Goat Cheese Red Pepper Tart

Because tarts aren't just for desserts! I love savory tarts, are perfect as a side dish or a simple dinner. The red pepper colour looks gorgeous, don't you think so? I'm also a big fan of goat cheese, but I know that half of the world hates it (I really can't understand!) but if you are one of those please try with ricotta, or any other soft and light cheese at your taste, if you don't like cheese at all, you have no idea what are you missing!
I addapted the recipe from here.

Goat Cheese Red Pepper Tart

makes a 20 cm pan
For the crust: 
150g plain flour
50g cornmeal flour
100g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
1 large egg

Mix the flours and the salt in a large bowl, add the butter and mix it using your fingers. You can also use a food processor but you can easly do it by hand. Beat the egg a separate bowl and fold it in the mixture kneading well. Finally add the lemon juice and if the dough is still too dry you can add some cold water.  Shape the sough into a ball and wrap it with film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the filling:
250 g goat cheese
1 large egg
fresh thyme
a handful of fresh basil
2 large red sweet peppers
salt and pepper
honey

Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Using a rolling pin roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cover the a removable bottom baking pan and press into the bottoms and sides. Prick bottom with a fork,

Mix the goatcheese, the egg and the fresh thyme in a bowl until smooth. Spread evenly at the bottom of the tart. Cover with a a single layer of fresh basil leaves over the goat cheese. Top with the peppers over the basil leaves. Finally drizzle with the honey all  over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes, until the crust is slighlty golden and the peppers are done. Remove from the oven and let it set and cool for few minutes before serving. 

For more savory tarts check the pear and blue cheese tartlets, or a salmon and spinach quiche, or the goat cheese and caramelized tart,

Hope you enjoy it!

Treacle Tart

Last weekend was my birthday (I was born on a 29th February) and I have to confess that I still did not have a proper cake but I spent the weekend in London! Oh my favourite city in Europe! I will never get tired to visit it, I love it! There is somthing new to discover or even in London, but I went bacl to Peggy Porschen to have an afternoon tea and I had dinner in a Jamie's Italian, so as you can see it was a quite of a perfect celebration.
So today I'm here with a traditional English dessert, the treacle tart, a tart prepared with a shortcrust pastry and with a filling made of golden syrup. breadcrumbs and lemon. The golden syrup is also known as treacle. If you are a Harry Potter lover probably you remember this tart. It is normally served hot or warm with a scoop of cream, ice cream or clotted cream.

Treacle Tart

makes a 20 cm pan
Shortcurst Pastry: 
250g plain flour
115g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix the flour, the butter and the salt in a bowl using your fingers. You can also use a food processor but you can easly do it by hand. Best the eggs yolks in a separate bowl and fold them in the mixture kneading well. Finally add the lemon juice and if the dough is still too dry you can add some cold water.  Shape the sough into a ball and wrap it with film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the filling:
350 g golden syrup
50 g melted butter
75 ml heavy cream
1 large egg
a pinch of salt
125 g breadcrumbs
zest of on lemon

Heat syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until loose. Remove from heat and stir in the melted butter, the bread crumbs, the cream, egg, the salt and the lemon zest. Keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Using a rolling pin roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cover the a removable bottom baking pan and press into the bottoms and sides. Prick bottom with a fork,

Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with dried beans, bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes.

Remove paper and beans and bake for 10 minutes more until light brown. Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake until filling is just set, about 40 minutes.

Serve them wram with some cream or a scoop of icecream. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Spinach and Ricotta Empanadas

I love empanadas! any filling is perfect for me, but you know how delicious is the combination of spinach and ricotta. You can use any othe cheese you like, but a soft cheese such as goat or cottage cheese match perfect for empanadas. I specially love the pastry I used, this pastry is a recipe from Lorraine Pascale, and you can make it use for any variation of empanadas, and the most important are baked in the oven, so no fried! better right?
They are perfect for a starter or a snack, I used some greek yogur with harisha for the dipping, it makes this little snack even better.

Spinach and Ricotta Empanadas

Pastry: 
180g plain flour
60g cornmeal flour
115g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
2 egg large

Mix the flours, the butter and the salt in a bowl using your fingers. You can also use a food processor but you can easly do it by hand. Beat the eggs n a separate bowl and fold them in the mixture and knead it well.  Shape the sough into a ball and wrap it with film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the filling:
400 g spinach
4 shallots onions
1 garlic clove
60 g roasted pine nuts
100 g ricotta
zest of a lemon
fesh nutmeg
salt and pepper

Cook the spinach in a pan with some oil, add some salt an pepper and cook until they are wilted. Squeeze them and chop them with a knife or in a food processor. Set aside.
Chop de onions and the garlic and fry them with some oil on a low heat. Once is cooked mix in the spinach, the lemon zest and let it cool down for a while. Mix in the the ricotta, some more salt and pepper, nutmeg and the roasted pine nuts. Put it in the fridge while you prepare the dough.

Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut squares, about 8 cm.
Prepare the baking tray with baking paper and grease is with some oil or spray.
Put a spoon of the filling in the middle and moist the sides of the squares with some water, fold them into triangle and press slightly the sides. Place the empanadas on the tray and bake them 15-20 minutes until they get golden brown.
Serve them wram with some dipping sauce. 

An other suggestion with spinach and ricotta check out this quiche.

Enjoy!

Persimmon Galette

What a gorgeous fruit, don't you think so? I love persimmons and with a galette even better. I specially like of galettes the old fashion look and the freedom of the shape, it is the best way to avoid lining a tin and get a perfect fruit tart in a very short time.
You can easily use any fruit at your taste such as plum, apple, pear... I also rather not to peal the fruit, but feel free to do it.

Persimmon Galette

Pastry: 
250g of flour
35g almond flour
125g cold unsalted butter
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg large yolks
2 tablespoons whole milk

Mix the flour and the almond flour in a bowl with the butter, use a food processor, you can also use your hands, knead until breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks, the sugar and the pinch of salt and mix it well. Finally add the milk and form a ball, Wrap it with plastic foil and let rest in the refrigerator 30 minutes.

For the base:
25g almonds
10g flour
20g sugar

For the filling:
4 ripe persommons sliced
3 tablespoons
1 egg yolk

Prepare the baking tray with baking sheet. Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave it warm up for a little. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface, transfer to a baking tray.
Crush the almonds until small pieces, mix in the flour and the sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the the dough, just the center where you will places the fruit.
Place the fruit slices all over and leaving a border of about 4cm. Fold the edge of the dough over the fruit and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180º
Remove the tray from the fridge, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the fruit. Brush the dough with a wisked egg yolk and sprinke the remaining sugar all over the dough.
Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, leave it cool for a while and serve it warm. 

Best served with a big spoon of whipped cream or a scoop of icecream.

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart

So finally here I start again with the first recipe of the year. I took a long blog break and I enjoyed the xmas holidays and the rest of the weekends in between, I only have time to take pictures no weekends, so I'm planning to publish every two weeks instead on a weekly basis, this is still a decision I need to think about I will keep you informed :)
So the recipe today is one of those I specially like, a savory tart. You know already how tasty is the caramelized onion with the goat cheese and I totally recommend you to try this quiche version. Last wekend I saw on a cooking show this version and I did not doubt to try and add the cumin taste.

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart

makes 20 cm pan 

Pastry: check the recipe here

Filling:
200 g red onion, finely sliced
15 g soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan and slightly crunched
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt, peper and olive oil

2 large eggs
125 ml double cream
200 g goat cheese
fresh rosemery

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough a cover bottoms and press into the bottoms and sides and pierce the bottoms of the tin all over with a fork. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Cook the onion gently in a pan with olive oil, alt and peper and heat until softened. Add the sugar and the cumin and cook until golden brown, they will start to have a jam consistency, add the vinegar and increase the heat and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.

Now blind bake the base for 8-10 minutes.

In a bowl beat the eggs and the cream, salt, pepper and the chopped rosemery. Mix in the onion mixture and pour in the pan. Top with the sliced goat cheese and bake for 30 mintues until brown golden.

Remove form the oven, allow to cool down for a while before serving.

Recipe adapted from here. 

If yoy like this kind of savory cakes do not miss this tomato tart or this salmon quiche.

Enjoy!

Naked Cranberry Cake

Thinking about xmas recipes right? Here you a delicious cake with cranberries, I decided to make a naked cake and decorate with fresh cranberries which looks perfect for these holiday seasson. But if you rather not use frosting it will be also a good choice perfect fro breakfast or an afternoon tea. This recipe is adapted from this loaf cake.
What's about your preparation for Chistmas?

Cranberry Cake

makes 20 cm pan
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200 g white sugar
200 g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking  powder
a pinch of salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
3 large eggs

125 g heavy cream
125 g mascarpone
150 g fresh cranberries
100 g white chocolate, in chunks

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Sift the flour, the baking powder and the salt in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, the mascarpone and the heavy cream mixing well at the time.   Add the vanilla, the eggs, one by one and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat just until wel combined. Do not over mix.
Add the white chocolate and the cranberries and incorporate with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the greased pan, level with a spatula and place it on the preheated oven in the middle tray. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.Remove the cake from the  pan and cool on the rack.

filling
50 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100 g cream cheese
100 g mascarpone
150 g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract teaspoon, I use this one
dried and fresh cranberries to

With a mixer cream the butter add the sifted powder sugar gradually and cream until smooth and pale. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the cheeses and mix until incorporated, do not overmix to avoid the frosting becomes to liquid.
Cut the cake in layers, spread a good dollop of the cheese cream frosting, spread out using a palette knife and if you wish sprinkle some dried cranberries all over. Repet the same on the top layer.

