August 2010 is going to be a big month in baking land as Sugar High Fridays is joining up with The Daring Kitchen to bring you a joint event!

SHF #68 is being hosted by the talented Elissa of 17 and Baking (her blog is gorgeous!). The theme is Browned Butter or Beurre Noisette. Elissa has all the details on her blog.

SHF is an event started by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess and it’s an honour for The Daring Kitchen to be part of this month’s edition. So how does the DK figure in, you ask?

Simple. If you’re a Daring Baker, then when you check the private forum today, you’ll see that there’s a very special challenge for August.

The world won’t know what it is until reveal day on August 27th, but it promises to be big!

If you’re not a Daring Baker already, no worries. You can always join The Daring Kitchen and while you won’t be able to participate in this month’s DB challenge (the deadline for joining in time for this month is passed), remember you can still take part in the SHF challenge!

Ciao!

Note: To catch up on this event and other food events, check out a great site called The Food Blog Diary run by Jacqueline. You can submit any events you like to Jacqueline at tinnedtomatoes{@}gmail{dot}com.

Je suis en retard.

I am late.

Sweet (and I mean SWEET) Fanny of Foodbeam was the host for this month’s edition of Sugar High Friday. The deadline was September 26.

But today is September 28.

Hmmm …

Since her theme is cupcakes, I am hoping (quite shamelessly) that I can entice Fanny to include me by bribing her with Cinnamon Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.

Here’s hoping it works.

S’il vous plaît, Fanny?

Ciao!

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cupcakes:

I used a basic yellow cake recipe to make these cupcakes. The recipe I used comes from Tish Boyle’s The Cake Book, but you can find great yellow cake recipes all over the web. Try this one, for example. I altered my recipe by baking half of it in mini paper cups and the other half in a 9-inch cake pan.

For the frosting:

1 pckg. cream cheese (8 ounces), at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup caramel sauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together at high speed until light (about 2 minutes).

Lower the speed and add the vanilla extract and caramel sauce. Mix well.

With the speed on low, add the icing sugar until incorporated and then increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for 2 minutes.

Apply liberally to the base of your choice. Or eat with spoon.

Enjoy!

Sugar High Friday is one of my favourite events and yet I always seem to miss the opportunity to participate. However, when I saw that my Helene was hosting this month’s edition and that the theme she’d chosen was Citrus, I just had to make time!

I contemplated a number of very complicated desserts but instead settled on a simple cookie that is perfect for a tea party because to me, the spring is the perfect time for a tea party. The original recipe for these lovely little bites is from Issue 22 of the Donna Hay Magazine.

Called Pistachio and Lemon Bites, the cookies are very similar to other butter and nut-based cookies like Mexican Wedding Cakes. But these have a lovely lemony flavour and scent as well as a very appealing colour thanks to the pistachios.

I made these cookies over a week ago and I kept thinking about how to present them in this post. I tried to come up with some interesting angles but in the end I decided that there’s not much to say beyond this: Just as Helene provides so much light and flavour and enjoyment with her blog and baking, so do these cookies provide the perfect taste of butter, nuts and lemon.

Just enjoy them.

Ciao!

Pistachio and Lemon Bites
From Issue 22 of Donna Hay Magazine.

Note: This recipe makes about 30 cookies. The original recipe made a very dry and crumbly dough so I tweaked it a bit.

12 tbsp. unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks of butter), at room temperature
3 tbsp. superfine sugar (also called fruit sugar)
1/2 cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted), chopped (not too finely)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
icing sugar (for dusting)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) and mix on high speed until very light and fluffy (5 minutes).

Add the pistachios and vanilla extract and mix on high speed for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the flour and lemon rind and mix on low speed until the dough begins to come together.

Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden. If not, bake for a few minutes more.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before rolling in icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: sugar high friday

***
Updated on October 1, 2007:

It came to my attention that I forgot an entrant for SHF #35 and for this I apologize profusely.

S. of the blog The Student Stomach sent along some Roasted Fig Dumplings that have to be seen to be believed. They’re mouth-watering!

Thanks, S.!

***

When Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess e-mailed me in July, 2006 telling me that if I wanted to host Sugar High Friday in September 2007, I was thrilled. I couldn’t believe it would take over a year for me to host, but I was thrilled nonetheless.

As I thought about what theme to choose, I was at a loss. It seemed that virtually every angle of the idea of “sweet” had been covered. It was then that the idea of figs came to mind. I love figs and have had the pleasure of eating a freshly picked fig. It’s one of nature’s greatest treats.

I’ll admit that I was a bit worried as I know that figs are not readily available in many places and even if they are, they can be quite expensive. But I hoped that offering people the choice of fresh or dried figs (or any fig product for that matter) would be enough to inspire them.

You have made my greatest hopes come true! The turnout for this event astonished me and I was repeatedly surprised (pleasantly) at the variety of desserts sent my way. Food bloggers are truly some of the most creative and brilliant people out there.

Without further delay, I give you the round-up for Sugar High Friday #35: The Beautiful Fig.

Fresh Fig Frangipane Tart from Katie of Apple & Spice.
Gorgeous fresh figs baked in an almondy filling and a buttery crust. Life doesn’t get much better than this!

Thanks, Katie!

