Rye chocolate chip financiers

Financiers are one of my downfalls: petite, delicate, but full of flavor, they are a great way of using leftover egg whites. I have been trying to make them using olive oil instead of butter, but the texture was a bit off, so more tests are necessary.

The recipe I bring you today is from ages ago (when I could still eat butter) and it is delicious: the rye flour makes the financiers a little bit heavier on texture, yet flavorsome, and the flavor of the rye flour goes really well with chocolate.

Rye chocolate chip financiers
own recipe

85g almond meal
¾ xícara (105g) icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons (30g) fine rye flour, sifted
pinch of salt
5 large egg whites
85g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (85g) dark chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, icing sugar, all purpose flour, rye flour and salt. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter ten 100ml-capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Divide the berries among the pans, placing them on top of the batter and pushing them slightly into the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Financiers are tastier on the day they are made, however they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days

Makes 10

Tangerine coconut financiers, videos and texts

I was talking to my husband the other day about why I still blog, after eleven years. I was telling him how people are drawn to videos nowadays and that everyone says that blogs are a thing of the past.

The conversation started because I wanted to read reviews about a hair product and all I could find was videos about it. I did not want videos, I wanted text, and there were hardly any. Until that day I used to tell my husband that I did not make recipe videos because I do not have time for them (which is true), but I suddenly realized that I actually don’t like recipe videos (with very few exceptions) – I prefer text whenever possible. I like to read people’s ideas, and it makes me happy when they read me too.

These financiers are a result of replacing almond meal with desiccated coconut, and such a tropical flavor paired beautifully with the citrus touch from the tangerines. This recipe goes to those of you who still feel that blogs are worth reading, and I hope you come back later this week: I will post another recipe using the juice of these very tangerines, since in the financiers you will only use the zest.

Tangerine coconut financiers
own recipe

3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (67g) desiccated unsweetened coconut
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 2 tangerines
3 egg whites (84g)
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, icing sugar, salt and tangerine zest. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter twelve 2-tablespoon capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Makes 12

Peanut cinnamon amaretti and no time for blogging

My days have been pretty busy lately, and I guess that some of you already know that given my disappearing from the blog. :)

However, I wanted to stop by quickly today and give you a recipe that I simply adore - and that is also quick to put together: the amaretti I make by replacing the almonds with a very Brazilian ingredient, peanuts, and adding a touch of cinnamon. Let’s call this an Italian-Brazilian cookie (I do like to mix and match countries in my kitchen). :) They go wonderfully with coffee and tea, and are also delicious broken into smaller pieces and sprinkled on top of ice cream.

Peanut amaretti
own recipe

2 ½ cups (250g) peanut meal (finely ground peanuts)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 large egg whites (56g)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut meal, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the egg whites and the vanilla and mix until a dough forms.

Roll 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie into balls and place onto prepared sheets 2.5cm (1in) apart. Press down slightly with your fingers. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool in the sheets over a wire rack.

Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 35

Blackberry rye financiers and going crazy with ingredients

I know many people hate to go to the grocery store, but I must confess that to me that is a lot of fun (you can go ahead and call me crazy, no hard feelings). :)

My husband finds it funny that I can get really, really excited about a beautiful fruit or certain new products – a couple of weeks ago I saw a jar of lemon marmalade on the shelf and screamed at him “LOOK AT THIS!!” from the other side of the aisle – it is a good thing he knows me well and does not mind being stared at by strangers. :)

Another discreet moment *ahem* happened months ago, when I saw these teeny tiny blackberries in the supermarket – they looked so adorable I had to bring them home. My idea was to eat them with yogurt for breakfast, however they were really sour, even for me. So half of them became a crumble and the other half were added to these financiers, in which I replaced the all purpose flour for fine rye flour (the flour I mentioned here). It was such a beautiful combo of flavors I was very happy with the result – not to mention how cute the financiers look. <3

Blackberry rye financiers
own recipe

¾ cup (75g) almond meal
2 ½ tablespoons (25g) fine rye flour (the same kind I describe here)
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 egg whites (84g)
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons Amaretto
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (90g) small blackberries

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, rye flour, icing sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter, Amaretto and vanilla until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter eight 100ml-capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Divide the berries among the pans, placing them on top of the batter and pushing them slightly into the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Makes 8

Orange berry financiers to start 2017

Happy New Year, everyone!

