Tuesday 20 September 2011

Melting moments for a birthday



We have all had them: those moments when things are just perfect. When everything is right; when changing even the smallest detail would spoil the overall, complete picture; when any ever so slight alteration is an aberration to the abstract concept of the conceptually divine. We have all experienced those moments at various stages of our lives, under different circumstances, with different people in different places. Each one of us now associates those idyllic moments with bliss and happiness. And every single one of those moments is special. Especially if they are dedicated to someone we love. Especially, even, if they are (literally) Melting Moments.
Every now and then, a special person is born. Every now and then, a special person is born again; year after year. And every now and then, that person is the only person we can really think about. And when thinking about that person, all that comes to mind are those precious, distinct and in themselves separate moments in space and time that paint for us, in our loving mind's eyes, the glad picture of someone one could simply not do without. And when, year after year, birth after birth and smile after smile that moment completes a full cycle and orbits our world again, we can do nothing but melt to an emotional and dumbly smiling pool of merriment and delight.
And what better way to celebrate such a gayful event with the offering of the sincere embodiment of that feeling of cheeriness?
This recipe is dedicated to the Golden Peach. Quite simply, quite truly. Happy birthday.

MELTING MOMENTS
Biscuits:
-250g of butter
-58g of icing sugar
-58g of cornflower
-250g of flour
-half a pod of vanilla

Buttermilk Cream:
-125g of milk
-2tbsp of flour
-112g of butter (superior quality, e.g. Bavarian butter)
-112g of sugar
-the seeds from half a pod of vanilla

-Raspberry Jam

Beat the soft butter and the icing sugar for at least 5mins until you get a soft and clear paste. Scrape the vanilla pod in the mix and add the cornflour and the flour at the same time. Continue to mix until it is all well amalgamated.
Take small pieces of your mix (circa 20g each) and form small balls. Flatten the balls delicately on baking foil to shape the biscuits. In order to make sure that your biscuits will all have the same dimensions, draw small circles on your baking foil using small glasses. Before putting them in the oven, put the tray (with the soon-to-be biscuits) in the freezer for 10mins, thus allowing them not to loose their shape during the baking process. Eventually, put them in a preheated oven for 10mins at 200°C.

For the Buttermilk Filling:
In a small pan warm the milk, add the 2 tbsp of flour and mix with a whisk so as to avoid the formation of grains. Cook until it becomes thick like béchamel. Take off the fire, cover it with a film and let it cool. Beat the butter until it's soft with the sugar and the vanilla seeds from the pod for at least 10mins - until you get a fluffy and very pale mix. Add to it the milk and mix until you get a homogeneous whole.
Now it's time to put it all together. Put the raspberry jam (you may want to quickly mix it first so as to eliminate any small seeds) on a by-now cooked biscuit. Helping yourself with a piping bag, draw a circle of buttermilk cream on another biscuit and eventually put the two together. Voilà.



Ricetta in italiano:
MOMENTI SCIOGLIEVOLI
Questi scioglievolissimi momenti sono dedicati a Golden Peach che oggi, questo 20 di settembre, compie gli anni!!! Tanti Auguri Golden Peach!!!
(Ricetta tratta da qui)
Per una trentina di biscotti (verranno 15 coppie farcite):

Biscotti:
-250g burro
-58 g zucchero a velo
-58 g maizena
-250 g farina
-mezza bacca di vaniglia

Farcitura di buttermilk cream :
-125 g latte
-2 cucchiai di farina
-112 g burro (di buona qualità, per esempio quello bavarese)
-112g zucchero
-i semi di mezza bacca di vaniglia

-Marmellata di lamponi


Sbattere con un frullino elettrico il burro morbido e lo zucchero a velo per 5 minuti abbondanti, fino ad ottenere un composto soffice e chiaro. Grattare i semini di mezza bacca di vaniglia e aggiungere la maizena e la farina in un colpo solo. Continuare a sbattere ancora qualche momento finché non si è amalgamato il tutto.
Prendere dei pezzettini di composto (circa 20 g l'uno) e fare delle palline, schiacciare delicatamente le palline sulla carta da forno per formare i biscotti. Per aiutarsi a fare tutti i biscotti delle stesse dimensioni, disegnare dei cerchietti sul retro della carta forno, usando un bicchierino da liquore come stampo.
Prima di infornare mettere la teglia con i biscotti crudi 10 minuti in frezeer, in modo che mantengano la forma durante la cottura. Infornare a forno caldo per 10 minuti a 200°C.

Preparare la farcitura:
Scaldare in un pentolino il latte, aggiungere i 2 cucchiai di farina e girare con una frusta per evitare la formazione di grumi. Cucinare finché sarà diventato denso come una besciamella. Togliere dal fuoco e far raffreddare coperto da pellicola. Sbattere il burro morbido con lo zucchero e i semi di vaniglia a lungo, per almeno 10 minuti fino ad avere un composto arioso e pallidissimo. Aggiungere il latte addensato e mescolare fino ad avere un composto omogeneo.
Assemblare i biscotti: mettere un velo di marmellata (passata velocemente al minipimer per eliminare i semini) su un biscotto. Con l'aiuto di una sac à poche, disegnare un cerchio di buttermilk cream sull'altro biscotto, e unire i due.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

1 comment:

  1. Che meraviglia! Golden Peach è proprio fortunata e credo molto molto emozionata nel ricevere auguri così deliziosi accompagnati da parole altrettanto "scioglievoli":)

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