Pandoro, a Decadent Christmas Cake

Christmas is almost everyone's favorite holiday. It certainly is mine! Beyond the spiritual significance of the occasion, I believe the great appeal of Christmas is its joyful vibe, its spirit of sharing, and its wealth of sweet delicacies.

Typical Christmas desserts vary from one culture to the other, but they all tend to be rich and decadent. 'Tis the season to be jolly... not to worry about the waistline, right? We shall practice self-discipline in the days to follow, but for now let's make a heavenly dessert that hails from the land of a million and one culinary delicacies: Italy.

Pandoro is the typical Christmas dessert of Italy and is pretty similar to the more famous Panettone. These days, you don't have to travel far to get either of these cakes as they are readily available in major supermarkets and good pastry shops. But what if I told you that you can make pandoro at home and it is not as complicated as you might think? Tempting, right?

A bit of history before we tackle the recipe. The origin of pandoro is disputed, but many agree that it originated in the city of Verona. In the past, wealthy Venetian families would decorate the cake with golden leaves, which may account for its name. Luckily, you won't need any expensive ingredient to make this light-as-air cake at home.

The cake does not call for bizzare or exotic ingredients, but it does require some patience, so make sure you're well-stocked in that department. Just follow the steps presented in the recipe below and you'll be rewarded for a cake fit for Christmas or any other celebration.

Please note that the cake requires the preparation of three types of dough. The process is simple, but like I said before, it requires some patience.

(I adopted the recipe from this blog.  I used the same ingredients but reduced the amount of sugar and added 2 extra flavorings to the dough).

All ingredients:

• 450 strong bread flower (at least 13% protein)
• 105 g sugar
• 170 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 60 g lukewarm water or milk
• 10 g milk
• 18 fresh yeast
• seeds of half vanilla bean
• zest of half lemon
• 1 tsp dark rum (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• butter to grease the mold

For the preferment:

Mix the egg yolk, 60 g lukewarm water or milk, 15 g yeast, 10 g of sugar and 50 g of flour. Once combined, cover and let it double in volume, which should take an hour to an hour and a half. 

1st dough:

• 200 g flour
• 25 g sugar
• 3 g yeast
• 30 g  butter
• 1 egg
• the preferment
• 5 g milk

To a mixing bowl, add the preferment, sugar, yeast, milk and egg, and mix with hook attachment on low speed until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Slowly add the flour and keep mixing until the dough is smooth (5 to 10 min) then add the butter and mix again for another 5 minutes. Cover and let it double in size again. The time will depend on the room and dough temperature, so start checking after an hour.

2nd dough:

• 200 g flour
• 2 eggs
• 70 g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Vanilla
• Orange zest
• 1 tsp rum
• the 1st dough 
• 5 g of milk

Whisk the eggs with milk and rum. Add the vanilla, salt, zest to the first dough. Now add the egg mixture and start mixing again on low speed.
Start adding the flour slowly and keep mixing for at least 15 minutes. You should get a strong and slightly sticky dough.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and let it double in size again. Once it doubles in volume, you need to let the dough rest overnight in the fridge (8 to 12 hours of resting). 

The lamination:

• The fermented dough 
• 140 g of  butter

The lamination process consists of incorporating a substantial amount of butter into the rested dough. You can add the butter as one block or as smaller pieces, but the process is the same.

Work the dough with a rolling pin until you get a square of about 30 cm.  Arrange the butter in the middle, fold the corners then roll into a rectangle about 40 to 45 cm long. Fold the bottom to the middle then the top to the middle, like a letter, then rotate 90 degrees, cover and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. (The recipe link has pictures that can help you understand the process better).

Roll again into a rectangle with the seams facing you. Fold again and repeat the process three times resting the dough 15 minutes in the fridge between each fold. When you roll for the last time, let the dough rest on your counter for 15 min. Grease your hands and form the dough into a ball and carefully place in the mold with the seam facing up. Now you need to let the dough rise until it reaches the top of the mold.

Preheat the oven to 170 C and prepare it so it has enough space to account for the rising dough.
Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 160 C and keep baking for another 30 to 40 minutes. If the top is browning quickly cover it with aluminium foil. To make sure the pandoro is cooked insert a skewer if it comes clean then the cake is done. The cake's internal temperature should be around 90 C, so if you have a suitable thermometer, you can use it to check the cake's readiness.

Let the pandoro rest 5 minutes in the mold then flip it on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.

You can enjoy this brioche like delicacy as it is or you can get creative and serve it with jam, sweet sauces and more.

Buon Natale everyone.

Maarouk, the Levantine Brioche

Foodies+ , a G+ community, was more than an online community were we all got together and shared delectable recipes, but it was more like a family were we shared our food cultural heritage and our fondest food memories. It is unfortunate that this wonderful platform will be switched off in August 2019. But for the time being, let's continue to use this platform in the best way we know and keep this community as vibrant as it has always been.

October is "bread month" at Foodies+. A staple for most people across the globe, bread comes in more shapes, forms and tastes than you can think of. My choice to celebrate this theme is a wonderful bread that hails from one of the most ancient cities in the world: Aleppo, Syria. Maarouk, a brioche-like bread, is quite popular in Aleppo all year long, but it is especially popular during Ramadan.

Maarouk has a texture that is quite similar to a good brioche, but the flavor profile is different. While vanilla, and sometimes citrus zest, flavor brioche, maarouk relies on the aromas of anise, fennel and if available mahaleb (a cherry grown for its aromatic kernels)  to get its unique taste.

The process of making maarouk is easy but you need to be patient to get a a very soft and extremely tasty bread. (This one of the endless recipes you can find)

For the dough you need:

• 250 g bread flour
• 80 g lukewarm milk (37 C)
• 8 g fresh yeast or 2,5 g dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 30 g sugar
• 10 g honey
• 5 g sea salt
• 1 tsp fennel seeds 
• 1 tsp anise seeds
• 1 tsp mahaleb (if available)
• 100 g soft butter

First crush the salt with the fennel, anise and mahaleb seeds, set aside.

In a bowl combine the milk with the yeast and mix well until dissolved, add 80 g of the flour and mix again, add the rest of the flour over the mixture and cover the bowl and let it rest for half an hour.

Now add all the ingredients but the butter and knead for at least 10 min on a low speed. Once you have an homogeneous  and soft dough start adding the butter piece after piece and knead for 10 more minutes.

Transfer the dough into a clean bowl and let it rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Now bring the sides to the middle, to let out the accumulated gases, cover the bowl and place in the fridge over night or at least 8 hours. I usually prepare the dough at night and leave it to proof in the fridge over night.

In the morning, or after 8 hours, take the dough out of the fridge and cut into pieces, depending on the braid you want to shape. I opted for a 6 strands braid so I divided the dough into 6 pieces about 90 g each. Braid the dough and leave it to rise, it will take between 2 to 3 hours, depending on the room temperature.

Before the maakrouk is almost ready, preheat your oven to 180 C for about 20 min.

Brush the bread with egg wash (1 egg with 1 tsp of milk and a sprinkle of  instant coffee). Leave it to rest 10 min and egg-wash it again, sprinkle sesame seeds or any other seed of your liking and bake for about 25 to 30 min or until golden brown. 

Once baked, place the bread on a cooling rack and brush it with a simple syrup (50 g water, 50 g sugar, few fennel seeds (optional) and few drops of lemon juice) and leave it to cool.

Enjoy a slice of maarouk with some honey, cream cheese, jam, or anyway you like; the options are endless. I personally enjoy this bread in the morning with a dollop of jam and a big warm cup of coffee for some comforting indulgence before the start of a long working day.

The bread will stay soft and delicious for at least 4 days, due to the slow fermentation process.

