As you can probably tell by now I am an almond paste addict. I love to put it in all sorts of baked goods. The problem is that at $9.00 for 8 ounces and up it can be rather expensive to buy and sometimes it is a bit past its prime as well. But luckily it is so easy to make at home- it just takes a bit of time, some good quality ingredients and a food processor.

I made 2 pounds of it a couple of weeks ago. The cost without my labor was around $5.75 instead of $36.00- not a bad savings and may I say a rather superior product as I know exactly what went into it and just how fresh it is?It will keep for weeks  in the fridge or months in the freezer and can be used for marzipan candies and other baked goods during the upcoming holidays.

Almond Paste-
(to make two pounds total – can be halved)

• 1-1/2 pounds whole natural almonds (about 4 cups)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cups water
• 1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (cane syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Place the almonds in a large glass or metal bowl. Cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and then pinch each almond on the fat end and they should pop right out of their skins. If they are resistant, drain and recover with more boiling water. This should be kind of fun and easy to do.

When you have removed all of the skins, blot the almonds on paper towels and place on to a rimmed baking sheet into a warm but not hot oven. You can preheat to 200F and then turn off the oven while skinning the almonds and it should be about right. Leave them in there while cooking the sugar syrup. They should be warm when you begin to grind them.

Place the sugar, water and golden syrup into a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium  heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 235F* which is between a thread and soft ball stage. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Grind the almonds in your food processor fitted with the metal blade. It may be necessary depending on the size of your bowl to do this in batches. Pulse them until the texture is fine and smooth- you can add a tiny bit of water if necessary to loosen the grind up a bit -but only a little and only if absolutely necessary. Once the almonds are ground finely, pour the sugar syrup in a slow steady stream while the processor is going. Process until all is uniform.

Place two sheets of plastic wrap flat on to your counter or work surface and remove the paste from the work bowl onto them. Wrap the paste tightly in the wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

The paste may be used in pastries,cookies, cakes, pies or made into marzipan with the addition of confectioner’s sugar, egg whites and vanilla. More on that later…

I put some in these cherry scones…yum…so terrific!

Have a grand day!

I love the tastes of Autumn and this yummy Apple Torte with Marzipan Crust is filled with some of Fall’s best flavours. Enjoy it with some vanilla ice cream,  a bit of Creme Anglaise or even a dollop of Creme Fraiche. The crust can be a bit crumbly to work with but just roll it out and pat it into place it will have a nice crisp yet tender texture when baked.

Apple Torte with Marzipan Crust

Crust:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1 teaspoon of ground Ceylon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) of fresh chilled butter
• 3 ounces of fresh almond paste
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to combine. Cut the butter and almond paste into smallish pieces and add. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Mix the egg and almond extract together and add along with the lemon juice. Pulse the machine until a ball begins to form and pull away from the sides.  Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ ungreased springform pan. Form the remaining 1/3 of the dough into a disk and set into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill together while you prepare the filling.

Preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare the filling:

Filling:

• Peel, core and slice 3 quarts (12 cups) of mixed tart and sweet baking apples
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) of fresh butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest from 1 whole lemon finely grated or zested and minced
• 1/4 cup Calvados- apple brandy
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) chilled fresh butter cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Peel, core and slice your apples. Melt the butter in the bottom of a large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice. Add the apples and cook until tender stirring often. Mix the cornstarch into the Calvados and add to the apples. Cook until the juices are thickened. Remove from heat. Place the 2 ounces of chilled butter into the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the flour and sugar and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the sliced almonds and pulse a few times. Set aside. Pull the crusts from the fridge and roll the disk of 1/3 reserved crust into a 9″ circle. If it crumbles just press it back together. Pour the apples and juices into the bottom crust in the springform pan. Add the reserved flour, sugar, butter, almond mixture and pat down. Top with the rolled out crust and cut some decorative slits for any steam to escape whilst baking. Place the pan on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack then remove the sides and serve warm or at room temperature for best flavour.

Hope you enjoy!

Rick’s birthday was this weekend! Hippity, Happity Birthday- tumm-diddly- um …my love!Frankly, he is the best gift I have ever received -so we both win.

We are scaling back around our house a bit -as the company Rick was working for closed last Wednesday and my company is also cutting back. We are trying to see this as an opportunity to change our horizons rather than as a tragedy. Rick is such a multi-talented guy that there are many things he can do – he just has to choose  a new direction.  As long as we’re together we’ll be fine.

