COFFEE COOKIES - COOKIES AU CAFÉ

A few years ago, in October 2006, I published a Brazilian cookie recipe which I had found on the net and which I very much enjoyed (and still do). At this time, my blog was just making a stuttering start (one year and a month old) and it wasn't as visited/"popular" as it is now...

Most of the recipes I posted during that period didn't reach as many people as they would nowadays, therefore I have decided to regularly talk about certain of my older recipes (sweet and savory) and offer them a little more publicity, because some of them really deserve to get known.

Those "Brazilian Coffee Cookies" are very easily made and quite simple ingredient-wise, but my oh my, they are wonderful and truly delicious! They are crunchy, but not hard and melt away marvelously in the mouth, their deep coffee flavor is perfectly well-balanced and not overpowering, yet very present. Thus having a humble look, they also look particularly nice and would grace your afternoon tea table beautifully!

Please, click here for the recipe in English.

~ Cookies Brésiliens Au Café ~
Recette tirée du site www.cdkitchen.com et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Pour environ 3-4 douzaines de cookies.

Ingrédients:
1/3 de Tasse (84g) de Beurre
1/2 de Tasse (120g) de Sucre brun, bien tassé
1/2 de Tasse (105g) de Sucre cristallisé
1 Oeuf (~53g)
1 1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille
1 CS de Lait
1 CC d'Eau, chaude
2 Tasses (255g) de Farine fleur (blanche)
1/2 CC de Sel
1/4 CC de Bicarbonate de soude
1/4 CC de Poudre à lever/à pâte
2 CS de Café en poudre

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 200°C (400°F).
2. Recouvrir une plaque à pâtisserie de papier sulfurisé.
3. Dans un petit bol, dissoudre le café instantané (2 CS) dans l'eau chaude (1 CC).

4. Dans un bol, mélanger ensemble la farine tamisée, le sel, la bicarbonate de soude et la poudre à lever.
5. Dans un grand bol, battre le beurre (en pommade) avec le sucre brun et le sucre cristallisé, puis ajouter l'extrait de vanille, l'oeuf et le lait. Bien battre afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
6. Incorporer le mélange café/eau et la farine tamisée au mélange beurre/sucre/oeuf.
7. Bien mélanger afin d'obtenir une pâte.
8. Former des petites boules de pâte de 2.5-3 cm.
9. Disposer ces boules sure la plaque à patisserie, à 5 cm les unes des autres.
10. Les applatir (à l'aide d'une fourchette trempée à chaque utilisation dans du sucre) à 0.6-0.8 cm d'épaisseur.
11. Cuire pendant 8 à 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient bien dorés.
12. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez utiliser soit du sucre brun foncé ou du sucre brun clair pour cette recette, mais n'oubliez pas que ça change le goût des cookies.
Si la pâte est trop molle et qu'il est difficile de la travailler, alors laissez-la reposer au réfrigérateur pendant 30 à 40 minutes.

Idées de présentation:
Ces cookies sont délicieux avec une tasse de café, un café au lait (renversé), un chocolat chaud ou un verre de lait froid.

BRAZILIAN TOASTS

To continue my series on Brazilian food, today, I wish to share with you the recipe for a delicious starter ("Salgadinho") called "Torradinhas De Castanho De Cajù" or "Cashew Nut Toasts"...

In Brazil, the cuisine is influenced by many factors (geographical and ethnic). There is not one Brazilan cuisine, but many depending on places, traditions and the origin of the inhabitants that populate a certain area (see infos).

The following recipe, for example, has been more influenced by the European colonizers than by either the native Indians or the African slaves, although it comes from the Northeast of Brazil. It is a region were cashew nuts (see infos) are grown and used in various dishes.

Those delicate toasts are very simple, yet they are very tasty and pleasant. The flavor of all ingredients is present, yet not dominant. They just coexist in perfect harmony. The bread's crispiness brings an element of surprise and contrasts with the soft texture of the cheese. The delicate crunch of the nuts adds another thrill and a slight touch of exotism. It is really a great and fulfilling dish!

This recipe was adapted from "Café Brazil", a cookbook by Michael Bateman and which was gracefully gifted to me by the lovely Brigitte at "Café Créole" in Guyana.