Insider tip: you can use the dough to make a wonderful stuffed bread perfect for breakfast. Stuff the rested dough with the cheese of your choice, let it proof for the final time, and bake as indicated. 

London Fog Caramel Sauce

If you follow my blog, you know that I have somewhat of a healthy obsession with caramel sauces. You would think that with the few basic ingredients you need to make a good caramel sauce, you would be limited with how much you can play with the classic sauce. However, like with everything in the kitchen, the only limit is your imagination. I love to play around with the basic caramel recipe and tweak it to add an extra flavor note or a different texture or both. Today's caramel sauce features the simple ingredients you need to make a London Fog Tea, sounds interesting, no?

For other caramel recipes, you can try my salted caramel sauce, or how about my spicy and sweet caramel recipe?

The London fog caramel sauce stands out with its floral and citrusy notes, thanks to the Earl Grey tea and the dried lavender flowers. The result is a caramel sauce with a balanced sweet flavor and complex flavor notes.

Let´s make the sauce
For the tea you need:

• 1 earl grey tea bag (use 2 bags for a more intense flavor)
• 50 ml boiling water
• 1 tsp dried lavender petals (adjust to you liking)

In a cup, put the tea bag and the lavender then add the boiling water and let it steep and then cool.

For the caramel sauce:

• 50 ml of the prepared tea
• 120 g sugar
• 50 g cold butter cut into cubes
• 200 ml heavy cream
• pinch of salt (needed to bring out the flavors)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste 

Put the sugar in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Once the sugar is golden brown add the steeped tea  and let it boil for few seconds. Always be careful when adding liquid to a hot caramel as it will splatter. Add the cold butter and let it melt. Add the salt and the cream.
Cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Finally add the vanilla and whisk well

Lift the saucepan off the stove and allow the caramel sauce to cool down.

Pour the sauce in a clean jar and refrigerate, if you will not use it within the day of its making.

Like all caramel sauces, you can use it in so many ways. It is such a useful ingredient to keep in your fridge. It complements pancakes, crepes and sponge cakes perfectly. You can add it to cheesecakes to add a new flavor dimension, or you can use it as a sweet dipping sauce with fruits, biscuits and much more.

You can find here, here, here, here and here many recipes I've shared before with caramel sauces.

Make your own caramel sauce and use it the way you want, it will only enhance your baking and make it more scrumptious.

A Savory Autumnal Pear, Pecan and Cheddar Pie

Who doesn't like pies? The buttery crust alone draws crowds from all over! The Foodies+ community on Google Plus dedicated a whole month for pies. Community members are challenged to concoct pies with seasonal ingredients using at least two  from a list prepared by the moderators that reflect the taste of autumn.

I rarely post savory recipes on my blog, but this time I wanted to go with something different, simple and savory.

The filling is made from a delicious trio of simple, yet complementary ingredients: pear, pecan and cheddar. Pears are known to complement the flavors of both nuts and cheese. Their mild sweetness softens the sharpness of cheese and brings out the nuttiness of pecans.

The cheese that you would use for this pie depends on your personal preference, but you do need to use one with character and depth of flavor. You can choose a blue cheese for example, if you appreciate their strong and sharp flavor. However, keep in mind that very strong cheeses do not suit the palate of many.

Though it was my first time trying this food trio in a pie, it certainly won't be the last one! The result was just perfect: nutty, buttery, and creamy with a touch of sweetness.

Let´s start baking (yields 4 servings; 18 cm pan):

For the crust you need:

• 175 g pastry flour
• 100 g cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 15 g sugar
• pinch of salt
• a dust of cinnamon (optional)
• 25 g grated cheddar 
• 20 ml cider vinegar
• 25 ml cold water

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, cheese and mix. Add the butter and work it quickly with the tip of your fingers or a dough blender. Add the vinegar and mix. Slowly start adding the water. Keep in mind that each flour absorbs water differently so don´t add all of your water at once. Drop the dough on your working surface and just gather it until it comes together. Don't overwork the dough as this would activate the gluten and it won't be crumbly. Wrap the dough in plastic and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour. You can do this step one day in advance. 

For the filling:

• 300 g pears, cored and cut into wedges (you need pears that withstand cooking and have a nice round flavor)
• 2 small shallots, cut into wedges
• 50 g chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp honey
• 50 g cheddar 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 15 g butter
• 1 tbsp of flour

Over a medium heat, add the butter and oil and wait a bit until the butter melts before adding the shallots. Cook until softened. Add the pecans and allow them to toast and soak in the flavors. Add the pears, salt, pepper, the mustard and cook for few minutes. Don't overcook the pears, you just want to sauté them. Add the honey and cinnamon, mix well and turn off the heat. 

Honey and cinnamon sauce:

• 40 g honey
• 20 g water
• 1 stick of cinnamon

Mix everything in a saucepan and then bring to a boil for few minutes. Leave to cool.

Assembly:

Roll the dough to about 5 mm thick,  arrange it over your tart pan, prick it and put it in the fridge again for 15 to 30 minutes.  

Mix the flour with the cooked pears then add the cheese and mix well with the filling. Now spread the filling over the dough.

You can decorate the pie with the leftover dough, it's not mandatory but it does add an extra touch. Brush the pie edges with cream and bake it in a preheated oven (175C) for about 35 to 40 min. Let the pie rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Drizzle with the honey sauce and serve with a simple green salad and a good glass of wine.

Bon appetit.

Lime Tartelettes

Before the summer is officially over, here is another refreshing and delicious lemon/lime recipe!
By now, I think you are all quite familiar with my passion for lemons and all things citrus.

Though I quite like pies, I don´t make them often. I thought it's time to use more of the delicious organic limes I had at home.

The crust I made was inspired from a Marry Berry recipe but with slight modifications. with some modifications to make it even more crumbly and delicious. For the curd, I used the recipe of the famous French pastry chef Pierre Herme. I don't think you will ever use any other recipe; the lemon cream is beyond delicious.

For the crust you need (enough for 6 tartelettes, 8 cm diameter):

• 175 g pastry flour
• 100 g cold butter cut into cubes
• 25 g powdered sugar and 20 g vanilla sugar
• 45 ml of cold vodka (or water)
• Dash of salt

In the food processor, mix flour, sugar and salt, pulse for few seconds to combine, add the butter and pulse again to get a sandy mixture. Slowly add the vodka, first one tbsp then teaspoon by teaspoon. Each flour has a different absorption capacity, so be careful not to get a soggy dough.

Once the dough forms a ball, drop the mixture on the working surface and just gather it. Do not over work it. Wrap it in plastic and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 6 mm thick and place it in the pie mold. Prick it with a fork, cover it with baking paper, add some beans or ceramic beads, and bake in a preheated oven (180C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and the weight and bake for extra 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 

For the lemon curd

• 2 eggs
• 100 g sugar
• the zest of 2 limes or lemons
• 90 ml lime or lemon juice
• 150 g soft butter

In a big bowl combine the zest and the sugar and mix well (I did that the night before to allow the sugar to absorb the lemon flavor). ِِِِِِAdd the eggs and whisk until well combined. Add the lime or lemon juice, and whisk again. Put the bowl on a pot with simmering water (or double boiler) and keep mixing for about 10 minutes or until the mixture reaches 82 C and thickens.
Take off the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes until the temperature drops to under 60 C. Add the butter and whisk until well combined. Leave the cream to cool completely. You can keep it in the fridge in a well sealed jar for up to 5 days! 

For the meringue you need:

• 60 g egg white
• 100 g sugar
• pinch of salt
• lemon zest or few drops of vodka

In a clean bowl placed over a pot with simmering water, add the whites, salt, sugar and zest or vodka. Start whipping on slow speed until the mixtures reaches 45-50 C. Once it reaches this temperature remove it from the heat and gradually increase the speed until you reach the top speed. Keep whipping until the meringue forms stiff peaks. 

