Madeleines with lemon curd

I love baking but admit that turning the oven on in the winter is much more pleasant than doing so on hot days (though that doesn't really stop me). :)

To me, certain baked goods have a summery feel: I look at them and it feels like the sun is shining, even though it's raining and cold outside (as it is right now here in Sao Paulo). As I type this text with nearly frozen fingertips and a cup of piping hot tea by my side, I look at these lovely madeleines and think of a sunny day, I think of spring and flowers, while I plan on making soup for dinner because of the weather.

I might bake another batch of these madeleines before I start chopping leeks, potatoes and carrots for the soup - I know how good it feels every time I take something beautiful and delicious from the oven, it is an instant mood booster. I might even make some savory madeleines to go with the soup - now that's a tough decision, so enjoy the sweet version while I think it through. :)

Madeleines with lemon curd
adapted from the beautiful The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple But Classic French Recipes and the always delicious Gourmet Traveller

80g unsalted butter
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
65g granulated sugar
½ tablespoon light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ tablespoon mild honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
115g all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
18 frozen raspberries, unthawed
about 2 tablespoons lemon curd, in a piping bag
melted butter, extra, for brushing the molds

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add lemon zest and set aside until cooled to room temperature but still liquid (2-3 minutes).
Place the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, honey and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes). Sift over flour, baking powder and salt and fold through.
Fold in butter mixture a little at a time until just incorporated, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (4 hours or up to overnight).
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Brush eighteen 2-tablespoon capacity madeleine molds with melted butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Brush the molds again and refrigerate for another 10 minutes. Divide the mixture between the molds (do not spread it out) and press a raspberry deep into the batter. Bake until golden and cooked through (8-10 minutes), then immediately unmold onto a wire rack. While the madeleines are still hot, pop the piping nozzle into the hole of each raspberry and squirt in bit of lemon curd.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 18

Almond tea cake

I had so much fun making the chocolate Victoria cake and the result was so wonderful that I couldn’t wait to bake a layer cake again – for that, I reached out for a cookbook with nothing but gorgeous layer cakes and found this delicious recipe, which would be perfect because I had some cream left in the fridge begging to be used – don’t know about you, but usually at my house it goes like this: if I don’t have cream at home, all I come across is recipes calling for cream; then, when there is a bottle of the stuff in the fridge, I can’t find anything calling for the ingredient. :S

It’s pretty much how it goes with TV, too: when I want to watch drama, there are dozens of comedies on, and vice-versa. Last Sunday the hubby and I were in the mood for something light, but ended up watching “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” – luckily it turned out to be a great movie. Oh, and the cake? It was pretty good, too. ;)

Almond tea cake
slightly adapted from the absolutely beautiful Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

Cake:
1/3 cup (33g) almond meal
210g cake flour (or 180g all purpose flour + 30g corn starch)
1 cup + 3 tablespoons (236g) granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
210ml heavy cream
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature, chopped
1 egg
3 egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
heaping ¼ cup raspberry preserves, preferably seedless

Lemon curd:
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
½ tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Amaretto glaze:
1 cup (140g) confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted and cooled

Make the cakes: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter two 20cm (8in) round cake pans, line the bottom of each pan with a round of baking paper and butter the paper as well.
Combine the almond meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend well. Add the sour cream and butter and, still on low, blend to incorporate. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Put the whole egg and yolks in a medium bowl and whisk together, then whisk in the almond and vanilla extracts. Add the mixture to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition and beating only until the eggs are incorporated. Divide equally among the prepared cake pans.
Bake the cake layers for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans over a wire rack.

While the cakes bake and cool, make the lemon curd: put the sugar and cornstarch in a small nonreactive saucepan and whisk to blend. Add the lemon juice and eggs yolks and whisk until smooth. Bring to a full boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Allow to boil for a full minute, still whisking.
Pour through a mesh strainer into a glass dish. Whisk in the butter, lemon zest, vanilla and salt until blended. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Cool slightly, then refrigerate until very cold and set, about 2 hours. Stir well before using.

Assembling the cake: turn out the first cake onto a serving plate and gently peel off the paper. Spread the preserves over the cake, then spread the lemon curd over the jam, right to the edge. Top off with the other cake layer, and remove the paper.