Ingredients:
6 Slices of bread or toast bread
140g Fresh ricotta cheese
1 1/2 Tbs Onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp Ground paprika
Seas salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbs Cashew nuts, coarsely chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, onion, paprika, salt and black pepper.
3. Toast the bread in the oven until crispy and golden brown.
4. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the slices of toasted bread and sprinkle with the chopped cashew nuts.
5. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Serve warm

Remarks:
The original recipe uses grated "Minas Cheese" (from Minas Gerais), but since it's difficult to find this cheese, you can replace it by Ricotta cheese.
I prefer to make this speciality with normal white bread, but you are free to use toast bread and then to cut it in four, diagonally.
To add a special taste to those toasts, I also added a bit of smoked paprika to the cheese mixture.

Serving suggestions:
You can either it the toasts as a meal with a fresh salad or serve them as starters.

(Fernando de Noronha -Pic by Marie-Ange Ostre www.trekearth.com)

BRAZILIAN XINXIM DE GALINHA

Remember, some time ago I spoke about "Farofa Amarela"? Well, the dish I am presenting here tastes great when eaten together with this very special manioc condiment.

"Xinxim De Galinha" is a wonderful dish originating from the Northeast of Brazil, Bahia more exactly. It is very typical of that area, because the people there love to combine seafood with meat.

As it is the case with most Bahian culinary specialities, this dish takes it's roots in West Africa (for more infos, please click here). The food there is very colorful, tasty, spicy and it has the reputation of being the most famous and the best of Brazil's regional cusines!

This "Moqueca" (see my "Moqueca Da Peixe") or stew is extremely pleasant, exotic and unique. The aromas are well-balanced, it has a very round and soft taste, yet it is a real shock to the tastebuds, because it's multiple layers of flavor have a firework effect on your palate! "Xinxim De Galinha" is a heavenly and supmtuous speciality that brings together the earth and the sea in a beautiful way. The natural sweetness of chicken and shrimps goes hand in hand to create an interesting impression on the gourmet in search of unusual associations.

"Xinxim De Galinha" works like magic on your soul as it has the power to soothe you and make you dream! It is one of those dishes that is always able to surprise you, no matter how many times you eat it, because it's flavor is so complex and rich that it is impossible to put a grip on it. A real explosion of taste, a symphony of flavors!...

This recipe was adapted from Michael Bateman's "Café Brazil" that my friend, the sweet Brigitte at "Café Créole" (Guyana) ever so kindly sent me. A marvelous gift for a foodie like me! Thanks.

Bring some sunshine to your table and into your life!!!

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:
800g Chicken thighs
3 Limes, juiced (+ 1 more if needed)
4 Cloves garlic, crushed with a knife and finely chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
250g Raw jumbo shrimps, shelled
Sunflower/peanut oil, for frying
1 Big onion, finely sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and cut in tiny cubes
2 Big tomatoes, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
250ml Chicken broth
30g Dried shrimps (see remarks)
30g Brazil/cashew nuts
30g Toasted peanuts, without the skin
A 1cm (2.50 inches) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tbs Dendê/palm oil (see info)
400ml Thickish coconut milk
Some fresh coriander

Method:
1. Put the chicken thighs in a bowl and add 1/3 of the lime juice and 1/3 of the garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and set aside for 1 hour.
3. In another bowl, mix together half of the jumbo shrimps, the leftover lime juice and half of the leftover garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let marinade for about 15 minutes.
5. Heat a frying pan over high heat, then add 1 tablespoon sunflower/peanut oil.
6. Remove the shrimps from the marinade and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
7. Set aside.
8. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade.
9. Add a little more sunflower/peanut oil in the frying pan and fry the thighs until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
10. Set aside.
11. In a clean frying pan, add some Sunflower/peanut oil and fry the onion, until translucid.
12. Add the bell pepper, then the leftover garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
13. Add the tomatoes and the chicken. Heat well.
14. Pour the chicken broth into the pan and bring to the boil.
15. Then, over low heat, simmer, covered for about 30 minutes.
16. In a mortar, grind together the dried shrimps, Brazil nuts and peanuts into a very fine meal.
17. Incorporate this fine meal, the leftover marinade juices as well as the grated ginger to the chicken and sauce in the pan.
18. Let the contents of the pan simmer for another 5 minutes.
19. Check the seasoning and correct if desired.
20. Now, add the fresh/raw shrimps, the extra lime juice (if needed/desired), the "Dendê Oil" and the coconut milk. Mix well.
21. Let it all simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
22. Serve hot sprinkled with chopped coriander.

