Busy...Enjoying Mother Nature

As you may have noticed I have barely been able to manage a couple of posts a week this month. Some of you know that my 18 year-old god-daughter is visiting from France and we have been showing her Charleston and its vicinity everyday. I miss my blog, baking and most of all staying in touch with fellow bloggers out there.
Sophie is leaving Tuesday but I hope this won't be her only visit to the US. I will be back to posting and baking next week for sure!

In the meantime, I am leaving you with a picture if the pecan tree I look at every morning while enjoying breakfast on the porch. The pecans are still green and I am counting the days until I can make pecan pie!!
Allright, off to the beach now!

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Pistachio Cherry Financiers

When I went home last Christmas, B. and I decided to spend 4 days in Paris alone and away from the family just to breathe a little and spend some time "en amoureux" (lovey-dovey). While we were walking our way through countless galleries and museums we also ate our fair share of pastries and scrumptious delicacies. One of them being the "cerisai" from Gerard Mullot, located in the 6th "arrondissement", a stone throw away from our hotel. I tried to duplicate that little cake as soon as I got home and although my first attempt did not rise to my expectations, this one came pretty close. The taste was there, the flavor too but I suspect that Mr. Mullot grinds his almonds and pistachios to a finer constistency, almost like powdered sugar.

I got an email last week from a reader asking for a recipe and some help in makeing financiers and especially chocolate kinds. I was actually reading her email while baking these...ah the powers of the internet!!! While one can easily find a lot of chocolate financiers recipe with a quick Google search, I shall, for the purpose of finding the best one for her, make a few batches in the coming weeks (twist my arm) and give you the details of my search/quest/homework.

So, dear Anora, I am not ignoring your request, but I am waiting until my guest leaves next week to devote myself 100% to your questions. In the meantime I hope you accept a token of my appreciation for your nice comment by offering you these.

Financiers will keep well for up to 5 days, and they also freeze beautifully so it's easy to make a big batch and keep some tucked away for impromptu guests. As a matter, these were made sunday night and Sophie has been impatiently waiting for her godmother to finally take some pics for the blog so she could have a couple. Well, the boy situation is a little iffy so I figured these with a good cup of coffee would help change her mind....and since I am not totally uncool, shoe shopping came next!

Pistachio Cherry Financiers , adapted from Foodie Froggy

Makes 8-10

70g (2.4 oz) ground almonds
70g (2.4 oz) flour
70g (2.4 oz) shelled, unsalted pistachios, ground
6 egg whites
120g (4 oz) sugar
2 tsp orange blossom water
120g (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
8-10 pitted sour cherries

Pre-heat oven 160°C (325°F).
In a mixing bowl, combine the almonds, pistachios, flour and sugar, using a whisk. Add melted butter and the orange blossom water. In another mixing bowl, beat the whites very slightly, with a whisk.
Add the whites to the pistachio/almond mixture.Mix well.
Fill up finanicer pans or muffin tins with half the batter. Drop 1 pitted cherry (2 halves) in the center and cover with the reamining batter.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden.

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Fig Almond Tartelettes

A few many things prompted me to make this lovely "tartelette" seen in the picutures as well as a few others in the past couple of days. Last week I was given a good 10 pound basket filled to the rim with lovely figs from one of my clients' extremely prolific fig tree. "Yippee!" I scream as I love fresh figs. We started eating them fresh, the grilled with melting goat cheese, cut up in salad or with pork tenderloin. Then came the fig chutneys, fig jams, fig cakes and finaly these "Fig Almond Frangipane Tartelettes". It turns out that Sophie likes them too and B. will eat anything covered with sugar!

I was also trying to find a suitable local crop to make a dessert for Sugar High Friday hosted this month by Johanna of the Passionate Cook . It turns out that the earliest colonists from England and Barbadoes landing in South Carolina found a bounty of foods in their new land, including peaches, figs, muscadines, pumpkins, squash, game, fish, nuts, and corn. Fig trees are almost as widespread as pecan trees here (my pecans seems about ready to implode) and the tiny fruits they produce packs a punch of flavor and juice. When I think about it, I don't recall ever buying a single fig that was not from Charleston since I moved here. The common figs we get may not be the most sought after variety but they work just great for everyday life.

I make this kind of tartlets (and sometimes bigger pie) often throughout the year using different seasonal fruits. I love it with pears,apples, peaches, and plums, but quite frankly I think any fruit tastes wonderful when paired with a fragrant almond frangipane cream.