Fresh Fig Pound Cake from Caroline of A Consuming Passion.
Beautiful fresh figs baked into an almondy tart. Talk about inspiration!

Thanks, Caroline!

Grilled Figs with Honey and Greek Yoghurt from Zorra of Kochtopf.
Zorra is my bread-baking inspiration. But for this event she’s also inspired me to grill fresh figs!

Thanks, Zorra!

Fig-filled Streusel Coffee Cake from Georgia of Mocktale.
Any excuse to bake a coffee cake is good enough for me. Georgia has given me an excellent one to bake this gorgeous cake!

Thanks, Georgia!

Vegan Polenta Banana-Fig Cake from Sarah of What Smells So Good?
I can tell you what smells so good. It’s this cake! I keep telling myself I have to bake with polenta more and Sarah has given me inspiration to do so.

Thanks, Sarah!

Figgy Cookie Sandwiches from Sunita of Sunita’s World.
Any time you can sandwich a cookie together, I’m okay with that. But when you sandwich the cookies together with figs and white chocolate - well now I’m just drooling! And as if the cookies weren’t enough, Sunita submitted a second entry: Eggless Figgy-Oatey-Orangey Upside Down Cake!

Thanks, Sunita!

Fig and Sesame Seed Jam from Vicki of A Work in Progress.
She has two fig trees in her backyard … I’m so jealous! Thanks for the jam!

Thanks, Vicki!

Fig, Date and Walnut Scrolls from Nora of Life’s Smörgåsbord.
It was such a treat to read about Nora’s first experience with figs and of course the scrolls only made it better.

Thanks, Nora!

Simple Fig Jam with Vanilla and Rum from Kate of Kate Hill - A French Kitchen Adventure.
Besides a beautiful recipe for jam, Kate provides so much for inspiration for the various dishes you can create with figs.

Thanks, Kate!

Fig Jam from Hippolyra of Fuss Free Flavours.
Not only was I surprised by how many recipes for fig jam I received, I was thrilled! Hippolyra’s jam is no exception.

Thanks, Hippolyra!

Fresh Fig Ice Cream from Sam of Becks & Posh.
Sam got her entry in early and I was thrilled because I got to look at the gorgeous picture of fresh fig ice cream over and over and over and over and over …

Thanks, Sam!

Mascarpone Figs from Emily of tomato_kumato.
Wow! That’s what I said when I saw Emily’s gorgeous photo of figs and mascarpone.

Thanks, Emily!

Fig Cake from Groetjes of In the Kitchen with van Arden.
While I’d happily learn Dutch just to read the post and directions to this cake, Groetjes did us a favour and posted it in English so that we can enjoy it!

Thanks, Groetjes!

Sticky Fig and Mango Pudding from Minko of Couture Cupcakes.
I was so taken aback by the pairing of fig and mango. I wish I could have tried it!

Thanks, Minko!

Fig and Concorde Grape Clafouti from Veronica of Veronica’s Test Kitchen.
I have yet to make a clafouti of my own and Veronica has given me a serious craving to do so with this gorgeous dessert.

Thanks, Veronica!

Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese from Karen of FamilyStyle Food.
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best. And people often forget that cheese can be served in a dessert as well. These figs showcase that perfectly.

Thanks, Karen!

Baked Organic Brie with Caramelized Rum Figs from Inge of Vanielje Kitchen.
All I have to say about this is when can I dig in???

Thanks, Inge!

Fresh Fig and Crisp Filo Tart from Marie of A Year From Oak Cottage.
Figs in filo sound incredible. Eating them from Oak Cottage sounds even better!

Thanks, Marie!

Fig and Almond Custard Tart from Kyla of Omnivore Herbivore Carnivore.
After this event I’m more convinced than ever that figs and almonds are the perfect pairing. This tart proves that!

Thanks, Kyla!

Fig & Anise French Macaroons from Brian of Caramel Cook.
I’ve never had an authentic macaron but Brian sure is tempting me. These are gorgeous!

Thanks, Brian!

Figs with Mascarpone and Walnuts from Nicisme of Cherrapeno.
Hurrah for someone else that got to try the joy of fresh figs! And again, the elegant presentation proves that you don’t have to go overboard with figs.

Thanks, Nicisme!

Fresh Fig Ice Cream from Nabeela of Trial and Error.
What an absolutely beautiful colour on that ice cream! I can only imagine how refreshing it was.

Thanks, Nabeela!

Provencal Sundae from Gayle of :pastry studio.
I can’t remember the last time that I had a sundae and this gorgeous dessert just about sent me right out to the nearest ice cream shop!

Thanks, Gayle!

Goat Cheese and Fig Cake with Fig Mascarpone Verrine from Helene of Tartelette.
My sweet Tartelette sent me the most incredible cake! I was so pleased by the addition of goat cheese and the verrine was new and interesting.

Thanks, Helene!

Friendship Cake from Arfi of Homemades.
Who wouldn’t want to be Arfi’s friend with a cake like this?!

Thanks, Arfi!

Fig Swirl Biscuits from Anh of Food Lover’s Journey.
It’s always such a pleasure to see Anh’s creations and these biscuits are no exception.

Thanks, Anh!

