paradise cake

 

This is the recipe of the great pastry chef Maurizio Santin, a cake so soft and fluffy taht neither kids nor adults would resist.

Ingredients for a pan in 8 cm high and 22 cm in diameter: 

300 g butter

300 g caster sugar

200 g of yolks

150 g flour

150 g potato starch

120 g egg whites

1 lemon

It's a cake made without baking powder, its extreme softness is obtained only by whisking the egg whites until stiff and the butter whisked until you have a cream. 

The butter must be very soft, at room temperature. Knead in the mixer with a whisk, or in a bowl with electric beaters until you have a smooth texture (it takes 5-6 minutes, make sure to remove the butter from the sides of the bowl, mix and continue beating). Add the egg yolks one by one, by inserting the following only when the former is well incorporated. Pour gradually 250 g of sugar, continuing to whip at medium speed. Finally, add the flour and potato flour sifted together,  by lowering the speed. Now put the grated lemon peel.

Whip the egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice, then add the remaining sugar (50 g). With a spatula pour them gently into the mixture obtained previously 

Butter the mold and instead of flour use brown sugar on the edges and at the base of the cake, you will obtain a delicious crunchiness. Pour the batter in the mold and bake at 170 degrees for 40 minutes.

Tips for cooking: after 40 minutes my cake was not ready yet, you must do the toothpick test; so I put an aluminum foil over the cake, and continued for another 25 minutes at 160 degrees. Remove the sheet and bake for 5/6 minutes further until golden brown.

Let it cool before unmold, turn it upside down on a serving dish so that the top is perfectly smooth. Sprinkle with powdered sugar ... and enjoy it!

ice cream cake with three flavours

This is a 'Mrs Cake', for a birthday dinner, but very simple in the execution. It has three ice cream tastes, that you obtain in doing the same thing three times. I used some figues, because one month ago it was their season yet, but you can choose the fruits you prefer. In the book where I took this recipe there were strawberries, so let's choose according to the seasons!

The only suggestion is to prepare the cake the day before, for the long  times of cooling.

Ingredients for 10 :

1 sponge cake in 22-24 cm diameter

1,8 lit whipping cream

400 g icing sugar

200 g dark chocolate (60%)

2 vanilla beans

200 g fruits (raspberries, soft fruits…)

Cut the sponge cake into 2 discs. Take a serving plate and place a split ring, within which put the first disc. Whip 1 lit of very cold cream with 200 g of icing sugar. Divide it into three equal parts in three different bowls. And put in the refrigerator.

Melt 100 g of dark chocolate in a double boiler, lett cool and pour into one of the three bowls of whipped cream. Spread this chocolate cream  over the first disc of sponge. Level it with a spatula and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.  

Whip the remaining cream with the icing sugar (200g). Take the cake out from the freezer; release it from the movable ring and cover completely with the whipped cream using a pastry bag. Let stand in the refrigerator another for 2 1/2 hours yet. Melt the remaining chocolate (100g) and when it is cool you can follow the original recipe by pouring it on the cake making it fall down to the edges, in this case you must double the amount of chocolate.  

I have however chosen to do some decorations using a pastry bag with a very thin hole: on a sheet of baking paper placed on a very cooled tray (put it in the freezer) you can  make writings or little decorations, by letting fall down the chocolate, that for the thermal shock will immediately solidifies. Put the decorations again in the freezer and use when needed and at pleasure. 

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delicious apple tart with meringue

Ingredients for 6:

for the pastry dough

 250 g all purpose flour

 50 g corn flour

 125 g caster sugar

 the grated rind of 1/2 lemon

 1/2 tbs baking powder

 1 free range egg

 125 g butter

 for covering 

 500 g apples

 100 g biscuits

 2 egg whits + 1 egg yolk

 250 g powdered sugar

 for the mold

 butter

 bread crumbs

the ultimate choc chip cookies by Linda collister

"Nine out of ten people love chocolate, the tenth lies". (Anonymous).  I confess I'm a chocolate-addicted: this is the reason why I opened my blog, almost 2 years ago, with this incipit. I love good quality chocolate, it's obvious; but nutella.. mmm I love it over all! In spite of the purists and of my husband who always accuses me:" a blogger like you, how can you love and eat nutella? There's no explanation: you love it point. And in fact I venerate it as the huge jar in Moretti's dreams and film. It 's the mother's womb, the Pamper with a capital P, the place par excellence. Summer or winter does not affect my concession to pleasure: dipping the spoon into the brown velvet cream, strictly kept at room temperature and tasted BY MYSELF, without 'anyone' around. The books about chocolate in my house, then, are wasted and far outweigh the longest toilet paper in the world. Among these I quote definitely "Divine Chocolate" cookbook by Linda Collister: here her recipe of the fantastic choc-chip cookies. Isn't that a happy dance!? To the recipe, I added 1 ml of milk to the final mixture to make it softer for the rest I leave you the recipe faithfully reported.
P.S. of course I did the doubled dose again for my problems above!

