Angel food cake with cacao nibs and orange freckles + two new addictions

As happens with “Top Chef”, I can’t keep up with all the great TV shows out there – that is why I’m in love with Netflix right now: I’m able to watch entire seasons, beginning with the first episode, without missing anything. \0/ That is how I got completely hooked on “Mad Men”, a show I’d wanted to watch forever, and now I cannot wait for the 5th season to be available on Netflix – while that doesn’t happen, I’ve started watching “Breaking Bad”, which is absolutely fantastic, too. There you go, another TV show addiction. :)

And speaking of another addiction – ice cream making – all the egg whites I had in my freezer were used in this über tender cake; the original recipe called for finely shaved dark chocolate, but I had the idea of using cacao nibs instead – it turned out good in terms of flavor but I believe the texture of the nibs was too coarse for the delicate cake.

Angel food cake with cacao nibs and orange freckles
slightly adapted from the absolutely gorgeous Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth

Cake:
1 cup (120g) cake flour (homemade: 100g all purpose flour + 20g corn starch)
120g confectioners’ sugar
12 egg whites (336g), room temperature
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
85g (3oz) cacao nibs, mixed with ½ tablespoon all purpose flour

Icing:
¾ cup (105g) confectioners’ sugar
juice of 1 orange
water, if necessary

Adjust a rack to the bottom third of the oven; preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Have ready a 25cm (10in) straight-sided metal tube pan, ungreased*.
Whisk together the cake flour and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl, then sift the mixture three times.
In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whip on high speed. Gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. On high, whip until firm (not stiff) peaks form. Reduce the mixer to low speed, add the vanilla and orange zest and mix until incorporated.
Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the whites and gently fold. Do the same with the remaining mixture in 2 additions, adding the cacao nibs with the last one. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place it on a baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To remove the cake from the pan, loosen the sides of the cake with a thin, long knife or spatula. Invert onto a plate.
Glaze: sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the orange juice, mixing until desired consistency. Add the water if necessary. Pour over the cooled cake.

* I used a nonstick pan because that’s the one I have; the cake tasted delicious and had a very light, feathery texture

Serves 8-10

Spiced plum pavlovas + a nice hint

You know well about my love for Donna Hay’s work: I have some of her cookbooks – cannot live without “Modern Classics 2” – and I’ve been a subscriber to her magazine since September 2006. But for the past year I’ve been having trouble receiving the magazines – last year’s winter issue never arrived and the same happened to this year’s summer issue. I do not know if they’ve changed the shipping method or something, because a friend of mine – who lives here in Brazil, too – has had the same problem. I’d been thinking (with a broken heart) of cancelling my subscription until yesterday, when I saw this on Donna’s website – I purchased the summer issue and now I have it on my computer. I printed one page as a test – wonderful. Since some of you love the magazine I thought you should know about its digital version. Hope you enjoy it!

These pavlovas were the dessert of choice for a dinner with friends last week – I made them because I wanted something pretty and fresh. But what really got my attention here was the plums: they were delicious and paired beautifully with a simple cake I’d baked, too. Just perfect.

Spiced plum pavlovas
slightly adapted from the most wonderful dessert book I own

Meringues:
4 large egg whites (112g)
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Plums:
450g plums, halved, pitted, sliced into eights
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

To assemble:
1 cup (240ml) chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted

Meringues: preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until whites are thick and resemble marshmallow creme, about 5 minutes. Beat in cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla. Drop meringue onto prepared sheet in 6 mounds, spaced 7cm (3in) apart. Using back of spoon, make depression in center of each.
Place meringues in oven. Immediately reduce temperature to 120°C/250°F. Bake until meringues are dry outside (but centers remain soft) and pale straw color and lift easily from parchment, about 50 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Plums: combine all ingredients in large frying pan; toss to coat. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until plums are tender but still hold shape, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes longer; cool to room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill.)

Before assembling the pavlovas, beat cream and sugar in medium bowl until medium peaks form.
Place meringues on plates. Spoon whipped cream into the center depression. Arrange plum slices on top of the cream and drizzle with the plum juices.

Serves 6

Lavender chiffon cake with lime curd, cream and lime icing

Certain flavor combinations are wonderful and we already know they work perfectly, while others might seem a bit unusual to some of us. I’d seen lemon + lavender everywhere – in bars, cookies, cakes and frozen yogurt – but hadn’t given it a try yet. After seeing a beautiful cake in an old magazine, I decided to try the combination, using limes instead.

