Banana and dulce de leche pots: in the oven or in the Air Fryer

If you have been around here long enough you know that I love baking, and I love baking with fruit: it makes me happy to transform less than perfect apples, pears, peaches and plums into cakes, muffins, galettes. Sometimes I look forward to the weekend so I can make a new recipe with fruit, but then I end up eating them all before the Saturday begins. 😊

Bananas are such a favorite of mine, but living in a tropical country can be very tricky to keep them from becoming ripe too quickly: it has been really hot here since the beginning of the year and my baking list just gets larger and larger as I postpone making them to avoid turning the oven on (it is already hard enough to use the stove).

These pots are a wonderful way of using ripe bananas, especially when you don’t have enough of them to make a large cake: only one large banana is required for this recipe. I have made this recipes several times in the past months and it works very well both using a regular oven and the Air Fryer: the only slightly difference is that the tops of the pots get more browned when using the Air Fryer.

 

Banana and dulce de leche pots

own recipe

 

¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (33g) cashew nut flour (replace with almond flour if you like)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 large, very ripe banana (100g weighed with the peel)

1 large egg, room temp

3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons dulce de leche

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) or the Air Fryer to 180° (350°F). Brush 4 heatproof 1-cup capacity ramekins with oil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cashew nut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk well together the banana, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients – do not overmix.

Pour 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each ramekin, then top the center of the batter with 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche. Divide the remaining batter evenly onto the ramekins, topping the dulce de leche.

Oven: transfer the ramekins to a medium baking sheet, then bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Air Fryer: transfer the ramekins to the Air Fryer, carefully not to get burned, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (do the same test with the skewer).

Serve warm, with ice cream, whipped cream or plan yogurt if you like.

 

Serves 4

My plum “cobbler” and my biggest hugs to my American readers

My dear readers, how have you all been?

I know that those of you in the U.S. are going through a rough time now with the approaching elections and the possibility of a criminal becoming your president. I feel for you, since Brazilians like me went through this very same hell a couple of years ago. I send you all my love.

I haven’t been around here much, the good old excuse of lack of time: unfortunately, we don’t always have time for our favorite things, right?

Many, many Sundays ago I was on the couch, watching something on TV while João took a nap after lunch. I wanted to have a little sweet something, and even went to the kitchen to grab a piece of chocolate, but it was not what I really wanted: my wish was more specific, I craved something comforting.

Usually, when I feel like that, I make a crumble, but that day I felt like making a more practical version of a cobbler: fruit + a cake batter. Not to brag or anything, but it turned out really delicious, that is why I am sharing the recipes with you here today – I hope you like it as much as I did.  xx

My plum “cobbler”

own recipe

 

Filling and bater:

2 medium plums (170g/6oz)

¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (33g) almond flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of sal

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (65g) plain unsweetened yogurt

2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil – I used canola

1 large egg, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Amaretto or Frangelico – optional: they enhance the almond flavor

 

Topping:

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flaked almonds

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush a 450ml (approx. 1 pint) heatproof shallow dish with butter. Remove the stones from the plums, dice into 1cm (approx. ¼-in) cubes and spread into the dish evenly. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk well the sugar, yogurt, oil, egg, vanilla and Frangelico/Amaretto (if using). Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until you have a cake batter – do not overmix, or cake will be tough.

Pour batter over the plums and mix them slightly into the batter. Sprinkle with the sugar and almonds of the topping, transfer the dish to a baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen, golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm with cream, vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt.

 

Serves 2

Banana cake with cashew nuts

Last weekend, feeling better after a cold, I was in the mood for some baking: the days were cold, so turning the oven on was a very nice thing to do. I had a few bananas getting super brown on the counter and knew that they deserved to be used in something delicious, that is why I baked a banana cake with cashew nuts – I took the cake to the office on Monday, and it was a huge hit with my coworkers.

A week or so before I had bought some ingredients with a very nice baking session in mind, and after deciding to make a banana cake I grabbed the cashew nut flour and the salted, toasted cashew nuts to incorporate them into my recipe.