I wish each and every one of you all the best in 2017 – lots of love, joy and happiness.

I am back at work, after having a week off to enjoy Christmas and spend time with my family. It was a calm week, filled with good food, TV shows and movies, hot days – which are a nightmare for me, but hey, it is summer, after all – and loads of rest, including strategic naps after lunch. ;)

I did not bake much, however: I felt paralyzed with heat and was not brave enough to turn on the oven. I made a chocolate cake for my nephew – he asked for one after watching an episode of Peppa Pig – and it was pretty much it. But I bring you a recipe I made many weeks ago and that tasted delicious: these financiers made with orange and berries. The berries become little pools of jelly when baked and their flavor pairs beautifully with the orange.

These financiers are everything I want 2017 to be: beautiful, delicate, perfumed and delicious: fingers crossed that I get my wish. ;)

Orange berry financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

¾ cup (105g) icing sugar, sifted
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
¾ cup (75g) almond meal (finely ground almonds)
1/3 cup (46g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
5 egg whites
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (35g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
¼ cup (30g) raspberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
icing sugar, extra, for dusting

In a large bowl, place the orange zest and the sugar and rub them together with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the almond meal, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites, butter, and vanilla until batter is smooth. Fold in the berries – if you prefer, leave some to be placed on top of the financiers before baking them. Cover batter and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden – a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans over a wire rack for 2 minutes. Carefully unmold onto the rack and to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If days are too hot, keep refrigerated to avoid the berries going moldy.

Makes 10

Orange rhubarb giant financier, a TV show and beautiful things

So yes, I am officially a softie. :)

I was crying easily for days and feeling very emotional. Then I decided to start watching a new TV show, but it could not be Stranger Things for everyone had been talking about it so much I was already fed up with it (plus all those spoilers on Facebook, why to people do these things?).

I went for River because I adore Stellan Skarsgård (ever since he had loads of hair in Breaking the Waves). I watched the pilot and indeed, it is an excellent show, but I felt so miserable at the end I could not bring myself to watch the second episode – I just told my husband: “let’s please watch one episode of The Blacklist now?” – I needed some of Raymond Reddington’s witty lines to improve my mood.

Beautiful things improve my mood, too, and I felt incredibly happy when my husband arrived home with a bunch of rhubarb stalks – he definitely knows my favorite kinds of gifts. ;)

I ended up making two recipes with the rhubarb, both delicious, but decided to share with you the most beautiful of them: the giant financier I made using a rectangular tart pan – I was very pleased when I got it out of the oven, it looked amazing!
I used Bill Granger’s friand recipe, one that already worked so well with cherries and pears, and added orange zest for zing. It was delicious, with a nice texture and wonderful flavor. On top of tasting great, the giant financier looked beautiful, so I had a slice of it with a cup of coffee while watching Red Reddington and I was happy again.

Orange rhubarb giant financier
adapted from Bill Granger’s friands

140g (5oz) trimmed rhubarb, cut into sticks, about 8x1cm (3x½ in) each
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
finely zest of 2 oranges
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (160g) icing sugar, sifted
1 cup (100g) almond meal
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
6 egg whites
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons Cointreau – optional

Place the rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Mix lightly, then set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Generously butter a 30x10cm (12x4 in) rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.

In a large bowl, mix the orange zest and the icing sugar and rub with your fingertips until sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the almond meal, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and Cointreau (if using).

