Cakelove in the Morning – By Warren Brown – Just in time for Mother’s Day!

Cakelove in the Morning Cover Jacket

Ladies and Gentleman; Start your engines!  Morning engines that is.  Do you have the problem of eating breakfast in the morning?  I am one of those that usually skip that breakfast meal, even knowing it’s the most important meal of the day. To me, it’s challenging to have that breakfast meal.  What to make? Breakfast is always the same old, same old , and frankly find use to find breakfast boring.

This book “Cakelove in the Morning”, just might change your mind on the breakfast challenge, if you think like I use to.  This is by far, my Favorite Book he has written to date!  Oh yes, I believe I will be using this often almost daily!  When I received this book, my first reaction was, oh breakfast – boring!  And almost put it aside. (I know, I know, but that’s just how much I was dis-interested in breakfast.)  But I picked it up anyways and started to thumb through the pages.    As I started looking through it, I began to become excited about the prospect of breakfast!   Each page brought me a feeling of hunger pangs and a “this looks good, oh, this looks really good, oh, I gotta try this one”.  By the time I got to the end of the book, I was ready to start my morning with BREAKFAST!  The options are endless.  French toasts, Pancakes, Flapjacks, Waffles, and Eggs, any way you like them.  Fried, scrambled, poached, hard-boiled, deviled, Benedict and omelets.  He began to have my attention.

Frittata’s  and breakfast Lasagna’s.  Who ever heard of breakfast lasagna’s I wondered.  (I had not.)  Quiches, Muffins, Scones and biscuits.   A chapter in oatmeal and by this time, I’m salivating at the thought of these breakfast goodies.  Further and further my fingers turn the pages into the book.  He has ideas I never thought about.  Now, as I begin to get further into this book, he is beginning to bring my sweet tooth into play.  Quick breads,such as;  apple, banana, zucchini, carrot and a Quick Home-Spun Cornbread. Sticky Buns (with endless ways to fill them),  Cinnamon Rolls and then comes the chapter of “Cakes”.    Cinnamon – Sugar Coffee Cake has me licking my lips in anticipation.  I gotta make that I think to myself. The picture of it is killing me! Kinda makes you want to lick the page and I’m sure I would have if I could have had a taste of it by doing so.  Pina – Orange – Banana Pound Cake, Lemon Cranberry Bundt, Lemon Pound Cake Bundt, Amaretto Butter Cakes, Coconut cake with Meringue Buttercream, and a most delicious looking Blueberry Bundt Cake that I know I’m going to have to make.

Next we move on to the chapter of Savory, where I find another favorite of mine.  Potatoes. Yes, I’m a potato lover.  Along with the potatoes, he has Breakfast Meats and Veggies and Salads. I didn’t know breakfast could be so exciting, or I just never thought about it.  Banger’s and Mash. One look at the picture and recipe will have you running to the store to make this dish. Another I gotta try.

Salmon dishes, Sauces, both savory and sweet.  Hash browns, Heirloom Tomato Salad, Home Fries, Mushroom Bread Pudding, Grilled Mushroom Salad, Bacon Home Fries, an Apple, Beet & Carrot Salad, Oven Roasted Taters, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, and Grilled Romaine that a looks so good I want to eat the page.  Last but not least, helpful information about baking at high altitudes or in high humidity, converting measurements into metric quantities, and the importance of weighing certain ingredients.

I highly recommend this cookbook and think it would make a fantastic gift for mom, or anyone for that matter. I also think it just might make you change your mind about breakfast if you are like I am was about the thought of breakfast.  You’ll never turn back, and I promise, there’s something in here for everyone!

Vanilla Waffles

From: Cakelove in the Morning

By: Warren Brown

There’s nothing vanilla about this vanilla!  This is a tasty basic waffle that will deliciously accommodate any number of toppings. A fun and low-fat way to make these (or any waffles) even more special is to make a “waffle cake” as shown in the photo opposite, stacking the waffles with Cooked Meringue Icing (page 167 – see picture below) in between. – Warren Brown

Vanilla Waffle Cake From Cakelove in the Morning

2 Eggs, separated

4 Tbsp. Superfine Sugar

1 1/4 Cups Half and Half

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1.  Start the waffle iron and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. to keep the finished waffles warm.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the mixer on high-speed.  Carefully move the meringue to a separate bowl and set aside.

3.  Using the same bowl and whisk, mix the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on high-speed for 30 seconds.  Reduce the speed to medium and add the half and half, butter, and vanilla.

4.  Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Fold the flour mixture into the yolk base, then gently fold in the meringue.

