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Ode to lemon



(…)So, when you hold
the hemisphere
of a cut lemon
above your plate,
you spill
a universe of gold,
a
yellow goblet
of miracles,
a fragrant nipple
of the earth’s breast,
a ray of light that was made fruit,
the minute fire of a planet.

Pablo Neruda


Lemon and poppy seeds muffins’

Makes 7:

100 g bread flour
85 g wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (5 g)
145 g sugar
125 g butter, softened
1 pinch of salt
100 g yogurt
2 eggs
30 ml sunflower oil
15 ml lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
10 g of poppy seeds
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 190º C.
Grease and lightly sprinkle with flour 7 muffin pans.
Sift the flour with the baking powder.
Beat sugar with butter and salt until mixture becomes light and creamy.
In another bowl, beat eggs with oil and lemon juice.
Add the egg mixture to the butter in 3 times, beating well.
Mix the lemon zest and poppy seeds.
Add the flour and mix quickly, only to connect all the ingredients.
Pour the batter into the forms to fill ¾ of its height.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Let the muffins cool slightly in the pans, unmold and cool completely on a cooling rack.

March 9, 2010 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines | 21 Comments 

… short-lived…




It was a sunny morning, with blue eyes so pure that intimidated any face to face.
Spring swore to eternity and I’ve kept the Sunday slow pace, not realizing that the aftermoon would completely broke all my faith.
The rain fell outside while we planted and reaped Madeleine cups’ in every corner of the house.




Honey mini madeleines

Makes 30:

90 g cold butter
2 eggs
25 g of honey
40 g sugar
40 g demerara sugar
90 g cake flour
Vanilla
A pinch of salt
Zest of ½ lemon

Preheat oven to 180 º C.
Beat the eggs with the sugar and salt.
Add butter, honey, vanilla and lemon zest and beat well.
Incorporate the flour.
Fill 2/3 of small paper cups.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.


March 9, 2010 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines | 3 Comments 

The carnival masquerade

pão de especiarias com foie e maçã

I’ve dressed up flagrantedelicia with a pinch of salt…

Spice bread with apple and foie

Serves 6 to 8

1 spice bread (see recipe here)

6 Granny Smith apples
1 fresh foie
Pink salt and pepper
100 ml port wine
50 ml Brandy
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar to burn
Germinated onion

Make the spice bread and keep it wrapped in cling film in the refrigerator.

Foie
Preheat the oven to 90 ° C.
Clean the foie of all veins and marinate with Brandy and Port wine for 3 hours.
Place the foie on a tray with holes and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 4 minutes.
Let the foie cool down and put into a rectangular lined with cling film.
Refrigerate.

Apple puree
Preheat oven to 160 º C.
Cover 3 apples with foil and place them into the oven until baked.
Let the apples cool down, remove the pulp and emulsify with a little olive oil.

Apple crisps
Mix equal parts water and sugar and bring to boil until sugar dissolves.
Cool completely.
Cut thin slices of apple using a mandoline.
Completely cover the slices with the syrup until they are soft and flexible.

Apple vinaigrette
Cut the apple in small dices.
Mix 3 parts oil to one part balsamic vinegar.
Mix together.

Cut a slice of the spice bread forming a rectangle.
Place a slice of foie on top and cover with the overlapping apple slices.
Spread brown sugar over the apple and caramelize with a blowtorch.
Serve on the apple puree, apple vinaigrette, balsamic reduction and germinated onion.

pão de especiarias com foie

February 18, 2010 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines | 6 Comments 

An invitation to almonds

frangipane


The flower that is coupled in fruit



Frangipane

Makes 50 (3 cm each):

200 g marzipan
200 g butter, softened
200 g sugar
5 eggs (255 g)
85 g cake flour

Topping:
230 g marzipan

Apricot jam:
400 g apricots
120 g sugar
½ vanilla bean

Peel, crush and pit the apricots.
Mix the apricot puree, sugar and vanilla bean in half in an open pan.
Bring to simmer, keeping a slow boil and reduce until you reach the desired texture (15, 20 minutes).
Close the jars and turn them with the lid down to create a vacuum for 15-20 minutes.
Pour the jam into jars with screw sterile, turning them with the lid down for 30 minutes to create a vacuum.
To sterilize the jars just get them directly from the dish washer or plunge them into boiling water for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190 º C.
Grease and line with parchment paper tray of a 34 X 44 cm.
Combine the marzipan with the butter and sugar until fluffy (10 minutes).
Mix the eggs, one by one, until the previous one is completely incorporated.
Gently fold in the flour.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
Cool completely in the mold.
Unmold the cake.

Cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal parts.
Spread a thin layer of apricot jam between layers and on top of the cake.
Roll the marzipan with a rolling pin with a thickness of 3 mm and cut the excess.
Cover the top of the cake with marzipan and reverse on a tray with parchment paper (the marzipan should be underneath).
Refrigerate until the cake is firm.
Cut the cake into squares.
Invert the squares and decorate to taste.
* the cake can freeze up to 3 weeks.

February 18, 2010 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines, custards, fillings, sauces, and glazes | 5 Comments 

Clockwork orange

bolos de laranja

Orange cakes

Makes 12 halves:

Cakes:
3 eggs
125 g cake flour
180 g sugar
100 g butter, softened
zest of 2 oranges

Orange custard:

180 ml orange juice
125 g sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
45 g butter
15 g cornstarch

Cakes:
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Grease and flour semi-espherical molds (7 cm diameter).
Beat the butter with the sugar until smootth and creamy.
Add the eggs and mix until tender.
Add the zest and the flour combining until smooth.
Pour the batter into the molds until half and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and unmold.
Let the cakes cool down on a rack.

Orange custard:
Combine the cornstarch with a small portion of the orange juice.
Combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Cook over medium heat until thick stirring constantly.

Spread the custard between two halves of the cake and coat with the custard.
Make a small hole on top of one of the halves and place a halved green pistachio.




bolos de laranja

January 30, 2010 | Filed under cakes, muffins and madeleines, custards, fillings, sauces, and glazes | 3 Comments 

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