Stuffed Fig and Plum Clafouti from Pat of Feeding My Enthusiams.
I think someone is trying to tell me that I should make a clafouti. Pat combines figs and plums for a delectable pairing.

Thanks, Pat!

Figs from Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi.
Sometimes the fig on its own is dessert in and of itself. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks, Bee and Jai!

Flowery Fig Fools from Amanda of Little Foodies.
Beautiful! Just beautiful!

Thanks, Amanda!

Grilled Figs with Laurel Leaves from Erika of Sweet Pea.
From a blog named after my favourite flower comes a lovely dessert featuring my favourite herb.

Thanks, Erika!

Warm Fig and Thyme Crisp with Fig Syrup from Michelle of Je Mange La Ville!
I’d “mange” this in a heartbeat. What a beautiful dessert!

Thanks, Michelle!

Fig Cream Cheese Bars from Polly of Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy.
Figs and cream cheese … mmmm!

Thanks, Polly!

Fresh Fig Tartlets with Mascarpone from Amanda of Figs Olives Wine.
Just beautiful! They’re almost like a work of art.

Thanks, Amanda!

Caramelized Figs with Spicy Yogurt from Anne of Anne’s Food.
Once again proving that simplest is best Anne pairs a very intriguing yogurt with lovely figs.

Thanks, Anne!

Fig Cookies and Fig Tarts from Maddy of Honey Pot.
Maddy was a busy girl! The cookies and the tarts are so delicious.

Thanks, Maddy!

Fig and Rosemary Cornmeal Tart from Connie of Life Love Chocolate.
What a beautiful reminder of how delicious cornmeal is in a crust and of how even more delicious figs are in that crust.

Thanks, Connie!

Pear and Fig Charlotte from Eric of Do You Know the Muffin Man?
My fellow George Brown buddy dropped in with this beautiful charlotte, another dessert I’ve never tried. Thanks for the inspiration!

Thanks, Eric!

Fig-Blackberry Cornmeal Cake with Port Wine Reduction from Nan of Tuesday’s Gone.
Nan overcomes her “fig fear” in a big way with this lovely cake.

Thanks, Nan!

Chocolate Fig and Ginger Cake from Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen.
Another interesting pairing: figs, chocolate and ginger. Can I have the cake to myself?

Thanks, Cakelaw!

A Fig Cake for Fall from Manuela of Suessschnabel.
I’ll take this cake any time of year!

Thanks, Manuela!

Fig Biscotti from Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything … At Least Once.
I always thought that figs would go well in biscotti and Haalo proved me right!

Thanks, Haalo!

Figgy Bars from VeggieGirl of VeggieGirl.
Talk about delicious and healthy!

Thanks, VeggieGirl!

Chestnut Honey Panna Cotta with Homemade Fig Jam from Esther of Boxcar Kitchen.
I never imagined fig jam would be so popular but I’m glad that it is. Esther, you’ve created such a luscious jam and all I can say about the panna cotta is that I’m drooling!

Thanks, Esther!

Figgy Brownies from Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas.
The Queen of All Things Dorie made some pretty creative brownies. But why haven’t I received mine yet???

Thanks, Brilynn!

Red Wine and Vanilla Poached Dried Figs and Mascarpone Semifreddo from Linda of Make Life Sweeter!
Oh, Linda! You can bring this semifreddo right on over to me. Delicious!

Thanks, Linda!

Fig and Walnut Loaf from Mary of Alpineberry.
My sweet fellow Daring Baker Mary made this moist loaf. I wish I could have tried some with a cup of tea.

Thanks, Mary!

Chocolate-Fig Pecan Bars from Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.
Another chocolate/fig pairing. And with pecans. My favourite! I love these bars!

Thanks, Peabody!

Goat Cheese and Fig Clafoutis from Monica of Pastry Princess.
Monica, with these clafoutis you could be Queen!

Thanks, Monica!

Fresh Figs with Mascarpone and Walnuts from Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz.
My sweet Paz came to SHF with a familiar treat that she improved by miles.

Thanks, Paz!

Fig and Honey Cookies from Joey of 80 Breakfasts.
Could I dip every single one of those delicious cookies in a big glass of milk? Yes, I think I could!

Thanks, Joey!

Honey Panna Cotta with Grilled Figs and Fig and Huckleberry Tart from Anita of Dessert First.
What beautiful tributes to the fig! I don’t know what to eat first!

Thanks, Anita!

Poached Figs in Spiced Red Wine with Buttermilk Ice Cream from Tania of The Candied Quince.
Tania returns to blogging with this incredible dessert. I got to eat it first hand!

Thanks, Tania!

Brandy and Honey Figs from Jennifer of Like to Cook.
Mmmm … brandy and figs. I’d never thought of that combination but it sounds divine.

Thanks, Jennifer!

Fig and Almond Frangipane Tart from Rose of 64 sq. ft. Kitchen.
What I wouldn’t give for a slice of this piece of heaven!

Thanks, Rose!

Homemade Fig Newtons from Quellia of All Things Edible.
I love me my fig newtons and these ones look great!

Thanks, Quellia!

Balsamic-glazed Figs with Honey-Vanilla Mascarpone from Jennifer of Weekly Dish.
I’m amazed at all the variations with mascarpone. The glaze on the figs is mouth-watering.

Thanks, Jennifer!

