Lentil Cookies

Bal Arneson, Global BC: Friday, December 4, 2009

3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup mixed lentils, cooked, drained well, and pureed
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups quick rolled oats
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a cookie sheet.
Cream the margarine and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the lentil puree and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything well.
Drop by spoonfuls on the baking sheet and flatten with a fork.
Bake for 13 to 18 minutes. Cool on a rack.

© Copyright (c) CW Media Inc.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

From Betty Crocker's.

I am not a big fan of bread pudding, but when I had some leftover frozen bread that I was saving to make into bread crumbs (never happened), I decided to turn them into bread pudding instead. This was the recipe I tried and it was quite good.

Looking for a classic baked dessert? Then check out this delicious bread pudding that is ready in an hour.

Ingredients

2

cups milk

1/4

cup butter or margarine

2

eggs, slightly beaten

1/2

cup sugar

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg

1/4

teaspoon salt

6

cups soft bread cubes (about 6 slices bread)

1/2

cup raisins, if desired (or chocolate chips)

Whipping (heavy) cream, if desired

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350ºF. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.2 In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased deep round pan.
• 3 Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Serve warm with whipping cream.

French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

From Dorie Greenspan.

Makes 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds (or, if you’d prefer, omit the almonds and use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

1/2 cup lemon marmalade, strained, for glazing the top

1 teaspoon water, for glazing the top 

Getting ready:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet (page 000) and set aside.  Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you’re using them, baking powder and salt and keep near by as well.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, working with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended.  Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil.  You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen.  Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes for the round cake or 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it will be golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan.  Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.  

To make the glaze:  Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat (on the range or in the microwave oven) until the jelly is hot and liquefied.  Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.  

Serving:  In France, this cake is usually served with a little sweetened crème fraiche, but it lends itself to other toppings as well.  Fresh soft fruit, like sliced peaches or plums, is a natural with this as is berries with a touch of sugar.  And, because the cake is plain and just a little tangy from the yogurt, it pairs happily with lemon cream, curd or mousse and is delicious with chocolate mousse or chocolate sauce.

Storing:  Wrapped well, you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days and, like many pound cakes, it will be better one day later than it was the day it was made.  If you do not glaze the cake, you can wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months; glazed it’s best not to freeze the cake.

Yield 8 servings

Time About 1 hour and 20 minutes

Method

• Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you’re using them, baking powder and salt and keep near by as well.
• Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, working with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
• Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes for the round cake or 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it will be golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.
• To make the glaze: Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat (on the range or in the microwave oven) until the jelly is hot and liquefied. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.
• Serving: In France, this cake is usually served with a little sweetened crème fraiche, but it lends itself to other toppings as well. Fresh soft fruit, like sliced peaches or plums, is a natural with this as is berries with a touch of sugar. And, because the cake is plain and just a little tangy from the yogurt, it pairs happily with lemon cream, curd or mousse and is delicious with chocolate mousse or chocolate sauce.
• Storing: Wrapped well, you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days and, like many pound cakes, it will be better one day later than it was the day it was made. If you do not glaze the cake, you can wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months; glazed it’s best not to freeze the cake.

Variations

• Round and Layered French Yogurt Cake: For a cake that’s just a little dressy — a cake like the ones my French friends make for their children’s birthdays — make the cake in a buttered 9-x-2-inch round cake pan, baking the cake for 35 to 40 minutes. When the cake is cool, use a serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into two layers. You can fill and frost the cake with whatever strikes your fancy, but I think it is lovely filled with lemon cream or spread with jam or curd and frosted with sweetened whipped cream. Just as lovely and perfect for a summer’s day, is to turn the cake into a strawberry shortcake. Spread the cut layer with strawberry jam, fill it with sweetened whipped cream and top the inside layer with cut berries. Finish the cake with clouds of whipped cream and a circle of big, beautiful whole berries.
• Riviera Yogurt Cake: Replace the plain whole-milk yogurt with the same quantity of thick strained yogurt. (I use Total Greek Yogurt with 2 percent fat for this recipe.) Similarly, substitute olive oil, the butter of the Mediterranean, for the vegetable oil. And, to complete the Riviera flavors, add 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint to the bowl when you are rubbing the sugar and zest together.

Source: Adapted from "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton-Mifflin, 2006)

Christina Tosi’s Crockpot Cake

From New York Times.

