Peanut butter financiers

Every time I get a new cookbook it takes me forever to choose which recipe to try from it first – the exception was Rose's Heavenly Cakes: I had to start with the weirdest recipe (in my opinion, of course). :)

I have made quite a few financier/friand recipes so far and these have gone straight to the #1 spot around here (sorry, pear friands). :)

Peanut butter financiers
from Rose's Heavenly Cakes

75g whole almonds
10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (148g) icing sugar
6 tablespoons (60g) all purpose flour
4 large egg whites
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°C; butter and flour sixteen ¼ cup (60ml) capacity financier molds.
Spread the almonds in a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring a couple of times, or until fragrant. Let cool completely, then process the almonds with the sugar in a food processor until very fine. Pulse in the flour.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted – do not use a dark saucepan otherwise you won’t be able to check the color of the butter. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching carefully to prevent burning, until the butter turn dark golden. Immediately pour the butter through a strainer into a small heatproof bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the almond flour mixture, beat well with a whisk, then gradually drizzle the hot butter over the mixture, whisking well. Add the peanut butter and whisk until evenly incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling each about two-thirds full. Place the molds onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the financiers are golden and spring back when lightly pressed in the centers.
Let the financiers cool in the molds for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
Financiers can be kept in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or 5 days in the fridge.

Makes 16 – I halved the recipe above, used 2 tablespoon-capacity pans and got 12 financiers

Spiced plum clafoutis

Let me introduce to you the most delicious dessert I have made in a long time – and that, my friends, is a HUGE thing for a blog as sugary as this one. :)

As much as I would love each and every one of you to try this recipe – yes, it is that good – I must be honest and tell you that if you’re not in clafoutis mood the plums, with that out-of-this-world syrup, would turn any vanilla ice cream into a work of art.

Spiced plum clafoutis
slightly adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Spiced plums:
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
2 cinnamon quills
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 ¼ cups (300ml) water
6 ripe plums, halved, stones removed

Batter:
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (250g) caster (superfine) sugar
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (80g) all purpose flour
400ml heavy cream

For spiced plums, bring sugar, spices and water to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Add plums, skin side up, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the plum halves, cook for another 2 minutes, or until tender (prick flesh with a fork to check it the plums are cooked). Remove plums from syrup using a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, cut into wedges. Divide plums among six 200ml-capacity lightly buttered ovenproof molds.
Return syrup to heat, bring to the boil, cook over medium-high heat until syrupy and reduced by half (10-12 minutes), cool completely and set aside.
Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F. Whisk eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl until just combined (do not overwork). Add cream, stir gently to combine. Pour batter over plums, transfer molds onto a baking sheets and bake until just set and lightly golden (15-20 minutes).
Serve immediately with the plum syrup.

Serves 6

Peach frozen yogurt

A bowl of beautiful, ripe peaches was the beginning of this recipe, but my first idea was making the peach ice cream from the same book this frozen yogurt came from; I changed my mind after considering that using yogurt instead of cream would allow me to eat more dessert – talk about fat thoughts. :)

Peach frozen yogurt
from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

675g (1 ½ oz) ripe peaches (about 5 large peaches)
½ cup (120ml) water
¾ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar*
1 cup (260g) plain whole-milk yogurt
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Peel the peaches: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off.
Slice the peaches in half, remove the pits and cut into chunks. Cook them with the water in a medium, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and cooked thought, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar, then chill in the refrigerator.
Purée the peach mixture in a food processor or blender with the yogurt until almost smooth but still slightly chunky. Mix in the lemon juice. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

* I suggest adding less sugar and taste – mine was a bit too sweet

Makes about 3 cups

Plum tray bake with a cheesecake ripple

There was a rumor on Twitter last month saying that delicious would end – I was in complete panic because I find the tool extremely useful; luckily, it appears to be just that: a rumor.

How else would I have “remembered” this delicious cake – I mean, extremely delicious – bookmarked on Oct, 7, 2008? ;)

Plum tray bake with a cheesecake ripple
adapted from here

Cheesecake ripple:
200g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

Cake:
3 eggs
175g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
400g ripe plums, halved, stoned and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 28x18cm shallow baking pan, line with baking parchment, making sure that the paper comes higher than the rim of the pan, and butter the paper as well.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and caster sugar and beat until smooth. Set aside.
Place the eggs, butter, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla in a separate bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
Spread half of the cake batter mixture onto the base of the prepared pan, then dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over it, spreading an uneven swirl through the base mixture. Scatter with half of the plums. Spoon the remaining cake batter on top and dot with the rest of the cream cheese.
Scatter with the remaining plums then bake for about 45 minutes until risen and just firm to touch – when cooked, the surface of this tray bake should feel just firm to the touch, but bear in mind that it will firm-up slightly as it cools; if over baked, it will lose its moist texture.
Leave to cool in the pan before cutting into pieces. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream.

Serves 10 – I made 2/3 of the recipe above and used a 20cm (8in) square pan

Cherry crumble

Happy New Year everyone!

After a month it’s time to (reluctantly) get back to work – I could definitely use a couple more weeks of vacation… *sigh*

If you, like me, need a boost to get back to work I highly recommend this dessert. :)

Cherry crumble
adapted from here

320g fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons demerara sugar

Topping:
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 ½ tablespoons (35g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Put the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the cubes of butter, using your fingers until you have a mixture like coarse sand. Stir in the sugar. Refrigerate while you get on with the fruit.
Mix the cherries with the lemon zest, juice and sugar and divide among two 1-cup (240ml) capacity ovenproof ramekins.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit, place the ramekins in a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling.

Serves 2