FINANCIERS - a bar of gold ! French Tea cake !

 Financiers are dome-shaped French tea cakes (cookies) with the taste of almonds and caramelized butter, sounds rich right?  Yup these little cakes get their name since they are meant to resemble gold bars.  These cute little gold bars are damn tasty :) These petite bars are truly addictive. The almond flavor is deliciously complimented by the flavor of burnt butter, or "beurre noisette." CAUTION : The batter itself is quite addictive! It has a firm, crusty exterior and a moist, almondy interior, tastes almost as if they were filled with almond paste. 

 The history says that financiers were first made in the late 19th century by a pastry chef whose shop was close to the Paris stock exchange. He baked the financiers in the rectangular molds that were said to resemble bars of gold.  It became so popular in that financial area and thus it got its name.  While you can buy special financier molds to bake these, you can also use individual small tart pans or miniature muffin tin as well.  

Financiers are delicious by itself, but it tastes great and pretty when it is topped with berries, peaches, apples etc.  It can also be served with Crème Anglaise, Ice cream ...you can use this as one of the plating component.  It’s also perfect accompaniment with Indian coffee and tea!!!

FINANCIERS - A BAR OF GOLD

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 60g
Unsalted Butter - 150g
Almond flour -100g
Sugar - 125g
Egg whites - 140g
Honey- 30g
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp (You can substitute with lemon zest)

Method:

1. Dice and melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Heat until the butter turns brown, but make sure it does not burn. (Like how we do for Ghee)
2. Once the butter turned brown immediately keep it aside.  Let it cool down completely, once cooled strain and keep it aside.
3. In a large bowl stir in the egg white together with the sugar and honey. 
4. Mix well until the sugar combines with the egg white.  Do not over whisk just mix lightly until combined.
5. Now add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Slowly add the melted brown butter and the vanilla extract. Mix lightly until they are combined.
7. Fill the batter 2/3 into each cavity of the Financier mold or any other mold you are using. I spooned it inside the mold using measurement spoon, you can also fill the use pastry bag, to fill the batter in the cavities. The batter will be thin.
8. If you are using any fruits for topping (I used Blueberry, Raspberry and Kumquat), place it in the top of the batter but do not press.  They by themselves takes its beautiful place while baking.
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes in 400°f oven until they are golden brown around the edges and are springy when touched. 
10. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
11. I brushed Financiers with Apricot glaze which is absolutely optional.  You can also dust with icing sugar when serving.

The above recipe makes about 18 to 20 small bars.

Sweet little bar of edible gold is ready to savor with cup of hot Tea, Coffee or as a dessert!!!

Notes:

1. If you think 400°f is way too hot in your oven.  Bake them in 350°f for about 15 to 20 minutes because each oven varies.
2. These are best eaten warm or in room temperature.
3. They can be covered and stored for few days at room temperature or in refrigerator.
4. You can serve this with Ice-cream, CrèmeAngalise etc.

5. If you are not using non stick or Silicon mold , grease the cavity with little butter and dust it with the flour.

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COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE WITH LUSCIOUS CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CREAM ! - VALENTINE'S TREAT !

Wish you all a Very Happy Valentine's day!!!  

I know it’s been sometime that I had posted in my blog.  Hope to get back to blogging regularly.  I have been getting lots and lots of recipe requests when I post dishes in my Facebook page and Chiffon cake is one of them.  I had posted Banana Chiffon cake in my FB page, instead of sending the recipe to every person, I thought of posting it in my blog for everyone as a Valentines treat.  The formula for perfect valentines day setting are Pinky background, Flowers, Lots and lots of Chocolate, Cinnamon, Luscious cream and berries what more can you ask for.  This is a Coffee flavored Chiffon cake filled with Luscious Chocolate cream loaded with Chocolate and berries to highlight as a Valentine Cake!!!!  

For those who don't know what is a Chiffon cake; here it is, Chiffon cake is very very light and airy cake made with Oil, eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder with any of your favorite flavorings.  They are like angel food cake, Fluffy texture is achieved by beating egg whites until stiff and folding them into the cake batter before baking.  If made rightly the cakes will not harden or dry out as traditional butter cakes.  Typically it is served with flavorful sauces or other accompaniments such as chocolate, pastry cream or fruit fillings. It is most popular in Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore etc..I have tasted so many flavors when I was in Singapore including Durian Chiffon :) :)  as well.. You can find various flavors of chiffon cake in any local bakeries.  It’s very light and airy with beautiful cottony texture. 

What is the difference between Chiffon cake and Angel food cake?
Angel Food cake has no egg yolks, fats or artificial leavener it mainly relies on stiffly beaten egg whites for leavening. Chiffon cake is a moist and tender, light and airy that has the richness of butter cake but springy texture of a sponge cake.  The egg whites are first beaten until stiff and then it is folded into the yolk, oil and flour mixture.  Traditionally both the cakes are baked in ring shaped tube pan.  It is placed upside down until they are fully cooled just to prevent it from collapsing.  Both the cakes are served plain or with flavorful sauces or whipped cream.

