Tag: dessert
Apple Frangipane Galette, Almond Gonna Make This Again

Apple Frangipane Galette, Almond Gonna Make This Again

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Our weekly foray to the Farmer’s Market had me restocking my week’s worth of fruits and veggies。 I was looking for inspiration for a showstopper dessert to make for an outside, mask-on, socially-distance birthday celebration that evening.  My farmers market/crew bud, Mary, chimed in with “my go-to dessert is David Lebovitz’s Apple Frangipane Galette.  I’ve made it a zillion times and it always gets raves”.  Search over, an apple galette would be perfect.

How do you like them apples?

I stopped at Live Earth Farm’s stand for apples.  Not to brag or anything, ok, I am bragging.  I successfully identified all their apple varieties.  No small feat…Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, Pippens and Jonagolds.  As Sir Issac Newton might have said…

BOOM, APPLE DROP

Apples in hand, I headed home to make David Lebovitz’s Apple Frangipane Galette.  I have just the right amount of almond paste left in the fridge from the Almond Plum Snack Cake.  That’s a sign, right?

The galette starts with a pretty classic shortcrust.  I do a deep dive into making crusts in a food processor with Claudia Fleming’s recipe for her Apple Crumb Tart with Bacon Toffee Sauce.  The key point, do not over-process the dough.  The crust is flaky, tender, and buttery.  The layer of frangipane elevates this tart to another level.  Don’t bother cleaning out your food processor after making the dough, just pop it back on the base and toss in the ingredients for the frangipane.  I used Amaretto in place of the rum and added vanilla extract and a dash of salt, just to round out the flavor.

Roll the dough on parchment paper, and transfer the parchment to a baking sheet, just pick up the whole dang thing and plop it onto your sheet-easy.  Spread the frangipane on the dough, 2 inches from edge.

Top with apples.  Sprinkle with sugar.  I am on a raw or turbinado sugar kick so I opted for raw sugar.  Fold the dough over the apples creating pleasts that overlap.

Arrange the apples in concentric circles or just pile them up, it’s supposed to be rustic.

Brush edge with melted butter and sprinkle sugar on the crust.  Drizzle the rest of the melted butter on the apples.

Serve the tart with honey or toffee sauce (extra from the last apple tart-worked like a charm!)

This galette is definitely going in my WOW factor dessert rotation!

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Apple-Frangipane Galette

From Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz a delicious Frangipane Apple Galette. Apples sit on top a creamy layer of frangipane in a flaky, buttery crust.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword almond, apple, Apple Frangipane Galette, david lebovitz, Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Galette Dough

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces) sliced into 8 cubes and chilled
  • 6 tablespoons ice water

Apple Filling

  • 6 medium apples, peeled, cored and slice 1/2 inch approximately 3 pounds any variety you like to bake with, I like a combo of Jonagolds, Fuji and Pippens or Mutsus
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter melted
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar substitute raw or turnbinado

Frangipane

  • 4 ounces almond paste crumbled
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon rum sub kirsch, Calvados or almaretto
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter

Instructions

Dough

  • Place flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add chilled butter and process until butter is broken into pieces about the size of peas. Uneven size pieces of butter is to be expected and larger bits will make for a flaky crust when baked.
  • Add all the ice water at once and process until the dough begins to hold together. (Note: this whole process can also be done with a pastry blender or a stand mixer.)
  • Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap in the plastic wrap and shape dough into a round 5-inch disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
  • Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Frangipane

  • Process almond paste, sugar, flour, salt if using, and almond extract in a food processor until almond paste is in fine pieces. Add butter and process until completely incorporated, then add egg, vanilla and rum. Continue processing until almond paste is as smooth as possible. If you do see tiny bits of almond paste, they will disappear with baking.
  • Store frangipane in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month. Bring it back to room temperature before using.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Putting it all together!

  • Place a large sheet of parchment paper on your counter or directly on the baking sheet and lightly dust it with flour. Place dough on top of parchment and spread a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment on top of the dough. Roll dough out between the parchment and plastic wrap into a rough circle, 14 inches in diameter. Lift and rotate to prevent sticking while rolling. Place on baking sheet if rolled on counter.
  • Spread all the frangipane over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Place apple slices either in concentric circles or pile on top of the frangipane. Fold the border of the dough over the apples and brush half the melted butter over the crust and the rest over the apples. Sprinkle half the sugar over the crust and the remaining over the apples.
  • Bake for about 1 hour, or until the crust is brown and apples are tender. Rotate halfway thru baking. Slide galette off the parchment onto a wire rack to cool when done baking.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with a drizzle of good honey or caramel sauce. Or serve with vanilla ice cream.
  • Galette is best eaten the day it's baked.
Cake Got to Be Gluten-Free (Rice Flour Pound Cake)

Cake Got to Be Gluten-Free (Rice Flour Pound Cake)

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I am always looking for gluten free desserts and Vegan treats for my friends. This is a cataclysmic mind-shift for a person who has always been in the “All butter, Cream-filled, No holds Barred, Is there another flour besides AP wheat” camp.

