Ginger and Chocolate Snowcaps

Don Embuldeniya Cookie, Dessert, Recipe 3 Comments

Lies I tell myself: Just one more cookie. Just one more scoop of ice cream. Just one more minute.

These cookies look like little snow-covered mountain peaks. They are lovely moist chocolate cookies with a hint of spiciness coming from ginger and would make a great treat on a snowy day.

Ginger Chocolate Cookie3-20

Ingredients:

180g high-quality dark chocolate
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
30g finely chopped candied ginger
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water or in a microwave oven. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then chocolate. Add candied and grated fresh ginger.

Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture.

Transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into individual portions (approximately 30g each). Roll dough between your palms to form balls, then roll very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Make sure to make a thick coating.

Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake about 10-15 minutes, until tops are cracked and center is almost set.

Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

This recipe yields approximately 24 cookies.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2018 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved

Easy-Peasy No Knead Bread

Don Embuldeniya Bread, Recipe Tags: , Leave a comment

“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?”
― Julia Child

Baking bread does sound intimidating and a complicated thing. Here is my version of one of the easiest bread recipes, adapted from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading and uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort and takes only about 6 hours from start to finish. This recipe makes a loaf with a crispy thin crust and interior of the bread is airy and light. And, the beauty of this recipe is that you can use it as a starting point and customize it as you like.

Easy Peasy No Knead Bread

Ingredients:

360 grams all-purpose or bread flour
¼ teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups warm water

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add ¼ teaspoon instant yeast and ¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar to 1 ½ cups warm water. Combine wet and dry ingredients together until all moisture is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 4 hours in at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Uncover bowl and fold dough over on itself a couple of times. Cover and let rest one hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot in oven as it heats. Carefully remove pot from oven.

Place dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Place parchment paper and dough into heated pot. Cover with lid. Bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes until loaf is browned. Cool on a rack.

This recipe yields one 650-gram loaf.

Adapted from: Jim Lahey, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/no-knead-bread-56389453

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2017 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved

Cherry Frangipane Squares

Don Embuldeniya Dessert, Recipe 1 Comment

Cherry and almond flavors are a natural combination. This is an easy recipe you can make with either fresh or frozen cherries as we head into the holiday swing.

cherry-almond-squares_amn

Ingredients

Base:
175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
60g icing sugar
2ml salt
360g all-purpose flour

Frangipane Filling:
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
25 ml whole milk
5 ml almond essence
100g ground almonds
45g all-purpose flour
1 ml salt

Cherry Filling:
500g pitted cherries (if using frozen, thaw them first)
50g granulated sugar
15 ml cornstarch
15 ml cold water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line bottom and sides of 9 by 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter, icing sugar and salt until creamy. Stir in flour until combined. Press into prepared baking dish; prick with a fork all over. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden; place on a rack to cool. Leave oven on.

In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so all of the butter/sugar mixture is well incorporated.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and almond essence until combined then beat in ground almonds. Stir in flour and salt until well mixed.

Mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Toss the sugar and cornstarch mixture with the cherries and stir in the water. Spread evenly over top of the cooled base.

Spread the almond mixture over top of the cherry mixture. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake in the centre of oven for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack.

Carefully lift the cherry almond square out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut lengthwise into 4 strips, and then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares.

This recipe yields approximately 16 (5 by 5cm) squares.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2016 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved

Peach and Lavender Cake

Don Embuldeniya Dessert, Fruits, Recipe Leave a comment

“Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?”
― T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Other Poems

Peaches are one of the best fresh fruits of summer. There are so many ways to enjoy this juicy fruit all summer long. This is an effortless dessert you can make with peaches. The floral aroma of lavender permeates the moist almond cake, and juicy peaches impart even more fragrance and flavor.

Peach Almond Cake-12

Ingredients:

155g unsalted butter plus 3 tablespoons, softened
150g granulated sugar
50g packed light-brown sugar
125g finely ground almond flour
100g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons chopped fresh lavender (or 1 teaspoons dried lavender or lavender essence)
1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
120ml whole milk
4 medium ripe peaches (about 700g), pitted, skin on, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
20g sliced almonds, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, and grease it and the sides of the pan with butter or cooking spray.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter; pour into pan. Sprinkle light-brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.

Arrange peaches in a circle at the edge of cake pan. Arrange the remaining wedges in the center to fill.

Whisk almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, lavender (if using lavender essence, add with vanilla below), and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the remaining butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed, until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl. Mix in vanilla and milk. Reduce speed to low, and beat in almond flour mixture in 2 additions.

Spread the batter over peaches, evenly using an offset spatula.

Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Remove ring; invert onto a serving plate.

The following step is optional.

To toast sliced almonds, keep the oven heated at 350F degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on cookie sheet. Bake for 3-4 minutes. Check almonds, shake pan to stir almonds. Check every minute until they are golden-brown color. Remove from oven and immediately pour onto a plate or platter where they can cool in a single layer. If left on the cookie sheet or in a pile, the almonds will continue to brown.

Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over the inverted cake.

This recipe can serve 8 people.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2016 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved

Nectarine and Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Don Embuldeniya Dessert, Recipe Leave a comment

“I’m not a vegetarian! I’m a dessertarian!”
― Bill Watterson, Something Under the Bed is Drooling: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection

I thought it would be nice to share one of my recent bakes, using seasonal fruits. I used nectarines and raspberries – an amazing combo. I used locally grown from the Niagara fruit belt. Nectarines and raspberries, when baked, get sweeter and pair absolutely perfectly with almonds. You can serve this tart warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Nectarine and Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Sweet shortcrust pastry:

90g unsalted butter softened
65g sugar
3 egg yorks
200g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Frangipane filling:

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g sugar
130g ground almonds
30g all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3-4 ripe nectarines
100g fresh raspberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tbsp apricot jam

Whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

To make the sweet shortcrust pastry, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time until fully incorporated into the mixture.

Mix in the flour until the mixture comes together as a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 10-15 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use it to line a 9-10 inch loose-bottomed fluted pan. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans (alternatively use uncooked rice or lentils).

Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and baking beans and return the pastry to the oven for an extra eight minutes, or until the pastry looks dry and faintly coloured. Set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375F.

To make the frangipane mixture, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl after adding each. Stir the ground almonds and flour. Mix to thoroughly combine. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.

Spread the frangipane mixture over the cooled pastry shell, using a pallet knife to smooth the filling.

Halve the nectarines and slice them into wedges, about 1 inch thick. Sit the nectarines on the filling in concentric circles and gently press them down, and press the raspberries into the frangipane, in between the nectarine slices.

Bake the tart for 30-40 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown across the top. Let cool, then brush lightly with apricot jam, if desired. If it’s not liquid enough to brush on, warm the jam gently in a small saucepan. This adds both shine and serves as a protective coating to prevent the fruit from drying out.

Serve with whipped cream (optional).

This recipe can serve 8 people.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2016 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved