FRESH STRAWBERRY CHIFFON CAKE with KAHLUA CREAM DRIZZLE and TOASTED ALMONDS

Strawberry Chiffon cake with a light custard pastry cream is still my favourite dessert that I enjoy all year round. I like to decorate with fresh whipped cream, toasted almonds and a Kalua chocolate drizzle. The chiffon and drizzle recipe were given to me by my good friend Enza. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chiffon cake:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup safflower oil
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Filling and Topping:

1 -2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup toasted sliced balanced almonds
2 cups freshly whipped cream to decorate

For the Chocolate-kahlua Drizzle:

2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of Kahlua, just keep adding small drops while stirring to desired drizzle consistency

For the Custard Pastry Cream:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup of whole milk
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of 35% whipping cream


METHOD:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Use a 10 inch non-stick angel food pan with built-in little "feet" to prop the pan upside down while cooling. 

 In a medium sized bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.   

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk so that the ingredients are well mixed. Add in the oil, egg yolks, water and vanilla. Stir until it is well incorporated. Then beat with mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth (3 minutes).  Gently fold beaten egg whites using a spatula, into the batters.  Do not over mix. Bake for 55 minutes at 325F.  Increase temperature to 350F and bake for another 10 minutes.

Carefully invert cake over rack to cool.  Once cooled, run an offset spatula between cake and cake tin to loosen cake. 

To make Custard Cream:

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, flour and 1/4 cup of milk.

In a heavy saucepan, heat remaining milk just until bubbles form around edge of pan, and gradually whisk into egg mixture. Return the entire mixture back into the heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened and bubbly.  Transfer custard to a bowl and whisk in vanilla extract.  Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Let cool completely.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cooled custard until smooth. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

To Assemble the Cake:

Using a serrated knife, slice the cake into 2 equal halves.  Spread the sliced strawberries on the bottom half. Spread the custard cream to cover all the strawberries. Place the other half of the cake, cut side down on top.  Frost the cake with the 2 cups of whipped cream, leaving some to pipe rosettes around the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Decorate with a sliced strawberry and drizzle with the chocolate kailua glaze.

TIPS:

1. Oven should always be preheated to the correct temperature before placing cake in the oven. 

2. Always use correct measuring cups and spoons.  Use liquid measuring cups for fluids, such as oil or water. And dry measuring cups for larger powders such flour and sugar.

3. Flour should be spooned into a measuring cup, not poured in.  Once you spoon flour, do not shake or pack the measuring cup.  Carefully level off excess with a knife.  You should never use the measuring cup to scoop out flour from a container.   Even a tiny bit of too much flour creates a dense product.

4. When measuring liquid ingredients, fill the cup to the appropriate line and place cup on a flat surface. Always view at eye level as you pour the liquid. Viewing from the top is incorrect, because water surface curves downward.

5. This delicate cake must be cooled upside down to prevent it from collapsing. 

ALMOND WAFER COOKIES

This is very easy simple cookie to make.  Once you get the hang of the couple of extra steps needed, you will be making this cookie over and over!!!  I am just working on finding a healthier substitute for the granulated sugar.  Otherwise the two remaining main ingredients of sliced almonds and egg whites are certainly healthy!

 INGREDIENTS:

3 cups of sliced blanched almonds
4 tablespoons of egg whites

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
powdered sugar for dusting 



METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, using a fork gently mix sugar and egg whites.  Do not beat or whisk.  Stir in vanilla.  Lastly stir in the almonds until they are completely covered.  The mixture will be loose and does not stick together well.  Use a heaping tablespoon for each cookie, shaping as you go along.  Mixture will yield 24 cookies.  

Bake for 7 minutes and then switch the pans and flip them around for another 7 minutes.  Carefully watch cookies to ensure even cooking.

Turn the oven off, open the oven door slightly and leave the cookies in for another 20 minutes. This is a very important step.
  
Gently remove the cookies to cooling racks and dust with icing sugar.  

They are delicious served slightly warm or cooled down to room temperature. 

QUICK and EASY CREAM PUFFS

This is a fairly straightforward recipe that will create perfect results every time.  It may seem daunting at first but once you try making it, you will see how easy it truly is to create a quick and impressive dessert.  You can fill the puffs with custard, pastry cream, ice-cream, whipped cream, fresh berries, nutella, even with your favourite jam. ( I like it with chestnut jam and a dollop of fresh whipped cream).   I have included both a custard recipe, and a pastry cream recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

CHOUX PASTRY

4 large eggs
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup of regular butter
1 cup whole milk

CUSTARD

2 1/2 cups whole milk
5 tablespoons of granulated sugar
4 tablespoons of sifted all purpose flour
1 whole vanilla bean, seeds scraped
4  large egg yolks

PASTRY CREAM

Custard recipe 
 1/2 cup of whipping cream
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar



METHOD:

CHOUX PASTRY:


Preheat oven to 425F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter and milk.  Once butter is melted and milk is hot, add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon.  Keep stirring until a dough forms.  Adjust the heat to low, and continue to stir the dough until the flour coats the bottom of the pan.  It will create a film.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes.  Take the pan off the heat and put the dough into a stainless steel bowl.   I use a hand mixer to beat in the eggs, one at a time.  You could choose to beat the eggs by hand, but I find it easier to use a mixer.  Continue until the eggs are mixed in well.  