Assembly:
Fill each tart shell with lemon curd and be generous to fill it up to the top.

Pipe some meringue on the top. You can skip the meringue if you want, but it does add a nice touch and it balances the tartness of the lime cream.Blow torch the meringue for a brief time to give it a beautiful color.

Decorate to your liking and you're ready to serve.

Keep in mind that once you burn the meringue you have to eat it immediately. If you place the tarts in the fridge, you risk getting a soggy meringue and wet tarts.

I hope you try these little cute tartelettes, as the French call them. They do require some time to make with several steps but the final result is so worth it: crumbly and buttery base, a lemony and creamy curd and a soft and sweet meringue! Just the perfect combination! Seriously I doubt you will stop at one, I know I couldn't!

Roscón de Reyes or "The Kings' Cake"

The holidays are over in many parts of the world but luckily here in Spain they linger till the 6th of January. Gift sharing is synonymous with Christmas across most of the world, however, for the Spanish, gifts are exchanged on the morning of the day awaited by children and adults alike: Día de los Reyes! This feast, which occurs on the 6th of January, is known elsewhere as the Epiphany and is celebrated much more modestly. However, in Spain and much of the Hispanic World the feast is celebrated widely.

On this special day, before unwrapping the gifts, the family gathers around a breakfast consisting of hot chocolate and the star of Christmas desserts in Spain and in many Hispanic countries: el Roscón de Reyes. The whole day and feast pays tribute to the Three Wise Men or Magi that foretold the arrival of Jesus Christ. Tradition has it that children receive gifts not from Santa Clause but from the Reyes or Wise Men themselves.

The roscon is a brioche like dough, though less buttery, that is usually decorated with candied fruits and can be filled with whipped cream. Small figurines are hidden in the cake and the one who finds it will be a king for a day and will supposedly have a better year!

I usually miss this celebration as I go home for Christmas and New Year celebration. This year, however, my family came to Madrid to spend the holidays. Even though I could have bought roscon from any pastry shop, supermarket or market fair, I decided that it is time to make it at home! It is always so much nicer when you share homemade desserts with your family. It is even better when you eat this delicious dessert with your favorite hot chocolate recipe.

To make the roscon you have to start with the start dough or poolish. The quantities listed are for 4 to 6 people.

You need:

• 75 g strong bread flour
• 75 g milk at 37 degrees C (98/99 F)
• 3 g fresh yeast

Mix all the ingredients together, cover and let the wet starter proof for 30 minutes. It should double in size and be full of bubbles.

For the final dough:

• 175 strong bread flour
• 40 g honey
• 1 large egg (50 g of it will go into the dough the rest will be used for the egg wash)
• zest of one medium orange and zest of half a lemon
• 2 tsp of bourbon
• 2 tsp of orange blossom water
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 g fresh yeast
• the poolish made previously
• 50 g soft butter

In a big bowl combine all the ingredients but the butter, and with the hook  attachment knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and shiny. Add the butter and knead again for another 10 minutes. After that time you will  have a smooth, elastic and shiny dough. Grease a bowl, put the dough inside of it, cover and let it rise until it doubles in size, which will take between 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours.

When the dough has risen, deflate it a bit by taking the sides of the dough and bringing them to the middle. Cover again and leave it the fridge for the next day.
If you don´t have time or you can´t wait, drop the dough on a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball , make a hole in the middle and start stretching it carefully until you have a ring shaped roscón. I made a slight mistake while shaping mine as the hole should have been bigger so it won't close almost completely once baked. 

If you decide to leave the dough in the fridge overnight, you just need to make the same step mentioned above, 

Once the ring is formed, cover it and let it proof until it doubles in size, if the dough is cold it will take a bit longer! This step will take around 2 hours.

