Swedish Visiting Cake

I'd seen this cake made by the Tuesdays With Dorie group a few weeks ago, and I just could not resist. Maybe it was the simplicity of the recipe, or the rustic but oh-so-pretty pictures in Dorie's book, but something about this cake just called out to me.

This cake is seriously one of the most delicious cakes I have ever made and it probably took me about 15 minutes tops to prepare. Am I tooting my own horn? Sure, maybe a little, but not really, since the deliciousness of this cake is not a reflection of the baker, it is a reflection of the recipe. It is so simple to make and just wonderful to eat. Butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and almonds...how can you go wrong? Plus, the batter is easily prepared in one bowl and doesn't require a mixer.

Best of all, this cake is just a blank canvas for so many variations I have in mind - maybe adding a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, or topping it with a fruit compote, or folding in a handful of... chocolate chips (bet you didn't see that one coming). So rebellious yet so delicious too. The possibilities are seriously endless.


Swedish Visiting Cake (from Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours)

*8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
*1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
*Grated zest of 1 lemon
*2 eggs
*1/4 tsp salt
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 tsp almond extract
*1 cup flour
*1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)
*powdered sugar (optional, for serving)

1. Center a rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or even a pie pan.

2. Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond extracts.

3. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.

4. Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist. Let cook slightly, and sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar before serving.

Almond Brittle

The local co-op in my town has one of the largest bulk sections I have ever seen in a grocery store: two large walls FULL of containers of various flours, nuts, grains, spices, and so much more. Walking through this aisle, I feel like a kid in a candy shop or a Carrie Bradshaw in a Mahnolo Blahnik store. Have you ever walked out of a shoe sale and painfully wondered how you just managed to spend hundreds on a pair of strappy stilletos or knee-high boots? Well, I haven't, but too many times I have walked out of this co-op wondering how I spent $50 on a bunch of groceries, most of which cannot be eaten without first being baked or cooked.

Although my main weaknesses are the bulk flours and grains, I also cannot resist the bulk almond brittle. 8 bucks a pound will get you the yummiest locally grown almonds, roasted, and smothered in a sugary-buttery caramel coating. Oh. My.

This here is my attempt to recreate this almond treat; because although kids can't make candy (not any that I know of, anyway) and Carrie Bradshaw can't make shoes, I CAN make almond brittle, and I did.

Although this brittle is a bit different than the one at my co-op (their's is more like caramel-covered almonds than brittle), I think it is just as good (maybe even better). It is sweet without being overly so, crunchy and not at all chewy, and extremely satisfying. Now, if only I could make my own flour, I'd be set!
Almond Brittle
*1 cup white sugar
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup butter
*3 tablespoons water
*3 cups whole almonds (or use 3 cups peanuts)

1. In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugars, butter, and water. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent scorching. Using a candy thermometer and medium heat, bring the mixture to 300 degrees. Do not stir. The temperature will rise as the water is boiled off, and this can happen quickly, so be prepared to lower the heat or remove the candy from the heat as needed.
2. As soon as the mixture reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the stove and add the nuts. Mix until all nuts are coated. Pour the nut mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and separate the nuts. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then break into pieces.

Banana Crumb Muffins Take Two

I'm the kind of person who needs to have something sweet with every meal I eat. Breakfast is usually cereal, so that doesn't need dessert, but lunch and dinner is always supplemented with at least a piece of chocolate. I can't help it. This is me, and I need sweets. I've tried to change it, but now I just accept it. We are who we are, right? And I'm a dessertaholic. Anyone else in this club? Allowing myself at least a small treat with every meal prevents me from eating a whole pan of brownies in one sitting, something that I used to do often before I started this treat-a-meal approach.

I like to make these muffins when I need a break from some of the richer desserts I make often (cookies, brownies, cakes, etc). These muffins are satisfying in many ways -- they are made with whole wheat pastry flour and studded with walnuts, which makes them filling and they are topped with a sweet and crunchy crumb, which truly makes them dessert and not breakfast. I usually add chocolate chips which definitely satisfies my chocolate cravings, but this time I added white chocolate and dried cranberries. Some people complain about white chocolate not being "real chocolate", and I say "sure" - that just means more for me!

Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Muffins (adapted from allrecipes)
(Makes 12 muffins)

* 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 bananas, mashed
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/6 cup canola oil
* 1/6 cup applesauce
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries


Crumb Topping

* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* pinch of ginger
* 1 tablespoon cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, oil, and applesauce. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Wow. So simple yet so utterly delicious. This was one of my favorite Daring Baker's challenges for three important reasons -- 1) I didn't lose sleep over it 2) I didn't almost destroy my kitchen in the process of making it, and 3) it was super delicious.

