Palmiers (Palm Leaf Cookies)

Remember when I said that everything seems harder that it actually is? Well today I'm proving my point with Palmiers (Palm Leaf) cookies recipe - a classic French pastry recipe must-have (or if you prefer, the German Schweineohren).

By the shape that these cookies have - and by reading the instructions in one of my books - I had trouble imagining how they would end up looking the way they look. And after a couple of minutes, it became clear [the a-ha moment...hear the sound of awwww in the background!]. It's all about perspective ...the way you look at it...change the way you look at it and you will get it in seconds, guaranteed! 

Ok, so the key is in the folding...you'll notice in a few minutes...because you don't need much to bake those babies.

The 2 things that you'll need:

- Powdered sugar (4-5 or 6 tablespoons...it depends of how sweet you like it. I honestly didn't calculate much, trusted my instincts)

- Puff pastry (you can buy it fresh or frozen...just make sure it's NOT Phyllo Puff Pastry.

Side note

I learned the first time and I will show you below what it will look like if you end up using Phyllo. Note that you either have Puff Pastry OR Phyllo....but for some weird reason, I found a package with Puff Pastry Phyllo on it. There is no such thing...just remember, if it says Phyllo on package, regardless if it also mentions puff somewhere.. it is still Phyllo.

What's the difference between the two? Simple: the phyllo won't rise, it won't, well "puff". In general, depending on what you use it for, you will have to layer butter in between each phyllo sheet so it doesn't dry up much...and it seems more delicate. The puff pastry on the other end gives you flaky buttery layers...because it already has butter in it. It will rise and produce a "puffy" result.

Ok enough talking, let's get down to business...

First grease or Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unfold and cut the puff pastry into rectangular sheets. If it came in square sheets, simply roll the strips... In the end, you want to get rectangular strips/sheets of puff pastry dough.

Sprinkle each sheet with powdered sugar.

Delicately roll the pin over the sheets so that it well absorbs the sugar.

Fold the larger sides towards the center [perspective...what I was talking about earlier, you will get it soon :) ]. Add sugar and fold once again towards the center. 

(Note that the next few pictures were taking with the phyllo episode...but it is the same principle with the puff pastry)

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200-210°C (400°F).

Cut the dough in blocs of about 1.5cm [on the sides...notice the shape...perspective:)]

Here is what the puff looks like...(This is WHAT YOU WANT)

VS. what the phyllo looked like (this is NOT WHAT YOU WANT):

Place on baking sheet, leaving space in between so that the cookies don't touch.

Bake for about 20 minutes (turn over at half time...so about 10 minutes on each side). 

When they are perfectly golden, place on a grill and let cool.

Voilà :) Bon appétit!

 You can sprinkle on top more sugar if you want...for look but also for sweeter taste if you prefer.

Hope you ENJOY :)

Mafroukeh

Mafroukeh (ma-frou-ké) is a traditional Lebanese dessert made of semolina, sugar, and butter infused with sugar syrup, orange blossom, and rose water. It's topped with a milk-based cream filling called eshta or ashta ...(but you can definitely use ricotta cheese instead...lighter and easier) and roasted nuts. This challenge was thrown my way by my hubby and one that I totally accepted. I always perceived Lebanese sweets to be (apart from very sweet) tough to make...but after the 3rd time, it worked :) I will share with you what worked and what didn't, so that you can learn from the common made mistakes. In the end, it is not as complex as it seems and tastes great!

Here is what you'll need:

For the mafrouké (cake):

- 2 cups of semolina (the finest grain..usually says #1 on package)

- 1/2 cup of butter

- 1cup of powdered sugar

- Roasted pistachios, almonds, and/or pine nuts (about 1/4 of each, or 3/4 total)

- Syrup (see ingredients below)

- 1 tablespoon rose water

Syrup:

- 1 cup of sugar

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water

- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice (few drops so it won't stick)

Eshta topping: I use ricotta...about 454g of it.

Extra: if you have flower/rose jam petals for decoration.

Let's first clear the air with common mistakes and what you should avoid.

First couple of times that I tried, I used semolina I had at home - semolina #2 (coarse, larger grain) - which I often use to make other desserts or dishes that require a large grain. Tried and tested - try to use the finest, #1 size of grain, which will be smooth and soft. 