Christina Tosi, the pastry chef and an owner of Momofuku Milk Bar, sits near the beating heart of David Chang’s eclectic and innovative Momofuku restaurant empire. Off the clock, though, her cooking runs to inspired simplicity, as in this simple, tangy, slightly-caramelized at the edges slow-cooker cake, a version of which appears in her forthcoming cookbook from Clarkson Potter, “Milk Bar Life.” Slow-cooker recipes invariably tell you to make something at night and enjoy them in the morning, or to make them in the morning and eat them after work. That only works if you don’t sleep much, or have a part-time job. This is a recipe for a weekend afternoon, or for cooking from the moment you get home until the very near end of a dinner party. It is a four-to-six hour affair.

1/2 pound/226 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 1/4 cups/250 grams granulated sugar
1/4 cup/45 grams packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup/180 milliliters buttermilk
1/3 cup/80 milliliters neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 1/2 cups/180 grams cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Put all but 1 tablespoon of the butter and the sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream with the paddle attachment at medium-high speed, until the mixture is smooth and pale, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla, then continue to mix for another 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the buttermilk and oil and mix briefly to combine.

2. Set the mixer to a very low speed and add the cake flour, baking powder and salt, mixing for a minute or so and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the batter has just come together, with no lumps.

3. Use the remaining tablespoon of butter to grease the interior of a slow cooker, then pour the batter into the pot. Cover and cook on low for somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 to 6 hours, until the cake has set and is cooked through at the center. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the slow cooker to loosen the cake and then carefully invert onto a platter, or simply spoon the cake out of the slow cooker.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Adapted from “Milk Bar Life” (Clarkson Potter, April 2015)

Reversed Impossible Chocolate Flan

Melissa Clark

• Time1 hour, plus 2 hours' cooling
• Yield10 to 12 servings

 

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

In this magical recipe by Ben Mims from his cookbook "Sweet & Southern" (Rizzoli 2014), vanilla cake and chocolate custard are layered into a Bundt pan before baking. In the oven, the two switch places, with the heavier custard sinking while the cake rises to the surface. Once unmolded, you end up with a tender band of cake on the bottom and creamy, wobbly flan on top. It’s rich, soft, deeply fudgy and a hit at dinner parties.

Ingredients

For the cake batter

•  Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 ½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams baking soda
• ½ teaspoon/2 grams baking powder
• ¾ cup/177 milliliters unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters distilled white vinegar or coconut vinegar
• 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters coconut extract (optional)
• 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla extract
• 1 stick/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup/150 grams sugar
• 1 large egg

For the custard

• 1 14-ounce can/414 milliliters sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce can/355 milliliters evaporated milk
• ½ cup/37 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Preparation

Make the batter

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together coconut milk, vinegar and extracts.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg. Beat in flour mixture and then coconut milk mixture until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Make the custard

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Hold a soup spoon upside down over the cake batter in pan and gently pour custard over the back of the spoon so it lands gently on cake batter without disturbing it.
2. Set Bundt pan in a large roasting pan and place in oven on the center rack. Pour enough very hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of Bundt pan. As cake bakes, custard will sink to bottom of pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer Bundt pan to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 2 hours.
3. To serve, place a plate or platter upside down over the Bundt pan and invert.

Adapted from “Sweet & Southern” by Ben Mims

Lemony Quinoa-Apricot Muffins

From Prevention magazine.
makes 10-12 muffins

3/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1 egg

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup cooked quinoa*

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

1. Heat oven to 350º. Line or grease muffin pan. Whisk milk, oil, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir into wet ingredients.

3. Fold in cooked quinoa and apricots. Divide in muffin pan. Bake 30 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins.

*cover 1 cup quinoa with water and soak for at least 15 minutes. Rinse well in strainer. Heat in pot with 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to boil then simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Limoncello Bundt Cake

For my limoncello; must make this recipe.

Ingredients

For the Cake
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup limoncello
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• zest of 2 lemons
For the glaze
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons limoncello

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the 1/3 cup limoncello until well blended.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with flour mixture.
7. Beat in lemon zest
8. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
9. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched with a finger.
10. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan; invert and cool completely on a rack.
For the Glaze
11. Whisk confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons limoncello until smooth; drizzle over the cake.