Lady Baltimore Cake from Elisabeth of A Pinch of This, A Dash of That.
As I told Elisabeth, she must have been reading my mind because I’d been thinking about Lady Baltimore Cake. Thanks for satisfying my craving.

Thanks, Elisabeth!

Fig and Peach Newtons from Katie of Other People’s Food.
Katie comes to her first SHF with a fantastic pairing of figs and peaches. Well done!

Thanks, Katie!

Honeyed Fig, Almond, Pear Tart with Cream Cheese and Marzipan from Gabi of The Feast Within.
There would be a feast in anyone’s mouth if they tried this tart.

Thanks, Gabi!

Fig Scones from Laurie of Quirky Cupcake.
I honestly never thought of adding figs to scones. I can only imagine how moist and sweet these are.

Thanks, Laurie!

Honey Cardamom Figs with Yogurt from Eva of The Golden Shrimp.
I love adding cardamom to the figs. What a great way to pair a fruit with a spice.

Thanks, Eva!

Figs in a Cherry Caramel Sauce from Meeta of What’s For Lunch Honey?
It took me awhile to go beyond Meeta’s gorgeous photos, but I’m glad I did. Cherries and honey together … I’m all over it!

Thanks, Meeta!

Red Wine and Pear Cream Tart with Fresh Black Mission Figs and Blackberry Coulis from Emilie of The Conscious Kitchen.
Another winning tart and I love the blackberry coulis!

Thanks, Emilie!

Fig Preserve Cake with Buttermilk Glaze from Lis (my sis) of La Mia Cucina.
I’d eat anything with that glaze on it. Anything!

Thanks, Lis!

Cucidati from Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction.
My sweet Liliana took the time out of getting ready for a trip to Italy to make these cookies. Now that’s fig love!

Thanks, Liliana!

Fig and Raspberry Compote Over Ice Cream from Steph of A Whisk and A Spoon.
I love all the fruit pairings with figs. Raspberries are another winner!

Thanks, Steph!

Spiced Fig Jam from Freda of Tudorpot.
Another luscious and interesting jam with figs!

Thanks, Freda!

Fig and Anise Ice Cream from Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity.
Figs and anise … oh yes, please!

Thanks, Dolores!

Obsession Scones from Melody of Fruit Tart.
Figs and coconut … oh yes, please!

Thanks, Melody!

Hib from FreshAdriaticFish of FreshAdriaticFish.
This entry takes the cake for the most original dessert. I’d never heard of this particular dish but am so intrigued.

Thanks, FreshAdriaticFish!

Fig Ice Cream from Mansi of Fun and Food.
I have serious ice cream craving now!

Thanks, Mansi!

Fig X Cookies from Rose of Rose’s Recipes.
X definitely marks the sweet spot with these cookies!

Thanks, Rose!

Fig Baklava Turnovers from Nicole of Audaciousness.
I’m amazed at how creative everyone has been! These turnovers are no exception. They look so crispy and delicious!

Thanks, Nicole!

Chilled Honeydew Soup with Fresh Figs and Orange Blossom-Scented Crème Fraiche from Meredith of Cooking 101.
Oh, Meredith! The soup! The figs! The crème fraiche!

Thanks, Meredith!

Fig Pomegranate Hamantashen from Rachel of Vampituity.
As I mentioned on Rachel’s blog, the pomegranate and the fig together are so exciting! And in a traditional cookie to boot!

Thanks, Rachel!

Black or Green Fig Hazelnut Cake from Marla of Bella Baita View.
My favourite Pasticcera came through with a glorious cake featuring figs and one of my favourite nuts: the hazelnut!

Thanks, Marla!

And that’s it my friends! I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for answering the call so beautifully. You have impressed me with your creativity and with your love of figs.

As we say goodbye to SHF #35, we look forward to SHF #36. The host is Andrew of Spittoon Extra. Stay tuned to Andrew’s blog for the announcement of the next Sugar High Friday challenge!

Ciao!

Good evening, my friends!

There are just a few hours left before the deadline for SHF #35 passes. Get your entries in by midnight tonight. For those of you that may not make the deadline, just let me know and I’ll see if I can’t give you a bit of a Cream Puff reprieve!

I give you my final creation for SHF #35: The Beatiful Fig.

It’s a sweet focaccia topped with fresh figs and walnuts that have been drizzled with Grand Marnier and sprinkled liberally with brown sugar. Once baked, I blessed each fig with a dollop of mascarpone and then drizzled the entire mess with gorgeous honey!

For those of you that have already contributed to SHF #35, I thank you for your brilliance!

Ciao!

Technorati tags: sugar high friday, SHF #35, figs, mascarpone, focaccia

As we approach another weekend, I thought I’d give everyone a sweet reminder of SHF #35: The Beautiful Fig!

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Monday September 24th with the round-up to be posted on Friday September 28th.

I’ve had a few comments and questions from people about fresh figs so I just want to remind everyone that you don’t necessarily have to use fresh figs. You can use dried figs or any product made with figs. Be creative!

For a little inspiration, I decided to make Fig and Pistachio cookies from a lovely cookbook that I purchased a few months ago: Italian Baking Secrets. The book is written by Father Giuseppe Orsini, a priest from New Jersey.