5.  Spray the waffle iron with plenty of nonstick spray.  Ladle 1/4 cup batter onto each square of the iron.

6,  Cook following the waffle iron’s directions.  Serve immediately or hold on a heat-resistant plate in the warmed oven.

NOTES:  I stirred in some blueberries into this batter to make Blueberry Vanilla Waffles.  I stirred some frozen berries into some flour to coat, then folded them into the batter. – Yummy!

Results:  Delicious, beautiful waffles.  My husband even went back for seconds.  (That is so unlike him.  Waffles are not his most favorite, nor his first choice.) But he commented on how good these waffles were, and went back for more!)  These would be a beautiful, as well as a tasty treat to make Mom for breakfast on Mother’s Day.

Disclaimer:

Although I was given this book for review, this is my honest opinion of the book, and the contents within.

Hazan Family Favorites – by Giuliano Hazan – Cookbook Review

From the moment you open the pages of  Hazan Family Favorites, it invites you into their home, lending stories and history to their favorite dishes.   This cookbook has a nice homey feel to it, and will have you running for the kitchen to recreate some of their family favorites to share with your loved ones.  Recipes that you’ll use every day. Easy to prepare, with ingredients that are easy to find and probably already in your pantry.   This book certainly has a place on my favorites book shelf.  Simplicity, fresh and just honest good food.

Beautifully photographed, you will find pictures of the finished dish in most cases along with some pictures of the Hazan family, past and present.  What I like about the book is the simpleness of the recipes.  Beginner cooks will have no problem cooking their way through this book  with ease of preparation and outcome.   The recipes are well-organized and setup with the cook in mind, not only in the setup of the pages, but also in listing the time from start to finish. You’ll know at a glance, how long the recipe is going to take, helping in planning of a meal.  Sharing eighty-five delicious recipes, from the Hazan family traditions, passed down by this mother and extended family, these are the dishes Hazan cooks for this own family today.

For my recipe, I chose the Strawberry Gelato.  I love Gelato, finding it more intense and flavorful than ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream too, but give me a choice and I’ll go with the gelato. This recipe does not disappoint.

Strawberry Gelato

Strawberry Gelato

From: Hazan Family Favorites

By: Giuliano Hazan

My mother used to teach strawberry ice cream at my parent’s cooking school in Bologna.  I remember they would always serve it along with Recioto, a wonderful dessert wine from Valpolicella made with dried grapes.  It was fantastic and unexpected pairing, and I always looked forward to it.  Ironically, my wife and I now run a cooking school in Valpolicella in collaboration with one of our top producers of Recioto, Marilisa Allergrini.  As I was trying out recipes for my previous books, I made several variations of that ice cream – with cantaloupe, with peaches, and with pineapple. But I hadn’t made the strawberry ice cream in quite a long time, until we recently took our two girls strawberry picking at a local farm.  In no time at all, we had accumulated seventeen pounds of strawberries.  When we got home and had finally filled our bellies with the luscious, sweet berries, I froze the remaining ones. (The best way to freeze them, by the way, is to lay them out in a single layer on cookie trays so they don’t touch.  Once they are frozen, you can store them in ziploc bags.)  So what to do with all of our frozen strawberries?  Ice cream, of course! I tweaked my mother’s recipe a little bit, adding a bit of lemon juice, which I have found really brightens the fruit flavor.  After making a few batches of ice cream, I decided to try something different and came up with the peach-and-strawberry semifreddo in the recipe that follows. – Giuliano Hazan

3/4 pound Fresh Strawberries

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Water

2 Tbsp. Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

Strawberry Gelato, churning in the ice cream maker

1.  Remove the green tops of the strawberries and rinse them in cold water.

2.  Place the berries and the sugar in a food processor and blend until pureed.  Add to water and lemon juice and continue blending until all ingredients are mixed together thoroughly.

3.  Whip the cream with a whisk until it begins to thicken and acquires the consistency of yogurt.  Add the pureed strawberries and mix thoroughly.

4  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacture’s directions.  Serve right away or store, tightly covered, in the freezer.  It should keep for several days before ice crystals begin to form.

Results:  Delicious Gelato!   This Gelato did not last long at my house.  My 10-year-old Granddaughter Alexis, really, really liked this.  She’s already planning the next batch.

 

Full Disclosure: I was given this book in exchange for a review.  However, the contents of my review are my honest opinion of reviewed product.  I will always give my honest opinion of any product reviewed.

