightly through the nut batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until risen, golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan – a skewer inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan, over a wire rack, for 15-20 minutes. Carefully unmold onto a rack, remove the baking paper, invert onto another and let cool completely.
Make the icing: combine the icing sugar, lime juice and zest in a small bowl and mix until spreadable (add more juice if needed). Add more juice if necessary. Drizzle over the cooled cake to serve.

Serves 8-10

Vanilla bean and candied kumquat financiers + a movie everyone should watch

I watched "Trust" last Saturday and liked it a lot: well directed with great performances, which to me is imperative when such a delicate subject is being portrayed. I took my sister with me because I thought it would be important for her to watch that movie and I think that parents, teenagers and even young adults should watch it, too.

One thing about the movie that surprised me was the director, David Schwimmer: I do not know much of his work – except for “Friends” – and to me he handled “Trust” perfectly. I will definitely pay attention to his next projects – versatility is one quality I deeply admire in actors and directors.

From versatile people to versatile recipes: these financiers are delicious and the perfect canvas for your imagination – I made them once with cherries and they worked really well with candied kumquats, too.

Vanilla bean and candied kumquat financiers
adapted from two great books: Simply Bill e Baking for All Occasions

Candied kumquats:
1 dozen kumquats
¾ cup (180ml) water
½ tablespoon light corn syrup
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (224g) superfine sugar

Financiers:
2/3 cup (67g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted + extra for dusting
1/3 cup (46g) all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
4 egg whites
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds removed with the back of the knife
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Start by making the candied kumquats: using a small serrated knife, trim off the stem end of each kumquat and then cut into about 6mm (¼ in) slices. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup and sugar over medium heat and heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil without stirring. Add the kumquat slices, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the fruit is tender and the sugar syrup is syrupy, 15-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool completely. Candied kumquat slices can be kept in the syrup, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 1 month.
When you are ready to bake the financiers, remove the kumquat slices from the syrup and place onto a cooling rack to dry for 2-3 hours.

Now, the financiers: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter ten 1/3 cup (80ml) silicone molds or butter and flour muffin pans.
Mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Add the vanilla seeds and extract. Stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into prepared. Arrange 2-3 kumquat slices on top of each financier.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve; store in an airtight container.

Makes 10