Daniel Goldwater
Chef CMRJ
Jerusalem
Israel
There are those that are all about savoury and others for whom SWEET is all they have on their minds.
SO, I thought I would mix and match and include a couple of sweet recipes that may or may not be directly linked to my region but never the less are as desirous as the call of a mermaid or siren. If you can forget your calorie count for a moment and submit to passion, gluttony and seduction you won’t be disappointed.
The principle tastes in these two desserts are respectively the Almond and Chocolate.
Almonds are grown all around the Mediterranean basin, their white blossom in spring in every way rivals that of the Japanese Cherry Blossom that pulls the tourists in to Japan. Valleys and mountains are white like a bridal gown in a dazzling spring display when the Almond orchids bloom around the Judean mountains near Jerusalem. Almonds are used in countless Mediterranean recipes both savoury and sweet so no fear in regional culinary digression here.
Chocolate on the other hand is a post colonial delight being imported as raw cocoa from sub tropical climes and ex colonies, manufactured into all the heavenly offerings that used to fill up our duty free 2 + 1 sales in Airports around the world.
Cocoa originated in Mesoamerica and was once so valued by the Aztecs that the Cocoa bean was used as a form of currency. Today it’s in almost everything sweet and Godiva and is considered the main ingredient of an infinite number of seductive desserts in the most exclusive restaurants around the world.
Almond Square/Slice
Almond Squares are made from a rich almond cream that is obtained from mixing almond flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Yum. Now this recipe is also a good one for all of those Gluten free folk, it has no shortcrust pastry base and the binding flour used is cornflour.
Ingredients:
- Sugar 350 gram
- Butter 350 gram
- Eggs medium x 5
- Ground almond Flour 350 gram
- Cornflour 75 gram
- White Rum 25 gram
- Sliced Fruit choice of either Pears, Nectarines or plumbs 5-6 pieces
- Good handful of sliced Almonds.
Method:
Sugar and room temperature softened butter into mixer with paddle, mix until one and then add one egg at a time. If you want a fluffy light mixture you should add an egg every 2-3 minutes and stop each time before adding the next egg and with a spatula clean the mixture from the sides of the mixing bowl and the paddle. Once mixed fully add in the cornflour and rum in one go and mix by pulsing, then pour into a 30 x 25 paper lined pan and level.
Take the fruit, wash dry and cut into 3-4 mm slices and arrange attractively, pushing gently into the mixture leaving a couple of centimetres above the mixture as the cake will rise. Once arranged sprinkle the sliced almonds over the mixture and around the fruit.
Place into a pre heated oven 160 C and bake for 40-60 minutes or until firm to touch and nicely coloured, remove and leave to cool. Best served chilled to room temperature. If you have all the baking gears you can brush the top of the cake with a clear glaze.
Chocolate Brownies:
Chocolate Brownies are one of my favourite desserts if I must eat Chocolate. First appearing in the USA in the 1890s credited to both Bertha Palmer and Fanny Farmer the former from Chicago and Fanny from Boston. Interesting but not really.
The Brownie if well made and done with quality Bitter chocolate will be more than a pleasant surprise.
Ingredients:
- 54% Bitter Chocolate x 330 gram
- Butter x 270 gram
- Eggs x 500 gram
- Sugar x 400 gram
- Flour x 100 gram
- Walnuts Chopped x 200 gram
Method:
In a bowl on a Bain Marie melt the chocolate and butter together. In a separate bowl mix the eggs and sugar with a whisk. Once the chocolate and butter mixture is smooth and fully combined add the egg and sugar mixture a third at a time and fold in using the whisk. Once combined add the flour while continuing to fold and when mixed in, do the same with the chopped walnuts. Again for the non-gluten types, the flour can be substituted with the same quantity of cornflour.
Pour the mixture into a 30 x 25 lined pan and bake at 170 C for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm to touch.
Leave to cool I think its fine as is but if you want a jelly cocoa finish or ganache glaze feel free to apply to the brownies. My e mail is meravgy@gmail.com if there is enough of a demand I will add the glaze recipes and method in the following column.
Seeing as the tooth is already tingling sweet, next week I will add several super tasty and easy to make biscuits that you won’t be ashamed to add to your morning or afternoon tea biscuit surprise platter.
Bon apattito (Italiano)
