Apple and Almond Tart
Makes one 11-inch [28-cm] tart
Ingredients
For the crust
2 cups [500 ml] flour
6 oz [170 g] butter
5 tbsp [75 ml] sugar
¼ tsp [pinch] salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
For the tart
½ cup [125 ml] butter, softened
½ cup [125 ml] sugar
2 eggs
½ cup [125 ml] all-purpose flour
2 oz [56 g] finely ground almonds
1 tsp [5 ml] almond extract
4 apples, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick (any variety of apple that you would use in a pie would do just fine)
Method
First, prepare the crust. Mix the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Add the diced butter and pulse until butter pieces are the size of edamame. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until the dough starts coming together. If the dough seems to lack moisture, add 1 tablespoon [15 ml] of very cold water and pulse again. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together in a large disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF [175ºC]. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a circle slightly bigger than your tart pan (preferably an 11-inch [28-cm] fluted pan). Put the dough into the pan and press the dough into the corners all the way around, and remove any overhanging dough from the sides. Patch any holes in the crust with the dough scraps.
Blind bake the pie crust: Line the tart shell with a large circle of parchment paper. Fill it with pie weights and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, take out the pie weights and the paper together, and bake again for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is cooked, but has not darkened. Let the crust cool while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.
Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, beat for one more minute. Finally, beat in the flour, almonds, and almond extract, stopping to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl if necessary. Spread this mixture in an even layer into the baked tart shell. Begin arranging the sliced apples around the side in overlapping concentric circles, until the entire top of the tart is covered. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center of the tart is firm and fully cooked. Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Credit: Mark Sopchak, Sweet Fine Day
Honey, Rhubarb & Strawberry Bread
A moist, flavorful and colorful addition to tea time or a weekend brunch.
Makes 1 bread
Ingredients
3 eggs
1/3 cup [80 ml] honey
¼ cup [60 ml] sugar
1 cup [250 ml] all-purpose flour
¾ cup [180 ml] whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsps [10 ml] baking powder
½ cup [125 ml] unsalted butter, melted
2 cups [500 ml] diced fresh rhubarb
1 cup [250 ml] diced fresh strawberries
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F [175ºC].
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with honey and sugar. Add flours, baking powder, mix together, then add melted butter. Mix well. Add diced rhubarb and strawberries and fold using a spatula until the fruits are well integrated.
Pour the batter into a buttered bread pan. Bake for 45 minutes (rotating the bread after 30 minutes). Open the oven and cover the bread with an aluminum paper to ensure the top won’t burn (honey accelerates browning) and cook for a further 15 minutes. Test the bread with a toothpick or the blade of a knife; it should come out clean (except from traces of color if you pick into a piece of fruit).
Let bread cool completely before slicing (it’s even better after a night in the fridge, well wrapped in plastic). Serve as is or toasted, with butter and honey, or a fruit compote.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from a recipe found on CuisineAZ.com.
Carrot Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Icing
A moist, sweet and richly spiced cupcakes that will quickly become first on your tastiest-cakes list.
Makes 18
Ingredients
For the cake:
½ lb [225 g] carrots, peeled and finely grated
¼ cup [60 ml] crushed pineapple, drained of excess juice
2 large eggs
¾ cup [180 ml] sugar
1/3 cup [80 ml] brown sugar
½ cup [250 ml] oil
1 tsp [5 ml] vanilla extract
½ orange, zest only
1 cup + 2 tbsp [280 ml] all-purpose flour
¾ tsp [7.5 ml] baking powder
½ tsp [2.5 ml] baking soda
¼ tsp [1.25 ml] salt
½ tsp [2.5 ml] ground cinnamon
¼ tsp [1.25 ml] ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
½ cup [125 ml] walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
½ cup [125 ml] raisins (or dried cranberries)
For the cream cheese frosting:
6 oz [170 g] cream cheese, softened
3 oz [85 g] unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups [375 ml] confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
½ tsp [2.5 ml] vanilla extract
½ tsp [2.5 ml] lemon zest
½ tsp [2.5 ml] orange zest
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F [175°C]. Prepare muffin tins with papers.
To mix the carrot cake: Before measuring the pineapple, press it through a strainer to get rid of the excess juice. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Add the finely chopped carrots, pineapple, walnuts, and raisins.
Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a rack.
To make the cream cheese frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed (or use a hand mixer). Turn down the speed and add the sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the salt, vanilla and zest.
Use a pastry bag or an icing spatula to decorate the cupcakes with the frosting. Decorate with thinly sliced carrots.
Recipe Credit: Adapted from Zoë François, Zoë Bakes
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
A twist on cupcakes that is garanteed to brighten this summer’s dinner parties.
