Baumkuchen

It has been a while. It has been a while indeed since Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon have graced us with their presence. Numinous beings: they're all the same. Smug buggers.
Perhaps, though, it only seems like it's been a while. No need to go full Einstein (never go full Einstein), but time is relative. Especially if you have all the time in the universe, that is to say, if you have no time. So while it may have seemed like a long time to a mortal, for Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon no time has passed at all.
However, just because time does not pass doesn't mean that space does not move either. Indeed, one of the greatest and as-yet undisclosed fallacies of modern physics is that it has to date failed to recognize that space moves quite a bit faster than time--even than light. Light travels at breakneck speed, recklessly racing without seatbelt and never stopping for gas through pretty much all of the universe, but when it arrives whenever it wishes to arrive, space has always already preceded it.
And so it has been with Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry. Time and speed are irrelevant, but space always moves. And they with and within it.
Now, however, they have decided to stay still for another (in fact meaningless) while. They have erected themselves a new palace in an old place. They've gone back where they originally came from, all those eons ago when continents had not played musical chairs yet and jumbled up their places.
And in order to celebrate their having come back, Divine Cherry has decided to bake a cake. Surprise surprise.
Not only is this a special cake (it is especially delicious), but it also holds a special significance. Indeed, Divine Cherry has used 11 distinct layers to bake it. And in an exclusive interview Celestial Dragon has revealed their meaning. "Well Ken, it's simple really", Celestial Dragon said. "The eleven layers represent our 11 best memories of what your kind might terms the last year. At first we had only 10, as would be customary, but we Old Ones know that the number 10 is only an illusion: there is always that one thing more you wish you had included. That's why 11 is the new 10. Or rather, the true 10. But don't tell that to your mathematicians, they might get very confused indeed."
And so it is that the 11 layers represent, each one separately but wholly inherent in and of itself, respectively Hanoi, Hoi An, Halong Bay, Koh Rong, Angkor Wat, Chiang Mai, the Golden Triangle, Koh Samed, Koh Tao, Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
No. Don't ask. Just bake.



This recipe participates to the January Daring Bakers Challenge.

Blog-checking lines: The January 2014 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Francijn of "Koken in de Brouwerij". She challenged us all to bake layered cakes in the tradition of Baumkuchen (tree cake) and Schichttorte (layered cake). 

Baumkuchen

- 100g flour
- 80g corn flour
- 160g burro at room temperature
- 160 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 60 g cashewnuts (originally almonds)
- grated lime (or lemon) zest
-1 teaspoon of baking powder

Separate the whites and the yolks. Whip the whites until stiff. Ground the cashew nuts with some of the sugar. Beat the butter with the sugar and the lime zest until soft and creamy. Add the yolks one by one and continue beating. Add the ground cashew nuts, the flour, the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix until homogeneous. At this point you can delicately add and mix the whipped whites.

Preheat the oven on grill mode. Take a silicon (or a greased traditional one) rectangular mould and spread 2 spoons of batter on the bottom. You need to have a smooth, even layer of batter, 2-3mm thick. Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes until the surface is brown. Take it out of the oven and spread another thin layer of batter on top. Bake and repeat until you run out of batter.

When the cake has cooled down, you can spread the surface with some sugar glaze (icing sugar+ lime) or apricot gelatin.


Baumkuchen

- 100g farina
- 80g fecola
- 160g burro morbido
- 160g zucchero
- 4 uova
- 60g anacardi (mandorle originariamente)
- scorza grattuggiata di lime (o limone)
- un cucchiaino di lievito per dolci

Separare i tuorli dagli albumi. Montare gli albumi a neve fermissima. Frullare gli anacardi con un po' dello zucchero.
Con una frusta, montare il burro con il resto dello zucchero e la buccia grattuggiata del lime per ottenere un composto soffice e cremoso. Aggiungere i tuorli un po'alla volta, unire la farina di ancardi, la farina, il lievito, un pizzico di sale e amalgamare il tutto. A questo punto unire con delicatezza gli albumi montati, senza smontarli.

Accendere il forno in modalità grill. Prendere una teglia rettangolare imburrata o uno stampo in silicone da plumcake come ho fatto io.
Spalmare un paio di cucchiai di impasto sul fondo della teglia. Lo spessore non deve superare i 2-3millimetri. Infornare per 4-5 minuti o finchè la superficie risulterà brunita. Estrarre dal forno, spalmare su questo strato un altro po' di impasto, livellare bene in modo che risulti lo stesso spessore dappertutto. Cucinare come prima. Ripetere fino all' esaurimento dell'impasto.

Quando la torta è fredda, si puo' ricoprire la superficie di glassa (zucchero a velo + succo di lime) o di marmellata di albicocche scaldata e leggermente diluita.

Piped Shortbread

Imagine the morning dew as it sparkles icily on the still-monochrome blades of grass. Imagine the morning mist as it meanders through the trees, its vapourous twirls curling themselves around the pines' needles like coffee steam around the nose. Imagine the clouds of morning that rise from the ground, rise above the trees and lodge themselves in the sky for just a moment before vanishing to another horizon. Imagine the cup of coffee that stands on a saucer in front of the window overlooking the grass and the trees and the sky. Imagine all of this, and imagine the house that is sprawled behind the cup; its pinewood walls, its white furniture, its worn couch, its diaphanous curtains and its silky bedcovers that conceal a grumpy dragon. He is already awake but reluctant to forsake the foetal snugness of his bed. The sun is shining bleakly from the window, and Celestial Dragon is squinting his eyes at it. He can discern, beyond the clouds, beyond the sky and beyond the stars, the shape of something good. Then his nostrils awake too. They twitch, like Small Perfect Cloud's, and Celestial Dragon is made aware of another world. One that does not lie beyond the stars, but beyond the kitchen door. He overcomes his incorrigible reluctance and gets out of bed. He puts on his night-blue morning bathrobe and makes his way through the home. He passes the curtains, the couch. He walks past the pinewood walls and does not even see the white furniture.
He opens the kitchen door. The great window is still there, still showing the same meadow and trees and clouds. The coffee cup is there also, and the saucer too. Behind the coffee cup, seated on a chair with her back to the door is Divine Cherry. In front of her, next to the cup, is a small plate with visibly fresh shortbreads. Celestial Dragon looks furtively at the kitchen. He sees the open oven and feels its warmth radiating through the room. He sees the wire rack on which a few crumbs still cling to the bars. Divine Cherry turns around and smiles at him. Celestial Dragon pours himself a cup of coffee and walks to the table. He sits down on the chair next to Divine Cherry and smiles back at her.

This recipe participates to the November Daring Bakers challenge.

Blog-checking lines: Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.