The cake turned out absolutely tender and moist, because of the addition of the nut flour and yogurt, and with that kind of deeply banana flavor that can only be achieved by using really ripe bananas.

I poured a quite simple glaze on the cooled cake and sprinkled it all with the chopped toasted cashew nuts – the cake turned out beautiful and the combo of flavors was spot on. The batter is prepared like a muffin batter, so no need to use a mixer or any other equipment.

When I saw the cake, I thought “well, that is a LOT of cake”, but when I saw my coworkers raving about it (and some of them getting seconds), I knew it was the right amount. 😊

 

Banana cake with cashew nuts

own recipe

 

Cake:

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (75g) cashew nut flour (replace with almond flour if you like)

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon table salt

4 medium very ripe bananas (400g/14oz unpeeled)

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (total of 78g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons (26g) light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup (85g) plain yogurt (no sugar added)

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup (60ml) neutral vegetable oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Frangelico or Amaretto – optional; they enhance the nut flavor

 

Glaze:

1 cup (140g) icing sugar

2 ½ tablespoons milk

 

Finishing touches:

½ cup (70g) salted, toasted cashew nuts, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F. Line a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan with foil and brush the foil with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the cashew nut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until you get a rustic purée. Add the sugars, yogurt, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla and Frangelico/Amaretto (if using) and whisk well. Add the dry ingredients and whisk again to incorporate – do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until risen and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely over a wire rack.

Glaze: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl and gradually add the milk, whisking until you get the desired consistency. Pour over the cooled cake and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

 

Makes 24

Chocolate berry pots

It has been so insanely hot here in São Paulo lately, in the middle of the winter, to the point of affecting my mood: I know that not everyone is into cold days like me, and I also know that I live in a tropical country where it feels like summer 9 months per year, but the three winter months have been my refuge since I was a kid, the part of the year when I felt better, energized, happy about the weather. That is over, and it might be over forever, which makes me really, really sad. 

Having said that, those of you who have been around for long know that I make warm desserts even with temperatures above 30°C (86°F) and I also have to tell you that I have soup for dinner even in the summer (and I don’t like cold soups): last Saturday I made two huge pots of soup and frozen them for the week. Having soup for dinner and sweating, but all good. 😊

These chocolate pots are a very easy to make dessert, are ready very quickly and they’re delicious too! They are creamy in the middle, like chocolate fondants, and have a brownie-like crust around – I used berries and white chocolate to make them richer (I always have these berries in my freezer to make smoothies), but of course you can make the recipe without them, and also replace the white chocolate with milk chocolate, for instance.

 

Chocolate berry pots

own recipe

 

¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

50g dark chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, chopped (at room temperature it will melt faster)

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (42g) white chocolate chips (feel free to use chopped white chocolate if you prefer)

50g frozen berries, unthawed

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Butter three ½ cup capacity ovenproof ramekins.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small heatproof bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter, place it over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. When lukewarm, add the sugar and whisk very well. Add the egg and whisk vigorously – the batter will become shiny and thick. Whisk in the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate and the berries and then divide the batter evenly among the ramekins – you can add a few more berries on top if you like before baking. Place the ramekins in a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a little batter on it (the pots are creamy on the center, like chocolate fondants).

Remove from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes and serve – you can place each ramekin in a small dish to serve and avoid burned fingers. 😊

Serves 3

Pear, chocolate and yogurt cake and nostalgia

To me it is fun to go through my old photos for the Instagram #tbt: I don’t have many of them, but the ones I have always put a smile on my face. Weeks ago I posted a photo of my pre-adolescent self on my great-aunt Angelica’s kitchen:

 

This is the kitchen where I baked my first cake, and where I started to learn how to cook. I have so many wonderful memories from there, I was so happy in that house! I used to spend my weekends there to escape the awful and sad environment I had at home. My aunty and her daughter, my cousin Soraia, filled me with love, support, guidance… They helped me become who I am today. I was feeling so nostalgic with that photo that I felt like baking a cake! <3

 

Ever since baking the first variation of the Epicurious’ yogurt cake it has been inevitable: when I think of baking a cake I think of that perfect and so versatile recipe. Easy to make, minimal washing up, no mixer required, simple ingredients… and the result is always a delicious, tender and moist cake! I have made so many different versions of it that I lost track of how many.

