Sweetie Pie

Apple Sharlotka

Every once in a while my habit of constantly tearing out and copying down recipes and stuffing them on shelves pays off in a big way.  I was looking through a binder of recipes with lots of extra magazine pages stuck in and falling out when I came across this one.  This Russian Apple Cake is simple and delicious.  I set out my apples and followed the recipe; it was easy to make, with no special ingredients.

The recipe I used comes from Food and Wine magazine.  I followed it exactly and it was totally apple-y delicious.  My husband LOVED it.  He loved the bright flavor of apples and lemon, he loved the not too sweet cake, and he loved the crunchy top.  Click through for the recipe here.  You'll need Granny Smith apples, one lemon, eggs, sugar and flour.  That's about it - no butter, no oil, and no leavening agent except the eggs.  You've just got to try it!

Key Lime Coconut Cake

Yes, it's as good as it sounds!  This cake recipe can be found on Orangette with lemon in place of the key limes.  I just happened to have some key limes ready to be used up and a willing helper to juice them all, so we made it limey.  Boy is this cake delicious!  It has zest, greek yogurt, and coconut oil in it for flavor and moistness.  On top it has coconut with a .... wait for it..... key lime syrup on top!  YUM.

Click through for the full recipe, you will not be disappointed.  This little confection is rich and not too sweet and singing with citrus.  We're going to have it for breakfast.  Here are some pictures to motivate you to bake this cake:

 

In Her Kitchen

In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the world by Gabriele Galimberti is full of recipes, photographs and stories.  This book shows women, grandmothers actually, in their kitchens with the ingredients for a dish they are proud to cook and share.  The author is a photographer who planned a trip around the world.  His grandmother was concerned about what he would eat on his trip.  Who would cook for him?  He assured her that there are grandmothers everywhere, and this project grew from there. 

My favorite thing about this book is looking at the women with their kitchens behind them.  Typically, the only pictures of kitchens I see are beautiful gorgeous perfect dreamy designer spaces in magazines and on the internet.  This book reminded me that what makes a kitchen is not the fancy appliances or the perfectly displayed dishes with beautiful lighting.  What makes a kitchen is the cook.  These women are proud of the food they create and how it feeds the people they love.  There are recipes for everything from coffee to caterpillars.  This recipe from Switzerland is the one I chose to try one weekend. 

 

The whole thing was a bit tricky.  The crust is like a lemon scented cookie.  It's so yummy, but it was difficult to work with because it was sticky and also dry and prone to crack.  The filling is made from caramel and chopped walnuts, and I was a little uncertain when to stop cooking it.  Too little time and the pie would ooze out all over the place when you cut it.  Too much time on the heat and it would harden and become too sticky and stiff to eat.  In the end it all turned out beautifully, and it was SO delicious.  It was a little like baklava meets a southern pie.  Very very sweet, but the lemon flavor in the crust made it nice.  I liked eating it for breakfast.  I'm not sharing the recipe because if you're interested you should take a look at the book. 

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

A happy day for me starts with a clean kitchen so that I can pull out lots of recipes I've been stashing and try a few. Our county had spring break this week and I found some time to bake.   This week I made Hazelnut Biscotti from O Magazine and this lemon tart. 

The recipe is lazy because you chop up a whole lemon and blend it up with the other ingredients for the filling.  There's no zesting, peeling or juicing.  This gives a strong flavor with a nice bite.  However, the crust took all day, so that didn't feel very lazy at all.  You have to mix the dough, refrigerate, roll it out, freeze, blind bake it, and then let it cool before you fill it.  The filling is very easy and bakes into a smooth and creamy custard.  Click through for the recipe from Food and Wine magazine.   Here are a few pictures from my baking day.

  Biscotti with coffee on a lazy Sunday morning?  Yes, please.

Tart lemon pie with a sweet crust?  Double yes.

Tuscan (I love Lemon) Muffins

Crunchy on top, tender and light in the center, and singing with lemon flavor, this recipe is a treat.  I usually have all the ingredients on hand so it's going into the permanent rotation of breakfast bakes.  Please use plain yogurt - not vanilla or any other flavor which has a lot of sugar added.  The original recipe calls for ricotta cheese, so you could use that instead.  You'll need to plan on using two lemons for the zest and juice.  If you do not have a microplane zester, you can use the fine grate side of a box grater.  The yellow rind or zest is where the lemon oil and flavor is, so do not skip this step.  The turbinado sugar on top adds a nice sparkly, crunchy top.  This can be found in the baking aisle with the other sugars. 

