Quasi Apple Clafutis

Turning on the oven this season may lead to quite sweaty baking sessions, it's a fact. But what if your sweet sweet love is back from chicago and you just want to tell him how much you missed him? he's a huge supporter of your cooking experiments, and that's another fact. and he's very handsome, by the way.

Therefore, let's talk about baking apples. How do you describe a clafoutis? Mh, let me see... it's creamy like a pudding, it involves fresh fruit and quite a few eggs. Whether you go the traditional way, cherries and less sugar, or prefer my sweeter version, it's the quality and taste of fruit that comes first and wins you over here. Good luck with your summer baking sessions!

Apple Milk Mattonella

Slice 4 big apples or 3 apples and one banana (yeah, the round darker spots in the picture are bananas, which fit quite well and add some extra creaminess), add some lemon juice and set aside. You can add few drops of vanilla essence, rhum, grappa, whatever you think it will bring up the flavors. Prepare the clafoutis by mixing together 4 eggs, 100gr sugar, 180gr flour, the zest of one lemon, and 500ml of milk. That's it. Now stir the fruit in the mixture and bake in a rectangular pan: one hour 220 degrees.

Summer Pasta & Restyling

summer time, when all you need is some pasta salad with fresh fruit. any time, any mood, any weather...
just boil 300gr of pasta (farfalle and orecchiette work best) but make it very, very al dente. let it cool in cold water and season with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and orange juice. then add one small melon and one avocado cut in small dice, and 250gr of smoked salmon. makes 4 servings!
next time, i'll add roasted pine nuts.
(source: sale&pepe august 2008)

Cozy Apples

Upside-down Apple Muffins
(as i feel right now)

cut two apples in little dice and cook them with 40gr of butter, two spoons of brown sugar and the juice of one lemon until the liquid is reduced to a glaze (5 min). divide the apples upon muffin cups (around 10). mix together 3/4cup of flour, 1/2cup of buckwheat (or cornmeal), 1/3cup of caster sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. add 50gr of butter, one egg and 3/4cup of milk. whisk until combined. divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 min. serve upside-down :)

Blueberries Are A Girl's Best Friend

i had the occasion to show my deep love for fresh blueberries here, with what i still consider The Best Blueberry Cake. on the other hand, i thought these little black pearls deserved to be mentioned once more... and there was no better occasion than this creamy and cinnamony precious blueberry love. it's perfect, i mean it.

the recipe can be found here, even though i made some major modifications such as using half of the butter (for the batter) and 125ml of cream instead of 80gr milk... which do make the difference. and i also used half caster and half white sugar. i'll just write the italian version, ok?

Torta ai Mirtilli

primo step: preparare la crosticina croccante finale, impastando velocemente con le mani 50gr di burro freddo, 40gr di farina, 60gr di zucchero di canna e un cucchiaino abbondante di cannella. il burro non si deve sciogliere completamente e l'impasto deve rimanere bello sabbioso. secondo step: ora preparare l'impasto sbattendo con il mixer 30gr di burro morbido e 100gr di zucchero (io ho fatto metà di canna e metà semolato). quando l'impasto è bello morbido, aggiungere un uovo e i semi di un baccello di vaniglia. ora aggiungere, alternando, 160gr di farina (e una bustina di lievito) e 120ml di panna. continuare con lo sbattitore elettrico fino a che l'impasto non risulta perfettamente amalgamato. terzo step: comporre la torta versando l'impasto in una tortiera. coprire con uno strato di mirtilli freschi (250gr) e concludere con l'impasto di burro e farina. cuocere in forno a 180 gradi per 45 minuti.

Coconut Treats

a good way to get rid of some egg whites leftovers and remind yourself there is still something good in this universe...

Dolcetti al Cocco

fare fondere 70gr di cioccolato bianco (o nero) e lasciare raffreddare. a parte, montare 2 albumi con 100gr di zucchero e aggiungere 100gr di cocco grattuggiato. unire il cioccolato e passare in forno a 180gradi fino a che non sono belli dorati

Cononut Treats

melt 70gr of (white or dark) chocolate and let cool. whisk 2 egg whites with 100gr of sugar. stir 100gr of coconut and the melted chocolate. bake in preheated oven 180° for around 15 minutes, until golden as in the picture

November Apple Pie

and here we go with the november apples! this is not a real pie, since it is made with puff pastry instead of the usual pie pastry, but it is a classic of my childhood... actually, the best my mum managed to come up with in her old lazy cooking days :) in her defense, i will admit she's a much better cook now...

My Mum's Apple Pie
(adapted by daughter's taste at the moment of baking)

mix together: two sliced apples and two spoons of honey. now add whatever you feel it tastes good with apples and autumn: sultanas, pine kernels, cinnamon, cardamom, almonds... and two big spoons of breadcrumbs. fill the baking tin covered of puff pastry, cover the filling with another circle of puff pastry and bake in oven for half an hour at 180degrees.