Pour the batter in the pan and smooth the top. Drain the rhubarb sticks and place them gently on top of the batter, without pressing them onto the batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center of the financier comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack. Carefully unmold to serve.
Financiers are best eaten the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Serves 8-10

Chocolate orange financiers and going for something slightly different

I used to think that I was immune to gore – David Cronenberg is one of my favorite directors, after all – but I might be getting less resistant to it as I get older: I haven’t been able to continue watching Hannibal (I saw two episodes of season 2 months ago) and I gave up on The Knick after only fifteen minutes. :S

I intend to go back to both series (very soon, I hope) but I can’t imagine myself watching them now. Days ago I was looking for something different, even if ever so slightly, and started watching Betrayal, the reason being my love for Night Stalker, a TV show I watched years ago (to this day I haven’t met anyone who watched it, too).

Night Stalker got canceled in a heartbeat, and Betrayal won’t have a second season – poor Stuart Townsend is definitely not the luckiest guy in the world when it comes to TV shows. :(

I’ll continue watching Betrayal anyway – so far, it’s kept me interested and it doesn’t involve blood or chopped people. That is what I want for the moment. :)

I might go back to gore soon, who knows? The same way I always go back to financiers: I can’t resist baking them, even though I tell myself I’ll keep the egg whites in the freezer until I have enough of them to bake an angel food cake. :) There is always an interesting financier recipe to try with good flavor combos, like orange and chocolate, which I find fantastic together.

Chocolate orange financiers
adapted from two great sources: A Passion for Baking and Simply Bill

120g icing sugar
65g all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
85g almond meal
5 egg whites
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
35g dark chocolate, melted and cooled – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 orange
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, sift together the icing sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, then whisk in the almond meal. Stir in the eggs whites, then the butter, chocolate, vanilla and zest. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans, then bake for about 15 minutes or until risen and firm to touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Hazelnut blackberry financiers made with "safely" acquired berries

I was never an athletic child: while my brother and cousins liked being outside playing soccer or riding their bikes, I much preferred being inside, reading my comic books or writing stories. I was never able to do a cartwheel, and up to this day I haven’t learned how to ride a bike (you can go ahead and laugh, now). :)

One of my cousins, who was my age, was quite the opposite: she used to play with the boys, rode her bike with her hands in the air and could even climb trees. Her parents had a mulberry tree in their back yard and I loved eating the berries, but could never reach them; my cousin was kind enough to climb the tree and fill a small bucket with the berries for us to eat together - on the ground, safely, of course. :D

When I went berry picking with my friend Valentina years ago and saw blackberry bushes I thought “hey, this is so much easier!”, only to notice, a couple of steps forward, that the bushes were covered in thorns. :S

I think I should stick with buying berries at the supermarket, right? That is a lot safer. :) Having them in the freezer is great for when the baking urge strikes: here, the blackberries are paired with hazelnuts and the result is really delicious financiers.

Hazelnut blackberry financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g hazelnut meal (finely ground hazelnuts)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
170g frozen blackberries, unthawed
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut meal, icing sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans, then top each with 3-4 berries, pressing some down into the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched.
Cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Little passion fruit and coconut cakes (with amaranth flour) and time to change

A very dear friend of mine adores Downton Abbey and every time we see each other she asks me if I have started watching the show, to which I always reply “no, not yet”. She ended up lending me the DVDs, but I’ve been so caught up with SoA that I never bring myself to watch them.

To make things worse, I’ve started watching The Sopranos (because of another dear friend) and got hooked right from the start – it is impossible not to love Tony Soprano, I can tell you.