Make the Amaretto glaze by sifting the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Add the amaretto and mix. Add about 1 tablespoon water a bit at a time–all may not be needed–to make a thick pasty glaze. Pour the Amaretto Glaze onto the center of the top layer and gently spread it to the edge, allowing it to slowly drizzle down the sides of the cake decoratively. Sprinkle with the toasted sliced almonds over the top and set aside until the icing is set.

Serves 8-10

Lemon crumble tart - and Pinterest

I’d like to start this post by telling you that I adore Pinterest: it’s a great way to keep track of interesting things and I usually find my morning humor dose there. Some of you have written to me asking me not to block my photos from being posted on Pinterest, and I tell you: I haven’t done that, and wouldn’t do it. I see no problem in my recipes getting pinned by you, much to the contrary. Therefore, I do not know what happened and why you’re no longer able to pin the photos – if anyone knows how to fix the problem I’m all ears. :)

***

This lemon tart is a variation of the easiest tart ever and despite not being equally easy – there’s a lemon curd to be made here – it’s just as delicious.

Lemon crumble tart
from the great The Grand Central Baking Book

Crust:
2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon curd:
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
finely grated zest of 3 lemons, divided use
4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 25cm (10in) springform pan*.
Dough: whisk the flour and salt together. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until creamy and light in color. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and stop mixing when the ingredients are fully incorporated but the dough is still crumbly – this happens quickly; don’t overmix, otherwise you’ll end up with a ball of dough. Set aside 1 cup of the dough and refrigerate. Sprinkle the remaining dough onto the prepared pan, distributing it evenly. Bring the dough slightly up the sides of the pan (to hold the lemon curd), then press it onto the pan to hold it in place. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

While the crust bakes, make the lemon curd: combine the sugar, half the lemon zest and yolks in a heatproof bowl and whisk together immediately; if you delay, the mixture will coagulate. Put the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and, still whisking continuously, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the butter and salt, then use a spatula to stir constantly until the mixture has thickened, 6-7 minutes (is should be the consistency of sour cream).
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in the remaining zest. Spoon the curd into the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of dough over the curd.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The topping should be slightly brown, and the curd will begin to caramelize on top.
Cool slightly before unmolding.

* I made the exact recipe above using a shallow 24cm tart pan with a removable bottom; I used 1 ½ cups of dough for the topping.

Serves 8

Fresh strawberry tart with lemon cream

I fear that you’ll probably start thinking of me as the lady whose tart crusts all go wrong – after the shrinking problem, I made another tart and this crust sounded very promising, with the combination of butter and cream cheese. It was easy to put together, I must admit it, but in terms of both flavor and texture I’ve had many, many better ones.

Before you reach for the red square with an “x” in the corner of the page, I beg you to make this lemon cream and serve it with strawberries – you wouldn’t believe how delicious it is.

Fresh strawberry tart with lemon cream
adapted from The Craft of Baking

Cream cheese dough:
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
113g (4oz) cream cheese
1 ½ tablespoons caster sugar
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
pinch of salt

Filling:
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
¾ cup lemon curd*
1 pound (450g) fresh strawberries, hulled, large strawberries halved

Start by making the crust: in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and there is no visible chunks of butter or cream cheese, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight – dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 27.5cm (11in) round. Fit the dough into a 24cm (9 ½ in) lightly buttered fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough into the edges of the pan and use a paring knife to trim the excess dough along the top edge. Prick the bottom all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Line the chilled tart with a round of foil, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) overhang. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and the weights/beans. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until it is golden all over, 15-20 minutes more. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack and let the tart shell cool completely.
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold about half of the cream into the lemon curd, then fold in the rest of the cream. Pour the filling into the tart shell and spread it out evenly.
Arrange the strawberries close together in concentric circles over the filling, placing any halved strawberry cut side down. Lightly cover the tart with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until cold, about 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Remove the outer ring of the pan before serving.
The tart is best eaten the day it is prepared.