La Torta di Mele della Mamma
(adattata ai gusti estemporanei della figlia)

mescolare insieme due mele e due cucchiai di miele. poi aggiungere uvetta, pinoli, cannella, mandorle, cardamomo, e altri ingredienti a piacere che stiano bene con le mele. in ultimo, aggiungere due cucchiai di pangrattato. coprire uno stampo da crostata con un cerchio di pasta sfoglia, riempire con il ripieno e coprire con un altro cerchio di sfoglia. cuocere in forno a 180 gradi per una mezz'oretta.

The Softest Lemon Muffins

every time a post a recipe of soup, the weather is bright and sunny the day after. winter does not like the meals i prepare for the season. well, not so bad, actually.
let's make some soft and yellow little cakes, then... to scare the winter away :)

Ricotta and Lemon Cakes
(makes 12)

whisk one egg with 150gr of sugar until it melts. then stir in 150gr of ricotta cheese, 120gr of melted butter (i usually put 50gr), one lemon zest, one lemon juice and two drops of almond essence. well mix and finally add 200gr of sifted flour with the baking powder. bake in pre-heated oven 200degrees for 15 minutes, until golden.
for the icing (optional): melt 100gr of icing sugar with one/two spoons of lemon juice.
decorate with candied lemon peels

ecco l'ennesima ricetta tratta dal Cavoletto! ecco, insomma, non si puo' proprio dire che non le sia fedele ;) è che le ricette di Sigrid non solo hanno la garanzia di stupire al primo colpo, sono anche semplici da realizzare e riadattabili alle piu' diverse situazioni/ingredienti in stand-by nel tuo frigo. il link della ricetta in italiano è qui. li ho rifatti piu' e piu' volte, specialmente nella mia fase muffins-sperimentale di qualche mesetto fa, a volte usando lo yogurt greco al posto della ricotta, a volte l'olio al posto del burro. e allora grazie Cavoletto, perchè questa è decisamente una delle mie prime ricette di successo, di quelle che hanno contribuito alla mia crescita culinaria :)

Pineapple Saturday #3: Pinacolada Panna Cotta

the last pineapple recipe and a classic revisited. panna cotta can solve many of your dinners, since it is very easy to make, absolutely versatile and not so heavy. so feel free to propose it after a square meal. my favorite is plain or vanilla panna cotta with whirred fresh fruit on top. btw, the whirres fresh frut is called "fruit coulis", if i'm not mistaking.

Pinacolada Panna Cotta
(serves 6)

boil 200ml of cream and 250 ml of coconut milk with two tablespoons of sugar. in the meanwhile, prepare two sheets of gelatine (soaked it in cold water). when the cream boils, move it away from the stove and add the gelatine. let the gelatine melt and distribute the panna cottas in six little glasses, leaving some space for the pineapple gelatine. let them cool down completely and rest in the fridge for at least one hour. make the pineapple gelatine by whirring 4-5 slices of pineapple with one tablespoon of sugar and boil it for around ten minutes, until slightly curdled. then add another two sheets of gelatine (previously soaked in cold water). add a layer of pineapple gelatine to your coconut panna cottas, let it cool down and rest again in the fridge for another hour. ...decorate with cute straws and here's your pinacolada :)

Pineapple Saturday #2: Pineapple Coconut Chicken

let's go on with something salty. did i mention that i just discovered coconut milk some time ago (first time with the lentils soup) and it has became one of my favorite ingredients? and i mean coconut and pineapple together don't just make you feel like taking the first plane to the caribbeans??

Pineapple Coconut Chicken
(for 2 or three)

cook 2 chicken breasts cut in pieces in your wok for 5 minutes, until white outside. add one little spoon of curry, a pinch of ginger, three slices of fresh pineapple cut in pieces, some chili, salt and pepper. well mix for one minute and add 250ml of coconut milk. let it rest until the milk boils, then add one can of green beans (approx 250gr). cook for another 5-7 minutes, adding water if needed. serve hot with white rice.

Pineapple Saturday #1: I Heart Pineapple Cake

i got a beautiful pineapple from giulia last week, and i spent some time thinking about what to do with it... the result is these three exotic fruity posts :)

I Heart Pineapple Breakfast Cake
(please notice the little heart in the centre)

wisk three eggs with 150gr of cane sugar. add the seeds of a vanilla beam, 75gr of olive oil (i discovered olive oil in cakes and i just can't help it any more!) and two slices of fresh pineapple (cut in pieces, of course). at last add 250gr of flour and the baking powder. grease the baking tin with oil and put some pineapple decoration at the bottom of it (as in the picture). cover the pineapple with sugar, so that it will caramelize in the oven. add the batter and bake 180degrees for 50 minutes.

the result is a moist soft cozy cake, slurp

And from the archive... Blueberry Muffins

here they are... what can i say about blueberry muffins that was not said in history! they are a classic, and you know you will never get it wrong with a classic. sometimes i bake them just for their perfume; and they are a good gift for your boss, too :)

i think this recipe is one of those you should frame and keep with yourself forever; this is what i will do. cream, vanilla and blueberries. i'm in love!