Breaking Bad, The Fall, SoA and now The Sopranos – I wonder if I’m on a criminal roll. :S Maybe it’s time to change to something less bloody, more delicate. Maybe it’s time for Downton Abbey, after all. :)

If my TV series choices seem to fall into a certain category, my cooking and baking habits seem to have widen, a little at least: these small cakes fit perfectly into my desire to try new things and to make old favorites differently – made with icing sugar, egg whites and almond meal they’re like financiers, but here the all purpose flour is replaced by amaranth flour, making these a tiny bit more nutritional then traditional financiers and also gluten free (I have gone as far as calling sweets “nutritional”, you’re not reading it wrong). :D

Little passion fruit and coconut cakes (with amaranth flour)
slightly adapted from the beautiful Supergrains: Cook Your Way to Great Health

200g pure icing sugar
65g amaranth flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup (100g) almond meal
½ cup (50g) desiccated coconut
6 egg whites, lightly whisked
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
70g passion fruit pulp, seeds and all
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, extra, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 12-hole 80ml muffin pan or line it with paper cases.
Sift the icing sugar, amaranth flour, baking powder and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Stir through the almond meal and coconut.
Add the egg whites, butter, zest, passion fruit pulp and vanilla and stir to combine. Divide the mixture among the lined muffin holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through (a skewer inserted into the center of a cake should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it). Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Makes 12

Orange poppy seed financiers and a thing for weird projects

I told you, months ago, that I wasn’t in the mood to watch Nymphomaniac, but days ago I was so bored with the TV programming that I gave the movie a chance, only to be convinced, by the end of it, that Lars Von Trier is really not my cup of tea. There are some strikingly beautiful shots in the film, but I did not like it as a whole. It’s porn – and there’s nothing wrong with that – so I wish people wouldn't try to sell it as art.

The newcomer Stacy Martin got all the action in the first movie, but as for what I’ve read poor Charlotte Gainsbourg is in a pickle in volume II – I must say I find Charlotte a very courageous actress, for after what she went through in Antichrist I could have sworn she would never work with Lars Von Trier again (I certainly wouldn’t). But she did, and more than once.

While Charlotte seems to have a thing for weird projects, my "thing" is a lot simpler and tastier: financiers. They’re a favorite of mine and I make some whenever I have egg whites in my freezer – I’ve been trying to make an angel food cake for months, but financiers win every time. The orange zest gave these wonderful smell and flavor, while the poppy seeds made them pretty and added a bit of crunch.

Orange poppy seed financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
finely grated zest of 1 very large orange or 2 small ones
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt, poppy seeds and zest. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Chocolate pavlovas and two surprises on the same TV show

I was never aware of Jon Hamm before Mad Men (and apparently I wasn’t the only one) and despite my pet peeves with the fifth and part of sixth seasons I must be honest: there could not be another Don Draper – he’s just perfect for the part.

Being used to watching a very serious – and sometimes rude – man on the show it was a surprise to see him in a comedy, and days ago I was even more surprised with him pulling off a dark comedy show, and doing it brightly. The amount of shock doubled when I saw on that same show that Harry Potter, I mean, Daniel Radcliffe is absolutely amazing portraying someone completely different from HP – I never imagined he had such great timing for comedy.

Everything about A Young Doctor's Notebook is superb: the supporting cast, the writing, the production. It was some good two hours I spent in front of TV and I now eagerly wait for another season – while that doesn’t happen, let’s keep Mother Russia in mind with this delicious dessert created in honor of Anna Pavlova.

Chocolate pavlovas
adapted from the wonderful Bon Appetit Desserts, inspired by the beautiful Annie Bell's Baking Bible

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
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

To assemble:
1 cup (240ml) chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted
200g fresh raspberries

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, vanilla and cocoa. Drop meringue onto prepared sheet in 6 mounds, spaced 5cm (2in) apart. Using back of spoon, make slight 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 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

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 raspberries top of the cream.

Serves 6

White chocolate, lemon and lime mousse and the trailer for "Gone Girl"

The trailer for Gone Girl has finally been released and boy, does it look good: the scenes, the colors, the music (the poster!), everything seems tailor-made to turn the already great book into a very interesting movie.