Makes 24
Ingredients
3 cups [750 ml] all-purpose flour
1 tbsp [15 ml] baking powder
½ tsp [2.5 ml] salt
1 cup [250 ml] unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
2 cups [500 ml] sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 lemons, finely grated zest only
2 tbsp [30 ml] fresh lemon juice
1 tsp [5 ml] pure vanilla extract
1 cup [250 ml] buttermilk
Store-bought lemon curd (or you can make your own)
Meringue Frosting
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites, room temperature
Method
Preheat oven to 325ºF [160ºC]. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
Make meringue frosting: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230ºF [110ºC].
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.
As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230ºF [110ºC], remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.
To assemble the cupcakes, pipe 1 tbsp [15 ml] lemon curd onto middle of each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip with meringue frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip slightly and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Broil for a few seconds in the oven to brown the meringue (BE VERY CAREFUL: browning occurs very quickly) or use a small kitchen torch: hold it 3 to 4 inches [7.5 to 10 cm] from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over.
Serve the cupcakes immediately.
Recipe Credit: MarthaStewart.com
The Perfect Banana Bread
A bread truly worthy of superlatives: tender and moist, airy but substantial, perfect from breakfast to dessert.
Makes one bread or one 9-inch square cake
Ingredients
1 cup [250 ml] unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup [125 ml] whole wheat flour
1 tsp [5 ml] baking powder
½ tsp [5 ml] baking soda
¼ tsp [5 ml] allspice (or ¼ tsp [5 ml] cinnamon)
¾ cup [185 ml] sugar
2 tbsp [30 ml] melted butter
1 large egg white
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup [250 ml] banana puree, from about 2 very ripe medium-sized bananas
½ cup [125 ml] buttermilk or sour cream
½ tsp [2.5 ml] vanilla extract
1 shot (about 3 tbsp [45 ml]) of strong espresso coffee, cooled (or mix 1 tbsp [15 ml] instant espresso powder with 3 tbsp [45 ml] of hot water)
Suggested additions:
3 tbsp [45 ml] cocoa nibs OR
3 tbsp [45 ml] cocoa nibs and 3 tbsp [45 ml] chopped walnuts OR
1/3 cup [80 ml] chocolate chips OR
3 tbsp [45 ml] white chocolate chips and 3 tbsp [45 ml] chopped pecans
Method
Butter a rectangular bread pan or a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan (I use nonstick spray instead of butter). Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
Sift together in a bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice (or cinnamon). Mix in the sugar.
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, egg white, egg, banana puree, buttermilk or sour cream, vanilla and espresso.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the wet ingredients with a spatula until almost mixed. Add in your choice of additions and stir until just combined, but don’t overstir: stop when any traces of flour disappear.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake the bread for 60 minutes or the square cake for 40 minutes. The center must feel lightly-springy and just done.
Cool on a baking rack and enjoy with a good cup of coffee.
Storage: This cake will keep well for 3-4 days, or can be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, for a few months.
Notes:
- Bananas you choose to make this bread must be very ripe: the skin should have black speckles on them and be soft to the touch. If your bananas are not ripe enough yet, let them sit on your countertop for a couple of days. Your bread’s flavor will increase tenfold.
- It may seem strange to add a shot of super-strong espresso to the batter, but as David Lebovitz says, coffee and bananas make a great couple. Since coffee is a tropical fruit, as are bananas, the combination makes sense. Don’t worry, it won’t taste like coffee; the addition will simply impart a deeper flavor to your bread.
- I like to use buttermilk in this recipe but I very rarely have it on hand. Making your own buttermilk is really easy: Measure 1½ tsp [7.5 ml] of white vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to reach the ½ cup [125 ml] mark. Mix, let rest for 5 minutes and voilà, you have just the right amount of buttermilk you need, no spoiling. (The basic substitution ratio is 1 tbsp [15 ml] white vinegar for 1 cup [250 ml] milk).
Recipe Credit: Adapted from David Lebovitz
Chocolate Dessert Cakes
The ideal combination of a moist chocolate cake and a gooey lava cake. A chocoholic’s dream!
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 oz [185 g] butter, melted
1 cup [250 ml] granulated sugar
1/3 cup [85 ml] brown sugar
3 eggs
1¼ cups [315 ml] all-purpose flour
1 tsp [5 ml] baking powder
1 cup [250 ml] best-quality cocoa powder (such as Valrhona)
6 squares of dark chocolate (about ¼-oz [8 g] each)
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F [160°C]. Place the butter, sugars and eggs in a bowl and mix until combined. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix until combined. Divide half the batter in 6 1-cup [8 fl oz] capacity ovenproof ramekins or coffee cups. Place 1 piece of dark chocolate in each cup, then cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until fudgy. DO NOT overcook, you want the middle to still be gooey and smooth!
Serve warm in the cups, topped with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Credit: The Instant Cook, Donna Hay