Marie Louise's Rice Pudding

I wonder if I can make this with glutinous black rice.

Serves 4 to 6

3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 bay leaf
6 cups whole milk, approximately
1 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Large pinch of salt

1. Place rice in a small saucepan with bay leaf and 2 cups water, bring to a boil over high heat, then drain immediately. Transfer rice and bay leaf to a heavy 3-quart saucepan.

2. Add 4 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla bean and salt. Place over very low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has been absorbed by rice, about 1 hour. Add 1 or 2 more cups milk, and continue cooking over low heat 15 to 20 minutes longer. Rice should be tender and mixture should be very creamy. Remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Combine remaining sugar with 2 tablespoons water in a 1-quart saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, and stir gently until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until mixture turns a medium amber color. Remove pan from stove and place on a heat-proof surface to cool. Caramel will darken somewhat and harden as it cools.

4. No more than 30 minutes before serving, add a little milk to rice if it has become too thick, then remove bay leaf and vanilla and transfer pudding to a shallow serving bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water to caramel, return it to stove and place over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes until caramel has softened. Stir to incorporate water. Remove from heat. To serve, drizzle caramel sauce over pudding.

 

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Would like to try this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

3 ripe avocados

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened and get the good stuff!)

2 oz of 70% dark chocolate (again, splurge on the good stuff it's totally worth it!)

1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated over night

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw honey

chopped peanuts to garnish (or go wild with sprinkles, get sophisticated with a sprig on mint, etc)

 

PREPARATION 

for the pudding:

- place the flesh of three rip avocados in your food processor and blend until completely smooth

-  in a double boiler or homemade double boiler (one sauce pan placed in another that has a couple of inches of water in it) melt the chocolate

- add melted chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup,  sea salt, one tablespoon of raw honey and 3 tablespoons of the cream at the top of your can of coconut milk (the solid goodness, not the liquid below it!) to your avocado and blend.  

- taste and adjust to your liking with more honey to sweeten it or a little more salt

- scoop into 3 jelly jars and refrigerate while you make the coconut whipped cream

 

for the coconut whipped cream:

- in a small mixing bowl combine the remaining cream from the can (again, just the solid part!) with 1 tablespoon of raw honey. 

- use a hand mixer to beat until it takes on the consistency of whipped cream (it happens fast!)

- scoop into the tops of the jelly jars and garnish with the chopped peanuts

Apple Tart

Courtesy of The Wednesday Chef.

Ingredients
Dough 

• 1 cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes  
• 3 to 5 tablespoons of cold water

Filling

• 2 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and sliced (do not through out scraps) 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 to 5 tablespoons sugar, depending on your sweet tooth

Glaze

• Apple scraps
• 1/2 cup sugar

Tools

• Rolling pin
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Plastic wrap
• Pastry brush OR paper towel

Directions

• Put the flour, sugar, salt and butter cubes for the dough in a food processor bowl.  Pulse a few times, until the butter is broken up into lima bean size pieces
• Drizzle in the cold water one tablespoon at a time, processing or mixing as you go until the dough just holds.  You may need more or less water depending on your climate
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and quickly gather into a 4-inch-wide disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days
• Heat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a floured work surface again.  Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll it out (turning over if you like) until its about 14 inches round.  Since it will be a rustic tart, an ovalish shape is fine
• Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Crowd as many apples as you can in concentric circles over the dough, leaving a 2 inch border. Fold the dough over the edges of the apples, leaving an open middle
• With a pastry brush or folded up paper towel, brush the butter over the apples and exposed upper crust. Top with a little sugar
• Slide into the oven on the center rack, and bake for 45 minutes, rotating halfway through
• Meanwhile, start the glaze by dumping the apple cores, peels, sugar and any leftover apple chunks in a sauce pan. Add water until the apple bits are just covered. Bring to a boil and cook for up to 30 minutes.  Strain the liquid, discarding the trimmings.  Return the liquid to the pan, and reduce until syrupy.  About 10-15 minutes
• When the tart is finished, pull off the parchment paper and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Brush the glaze over the apples and enjoy warm or at room temperature

Candied Camote

To make candied camote...

You will need

1. one and one half kilo of the small orange variety, peeled and cut into bigger than your thumb. Do not make the pieces too small. Make the sizes even and uniform so that the cooking time will be all the same.

