Cherry Amandines

I have cherries for you today. I have nothing else to say....

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Cherry Amandines

handful of Mirabelles

1/2 cup ground almonds or almond meal

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup raw sugar

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Grind the almond flour and sugar as fine as you can. Add the egg yolk and process to a smooth batter.

Divide into cups and top with Mirabelle cherries or regular cherries.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked. Cool on rack for a few minutes and serve with ice cream, crème fraîche or as is.

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P.S. I Love You

fork spoon knife

turned five. In blog years, that is like 25!!! Coming of age! In many ways...

Five Springs past

the ground beneath me caved. Metaphorically. No, literally. It was physical. Ok, pyschosomatic. It felt real. I was cut loose, left adrift with only an yawning abyss for company.

2008. Lehman. RIP.

For little else, other than preserve my sanity,

I started this blog

soon after. I had very little expectation from it but it gave. A lot! I am still seeking the Peace but along the way, came others. Surprises.

Adventures.

Discoveries.

Passions.

Friends. Family.

Joy.

Laughter. Pain. Change. Learning.

Dreams.

Alternate Destinies.

Choices.

I had a tumultuous relationship with this child of mine - at once rejoicing in its blossoming yet not willingly embracing it. I had long yearned for it yet declined to make it legitimate. But, there never was retaliation. No offense taken. Only the comfort of welcome, understanding, patience, kindness and openness. Always.

You see, shooting out on my own is not something that I had planned for or wanted. The reality was I was uncomfortable with the 'unknown' and 'uncertain'. I had lived in a world of models (linear at that), optimized solutions, programmed approaches. A life of order and defined parameters. Input-Output equations. It was easy. I fit in. There was structure. I craved that.

But then, that stubborn bit in me kept rambling on about adventure,

less-trodden paths

, passions, crazy flights of fancy .. all those

fatally desirous things

. The adult rational, logical, me just plain rebelled. Like a child. Irony.

Then, I kind of tripped and

fell into this rabbit hole

. I kept trying to clamber out but that

child in me

, was resolute, persevering, resourceful and very, very convincing. Worse, that child

had allies

.. in the real world.

Real People who really cared

. In short, everything the adult, me, wanted. Irony, again.

Eventually, I opened my eyes and decided to submit... with pleasure! :) I stopped rebelling. I didn't need to. I didn't want to. I liked this new ride. It was fun. Happy. Full of smiles. It was enjoyable.

I discovered ME. I am that I was before but I am also this I am now. They co-exist and can do so, peacefully. They are both important and integral. I am binary yet a continuum. Often times, I can be sinusoidal but then I have come to believe in the pleasure of waves!

So, here I am, today, five years hence, thanking this child, this blog, for making me realise that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts {Yeah, that geek bit is never going to go ;-)}, that

life is best lived searching for the highs

and flat is rarely fun.

Well.. your obvious question is where is that all going? So, here we go -

1. To those who, over the years, have supported, laughed at my lapses of confidence and encouraged me through words, actions and tough-love-talks:

Thank You so very much for always believing! :)

2. To my family, who, inadvertently or not, contributed to everything I am:

I am going to live my dreams!

3. To that child inside me:

I am listening!

4. To my

lovely friends in Europe

, whom I was fortunate to meet through this beautiful world of food:

You guys are an inspiration!

5. To my

dear readers

, without whom, much of this revelation would not have happened:

You guys rock!

Your feedback, comments and loyalty are priceless. To mark this memorable occasion and milestone, and

show my gratitude I will be doing a series of giveaways

, over the course of the next month for all you guys around the world! So, stay tuned!

I also have a draft of plans to do some interesting stuff in launching this space and my ideas farther and higher. I will share them with you over the next few weeks! I am excited!!!

Finally,

To my faithful blog: I love you! There is none more beautiful than you and I will always cherish you.

Also, I made you cake to celebrate your Birthday! :) I hope you like it.

Happy Birthday fsk!!! :

)

Banana Almond Cake with Cloud Frosting

This is a lovely moist cake with a rich banana flavor.

The recipe I share below is with butter but you can make it entirely vegan by substituting with a light olive oil. Banana and olive oil make a fantastic combination.

You can also use oat flour or spelt flour instead of whole wheat in the same proportions.

