Little Berry Almond Cakes

I used to work in a gourmet food shop in a little coastal town in Maine.  I was one of two bakers who where given free reign to try new and interesting recipes.  Most of the recipes we used were favorites but sometimes we would enter uncharted territories, trying new recipes that didn't always quite deliver.  If they were unsellable, regrettably we would have to dump them but sometimes just adding a pretty garnish or frosting to hide a mistake was all that was needed.

This recipe was not a difficult recipe by any means, however the directions say to place berries on top of the batter before baking.  Fifteen minutes into the baking time I checked to see how my little cakes were doing and much to my dismay my cake had swallowed up my pretty arrangement of berries.  I could do one of two things, I could continue baking the cakes until done or I could add more berries to the top of the slightly sunken cakes and continue to bake until done.  I did both just to see what the results would be.  After 15 minutes of baking I sprinkled a few more berries on top of half of the cakes, at this point there was a slight crust forming which would keep the berries from sinking and continued to bake until done.  The result was lovely though slightly sunken.  After the cakes had cooled I added more fresh berries to the top and sifted a little confectioners sugar over the top and voile!  A beautiful, perfectly moist and delicious little cake I would not hesitate to serve guests.

What we call in the business a "happy mistake".

As you can see, the berries did a dive to the bottom of my cake and left a bit of a crater on the top.  Not the most beautiful cake but I can honestly say, one of the best tasting cakes I've made.

Ingredients

Makes 9- 5 ounce cakes 

2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs (300g)  

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups almond meal (300g)

grated zest of 1 lemon  

Fresh berries, I used raspberries and blueberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until smooth on medium high speed.  Add the sugar slowly and beat until well incorporated.  Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Mix in lemon zest.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together.  Add flour to the butter mixture and mix to incorporate, scrape the bowl and add the almond meal and mix until combined. 

Divide batter evenly in paper baking cups to about 3/4 or more to the top.   Place filled baking cups on a baking sheet spaced a couple inches apart.  Place in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes carefully remove the pan from the oven and quickly sprinkle berries over top of each cake and place back into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes more or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  The tops will be a nice golden color and slightly indented.  Remove from the baking sheet to a rack to cool completely.  You may add more fresh berries to the top at serving time and a little sifted confectioners sugar on top.  Enjoy!

 

Apple and Oatmeal Cake for St. Patricks Day

Growing up in a French/Italian family, St. Patrick's day was never really celebrated as a big feast day for us, however my Mom did put together a pretty decent boiled dinner for the occasion.  While raising my own family, that corned beef and cabbage tradition continued.  As I became more adept at cooking and trying new dishes, finding traditional meals to cook for my family from different parts of the world was really fun!  Our St. Patrick's day meal really needed an update, so for the past several years finding really good and interesting dishes such as this Apple and Oatmeal cake, was a very happy find indeed.  This is a very moist cake made with layers of cooked apples and oatmeal.  Very little sugar is used and a hint of lemon peel and cinnamon is added.  It's a pretty little cake, that I baked in a 6 inch X 3 inch pan, it gives this cake a nice height.  It can be served alone with a light dusting of powdered sugar on top or with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.  Either way, a fine cake deserving of a wonderful ending to a St. Patrick's day meal or any meal for that matter!

Ingredients

 

Recipe from Theodora Fitzgibbons "Irish Traditional Food"

1 lb. cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped coarsley

2 rounded tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 rounded tablespoon of raisins

1 stick (4 oz.) butter

1 rounded tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup or honey

10 oz. old fashioned oatmeal

finely grated peel of 1/2 a lemon

2 large eggs, beaten

powdered sugar, optional  

6 inch spring form pan or a 6X3 inch cake pan, lined bottom and sides with parchment paper and sprayed with pan spray.

preheat oven to 375° F.

1.  Combine apple chunks with the sugar and cinnamon and cook on medium heat until soft and all water is evaporated.  You may have to mash cooked apples with a fork depending on what kind of apples you use.  A dry slightly chunky puree is what you want.  Add the raisins to the cooked apples and allow to cool.

