Peach Cobbler ... and a Soccer Game.

It was 95 degrees hot and humid today .... too hot to go out, too hot for the pool, too hot to do anything.

 Good thing it's World Cup season!  

I decided to make a peach cobbler to enjoy while watching Spain and Chile play

 ... the cobbler was delicious 

... and soccer was great!

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients:

7-8 beautiful ripe Peaches - pitted and sliced 

1.5 cup sugar

2.5 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

3 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening 

Dough:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Prepare dough in a bowl by mixing by hand flour, vegetable shortening, baking powder, salt. 

Stir in milk to form a dough.

Roll out the dough. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter.

Preheat oven to 375.

Brush a 7 by 11 Pyrex dish with vegetable shortening. 

In a large bowl mix peaches, sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and orange juice.

Empty peaches in the pyrex dish and bake for about an hour or until peaches are tender. 

Place dough over the peaches and bake 30 - 35 minutes longer. 

Scoop some vanilla ice cream over and enjoy!

Lemon Cake

A beautiful and wonderful friend of mine kindly gave me her recipe to the most amazing lemon cake. 

It is truly delicious and very easy to make. I made it last night and it was a hit! Everyone loved it! 

  

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (1 lemon)

For the syrup:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 8 by 4 loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt)
In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachments, cream the butter with the sugar.
Add one egg at a time. Continue mixing.
Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Continue to mix.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Continue to mix further.
Pour in the prepared pan.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for few minutes on a rack.

For the syrup: In a small saucepan combine sugar and lemon juice.
Cook on medium heat for few minutes, until sugar dissolves completely.
Spoon the syrup over the cake. Let cake cool.

For the glaze: mix confectioners' sugar and lemon juice.
You may add 1 teaspoon cold water at a time, if too stiff.
Pour over completely cooled off cake.

Enjoy!

Pommes Duchesse

This is the perfect recipe for potato lovers, called Pommes Duchesse. 

Very easy to make, so pretty and very delicious.  

It makes a wonderful side dish. 

Serves about 10

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled
1 cup light cream
7 tablespoons unsalted butter - softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
nutmeg

Heat oven to 450 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large pot, cook potatoes until tender - about 15 minutes.
Drain and mash potatoes with a potato masher until very smooth.
Add cream, butter, eggs, salt, pepper and baking soda and continue to stir until you have a silky, smooth mixture.
Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Pipe 10 3-4 inch wide mounds of potato onto the baking sheet.
Lightly sprinkle nutmeg.
Bake for a 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve and enjoy.

Rolled Rose Water Cream Cake

It's been a long time since my last post. 

I've been a little lazy lately .... Lazy about posting my recipes. 

I haven't stopped cooking and baking these past few months ... but for some reason, I haven't had the time to post any of them. 

I am happy to be back!

Here is a recipe of one of my favorite cakes. 

It's fairly easy to make and is so delicious! 

My daughter can't get enough of it!

Cake (adapted from "Baking by James Peterson"):

8 eggs, separated

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 13 by 17-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer beat the egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed for 2 minutes or until medium peaks form.

Add 1/3 of sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with rest of sugar until lightly pale.

Fold the egg whites in the egg yolks mixture.

Place 1/4 of the mixture in a small bowl and fold in the melted butter.

Fold the butter mixture back into the egg mixture.

Fold in the flour in the mixture.

With an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for about 12 minutes - until top of cake is firm to the touch.

Remove the cake and while cake is warm roll the cake - this will give a shape to it.

Remove parchment paper and let cool completely.

Rose water sirop:  

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup cugar

2 tablespoons rose water.

Bring sugar, water and rose water to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and let boil further more - 15 minutes.

Brush the cake with the sirop. 

This will make the cake soft.

Whipped cream:

2 cups heaving whipping cream

1 cup confectioner's sugar

In a stand mixer, beat on high speed heaving whipping cream with sugar until very stiff. 

Spread cream on the cake and roll the cake. 

Spread more cream over the cake.

Decorate with shaved chocolate of some strawberries. 

Enjoy!

Pesto Lasagna With Sausage

Pesto Sauce: 
Follow recipe HERE

Bechamel Sauce:

2.5 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a saucepan, melt butter.

Add Flour and whisk for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm milk in the microwave.

Add milk to butter/flour mixture and whisk for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Add salt and nutmeg.

For lasagna:
1 package of lasagna -
3 large carrots, grated
4 sausages, sliced - I used chicken
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil


In a skillet, heat oil and brown sausages.
Add pesto sauce and carrots, cook further.
Add 3/4 of the bechamel sauce, cook further - 3 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a rectangular pirex dish, arrange a layer of lasagna.
Top with a layer of pesto sauce.
Top with a layer of parmesan cheese.
Repeat process one more time.
End with a layer of lasagna and drizzle the remaining bechamel sauce over to cover.
Sprinkle some cheese.
Cover dish with foil.
Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.
Remove foil, bake 15-20 minutes longer.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie

Ingredients:
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Brownie:
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream

Cream Cheese:
1 package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 13 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate, set aside.
In an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla - about 5 minutes.
Slowly, add chocolate mixture, beat further on low speed.
Add Flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder, beat further.
Add sour cream and stir to combine.
Transfer to pan.

Melt cream cheese in microwave.
Add sugar and egg. mix well.
Pour over brownie mixture.
Using a small spoon, make swirl.
Bake for about 40-50 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack, cool.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Piroshki

About 30 small Piroshki

Dough:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 ounce dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water for egg wash.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
Make a well in flour mixture and add milk, egg, oil and yeast.
Using your hands, combine to make a soft dough.
Knead for about 10 minutes.
Cover dough and let it rise for 1 hour - needs to double in volume.
On a flat surface, shape dough in a large log.
With a sharp knife, slice a desired amount and roll into a ball.
Flatten dough, using your finger to make a round disk.
Place some meat filling in the middle and pinch all around to secure the dough.
Brush dough with egg wash.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange piroshki on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake for about 14 minutes or until golden brown.


Filling:
1 1/2 lb ground meat
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic clove, finely minced
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil.
Brown onion.
Add garlic.
Add meat, brown until meat is fully cooked.
Add carrot and celery, cook further.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Let simmer for about an hour.
Let mixture cool before using it.