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Showing posts from 2018

Pineapple Cake with Coconut Frosting

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This is one of Mark's favorite cakes, and there are not that many. Since Smith & Wollensky in New Orleans does not share their famous dessert's recipe, I've experimented with several recipes online. This one is based on a yogurt cake recipe which gives it a dense and moist texture.  CAKE 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 6 slices of canned pineapple + 2 tablespoons juice (save the rest of the juice for later) FROSTING 10 oz. cream cheese (PHILADELPHIA) 10 fl. oz. heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard 9-inch round pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder,

Panettone unconventional

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Yesterday at Amsterdam's Noordermarkt (organic market every Saturday), my partner and I came upon this beautiful old cast-iron bundt cake pan with a white enamel coat inside. This gave me the idea to try my panettone recipe in a bundt-shaped brioche. It is definitely not the traditional panettone, but rather a sort of hybrid between Italy's panettone and Alsace's Kougelhopf. Takes a whole night to rise, but the result is worth it! Before you tackle it, let me specify that my bundt pan is extremely large (the following directions normally yield 2 regular-size panettones) and it is better to start the day before serving (in case the dough takes a long time to rise). INGREDIENTS 1 cup raisins (5 oz) 1/2 cup sweet Marsala 1/2 cup warm milk (105–115°F) 2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar 4 teaspoons active dry yeast (I used 20 grams of fresh yeast) 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 3 large eggs at room temperature 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest (I used orang

Cranberry Coffee Cake

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Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and even though the Dutch don't celebrate it, fresh cranberries are found everywhere in grocery stores and market stalls this week. I bought some to make cranberry jam, but Mark suggested a coffee cake instead. This is the recipe I used. The tartness of the berries worked wonderfully with the sweetness of the cake and the crunchiness of the nutty streusel! STREUSEL 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt   5 tablespoons   unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 3/4 cups pecan nuts, chopped CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange zest   2/3 cup buttermilk 2 cups fresh cranberries BUTTERMILK GLAZE 1 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar 1/4 cup (or less) buttermilk DIRECT

Blueberry Crumb Bars

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It's the middle of november here in Amsterdam and Dutch blueberries are still in season. So, why not enjoy these delicious berries with a buttery crust underneath and a streusel on top! INGREDIENTS 3 cups (390 g.) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (100 g.) granulated sugar   1/2 cup (100 g.) brown sugar   1 teaspoon baking powder   1/4 teaspoon salt   1 large egg   1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract   1 cup (226 g.) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes FILLING 1 tablespoon (9 g.) cornstarch   1/2 cup (100 g.) granulated sugar   1 1/2 tablespoon (22 ml) lemon juice   4 cups (approx. 500 g.)

Sicilian Orange Cake with Whipped Ricotta Cream

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I'm a big fan of this cake. The texture is a little bit like a semolina cake (due to the almond meal). It requires neither oil, nor butter (the almonds are rich enough in fat) but the oranges make it incredibly moist. CAKE 2 large oranges 5 large eggs 8 oz. almond meal (225 grams) 8 oz. sugar (225 grams) 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese (in France or Italy, ricotta is mostly found in containers of 250 grams. I used 2 tablespoons for the cake and the rest of the container for the whipped cream) WHIPPED RICOTTA CREAM 250 grams ricotta cheese (minus the 2 tablespoons used for the cake), cold 20 cl whipping cream (no less than 30% fat), cold 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract zest of 1 orange Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Rinse and boil oranges with skin on until soft (20-25 minutes). Allow oranges to cool. Cut in quarters, removing the pips. Blend until smooth. Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients before mixi

Lemon-Almond Snowcloud Pie with Blueberry Coulis

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This recipe is a mash-up of two recipes I've shared in this blog : the crust is a regular shortbread dough (but I could have used Speculoos cookies and butter like I usually do for a cheesecake base), and the filling is the "blueberry snowcloud" recipe. The result is a crunchy crust with a bavarois filling, lighter than cheesecake because I only used one small container of cream cheese.   CRUST 250 grams all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 60 grams confectioner's sugar 120 grams unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup cold water FILLING 1 pound of cream cheese/ricotta/greek yogurt (I used 150 grams of PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, 250 grams of ricotta cheese and 1 plain greek yogurt) 2/3 cup white sugar 3 large egg whites 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 tablespoons + zest of 1 lemon 4 gelatin leaves (2 grams each) BLUEBERRY COULIS 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup white sugar Mix together butter, flour, salt, confectio

Paris-Brest

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Last month, my partner and I spent a few days in Paris. One day, we stumbled upon this remarkable bakery on Rue Saint-Denis which sold, among other delicious pastries, an enormous Paris-Brest cake by the slice. It was so good that we went back for more the next day. Paris-Brest is a delicious choux pastry filled with a hazelnut "mousseline" cream, and it involves one hard-to-find ingredient: praliné (hazelnut-almond paste). This recipe is great because it shows how simple it is to make your own praliné . It is an extra step you can do without if you can good quality praliné in a jar, but it was well worth the effort.   PRALINÉ (HAZELNUT-ALMOND PASTE) 100 grams hazelnuts 125 grams almonds (preferably skinned) 180 grams sugar 50 grams water CHOUX PASTRY 125 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk 125 ml (1/2 cup) water 75 grams (1/3 cup) unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 1/4 cup sliced almonds EGG WASH 1 egg 2 tabl