Years ago we headed to a regatta in Sac.  During a break in the action, my friend Judaaay, convinced me to check out a bakery nearby that specialized in gluten-free and vegan products.  We made the SHORT drive (45 minutes away-auugh) to try their breads and pizza-all gluten-free.  They looked pretty darn good.  We both ordered slices of pizza and as we sat there eating, Judah remarked, Not bad, huh.  I replied…

Girl, You have obviously not had a real pizza in a LONG time.

Fortunately, the tide has turned and due to the demand for gluten-free food, more than just palatable” pastries are being created every day.  The photo of a luscious pound cake in The NY Times caught my eye and lo and behold it is made with rice flour.  Gluten-free!  With my friend Judaayh in mind, I got busy.

The cake starts with creaming butter, sugar, and melted coconut oil until light and fluffy.  There’s no overbeating this batter…no gluten!  But you don’t want to go crazy and break down the butter.  I used refined coconut oil which is essentially tasteless.  You could use a less processed, unrefined coconut oil which would give your cake a hint of coconut flavor or nuttiness. Never used coconut oil to bake?  Here is a  primer from SF Gate.  Note, this recipe uses regular rice flour NOT Sweet Rice Flour which is a glutinous rice product.  You will end up with a dense mess if you use sweet rice flour.  I found rice flour at Whole Foods made by Bob’s Red Mill.  Last note, this recipe does use BOTH coconut oil and coconut milk.

The finished batter before baking

I used 2 teaspoons of vanilla because I don’t have Tequila and I still can’t find my Rum 🤔.  Rum would be lovely.  I’m sure this batter could handle the addition of lemon or orange zest or poppy seeds.  After adding the liquids it will look like a lot of batter relative to the pan.  This cake does not rise a lot so not to worry, no overspill.

This cake is delicious.  It’s tender, buttery, moist with a nice crumb.  I’d make it again in a heartbeat…regardless if Judaay was coming over or not!  I can’t wait for shelter in place to be over so she can come over for a cup of coffee and a slice of this cake.  So good!

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5 from 1 vote

Rice Flour Poundcake

Gluten free, buttery, delicious pounc cake!
Course Cake
Cuisine American
Keyword coconut, Gluten free, poundcake, Rice flour
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes

Equipment

  • 8-by-4-inch loaf pan

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (200 grams) white rice flour not sweet rice flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper optional

Wet Stuff and Creamed Mixture

  • 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
  • 4 tbsp (60 milliliters) coconut oil
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (225 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (80 milliliters) sour cream
  • ⅔ cup (160 milliliters) unsweetened coconut milk full fat
  • 1 teaspoon mezcal, tequila, or rum, vanilla or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract if not using alcohol
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds if using rum, optional
  • zest 1 lemon, or lime if using tequila or mezcal finely grated

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Melt coconut oil in small saucepan over low heat. Bring oil back to room temperature before baking. In a medium mixing bowl, combine rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper, if using.
  • Using an electric mixer, whisk together coconut oil, butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the motor still running, add eggs and combine until creamed and very fluffy. Reduce to low speed and whisk in a third of the flour mixture. Once combined, add sour cream. Whisk in another third of the dry ingredients, then half of the coconut milk. Add the remaining flour mixture. At a medium speed, whisk in the rest of the coconut milk, and mezcal, until smooth and completely combined.
  • Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn on a wire rack to cool completely.

 
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Coop-vid Up and Going Bananas)

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Coop-vid Up and Going Bananas)

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I bought WAY TOO many bananas on my COVID reconnaissance to the grocery store last week.  Luckily, too many bananas is a happy problem.  Eat em’, freeze em’, bake em’ in a cake.

Banana Bread was out. I had just baked a loaf of banana bread from Shauna Severs’ latest book, Midwest Made.  These overripe bad boi bananas were destined for a banana cake with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. After all, calories don’t count during the time of COVID-19.  That’s right, zippo calories.

Let them eat CAKE

My favorite Banana Cake recipe comes from Clementine Bakery in Los Angeles. I found it on the blog site, Ipso Fatto (love, love, love). How good is it?  It’s our 2nd most favorite birthday cake, right after Wes’s Carrot Cake.  It’s really good.  Mui just made one and took it to another level by adding a layer of chocolate ganache in the middle and gorgeous sprinkles on the top. Just for little, OLD, me for my birthday.  Time to find another banana cake recipe to add to my evergrowing “all things banana” arsenal of recipes.  I went back to Ipso Fatto (she loves all things bananas as much as I do) and whaddya know, this popped up on her site.

