For the New Year, the boyfriend and I were invited to his parents’ house for a potluck party. As is often the case, I was expected to bring a cake :). I was looking for something simple, fruit-based, light, and not very sweet. I decided to do something traditional and went with a light, almond spongey cake topped with whipped cream and a ton of fruits. It’s a very simple cake, and a great way to showcase delicious fresh fruit that’s in season, so it’s also easily editable for different times of year. Best of all, it appeals to a large audience as it’s something that really plays on the simplicity of clean flavours.

Fruit & Almond Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs (brown, cage-free, organic)
• 1/2 cup organic skim milk (no rBST!)
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• scant 1 cup cake flour
• 2 tblspn soy butter, softened to room temp
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• LOTS of fresh, seasonal fruit
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup apricot jelly (organic, without too much added sugar)

Process:

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time (be sure to really do them one at a time. trust me on this.)
3. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and milk and beat on low until just combined. Then add the flour and barely mix enough- as soon as the flour is incorporated, stop beating.
4. Pour the mixture into your cake pan (and place it on a baking sheet), baking for about 25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is spongey). Remove from cake pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
5. Once cooled thoroughly, cut the cake in half to make two layers, and beat the cream into a whipped cream (adding 2-3 tsp of sugar halfway through to make it a bit sweet).
6. Place a layer of whipped cream and some fruit on the first layer of the cake, then add on layer 2 and spread the remaining whipped cream over the entire two layers of the cake (and sides).
7. Arrange fresh fruit on top as desired and brush the apricot jelly (warmed in the microwave) over everything to make a nice shiny glaze.

Yum, right? It’s simple, it’s not too guilt-inducing, and it’ll please the whole family. Make one for your next spring or summer potluck and take advantage of ripe stone fruit, fresh berries, melons, citrus…. so many options! I plan to make one again soon with different fruits and maybe a thin layer of marzipan halfway up the cake for added almond flavour :). Sprinkle on toasted almond slivers for a final touch or powder on some confectioner’s sugar in a pretty shape.

For those of us who ended up not being a brain surgeon, rocket scientist, or astronaut, there’s always a bit of wonder about what could have been- and a tinge of regret. My lovely friend B was very amused at the idea of injecting cupcakes- and apparently somewhat regrets not having become a doctor- and requested a ‘sugery date’ during which we would inject some cupcakes together. Of course, that alone isn’t enough of a challenge, so we had to add a little something to the mix: B is gluten-intolerant. To add to the fun, she has trouble with lactose, particularly with cow’s milk. So basically we needed to make a cupcake that was gluten-free, with something to inject that is low(er) on the milk. Yikes! Challenge! What to make?

I decided to peruse my I Heart Sugar cookbook (it’s a delicious one to look through) and found a Raspberry Almond Cupcake recipe that seemed good. I was wary of the raspberries and had a large influx of strawberries my mother had kindly delivered the weekend before, and thus opted for strawberries in stead (after a brief consultation with B get approval).

The cake is a bit moist where the berries settled in- despite drying them for a few hours beforehand and parching their thirst upon paper towels. Despite this, they’re really yummy (note: you must be fairly crazy about almonds to agree with that statement). They’re low-fat, almost vegan friendly (darn you, eggs, I wasn’t of a mind to substitute you with pumpkin), and use all-natural ingredients. They’ve got chewiness and crunch. And with a little strawberry chunk and powdered sugar on top, what’s not to like?