Now this combo can go straight to the all time favorites list, with apples + cinnamon and chocolate + hazelnuts. :)

Lavender chiffon cake with lime curd, cream and lime icing
adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, idea from Donna Hay magazine

Cake:
6 eggs, separated
¼ cup (60ml) neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or soybean
6 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups (300g) caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons dried edible lavender buds
1 1/3 cups (187g) cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Lime curd:
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon corn starch
6 tablespoons caster sugar
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature
finely grated zest of 1 lime
2/3 cups (160ml) whipping cream, whipped to firm peaks with 2 tablespoons icing sugar (do it just before assembling the cake)

Lime icing:
2 cups (280g) icing sugar
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line the bottoms of three 20cm (8in) round cake pans with baking paper; do not grease.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil and water. Set aside.
Place 1 cup (200g) of the sugar in a food processor, add the lavender buds and process. Sift into a large bowl, discarding the excess lavender. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the sugar and whisk gently to combine. Add the yolk mixture and whisk to form a smooth batter.
Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment on medium-high speed until frothy. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup (100g) sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft, droopy peaks form. Fold ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the batter, taking care not to deflate the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow layers to cool completely in the pans. To remove, run a blunt knife around the edges, invert each pan and tap out the cake onto a wire rack. Carefully peel off the paper.
While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the lime curd and chill completely.

Lime curd: in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and corn starch. Combine the sugar and lime juice in a non-reactive saucepan and whisk in the egg yolk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat whisking gently the entire time. Allow to boil for 1 minute, still stirring – curd will thicken.
Pour through a sieve into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the butter until it is completely melted. Whisk in the zest. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Lime icing: sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and gradually add the lime juice and water, mixing well until the desired consistency.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate and spread half the lime curd over the top. Top with half the whipped cream. Repeat with another cake layers and the remaining lime curd and cream. Top with the third cake layer and drizzle with the lime icing.

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

Serves 12-16 – I made 2/3 of the recipe above for a two-layer cake

Vanilla cupcakes with pistachio praline whipped icing

Trying to find something good on TV last night – ended up watching “Ghost” for the sixth time - I caught a few minutes of this movie, which got me thinking of how underestimated Jeff Bridges is. I find him a fine, talented and versatile actor but don’t think he has received the deserved attention/acclamation. He also lets the other actors he works with shine.

My vanilla cupcakes do the same here: they are delicious – made with real vanilla – but are humble enough to let the frosting and pistachio praline shine.

Vanilla cupcakes with pistachio praline whipped icing
slightly adapted from Donna Hay magazine

½ cup + 1 tablespoon (127g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (162g) caster sugar
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups + 1 tablespoon (185g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (120ml) milk

Pistachio praline:
75g unsalted pistachio nuts
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
¼ cup (60ml) water

Whipped icing:
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (145g) caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
generous pinch of cream of tartar
2 egg whites
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºC. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour and baking powder and beat until combined. Add the milk and mix.
Spoon the mixture into eleven 1/3-cup capacity muffin pans lined with paper cases. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Make the praline: line a baking sheet with a piece of foil, butter it and place the pistachio nuts on top. Set aside.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, brushing the sugar crystals from the inside of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until dark golden. Remove from the heat and pour toffee over the nuts. Allow to cool completely.
Break up the pistachio praline into large pieces and then chop them with a knife to small bits. Set aside.

To make the whipped icing, place the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a small saucepan over high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. While the motor is still running, gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until thick and glossy.
Spread the icing over the cupcakes with a palette knife and top with the pistachio praline.

Makes 11 (using 1/3-cup capacity pans)

Dutch caramel cashew cookies

I have 5 very special cousins that I deeply love – they are like sisters to me. I grew up spending vacations and holidays with them and I’ll never be able to thank them enough for all their love and support.

One of them worked in a music store for a while and gave me one of the most wonderful gifts I’ve ever received: Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” - I was 9 and wanted it so bad... Getting it was such joy and to this day I remember when Lilia gave me that cassette – I played it so many times I wonder how it did not break. :D

My other cousins spoiled me a lot, too, but, to be honest, I get more presents now than I used to; everyday, when I access my email, there are several gifts waiting for me: messages and comments left by you - they really make my day.

One of my readers – her name is Patricia, too - wrote to me commenting about a certain caramel cookie she is crazy about. That inspired me and I felt like baking caramel cookies. I used this recipe – the making of the cookies was a little confusing, so I was saved by Judy’s post.

