Milk Flan

(6 servings)

This creamy flan isn't too sweet. I often make it with 1% milk, but on occasion I'll use whole milk or half and half.

Although I prefer using custard cups, this flan can also be prepared in a souffle dish that's large enough to hold about 4 1/2 cups of liquid. Just remember to increase the baking time by about 10-15 minutes.

3 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp water

3 large eggs
3 egg large yolks
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp  vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3 cups milk or a combination of milk, half and half or cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Divide the sugar evenly between three two cup ovenproof custard cups or ramekins. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tsp of water over the sugar in each cup until the sugar is soaked evenly.

Place the cups into a microwave and microwave about 2 minutes to begin and then about 20 seconds at a time on high until the sugar bubbles and becomes a nice medium brown color. Watch carefully so the sugar doesn't burn.

Remove the custard cups and swirl the sugar mixture so it coats the entire bottoms and part of the sides of each cup. Set aside.

 Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is creamy. Set aside.

Gently heat the milk over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge. If a skin forms, then remove it.

Whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Strain through a sieve and divide between the three custard cups.

Place the cups into a larger baking dish and fill with hot water about 1/2 way up the sides of the custard cups. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes or until the flans have just set in the centers.

Remove from oven and cool completely.  Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, then carefully invert the flans onto one large or three smaller serving plates.

Nattalia's Rum Stollen

( 2 loaves)

This is a recipe my mother passed along to me this year. It produces a delicious and very rich rum stollen, a traditional German Christmas bread.

I made my own candied orange and lemon peel because the only candied peel I was able to find in Sequim contained high fructose corn syrup. This was manageable because making this stollen took two days (soaking the nuts and raisins).

The finished loaves were then wrapped in parchment and left in a cool dark place for a week to allow the flavors to fully develop.

candied orange and lemon peel
1 large organic lemon
1 small to medium organic navel orange
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

about 3 tbsp fine granulated sugar

Wash and dry the lemon and orange. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the lemon. Cut off the peel in strips, yellow and white parts. Cut these pieces into small dice.

Repeat with the orange.

Place the water and salt into a small saucepan. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the lemon and orange peel. Bring up to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes. Drain.

Add enough cold water to cover the peel and bring back up to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes and drain the peel again.

Empty the saucepan and combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer. Add the peel and cook for about 30 minutes or until the peel is tender and translucent.

Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with about 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peel from the syrup, shake off the excess liquid and spread over the sugared parchment paper in a single layer. When all of the peel is spread out, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Allow to dry overnight.

(There was a small amount of citrus flavored syrup leftover which I used in my tea).

rum stollen
2 cups raisins
about 1 cup dark rum, divided
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 lb butter, 2 sticks warmed until runny, but not hot
4 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 tsp dry active yeast
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 cup candied lemon and orange peel
1 tbsp flour

The day before you plan on baking this, place the raisins in a small bowl and sprinkle with half a cup of rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight, stirring at least once or twice.

Place the almonds in another small bowl. Combine about 1/3 of a cup of rum with the almond extract. Pour this mixture over the almonds and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside overnight, stirring at least once or twice.

The next morning combine the butter with 2 cups of flour. Refrigerate this mixture while you prepare the yeast dough.

Combine the milk, yeast and sugar. Let sit until the yeast has dissolved.

Place the remaining 2 cups of flour and cardamom into the bowl of a 9 or 11 cup food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

With the motor running pour the milk and yeast mixture down the chute. Turn off the motor when the dough begins to come together.

Take the top off the food processor. Break up the dough and distribute evenly around the bowl. Remove the flour and butter mixture from the refrigerator and form small walnut sized balls. Place about 5 or 6 of those around the yeast dough. Replace the top and pulse a few times to combine.

Drop the remaining flour and butter mixture in small pieces down the chute until all of it has been combined with the yeast dough.

Process until you have a smooth ball of dough, taking care not to let the mixture get too hot. Place into a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Wait until the dough has risen about 2 1/2 times; about 2-3 hrs.