I top with some fresh cranberries, to give the snow effect, wash the cranberries with cold water and roll them on granulated sugar. 

This has been my last recipe before Christmas and also probably the last of the year. But I will be anyway very active in facebook and instagram.  So for all of you who celebrate Christmas, and even those who do not, I wish you all the best and Merry Xmas!   ♥

Ginger Cookies

Today I'm back with an other recipe with ginger, this flavored cookies is a perfect treat for Christmas afternoon teas. They are lightly crunchy outside and chewy inside.

Ginger Cookies

makes 24 cookies
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 g brown sugar
200 g all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of molasses
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
a pinch of salt
more sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Sift the flour, the baking powder, the spices and the salt in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla , the fresh ginger and the egg, beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat just until wel combined. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and gently form balls of 22 g. Gently roll the balls of dough in sugar, place them on a non-stick or parchment paper, make sure you leave space in between. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let them on the tray for 1 minute and  transfer on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. 

It´s only 2 weeks to go for Christmas eve!

Have a nice week  ♥

Ginger Brownies

Finally I'm back two weeks after my last recipe, but I've been quite busy these days. But here I'm with a delicious brownies, this one has a special hint, ginger. I adapted this recipe from Albert Heijn magazine. The original is with stem ginger, I did it also with fresh ginger but  defenitely I rather use crystallized ginger.
What's about your Christmas preparation? We set up the Christmas tree last Sunday, even traditionally in the Netherlands you do it after the 5th.

Ginger Brownies

makes a tin 23x23 cm
250 g chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa, broken into chunks
150 g butter at room temperature
175 g sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
75 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
a pinch of salt
75 g plain flour, sifted
75 g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
cocoa powder for serving

Preheat the oven to 180º.
Line a square cake tin with baking paper and butter it or better use spray.
Melt the chocolate with half of the butter in a bain marie or at very low power in the microwave. Set aside to let it cool.
In a large bowl cream the sugar with the remain butter. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one by one. Beat until well mixed.
Stir in the chocolate, the nuts and the ginger using a spatula. Carefully fold in the flour.
Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake the for 35-40 minutes, insert a skewer and this should come out just with few crumbs. Do not over bake.
Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of icecream or whipped cream.
Dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar. 

I'm going to spend this weekend in Munich, I think it's going to be freezing but I'm looking foward to visit its xmas market, so if you have any suggestion let me know!

Enjoy!

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake

Next 15t November is the National Bundt Cake Day and here is my suggestion for you, a delicious apple and walnut cake with covered with caramel frosting.

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake

Makes 24 cm bundt cake tin
300 ml soft olive oil
320 g white sugar
3 large eggs
400 g self-rasing flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
100 g walnuts, chopped
3 big apples, peeled and cubbed

Preheat the oven to 180º and grease the tin.
Sift the flour, the ground spices and the salt in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the oil and the sugar in the mixer large bowl, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each one.
Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, do not overmix.
Finally add the walnuts and the apple and mix it with a spatula.
Pour the mixture into the tin, level with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Place the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove the tin and leave it to cool down on the wire rack while you do the topping.

Caramel topping
100 g light brown sugar
75 g unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
80 ml heavy cream
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
150 g icing sugar

Melt the cubbed butter in a pan in a medium heat. Add the sugar and the salt, once disolved add the double cream. Bring it to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heating and allow to cool down for a while.
Sift the icing sugar and add to the caramel, beat well until smooth and distribute it all over the cake. 

If you like apple have a look at this french apple tart, the dutch one, this crumble or this loaf cake. Let me know if you try any of them! 

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is the tradicional northen Italy sauce usually made with basil, pesto Genovese. There are other variations with any other green such as rucula, sage or like my today's suggestion with swiss chard and rosemary. I also substitute the pine nuts by almonds and hazelnuts. I love to eat pasta with any type of pesto, but pesto combines also perfect with salads, with grilled fish or chicken, or even with baked potatoes. It is really easy to make, In  my case I used the traditional method in a mortar, but you can use a food processor and you will enjoy a lovely and fresh pesto sauce in less than two minutes. But I would suggest you to try it with the mortar and have a look to here if you really want to know the difference, I totally agree!

