Coconut balls

I grew up hearing comments about my bad temper – I used to get in trouble with my father and my teachers for protesting over just about anything. As I get older I try hard to believe I’m also getting calmer. :)
Some things still make me furious, though, and I was mad as hell at the guys from a certain website for not keeping their word (and they did the same to other bloggers I love). You’ll no longer see recipes from Better Homes and Gardens on my blog.

You will, however, see me using recipes from other websites, because there are great ones out there – these coconut balls are one of Martha’s cookies.

Coconut balls

1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (35g) confectioner's sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups (200g) sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with ¼ cup confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Mix in flour and salt until they're just combined. Stir in coconut.
Roll dough into 2.5cm (1 in) balls; place 5cm (2 in) apart on prepared sheets. Bake until just starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Roll the warm cookies in confectioners' sugar; let cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 36 – I halved the recipe and still got 24

Honey and golden syrup meringue cupcakes

I’ve realized something really important: there’s a huge lack of cupcakes on this blog! Shame on me! :D

I’m determined to change that and my mission has already begun: these tender cupcakes I found on DH mag #41. The meringue topping was a wonderful way of using the egg whites I had left after making stracciatella ice cream for Joao - for the 10th time. :)

Honey and golden syrup meringue cupcakes
from Donna Hay magazine

250g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) caster sugar
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (370g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
1 cup (240ml) milk, room temperature

Golden syrup meringue icing:
1 ¼ cups golden syrup - I used corn syrup
¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
3 very fresh egg whites

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF; line 24 ½ cup-capacity muffins pans with cupcake papers. Place the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10-12 minutes or until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and milk and beat until well combined. Spoon into prepared pans and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks.

To make the golden syrup meringue icing, place the golden syrup and cream of tartar in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. While with motor is still running, gradually add the golden syrup mixture and beat for 4-5 minutes or until thick and glossy.
Spread over the cupcakes with a palette knife.

Makes 24 – I halved the recipe, used 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans and got 12 cupcakes with high tops; I also got about ½ cup of icing left, even though I halved it too.

Baked pear custards

Let me tell you a secret: I’m a lazy person. Depending on the subject, not one beats me in the lazy department.

Joao and I had plans to go to the movies last Saturday. I’d already chosen the movie, the session... But the thought of going to a crowded mall – they are really full here in Sao Paulo on weekends – made me drop the idea. I looked at the hubby and he read my mind: “Ok, Ok, let’s stay in”. :D

But I’m no lazy when it comes to cooking and baking: I made lunch for us, baked a batch of cookies and finished up with these custards – they turned out to be my favorite recipe of the day.

Baked pear custards
from Donna Hay magazine

2 cups (480ml) pouring cream
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup (67g) caster sugar – I used vanilla infused sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 corella pear, thinly sliced – I used Williams
freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF.
Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil. Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until combined. Gradually add the hot cream, whisking constantly to combine and to avoid cooking the eggs.
Pour into four 1 ½ cup (360ml) capacity ovenproof bowls/dishes and top with the pear slices. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes or until just set – this is a very silky dessert.
Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve – the magazine doesn’t mention if you these custards are supposed to be served hot or cold; I tried them warm and cold (after a night in the fridge) and think both ways work great.

Serves 4

Summertime tagliatelle, in the middle of fall

My dad sometimes tells me funny/cute stories about my mom and I especially like the ones about her weird pregnancy cravings, like the day she felt like cooking and eating a rooster – no, I’m not kidding. :D

She’d crave ice cream desperately in the middle of the winter and would get under 2-3 blankets to eat it.

Everyone that knows me and knew my mom says that we look exactly the same and they say that we have a lot in common, too, when it comes to personality. Maybe they are right, because I felt like eating summertime pasta in a very cold day. :D

Summertime tagliatelle
slightly adapted from Cook with Jamie

115g (4oz) pine nuts
juice and zest of 2 lemons
a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
¾ cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups (150g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for shaving
½ cup (50g) pecorino cheese, freshly grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g good-quality tagliarini or tagliatelle

Smash up half of the pine nuts to a paste, then put it into a big heatproof bowl with the rest of the whole pine nuts, the lemon juice and zest, and the extra virgin olive oil. Stir and add the Parmesan and pecorino. Season with some freshly ground black pepper.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for your pasta. Sit the sauce bowl on top of the pan while the water’s heating up – this will take the chill out of the sauce and warm it through slightly. When the water starts to boil, remove the bowl and add your pasta to the water. Cook it according to the packet instructions then drain in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce and a little of the reserved cooking water to help loosen it up a bit. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese, allowing all the lovely sauce to coat it. If you find the sauce is too thick then add a little more water. It’s not supposed to thick – it should be more a dressing than a sauce.

Serve with a little extra Parmesan shaved over the top and a sprinkle of parsley leaves. Eat immediately.

Serves 4

Passion fruit cheesecake squares

To me, passion fruit is such a magical ingredient – I love its color, taste, smell... Slice one passion fruit in half and in a couple of seconds your kitchen will be completely taken by that delicious aroma. So revigorating.

In a gray day like today – and by gray I don’t mean only the color of the sky – I wish I still had some of those cheesecake squares around.

Passion fruit cheesecake squares
from Donna Hay magazine

250g plain sweet cookies
180g unsalted butter, melted
250g ricotta cheese – I used homemade
250g cream cheese, softened
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 eggs
¾ cup (180ml) passion fruit pulp

Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor and process until they resemble fine breadcrumbs – I placed them in a sturdy plastic bag and crushed with a rolling pin. Add the butter and mix to combine. Press the mixture into the base of a 20x30cm lightly greased rectangular pan lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm and cold.

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF. Place the ricotta, cream cheese, caster sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth – I used an electric mixer.
Gradually add the eggs, processing well after each addition. Fold through the passion fruit pulp and pour mixture over the base. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
Allow to cool completely; carefully slice to serve.

Serves 8 – I made 2/3 of the recipe and used a 20cm square pan