Fincher is one of my favorite directors and he’s perfect for dark, somber stories, not to mention that I love the fact the he doesn’t give a rat’s ass for the Oscars and makes the movies he wants to make the way he wants to make them – I have nothing but admiration for someone who couldn’t care less for the stupid people who still haven’t given Gary Oldman and Leonardo DiCaprio an award. :D

I read the book months ago but it’s still very fresh in my mind – let’s hope it stays this way till October. I wasn’t very fond of Fincher’s idea of changing the book ending, but after a colleague told me that Gillian Flynn herself had written the new ending I relaxed a little – let’s see what she comes up with for the big screen.

I love white chocolate but I know that it can be a tad too sweet sometimes – that is why I think that pairing it with citrus or sour flavors is always a good idea. In this mousse, the ingredient is combined with both lime and lemon and there are still the sour raspberries to balance things out – it was a match made in heaven, just like combining David Fincher with dark, somber stories. :D

White chocolate, lemon and lime mousse
slightly adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Home Cooking (I bought mine here)

100g white chocolate, finely chopped
300ml double cream
finely grated zest of 1 lime
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 large egg whites
50g granulated sugar
150g raspberries + a few extra, to garnish

Place half the cream (150ml) in a small saucepan and heat until it begins to bowl. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate. Stir gently the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool.

Pour the remaining cream into a bowl along with the lime and lemon zest and whisk until it forms soft peaks.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and then set aside.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Whisk in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, which will develop into a shiny smooth mixture. It should be firm but soft peaks.
Fold this into the chocolate. Be careful not to knock all the air out the egg whites as this will help to keep the mouse nice and light.
Divide the raspberries among six 200ml-ramekins and spoon over the mousse. Refrigerate for 4hours or preferably overnight. Garnish with the berries and serve.

Serves 6

Tiny cherry and almond tea cakes - another recipe with cherries

Another recipe with cherries, another cake, but this time in teeny-tiny form, and the reason why I didn’t make these adorable mini cakes years before was that I didn’t own a mini muffin pan.
I’m not really sure why it took me so long to buy a mini muffin pan – I guess that every time I saw it at the store I found something I needed more, or I wasn’t in the mood for spending money on another kitchen gadget – oh, wait, that can’t be it. :D

Months ago I finally bought the pan, but then had to wait till December for cherry season, and at the end it was worth it – the cakes turned out flavorsome, with a nice, chewy texture (think financiers), not to mention super cute. <3

Just make sure everyone eating them knows the cherries aren’t pitted, please – these delicate darlings call for delicate bites. :D


Tiny cherry and almond tea cakes
slightly adapted from Martha

110g all-purpose flour
1 cup (100g) almond meal
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
4 large egg whites
3 teaspoons Amaretto (or Kirsch)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
24 sweet (Bing) cherries

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin pan with butter, and dust lightly with flour.
Whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add egg whites, and whisk until smooth. Stir in Amaretto and vanilla. Pour in butter and whisk to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Fill each muffin cup with about 1 tablespoon batter, filling about halfway. Push a cherry into each, keeping stem end up. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then unmold and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature overnight.

Makes 24

Christmas torrone and a very overrrated movie

I was reading something about Spring Breakers yesterday and decided to watch the notorious Kids, which script was written by Harmony Korine. I remember all the fuss created by the movie when it was released many years ago and now that I have seen it I know it was only because of its “controversial” subject, not because it’s any good. It’s a poor movie, uncomfortable to watch and completely unnecessary - one and a half hours of my life wasted with something very overrated.

When I was little, every year in the middle of December, my father received a basket of goodies from the company he worked for: there was panettone, prunes, raisins, chocolate, and torrone (which was my favorite treat in the basket). Nowadays, the torrone I find in shops is nothing like the torrone of those days – I believe both the product and my taste buds have changed – and up to recently I though the candy was really overrated (and what 6-year-olds know of good sweets, anyway?) :D.

That was until I made it at home. ;)

If you’re short on time, though, or don’t have a candy thermometer around (which is mandatory for making torrone), use your egg whites, pistachios and cranberries to make the financier version of torrone.

