CARROT BUNDT CAKE - CAKE BUNDT

I have always been a big fan of carrot cakes (be they Swiss, American, Swedish, etc..., you name it!), but growing up as I child I very rarely got to eat that delicious speciality as my family didn't like that treat. And until now, at home, I never made any as "supposedly" my boyfriend doesn't like them...

Well, the other day, I was able to prove him that he did like carrot cake and that his aversion to this baked good was based on stupid preconceptions. Never had I seen a carrot cake hater GOOBLE a carrot cake with such enthusiasm LOL!

You see, with the arrival of spring, I had been craving carrot cake more than usual as I have been seeing it everywhere lately. Magazines, blogs, sites, stores, all present their own version. After seeing countless pictures of carrot cakes and having been deprived of that goodie for so long, it was impossible not to cave in. I HAD to bake a carrot cake no matter if I was going to be the only one eating it...

So, I looked a round and found a recipe that would both fulfill my carrot cake and Bundt cake (remember, I am also a Bundt cake amateur) cravings. Nicole Weston's blog "Baking Bites" offered the solution: a delightful "Carrot Bundt Cake" with icing.

This "Carrot Bundt Cake" is without a doubt very delicious and is a lot fluffier than classic carrot cakes baked in sheet cake pans. It is incredibly moist, super tender without being chokingly compact, heavy or annoyingly wet. It also has a wonderful buttery taste and is perfectly spicy. Not forgetting that the orange flavored icing adds some extra oomph to it. A well-balanced and lipsmackingly luscious cake that will disappear fast!

~ Carrot Bundt Cake ~
Recipe taken from the blog "Baking Bites" (USA) and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes 1 cake/serves 12-14.

Ingredients for the "Bundt Cake":
2 1/2 Cups All purpose flour
2 Tsp Baking soda
1/2 Tsp Sea salt
2 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground allspice
1/4 Tsp Freshly ground nutmeg
2 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Large eggs
2/3 Cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 Cup Orange juice (fresh, if possible)
zest of one organic orange
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
3 Cups Shredded carrots (from about 4 large carrots)
1 Cup Raisins
Ingredients for the "Orange Glaze":
1 Tbsp Unsalted butter, very soft
2 Tbsp Orange juice
A few drops orange extract
1 Cup Powdered sugar
Food coloring

Method for the "Bundt Cake":

1. Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together sugar, eggs, butter, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until almost combined. Stir in shredded carrots, followed by raisins (Batter should have carrots and raisins evenly distributed and no dry streaks of flour remaining).
5. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool (cake will be dark on the outside from the caramelization of sugar against the pan; don’t worry if it looks a bit darker than you’d expect) completely before frosting.
Method for the "Orange Glaze":
1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Add in a few drops more orange juice in the event that the frosting is too thick to pour easily.
2. Scrape glaze into a plastic bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle over finished cake (it is best to have the cake on a serving platter or on a wire cooling rack, where the excess can drip off if it runs down the sides of the cake) as desired.

Remarks:
You can replace the raisins by any other dry fruit or nut of your choice.
This cake can be left plain, but I find that the icing is a great addition.

Serving suggestions:
Serve this cake with whipped cream and a cup of coffee or tea.

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~ Cake Bundt Aux Carottes ~

Recette tirée du blog "Baking Bites" (USA) et légèrement adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 1 cake/pour 12-14 personnes.

Ingrédients pour le "Cake":
320g de Farine blanche
2 CC de Bicarbonate de soude
1/2 CC de sel de mer
2 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/2 CC de Poivre de la Jamaïque en poudre
1/4 CC de Noix de muscade en poudre
525g de Sucre cristallisé
3 Gros oeufs
160g de Beurre non-salé, fondu et à température ambiante
120ml de Jus d'orange (frais si possible) Le zest d'une orange bio
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille naturelle
315g de Carottes rapées finement (~4 grosses carottes)
158g de Raisins secs
Ingrédients pour le "Glaçage A l'Orange":
15g de Beurre non-salé, très mou
30g de Jus d'orange
Quelques gouttes d'extrait d'orange
120g de Sucre en poudre
Colorant alimentaire