Other mistake (I think!): pouring the sugar and syrup while the semolina mixture was still hot...even when heat was turned off...or away from the stove altogether.

Now, I am not a physics expert, and I am not sure if it is the combination of those mistakes or one in particular, but in the end, all I know is that all that I have done and all the steps I followed (which by the way I found random recipes online and heard from people I know) ended up giving me a mafroukeh that was hard as a rock (not good for our poor teeth). I also found a lot of comments online where people mentioned the same thing - even when following clear steps, they got disapointing results. Until I found a Lebanese Chef on a YouTube video suggesting a different approach, which I will share below (woohoooo!). Shokran Chef Zeitouni w Chef Ali (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plZBSYVr_MU).

First things first - you want to prepare the syrup and set aside so that it has time to cool off while you are preparing the rest. Simply stir the sugar, water and lemon juice over heat. When it starts to boil, add the orange blossom water  and leave until it thickens (make sure it is thick enough...not tooooooo much, but thick enough to get a perfect texture for your mafroukeh). Set aside to cool.

To prepare the mafroukeh:

First roast the semolina in a pan until it gets a nice dark golden brown (low-med heat is perfect when using stainless pan...med-high if you use non-stick). Note that you don't even need to add butter (thanks to Chef Ali - you will see that we will add the butter later on also). 

Roast the semolina without anything, no fat no nothing...just the heat. It can take some time, keep an eye and be patient (also possible to roast in the oven if you prefer - not sure of timing, for you to check and depending on your oven) :)

At the end, I suggest that you strain the roasted semolina to remove extra lumps. 

Set aside and let cool. In the meantime,  melt the butter and roast the nuts.

Once golden and well roasted, strain the butter and set nuts aside. We will use the butter, which now has absorbed nuts flavor, in a little but.

In a large bowl, incorporate to the warm/cool roasted semolina the powdered sugar.

Mix well and then pour in the melted butter.

Mix well (yes, you can/should use your hands ....just make sure they are clean, please!) ;)  Here is what it should look like by now:

 It's time to add in the syrup (it should be cool by now).

Then the rose water. Mix well....still with your hands (gooey fun, isn't it) :)

Finally, time to add / spread the ricotta (or eshta if you have), the nuts and flower petals (optional)... and make it look all pretty. Note, that my round pan/plate wasn't available (yes it was busy with other food) so I used a rectangular pan...I personally like it in a round pan...I feel like it looks nicer but hey, still works...it's up to you!

There you go -  Sa7tein...Enjoy...Bon appétit... I hope you like it...and appreciate this traditional Lebanese Sweet.

Walnut Cake

Happy Monday everyone!

This week, I decided to share a family cake recipe - our famous (well, my mom's and grandma's) Walnut Cake. You'll see, it`s very easy...and so yummy!

My maternal grandmother's recipe has been influenced by her Greek friends and family members in Egypt - I guess its a version of the Greek's Karidopita (kah-ree-THOH-pee-tah). Regardless, it has been very popular in our household and I have done it quite a few times already...and it's been getting pretty good grades (from my hubby and his family members as well). It is actually one that my brother-in-law and sis-in law very much enjoy...and since they were over for dinner, I decided to bake it, and share the recipe with you :-)

What you’ll need for the cake:

·   ½  pound (1 cup or 227g or 250ml) unsalted butter, softened

·   1  ½  cups sugar

·   6 eggs

·   1  ½  cups flour

·   1  ½  cups of ground (coarsely) walnuts 

·    ½  tsp. cinnamon

·    ¼ tsp. ground cloves (clou de girofle, pour vous les franco) ;)

·   1  ½  tsp. baking powder

For the syrup:

·        1 cup water

·        1 ½ cup (375ml) sugar

·        A few drops of lemon

As easy as 1.2.3...

First start with the syrup (you want to make sure it is cool when the cake is ready...cake will better absorb the syrup if one is cool and the other is hot...so I usually make the syrup, set aside so that is it cool when cake is done ...and still hot).

(Update - just realized I forget to mention to steps to prepare the syrup - it's so simple that I forgot)...simply stir together the water, sugar and a few drops of lemon and bring to boil (medium-high heat). Then, lower the heat and let boil until thick enough (don't make it too thick though...maybe 10 min after coming to boil).

For the cake...