Donsuemor Treats & Davidson’s Organic Teas

Donsuemor Almond Cakes & Davidson's Organic Tea

You’ll remember a while back when I created a simple dessert for Donsuemor.  I haven’t forgotten about them since I tried their Little French Almond Cakes.  This time, we had a Tea Party with Donsuemor French Almond Cakes & Davidson’s Tea.  This combination can’t be beat!  These little sweet, almond cakes are perfect for a tea party.  They’re the perfect size, but it’s the taste that will bring you back, again and again.  Don’ t forget they have the Madeleines, and baby cakes too.  Perfect for any gathering.  Only the finest of ingredients are used in Donsuemor products, and it shows in the taste of the product.  Catch them on facebook and twitter too!

Donsuemor Almond Cakes – Image from Donsuemor

Let’s talk about that tea too, shall we?  Davidson’s Organic teas are all Organic. Davidson’s produces over 100 loose teas and a similar number of tea bags. Davidson’s uses only the finest quality tea in their tea bags, never a “fanning” or “dust”, and each tea bag brews a strong, flavorful, delicious cup of tea.  I can vouch for that, the tea was delicious.  Black Teas, Oolong Teas, Green Teas, White Teas, are just some of the teas you can find on their website. Head on over and check them out.  They’re teas are flavorful, reasonably priced, and good for you too! And I’ a firm believer in Organic.

The Tea Party

I had the tea party at my daughter Sherie”s house. (Thank you Sherie.)  She just recently purchased a new home and she has tons of room! Not only that, I love the layout of her house.  We served tea sandwiches of Chicken salad, Cucumber and Egg Salad.  My sister-in-law Carol, was nice enough to make the cucumber & egg salad sandwiches along with a nice platter of Lemon Cookies with Jam filling. (Yum).

My daughter Sherie kicked in with Meatballs.   My sweet sister Kim, provided brownies and Raspberry squares from a local bakery, and a really good, close friend of mine (Dorothy) brought Bite size eclairs for our feast.  I added some mini Quiche, baklava bites, some lemon mini tarts, some chips, crackers, dips and cheese and we were in full swing.

Tea Party Food

We served, Hot Tea, Iced Tea, water and coffee for our beverages.  If you haven’t had a tea party in a long time, or have never had one, I highly recommend you have one. They’re fun.  They bring everyone together and the food is always a welcomed addition to any gathering.  Give those Donsuemor Almond Tea Cakes a try. They’ll rock your world!  And, don’t forget the tea.  My recommended choice is the Davidson’s Organic Teas.

Thank you to all of those that attended. I love you all and I Hope you had a good time. I know I did.

Pie it Foward by Gesine Bullock – Prado is officially released – Book Review

At long last, the much awaited Pie it Forward is finally here. The official release date is/was for April 1st.  I know that it has been available for a couple of weeks now, and I’m sure those that have picked it up, have been happily making the goodies of the contents within!  This is an amazing book!   Well written, humorous, and smack dab full of mouth-watering pie recipes and other pastries are what await you.  And again, to help you along, a website to match the cookbook, www.pieitforwardcookbook.com.  The book is inspiring and will have you wanting to bake in just a few pages. The question will be – What to make first?  This book is for the beginning baker as well as the advanced baker. A lot of the recipes are step by step, and explained well enough for the beginning baker to gain enough confidence to give it a go.  You can make with confidence almost anything in the book! The last chapter has the more advanced recipes in it, but once you bake some of the goodies in the rest of the book, you’ll be ready for that last chapter.

In Chapter One, you get all the  basics, Crusts – All Butter Easy Pie Dough, Simple Tart Dough, Hand Pie Dough, Quick Puff Pastry, Traditional Puff Pastry, Sweet Tart Dough, Chocolate Cookie Tart crust, Strudel Dough and even a pizza dough.

In the Second Chapter, comes the Master Recipes, for making things such as: Pastry Cream, Caramels, Ganache, & Fruit Glaze.

In the Third Chapter, The Sweets: Galette’s, Tarts, Tartlets, Hand Pies, & Pie, there’s something here to entice even the most disconcerting sweet tooth!

The Savories are next, with Cornish Pastries, Fried Green Tomato Pie, Quiche, and Potpies, just to name a few.

Last, but not least, we have Pie it Forward Chapter. In here, you will find some specialty desserts, with stacked pie crusts (Puff Pastry) desserts that will leave your mouth-watering.

This book is one, that you will pick up and bake out of all the time.  I know this will be used in my kitchen quite often.

For my review recipe, I picked a couple of things to try. First, the Key Lime Mascarpone Cream Pie.  Delicious!  I added the strawberry and Mango for the top of my pie. Very nice touch to the top of the pie if your interested.  Also, I did not post her Sweet Tart Dough recipe, but you can use this recipe, I promise it will work fantastically!