Best Banana Cake I’ve Ever Had

Ever had?  That sounds like a challenge.  Game on. The recipe comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction.  It’s straightforward and comes together easily.  I made this late at night so no process pics. Classic cake instructions-cream the butter, add the sugars (in this case dark brown sugar-sweet and caramel-ly), eggs, and mashed bananas. Then alternate the dry ingredients with buttermilk (nice little tang).  Don’t worry if at various points the mixture looks curdled, it will come together as you add the dry ingredients.  The batter will be lumpy-looking but pourable at the end.  While it’s baking, start the best part of any cake, the frosting, in this case, my favorite, cream cheese frosting.

I used hubby’s cream cheese frosting recipe, I think it’s perfect but then again I am biased. Sally’s recipe calls for 3 cups of powdered sugar, while hubby’s calls for only 3/4 cup to 1 cup at most, plenty for my taste.  Beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth BEFORE adding the powdered sugar.  This is key, once you add the sugar, mix just until blended and to the consistency you like.  Don’t overbeat as the sugar will break down the frosting.  You’ll end up with runny, loose frosting.  Spread the frosting on the cake and then lick the spatula-perks of being the baker.  The cake is yummy at room temperature or chilled, straight out of the fridge.

Texture-wise this cake reminds me of a snack cake, springy, with a little density, and a compact crumb. You want a tall glass of cold milk to go along.  I still like the Clementine Banana Cake more, but that’s probably my personal preference.  Clementine’s cake has a looser crumb and isn’t quite as dense, perfect for a layer cake.  But both are delicious.

That’s it folks…enjoy!

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Banana Cake (Sally's Baking Addiction)

Best Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Sallys Baking Addiction
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

The Cake

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) 375g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3 large ripe bananas about 1 and 1/2 cups mashed
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 170g
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
  • 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar 100g
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature 360ml

Sally's Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature 224g
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 115g
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed 360g
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Hubby's Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 brick Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 ounces
  • 1 stick salted butter 4 ounces
  • 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan. I always use parchment on the bottom of my pan, makes it easier to remove the cake.
  • Make the cake: Mash the bananas. I use a potato masher. Set mashed bananas aside.
  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
  • Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bow. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Always start and finish with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick, a few lumps is OK.
  • Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so start checking at 40 minutes. Keep an eye on it. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up.
  • Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
  • Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
  • Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Hubby's Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat butter to soften before adding the cream cheese, 15-30 seconds. This helps prevent lumps. Add cream cheese and beat on medium high speed until smooth, light, and creamy. Beat on high if using a handheld mixer.
  • Add vanilla and beat on medium to blend. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed to blend in and then increase to medium speed to incorporate, at most 1 minute. Do not OVERBEAT!!! Taste the frosting, add additional 1/4 cup of sugar if you want it sweeter. If it seems a little flat, add a pinch of salt.
  • Spread on the cooled cake. For special occasions flip the cake out of the pan and frost top and sides. You may need to make a recipe and a half of frosting in that case.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 5. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the frosting, frost, and serve. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature or serve cold.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a large liquid measuring cup. Then add enough regular room temperature milk (whole milk is recommended) to make 1 and 1/2 cups total. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. This soured milk can be used in the recipe instead of buttermilk.
Cupcakes: I’ve gotten a few questions about turning this cake into cupcakes. For about 2 dozen cupcakes, fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for about 20-22 minutes. Same oven temperature.
Bundt Cake: You can bake this batter in a 10-12 cup bundt pan, but I find it’s not quite as moist when baked in the bundt shape. Bake for 50-65 minutes, give or take. Use a toothpick to determine doneness. Same oven temperature.
Layer Cake: I use this recipe to make my banana layer cake. If you want to make a 2 layer cake, divide batter between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Kentucky Butter Cake (AVERYbody Should Have a Go To Cake)

Kentucky Butter Cake (AVERYbody Should Have a Go To Cake)

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I hosted a postcard session a couple of weeks ago and as an enticement, I provided “snacks” for it.  Snacks in my book aren’t just a bag of chips and a bowl of dip, nope.  I mean to ask people to write and decorate a gazillion postcards, ya gotta have mouthwatering, lip-smacking, delicious food.  Am I right?