This month we made Nanaimo Bars, a classic Canadian dessert created in Nanaimo, British Colombia. The bars have 3 layers: a base containing graham crackers, cocoa, coconut and nuts, a middle custard layer, and a topping of chocolate.

We had the option to make gluten-free graham crackers, but I stuck to original (flour) graham crackers (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of them). I wanted to make these desserts for the BF's birthday, and since he is a peanut butter fanatic, I swapped the traditional vanilla flavored custard for a peanut butter layer. I also swapped the almonds in the bottom layer for salted peanuts, and replaced some of the butter with peanut oil.

And OMG. The result was amazing: a bottom chewy yet crunchy layer of chocolatey goodness, a creamy and sweet peanut butter filling, and a hard chocolate shell on top -- AMAZING. Initially, I thought these bars were going to be just like the many American dessert bar recipes that I do love, but have tried several times. But no -- they were really different. The coconut in the bottom layer really added to taste and texture of these bars, making them very different than other bar recipes I've had. The addition of the peanut oil really added a lot of peanut flavor to this recipe, but of course can be replaced with butter.

The original recipe can be found on Lauren's lovely (and gluten-free) blog. Below is my peanut butter version.

Peanut-Butter Nanaimo Bars (loosely adapted from here)

Ingredients
Base

• 1/4 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  
• 1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 large egg, beaten
  
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
• 1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) shredded sweetened coconut
  

Filling

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
  

Glaze

• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped baking chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, oil, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream together peanut butter, butter, and oil until smooth well. Add the cornstarch and continue creaming. Gradually add half of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time until smooth. Add vanilla. Continue adding sugar and milk, alternating 2 tablespoons at a time of each. Spread over bottom layer. Spreading this will be a bit difficult at first, since the mixture is very sticky. I let the mixture sit for a while and used a offset spatula to spread it.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These cookies are seriously amazing. Six ingredients (one of them is salt), no eggs or leavening, and they taste amazing. They are extremely easy to make and too easy to eat. The BF made these to bring to my family back in NY, and I think we will be making these every year now.

Mexican Wedding Cakes (also called Snowballs or Russian Tea Cakes; adapted from Joy of Cooking) makes 30 cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted, and finely ground
1 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.
2. Beat the butter, 1/4 sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until blended.
3. Stir in the pecans. Stir in the flour until well blended.
4. Shape into 1-inch balls and arrange about 1 1/4 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake each sheet at a time, for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let stand for about 2 minutes, then remove to rack to cool.
5. Roll the cooled cookies in 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar.

Pecan Tartelettes

Since the first time I tasted pecan pie it has been my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, and one of my favorite all time desserts -- which is pretty hard to believe considering it has no chocolate. Something about the gooeyness and nuttiness...yum. I've always used a simple recipe I found online for pecan pie, but after all this recent talk about the evil that is corn syrup, I decided to replace some of the corn syrup with honey. I also made them in a muffin pan, which allowed them to be super cute. Its funny how you can take any standard dessert, make them in a small pan, and all of sudden, cuteness.

For the crusts, I used my go-to pie crust recipe, but continuing with my whole wheat challenge, I swapped the regular flour with whole wheat pastry. The result was still good, although I have to admit that I could taste a difference in the pie crust. The whole wheat definitely tasted more wholesome, which is not necessarily bad, but not as good as the standard buttery pie crust. Maybe more butter would help. Or maybe a half and half mixture. Otherwise these little tartelettes were pretty awesome. Sweet, gooey, nutty all wrapped in a cute little package.

Pecan Tartelettes

• 2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
• 1 unbaked pie crust (recipe below)
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
2. Using a 2in diameter cookie cutter, cut 16 rounds of pie dough. Lightly press into a buttered muffin pan.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, syrup, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla. Pour about 2-3 Tablespoons in each mini pie shell. Be careful that the filling doesn't flow over the shell.
4. Spread 2 Tb pecans in each shell.

Bake at 375 deg F. for 20 minutes or until filling is set. Remove each tartelette onto cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust (adapted from Land O'Lakes)

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 2 to 3 Tbs ice cold water
  

1. Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened.
2. Shape dough ball. Flatten slightly. Wrap ball in plastic food wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok, I'm trying something new here. Lately, I've been making my favorite recipes by replacing the all purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. A few weeks ago, I made chocolate chip blondies (yum!) using only whole wheat and I was seriously amazed. I could not tell the difference AT ALL! Even the BF who hates my healthy replacements had to admit (hah!) that he could not tell a difference. I really wanted to blog about those blondies but unfortunately I ate them all before I could. Oof. This time, I had some restraint and photographed these lovely whole wheat peanut butter chocolate chip cookies before I could eat them all. Not that they weren't worthy of being eaten in one day. These cookies were amazing! So so good and again -- I could not tell the difference between these and the original recipe that used all white flour.