Fig Almond Tartelettes, adapted from Bon Appetit, October 1998

Makes 3 4- inch tartelettes (enough for 6 or 3 big appetites)

For crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For filling
1/3 cup whole almonds (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons rum or brandy
12 ounces ripe figs, cut into halves
1/4 cup apricot marmelade

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 2 tablespoons ice water and vanilla in small bowl. Pour water mixture over dough. Process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Cut 3 rounds about 5 inches big, fit into pie plate and trim excess dough. (or use shapes and molds you like) Using fork, pierce dough all over. Bake crust until pale golden, about 30 minutes (crust may shrink slightly). Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Make filling:
Finely grind almonds with sugar in processor. Add egg, butter and 2 teaspoons rum. Process until batter forms. Pour filling into crust. Arrange fig halves atop filling. Bake until figs are tender and filling is golden and set, about 25 minutes.
Melt jelly with remaining 2 teaspoons rum in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush jelly mixture over figs. Cool tartelettes. Serve at room temperature.

Pour mes lecteurs francais: j'ai demande a mes parents de me rapporter de la feve tonka, mais je ne sais ou leur dire de s'en procurer. Ils sont du cote de Versailles-Rambouillet-Paris. Quelques suggestions seraient les bienvenues. Merci.

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Gateau Surprise Chocolat Pistache

Note: I apologize for the quick post you read here but I still have company for another week or so and it seems that I am fullfilling my godmother part pretty good. Sophie is quite busy having made some friends her age and discovered the joys (hmm,hmm...) of dating in America. Yes, French people have different dating rules and "games". I try to calm her nerves while waiting for the stupid "three days no call" rules that guys like to play here. In the meantime, I am making her cakes!!

You know a cake has to be good when it pops up over the years on some of the best food blogs out there. I hope I will carry the torch with honor. Clotilde presented the original and Heidi and Jen made some perfectly mouth watering renditions. The cake appealed to me so much that I made it the exact same say I read about it. The only thing that surprised me is in the lengthy steps undertook by my predecessors in mixing the two different batters. The original recipe they followed called for making the chocolate batter first, then rinsing the bowl to prepare the pistachio one. I don't know about you, but in a 100F + weather and very little intention to mix, rinse, mix, bake, wash, I knew I had to come up with an easier way to achieve the same result.

I remembered my beloved zebra cakes, or my mom's comforting marbled chocolate-vanilla cake and decided to go the same route: make one plain batter, divide it in half and add to each part the elements they needed to create both the chocolate and pistachio batters. I wouldn't call this blasphemy, just practicality...especially when a mob of hungry teenagers was starting to crowd my kitchen!


Gateau Surprise Chocolat Pistachio, adapted from this blog:

Makes 12 cakes

270g plain all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
1½ cups plain yoghurt or sour cream
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup shelled pistachio, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 12 small paper cake cases.
In a food processor mix together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, pulsing in between each addition. Add in the yoghurt and the vanilla extract, pulse again. Add the baking powder, baking soda and all of the flour. Divide the batter in half. In one half, add the cocoa powder, in the other the pistachios and chocolate chips. Then using an ice cream scoop, place one scoop of batter into each paper case. Rinse the scoop and add the pistachio batter on top of the chocolate.use an ice scoop to place the pistachio batter on top. Smooth out the surface using a spatula. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Vanilla Cream Cheese Cupcake Cones

I have seen cupcake cones starting to pop up on several blogs lately and reminded that it had been a while since I last made them, well...ok, about two months. Whenever my friends with children host a birthday party they always call me with large order for them. Truth is, adults and children alike go crazy over them, and I always have to make extras for B., my in-house cookie monster. This time, I had Sophie bake these with me and we had a blast frostig and decorating. I was really tickled to have her try cupcakes for the first time, but most importantly cream cheese frosting, and I think she could become another fan fast! I think I need to make another cake or cupcakes with it in the near future to be sure!

I have used different recipes for the cupcakes over the years and started using the one for the Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcake on a regular basis because it is just darn good. Moist, vanilla-a plenty, nice crumbs, good base to play with different flavors and extract. I used a vanilla bean paste that I picked up at Trader Joe's during my visit to Lisa's home instead of vanilla extract which made the flavor even more intense. The cream cheese frosting is the one I used now all the time, since we (Daring Bakers) made the Red Velvet Cake back in March. It is so easy to make, does not taste too sweet and has nice little tang from the cream cheese.

I made these even though I did not have an order and delivered some (minus 4 for us) to the kids around the neighborhood. With their going back to school, scortching hot temperatures and the end of summer near by, I thought it would sweeten their plate a little. The cones were gobbled up in no time at all, accompanied with a "more please" that always makes me happy.



Vanilla Cream Cheese Cupcake Cones

Makes 24

Cupcake Batter, adapted from Magnolia Bakery

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
24 ice cream cones

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place ice cream cones in the holes of a muffin pan so that they will be stable when you transport them to the oven.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter in the cones, leaving a two inch space to the top as the cupcake will rise. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 stick (115 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

In bowl of electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the frosting and pipe on the cupcake cones. Add sprinkles if desired.

In other news, The Traveling Eggs have made a stop in Ohio, check their temporary abode here.

Check back often as I will update their travels here periodically.

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I Am A Lucky Girl: A Package And Two Awards

Warning: this post is about giving thanks and paying it forward.

