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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Makes 10

White chocolate, lime and candied kumquat truffles and two kinds of recycling

Hollywood has been recycling some of the movies I loved watching on TV as a kid; last night at the movies I saw the trailer for the new “Conan the Barbarian”, which, to be honest, did not impress me much – for starters, they do not have James Earl Jones as the villain. :)

I’ll stick to recycling food – isn’t it much better? Needing to use up the candied kumquats left from the cupcake recipe, I made truffles – and they turned out absolutely delicious.

White chocolate, lime and candied kumquat truffles
based on a truffle recipe from the gorgeous The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle

1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
225g (8oz) good white chocolate, finely chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
heaping 1/3 cup finely chopped candied kumquats*
icing sugar or cocoa powder, for rolling

Place cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until creamy and smooth. Remove from the heat, add the lime zest, juice and kumquats and mix to combine. Set aside to cool, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Using a small cookie-scoop or a small spoon, make truffles with 1 slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache per truffle and roll into the icing sugar or cocoa. Place in fluted paper cases and serve.
Truffles can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

* remove the kumquat slices from syrup and place over a wire rack; set aside overnight to dry, then chop

Makes about 25 truffles

White chocolate cupcakes with candied kumquats and a big thank you

Thank you for your book suggestions – you guys are wonderful! I’m about to decide which book I’ll read first and thanks to you I have enough ideas to choose from now and in the months to come.

Since I’m inclined to choose a classic book, I bring you something classic, too: cupcakes. But I mean classic, not plain: the candied kumquats add not only a splash of color but also a delicious and unexpected flavor.

Make sure you use really good white chocolate, because the flavor is absolutely evident, especially in the cakes.

White chocolate cupcakes with candied kumquats
slightly adapted from the always beautiful and so delicious Bon Appetit Desserts

Candied kumquats:
½ cup (120ml) water
½ cup (100g) superfine sugar
12 kumquats, sliced and seeded

Cupcakes:
225g (8oz) high-quality white chocolate, chopped
1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) superfine sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks/170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
½ cup (120ml) canned unsweetened coconut milk

Frosting:
125g (4 ½ oz) high-quality white chocolate, chopped
168g (6 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup (35g) icing sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Start by making the candied kumquats: stir water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Add kumquats and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until fruit is tender and liquid is syrupy, about 20 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to room temperature. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity muffin cups with paper liners.
Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over pan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth, then remove from heat and cool slightly.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and vanilla in large bowl until blended and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides of the bowl. Add the white chocolate to the batter and stir to combine. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with coconut milk in 2 additions, beating batter just to combine between additions.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Make the frosting: stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate. Let cool until thickened to spreadable consistency (refrigerate if necessary).

Assembling: spread frosting over cupcakes. Drain candied kumquats and arrange the kumquat slices decoratively atop cupcakes. (Can be assembled 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Makes 18 – I made 2/3 of the recipe above for I have only one muffin pan (with 12 cavities); I got exact 12 cupcakes