I didn’t make the very intriguing rosemary whipped cream Adam suggests, which I will probably try another time, but opted for ice cream instead.

Since both Costas and I love the caramel base of the Apple and Quince Crumble I make often, I decided to repeat something similar here.

Needless to say, that I substituted again light olive oil for the butter in the original recipe, as I do all the time, and the result was absolutely great! Note that this cornbread/cake, unlike most other cakes, is best slightly warm, the day it is baked.

Serves 8: a 10-inch (26cm) skillet.

THE APPLE BASE:

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup light olive oil, canola or sunflower oil

2 Apples halved, cored, and thinly sliced; I used Fuji.

FOR THE CORNBREAD/CAKE

1 cup All-Purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar, plus 2-3 tablespoons Turbinado or any light brown sugar for sprinkling

2/3 cup light olive oil, canola or sunflower oil

2/3 cup full-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

Vanilla Ice Cream for serving (optional)

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the sugar and water. Swirl the skillet as it bubbles and gradually starts to color. When it is light amber add the olive oil, swirl the pan and spread the apple slices carefully, as they may splatter. Press with a wooden spoon and lower the heat. Simmer and don’t mind if some hard sugary pieces form; they will dissolve later as the cake bakes in the oven. When the apple slices have soften, after about 4-5 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Make the cornbread/cake: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a small bowl until combined and set aside. 

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the sugar and the eggs and work in slow to start with and increase the speed after 2 minutes; keep beating until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a hand-held mixer.

In a small bowl whisk the oil with the yogurt and add it to the egg mixture working on medium. Add the vanilla and gradually add the flours, continuing to beat in low, until completely incorporated. You will probably need to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to make sure all flour is mixed in.

Pour the batter over the apples and carefully spread it with the spatula. Scatter the strawberries on the batter and sprinkle with the light brown sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes or more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting to serve, accompanying with ice cream, if you like.

This cornbread/cake, unlike most other cakes, is best slightly warm, the day it is baked, but you can wrap the leftover in kitchen film and enjoy it the next day as well.

The post Strawberry and Apple Skillet Cornbread/Cake appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Now that strawberries appeared in the market,  I adapted Darra’s basic recipe for this early spring fruit.

For a 9-inch round cake –or equivalent square, or 1 large or 2 small loaves 

700 grams strawberries, stemmed and sliced, plus a few more for decoration the cake

Olive oil for rubbing the pan

1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup raisins

Grand Marnier Liqueur (optional)

Strawberry jam (optional) 

Coarsely chopped pistachios

Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F degrees (180 C).

Line with parchment paper the pan (or pans) that you will use for the cake, and lightly rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with half the almonds.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be quite thick.

Mix the sliced strawberries with the raisins and the rest of the almonds.

Spread half the strawberries in an even, compact layer at the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the batter and use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly over the fruit. Repeat with the remaining strawberry and batter. Gently tap the pan a few times against the counter to get rid of air bubbles, and transfer to the oven.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out almost clean and the top of cake is golden brown.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then gently run a knife around the perimeter to loosen and carefully invert the pan on a platter and let cool completely. 

Sprinkle with some liqueur and then spread a layer of strawberry jam over the cake, if you like. Decorate with the reserved strawberries and sprinkle with pistachios before cutting to serve.

The post Strawberry Cake with Raisins and Almonds appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

READ more about this ancient dessert. 

Serves 12-14

1 cup farro (see note) soaked in warm water overnight, and drained.

Pinch of salt

2 cinnamon sticks

1/3 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)

2/3 cup bulgur (fine or medium)

2/3 – 1 cup sugar, to taste

1/2 cup lemon or orange marmalade (optional)

2/3 cup almonds or hazelnuts (toasted if you like) coarsely ground

2/3 cup walnuts or pecan, coarsely ground

1/2 – 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, as many as you like

8 dried figs, diced with scissors

6 dried apricots diced with scissors

1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 -1 teaspoon ground pepper

Zest and juice from 2 oranges, plus 2 more large oranges, one peeled and diced and the other sliced thinly for topping the pudding

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other citrus-flavored liqueur –I use my own Lemon Liqueur

1 cup or more strawberries for topping, or about 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds

In a pot bring to boil 2 quarts of water with the drained farro, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon sticks. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or more, until the grains are tender; be careful not to overcook them. Drain the farro, keeping the cinnamon sticks and the cooking broth; you need 6 cups of it.

In a mixer or blender process the cooked grains with some of the cooking liquid to get a coarse pulp. Transfer to a saucepan and add the chickpeas, if using, the reserved broth (6 cups minus what you used in the blender), the bulgur, the cinnamon sticks, and 2/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or more, until the bulgur is cooked.

Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon sticks and stir in the marmalade, if using, the almonds or hazelnuts, the walnuts or pecan, the figs, the apricots and the pistachios, keeping 1-2 tablespoons for topping the pudding. Add the ground cinnamon and pepper, the orange zest, the orange juice, the diced orange and the liqueur. Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients, taste and if you want, add more sugar, stir again and transfer to a large bowl.