Méthode pour le "Cake":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C. Beurrer et fariner le moule à Bundt (25cm de diamètre).
2. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger la farine, la bicarbonate, le sel et les épices.
3. Dans le bol d'un robot de cuisine, battre ensemble le sucre, les oeufs, le beurre fondu, le jus d'orange, le zest et la vanille afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
4. Incorporer les ingrédients secs au mélange et mélanger. Ajouter les carottes et les raisins secs (les raisins et la carotte doivent être bien distribués dans la pâte).
5. Verser la pâte dans le moule et cuire pendant 45-50 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la pointe d'un couteau enfoncée dans le cake en resorte sèche.
6. Faire refroidir le cake dans le moule pendant 10 minutes puis le démouler sur une grille afin qu'il refroidisse complètement avant de le glacer.
Méthode pour le "Glaçage A l'Orange":
1. Mélanger tous les ingrédients afin d'obtenir un glaçage homogène. Si le glaçage est trop sec, ajoutez un peu de jus d'orange.
2. Glacer le cake.

Remarques:
Si vous n'avez pas de moule à gâteau Bundt, alors un moule à Kougelhopf fera l'affaire.
Vous pouvez remplacer les raisins par d'autres fruits secs ou des noix.
Ce cake peut être servi sans glaçage bien que je pense que ça serait dommage car le glaçage se marie parfaitement au cake et ajoute une touche gourmande.

Serving suggestions:

Servez ce cake avec de la crème chantilly et une tasse de café ou de thé.

KIRMIZI BIBER - TURKISH CHILI FLAKES

Today, I am once again going to talk about another fabulous goodie that my friend Jessica (from Maryland) brought me back from her trip to Istanbul...

"Kirmizi Biber" are Turkish red pepper flakes (this name is also used to describe whole chili peppers). It is one of the most useful and popular spices in Turkish cooking. The flavor of this fine blend of chilli peppers ranges from mild and sweet (the version I have) to fiercely hot. The peppers are rubbed with olive oil and gently roasted until dark red giving it an unmistakable as well as unique flavour and aroma.

Try sprinkling "Kimzi Biber" over your dips (hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, etc...), sauces (tomato sauces), soups (hot yoghurt soup, tahini and chickpea soup, etc...), stews, vegetables (imam biyaldi, baked potatoes, etc...), salads, pasta (Italian or Turkish like Manti ravioli), cheese (halloumi, feta, fresh cheese), seafood (scallops, any fish, etc...), grilled meat (kebabs, steaks, etc...) or in your sandwiches (Turkish fish sandwich). It's unique smoky sweetness will enhance any dish with it's irresistibly round flavor. It is without doubt a very convenient condiment to have in the kitchen!

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #252

This week, Nikita Cat at "Meowsings Of an opiniated Pussycat" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #252...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in her blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact her via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

Fridolin is still doing very well.
It seems that what the healer did had a positive effect on him...
He is very active, full of energy, extremely talkative, hungry and fit like a baby kitty.

HAPPY EASTER!

ROSE & HONEY MADELEINES

"She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called petites madeleines, which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell. And soon, mechanically, weary after a dull day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place…at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory…"

- Except taken from Marcel Proust's "In Search Of Lost Time" -

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Although I have never been a big fan of industrially produced Madeleines which are very popular here in Switzerland (especially with the kids when I was at primary school in the 80's), that French little cookie-sized cake has always made me fantasize...

There is definitely something magical to that lovely and elegant treat. Whether it has something to do with it's cute shell shape or it's size, Madeleines will not leave you indifferent. They definitely have an attractive aspect and a winning pedigree!

The origin of those tiny sponge cakes is not clear. Some think that they may have been named for a 19th century pastry cook, Madeleine Paulmier, but others believe that Madeleine Paulmier was a cook in the 18th century for Stanislaw Leszczynski, whose son-in-law, Louis XV of France, named them for her. In any case, Madeleines are most famous outside France for their association with Marcel Proust's novel "À La Recherche du Temps Perdu (In Search of Lost Time)", in which the narrator experiences an awakening upon tasting a madeleine dipped in tea...

Well, after having finaly bought a Madeleine pan, I thought that it was about time for me to stop dreaming about them and start experimenting with them. So, on Monday, I made the Génoise-style batter and waited for the next day to bravely get out my mould in order to bake my first batch of close to perfect Madeleines.

After some researching on the net, I decided to make Claudia Flemming's recipe which I freely adapted according to my cravings for spring-like flavors. Originally, her Madeleines are made with chestnut honey, but since I had none I used a normal type of runny honey. And as I wanted to add an extra dimension to them, I ground a few dried rosebuds that I added to the pastry.