For his birthday cake this year, he couldn’t decide between Favourite Fudge Cake with Fudge Frosting or with Sour Cream Frosting- so I compromised and made a six inch cake with fudgy frosting and cupcakes with sour cream frosting. The sour cream ones need to stay in the fridge (so they don’t melt all over the place) and so cuppies are easier to deal with fridge space-wise.

This time, I also added a pinch of cloves, a twidge of cinnamon and some espresso to the cake to spice up the flavour a bit. Still a winner- still our fav cake – we can’t ever seem to choose another when it comes right down to it.

Gabi’s Favorite Fudge Cake, makes one 9 inch -two layer cake or two 6 inch layer cakes -can be doubled.

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 Cups sifted all purpose flour (plus more for pans)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted for lumps
• 1/2 Cup (1/4lb) butter, softened to room temperature (plus more for pans)
• 2-1/4 Cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons  pure vanilla extract
• 1  Cup sour cream
• 1  Cup boiling water
• (optional: add 2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder to the boiling water)
• (optional: add 1 pinch ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter and lightly flour two 9inch round cake pans, place a parchment circle that has been cut to fit the bottom
in each round and butter and flour the parchment. Sift flour, soda, salt and cocoa together in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,
or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until soft. Add brown sugar and eggs and beat at high speed
until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and melted, cooled chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients
alternately with sour cream, beating slowly but well until incorporated after each addition. Add boiling water and
stir until batter is evenly thin. Pour at once into prepared pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until
top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans 5 minutes on wire racks and then run a straight spatula
around the sides and remove to rack, paper side down, to cool completely, then frost.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 Cup (1/4 Lb) Butter
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 Cup whole milk or half/half
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 drops almond extract

Heat chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until barely melted, stir often. Remove from heat. Combine confectioner’s sugar, milk or half/half, and extracts in a stand mixer with the whip attachment, blend well.
Add chocolate/butter mixture and beat until it starts to hold some shape. It will be thin at first and firm up as it cools.

Makes enough to frost tops and sides of two 9-inch layers or four 6-inch layers.

Sour Cream Frosting

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beat butter until creamy add the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until spreadable consistency. This frosting is airily soft. Frosted cakes must be kept refrigerated.

I also made another Favourite Fudge cake for my goddaughter Tessa’s  wedding anniversary on May 4th. I didn’t add the optional espresso or spices because she and her hubby Jared aren’t coffee drinkers and I didn’t add it to their wedding cakes when I made them two years ago. So Tessa- here is the recipe and come any time and we’ll make some cakes together.

xo

Recently, I decided to host what I affectionately like to call a “crafternoon” -an afternoon of laughter and creativity. I invited my Mum, my sister who lives close by (Sherry) and one of my best friends- (Bonnie). We had lots of fun, good food and laughter. These  along with a little glue, glitter and some pretty paper were happy remedies for some of the stress of our world at the moment. 

A couple of years ago I did the same thing on a little larger scale with about 13 invited guests. I decided to scale back a little this year but didn’t want to miss out on it all together.

One of the things I’ve decided to do this year is to finish projects that are not completed but have been hanging around for some time waiting on me. I also have a tendency to pick up pretty yarn, paper or other craft and art supplies but not make the time to use them. So I’ve decided that my friends and I should get together and do this kind of thing more often.

Sherry was kind enough to bring over her Cricut machine (it’s an electronic die cutter) it makes cutting out shapes and lettering a breeze. I may have to put one on my own list after this because it was so fun to whip up the parts for our Valentine’s cards-custom made out of the paper we chose right there on the spot.  Mom brought some adorable 3-D shapes for Valentine’s including a “love bug” or two. Bonnie learned that she actually likes using stamps and ink.

Here’s the menu and I have to confess I am missing some pics because I was having a good time and forgot to take them before some of the food was gone

• Crab Dip and chips /crudites and Stonemill Spinach and Artichoke Dip (purchased)
• Petite Rolls (Bonnie called them “roll Poppers”
• Spinach Salad with warm Bacon Vinaigrette
• Gabi’s Wild Rice casserole
• Chicken Royale -my way
• Strawberry Daiquiri Punch
• Elvis- Love Me Tender Cake
• Butterscotch Pots De Creme

Crab Dip for chips or crudites

• 1/2 pound of cream cheese

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 minced green onion

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• garlic salt to taste

• a large pinch of Old Bay Seasoning or fish herbs

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 3 dashes smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce

• 3/4 to 1 pound minced cooked crab meat well drained

• Z’atar

Mix all ingredients except green onion and crab together in mixer or food processor. Stir in green onion and crab. Chill for a couple of hours to meld flavours. Sprinkle Z’atar on top. Serve.