 

Decided to create yet another version of that recipe, I gathered all the basic ingredients and reached out for some small pears I had purchased a couple of days before: they were not as sweet as I’d expected, so a bit of heat would do them good. I love pears with nutmeg, so I added a bit to the cake batter as well. While preparing the cake pan, I kept thinking of what would go well with the pears and dark chocolate came to mind: I chopped some, keeping the pieces a bit larger than I usually would.

 

The flavors matched perfectly, the melted chocolate pieces inside the cake are a gift in each bite and the pear cores on top are there just because I wanted to make the cake more beautiful: you can skip that step if you want, no worries.

 

Pear, chocolate and yogurt cake

another version I created for Epicurious’ perfect French yogurt cake

 

3 small pears (220g in total)

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon table salt

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (175g in total) granulated sugar

¾ cup (180g) plain unsweetened yogurt

½ cup (120ml) flavorless vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (you can use chips if you prefer) – I used one with 64% cocoa solids

 

Preheat oven to 180C/350°F. Brush with oil a 6-cup capacity loaf pan (22x11cm/8.5x4.5in), line with baking paper leaving an overhang in the two longer sides and brush the paper as well.

 

Core the pears, remove the seeds and cut into about 1cm-cubes – in case you want to decorate the cake as I decorated mine, slice 2 of the 3 pears vertically close to the core, leaving the cores and the stems intact. Chop the remaining parts of pears in cubes.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Fold in reserved dry ingredients keeping 1 tablespoon in the bowl – if batter is too lumpy, whisk for a few seconds; do not overmix or the cake will become tough. Add chocolate to the bowl with the remaining dry ingredients, mix well, then fold into the batter – dusting the chocolate chips/chunks with the flour mixture will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

 

Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. If decorating the cake as I did, arrange the cores on top of the batter and press slightly. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean.

 

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully and using the paper as a guide, remove cake from pan and transfer to the rack to cool completely.

 

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

 

Serves 8-10

Apple blueberry bars and 2024 resolutions

My dear and lovely readers, I hope you are all well and having a very nice year so far. It has been a very, very long time since I last posted something on this blog, so I would be surprised if anyone stopped by, but anyway I would like to talk to you today about New Year’s resolutions (in April – I know, I know). 😊

In the beginning of 2023 I made a list of resolutions for that year and I kept it very small to avoid frustrations: I wanted to finish writing my e-book (in Portuguese) and publish it (did it on June 2), to exercise more often (still to be improved in 2024, but I started and it was very good for me) and to treat myself more kindly than I used to (this is a work in progress so it is on the 2024 list as well).

To my surprise, the e-book has sold many copies, I have received several emails and messages from people who bought it saying they loved it, also received photos of some of the recipes being prepared at my readers’ homes… It was one of the best things I had in my whole life.

By early January this year I decided to write again the list of resolutions, and again I would keep it small: one of them was to keep blogging, at least once a month, even though blogs cannot compete nowadays with Instagram and TikTok (I must be honest and say that I don’t even know how to use the latter, I’m too old for that). So far I have managed to keep that promise for my blog in Portuguese (I even posted twice back in February), therefore I will do the same with this blog in English.

I’ll start with these delicious apple blueberry bars, that were meant to be blueberry bars only, but when I checked my freezer, I saw that my blueberry stash was not as big as I thought. One look at my counter and the beautiful apples I had brought home a couple of days before almost smiled at me, begging to be used: they were the perfect pair for the blueberries and the bars turned out wonderful.