Piped shortbreads - Adapted from a Pierre Hermé recipe
- 260g flour
- 30 g cornflour
- 250 g soft butter
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites
Preheat the oven at 180 C. Mix the flour and cornflour in a bowl. Whisk the butter in a second bowl using an electric whisk until it is very fluffy. Add the icing sugar to the butter and whisk until smooth, do not overwork.  Beat lightly the egg whites and add them to the butter mix. Beat everything until just well combined and smooth. Stir in the flour and cornflour until smooth but do not overmix the batter.
Pour the batter in a  piping bag and form 5 cm long lines on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10-12 min.
Let the shortbread cool and when cold dip them in melted chocolate.



Piped Shortbread from Peta's recipe, that you can find here.

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) (225 gm) (8 oz) softened butter
1¼ cups (175 gm) (6 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
½ cup (65 gm) (2- 2/3 oz) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup (45 gm) (1½ oz) cornflour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla essence
Nuts, chocolate chips, maraschino cherries

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to moderate 300°F/ 150°C/gas mark 2
2. Combine butter, flours, vanilla and confectioner's sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle beater. Mix on low speed until combined and then change to the whisk beater.
3. Beat for 10 minutes.
4. Pipe into rings or lines.
5. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces to look like little wreaths or leave plain.
6. Bake in preheated moderate oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.
7. Cool completely and drizzle with melted chocolate or icing (frosting) if you want to.

Ricetta in italiano:
 Sablés montati - da una ricetta di Pierre Hermé
- 260 g farina
- 30 g maizena
- 250 g burro morbido
- 100 g zucchero a velo
- 1 pizzico di sale
- 2 bianchi d'uovo

Riscaldare il forno a 180C. In una ciotola mescolare la farina e la maizena. In un'altra ciotola montare il burro con le fruste elettriche fino a che risulta cremoso e molto morbido. Aggiungere lo zucchero a velo e continuare a sbattere finchè il composto risulta omogeneo, ma senza eccedere con l'uso delle fruste. Sbattere a parte i bianchi d'uovo senza montarli troppo e poi aggiungerli alla preparazione di burro. Sbattere con le fruste elettriche fino ad incorporare bene gli albumi. Aggiungere la farina e maizena. Mescolare bene per evitare la formazione di grumi. E' importante che la preparazione sia omogenea, ma senza lavorare troppo l'impasto.
Versare il composto in una tasca da pasticceria con beccuccio smerlato e creare tanti bastoncini lunghi 5 cm circa ben distanziati tra loro su una teglia rivestita di carta da forno.
Infornare per 10-12 minuti circa.
Quando i biscotti sono freddi si possono intengere le estremità nel cioccolato fuso.

Pannacotta alla frutta

A long time ago, all the inhabitants of the earth were summoned before the Supreme Ruler. He was a straight and just and hard and perfectly shaped Ruler, and he was able to measure anything that fell under his jurisdiction. Everything that ever happened in the world was measured against his standard, and so he functioned not only as the Supreme Ruler, but also as the ultimate reference for any kind of measuring unity. On the day he summoned everyone before him, Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon were quite incidentally having a casual weekend in one of the intra-volcanic spas (SMVS) scattered on the ocean floor. Quite naturally, they heard the summons. And because they are not strictly speaking inhabitants of this world, they did not pay much attention to it. However, it soon became a nuisance, for all the staff at the spa had departed to answer the Supreme Ruler's summon. There was thus no one left to attend to their needs. And so it was that Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry grumpily put on two bathrobes that were lying around and went to the Supreme Assembly in order to complain to the spa director about the unprofessional way the situation had been handled. After all, they were about to being served their much-deserved and overpriced Sea-Cucumber cocktail, the spécialité de la maison.
And so it was that although their reasons were different from everybody else's, Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon found themselves at the Supreme Assembly. There, after much ado about nothing indeed, the Supreme Ruler came eventually to the reason for all this: he was hungry. He therefore ordered everyone to cook, bake, prepare, fish, hunt, gather, gut, squeeze, whatever-it-is-one-can-also-do-with-food, him the best dish. In fact, because he was the Supreme Ruler, he wanted THE dish against which all other dishes would henceforth be compared. Naturally, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. After all, a ruler's will is notoriously hard to bend. But there was one among them whose eyes sparked with unconfined excitement: it was Divine Cherry. She could not forsake such an opportunity!
And so it was that on that day Divine Cherry presented the Supreme Ruler with the pannacottas that would forever set the bar for every other pannacotta in the world. They were so delicious, so regular, so faultless and perfect that they were crown the Supreme Pannacottas. And because they are the pannacottas every other must be compared with, the Supreme Ruler asked Divine Cherry to share her recipe with everyone else.
You know, fair chance an' all...
But what of Celestial Dragon? Well, he eventually located the spa director in the throng of beings gathered there and had two or three words with the latter. Actually, he used quite a number of words more than that. The two or three words mentioned were the ones one should not mention. As a result of that exceedingly friendly and polite and balanced discussion, however, Celestial Dragon was given a particular privilege: he and he alone would henceforth be granted unlimited access to the Sub-Marine Volcanic Spa, as well as a token for an infinite amount of Sea-Cucumber cocktails. He'd have to pay for the stolen bathrobes, though.
You know, compromise an' all...

Pannacotta
- 250 ml double cream
- 250 ml milk
- 50 g sugar
- 2 sheets of gelatine (or follow the instruction on the package for 500ml liquid)
- 1vanilla bean

Bring to the boil the cream with milk and sugar. Swich off the hob and add the vanilla seeds scratched from the bean, leave also the bean in infusion for 15 minutes.
Put the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water on a side. When the gelatine is soft,add it to the warm cream and mix everything well to avoid clumps.
Strain the cream throughand pour in the cups. Leave it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.

Red berries coulis
- 200 g red berries
- 25 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 gelatine leaf

Blend the berries and strieve the puree in a colander in order to discard the tiny seeds. Add to the puree the sugar and water. In the meanwhile leave the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. Take a part of the berries puree ( a small cup) and warm it up in the microwave. Add the well drained and softened gelatine to the warm puree in order to melt it. Add the warm puree to the rest and mix well. Pour the coulis over the cold panna cottas and leave to rest in the fridge for 2- 3 hours.

Peach coulis
- 200 g peaches
- 15 g sugar
- 1/2 gelatine leaf
Peel and dice the peaches. Proceed as for the red berries coulis.

