Toucinho do Ceu or Heavenly Portuguese Custard Pie

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There were many culinary winners from my trip to Lisbon this summer, but this one was just a wonderful surprise. We had it in a small family restaurant. In order to accommodate me, the waiter was speaking English, and he kept telling me that this pie was made of “prosciutto, onions, and sugar” and that it won some sort of city-wide dessert award. I was so baffled that I ordered it, and my husband laughed when he finally read the name and understood what the waiter meant. The literal translation of this custard pie is “Heavenly Bacon,” only because historically it was made from leftover pork fat, but not anymore. And we think the English word for “almond” somehow got confused for “onion” in the waiter’s vocabulary. Needless to say, this custard pie has nothing to do with onions or bacon, but it is a slice of delightful marzipan-y custard.  I got this recipe from a site called Chef Leticia.

Toucinho do Ceu or Heavenly Portuguese Custard Pie

½ c. water
1¼ c. sugar
1/8 t. salt
1¾ c. (250g) ground almonds, skinless (This is easily done by submerging almonds in water and microwaving for 5 minutes)
4 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
5 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1 t. almond extract (or Amaretto)
1 t. orange zest, finely grated
powdered sugar, for dusting

One 10-inch round cake mold, with parchment paper on the bottom, buttered and floured.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a big sauce pan, boil together the water, sugar, and salt. As soon as it comes to a boil, add the ground almonds. Using a wooden spoon, keep mixing, over low-medium heat. Stir constantly until it starts to thicken, leaving a trace after the wooden spoon in a way that you should be able to see the bottom of the pan (about 2 minutes). Do not over mix. You are looking for a soft almond paste.

Remove the pan from the heat and add butter cut into pieces. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

In a different bowl, lightly beat together the yolks and eggs. Incorporate the egg mixture into the almond mixture with a spatula. Add the amaretto and the orange zest and pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 30- 35 minutes or until the cake is firm, and the center is not jiggly. The top should turn a medium golden brown. Let it cool inside the mold, then remove it from the mold, peel the parchment paper, and dust with powdered sugar. Cut the cake into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Baked’s Blondies

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So, I know that the cookbook Baked (by Lewis and Poliafito) got quite a lot of attention for its brownies, but I just tried it’s blondies, and I think this is the recipe that really deserves the attention. It’s exactly what I wanted a blondie to be–very perfect.

Baked’s Blondies

2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 T. malted milk powder
14 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 t.vanilla extract
3/4 c. malted milk balls, coarsely chopped (didn’t use)
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. toasted walnuts, chopped (also didn’t use–substituted with white chocolate chips instead)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13×9 baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the blondies out afterward. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and malted milk powder together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until incorporated. Mix in the malted milk balls, chocolate chips and walnuts briefly until distributed throughout the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the blondies cool for at least 20 minutes before lifting them out and cutting into squares. Store at room temperature tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.

Amy’s Zucchini Brownies

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This recipe is from my great friend and baker Amy. I always love to hear what she’s up to in her kitchen! Since her husband is an amazing gardener, she gets a fair amount of produce all summer and fall, and this is one way she loves to use her zucchini.  I have to say it helped us get through quite a bit of zucchini this week, too!

Incidentally, I added two eggs on accident the first time I made these, and really liked the results. The eggs gave the brownies a bit more of a lift, which also made them easier to eat. I served them with whipped cream. Great.
Amy’s Zucchini Brownies
 2 c. flour
 1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
 1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs (optional)
 1 1/2 c. sugar
 2 t. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini
 1/2 c. chocolate chips  or nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan (or line with aluminum foil and spray with Pam).
In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, eggs (if using) and vanilla until well blended. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture (the mixture will be quite dry). Fold in the zucchini and mix well–if the batter is still dry, wait a few minutes for the moisture in the zucchini to moisten the batter. Stir in walnuts or chocolate chips and spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven until brownies spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Great Potato Salad

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This recipe, from May 2012’s Gourmetmagazine, is one my new favorite potato salad. It’s reminds me of my grandma’s, and since I don’t have her recipe, I’m really happy to have this. Definitely worth trying if you don’t have a tried-and-true recipe you love.

Gourmet’s Image

Great Potato Salad

  • 2 3/4 lbs. medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled (about 8)
  • 1 1/4 t. kosher salt plus more
  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c. sweet pickle juice from jar
  • 8-10 sweet-pickle chips
  • 1 1/2 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 t. sugar
  • 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper plus more
  • 5 large hard-boiled egg yolks
  • 2 T. chopped red onion
  • 2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Paprika

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 2″, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 20-30 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon mustard, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in a small bowl for dressing.

Using a large wooden spoon, coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some larger pieces mixed with some well-mashed pieces.

Add dressing and egg yolks to potatoes and toss to coat, coarsely smashing egg yolks. Add onion and parsley; gently mix to incorporate. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Divide potato salad among small paper cups or bowls; dust with paprika. Top each serving with a pickle chip.

