Chocolate Espresso Cake

Chocolate Espresso Cake

My husband is a chocoholic, and I wanted to please him with a great cake after a hard day at work. This cake is not overly chocolaty, it has a good balanced taste with the addition of espresso coffee.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 225 g all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 30 g cocoa powder, unsweetened

• 1 pinch salt

• 175 g brown sugar

• 75 g sugar

• 250 g butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

• 4 eggs

• 150 g (1½ dl) whole milk

• ½ cup (1 dl) cold espresso

• butter and sugar for the pan

Frosting:

• 325 g confectionary sugar

• ¼-½ cup cold espresso

Topping:

• a few coffee beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 355℉ (180℃).

Butter the pan and sprinkle sugar into the pan, so it get all over the inside of the pan. pour out the excess sugar.

Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt together, in a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, mix in the vanilla paste. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix just until fully incorporated. Fold in alternately dry ingredients and milk. Finally fold the espresso in. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake it in the oven for about 45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan. When cooled, mix the frosting, and frost the cake. Decorate the cake with coffee beans and serve it with a good cup of coffee.

Enjoy!

Source: Claus Meyer.

The Danish version:

 Chokolade/Espressokage

Ingredienser:

Kage:

• 225 g hvedemel 

• 1 tsk bagepulver 

• 30 g kakaopulver, uden sukker

• 1 knsp salt

• 175 g brun farin

• 75 g sukker

• 250 g smør

• 1 tsk vanille pasta, eller kornene fra ½ vanillestang

• 4 æg

• 1½ dl sødmælk 

• 1 dl kold espressokaffe

• smør og sukker til formen

Glasur:

• 325 g flormelis

• ½-1 dl kold espressokaffe

Topping:

• lidt kaffebønner

Fremgangsmåde:

Opvarm ovnen til 180℃.

Smør formen med smør og drys den med sukker.  Hæld det overskydende sukker ud.

Sigt mel, bagepulver, kakao of salt i ned i en skål.

Rør smør og sukker sammen til det er let og skummende. Tilsæt æggene et ad gangen og derefter vanillien. Rør lidt af melet i og herefter mælken.  Bland resten af melet forsigtigt i dejen. Til sidst fold den kolde espresso i.

Hæld dejen i den smurte form, og bag kagen i ca. 45 minutter indtil en kødnål/strikkepind, der stikkes ned i kagen, kommer ud uden dej på.

Lad kagen køle af i formen. Når kagen er kold, blandes glasuren. Kom glasuren på toppen af kagen. Drys lidt kaffebønner på toppen.

Server kagen med en god kop kaffe.

Velbekomme!

Asparagus with Parmesan

Asparagus with Parmesan

My first memory of asparagus is from my parents vacation house. They had a big asparagus bush, in the middle of one of the flower beds. I remember my mom, breaking of some of the small asparagus shoots just out of the ground. There would only be a few shoots every month, and my parents ate them like a snack, only washed and completely raw. 

I don't remember having asparagus for dinner other than the canned version, but maybe we did.

As adult I really love asparagus, it's a really easy side to prepare, whether you grill, boil or eat them raw in a salad.

This is one of my favorite ways to cook asparagus. The cream gets infused with the taste of asparagus, and the salty/nutty parmesan completes the dish. Actually if you just add some boiled fresh pasta, you can call it dinner.

What are you looking for when you buy asparagus?

Look for spears that are nice and firm, best of all is if you can find locally grown asparagus in season. Enjoy asparagus the day you purchase them, or wrap the bases in a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to a few days.

I like the thinner asparagus, but if you are going to grill them, I would go for the thicker ones, so they won’t dry out, while grilling.

The most delicate part of the asparagus is the top of the spear.

How to prepare asparagus for cooking

When you prepare your asparagus for cooking, there are 2 schools. Either you cut the ends off and/or peel them, or you snap off the ends. I like to snap the ends off. 