Remarks:
As it might be difficult to find Brazilian dried shrimps, the Asian or Cajun version will also do (see info).
Keep the juices of the marinade for later. It will be incorporated at the end.
Don't let the onion or the bell pepper get brown.
While simmering, check that the meat doesn't stick to the pan or that the broth hasn't reduced too much. If it's the case, add a little water.
If you don't have a mortar, then use you mixer.
I didn't grate my ginger. Instead I pound it in my mortar.
At the end when everything is mixed together, you might want to add more lime juice (the extra lime).

Serving suggestions:
Eat this dish with white rice (carolina, basmati or creole rice), "Farofa" (see recipe), Vatapa (see info) and hot tomato salsa.

(Pelourinho -Pic by Joao Eduardo Penny De Carvahlo www.trekearth.com)
(Mundai Beach -Pic by Eddie Lima www.trekearth.com)

BRAZILIAN FAROFA AMARELA

Finally, here is the long-awaited answer to the "Quiz III" I launched a few days ago...

Most of you didn't know what this strange looking brown powder was and I can't blame you for that, because it wasn't at all easy to guess what it was/is (unless you are a person hailing from South America)!

Unfortunately, Rosa, Katie, Auntie Jo, Nathalie and Burekaboy didn't get it right, but gave some very interesting answers (Rice Bubbles, oatmeal, peanut sauce). The only one who got very close to finding out was Aurely. She wondered if it was not "Manioc Flour"...

Yes, indeed, this mysterious speciality is made with "Manioc Flour" which has been processed!!!

The powder in question is "Farofa Amarela" ("Yellow Farofa"), a typical and very popular Brazilian dish (also found in other South American countries) dating back to the colonial period and which is made with toasted "Cassava Flour" (or "Manioc Flour", "Yuca Flour", "Tapioca Flour") better known under the name of "Farinha De Mandioca" in Portuguese. This special flour is a product made from the "Cassava Root" (see link) which cannot be consumed raw as it contains cyanogenic glucosides, a toxic substance...


"Farofa" looks like coarsely grated Parmesan cheese or coarse flour; dry and gritty. It is used to accentuate the flavor of grilled meat or stews and is often eaten with "Feijoada", a bean dish. It can be sprinkled over the meal or eaten as accompaniment, just like rice (on the side). Although "Farofa" is generally made with "Manioc Flour", it can to make this condiment with corn flour.

Many variations of this dish exist and are possible, depending on the region where it is prepared and the people's taste. For example, you can add onions, dried shrimps, garlic, beaten eggs, olives, sausages, bacon, prunes, apples, bananas, nuts (especially cashew nuts), etc... At South American markets, it is not rare to find industrial ready-made "Farofa", but generally, most people prefer to prepare it at home according to family recipes.

Taste-wise, "Farofa" is very interesting. It has a nutty as well as round, buttery flavor. Although, it is delicious, it is an acquired taste as the dendê oil adds a strong perfume to the mix. "Farofa" is delicious when it is soaked in the juices in your plate or sprinkled over rice. It really brings up the flavors in a very unique and pleasant way! An enriching experience and discovery of one of Brazil's most loved seasoning.

~ Farofa Amarela. ~

This recipe was taken from Michael Bateman's "Café Brazil" and slightly adapted. It is a small cookbook that contains many great recipes and superb pictures. A gourmet's favorite!

Brigitte of "Café Créole", I wish to dedicate this post entirely to you in order to warmly thank you for the immense generosity you showed when you offered me this magnificent book!

You beautiful gift has opened up new culinary horizons and rejoiced my palate. Now, I can't stop dreaming about this distant country and it's 1000 flavors exotic cuisine! You could not have made me more happy...

Merci, danke, taak, grazie, thank you, xie xi, arrigato, gracias, obrigado, etc...!!!

~ Campos Gerais, Parana, Brazil. ~

Serves 6

Ingredients:
225g Tapioca/cassava flour
2/3 Tsp Sea salt
3/4 Tsp Garlic powder (optional)
1/3 Tsp Onion powder (optional)
3 Tbs Dendê/palm oil (see info)

Method:
1. Place a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the tapioca/cassava flour with the salt.
3. Add the dendê oil and let the flour fry for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
4. As soon as the flour becomes golden brown, add the garlic and onion powder. Continue frying for about 1 minute over low heat while stirring.
5. Transfer the mixture to a cold plate and let cool.