 

Apple blueberry bars

own recipe

 

Crust and topping:

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (46g) fine corn flour/corn meal (not corn starch) – if you cannot find it, replace with all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (total of 78g) granulated sugar

¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

 

Filling:

2 medium Gala apples (total of 250g)

1 cup (150g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

pinch of salt

½ tablespoon lime or lemon juice

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly brush a 20cm (8in) square baking pan with butter, line it with foil leaving an overhang in two opposite sides and butter the foil as well. Set aside.

 

In a medium bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, corn flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Add the butter and whisk it in using a fork until you get coarse breadcrumbs texture. Transfer 2/3 of this mixture to the prepared pan and spread it evenly on the bottom. Press the mixture down onto the bottom of the pan (using your fingertips or a small measuring cup) to make the crust of the bars. Freeze the base and the remaining mixture for 10 minutes while you prep the fruit.

 

Core the apples, remove the seeds and cut into 1cm (little less than ½ inch) cubes. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, corn starch, salt and lime/lemon juice and mix to combine.

Remove the pan and bowl from the freezer. Spread the fruit evenly over the base and sprinkle over the remaining mixture – you can squeeze portions of the mixture in your hand to create different sizes of crumbles if you like.

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely over a wire rack before slicing and serving.

 

Makes 16

 

Lime poppy seed waffles and memories of traveling

Living in pandemic times is tiresome, and one of the things I miss the most is traveling: from time to time I browse the photos I took in past trips. First I thought that it would be painful to see those photos, but actually it felt really good to realize the privilege I had to know so many wonderful places. Even with the vaccination process going forward, traveling abroad will no longer be like it used to, given the Brazilian currency is completely devaluated. Traveling abroad is now only for a selected group of people, like it used to be in the past, when I was a kid and a teenager.

I look at the photos and think of the wonderful places I visited, the beautiful museums and parks, the restaurants and delicious meals I had. It makes me nostalgic, but happy at the same time.

While browsing my travel photos on a flash drive, I found a folder with recipes I made a good while ago but, for some reason, I did not post here because I did not like the photo, did not like the recipe result, or because of a certain ingredient, like these waffles: poppy seeds have been hard to find in Brazil, therefore I ended up forgetting about the recipe.

Weeks ago I was finally able to buy some poppy seeds and immediately baked an orange cake with them – after that, I posted these waffles on my blog in Portuguese, and now I post them here too. The waffles are delicious, perfumed with lime and with an extra crunch from the poppy seeds – I hope you like them.

 

Lime poppy seed waffles

own recipe, adapted from these waffles

 

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

finely grated zest of 2 large limes

1 ¼ cups (175g) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 large egg, room temperature

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature

2 teaspoons lime juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

In a medium bowl, place the sugar and lime zest and rub them together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt and whisk well.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil, milk, lime juice and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated – do not overmix.

Heat a waffle iron until very hot; lightly coat with nonstick spray – my waffle maker is nonstick, so I do not coat it.

Working in batches, cook waffles until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Makes 5-6 waffles

Green bean, tomato, feta and cannellini bean salad

It is super cold in Sao Paulo today – it is the winter after all – and I have been trying to keep myself warm with lots of clothes and buckets of hot tea (I might make soup for dinner to boot).

However, I know that many of you reading me on the top half of the planet are having a very intense summer, including devastating effects in some places due to extreme heat and storms. I do hope you are well and safe, and that things get back to normal soon.

I will share with you today one of my favorite salads, one that I have made several times and that I like specially to take to the office for lunch. It is not even a recipe to be honest: I start by grilling the green beans in a hot nonstick frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and half a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper (I later discard the garlic – it is only to perfume the beans).

When it is cool, I add halved cherry tomatoes, diced feta cheese and cannellini beans from a can.

The dressing is a very simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, lime or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper: everything added to an empty jar and shaken until creamy. When I take this salad to work for lunch, I pack the dressing separately and add it to the salad minutes before eating.