Those "Rose & Honey Madeleines" are very easy to make and taste so good. Texture-wise they are very moist, tender on the inside and slighty crispy on the outside. Taste-wise they have an extremely exhalirating and delicate flowery fragrance as well as a divinely sweet and pungent honey flavor. To die for and a perfect addition to your Easter table!

~ Rose & Honey Madeleines ~
Recipe taken from Claudia Fleming's "The Last Course" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Yields 2 dozen madeleines.

Ingredients:
12 Tbsp (180g/1.5 sticks) Unsalted butter, plus additional softened butter for the moulds
4 Large eggs
1/2 Cup Granulated sugar
2 Tbsp Firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 Cup Runny honey (strong flavored)
1 Cup All purpose flour
1/2 Cup Cake flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
2 Dried rosebuds, ground
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Method:

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to let the butter cook until some of the white milk solids fall to the bottom of the skillet and turn a rich hazelnut brown, about 5 minutes. Strain the browned butter through a fine sieve into a small bowl.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, both sugars, and honey until pale and foamy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Sift both flours, the baking powder, ground rosebuds and salt over the egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in. Fold in the browned butter. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 200° c (400° F). Liberally butter the madeleine molds. Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into the molds. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes then unmold the cakes and let them cool completely on the rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Remarks:
I recommend that you butter the pans, then dust them with flour and put them in the freezer for a short while before you pipe the batter in the moulds.

Serving suggestions:
Eat those Madeleines whenever you feel like it and don't forget to accompany them with a good cup of tea.

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~ Madeleines Au Miel Et A La Rose ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Last Course" de Claudia Fleming et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 2 douzaines de madeleines.

Ingrédients:
180g de Beurre non-salé, plus un peu de beurre ramolli pour beurrer les moules
4 Gros oeufs
105g de Sucre cristallisé
2 CS de Sucre brun clair
60g de Miel (au goût prononcé)
127.5g de Farine blanche
64g de Farine à gâteau
2 CC de Poudre à lever
1/4 CC de Sel de mer
2 Boutons de roses séchées, réduits en poudre
Sucre en poudre pour saupoudrer

Méthode:
1. Dans une petite poêle faire fondre le beurre à température moyenne. Continuer à cuire le beurre pendant 5 minutes jusqu'à ce que le lactose se teinte (couleur noisette) et tombe au fond de la poêle. Filtrer le beurre et réserver.
2. Dans le bol d'un robot, battre (avec le fouet pendant 2-3 minutes) les oeufs, les sucres et le miel jusqu'à obtention d'une mousse pâle.
3. Tamiser les farines avec la poudre à lever, la poudre de boutons de roses et le sel et ajouter à la mixture aux oeufs. Incorporer délicatement avec une spatule et laisser reposer au frigo pendant tout une nuit (ou 8 heures au moins).
4. Péchauffer le four à 200° C. Beurrer généreusement les moules à madeleines. Les remplir avec la pâte à l'aide d'une cuillèere ou d'une poche à douille. Cuire 5-7 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les madeleines soient dorées.
5. Transférer le moule sur une grille et laisser refroidir pendant 5 minutes avant de les démouler et de les faire refroidir complètement. Saupoudrer avec du sucre glace.

Remarques:
Je vous recommande de bien beurrer les moules et de les saupoudrer avec de la farine, puis de les mettre un petit moment au congélateur avant de les remplir.

Idées de présentation:
Mangez-les à toutes heures de la journée et n'oubliez pas de les accompagner d'une bonne tasse de thé.

EASTER 2010 - FOOD IDEAS

MY EASTER RECIPES

- A -
Almond And Curry Bread (see recipe)
Almond Biscotti (see recipe)
Amaretti, Apricot Jam & Coconut Bars (see recipe)
Amaretto Yoghurt Cake (see recipe)
Apple And Cheddar Quiche (see recipe)
Apple Latkes (see recipe)
Asparagus With Parmesan And Fried Onions (see recipe)

- B -
Bagels (see recipe)
Banana Bread Pudding (see recipe)
Bakewell Tart (see recipe)
Batbout M'khamer Bread (see recipe)
Bostoni Cream Pie (see recipe)
Brazilian Toasts (see recipe)
Buttermilk Honey Bread (see recipe)