Apricot coulis
- 200 g apricot jam
- 25g water
- 1/2 gelatine leaf
Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. Warm up in a pan the jam with some water. Blend throughly the jam in order to make it very smooth. Add the drained gelatine and stir well. Puor the apricot coulis over the cold pannacottas. Rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Pannacotta
- 250 ml panna
- 250 ml latte intero
- 50 g zucchero
- 2 foglia di gelatina
- 1 bacello di vaniglia

Portare a ebollizione la panna insieme al latte e allo zucchero. Spegnere il fuoco e aggiungere i semi di vaniglia raschiati e lasciare anche il bacello in infusione per 15 minuti. A parte ammorbidire la gelatina in acqua fredda. Aggiungere la gelatina ammorbidita quando la panna è ancora calda. Mescolare bene per evitare la formazione di grumi. Filtare attraverso un colino e versare nelle coppette. Far solidificare in frigo per almeno 3-4 ore.

Coulis ai frutti rossi
- 200 g frutti rossi
- 25 g zucchero
- 1 ccchiaio di acqua
- 1/2 foglio di gelatina

Frullare i frutti rossi con un frullatore a immersione, passare la purea attraverso un colino in modo da eliminare i semini. Aggiungere alla purea filtrata lo zucchero e un po' d'acqua. Prendere una piccola parte del coulis e scaldarla al microonde, aggiungervi la gelatina precedentemente ammollata nell'acqua fredda e strizzata.  Sciogliere bene la gelatina nel coulis caldo e poi aggiungere questo al resto del coulis, mescolare bene e versare sopra le panne cotte che devono essere perfettamente reffreddate e sode (meglio preparare le panne cotte il giorno prime e il coulis l'indomani). Riporre in frigo per un paio d'ore a solidificare.

Coulis alle pesche
- 200 g pesche
- 15 g zucchero
- 1/2 foglio di gelatina.
Pelare e tagliare a pezzi le pesche. Procedere come per il coulis di frutti rossi.

Coulis alle albicocche
- 200 g marmellata di albicocche
- 25 g circa di acqua
- 1/2 foglio di gelatina
Scaldare la marmellata sul fuoco insime all'acqua, frullarla per renderla perfettamente liscia. Aggiungere la gelatina precedentemente ammollata e strizzata.

Ricotta, cocoa and almonds tart

There was a time when the world looked almost exactly as it does now, except for a few tiny details. The climate was different, the plants didn't look like they do now, there were more volcanoes and the birds were not sure what they were exactly yet. Oh and there were dinosaurs. Lots of 'em. In fact, it was full of dinosaurs. However, people today are mistaken as to the dinosaurs' true nature. Some say that they were bloodthirsty (so are bats), that they were brutal (so are angry guinea pigs), and that they lacked intelligence (so do some people). Others on the contrary say that they were excellent chess players. Others still claim that had there been other more evolved animals there, the dinosaurs would have made excellent and quite tender steaks.
Needless to say, this is all nonsense. Whoever thinks they're right are wrong. Luckily, it so happens that Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon have decided in this exclusive revelation to tell the world what dinosaurs really were: excellent cooks. And the greatest pâtissier of his time was undoubtedly Lurp'Akk, the most famous Euoplocephalus this side of the oven. As it so happened, he was a great friend of Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon. One day, the three of them were sitting on a hard rock having a coffee (or café as Lurp'Akk liked to call it). They were discussing about a large variety of subjects such as taxonomy, tax evasions and taxi fares. All of a sudden, both Lurp'Akk and Divine Cherry looked up from their café. They looked each other in the eyes. (At least, Lurp'Akk expressed the unmistakable intention of wanting to do so). Indeed, they had both just seen a curious formation of rocks and mud on the wall of their hard rock café-holding chairs. And they had both been inspired. The curious formation was brown and beige, and reminded Divine Cherry of almonds and chocolate, while to Lurp'Akk it called to mind mud and rocks.
And so it was that this cake was created. Of course, it was then but a rather rudimentary version of this version, but it nonetheless remains that the original spark for its creation occurred back then. But what of Celestial Dragon? Well, unused as he still was to coffee, he burned his tongue with it. Unfortunately, that inferred an instinctive reaction that expressed itself, due to the high content of sulphur in the air, as a gargantuan fiery sneeze...

Ricotta, cocoa and almonds tart - recipe adapted from Sale&Pepe

- 150 g plain flour
- 100 g butter
- 50 g cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 40 g icing sugar
- 300 g ricotta
- 100 g almonds, finely grated
- 100 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 100 ml cream
- 50 g dark chocolate
- salt

Work quickly with your fingers (or a mixer) the flour, cocoa, icing sugar, a pinch of salt and the cold butter, cut in pieces, in order to form small crumbs. add the egg and form a ball of dough. Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest in the fridge for 30 min.
Grease and flour the tart mould and lay the dough. Mix in a bowl the ricotta, cream, sugar, grated almonds and the yolk.
Pour the ricotta filling over the dough and bake for approx 40 minutes in the preheated oven at 150C.

Torta di ricotta, mandorle e cacao - ricetta adattata da Sale e Pepe
-150 g farina
- 100 g burro
- 50 g cacao amaro in polvere
- 2 uova
- 40 g zucchero a velo
- 300 g ricotta
- 100 g mandorle, tritate finemente
- 100 g zucchero semolato
- 1 tuorlo
- 100 ml panna fresca
- 50 g cioccolato fondente
- sale

Con la punta delle dite lavorate velocemente (oppure usate un mixer) la farina con il burro freddo tagliato a tocchetti, lo zucchero a velo, il cacao e un pizzico di sale, in modo da formare delle briciole.  Unite l'uovo e formate una palla. Avvolgetel'impasto in pellicola e lasciate riposare in frigo per 30 minuti almeno.
Imburrare e infarinare una teglia e stendere la frolla. In una ciotola, mescolare la ricotta, la panna, lo zucchero semolato, le mandorle tritate e il tuorlo.
Versate il composto di ricotta sulla base di frolla.
Infornare per 40 minuti circa in forno caldo a 150°C.