Hold each stalk about half way down its length and at the thick end. Now bend it until it snaps. Discard the  little stub, or use it for flavor in a soup or casserole. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green asparagus
• butter or oil, just to cover the bottom of the skillet
• 100 ml whipping cream
• ¼-½ cup (1 dl) parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking. The asparagus will turn more vibrant green. Ad the cream, and cook it down to about half. Add the half of the parmesan, and stir until the cheese is melted. Plate the asparagus and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The Danish version

Asparges med Parmesan

Til 4 personer

Ingredienser:

• 1 bundt grønne asparges
• smør eller olie, kun nok til at dække bunden af panden
• 1 dl piskefløde
• 1 dl parmesan, revet

Directions:

Smelt smørret på panden og steg aspargesne i ca 5 minutter, vend den undervejs, så de ale bliver tilberedt samtidig. Aspargesne bliver mere klargrønne af opvarmningen. Tilsæt fløden, og kog den ind til ca. halvdelen. Tilsæt så halvdelen af osten. Rør rundt i "saucen" indtil osten er smeltet. Server Aspargesen med resten af osten drysset over.

Velbekomme!

Sous-Vide Duck Breast

Sous-Vide Duck Breast with Citrus Salad with Liquorice-vinaigrette 

I really like the meat from a duck, especially the breasts. If you cook it to long it will dry out, but served medium-rare to medium is the most tender juicy piece of meat you can get. Since I got my Anova sous-vide cooker I have been longing to cook the duck breast sous-vide. Today was the day.

Ingredients:

• 2 Duck Breasts
• Salt

Directions:

Wash you hands very thoroughly, when handling the duck. You don't want to cross-contaminate other foods or the duck. So keep your work station clean and tidy all the time. 

Refrigerate duck breasts on paper towel-lined plate overnight. This will allow some of the juices to evaporate, and you get a firmer breast in the end.

Have the vacuum bags pre-sealed in one end (doh!). Fold the rim out, so you don't get any grease or water on the place you need to seal the bags. Have the salt and pepper you want to use in small bowls, so you don't get any "duck" in the salt you're not using. 

Take the duck breasts out and score the skin in a harlequin pattern with a sharp knife. Season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the vacuum bags, vacuum and seal them. (I seal them twice just to be on the safe side.)

Place them in 135℉ (57℃) water bath for at least 45 minutes and up to 3 hours. I stopped after 2 hours, no need to go the limit with this delicate meat. Remove duck from bags and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Place breasts skin side-down in heavy-bottomed non-stick or cast iron skillet and set over high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and cook  until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Make sure that you get good contact between skillet and the skin. You won't need any oil, the fat from the duck will render and give you plenty of fat for the searing. Flip  the breasts and cook the other side until slightly seared.

Slice the breasts thinly and serve with your favorite sides. One of my favorites is caramelized potatoes, picked red cabbage or Citrus Salad with Liquorice-vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Apricot/Habanero Ketchup

Apricot/Habanero Ketchup

We have all had tomato ketchup, but I wanted to try using apricots, since I have so many on my tree. Honestly this ketchup could be a family favorite. I might have to cook another batch before the apricots are gone for the year. If you're not into spicy food, just leave out the habanero and add some more black pepper and maybe even some star anise. 

Ingredients:

• 2 kg fresh apricots, washed, pitted and cut in half

• 500 g sugar

• 4½ dl apple cider vinegar

• 2-3 habanero chilies, without seeds

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 whole nutmeg

• 8 whole cloves

• 10 black pepper corns

• ½ teaspoon yellow mustard seeeds

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a large pot, and bring it to a boil. Boil while stirring until the apricot is soft and mushy. Turn the heat down, and let the ketchup simmer until reduced to the desired consistency. This will take quit some time. Remember to stir regularly.

Blend the ketchup in a blender and run it through a sieve. Before adding it to scolded glass bottles. If you're not using this ketchup right away, you need to process the bottles for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. See National Center for Home Food Preservation for additional information on safe food preservation.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Abrikos-Habanero Ketchup

Ingredienser:

• 2 kg friske abrikoser, vaskede, udstenede og skåret i halve

• 500 g sukker

• 4½ dl æblecidereddike

• 2 habanero chilier, uden kerner

• 1 stang kanel

• 1 hel muskatnød

• 8 hele nelliker

• 10 sort peberkorn

• ½ tsk gule sennepsfrø

Directions:

Kom alle ingredienserne i en stor gryde og kog det op indtil abrkoserne er møre og bløde. skru ned for varmen. Kog videre indtil du får den ønskede ketchup konsistens. Det tager noget tid. Rør tit i gryden, så ketchuppen ikke brænder på.