A fresh, colorful meal, made in minutes and without using the stove too much – I hope you like it. xx

Lemon pistachio yogurt cake - yes, cake again :)

Here I am once again with cake. :) 

Days have been pretty busy around here, lots of work, back at the office twice a week, but all in all everything is fine. I took my first vaccine shot two weeks ago and I felt something I hadn’t felt in quite a long time: hope.

It was quite an emotional moment for me, when a mix of feelings emerged: happiness and relief, and at the same time anger because of all the people who have died because the psychopath who is the president of my country refused to buy vaccines, because he wanted to make money out of it – corruption in its most disgusting shape.

One thing I have not changed on my weeks is baking a cake to snack on in the afternoons: my husband and I got completely hooked on that. The Epicurious yogurt cake recipe continues to be a hit in my house, and I have made it so many times since quarantine started that I have lost track of it. So easy to put together, so adaptable. 

This version I made with lemon and pistachio and it turned out amazing – very tender and sort of marzipany in taste, even though I used pistachios instead of almonds. My favorite take on this recipe, tied with the apple version.

 

Lemon pistachio yogurt cake

adapted from the Epicurious recipe, once again

Cake:

1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (50g) pistachio flour (finely ground hazelnuts)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

finely grated zest of 2 lemons

¾ cup (180g) plain yogurt

½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil – I used canola

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Cointreau (optional)

 

To sprinkle to cake:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

 

Preheat oven to 180C/350°F. Brush with oil a 6-cup capacity loaf pan (22x11cm/8.5x4.5in), line with baking paper leaving an overhang in the two longer sides and brush the paper as well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, pistachio flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, rub sugar and lemon zest with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Whisk in yogurt, oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and Cointreau (if using) until smooth. Fold in reserved dry ingredients – if batter is too lumpy, whisk for a few seconds – do not overmix or the cake will become tough.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully and using the paper as a guide, remove cake from pan and transfer to the rack to cool completely.

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Serves 8

Rangpur lime cake

When I first started cooking from foreign books, magazines and food blogs, I was amazed to find out so many new ingredients – and until some point in time, I was not able to find some of them in Brazil.

Almond extract was one of them – I could only find the synthetic stuff here, so when I first went to New York, in 2012, I brought home a small bottle of Nielsen-Massey’s almond extract. To my surprise, when I tried it and baked it for the first time, I found it… weird. It was not what I expected – to me, it still felt artificial. So after that I went back to using Amaretto to replace almond extract in recipes, as I had been doing before my trip with great success.

When I saw Claire Saffitz making her almond poppy seed cake on YouTube I was immediately interested in the recipe – since I wanted to bake something but did not have much butter in the fridge – plus my good friend Ellen had told me the cake was truly wonderful.

First I thought of making the cake using Amaretto instead, but then I decided to tweak Claire’s recipe just a little to flavor the cake with the lovely Rangpur limes I had brought from the farmers’ market – the cake turned out tender and absolutely delicious, perfumed with the limes and the smell took over the apartment while the cake was in the oven - it smelled so good it was very hard to wait for the cake to cool to slice it. 😊

If Rangpur limes are not easy to find where you live, go ahead and use lemons or limes instead.  

 

Rangpur lime cake

slightly adapted from Claire Saffitz’s almond poppy seed cake

 

Cake:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

finely grated zest of 2 large Rangpur limes (about 60g each lime)

1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature

2/3 cup (160ml) canola oil

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons Rangpur lime juice

1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)

 

Glaze:

1/3 cup (46g) icing sugar

½ tablespoon (7g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 teaspoons Rangpur lime juice

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush with oil a 6-cup capacity loaf pan (22x11cm/8.5x4.5in), line with baking paper leaving an overhang in the two longer sides and brush the paper as well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, rub together sugar and zest with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk well the milk, oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, lime juice and Cointreau (if using). Pour over dry ingredients and then mix in high speed for 1 minute or until batter is smooth.

Transfer to prepared pan and bake for about 80 minutes, or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully unmold using paper as guide.

In the meantime, make the glaze: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk well until you get a pourable consistency (add more juice if necessary).