Drain the raisins and almonds, reserving the leftover rum. Combine the fruit and nuts with 1 cup of the candied lemon and orange peel (reserve the rest for another use).

Add the flour and toss. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece to about 1/4 inch thickness; about 12 x 14". Cover with half of the fruit and nut mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap for about 15 minutes.

Roll the ends like a jelly roll towards the center. Flatten the dough and then roll up again from the bottom to the top. Gently roll into a rectangle about 6" x 10 ". Fold in half with the top not quite meeting the other side; see photo.

Place onto a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper. Cover with a light dry kitchen towel to rise until doubled; up to 4 hours.

Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.

Preheat oven to 350F. Set the racks so that the stollen bakes in the upper top portion of the oven; about 2 to 3 notches down.

Bake the stollen for 50-65 minutes or until done. Remove from oven.

to finish
3 tbsp butter
the leftover and reserved rum
about 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
about 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners)

Quickly prepare the glaze to brush onto the warm stollen. Gently heat the leftover rum with the butter. Brush this mixture onto both sides of each loaf until you have used all of it.

Roll each warm loaf in granulated sugar; both sides. Then dust each loaf generously with powdered sugar. Allow to cool.

Wrap the cooled loaves in parchment paper. (My mother was pretty insistent not to use plastic. She told me the loaves shouldn't "sweat". I couldn't help myself. I placed one parchment wrapped loaf into a paper bag and the other into a *plastic bag). Allow the loaves to sit in a cool dark place for at least a week. This gives the flavors a chance to mellow.

A week later *I preferred the stollen that had been placed in plastic. I thought the stollen wrapped in parchment paper and then placed into a paper bag was a bit on the dry side.

Vegan Apple and Asian Pear Crisp

I've just returned from Canada. I was there for the Canadian Thanksgiving, and made several vegan dishes for that feast. One of these was a huge apple crisp with the apples tossed in a caramel sauce. The kids loved it, although I thought it turned out a tad too sweet. This version contains less sugar and vegan buttery spread (no caramel sauce). I also tossed in some juicy organic Asian pears grown here in Sequim.

A small 1.5 liter casserole dish (7x7x3) is ideal for this crisp. It has a smaller surface, so the ratio of apples to crisp topping is greater. A good thing for those watching their waistlines. No worries if you don't have this particular dish (turns out it's vintage), use an 8x8x2 inch pan instead.

apples and pears
about 2 lbs of apples and Asian pears combined
1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp apple or orange juice

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Core then, cut the apples and Asian pears into large chunks; about 1 1/2 inches. You don't need to peel them first. Place the fruit into a bowl and sprinkle with the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and juice. Toss.

Place the mixture into a small 7x7x3 or 8x8x2 baking dish. Set aside.

crisp topping
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp "buttery" vegan spread
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place the rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, vegan spread and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and pear mixture.

Bake for about an hour or until the top has browned nicely and the apple mixture has begun to bubble.

This crisp is best served warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Scented Lavender Bundt Cake

(one 8 cup tube cake)

Next weekend is Lavender Festival here in Sequim, WA. Sequim lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, where it often receives less than 16 inches of rain annually. Combine that with sandy and acidic soils and you get ideal growing conditions for lavender.

This cake has a pronounced lavender flavor which is a bit unexpected in this sort of cake, yet very pleasant. My mum loaned me her lovely 8 cup bundt pan which was ideal. Her pan was heavy cast aluminum and that made a huge difference. My cake turned out perfect! It was evenly browned and it finished baking in 50 minutes. Whenever I use my smaller ceramic 6 cup bundt pan, my cakes end up spending well over an hour in the oven. What a pleasant surprise!

lemon-lavender cake
2 cups wholewheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp culinary lavender
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the wholewheat pastry flour, unbleached flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside

Remove the rind from the lemon, taking care to get as little of the white pith as possible. Place this into the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lavender. Pulse until the rind and lavender are ground up and combined with the sugar.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour an 8 cup bundt/tube pan and set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl, gradually beating in the flavored sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until all of the sugar has been added and the butter mixture is light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Combine 1 tablespoon of juice with the milk and stir. Set aside any remaining juice for the glaze.

Stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and when that's been combined, stir in half of the soured milk. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk mixtures.

Fill the prepared cake pan with the batter. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. I usually begin testing as soon as the aroma of cake begins to fill my kitchen.

Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate.

Prepare the lavender glaze.

lavender glaze
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp culinary lavender
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter

In a small saucepan combine the water, lemon juice and lavender. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook another 5 minutes, stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.

Strain the syrup into a small bowl. Add the butter to the hot syrup, stirring until it has melted. Brush this glaze over the warm cake.

Serve the cake when it has completely cooled.

Almond Pavlova with Strawberries

(8-10 servings)

This almond pavlova with whipped cream, chocolate and strawberries is pretty easy to make. You can bake the meringue the day before so that everything assembles quickly on the day you plan to serve it.

I experimented a bit with the meringue. The traditional version uses twice the weight of sugar to egg whites. I tried this and found the resulting pavlova too sweet. I ended up decreasing the amount of sugar the second time around with good results. The second pavlova was still a bit sweeter than I like, but I doubt most people would complain about that.

The strawberry season is almost over here in Sequim. I might be able to head out and pick one more time, if I'm lucky.

almond pavlova
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup *fine sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Trace an 8 or 9 inch circle onto a piece of parchment paper and place that onto a cookie sheet. Set aside.

Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake them in the middle of the oven for about 5-8 minutes or until they are fragrant and lightly browned.

Remove from oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Place about 3/4 (reserving the remainder) of the toasted almonds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have a fine meal. Set aside.

Place the eggs whites into a clean glass or metal bowl and begin to beat until they are frothy. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the surface and resume beating.

Add a tablespoon of sugar at a time until you have used all of it up and the meringue is stiff.
* I used evaporated cane juice which I processed in a blender to make it finer. I didn't do this with my first batch and noticed my meringue was grainy because the sugar didn't completely dissolve.

Sprinkle the almond extract over the surface and fold the meringue a few times using a spatula. Add the ground almonds and carefully fold those in taking care not to over mix. The almonds don't need to be perfectly blended.

Empty the contents of the bowl onto the circle you drew previously and using the back of a spoon, spread the meringue to fit the circle. Sprinkle with the reserved sliced almonds and place into the middle of the oven.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F from 300°F. Bake the meringue for about 40 - 50 minutes. It will be ready when the outer portion has hardened and the middle still feels a bit soft to the touch.

Remove from oven and cool.

**whipped cream
1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat at high speed. Reduce the speed of your beaters when the cream begins to get thick and watch the whipped cream carefully. It can go from thick, to stiff, to butter really fast. You want it to be quite thick and spreadable, like frosting. Set aside.

**If the pavlova sits for more than an hour or two before serving you might consider stabilizing the whipped cream. To do this you will need:

1 tbsp water
3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin

Place the water into a very small pot and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over that. Gently heat until the gelatin has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Don't let it thicken.

When you begin to whip the cream, add this mixture while the beaters are going. The rest of the instructions above remain the same.

to assemble
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp heavy cream
the vanilla whipped cream you prepared earlier
1 1/2 pints strawberries (about 3 cups) washed and dried

Carefully heat the chocolate and stir until it has melted. Gently heat the cream and stir this into the melted chocolate. Set aside.

Place the baked pavolva onto a serving plate. Spread the whipped cream over the pavolva and place the strawberries over the cream. Drizzle with the chocolate.

Serve.

Refreshing Agar Agar Dessert with Fruit

(6 servings)

Agar agar, a jelling agent which is derived from seaweed is ideal for vegan or vegetarian diets. It has a texture similar to gelatin, yet different; not as "rubbery". it sets without the need for refrigeration and unlike gelatin, it holds its shape in warmer weather.