Blueberry Muffins
(makes 15)

whisk 120gr of butter at room temperature with 100gr of white caster sugar until the butter becomes of a lighter colour. in another bowl, wisk 1 big egg (or 2 small) with 1,5dl of cream, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt. add to the butter bowl. add 250gr of flour and the baking powder. mix until creamy, and then add 150gr of blueberries. bake in the oven 180degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden.

oh, my, they're so soft and comfy and fragrant...

A mid-week treat: Banoffee Cupcakes

today the events of dull weather, b-friend not going to work and banoffee cuppy treat just MADE me stay at home in my cozy pj. but i'm going to study, anyway, and i won't feel too guilty about skipping lectures. oh, i love being a master student!

Banoffee Cupcakes
(adapted from Susannah Blake's book, makes 10)

beat 60gr of butter (room temperature) and 70gr of cane sugar together until the batter gets lighter. then add an egg and a mashed banana. when creamy, add 120gr of flour, the baking powder and 50gr of thinly chopped toffee candies. bake in preheated oven at 180degrees for 20 min.
for the topping: make a cream with 150gr of ricotta cheese and 2 tablespoons of icing sugar. decorate with a sliced banana and toffee candies.

ps- the original recipe requires the use of cream and dulce de leche as decoration, but i preferred a "lighter" version since i usually have cupcakes for breakfast.

Vintage Lemon Pasta

talking about vintage 80s recipes, here's one very very simple that i enjoy. actually, lemon pasta features many variances, this is my "infallible" recipe version :)

Lemon Pasta
(for 2 or even 3)

for the sauce: lightly fry half onion in olive oil. salt. add the minced zest of one lemon, its juice (be careful to the seeds!) and mix. add 200 ml of cream and cook for 6-7 minutes, mixing once in a while. salt and serve with pasta al dente and black pepper.

ps- to make it even more 80s, i would add a sprinkle of vodka together with the lemon juice

'cause Geeks know how to treat themselves - Blueberry cake, Pierre Herme's inspired

geeks are a very lucky category. they can develop real passions and love what they do.

personally, i love baking and statistics, and i wake up every day thinking that there's a probability assignment waiting to be solved, and a fantastic (just baked by me) cake waiting to be eaten :)
yes, i am a happy person. and everyone can be happy, too, at the moment when they realize they have the right to choose. you can choose the music that makes you feel relaxed and listen to it for 4 minutes a day; you can go back to study and finally read that history book on the train while coming from work; you can learn more about your colleagues and maybe one day you will listen to them and help them; you can attend a gym course and love your body again. so you see, even if there is no way to radically change your life and become the astronaut you dreamed about when you were a kid, you can still find your passions and become a geek in your everyday life, even for just 5 minutes/day.

Blueberry, Lemon and Olive Oil Cake

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Sift 250gr of flour and the baking powder together, set aside. In the mixer, mix the zest of 2 lemons with 200gr of sugar and add 4 eggs, one at a time. Add 3 tablespoons of milk, the flour, the juice of half lemon, 100gr of melted butter, 185gr of olive oil and continue mixing until nice and smooth.
Now put half of the batter in the cake tin, and cover with 200gr of blueberries. Cover with the rest of the batter and bake for 35-40 minutes.

the secret of this cake lies in first quality ingredients: living next to italy, i can find very good quality olive oil at an accessible price. and thanks to my father, i can use and taste wild blueberries from the alps :)

WhiteChocolate and Redcurrant Cupcakes

I am writing this post in defense of the too-many-times-abused cupcake category. I would like to give these cute little cakes the respect they deserve and show that they're not the tasteless spongy cakes you find at your work canteen. So here they are, fantastic and versatile as only ThePerfectDessert can be, ready to make your day brighter.

White chocolate and redcurrant cupcakes
(makes 12)

beat 100gr of butter and 100gr of sugar until pale. add 2 eggs and beat again. fold in 130 gr of sifted flour, the baking powder and the seeds from a vanilla beam. add three tablespoons of milk.
now put one spoon of the mixture in every paper case (paper cases make your cleaning less painful, and help preserve hygene) and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-22 minutes.
now prepare the topping: melt 100 gr of white chocolate and in the meanwhile beat 150 gr of philadelphia cheese (or another kind of cream cheese) with 3/4 tablespoons of icing sugar and the seeds of another vanilla beam. add the melted chocolate.
before decorating the cupcakes, cut the top part of your little cakes (the part that comes out of the paper cases) to make them flat. now give them a good spread of topping and finish the decoration with redcurrants. alternatively, you can use blueberries or other fruits which you think go well with vanilla.