So now I've decided to do a test -- I will try to remake some of my favorite all-purpose flour recipes (I'm thinking chocolate chip cookies, brownies, pie crusts) by replacing some (or all) of the all purpose flour with whole wheat. And...I'll take requests for recipes too! I'll be your guinea pig. So send me a recipe that you are curious about and I'll take the whole wheat test and report the results. In the meantime, make these cookies!


Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.
2. Whisk together:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 whole wheat (pastry) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3. Beat in a large bowl until well blended:
1/3 cup (5 1⁄3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4. Beat in:
1 large egg
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
5. Stir in the flour mixture until blended. Shape into 1-inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Press in some extra chocolate chips on top. Bake 1 sheet at a time, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.

Carrot Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

I remember growing up in New York, winter was always my favorite season. Snow -- I LOVED snow. Couldn't get enough of it, actually. I would spend literally hours outside running around in it, without even noticing that it was uhm, cold. What is it about kids and snow? Do they not feel how cold it is?
As I got older, either snow got colder, or I got weaker, because winter is no longer my favorite season. Don't get me wrong, I still love the snow (and totally miss it), and LOVE winter, but my favorite season has shifted to Fall.
Something about the crispness in the air and the colors in the trees is so comforting yet exhilarating at the same time. Wow, for a second there I almost forgot that here in California, on the 2nd day of Fall it is - ready for this ? 94 degrees!!?? 94 degrees??!!? Any other Californians out there longing for Fall to actually start?

This carrot cake has Fall written all over it. It's spicy and sweet, and comforting and exhilarating. Ok, maybe not exhilarating, but it is all of those other things and super delicious. Plus, it is good for you. I took one of Dorie Greenspan's fantastic recipes (I love her but does every recipe REALLY need 2 cups of butter?) and added some healthy tweaks (surprise) and extra spice. I also ditched the usual cream cheese topping, and swapped it for a super rich and decadent dulce de leche cream cheese frosting. The dulce de leche adds an awesome butterscotchy flavor that just...works. I can't explain but try it and you'll see.

Spicy Carrot Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Dorie Greenspan)

Cake:

• 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 5 carrots),
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 large eggs

Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted (more or less to taste)
• 2 Tb dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 8 in square pan.
2. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots and chopped nut.
3. Beat the sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix in the nuts ingredients. Pour in pan.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean.
5. For frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the vanilla and dulce de leche. Allow cake to cool completely before spreading frosting.

Magic Cookie Bars

This is it folks -- the mother of all desserts: Magic Bars. These little babies combine my three favorite dessert ingredients: chocolate (of course!), caramel, and nuts.

There are many different names for these bars: Magic Cookie Bars, Hello Dolly Bars, Seven-Layer Bars, and (the very creative) Chocolate Coconut Bars. But they all equal the same thing: a dessert so rich that you only need about one piece to satisfy your sweet tooth. Unless you have my sweet tooth, which means you'll eat until your stomach hurts.

I combined a few of the recipes I found to make a more wholesome version of this recipe. Notice I didn't say "lighter" version, just "wholesome". So even though they're still loaded with calories, they'll make you fuller, which means you'll eat less of them. Unless, of course, you're like me. I think I may have a problem.

Magic Cookie Bars

• 1 cup whole wheat graham cracker crumbs
  
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
  
• 1 Tb brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325°F . Line a 8x8-inch baking pan.
2. In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter; mix well.
Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of baking pan.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips, coconut and pecans on top. Pour the condensed milk evenly.

4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly golden on top.

5. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Daring Bakers Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart/pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

This was my first Daring Bakers challenge, and I am dedicating it to the BF. Without a doubt, if it weren't for him, there is no way I would have completed this recipe. There were so many factors which tempted me to be a no-show for my very first challenge: (1) I was leaving to go out of town, and then out of the country, for 2 weeks, so would not be around to enjoy the results of the challenge (2) I really wanted to do something creative and I had the hardest time coming up with ideas (3) I had never heard of a Bakewell Tart, or even used almond flour, and (4) the recipe required a scale for measuring the ingredients, and my broke self does not own one.

With some much needed moral support from the BF, I finally decided to tough it out and complete the challenge, and I am so glad I did! Since I was not going to be around to enjoy it, I decided the next best thing would be to give it away. I wanted to give half the tart to a friend I was visiting who just finished business school, and since she is a major chocoholic I knew that I would have to incorporate chocolate into the recipe. So instead of the traditional fruit spread which the recipe calls for, I decided to go with a chocolate spread. They're almost the same, right? Cocoa is a fruit, right? Oh, it's not? Ok, well it grows on trees, right? Oh, not really? Ok, well it's sweet like fruit, right? No?! Ok, they're not similar, but they both make good spreads, so there.