Here you go recipe for Rustic Coffee Chiffon cake with delicious Chocolate cream and berries!

You can also enjoy the cake without any cream or berries, its perfect with your coffee or tea! 

COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE

Ingredients for Chiffon cake:

All purpose flour - 150 gm
Baking powder - 6 gm
Egg whites - 200 gm
Sugar - 75 gm (This sugar is with egg whites for making meringue)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Egg yolk - 100 gm
Sugar - 80 gm
Milk - 200 gm
Instant coffee granules - 10 gm
Oil - 60 gm

Ingredients for Chocolate whipped cream:

Bitter sweet chocolate - 100 gm
Heavy cream - 350 gm
Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Notes :

Preheat the oven to 350 f before you start your process.
Do not greast the tube pan with butter or flour.
I have used 8" Tube pan. 

 

Method for Chiffon cake :

1. Heat the milk add the coffee granules and keep it aside, let them cool. Meanwhile sift the flour together with the baking powder twice.
2. Whip the egg white together with the salt.  Make sure the bowl is absolutely dry and clean.
3. Add the sugar in  egg whites in two steps. First start whipping at medium speed until the egg white is foamy, now add the sugar. Keep on whipping the egg, 
Whip at high speed now add the remaining sugar.
4. Whip till you get stiff peaks(Meringue stage) and keep it aside.
5. In another bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolk. Using the same electric beater beat until the egg yolk turns to creamy almost white or light yellow. This will take few minutes so be patient.
6.  Add the oil in the yolk, beat well until they emulsify and now add the coffee milk mixture.
11. Now add the sifted dry ingredients.
12. Mix the yolk and dry ingredients vigrously using wired whisk.
13. Now add 1/2 of the egg white(meringue mixture) with the wired whisk slowly.
14.  Then fold in the remaining meringue mixture with a rubber spatula until there is no trace of meringue but take care not to deflate the whole mixture. This is very important. Over folding or underfolding both will not give good results.
15. Fill the batter in the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes in 350 f preheated oven
16. After baking, immediately invert the cake upside down and let it cool down in the pan for atleast 1 1/2 hrs.
17. Then remove the cake by running the spatula in the edges by giving slight pressure towards the pan .
Use small spatula or the skewer in the tube part of the cake and also run the spatula in the bottom of the cake to release.

Chocolate Whipped cream

Method :

1. Place the chocolate in a large heat resistant bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer.
3. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate.
4. Let the bowl sit for a few minutes so the cream can melt the chocolate.
5. Whisk to blend the cream and chocolate together.
6. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
7. Mix until the sugar melts. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until well chilled.  Atleast for 3 hrs.
8. Whip chocolate cream mixture until it is thick and spreadable. Don't over whip it.


Assembling :

1. Cut the chiffon cake horizontally into 2 halves.
2. Fill the cream in the middle , add some berries and chocolate shreds.
3. Sandwich the upper portion of the cake, do the same and decorate with lots of berries and Chocolate shavings.

Here you go Coffee Chiffon cake with Luscious chocolate cream with loads of chocolates and berries is ready for your Valentine !!!

This serves almost 10 to 15 peoples !

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YEASTED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE - DARING BAKERS FOR MARCH 2011

Its Daring Bakers time for March.  Wonderful challenge as always... This time it was Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.  Don't they sound delicious..yes it was!!!.  Totally loved the challenge.  I did not make much changes to the original recipe other than the filling.  The filling which I made was the combination of dried Cranberry+ Zest of Orange and crunchy  Pecans which I love love love a lot. The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.  I just halved the recipe.  If your making the wreath shape the baking time would be as suggested.  But if you wishing make single serving like I posted the baking time is 15 to 18 minutes.  Enjoy the virtual treat as much as I enjoyed making and eating.

Blog-checking lines: The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria and Jamie. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

 
Recipe Source: Jamie found this recipe on a piece of yellowed paper in her dad’s collection of clipped out and hand-written recipes from the 1970’s, no source, no date, and she tried the recipe and it was brilliant!

YEASTED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter.

 
Ingredients:

For the yeast coffee cake dough:

Flour - 4 cups
Sugar - ¼ cup
Salt - ¾ teaspoon
Active dried yeast - 1 package
Whole milk - ¾ cup
Water - ¼ cup  (doesn’t matter what temperature)
Unsalted butter  - ½ cup at room temperature
Eggs - 2 large at room temperature

 

 

For the Meringue:

Egg whites - 3 large at room temperature
Salt - ¼ teaspoon
Vanilla - ½ teaspoon
Sugar - ½ cup

For the filling Which I used :

Chopped pecans - 1/2 cup
Dried cranberries - 1/2 cup
Granulated sugar - 2 Tablespoons
Orange Zest - 1 1/2 teaspoon

Egg wash: 1 beaten egg

Confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar) for dusting cakes

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.
3.With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
4.Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
5.Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.
6.Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:

In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

1. Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).
3.Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

 

4.Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.
5.Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
6.Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
7.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
8.Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.
9.Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.
10.Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

 

Enjoy !!!

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