That day the weather was a chilly 55 degrees (remember we are talking California), so I made Sam Kass’ slow-roasted pork.  Just salt and pepper the meat, slide it into the oven and fuggedaboutit.  When it is done, shred and serve.  So darn easy and yummy.  I put out corn tortillas, guac, onions and salsa for taco “fixins” to go along.  For those who didn’t want tacos, I made  CRAZY GOOD OOEY-GOOEY Mac and Cheese.  So hard to pick which way to have my pork and eat it too.

No Dessert?

I didn’t have time to make dessert (I know, blasphemous) but luckily my friend’s daughter called while we were hard at work and volunteered to make dessert for us.  Yippee!  So sweet of Avery!  She arrived with a luscious Kentucky Butter Cake that was moist, buttery, sweet…downright delicious.  Oohs and aahs prevailed from all, including my kids who added: “this is the best cake ever”.  I immediately asked for the recipe.

Impatience got the better of me so I googled Kentucky Butter Cake and quite a few recipes popped up on my feed. I picked a recipe (using the scientific eenie-meanie-miney-moe method) from the blog, Cookies and Cups, and added a couple of tweaks from the blog Spicy Southern Kitchen.

I baked it, I glazed it, I cut it, I served it…to a resounding chorus of…

It’s OK, but Avery’s was much better

Repeated, ad nauseam …

I no longer like Avery.  Actually I no longer like my family, Avery is okay.

Just kidding. I got on the horn and called S (her mom), where’s the recipe?!  Her reply was, “I sent it to you days ago”. Oops, my bad…there it was buried in my inbox.

I noticed Avery’s baked at 325, mine at 350, used sour cream instead of buttermilk, and had WAY more of that delicious butter sugar glaze.

The version I used was like the “cooking light” version.  If you didn’t just have a bite of the original, it was perfectly acceptable.  If you put them side by side, fuggedaboutit.  Hands down Avery’s version comes out on top.

Cooking Light

I have included directions for Avery’s version and my “cooking light” version (for transparency’s sake).  A couple of tweaks could bring mine closer to Avery’s.  But then, you might as well just make Avery’s version. Your family and friends will be eating out of your hand.

Instead of that cup of low-fat buttermilk, use sour cream.  Yep, the start to a richer, moister cake.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, then alternate flour with liquid (start and end with dry ingredients).  You’ll end up with a fluffy but substantial batter.

Bake the cake at 350 and you will get a nice brown crust, at 325 the cake will be lighter in color.  I would definitely bake the cake for less time if you use 350 degrees. Take the cake out and let it cool for 10 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan to prevent sticking and then put it back in the pan for its luxurious bath of butter sugar syrup.  It will be easier to remove later, trust me, no actually, trust AVERY.

Use a skewer or skinny chopstick to poke holes ALL OVER the cake. Pour the sugar-butter glaze over the cake,  don’t be afraid, it will absorb all of it easily.  Let the cake sit a spell, remove from the pan and dig in!

This is a pic of my “cooking light version” which had considerably less glaze and cooked at a higher temp.  With Avery’s (yeah, that cake-baking brat again) you could see the glaze that had soaked into the cake, dreamy and delicious.

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Kentucky Butter Cake

Rich, moist, buttery, everything delicious in a bundt cake
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Bundt cake, Kentucky Butter Cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 1 cup butter cubed at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk

BUTTER GLAZE

  • 1/2 cup butter deb version (which really isn't enough syrup) 1/3 cup
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 teaspoons

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C (Deb's version 350, start checking cake at 45 minutes)
  • Grease a 10″ bundt pan with butter or shortening very liberally. Dust the pan with flour and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light about 2 minutes
  • Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition
  • Add vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and mix to combine about 1 minute
  • Add flour and sour cream or buttermilk, alternating. Start with flour and finish with flour
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for ~65 minutes until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.
  • When the cake is done make the glaze. Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.
  • Remove cake from pan and then put it back in pan to glaze cake. This helps keep the cake from sticking after glaze.
  • Poke holes all over the warm cake using a knife or skewer or skinny chopstick and pour the glaze evenly on the cake while still in the pan.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
  • Make this cake a day in advance, so the syrup has time to infuse the cake.
Gettin Figgy Wit It (Fig & Honey Tart)

Gettin Figgy Wit It (Fig & Honey Tart)

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I’m pretty jazzed, a friend is gifting me a fig tree!  She took a cutting, threw it in dirt and whaddya know, it grew into a full-fledged tree. I’m going to be really embarrassed if it doesn’t survive on my watch.  Farmer Deb is not a moniker associated with me.  

I am content to be the recipient of anyone else’s green thumb bounty.  This includes figs, which I adore. Until my little tree matures, I will happily take extra figs off your hands.  Put that right in the box, next to the “what am I going to do with all these” zucchinis and persimmons.  

Yep, bring it on.

