Passover Orange Almond Cake

A few weeks ago I was going through my Passover recipes file and came across a recipe for Italian Almond Cake with Poached Fruit from the Jerusalem Post. Unfortunately, it didn't say whose recipe it was. Also I didn't have the second page of instructions.

I made some changes and figured out how to proceed based on similar cakes I've baked.

 First, I converted all the metric measurements. 

I figured out how much, in cups, came from 3/4 cup whole almonds.

I didn't use blanched almonds, figuring that almonds with skin were just as good.

I switched to coconut oil because I don't like margarine. 

I deleted the liquor and used orange juice instead, and added some freshly grated orange peel. 

I separated the eggs and whipped the whites with sugar to provide a lighter texture than I thought the cake would have without fluffed whites.

I didn't serve it with poached fruit (I used fresh oranges and sorbet).

Some would say that with all these changes the recipe is now mine, and I understand that.

Still, the cake was delicious and I would have preferred to give credit!

Btw, it's gluten free!

Here's my version of Passover Orange-Almond Cake.

Passover Orange Almond Cake

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 6 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange peel
• 1/4 cup potato starch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a small amount of the coconut oil, lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Set aside. Melt the remaining coconut oil and set aside to cool. Place the almonds and 6 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and stir at low speed for a minute until the ingredients are well distributed. Add the egg yolks, orange juice and orange peel and beat them in at medium speed for about one minute. Stir in the potato starch. Stir in the cooled coconut oil. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites for 1-2 minutes, going from low to high speed, or until the whites stand in soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the mixture stands in stiff peaks. Fold them into the almond mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 6-8 servings

Rich Tangerine-Chili Chocolate Truffles

I love the tradition of mishloach manot -- giving away food to family, friends and even strangers during Purim. Besides the actual mitzvah of giving, it is an opportunity to do what I love: cook a lot and give the food away. It's like having the thrill of eating -- without the calories.

If you make edible gifts for Purim or as a host/hostess gift when you are invited to someone's house or for any other occasion, you might want to try truffles. They take some time but are actually quite easy to make and I guarantee they're rich and tasty and anyone would be thrilled to get them.

Check out the photo and you'll notice that I don't make my truffles perfectly rounded. Candy truffles get their name because they look like the the underground fungi, the ones that are highly fragrant and are dark, small and irregularly shaped. So the sloppy look is actually more authentic.

I made this recipe using tangerine juice and cayenne pepper. I had once tasted tangerine-chili chocolates and thought they were amazingly wonderful. The extra bit of heat pops the citrus and chocolate into one harmonious whole.

Yes, orange juice and peel are fine, though not as flavorful. And you can leave out the cayenne pepper, though I think the truffles are better with the heat.

Pack these in small cardboard or wooden boxes or small cellophane bags (you can get them at most craft stores) and you have a beautiful homemade gift for any occasion.

Or treat yourself and your family. They'll be happy.

Tangerine-Chili Chocolate Truffles

• 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons tangerine juice
• 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh tangerine peel
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, approximately
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sprinkles, toasted coconut, ground nuts, etc. (approximately)

Chop the chocolate in a food processor. Heat the cream over medium heat until it is hot and bubbles form around the edges of the pan. With the processor on, pour in the cream through the feed tube and process until smooth and well blended with the chocolate (you may have to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice). Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes (in the processor bowl). Add the juice, butter, tangerine peel and cayenne pepper and blend them in thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or until the mixture has firmed enough to form a soft “dough.” Take small pieces of the dough and shape into small balls (they don’t have to be perfectly rounded) (I do this wearing disposable gloves). Place the balls on waxed paper or aluminum foil on cookie sheets. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Roll the balls in cocoa, sprinkles, etc.

 Makes about 3 dozen. 

Classic Dairy Hamantaschen

You can't get through Purim without eating at least one hamantaschen.

It's tradition, and for me, a treat I look forward to every year. Hamantaschen are among my very favorite desserts.

Over the years I've tried dozens of different kinds from a variety of bakeries: the classics, filled with poppy seeds or with prune, apricot or raspberry lekvar, and in recent years some with more contemporary fillings including white chocolate and halvah and fig and rhubarb and so on.

The traditional fillings are the ones I love best. 

I usually buy hamantaschen at a place called The Bakery, in Plainview, New York. It's right across the street from my contact lens doctor, so in the past, whenever I had an appointment with him I'd go to the bakery and stuff my trunk with a dozen hamantaschen (also mandelbread, babka and a few other treats I can't get (as delicious) in Connecticut).