Preheat your oven at 200 C/392 F. Prepare the egg wash by mixing the rest of the egg with a teaspoon of milk and few drops of vanilla or cointreau.

Brush the dough with the egg wash and decorate it as you wish: candied fruits, pearled sugar, slivered almonds or whatever you like.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Traditionally the cake is served as it is, but in recent years some fillings like whipped cream or chocolate cream were added to spice up the traditional cake. 

Have the cake with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee and enjoy a piece of Spanish tradition!

A Chocolate and Chestnut Cake For New Year!

As the year 2016 ends and the year 2017 is about to start, it is only fitting to end the old year and start the new with a sweet note. As chestnuts and glazed chestnuts are popular around this time of the year, I was inspired to incorporate sweetened chestnuts with a rich chocolate cake.

This chocolate and chestnut cake is rich, moist and delivers just the right amount of sweetness for New Year's Eve and the day after!

Although the cake will take some time to make, the steps needed are quite straightforward, and the end result is well worth it.

For the chocolate sponge cake you need (4 layers, 15 cm pan):

• 3 small eggs
• 20 g maple syrup
• 180 g sugar (I used 50 g brown sugar and the rest regular white sugar)
• 180 g cake flour
• 10 g cocoa powder
• 10 g baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 150 g butter
• 100 g chopped dark chocolate
• 160 g chestnut butter or spread or cream (whatever you call it) (recipe here)
• 50 g milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• Pinch of salt

First combine butter and chocolate and melt them on a gentle flame. Set aside.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a bowl, start beating the eggs, then gradually start adding the sugar and keep beating until mixture doubles in volume and becomes pale in color. Put your mixer at the lowest speed and add the chocolate and butter, once combined turn off your mixer.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and gently fold with a rubber spatula. Once combined add the chestnut cream and fold, and finish with the milk.

Divide your batter into four 15cm pans, previously greased and covered with parchment paper (if you don´t have 4 pans just divide the batter in 2, bake the first batch while you keep the rest in the fridge, or use one pan then cut the baked cake in half) and bake for 25 min in a preheated oven (180C).
Once out of the oven, let the cakes cool for 5 min in the pans then remove them and put them on cooling rack to cool completely.

The filling is a made from pastry cream mixed with chestnut cream/spread.
For the pastry cream:

• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup and half milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 30 g sugar
• 1 tbsp of corn starch
• 100 g butter

Heat the milk on a gentle flame. Beat the eggs with the sugar and corn starch. Temper the egg mix with some warm milk, then pour the egg mix into the milk. Continue heating and stirring the cream until it thickens enough. Mix in the butter until well incorporated. 

For the chestnut pastry cream:

• prepared pastry cream
• 250 g chestnut cream

Just combine the two creams until well mixed!

For the assembly:

Spread the chestnut pastry cream on the first cake layer and stack the second one. Repeat the process. Garnish the cake with chocolate shavings. I stacked the cake in a way as to look like a wood log, complete with rings on top and chocolate curls that look like bark plaques as they detach from the trunk.

At the end, I would like to wish to all of you the best and sweetest year you can possible have! 

Spicy Apple Cider Caramel!

The changing colors, the cooler temperatures, the cloudy skies, and the many characteristic products are all the things I love about autumn. As the nights get chilly, it is so comforting to sip on a warm drink while tucked in bed and watching nice show on TV.

The other day I made a mulled apple cider to enjoy on my Friday night, and so I did! Inspired by the drink, I decided to try out a recipe for an apple cider caramel I saw a while back on Pinterest. This seemed all too fitting as I am a big fan of caramel. I have shared many caramel recipes before (links at the end) so it was time to add a new recipe to the bunch!

To make this caramel, you need few ingredients and a bit of patience!
First you need to make a kind of mulled apple cider that needs to be reduced and then you can proceed with the standard caramel making process.