What you see is the content of the package put together by Rachel of Coconut and Lime for the Blogging By Mail - Your Favorite Things event hosted by Stephanie, blogging sorceress extraordinaire from Dispensing Happiness. I am indeed a lucky girl as it seems that many of Rachel's favorites are also mine...especially the Fuzzy CocaCola Haribo candy which are all gone by now! I also love dried mangosteen and the bag is slowly dwindling down to crumbs, frou frou drink umbrellas, ginger candies and pomegranate body lotion. Things I love but never had in this form: popcorn on the cob (just pop in the microwave!), and mango ketchup. Thank you Rachel!

I also want to thank Barbara from Winos and Foodies for the lovely package I received a couple of months ago. Thanks to her, an herb garden has taken on a whole new meaning. We'll see what next year's crop give us!

I know you are with me on this: blogging is much more than baking/cooking, taking pictures and writing a nice blurb about a recipe or an event. It's about interactions and frienships that transcend our small computer screens and touch us, move us, make us happy, sad and giddy.

When Blogger named me blog of note in July, people started coming out of nowhere and everywhere to tell me they had been reading this blog, when I posted the Amaretti recipe I received over 30 emails with requests for the recipe. I was surprised, touched because they were from people I did not know but who shared a common love for sweets and desserts. Thus, I try to pay it forward by answering your mail and although I can't answer to all your comments I do try to answer your questions and suggestions. I apologize if I am slow in answering your mail...I will eventually...I hope that cake recipe is not a matter of life and death and that it can wait another week or so.

What surprised me the most was that I have given two awards by people I admire greatly. Lisa, my "other woman", awarded me a Schmooze award .


Lisa thinks I am worthy of an award created to "recognize people who have a positive influence on the blogging community by developing and nurturing relationships. You know — commenting on other’s blogs, joining in on and sustaining a “blogversation.”" Now it's my turn to pay it forward by extending it to 5 other people:
- Belinda from What's Cooking In A Southern Kitchen: this lady is always around to leave a commnet, suggestion, give support and she cooks yummy things all the time!
- Guillemette from Chocolat & Caetera: despite the obvious crush I have for her, she has the ability to bring people together through mounds of cream and chocolate as well as showcasingsother people's talents by re-creating their dishes in her kitchen and screaming out lud thorugh beautiful pictures "ya'll should give this a try, it's goooood" and I always fall for it and she's right!
- Barbara from Winos and Foodies: she is a far better penpal than I could ever be, she was my first BBM partner as a matter of fact. She constantly promotes awareness for cancer and cancer event and has flawless taste in foods and restaurants.
-Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice: it's not because she tried to seduce me with a cake that I think she deserves this, but along with Lisa, she is at the foundation if the ever growing Daring Baker group and adventures as well as countless events. She is one of the ambassador of fine Italian cooking, and bloggers in all countries.
- Bea from La Tartine Gourmande: beside the obvious reason that we are both from the same country and somewhat thinking about the same foods, Bea is always there to give help about cooking techniques, food design and photography. She promotes blogging dialogue and interactions everyday in her posts.

Then, this week Meeta from What's For Lunch Honey, gave me with the Thoughful Blogger award for “those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others’ feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping other bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.” (quote from her site). I want to give it back to her because she has provided me with countless suggestions, tips and more on how to improve the look of my blog and more but I feel I should pass this one on too:


- Mary from Alpine Berry: I wish I could meet her in person and give her a great big hug. She has worked hard behind the curtains on our Daring Baker project, but she has also provided me with great info and tips on certain blog template issues that I had. She is also one of the most courteous and thoughtful ladies I know in the bloggosphere.
-Lisa from La Mia Cucina: despite the obvious reason that I now have a friend for life, and contrary to what the bold mouthy style of her blog, I always admire her for the way she handles people and their feelings. When I want to scream "oh c'mon" I always wonder "how would Lisa say it?" The woman is a real gem for international diplomacy I tell you!
- Tanna from My Kitchen In Half Cups: the woman must not sleep! She is always around to comment at the oddest hours of the day. I tried to spot her around at 2am and gave up... and there she was at 2.15am giving someone else a high five on a dessert they did not think was good enough to be blogged about. My memory fails me now on who, but trust me...I could have kissed her! She is one of the wisest woman I know out there and always turn to her in times of crisis and good times as well.
- Deborah from Taste and Tell: no matter what I ramble about, she is always around the corner cheering me on as well as coutless others with the sweetest words. She is an ambassador of international relationships.
- Gilly from Humble Pie: fellow writer of the Daily Tiffin, she is always there when I ask for blogging advice, bread recipe (her oatmeal bread is now a staple at our house). Her kindness, toughfulness and impeccable taste push me to be a better blogger.

There are tons of other people I would love to pass these awards on but I am sure that the people mentioned in this post will do a fine job at passing the torch along. Thanks for reading this long post but I had to give thanks when blessed by so much kindness.

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