Glazed Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake

Anyone reading this blog for a while already knows that I love simple, delicate tasting, fruity desserts.  This French yogurt cake meets all of these requirements.  It really a pound cake without the pound of butter or eggs.  It is enriched with yogurt and flavored with lemons and olive oil. It is light enough to eat for breakfast or with Sunday afternoon coffee.  Dressed up with a glaze, it is fancy enough to bring to someone’s house.  This recipe, attributed to Dorie Greenspan was originally published in Bon Appetit (Feb 2005).  This version called for a cup of yogurt which was simply too much and made for a soggy cake.  Later, nearly the same recipe was published in New York Times and contained half that amount of yogurt:  this worked much better and is the recipe I used below with one addition.  Surprisingly neither version called for any lemon juice, which I think is a mistake.  Besides,  the last of my Meyer lemons were screaming to be used up and so I did.  Greenspan’s recipes call for a marmalade glaze:  I had some homemade peach jam and this is what I used.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond flour; you can also use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (should be less than 6 mos. old)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon (any lemon will do)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (whole milk yogurt is preferable)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (the original calls for 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 cup olive oil or a flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower
• Juice of one very large meyer lemon (adjust this to taste)
• 1/4 cup peach jam (the original calls for 1/2 cup lemon marmalade, strained, for glazing the top, thinned with 1 tsp water (the glaze is optional)
• 

Method

• 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, baking powder and salt.
• 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, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended.
•  Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the oil. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

• Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 45 to 50 min, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan and a tester comes out clean.
•  Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes. Unmold and cool to room temperature.
• To make the glaze: Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat  until the jam is hot and liquefied. Brush the cake with the glaze. If using peach jam, simple heat in the microwave for a few seconds and brush on.

Garlic Whey/Buttermilk (Chhachh) Soup

For those who occasionally make cheese (ricotta, paneer) etc.  and wonder what to do with the whey/buttermilk, please do not throw this amazing liquid away. I don’t know what the exact term for this stuff is, but I am talking about the greenish milky liquid  that remains when you strain out your cheese   Indians sometimes use it in curries ( in hindi it is called chhach or chhas). This stuff has potential.  I used it in saag paneer the other day and it was better than adding yoghurt and way better than adding cream.

I had come across a 40 garlic soup recipes here and there and it immediately seemed like a marvelous idea.  When I made ricotta last week,  a simplified version of this soup seemed like it would really take to using up the whey/buttermilk and boy did it! Instead of roasting garlic in the oven for 40 min on a weeknight,  I went with slow cooking for about 10 min on the stove.  Perhaps the roasted version is superior, but this  was a great great soup and so easy.  If you dont have whey/buttermilk,  using chicken (vegetable) stock  with a bit of cream will do the trick. The cultured store bought stuff is not a substitute.  I ate this soup with Chinese chili oil, because that’s how I roll.  But my guys ate it with a basmati-wild rice combo (the kind Costco sells).  It would also be great with garlicky croutons and a dash of parmesan.

Ingredients

40 cloves garlic (peeled;  I bought mine peeled)

1 large onion – 2 cups diced

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 cups whey/buttermilk (Substitute 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1/2 cup half and half  if you don’t have this stuff)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (1 used 2 cup water and 1heaping  tbs+1tsp of Better than bouillon)

2 tbs. butter

2 tsp dried  thyme.

Method: 

1. Heat butter, add cumin seeds and allow the seeds to sputter and release their aroma.

2. Add garlic and cook garlic on low until garlic browns nicely (about 7-10 min).  You don’t want your garlic to burn.

3. Now add onions, sauté about 10 min, till the onion softens.

4. Add thyme and sauté for a min or so, till you smell its aroma.

5. Add the whey and chicken stock/water+ bouillon and simmer for 25 min till the onions and garlic are completely soft.

6. Blend using an immersion blender.  This step seems to make the soup more airy, like a colloid and gives soups a better texture than the food processor.  I have no idea how a blender compares,  I don’t have mine out on a counter and never get around to using it.

7. Serve with a garnish of Chinese chili oil.  For a heartier meal,  serve with a basmati-wild rice mix or with garlicky croutons.