In recent years whenever I have encountered the powdered form, it has contained sugar, so I having been using the bar form instead.

1 bar/stick agar agar, (about 7 gm/.25 oz)
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar, (3-4 tbsp honey, if paleo)
2/3 cup light or regular coconut milk
1/4 tsp pure almond extract, or to taste
1 orange
2 medium mangoes

Break/rip the agar agar into small pieces and place them into a pot. Add the water and soak for about 30 minutes.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring until the agar agar has dissolved; about 10-12 minutes.

Add the cane sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk. If you see small bits of agar agar in the mixture, cook for a few more minutes until they have dissolved. Remove from heat and add the almond extract. Taste and add more almond extract if desired.

Pour the mixture through a sieve into an 8 or 9 inch  square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

When you are ready to serve. Squeeze the juice from the orange and pour into a small bowl. Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh into dice. Add the diced fruit to the juice.

Cut the set coconut milk mixture into cubes and divide between bowls. Spoon the mango cubes and orange juice mixture over each serving.

Poached Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce

(about 6-8 servings)

If you need a dessert that travels well or something to end a heavy meal, this recipe might work for you. Peeled D'Anjou pears are poached in a spiced, not too sweet liquid, then served with a dark chocolate sauce. The combination is terrific.

pears
1 medium orange
1 small lemon
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 star anise
1 3" cinnamon stick
5 allspice berries
6 D'Anjou pears

With a sharp knife carefully cut the peels off  both the orange and lemon taking care to get as little of the white pith as possible. When you have removed the peels, squeeze the juice from both fruits and pour into a pot.

Add the wine, water, honey, star anise, cinnamon stick and allspice berries. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Don't worry if it foams up a bit.

Meanwhile, peel the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores.

Drop the pears into the hot liquid and gently simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the fruit can easily be pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the pears from the pot and increase the heat slightly.

Simmer the liquid until it has reduced to about a cup; about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce. It will not thicken but it will be a very flavorful concentrated liquid. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.

dark chocolate sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb dark (72% cacao) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dark rum or vanilla extract

Heat the cream until you notice small bubbles forming around the edges, Don't allow the cream to come to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the rum or vanilla extract.

Pour the sauce into a **small glass jar if you aren't using it right away.

To serve, place one or two pear halves onto a plate or into small bowl. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of the reduced poaching sauce over the pears followed by a tablespoon or two of the chocolate sauce.

**If the chocolate sauce has thickened too much as it cooled, then don't reheat it on the stove top or microwave. If the sauce gets too hot it might curdle. Just pour some hot tap water into a bowl and then place the jar with the sauce into the hot bath for about 2 minutes. The water shouldn't come up all the way to the top; about two thirds of the way up is fine.

Spice Cookies

(about 6 dozen 2" cookies)

This recipe makes a nice crisp spiced cookie, which isn't too sweet, and keeps well in a tin.

cookies
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground anise seed
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3-4 tbsp half and half or milk

Combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, anise, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and baking powder until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

With a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy; about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and brown sugar. Sprinkle the half and half or milk over the cookie mixture, a tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to form a ball.  Knead a few times and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Roll out a piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/5" thick and cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat about 1/2" apart.

Gather the scraps, combine with another piece of dough and roll out again. Continue until all of the dough is used up.

Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven on one row for about 10-14 minutes or until they begin to lightly brown along the edges. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets.

glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp meringue powder
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
about 1 tbsp water, give or take

Combine the icing sugar and meringue powder in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon extract, then very slowly add the water until you have a glaze that is thin enough to drizzle over the cookies.

Allow the glaze to harden for about 3 hours before transferring the cookies to a tin.

Spiced Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

(8 inch square cake)

A lot of folks here have fruit trees in their backyards. Since September I've had a steady stream of various types of apples in my kitchen. It seems every time I visit my mum, she sends me home with another bag of them. The last batch of apples I got from her were fairly tart and worked really well in this delicious spiced cake.