Arrange the orange slices and the strawberries, or pomegranate seed on the surface of ashure and sprinkle with the reserved pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: I used Anson Mills Slow Roasted Farro in the US, both for my Kollyva and for Ashure. The wheat berries we use in Greece are similar to this particular farro, and very different from the American wheat berries, which I don’t recommend.

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Read also about kollyva, another version of the ancient sweet. 

Asouré is probably the continuation of polysporia the mixture of grains symbolically offered by ancient Greeks and other Eastern Mediterranean people to their gods, especially Demeter (Ceres), the goddess of agriculture, much like kollyva which in ancient Greek the meant “small coin” or “small golden weight,” as well as “small cakes.” The Turkish and Greek asouré or asourés, also called ‘Noah’s pudding’ in Istanbul, is a similar age-old sweet.

In this the wheat berries are not drained as in kollyva, but simmered with sugar, sometimes, especially in Istanbul  together with beans and/or chickpeas until the cooking liquid thickens.  Nuts and dried fruits are added, and the soupy ashure is served in bowls, traditionally decorated with pomegranate seeds. It solidifies when it cools, like a real pudding.  In Israel and throughout the Middle East I found similar sweets, with the grains cooked in milk and sweetened with honey. Obviously, they all share the same ancient roots.

This recipe is a variation, inspired by the pudding I once had at Hi Life, a fish restaurant in Faliron, south of Athens.  The orange pieces and the fresh orange juice in the grain mixture make a thick, soupy ashure. We love it on its own, or served together with fresh, creamy or aged cheeses, especially with manouri, or any semi-hard goat cheese from Crete or from the Cyclades.

Asouré: Sweet Grains with Orange, Strawberries and Nuts

Serves 12-14

1 cup farro (see note) soaked in warm water overnight, and drained.

Pinch of salt

2 cinnamon sticks

1/3 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)

2/3 cup bulgur (fine or medium)

2/3 – 1 cup sugar, to taste

1/2 cup lemon or orange marmalade (optional)

2/3 cup almonds or hazelnuts (toasted if you like) coarsely ground

2/3 cup walnuts or pecan, coarsely ground

1/2 – 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, as many as you like

8 dried figs, diced with scissors

6 dried apricots diced with scissors

1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 -1 teaspoon ground pepper

Zest and juice from 2 oranges, plus 2 more large oranges, one peeled and diced and the other sliced thinly for topping the pudding

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other citrus-flavored liqueur –I use my own Lemon Liqueur

1 cup or more strawberries for topping, or about 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds

In a pot bring to boil 2 quarts of water with the drained farro, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon sticks. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or more, until the grains are tender; be careful not to overcook them. Drain the farro, keeping the cinnamon sticks and the cooking broth; you need 6 cups of it.

In a mixer or blender process the cooked grains with some of the cooking liquid to get a coarse pulp. Transfer to a saucepan and add the chickpeas, if using, the reserved broth (6 cups minus what you used in the blender), the bulgur, the cinnamon sticks, and 2/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or more, until the bulgur is cooked.

Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon sticks and stir in the marmalade, if using, the almonds or hazelnuts, the walnuts or pecan, the figs, the apricots and the pistachios, keeping 1-2 tablespoons for topping the pudding. Add the ground cinnamon and pepper, the orange zest, the orange juice, the diced orange and the liqueur. Stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients, taste and if you want, add more sugar, stir again and transfer to a large bowl.

Arrange the orange slices and the strawberries, or pomegranate seed on the surface of ashure and sprinkle with the reserved pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: I used Anson Mills Slow Roasted Farro in the US, both for my Kollyva and for Ashure. The wheat berries we use in Greece are similar to this particular farro, and very different from the American wheat berries, which I don’t recommend.

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Serves 6

4 ripe bananas (about 2 pounds/500 grams)

1 cup diced ripe strawberries, other sweet berries, or pitted cherries (see NOTE)

2/3 cup strawberry jam, and more for serving

1/2 pound/250 grams  mascarpone 

2 tablespoons vodka, gin, or any good fruit liqueur (like Grand Marnier)

Coarsely chopped pistachios for serving (optional)

In the blender mash the bananas with the fruits, then add the jam, the mascarpone, and vodka or liqueur,  and  blend a few more seconds to incorporate everything.

Transfer to a mold lined with plastic wrap; I prefer a long cake tin but you can make the ice cream in a round pan or in a bowl, if you like.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Take out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving, unwrap and transfer to a plate. Top with strawberry jam, sprinkle with pistachios, and cut pieces to serve.

NOTE: I had no fresh strawberries, and very few cherries, so I used 1/3 cup briefly hydrated dry cherries, which gave the ice cream a somewhat dull color; ‘like ZWAN canned meat,’ Costas said…

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Costas, who loves desserts, likes to freeze the cake and he cuts thin slices to eat after lunch.

