Dulce de leche swirl congo bars

Sometimes I buy cookbooks and wait anxiously for them to arrive by mail only to go through them back and forth countless times without any idea of which recipe to start using them from – I know it sounds stupid, but that is exactly what happens around here.

Then it takes me forever to go back to that cookbook, not because I did not like it but because there were lots of other recipes grabbing my attention in between. I suddenly see the book while looking for something else and take it to the couch with me to go through it back and forth all over again, until I find that makes me run to the kitchen.

I made these bars a long time ago, after making the delicious coconut and pecan bars from the same book, but never posted them – they were scrumptious and were a hit with my former coworkers. I ended up taking a “healthy” route in my baking a while ago and thought that bars made with pecans, chocolate and dulce de leche were a bit too much. While searching for a certain photo I found this picture and thought that it was such a waste not to share this recipe with you – after all, eating a couple of these bars once in a blue moon won’t kill anyone.

While you read the recipe I’ll grab Nancy Baggett’s book and choose something tasty for the weekend. ;)

Dulce de leche swirl congo bars
slightly adapted from the delicious Simply Sensational Cookies

¾ cup (1½ sticks/170g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 ¼ cups (215g) packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 cup (110g) pecans, chopped
1 cup (165g) dark chocolate chips – I used 53% cocoa solids
1 cup dulce de leche

Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 22x32cm (9x13in) baking pan, line it with foil and butter it as well – I used a 20x30cm (8x12in) pan.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from the heat and cool to warm. Stir in the sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until well blended. One at a time, vigorously stir in the eggs. Stir in the flour just until evenly incorporated. Fold in the nuts and chocolate until evenly distributed.

Spread a generous half of the mixture evenly in the pan. Put evenly spaced heaping tablespoonfuls of the dulce de leche over the batter. Then drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the top. Using a table knife held vertically, swirl the two together to produce a slightly rippled effect; don’t blend them too much.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 18

Ginger twist

I’ve asked my readers over at the blog’s Facebook page if they like to cook and bake on weekends and what they like to make – I love being in the kitchen on weekends because it is when I have more time and get to make more complex things, recipes that take a while to be ready or/and have many steps, such as this ginger twist.

Spending a lot of time in the kitchen can be frustrating if the results aren’t what we expect – and trust me, I’ve been there many times – but in this recipe’s case every bit of work and every second were worth it: the bread looked beautiful and tasted amazing, too.

It is a bit time consuming, I won’t lie, but I recommend you bookmark it for a cold, rainy day when you’re not at all interested in going out – just imagine that after all the work you’ll have something this delicious to go with a cup of tea or coffee. :D

Ginger twist
slightly adapted from the always amazing Gourmet Traveller

Dough:
140ml lukewarm whole milk
2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
120g granulated sugar
400g all purpose flour
50g whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
finely grated zest + juice of 1 orange
2 eggs, room temperature
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, extra, for brushing the loaf

Filling:
70g unsalted butter, softened
50g brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
130g pecans, chopped
100g almonds, chopped

Topping:
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, cold

Dough: stir milk, yeast and a pinch of the sugar in a small bowl to dissolve and stand until foamy (5 minutes). Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients and zest with a pinch of salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast mixture, 2 eggs and orange juice, then mix on medium speed to form a soft dough. Gradually add butter, beating on medium speed to form a soft dough, then transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1 hour).

Filling: mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until needed. Set aside 30g of the filling for the topping.

Knock back dough on a well-floured surface, roll out to a 30x60cm (12x24in) rectangle and spread evenly with filling. Roll from the longest side to form a cylinder, then cut in half. Twist each half around one another to form a rope and place in a buttered 12x25cm (5x10in) loaf tin. Stand until slightly risen (30 minutes) – in the meantime, preheat oven to 180°C.

Using your fingertips, mix the 30g reserved filling with the topping ingredients until a crumble forms. Refrigerate until needed.

Beat the extra egg with a pinch of salt and brush loaf with the mixture. Scatter with the topping and bake until golden and risen (45 minutes to 1 hour). Cover with foil if loaf gets too dark. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a rack to cool.

Serves 8-10

Apple-pecan muffins and being brave (?)