Blend hele blandingen, og si den igennem en sigte, inden du kommer ketchuppen på skoldede flasker. Hvis du ikke skal bruge al ketchuppen med det samme, så skal du henkoge den i ovnen til den er steril. Se National Center for Home Food Preservation for mere information om fødevaresikkerhed ved syltning.

Velbekomme!

Sports Cake - Sportskage

Sports Cake - Sportskage

Sports cake, it's a contradicting name. There is nothing sporty about this cake, there's a lot of whipped cream, and you need to go to the gym after eating a piece of this. 

The sports cake is a classic cake made by the Danish "Conditori La Glace." La Glace first made this cake for the premiere of the political play "Sports Men" in november 1891. And this is why it's called Sports cake. 

The cake is a kind of layer cake, with a thin macaroon bottom with a filling of whipped cream mixed with crushed praline (hazelnut and hard caramel) and topped of with whipped cream and caramelized cream puffs. Even though it’s just whipped cream on whipped cream, it's really yummy and not overly sweet. So if you ever find you self in Copenhagen, Denmark, you have to visit La Glace, It's a little slice of old-school Denmark at its best.

It might be a huge feat to take on La Glace, but I'm making it for one of my Danish friends birthday, and when we both live in California, I can't just order a cake for her. 

The recipe is kinda secret, but La Glace publish it  in a pamphlet, when the cake turned 100 years in 1991. And a popular Danish food program showed their version on TV a few years ago. 

Here is my version inspired by "Spise med Price."

Makes 1 cake.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 250 g marzipan (almond paste)
• 370 g sugar
• 3 egg whites

Praline:

• 100 g hazelnuts
• 300 g sugar

Cream puffs:

• 100 g butter, salted
• 200 ml water
• 125 g all-purpose flour
• a pinch salt
• 1 pinch baking powder
• 3 large eggs

Caramel for dipping the cream puffs:

• sugar

Filling & frosting:

• 1½ liters heavy whipping cream (use an organic with only cream in it like Clover)

Directions:

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃)

Mix marzipan, sugar and egg whites, and spread the dough onto a 9 inch circle on a parchment  paper or in a 9 inch springform pan, well greased. Bake it for about 30 minutes.

Praline:

Roast the hazelnuts on a dry skillet, until golden brown and most of the skin loosens. Rub the skin of the nuts between some kitchen towels.

Melt the sugar in a large skillet, and add the hazelnuts, when it's golden brown. Stir until the nuts are covered in caramel. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.

Cream puffs:

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Put water and butter in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. When the butter is all melted add all the flour at once, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and keep stirring until a dough is formed and it pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny. 

Keep beating the dough with the wooden spoon until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes.  

Beat all the eggs in a bowl. Add a little of the beaten eggs, incorporating it thoroughly before adding more. Add the egg in small amounts until you have a thick paste but not runny at all.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with an open tip, with the cream puff dough. Pipe quarter-size circular mounds about 2 inches apart, onto the parchment paper. To get the best tops on the cream puffs stop pressing on the pastry bag before you lift it, make a small circular move with your wrist as you lift the tip of the puff. If you have small tips on the puffs anyway, dab the tops of each puff with a fingertip dipped in water to smoothen the tops. 

Caramelized puffs.

Bake the puffs for 15-18 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden brown.

DO NOT open the oven while baking cream puffs, it will cause them to deflate.

Let the puffs cool on a wire rack.

When cooled, melt sugar in a small saucepan, till you have a light brown caramel. Dip the puffs in the melted sugar, and let them dry on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Be careful, the sugar is very very hot.

Filling:

The dome made, started piping.

Chop up the praline, you can use a food processor, but you don't want it to turn into a flour. You need some crunchy parts in the filling.

Whip 1 liter whipping cream, until it can hold a peak. Mix in the praline.

Whip the rest of the cream, a little softer than the other cream, this is used for piping.

Put the cake on a cake stand, and put the praline filled cream onto it like a dome.  

Pipe the regular whipped cream to cover the cake part, using a small open tip. Place the cream puffs on the dome. Pipe small petals round the puffs, so the hole dome is covered. 

NOTE: You can make the cake and praline in advance, maybe the day before.