Chestnut Spread: a Winter Special!

Late fall/early winter is not the typical season of plenty, but it does have its star ingredients, with chestnuts being one of them. Most people appreciate the rich flavor of chestnuts and their floury texture, once cooked. I like to use chestnuts within desserts or savory dishes whenever I have the chance.

Chestnut spread is such a useful recipe that makes good use of this tasteful ingredient in a simple way. The spread is good consumed on its own over a warm toast drizzled with honey or incorporated in other baked goods like in this chocolate and chestnut cake recipe!

To make about 500 g of this chestnut spread you need:

• 250 g of roasted and peeled chestnut
• 350 ml of water
• 50 g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract or paste
• a generous pinch of sea salt
• hot water

Place the chestnuts in a sauce pan and cover with water. Cook the chestnuts for about 30 to 40 min, or until the chestnuts have absorbed most of the water. While they still hot, place them in a food processor or hand blender, add the sugar and salt and blend until smooth. Add water if you find the paste to be too thick!

Fill the jars with the paste while it´s still hot, cover tightly, let it cool then refrigerate!

The spread has endless uses. You can use it in healthy breakfast spread over a whole grain toasted bread and sweetened with apple and cinnamon, or use it to impart a deep earthly flavor to cakes, pancakes, cupcakes or to cake frostings.

This flavorsome chestnut spread represents the essence of the cold seasons in a jar! Make it and use it in the best way that fits your needs. 

Tangarine and Cardamom Cake

The long needed Christmas and New Year's vacations are long over and we are now back to our daily routines. Madrid post-vacation is cold and wintery and I couldn't be happier as I love this kind of weather. For me this weather is synonymous with a laid back routine with time spent indoors seeking the comfort of a warm bed or the joy and warmth baking provides.

Speaking of comfort, what´s more comforting than a piece of cake with a hot cup of coffee or tea eaten alone or shared with close friends when it's raining outside.

I often combine the flavor of fruits with that of spices and there are combinations that work better than others. Cardamom and citrus is a winning combination that I often use in my baking. I would usually use oranges but this time I decided to change and try out tangerines. The result was just perfect.
With a strong flavor base and few key ingredients this cake is really easy to make and is perfect in the morning, afternoon or for these guilty moments of late night snacking.

The follwing ingredients are enough for a high cake using a 15cm cake pan, but 18 or 23 cm pans can aslo be used however you need to reduce the baking time.

For the cake you need:

• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 100 g sugar
• 160 g flour
• 100 g tangerine purée (recipe follows)
• 50 g yogurt
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 70 melted butter
• 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cointreau (optional)
• pinch of salt

To make the tangerine purée just place 100 g of tangerine in a saucepan and cover with cold water and cook for about 20 minutes or until tender. Cool down, remove the pits (if present) and just process into purée.

To make the cake, combine flour, baking powder and soda, cardamom and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the cointreau then add the sugar gradually. Keep whisking until you have a pale and creamy mixture. Lower the speed of the mixer and add the melted butter, then the yogurt and the purée.
Turn off the mixer and fold in the flour mixture with a spatula or a large spoon.
Pour the batter in a greased pan and bake in a preheated oven (175C) for about 30-35 min or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

You can serve the cake as it is, or you can add a simple frosting, by combining powdered sugar and some tangerine juice!

The vibrant and warm flavors of the cake are like a ray of sunshine in these wintery days, just what you need!

Cinnamon and orange scented pound cake

Pound cakes must be the easiest cakes to make; with just four key ingredients you have a delightful, tasty and reliable recipe. I have been making pound cakes forever and of course I always add new twist to the base so I don´t get bored.
Now that is colder in Madrid, the pound cakes I make need to have deep warm flavor that suit this weather perfectly. 

I mentioned in previous posts that I love to go on weekends to Madrid's countryside and walk in its forests and explore its charming villages. I usually take some snacks with me as I know I will get hungry and need something to keep me going. On my last visit, I wanted to have a small picnic time, even though it is even colder in the countryside, so I made a heart-warming cake for the occasion.

Thinking of the ingredients that would transform the plain vanilla pound cake wasn't a difficult task. As I am a cinnamon-o-holic, I had to use it to give that depth of flavor and warmth and to complement and freshen up that flavor what better than orange zest? I also added some chooclate drops to round the flavor and give even more depth. Finally, for added texture, I made a nutty, buttery and spicy streusel topping. Heavenly combination.

Now let´s start baking:
For the cake (one small loaf tin)

• 1 large egg room temperature
• 60 g sugar
• 60 g soft butter
• 60 g flour
• 2 g baking powder or 1/2 tsp
• the zest of a small orange
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 20 g chocolate drops
• dash of salt

For the streusel:

• 14 g flour
• 7 g butter
• 7 g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 20 g chopped walnuts

First mix the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream the butter with sugar, cinnamon and orange zest, I do it by hand using a rubber spatula, you can use an electric mixer but I don´t bother, especially when it's only a small quantity. When well combined add the egg and mix well. Fold in  the flour mixture and lastly the chocolate drops.

Quickly prepare the streusel by mixing all the ingredients save for the walnuts. Use the tip of your fingers or a fork to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients. When well combined add the walnuts. 

Sprinkle the streusel on the top of the batter and bake for about 25 to 30 min in a preheated oven (180 C or 350 F).

That mini cake made that day warm despite of the cold and the snow in the high mountains nearby. The day was perfect, the cake was just right and the colors of the surrounding nature were outstanding. The only downside was the windy weather which made the cold feel even colder. I had to quickly wrap up and head back to Madrid enjoying the good time spent there and the few pictures I managed to take before my hands froze, but it was worth it!