Category: food

Baking Day

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Tarte de maçã, bolo de limão, pão… e o fim-de-semana à porta!
Apple pie, lemon cake, a loaf of bread… and the weekend is nearly here!

Classic Apple Pie (Martha Stewart)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 recipe Pâte Brisée
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 pounds assorted apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disc of dough into a 13-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining disc in the same manner. Place in refrigerator until firm.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream; set aside. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Remove pie shell from freezer, and fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter.

Lightly brush edge of pie with a wet pastry brush. Place dough round on top of pie. Trim edges flush with rim; press to seal. Crimp edges as desired. Make four 1/2-inch slits in center of pie. Brush top with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Place pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake until crust just begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. If the crust begins to get too dark, drape a piece of aluminum foil over the top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake (Nigella Lawson)
Cake:
125g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
175g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk
Syrup:  
Juice of 1/5 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
100g of icing sugar
23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf tin, buttered and lined, preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add eggs and lemon zest, beat in well.
Add the sieved flour and salt, folding in gently but thoroughly.
Add the milk, mix in.
Spoon into loaf tin and put cake in oven for 45 mins, or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
While it’s cooking, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice, over a low heat
As soon as you take the cake out, puncture holes all over the top and pour the syrup on to let it soak in. Make sure there are lots of holes in the top so it doesn’t all go down the sides.
Wait until it’s completely cold to take it out of the tin.

(images: Constança Cabral)

Bolachas Boas, Fáceis e Rápidas :: Good, Easy, Fast Cookies

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Vou fazer um breve intervalo nos relatos da viagem a França para falar de actividades de fim-de-semana. Entre passeios pelo campo, costura, jardinagem e festas de aldeia (Junho é um mês intenso por estes lados) – e, no caso de muitas pessoas cheias de sorte, idas à praia -, vale a pena reservar meia-hora para fazer as bolachas mais deliciosas de sempre.
A receita é esta. Deixei de fora o extracto de baunilha (que, na minha opinião, deixa todos os bolos e bolachas a saber a Dan Cake), reduzi a quantidade de açúcar e acrescentei uma mão cheia de pistachios. As bolachas são boas, demasiado boas. E tão fáceis de fazer! A sério, experimentem. Prometo que não se arrependerão.
I’m taking a short break on posting about France to talk about some weekend activities. In between walking, sewing, gardening and going to village fêtes (June is a busy month around here) – and, for some lucky people, going to the beach -, it’s worth setting aside half an hour to bake the most delicious cookies ever.

The recipe is this one (for Imperial measurements, try this one here). I left out the vanilla extract (which, in my opinion, makes everything taste like Dan Cake), reduced the amount of sugar and added a handful of pistachio nuts. The cookies are good, too good. And so easy to make! I urge you to give it a try. I promise you won’t regret it!


(image: Constança Cabral)

France :: Food Markets

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Um dos grandes prazeres de estar em França é poder ir aos mercados de rua. Os franceses são imparáveis no que toca à apresentação dos frutos e legumes e tem muita graça ver todas as pessoas (homens incluídos) com o seu cesto de verga debaixo do braço. Era lá que comprávamos o nosso picnic diário: uma baguette, um queijo local, sumo de maçã, uns morangos… Não tínhamos cesto, mas o saco que fiz especialmente para esta viagem serviu perfeitamente (ver última imagem).
One of the best things about France is going to the street markets. The French are the best when it comes to presenting fruit and vegetables and it’s wonderful to see every person (men included) carrying their own wicker baskets. We would buy own daily picnic over there: a baguette, a small local cheese, a bottle of apple juice, some strawberries… We had no basket but the bag I made especially for this trip was perfect for storing all the food (see last picture).