After unmolding the cake, peel off the paper from the sides of the cake (only the sides at this point, since the cake will still be very fragile to be turned around) and pierce the cake all around with a toothpick. Brush with the glaze on top and sides, until all the glaze is absorbed. Cool completely before serving.

Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Serves 8-10 slices

Orange and olive oil granola

I told you the other day that once I started making my own granola I never went back to store bought – not only I can control the amount of sugar and fat in the recipe, I can also vary the flavors and create new types of granola depending on my own taste. 

My chocolate granola is an absolute favorite – it is so delicious I have to refrain myself from eating the whole batch while it cools on the counter. But the granola I bring you today is also wonderful: perfumed with orange zest and juice, flecked with tart cranberries, full of good-for-you sesame seeds and quinoa flakes. You can use honey or make the granola vegan by replacing honey with agave.

This granola is a hit with my dear friend Tania Pereyra, who lives in NY and is a very special woman, who I adore and admire. Let me know if you give it a try too.

 

Orange and olive oil granola

own recipe

 

250g jumbo oats

50g quinoa flakes

50g de flaked almonds

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

finely grated zest of 2 small oranges

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1/3 cup (80ml) honey or agave

1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup (80ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup (65g) dried cranberries, cut in half if too large

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, quinoa flakes, almond, sesame seeds, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine honey/agave, brown sugar, orange juice and olive oil and whisk over medium heat until melted and sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and pour over dry ingredients. Stir well to coat. Spread mixture evenly over prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir the granola around with a rubber spatula (careful not to tear the foil), spread it evenly again and bake for another 15 minutes – the granola will still be soft and will get crunchy once cooled.

Remove from the oven and stir the granola around again. Let cool completely, then stir in the cranberries.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Serves 10-12 

Cocoa waffles with caramelized bananas

Sometimes I think about how many times we change our minds throughout different phases of life, ages, etc. I always say that I don’t get a tattoo because I am not able to like something forever – I would probably regret the tattoo right after getting inked.

When I was younger I thought that breakfast in bed was oh, so cool: the romcoms I watched as a teenager gave me the impression that having breakfast in bed was truly romantic. Now, at the age of 42, I don’t want to eat anything in bed – dirty sheets, crumbs prickling me at night? Thanks, but no thanks. :)

So I would rather have my breakfast on the table, and for the weekend, when I have more time, waffles go really well: I love this recipe for I believe chocolate and bananas are a match made in heaven. And of course you can serve these waffles as dessert, too.

 

Cocoa waffles with caramelized bananas

own recipe

 

Waffles:

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

pinch of table salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled – for crispier waffles, replace butter with olive oil or canola oil

1 cup (240ml) buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Caramelized bananas:

2 ½ tablespoons - 35g – unsalted butter

1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 medium bananas, sliced in coins

1 ½ tablespoons whisky, Marsala, rum or water (if you don’t want to use booze)

 

In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and fold until incorporated – batter will be sort of lumpy, that is OK.

Heat a waffle iron. Add about 1/3 cup of batter per waffle (adjust the amount of batter depending on the size of your machine), then cook following the manufacturer's instructions, until the waffles are golden brown.

While the waffles cook, prepare the bananas: melt butter in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add the sugar and the cinnamon and mix with a spatula until sugar starts to melt. Add the bananas and cook them ever so slightly on both sides until golden. Add the booze (if using) carefully not to get burned. Mix to dissolve the caramel in the frying pan and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with the waffles.

Serves 4

Orange and thyme sablés and my love for herbs

 

One of the things I liked the most when I started cooking recipes from different new sources – books, magazines, foodblogs – was learning how to use fresh herbs: until then, I was used to parsley and chives, which are highly popular in Brazilian houses, but not much more than that. 

The first time I added basil to a tomato sauce it was a revelation: it was amazing how much more delicious it tasted! After basil, I became friends with rosemary, sage, mint, marjoram (which I love, even though is not super easy to find), oregano, cilantro, and my absolute favorite: thyme.