Mille - Feuille

Remember that funny drunk, Dionysus? The one who later moved to Rome with that new girl, Sabina, and changed his name to Bacchus in order to avoid paying his godly taxes? The one who had all those crazy groupies following him around and who later became ardent feminists and founded the first AA circles? Well this story is not about that. It's also not about the frog and the ox. Neither is it about the raven and the fox. Nor about the ant and the grasshopper. Rather, it is similar to the story about the bear and the gardener, except in every single detail.
One day, Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon were having a walk through late Middle-Ages Paris. They had booked their ticket (literally) quite some time in advance in the early 20th century through a time travel agency, and were enjoying a romantic getaway weekend. As they were walking over a rickety construction that would come to be known as Pont Puant (it was mercifully destroyed forever in a purging fire), they stopped in front of a window--windows were namely still rare at the time. The shop had a number of leaves on display. It was one of those quirky and nostalgic ancient shops that sell everything you will never need but have always wanted. This one particularly was specialised in leaves. It sold all kinds of leaves, from maple tree leaves to chestnut tree leaves passing by acorn tree leaves. They also came in different colours. Needless to say, the shop made the most money in autumn. As it so happened, Celestial Dragon was eating a cream. Ice was not portable yet, so he had to do with just the cream. Unfortunately, cream is inherently runny, and before Celestial Dragon's avid tongue, it ran quite quickly indeed. Fortunately, cream is also inherently clumsy: it didn't run very far. Instead, it fell onto the leaves (they had entered the shop in pursuit of the cream). And that gave Celestial Dragon a Silly Idea: "how about we stash a thousand leaves one on top of the other and separate them with delicious cream?" "Don't be daft," said Divine Cherry, "leaves taste bitter. Instead, I will use caramel-like pastry sheets that look just like leaves."
And so it was that the Mille Feuille was born. That old quirky shop later moved away from the Pont Puant into the Chaussée des Saveurs and became one of the most renowned pâtisseries in Paris. After the original owner had mysteriously vanished under what the newspapers termed as a "stampede of cream", a proper pâtissier took over the quaint shop and made lots of money. The royalties, however, to this day still go to Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry.

Blog-checking lines: Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!

Mille Feuille:
Puff Pastry - from a recipe by C. Felder
-550g flour
-26,5 cl water
-85g molten butter
-10g salt
-335g single-piece butter
Italian Style Crème Chantilly
-400g crème pâtissière, recipe here
-800g fresh cream
-small zest of candied orange

Quickly mix, in a bowl, the flour, the water, the 85g of molten butter and the salt. Cover the dough with clig film and place it to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
With a rolling pin squash the butter until about 1cm thin. Give it a regular square shape. Put it back in the fridge.
Roll out the dough in a 1cm thin square shape and place the butter in its centre like so:

Fold the four corners of the dough over the butter. Then, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough in one direction only so as to get a 8-9mm thin rectangle. Then, fold that rectangle in three by overlapping the dough (as shown in picture).

1.Roll out the dough in a 8-9mm thin rectnagle

2.Fold the rectangle in three

3. The dough is folded as a "book".

 Roll the dough out vertically and holding it as shown in picture 3. Fold in three again and put it to rest in the fridge for 30mins. Repeat this sequence (fold-rest) another three times. Then leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Afterwards, it'll be ready for use.

Roll out the dough in a rectangle 25 x 75cm in size, then cut it in three 25 x 25cm squares. Cover a baking tray with baking paper. On it, put one of the dough squares. Sprinkle it with caster sugar and lightly pierce some holes in it using a fork. Place another layer of baking paper on the dough, then place a grill on top of it so as to prevent the dough form rising too much during baking.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 12 mins (one dough square at the time). Let them cool, then apply the crème chantilly.

Italian style Crème Chantilly
Prepare the crème pâtissière the day before. Make it dense and put it to rest in the fridge overnight. Make sure it is as smooth as possible, dense, and without any residue clumps in it (should you have some, try to get rid of them with an electric whip). The day after, whip up the cream rather densely (but not too much) and incorporate it into the crème pâtissière.

Assembly
Using a piping bag, cover the first of your dough squares with little mounds of crème chantilly. Cover the entire surface of the square. Place small pieces of candied orange between the mounds. Place the second dough square on the first and repeat the action. Place the last square on top and sprinkle it with icing sugar. Voilà.

Mille-Feuille:
Pasta sfoglia  - da una ricetta di C. Felder
- 500 g farina
- 26,5 cl acqua
- 85 g burro fuso
- 10 g sale
- 335g burro in un unico pezzo
Crema Chantilly all'italiana
- 400 g di crema pasticcera, la ricetta la trovate qui
- 800 g panna fresca
- scorzetta di arancia candita

Mescolate velocemente in una ciotola la farina insieme all'acqua, gli 85 g di burro fuso e il sale.  Mettete l'impasto a riposare in frigo, coperto da pellicola per 2 ore almeno.
Con un mattarello schiacciate il burro a un centimetro di spessore, dando una forma quadrata regolare. Riponetelo in frigo.  Stendete l'impasto in un quadrato di un centimetro di spessore e appoggiate il burro in centro, così:

Piegate i quattro angoli di impasto sopra il burro e poi con il mattarello, stendete l'impasto in una direzione sola in modo da ottenere un lungo rettangolo, spesso 8-9mm. Poi piegate il rettangolo in tre, ripiegando la pasta su se stessa come in foto:

1.Stendere l'impasto in un rettangolo spesso 8-9mm.

2. Piegare in tre la pasta

3. La pasta è piegata a "libro"

Stendete di nuovo la pasta in senso verticale tenendo la pasta come in foto 3.  Piegate in tre di nuovo e mettete la pasta in frigo per 30 minuti. Ripetete la sequenza pieghe-riposo in frigorifero altre 3 volte. Lasciate riposare in frigo per 2 ore e poi l'impasto è pronto per essere usato.

Stendete l'impasto in un rettangolo di 25 x75 cm e poi tagliatelo in 3 quadrati di 25x25cm.  Poggiate un quadrato di impasto su una teglia coperta da carta forno, cospargete il quadrato di zucchero semolato e bucherellatelo con i rebbi di una forchetta. Poggiate un altro foglio di carta forno sulla superficie dell'impasto e appoggiate una griglia sopra, in modo che non gonfi troppo durante la cottura.

Cuocete in forno caldo a 220°C per 12 minuti circa un quadrato alla volta. Fate raffreddare i tre quadrati e farciteli con la crema Chantilly.

Crema Chantilly all'italiana:
Preparate la crema pasticcera alla vigilia, fatela piuttosto densa e mettetela a riposare in frigo la notte. La crema dev'essere molto liscia, densa e senza grumi (eventualmente rompeteli con una frusta elettrica). L'indomani, montate la panna piuttosto densa e incorporatela alla crema.

Assemblaggio
Prendete il primo quadrato e formate ciuffetti di crema aiutandovi con la sac a poche in modo da ricoprire l'intera superficie.  Ponete tra i ciuffetti dei pezzetti di arancia confit. Poggiate sulla crema il secondo quadrato e ripetete l'operazione. Concludete poggiando l'ultimo quadrato e spolverizzando con zucchero a velo.