 

2.  Melt the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup or honey in a saucepan.  Remove from heat.

3.  Combine the oatmeal and lemon peel in a bowl.  Add the melted butter mixture and the beaten eggs, combine well with a spoon.  Divide this mixture up evenly in three separate bowls.

4.  Press 1/3 of the oatmeal mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Spoon 1/2 the apple mixture over the oatmeal layer and spread evenly.  Cover the next 1/3 of oatmeal over the apple layer and press evenly and repeat with the rest of the apple then oatmeal.  Pressing the final layer of oatmeal gently but evenly over the top.

5.  Bake in preheated 375° oven for 30 minutes or until a light golden color on top.  Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack.  Flip cake out on a plate, remove parchment paper and place your serving plate over the top and carefully flip again.  Center cake on your plate and sift a little powdered sugar over the top if desired.  Enjoy!

 

Blueberry Apple Slab Pie

Unlike the traditional fruit pie, a slab pie is made in a sheet pan.  This recipe uses a 9X13 baking pan and cuts into 8 generous pieces.  The crust is flaky and light and the filling is superb.  Blueberry and apple have always been a favorite fruit pie combination for me, but you can use whatever fruit you like, apple, strawberry rhubarb or plain blueberry just to name a few.  Pumpkin may also be used but that's for a future post.  These little hand pies are great for packing in lunches.

Ingredients

For the crust...

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
12 ounces  (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch bits
1 large egg, beaten
3-4 tablespoons cold milk

For the filling...

1 pint fresh blueberries (2 cups) the same amount of frozen blueberries may also be used if fresh are unavailable.
1 large apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks, about 1 cup 
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits

9X13 baking pan
preheated 400°

1.   For the crust, in a large bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and butter bits.  With a pastry blender cut in butter until it resembles course crumbs.

2.   Mix together the beaten egg and milk.  Add to the flour mixture and blend together with a rubber spatula until mix starts to come together.  Pour out onto counter top and quickly form into a ball.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3.   Roll out one of the dough halves on a floured surface to a 10 X 14" rectangle or slightly larger.  Line the bottom of the 9X13 pan with the dough allowing the dough to come up around the sides of the pan about 1 inch.  Set aside.

4.   For the filling, mix together in a bowl the blueberries, apple chunks, sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Mix until all the fruit is covered in the dry ingredients.

5.   Pour fruit mixture into the pie shell and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle the butter bits on top evenly.

6.   Roll the remaining dough in the same manner as before.  Center the top crust over the pan and tuck overlapping dough behind the bottom crust sides.  Press and crimp together.  Cut slits in the top crust to vent.

7.   Bake in a preheated 400° oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden on top and the filling is bubbling through the vent cuts.  Allow to cool before cutting.  Enjoy! 

 

 

 

Maine Wild Blueberry Gingerbread

Blueberry season is upon us here in Maine, a season, I for one, look forward to every summer.  Maine's wild blueberries grow naturally in fields and barrens throughout the Downeast coast and are indigenous to Maine .  Native Americans were the first to use the tiny blue berries, both fresh and dried, for their flavor, nutrition and healing qualities but it was not until the 1840′s that wild blueberries were first harvested commercially.  

I found this recipe in a flyer called Maine Blueberry Recipes, put out by the Maine Department of Agriculture.  If your looking for a moist and really delicious quick bread, this is the one to try.  Fresh or frozen blueberries may be used and it freezes very well. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons molasses

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°

butter and line the bottom with parchment paper a 5X9 inch loaf pan.

1.   In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until well combined.

2.   Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy.

3.   In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger and cinnamon, set aside.

4.   In a small bowl, add molasses and baking soda, stir to combine and set aside.

5.   Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, starting with the flour first then buttermilk and ending with flour.  Mix until completely combined.  Add molasses mixture and mix to combine.  Fold in by hand the blueberries and mix carefully but thoroughly to distribute the berries throughout the mix.

 6.   Pour into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.  Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons sugar, evenly over the top of the batter.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool for an hour, then turn out onto rack to cool completely before cutting.  Enjoy!