For the cake:

2 overripe banana, pureed

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raw sugar

6 T butter, room temperature or equivalent in olive oil for a vegan version

2 eggs, seperated

1/3 cup almond milk or other nut milk

For the Meringue Frosting:

4 egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla paste

1/4 cup sugar

chopped almonds for garnish

Bake the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, whip the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add one yolk at a time and whisk to incorporate. Then add the banana and nut milk and make a smooth puree. To this add the dry ingredients in three parts and fold until just incorporated.

Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold in a third of the whites into the batter to loosen the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a spatula and clean, brisk strokes to make sure you don't lose the airiness.

Pour batter into a greased six inch cake pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the tops are golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Rest cake for a few minutes between removing from pan. Cool completely on counter.

Make the Frosting:

While you are waiting make the frosting. The frosting spreads better if you refrigerate it for atleast 30 minutes but not more than 2 hours.

Combine the whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over gently simmering pan of water, making sure that the water does not touch a bowl. Heat the mixture while whisking continuously until all the sugar dissolves. Alternately, you can wait till you get a 160F temperature reading.

Remove bowl from heat and continue whisking until glossy, stiff peaks form. This can take a while and it may look like it isn't going to hold. But, keep going. You'll get a gorgeous fluffy mixture. Fold in the vanilla paste.

Refrigerate until cake is completely cooled and ready for frosting.

Assembly:

Once the cake is completely cool, slice it horizontally into two halves using a serrated knife or as I find it easier, waxed floss. This cake does not rise much, so you don't really have to smooth the top but if you see the need to, go for it.

Place the bottom half of the cake on a prepared pedestal and spread a generous amount of the frosting on it. Gently place the top layer on it. Using swift strokes spread the frosting on the top and sides of the cake.

Sprinkle chopped almonds for garnish.

Store the cake in a fridge for not more than 24 hours.

Weekend and White-Out coconut Cake..

I love Snow! I really, really do. :)

It's ethereal! There is something fresh and pure about it.

Of wiping slates clean.

Of an another chance.

Of finding the inner child, in sticking your tongue out to catch the gentle drifts.

Of being oblivious, to all judging when you do the four-left-feet dance in freshly fallen fluffs.

Of joy, in seeing a gorgeous, healthy, happy dog tumble around in the white carpet.

Of unbounded ecstasy, that all of the above builds in you.

This weekend, all of this happened. I live again and feel every molecule in me bursting to say hello to the world!

Yes, I love snow.

In the end, in the city, it was not as bad as portended! The weekend was nippy but well worth venturing out to warm places, crunchy fresh croissants and good coffees and of course coming back into the warmth of home to happy meals, fresh bread and white cakes. :)

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Coconut Cake with Meringue and Mascarpone Frosting

For the cake layers:

{I use coconut flour to bring out the flavor in the cake especially since I don't use any essence. Essentially, it is super-finely ground dry coconut. You will find it in the organic aisle of major food stores.

I used a 6 inch and a 4 inch cake pans to create a step. You can also use two 5 inch pans}

_______________________________

For the Cake:

1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 T cup un-sweetened shredded coconut

generous 1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup coconut milk (I used the drinking version which is lighter and thinner)

6 T butter,room temperature

2 egg whites and 1 yolk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together the dry ingredients. Whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the yolk. Whisk in the coconut milk. Add the dry to wet ingredients in three parts. Set aside. Whip the whites until stiff peaks are held. Gently fold in the whites into the batter with as few turns as possible while making sure you don't deflate the airiness.

Pour batter into prepared pans to 2/3rd of the lip in each pan. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden and cake is springy to touch. Set on rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1 large egg white

1 T butter

1 T golden syrup

1/4 cup powdered sugar

toasted shredded coconut

Melt butter and syrup together and set aside to cool. Loosen the mascarpone with a bit of cream and whip in the powdered sugar. In another bowl, whip up the whites to stiff peaks. Gradually stream in the cooled butter-syrup mixture until a shiny but loose with the granulated sugar until shiny but loose meringue is formed. Continue whipping for another minute to completely cook the whites. Fold in the meringue into the mascarpone.

To assemble:

Slice each cake in half and generous spread frosting between layers. Frost sides of each cake. Place the smaller cake on top of the other and even out the frosting. Gently apply the toasted coconut on the assembled cake to finish the frosting.

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Holidays...

It's the season for....

Festivity

Celebration

Happiness

Giving

Compassion

Generosity

Oh! so many things...

But, most of all, indulging in good food and company (friends and family) without inhibition!

Laughing unbidden and being thankful for being alive and able to enjoy this moment...

Taking precious joy in the slow smile that spreads on the faces of those you love, whom, you have the fortune to be sitting next to now...

Welcoming the old and the new in our lives and making space for the constant change...

Accepting the good with the bad and believing that it will all be ok in the end...

Having Hope!

Let there be Cake, Candles, Fun, Family, Laughter and Stars that make you Believe in this World and the next!

To a blessed Holiday Season! May peace be with you!

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Eggless Apple Cake

250 g flour

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 T + 1 T regular sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla paste

75 g butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup cottage cheese (small curds)

1/2 cup milk (you may need more, go by batter consistency)

3 T Amaretto

2 apples, cored and sliced thin

Sift together the dry ingredients and whisk the wet ingredients, except the amaretto) in another bowl.

In three parts add the wet to the dry ingredients and turn to just combine. Fold in the amaretto.

Transfer to a prepared baking pan. Arrange the apple slices on top in a circular fashion or any way you like.

Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove from pan and cool on rack.

While the cake is still hot, glaze the apples with warmed up apricot jam or wine jelly (I used port wine jelly).

Cool completely before slicing.

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Festive!

Look around you.. Isn't it a beautiful time of the year?! Whichever part of the world you are in, the festive cheer is in and around you. It's impossible to stay sad or grumpy or anything negative for more than a moment at this time...

All you need to do is look up and inevitably, see someone smiling and you reflexively imitate. Who cares about anything else! :)

So, around this time, I am usually knee deep in baking and completely overwhelmed by all my crazy Holiday cooking and table ideas. But, this year, I decided to travel! So, ahem!

Or... I am just being lazy... haha..

Nevertheless, I have not been storming the kitchen the whole lot and it's getting the much needed R&R after years of abuse ;-)

I did, however, make this no-bake cheesecake inspired by Holiday flavors and sudden intense need to make cheesecake after an overdose of Penny, Sheldon and the motley crew!

Incidentally, when I was browsing about, I found out that the Cheesecake Factory in Vegas is one of the highest rated ones of the chain. Also, confession time, I have never eaten in any of the locations, even though Vegas is one of my favorite weekend getaway destinations! No, I don't gamble but there are tons of other things to do! {I should probably write a post on getting around Vegas without being Casino-ed out, sometime!}

Anyway, back to my

Pumpkin and Pecan Cheesecake

. There! I have given away the punch line! :) Perhaps, I am bit late in joining the pumpkin bandwagon but after having made this, this and this, I was waiting for a new twist before I put up something here.

So, here you go - a fluffy, light cheesecake made with Mascarpone with an Oreo crust and spiced pumpkin and vanilla pecan cheesecake layers!

This is also my entry into two awesome themed blogger events going on this month!

Meeta

's Monthly Mingle hosted by

Simone

this month and

Simone's PhotoChallenge

!

Pumpkin and Pecan No-Bake Cheesecake

(makes one 8 inch cake)

For the crust

10 Oreo cookies, sans cream

3 T butter, melted

For the pumpkin layer

10 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream, boiling

1/4 cup sugar

1 envelope gelatin

1 tsp nutmeg

3 T Disaronno or other Amaretto

1 tsp almond extract

For the Pecan Layer

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and crushed

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup cold heavy cream

4 T milk

1/2 envelope gelatin

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To make the crust, process the oreos until fine. Add the melted butter and process again until they start clumping together. Press the mixture evenly onto the base of a 8 inch spring form pan. Refrigerate for 20 or so minutes for the crust to firm up.

Meanwhile, start with the pumpkin layer. Whisk together the puree, mascarpone and nutmeg. In a bowl, mix the gelatin and sugar and pour boiling cream and quickly dissolve the gelatin. Pour the gelatin mixture into the pumpkin bowl and mix thoroughly. Fold in the liquer and extract.

Pour the pumpkin cheese mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for atleast an hour, to allow the gelatin to set sufficiently to make the next layer.

For the pecan layer, I find the easiest way to crush pecans is fold them in foil and beat them with a rolling pin. Also great for the angst! ;-)

Beat together the cheese, vanilla paste and two tablespoons of milk to loosen and fluff up the cheese. Prepare the gelatin mixture same as before with the remaining milk. Add this into the cheese mixture and whip to spread the gelatin evenly. Set aside. Whip up the cream into stiff peaks and gently fold into the cheese mixture. Fold in pecans.

Pour this layer on top of the setting pumpkin layer. Cover with wrap and refrigerate for atleast 3 more hours before decorating as desired, un-molding and serving.