Peach and Apricot Upside Down cake

It's happened. It has eventually come to pass. Some people were afraid they would never see the sun dawn on this day, but they feared needlessly. For today, Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon have emerged from their months-long hermitage. They had both retreated to a secluded place, away from the hustle and bustle of godly summer life. They couldn't be bothered with the usual who-was-seen-with-whom, who-was-wearing-who, who-has-eaten-who, who-has-disintegrated-whom. This year, after so many eons spent in tedious though occasionally enjoyable company, they had decided to romantically spend the Months of the Sun (as summer is known elsewhere) with each other, and only for each other. Both Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon had set themselves an important task, and they divided their time between savouring their time together and completing said task.
Now, however, it is all done. They have achieved their goal, and the sun is beginning its slow descent towards the end of the year. By way of celebrating their return, Divine Cherry has decided to bake a cake--what else? And because Divine Cherry, in her heavenly distraction, has once again confused up and down, the result of her preparation is this (delicious) Upside Down Cake. Come to think of it, if Celestial Dragon were asked to describe Divine Cherry with a cake, this is probably the one he'd pick: after all, every time he sees her, his head spins and his world is happily turned upside down...


Upside Down Cake - recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Base:
- 45g butter
- 130g brown sugar

- 3 nectarines + 4 apricots (or whatever fruit is in season)
- a handful of raisins

Batter:
- 115g butter
- 150 g sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 210 g flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 125 ml milk (preferably whole)
- pinch of salt

It is better to use a pan that can go also in the oven. I used an old pan with no handles.
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Put butter and sugar in a pan and make a caramel-- careful, do not stir the sugar at any moment or it will cristalize. When it is liquid and it starts to bubble, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Core and slice the nectarines and the apricots (I get 6 slices per apricot and 8 slices per nectarine) and place them in the pan, over the caramel, in a pinwheel shape. Fill any gap with the raisins.
Prepare the dough: beat the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add one egg per time, beating throughly after every addition. On a side, sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, mix quickly, add the milk and the remaining flour. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix or the cake will be stiff. Pour the batter over the fruit and bake for 45 minutes, or until springy in the middle. When cooked, let it cool down in the tin for 20 minutes, then place a plate over the mould and flip the cake on the plate.

It is very good served warm but i personally prefer it the day after.

Torta morbida rovesciata alle pesche e albicocche - ricetta adattata da David Lebovitz

Base:
- 45g burro
- 135 g zucchero di canna
- 3 nocipesche e 4 albicocche
- una manciata di uvetta

Impasto:
- 115g burro
- 150g zucchero
- 2 uova grandi
- 210g farina
- 1e1/2 cucchiaino lievito vanigliato
- 125ml latte (preferibilmente intero)
-  un pizzico di sale

Per questa ricetta è meglio utilizzare una tortiera che vada anche sul fornello. Io ho usato una vecchia pentola senza manici.
Accendere il forno a180 C.
Preparare un caramello con lo zucchero e il burro nella pentola/tortiera, senza mai mescolare. Quando lo zucchero è sciolto e comincia a bollire spegnere emettere da parte a raffreddare un po'. Nel frattempo tagliare la frutta a fettine non troppo grosse e disporle a raggiera nella pentola sopra al caramello. Disporre l'uvetta in modo da coprire eventali buchi lasciati dalla frutta.
Preparare l'impasto. Sbattere burro e zucchero con l'aiuto di un paio di fruste elettriche in modo da ottenere uncomposto pallido e spumoso.Aggiungere un uovoalla volta e sbattere bene tra un'aggiunta e l'altra in modo da incorporare bene le uova.  A parte setecciare la farina con lievito e sale. Agiungere al composto di uova metàdella farina, mescolare velocemente solo per incorporare gli ingredienti. Aggiungere il latte e poi l'altra metà della farina. Mescolare velocemente quel che basta per unire gli ingredienti.  Versare il composto sopra la frutta e livellare. Cuocere in forno per 45 minuti circa.



Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

Battenberg Cake

Once upon a midnight dreary, while we pondered long and weary,
Over many a cake and what to bake,
Our minds settled for the chequered log
Whose only sight our jaws made drop.

Thus began the epic journey of Divine Cherry's Battenberg Cake. And what a journey it was. At first, there was reticence, fear and uncertainty. After all, the Battenberg is a worthy foe. One heart and one mind, Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon studied the enemy from every angle, analysing its every strengths and weaknesses: upper left hand, lower right hand, upper right hand, lower left hand; its enrobing cloak; the sweet-moist texture; the assemblage. Then, after the initial fear was overcome, there appeared in Divine Cherry's heart a sense of challenge, of rivalry with all those who before her had managed to slay the beast (although the actual slaying was done by Celestial Dragon). With the challenge came the will to fight, to go on, to tackle the obstacle and surmount it, just as she had, previously, managed to conquer the insidious twists and turns of the croissants.
This is the story of how Divine Cherry was able to perform such a feat, how her capable hands, besmeared with dough and paste and the lust to knead everything into submission, to mould and shape and create her own Battenberg (some equate the Battenberg with the universe; personally, I think that's going too far--although I can see a case for it, for is there not contained, in the fourfold square, the essence of all that is not round, that is to say, nothing at all? If the Battenberg is thus -literally- Void squared, can it not be thought of as the universe itself? And conversely, is it not the root of all that is?) were able to come to terms with the very principle of ultimate pleasure, both aesthetic and culinary. Needless to say, then, that the result was phenomenal. Celestial Dragon, to this day, relishes the memory of that victory over the forces of impossible bakery, for the impression it has left on his tastebuds has wandered all the way into the tips of his whiskers so that the left whisker has now turned green from the pistachio and the right brown from the chocolate.
As always, divinities ought to set an example. That is why you will find the recipe here below. Not because Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon expect you to do it, but rather because they give you the possibility do so should you wish to. It is said in the scriptures (of A Posteriori Baking - How To Train Your Tongue) that whosoever manages to bake a proper Battenberg shall be elevated by their loved one into a new sphere of heaven. It certainly was the case for Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon.

Blog-checking lines:  Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.

Battemberg cake  recipe adapted from the June Daring Bakers challenge recipe proposed by Mandy
Cake:

- 175g  unsalted butter, softened & cut in cubes

- 175g  Caster Sugar

- 175g  Plain Flour

- 1and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

- 3 Large Eggs, room temp

- 35g Ground Almonds

- 35 g Ground Pistachios

- 2 teaspoons of cocoa

 -40 g of chocolate cut in tiny pieces

Preheat the oven at 180C.  Butter and flour a baking tray. Create a divide with some kitchen foil. Make a rectangle and then cover it with baking paper. Locate it in the middle of the tray, so that you can house the two mixture together (see picture).

Prepare the two mixture.  Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder. In a separate bowl,mix the butter with the eggs. Then mix together all the ingredients until just combined. Divide the mixture in two bowls. Add to one half the almonds, the cocoa and the pieces of chocolate. Add to the other half the ground pistachios.

Pour the chocolate mixture into one side of the prepared tray, and the pistachio batter in the other half. Bake for 25-30 min until well raised and cooked.

 

Plastic chocolate

- 200 g dark chocolate

- 60 g glucose

Melt the chocolate in a pan over simmering water. When cool add the glucose. Let it cool completely and wrap in cling film. Store in the frige. When needed, warm it up with your hands and use it.