The thing I’ve heard the most in these nearly two weeks of a pixie cut is “wow, you’re so brave!”, and I still haven’t found out how to properly reply to that since I don’t think courage has anything to do with getting a haircut – I don’t feel I should be congratulated since I haven’t done anything, well, brave. :)

It’s obvious that I want my hair to look good, but I’m not attached to it in terms of length, have never been. I just don’t think that long = beautiful necessarily, but apparently most of the women I know do, my sister included. I was having my nails done the other day when I saw a young girl (early twenties, I thought) getting a pixie, and the hair stylist (a man) looked at me and said: “I’ve been cutting hair for as long as I can remember and I’m rarely asked for this kind of cut... I love it, but most women just don’t go for it. I guess that the ones that do don’t really care about other people’s opinion” – I smiled at him, nodded and remembered this text I’d read a while ago. I guess it is just my cheekbones (and my round face) against the world (and I know a thing or two about cheekbones, I’ll tell ya). ;D

Now, if you really wanna talk courage, bake these muffins and eat only one – that is what I call being brave. :D

Apple-pecan muffins
slightly adapted from the delicious The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes from My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon + ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup (120ml) canola oil
2 large eggs
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
150g chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled + 12 pecan halves for garnish
demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apple and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, and cook until the apples are tender but not mushy, 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar and the oil to blend. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and whisk to blend. Add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until the flour has been absorbed – do not overmix, batter will be lumpy. Gently fold in the cooked apple and chopped pecans.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with a pecan half and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden and risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe and got 8 muffins using this pan

Apple, raspberry and pecan muffin cake + "The Great Australian Bake Off"

After the disappointment with American version of “The Great British Bake Off” I wasn’t sure I would watch “The Great Australian Bake Off”, but when I read that Dan Lepard would be one of the judges I immediately changed my mind: I’m a huge fan of his amazing recipes, each and every one of them I have tried so far turned out delicious. The other judge is Kerry Vincent and the woman is merciless: her sour comments and lack of tact drive the contestants to tears – she’s a crankier version of Paul Hollywood, while Dan is absolutely adorable, much like Mary Berry (I like him even more after watching the episodes).

I had never heard of Kerry Vincent before and kept thinking that Delia Smith could be an excellent judge for the show, but I guess that being Australian is a requirement (I had no idea Lepard was an Aussie). :)
The show is not as good as its British cousin, but it’s way better than the American version – I highly recommend it for those of you baking fanatics (like me). :)

Speaking of Delia, this wonderful cake is an adaptation of a recipe that comes from her latest cookbook, which is packed with superb baked goods and beautiful photos.

Apple, raspberry and pecan muffin cake
slightly adapted from Delia's Cakes (I bought mine here)

275g all purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 level tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
170ml whole milk, room temperature
75g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
110g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and in 1cm dice
100g raspberries, frozen and unthawed
1 heaping tablespoon demerara sugar
75g pecans, roughly chopped
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190°/375°F. Butter a 20cm (8in) round cake pan with a removable bottom, line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter the paper as well.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and fold in with a fork – do not overmix; fold in the apples, then transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter with the raspberries, then the demerara sugar and finally the pecans.
Bake the cake for about 1 hour, checking after 50 minutes – a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan using the removable bottom. When completely cooled, invert the cake onto a place, peel off the paper, then invert it again onto a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serves 8-10

Raspberry jam and pecan bars + a discussion about age

Some of my colleagues on Facebook were discussing actresses that actually look their age – the examples given were Charlotte Rampling and Fernanda Montenegro, then someone mentioned Judi Dench. I always say that when I think of myself in my seventies both Fernanda and Dame Dench come to my mind: talented, beautiful women who aren’t ashamed of all the years stamped on their faces, and I find that admirable – I would love to look that good when I’m older and yet, at the same time, to have so much more than just looks to be proud of.

The conversation went on and Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock were mentioned as opposite examples: their faces have been changed so much by “cosmetic” procedures that it’s even hard to read their expressions – Nicole’s performance in “Rabbit Role” (an excellent movie, btw) could have been epic, magnificent, but unfortunately the big, weird lips and frozen forehead did nothing for the character, especially in very emotional scenes.

The desperate fixation on eternal youth has made male victims, too: while getting my daily dose of gossip this morning I saw John Rzeznik’s wedding photo and for a moment I thought he was Joan Rivers. So sad. :(

People shouldn’t have to worry about silly things like looking 30 when they’re actually 60. Life should be simpler. Simple like jam bars (in this case, with an extra kick of flavor from the pecans).

Raspberry jam and pecan bars
slightly adapted from the always delicious Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe

1 cup (90g) rolled oats
1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (130g) light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ cup (82g) pecans, not too finely chopped
¾ cup (1½ sticks/170g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 32.5x22.5cm (13x9in) baking pan, line it with foil leaving an overhang on all sides and butter the foil as well.
Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter and mix until it forms crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Reserve 1 ¼ cups of this mix. Press the remaining mix into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and slightly firm to touch. Remove from the oven, spread the jam evenly over the crust, then top with the reserved crumbs. Return to the oven and bake until the top is golden and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting.