Blueberry Bran Muffins

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This recipe, from Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Mad Hungrycookbook, is terrific. She makes a note that she used to bake these for a shop she worked in; the

I loved the appearance and great domed top on these

recipe was old with a hand-scribbled “the best blueberry muffins” on the side. With that kind-of endorsement, I had to try them! And they are wonderful. I think they might be the best I have made overall–they have a little bit of a strong baking soda taste, but for the texture, I think this might be necessary since the batter is quite runny. I’ve tried substituting half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat, and the muffins were still delicious, but tasted much more like a bran muffin than a blueberry one. Anyway, definitely a keeper muffin!

Blueberry Bran Muffins

  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 T. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. coarse salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 T. pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. safflower (or other vegetable oil)
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (toss briefly in flour before incorporating to even out distribution)
  • 1/2 c. wheat bran or wheat germ
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Separately beat together the eggs, maple syrup, sugar, oil, and milk. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in the berries and bran. Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I saw a glowing review of a 2011 cookbook entitled Good to the Grain, so when I saw that the library had it, I snagged it. The first recipe I tried was the 100% whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, deciding that if the author could pull off this recipe, I would know the cookbook was really well tested and tried. Well, she did it. These are great! In fact, I used winter white wheat, and the cookies didn’t even look much different than if I had used all-purpose flour, and honestly, not one of my kids made a comment or thought they “tasted different.” I thought they were delicious (notice, though, that they are not low-sugar or fat), and I am planning a solid future with them 🙂 Incidentally, I have since tried many recipes from Good to the Grain, and if you’re interested in adding more whole grain flours to your baking, this is a really terrific book. Can’t wait till I own a copy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bits

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

Whisk the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes. Once they are creamy, add the eggs and vanilla. Beat to combine, about 30 seconds.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, stir in the chopped chocolate.

Scoop 1-2 T. of dough per cookie. Bake for 16-20 minutes, rotating the pans front to back, and top to bottom at 8 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the sheet (on a wire rack), then remove to the rack to cool completely cool. Yields about 24.

Henry (my pickiest eater) loving these!

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

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I’ve been making this loaf for our daily bread lately, and the kids and I are all big fans (I actually prefer a multigrain loaf, but since I’m not the only one

I dust the top with flour before baking (instead of brushing with butter) because I like how it looks.

in the house . . .). This recipe is from The Best Recipe (i.e. the best cookbook, ever), and it’s the oatmeal variation on the American Sandwich loaf. I make it almost weekly, and its biggest danger is that it can really grow if you get distracted (or start talking to a friend), and then it turns into a puffed monster. But really, that’s not so bad. All in all, a family favorite. I’ve tripled the original amounts because our family of six goes through about 3 loaves a week, which is what I make. I loved that Lucy came home last week and said, “Mom, I love Mondays because I come home to the most delicious smell.” Her comment was definitely more satisfying than my bread.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
Makes 3 loaves

2 1/4 c. rolled oats [I’ve also used steel cut oats; the final texture was chewier, and it threw the water ratio, but worked]
2 1/4 c. water, warm
3 c. milk, warm
6 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. + 1 T. honey
7 1/2 c. flour, plus more for workspace
2 T. instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 T. salt

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the oats to soften slightly, about 90 seconds (longer for steel cut–I cooked them for about 15). Remove from heat, and set aside to cool while assembling the other ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, honey, yeast, and butter. Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix 4 cups flour, cooled oatmeal mixture, and salt together using the dough hook. [Test the temperature: if it’s too hot, you may want to wait until you add the yeast, so you don’t kill it. If you’re unsure, test it. It shouldn’t be above 115 degrees F). Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the milk mixture. Mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed, then add the rest of the flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until the the dough clears the sides of the bowl, but still sticks to the bottom.

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. If after 4 minutes, more flour is needed, add remaining 1 T. at a time, and then wait for 30 seconds before adding more, checking that the dough starts clearing the sides of the bowl.

Once dough is smooth and elastic, remove and knead by hand for about 30 seconds to form a smooth round ball. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a lightly floured workspace and press into a 7-inch square. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking the ends in but maintaining the cylinder shape. Pinch the seam closed (I also tuck the two sides into the middle, to create a nice dome on the top, then turn it over) and place seam side down in a 9-inch loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Half an hour before baking, place an oven rack in the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush top of dough with 1 tsp. melted butter. Fill another loaf pan halfway with water and place on rack in oven. Place dough filled loaf pan next to water filled pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, until bread is golden and an instant-read thermometer measures at 200 degrees. [I usually skip the water; it makes a fantastic crisp crust, but since I freeze two of the three loaves and stick them all in bread bags, I kill the purpose of the water. If you want an awesome loaf out of the oven, though, you’ll want to do it.]

Let bread cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. If freezing the extra loaves, make sure they cool at room temperature for 4 hours before wrapping them and placing them in the freezer.

