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.

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.

Serves 6-8:

150 g butter, softened
270 g sugar
240 g cake flour
250 g yogurt
4 eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Grease and flour a round pan (22 cm diameter).
Whisk the butter with the sugar until smooth.
Add the yogurt and the whisked yolks.
Add the flour and combine well.
Gently fold in the firmly whisked egg whites.
Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Yogurt custard:

500 g yogurt
4 egg yolks
40 g cornstarch
100 g sugar

Dissolve the cornstarch with some yogurt just to make it smooth.
Combine the yogurt, the egg yolks, sugar and the cornstarch until smooth.
Bring to medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.
Remove the custard from the heat and cover tightly with wrap film.
Refrigerate.

Serve the cake with the custard and pomegranate seeds

Some days ago I was surprised with the description of the “compañeros y profesores de la uib [fellow students and teachers at the UIB]” written by Pedro Fraga, a friend with whom I had the pleasure to share this Master course.
After reading all the details about everyone I’ll try to finish the puzzle with final piece…

Coming from Galicia already with a cooking course, after staying in Scotland for a while, finally arrives to Mallorca.
Used to work as a private chef in luxury yachts, he came for the master course with the strength that make possible every dream.

Pedro Fraga has the lost look from who sails by infinite seas but he always brings us “earthy” thoughts.

In his passion for cooking, the sweet world always seemed too far away for him, but he managed to create this wonderful recipe to the new school restaurant menu:

Pedro, Zucchini and chocolate…

Zucchini and chocolate with Bailey’s

Serves 8-10:

Zucchini and chocolate cake:
400 g zucchini (peeled)
1 egg
75 g butter
62.5 g yoghurt
100 g dark chocolate, chopped
8 g baking powder
37.5 g powdered cocoa
187.5 g sugar
½ tsp vanilla sugar
200 g wheat flour

Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC.
Grease and flour a rectangular pan.
Combine the eggs with the yoghurt, melted butter at room temperature and the puréed zucchini.
In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients folding gently, until smooth.
Pour the dough into the pan.
Bake for 40 minutes.

Bailey’s sauce
500 ml Bailey’s
500 ml cream (35% fat)

Bring the liquor to medium heat to evaporate the alcohol.
Add the cream and let it reduce until slightly thick.
Refrigerate.

Serve the cake with the chilled Bailey’s sauce, olive oil infusioned with vanilla and Zucchini tuiles.

“(…)Ah, the poor princess, with that mouth of roses,
thinks of butterfly and swallow, but supposes
how easily with wings she would soar up under
the bright ladders brought down from the sunlit day.
With lillies she would meet the fresh songs of May,
and be one with the wind in the ocean’s thunder.(…)”

Rúben Darío

Party’s over without a lost crystal shoe and our dance continues over midnight…
Tomorrow I’ll head to Barcelona where a chocolate crash course is waiting for me.
One more time I thank the wings that your love gave me and I know the feeling of true freedom…

Vanilla and strawberry crème brulée

Serves 4-5:

Vanilla crème brulée:
375 ml cream (35% fat)
125 ml milk
50 g sugar
1 egg
5 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean

Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC.
Bring the cream to boil with the milk and the vanilla bean.
Combine the sugar with the egg yolks and the egg.
Pour the cream and milk over the egg mixture stirring constantly.
Pour the mixture into the ramekins.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until firm.
Remove from heat and refrigerate.

Strawberry sauce:
1 kg strawberries
100 g sugar

Combine the strawberries with the sugar.
Place them into the microwave oven until cooked and tender.
Seive and drain.
Reserve the juice in the refrigerator.

Dehydrated strawberries:
10 strawberries

Pre-heat the oven to 120ºC.
Slice the strawberries as thin as possible.
spread the strawberries over a silpat.
Dry in the oven for 1-2 hours (until stiff and crispy).

Presentation:
Sprinkle the vanilla crème with sugar.
sing a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top.
Serve with the dehydrated strawberries and the strawberry sauce.

Source – Jordi Roca