2. one third kilo of light brown sugar.

3. 2 tablespoons of any kind of syrup, maple, karo, any will do.

4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5. 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon

6. one and a half cup of water

To make, Use a pot which will take the one and half kilos of peeled and sliced camote. Cover the camote to the top with water and bring to a fast boil. Boil for no longer than 2 minutes and quickly drain the camote Remove all the water. The camote should not be thoroughly cooked. I should be difficult to pierce with a fork.

Now in a pan 9 by 13, and pour about one and one half of water. Add the sugar, syrup and cinnamon. Lay the camote in this pan. Try to make the camote one only one layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a 375 degree over. Alternatively, you may cook it on the top of a stove. Set the pan on the stove and bring the camote to a boil. Boil on low heat till the camote is pierceable with a fork about 30 minutes. Remove from the stove and take off the aluminum cover. Cool being serving as a dessert or merienda.

Another way to enjoy camote is to boil it! In a pot, place the cleaned-up camote and pour water to near-submersion point. Bring to a boil. In about 7 minutes, try pricking one with a fork. If you are able to pierce through with a bit of resistance, then it's done. You don't want a mushy camote. Drain the water, arrange on a plate, slice across, then insert butter. Serve with sugar on the side.

Nin's cake icing

melt chocolate (I'm assuming unsweetened chocolate) with butter and a little milk and  add   cream cheese to thicken it to desired consistency. 

Bibingka

Here's another version of the bibingka recipe.

n a medium sized bowl, beat 3 large eggs until light and creamy. Instead of using a mixer, I actually used a whisk and beat these by hand. In another bowl, place ½ a cup of coconut milk wherein ¾ cup of white sugar should be dissolved. Sift together 2 cups of all purpose flour and 4 teaspoons of good baking powder. Add the flour to the coconut milk and sugar mixture and add another cup of coconut milk. Add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter and mix. Add the beaten eggs and mix until well-combined. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes before baking. Line your bibingka pan with a banana leaf cut into a circle and pour in some of the batter. Top with sliced red egg and cook until the top is brown, about 10 minutes or less if the fire is hot

Cassava Cake

I found a much simpler version of this cake than my aunt's version below and tweaked it a bit so I will make this again next time.

Cake:
1 pack frozen grated cassava (454g/1 lb), thawed, rinsed and squeezed dry
1/2 of 395g can condensed milk
1/2 of 14 oz can coconut milk
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar (or less)
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/2 of 395g can condensed milk
1/2 of 14 oz can coconut milk

1. Preheat ove to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix all cake ingredients thoroughly then pour into a lightly greased 8x8 square pan. Bake for 45 mins or until almost cooked.
3. While cake is cooking, mix topping ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Take pan out of oven and pour topping over cake. Bake for 15-20 minutes more or until browned and bubbly.
5. Serve warm or cold.

========================================================================

Everyone has their own version of this cake. This is my aunt's version.

Cake:
4 cups grated cassava (kamoteng kahoy) or 2 packs of frozen grated cassava, 454g each
2 cups coconut milk
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups sugar

Topping:
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
4 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 cup pure coconut milk
1 cup condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk

Optional:
1 cup macapuno or 1 cup grated young coconut (buko)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, mix 2 cups coconut milk, 2 cups sugar, 3 tbsp melted butter and mix the grated cassava. Add 1 cup evaporated milk and optional ingredients (macapuno or buko). Mix well and pour in baking pan or pyrex. Bake till almost done, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

In a double boiler, mix 3 egg yolks with 1 tbsp butter, 1 cup condensed milk, 1/2 cup pure coconut milk (cream). Thicken and pour on almost done transparent cassava cake. Top with 4 tbsp grated cheese. Bake till golden brown.

Here's a variation from a friend:

2 packs grated cassava
1 can coconut milk
1 bottle macapuno strings
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 can condensed milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Topping:
1/3 can condensed milk
1 egg + macapuno strings.

Spread topping and broil for 5 minutes.

Mango Freeze Cake

This is my friend's verbatim recipe for one of the best and simplest no-bake, frozen mango cake:

slices of fresh mangoes, crushed Sunflower crackers, mixed Milkmaid condensed milk and Nestle or all-purpose cream.  Use pyrex dish to  line - cream first, then crushed crackers, then cream again topped by the fresh mango slices,  Repeat procedure depending on how many lines you would like to have. The last topping should be the crushed crackers.  The cream should be enough to make the crushed crackers firm.  Chill the pyrex after so everything will be set.  