Pineapple Upside-down Pancakes

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These pancakes are quite excellent. Published in March 2012 Bon Appetit (from a restaurant in New York called Moderne Barn), I knew they were something we would love, but I wasn’t expecting the divine smell that lingered in our home the entire day. It was almost better than the pancakes themselves. So, a must try, but with cooking the pineapple, these pancakes took upwards of 30-45 minutes to complete–not really a fast breakfast, but great for a special one. The last time I made them, my husband was out of town, so I can’t wait to make them again 🙂

Moderne Barn’s Pineapple Upside-down Pancakes

1 T. unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 large pineapple, peeled, cut into eight 1/2″ rounds, cored
3/4 c. dark rum (I don’t have rum on hand, so I used a little rum extract with about 1/2 c. water, but apple juice may be better)
1/4 c. (packed) dark brown sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. kosher salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Melt butter with cinnamon stick in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add pineapple slices; cook until light golden brown, 4–5 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat; add rum and brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until juices are thick and syrupy. Transfer pineapple to a plate; let cool. Reserve syrup.

Preheat oven to 325°. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and next 3 ingredients; whisk until smooth.

Heat a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with nonstick spray. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto griddle. Cook each pan- cake until golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Top each pancake with a pineapple ring. Flip; cook until pancake is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Place pancakes on prepared rack and bake in oven until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Rewarm reserved pineapple syrup. Divide pancakes among plates; drizzle with pineapple syrup.

 

Caramel Pecan Brownies

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This is the most decadent dessert I know how to make. It is divine. I’ve seen that ATK reprints it every now and again as a “best of the best” recipe, and it is. I got it from the 2007 Best of America’s Test Kitchen Annual, where it’s called “Ultimate Turtle Brownies.” I should note that the caramel is a little tricky. With my electric stove (and because I live at high altitude), I start with the stove at medium until the sugar is melted, I then turn the stove to high, until it gets amber-colored, and then turn it down to medium-high, until it reaches 360 degrees (well, 351 for 4500 feet, where I live). But, once you got it right, it works really well. Enjoy this one!
Caramel Pecan Brownies
For the caramel topping
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (I prefer more like 1/2 t.)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the brownies

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 25 pecan halves, toasted*, for garnish

To make the caramel: Combine the cream and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the water and corn syrup. Add the sugar to the center of the saucepan and gently mix to thoroughly moisten the sugar, taking care not to let sugar crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Uncover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, without stirring but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the liquid is a pale golden color. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel is a light amber color and registers about 360 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer [On my electric stove, this process is quite different and takes longer. See note above. Also, a candy thermometer is pretty critical here]. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream-salt mixture to the center of the pot, making sure that your hand isn’t directly over the pot (the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Stir with a whisk or spatula until the bubbling subsides. Add the butter and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Transfer to a medium microwavable measuring cup or bowl and set aside.

To make the brownies: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease the foil-lined pan with nonstick spray oil.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter and the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring occasionally until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate morsels, and combine.

To assemble: Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the caramel over the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer; spread evenly into the corners of the pan. Drizzle an additional 1/4 cup caramel over the top. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the caramel and batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, 1 to 2 hours.

If necessary, heat the remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 cup) in the microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds until it is hot and pourable but still thick, stirring once or twice. Pour the caramel over the brownies and use a spatula to spread the caramel evenly. Refrigerate the brownies, uncovered, until they are fully chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove from the baking pan by lifting the foil extensions. Cut into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto the surface of each brownie. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Velvety Chocolate Pudding

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My 6-year-old Lucy asks for pudding just about every night after dinner. She typically wants tapioca, but Henry usually complains at this. Tonight, because I wanted to try this new recipe, we had chocolate, and oh my! what a pudding! After the first bite, I thought, “This recipe should definitely have the word ‘velvety’ in its name,” and then I looked back at the recipe to see that it did. So, perhaps that was subliminal, but regardless, this pudding is WONDERFUL. And simple. My two most favorite combinations.

The recipe comes from Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Mad Hungry, a really fun cookbook by Martha’s head food editor. Quinn suggests using this as a basis for a chocolate pie (great idea). The high sugar content works well if you’re using a dark chocolate powder. If using something milkier, you may like less sugar. For my family of six, I doubled it, and had just a little leftover. My kids topped it with marshmallows. It looked perfect.

Velvety Chocolate Pudding

  • 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons best-quality cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Hefty pinch of coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg, well beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream, for garnishing (optional)

    Henry was helping me with this awesome texture shot.

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Press through a sieve into a medium saucepan to eliminate any lumps [I didn’t do this, and had no problem]. Whisk in the milk.
  2. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until thickened, about 2 1/2 minutes. Be sure to get the spoon around the edges of the pan as the mixture thickens. Whisk if needed to combine well. Stir in the butter.
  3. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the hot chocolate mixture into the beaten egg and return to the pudding in the pan. Stir in the vanilla and cook to completely thicken, 2 to 3 more minutes. Strain through a sieve and pour the pudding into four to six 6-ounce pudding cups. Serve warm, or cool first and chill until serving. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent it from forming a skin (unless you like it!). Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

    Lucy gets pudding for dessert.