Key Lime Pie with Strawberries & Mango

Key Lime Mascarpone Cream Pie

From: Pie it Forward – Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Gallettes & Other Pastries Reinvented

By: Gesine Bullock – Prado

Key Lime is such a happy citrus – what other sour fruit brings to mind two of the loveliest things on the planet, the beach and pie, when you utter her name?  And she never fails to please, this lovely pie. Key lime pie is as silky sweet and tangy as a lazy day on the soft sands of Florida. Mascarpone is a natural addition, providing an extra dose of creaminess and tang. – Gesine Bullock – Prado

1/2 Batch Sweet Tart Dough

1/2 Cup, Plus 3 Tablespoons Key Lime Juice (I used Manhattan brand), Divided

1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Egg Yolks

Pinch of Salt

1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cheese

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar

Mini Key Lime Tartlets with Strawberries & Mango Topping.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 Degrees C).  Line an 8 inch tart pan with the dough, then dock the bottom and freeze it for 20 minutes.  Line the crust with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and bake it for 20 minutes.  Remove the weights and lining, then bake the crust for 15 minutes more, or until it no longer has a raw – dough sheen.

2.  For the filling, whisk together 1/2 cup of the Key lime juice with the condensed milk, egg yolks, and salt.  Pour the mixture into the crust and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set.  Allow it to cool completely.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the mascarpone cheese, cream, confectioner’s sugar, and remaining key lime juice until the cream hold stiff peaks.  Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe it onto the cooled Key Lime Pie.

Makes One (9 inch/20-cm) Pie.

*Note:  I made my pie into little tartlets, and added Strawberry and Mango to the top of the tarts.  I used this crust recipe here, filled the shells unbaked with the key lime filling and baked them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes.  Cool completely before removing from the mini muffin pans.

If you haven’t gotten the book Pie it forward yet, you can use that same crust recipe to make this pie. It is truly delicious and not to be missed!

I also made the German Apple Custard Tart.  I love apple custard pies and this one fit the bill.

Don’t forget to stop by the Author’s blog too where you will find more inspiration and recipes!

Full Disclosure: I was given this book in exchange for a review.  However, the contents of my review are my honest opinion of reviewed product.  I will always give my honest opinion of any product reviewed.

Mango Strawberry Key Lime Tarts

Right now, in Whole Food Markets, they are featuring the Ataulfos (also know as yellow mangos).  Pronounced: aht-ah-uhl-foe.  Creamy, buttery, peppery and virtuously fiber-free, they’re in season and begging for you to pick them up and make something with them.  You’ll get them at a good price now, through April 17th at Whole Foods Markets.

To top it off, they’ve created a simple 1 ½ minute video on how to cut a mango.

I was given a case of mango’s to step up to the challenge of what would you do with a case of Mango’s?  This is the first recipe that came to mind for the challenge. Limes came to mind, along with strawberries. These are delicious and easy to do.

2 Ataulfos Mangos, cut up (See Video)

1 Pint Strawberries, cut up

Cut mango’s and strawberries up in a medium bowl. Set aside.  Make crust and Key lime Pie Filling.

Key Lime Mascarpone Cream Pie

From: Pie it Forward – Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Gallettes & Other Pastries Reinvented

By: Gesine Bullock – Prado

Key Lime is such a happy citrus – what other sour fruit brings to mind two of the loveliest things on the planet, the beach and pie, when you utter her name?  And she never fails to please, this lovely pie. Key lime pie is as silky sweet and tangy as a lazy day on the soft sands of Florida. Mascarpone is a natural addition, providing an extra dose of creaminess and tang. – Gesine Bullock – Prado

1/2 Batch Sweet Tart Dough

1/2 Cup, Plus 3 Tablespoons Key Lime Juice (I used Manhattan brand), Divided

1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Egg Yolks

Pinch of Salt

1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cheese

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 Degrees C).  Line an 8 inch tart pan with the dough, then dock the bottom and freeze it for 20 minutes.  Line the crust with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and bake it for 20 minutes.  Remove the weights and lining, then bake the crust for 15 minutes more, or until it no longer has a raw – dough sheen.

2.  For the filling, whisk together 1/2 cup of the Key lime juice with the condensed milk, egg yolks, and salt.  Pour the mixture into the crust and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set.  Allow it to cool completely.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the mascarpone cheese, cream, confectioner’s sugar, and remaining key lime juice until the cream hold stiff peaks.  Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe it onto the cooled Key Lime Pie.

Makes One (9 inch/20-cm) Pie.

Note:  I made my pie into little tartlets, and added Strawberry and Mango to the top of the tarts.  I used this crust recipe here, filled the shells unbaked with the key lime filling and baked them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes.  Cool completely before removing from the mini muffin pans.