Christmas torrone
from Martha

edible wafer paper, enough for 2 layers in pan
1/3 cup corn starch
3 large egg whites
1 cup honey
3 cups (600g) granulated sugar
½ cup (70g) confectioners' sugar
130g shelled raw pistachios
130g dried cranberries

Piece together wafer paper, without overlapping, to fit bottom of a 22.5x32.2cm (9x13in) baking pan, and set aside. Liberally sprinkle a clean surface with the corn starch. Pour egg whites into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine honey and granulated sugar. Place over medium heat; cook until mixture just begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of saucepan; continue to heat, stirring occasionally.
Beat whites until stiff peaks form; add confectioners' sugar, and beat until combined. When thermometer registers 157°C/315°F, remove honey mixture from heat. Temperature will rise to 160°C/320°F. Stir until temperature drops to 148°C/300°F, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour honey mixture into egg-white mixture (at this point, whites will double in volume; let stand a few seconds; volume will return to normal). Beat until mixture thickens and begins to stick to beaters; beat in the pistachio and cranberries.
Pour mixture onto cornstarch-covered surface (I found it easier to remove the mixture from the bowl using my hands, because it’s so stiff a spatula wouldn’t work); knead 3 turns and avoid incorporating too much corn starch. Stretch and roll to fit pan; place mixture in pan. Cover with another layer of wafer paper; let cool on wire rack. Cut into slices while still warm; store in airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 40 large pieces – I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan

Marzipan cookies and less is more

As I drove to work the other day listening to one of my favorite songs I started thinking about the two or three episodes of The X Factor I’ve watched recently and how everyone seems to sing in the absolute same tone – I don’t think that one has to have Christina Aguilera’s voice to make good music (and let’s just say that the girl shouldn’t feel very proud about her repertoire), and my humble ears would choose Nina Persson’s soft voice over all that screaming any day now. :)

As for baking, in a similar “less is more” moment, I baked these delicious and incredibly addictive cookies: only a handful of ingredients resulted in chewy and moist treats, and I found it hard to stop at one. Or four. :D

Marzipan cookies
from the always beautiful and delicious Gourmet Traveller

250g almond meal
200g granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g pure icing sugar

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Combine almond meal, granulated sugar, salt, egg whites, zest and vanilla in a large bowl and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a work surface and roll into a cylinder about 2cm thick. Sieve icing sugar onto work surface, roll dough in icing sugar and cut into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin log, then form into an "S" shape (I never managed to do so, so I shaped my cookies as small cylinders). Dust cookies lightly with icing sugar and place cookies 2.5cm (1in) apart onto prepared sheet and bake until golden (10-15 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 32

Orange cornmeal financiers - a French-Brazilian culinary experiment

The weather here in Sao Paulo seems to be in a roller coaster lately – in some days the temperature reaches 30°C (86°F) only to drop to 17°C (62°F) on the following morning. I prefer the cold weather but I do have something stashed in the freezer for the screaming hot periods: I made David Lebovitz’s amazing chocolate ice cream and poured it into Popsicle molds instead of churning it in the ice cream maker – the result was so good my husband is currently addicted to it. :D

With the ice cream production on full speed, my stash of frozen egg whites is regular again and that made me think of financiers once more. This time, however, I decided to add a Brazilian touch to the French treat by replacing the all purpose flour with corn flour (not corn starch), adding a touch of citrus zest to brighten up the flavor – I don’t mean to brag about my idea, but it turned out to be excellent (modesty mode off). :D

Orange cornmeal financiers
adapted from the great Simply Bill

85g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g corn flour (not corn starch)
pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, icing sugar, corn flour, salt and zest. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the financiers should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Lime poppy seed financiers and "Game of Thrones"

I was once someone who watched each and every TV show aired here in Brazil – even things like “The Nanny” and “The Single Guy” – but then life happened and I had to get one more job (since what I made with one wasn’t nearly enough). Fast forward several years, I no longer had to work mornings, afternoons and nights (thank heavens), but I’d been out of the loop of TV shows for too long and getting back on track surely takes time.

