Tag Archives: Almond

Blood Orange, Almond and Ricotta Cake

2 Replies

I was introduced to Tartine a few weeks ago when visiting San Francisco. I thought we had stumbled upon a small local bakery café.. not realizing it was THE Tartine.. world famous for their amazingness. Delicious looking tarts, croissants, quiches and more on were on display and I was not optimistic there were GF options.. but of course there were! 🙂 And behind the glass the server pointed out some beautiful tiny orange almond ricotta cakes.

The cake was delicious and my daughter (6 yrs) ate a whole piece of ham and cheese quiche. Tartine was just as amazing as the 6k+ reviews on Yelp rave about. And of course I couldn’t not try to make the cake! 🙂

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  •  1 tablespoon water
  •  3 large eggs, separated
  •  2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar
  •  2 blood oranges, or another orange of your choice
  •  1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  •  2/3 cup (165 grams) ricotta
  •  1/3 cup (45 grams) cornmeal
  •  1 cup (135 grams) firm-packed almond flour or meal
  •  1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  •  1/4 cup apple, quince or apricot jam (optional, for glossy finish)

Directions

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Stir brown sugar and water together so they form a thick slurry. Pour into prepared cake pan and spread thin. Set aside.

Whip egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until they hold thick peaks. Set aside.

Place granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Finely zest both oranges over it.

Cut both oranges in half. Cut one of the halves into paper-thin slices and arrange slices over brown sugar base in cake pan. Juice other three halves (I had about 1/3 cup juice) and set juice aside.

Add butter to zest and granulated sugar in large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer (you can use same beaters you just did for egg whites) until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add juice and ricotta; mix until smooth. Sprinkle salt over batter, then add almond flour and cornmeal and mix until just combined. Gently fold in egg whites.

Scoop batter in large dollops over prepared cake pan base. Gently spread batter flat, trying not to disturb orange slices underneath. Bake in heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes [updated to warn that this took longer for many people, but remains accurate for my oven– better to check early than late], or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and then (my preference) for 5 more minutes. The final cake is so moist, almost damp, I found the extra baking time beneficial.

Cool cake in pan on rack for 5 minutes, and then run a knife around the side and invert onto a cake plate. If any orange slices don’t come out easily, just gently arrange them on the top of the cake. If desired, heat jam until loose and brush over cake top for a glossier finish. Let cool and cut into slices. This would be delicious served with an extra dollop of ricotta, creme fraiche or barely sweetened whipped cream. The cake keeps at room temperature, but we prefer it from the fridge.

Thank you Smitten Kitchen! Visit their page for beautiful pictures and more tips on making this cake: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/blood-orange-almond-and-ricotta-cake/

 

dit-elle-Esther

Marzipan Cookies

Leave a reply

Marzipan Cookies are awesome because they are slightly less rich than pure marzipan, use only three ingredients, and are chewy and delicious!

marzipan cookies (3) marzipan cookies (2) marzipan cookies (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 – 1 1/2 cups almond meal
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 egg whites
  • whole raw almonds (optional)

Directions

  • In food processor mix almond meal and sugar
  • Add egg whites until a stiff dough forms
  • Remove from food processor and knead with a little almond meal as needed so that a workable dough forms
  • Shape 1″ diameter balls and press down on cookie sheet with an almond in the middle if desired
  • Bake at 350 for ~12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden
  • These store very well in an airtight container in freezer for a few weeks!

dit-elle-Esther

Peach or Nectarine Crisp

Leave a reply

Sweet succulent peaches and nectarines are sprinkled with an almond oat topping and baked till crisp and golden. Served with rich vanilla ice cream, this is wonderful and delicious summer dessert.

I modified this recipe from the original from PCC Natural Markets – but because the peaches were so ripe and sweet and I was planning to serve this with vanilla ice cream, I used a lot less sugar and also substituted tapioca flour instead of the corn starch. You can consult the original here, but here is my version of the recipe and the vote in my house was: this peach crisp is amazing!

Blog nectarine crisp
Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 4 teaspoons tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (quick-cooking fine)
  • 6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
  • Vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Combine peaches or nectarines, 1 Tbsp coconut sugar, lemon juice and tapioca flour in a 9-inch shallow round baking dish or pie plate.
  • In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, oats and salt. Rub in butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle oat topping over the fruit mixture. Place the dish or pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt

Thanks PCC Natural Markets

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

2 Replies

This is a variation of the Paleo Cinnamon Coffee Cake I posted a few weeks ago! I added some almond essence and sliced apples to make this Paleo Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake!

Blog paleo cinnamon apple cake-1

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
  • ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp almond essence (optional)
  • 2 apples, thinly sliced (I prefer a tart apple like Granny Smith which is also great for baking)

Topping

  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (or maple syrup also works great)
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
  • To make topping, combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sliced almonds in a bowl

Directions

  1. Grease a 9-inch round baking dish with coconut oil and dust with almond flour
  2. In a food processor, combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda
  3. Pulse in coconut oil, honey, eggs and almond essence
  4. Spread the batter into prepared baking dish
  5. Place sliced apples into the batter
  6. Brush topping over cake batter
  7. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes
  8. Cool and serve

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Chocolate Pudding with Almond Date Topping

Leave a reply

If you’ve been following our blog for a while you know that we are big fans of avocado! This recipe takes avocado, some cocoa, a little sweetener, a splash of coconut milk and vanilla – and makes a lovely silky chocolate pudding.

It is similar to the Paleo Chocolate Pudding I made a while ago, but the recipe below is quicker and a nice variation! I discovered it sort of by accident – as luck would have it – while trying to make a Paleo Chocolate Pie.. turned to soup.. turned to pudding!

Blog paleo avocado chocolate pudding

Ingredients for the Topping

  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 4-5 dates, pitted

Ingredients for Filling

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2-4 tbsp. cocoa (depending on how dark you like it)
  • 1-2 Tbsp agave syrup (or you could use maple or honey)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (adjust for consistency)
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

  • In food processor, pulse almond meal and dates until crumbs form
  • For filling – combine all ingredients and blend with an inversion blender until smooth
  • Layer filling and topping in individual serving dishes

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Lemon Almond Shortbread Cake aka…HEAVEN in your mouth!

2 Replies

Here’s another favorite from my childhood, before anyone ever uttered Paleo or Whole30 :).

It is in no way healthy, but again…worth every caloric bite.  I mean, what’s life without the occasional indulgence??  BORING 😉 Blog Lemon Almond Layer Shortbread Cake-3Blog Lemon Almond Layer Shortbread Cake-4Ingredients

Crust/Topping

  • 2 2/3 Cup Flour
  • 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Soft Butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Egg

Filling

  • 1 Cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon lemon peel
  • 1 Egg (slightly beaten)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan
  • Mix crust on low either in mixer or cuisinart til it forms a ball.
  • Divide dough in half.  Spread 1/2 in the bottom of the pan.  Put other half in the refrigerator.
  • Toss almonds in Cuisinart until finely chopped (or buy pre diced almonds).  Toss the rest of the ingredients in and blend.
  • Spread filling over crust to within a 1/2 inch of the edge.
  • Press remaining dough on waxed paper to 9 or 10 inch circle.  Place over filling and press into place.
  • Place foil underneath pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until edges get light brown.  It will leak all over your oven if you don’t.
  • Cool for at least 15 minutes.  It keeps really well, so I even make it the night before I want to eat it, and it’s still dense and moist.  YUM!!!  Serve all on it’s own, or with yogurt or ice cream and some fresh fruit!  ENJOY!dit-elle-Lauren