Fill tartlets with fruit mixture and accent with whipped cream. Serve at once.

Pie it Foward Day March 14th, 2012 – Read all About it!

In anticipation and to do something fun, Abrams books, (Stewart Tabori & Chang) are featuring a Pie it Forward Day, set for March 14th 2012, in connection with the release of  Gesine Bullock-Prado’s new book, Pie it Forward!   Available Everywhere in April 2012!! (Oh, I just can’t wait!  Author of:  “My Life from Scratch”, “Sugar Baby” and now coming in April – “Pie it Forward”.)

Now, any type of pie will do whether it’s a savory or sweet!  potpie, cottage pie, apple pie, rhubarb pie -  if it has the word “PIE”  in it, – it qualifies. 

Here’s what you do:

1.  Find your favorite pie recipe. (OR try – Free downloadable pdf of Gesine Bullock-Prado’s Wild Blueberry Pie, from her soon to be released: Pie it forward cookbook)

2.  Bake

3. Now – Pie it forward! – Deliver the pie to a friend. Pass along the recipe and share a day of baking.

What a great idea. It’s sure to put a smile on someone’s face, and that’s the idea.  Imagine, if everyone made a pie for Pie it Forward Day!

Have some fun March 14th, roll up your sleeves, fire up the oven, and bake a pie for someone you love.

Look forward to a lip smacking apple pie recipe, coming on March 14th – Pie it Forward Day!

Possibly more than one, you never know. I love pie!

Now if you have no one to forward your pie to, I volunteer to be the recipient of your baked wonder!

I’m just sayin…..

Dolci: Italy’s Sweets Cookbook Review

You know it’s rare to find a cookbook that inspires you to want to make every recipe in it!   The recipes are simple, easy to follow, with most ingredients readily available at your local market, producing spectacular results.  (Sources are listed for the few ingredients that might require a specialty store.) Beautifully photographed, well written, and inspiring, this book will turn you into an Italian Dessert Guru:  Dolci:  Italy’s sweets by Francine Segan.

Francine Segan is an acclaimed food historian and author of four cookbooks, read more about her here.   In Dolci: Italy’s Sweets, Segan introduces us to the real Italy.  None of the recipes in this book are actually hers.  She gathered recipes from all corners of Italy.  Her recipes come from hip young food bloggers, grandmas in remote villages, from important Italian pastry manufactures and pastry chefs at small cafes. From thousands of recipes, she has selected the very best – a list that includes both the classics and desserts that contemporary Italians prepare in their homes today.

Chapters Include; Cookies & Bite sized sweets, Cakes & Sweet Breads, Refrigerator Cakes, Pies, Freezer Desserts, Spoon Sweets, Weird & Wonderful, unique & Unusual Desserts, Holiday Traditions, After Dinner Beverages, and last but not least; Basics.

While the book is beautifully photographed, the down side is the number of pictures.  There is not a lot of pictures, and for most of the recipes you’ll have to make it to find out what the finished product looks like.  I personally do not find this a deterrent. While I love to see more pictures in a book as most of us are visual, the book will still inspire you to make the contents within. With or without pictures.

Chocolate & Jam “Little Mouthfuls”

Filled with chocolate, ground almonds, and grape jam, these tiny, two-bite pies have an intriguing combination of flavors.  If the idea of making pie crust seems daunting, you’ll love this recipe.  Unlike most dough for pies and tarts, this one doesn’t require rolling or chilling and is just pressed into molds.  Made with olive oil, not butter, these mini pies are healthy as well as tasty.   Like so many dish in Italy, bocconotti vary from region to region.  This recipe is from Abruzzo, where they are filled with either a cooked reduced dessert wine called “Vin Cotto” or with a jam made from the local exquisite Montelpuciano grapes.  In Calabria, they are filled instead with just marmalade, and in the Lazio region, with sweetened ricotta. – Francine Segan

From: Dolci: Italy’s Sweets

Bocconotti

Makes about 3 Dozen

Region: Abruzzo, Calabria, and Lazio

6 Large Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup (100g) Sugar

1/2 Cup (120 ml) Olive or other Vegetable Oil

1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Grated Zest of 1 Lemon

1 7/8 Cup (225g) All Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup (180ml) Grape Jam

1/3 Cup (45g) Almond flour or very finely ground blanched almonds

2 oz. (55g) Dark Chocolate, grated on a cheese grater

Pinch of Ground Cinnamon

(click pictures for another view.)

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. (180 Degrees C.)  In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until golden-yellow and creamy.  Add the oil, vanilla, and half of the lemon zest and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour, mixing until a dough forms. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the jam, almond flour, chocolate, cinnamon, and remaining lemon zest and stir until well combined.