Makes 18 – I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) pan

Spiced orange and currant rolls and another food show disappointment

Once again I watched a TV cooking show only to get disappointed with the winner – I should have learned from “Top Chef”, shouldn’t I? :/

* spoilers of “The Great British Bake Off” seasons 2 and 3 *

Choosing John over Brendan was completely unfair – Valentina thinks they went for the one who would look better on TV and cookbook/magazine covers, and I agree with her. I own John Whaite’s cookbook and after watching “The Great British Bake Off” I felt that the book doesn’t sound much like him; the recipes look delicious, but in my opinion they don’t match the boy I watched on TV – from the book he seems to be a lot more skilled than he was on the show.

I haven’t watched season 2 of “The Great British Bake Off”, but I bought Jo Wheatley’s cookbook, which is packed with wonderful recipes. I don’t know how well she did throughout the competition but if these rolls are any indication I guess she deserved to win after all – the boozy currants are my contribution to the recipe.

Spiced orange and currant rolls
adapted from the beautiful A Passion for Baking (I bought mine here)

Dough:
350g all purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons dried yeast
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
½ cup (120ml) whole milk, warm
finely grated zest of 1 orange
¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
30g unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
2/3 cup currants
1/3 cup Marsala wine
¼ cup (50g) demerara sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (55g) pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

In the large bowl of an electric mixer place flour, yeast, sugar. Place the salt in the bowl away from the yeast. Add the milk, orange zest and juice, butter, egg and vanilla and, using the hook attachment, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a lightly buttered large bowl, cover with plastic and set in a warm place for about 1½ hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile, butter 8 cavities of a 12-hole (1/3 cup capacity each cavity) muffin pan and make the filling: place the currants and Marsala in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, remove from the heat and cool completely. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Set aside.

Punch the dough with your fist to deflate, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 40x30cm (16x12in) rectangle. Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over it. Drain the currants (discard the wine) and scatter over the filling. Starting from a long edge, roll up the dough into a long, thin sausage shape.
Using a small sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even-sized pieces. Place them with their cut sides up in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and leave to rise again (prove) for about 1 hour until the buns have risen. Towards the end of the proving time, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°C. Before placing the rolls in the oven, fill each empty cavity halfway through with cold water.
Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for about 8 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to the rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving – you can serve the rolls warm or at room temperature. They also reheat very well.

Makes 8

German chocolate cheesecake bars

I love making cheesecakes but hardly ever remember to buy cream cheese. And there are times when I happily bring home cream cheese packets only to remember, upon arriving, that there are no cookies for the cheesecake base. That's me - I can remember lines from a movie I saw 10 years ago but can't write a proper grocery list. :)
Last week, however, I managed to buy all the necessary ingredients on the same day. I wanted a special cheesecake and I knew exactly where to look for it: the lovely "Tea with Bea" has several cheesecake recipes and they all look amazing. These bars are delicious and since they are very rich a little goes a long way: you can share them with your family and friends.

German chocolate cheesecake bars
slightly adapted from the oh, so beautiful Tea With Bea

Base:
150g digestive cookies
45g unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
400g cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
175g dark chocolate, chopped – I used one with 53% cocoa solids
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
37g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
4 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted and cooled
½ cup (55g) pecans, lightly toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Lightly butter a 20cm (8in) square cake pan, line it with foil leaving two overhangs in opposite sides and butter the foil as well.
Crust: place the cookies in a food process and process until finely ground. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to the base of the prepared pan and press it firmly with your hands. Refrigerate it while you make the filling.
In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula to loosen it up a little. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Add the egg, mix to combine. Sift the corn starch over the mixture and whisk until combined, removing any lumps. Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla. Pour over the base and bake for about 35 minutes or until slightly jiggly in the center and the top doesn’t look shiny or wet anymore. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan over a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Topping: place the cream and honey in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Heat until it starts to boil, remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate. Set aside for 1 minute, then gently stir until melted. Stir in the salt, vanilla and butter, and mix until butter is completely melted. Cool to room temperature – the mixture will thicken as it cools (do not refrigerate).
Spread the chocolate mixture over the cheesecake. Sprinkle with the coconut, then the pecans. Spread the dulce de leche on top by the spoonfuls.
Carefully remove from the pan using the foil and cut into squares or bars.