Swiss Chard and Rosemary Pesto

Makes enough for 6 servings
100 g swiss chard baby (or any other green)
rosmery, finely chopped
50 g  almonds and hazelnuts
60 g Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese (or both)
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt, to taste

Chop the garlic and the rosemery very small. Place some of the nuts in the mortar with the green leaves and grind all over in circles until all is crushed. Add the rest of the greens, the nuts, the garlic and the salt and keep it working. Once the paste is done mix in the cheese and finally slowly add olive oil and continue stiring, 

If you use the food processor, combine the swiss chard, the rosmery, the nuts and the salt, until coarsely chopped. Do not overmix otherwise it will oxidize. Add some oil and pulse until smooth. Place it in a bowl and mix in the grated cheese.

We can also keep it in an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top and store it in the freezer. I always remove the green germ of the garlic, but just keep it if you like it. 

I ate it with pasta, I top with some extra cheese and dried tomato. Try to do your own pesto at home, as you can see is really easy.

Have a nice week.

Sweet Potato Pie

Today I share with you an other fall recipe. Sweet potato pie is a traditional dish from the United States, usually served during the celebration of the Thanksgiving. It is extremely sweet but with a layer of the cream cheese gives a perfect balance of flavours. Actually it is a variety of the pumpkin pie, so you can perfectly substitute the sweet potato for pumpkin, that would be a nice idea for Halloween.

Cream Cheese Sweet Potato Pie

Makes 24 cm bundt cake tin
Crust
340 g flour
200 g cold butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Cream cheese filling

400 g cream cheese
90 g white sugar
1 large egg

Sweet potato filling

375 g sweet potato puree
125 g golden caster sugar
125 ml heavy cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves
2 eggs
a pinch of salt

Topping

50 g flour
25 g golden caster sugar
25 g unsalted cold butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
40 g hazelnut, crushed

Clean and peal the sweet potato, cube it and place it in a pan covered with boiling water, heat until is soft. Remove the water and process in a food processor until smooth. Alow to cool down and place it in the fridge.

In the meanwhile make the crust. Combine all the ingredients for the crust, better if you use your hands. Shape the dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and line a buttered tin. Trim and pierce bottoms with a fork. Put it back in the fridge.

Mix the cream cheese with the sugar and the beaten egg. Place this mixture in over the crust of the tin and place it in the fridge. Do not overmix otherwise the mixture will turn too liquid and the sweet potato mixture will go into the cream cheese. You can also put it in the freezer while you preapare the other mixture. It is very important that the cream cheese is very cold.

In a separate bowl make the sweet potato filling. Put the sweet potato puree, add all the spices, the sugar and the salt and mix well. Add the cream and the beaten eggs an combine.

Add the sweet potato mixture over the cream chesse, level with a spatula. Place it in the oven for 30 minutes.

For the crumble combine the flour, crushed hazelnuts, the sugar, the cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter and blend with your fingertips until the mixture turns to breadcrumbs.

After 30 minutes in the oven sprinkle the crumble and bake for 20 minutes more or until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the crust is golden brown. Let it cool and refrigerate for 4 hours to seto

You can top with some whipped cream and ground cinnamon before serving.

For more fall recipes check here.

Have a nice week.

Pumpkin Soup

This rich and tasty soup is perfect for the fall season and any cold day. It is extremly easy to make. There are a large of varieties to make this soup. Before I used to make pumpkin soup with heavy whipped cream, but a friend of mine suggested me to use coconut cream instead and she was right, it's delicious! 

This is perfect to serve for Halloween in an empty small pumpkin as a bowl. 

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4-6
800 g pumpkin puree (I used a whole pumpkin about 1 kg)
200 ml coconut milk
vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves
1 medium onion
a pinch of grated ginger
a pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper, to taste
pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional

For the pumpkin puree you will need about 1 kg of pumpkin to get 800 g of puree. Put the peeled and cubed pumpkin in a medium saucepan covered with the stock and heat it until the pumpkin is slightly soft. 

In the meanwhile heat the chopped onion in a pan with some oil for few minutes on a low heat. After add the garlic and let it slowly simmer. 

Once the pumpkin is done remove some of the stock and keep aside, maybe we will need it later. Add the ginger, the nutmeg, some salt. pepper, the onion mixture and make the puree using a blender. 

Finally stir in the coconut milk and bring it to heat for a while without boiling. If it's think you can add some extra stock. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

Garnish with some pumpkin seeds 

The quantity of the stok it will depend of the thickness you like your cream.

If you like pumpkin check out this quiche, or this spiced jam or the loaf.