Lightly oil 36 mini muffin cups or 2 inch (5 centimeters) tart molds.  Press about 1 rounded tablespoon of the dough into the bottom of each mold.  Top with a heaping tablespoon of the jam mixture.  Take another tablespoon of the dough and press it flat with your palms.  Top the filling with the disk of dough and press it flat with your palms.  Top the filling with the disk of dough and press it into the edges of the mold to seal  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Verdict:  These little tarts are delicious. Easy and fun to make, they come together fast. The best part?  Eating them!   If you have the time, homemade jam would be best here.  If not, store-bought works just as well.  I see no reason these couldn’t be made in whatever flavor jam you might like.  I also plan on making them with the sweetened ricotta filling.

This beautiful, high quality, inspiring cookbook will attract all dessert lovers, especially, with its simplicity of the recipes, and in the ease of obtaining such spectacular results. This is a book that I will reach for over and over.  Recommended?  Highly! This book will not disappoint.

Full Disclosure:  I was given this book in exchange for a review.  The above review is my honest opinion of this book and the contents within.

Yvette Van Boven’s Home Made Cookbook Review

Recently I was sent Yvette Van Boven’s New cookbook “Home Made The Ultimate DIY Cookbook, featuring over 200 From – Scratch Recipes”, in exchange for a review.  Does this book deliver?  Oh, yeah and then some!

This book has everything in it!  Not only does it have everything in it, but it’s also a beautifully photographed, Do it yourself, wonder.   From Making Jam, Bread, Ginger Coffee, Teas, Cocktails & Liqueurs, Soups, Preserving Fruits, Preserving Meat & Fish, Gnocchi, pastas, Smoking foods, Roast it, On the side, Cheese Making, to making homemade, DIY, Ice creams, Sorbets and Semifreddo’s, Desserts with eggs including Zabaglioni, custard, fondant, pavlova, tarts, and everything in between.  Making chocolates, marzipan, shortbread’s, cookies, and truffles.  A chapter with making mustard’s, ketchup, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and there’s even a chapter to cover man’s best friend, our four-legged companions, “Do not forget the Dog”.

For my recipe, I decided (and it was a hard choice, out of all these delectable recipes) on Parisian Apple Tartlets.  These were some of the best Apple tarts I have ever tasted. And the recipe is user-friendly and easy to follow.

Parisian Apple Tartlets

From: Homemade – by Yvette Van Boven

For 6 individual tartlet bases:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/4 sticks chilled Butter

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

For the Filling:

3 Tart Cooking Apples, with red skin

1/3 Cup Superfine Sugar (Regular sugar works just fine here)

2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean

Mix of 1 Tbsp. Sugar & 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon

2/3 Cup Apricot Jam

2-3 Tbsp. Calvados

6 Tbsp. Creme Fraiche

Directions:

Combine the tartlet base ingredients swiftly into an even dough. This is easiest in a food processor.  Use a few drops of ice-cold water if necessary. (I did end up using 1 Tbsp. of Ice water)

Leave the dough to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  Then roll out the dough on a countertop dusted with flour and use to cover 6 well buttered individual pie dishes.  Prick the bottoms with a fork.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/Gas 4.

Blind bake the tartlet bases for 10 minutes (If you are making a large pie, say 9 inch diameter, bake a little longer, i.e. 15 to 20 minutes).

Quarter the apples, remove the cores, but not the attractive peel. (I peeled mine, I have tart green apples, and I don’t like the skin of the apple!, I know – Shame!) Cut the sections into very thin slices. Stir the sugar through the flour. Stir in the eggs to make a nice paste.  Heat the cream, vanilla, and bean, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.  Remove the bean, and add the hot cream to the flour-egg paste, while stirring.  Pour that cream into the prebaked pie crusts and cover with the overlapping apple slices.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mix.

Bake the tartlets in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes (a larger version will be done in approx. 25 minute).  Leave to slightly cool.

Heat the apricot jam in a pan.  Dilute with a tbsp. of Calvados or water.  Press the jam through a strainer over a bowl and spread the collected apricot jelly on the tartlets.  Serve the tartlets with a tablespoon of unsweetened good quality creme fraiche.

Makes 6 individual tartlets.

This is one of those books that you will reach for time, and time, again.  An encyclopedia of Do it yourself treasures that has everything in it that you can imagine, and always wondered about how to do.  The quality of the book is first-rate, the pages nice and thick, not at all flimsy, and a nice touch that I really liked, 2 ribbons attached to the book to mark your place.  (Although, you’ll need many more book markers, to save the recipes you’ll want to try.)