(images: Tiago Cabral)

Loaf

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No sábado estive em Birmingham, em casa do Tom Baker, a participar no curso “Bread: Back to Basics”. Que dia bem passado! O curso está muito bem organizado e, em 7 horas, aprendemos imensos truques e viemos para casa com pão branco, pão integral, fougasse, ciabatta e brioche, tudo feito por nós. O Tom tem um forno a lenha no jardim, planta os seus próprios legumes e até tem galinhas. Foi óptimo passar o dia com pessoas que dão valor às coisas simples da vida. A qualquer pessoa que passe por Birmingham recomendo vivamente a Loaf!
I spent last Saturday in Birmingham, at Tom Baker‘s house, participating in the “Bread: Back to Basics” course. What a great day! The course is very well planned and, within 7 hours, we learned loads of tricks and came home with white bread, wholemeal bread, fougasse, ciabatta and brioche. Tom has an earth oven in the garden, plants his own veggies and even keeps chickens. I loved spending the day with people who value the simple things in life. To anyone passing through Birmingham I highly recommend Loaf!
(images: Constança Cabral)

Dias com Mafalda

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Sabiam que a Mafalda Pinto Leite, para além de ser autora de dois livros de cozinha ultra apetecíveis (e parece que vem mais um a caminho!), também tem um blog cheio de receitas e de histórias pessoais? Preparem-se, porque a Mafalda está cheia de projectos que vão dar que falar…! Entretanto, para quem quiser experimentar o pão que se come diariamente cá em casa, a receita está por lá.
(I’m sorry this post is written only in Portuguese… it’s about a lovely Portuguese chef called Mafalda Pinto Leite and her blog and also about my bread… Tomorrow I’ll be back with a post that you’ll be able to understand!)

(image: Tiago Cabral)

Homemade Bread

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Tenho feito pão praticamente todos os dias. O meu objectivo é deixar de comprar pão industrial (que muitas vezes vem disfarçado de “caseiro”) e usar farinhas inglesas. Este pão foi feito com uma mistura de duas farinhas Wessex Mill: Six Seed Bread Flour e Strong White Bread Flour. Ao todo usei 650 g de farinha para 500 ml de água. Antes de pôr o pão no forno, pincelei-o com uma clara de ovo e espalhei uma mistura de sementes que costumo usar em saladas. Ficou mesmo bom!
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I’ve been making bread almost every day. My goal is to stop buying industrial bread (which sometimes comes disguised as “artisan” bread) and to use British flours. This bread was made with a mixture of two Wessex Mill flours: Six Seed Bread Flour and Strong White Bread Flour. In total I used 650 g of flour for 500 ml of water. Before baking I brushed the top with an egg white and sprinkled some seeds I normally use on salads. It tasted really good!

(images: Tiago Cabral)

Bolachas de Chocolate :: Double Chocolate Cookies

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Deixem-me dar-vos um gostinho da edição deste mês da Food & Travel: estas são as bolachas de chocolate que estão na capa e são de comer e chorar por mais! E fazem-se num instante. Querem experimentar?
Let me give you a taste of this month’s Food & Travel: these are the chocolate cookies that appear on the cover and they’re to die for. And you can bake them so quickly! Wanna try?
50g unsalted butter
450g chocolate, roughly chopped
2 eggs
170g soft light Muscovado sugar
85g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas 3. Put the butter and half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave until melted and smooth.
Put the eggs and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until well mixed. Pour in the chocolate mixture, beating on slow speed until well combined. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl then stir into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions mixing well after each addition. Finally stir in the remaining chocolate until evenly dispersed.
Arrange equal amounts of cookie dough on 2 baking trays. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, checking regularly after 10 minutes. They are ready when the tops start to crack and they look glossy. Leace the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

(image: Constança Cabral)

Máxima Interiores

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Em honra da equipa da Máxima Interiores que me visitou hoje, comprei flores e fiz madalenas. E respondi a muitas perguntas, fui fotografada e até filmada! Obrigada às cinco senhoras que cá vieram a casa pelo interesse e extrema simpatia. A reportagem sai no número de Novembro. Estou toda contente!
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In honour of the Máxima Interiores team that paid me a visit today, I bought flowers and baked madeleines. And I also answered many questions, was photographed and even filmed! I’d like to thank again the five ladies who came here today for their interest and kindness. The piece will be out in the Novembe issue. I’m so happy!


(image: Constança Cabral)