Almond Cake

I have been waiting to make this cake for months.  

Wilson and I had almond cake as our wedding cake, and I have been obsessing about almond desserts ever since. Although I have planned to make almond cake for our anniversary, I could not stand to wait any longer. 

Lately, I have taken to sitting outside on sunny afternoons and reading cookbooks, my favorite being The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser. I start in a different place each time I read it, though I inevitably find myself thumbing through the desserts section. The almond cake recipe has caught my attention on several occasions, and so, for my birthday this year, I made almond cake. (Wilson kindly offered to make me a cake, but as I told him, I want to make the cake. Making cake is one of my joys in life.) 

I realize that this may not be what most people think of as a traditional birthday cake. I love a good layer cake or ice cream cake, but especially since I was making the cake myself, I wanted something modest.  Although the appearance of this cake is simple, the flavors and textures are luxurious. The cake is made moist and rich by butter, in addition to almond paste, and somehow lacks the dry density of pound cake. 
























This is not a subtlety flavored cake. If you would like less of an almond flavor, you can always decrease the amount of almond extract. However, the assertive almond flavor makes this cake a fine companion to macerated berries.  






Almond Cake

 2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups sugar
1 (7-ounce) tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure almond extract
Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter (or spray with cooking spray) the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. The line the sides and bottom with parchment paper, and butter (or spray) the paper. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the almond paste a few pieces at a time, and beat on medium speed for 8 minutes. (Yes, this seems like a long time, but do it. The mixture will get gorgeously fluffy.) Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. (If it looks curdled, don’t worry.) Beat in the almond extract and the sour cream mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter a couple of times to make sure there’s no unincorporated flour lurking around.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it evenly with the rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour: the cake is done when you press the top and it returns to its shape, and also when it shrinks from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack, and cool the cake in its pan.

When ready to serve, sift powdered sugar over the top, if you like.

 Recipe from Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser, via Orangette. The recipe can also be found in The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar























My mom didn't baked much while I was growing up, which was fine with me, because it gave me plenty of space to explore the kitchen on my own. When she did bake, though, she usually made banana bread. It was always the same recipe, and was plain, traditional, and delicious. Best of all, it was always a surprise, so I would come home to a warm loaf of banana bread sitting on the kitchen counter.






















My mom always enjoyed her slices of banana bread with a spread of butter, usually eaten off of a napkin while she sat at the kitchen table. My father taught me to eat banana bread with milk poured over the top, and always as a breakfast food. These memories, among others are a a big part of why banana bread is the thing that I bake more frequently than anything else. I view it less as a treat than as a source of comfort.






















I will say, though, that my go-to banana bread recipe diverges somewhat from my mother's, primarily in that I use chocolate chips and no nuts. I know that she would approve though, as this recipe comes together quickly and is as simple as can be. No food makes me think of my mom more than banana bread.

I love you, Mom! I hope everyone has a happy Mother's Day!


























Banana Bread with Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar

 3 very ripe bananas 
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For topping:
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or spray an 8-inch square pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs, and stir well to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla, and stir to mix. Add ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.


 Recipe from Orangette

Broccoli Slaw























I crave salad these days, and I will continue to crave salad through the end of the summer. However, not all salads are worthwhile. Among my other preferences, I will say that I prefer salads with lots of different flavors and textures. While lightly dressed greens have their place next to heavy fare in the cooler months, I like salads that can be a meal unto itself. I like salads that make you wish you didn’t have to share, and could inhale everything, from the mixing bowl, on your own. 
























Making a salad that begs to be inhaled requires a little imagination at times, but I have trouble straying from the formulaic addition of fruit, nuts, and cheese. This broccoli slaw is in the same vein, and will make you shocked at the amount of raw broccoli that you can consume in one sitting. It is the perfect side dish for anything you might grill this time of year, but is of course also very satisfying on its own.























Please note that attention to detail is important here, as with any recipe. The care with which you chop the broccoli matters. It is important that you toast the almonds properly and season the dressing. As with all cooking, you must taste as you go and taste when you are finished, making adjustments as necessary.   























Incidentally, I was reading an article (in Bon Appetit, I believe) a couple of months back, that mentioned that a chef’s ability to construct a great salad was beginning to be the new gauge of his or her talent. The article was also about how salad and vegetables are considered to be very in vogue at present. More restaurants are choosing to feature dishes that put vegetables at the center of the plate. It’s a funny world we live in, where vegetables can be fashionable. But there are worse things, and I am only hoping that the trend is long-lived. 

























Broccoli Slaw
Serves 6 as a side

Salad:
2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)


Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Dulce de Leche Brownies






















How do you justify doing anything with great chocolate other than just eating it on its own?

For the past several years, I have considered Scharffen Berger my favorite chocolate for baking. The hefty blocks of chocolate require strength and resolve to tackle, but a sharp knife and an assertive downward force go a long way in transforming the blocks into papery chards, which are then prepared to permeate melted butter. 























The remaining ingredients are added one by one to the same pot, bolstering the chocolate to a more emphatic consistency. Then, the thick, chocolate batter is spooned alternately with the dulce de leche into a prepared pan. 

























The dulce de leche plays a supporting role, and provides, unto itself, a variety of textures. The caramel that is in the center of the brownie remains soft and pliant amidst the dark density of the chocolate. Then, the dulce de leche that spans the brownie top, acquires an even deeper caramelization, with the edges becoming like a crackling brittle.























I grew up loving the “center of the pan” brownies, the ones with no crispy edges. But about the time that I became an adult, I started relishing the crispy, toothsome texture in the “side of the pan” brownies. The corner pieces are obviously twice as adored. Here, the dulce de leche makes the edges all the more delectable, as its sugar crystalizes into a golden crust against the pan. 

David Lebovitz notes that these brownies taste better on the second day. He is not kidding around. The first day, the brownies are like a dense chocolate cake, and on the second, you are rewarded with fudge posing as brownies, more tender and voluptuous than the chocolate could have dreamed of being on its own.



Dulce de Leche Brownies

Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway Books) by David Lebovitz

8 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
optional: 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup Dulce de Leche (or Cajeta)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn’t reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.
Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part.

Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Storage: These brownies actually become better the second day, and will keep well for up to 3 days.



Affogato with Dulce de Leche

























You may be inclined to think that the combination of Italian affogato and Argentinian dulce de leche sounds a little strange. But when you think about it (or taste it), the combination seems totally natural -- it's coffee and caramel after all. Affogato is an Italian dessert in which vanilla ice cream or gelato is topped with hot espresso. Having remembered that in some countries, people use sweetened condensed milk in their coffee, it made sense that the caramelized version of the milk would make a wonderful topping to the affogato.























I must say that when considering affogato previously, I had thought that it would be stressful to try to eat the ice cream before it all melted. In light of this, we allowed our espresso to cool slightly before pouring it. But what was so unexpectedly delightful was precisely the fact that it had to be eaten quickly. You reach into the tilted glass, eagerly spooning out dollops of ice cream swimming in espresso. The dulce de leche provides richness and fuses together the sweet creaminess of the ice cream and the sharp bitterness of the espresso. In a few bites, it's all gone, and you are left sipping what tastes like melted coffee ice cream, sitting in the bottom of the glass.



















Affogato with Dulce de Leche
1 serving

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/3 - 1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso (or very strong coffee)
1 tablespoon of dulce de leche (recipe below)

Put the ice cream in a glass. Pour the espresso over the top. Drizzle with dulce de leche.
Dulce de Leche

Preheat the oven to 425° F

Pour one can (400 gr/14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.
Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.

Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.



Recipe from David Lebovitz

Note: This makes a perfect dessert for this meal.