Heart Shaped Mini Cakes with Pears, Ricotta Cheese over an Almond Crust

Impress your Valentine with these sweet hearts made with fresh pears and delicate ricotta cheese over a buttery almond crust. 

Made with love!

Love is in the air ... even at the dollar store :-) I was so happy to find there some colorful heart shaped silicone muffin cups.
You know I love silicone baking molds. They are so easy to use and clean, no greasing and no sticking. And even better, a set of four cups for only a dollar. Amazing, right? I had to have them. Obviously. I could not pass on such an unbelievable deal. And of course today I tried them immediately with this delicious recipe, perfect for Valentine's day.
These heart shaped cups have a buttery almond crust on the bottom, a delicate ricotta filling topped with soft and sweet pears. I love the combination of almonds with pears, intensely nutty and perfectly sweet. A match made in heaven.
Here is my step-by-step, simple recipe. A super easy way to  woo your Valentine!

Ingredients: to make 12 hearts (2.5 x 2.5 inches)
for the crust:

• 4 tablespoons (half stick, 55 gr ) of unsalted butter 
• 1 cup (100 gr) almond meal
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) of sugar 
• pinch of salt

for the filling:

• 8 oz (225 gr) ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup (65 gr) sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 tablespoon (10 gr) corn starch
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 can (15 oz) of pear halves (in natural pear juice, no sugar added), or 2 fresh, ripe pears

Preparation time: about 80 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or in double boiler if you prefer. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, sugar and salt. Pour the melted butter and mix until combined.

2. Press about one tablespoon of the almond mixture into the bottom of 12 heart shaped silicone muffin cups. Use a spoon or fingers to help pressing down and make a thin flat layer. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. In the meantime, blend all the ingredients for the filling with the exception of the pears, in a large bowl.

4. Pour the ricotta mixture evenly in the 12 cups, which should be filled to about 3/4 of the way.
Cut the pears into really thin slices and decorate with about 4 slices each cup, or as you like!
I used pears in a can because they are softer and will not be crunchy after baking. You can use fresh pears, just make sure they are ripe.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Wait until completely cold (and I suggest refrigerate for at least 30 minutes) before removing from the mold, or the bottom crust might break. Store left overs in the refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

EASY MOIST POUND CAKE

This cake is not only easy to make, but it is super moist and flavorful. It is great just to snack on, or for shortcake or even petit fours. When its cooled, it cuts beautifully.

 

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)

6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

5 eggs (room temperature)

1 1/2  cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)

3 tablespoons milk

1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

 

Spray a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan with cooking spray and then line the bottom only with parchment paper (waxed paper will work in a pinch) then spray the paper too..

 

In large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, baking powder, milk and extracts until smooth.

 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. When the eggs are all in there, beat batter on high for 3 minutes.

 

Sift the flour, then add it (while the mixer is running on LOW) 1/4 cup at a time, beating only until the flour is well incorporated, but don't over mix.

 

Bake in prepared pan in pre-heated 350° oven for 70 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. My electric oven takes 70 minutes.

 

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and tip it out onto a cooling rack.

 

While the cake is still VERY hot, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and let it cool that way. This makes a huge difference in the moisture any cake will have. I do ALL of my cakes this way.

 

 

NOTE: The coconut extract gives this cake a wonderful flavor (you won't taste the coconut) but it really adds to the vanilla flavor. If you don't have coconut extract, use the required 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 more teaspoon of your favorite extract, like rum, or orange or almond.

 

Frittelle di Carnevale - Italian Carnival Fritters FIlled with Custard Cream

Classic Italian stuffed frittelle di Carnevale: soft fried dough filled with rich and creamy custard.

I bet you can't eat just one! They are simply irresistible.

I can't believe that Fat Tuesday is coming up in less than two weeks. So here is a recipe for you, just in time for your Carnival celebration. In my house, it's not Carnival unless you eat one (... or many) of these traditional frittelle.
Italy is the birthplace of the Carnevale, which makes February a fun time to visit, especially Venezia. You'd be amazed by the stunning masks and world famous costumes, the street parades and all-day parties. If you were in Venice right now, walking along the canals and down the calli, you would be for sure enticed by the aroma of fried dough coming out of every pasticceria. And, believe me, it can't be ignored!
Frittelle are fried round doughnuts, that generally come in three varieties: Veneziane (with raisins and pinenuts), filled with zabaione cream or crema pasticcera. My favorite, as you might have guessed, are the last one. Soft and perfectly sweet. Light and fluffy. Made with simple ingredients. Deep fried and filled with a deliciously rich custard. Heavenly!
And I say: Yes! Carnival is just once a year... I can have frittelle and not feel guilty about it.