However, this year I had cataract surgery and don't wear contact lenses anymore! A good thing too because my contact lens doctor retired.

So am I going to drive all the way to Plainview, Long Island for hamantaschen when there is no other reason to go?

Well, I might.

But in the meantime I decided to make my own. I never made dessert hamantaschen before (I did make lamb-phyllo hamantaschen for a recipe contest though and won a jar of tahini from Soom Foods!).

Here's my dairy version of classic sweet hamantaschen. The dough is tender and vaguely flaky and very rich. The ones in the photo all got gobbled in a flash.

I will make more for sure. With classic prune and apricot lekvar filling.

Dairy Hamantschen

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, cut into chunks
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
• 1 medium or large egg, beaten
• lekvar (about one cup)

Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix briefly. Add the butter and cream cheese and mix on low-medium speed for a minute or so until the mixture is crumbly. Raise the speed to medium and continue to mix until a smooth dough has formed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using small chunks of dough at a time, roll the dough thin (about 1/8th-inch) and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Brush each circle lightly with the beaten egg. Place one slightly mounded teaspoon of lekvar in the middle of each circle. Bring up the sides to shape the circles into a triangle. Press the sides tightly to keep them from opening when they bake. Place the triangles on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about 36

Apple Bundt Cake

I've been hearing a lot about Minnesota in recent days, probably because of politics. Both the Democratic and Republican caucuses are on March 1st, a/k/a Super Tuesday.

But someone on Facebook also posted quiz about Minnesota foods. You had to pick the state specialties from a group of choices to determine whether you actually came from there. 

I didn't. 

I knew that!

But I wanted to see if any of the foods was familiar anyway, and was surprised that I knew as many as I did. My result was something like: I may have been born and raised in Minnesota but probably moved away.

Nope. I haven't even been to visit Minnesota although I would like to.

One thing I was surprised about though. Minnesota is the home of bundt pan and bundt cake, and they didn't include that in that quiz!

Millions and millions of people throughout the United States -- the world, even -- have a bundt pan. The original one was trademarked by H. David Dalquist, founder of Minneapolis, Minnesota based Nordic Ware in 1950 (the Nordic Ware website does give credit to Dave's wife Dotty for her part in creating this cake pan). Apparently there was a baking contest sometime in the 1950s and a bundt cake won and thus the popularity of the now familiar dessert was assured.

So, okay Minnesota. I know there is such a thing as National Bundt Cake Day (November 15th, which happens to be my wedding anniversary so I will have to remember that later this year) but I made this one in honor of your day in the political sun (along with all the other Super Tuesday States) and may the best man/woman win. In any event, this cake is a winner.

Apple Bundt Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large, tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a bundt pan. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Place the vegetable oil and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thoroughly blended. Add the 1-1/4 cups sugar and beat for another 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Add the orange juice and vanilla extract and beat for another minute. Add the flour mixture and beat for another minute or until the batter is smooth and uniform. Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Add 1/2 the apple mixture. Cover with another 1/3 of the batter, top with remaining apples and cover with remaining batter. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 servings

German Apple Pancake

 

The next few days are loaded with holidays, all delicious. I will acknowledge all of them and eat accordingly.

So, for Chinese New Year, maybe some Kung Pao Gai Ding and Chinese Cookies.

Valentine's Day? How about a Chocolate Cake? Or Chocolate Chip Cookies? Or maybe some homemade Buttercrunch?

I'm thinking, buttercrunch now that I actually wrote out that word.

But among my favorite holidays is one I don't even celebrate: Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras (tomorrow). In days gone by when the Catholic Church was stricter about such things, those who were observant would refrain from eating fats during Lent, which starts this Wednesday, so they would make "fatty" foods the day before, to use up all the butter and eggs, cream and so on that they had in their homes.

Like pancakes. Pancakes are loaded with eggs and butter, which is why they are always so fabulous. 

I love pancakes and don't eat them that often, though I will indulge in a buttermilk pancake when the grandkids come. And occasionally, make pancakes with the leftover oatmeal.

But my very very very favorite is German Apple Pancake. For breakfast, lunch and even a meatless dinner. Great as is, or, for dessert with some whipped cream or ice cream.

German Apple Pancake

• 2 large, tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 teaspoons sifted confectioner’s sugar, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the apple slices in a bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon, mix and set aside. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in another bowl, add the flour mixture and whisk the ingredients into a smooth batter and set aside. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the apples, including any juices, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the apples are soft and caramelized. Pour the batter over the apples. Place the pan in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pancake is puffed and golden brown. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve as is or sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Makes 4 servings

Cookies That Taste Like Home

I don't celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate cookies. And cookies are a big part of the Christmas season. 