I sometimes hear people saying that it goes well with beef, or lamb, but I have used thyme in so many recipes, combined with so many different types of produce and ingredients, and it has worked wonderfully every time. I love it with roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, dishes with cheese and cream, chicken, fish, chickpeas… Really, the sky is the limit for me.

One of my favorite recipes with thyme is actually sweet: these melt-in-your-mouth sables are delicious and might turn you into a thyme-fan, if you are not one yet.

 

Orange and thyme sablés

own recipe

Dough: 

½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

finely grated zest of 2 large oranges

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 large egg, room temp.

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Cointreau (optional)

2 ¾ cups (385g) all purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt

 

To roll the dough log:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar – demerara works wonders here too

 

Place the thyme, orange zest and sugar in a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor and crush/grind until sugar is fragrant. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and cream until light and fluffy – scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally throughout the making of the recipe. Beat in the egg, beating well after the addition. Beat in the vanilla and the Cointreau (if using). In low speed, beat in the flour and salt and mix just until a dough forms – do not overmix.

Divide the dough into two equal parts. Place each on a large piece of parchment paper; shape dough into logs. Fold parchment over dough; using a ruler, roll and press into a 3.5 cm (1.4in) log – like Martha does here. Wrap in parchment. Chill in the fridge until very firm, about 3 hours (the dough logs can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

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

Unwrap one log at a time (keep the other in the fridge) and roll it through the sugar, pressing ever so slightly to help adhere. Cut log into 5mm (about ¼in) thick rounds; space 5cm (2in) apart onto prepared sheets. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12-15 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough log.

Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature or in the freezer for a month.

Makes about 48 cookies

Blueberry clafoutis

On a blueberry state of mind after themuffins I posted last week, I bring you a delicious and simple to make clafoutis with these wonderful berries: if you are on the bottom half of the globe like I am, the temperature is perfect for warm desserts as this one. 

I am a sucker for clafoutis, both sweet and savory, for I believe it is such a versatile recipe that can be tailored to whatever you have at hand. A handful of ingredients, most of them staples of every kitchen, plus fruits or vegetables to boot – sounds perfect to me!

I love blueberries and cinnamon together, I think they are a perfect pair, but this clafoutis is also delicious with cardamom instead – freshly ground is best.

Blueberry clafoutis

own recipe

 

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

pinch of salt

pinch of ground cinnamon

¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, room temperature

¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream

¾ cup (100g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)

1 tablespoon demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter two 1-cup (240ml) capacity ovenproof shallow dishes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until creamy and pale, like eggnog. Whisk in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour, salt and cinnamon, until mixture is smooth. Fold in mil and cream. Divide mixture between the prepared dishes and sprinkle with the blueberries. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Blueberry, coconut and white chocolate muffins

From a very early age my mother taught me how wonderful fruits are: apples, oranges, watermelon, strawberries, pears… We were a modest family, but there were always different fruits over the counter or in the fridge – my favorites as a kid were strawberries.

Some fruits are kind of recent in my life, such as raspberries and blueberries – these have become popular and easier to find in Brazil over the past years. I love raspberries – went picking them once with a dear friend in Surrey, England, back in 2007 – but blueberries I believe benefit from heat: after being cooked or baked, for example, they become more flavorsome: it is like they turn into little pockets of jam.

Blueberries and white chocolate are beautiful together, the flavors complement each other in a perfect way. I wanted to give these muffins a bit of a tropical flair, therefore the double addition of coconut, both desiccated and in milk form. The muffins turned out delicious, moist and tender, and I found out that coconut and blueberries can be truly great friends too.

 

Blueberry, coconut and white chocolate muffins

own recipe

 

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (25g) desiccated unsweetened coconut

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon table salt

½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature

½ cup (120ml) coconut milk

½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (140g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)

2/3 cup (110g) white chocolate chips or small chunks

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a 12-cavity muffin pan with paper cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, coconut, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, coconut milk, butter, egg and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until ingredients are incorporated – do not overmix, or your muffins will turn out tough; muffin batter is lumpy, and not smooth like cake batter. Fork in the blueberries and the chocolate.