Lucky for me, Snookies brought me a couple of generously filled baskets of green and purple figs.  After popping a couple of them into my mouth (yum), I got online to FIG-ure out delicious ways to use these little bad boys.

A Fig & Honey Tart from The Little Epicurean caught my eye instantly. The tart is as beautiful as it is delicious AND it is pretty darn easy to make.  Your friends and family will be SO impressed.  Word.

To start the crust is very easy to work with.  Don’t be intimidated by the whole pie crust thang.  The addition of almond flour and sugar creates a tender, cookie like crust that oozes with buttery goodness. A couple of interruptions had me taking the dough in and out of the fridge before finally fitting it into the tart pan and baking it off.  If the crust gets a little soft, toss it back in the fridge.  By the time I rolled out the dough and placed it in the pan, talked to Jamie on the phone for a bit,  it was getting pretty soft.  I ended up pressing pieces into the pan, worked like a charm.

The filling is stupid easy.  Combine cream cheese with honey and sugar, give it a good mix and that’s it.  I added a teaspoon of vanilla to add depth.  Quarter the figs and place in concentric circles on top of the filling.  Dust with raw or Demerara Sugar.  Go to the garage and grab your blow torch and caramelize the sugar.  Drizzle honey over tart and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top.  I used hazelnuts cuz that’s what I had on hand, Yums.

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FRESH FIG TART WITH HONEY AND PISTACHIOS

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword fig, honey, little epicurean, tart

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons, cold
  • 1 egg yolk cold

Filling

  • 8 oz package cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • green figs or purple figs quartered, as needed
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • Pistachios or toasted hazelnuts Chopped

Instructions

Crust

  • In a food process, combine flour, almond flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.
  • Add cold butter. Pulse 4 times at 3 second intervals to lightly mix together the ingredients. Add egg yolk and pulse until dough begins to come together.
  • Dump the dough onto a clean working surface. Gather the dough together and push into a ball. Flatten dough to about 1-inch thickness.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until well chilled.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack to room temperature before filling with cream cheese.

Filling

  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and honey. Mix until combined. Spread cream cheese filling into cooled tart shell.
  • Arrange cut figs on top of cream cheese filling. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Before serving, sprinkle with Demerara Sugar and caramelize.
  • Drizzle honey over tart and sprinkle nuts on top
You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

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On my recent foray to the Farmer’s Market I came home with not only strawberries and blueberries but rhubarb too.  I thought about making a pie but I wanted something a little easier and quicker to make but just as tasty.
Ideas started running through my head, how about a crisp or crumble?  The vision of a sea of lightly sweetened fruit capped by cresting waves of oatmeal, nuts, sugar and butter.  I dove in.

I could adapt my apple crisp, which is yummy-licious, but I did a quick digital walk online and found a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble on Epicurious.  It looked really tasty to me.  A crumble is essentially the British version of a crisp. Best of all, the recipe called for hazelnuts.  Lately I have found myself drawn to recipes that incorporate those tasty filberts.  They’re super crunchy and buttery with a unique flavor that is hard to describe. Pecans, my usual go-to nut, are milder and softer while hazelnuts are bold and assertive.  It doesn’t get swallowed up by other ingredients, but acts as a nice foil.  But that crunch, oooh, love it.

Though the recipe calls for strawberries and rhubarb, I threw in blueberries for good measure.  Rhubarb adds a nice tart punch to the berries. When you dig into the crisp, the berries will be sweet, the rhubarb-tart, and the crumble-buttery, and thanks to the hazelnuts-crunchy.  A nice contrast to the soft, juicy berries.  Want it less tart?  Add more berries and less rhubarb.  In a pinch, you could substitute pecans or walnuts.  BUT hazelnuts are so good.  I use to toast my own but that’s a lot of work.  I get toasted, skinned, hazelnuts from TJ.  It’s worth it.  Grab small handfuls of the crumble and squeeze it together before sprinkling it on the fruit.  The chunks of crumble help prevent it from sinking into the fruit.

Last but not least, don’t forget the vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, the perfect finishing touch.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (Crisp)

Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword rhubarb, Strawberry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • 7x11 rectangular baking dish or 2 quart dish, oval or round

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar for fruit You can substitute light brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the crumble.
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup husked hazelnuts toasted , coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise
  • 1 pound strawberries hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
  • 12 ounces rhubarb preferably bright red, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch- thick pieces
  • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

  • Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. DO AHEAD: Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
  • Preheat oven to 375°Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish or any 2 quaert baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. I used 1 tsp. vanilla paste instead.
  • Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss well. Pour fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Compress oat topping in hand to form clumps and then sprinkle evenly over filling.
  • Bake crumble until filling bubbles and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

It's hard to chop hazelnuts without them rolling all around.  I throw them in a plastic bag and lightly roll over them with my rolling pin.
Really, too tart? Use more berries and less rhubarb.  But if you like a hit of tartness in random bites, keep all of the rhubarb in the recipe.
To make this Vegan, you can substitute coconut oil or a light mild olive oil for the butter in the crumble in a 1:1 ratio.  If you try this, I need a report back please!

