Yuzu-Coconut Milk Birthday Cake, with Friends

 

I delight in making new friends, don't you? One of the most swell new friends I had the delight of meeting recently is Xiaolu of the delightfully sweet 6 Bittersweets. Her site is amazing, as you have noticed, I am certain. And when I met her this winter, it was like meeting an old friend. For she is just as as warm and sweet and smart and friendly in "real life" as is her site.
Not too long ago, we got to chatting. I had to share my lovely find, to tell someone who loves food and sweet about these lovely yuzu limes. Now, they may not be much to look at, with their bumpy skin and funny squat shape. All their magic lies in their scent and flavor. One wee uncut little lime can scent your whole kitchen, with a smell that is floral and citrusy all at once. And their flavor, with hints of grapefruit and lime, and again, something sweet and tart and flower-like.
And after our conversation, I hunted down a few more yuzus. It was even more delightful to share a few of those yuzu limes with someone who would enjoy them too. And so, off they went, those yuzus along with some meyer lemons. They made it all the way across the country, where Xiaolu turned them into these gorgeous cake shooters. And my yuzus became a celebratory cake, with yuzu-and-coconut milk spiked buttercream, brightly flavored yuzu curd, and layers of yuzu-coconut milk cake. There was no birthday, no anniversary to celebrate, just a sunny, wintry Tuesday afternoon, and the magic of friendship.


Yuzu + Coconut Milk Birthday Cake
Cake
1 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda, salt
5 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk
2 large egg whites
Prepare a 8 x 2 (or 6 x 3, as I used) inch round cake pan by greasing them with butter and placing a circular cutout of parchment to cover the bottom. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix together sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, whip butter until it is noticeably lighter. Add sugar, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat the coconut milk and egg whites. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until more fluffy.
Divide evenly to prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Curd:
1/4 cup yuzu juice
1 tbsp yuzu zest
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Bring a medium/large saucepan of water to a simmer. Suspend a heatproof bowl over this, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Combine yuzu juice and zest, egg yolks, eggs, and sugar in the bowl. Stir constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula (7 to 10 minutes).
Remove from heat, add cubes of butter. Refrigerate.

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New Year, with Christmas Cake

I cannot believe another year has flown by. It has been an incredible year, and for me so much has changed. A year ago, I could not have being right here. In my favorite city, in my dream of a neighborhood, and so many new opportunities. New friends and new joys, tempered by new stresses and worries too. We need those in life, to make the bright moments shine, and our triumphs greater. To remind us of how beautiful life is.
And so, I wish that your New Year is full of happiness, and that if it comes to pass, that you brave the sadness too. May your life be full of dreams and hope. And, like my Christmas-cake-at-New Years, may it be sparkling, scented, and sweet.

Pain d’Epices with Candied Ginger
Spice Mixture
1 gram cardamom
1 gram cinnamon
1 gram nutmeg
1 gram cloves
1 gram black pepper
5 grams candied peel, minced finely (or zest from half an orange)
½ tbsp grated ginger
Cake ingredients
1 ½ cup AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp candied ginger, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease (or line with parchment paper) a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Grind together the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper. Grate ginger, and mince the candied peel very, very finely (or zest an orange). Combine in small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, sugars, milk, and spices (including grated ginger and peel/zest) heat over low flame until combined and the sugar has dissolved. After removing from heat, whisk in eggs. Add this wet mixture to the dry flour mixture, whisk thoroughly until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Place slices/pieces of candied ginger in a pattern over the cake, avoided the ½ inch near the edge. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester poked into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. Serve with the candied ginger side up.

Some Goodies to usher in the New Year:
This gorgeous Tumblr got me through finals.
I would love to have some of these in my kitchen.
A new magazine. So perfect for long, cozy winter nights.

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Merry Christmas!