Remarks:
Instead of using "Dênde Oil", you can take unsalted butter, but the final taste will be different as palm oil has it's own character...

~ Woman making manioc flour, Amazonia, Brazil. ~

Serving suggestions:
Serve with the Brazilian stew (see recipe 1 & recipe 2) or rice dish of your choice.

You want to learn more? Then, here's a short video for you (see link)! It shows you how to make "Yellow Farofa". Have fun watching it!

(Cassava -Pic by www.ewerman.se)
(Campos Gerais -Pic by Jose Augusto Hauer www.trekearth.com)
(Manioc -Pic by http://irdal.ird.fr)

MOQUECA DE PEIXE

Brazil, the largest country in South America, is well-known for it’s extraordinary multi-ethnic and multifaceted culinary diversity resulting from a colonial past and a melting pot of influences originating from it’s immigrants who hailed from all over the world.

The base of Brazilian cuisine comes from the Native Indians with foods like cassava, yams, corn, roots, fish and game. When the Portuguese conquerors colonized Brazil in 1533, they brought with them their own cooking traditions (seafood dishes) which were already influenced by the Moorish (North African) occupation of Portugal during the 8th century AC. In 1538, around 5 million African (mostly West Africans) slaves arrived, thus importing their own flavors (foods including pineapple, coconut, palm hearts, etc...) that still remain as being the largest and predominating culinary influence of Brazil. Besides, the immense flow of immigrants (Western and Eastern Europeans, Arabs and Asians) who came between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century also participated to widening the range of influences that have been absorbed by Brazil’s richly original cuisine.

It is important to know that, unlike other South American countries, Brazil has highly tasty dishes which are playfully sweet, but rarely wildly hot; they are harmonious and delightfully perfumed. Brazilian food tends more to rafinement rather than to inducing an electrocuting and fiery clash of overwhelming sensations!

Brazil's national cuisine has to be seen like a collection of five main regional styles and methods of cooking. The North is heavily influenced by the Native Indians, the Northeast is pedominated by African cuisine, the Central-West is an agricultural region with lots of ranches, fishes and game, the Southeast has a big European and North African cooking tradition and The South's diet comes from the gaucho (cowboy), German and Italian people.

Brazil’s sensual and mystique aura is captured within this typical Afro-Bahian dish named “MOQUECA DE PEIXE”. It is voluptuously spiced and delicately perfumed. “MOQUECA” is a concentration of what Brazil has to offer: beautiful sweet flavors tinted by the exotic savor of tropical islands. This speciality is so heavenly and colourful that it will wonderfully play with your taste buds which will be delightfully tingled!!!

~ Moqueca Da Peixe ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2005.

Quantity for 3-4 people.

Ingredients:
500g Cod fillets, cut in 2cm cubes
200g Big shrimps (optional)
2 Big white onions, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Jalapeño chilli, seeded and chopped
4 Tomatoes, coarsly chopped
4Tbs Fish sauce
2 Limes, juiced
2 Green peppers, seeded and cut in strips
1 Big onion, sliced
400ml Coconut milk
1Tbs Olive oil
1Tbs Dende oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Mix together garlic, pepper, salt and lime juice.
2. Pour over fish and shrimps, and marinade for 1 hour.
3. In a food processor, combine onions, jalapeño chilli, tomatoes, dende oil and fish sauce.
4. Heat a frying pan, add oil and sliced onions. Fry until translucid.
5. Add the green peppers and stir-fry for about about 3 minutes.
6. Add the fish and shrimps, and pour the tomatoe mixture into the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Pour the coconut milk into the fish mixture.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour until sauce has thickend. Serve.

Remarks:
Dende oil, or palm tree oil, may be difficult to purchase if you don’t have a Carribean market near your house, so you can replace it with olive oil although it’s flavor will be different.
You can either simmer the “MOQUECA” in a normal pan or in a clay pot placed in a moderate oven, thus being careful that the stew doesn’t dry too much or burn.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this dish with farofa (fried manioc flour) or plain white rice (Carolina, parboiled, etc…).

Decorate the "MOQUECA" with chopped coriander and .

(Moqueca -Pic by Rosa www.rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com)
(Salvador De Bahia -Pic by Christian Cooper www.trekearth.com)
(Southeast Brazil -Pic by Jose Reynaldo Da Fonseca www.trekearth.com)