Makes 16

Sour cream dulce de leche swirl cake + "Midnight Cowboy"

I watched many wonderful movies when I was younger – that was when I started paying attention to the directors, and not only to the cast – and many of the movies I saw back then have become classics; however, there are still many to be watched, and a couple of days ago I gladly crossed another name off my list – the fantastic and brilliant “Midnight Cowboy”. Up to this moment I’m amazed by Jon Voight’s and Dustin Hoffman’s performances – there are no words to describe what these two do in this movie, it is fine acting at its best, the kind I’d love to see more often in the movies released nowadays.
I adore opening sequences – my friend Bianca knows that – and “Midnight Cowboy” has one of the best I’ve seen: it’s beautiful, kind of poetic, and “Everybody’s Talkin’” gets stuck on your head indefinitely. And aside all the greatness of this movie, one thing really stood out to me: how much Angelina Jolie looks like her father when he was younger – the resemblance is really impressive.

***

Cakes made with sour cream have become favorites of mine – the texture is always really tender. This cake is no exception and as a bonus there are little pockets of dulce de leche hidden in the middle of the slices. Yum! :)

Sour cream dulce de leche swirl cake
slightly adapted from the always mouthwatering Delicious - Australia

225g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
180g unsalted butter, room temperature
230g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream*
½ cup dulce de leche
2/3 cup (73g) pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a round 20cm (8in) springform pan, line base with a circle of baking paper and butter the paper as well (I used a pan with a removable bottom).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Fold in flour mixture.
Spread half the butter mixture into the pan. Top the butter mixture with spoonfuls of dulce de leche. Use a knife to create a swirled effect. Repeat with remaining butter mixture and dulce de leche. Top with the pecans. Bake for about 1 hour or until golden and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

* homemade sour cream: to make 1 cup of sour cream, mix 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream with 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk until it starts to thicken. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour or until thicker (I usually leave mine on the counter overnight – except on very warm nights – and it turns out thick and silky in the following morning; refrigerate for a creamier texture)

Serves 8

TLCs (pecan oatmeal cookies)

When it comes to buying new cookbooks I usually have a hard time choosing from my ever expanding wish list but upon returning from my trip to NY last year I knew for sure that Thomas Keller’s “Bouchon Bakery” would be included on my next purchase – after having some of the delicious baked goods served at the beautiful store at Rockefeller Center there was no doubt in my mind. :)

These delicious cookies were the first recipe I tried from the gorgeous cookbook and they are the oatmeal cookies of choice for people who don’t like dried fruits; I’m a sucker for dried fruits and loved these cookies anyway. :D

TLCs
from the beautiful Bouchon Bakery

1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (155g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (135g) rolled oats
212g unsalted butter, room temperature
140g granulated sugar
75g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
135g coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the oats.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. In low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing just until incorporated. Mix in the pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie into a ball and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool in the sheets over a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to the rack to cool completely.

Makes about 45 cookies

Cocoa brownies with brown butter and pecans

Whenever I feel the urge to bake something delicious but am out of time I bake brownies: they’re super easy to put together, there’s not need to wait for the butter to soften – and in this recipe not even the eggs need to be at room temperature – and once in the oven all you need to do is decide whether to eat them still warm with ice cream or plain, after they’ve cooled down. :)

These brownies are a variation of Alice Medrich’s ultra delicious cocoa brownies, and even though they’re really god I find the previous version better – I like the addition of pecans but I don’t think the browned butter makes such a huge difference in this case, unlike other recipes. As I looked for the cocoa brownies link to post here for you I read there that “my 16 year old sister loves these brownies” – she’s 19 now and I’m feeling really old right this moment. :)

Cocoa brownies with brown butter and pecans
from the Brownie Wizard Alice Medrich

10 tablespoons (140g/1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, chopped
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (68g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, cold
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (56g) all purpose flour
1 cup (110g) pecans, lightly toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Line 20cm (8in) square baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 5cm (2in) overhang. Butter the foil.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla, and salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into squares.
Brownie can be stored in an airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Makes 16

Coconut and pecan bars

Besides the urge to go to the kitchen, Nigella Lawson’s TV shows also bring me the thought of having kids – luckily for me the first is easy to deal with and the latter goes away after I finish watching the episode. :D
Right before I purchased Nancy Baggett’s beautiful cookbook on cookies I watched the lovely video posted on Amazon’s website and boy, not only did it have the same effect on me that Nigella’s shows usually do but I also wished my sister were a small kid again so we could bake cookies together like the two adorable children on the video. :D
Since I already owned a great book written by the author the decision of buying “Simply Sensational Cookies” was a no brainer – and these delicious bars were the first recipe I tried from it.