First of all, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas - or Happy Holidays. I had not done a thing to celebrate, as my (first law school) finals coincide with the season. No decorations. So to make things more festive, I baked Christmas cookies. There's nothing quite like the smell of the holidays, and sheets of spice, sugar, butter, and flour certainly carry more than a bit of that scent.
I hope that you all are having a marvelous time, and enjoying the gifts of abundant food, loving family and friends, and atmosphere of generosity and cheerful that comes with the season.


(Full recipes to follow shortly)
Sesame Coins
(See HERE for recipe)
I made my own tahini, by grinding 1/2 cup of oven-roasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.

Soft Gingersnaps 
Makes 2 dozen (24) cookies
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, cardamom, black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted butter
3 tbsp molassas
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup demarrea sugar, for rolling.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the warm butter, molasses, both sugars, fresh ginger, and the egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture stir until incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Form the dough into 1 tablespoon balls. Roll the balls in the Demerara sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven.
Slide the parchment sheets of cookies onto cooling racks or use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies, and cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, gingersnaps keep for several days. 

Coffee-Hazelnut Cookies 
(See HERE for original recipe) Makes about two dozen cookies
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts (when you roast them, you can remove the skins)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely ground coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water/brandy (Alice Medrich uses brandy, I did not have any on hand so I used water)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter)
24-36 coffee beans, for garnish and flavor.

Butter-Pecan Cookies 

Double-Chocolate Cherry Cookies 
(see HERE)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder (you can use regular, but the cookies will be a paler brown)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp each vanilla extract, salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chunks/chips
1/4 cup dried cherries
I drop tablespoons of batter instead of 1/4 cup-fulls, and thus reduced the baking time to 10-12 minutes.

Orange-Cardamom Shortbread (Nankhatai) 
Not pictured
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) softened butter
Zest of one orange
4-5 cardamom pods, seeds only, ground (or 1 tsp ground cardamom)
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheet by greasing generously with flour and butter, or with parchment paper, or silicon baking sheet. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar, add zest, cardamom, salt. Add flour, mix or kneed until combined.
Form dough into 1 tablespoon balls. Flatten slightly, and place 1/2 inch apart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until slightly golden.

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Whole Wheat Honey Tea Cake

This is just a quick little note, just because I have been busy preparing for the next chapter of my life, but also because I really must share this little cake with you. Its so good that I just think it might turn into my 'go-to' cake. Simple, flavorful, quick, and best of all, it keeps really well. What's not to love? And here's another reason to love it - its made with a blend of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose flours.
I have modifying my old recipes to include whole wheat instead of just unbleached all-purpose flour. Of course, its more nutritious. I have always preferred the taste and texture of whole wheat bread to white bread. And it works remarkably well it 'everyday sweets'. I've tried in scones, chocolate chip cookies, and, as you see here, tea time cakes. This one is similar to the Miette honey (and ginger) one from earlier this month, but its more substantial. The butter and cream keep it luscious, despite the hearty, nutty element from the whole wheat. There's only 1/3 the amount of sugar that the Miette recipe calls for, and it bakes up beautifully - really gorgeously actually, all fluffy. I recommend eating the cake with a bit of fruit, or compote, maybe even preserves or a drizzle of honey. Feel free to get creative - its such a basic to-go cake that I imagine it would pair well with many, many fruits and flavors.

Whole Wheat + Honey Tea Cake
1/2 cup AP flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) + 3 tbsp butter, softened
Honey syrup (from Miette recipe)
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour (grease) a 7.5/8 x 3.5/4 loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, combine flours, cornstarch, sea salt. Whisk in sugar
In another smaller bowl, combine egg yolks, egg, and heavy cream.
Whip butter until it is paler in color. Slowly whip in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the wet mixture, and whisk for 2 minutes (electric/stand mixer) or 3-4 (hand whisking). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. Make Miette's honey syrup while it bakes. After removing from oven, poke a few small holes into the loaf using a toothpick. Pour about a tablespoon of the honey mixture over the cake, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Pour 2 tablespoon of mixture slowly over the cake, making sure the honey syrup absorbs. Allow it to cool for another 5 minutes. Turn cake over, and pour the remaining syrup over the cake. Serve with blackberries or other fruit, or a berry compote made of frozen berries if berries are not in season.