 

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

recipe slightly varied from Cooking Light 2011 Best Baking Recipes

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspooon baking soda

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon grated (organic) lemon rind

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 egg

2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare muffin cups.

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl and stir with a fork or whisk. 

Combine the yogurt, water, olive oil, lemon rind and juice and egg in a separate container.  Mix these well with a fork or whisk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold it all together with a spatula.  The batter will be light a a little fluffy.  Spoon the batter into muffin cups and sprinkle each with turbinado sugar. 

Bake for about 16 minutes or until lighlty browned on top.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out and serving.

 

Crostata

I tried two new recipes this weekend, both from The Wednesday Chef by blogger Luisa Weiss.  She wrote a book in my favorite genre, food stories.  My Berlin Kitchen is on my shelf and has proven to be a reliable source for straightforward recipes. 

Crostata is a jam filled cakey tarty type baked good.  It's very dry and mild, reminiscent of scones or biscotti.  It's very easy to make and looks great.  The finished product looks like something scrumptious, so my family gobbled it up even though it's not very sweet or rich.  Master chefs are fond of saying that 'we eat with our eyes first', and I've found this to be true with this recipe.

Click through for the complete description and recipe.  I made this twice in just a few days.  The first time I followed the recipe exactly.  The second time I subbed some almond meal for part of the flour and added a few blueberries to the jam.  These changes didn't make a big difference in the result.  I love a recipe like this that is simple, easy, not too decadent, and impressively pretty.  The crostata gets most of its flavor and sweetness from the jam, so be generous if you want it sweet.   We enjoyed our crostatas as a great breakfast alternative and for snacking. 

Post Script:

While looking for a quote about 'eating with our eyes first' I came across an interesting tidbit. According to Visualology.net there was a study done in the late '70s which showed that when we find food more appealing, not only do we enjoy it more but we also absorb more nutrients from it.  In my own kitchen I've found the importance of presentation in our regular meals.  For example, it doesn't matter to my family how much cheese is in a dish.  What matters is if they can see the cheese on top.  Likewise, a small bit of bacon crumbled on top of any soup makes it an appealing dish.  Does this work for you?

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Here's a great recipe for Blueberry Muffins that uses Buttermilk, so you know it's going to be good.  My big sister gave me this recipe years ago and I think of her each time I pull out the card and see her handwriting.  I've changed the recipe a teeny tiny bit, but it never fails.  I love it because we get a big batch of yummy muffins.  Sometimes it seems that my family gobbles up the baked goods faster than I can wash the dishes, so I appreciate a recipe that will keep them happy for a few days.

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour + 1/4 cup to toss with the berries

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the muffin tins.  You will make at least 15 muffins, I usually have even more because I don't fill the cups very high.

Beat the butter and sugar really well with a whisk or mixer.  Add the eggs and continue to beat.  Add the vanilla.  When you are making muffins, you want to keep them tender and soft, so go crazy mixing the eggs and sugar.  However once you start adding flour, stir gently so that you don't develop a lot of gluten which will toughen the batter.  

Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon) into a separate bowl.  Measure the buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup so that it's ready to go.  Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture alternately (about 1/3 at a time).  Measure the blueberries and toss them with the 1/4 cup flour.  This will help the berries stay suspended in batter as they bake and prevent bleeding of purple juice.  Fold the berries gently into the batter.  Scoop into prepared muffin tins.  I love using an ice cream scoop for perfectly neat and even portions.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool in pans 5 minutes before removing. 

 

 

Poached Eggs

 

They tell me that spring is here despite the low temperatures and cold wind.  This means Easter is just around the corner.  Do you remember our sweet little peeps from this time last year?  Now those puff balls are full grown, fat and sassy hens.  They have free run of the place and in return for their attitude, we take the most delicious rich and golden eggs.  We also get to watch them as they go about their business of scratching, pecking, flapping and squawking.  These girls are busy all day long.  I love watching them enjoy their dirt baths in the late afternoon sun; they look like soft feathery puddles.
 
Today I will share with you how to poach this treasure so that you may enjoy the silky richness of a good egg.  Go to your local source for fresh eggs such as the farmer's market for best results.