The amount of frosting I made was just enough for a thin layer over the top of the cake. I thought that was plenty, however you could easily double the recipe if you prefer more.


dry ingredients
1 1/4 cup whole wheat  pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp mace or nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

wet ingredients
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsulphered molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1 large tart cooking apple, cut into small dice


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Line the greased pan with parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, anise, allspice, cloves, mace or nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until everything is well combined.  Set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs until the mixture is smooth in a second bowl. Stir in the chopped apples.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool further.

frosting

3 tbsp butter

about 1 -1 1/3 cups icing sugar

about 2 tsp of  heavy cream

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown and becomes very fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk about 2/3 cup icing sugar into the cooled butter. Add the cream, then another 1/3 cup or so of icing sugar. Add more sugar if needed, to create a spreadable but not too stiff frosting. Add more cream if it seems too stiff.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Mocha Buttercream Cake with Hazelnut Buttercrunch

(8 inch cake; about 9 servings)

A few weeks ago I rented a small furnished studio apartment near Sequim, WA. It has a tiny kitchen area, but it's big enough to cook most things.

Over a two day period this past week, I baked and assembled a mocha buttercream cake with hazelnut buttercrunch in (what for me was) a limited kitchen. In Dallas I had a large powerful kitchen machine at my disposal and without it I felt a bit unprepared for this task. I ended up mixing the batter for this cake by hand and used a small handheld 200 watt beater for the buttercream. I really wanted to try an Italian buttercream for this but made a German version instead because that required less beating. I will try the Italian buttercream at some point, but it was my mum's birthday this weekend and I didn't want to take any chances.

For the cake itself, I adapted a recipe from Hershey's. This is a type of devil's food which turned out perfect. The finished moist cake had a nice even texture. I didn't sweeten the buttercream very much because I figured the amount of sugar in the cake batter (more than I usually add), plus the hazelnut buttercrunch would balance things out in terms of sweetness. You might consider adding more sugar to the buttercream if you are making it for something else.

adapted Black Magic Cake Recipe from Hershey's
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot strong espresso or black coffee
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 small eggs or 1 extra large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8 inch square pan (all I had) or an 8 inch round pan (what I would have preferred to use). Line the greased pan with parchment paper and lightly grease that as well. Set aside.

Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside

Stir together the hot coffee and cocoa until smooth and pour that into a second bowl. Stir together the milk and lemon juice or vinegar. When the milk begins to curdle, add that to the coffee and chocolate mixture. Stir in the oil. Add the 2 small eggs or 1 extra large egg (I have been buying eggs from a local farmer, selecting only the small ones because they are so cute) and whisk until everything is well combined.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk for about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place into the middle of the preheated oven.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan.

German Mocha Buttercream
2 cups milk
1/4 cup corn starch

2 - 5 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp instant coffee

pinch of salt

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

about 1 cup butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature

German buttercream is made by beating butter into cooled pudding. The proportions are usually about 2 parts pudding to one part butter. The pudding should be slightly sweeter and more flavorful to compensate for the plain butter. What's really important here is that both pudding and butter be the same temperature, otherwise the mixture might curdle and not come together. I find it easiest to prepare the pudding the night before and leave the butter out on the counter along with the pudding.

Place 1 1/2 cups milk into a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir together the remaining 1/2 cup milk with the corn starch until smooth and set aside. Stir in the amount of sugar you are using. I added 2 tablespoons, but if you like your buttercream sweeter, then add more sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

When the mixture begins to bubble slightly at the sides,  stir in the instant coffee and the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.

Add the reserved milk and corn starch mixture. Increase the heat slightly and stir until the pudding begins to thicken. Continue to stir until you notice the pudding begin to bubble, then remove the pan from the heat.

Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow the pudding to cool completely; preferably overnight. 