Gluten-Free Strawberry Almond Cupcakes

Adapted from Raspberry Almond Cupcakes from I Love Sugar

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup organic rice flour
• 2/3 cup organic almond meal (I used Arrowhead Mills)
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 vegan buttery stick (earth balance) (aka 1/2 cup butter)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp organic almond extract
• 2 eggs, brown, organic, cage-free
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 pound fresh strawberries
• 1/2 package neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup whole dry-roasted sugar-coated almonds
• confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Process:

1. Cut all but 5 of the strawberries into 1/2-inch chunks and place on a plate covered with a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top, press firmly, and leave otuside to dry for as long as you can (preferably a few hours at the least)
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 14 large cupcake cups or some combination of large and little cups (amount of batter may differ for you slightly)
3. Place the butter (softened), sugar, and almond extract in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in to the mix one at a time, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir the mixture with a large wooden spoon, then fold in the almond meal. Lastly, fold in the dried strawberry chunks.
4. Spoon the mixture about 1/2-full into the cups. Sprinkle slivered almond pieces on top and bake for 20 minutes.
5. While the cupcakes are baking, place the cream cheese, two of the strawberries (chopped coarsely), and the almonds in a food processor (if your almonds are whole and crunchy, you can process these first into tiny pieces). Process until you have a thick, creamy batter.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven (tops should be just turning golden-brown and cracking towards the center) and place to cool on a wire rack.
7. Fill a piping bag or tube with the crea, cheese mixture and inject the cupcakes, taking a long injecting tip (thin, long, tubular) and placing it halfway through the cupcake from the top. Press the batter in, and stop when the cupcake ‘pops’- you’ll see it suddenly pop upward and puff up slightly. This means it’s taken its fill of cream cheese :)
8. Once all the cupcakes are filled, dust with powdered sugar, and place a strawberry slice on top. Enjoy!

B holds that the best part of these is the injected cream cheese batter, but I like them better as-is, and would want to make them strawberry-less. The almond taste is so whole and good, and you get it from so many sides (almond extract, almond meal, crushed almonds, slivered almonds) that it’s like an almond attack! Watch out! They may come for your taste buds!

H and I were not going to settle for just salad on our cooking date two weeks ago, and thus we also opted for these delicious cookies. Both of us love pine nuts, and fruit, and this cookie recipe of Giada’s looked far too yummy to pass up. We kept things almost to the letter of the recipe, with the minor adjustments of adding some extra apricots and using almond extract in stead of amaretto for the icing.

I read comments on the recipe page about these not turning out as described, but for us they were perfect- very thick, great texture, excellent tea cookies. One is more than enough as a snack, as these are large and with tons of great flavour. Giada suggests making a double batch and freezing the remaining dough for unforseen guests, and I can’t help but agree- having these warm out of the oven with the icing just barely settled on top is a vision that will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Dried Apricot, Pine Nut, and Almond Cookies with Almond Icing

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’ Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 stick Smart Balance Omega-3 butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg (cage-free, brown)
• 1 & 1/4 cups AP flour
• 2/3 cup tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 heaping cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 heaping cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon 2x extra strength vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Saigon is best!)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 2-3 tablespoons water, as needed (see below for icing information)

Process:

1. Whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, then add in the egg. Slowly stir in the flour until just blended- be careful not to overstir! Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap in a thick log-style shape and place in freezer for 25 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with a Silpat silicone mat.
4. Cut the dough log into thick slices and place the cookies on the baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden around the sides. Place on a wire rack (see picture below) to cool.
5. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Add in the almond extract and 2 tablespoons of water and whisk slowly. If you are unable to mix (too thick), add in another tablespoon of water. Keep adding water sparingly until you have a thick, creamy consistency. Let sit 2-3 minutes to thicken, then drizzle over the cookies (place a baking or cookie sheet under the wire rack to catch the falling icing). Eat warm with the icing being gooey, or let sit 15 minutes, then eat!

They’re so good. Seriously. I’m very tempted to make a few logs to have around for when someone may unexpectedly come to visit or hang out… they’re easy, quick, unique, and just great! It’s like a shortbread… except not. And an Italian cookie with lemon? This is clearly a special- and rare- opportunity.

Yesterday, the boyfriend and I were invited over to his friend’s parents’ house for lunch (let’s call then the G’s). Mr. and Mrs. G are fabulous conversationalists- engaging, cultured, and hillarious. I suggested bringing a dessert, and began to wonder what to bring. I thought something moderately sweet would be a safe bet, and decided on an apricot coffee cake. Apricots are my favourite fruit- they’re juicy, slightly acidic, sweet, and so, so delicious. Unfortunately, their season is ridiculously short- sometimes only June!- and thus the second they begin to hit the shelves, I start eating about 3 a day. My mother taught me carefully the way to pick out the best ones- soft but not mushy, a vibrant hue of orange and reds and pinks, and with a sweet smell that promises a juicy munch.