Poached Eggs

You will need:

fresh, refrigerated eggs

small bowl or ramekin

small pot of water (3-4 inches of water) with a lid

timer

slotted spoon

paper towels

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Bring the water to a gentle boil.  (This means that it will have small bubbles.)  Crack one egg into the ramekin, being careful not to break the yolk.  Use the slotted spoon to stir around the edges of your pot of water in a circular motion to create a whirlpool.  Take the spoon out of the water and lower the ramekin sideways until it's touching the center of the whirlpool to slide the egg gently into the water.  You may gently stir the whirlpool back to life or just leave it as is.  The purpose of the whirlpool is to keep the egg in place so that the white doesn't float all around the pot.  We are aiming for a little package, not bits of egg all over the place.  Place the lid on the pot and remove it from the heat.  Set the timer for 5 minutes and leave it alone.  If you look at your egg, it may look a little iffy, like a bunch of white stuff foaming in the water.  Don't worry about it.  When the timer dings, take the egg out with a slotted spoon and place it on paper towels.  That's it!  
The poached egg should look like a little pillow when it's done.  If you like your eggs well done, set the timer for 10 minutes.  My son enjoyed his prepared this way and ate it as though it had been hardboiled.  We enjoyed our eggs on some fresh pita sandwiches.  The pita was stuffed with a mixture of chopped sweet red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese.  The hot egg was placed on top, then broken so that the yolk mixed with the fresh bread and cruchy veggies.  Don't forget to sprinkle some salt on top.

"How can you whip cream without whips?  Whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped with whips.  Just as a poached egg isn't a poached egg unless it's been stolen from the woods in the dead of night!" - Mr. Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl)

Pumpkin Bread

Welcome to the season of Pumpkin Everything.  This pumpkin venture was inspired by a decadent recipe from White on Rice Couple for Pumpkin Spiced Coffecake.  The cake is rich and full of flavor with an extra delicious crumble topping.  However, it seemed a bit too indulgent for a weekday breakfast.  I wanted a straightforward quick bread that's not too sweet, is vaguely nutritious, and uses the entire can of pumpkin puree.

This turned out to be uncomplicated and I was happy with the results.  It is based on my Grandmother's Banana Bread recipe, but with the addition of some fall spices.  The recipe makes two loaves of pumpkin bread and uses a whole can of pureed pumpkin. 

Pumpkin Bread

14 Tablespoons unsalted butter ( that's 1 stick plus 6 Tablespoons) - melted

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons molasses

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 can)

4 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the baking pans with butter and flour.  This recipe will make two large loaves; I made one large and three mini loaves. 

Mix the melted butter, sugar and molasses until smooth and fluffy. ( If you do not have molasses, you can substitute brown sugar for the white sugar.  Brown sugar has molasses in it for that caramel color and earthy taste.  )  Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree and mix.  The batter might look a little, um, gross at this point so just keep going and don't worry about it. 

Sift the flour and all the spices and dry ingredients together. I like to sift straight into the wet ingredients.  It's important to sift the flour so the final product isn't too heavy or dense, and it's important to mix the spices and leavening ingredients in for even distribution through the batter.  Stir and gently fold the flour mixture into the batter until just blended.  Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly.  Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Enjoy with coffee for a breakfast treat or afternoon snack.  I love the barely sweet and subtle pumpkin flavors of this quick bread.

Peach Pie Parfaits

So easy, so delicious.  Peaches are best enjoyed fresh, so let's talk about a great way to serve them with a little flair. 

Peach Pie Parfaits

Peaches

Fresh Mint

1 lime or lemon

vanilla yogurt

pie crust cookies*

Pretty serving cups

Peel and slice the peaches into a large bowl.  Chop or tear the mint and squeeze about half a lime over the peaches and stir to coat.  The acid in the lime juice will help prevent the peaches from turning brown.  It's also delicious.

Spoon some peaches into the bottom of each serving dish, add a dollop of vanilla yogurt and top with a cookie.  Repeat the layers until you reach the dop of the dish and top off with an extra cookie and sprig of mint. 

* Pie crust cookies are made by rolling out pie crust, cutting it in shapes and sprinkling with sugar.  Bake the cookies in a 425 oven until golden.  You could use any other type of cookie too, like a vanilla wafer or even gingersnaps.  If you want to eat dessert for breakfast, substitute some granola for the cookies.  Yum.