- C -
Cannoli Napoleons (see recipe)
Cantuccini (see recipe)
Caramel Cake With Caramelized Butter Frosting (see recipe)
Caraway Seed Cake (see recipe)
Cardamom Crumb Cake (see recipe)
Caribbean Salt Cod (see recipe)
Challah Bread (see recipe)
Cheesecake Marbled Brownies (see recipe)
Cherry Tomato & Ricotta Tartlets (see recipe)
Chicken And Mushrooms In Creamy Saint Marcellin Sauce (see recipe)
Chickpea Terrine (see recipe)
Chinese Lemon Chicken (see recipe)
Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake (see recipe)
Chocolate Intensity Cake (see recipe)
Chocolate Mousse (see recipe)
Chocolate Valentino (see recipe)
Chopped Liver (see recipe)
Cinnamon Granola (see recipe)
Coconut Custard Squares (see recipe)
Colomba Pasquale (see recipe)
Cuchaule Brioche (see recipe)
Curry Parsnip & Apple Soup (see recipe)

- D -
Dark Chocolate Tart (see recipe)
Danish Braid (see recipe)
Deadly Blondies (see recipe)
Dream Bars (see recipe)

- E -
Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse (see recipe)
Easter Lamb-Shaped Bread (see recipe)

- F-
Feta, Almond & Cilantro Pesto (see recipe)
Feta And Fresh Herb Cake (see recipe)
Fish Rendang (see recipe)
Five Spice Rhubarb Muffins (see recipe)
Foie Gras Terrine (see recipe)
Flammeküche Pizza (see recipe)
Fragant Sweedish Rye Bread (see recipe)
French Artisan Bread (see recipe)
Frosted Spicy Rock Cakes (see recipe)

- G -
Georgian Kachapuri Flatbread (see recipe)
German Partybread (see recipe)
Gravlax With Mustard Sauce (see recipe)
Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes (see recipe)

- H -
Ham And Parmesan Cake (see recipe)
Hawaiian Salmon Poke (see recipe)
Hot Dog Rolls (see recipe)
Hummus (see recipe)

- I, J & K -
Italian Ricotta Cookies (see recipe)
Italianesque Meatloaf (see recipe)
Kippers Rillettes (see recipe)
Koulourakia Cookies (see recipe)

- L-
Lasagne Of Emiglia-Romagna (see recipe)
Lavash Crackers (see recipe)
Lemon Buttermilk Tart (see recipe)
Lemon Curd (see recipe)
Lemon Honey Cookies (see recipe)
Lemon Meringue Pie (see recipe)
Lemon & Rose Cheesecake Bars (see recipe)
Lemon Ricotta Muffins (see recipe)
Lump Egg Pasta With Saffron Sauce (see recipe)
Luscious Lemon Bars (see recipe)

- M -
Ma'amouls Cookies With Walnuts (see recipe)
Macarons (see recipe)
Massa Sovada Bread (see recipe)
Moist Orange Syrup Cake (see recipe)
Moqueca Da Peixe (see recipe)
Mouhalabieh (see recipe)

- N & O -
Noddle Kugel (see recipe)
Oatcakes (see recipe)
Oatmeal Bulgur Bread (see recipe)
Oatmeal Coconut Coookies (see recipe)
Orange Cornmeal Cake (see recipe)
Orecchiete (see recipe)
Ostrich Steak Tartar (see recipe)

- P & Q -
Pain Au Lait Bread (see recipe)
Panforte (see recipe)
Pane Casalingo (see recipe)
Panettone (see recipe)
Parmesan And Gorgonzola Cheesecake (see recipe)
Parmesan & Herbs Shortbread Cookies (see recipe)
Pasta With Anchovy Pesto (see recipe)
Perfect Party Cake (see recipe)
Pesto Muffins (see recipe)
Plain White Bread (see recipe)
Potato Kugel (see recipe)
Potatoes Baked With Parmesan (see recipe)
Profiteroles (see recipe)
Quarktorte (see recipe)

- R -
Rhubarb Cobbler (see recipe)
Rhubarb Meringue Slices (see recipe)
Rhubarb Salée (see recipe)
Rhubarb Upside-Down Pudding (see recipe)
Ricotta Brioche (see recipe)
Ricotta Fritta (see recipe)
Ricotta With Za'atar (see recipe)
Rosemary And Vinefruit Bloomer (see recipe)

- S -
Salée A La Crème (see recipe)
Scones (see recipe)
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagels (see recipe)
Smoky Chili Crackers (see recipe)
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas (see recipe)
Spinach & Feta Strudel (see recipe)
Stir-Fried Matzo Balls With Bell Pepper (see recipe)
Sweet And Savory Meatballs (see recipe)
Swiss Easter Rice Tart (see recipe)
Swiss Quark Cheese Tart (see recipe)
Swiss Salée A La Crème (see recipe)