Because of all the buzz I decided to watch “Game of Thrones” – almost everyone I know loves and swears by the show – but after one entire season and two episodes of season 2 I’m still trying to get what the fuss is all about; yes, the cast is fantastic and everything looks realistically medieval (kudos to all the people involved), but the episodes to me are on the verge of boring (“Breaking Bad” has spoiled me for life, I’m aware of that). :) For now, the only reason I go on watching GoT is to find out what the heck happens on episode 9 of the third season (my timeline on Facebook nearly exploded when that was aired), but if the show goes on like this I might just read about the episode and get it over with (even though I hate spoilers). Right now I’m seriously considering leaving GoT for “Hannibal” or “Bates Motel”.

If I haven’t been able to get addicted to GoT I can’t say the same about financiers: I love baking (and eating) them, much to the point of making a cake with 7 egg yolks just to have egg whites left (the egg white stash in my freezer was rather low). These are perfumed with lime zest and are deliciously chewy, with a bit of crunch provided by the poppy seeds.

Lime poppy seed financiers
adapted from the always delicious Simply Bill

85g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
135g icing sugar, sifted
55g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
finely grated zest of 2 large limes
5 egg whites
95g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt, poppy seeds and zest. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour ten 100ml capacity mini cake or muffin pans.
Pour the batter in the pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden - the friands should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Financiers are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 10

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble + a lovely French movie

I find it impossible to think of French movies without thinking of Audrey Tautou – because of “Amélie” she occupies the place in my mind that was once shared by Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve (it’s just a matter of order, not talent, of course).

Yesterday I watched “Delicacy”, and felt so moved by it: a movie that is romantic without being cheesy, about love, loss, life. Tautou with those big eyes of hers makes you cry and laugh without resorting to silly things or situations, and by the end of the movie you’ll feel like catching a plane to Paris asap. :)

And to continue with the French feeling caused by that lovely movie, I bring you these tasty financiers: a French treat by a French chef – I would never have imagined that financiers could be topped with crumble, but I’m glad Eric Lanlard did. :D

Chocolate financiers with lemon crumble
slightly adapted from the über delicious Chocolat (I bought mine here)

Crumble topping:
25g all purpose flour
25g icing sugar, sifted
50g almond meal
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
pinch of salt
25g unsalted butter, cold and diced

Financiers:
40g dark chocolate, chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
75g unsalted butter, chopped
50g almond meal
125g icing sugar, sifted
40g all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
Crumble: place the flour, icing sugar, almond meal, zest and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate while you make the financier batter: melt chocolate and butter together in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Stir in the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan filling each cavity ¾ of its capacity. Generous sprinkle with the crumble mixture, packing it lightly to adhere. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of a financier comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and transfer to the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24

Orange and pistachio financiers

Financiers are one of my favorite baked goods: I love their chewy texture and they are also very versatile when it comes to flavors – the sky is the limit. A small bag of pistachios in the freezer was the perfect excuse for baking these financiers: since the lemons I had in my fridge were reserved for a cake I replaced their zest with orange and I think the result was better than the one from the original recipe.

Orange and pistachio financiers
slightly adapted from the always sinful and delicious Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

½ cup (50g) almond meal
1 cup (135g) unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted and cooled
1 ½ cups (210g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
8 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, melted

Combine the almond meal, pistachios and the confectioners’ sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture is very fine and powdery.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar, orange zest, egg whites and vanilla just until smooth. Sift the flour and salt together over the batter and fold in gently. Carefully stir in the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Generously butter 24 financier molds. Fill each mold ¾ full and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and immediately unmold onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar to serve, if desired.

Makes 24 – I halved the recipe above, used 2-tablespoon capacity molds and got 24 financiers

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