 
Do You Mandango? Mango Sticky Rice

Do You Mandango? Mango Sticky Rice

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I recently posted a pic on Instagram of this luscious dessert I had up in San Francisco at U Dessert Story, Mango Sticky Rice Bingsoo.  A generous layer of fresh sweet mango precariously perched on a mound of superfine shave ice drenched in sweetened condensed milk, and finely shredded coconut.  This mega bowl of bingsoo is flanked by an array of sticky rice, housemade coconut crumble, more sweetened condensed milk, and fresh mango puree.  It was mind-bogglingly delicious.

mango sticky rice bingsoo
Cubes of fresh mango, powder-like ice, tender but chewy sticky rice and the crunchy crumble, a veritable smorgasbord of textures and flavors.

Since that day I have had mango on the brain.  I picked up a bunch of Manila mangos, because you can’t just buy one, because I had decided I had to make Mango Sticky Rice.  It’s sweet, filling, refreshing, and gluten-free.  A classic fixture at Thai restaurants, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make at home.

WARNING: Dissertation Ahead + The Ulitmate Rice Guide

The biggest hurdle is probably tracking down the ingredients.  Mango Sticky Rice calls for Sweet or Glutinous Rice.  This is not regular rice, it is not arborio or risotto rice, and it is not to be confused with sushi rice (short grain) which is stickier than long-grain rice but not actually sticky rice.  Sweet rice, also known as sticky rice or glutinous rice, is low in amylose, and high in amylopectin (starches) which allows it to absorb liquids and create that trademark stickiness.

To add to the confusion-sweet rice also comes as short grain or long grain.  Thai cuisine uses long-grain sticky rice, while Chinese and Japanese dishes generally use short grain.  I used short-grain sweet (glutinous) rice from Koda Farms (Sho-Chiku-Bai) which is a little easier to find (most Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets will carry this) and it’s what I have on hand.  I’ll be looking for Thai long grain Sticky rice the next time I’m at an Asian market.  I foresee an America’s Test Kitchen session soon.

Glutinous rice absorbs liquids well, so the traditional, easy method for cooking it is to soak the rice for a good couple of hours (2-8 hours) and then steam it.  You COULD buy a special bamboo steamer for sticky rice or you could improvise.  I lined my steamer with cheesecloth to spread the rice on.

sticky rice

The rice steams for approximately 25 minutes.  It will look translucent and should not be chalky in the center.  Pull out a couple of kernels and taste them.

While the rice is steaming, prepare the coconut milk that will be used in the rice and as a sauce alongside.  Warm coconut milk and add sugar, stir to dissolve.  Remove 1 1/4 cups to use in the rice.  Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons of cold water, to the coconut milk remaining in the pot. Stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken.  Set aside.

To cut mango, slice in half lengthwise, as close to the seed as possible. For cubes, score mango in grid pattern and scoop flesh away from skin. Or flip the mango inside out to expose flesh making it easy to cut it away from skin.

When the rice is done, pour it into a bowl, add the 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes so the milk is absorbed by the rice.  Stir rice again, cover, and let it sit for a few more minutes.

mango sticky rice

Slice or cube mango and serve alongside a scoop of sticky rice.  Drizzle coconut sauce on rice and garnish with sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

