Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

This is a great ice cream idea for summer days, very easy recipe using the basic ingredients I used also here or here. These days is really hot in the Netherlands, well is a heat wave in all over the north Europe, so was a great chance to make an ice cream. The idea actually came cause I did pink lemonade and I thought could be even more better to make the ice cream version. I use to make pink lemonade quite often, it is a regular lemonade with a light pink colored, which just gives a nice color to the drink. Traditionally coloured with cranberry or granadine,  I used raspberries but you can use the redfruit you wish. This ice cream tastes delicious and so creamy. Ready to make yours?

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

It was quite a long time I'm not publishing cupcakes, so today I come with these which I use to make quite a lot and few weeks ago I enjoyed with some friends for the afternoon tea. These banana cupcakes with chocolate sponge are simply great. After the coconut recipe those are one of my favorites and one I use to make the most, so if you like banana and chocolate do not doubt and try them.

Cherry Cake and Photography Workshop

Before starting with the recipe I want to explain you my experience in the culinary photography workshop I attended last saturday. That was organized by Luisa Morón and Raquel Carmona, professional photographers and both of them with incredible blogs. Do not forget to visit their sites if you don't know them yet. If you do you will know that beside amazing photographers are very nice persons and it was a privilege to know them. The workshop took place in VerdeMandarina, the paradise of Greengate in Barcelona. I knew that place already from a previous visit, and it was nice to meet again Barbara, the owner of the shop. She is an incredible nice person and has a wonderful shop in Gracia district, one of my favorite areas  in Barcelona.

I was so excited and looking forward to attend it, but I'm even more excited now after the fantastic day I spent. In the morning was time for theory, later a break to lunch all together and in the afternoon the practice. The teachers solved a lot of problems I had before, also they give us lot of tricks I am putting in practice already. I hope to see the results little by little. I spent a lovely day learning and sharing with the rest of the group: Ester from La Cuinera, Olga de Nina's Kitchen, Carlota from Little Things and Co, Maria José from Dit i Fet, Clara from Entrando en la Cocina con Claire, Glória from Gourmenderies, Maragda from La quinta de luculus, Manuela from Las Recetas de Manu, Marta from Sweet Hamonie, Letizia from Friarielli and Sound, Silvia de Pie in the Sky and Miguel from Pebrots Verds was also there. All of them incredible people. Thanks all of you guys, hope to have the chance to meet you again.

But the day could not finish better, after the workshop we went to the opening of the new shop of Tescoma and some of the big cookers were there and I took some pictures with Paco Torreblanca and Jordi Cruz, you can see it pressing here, I'm so happy. Ada Parellada and Ismael Prados were also there.  An unforgettable day.

So if you are thinking to make a photography workshop I totally recommend you to visit Balance de Blancos and don't doubt to do it.

Well after this feature let's go with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS makes a 24 cm pan
140 g self-raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
50 g golden caster sugar
1 egg
60 ml whole milk
85g butter, melted
350g cherries

Crumble for the topping
70 g plain flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
50 g golden caster sugar
40 g butter, at room temperature, diced

For the topping, mix all ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips until the mixture turns to breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Pit the cherries and remove the stalks, keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 160º and grease a 24 cm round cake pan, about 5 cm deep. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool down. Sift the flour and the cinnamon into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix it well. Make a hole in the centre and add the egg, milk and melted butter, combine with hand whisker, also posible with an electric one. Beat well to make a thick and smooth mixture. Pour the batter into the pan. Level the batter using a spatula and spread the cherries into the batter and press them gently. Cover with the topping and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crumble is brown and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Let it cool completly on a wire rack.

Recipe adapted of this recipe

Strawberry Lemon Tartlets

Hello! what's about your summer? July has started and I can imagine lot of you are already maybe on vacation or at least enjoying some relaxed days, the blogger world starts to be little bit quieter. I'm enjoying this week in Barcelona with my family and I have a good news to tell you, I've won the monthly price of La Cuinera. The chanllege of June was a "healthy recipe". So I had not doubts I was going to present a smoothie and what a surprise my green smoothie became the winner. If you don't know the blog of La Cuinera I encourage you to visit her site where you will find wonderful recipes, tricks and expiriences of a real cook.

Today I show you some tartlets I did few weeks ago, I used strawberries to decorate but certainly you can add any fruit you wish. I love vanilla pastry cream but with lemon flavour is absolutly delicious. You can make the custard with lemon instead vanilla but I rather add some lemon curd once the pastry is cooled.

INGREDIENTS makes 4 tartlets of 8 cm or a 24 cm one

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1 cup milk 

1/2 tbs vanilla extract or vanilla bean 

2 large egg yolks 

50 g sugar 

15 g cornstarch  

lemon curd

Bring the milk and vanilla in a saucepan until starts boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Whisk egg yolks until smooth and reserve. Put sugar and cronstarch in a saucepan and add gradually the milk mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thikens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.  Whisking constantly to prevent curdling, slowly pour one-third of milk mixture into egg yolks. Pour mixture into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough.  Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly on surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Before using whisk to soften slightly.

For the curst (recipe adapted of Martha Stewart)
160 g all-purpose flour
20 g sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk

Beat de egg yolk in a separate bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on a medium speed about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour, cocoa and salt, continue mixing and finally add the yolk and process until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into a disk, and warp in plastic and refigerate 1 hour up to 2 days. Can also be freezed up to 3 months.

Preparation of Tartlets:

On a floured surface, roll out dough and fill the tart pans. Trim and pierce bottoms with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180º. 

Bake until edge are golden, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and continue baking until crusts are golden brown over, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Mix the custard with some tablespoons of lemon curd. Fill tart shells halway with pastry cream and top with sliced strawberries. Serve immediatley or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

I'm so excited because on saturday I'm going to assist to a culinary photography workshop of Balance de Blancos, next post I will tell you my experience.

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Have a nice week ♥♥♥