Place the cooled pudding into a bowl. Beat in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time. Initially the mixture will be streaky and curdled looking, but eventually the buttercream will come together. You will notice the buttercream all of a sudden "stiffen" as you are beating in the butter. You can stop at this point, even if you haven't used all of the butter.

If for some reason the buttercream has curdled, you can save the buttercream by either immersing the bottom of the bowl in hot water momentarily to gently heat the mixture, or by placing the entire bowl into the microwave (if it's microwave safe) for 10-20 seconds at a time. Beat the mixture at high speed until the buttercream emulsifies. You might have to cool it a bit afterwards (then beat it again) before spreading it over the cake.

hazelnut buttercrunch (this recipe makes a bit extra)
1 cup sugar

2 tbsp agave nectar or corn syrup

1/4 cup butter, (1/2 stick) 

1 1/2 cups toasted hazelnuts

I usually make this without a candy thermometer by watching the color of the sugar mixture. It might be easier to use white sugar and corn syrup if you haven't done this before.

Prepare a cookie sheet by either greasing it or lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, agave nectar or corn syrup and butter in a small non stick sauce pan and place over medium heat. Cook and stir the mixture until the butter has completely combined with the sugar and the color is a nice rich medium brown.

Add the hazelnuts and cook for another 30 seconds or so while stirring all the while. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and using a wooden spoon push the nuts until they are in a single even layer. You will have to work quickly as the mixture will begin to harden quickly as it cools.

When the buttercrunch has cooled completely, roughly chop the mixture with a large sharp knife. Set aside.

Rum syrup
1 tbsp apple, pomegranate or red currant jelly
1/4 cup rum

Combine the jelly with half of the rum in a microwave proof container and heat for about 30-45 seconds or until the jelly has melted. Stir in the remainder of the rum and set aside.

To assemble the cake.
Remove the cake from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Carefully slit the cake into two layers horizontally. Remove the top layer and set aside.

Place the bottom layer (cut side up) onto a serving plate and place strips of parchment paper (about 4 inches wide) underneath the sides of the cake, allowing for about 2 1/2 inches of the strips to extend beyond the edges.

Spread the rum syrup evenly over the top of the bottom layer. Spread about 1/3 of the mocha buttercream over that. Sprinkle about 3/4 - 1 cup of chopped hazelnut buttercrunch evenly over the buttercream.

Place the top layer of the cake over the bottom layer and spread another 1/3 of the buttercream over the top.

Spread the remaining buttercream (reservng a small amount for decorating the top if desired) onto the sides of the cake. Carefully press the chopped hazelnut mixture onto the sides of the cake using the parchment paper stripes to help with any stray bits.

There's plenty of hazelnut buttercrunch, so you can cover the entire top of the cake with it, or use a few pieces to decorate and eat the rest. :)

Carefully remove the strips of parchment paper before serving.

Hazelnut & Honey Cake with Plums (gluten free)

(8 inch cake)

This cake is a happy union of hazelnuts from Oregon and Washington plums. If you have access to a food processor, then this delicious dessert will come together very quickly.

I have no idea why I made the crumb topping. The cake would have been fine without it. If anything, the plums might have been more visible after it came out of the oven.

crumb topping (optional)
2 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tbsp cool butter

hazelnut cake
2 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup honey

6 tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
a pinch of salt

4 large eggs

6-9 plums, washed and cut in half, stones removed

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare an 8 inch round cake pan by greasing it well with butter, then lining the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment cut to fit. I was only able to find a springform at my mum's place, so I covered the bottom and sides with aluminum foil (in case it leaked) and gave that a generous coating of butter. Set aside.

Place the crumb topping ingredients into the bowl of a food processor (if making) and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a course meal. Empty the crumb topping into a small bowl and set aside.

Place the hazelnuts into the food processor. Run the motor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the honey, butter, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and eggs. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy looking. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few times. Set aside.

Pour the hazelnut mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a spoon to even it out.

Arrange the plums over the hazelnut mixture, cut side down. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cake, if using.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top of the cake has browned nicely and the middle feels firm to the touch.