Butter cream

- 250 g icing sugar

- 125 g butter

Mix the icing sugar with the soft butter. Mix until well combined.

Assembly

Trim the edges of the cakes so to have to rectangles of the same sizes. Cut each cake in half, lengthwise, so as to have 4 long stripes. Trim again the edges to pair them. Glue the stripes together with a thin layer of butter cream, alternating the colours (one black stripe next to one green one). Spread a thin layer of butter cream over all the sides of the cake.

Roll out the plastic chocolate with the help of some icing sugar. Wrap the cake with the plastic chocolate sheet. Neaten up the edges of the cake. 

Battemberg Cake ricetta adattata da quella proposta da Mandy per la sfida di giugno dei Daring Bakers 

Torta

- 175 g burro non salato, a temperature ambiente e tagliato a pezzetti

- 175g zucchero

- 175 g farina semplice

- 1 e ½ cucchiaino di lievito in polvere

- 3 uova grandi a temp ambiente

- 35 g di mandorle a farina

- 35 g di pistacchi a farina

- 2 cucchiaini di cacao

- 40 g di cioccolato fondente finemente tritato

Riscaldare il forno a 180C.  Imburrare e infarinare una teglia da forno. Prepare un divisorio con della carta stagnola: creare un rettangolo, sistemarlo nel mezzo della teglia e coprirlo con carta forno (come in foto).

Preparere l’impasto. Mescolare farina, zucchero e lievito. In un’alta ciotola mescolare uova e burro. Unire i due composti, e mescolare poco solo per incorporare. Dividere l’impasto in due metà. Aggiungere il cacao, le mandorle e i pezzetti di cioccolato a una metà e i pistacchi all’altra metà. Versare il composto al cioccolato in una metà della teglia e il composto ai pistacchi nell’altra metà. Cuocere in forno per 25-30 minuti fino a che sarà ben lievitato e cotto.

 

Cioccolato plastico

- 200 g cioccolato fondente

- 60 g glucosio

Fondere il cioccolato a bagnomaria, aggiungere il glucosio. Aspettare che si raffreddi un po’ e poi conservarlo coperto da pellicola in frigo. Al momento dell’utilizzo, riscaldarlo con le mani e lavorarlo come pongo.

Crema al burro

 - 250 g zucchero a velo

- 125 g burro

 Incorporare lo zucchero a velo al burro morbido fino ad ottenere una consistenza cremosa.

Assemblaggio

Sfilare i bordi delle due torte in modo da renderle della stessa esatta dimensione. Tagliarle nel senso della lunghezza in modo da ottenere 4 lunghi rettangoli. Incollare i rettangoli l’uno con l’altro (uno nero affianco a uno chiaro etc in modo da alternare i colori), usando un sottile strato di crema al burro come collante.  Spalmare un sottile strato di crema al burro anche sui lati esterni della torta (servirà per tenere insieme il cioccolato plastico di copertura). Stendere il cioccolato plastico con un mattarello, in modo da ottenere un foglio abbastanza sottile. Avvolgere la torta nel foglio di cioccolato. Sfilare le estremità in modo da parificarle.

Enjoy,

And spread the Mess

Almond and citrus polenta cake

As the poet intimated, the winter of discontent is made summer again. Celestial Dragon and Divine Cherry are moving residence. The Palace is being emptied and its treasures are being boxed and sent away. Loose ends are being chased down and tied up, and goodbyes have become daily routines. Cobwebs will be spun in soon-forgotten corners and even Small Perfect Cloud will wander off to another sky. However, do not think that these are reasons for sadness and depression only, for Divine Cherry and Celestial Dragon are not really leaving, simply moving. Granted, they will move to a different shore close to the bard's brave new world, but it will be a physical move only. And we all know that what truly matters is the spirit. Nevertheless, it is always good to remind oneself once in a while, and that is why Celestial Dragon invited all the adjacent deities for one of many last suppers. (Time moves in circles, as do most cakes. And wheels. As well as three-legged turtles. That is why there are many suppers which purport themselves to be last, but that are in fact repeated with the endless baking of new cakes.)
It was one of those many suppers that Divine Cherry decided to present this cake. It is a matter of general knowledge, and many stories and myths attest to this fact, that Divine Cherry was born in a field of polenta, and that her first pacifier had in fact only the shape of a pacifier but was in truth polenta incarnate. The scriptures also tell us that Divine Cherry, despite her name, grew up in gardens of lemons, oranges and grapefruits. (It is believed that "cherry" stems from a practical joke she has chosen to forget.) It is also rumoured that Divine Cherry's first words, as recorded in the First Annals, were prunus amygdalus. It is therefore only natural that, when an event of such monumental importance as a change of residence occurs, Divine Cherry resorts to what she knows best: polenta, citrus, and almonds. And because Divine Cherry is now a grown deity, she has decided to express these ingredients through an art she has perfected over the last centuries: baking. Et voici le résultat...


Almond and citrus polenta cake - recipe adapted from "Jamie Magazine" n. 28

- 225 g butter, softened
- 225 g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 125 g polenta flour
- 125 g ground almonds
- 1 tbs baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 lemons, juices and grated zest
- 1 orange, juices and grated zest

Decoration:
- 75 g icing sugar
- zest of 1 lemon cut in long stripes
- juice of 1/2 lemon


With an electric whisker beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs one per time, continuing beating. add the polenta flour, ground almonds, baking powder, the juices of orange and lemons and grated zests. Stir until well mixed. Grease a springform tin and pour into the mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes in preheated oven at 170 C.The cake is ready when it looks just firm in the middle. Let the cake to cool completly before unmould.
Decoration: for the icing,mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until you get a thick paste and drizzle overthe cake. For the candied lemon strips: put in a small pot 2 table spoons of water with 2 table spoons of sugar, add the lemon strips and cook until the strips are tender. Put them in the middle of the cake.


Torta di polenta alle mandorle e agrumi ricetta tratta da "jamie magazine" n. 28

- 225 g burro morbido
- 225 g zucchero
- 3 uova
- 125 g farina di polenta
- 125 g  farina di mandorle
- 1 cucchiaino di lievito in polvere
- 1 limone e 1/2: succo e buccia grattuggiata
- 1 arancia: succo e buccia grattuggiata
Decorazione:
- 75 g zucchero a velo
- il succo di mezzo limone
- la buccia di un limone tagliata a listarelle sottili

Con una frusta eletrica batte il burro e lo zucchero fino ad ottenerecolore pallido. Aggiungere le uova, una alla volta, continuando a sbattere.  Incorporare la farina di polenta, le mandorle, il lievito e i succhi e le bucce di arancia e limoni. Mescolare per amalgamare il tutto. Versare il composto in una teglia apribile precedentemente imburrata e infarinata. Cuocere in forno caldo per 45-50 minuti a 170 C. Lasciar raffreddare la torta nella tortiera prima di sformare.
Decorazione: mescolare zucchero a velo e succo di imone fino ad ottenere una pasta abbastanza densa. Con una forchetta far cadere un po' di glassa sulla superficie della torta. Per le bucce di limone: cuocere le listarelle in un pentolino con due cucchiai di acqua e due di zucchero fino a che le bucce sono morbide. Poggiarle sul centro della otrta a formare una cupoletta.


Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

It has been long. So long. Too long. Divine Cherry had had to pay a visit to Hercules, Golden Peach and the Fruit Dogs in the Garden of the North East and was forced to leave Celestial Dragon on his own. For too long. For who is Celestial Dragon without Divine Cherry? Just a big, lazy lizard that slithers his way through the fridge and noses into every cupboard with the vacant intelligence of a stunned raccoon. The hours passed, the days went by, entire weeks became months, and years followed soon after. Time passes differently when one has to face it on one's own. And so it was that when Divine Cherry eventually returned to the Palace, she found Celestial Dragon sprawled on the floor, looking haggard and forlorn. His long and scaly body had shrivelled up, and not a single muscle twitched in even a sad simulacrum of life. He was dried-up and filled-up at the same time: while he lacked the strength to even lift his head, it was clear that his eyes were filled with tears.
But those were tears of joy, of happiness for Divine Cherry had finally returned. As soon as Celestial Dragon heard the door of the Palace being pried open, he looked up from his misery and saw Divine Cherry standing before him, a huge teardrop lowered itself from his right eye. (The other eye was still sleeping.) Trumpets sounded, birds chirruped, and choruses of angles intimated Lux Aeterna. And in order to celebrate that joyous occasion, that longed-for return, and also in order to excuse herself for having left Celestial Dragon alone – the naughty cherry, Divine Cherry decided to bake this Armenian Nutmeg Cake. And what an amend it was! It was sweet, it was delicious, it was awaited, and it was good. Everything was good again. Celestial Dragon perked up, raised his head and smiled again; and Divine Cherry hugged him and they both ate from this cake. Everything was the way it was supposed to be. And everything was better than good. Especially the cake. Especially the cake indeed...


Blog-checking lines: The Daring Bakers’ April 2012 challenge, hosted by Jason at Daily Candor, were two Armenian standards: nazook and nutmeg cake. Nazook is a layered yeasted dough pastry with a sweet filling, and nutmeg cake is a fragrant, nutty coffee-style cake.

Nutmeg cake   Recipe adapted from the Daring Bakes April Challenge
- 240 ml milk
- 5 g baking soda
- 280 g plain flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 300 g brown sugar (originally 400g)
- 170 g butter, preferably unsalted, cubed
- 55 g pistachios (or walnut )pieces, may need a little more
- 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 egg

Crunble crust

Preheat your oven to 180 C. In the meanwhile, mix the baking soda (not baking powder) into the milk. Set aside. Put the flour, baking powder, and the brown sugar in a bowl a mix with a fork. Add the cubed butter and rub with your hands to make crumbles (or pulse with a food processor).
Pour HALF of the crumbs into yourcake mould. Press out a crust using your fingers and knuckles.
Crack the egg into the bowl with the rest of the crumbs still in it. Grate 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Mix until well-incorporated. Pour in the milk and baking soda mixture. Continue to mix until a slightly lumpy tan batter is formed. Pour the batter over the crust in the springform pan. Gently sprinkle the pistachiost pieces over the batter.
Bake in a preheated moderate oven for 30-40 minutes. It's ready when the top is golden brown, and when it passes the toothpick test (comes out clean).

Torta alla noce moscata  Ricetta tratta dalla sfida di Aprile dei Daring Bakers

- 240ml latte

Cake ready for the oven

- 5g bicarbonato di soda
- 280g farina
- 10g lievito in polvere
- 300g zucchero di canna
- 170g burro a cubetti
- 55g pistacchi a pezzi
- 1(1 e 1/2) cucchiaino di noce moscata grattata
- 1 uovo

Accendere il forno a 180 gradi. Nel frattempo, mscolare il latte con il bicarbonato di soda e lasciare riposare da parte.Mettere la farina, lievito e zucchero in una ciotola e mescolare gli ingredienti. Aggiungere il burro a cubetti e formare delle briciole con le dita (o mettere il tuttoin un mixer...).
Versare META' delle briciole in una tortiera (precedentemente imburrata e infarinata) e livellare bene con le dita. Aggiungere alla seconda metà delle briciole l'uovo, la noce moscata grattata e il latte. Mescolare bene fino ad ottenere una consistenza omogenea (ma ci saranno comunque alcuni grumetti, va bene così). Versare il composto sulla crosta di briciole praparata prima. Spargere sulla superficie i pistacchi a pezzi e infornare. Cuocere per 30-40 minuti, fino a che uno stecchino uscirà pulito. Far raffreddare nella tortiera e poi sformare.

Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess

Piccole tartellette frangipane alla frutta

When the first flowers were born, the world was different. It was flat, for one, and much nicer than it is today, contrary to what geologists, physicists, archaeologists, conspiracists, cheesemongerologists and other -ists think. This may have been due to the fact that there were no -ists yet. The world was -ists-free, and therefore able to be itself without being constantly labelled or defined by bored, wandering -ists.
And so it was that the flowers of ancient times were very different. No -ist had yet said: "thou art a flower, and bees shall gather pollen from thee; and make honey for me." No. Flowers were much sweeter than they are today. Divine Cherry, who of course was there when flowers were still true flowers, sometimes yearns for the beginning of things. She longs for the time when the world was still itself, and when one could walk on water (because no one had yet said that water was liquid) or eat a cloud (because no one had yet said that clouds were not edible).
One day, then, when the longing became just too much to bear, she decided to make flowers the way they used to be. Now you may expect something extravagant, something weird, something grand and perhaps something mad… and you'd be right. Because flowers back then were made of glass, and the petals were made of frangipane tartelettes! In fact, if you look up from the text and focus your eyes on the magnificent picture that hovers above it, you might see a replica of that flowers used to be like. And if those were flowers, imagine what trees were like back then. Or rather don't. Focus on the tartelettes. Now some more. And some more. More still. And now stop. Look down. There. The recipe.

Pastry Adapted from"Pâtisserie!" by Christophe Felder

- 150 g plain flour
- 1 pinch of baking powder
-75 g sugar
-1 egg yolk
-75 g butter
-1/4 lemon (or orange) zest
-half a vanilla pod's seeds

Sift the flour, the baking powder and the sugar, add the soften butter. Mix the ingredients with your hands until it becomes crumbly. In the centre, add the yolk, 2 tbsp of water, the lemon zest and the vanilla seeds. Mix well until you get a nice ball. Wrap it in cling film and put it to rest in the fridge for at least 30mins.