Yogurt Cake

I still have a tub of Greek yogurt in the fridge, so I will make one of these this weekend. I should use some of the limoncello, too!

From Kitchn
serves 8 or more

1 1/2 cups full-fat yogurt
2/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan lightly with baking spray or oil, and line the bottom with parchment.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. When well-wrapped, this keeps very well for several days.

From Orangette

Gâteau au Citron,
or, French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon

This type of cake is an old classic in France, the sort of humble treat that a grandmother would make. Traditionally, the ingredients are measured in a yogurt jar, a small glass cylinder that holds about 125 ml. Because most American yogurts don't come in such smart packaging, you'll want to know that 1 jar equals about 1/2 cup.

For the cake:
1 jar plain yogurt
2 jars granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 jars unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 jar canola oil

For the glaze:
Juice from 2 lemons
1/2 jar powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing to just combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into a buttered 9-inch round cake pan (after buttering, I sometimes line the bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and then I butter that too).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.
Serve.


Variations: This type of yogurt-based cake is a terrific base for many improvisations. For a basic yogurt cake, simply leave out the lemon zest, and do not use the lemon juice glaze. For an almond version, try replacing 1 jar of flour with 1 jar of finely ground almonds. You can also play with adding various fruits (if frozen, do NOT thaw before adding) or nuts, if you like. When I add fruit, I generally pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan, top it with a layer of fruit, and then pour in the other half of the batter, sometimes adding more fruit on the very top.


From Chocolate & Zucchini

Gâteau au Yaourt

- 2 eggs
- 250ml (1 cup) whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt (if you use two 125ml or 4oz tubs, you can use them to measure out the rest of the ingredients)
- 200g (1 cup) sugar (you can use an empty tub of yogurt and measure the equivalent of 2 yogurt tubs if you used the 125ml or 4oz kind)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil (or a bit less than 1 yogurt tub)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 4 yogurt tubs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- a good pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste/extract
- 1 tablespoon light rum

Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F), line the bottom of a round 25-cm (10-inch) cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and rum. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together -- don't overwork the dough. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

Layered Lemon and Black Tea (of Coffee) Pudding

From Apartment Therapy

The addition of the nutmeg was inspired by this author's dislike for the heavy nature of eggnog which during this season is being subsituted for a mix of milk, limoncello and nutmeg. This recipe is dear to me as it combines the sunshine of California and the holidays.

A typical commercial pudding cup is about 3.5 oz. The shot glasses used in this recipe are 2.25 oz. You may be tempted to use larger glasses but I would suggest offering a variety of puddings for your guests in this smaller size. A set of six shot glasses can be purchased for about $7.

You can easily create a coffee pudding by substituting the tea for a strong coffee such as an espresso.

serves 6

Black Tea Pudding
1/2 cup strong black tea
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup or to taste caster (very fine grained) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (about 5 teaspoons) cornstarch

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a saucepan and cook at a medium heat, whisking constantly. The mixture should thicken and reach a dense pudding texture within five minutes. The mixture should not be allowed to boil.

Remove from heat and spoon this first into the shot glasses. A regular pudding cup is about 3.5 oz. The shot glasses used for this recipe are 2.25 oz.

Lemon Pudding
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 medium sized lemons)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup caster (very fine grained) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (about 5 teaspoons) cornstarch
1 oz limoncello
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine everything but the limoncello and nutmeg with a whisk in a saucepan and cook at a medium heat, whisking constantly. The mixture should thicken and reach a dense pudding texture within five minutes. The mixture should not be allowed to boil.

Remove from heat, mix in the limoncello and spoon this second later into the shot glasses. Place the mixture in the refrigerator and let cool for 30 minutes or until the glasses are cold to the touch.

Dust the top of the shot glasses with nutmeg to taste. The nutmeg paired with the lemon and milk will produce a flavor that is similar to eggnog.

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Thank you so much for sharing, Melanie!

Visit Melanie's website:
Coffee Tea Gastronomy

(Images: Melanie Widmann)

• Guest Of The Kitchn
• December 28, 2011 11:00AM