Cool the cake for about 20 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and cool it further on a wire cake rack.

Tangy Lemon Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberry Coulis

(4-6 servings)

This lighter version of the classic Italian dessert can be prepared a day or two ahead, if desired. Just keep it covered and chilled.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey, or to taste
1 envelope gelatin
1 2/3 cups Greek yogurt or labneh
zest from 1 medium lemon
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy cream

1 lb fresh strawberries
1 tbsp honey

Combine the water and honey and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Gently heat the honey and gelatin mixture, then stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Set aside.

Combine the Greek yogurt, zest and lemon juice in a bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Stir the cream into the gelatin mixture, then slowly mix that into the yogurt mixture. Taste and mix in more honey if you prefer your panna cotta sweeter.

Spoon into small individual ramekins or into a single larger bowl. Place into the refrigerator and chill, (preferable overnight) until set.

When you are ready to serve the panna cotta, wash and hull the strawberries. Place half of them into the bowl of a food processor along one tablespoon of honey. Pulse until you have a smooth sauce. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve if you'd like to remove the seeds (I don't bother).

Slice the remaining strawberries and add them to the coulis.

Run a sharp knife along the edge of the panna cotta. Dip the outside of the ramekins or bowl into hot water for 5-10 seconds to loosen. Invert the onto serving plate or plates. Serve with the chunky strawberry coulis.

Carrot (Juicer Pulp) Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I received a juicer this year for Christmas and I love it! I have been juicing everything in sight; carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples, carrots, celery, beets...  red cabbage. The juice has been amazing, so much better than store bought!

However, one of the drawbacks of any juicer (in my opinion) is the pulp. There's a lot of it. Initially I put it into my composter, but that bothered me. The pulp wasn't completely dry and it contained a lot of fibre as well as nutrients. It just seemed wasteful to me to be dumping it into my garden. I did a quick check online to see what others were doing with their leftover pulp and to my surprise I came across some really interesting recipes for crackers, muffins, soups and cakes.

The first time I made this cake, I followed an online recipe which used 2 parts carrot pulp to one part flour. My cake turned out so heavy and dense, it was like one giant hockey puck!

I looked through a couple of cookbooks to check proportions and discovered that depended on whether the carrots were pureed or shredded. The Silver Palate Cookbook suggested about 2 parts flour to 1 part carrot puree whereas Maida Heatter's, Great Book of American Desserts suggested 1 part flour to 2 parts "shredded" carrots. I experimented a bit and found what worked best for me was a combination of juicer pulp and shredded carrot at a ratio of 1 part flour to 1 1/4 parts carrots. This yielded a nice moist cake with a lovely texture.

Check out the link for the icing sugar. I made my own for the frosting, using sucanat!

carrot cake (one 9 inch layer)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
*1 1/2 tsp Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 pinches salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup carrot pulp
**1/4 - 1/3 cup carrot juice, if needed
1/2 cup shredded carrots, packed

1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 9 inch cake springform and tap out the excess flour. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, sucanat, cocoa powder (*Maida Heatter added cocoa powder to her carrot cake resulting in a darker batter) cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil, yogurt and eggs. Whisk in the carrot pulp. **If the mixture seems too thick/dry after adding the carrot pulp, you might need to add some carrot juice. The finished consistency should be similar to "regular" yogurt which has been whisked. 

Stir in the dry ingredients until they are well combined. Fold the shredded carrots, raisins, walnuts and coconut into the batter, then pour the the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Smooth the top and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the sides begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, then remove the cake and peel off the parchment paper. 

cream cheese frosting

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 package)

2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup icing sugar

Place the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor. Process, using pulses until the mixture is smooth.