I’d never heard of Father Orsini until I wandered into The Cookbook Store one day and saw his book front and centre. He’s apparently the author of numerous books on Italian cooking and baking, although this one is the first that I’ve seen.

It’s a sweet book filled with recipes, many of which I recognized from weddings and showers. As soon as I saw the recipe for these cookies, I knew I had to give them a try.

Enjoy the figs and I can’t wait to see what you create!

Ciao!

Fig and Pistachio Cookies
Adapted from Italian Baking Secrets by Father Giuseppe Orsini.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract (if you don’t have orange extract, use 1 tbsp. grated orange zest)
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (don’t chop them up)
1 cup chopped dried figs
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour and baking soda and set aside.

Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Mix in the vanilla and orange extracts (or orange zest).

Stir in the pistachios and figs.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.

Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured surface and gather into a ball.

Divide the ball into three equal pieces.

Roll the pieces into logs that are about an inch and a half to 2 inches thick and about 10 to 12 inches long.

Carefully transfer the logs to the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The logs will be slightly golden and firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Carefully slice the logs into cookies (about an inch thick).

Transfer the cookies back to the baking tray so that they are standing upright. Do not lay them on one side. Put the cookies back in the oven for 10 minutes.

Let cool completely and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: sugar high friday, shf, figs, pistachios, cookies

It is my great honour to announce that I am the host of the 35th edition of Sugar High Friday!

Created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess over two years ago, Sugar High Friday is an event to celebrate all that is sweet in our lives.

Every type of sweet imagineable has been explored over the previous 34 editions of this event, so when Jennifer e-mailed me to let me know that I would be able to host in September 2007, I had to make a decision.

What to choose as a theme?

After mulling it over for awhile, I decided it was time to give the glorious fig its due.

To this day, I am always amazed by the number of people who have never tried a fresh fig. While many people are familiar with dried figs, fresh ones are much harder to come by. Here in Toronto, I know many people who go to great lengths to cultivate fresh fig trees. I know some people who have built greenhouses in their backyards simply for the trees!

While it is usually referred to as a fruit, the fig is actually the flower of the fig tree. Cutting into the pear-shaped fruit is such an experience! The fruit is filled to bursting with tiny seeds and when you cut into a perfectly ripe fig, it’s as though it secretes its own honey.

And the flavour! How to describe one of the truly great flavours in this world? A fresh fig is sweet and soft. It is somehow warm and refreshing at the same time.

For SHF #35, I want all of you to go out there and explore the world of figs. You can submit any dessert you like featuring figs in whatever form you like: fresh figs, dried figs, fig preserves, fig honey, fig sugar, fig extract … surprise me!

If you’ve never had a fig, then look at this as an opportunity to discover something new.

Here are the details for SHF #35:

Prepare a sweet featuring figs in any form that you like.

Post your creation by midnight on Monday September 24th. (The roundup will be posted on Friday September 28th).

E-mail me (creampuffsinvenice {at} gmail {dot} com) the permalink to your post, as well as your blog name and a photo of your creation.

The fig is a truly beautiful food. I hope that you enjoy exploring the many ways it can be enjoyed and I cannot wait to be inspired by the results!

Ciao!

Here are some resources for useful facts about figs:

BBC Food - Figs
California Figs
Wikipedia - Ficus
Fig Fruit Facts
Fresh Figs, Anyone?
Fine Cooking - Figs

And for a bit of fun, here are some books and cookbooks that present the fig in an interesting light:

The Sweetest Fig
Stolen Figs: And Other Adventures in Calabria
Figs, Dates, Laurel, and Myrrh: Plants of the Bible and the Quran
The Girl & The Fig Cookbook
From the Lands of Figs and Olives: Over 300 Delicious and Unusual Recipes from the Middle East and Northern Africa
Fig Heaven: 70 Recipes for the World’s Most Luscious Fruit
Fig Pudding
The Fig Eater: A Novel
Roast Figs, Sugar Snow: Food to Warm the Soul

Technorati tags: sugar high friday, figs

While many people are familiar with the City of Toronto, I often feel that not enough people know that Toronto is located within the province of Ontario (Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories).

For those of us who live in Ontario, we’re blessed to be in a location where both urban and rural settings are easily accessible. That means we can enjoy the best of both worlds. I love living in a multicultural, modern city. But it’s also very nice to get in the car and know that in a relatively short time, you can be driving by picturesque farms or visiting any one of the province’s beautiful parks. I’ve always felt especially lucky that here in Ontario, we grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that should not be missed.

For this month’s edition of Sugar High Friday, the event started by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess, Johanna of The Passionate Cook has chosen the theme of Sweet Specialties. She’s given us the opportunity to prepare a dessert that features what’s truly special in our neck of the woods.

I’m not sure how many people would consider a peach a delicacy. I can say in all honesty, however, that a juicy summer peach is unsurpassed as far as I’m concerned. When I visited the farmer’s market last Wednesday, I couldn’t help but buy a basket of fragrant Redhaven peaches grown in my very own province.

I thought about a simple preparation for the peaches, like grilling them to caramelize the tops and then topping them with a scoop of perfect vanilla ice cream. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to compliment the peaches with some sort of buttery crust. I perused my cookbooks but didn’t really find anything that struck my fancy. I visted Epicurious and came across a recipe for a peach tart that featured an almond spread as a base for the peaches.