Ingredienti per circa 30 cookies:

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 100 g walnut or pecan
• 125 g unsalted butter, soft
• 100 g caster sugar
• 100 g light muscovado sugar
• 1 large free range egg
• 220 g plain flour
• 3 tbs bitter cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

How to make:
        

Heat the oven to 180°.
Break up the chocolate into squares and mix with the nuts. Set aside. Put the soft butter and the sugars into the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl. Mix well then stir in the chocolate squares and nuts.
Using a heaped tablespoon of mixture for each cookie, roll the mixture into balls then arrange them on the baking trays, flatten slightly with your fingers, spacing the cookies well apart to allow for spreading. Bake in the heated oven for about 12-15 minutes, then leave to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire wrack. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days or freeze for up to a month.

tart with fresh fruits and cheese cream

Prepare the pastry for a baking pan in 28 cm diameter, according to this recipe or to your favourite one.

Grease the cake tin  and place a sheet of parchment paper so that it bleeds profusely from the edges (so that you can remove it from pan without breaking it).

Roll out the pastry and prick the base inside. The time cooking will vary depending on the thickness you want to give to your tart.


Put the pan in the freezer only the time necessary to prepare the filling. Will be perfectly cooked.

For the filling you need:

250 g di ricotta cheese (goat ricotta is perfect) 

90 g caster sugar

1 lemon zest

50 g yogurt (or cream)

2 free range eggs

A very quick and delicious tart stuffed with ricotta cheese, wich embraces the flavors of summer fruits, you will choose according to yout taste.

Whip the ricotta cheese with the sugar and yogurt (if you use the cream, whip it a bit before), add the eggs and the grated rind of lemon. I also added a few drops of home made vanilla extract. 

Take the tin with the pastry out from freezer, pour in the filling of ricotta cheese and dip in the fresh fruit you prefer.  (here I used grape, peach, apricot, pear) sprinkle some almonds and bake at 175° for 1 hour. If your pastry needs extra time cooking (this depend on its thickness) cover the surface with aluminium foil. I have cooked it for 1 h and 20 '.

Store in the fridge. Itwill be much more exquisite!

       

Guinness chocolate cake

Ingredients for a mold of 22-24 cm in diameter

250 ml di beer

100 g bitter cocoa powder

200 g di butter

250 g caster sugar

150 g brown sugar

150 g buttermilk

2 tbs bicarbonate of soda

1vanilla extract

2 free range eggs

270 g all purpose flour  

a pinch of salt

How to make

Melt the butter in the beer over low heat. Add the cocoa and the 2 sugars sifted together, stir and remove from heat when they are well combined. Pour the buttermilk into a bowl with the eggs and the vanilla extract, stir with a whisk and add to the mixture of beer. I another bowl mix the baking soda, flour and salt previously sifted together and then add to the mixture. 

Grease a baking mold of 22-24 cm in diameter with high sides and cover the bottom and the sides with baking paper, letting out 2-3 cm in height. Pour the mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Have a nice week-end!

                       Mony

ricotta cheese cake

I found this beautiful recipe here and have changed only little things: like sugar, using less.

red velvet cake ... yes I can!

After having seen in several blogs this delicious, coloured cake, I have been finally decided to remake it in my beloved kitchen. Reading the ingredients you can be scared by visions of colesterol but you will be unexpected surprised by the delicious and delicate taste in your mouth. I got the recipe herein the  blog joy of baking: I went to the source...

Ingredients for the 2 red cakes: 

250 g sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 

15 g bitter cocoa powder 

113 g unsalted butter at room temperature 

300 g caster sugar 

2 large free range eggs (or 3 if little) 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

240 ml of buttermilk* (I used half whipping cream and half milk) 

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring (I needed 3) 

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar 

1 teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. In the bowl of the electric mixer beat the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until fluffy and clear. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

2. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer at low speed alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three times, beginning and ending with the flour. 

3. In a little bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda, wait the mixture to fizz and then pour into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven to 175°C for 25-30 minutes. Make the toothpick test. Cool the cakes in their pans and then wrap in plastic and place them in refrigerator for 1 hour. 

 Ingredients for the Cream Cheese

• 227 g cream cheese  (I used fresh goat cheese, ricotta) at room temperature
• 227 g of Mascarpone at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 115 g sifted icing sugar
• 360 ml cold heavy whipping cream

1. Beat in the electric mixer the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth, add the vanilla extract and the confectionary sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment gradually add the whipping cream and beat until the frosting is thick. 

Assemble:

With a knife cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. Put one of the 4 cake layers on the serving plate (top of the cake facing down). Spread the layer cake with the frosting, place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost the cake layers, and the top and sides of the cake. 

Serves: 10/12 slices.

apricot pie with yogurt and goat cheese (ricotta)

I love the goat cheese, since I discovered its lightness and the total absence of flakes, this goat ricotta has become my favorite one for preparing desserts such as this delicious pie or cheesecake. It's a fresh cheese so you don't meet that unpleasant bitter aftertaste typical of products with preservatives. This cheese is obtained with the serum that is formed during the processing of milk into cheese: it's a food rich in protein and low in fat. So let's taste this noble food. Really delicious eaten absolute and perfect for many sweet and savory preparations.