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Mango Sticky Rice

Gluten-free delicious Thai dessert
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian
Keyword mango, sticky rice, Thai
Prep Time 6 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups Long-grain Sticky Rice (aka sweet or glutinous) can use short grain
  • 1 can coconut milk 13.5 ounces, like Chaokoh
  • 1/4 cup sugar + 2-4 Tablespoons
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 t cold water
  • 1 big ripe mango or 2 Manila mangoes peeled and sliced or cubed
  • Toasted sesame seeds for garnish black or white
  • fresh strawberries for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the sticky rice with tap water and use your hand to gently stir it. Drain the water to remove the excess starch. Repeat once, then add water to cover. Soak the sticky rice for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 8 hours. Rinse again and drain the water.
  • Transfer the rice to a heatproof bowl, add about 2 inches of water to your steamer (not into the rice), place the heatproof rice bowl on the steaming rack in the steamer, and cover the steamer. Turn to medium-high heat to bring the water to a boil. When the steam starts to come out of the pot, turn to medium heat. Steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through, with no hard raw bits in the middle. Or use a steamer rack lined with cheesecloth. Spread rice evenly over cloth and steam as directed above.
  • While rice is steaming, add can of coconut milk, 1/4 cup + 2 T of sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot and the sugar is melted. Do not bring the coconut sauce to a boil. Taste for sweetness, if it needs more sugar, add another 1-2 tablespoons. Remove 1-1/4 cups sauce to be used with the rice.
  • Carefully remove the sticky rice bowl from the steamer with your oven mitts on. Pour the 1-1/4 cups of sauce over the bowl of rice. Stir to mix well. Allow to stand covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and stir the rice again. Allow mixture to sit another few minutes.
  • For the remaining sauce, combine the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl. Stir to completely dissolve the cornstarch. Over medium-low heat, remaining sauce to a small saucepan. Add half of the slurry to the sauce. Stir immediately to thicken the sauce. You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by slowly adding a bit more water or cornstarch slurry, if needed. The sauce shouldn’t be too thick, but should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Serve when the rice mixture and the sauce cool to room temperature. You can serve it or store the extra sauce and the sauce-rice mixture separately in the fridge until ready to serve, up to 3 days. The sauce will further thicken when cooled.
  • To serve, transfer the coconut rice into serving bowls or plates. Place the sliced mango on the side. Pour a few spoonfuls of the extra coconut sauce on top of the rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh sliced strawberries if desired.

Notes

  • If you use refrigerated sticky rice, you can gently heat it in the microwave to bring it to room temperature before serving, for a better texture. However, it’s highly recommended to serve the rice when it’s fresh, for best results. Do not freeze the sticky rice, as it will create a very tough texture.
  • Use a small ramekin to mold sticky rice and place on the plate.
Peanut Butter Mochi
Peanut Butter Mochi, that’s my Jam

Peanut Butter Mochi, that’s my Jam

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My cookbook addiction continues unabated. One of my new favorites is A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan.  It’s a beautiful cookbook filled with not only mouthwatering photographs of her food but wonderful stories about her family and friends. Her recipes are approachable and her writing inviting.  In contrast to the cookbooks of yesteryear, today’s cookbooks, like A Common Table, breathe life, warmth, and a personal connection into each recipe.  It makes me want to call my Mom, my kids, my aunties and uncles and say, “Hey, come on over we gonna cook, eat, and talk story”.

Have You Eaten Yet? (code for I ❤️ you)

This is not a cookbook that strives to teach one to cook, it’s more like a series of love letters, first and foremost to her family and friends, and then to all of us.  Her soulful, homey food reflects her southern upbringing, her Chinese heritage, her hubby’s Hawaiian-Korean-Irish roots, and their lives together. These are recipes I imagine are passed down from grandmother to mother and mother to daughter.  Each generation adding its own personal stamp.

Two Red Bowls is Cynthia’s blog, ground zero for her food and family tales.  She has managed to juggle a toddler, a newborn, a blog, and a book, no small feat.  Wow!

Onto her delicious food.  Needing a gluten-free dessert to bring to a potluck, I instantly thought of the peanut butter mochi in her book.  Mochi, made of glutinous rice flour, is chewy, dense, and all the craze right now.  Imagine a marshmallow but dense, chewy, and only slightly sweet. Mallows on roids.  To top it off, soooo easy to make.  Literally, one bowl plus a wooden spoon. The addition of peanut butter brings a familiar flavor and texture to the mochi, a great intro for the uninitiated.  Did I mention GLUTEN FREE?

The gold standard for rice flour and readily available is Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko.  Ground into a fine powder, it blends quickly and is easy to work with. Throw the flour, sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl.  Stir, don’t worry about overmixing (no gluten), pour, and bake.  The batter will resemble a thick, elastic pancake batter.

Plop the peanut butter evenly into the batter so that everyone gets a bite of peanut butter, and then it’s oven time.  Midway through baking, sprinkle crushed peanuts on top.  Next time I am thinking of using honey-roasted peanuts, to really accentuate the play on sweet and salty.  The batter will puff while baking, not to worry, it will flatten as the mochi is cooling.

Once it has cooled a bit, dig in, warm mochi is yummy.  I cut mine into squares and then further divided half of the squares into rectangular bars.  Just so delicious, the combo of chewy mochi, pockets of oozy soft peanut butter, and the crunchy peanut topping-the trifecta of yum.  It’s hard to resist and eat just one. It’s dense in texture and calories but so worth it!

I think you could make this milk-free by using coconut milk in place of milk. I have yet to try it.  Andrea Nguyen, Asian cookbook author extraordinaire created a riff by adding black sesame paste, Black Sesame Peanut Butter Mochi, which looks delish, I am so going to make her version soon.