Donsuemor & A Dessert A Day!

What a long, hot summer this has been and it’s turning into autumn faster than I’d like to see.  Although, I love fall, I am going to miss the warmer weather.  Anyways, I wanted to share some exciting news with you.  I was recently contacted by a spokesperson for Donsuemor.   (DON-SUE-MOR)  Now if you haven’t heard of them before, you, just as I was, are missing out on some fabulous treats! In October, they will be posting a dessert a day!  How exciting is that??  Especially if you are a dessert lover with a sweet tooth like myself.  I can hardly wait.  What they have asked me to do, is create a dessert using one of their products.  Starting the first day of October, they will begin posting the recipes they’ve collected from the blogs participating and post them on their Facebook page.  So join all the fun, and grab a recipe a day from Donsuemor!

For my recipe, I chose their delicious French Almond Cakes,  (Financiers as they are known in France) (pronounced fee-nahng-syehr) to create my dessert with.  These are delicious little almond cakes that are absolutely delicious on their own. Read about them here.

I chose to create very simple, easy to make miniature tarts.  Miniature tarts are easy desserts to use anytime of the year, for any occasion, and you don’t have to feel guilty for eating more than one. Or, if you watching what your eating, it’s doable even on a strict diet, that is IF you can eat just one.  I am not able to.  These little desserts are great.  I served them at a dinner party, and there was not one left.  So easy, so delicious, so versatile.

Donsuemor French Almond Cake Tarts

By Delectable Desserts

10 Donsuemor French Almond Cakes

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted

Lemon Curd, Blackberry Curd, Jello Chocolate Pudding, or any other type filling or jello pudding (or homemade pudding) you might like.  (I use the same recipe for Lemon Curd & Blackberry Curd, substituting blackberry puree for the lemon juice, and it’s microwaveable.  Strain curds through a fine mesh strainer.)

Raspberries, for Garnish

Mint or Spearmint Leaves, for Garnish

Powdered Sugar, just before serving (Optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Unwrap the Almond cakes and break up in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 to 6 times, until you have fine crumbs.  In  a bowl, combine the crumbs and the butter and stir until incorporated. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the filling of your choice. (I used Jello Chocolate Pudding (following the directions on the box for pudding), a homemade Lemon curd, and homemade Blackberry Curd. But use any flavor you might like. The sky’s the limit). With a small scoop (I used a small cookie scoop), scoop mixture and form into small balls to fit into mini muffin tins.  Use a tart tamper or other object to form an indent in the  center of the balls.  Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Remove from oven. Flip the muffin pan upside down to release the tart shells and leave to cool fully on the counter. (Do not touch shells until completely cool, or they will crumble.)  Once completely cool, spoon or pipe filling into tarts.  Garnish with raspberries and a mint or spearmint leaf if desired.  You could also pipe a little whipped cream on the very top and place the raspberry on that.  I also shook a little powdered sugar over mine, just before serving. (Do not sprinkle with powdered sugar until serving time, as it will melt onto the dessert.)

Yield: 15 tarts. (I doubled my recipe to make 30 miniature tarts.)

Don’t forget to mark your calendar and grab those recipes starting October 1st, 2011

Full Disclosure: I received a free box of French Almond Cakes in exchange for a created recipe.

Goat Cheese Rugelach – “Goat: Meat * Milk * Cheese Cookbook Review

Recently I was sent “Goat: Meat * Milk * Cheese”  by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough in exchange for a review.  If you’ve encountered any of Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough books, you already know you’re in for a fun, hilarious, delicious round of good cooking!  This book is no exception.  This is their 18th cookbook and it’s all about Goat! Meat, Milk and Cheese!  According to Bruce and Mark, Goat is the world’s primary meat.  Upwards of 70 percent of the red meat eaten globally is goat!  Surprised??  So was I.

While I have to tell you that I couldn’t find any “Goat” meat in any of my local stores, they do give a list of suppliers in the book on where to obtain it.   Some investigation and a little research and you should be able to find a supplier locally, or at least semi-locally, and I found several places online where you can order.  (Thank goodness for Google!)  The milk, cheese and butter the recipes call for, are a lot more accessible in local groceries and I had no problem finding fresh Chevre.

Written in what I’d like to call classic Bruce & Mark style, the book is filled with hints and tips under the labels “more to know”,  “Less to do” and “Go all out” , perhaps suggesting a nice accompaniment to accompany the dish. Very helpful (and tasteful I might add).  And peppered throughout the book you will find, “Goat Stories”,  that is sure to leave you with a smile on your lips.