I began the dessert by making the dough which came together very quickly in the food processor. While the dough chilled, I prepared the almond base, which consisted of blanched almonds, butter and almond extract.

My beautiful Redhaven peaches were a joy to slice. I loved the hint of colour on each thin slice of peach as they waited to be layered on the tart. After slicing the peaches, I quickly rolled out the dough and used a 4-inch fluted cookie cutter to cut out rounds. I pricked the rounds with a fork before putting them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

I spread about a tablespoonful of almond cream on each round and then topped each with several slices of peach. The tarts baked up beautifully.

Once cooled, I took an extra step not included in the recipe. I melted some apricot jam with a bit of water and then strained it. I used a pastry brush to spread some of the apricot glaze over the cooled tarts. I then sprinkled some sliced, blanched almonds over the glaze. Just before serving, I lightly dusted the tarts with icing sugar.

These tarts were delicious! The dough was buttery, flaky and perfectly cooked while the peaches were a lovely combination of tart and sweet. The apricot glaze gave them a pretty sheen.

I would like to thank Johanna for coming up with this wonderful them for SHF #34. It was a joy to use one of Ontario’s greatest delicacies: the beautiful summer peach!

Ciao!

Peach Almond Tarts

Note: I used this recipe for peach tarts from Epicurious. However, I have reproduced the recipe according to how I made it. I added an extra step. I doubled the recipe and made 32 4-inch tarts. The recipe below is for one batch of tarts.

For the crust:

1 stick plus 2 tbsp. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
a small bowl of ice water

Place the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

Add the butter pieces and pulse 15 to 20 times, until the butter has been incorporated into the flour and the mixture is very coarse.

With the machine running, begin pouring water through the feed tube, a tablespoon at a time. You will need 5 to 6 tablespoons to make the dough come together. The dough will gather in a ball around the blade of the processor.

Stop the machine and turn the dough out onto a well-floured counter top. Knead gently for a few seconds, gathering the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

For the almond base:

3/4 cup sliced and blanched almonds
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth. Set filling aside until ready to use.

For the peach topping:

4 to 5 large ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thinly
1/2 stick unsalted butter
sugar for sprinkling

When you are ready to bake the tarts, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to a thickness of about 1/8th of an inch. If you’re countertop isn’t large enough, divide the dough in half and roll it out in two batches.

Using a round cookie cutter or a dish, cut circles out of the dough. I used a 4-inch round cookie cutter.

Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once you’ve filled the sheet, prick the rounds with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the rounds are chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Once the rounds have chilled, assemble the tarts by spreading about a tablespoon of almond base on each round. Leave a slight edge around the corners of the round so that the almond base doesn’t leak over.

Layer your peach slices over the almond base in whatever design you wish.

Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes (begin checking after 25 minutes to ensure your tarts don’t burn). You can bake the tarts one sheet at a time or you can bake them two sheets at a time with one sheet in the top part of the oven and one in the bottom, but be sure to rotate the sheets halfway through baking.

Once baked, let the tarts cool on a wire rack before glazing.

For the glaze:

1/2 cup apricot jam
a few tablespoons of water
sliced and blanched almonds (optional)
icing sugar (optional)

Melt the apricot jam with the water in a small saucepan.

Once melted, pass the jam through a strainer.

Brush the cooled tarts with the resulting glaze. If you wish, sprinkle on some almonds and dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Technorati tags: peaches, Ontario, Redhaven peaches, sugar high friday, shf #34, peach tarts, tarts

When I went to Miami in April, I had one of the best mojitos ever. It was perfectly limey, perfectly minty, perfectly rummy, perfectly sweet, perfectly tart and generally perfect.

It was so good that as I lay on the beach I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to capture the taste of that perfect mojito in cake form, or cookie form, or muffin form, or pie form, or custard form, or … cupcake form!

Yes!

Suddenly the idea of a mojito cupcake flitted into my head and I was consumed by it.

Until I had another mojito and went out to partake in Miami’s famous nightlife.

Let’s just say the mojito cupcake was quickly forgotten.

But as often happens in the life of an amateur baker, a baking idea lost in one place will be born again somewhere else. And so it was that the mojito cupcake returned to me when I read that Mary of the elegant and lovely Alpineberry had chosen Tropical Paradise as the theme for the 33rd instalment of Sugar High Friday.

The life of my mojito cupcake began with a cake that I have come to adore, as have many of my family members and friends who regularly make this cake. You may already be familiar with it as it made its rounds in blog world a few years ago. I’m talking about the now famous Rum Butter Cakes from the blog Gastronome.

Rather than making one bundt cake, as I usually do, I made 30 mini cupcakes and one cake in a loaf pan. For the cupcakes, I altered the rum syrup by infusing it with lime zest and mint, as both lime and mint are key components of the mojito.

After letting the syrup soak into the warm cupcakes, I let them cool completely, and then topped them with a frosting made of cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, loads of lime zest and a healthy dash of rum.

I could have stopped there but wanted to add another “tropical” angle so I made a batch of macadamia nut crackle from a recipe from Food & Wine. I topped each with cupcake with a bit of the crackle.

Now my mojito cupcakes were ready to meet the world.