Frangipane cream    Adapted from "il gattoghiotto" blog

-100g of peeled almonds
-100g of sugar
-100g of butter
-1/2 tbsp of rum
-1/2 tbsp of orange blossom water
-30g of cornflower
-1 egg

Ground the almonds with 2 tbsp of sugar (taken from the total) in a mixer until it turn to powder. Whip the butter with the rest of the sugar until you get a light cream, add the egg (slightly beaten), the orange blossom water and the rum. Keep mixing it with the electric whisks, add the ground almonds little at a time, as well as the cornflower. Voilà.

Tartelette  Adapted from"Pâtisserie!" by Christophe Felder

Grease a tray with butter and flour. Stretch the pastry dough thinly on a working plan. Cut it with a biscuit cutter in the same diameter as your moulds. Carefully ease the dough in the moulds, making sure that the borders stick well. Pour it in a tsp of frangipane cream.

Pear tartelettes (4 tartelettes)
-1/4 pear
-some coarsely ground almonds
Peel the pear and cut it into small pieces. Cut those in small triangles and put these, then, on the frangipane cream at the centre of your tartelette. Garnish with the almonds.

Strawberry tartelettes (8 tartelettes)
-1 small strawberry per tartelette
-some coarsely ground pistachios
Same procedure as with the pears above. Put the strawberry at the centre of your tartelette the garnish with the pistachios.

Prune tartelettes (4 tartelettes)
-1/2 prune
-raspberry jam
On the base of the pastry, before adding the frangipane cream, spread a small quantity of jam. Then cover with the frangipane cream and eventually garnish with small slices of prunes.

All tartelettes are cooked after 10mins in a preheated oven at 180°C.

Orange tartelettes
-1 unwaxed orange
-75 g of sugar
-150 ml of water
-30g of dark chocolate, chopped
- Cointreau
Prepare the oranges the day before. Cut the oranges in thin slices (with skin). In a pan, bring the water with the sugar to the boil. Turn it off as soon it starts boiling and add the chopped oranges. Leave it until the day after when you cut the slices into small pieces and drain the syrup for further use. Make sure you leave some slices uncut as you will need them for the final decoration.
Fill your pastry dough with frangipane cream and put some chocolate chips on top of it (be frugal). Bake them in the oven for 10mins at 180°C. When they are done (and are still warm), pour a tsp of Cointreau on them (again, be frugal). Since I was out of Cointreau, I mixed some of the orange syrup with rum and used that instead. When the tartelettes have cooled down, decorate them with the cut oranges (be generous this time) and form a small dome. On its top, put one of the small uncut slices to give it the final panache.

Versione Italiana:

Frolla - Da "Pâtisserie!" di Christophe Felder
- 150 g farina
- 1 pizzico di livito in polevere
-75 g zucchero
-1 tuorlo
-75 g butter
-1/4 buccia di limone (o di arancia)
-i semi di mezza bacca di vaniglia

Setacciare la farina, il lievito e lo zucchero, aggiungere il burro morbido a tocchetti. Lavorare con le mani in modo da formare delle briciole. Aggiungere nel mezzo il tuorlo, 2 cucchiai d'acqua e gli aromi, mescolare e ottenere una palla d'impasto. Avvolgere nella pellicola e mettere in frigorifero per un'ora almeno.


Crema frangipane - dal blog "il gattoghiotto"

- 100 g mandorle intere pelate
- 100 g zucchero semolato
- 100 g burro
- 1/2 cucchiaio di rum
- 1/2 cucchiaio di acqua di fiori d'arancio
- 30 g di fecola
- 1 uovo

Frullare le mandorle con 2 cucchiai di zucchero (presi dal totale) nel mixer fino ad ottenere una polvere. Montare il burro con lo zucchero fino ad ottenere una crema spumosa, aggiungervi l'uovo leggermente sbattuto, l'acqua di fiori di arancio e il rum sempre lavorando con le fruste, incorporare la farina di mandorle  poco per volta e la fecola (o maizena), continuando a montare.

Tartellette:  Ispirate da "Pâtisserie!" di Christophe Felder
Imburrare e infarinare una teglia per mini crostatine. Stendere la frolla molto sottile, ricavare dei cerchi con il tagliabiscotti dello stesso diametro dello stampo. adagiarlo nello stampo, facendo aderire i bordi. Mettere un cucchiaino di crema frangipane sulla frolla cruda.

Tartelletta alla pera: (4 tartellette)

- 1/4 di pera + granella di mandorle
Tagliare la pera sbucciata a fettine e ricavare da queste dei triangolini, adagiare i triangolini al centro della tartelletta farcita al frangipane, decorare con granella di mandorle.

Tartelletta alla fragola: (8 tartellette)
- 1 fragolina di bosco surgelata per ogni tartelletta + granella di pistacchi.
Mettere una fragolina al centro di una tartelletta farcita al frangipane, decorare con la granella di pistacchi.

Tartelletta alla prugna: (4 tartellette)

- 1/2 prugna + marmellata di lamponi
Spalmare un cucchiaino di marmellata sulla frolla, aggiungere un cucchiaino di crema frangipane e 2 fettine di prugna.

Cuocere le tartellette farcite e decorate per 10 minuti in forno caldo a 180°C.

 Tartelletta alla arancia: (8 tartellette)
- 1 arancia non trattata
- 75 g zucchero
- 150 g acqua
- 30 g cioccolato fondente, tritato
- Cointreau (facoltativo)

La sera prima preparare le arance. Tagliare l'arancia a fettine sottili (con la buccia). A parte portare a bollore l'acqua e lo zucchero. Spegnere appena bolle e immergervi subito le fette d'arancia. Lasciare raffreddere e trasferire in frigo per la notte. L'indomani, tagliuzzare a dadini piccoli le aranciarce scolate dallo sciroppo. lasciare da parte un paio di fettine per la decorazione finale.

Sulla tartelletta farcita con la crema frangipane, mettere qualche pezzettino di cioccolato (poco). Cuocere in forno per 10 minuti a 180°C. Quando le tartine sono cotte ma ancora calde, versare un cucchiaino di cointreau sulla superficie (io non avendolo ho mescolato un po' di rum allo sciroppo delle arance). Quando le tartellette sono fredde, decorarle con un cucchiaino abbondante di arance sciroppate, formando una cupola. Mettere sulla cima della cupola un triangolino di arancia.

Queste ricetta partecipa all MTC di Aprile.

Enjoy,
And Spread the Mess