For reduced spicy cider you need:

• 250 ml apple cider
• one stick of cinnamon, 
• 4 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 3 cardamom pods
• 4-6 allspice corns
• 4-6 juniper berries
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Make sure to use a good quality cider. In Spain, the northern region of Asturias produces some of the country's finest ciders, and I always use a cider from that region for my recipes.

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, and let them simmer on a gentle heat for about 30 minutes. The liquid has to reduce and become darker in color. Needless to say that at this point your house will smell amazing!

For the caramel, you need:

• 60 ml of the reduced apple cider
• 150 g sugar
• 60 g cold butter cut into cubes
• pinch of salt
• 250 ml cream (35%)

Put the sugar in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Once the sugar is golden brown add the mulled apple cider and let it simmer for few seconds. Always be careful when adding liquid to a hot caramel as it will splatter. Add the cold butter and let it melt. Add the salt and finally the cream.
Let the sauce cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

Lift the saucepan off the stove and allow the caramel sauce to cool down.

Pour the sauce in a clean jar and refrigerate if you will not use it within the day of its making.

This caramel sauce can be used in so many ways. It will go well with pancakes, crepes, sponge cakes, cheesecakes, as a sweet dipping sauce, and so much more.

This caramel sauce is just divine: sweet, spicy and with just the right amount of acidity from the cider. Do give it a try, you won´t be sorry!

For other caramel recipes click here, here, here, here, here and here

Coconut and Lemon Madeleines!

I, like so many people out there, thrive on daily cocktails of little rituals. They form part of my life and I wouldn't give up on them for anything. Morning starts with a cup of cup sipped while watching the news and the afternoon is coffee time again but with a sweet nibble like a cake or a cookie!

When I have the time, I like to indulge and treat myself with layered cakes, stuffed with creams with countless flavor combinations. However, time is precious and not always available. Short on time, I look for simple yet delicious cakes that need no extra cream or filling to sing!

Madeleines de Commercy are one of those recipes that I think everyone should have in their repertoire. While they have a reputation of being hard to master, they are in fact easy. Of course, like all French desserts, you need to respect a certain protocol, but once you do that, the result will always be in your favor. Madeleines are also a good dessert to prepare ahead of time as you can prepare the batter up to one day in advance.

These little buttery cakes were first made in 1755 by a young girl named Madeleine.
King Stanilas of Lorraine was holding a lunch with guests when he knew that his pastry chef left after an argument. As a royal lunch would not be complete without a dessert, something was needed to be done.  The King's butler went on to it and found the right dessert. Cakes of a new and unusual shape, nice golden color, and a rich and deep flavor. The cakes were an instant hit and the king asked to know who was the genius behind the cake. The king was presented with a shy young girl. He then asked her about the name of the dessert. The girl said they didn't have a name and that this is what we usually bake at la "Commercy". The king asked the girl about her name and she replied" Madeline". The king then said "well then, we will call them after you" Madeline.

And after a bit of history let´s make these wonders with a little twist!

For 12 Madeleines you need:

• 1 egg at room temperature
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g pastry flour
• 25 g shredded coconut
• zest of half lemon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• dash of salt
• 4 g baking powder
• 70 g butter

First, put the butter in a saucepan and let it melt on a gentle flame, leave until it browns a bit and a wonderful nutty flavor fills your kitchen. Add the lemon zest and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the egg, vanilla and the sugar until it dissolves. Add the flour, salt, coconut, and baking powder. Mix until well combined and add the butter and the lemon.

Cover the batter and place it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight for better combination of flavors!

When ready to bake, grease the Madeleine mold, cover with flour and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. You can also do that step the night before!

Preheat the oven to 210 C, fill 2/3 of the mold to leave space for the cake to rise, place in the oven, and reduce the temperature to 170 C. The Madeleines should be done in 10 minutes.  The typical Madeleine bump will form and the edges will turn golden. Your cakes are done!

These cakes are better consumed the same day and they are so good dipped in a cup of coffee or to be enjoyed with tea or hot chocolate.