I searched for a recipe that fit the basic idea I had in my head and found one that seemed adequate. Unfortunately, I had to restart, switched computers, lost the link, and was unable to find it again. But, luckily, I happened upon this brilliant recipe by Bill Granger of Australia, and began making some edits (because I’m incapable of following a recipe as-is).

The result, post-edits, was something I would not have thought possible, considering the fact that so much air is in this cake with the egg whites: a Danish! I made a Danish cake, by accident! Apparently, adding a large amount of sour cream- even if light- and reducing moisture will result in a thick, moist Danish. Mmmmh. I plan to experiment with this one again very, very soon, in muffin tins, to make individual cakes.

Upside-Down Apricot Danish Cake

Adapted from Bill Granger’s Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

Topping:

1/2 cup lightly-packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla) – optional
• 4 tblspn soy butter
• 1 can apricot halves in juice (NOT syrup – no need for that extra sugar!) OR 6-8 fresh apricot halves

Cake:

• 6 tblspn soy butter
• 8 oz light sour cream (for a more Danish consistency, bring this up to 10-12 oz)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2-4 apricots, pureed
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 4 separated eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Process:

1. Heat oven to 355 degrees F and butter a bundt cake pan or 9-inch round springform pan
2. Heat together soy butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract (and perhaps a tiny sprinkle of salt) over medium heat until it begins to bubble slightly; then add in apricot halves and reduce heat slightly. Keep flipping over the apricots so that they’re fully coated with the mixture, until they are soft and cooked through but not falling apart, and the sauce has caramelized. Then, pour apricots slowly and evenly into pan and set aside.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Put remaining soy butter, sugar, 1/2 of the sour cream, and almond or vanilla extract in a bowl and mix slowly until the mixture has a creamy texture. Whisk in the egg yolks in two batches (2 at a time), then add in the pureed apricots (just halve them, chop into small pieces, and place in blender or food processor) and mix slowly.
5. Add the sifted flour in two batches, stirring slowly and only until just mixed in. If there are a few small tufts of unmixed flour, don’t worry about them! Then add in the remaining half of the sour cream, again mixing slowly.
6. Take a chilled bowl (preerably metal) and place egg whites and 1/2 tsp salt inside. Beat with an electric mixer on 1 or lowest speed for 3-60 seconds, then slowly raise speed until stiff, white peaks are formed. Be careful not to overbeat, or the whites will begin falling back down.
7. Fold the egg whites in 3-4 batches, being careful to fold and not mix so as to get all the air into the cake. Pour mixture slowly and evenly over the apricots in your cake pan.
8. Place in oven on middle rack for approximately 50 minutes, then remove and check with a toothpick. Let side 5 minutes to cool, then flip over onto a plate and allow to continue cooling for 30 minutes. Eat warm with vanilla ice cream or cool as a Danish (as it cools, the cake will compress and compact into a thicker, creamier Danish)

It’s delicious, and not too sweet, as the acidity of the apricots really cuts through. The almond extract was strong, so I’d suggest either substituting it for vanilla, bringing down the quantity (that which I listed above is a bit toned down from my original, which I thought to be a bit too overtly almond-y) or simply leaving it out. That said, it’s a great cake, and easily transportable. The G’s enjoyed it, as did the boyfriend and sister, and it went nicely with the absolutely scrumptious meal Mrs. G made for us. :)

It’s true- it’s possible to make crème brûlée low-fat, surprisingly! I wouldn’t have thought so, but even this famous custard dessert can be edited into an equally delicious but far healthier version. None of those I served this to had guessed at its lower fat, and all deemed it authentic. It’s simple, but the almond taste kicks in towards the end and adds a nice flavour. I tried all three types of sugars (powdered, granulated, brown) and found powdered to be by far the best (as goes its reputation). The brown sugar burned too easily; the granulated sugar became too wet; the powdered, however, was just right.

Low-Fat Almond Crème Brûlée

Ingredients (makes 8 small, flat custards):

• 1 tblspn almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic skim milk
• 1 & 1/4 cup organic half-and-half 
• 1 egg (yolk + white)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tblspn granulated sugar
• 8 tsp powdered sugar
• 8 raspberries + sprigs of mint (for garnish)

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Scald the milk and cream by placing in a small, tall pot and boiling. Add vanilla extract, remove from heat as soon as it begins to bubble, and set aside.
3. Beat together the other ingredients (almond extract, sugar, eggs) until well mixed together.
4. Add a bit of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and slowly stir together; then add the rest of the milk in small batches, slowly whisking the mixture together. If there are any pieces of yolk/sugar, strain through a wire strainer.
5. Place the ramekins in a large pyrex dish or baking dish, not touching the sides.
6. Pour the mixture slowly and evenly into the ramekins (8, flat, or 4-6 souffle ramekins), being very careful not to spill
7. Pour water into the pyrex dish, making a bain-marie, and carefully place in the oven. Bake the custards for 30 minutes if flat, 35-40 minutes if taller- try wiggling them to see if they’re ready (if wiggling like jello, then they’re set!)
8. Remove from bain-marie water onto a heat-safe surface. To eat these in the ‘traditional’ way, sprinkle powdered sugar onto the tops and torch until the top is caramelized but not burnt. As an alternative, once cool enough to handle, chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge, then sprinkle on sugar and torch.
9. To garnish, top with fresh raspberry and a sprig of mint, or other fresh fruit.

I’ve been told that if you haven’t a torch, you can use the broiler setting in the oven and place it directly under the heat, but mine was unsuccessful with this. That said, the lovely torch my friend B gifted me for my birthday worked out perfectly :) These were delicious, and tasted rich despite the lack of rich ingredients. Success! A low-fat alternative that’s well-hidden within great, full flavour.

Time for yet another try at the apple tarte! This time, I decided to go experimental (next time, I’m definitely trying out the recipe in my new English cookbook). This tarte takes an Italian influence with a rather heavy citrus taste (lemon juice, zest, and orange juice), but keeps traditional elements (apples, cinnamon, nutmeg) to make a crumbly confectionary pleasure once settled within a gooey almond oil-flavoured whole wheat crust. Here’s the step-by-step surgical procedures:

• The filling is quite simple: zest a lemon rather vigorously, then add in its juice (roll it first to release the juices); add a tablespoon of orange juice. Sprinkle in a 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 tablespoon cinnamon (I went, as per usual, a bit overboard on the cinnamon- so 1/3 – 1/2 tablespoon is much safer than the whole one I put in!), 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and 3/4 tablespoon honey. Sprinkle in between 1/3 – 1/2 cup large black raisins (or sultanas, if you prefer… we were out at the time). Very thinly slice apples (I used 1 large braeburn and 3 smaller granny smith) and add to the mix. Cook on medium until the mixture becomes soft and a bit creamy- there should be a slight bite of crisp left to the apples.
• Make a crust- I followed David’s french tarte dough recipe again for the basics but this time made some changes: I used 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour and the “rounding” of the cup as white whole wheat flour. I also used all soy-butter natural spread, and put in 5 tablespoons of it instead of 6. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of almond extract.
• I cooked the crust for 6 minutes unfilled, then removed it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
• Fill the crust with the apple filling, making sure to add it evenly and spread it so that the top is completely flat (or as flat as can be made)- then while that is sitting (and settling), thinly slice one more apple (or two, if needed) and arrange in the shape of a flower on top of the filled tarte.
• Brush the apple slices with a bit of melted soy-butter spread with a pastry brush, sprinkle on a tiny bit of sugar, and put back into the oven for 10 minutes (still on 410 degrees).
• Remove tarte from oven and brush on apricot jam/jelly evenly with a pastry brush. Put tarte back into oven at approximately 200 degrees for another 30-40 minutes (until crust edges are golden-brown and fully cooked (lift edges of tarte pan slightly to check- the filling will make this process take quite a long time)). It’s important to reduce the temperature so as to not char the apples on top.

This was an unnecessarily complicated way to do this, but I was experimenting with filling times based on different degrees of crust bakedness. To make this easier, you can fill the tarte when the crust is almost completely cooked (after being in the oven for 12-14 minutes) and either a) not add apple slices on top, or b) pre-cook them and then add them on top.

It was melting and coming apart last night when it was hot (the boyfriend took seconds despite the crumbliness) and had a number of distinct flavours. Some bites had a strong lemon flavour from the zest (I zested it roughly, so there are some large zest pieces in the filling) while others had a strong, biting almond taste from the crust. After a day of refrigeration, the flavours have melded together much more. It’s enjoyable either way, but makes an interesting study in the effects of time and cooling upon the flavours’ relationships… something worth looking into!

In any case, it’s a rather yummy tarte, and fun to make. Try it out with your own variants and see what works best for you! As Melissa on Food Network would say, the possibilities are endless! :)

Lastly, if you do follow this recipe as I did- using the soy-butter spread- this becomes a vegan-friendly dessert! No animal products or by-products. Cheers!

I was able to use 7 of the bananas for the banana tart, however this left me another 20 or so to go. Though I had planned to avoid banana bread, I had to use all 20 remaining bananas before Friday as 1) they were ripening quickly, and 2) I knew I wouldn’t be home this weekend. I had wanted to try some banana-filled crepes from my English cookbook (it features fun European ingredients you just can’t find here, ie: “digestive biscuits” or “vanilla-wine crackers”) but they would have required firmer bananas than those I currently had, and are more of a morning thing. Thus, banana nut bread it was!

A quick evaluation of proportions yielded the following fact: I was going to have to quintuple the recipe to accomodate all my remaining bananas. Considering the fact that I was making 5 batches of this thing at once, I thought it smarter- and more fun- to diversify (just in case one of the varieties was subpar)- thus I went for two. A look at the Food Network recipe archive brought me to this one, which had some of the highest marks from reviewers I’ve seen on the website (I wanted to find one with high confidence as I was forcibly making such a large quantity at once!)

Control: Bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg

Batch A (2x recipe): Almond extract, pecans, whole wheat flour, 1 hour baking time

Batch B (3x recipe): Vanilla extract, walnuts, white (AP) flour, 50 minutes baking time

Conclusions drawn:

• The whole wheat breads rise less, thus a little extra baking powder/soda falling into the bowl isn’t a hardship. They also should probably have a shorter cooking time in the future to keep them moist.
• It’s true: those incredibly ripe, mushy bananas yield the best texture. I’m now a believer in banana myths.
• To be honest, I find little difference in the pecans and walnuts once cooked. In the future, I may not bother to differentiate.
• The almond extract I used was rather strong- just a little over a tablespoon for 2 batches’ worth of bread changed the taste drastically.
• The whole wheat breads were also far less sweet than the other variety. If you’re satisfying someone with a sweet tooth in making these, be sure to add a bit more sweetness to a WW variety.
• Have multiple bowls ready! The sugar/egg/butter mixture must be done in its own bowl, the banana/milk/spice mixture in yet another, and the flour/salt/baking soda/baking powder in a third. I started using pasta pans and cake pans, as I needed 4 bowls and I only have two (good excuse to go bowl-shopping now)

I really followed this one rather closely with few substitutions, as all the comments I read claimed this was one of those rare recipes that is very enjoyable as-is. I brought some for the boyfriend (he loves banana nut bread), his neighbors (who, I’m proud to say, started digging in with their beautiful fingers (the boyfriend’s got some very attractive neighbors), and to work. So far everyone really enjoys it, and it’s quite simple, despite the need to keep ingredients separate, so… try it out and let me know your thoughts!