Cheesecake Brownies

I have a go to brownie recipe that I love, and I don’t particularly love a cheese cake (too dense, too rich). But I do love cream cheese and the idea of combining a brownie and cream cheese just appeals to me.  I saw the recipe below on David Lebowitz’ blog a while ago and finally got around to making them.  These are lovely and fairly effortless.  Also, compared to a lot of  brownie recipes, they use a surprisingly small amount of butter.   When I mentally tasted them,  the cream cheese batter was tangy, but I guess the large amount of sugar that goes into the batter takes away the tanginess.  Next time, I will add a squeeze of lemon and lemon rind to the cream cheese  and will update this post if that works out.  Aside from this one minor personal issue, I am definitely glad to have these in my  brownie repertoire.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (1 full bar) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup  sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature  (If you forgot, you can warm up the eggs in some tap water- this does not take long)
1/2 cup  flour
1 tablespoon good qualtiy unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Grease an 8″ square pan with cooking oil or butter.  Lebowitz recommends lining a 9-inch (23cm) with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Then lightly coat the foil with oil or non-stick spray.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

7.  Bake in the center rack of the oven for 35-40 min.  These brownies are easiest to cut if you put them in the fridge for a while before cutting.

Vanilla Cardamom Spritzes

We made these for Christmas and I went overseas right after  that for a conference.  So while everyone is recovering from holiday overindulgence,  I am belatedly posting a recipe for Christmas cookies in January.  But they are good all year round and a Christmas staple in my husband’s family.. The kids spend the whole week trying to sneak these out of the cookie box or the freezer, and their grandmother spends her whole vacation trying to make these not disappear by the dozen. My son requested these for our first holiday in 15 years at home.  This recipe is his great grandmother’s and the presence of cardamom suggests that it has a Scandinavian origin.  It’s lovely, delicate and flavorful and if your family is like mine, you will want to make a double batch.  I have to say the cherry on top is not my favorite.  Next year,  I will make these with candied orange peel or citron on top.   Your pick.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg (large) if Xlg, 1 egg minus ½ Tbs as the amount of liquid is crucial
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted (I did not sift).

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Using a spoon, stir in the flour until well mixed.  The batter will resemble tart dough at this point,  very maleable and easy to shape into a log that is just slightly smaller in diameter than your cookie press.

Fit your cookie press with the desired disk. Pack the dough into the cookie press and spritz the dough out onto ungreased baking sheet spacing the cookies 1 in. apart.  If the cookie dough is too warm, the cookies will not spriz out of the press correctly.  Simply stick the cookie press in the fridge for 15-20 min before proceeding.

Although the original recipe called for sticking the cherries onto baked cookies using egg white,  I found that sticking the cherry on the raw cookie dough prior to baking, worked better (If you prefer, you can follow the original method below:  See *).
Bake until lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes (I did 10 min). Gently transfer the cookies to wire rack (or aluminum foil on counter) to cool.
If you are doing 2 sheets at a time, trade oven places half-way thru.

* Use the following method, If you want to stick the cherries on after baking the cookies:

Combine 1 or 2 egg whites with a little water.

As soon as possible after baking cookies, combine 1 or 2 egg whites with a little water, and dip candied cherries in the egg-white mixture and decorate the center of the spritz cookie. (the egg white helps keep the cherries on the cookies)

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. I always make a double recipe, as one doesn’t last more than 2 days!

Roasted Mushrooms in Garlic Butter Sauce

These mushrooms are wonderful as an appetizer, or as a side to round out a big dinner menu.  This dish involves very little chopping and comes together very quickly.  It can be prepared ahead of time and microwaved just before serving.  This is only slightly adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen.  At the end of the roasting step,  I found that I had more liquid at the bottom of the pan than desirable.  So I thickened it with cornstarch as described below.

Ingredients: 

1 pound mushrooms halved lengthwise if large (any type will do,  I used baby bellas),

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, cilantro or basil (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt  shallow baking dish. I had slightly more than a pound and used a 9×13″ glass baking dish.  I think the main thing here is to have the mushrooms in more or less 1 layer.

Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, 15 to 20 minutes.

I went to 20 min.  and found that the mushrooms released their juices and got liquidy.  If this happens to you, do the following optional step. Mix about 2 tsp of cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of water (the quantities will depend upon how much liquid you need absorved.

Heat 1 tsp of butter in a large saucepan.  Add the mushrooms and all of the liquid back to the pan.

Add the cornstarch mix to the mushrooms and stir on medium heat, till all of the liquid is absorbed into a nice thick sauce.

Stir in lemon juice and parsley, if using. Serve immediately, with crusty bread on the side for swiping up the juices.