Lemon coconut mini cheesecakes

I’ve read that “Monk” is about to end – its last season is about to start here in Brazil. Can’t say I’m sad – I’ve tried watching the show several times, but it’s really not my cup of tea; I don’t see what all the fuss is about – or all the awards, for that matter.

I used to feel the same way about cheesecakes, until I made this recipe – now I want to try each and every cheesecake flavor out there. :)

Lemon coconut mini cheesecakes
adapted from Donna Hay magazine

Base:
75g digestive cookies
1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
175g ricotta
175g cream cheese
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (162g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 160°C/300°F.
To make the base, process the cookies in a food processor until finely crushed. Add the coconut and butter and process until combined.
Butter fourteen 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity mini cheesecake pans (with removable bottoms). Press the mixture over the base of each pan and refrigerate.
Process the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and process until combined. Pour the mixture over the bases and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Carefully remove from the pans and top with coconut curls to serve.

Makes 14

Cinnamon tea cakes

Let’s play a game? Think of something tender. Now something three times more tender – there, you have these cakes.

I must be honest with you: I only made these cakes because I wanted to bake something right away and my butter was cold; I remembered that this recipe from DH mag #29 called for melted butter and gave it a try – it was a really good surprise.

Cinnamon tea cakes
from Donna Hay magazine

2 eggs, separated
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) caster sugar
1 cup (240ml) milk
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; butter two 15cm (6in) round cake pans, line the bottoms with baking paper and butter the paper*.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until thick and glossy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well to combine. Gradually add the milk then the flour, baking powder, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Divide the mixture between prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out onto wire racks.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. While the cakes are still hot, brush with the butter and dust with the combined brown sugar and cinnamon.

* I halved the recipe and used four 1-cup (240ml) capacity mini bundt pans; I generously buttered the pans and unmolded the cakes right after taking them out of the oven;

UPDATE: my blogger friend Rita made this exact recipe (the one posted here, not half as I did) and used a 20cm (8in) round cake pan

Makes 2

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

Oatmeal haters, please, hear me out: these cookies are going to change the way you feel about oats. Trust me and Deb on that – they are absolutely delicious.

And since I don’t want the other readers to feel left out: the oatmeal lovers like me will adore them, too. :)

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (196g/1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup (200g) sugar
¼ cup (44g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups (288g) old-fashioned rolled oats
168g (6oz) good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 2cm (3/4-in) thickness.
Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie.
Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Makes 24 - I halved the recipe, used 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 19

Roasted pumpkin and marjoram soup

I’m feeling a bit guilty – here I am, posting cherry recipes, sorbets and ice creams while my dear readers on the Northern Hemisphere are covered in snow...

I thought you deserved something warm, comforting and full of flavor – I hope the vivid color cheers you up!
xx

Roasted pumpkin and marjoram soup
adapted from Donna Hay magazine

800g Japanese pumpkin (kabocha)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups (720ml) chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
marjoram leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Divide the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, then chop each half in 6 or so smaller pieces. Place the pumpkin in a roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool until easy to handle. With a spoon or small knife, remove all the pumpkin flesh, discarding the skins.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the extra olive oil and onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the pumpkin and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and blitz with a handheld mixer until smooth (or use a food processor) - be careful because you are dealing with hot liquid. Make sure you hold the cap down on the top of the blender while puréeing.
Add the salt, pepper and cream and stir to combine.
Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with marjoram leaves to serve.

Serves 4

Cherry friands

I am so disappointed: I used to watch Bill Granger’s videos on You Tube but they are all gone now. :(
At least that reminded me of how little I’d been using his books – this recipe comes from Simply Bill


I thought of my blogger friend Tatiane while baking these friands: like me, she’s mad for ice cream and is always searching for new ways to use her stash of egg whites – Tati, I hope you like these!

Cherry friands
from Simply Bill

1 1/3 cups (134g) ground almonds
1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon (218g) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting
½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (85g) all purpose flour, sifted
8 egg whites
2/3 cup (150g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
210g cherries

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and flour a nonstick 12-hole friand pan*.
Mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar and flour. Stir in the egg whites until just combined. Stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter in the pans. Pit the cherries and cut in half. Arrange a few cherry halves on top of each friand.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden - the friands should spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and store in an airtight container.

* I halved the recipe, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity muffin pans and got 8 friands

Makes 12