Peanut Butter Mochi
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5 from 2 votes

Peanut Butter Mochi

Gluten free and delicious.  Made with sweet rice flour a dense, chewy, a totally addicting treat! A quick and easy recipe!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword Mochi, peanut butter, sweet rice flour
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 16 Servings

Ingredients

Filling

  • 6 Tbsp Peanut butter Natural, creamy or chunky
  • 2 Tbsp Powdered sugar

Cake

  • 1-1/2 Cups Sweet rice flour 225gm
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/8 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup Whole milk
  • 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 Cup Roasted peanuts Or substitute honey roasted peanuts
  • 1 Tbsp Brown sugar Optional, to be added to plain roasted peanuts,

Instructions

  • For the peanut butter filling, whisk together the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, letting the paper go up the sides so you can easily lift the cake out later on.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Don’t worry about overworking the batter when making the cake, sweet rice flour is GLUTEN FREE.
  • Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Used 2 small spoons or small teaspoon ice cream scoop to drop spoonfuls of the filling evenly across the batter, then pour the remaining batter over the filling. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  • While the mochi is baking, place the peanuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Remove the mochi cake from the oven, sprinkle of the crushed peanuts across the top. The cake maybe puffy so spread nuts as evenly as you can. The cake will fall as it cools.  
  • Return the cake to the oven and bake until the center bounces back when pressed, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes before trying to lift the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan. 
  • Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The mochi slices cleanly when cool, but is delish warm.
  • Store in an airtight container and keep at room temp if cool, or refrigerate. Microwave pieces on high with 15-second blasts to refresh.
Go Big or Go Home Day 10 of 12 Days of Cookies (CCC Skillet Style)

Go Big or Go Home Day 10 of 12 Days of Cookies (CCC Skillet Style)

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The best thing about cruising the internet right now is the plethora of Top Ten or Best Eats of the Year lists that are popping up everywhere. In between furiously publishing holiday recipes, everyone digs into their 2018 archives and comes up with The Best of 2018.
I scrolled through Favorite Desserts of 2018 on Ktchn and landed on a cookie recipe and I mean A cookie. My stomach grumble meter went into overdrive, a ginormous chocolate chip cookie baked in an iron skillet.

It’s New Year’s Eve. I need a dessert that’s EASY to make, a show stopper, sharable, and has universal appeal.

This pops into my head.

Enter the Skillet Zone.  Julia Child in a suit and tie, sans glass of wine, starts to speak, she’s a bit stiffer than normal but hey, this is a mash up…she starts to speak…

Imagine if you will, a Cast Iron Skillet, ebony from years of cooking and love.  A warm GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookie cooked in the aforementioned skillet and a quart (or more) of Vanilla Ice Cream.

The Oohs and Aahs as you bring this to the dinner table.  Cause who doesn’t succumb to the aroma of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?

You cut into the cookie-the chocolate chips are gooey, melted perfection, the cookie is soft, cakey in the middle, you work your way to the edge, the texture changes to that of a cookie with a crisp, caramelized edge.  You place the wedge of cookie on a plate.

Everyone is holding their breath in anticipation, mesmerized by the chocolate oozing and the aroma of the cookie and then…

BAM! You hit it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which immediately begins to melt over the cookie.

Everyone goes crazy.

Yes, you have entered the Skillet Zone.

Unfortunately, I do not have a cast iron skillet.  Lost, in one of the many moves we have made.  I used an All-Clad skillet.  My cookie was relatively even in height.  I think that if baked in a cast iron skillet, the additional heat of the black pan would cause the sides to bake quicker, rise a little higher than mine, possibly be a bit crisper.  Hmmm, yummy.  Feel free to add nuts if you like.  I CHEATED, I used chocolate chunks and pistoles instead of chopping chocolate.  Definitely try to find chunks and not use regular sized chips.

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Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate coarsely chopped, divided
  • 1/2 cup pecans pieces

Instructions

  • Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F.
  • Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
  • Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat at medium speed until lightened in color and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined.
  • Set aside 1/3 cup of the chopped chocolate. Add the remaining chocolate and nuts if using, to the dough and fold to combine. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet. With damp hands, press the dough in an even layer to the edges of the skillet. Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 cup chocolate over top and gently press into the dough.
  • Bake until the center is set and the edges are golden-brown and slightly pull back from the skillet, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Notes

Add nuts if you like.  I use pecans.  Ok, I cheated, I didn't chop chocolate but used chocolate chunks and pistoles I found.  I am all about the path of least resistence.
Will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Use only vanilla ice cream. NO bubblegum flavor, peppermint or anything else but Vanilla...just saying.