Thursday, June 12, 2008

apple crumble cake

i love the taste of apple mixed with cinnamon and allspice, so i'm always in search of a new apple cake recipe.. besides i like the texture of crumble mixtures :)

here it is a crumble cake recipe that gets on well with many firm fruits like apple and pear.

apple crumble cake
cake:
450g apples
75g hazelnut kernels, toasted and chopped
150g flour
1tsp baking powder
60g brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp mixed spices
2 eggs
60g melted butter

crumble:
60g sugar
60g softened butter
60g flour

peel and dice the apples, mix them with the hazelnuts and set aside.
mix together flour, baking powder, brown sugar and mixed spices. in a separate bowl whisk together eggs and melted butter, then mix in the flour mixture and the apples and stir well till combined.
pour the cake mixture in a buttered 20cm baking tin. in a small bowl mix together sugar, butter and flour till crumbly, then spred the crumble mixture over the cake mixture.
bake in pre heated oven at 200°C for 1hour, then lower heat to 160°C and bake for a further half an hour. serve warm.

stuffed focaccia


i find this focaccia just amazing... good to use the leftovers of pizza or bread dough, it is a quick and tasty stuffed bread perfect to be brought to a pic nic or just a delicious easy to make lunch.

the filling can be made of whatever ingredients you like or you have at hand, i usually go with buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, parma ham or culatello, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.

wrap a tin or pot with baking paper and once the filing is spread onto the dough, just fold it and put it in the baking tin.
bake for about 18min in pre heated oven at 230-250°C, then spread a little olive oil on the surface and bake for 5min more.

although this bread is pretty good even cooled, when it's still hot imo it tastes better.. the mozzarella is still melting, tomatoes and basil emanate their warm flavors as the focaccia is cut :)

Monday, June 2, 2008

tiramisù

i just love this dessert :) usually i make it in a big tin, but sometimes when i have just wish of a bit, i make it in small amount and in glasses.
wherever i go, if there's tiramisù i will taste it.. sometimes that's a huge mistake though, if it's not well done this dessert can be just awful eheheh i still recall with pleasure a tiramisù i ate in apulia (south of italy) some years ago.. it was just 3 savoiardi, slightly soaked in a citrus flavored syrup and topped with a liquid mascarpone sauce.. totally different from usual tiramisù, yet it was amazing.
though the recipe is always more or less the same, every cook has one's own recipe.. this is mine, i tried and tried till i've found the best mix to make a thick and delicious tiramisù ^^

i use orange blossom flavor for its fine subtle perfume that suits well this cream, but a good vanilla flavor works good too :) i'm a big fan of orange blossom flavor, so delicate and particular, just beautiful with chocolate or ricotta.. it's surely one of my fav scents to smell and i've always liked the italian words for orange blossoms (fiori d'arancio or zagare)

tiramisù

350g savoiardi (kind of biscuits)
85g sugar
200g ricotta (kind of cottage cheese)
200g mascarpone
dark chocolate drops
dark cocoa powder
5egg whites
4egg yolks
orange blossom flavor
dark coffee (6 to 9 espresso cups)

Beat egg whites till thicken. Whip together sugar and egg yolks, then blend mascarpone and ricotta. Add egg whites and mix carefully.
Pour some coffee in a dish and soak savoiardi in it. In a rectangular tin make a thin layer of cream, spread chocolate drops on it and place a layer of savoiardi.
Make layers till ingredients finish topping with a layer of cream (i use to make 3layers of savoiardi). Pour sifted cocoa powder and then some grated chocolate on the top layer. Serve tiramisù well cooled.