Grease the bottom and the sides of a tube or chimney cake pan. Set aside. Preheat oven at350°F (180°C).

In a large bowl, using electric mixer (preferably), cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs, one by one, making sure you beat well between each addition. Mix in dry  ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ground cloves and baking powder). You can mix them all together first in a separate bowl and then incorporate to the butter, sugar and egg mixture if you want. Mix well. 

Incorporate the walnuts and stir/mix just enough until you get a homogeneous batter.

Pour into the the cake pan and bake for about 1 hour.

Let it rest for about 5 minutes (you want to make sure it is still hot...but cool enough to remove from pan). Remove from pan and slowly pour syrup all over... making sure that cake absorbs syrup well...et voilà! 

Bon appétit!

Note: You can add more walnuts on top for decoration...always a winner ;)

Almond Layer Cake

Challenge numero uno

Ok, let’s be clear. Those who know me will probably expect a Middle-Eastern dessert as my first challenge. I must admit, I actually thought of sharing and beginning with a recipe that I already know …but then what a way to start… where would the challenge be, huh?

Other side note - I am not using a professional camera, just m-iphone and instagram (so my apologies for the not so perfect photos and display on the page...will enhance as we move forward) :-)

Right…so I never made a layer cake – nice little first challenge I think - therefore layer cake it is. Since it is hot outside, I’d like to go with something light (relatively speaking of course, meaning no chocolate, no fudge, no heavy cream...) and because hubby loves white cakes, and I love anything with almonds, I decided to try this simple (simple…allegedly) Almond Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting. Yum!

This recipe comes from my Coup de Pouce dessert book. Their best desserts and cookie recipes cookbook ever published (so they say). It’s in French but I will translate, of course. I like this book because all is clear, well explained, good tips and tricks…and so far, all that I have tried from it came out pretty good.

Alrighty, enough talking, let’s start baking!

What you’ll need for the cake:

·  ¾ cup (180ml) unsalted butter, softened

·         2 cups (500ml) sugar

·         4 eggs

·         3 cups (750ml) flour

·         1 tbsp. (15ml) baking powder

·         ¾ tsp. (4ml) salt

· 1 cup (250ml) milk, room temperature

·         2 tsp. (10ml) almond extract

For the frosting:

·         2 egg whites

·         1 ½ cup (375ml) sugar

·         ½ cup (125ml) water

·         1 tbsp. (15ml) corn syrup (white)

·         Pinch salt

·         1 tsp. vanilla (5 ml)

Step #1 – Prepare the cakes

1.1 Grease and flour the side walls of 2 round 9’ cake pans. Then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

1.2  In a large bowl, using electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. I kept beating, high-speed, for about 10 minutes (they say that’s usually what it takes for ultimate results). Then add eggs, one by one, making sure you beat well between each addition.

1.3 In second bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, mix the milk and the almond extract.

1.4 Combine the dry ingredients to the butter mixture 1/3 at a time, alternating with the milk/almond mixture twice. Mix until smooth and homogeneous.

Let the Sweet Challenge Begin!

What’s the deal?

So I wanted to do something like this, for a long time, and just for fun... I always wanted to start up a blog and one related to my passion for food and desserts, but I always thought it should be well planned out, and perfectly thought through. However, because I have the opportunity now to get started on this, a bit less than a month before I start my Master’s Fall semester, and because we can’t “let perfection become procrastination” – Danielle LaPorte, I decided to just do it…launch and learn and have fun with it. I must warn you, I am not a professional and do not have super powers...I just love food, am curious, love to discover and try new things. Again as Danielle says, "beginner’s mind is an open mind, and an open mind innovates"...so let’s begin the innovation process…

Along the way, I hope to share with you my passion for food, especially desserts. I’d like to share recipes that I know, discover new ones with you, sharing tips and tricks, my success and failures…invite you in on my sweet adventure and hope that it will inspire you to try on your own, discover new treats and let the sweetness bring you happiness.

I plan on preparing family recipes, some from friends' recommendations, from professionals  (i.e. Anna Olson and others) and try ones from cookbooks that I currently own and from the many future books that I will probably buy...I will sometimes also merge, tweak, and adapt recipes to make them my own.. try, discover, learn, and innovate.

That said, let the sweet challenge begin...and let's see where this takes us :)

Enjoy!