Here it is in plain sight while biting into a warm slice of this delicious pie, it winks between the fruit and fork with its sublime flavor, delicate and "right". 

This recipe taken from the Encyclopaedia of Great Mastry Pastry Academy, participates in the contest of my friends  Assunta e Donatella.

Serve: 8 slices

Ingredients for the filling:

• 250 g goat ricotta 
• 250 g yogurt
• 170 g caster sugar
• 4 free range eggs
• 1 organic lemon
• 6 apricot jam
• 250 g apricots in syrup (weighted drained)
• butter for the pan

for the shortbread

• 300 g flour
• 150 g softened butter 
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 free range egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Prepare the shortbread mixing quickly all ingredients, flatten it with a rolling pin between two baking papers. Store in the fridge while preparing the filling. 

2. In the meanwhile prepare the filling: in a bowl mix the ricotta cheese with yogurt and sugar  with a spatula, then add 3 eggs one by one and the lemon zest. 

3. Divide the dough in two parts one larger than the other. Roll it in two discs of 20 and 26 cm in diameter. 

4. Grease a springform pan (I used a mold disposable) and cover the bottom and the sides with baking paper wet and squeezed, upward out so that you can unmold the pie without breaking it (it's a useful trick to unmold the cakes with a soft inner). Close the pie with the larger disc.    

5. Prick the bottom with a fork, spread the jam on the top, then pour in the ricotta mixture; level with a spatula and dip the apricots into the mixture. Cover with the other pastry disc, engrave with smaller cuts, radially folded over the edges of the pastry and brush the top with the remained egg beaten.  

6. Bake the cake at  175° for about 1 hour and serve warm, an experience!, or at room temperature.  

Layer cake with berries and chocolate icing

You need a  sponge cake of Montersino because it is so soft and lofty that you can have three layers to be stuffed. When you cut iit into three lawers use the bottom as the top, to have the surface smooth and flat ...like this:…

For the filling:

300g berries (even frozen ones)

2 tbs brown sugar

100 ml water

150 g caster sugar

350 g whipping cream

1. Mash the berries in a bowl with the brown sugar and let macerate for 15 minutes. Boil over high heat for about 5 minutes the water with sugar for a syrup. Let cool a little and pour over fruit and stir.

2.  Combine the berries with the cream whipped to 70% in a cooled bowl in the freezer along with the electric beaters. Fill the two layers of sponge cake with the mixture of cream and berries.

For the frosting:

• 350 g dark chocolate  (70%)

Prepare the frosting with dark chocolate melted in a double  boiler or microwave. Proceed to the tempering* of chocolate before using it.

Spread the frosting over entire cake, and over the sides.

Serve with cocoa powder.

* * In his book paul.a.young also explains the ways of manually tempering chocolate, here I report the one that for method and time is faster and easier (you should not pour the chocolate on the working plan). You have to stir solid chocolate into molten chocolate to "inoculate" in it crystals. Take 2/3 of the total chocolate, melt it in a double boiler or microwave until it reaches the temperature of 55° (this is the correct temperature to melt the fats, the sugars and the crystals crystals contained in the chocolate). If you melt chocolate on a double boiler, the bowl should not touch the water but must be suspended  and the water should never boil. If you melt the chocolate in a microwave put it at the highest temperature for 25-30 seconds, stir it gently and put it again in the microwave so as to control the temperature each time. When the chocolate is at 55° pour the remaining chocolate and stir vigorously until it will be completely melted and wait until the temperature  reaches. 27°-28°. The chocolate must be then gently warmed to working temperature, 31°-32°.  

crêpes (recipe by maurizio santin)

There is a certain comfort preparing a recipe of a great chef, I took this recipe in the last book of Maurizio Santin, who presents master recipes, well done and explained...a book that is worth keeping for the recipes and photos. Consider that you have to store the mixture in the fridge for 2 hours.

For about 8 Crêpes:

• 250 g milk
• 100 g flour 00
• 50 g eggs
• 30 g butter
• 15 g caster sugar
• 2 g salt
• clarified butter (I used butter)

How to make:

Melt the butter over very low flame and let cool. 

Meanwhile sift the flour in a great bowl and add the sugar; apart whisk the eggs with salt and then add to the flour. Stir till you earn a smooth mixture. Then pour the milk, working with a spatula and add the melted butter. Let rest for 2 hours in the fridge.

Heat a nonstick pan to the desired size, grease it with butter and pour the mixture with a spoon to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin, uniform layer; when the edges are golden, turn the crêpe (I used 2 skimmers and despite the fear of breaking them, you can do it with a precise movement) and finish cooking. Put them on a plate and cover each with a film, let cool and use them as you want...with jam...or

 

... with Nutella... I has been transported immediately under Tour Eiffel and if you go running in the park, you can earn one more crêpe... bon appètit!

You can store them in the fridge for 3 days, covered.