Some lovelies for you:
~ Too pretty to eat off of. 
~ Original idea for sweet treats.
~ Great idea for a party...or a lazy afternoon.

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Some Scones + A Crumble

For the record, I am not a morning person. That does not mean that I don't love breakfast. Or morning. There's something a little magical about mornings. Particularly how the air feels cleansed, and the world washed in dew. A new day, a fresh start, a clean slate. That must be why breakfast is thought to be so crucial - it sets the tone for the remainder of the day.
In that spirit, I am going to share with you two breakfast treats. One is an indulgent treat, and the other slightly less so. The creme fraiche scones are full of cream and butter, slightly sweetened. They are amazing with fresh raspberries, but I think they would pair well a compote made of frozen berries. The peach crumble is almost healthy. Its made with one of my newest discoveries: coconut palm sugar. It is an alternative to cane sugar and agave nectar. Don't let that, or its crumbly, reddish brown appearance fool you. Its delicious, tasting not of coconut but instead similar to brown or demerara (raw) sugar, with notes that are reminiscent of maple syrup and caramel. Rather than serving it with ice cream, we had it with chilled plain yogurt. An added bonus: it is very quick and easy to make, especially if you do as I did and make and freeze the crumble portion the night before.

Creme Fraiche Scones
2 1/4 cup flour (1/2 whole wheat pastry flour + 1/2 AP OR all AP flour)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small cubes and frozen/chilled
1/2 cup creme fraiche
Heavy cream and/or demerara sugar
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt. Add sugar.
Add pieces of cold butter, stir well. The dry mixture will coat the butter.
Add creme fraiche, one tablespoon at a time. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture while adding the liquids, mixing until combined. Knead a little if needed. The mixture will seem dry and crumbly at first, resist the temptation to add extra liquid.
If you have a biscuit cutter, wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact. If you don't have a biscuit, use a straight-sided 1/4 cup measuring cup, or a thin bottle to cut out circles of dough.
Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure the scones are at least 1 inch apart. Freeze the prepped scones for at least 30 minutes. Brush with heavy cream and/or sprinkle demerara sugar over the scones.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until the edges have just turned golden brown.

Peach Crumble
For oat crumble
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar*
1/2 tsp salt
scant 6 tbsp (1 stick minus 2 tbsp) butter, melted
For peaches
2 lbs peaches
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp mild honey
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine oats, whole wheat flour, coconut palm sugar, salt, and melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, and flatten into a patty. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Place peaches into the water, two at a time, for about 20 seconds. Remove and place under coldest running water. Peel the skins. Repeat process until all the peaches are peeled. Slice peeled peaches into 8 equal slices. In a medium bowl, combine peach slices with cornstarch and honey.
Butter a 13 * 9 inch baking pan. Fill with peach mixture. Distribute the crumble as evenly as possible over the top of the peaches.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumble is a deep golden-brown. 
*Coconut palm sugar can be found in bulk area at natural food stores, including Whole Foods Market, or online. Can substitute with regular cane sugar.

As you can see, the remodeling is not quite finished. The boy is working on projects that actually pay, and the graphics for my banner have been delayed (boo).

Some lovelies for you:
~ French mini cups. I'd like a set in pink, white, and grey, please.
~ A charming salt cellar. 
~ Latest professional food/lifestyle photographer love. Delicious.
~ High tea. Next month.