Coconut and pecan bars
from the delicious Simply Sensational Cookies

Shortbread layer:
13 tablespoons (182g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour

Filling:
1½ cups (165g) pecans, chopped
1½ cups (150g) sweetened flaked or shredded coconut*
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, chopped
2/3 cup (116g) brown sugar, packed
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter a 32x22cm (13x9in) baking pan, line it with foil leaving an overhang in two opposite sides, and butter the foil as well.
Shortbread layer: in the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt just until blended. On low speed, beat in the flour just until the mixture forms a mass. Pat the dough onto the base of the prepared pan into an even layer. Prick it all over with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden and slightly darker around the edges. Remove from the oven, leave it on and make the topping: combine the pecans, coconut, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a medium heavy saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
Pour the mixture evenly over the shortbread layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is bubbly, golden brown and just slightly darker around the edges. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack, then cut into bars to serve.
Bars can be stored, airtight, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

* I used sweetened shredded coconut and though the bars were a bit too sweet – if I were to make these again I would definitely use unsweetened coconut

Makes 24 – I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) pan

Maple pecan chiffon cake with brown butter icing

Much the same way I bought Alissa Huntsman's latest cookbook because of her beautiful previous one, I could not wait to get my hands on Julie Richardson's new cookbook since I adore her "Rustic Fruit Desserts" so much - a book full of cake recipes? You know I like that a lot. :D
I first thought of making an angel food cake - because of the insane amount of egg whites in my freezer - but when I saw this chiffon cake I had to make it: after all, it's not everyday I'll find a cake as freckled as myself. :D

The icing is super rich and delicious - the brown butter tastes like caramel here - but if you are not in the mood for all that sugar and butter the cake tastes delicious on its own, too.

Maple pecan chiffon cake with brown butter icing
from the absolutely beautiful Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth

Cake:
2 ¼ cups (270g) cake flour (homemade: measure 270g of all purpose flour, remove 4 tablespoons and complete with corn starch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
¾ cup (132g) brown sugar, packed
6 egg yolks, room temperature
½ cup (120ml) canola oil
½ cup (120ml) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60ml) water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 egg whites, room temperature
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (55g) toasted pecans, cooled and finely chopped

Icing:
450g (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Have ready an ungreased 25cm (10in) tube pan with a removable bottom, bottom lined with a circle of baking paper (this is the pan I used).
In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks, oil, maple syrup, water, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture and briskly stir with a rubber spatula until just smooth. Do not overmix.
In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Turn the mixer down to medium speed and gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Kick the mixer up to high speed and whip until the whites just hold firm (not stiff!) glossy peaks.
Fold a third of the whites into the batter using as few strokes as possible. Add the remaining whites, folding only until evenly incorporated. Lightly fold in the pecans during the last few strokes. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached, 50 to 55 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool upside down by inverting the cake pan onto its legs. To remove the cooled cake from the pan, slide a long thin knife or spatula along the sides to loosen and knock the pan sharply on a hard surface until the cake drops out. Remove all the crumbs of the cake sides and top before icing it.

Icing: put the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a pan with a light-colored bottom will help you keep track of the color. Let the color of the butter darken from lemony to golden brown (swirl the pan occasionally to ensure even heating). Once the butter is dark brown and you begin to smell a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the butter over the confectioners’ sugar and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth. As the butter cools, the icing will become firmer. If using the icing as a glaze, use it immediately. If you plan to use the icing as a frosting, allow it to cool to a good spreading consistency (I refrigerated it for 15 minutes).
Frost the top and sides with the icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Serves 10-12

Apple, pecan and gingerbread loaf + "Top Chef"

There are shows and series I adore but never have the time to watch; “Top Chef” is one of them – I watched the first season back in the day but then never got to watch the following seasons, therefore it’s been wonderful to watch the reruns at Sony for the past months.

* spoilers – seasons 1 through 7 *

Apart from Howard, which I thought truly deserved winning “Top Chef”, I did not like all the other winners, up to season 7; by the end of each season I would promise myself not to watch the following season, but I guess that some TV shows are like bad habits we can’t quit. :)
For some reason Sony went from season 5 to 7, so I can’t comment on Voltaggio, but watching the season 7 finale a couple of days ago made me dislike Ilan even more (I was team Sam) while at the same time Hung grew on me – to watch him work like a horse to help someone else was really cool.
And you? Do you think the “Top Chef” wins have been fair? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

* end of spoilers *

Like pears apples are at their best now, in the fall, therefore this delicious gingerbread loaf could not wait until the end of the year to be part of my Christmas series; the loaf was easy to make and tasted even better two days later.