My taste testers were some very discerning people, indeed. Included were Mama Cream Puff (back from Italy!), Uncle S, Uncle N, my little cousin D and my neighbour who is one of the very best home bakers that I know.

The reaction was unanimous: the mojito cupcake was spectacularly successful! While it wasn’t quite as boozy as its liquid counterpart, it did a good job of capturing all the flavours of one of my very favourite summer libations.

I’m so excited about this cupcake, that I’m going to add it to my repertoire of baked goods for my burgeoning business experiment. Hopefully the orders for this cupcake will start rolling in.

Ciao!

Mojito Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Crackle
Adapted from various sources (see above).

Note: This recipe yielded 30 mini cupcakes and one loaf baked in a 9 x 5-inch pan. You can also bake this in a standard 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan, as the original recipe indicates. Of course you can also adapt it to fit whatever pan or vessel you choose.

The frosted cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for a few days. The unfrosted cupcakes or cake can be stored, well-covered, at room temperature and will stay fresh for a few days.

People often ask me where I find the tiny party cups that I use to make mini cupcakes. I buy mine from my local bulk food store, but you should be able to find them at any well-stocked kitchen store, cake decorating supply store or party supply store.

For the cupcakes:

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a rack in the centre of the oven. If you’re making the entire recipe as mini cupcakes, put 60 mini party cups on two baking sheets (30 on each one - you will then have to have two racks in your oven to bake both sheets of cupcakes at the same time. Put one if the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third. Rotate the trays halfway through baking). If you’re only making half the recipe as mini cupcakes, then put 30 mini party cups on a baking sheet and then butter and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan to bake the remainder of the batter as a loaf.

Combine the buttermilk, rum and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift and then set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 to 5 minutes).

Reduce the speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

With the mixer still on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Mix for a minute or two.

Add another third of the dry ingredients (on low speed) and mix well.

Add the remainder of the buttermilk mixture, once again scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Mix for another minute or two.

Add the remainder of the dry ingredients (on low speed) and mix for a minute or two, until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the flour has been incorporated.

Fill the mini party cupcakes halfway with batter until you’ve used it all up. If you’re only making 30 mini cupcakes, then fill the 30 cups and pour the rest of the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake the mini cupcakes for 25 minutes and then test for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the centre of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, they’re done. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. In my oven, the mini cupcakes took about 28 minutes.

If you’re also baking the loaf, that will require more time. In my oven, the loaf took about 50 minutes.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cook for 5 minutes before poking holes in them with a skewer or toothpick. Immediately spoon the rum syrup over the warm cupcakes and let them soak it all up. Once they’ve cooled completely, you can ice them with the lime and rum frosting.

For the rum syrup:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup dark rum
2 or 3 pieces of lime zest
a few sprigs of fresh mint

In a small pot, combine the sugar, water and butter over medium-high heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.

Once the butter has completely melted and the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat.

Carefully add the rum. The mixture will bubble and spurt so take care not to burn yourself.

Once you’ve mixed in all the rum, add the lime zest and mint and let the syrup infuse for 5 minutes before spooning over the cupcakes.

For the lime and rum frosting (this will frost 30 mini cupcakes - if you’re making 60 then you will have to double the recipe):

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp. dark rum
zest of 3 limes

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter at high speed for 5 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low and add the icing sugar. Mix for a minute to incorporate the sugar and then increase the speed to high again and mix for another minute or two. The frosting should be light and fluffy.

Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rum and the lime zest and mix at medium speed until well incorporated.

The frosting should be used immediately so make it once your cupcakes have soaked up the syrup and are cool. You can spoon the icing on with an offset spatula or knife, or you can use a piping bag to pipe a pretty design.

For the macadamia nut crackle:

Please follow the directions for this garnish, which is from Food & Wine’s site. The recipe is located here.

Technorati tags: cupcakes, mojito, lime, mint, rum, sugar high friday, shf

When I read that The Domestic Goddess was bringing Sugar High Friday back to its beginning (so to speak), I was happy. It’s only right, after all, that the person who created such a popular event should get to host it every now and then. But I was even happier when I read that the theme for this month’s Sugar High Friday was The Sweetest Thing - our favourite desserts.

To be sure there have been SHFs that have been interesting, challenging and even a bit out there. But it’s nice, every once and awhile, to get back to the very foundations of your love for something - in this case dessert.

To say that one particular dessert is my very favourite is a bit difficult for me. I am a Cream Puff after all and I believe in supporting all of my family members, be they muffin, cake, pie, tart, custard or cookie. There is, however, most definitely one particular dessert that makes my heart swell with happiness as soon as I hear it mentioned: my Coconut Cream Cake.

Now to be fair, it isn’t really “my” Coconut Cream Cake. It is in fact a cake that belongs to Caprial Pence of Caprial’s Desserts (written with Melissa Carey). If you’ve ever seen the book or have the good fortune to own it, it’s the cake pictured on the front cover. I don’t often buy cookbooks without looking at them. But I bought this one as soon as I laid eyes on that cover.

I didn’t know what kind of cake it was, but I didn’t really care. I wanted it and so the cookbook had to be mine. As it turns out, it’s an incredible cookbook. I guard my copy jealously and I cherish every batter-stained page.