Instead of grating the fruit to get the fine zest, then juicing it, I pulse whole pieces in the blender — peel and flesh of the lemon, orange or tangerine—to add aroma and tang to the cake. 

I bake it either in loaf pans, or in a square, round or rectangular pan. When cooled a bit, I often slice it horizontally and while still warm I douse with the basic lemon syrup I describe in the very similar Yogurt Cake.

I often cut the cake horizontally and add a layer of jam or marmalade in the middle, and/or a seasonal fruit and nut topping: Confit orange slices, briefly cooked strawberries, and/or almonds or pistachios.

Traditionally all Greek cakes –called glyka tapsiou (cakes baked in a pan)– the most well known being walnut or almond cake, are served soaked in syrup.  I always splash liberally the cake with my Lemon Liqueur;  you can use store-bought Limoncello or a really good citrus-flavored liqueur, like my favorite Grand Marnier!

Makes 2 loaf pans (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches, or 20 X 10 X 6 cm)

or a 9-inch round or square cake

3 eggs

2/3 -1 cup sugar, to taste

2/3 cup light olive oil –not very fruity

2 small oranges, lemons, or tangerines, washed then quartered to remove seeds, then pulsed in the blender to get about 1 ½ cups pulp (see NOTE)

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Lemon Syrup (optional)

Line the cake pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F (185 C).

In the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the eggs with the sugar in medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil and the orange pulse and work in low speed, increasing gradually to incorporate them.

Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the flour with the salt and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer and work at a low speed just until fully incorporated.

Pour in the prepared pans and bake for about 40 minutes or more, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes then invert the cakes, peel the paper, and let cool on a rack.

NOTE: 

Alternatively you can use 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice, and the fine zest of 2 oranges, lemons or tangerines.

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For the first –our Easter cake– I used the sweet brioche instead of any other base to make a fresh strawberry treat. The other half of the dough I flattened, sprinkled with chopped semi-sweet chocolate, and ground almonds, then rolled into a loaf, and baked. Had I seen Lior’s Babka I would have cut and twisted the rolled dough to make it more spectacular.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Serves 6-8

HALF of the Mallorca Buns dough (orange-flavored, sweet brioche-like) preferably prepared the day before, left to rise in the refrigerator, then taken out 2-3 hours before so that it comes to room temperature before proceeding further

1 1/2 pound fresh strawberries –preferably organic rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons or more Grand Marnier, or other good-quality citrus-flavored liqueur

400 grams heavy cream, VERY cold

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar (to taste)

250 grams mascarpone

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square or round pan with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 375 F (200 C).

Lay the dough on the lined pan, making sure you press it equally so that it is about the same thickness all over. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the stems and leaves of most strawberries, keeping some of the small, pretty looking ones for decoration.

Bake the brioche for about 20 minutes, in the middle of the oven, or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Make a fast strawberry Jam: Quarter half of the fruit and transfer to a small saucepan adding 2/3 cup sugar. Cook in medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until frothy and soft. Let cool in the pan. Transfer 2/3 of the jam to a bowl, and to the rest add 1 cup water and the rest of the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes to make the syrup.

With a large knife cut the brioche horizontally, and douse both pieces with the syrup. Splash with liqueur and let the brioche absorb the liquids and soften.

Beat the cream with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer the cream) and when stiff enough, fold in the mascarpone, using a wire-whisk. Transfer to the refrigerator until needed.

In a bowl quarter the rest of the strawberries, or cut into smaller pieces if too large, add the rest of the sugar, sprinkle with half the liqueur, toss and let in the refrigerator to macerate.

Assemble the cake: Place one piece of the syrup-soaked brioche to a plate and spread the strawberry jam over the surface. Cover with the second piece, and if you like, splash with some more liqueur.

Spread half of the cream-mascarpone over the surface and scatter most of the strawberries over the cream, decorating with the most beautiful ones that you have reserved.

Transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3 hours. Cut and serve, presenting the rest of the cream, and the remaining macerated strawberries on the side.

Chocolate and Almond Loaf

Serves 6-8

HALF of the Mallorca Buns dough (orange-flavored, sweet brioche-like) preferably prepared the day before, left to rise in the refrigerator, then taken out 2-3 hours before so that it is at room temperature before proceeding further

125 grams (4 ounces) bitter-sweet chocolate chopped with a knife

1 cup coarsely ground almonds

Line a cake pan with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 375 F (200 C).

On a lightly floured surface spread the dough with your palms, or with a floured rolling pin, to make a rectangle, roughly about 8X11 inches (20X28 cm).

Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and the almonds allover the surface and then roll the dough to create a loaf. Press and slightly twist the roll if you like. It is OK if the dough breaks a bit and some of the stuffing spills out.

Let rest for 20-30 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting to serve.

I like it better the next day…

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