Apple, pecan and gingerbread loaf
from the absolutely beautiful Delicious - Australia

2/3 cup (150g) unsalted butter
150g soft dark brown sugar
½ cup minus 1 tablespoon (150g) golden syrup – I used corn syrup
200ml whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups + ½ tablespoon (250g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (75g) pecans, roughly chopped
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm (½in) pieces

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 1.5l loaf pan*, line with baking paper and butter the paper as well.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine the butter, sugar, and syrup and stir until melted. Stir through the milk and vanilla and allow to cool.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the center and pour in the cooled milk mixture. Mix until smooth, then fold in the eggs, pecans, crystallized ginger and apple.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack to cool completely (peel off the paper after the cake has cooled, because it’s too soft while warm).

* I made the exact recipe above but there was too much batter for the 1.5l pan; I ended up baking the excess batter in a 4-cup capacity loaf pan

Serves 10-12

Rugelach - the cookie nightmare of perfectionists

I guess that this recipe tried to teach me a lesson: nothing worse for a perfectionist/control freak like me to realize that no, I won’t be able to shape all the cookies the same way and yes, some will be tiny and others will be huge. At least I waited for a cold day to make these (after the other rugelach fiasco) and despite the problems with the rolling and shaping of the cookies they turned out delicious – the cocoa and pecans work beautifully with the raspberry jam and the dough is so tender and flaky it resembles puff pastry.

Rugelach
from the delicious Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

Dough:
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
226g (8oz) cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 ¼ cups (315g) unbleached all-purpose flour
approximately ½ cup raspberry or apricot preserves

Filling:
¼ cup (28g) pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Reduce the speed to low. Add 1¼ cups of the flour and mix just until incorporated, then repeat with the remaining 1 cup of flour. Do not overmix.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands well and gently knead to be sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed, about 10 seconds. Divide the dough into thirds. Shape each portion into a 2.5cm (1in) thick disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.

Filling: combine the pecans, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
Preheat to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with foil.
Working with one disk of dough at a time (keep the others refrigerated), unwrap and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and roll out into a 32cm (13in) diameter circle. Using a small offset metal spatula, spread with about 2 tablespoons of the preserves, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) border around the edge. Sprinkle the jam with about 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture. Using a sharp pizza wheel or large knife, cut the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 wedges, to give a total of 12 wedges. One at a time, starting at the wide end, fold the corners in about 6mm (¼in) and then roll up. Do not roll the rugelach too tightly or the jam and filling will ooze out. Keep the outside of each cookie free of the jam and filling, or they’ll tend to burn. Wipe your fingers clean after making each rugelach, or you will transfer the sticky interior of the last cookie to the exterior of the next one. Place each rugelach on the pans about 2.5cm (1in) apart, with the point of each facing down. Curve the ends of the rugelach slightly toward the point to make a crescent. Repeat this process with the other two disks of dough.
Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on the pans.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Banana blondies

I don’t bake blondies very often, but so far the recipes I’ve made turned out delicious – Martha’s gingerbread blondies I made back in 2010 were just irresistible. When I saw Dan Lepard’s banana blondies I had to make them: not only because a blondie made of banana made me curious but also because I’d be able to use up some of my banana overload; oh, and before I forget to mention, there’s chopped praliné mixed in the batter. Praliné. In the batter. With banana and white chocolate.

Do you still need be convinced about this recipe? ;)

Banana blondies
slightly adapted from the absolutely glorious Short and Sweet (mine was bought here)

Pecan praliné:
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (78g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
¾ cup (83g) pecans

Blondies:
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
100g unsalted butter
200g white chocolate
1 egg
2 bananas, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (175g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Make the pecan praliné: lightly oil a small baking sheet. Put the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to the boil and let it bubble away, without stirring, until the sugar turns to golden caramel. Stir in the pecans and immediately spread onto prepared sheet. Cool completely, then finely chop.

Blondies: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line the base and sides of a 20cm (8in) square pan with foil, leaving an overhang in two opposite sides; butter the foil.
Combine the butter and white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and mix in the sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the bananas. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over mixture, then fold through with the chopped praliné. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until wobbly-set and golden on top. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack. Cut into squares.

Makes 16