There’s no question, though, that were you to pick up my copy, it would almost definitely open of its own volition to page 236 and the recipe for Coconut Cream Cake.

As layer cakes go, it’s very straightforward. You begin with a sturdy cake with a soft and moist crumb that has been augmented by coconut milk. You add to it a delicious pastry cream made partly with more coconut milk and boosted by shredded coconut. And you finish with a lovely and simple buttercream, covered in toasted shredded coconut.

Really, on the surface there’s nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about this layer cake at all.

For me, it’s the coconut. My endless love.

I would crawl to the ends of the earth for coconut. I will eat it fresh or dried. I will eat it in sweet food or savoury food. I will drink anything even remotely associated with coconut flavour.

I remember the first time I tasted coconut like it was yesterday. I was a child, visiting my grandparents in Italy, and some friends of the family came to visit and they brought along some fresh coconut. After opening the coconut and cutting it into pieces, they plunged a plate of the stuff deep into the basin of the town’s fountain. And there it stayed for some time while the water turned the coconut icy cold. My first taste of it was a revelation! It was crunchy and sweet. But there was this hint of a nutty creaminess that I was immediately addicted to.

This cake makes me think of that first bite of coconut every single time I bake it. While I mostly bake for others, this is a dessert that I bake strictly for myself.

But of course this time around, I’m baking it for you too.

Enjoy …

Ciao!

Cream Puff’s Very Favourite Coconut Cream Cake
From Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey.

Note: It’s best to make the pastry cream and the cakes the day before assembling the cake. I usually make them the night before. I make the buttercream just before I’m ready to begin assembling the cake. Once I begin assembling, I like to refrigerate the cake after each step. To frost the cake, I find that a cake stand is invaluable. If you want to read an amazing post about what it takes to bake and decorate cakes, read Anita’s post all about it on her blog Dessert First. This cake will easily serve 12 people.

For the coconut cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into small cubes
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
3 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease two 9-inch pans. Line the bottoms of the pan with parchment paper and then grease the parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar at high speed. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Combine the dry ingredients (salt, baking powder and flour) and add to the butter/egg mixture in two additions, alternating with the coconut milk. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 25 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before unmolding them and peeling off the parchment paper. Let the cakes cool completely before filling them. If you make the cakes the day before assembling the cake, wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

For the coconut pastry cream:

1 cup half-and-half
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half and the coconut milk and heat on high until the mixture is just about to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the cornstarch and the sugar. Whisk until well combined and the eggs are pale yellow (about 3 or 4 minutes).

Dribble in a few drops of the milk mixture and whisk. Continue dribbling in a bit of milk (don’t add it all at once or you may cook the egg yolks) and whisking. Once you’ve added about half of the milk, you can then add the rest in a steady stream, whisking all the time.

Return the milk/egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat (whisking constantly) until the mixture becomes very thick. This should take about 5 minutes or so. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture bubbles and you can see the bottom of the pan as you drag the whisk through it. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded coconut.

Pour the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (the plastic wrap should touch the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to fill the cakes, whip two cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the cold pastry cream until combined.

For the buttercream:

2 cups half-and-half
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 pound unsalted butter (2 cups), at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Combine the half-and-half, the egg yolk and the cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to ensure that it’s smooth. When it comes to a boil it will thicken considerably. Remove from the heat and pass it through a sieve. Refrigerate for two hours.

After two hours, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes, stopping every once and awhile to scrape down the sides of the bowl. After 10 minutes, the mixture will be almost white in colour and very light and fluffy.

Add the salt and mix.

With the speed on low, add the cold half-and-half mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s well incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Use the buttercream right away.

To assemble the cake:

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Split the two 9-inch cakes in half so that you have four layers.

Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or cake cardboard. Spread about half a cup of coconut pastry cream on the cake layer. Leave about half an inch border all the way around to ensure the pastry cream doesn’t leak out.

Top with a second layer of cake, and once again spread about half a cup of pastry cream on the layer.

Top with a third layer and repeat with the pastry cream.

Top with the final layer and press down to ensure that the cake is firmly in place. At this point I like to refrigerate the cake for about half an hour to give the pastry cream a chance to settle and firm up a bit. I usually make the buttercream while the cake is in the refrigerator.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and begin icing. There are many different opinions on how to ice a cake. The way I like to do it is to spread a thin layer of icing on the top and the sides of the cake. Don’t worry if you pick up cake crumbs. Once you’ve done this, put the cake back into the refrigerator for about half an hour to firm up the buttercream.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and this time, add a nice thick layer of buttercream all around. Begin by putting a cup or so of icing on the top of the cake. Spread it evenly across pushing the buttercream all the way to the edges. Once it’s even on top, begin pushing the buttercream at the edges down the sides of the cake, adding more buttercream as needed. Once you’re done, smooth the sides of the cake as best you can. Even out the edges of the cake by placing your icing spatula flat on the edge and smoothly sliding it towards the centre of the cake. This should give you a nice edge all the way around.

Place the cake in the refrigerator for about ten minutes. Remove the cake and carefully apply the toasted shredded coconut all around the sides of the cake and on the top of the cake if you wish. If you have any extra buttercream, feel free to pipe a decorative design on the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving.

Technorati tags: shf, sugar high friday, coconut, coconut cream cake, cake