Add the icing sugar; about half at a time and process until it's completely mixed in.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Sweet Potato Pie

(one 9 inch pie)

For quite some time I have been intrigued by the Cook's Illustrated "Foolproof" Pie Crust, however I have an aversion to making them, so I've been hitting the refrigerated section at the market and grabbing ready made pie crusts despite my better intentions. Today was different. I thought I had one in my refrigerator, but I was mistaken. It's unseasonably cold here in Dallas, and I was reluctant to leave my toasty home just for one item. I had everything I needed right here to make one, so I took the plunge. Hands down, this was the best pie crust I've ever had. It was buttery and flaky and easier (and quicker) to make than I had imagined.

I used regular flour (I was reluctant to experiment on a holiday), but I might try this pie crust recipe again using gluten free flour. I imagine it should work quite well as part of the premise that makes this particular crust successful is the addition of vodka which both inhibits the formation of gluten as well as produces a flakier crust because the alcohol evaporates during baking.

Sweet potato pie is a southern specialty, and in all honesty I prefer it to pumpkin pie. I like adding bourbon to mine, but you can leave that out if you prefer, either way, this pie is delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 unbaked pie crust, (Cook's Illustrated recipe using vodka)

2 large sweet potatoes, baked and cooled (about 2 1/2 lbs)
*2/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp bourbon (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup heavy cream

Line a pie dish with the dough and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Scoop out the flesh from the sweet potatoes; you should have about 3 cups. Place into the bowl of a large food processor. Add the sucanat, eggs, bourbon, if using and spices. Pulse a few times until everything is combined. *Add an extra 1/3 cup of sucanat or brown sugar if you prefer your desserts on the sweet side. This is pretty subjective because personally I think 2/3 cup is perfect. :P

Leave the motor running and pour the cream down the chute. Stop when the cream is combined and you have a smooth thick mixture.

                                   Look at that beautiful flaky crust!

Spoon the filling into the refrigerated pie shell and bake at 400°F. for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° F. and continue baking another 35-50 minutes or until the filling is firm and the pie crust is a golden brown. I use a small counter top convection type oven, you might have to adjust the baking times a bit as I imagine my oven might be faster.

Remove from oven and cool. The filling will have puffed up a bit during baking and will shrink back down as it cools.

Sour Cream Cranberry & Apple Pie

(one 9 inch pie)

Fresh cranberries and crispy apple slices are tossed in sweetened sour cream and topped with a thin layer of streusel.

filling
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
4 medium Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored, cut into slices

1 unbaked single layer pie crust pressed into a 9 inch pie dish

streusel topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter (half a stick)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, sucanat, flour, cinnamon and ginger. Add the cranberries and apple slices and toss until they are evenly coated.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared pie dish. You will probably have to mound it slightly.

Combine the streusel ingredients either by hand, cutting in the butter until it resembles a course meal or place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is broken down into very small pieces. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cranberry and apple mixture.

Place the pie onto a cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes. (My pie was already lightly browned at this point). Reduce the heat to 350°F. and continue baking another 50-60 minutes or until the pie has browned and the filling is hot and bubbling all over.

Remove from oven and cool before slicing. This pie is best on the day it's made.

Lemon Zucchini Cake with Poppy Seeds

(4.5x8.5 inch loaf cake)

For several months I have been exploring gluten free baking and I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I can tolerate gluten just fine, but I'm interested in reducing the amount of wheat in my diet and I have managed to do that to a certain extent.

Last week I took a bit of a detour when a friend requested a lemon cake for dessert.. made with "real" flour, lol.  This is what I made.

cake adapted from a recipe at Chocolate & Zucchini
2 large eggs
5.3oz (150g) container greek style lemon yogurt
2/3 cup sucanat or granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
fine zest from 1 lemon
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch or two of salt
1 cup shredded zucchini, don't pack 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 4.5x8.5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Wisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon juice and lemon extract until well combined. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the zest, flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. When everything is well mixed, add the zucchini and gently toss until the zucchini is well coated and evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Add the egg and yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is evenly moistened. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 35-45  minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the loaf is a golden brown.

Remove and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place onto a serving plate. Cool further.

glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add enough lemon juice to the icing sugar until you have a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake.