Sans Rival, a filipino dessert

November's Daring Baker's challenge has brought me to the other side of the world and back again!

Indeed, we were dared by Catherine from Munchie Musings to make filipino desserts, namely a Sans Rival.

Well for something as exotic sounding as a filipino dessert I was somewhat surprised to find the challenge not only having a french name but also having some very french charistics, so living in France I was not nearly as "dépaisée" as I thought I'd be to begin with.

BUT  this cake is pretty cool and definetly challenging!

Since this recipe seemed extremly rich and sweet I decided to half the recipe we were given.

After all ther's only two of us and a 12 portion buttercream and meringue layered cake did sound a bit like over doing it!!!

So here's how to make my version of a Sans Rival:

The Dacquoise:

5 egg whites

1/2 cup (112 g) white sugar

1/2 tea (1,5g) cream of tartar

1 cup (120g) toasted nuts (I used hazelnuts)

"1. Preheat oven to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3.

2. Line cake pan bottoms with parchment paper and butter and flour the sides really well."

Now I just dren thew circles on parchment paper and then put it on cookie sheets, no butter nor flour for me...

3. In a large clean, dry glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy (2 mins.). Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, continuing to beat now at high speed until stiff shiny peaks form. (about 7-10 mins.)

4. Fold in nuts, reserving enough to use for decoration.

(Note the more finely ground for folding into meringue. The coarsely ground for is decoration of finished cake.)

Since I used slivered almonds for the decoration I did not pay attention to this...

5. Divide meringue into four equal parts. Spread in pans, evenly to edges. If doing batches, use fresh parchment paper and cooled pans for each batch

6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the meringue from the baking pans while still hot; allow to cool slightly. Peel off the parchment paper while it is still warm, it is difficult to remove sometimes when they have completely cooled.

7. When cool, trim edges so that all 4 meringue layers are uniformly shaped. Set aside."

The Buttercream:

2,5 egg yolks

1/2 cup (112 g) white sugar

1/8 cup (30ml) water

5/8 cup (142g) unsalted butter

Flavoring: vanilla, almond extract, cocoa...(I used hazelnut syrup)

"1. Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Beat at high speed until the yolks have doubled in volume and are a lemon yellow.

2. Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring the sides down only until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup reaches 235°F/112°C (or thread stage)."

OK, so my syrup was more of a carmel of sorts but it still turned out good once I fished out the hard lumps of rock candy that formed when I poured the carmel  syrup into the butter mixture...

"3. With the mixer on high, very slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl, until all has been added. Be careful as the very hot syrup could burn you if it splashes from the beaters. Continue beating on high until the mixture is ROOM TEMPERATURE (about 15 mins).

Still on high, beat in the soft, room temperature butter a tablespoon at a time. Add flavoring after you beat in the butter. Refrigerate the buttercream for at least an hour, and whip it smooth just before you use it"

The Stacking : 

I didn't think there would be enough cream but there was so don't worry.

I toasted some slivered almonds...yummy!

En Français...

Le Sans Rival et Autres Desserts Philipins

Pour quelque chose qui sonne aussi exotique qu'un dessert philipin, le sans rival est un dessert vraiment très français! Couche sur couche de dacquoise intercallées de crème au beurre.

Ceci dit c'est très bon et...très riche, du coup j'ai fait une demi recette et cela a bien fonctionné.

On commence par la Dacquoise:

5 blancs d'oeufs

1/2 tasse (112 g) de sucre blanc

1/2 cc (1,5g) de poudre de tartar

1 tasse (120g) de poudre d'arachides grillés (J'ai opté pour de la noisette)

1. Préchauffez le four à 160°C

2. Dessinez quatres cercles d'une vingtaines de centimètres de diamètre sur du papier cuisson. Placer ces feuilles sur des plaques du four.

3. Dans un grand bol bien propre, battre doucement les blancs d'oeufs jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient mousseux (environ 2 min). Saupoudrez de crème de tartar. Progressivement incorporez le sucre quelques CS à la fois. Continuez à battre, maintenant à grande vitesse jusqu'à obtenir des piques bien fermes et luisantes (environ 7-10 min). 

4.  Incorporer la poudre d'arachide avec de délicats mouvement circulaire avec une spatule.

 5. Diviser la meringue en quatre. Etalez sur les disques tracés sur le papier cuisson. Si jamais vous le cuisez en plusieurs fournées pensez à l'aissez votre plaque refroidir entre chaque fournée.

6. Cuisez dans le four préchauffé pendant 30 min ou jusqu'elles soient dorées. Enlèvez les dacquoise des plaques pendants qu'elles sont encore chaudes, laissez tièdir et retirez le papier cuisson. Si vous le laissez  dessus ce sera encore plus pénible à retirer quand cela sera tout à fait froid.

7. Une fois refroidies, taillez toutes les meringues pour qu'elles soient exactement de la même taille. Réservez.

Puis on prépare la Crème au Beurre:

2,5 jaunes d'oeufs

1/2 tasse (112 g) de sucre blanc

1/8 tasse (30ml) d'eau

5/8 tasse (142g) de beurre doux

Arômes: vanille, extrait d'amande, cacao...(J'ai utilisé du sirop de noisette)

1. Battre les jaunes d'oeufs à grande vitesse jusqu'àce qu'ils aient doublés en volume et soient un jaune citron.

 

2. Mettre le sucre et l'eau dans une casserole et chauffez sur un feu moyen. Mélangez bien jusqu'à le sucre soit dissout. Il faut que le sirop atteigne 112°C ou l'état filandreux.

3. Avec des batteurs à pleine vitesse, très lentement et très précosieusement versez le sirop contre le parois du bol dans lequel se trouve les jaunes.

Bon d'accord mon sirop ressemblait plus à du caramel, c'était quant même bon une fois que j'avais repêché les gros bouts de caramel dur qui se sont formés quand j'ai tenté d'incorporer mon "sirop" à mes jaunes...

Battez jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit à température ambiante, prés de 15 minutes!!B

4.Encore à pleine régime, incorporez maintenant le beurre une CS à la fois. Ajoutez votre parfum après le beurre. Réfrigérez la crème au beurre au moins une heure et battez de nouveau pour l'assouplir avant d'assembler le gâteau.

 

L'Assemblage:

 

Mettez une petite touche de crème dur votre assiette pour "coller" le gâteau en place.

Placez une disque de dacquoise au centre et tartinez la de crème.

Pardessus mettez une autre disque et proceder de même pour toutes les couches.

Je pensais qu'il n'y aurait pas assez de crème mais il y avait juste ce qu'il fallait.

J'ai fait griller des amandes éffilées et j'en ai parsemé tout le gâteau pour le décorer mais faites ce qui vous inspire.

Miam!

Conservez le gâteau au frais mais sortez le au moins une demi heure avant de le manger.

Baklava made with homemade filo pastry!

This was my second daring bakers challenge. I was so exited when I learned it was making homemade filo pastry for baklava, one of my very favorit deserts. Unfortunetly this has been a very challenging month so I only made it once, yesterday, just before the due date.

But I will be tring this again when I have more time, sigh, one day...

So here we go:

The pastry:

1 1/3 cup flour

1/8 salt

1/2 cup water minus 1 tbs

2 tbs vegtable oil

1 tea cider vinegar

Mix the dry ingredients, then mix the wet ones, then mix both of them together. Knead for about 20min until springy...I love kneading...

Leave the douugh to rest/ chill for about two hours

The syrup:

During this time make the syrup, to do so mix in a sauce pan:

1 cup white sugar

3 tbs jagerry

1 tbs of honey

the peel of one manderine

1 cinnamon stick

1 1/4 cup of water

Boil for ten minutes. then set asxide to cool. When cool add 1 tea rose water and 1 tea orange blossum. Keep ready for when the pastry come out of the oven.

The filling:

1 cup crushed toasted almonds

1 cup toasted powdered hazelnuts

3 tbs jaggery

5 tbs spiced sugar

a pinch of salt

 

Time to put it all together...

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Take a golfball size wad of the dough and start rolling in out as thin as you can get it, each sheet of filo should be transparent. Now there is a special technique but so far I'm no good at it so I'm not going to discribe it... Use as much flour as necesary and remember to flour in between each sheet as you set them aside and cover them all with a clean damp dish towel. Roll out all the dough

Melt 100g of butter.

Brush the bottom of a baking dish with the butter. Trim the sheets to be the size of the baking dish by setting it apon the stack of filo and using it as a template.place you 1st sheet of filo into the pan and brush it generously down with butter. Do so for he 4 next layers. Now add half of your nut mixture, spread it out evenly. For the middle layers of filo you can use the scraps of pastry you cut away. Crumple them up and lather in butter. the spread on the other half of the nuts. After layer on the rest of the filo, buttering in between each layer. Keep one that is not ripped  for the top. Tuck in the sides to make it look neat. Precut the 1st layer of dough. Butter again. Bake until golden brown.

As soon as you pull it out of the oven pour on the cool syrup. Do not worry if it looks messy it will all be absorbed.

Leave the baklava to rest untill the next day.

Cut the rest of the way through the pastry serve on danty plates with tea.

 

Cassandre Cake

Crust:

Finger mix all the ingredients directly in the small pie pan, pat down. Blind bake for about 15 min at 180°C.

1 cup flour

75g chopped and chilled butter

1 1/2 tbs sugar

a pinch of salt

Nut fudge :

Mix all the ingredients until smooth in a bowl then spread on to the precooked crust.

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup hazelnut butter

a pinch of salt

1/4 cup  water

1 tbs sugar

Chocolate ooze:

Squeeze these into the nut fudge.

100g of black chocolate squares

Topping:

Sprinkle chopped lightly roasted hazelnuts on top of the pastry.

 

Bake for about 15min at 180°C. Always serve warm with a tall glass of milk.

En Français...

Pâte sablée:

Mélangez à la main directement dans le plat à tarte. Quand le tout est bien mélangé tapoter en place. Pré-cuire pour environ 15min à 180°C.

75g beurre froid coupé en petit pois

200g farine

une pincée de sel

1 1/2 cs sucre

Fondant des écureuils :

Mélanger tous les ingrédients puis étalez sur la pâte pré-cuite.

2/3 de tasse de beurre de cacahuète

1/3 de tasse de beurre de noisette

une bonne pincée de sel

1/4 de tasse d'eau

1 cs sucre

Tranchée au chocolat:

Enfoncez 100g de carrés de chocolat noir dans le Fondant des écureuils

Croute :

Parsemez des noisettes grillées et concassées sur le dessus de la tarte.

Cuire pour environ 15min à 180°C. Servez toujours chaud avec un grand verre de lait

 

 

Wilted salad pesto over pasta and aubergines

I was planning to have a healthy salad for lunch with all the neat products I had picked up at my organic market last Saturday. I was sorely disappointed when I opened my refrigerator to find that all my wild salads had gone totally limp. I was about to toss them out with a sigh when the thought occurred to me that though they were no longer crisp and crunchy their flavor should still be strong.

This pungent pesto turned out to be not only surprisingly delicious but also quite economical! I’ll never throw out an old salad again.

Pulse in a food blender:
Roquette, wild salad (who's name I quickly forgot), some fresh herbs : basil, mint, melisse, sage, 15 hazelnuts, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and olive oil
Then add grated parmesan.

Toss the pesto with roasted white aubergine, cooled pasta, spouts and two cherry tomatoes.

En français...

Pesto de salade flétrit sur des pâtes et aubergines

Mixer:
De la roquette, de la salade sauvage (dont j'ai promptement oublié le nom), du basilic, de la menthe, de la melisse, de la sauge, 15 noisettes, du sucre, du vinaigre balsamique, du sel et de l'huile d'olive.
Puis ajoutez du parmesan fraichement râpé.

Mélanger le tout avec quelques rondelles d'aubergines blanches rôties, des pâtes froides, des graines germées et deux tomates cerise.

Floating tarts

Theses were inspired by the traditional french recipe "îles flottantes"

Crust:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 grounded nuts
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
3 tbs sugar
1/4 tea salt
3 tbs cocoa
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Mix up all the ingredients by hand and pat the dough into pre-greased pans. Bake for about 15 min.

Custard:
1/2 l milk
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs maïzena
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tea orange blossum extract
Put the milk in apan to heat slowly. Whisk the yolks and the sugar until the mixture whitens, add the maïzena. Poor a little of the warm milk into the mixture. Transfer back into the pan, stiring continuously. Add the extract. when the mixture makes thick bubbles set aside to cool.

Islands:
3 egg whites
2 tbs powdered sugar
1 tea orange blossum extract
Mix the sugar and the extract into the egg whites the beat them until they are stiff and dry. Spoon out portions on to a plate and cook for 30 sec in the microwave set on high.

Fill the crusts with custard, place an island on top and sprinkle with some toasted slivered almonds

And then she wanted to make her own birthday cake...

Nut crumble crust:
1 cup floor
1 cup toasted nut powder
1/2 cup butter
3 tbs powdered sugar
1/8 tea salt
1/2 tea vanilla
1/4 tea cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the other ingredients, finish by hand. Form a ball and place to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Draw a circle on a sheat of wax paper slightly bigger than the pan used for the chocolat melt down. Pat the chilled dough into a disk 1/4" thick with a rim around the edge. Bake for 15-20 min. Leave to cool in the oven left ajar.

Chocolat melt down:
4 eggs
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
200g chocolat
100g salted butter

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Beat the eggs with the sugar until they whiten. Melt the chocolat and the butter. Mix with the eggs and sugar. Pour into a pan in which you have placed a sheat of wax paper. Bake for 10-12 min until the center resists to touch. Stop the cooking by placing the pan in the freezer. Do not unmold before at least 1/2 an hour!

Praline killer crunch:
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tea baking soda
1 tea vanilla
1 cup toasted nut powder

Butter generously a cookie sheat. Toast and gind the nuts, spead out on the cookie sheat. Have the vanilla and soda ready. Bring the sugar, water and butter to a boil, do not stir. When the mixture reaches the soft-crack stage (140°C) remove from heat. Add the baking soda and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Immediately pour this mixture evenly over the nuts on your baking sheet.

Cream cheese frosting:
400g cream cheese, cold
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 tea vanilla

Cream the butter and the cream cheese. Slowly add the sugar then the vanilla. Place in the frigde to chill.

The Stacking:
Place the chocolate melt down in the center of the nut crumble crust. Frost the chocolate layer leaving the cookie apparent. Cover the top with some crushed praline. Leave in the fridge until it's time to serve it.

This is one of the best cakes I've ever made! It was inspired by several recipes I love : mexican wedding cookies, carrot cake (and it's frosting!), almond rochas and a cake I discovered on the blog a Turtle in the Kitchen.

Satsivi

Satsivi is originally a Circassian dish which the Georgians borrowed and adapted from their neighbours.

Boil the chicken with 3-4 bay leaves and 1/2 an onion in 3-4 cups of water
Chop 2 mideum size to large onions and 3 cloves of garlic. 
Fry them, optimally in the grease from the bird,  but otherwise in olive oil  in a deep pan, then add 1/4 cup floor.
Then slowly pour in the hot stock from the chicken.
Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.

Grind   in the food processor enough walnuts to get about 1 cup of paste.
Add the past to the sauce stir continuously but do NOT let the sauce boil.

Add fresh greens:
1 tea parsley
1 tea fenel leaf
1 tea marjoram
3-4 tbs chopped cilantro
I ground these herds and spices together and added them to the sauce.

My attempt at the Khmeli-Suneli mix:
2 tea funegreek (I did not know this but this spice is very bitter)
1 tea hysop
1 tea cinammon
1 tea black pepper
1 tea dried mint
1 tea coriander powder
1/2 tea celery salt
1/2 tea clove powder
1/2 tea tumeric
1/2 tea salt

Beat 2 eggs slowly pour into the main pan, and stir until it thickens, keep it simmering on a very low heat.
Add 3 tbs vinegar
Arrange the chicken or turkey in a bowl. Cover with the sauce.

(Khmeli Suneli is a traditional Georgian spice and herb mixture. Among the herbs and spices used in khmeli suneli are: coriander, dill, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, funegreek, parsley, saffron, black pepper, celery, thyme, hyssop, mint and hot pepper.)

Coconut Spice Cake

This cake was a special commission for my mother's birthday this year.

Preaheat the oven to 210°C.
Cream :
100g butter
1/3  cup brown sugar
1/3  cup white sugar (in which I store vanilla beans which flavors it)
1/3 cup honey
1 tea vanilla
2 eggs

Mix the dry ingrediants :
2 cup flour
1 package of baking powder
1/2 tea salt
1 tea cinnamon
1/4 tea cardamon
1/4 tea four spice
1 pinch of clove

Slowly mix the dry ingrediants into the the butter mixture.
Add:
2 cups applesauce
1 cup shreaded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnut

Bake for about 45min.
Let it cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar and shreaded coconut.

Granola

Preheat the oven to 210°C
Mix :
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup  5 cereal flakes
1/2 cup germe de blé
1/2 cup  flocons de quinoa
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pumkin seeds
1/3 cup almond slivers
1/3 cup shreaded coconut
1/2 tea salt

Heat in a baking  pan :
1/2 cup vegtable oil
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 tea vanilla extract

Mix in the dry mixture.
Bake for 15min string from time to time.
Press down the mixture. Let it cool .
Brake down into bite size lumps. Store in an airtight container.