Cocoa, hazelnut and apple crumble

Serves 8 to 10

5 to 6 apples (about 1 kg)

120 g flour
20 g cocoa
140 g hazelnuts, roasted
130 g sugar
150 g butter, softened

Preheat oven to 180º C.
Peel, pit and dice the apples.
Place on a ramekin.
Cut the nuts into small pieces.
Mix the hazelnuts with flour, sugar and cocoa.
Add butter and mix with your fingers until the dough is rough.
Put the dough in pieces over the apple.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.

Someone wrote me asking for this recipe to praise her mother in Christmas…

Flan Cake

For a 14 cms flan pan:

Caramel:
125 g sugar
30 ml water

Flan:
3 eggs
150 g sugar
120 ml cream
140 ml milk
Cinnammon stick, lemon zest or vanilla

Cake:
3 egg whites
47 g butter, softened
47 g self-raising flour
94 g sugar

Caramel:
On a heavy bottomed pan combine the water and the sugar.
Bring to boil until sugar caramelizes.
Remove from heat and pour the caramel into the flan pan, making sure to coat all the interior.
Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.

Flan:
Bring to boil the milk and cream with the cinnammon stick, lemon zest or vanilla.
Let it boil for a few minutes and sieve.
Beat the eggs with the sugar.
Pour the milk and cream into the egg mixture.
Beat until smooth.
Pour this mixture into the pan.

Cake:
Whisk the egg whites until firm.
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.
Fold in the sifted flour and the egg whites alternatively.
Gently pour the batter over the flan mixture making sure the surface is even.

Bake for 50-60 minutes on a double-boiler.

I didn’t cover the pan. When the cake started forming a crust, I’ve convered with aluminum foil.
Unmold at room temperature!

My grandmother Leonor tortillas’ pair up with each summer with a flavor as old as present.
Today I’ve tried to sweeten the story and I’ve prepared a version that confused my senses…

Sweet tortilla with flat peaches

Serves 4:

250 g flat peaches, peeled and pitted
40 g cream (35% fat)
4 eggs
100 g + 40 g sugar
50 g melted butter at room temperature
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp. orange blossom water

Dice the peaches and combine with the lemon juice and 40g of sugar.
Bring to medium heat to soften the peaches and dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs with the cream, the butter and the orange blossom water.
Add the peaches to the egg mixture.
Place some butter into a small, non-stick frying pan and heat on medium heat.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan, spreading evenly and allow the egg to cook around the edges.
Place a large dinner plate upside down over the frying pan to cover top.
With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the tortilla will fall onto the plate.

Serve warm or cold, plain or with red fruits.

I’m a keeper of sheep.
The sheep are my thoughts
And each thought a sensation.
I think with my eyes and my ears
And with my hands and feet
And with my nose and mouth.

To think a flower is to see and smell it,
And to eat a fruit is to know its meaning.

That is why on a hot day
When I enjoy it so much I feel sad,
And I lie down in the grass
And close my warm eyes,
Then I feel my whole body lying down in reality,
I know the truth, and I’m happy.

Alberto Caeiro





Curdled goat milk with plum jam and pinenuts

Serves 6:

Plum jam:
250 g plums, peeled and pitted
125 g sugar
½ cinnamon stick

Place plums, water and cinnamon in a stockpot and bring to boil over low heat.
Pôr as ameixas, o açúcar e a canela num tacho e levar a lume brando.
Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fruit is soft.
Remove from heat.
Let rest for 1 minute, then skim off any foam.
Set aside.

Curdled goat milk:
150 ml pasteurized goat milk
18 drops of liquid rennet

25 g pinenuts, roasted

Bring the milk to 38ºC. Rennet won’t work if milk reaches 85ºC.

Presentation:
Place the roasted pinenuts on the bottom of 6 shot glasses.
Pour a small amount of the plum jam over the pinenuts.
Put 3 drops of liquid rennet in each glasse and immediately pour the milk at 38ºC.
Let the mixture rest at room temperature until the milk curdles.
Refrigerate.

The sun is in every shadow, but this one is made of hazelnut and apricot…

Hazelnut and apricot Flognarde:

Serves 4:

Hazelnut batter:
250 g cream (35% fat)
120 g eggs
60 g egg yolks
100 g sugar
70 g roasted hazelnuts, grinded
10 g bread flour

300 g apricots

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, hazelnuts and sugar.
Add the cream, eggs and egg yolks previously whisked.
Combine until smooth.
Refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Brush with butter a fireproof baking dish.
Place the apricot dices on the dish.
Pour the hazelnut batter over the apricot.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with icing sugar.
Serve warm or cold.