The book is broken down into chapters, starting with Meat:

Get your Goat, Hunks, Chunks, Curries, Mole, Ground, and If You’ve Got Nothing But Time – And Goat – On Your Hands

Next -

Milk & Yogurt – The Smell Of Goat In The Morning, Savories, and Sweets

and last but not least:

Cheese – Bits & Bites, A Match Made in Norway, Comfort Food, Little Nothings, and Bigger Somethings.

This time, we don’t get a meat dish with my review because I didn’t find any without having to travel a little farther than I could at this time,  but as far as the book goes, it’s in here. I can’t wait to get some local (semi-local in my case and still looking) goat so that I can try these goat meat recipes out.  In the meantime, there’s plenty of other recipes in the  book to make, using goat milk, butter and cheese.

The recipe I picked out – Rugelach!  Who can resist?

Goat Cheese Rugelach

From: Goat: Meat * Milk * Cheese

Here’s the classic New York deli pastry, reinvented with goat cheese in the dough, rather than the usual cream cheese.  When Bruce was testing this recipe, I inadvertently told my mother  about them one day.  She made me promise to put a bag in the freezer, in anticipation of their visit months away.  From then on, every time she called, she asked if the bag was still there. Sheesh, it’s tough raising parents.  – Mark Scarbrough

8 oz. (225 g) fresh chevre or soft goat cheese

8 Tbsp. (1 stick 115 g) cool goat butter (or unsalted cow butter, if you must), cut into chunks

1  2/3 cups (205 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. Salt

3/4 cup (170 g) raspberry jam

1 cup (225 g) sliced almonds (I had some chocolate covered almonds I ran through the food processor, chocolate can’t hurt!)

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.  Beat the goat cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy and light, almost like beaten cream cheese, 4 to 5 minutes.

2.  Pour in the flour and salt; continue mixing at low-speed until a soft dough forms.  Scrape down the inside of the bowl, mix a few seconds more just to make sure everything is incorporated and the flour has all dissolved, then divide this mixture into thirds and form them into three balls.  Put  1 of the balls on a large sheet of wax paper, on your work surface.  Spread it into a circle about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick.  Fold the wax paper around it and put it in the refrigerator.  Repeat with the other 2 balls.  Chill them for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

3.  Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 C).  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

4.  Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, then place 1 of the chilled dough rounds on it.  Roll into a 12 inch (30.5) circle.  Do it slowly and carefully, repositioning the rolling pin after each pass so the circle is as even as you can make it.

5.  Spread the circle with 1/4 cup (55 g) of the raspberry jam; sprinkle 1/3 cup (76 g) of the sliced almonds and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon over the top.

6.  Cut the circle into 12 pie-piece wedges, like long, narrowing triangles.  The best way to do this is to make 2 perpendicular cuts, 1 toward you and 1 parallel to where you’re standing.  The circle is now in 4 quadrants.  Cut each of these quadrants into long, thin pie-wedge triangles.  Separate the triangles from one another a bit and then roll each of them up, starting at the pointy tip and rolling toward the curved back.  Some of the jam will ooze out a little or just be exposed at the edges.  Set the rugelach on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

7.  Repeat steps 4 through 6 with the other 2 dough circles, re-dusting  your work surface with flour each time and making sure there are no little bits of dough anywhere that can cause subsequent circles to stick.  In fact, you can bake-off 1 batch of rugelach and save the other 2 circles in the fridge for other times in the days ahead.

8.  Once you’ve got all you want on the baking sheet, bake the rugelach until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack and continuing to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Seal them up in a plastic bag and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for God knows how long, until your mother comes to visit.

As Mark Scarbrough says: The first-ever, all-goat book–meat, milk, and cheese! If you want to know the butchering schematics for goat and then a whole heckuva lot beyond–like how goat cheese is made, how goat milk differs from all other mammal milks, why it’s considered the “universal” mammal’s milk, how there’s a whole cheesy world beyond creamy chèvre–this is the book for you.

This book is well written, funny and chock full of delicious recipes, this is a book that will move you beyond, and into a world of Goat meat, milk, cheese and butter (lets not forget the butter here folks!).  While I was not able to find goat meat in any of my local stores, I do think this is a world that I need to explore. While you find a local source for the goat meat, this book is chock full of delicious recipes to get you started on the goat milk, cheese and butter.  I find this book a very welcomed addition to my cookbook collection!  The cookies?  Delicious!!,  Worthy Mom Fare. (But, sorry Mom, mine will never make it to the freezer!) – Fire up the Oven

You can find Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough at their website for additional stories, recipes and laughter.  You’ll also find a Blog Only Goat recipe: Fudgy Buck Brownies, made with fresh Goat cheese.