Divide the batter evenly among the paper cups (they will be rather full) and bake for about 20 minutes or until muffins are risen and golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto the rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12

Granola jam bars

 

Once I started making my own granola I never looked back: store bought just doesn’t do it for me anymore. I am the only granola eater at my house, so one batch lasts quite a long time – I usually eat it in the afternoon with some yogurt and fruit, a nice snack between lunch and dinner, and that also gives me energy to exercise. 

There were times, however, before quarantine, that I was not able to finish off the granola before it lost its crunch. For times like those, these granola and jam bars are absolutely perfect: you can vary the flavors of both the granola and the jam to make several different combinations.

The only jam I usually avoid for these bars is strawberry, for I think it is a tad too sweet.

Granola jam bars

own recipe

Base:

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (45g) whole wheat flour

pinch of salt

100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 egg yolk (save the white for making the topping)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Filling and topping:

½ cup (170g) your favorite jam – my favorite flavors for this recipe are raspberry, blackberry and apricot

1 ¾ cups (210g) granola

1 egg white

 

Start making the base: preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20x20cm (8x8in) square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang in two opposite sides, to make unmolding the bars easier. Butter the foil.

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, sugar and salt. Add the butter, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until a dough starts to form – it might be crumbly, no problem, do not overmix to avoid getting a tough base. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and pat onto the bottom of the pan – you can use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to help. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and very carefully not to get burned, spread the jam over the base.

In another bowl, mix well the granola and egg white and then spread evenly over the jam layer.

Bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool completely in the pan over a wire rack.

Remove the bars from the pan using the paper as guide and cut into squares to serve.

 

Makes 16

Broccolini, feta and pine nut gozleme and being inspired by TV shows

One of the things I love the most about watching TV food shows is to learn about different foods and ingredients from places far from Brazil – when I traveled in the past I always wanted to try as many new things as I could while abroad. I remember when I visited my friend Valentina in London in 2009 and I begged her to buy me some rhubarb - I had never seen it in Brazil until then. :)

The same way Ottolenghi introduced me to pide, or Turkish pizza, Ainsley Harriott ate gozleme in his show and I immediately wanted to make it a home!

I used broccolini, feta and pine nuts in these gozleme, but you can pretty much use whatever you want for the filling – the sky is the limit! I am a sucker for all things feta – I like it so much that my dear friend Ellen who lives in California told me she will take me to a Greek restaurant when I come visit (cannot wait, Ellen!). 

I want to make this recipe again and use other vegetables for the filling, such as zucchini or eggplant, and other types of cheese as well.

 

Broccolini, feta and pine nut gozleme

own recipe, inspired by many I have seen online

 

Dough:

1 teaspoon dried yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

¾ cup (180ml) lukewarm water

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

1 teaspoon table salt

 

Filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

200g broccolini florets

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Marsala wine – it gives a lovely smoky flavor to this recipe, but replace with white wine if Marsala is not available

100g feta cheese, finely chopped or crumbled

1 ½ tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the yeast, sugar and water. Stir with a fork and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, flour, yogurt and salt and knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic – if kneading by hand, it should take 10-12 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a large oiled bowl. Cover and set aside to proof for 60-80 minutes, depending on how warm the day is, or until doubled in size.

In the meantime, make the filling: heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute only – do not let it burn or it might turn bitter. Stir in the broccolini, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt, since feta can sometime be quite salty), add the Marsala and cook for another minute so the wine evaporates. Remove from the heat, let it cool, then stir in the feta and pine nuts.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. In a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough until you get a roughly 22-25cm (9-10in) circle. Place ¼ of the filling onto one half of the circle, then fold the other half over the filling, sealing the edges well.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat. Brush one of the sides of the gozleme with olive oil and place brushed side down onto the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Brush the other side with olive oil and flip it, to cook the other side, for another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat the process with the remaining gozleme. Serve immediately.

Makes 4