- T -
Tagliatelle (see recipe)
Tahini Cake (see recipe)
Tasty Lamb Roast (see recipe)
Tender Potato Bread (see recipe)
Texas Sheet Cake (see recipe)
Tex Mex Cornmeal Bread (see recipe)
Tiny Curry Scones (see recipe)
Tiramisù (see recipe)
Tiramiù mOusse And Lemon Curd Tart (see recipe)
Toad In The Hole (see recipe)
Tuiles With Orange Praline Filling (see recipe)

- U, V, W, X, Y & Z -
Upside-Down Honey Cheesecakes (see recipe)
Vanilla & Lemon Cupcakes (see recipe)
Vietnamese Grapefruit & Chicken Salad (see recipe)
Vols-Au-Vent (see recipe)
Walnut And Ricotta Pesto (see recipe)
Warm Beetroot With Sour Cream (see recipe)
Wheat Flour Tortillas (see recipe)
Whole Wheat & Rye Sourdough Bread (see recipe)
Zesty Ricotta Tart (see recipe)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #251

This week, Weekend Cat Blogging #251 is hosted by Pam at "Sidewalk Shoes" (USA)...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in her blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact her via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

ORANGE TIAN - THE DARING BAKERS

Every month I tell myself to start baking for the Daring Bakers' as early as possible, but as usual, I end up getting caught up by time and never manage to embark myself on that monthly journey into a new baking frontier before the very last moment (generally a few days prior to the deadline)...

The 2010 March Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jennifer of "Chocolate Shavings" who chose "Orange Tian" as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

I was really looking forward to making that "Orange Tian" as not only did it sound interesting, but also because it seemed not too rich and spring-like. Now, that winter has ended, we crave lighter desserts and shun away from the heavier versions on which we splurged during the cold season

Ducasse's "Orange Tian" recipe was very easy to prepare, but it was nonetheless time consuming. After two days of marmelade-, pâte sablée- and caramel-making we were finally able to indulge ourselves in the most delightful and refined fruit dessert that I have ever made.

At first, I wanted to make my tian with blood oranges, but as my favorite supermarket had none on sale, I had to take Navel oranges instead. So, I followed the recipe to the letter. I only added my personal touch to the pâte sablée which I flavored with ground Mahlep, a Turkish and Greek spice.

This dessert is really exquisite, not too sweet and so fresh. The oranges bring a wonderfully fruity touch, the cream filling is very delicate tasting and the sweet and buttery pastry crust (pâte sablée) brings a marvelous as well as contrasting flakiness to the whole. A perfectly balanced dessert. Divine!

Many thanks to Jennifer for making me discover this "Orange Tian" that is an excellent after dinner treat...

~ Orange Tian ~

Preparation time:
Pâte Sablée - 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to rest, 15 minutes to roll out, 20 minutes to bake
Marmalade - 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to blanch

Orange segments - 20 minutes, overnight to sit
Caramel - 15 minutes, overnight to sit
Whipped Cream - 15 minutes
Assembling - 20 minutes
Freezer to Set - 10 minutes

Equipment required:
• Cookie cutters . Ideally, you should have about 6 cookie cutters to build the desserts in and cut the circles of dough (see photo). The cookie cutters will be the size of your final dessert, so they should be the size of an individually-sized tart mold. If you don’t have round cookie cutters you could use an individually-sized cheesecake mold wit hout its base.

• A food processor (although the dough could be made by hand too)
• A stand-up or hand mixer
• Parchment paper or a silicone sheet
• A baking sheet
• A rolling pin

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PÂTE SABLÉE

Ingredients:
2 Medium-sized egg yolks at room, temperature
6 Tbs + 1 Tsp (2.8 oz/80g) Granulated sugar
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

1/4 Cup + 3 Tbs (3.5 oz/100g) Unsalted butter, ice cold & cubed
1/3 Tsp (2g) Sea salt
1 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbs (70z/200g) All-purpose flour
1 Tsp (4g) Baking powder
1 Tsp Ground Mahlep

Method:
1. Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
2. In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.
3. Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
5. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle. 6. Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

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ORANGE MARMALADE

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup + 3 Tbs (3.5oz/100g) Freshly pressed orange juice
1 Large organic orange
Cold water to cook the orange slices
5 g Pectin
Granulated sugar (use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked)

Method:
1. Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.
2. Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.
3. Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.
4. Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).
5. Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.
6. In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).
7. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

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ORANGE SEGMENTS

Ingredients:
8 Organic oranges.