And so -- cookies.

When it comes to cookies, Lebkuchen is a seasonal special, with the magical fragrance of spices that make you feel warm and cozy when the weather's cold. I have tasted many many versions over the years, the best on a trip to Germany a few years ago.

So I tried my hand at baking some, a few recipes that were just okay. Then I baked these. My Hungarian friend Eva says they taste like "home." I took that as a win.

Happy holidays, whatever one you celebrate.

Lebkuchen Gingerbread Cookies

• 3 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or shortening or butter)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice (or use lemon juice)
• 1 large egg
• all-purpose flour
• candied ginger, dried cranberries, etc, optional

Combine the flour, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl (or electric mixer bowl), whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly and set aside. Place the honey, molasses, brown sugar and coconut oil in a saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring to blend the ingredients, until the coconut oil has melted and the liquid is smooth and evenly colored. Pour the liquid into the mixing bowl with the flour mixture. Add the orange juice and egg and mix ingredients thoroughly to make a smooth, evenly colored dough (about one minute at medium speed). The dough will be soft. Sprinkle the dough with some flour, wrap the dough or place it in a covered plastic container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough (in portions) on a floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes. Place the shapes on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving some space between the cookies. Garnish the center with optional ginger, etc., if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and brush with icing while they are still warm.

Icing:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the icing while the cookies are baking. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Brush on the cookies while they are still warm.

Makes about 3-1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies

Pear and Ginger Crisp

I always buy bananas. They don't get eaten, so then I make a variety of banana breads.

Recently I have been buying pears. They don't get eaten, so I've been making sauce and baked pears and crisps.

What is this? Do Ed and I just not like fresh fruit?

I guess so, when, at night, I see that we are munching on popcorn and nuts instead.

But I keep trying. Meantime, the banana breads and the fruit crisps are very tasty. 

I just bought a lot of grapefruits. Let's see what happens.

Anyway, here's a recipe for a delightful pear crisp.

Pear and Ginger Crisp

filling:

• 6 ripe pears
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt

crust:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cold margarine or firm coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

To make the filling: peel, core and slice the pears and place them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour and salt. Toss the ingredients gently and place in a baking dish. Set aside.

To make the crust: combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the fat in chunks and work into the dry ingredients with hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Scatter over the pear mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving. Best if served warm.

 Makes 6-8 servings

Roasted Pears with Orange Maple Sauce

Somehow, even after after a heavy meal, most of us still find room for dessert. Me included! But I don't like feeling overstuffed, so I prefer something lighter, made with fruit, rather than a hunk of cake or pie.

I made these roasted pears recently -- the recipe is very easy and only has a few ingredients. It's a perfect finale to a Hanukkah meal, which tends to include lots of rich dairy foods and fried everything. You can make the pears a day ahead and stuff the hollows with whipped cream or ice cream, just before serving.

For us, the big Hanukkah meal is always a roasted goose with all the trimmings -- braised red cabbage, potato latkes -- the works! Roasted pears for dessert, for sure! Plain. Maybe with sorbet.

Roasted Pears with Orange-Maple Sauce

• 3 large ripe Bartlett pears
• half a lemon
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ice cream, whipped cream or sorbet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the pears, cut them in half and remove the inner core and seeds. Rub the surface with the cut half of a lemon. Place the pear halves in a baking dish just large enough to hold them so they don’t tip over. Mix the juice, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract and spoon over the pears. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices, or until the pears are tender. Remove the pears and let them cool. Serve the pears with the pan juices and ice cream, whipped cream or sorbet if desired. (If the pan juices seem too thin, pour the liquid into a small saucepan, cook on high heat for a minute or so or until syrupy. Set aside to cool.)

Makes 6 servings

What To Do With All That Leftover Pumpkin

Every year around this time food writers offer up suggestions about what to do with "all that leftover pumpkin" from Hallowe'en. As if we actually use our jack-o-lanterns to make homemade fresh mashed pumpkin.

No, really!

Actually, because I am a food writer, I do cook one small pumpkin but, most of the time I use the canned stuff, like most everyone else.

Even so, I am always looking for new recipes for "all that leftover pumpkin" and I found a fabulous one this season: Pumpkin Crumb Cake from Miriam Pascal's new book: Something Sweet.