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a free set of professional silicone baking mat from Kitchen Executive Chef. Here is the link for you:

This giveaway ends at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, February 10. Get your entries now. Bookmark this page and come back for extra entries. It is open to US residents, 18+ only.
You can also buy these mats on Amazon.com. And special for you today, use code 3UV37XAR at check out to receive a 30% off your purchase. Here is the link:



Ingredients: to make around 40 small frittelle

• 16 fl oz (500 ml) of milk
• 3/4 cup (125 gr) semolina flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 1  cup (150 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 gr) of baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 large organic orange, zest
• oil for deep frying
• powder sugar for decoration
• 2 oz (60 ml) whipping cream (optional)

For the custard cream:

• 8 fl oz (240 ml) of milk
• 2 fl oz (60 ml) of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cups (65 gr) of sugar
• 3 tablespoons (30 gr) of corn starch

Preparation time:  about 1 hour
Directions:
1. Warm the milk in a large pan. Before it boils, add the semolino flour and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it starts to detach from the sides of pan. Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

2. Add the eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, until smooth again.

3. Add the orange zest, finely grated. And whisk again. Let the batter rest for about half an hour, or until you prepare the custard cream.

4. Prepare a custard cream following this recipe. Let it cool completely and place in the refrigerator. 

5. Heat the oil in a large enough pan. Note: it's better if the oil fills no more than half of the pan.

 Drop spoonfuls of batter in the oil and fry until golden brown. Make sure you don't fry too many frittelle at the same time. They need space to cook, and turn around. Remove from the oil and place on paper towel to drain the excess oil. Check the first fritter and make sure it's fully cooked inside. If not, lower the flame and cook for a little longer. Let the frittelle cool down.

6. If you would like to make your custard cream a little softer, whip 2 oz of whipping cream and add to the custard cream. Mix well, until smooth.

7. When ready to eat them, cut the frittelle in half and fill with the cream.

Sprinkle with powder sugar and enjoy!

Homemade Braided Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Make your breakfast sweet and soft with this braided cinnamon and raisin bread. 

A great way to start your day!

Start your day off right with these sweet and delicious cinnamon raisin braids.  Breakfast after all is the most important meal of the day, so let's make it special.
With a busy day coming up and after many hours of not eating, our body needs a nutritious breakfast to jump-start our metabolism and get us moving. Also, the way you start your morning can affect the rest of your day. So here is what you should do: sit back, relax (even if it's only for 5 minutes) and enjoy one of these pillowy-soft, sweet treats, next to a hot and steamy cappuccino. You will thank me later :-)
There are many variables that influences the way bread dough rises, like the temperature of the room or the temperature of the ingredients, the amount of time spent on kneading, or, obviously the order in which you mix the ingredients. So, making bread can be quite tricky, especially when the bread is not plain and many ingredients are added. I experimented with many recipes, and finally found a foolproof way for the dough to rise and make a perfectly soft sweet bread. In this recipe you first only mix and knead together the flour, yeast and milk. Let rest and rise for a couple of hours. Then mix the rest of the ingredients, knead again, and let rise for 2 more hours. It takes a little more work, but it's worth it!
I baked these cinnamon and raisin braids using my new extra-large silicone baking mat from Kitchen Executive Chef. These mats are great: no greasing, no sticking and are very easy to clean. And in this large, 17x14 inches format, I can fit lots of bread rolls or cookies at once.
So, here is something special for you today. You can enter below for a chance to win a set of this silicone baking mats. You can choose from two convenient, large sizes. Many thanks to Kitchen Executive Chef. Good luck!

This giveaway ends at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, February 10. Get your entries now. Bookmark this page and come back for extra entries. It is open to US residents, 18+ only.
You can also buy these mats on Amazon.com. And special for you today, use code 3UV37XAR at check out to receive a 30% off your purchase. Here is the link:


Ingredients: serving 8

• 2 cups (300 gr) of bread flour, plus a few tablespoons for the counter
• 1 tablespoon (12 gr) of dry yeast
• 1 cup (250 ml) of milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (half stick - 55 gr)of unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon (4 gr) of salt
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar, plus around 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top of the bread
• 1/4 cup (40 gr) raisins
• ground cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Preparation time: One hour, plus 4 hours inactive
Directions:
1. Warm up the milk slightly in the microwave, especially if it's cold out of the refrigerator. Set the microwave for about 20 seconds. Dissolve the yeast in the milk, whisking well.

2. In a large bowl, add the flour and the milk with the yeast. Mix well using a spoon at first, and then your finger next. When the dough comes together, move it to a clean counter and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. Add a tablespoon of milk if the dough is too hard to knead, or a bit of flour if too sticky.

3. Shape into a ball, and place it back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in the oven (turned off) for at least two hours.

4. Melt the butter in the microwave. Set the timer for only 15 seconds, stir, and then another 15 seconds. Let the butter cool down. Add the melted butter, the egg, salt, and sugar to the dough. Mix with a spoon (or your finger if it helps). It will take a bit of work, but the dough will go back to be smooth and uniform. Softer than before. Cover again, and let it rise for another couple of hours.

5. Add the raisins to the dough. Make sure you sprinkle some at the time around the dough, so that they don't end up all in the same spot.

6. On a floured counter, cut the dough in 8 equal parts. Roll each into a thick rectangle. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and ground cinnamon. Cut the rectangle lengthwise in half, but not all the way to the end. As shown in the picture, twist the two ropes twice. Pinch the end to seal. Place on a baking sheet covered with a baking silicone mat (or parchment paper). Repeat with all pieces.

7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the sweet bread for 16-18 minutes, until rich golden on top.

 Enjoy!