Method:
1. Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

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CARAMEL

Ingredients:
1 Cup (70z/200g) Granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbs (14oz/400g)

Method:
1. Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it. Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice.
2. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments (Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon - about 10 minutes. You can then spoon it over the orange tians).

Tip:
Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!

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WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients:
1 Cup (7oz/200g) Heavy whipping cream (35% fat)
3 Tbs Hot water
1 Tsp Gelatine powder
1 Tbs Confectioner's sugar
1 Tbs Orange marmalade (see recipe above)

Method:
1. In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream.
2. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute.
3. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream.
4. Then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks.
5. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

Tip:
Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.

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ASSEMBLING THE DESSERT

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Method:
1. Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.
2. Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.
3. Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.
4. Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter (Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps and that they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart).
5. Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.
6. Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough. Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream).
7. Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.
8. Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.
9. Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold.
10. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

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Etant donné la longueur du texte original, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones!

C'est pourquoi je vous suggère de vous rendre sur le blog mentionné ci-dessous. Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française.

Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)
Chez Isabelle de "Eat My Cake Now" (France)

PASTIRMA - TURKISH CURED BEEF

A few weeks ago, when I learnt that my Friend Jessica (from Maryland) had to go to Istanbul in order to take an exam, it was impossible for me not to ask her to buy a few goodies to bring back to Switzerland...

Being quite well documented on the rich culinary heritage of Turkey as well as being a sucker for the foods of that country, it was not hard for me to write down a detailed list (big cevze, sahlep, Turkish delights, a traditional turquoise plate, pastirma, etc...) of what I was hoping that she would find in that magnificent place which I'd love to visit one day.

As expected, Jessica came back with a bag full of goodies. I was so happy to find most of the things I asked for (Thanks so much, Jessica!). Among the things which she bought in Instanbul was a meat speciality that I was particularly looking forward to tasting: "Pastirma".

"Pastirma" is a distinctively spicy, air-dried cured beef treat originating from Armenia that is made by pastirmacilik (pastirma butchers) all around Turkey and which is thinly sliced with a massive razor-sharp cleaver. In certain ways, it is a bit similar to our Swiss dry meat (Bündnerfleisch), the difference being that the pressed meat nuggets are covered with a very fragrant oxblood-red paste called çemen (lit., 'fenugreek') prepared with ground cumin, fenugreek, paprika and garlic.

Apparently, there are more than twenty types of "Pastirma". The most expensive pieces are cut from the fillet and sirloin as well as from the leg, shank and shoulder. The less expensive pieces are cut from the flank, neck and brisket. No matter the cut, all the meat is treated the same way (air-dried first, them smothered in çemen and left to cure). Nowadays, various meats are also used, including camel (the most prized), pork, lamb, goat and water buffalo.

According to the legend, Turkic horsemen of Central Asia used to preserve meat by placing slabs of it in the pockets on the sides of their saddles, where it would be pressed by their legs as they rode. "Pastirma" is usually considered Turkish, though it is produced and consumed in a wide area of Eastern Europe and the Middle East (Egypt, Palestine, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus).

The "Pastirma" that we tested was delicious. We really loved that unique tasting dried meat that somehow reminded us a little of Pastrami (the word pastrami, although used for a differently prepared type of meat goes back via Yiddish - פּאַסטראָמע pastrómeh - to "Pastirma") as it has a similar spicy flavor (The comparison stops there, though since texture-wise it has nothing in common with the Jewish speciality). Imagine eating Bündnerfleisch (Swiss dry cured meat) together with highly seasoned paste, well that's exactly how it tastes!

Make your own "Pastirma" (Greek: Pastourma):
Peter M. at "Kalofagas" shares his recipe with us.

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #250

This week, Billy Sweetfeets Gingersnap "Dancing With Billy Sweetfeets" (USA) are happy to announce that they are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #250...

To submit your kitty picture(s), you can either leave a message in his blog's comment section (with your permalinks) or contact him via e-mail without forgetting to give all the needed information.

After his trip to the healer, Fridolin is doing well.

We have stopped giving him cortisone, but he has a lot of appetite, doesn't vomit his food anymore and is full of energy as well as sweeter than ever.
Let's keep our fingers crossed.