This cake is my kind of dessert. Dense, gently spicy, a sweet top crumb over cake that's not overly sugary. Wonderful with coffee. 

I believe that when you get a cookbook with even one good recipe it is worth the purchase.

And I figured if this recipe was so good, I might find others too.

So I made the Flourless Fudge Cookies, which I'll have to remember next Passover because my family gobbled down all 30 cookies rather quickly.

The Healthy Summer Fruit Crumbles were another winner.

Yes, you can see I am more the coffee cake/granola type. There's a lot in the book for me (yeast dough, Oatmeal Cookie Wedges, Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts). But there's plenty in this book for those with a bigger sweet tooth (Chocolate Chip Peanut Pie, for instance, drizzled with chocolate sauce! Or Rice Krispie Treat Truffles!). There are also chapters on beverages, candies, frostings, over and above the usual cakes, cookies, pies and pastries.

There are some handy points too. For example, each recipe indicates whether it is dairy or dairy-free (pareve), a nice addition for kosher keepers and those who are lactose-intolerant. And there are suggestions on how to use sugar substitutes for those who do, recipe variations, tips, (including how to plan a recipe ahead), as well as baking guide with info about equipment, ingredients and substitutions. 

For all those who are looking for a good recipe to use up "all that leftover pumpkin" here's Miriam's recipe. 

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Recipe from Something Sweet by Miriam Pascal

Reproduced with permission from the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications

Pareve | Yield: 10-12 servings

Who can resist a crumb cake? The only thing better than that dense cake on the bottom is the thick layer of cinnamon-y crumbs it’s topped with. I couldn’t resist doing a non-traditional take on this popular dessert, so I came up with this fall-inspired version. It’s full of cinnamon, spice, and, of course, pumpkin. And while I’m not going to claim that this is healthful, the sour cream you’ll usually find in crumb cake has been swapped out for pumpkin, so you’re definitely saving calories there.

CRUMBS

¹⁄3 cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch salt

1¾ cups flour

¾ cup oil

CAKE

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (see Note)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2½ cups flour

1.     Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan; set aside.

2.     Prepare the crumbs: Combine sugars, cinnamon, salt, and flour in a small bowl. Add oil; mix until combined and crumbs form. Set aside.

3.     Prepare the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together oil and sugars until smooth.

4.     Add eggs, pumpkin purée, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.

5.     Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour gradually, beating until justcombined. Do not overmix.

6.     Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover entire surface of the cake with prepared crumbs (there will be a very thick layer of crumbs).

7.     Bake for about 1 hour, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean

Note Be sure not to use canned pumpkin pie filling, as it has ingredients not needed here. Of course, homemade pumpkin purée is great, too.

Plan Ahead This cake freezes well in an airtight container. For best results, freeze whole and cut into squares just before serving.

How to Substitute Ingredients: a Lesson for Kids and Everyone Else

Children learn a lot when they cook, and not just about food. You can ask the youngest ones to hand over the red pepper, not the green one. You can show them that a pie tin is round, a loaf pan is a rectangle.

Older kids can hone their measuring skills. Some begin to understand the difference between 1/4 cup and 1/2, what a dozen means, why a cake rises.

Recently my grandchildren, ages 3 and 5, learned another important cooking lesson: when and how to substitute ingredients. 

We happened to be baking Jam Cookies. 

I didn't have the chopped dates called for in my recipe. So we changed those to dark raisins.

I didn't have dried apricots, figs or cherries, so we used dried cranberries instead.

They wondered whether they could include chocolate chips.

Of course! Just throw some into the bowl.

Finally, we used a mixture of orange marmalade, rhubarb and apricot jam because I didn't have enough of any one kind except raspberry, which I couldn't use because of allergies.

The recipe worked.

But more than that, the cookies were absolutely delicious. Even the adults gobbled them. The children were happy, they learned more than they realized.

They want to cook with me again. I love that.

Jam Bars

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 14 tablespoons butter or margarine

• 3/4 cup golden or dark raisins or chopped dates or a mixture

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries or chopped dried cherries or other chopped dried fruit

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

• 1-1/2 cups jam

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9"x13" cake pan. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add the oats and brown sugar and mix the ingredients thoroughly to distribute them evenly. Cut the butter into chunks and work into the dry ingredients (with fingers or process on pulse in a food processor) until the butter is completely mixed in and the mixture looks crumbly. Mix in the raisins, dried fruit and chocolate chips. Press the mixture evenly inside the prepared pan. Spread the jam evenly on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan. Cut into bars or squares. 

Makes about 24

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