Petite Rolls -sorry no pic but I promise they were tiny and cute ;(

• 1/2 cup sugar, divided

• 1 cup lukewarm water

• 1/4 pound butter, melted and cooled

• 3 eggs

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4-1/2 cups all purpose flour plus more if needed

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the 1/2 cup sugar into the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over. Let sit until foaming to proof. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 1/2 cup butter, eggs and proofed yeast. Beat until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine the 4-1/2 cups of flour the remainder of the 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt. Add to the wet ingredients and beat well. If necessary add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but remains soft and slightly sticky. Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat the dough and cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours. Remove from the fridge and let the dough come to room temp for 1/2 hour before rolling out to 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a well floured 1 inch cutter and place almost touching into a parchment lined and greased and floured jelly roll pan. Let rise, covered in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in bulk. Preheat the oven to 400F and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until golden. Brush the tops with butter while warm and serve.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

• 4 cups Spinach washed well and dried thoroughly

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

• 1 bunch radishes, sliced

• 1 can Mandarin oranges in light syrup, chilled and drained well (or one navel orange sectioned with juice over the bowl)

• 6 slices bacon, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black pepper- several grinds

Combine the spinach, green onions, radishes and oranges in a large salad bowl and keep chilled. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp starting in a cold frying pan over med low heat.Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt together and add to the pan (don’t breathe in the vinegar fumes) stir until sugar dissolves. Add to salad in bowl and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Gabi’s Wild Rice casserole

• 4 cups mixed white and wild rice cooked and cooled.
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can artichoke bottoms or hearts chopped
• 2 small cans sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup concentrate
• 1 can cream of chicken soup concentrate
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pecan halves

Mix all of the ingredients together except pecans. Stir well to combine, spread in a buttered 9×13 inch baking dish, top with pecans. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375F, remove foil and bake until pecans crisp- about 10 minutes more.

Chicken Royale- my way

• 8 half chicken breasts, pounded flat to a uniform 1/4 inch thick

• 1 package Boursin cheese, divided into 8 pieces

• 8 ounces cream cheese, divided into 8 pieces

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (or enough to coat the cheese balls)

• 16 leaves washed spinach

• 16 slices of Prosciutto

• salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup rose or white wine

• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

• 1/4 cup raspberry jam

• 2 Tablespoons butter

Mix each piece of Boursin with a piece of cream cheese (to make 8 total) into a walnut shaped ball. Roll in the pecans until coated. Salt and pepper chicken and place 2 spinach leaves in the center of a pounded chicken breast piece, top with a cheese ball. Pull the breast around to cover the cheese. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the breast and cross with a second piece of prosciutto to completely enclose the seams. Place in a baking dish. Repeat with all remaining. You should have eight chicken packets. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the wine, vinegar and jam and cook until boiling. Serve over the chicken.

Strawberry Daiquiri Punch

• one 8 ounce package frozen sliced strawberries

• 1 can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix

• 1 can frozen pineapple juice

• 24 ounces sparkling lemonade

• 12 ounces ginger-ale

• water and ice to taste

Elvis’ Love Me Tender cake

This is just a concoction. I’m just going to give you the link to Epicurious for Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake recipe. But do make it. Then slice a pint of fresh organic strawberries lengthwise to make “hearts” macerate with vanilla sugar and some Gran Marnier or Orange Brandy. Make a fresh ganache (heat cream until boiling pour over equal amount of chopped choc add a small knob of butter and a little Amaretto if desired) use Valrhona Alpaco or other really good chocolate and enjoy!

Butterscotch Pots de Creme

I didn’t get a pic of these either although they were to die for -if it hadn’t been bad manners we all would have licked our wee lion’s head ramekins clean on the spot. I will be making these again- when my waist can recover. The recipe is on Epicurious too here’s the link- Butterscotch Pots de Creme. I used dark brown sugar instead of the pricier Demerara and raw sugar for the Turbinado listed. If they were any better with the other sugars I’m not sure I could take it. Mmm oh my…..

Well that’s it for the Valentine making bash! I send you all lots of love!

xoxo

P.S. I am not making the super Spinach dip that all of the other Craving Ellie crew are making today I have a huge Costco purchased tub leftover from the above and really can’t justify making more. I will try the recipe another time though- I promise. And I send my apologies to Cathy at The Tortefeasor for not playing today  but I do love her site- go on check it out. And for a list to check out the other Ellies’ Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip here.

xo

Gabi