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Honey-Ginger Tea Cake with Peaches

It is summertime in the Northern hemisphere. It is a time of abundance. There's so much good food in summertime. Zucchini, tomatoes, corn. I just got my hands on my favorite delicate thin French green beans. They appear for a few months in mid-summer, and the brevity of their season makes them more precious. I toss with some almost-burnt shallots and toasted almonds, and those slender green sticks become as addictive as french fries. And lets not forgot summer's abundance of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums. Like our ancestors through recorded history, we celebrate with when such bounty is available. Once it was feasts hosted by kings, and now we have get-togethers, picnics, barbeques, bonfires. When we really celebrate, its for a birthday or a wedding. The purpose remains the same: we find unity and pleasure in food.
When we humans get together, it often centers around food. The ancients got it right when they talked of people coming together, sharing a small bond after they'd broke bread together. Isn't it true, that you feel just a bit closer to someone after sharing a meal? You are vulnerable while eating. You also feel pleasure, and a sense of well-being that comes with physical nourishment.  Think of how much more intimate a dinner party is than one involving cocktails. There is something private about the act of consuming food. When we share the act of eating with others, we open up to those with whom we break bread. Or with whom we slice cake.

Cakes, especially, are meant to be shared. They are too big to eat by one or two. This one can go almost anywhere. I bet it would be great at a barbeque, especially if you threw those peaches on the grill for a few minutes and got some nice grill marks. It would work well at dinner party. Even though its called a tea cake, I bet it would be nice with a cup of coffee. And it definitely goes with great conversations.
It is difficult to describe it. This cake defies logical, because it is both rich and light. It tastes like a cross between a moist pound cake and an eggy chiffon cake. The texture is better than chiffon or pound cake, more substantial. The honey is added as a syrup. I reduced the amount of sugar by half, and increased the amount of honey by one tablespoon. It was the perfect amount of honey - distinct but not overpowering. And it all absorbed into the cake easily. I also added ginger, because it doesn't get enough attention in summer. And I paired the cake with peaches because honey and ginger just go with peaches. However, it would probably be just as nice with blackberries, apricots, or even mangoes.

Honey-Ginger Tea Cake
Makes one 8 inch loaf cake

Adapted from Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop
Original Recipe HERE
1 1/3 c AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger
4 egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sugar
5.5 oz (1/2 cup + 3 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp honey, warmed and thinned with 1 tbsp water, to make a syrup
Tea pairing: Phoenix oolong, preferably one with peach or honey tones. However, this will work with most teas.

P.S. Please ignore the cyber dust...I am remodeling this week :)

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Independence, with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet

I think that the fourth - Independence Day here in the U.S. - is one of my favorite holidays. Its the only truly summer holiday, since neither June nor August has one. Its patriotic and pretty, with that red, white, and blue. It means lots of parties, food, and fireworks. And coincidentally, its my grandparent's wedding anniversary. Its also the day the boy and I met.
And with those events to celebrate, I decided to make a very simple, but extra-special treat. It involves two of my most favorite things: ice cream and berries. I opted to make a vivid red raspberry sorbet, and a comforting and pale vanilla ice cream that would be topped by a few blueberries.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Heat the milk, salt, and vanillas (extract, bean) in a saucepan, at the lowest temperature possible for at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer. Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, and scrape it into the mixture.
Stir together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and gradually add warmed milk by the 1/4 cup-full, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, alternately whisking and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Remove from heat, and whisk vigorously to make sure there are no eggy lumps.
Pour the mixture into the cream, and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Chill the mixture until it is cool - at least 10 minutes. Chill for at least half an hour (you can chill overnight if you want). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Raspberry Sorbet
2 cups of fresh raspberries
1/2 cup caster (or fine) sugar
1 1/3 cup water
In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or longer). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

I partially chose desserts that involve my favorites because this Independence Day, too, will have added meaning to me. Even though the American Dream is not as easy to achieve as it sometimes is made out to be (especially in this economy), the opportunity to strive for it is still there. For me, what I am appreciating is the opportunity to pursue my personal dreams. And that opportunity is not just legal and physical, but social and spiritual. The freedom to be the type of person we want to be. For me, it was to be a lover of words, books, and knowledge. Which leads me to the really, really, REALLY exciting news. I just found out myself. What the really, really, REALLY big news is that - in less than two months' time - I will be starting law school. I thought I was going to be retaking the admissions test this fall, and applying for next fall - but suddenly - those plans changed. I am still in a state of shock. But, it feels like everything before this has lead me to this point.

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