Using two tablespoons, scoop the dough and gently place on the parchment paper.  Keep the size uniform.  It is approximately 2 tablespoons per puff.   Bake for 20 -25 minutes. Just until golden.  Turn off the oven, and leave the puffs in for another 10 minutes.

When I remove them from the oven, using a small sharp knife, I poke a small hole on the side to let the steam escape. Let cool completely before filling.

CUSTARD:

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar, add milk, and then sifted flour, whisk until well incorporated without any lumps.  Add the seeds of one whole Vanilla bean.

Pour into a medium sized saucepan.  Over medium heat, continuously whisk the mixture until it thickens.  It will take approximately 8 to 10 minutes.  Do not overcook or the mixture will become too thick and sometimes the eggs will scramble.

Pour the custard into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the plastic wrap touch the top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely before filling the cream puffs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

PASTRY CREAM:

You will need the above prepared and cooled custard recipe. Whip 1/2 cup of whipping cream with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar.   Mix in a couple tablespoons of the whipped cream into the cooled custard.  Mix well and then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.





 TIPS:

1. Be sure to sift the flour, both when used in the Choux pastry and in the pastry cream recipe. It shortens the mixing time and creates a lighter product.
2. Always cover any just cooked custard with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap touches the surface of the custard. This allows the custard to cool without forming a chewy film.
3. Do not over cook the custard. Doing so may cause the eggs to scramble.  If you do, start over!
4. Don't forget to add a small slit to each puff when it comes out of the oven.  This will enable the steam to escape, to help dry the inside of the puff.  If you skip this step, you may find that the inside of the puffs will be slightly wet.
5. The filled puffs can be garnished with a dusting of icing sugar, drizzled with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or any berry coulis.
  
 


















 

LEMON RICOTTA SNACKING CAKE

The addition of grated apple makes this cake super moist.  This snacking cake recipe is certainly one of the easiest and quickest to make.  It is lemony, buttery and super moist. 

INGREDIENTS:

9 tablespoons of unsalted room temperature softened butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup of all purpose unbleached flour
pinch of salt
1 cup of full fat extra smooth ricotta  (I used Tre Stelle)
zest of a large organic lemon
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 gala apple grated (about 1 cup - if the apple is small you may need 2)
Powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Butter a 9 by 9 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat sugar and butter for 3 to 4 minutes.  Switch speed to low and add in 1 egg at a time.  Beating well after each addition.  Scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly.
Continuing on low speed add in the ricotta, followed by the flour and lastly the grated apple.  The batter will be quite thick.

Pour into prepared pan, level the batter and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  
Cake is ready when tester comes out clean. 

Put pan on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before you remove from the pan.  I didn't because I couldn't wait to try it!  But you really should wait.
  
Remove cake from pan by holding onto the parchment paper. 
Let cake completely cool on the parchment paper on top of the cooling rack. 
Once cake is cool, dust with icing sugar and cut into squares or rectangles.

TIPS:

This is a delicate snacking cake, so it is important to bake on parchment paper. Otherwise the cake may crumble when you try to remove it from the baking pan.



 



  

NUTELLA PUFF PASTRY TREAT

This is a fun, popular and easy dessert to make over the holidays.  So easy that even a non-baker will shine like a pro!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons of Nutella
2 sheets of 10 inch by 12 inch thawed puff pastry (I used President's Choice)
1 egg beaten 
powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a big oven pan with parchment paper.

Place the rolled out dough on the parchment paper. Using an offset spatula spread the Nutella over the entire surface of the pastry. Cover with second sheet of puff pastry.  Work quickly before pastry starts to warm up.  If it does, just place it back in the fridge for 5 or 10 minutes before proceeding with the next step.

Gently score the down the centre of the rectangle. Do not cut through.  Then cut approximately 10 strips along each side being careful to not cut through to the center.  Make sure to match up the cuts horizontally.  See picture below.

  And then gently twist each 'arm' with one or two rolls.
 

 Using a pastry brush lightly brush the top with some of the beaten egg.  Do not let the egg pool.

Pop into the oven for approximately 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and double in size.  Dust with powdered icing sugar and serve.

 TIPS:

Puff pastry can be tricky to work with once it begins to warm up to room temperature. 
Always work quickly with minimal handling. If it seems too warm at any point just pop it back into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before completing.



 

DARK CHOCOLATE and MOCHA MOUSSE TORTE

This is a very simple dessert, that is assembled in less than half an hour. It is best done the night before or refrigerated for at least 8 hours before serving.  It is light and creamy and decadent.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CRUST:

36 chocolate wafers (I used Mr. Christie) will yield approximately 1 1/2 cups of chocolate crumbs
3/4 cup melted butter 

FOR THE MOCHA MOUSSE:

1 1/2 cups Marscapone Cheese
1/4 cup cold espresso
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whipping cream (35%)
2 1/2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

TO SERVE:

Additional cocoa powder for dusting 
Chocolate covered coffee beans for garnishing and serving (optional)
Chocolate syrup for drizzling and serving (optional)

METHOD:

CHOCOLATE CRUST:

Preheat oven to 375F.
You will need a  9-inch fluted tart pan with removal bottom.

In a food processor, process the cookies until they are fine evenly-sized crumbs.  With the machine running, drizzle in the melted butter until incorporated.

Pat the mixture evenly into the fluted tart pan. Be sure to pat evenly up the sides of the pan too. Bake for 12 minutes at 375F. Let cool completely.

MOCHA MOUSSE:

In a cold large bowl, add the Marscapone cheese, whipping cream, espresso, sugar and cocoa powder. Using a mixer with whisk attachments, mix on low speed until well incorporated. And then increase to highest speed, and beat until stiff peaks form.

Carefully remove shell from fluted pan. Fill cooled shell with the Mocha mousse.

 
Dust lightly with cocoa powder and garnish with a chocolate covered coffee bean.
Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours before slicing and serving.

TIPS:

1. For best results, always whip cream in a cold bowl.  I usually place the bowl in the fridge while I am assembling the ingredients.
2. The cookie crust is very fragile, so handle carefully.
3. When dusting the cocoa powder, sift from at least 10 inches above the cream filling. This will ensure even dusting with no clumps. I use this same technique when dusting with icing sugar or cinnamon.
4. When measuring a semi-solid ingredient, such as a cream cheese or yogurt, always use measuring cups that are made for dry ingredients.
5. Wipe knife clean in-between slicing if you want a smooth clean edge.
6. You can serve this without the additional drizzle of chocolate syrup.
7. You can substitute the espresso with a 1/4 cup of Kahlua.

  

SUPER EASY ZUCCHINI BUNDT CAKE

This is the original recipe given to me by my good friend Enza.  It is one of the easiest coffee cakes that I have ever made.  It is great with a cup of tea too!

  INGREDIENTS:

2 cups grated zucchini
3 large whole eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter a 9-inch fluted bundt cake pan. Grate the zucchini in a food processor or manually using a box grater. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside. In another mixing bowl beat eggs, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the vanilla and grated zucchini. Gently stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Do not over mix/beat. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for approximately 50 minutes.  Cake is ready, when cake tester comes out clean. 

   
 Let cake cool in pan on a cooling cookie rack for 30 minutes before removing from pan.  After you remove from pan dust lightly with powdered sugar.

 TIPS:

If you notice the cake over browning before it is completed baked, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the time.

Do you notice anything missing from this picture?  I had a slice before I finished taken the photos!

OATMEAL and DRIED CRANBERRY COOKIES

My family loves oatmeal cookies.  I like to make different variations.  A warm homemade cookie (or two or three) right out of the oven is a wonderful treat.  These also freeze well.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup of softened salted butter  ( I usually leave the butter on the counter for a few hours)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup regular sugar
2 large eggs 
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3 cups of uncooked oats
1 cup of dried cranberries or dried cherries

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and set up 2 cooling cookie racks.

In a large bowl, sift  and whisk the flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Set aside.
 
In a large bowl using a mixer, cream the butter and both brown and regular sugar.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients that you had set aside.  Add in the oats, stir well.  Lastly, stir in the dried cranberries or dried cherries.

Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon ice-cream scoop, drop cookies onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.  Rotate the cookie sheets after 5 minutes.  The cookies are ready when they are slightly golden brown.

Cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes and then gently transfer the cookies to the cooling wire racks. If you have dough left over, just continue the same process until the cookies are all baked.


TIPS:

If you don't have a small ice-cream scoop, form each cookie by dropping heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto the parchment lined cookie sheet.

 


  


 

SWEET POTATO PIE with Fresh Whipped Cream

A delicious alternative to pumpkin pie.  Sweet potatoes are nutritious and naturally sweet.
 

INGREDIENTS:

For the filling:

2 cups mashed roasted sweet potato
1/2 cup 35% cream
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups 35% Cream
2 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Crust:

Your favourite pie crust recipe.


METHOD:

In a preheated 425 F. degree oven, roast 3 large washed and unpeeled sweet potatoes for approximately 1 hour. Continue to roast them until they are fork tender.  Once they are cool, peel and mash .

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, using a whisk, mix sweet potato, 1/2 cup of cream, brown sugar, eggs,  honey, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Pour into unbaked pie crust and bake for approximately 1 hour.  Cool to room temperature before serving.  Serve with a huge dollop fresh whipped cream.

To make Whipped Cream:

In a medium bowl, add cream and sugar. Using whisk attachments, whisk at high speed for approximately 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form.


TIPS:

1. Roasting sweet potatoes in their skins at a high heat, creates a natural caramelization and increases the sweetness of the potatoes. This allows you to cut back on the amount of sugar in a recipe.
2. Do not over beat whipped cream.  If you over beat, it turns into butter.