The most popular chocolate-based spread I know of is nutella, which is made with chocolate and hazelnuts. But since this dessert uses almond flour, I decided to make my own version of nutella, with almonds instead of hazelnuts. The homemade almond "nutella" came out great, and was perfect for this dessert.

The Bakewell tart traditionally consists of a shortcrust pastry (like a pie crust), a layer of jam, and a frangipane (or almond cake) topping. I was a bit wary of this dessert, because I expected the frangipane to taste like marzipan, which I am not a fan of. Surprisingly, it tasted nothing like marzipan -- instead it was like a very rich, almost creamy, cake -- totally delicious. This was my first experience using almond flour and I loved it. It's a bit pricey compared to regular flour, but I will definitely be using it when I'm in the mood to splurge. Also, since I was short on time, I used my trusty pie crust recipe instead of the one given in the challenge. I really enjoyed this recipe. The butter, almond, and chocolate flavors came together really well to make a very rich and satisfying dessert.

As for measuring the ingredients -- the BF took them all to his lab and measured them for me using his lab scale! Ah, it's great to know a scientist, and even better when he's your boyfriend. :) As much as I appreciated his help, this challenge has definitely convinced me to invest in a kitchen scale, so this little baby will be sitting on my counter in 5 to 7 business days. Woot!


Bakewell Tart with Chocolate Almond Spread

• One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
• Bench flour
• 250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
  
• One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
• One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry
225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Frangipane
125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Chocolate Almond Spread (Nutella)

Some people say that Nutella is the peanut butter of Europe. I'd have to agree. When I backpacked through Europe in 2005, I too often found myself in the 'exotic foods' section of the grocery store desperately searching the shelves for a jar of peanut butter. Usually there were just one or two jars of creamy unsalted for about twice as much as I would pay in the U.S. But price was not an issue, because denying oneself of a peanut butter craving for an entire month is not healthy, at least not for me.

My German friend has told me she's had a similar experience with buying Nutella in California. The stuff is way more expensive here than it is in Europe, and usually there is just that one brand - Nutella, whereas European groceries offer far more options.
Since I just got back from a week long European excursion through Germany and Prague, I am dedicating this post to Europe and it's delicious culinary invention of Nutella, or more generally, chocolate hazelnut spread.

I was curious about making my own chocolate hazelnut spread, but I wanted to try it with almonds instead of hazelnuts (I'll explain why in the next post). I found this recipe on Baking Bites and made a few adjustments.

Ok, I'm not going to lie -- this was not easy. Well, the original recipe is easy, but since I was looking for a smooth spread, I had to strain it all through a sieve to get rid of the chunkiness from the ground almond. But the taste? It was amazing and totally worth the effort. This spread had a strong almond flavor which was very nicely balanced with a sweet chocolatey flavor. All in all, this was chocolate almond heaven.

Chocolate Almond Spread (adapted from Baking Bites)

• 1/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
• 1/2 cup dry nonfat milk powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup milk (2% or whole)
  
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
  

1. In a medium saucepan, combine almond meal, dry milk powder, brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Add in milk and vegetable oil and whisk until smooth.

2. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture begins to thicken and just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.

3. To get a smooth spread, strain the mixture by placing small portions of it, one at a time, in a strainer. Use a spoon and the strainer to separate the mixture and the almond meal.

4. Transfer the spread to a heatproof container, preferably one with an airtight lid. Cool to room temperature and, if not eating right away, store in the fridge with an airtight lid on the container.

Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Muffins

I like to make these muffins when I am craving a wholesome dessert, as opposed to the brownies, cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies, which, although very satisfying taste-wise, often leave my belly grumbling for some more. These muffins are pretty wholesome and filling -- made with bananas, a bit of applesauce, whole wheat (pastry) flour, and walnuts. Of course, I add chocolate chips (did you see the title of this blog?) to make sure no cravings are left unsatisfied.

The original recipe is actually the most popular recipe on allrecipes. Here is my wholesome, chocolate-craving satisfying rendition:

UPDATE: I initially forgot to list one of the most important ingredients: the Chocolate Chips (duh)!! Forgive me, this is my first posting. Clearly, I need practice.

Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Muffins (adapted from allrecipes)
(Makes 12 muffins)

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/6 cup canola oil
• 1/6 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  

Crumb Topping

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of ginger
• 1 tablespoon cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 cups all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, oil, and applesauce. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.