*half this lemon curd recipe gives you the exact amount needed for this tart

Serves 8

Lemon tart ice cream

The weather has been crazy here lately – 29ºC (84ºF) days in the middle of winter. I like the cold and the hearty food that comes with it, but have enjoyed the sunny days as well – after all, they are the perfect excuse for making ice cream. :D

I chose this flavor because of my sister’s love for all things lemon – I wonder where she got that from... :D

This is the recipe I used but the idea of adding cookie bits came from my dear friend Luna’s ice cream. :D

Lemon tart ice cream

Lemon curd:
50g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped
2 eggs, lightly whisked
¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup + ½ tablespoon (106g) caster sugar

Custard:
1 cup + ½ tablespoon (106g) caster sugar
1 ¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
4 egg yolks
100g digestive cookies, broken into pieces

Start by making the curd: combine the butter, eggs, lemon juice, zest and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, over low heat for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Strain lemon curd through a fine sieve into a medium heatproof bowl*. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cool.

Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium heatproof bowl until thick and pale. Gradually stir the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture. Return to saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
Gradually stir the custard into the lemon curd and stir to combine. Refrigerate, covered, for 2-3 hours, then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop the ice cream into a container and stir in the cookie pieces. Put in freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

* next time I make this ice cream, I’ll be adding the zest after straining the curd, so it won’t get stuck inside the sieve

Serves 6-8

Spoon-dent cookies with lemon curd

Have you read about Benicio Del Toro’s new movie? It’s not even ready yet and I’m eager to see it – the cast is amazing and I love stories that take place in the Victorian age. One could say that I am in a wolf state of mind after watching my favorite mutant on screen. :D

I am indeed in a lemony state of mind and present you these cookies: one of the most delicious I have ever baked. Top 3 delicious – really.
The curd is wonderful – much better than the one I made a while ago - and goes perfectly well with the buttery dough. Try them and tell me later.

Spoon-dent cookies with lemon curd
from Donna Hay magazine

Lemon curd*:
½ cup (120ml) lemon juice
zest of the juiced lemons
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup (200g) sugar
3 eggs, beaten

Cookie dough:
180g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder

Start with the curd: place the lemon juice, zest, butter, sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan if rapidly simmering water. Cook, stirring continuously, for 20 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly. Pass through a sieve into a glass/ceramic bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool and thick.

Make the cookie dough: preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Using a spatula, stir through the flour and baking powder to form a dough. Roll 2 teaspoons of the mixture into balls and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart.
Press deep dents into the middle of the balls with the back of a small teaspoon, wetting the spoon if the dough starts to stick – I though it was easier to do that with my index fingertip.
Fill each of the indents with ½ teaspoon of the cooled lemon curd and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

* there was some curd left – I think that ¾ of the recipe should be enough to fill all the cookies

Makes 35 – I halved the recipe and still got 24

Lemon curd

Reading food blogs and cookbooks is wonderful. But it can also be devastating for a curious person like me. I won’t rest until I make/try something new... And lemon curd was absolutely new to me.

Lemon curd is not part of our food habits here in Brazil and I had not known about it until I started blogging. Being the citrus freak that I am, it immediately caught my attention. No lemon curd in grocery stores around here?? No problem – off to the kitchen to make some.

I had some egg yolks left from the Zuger Kirschtorte and, with Rose Levy’s book on one hand and some beautiful lemons on the other, I was determined to taste what my fellow foodies loved so much.

It was... Sublime. I would never have thought that something so delicious would come up from mixing only eggs, butter and lemons. I want to use it as a cake filling, too.

It says on the recipe that the curd can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks, but I think that after the first week the flavor was a little off, kind of eggy.

Lemon curd
from The Cake Bible

4 large egg yolks
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (125g) sugar
3 fl oz (93ml or about 2 ½ large lemons) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan beat the yolks and sugar until well blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the lemon zest. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and resembling a thin hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats a wooden spoon but is still liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and being to take on a yellow color on the back of wooden spoon. It must not be allowed to boil or it will curdle. Whenever steam appears, remove briefly from heat, stirring constantly to keep from boiling. When the curd has thickened, pour at once into a strainer. Press with the back of a spoon until only coarse residue remains; discard the residue. Stir in the lemon zest and cool – more sugar can be added to taste while the curd is still warm, but I did not think it was necessary.
Pour into an airtight container. The curd will continue to thicken while resting and chilling.

Makes 1 full cup