Dutch caramel cashew cookies

Praline:
½ cup (100g) sugar
2 tablespoons water
pinch of cream of tartar
½ cup (75g) finely chopped roasted, salted cashews

Dough:
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup (67g) sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour

Start with the cashew praline: Place a large piece of foil over a baking sheet, butter it and set aside.
In a heavy skillet cook the sugar with the water and cream of tartar over moderately high heat, washing down any undissolved sugar that clings to the sides of the skillet with a brush dipped in cold water, until the mixture is a light caramel. Stir in quickly the finely chopped raw cashews. Pour the praline onto the prepared foil and with a buttered spatula spread it into a thin layer. Let it cool until it hardens and chop it coarsely.

Now, the cookie dough: preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until it is creamy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and the chopped praline.
Roll a rounded ½ tablespoon of dough into a ball and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Lightly flatten the top of each cookie with moistened fingertips.
Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned in the bottom – mine needed 18 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 1 minute and with a spatula remove them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 25 cookies

Cocoa-chocolate chip pillows

Last night was a nightmare – there was a huge storm here in Sao Paulo and several places in the city were flooded. I left work at 6pm and got home at 11... It usually takes me 1 hour to do the same thing everyday. I was so tired that after a shower I fell asleep in less than 5 minutes.

Being inside of a practically parked car for 5 hours is no fun, let me tell you, but at least I had some music to keep me company. I definitely wanted something cheerful – I love Smiths and Silverchair, but that is not the kind of music one needs in times of desperation; those are times for the Australian pint-sized diva.

Besides good music, there’s something else I crave in moments of tension: sweets. Can’t tell you how many times these cookies crossed my mind last night. :D

Cocoa-chocolate chip pillows
slightly adapted from Baking by Flavor

Cookie dough:
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (30g) unsweetened Dutch processed (alkalized) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup (70g) unsifted confectioners’ sugar
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon ground almonds
2/3 cup (115g) semisweet chocolate chips

Cocoa rolling mixture*:
1 ¾ cups (245g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch processed (alkalized) cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. (Cookie sheets need to be heavy to prevent bottoms of cookies from scorching. Use one sheet on top of another, if necessary.)

Make the dough: sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Place melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Sift over the confectioners’’ sugar and mix it in with a wooden spoon; the mixture will have small lumps of sugar. Blend in vanilla extract and almonds. Stir in half of sifted flour mixture and all the chocolate chips. Stir in half of the remaining flour mixture, then the rest. Dough will be malleable and workable.

Spoon up scant-tablespoon quantities of dough and roll into chubby balls. Place balls about 5cm (2in) apart on prepared sheets.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until set; tops will crack slightly here and there. Let cookies stand on sheets 1 minute, then carefully remove them to cooling racks, using an offset metal spatula. Cool 5 to 8 minutes.

Rolling mixture: sift together confectioners' sugar and cocoa into large bowl. While cookies are still warm, carefully dredge them, a few at a time, in sugar-cocoa mixture to coat, then transfer to a sheet of waxed paper to cool. Dredge them lightly again, if you wish – the cookies will look prettier.
Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days.

* there was a lot of mixture left – I believe that half of it would be enough to coat all the cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies – I halved the recipe and got 19

Basil and parmesan madeleines

Even though I have my pride – I’m a Scorpio, after all – I will admit it when I’m wrong and apologize.

After telling you that I wasn’t in the mood for Mr. Benjamin Button, I changed my mind and decided to watch it – with a little push from my good friend C. I’m so glad I did - what a beautiful movie. It touched my heart like very few have. David Fincher really gets the best out of Brad Pitt, every time.

Something similar happened here. I wasn’t so sure savory madeleines would work. So I kept postponing making them. And now, a year after bookmarking the recipe, I finally tried it. And it’s good. I was wrong.

My only thought here is that both flavor and texture are much better when the madeleines are hot/warm. But let me know if you disagree.

Basil and parmesan madeleines

8 tablespoons (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (140g) cake flour – I used all purpose flour
3 teaspoons finely minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 190ºC/375ºF (I preferred to bake them in the higher part of the oven so they would not burn).
Brush the molds of two 12-well madeleine pans with 2 tablespoons of the butter and dust with all-purpose flour; tap out the excess.

Sift the cake flour into a bowl and gently stir in the basil, the 1 teaspoon fleur de sel and the pepper. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and sugar and beat until the mixture drops from the whisk in ribbons, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture and the 1 cup cheese, then fold in the remaining 6 tablespoons butter*.

Spoon the batter into the prepared molds so the batter is even with the rims. Bake until the madeleines spring back when pressed lightly, about 12 minutes. Immediately remove them from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel and cheese and serve.

* the recipe doesn’t call for it, but I refrigerated the batter overnight

Makes 18 madeleines – I halved the recipe and got 15 madeleines (I used a 15-well pan and each well holds 1 tablespoon batter)