Lemon Drizzle

115 gr all-purpose flour

half tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

5 eggs

vanilla extract

225 gr granulated sugar

1 tbs grated lemon zest

1 tbs grated orange zest

350 gr almond paste*

225 gr unsalted butter

* recipe here: Almonds Paste

syrup

60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

225 gr granulated sugar

Pre-heat oven at 170° C.

In a container mix the sugar and the lemon+orange zests. Set aside for 10 minutes. Then add the flour and the baking powder.

Add and mix to the dry ingredients the almonds paste and the softened butter.

Beat the eggs in a container and add them slowly to the mixture above.

Coat a plum cake tin with baking paper and put the mixture into it.

Bake for 60 minutes (check doneness with a toothpick).

The cake out from oven, prepare the syrup: just mix juices and sugar. Do not prepare the syrup before hand.

Pour the syrup on top of the cake (still warm and still in the plum cake tin) unitl it is all well absorbed. Wait 20 minutes and serve.

Pie Crust:

600 gr all-purpose flour

250 gr unsalted butter

cold water as needed

40 gr sugar

a pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

Filling:

10 apples

1 tbs ground cinnamon

juice of half lemon

100 gr sugar

a pinch of salt

60 gr unsalted butter

30 gr corn starch

If you like: half tsp nutmeg

Peel the apples and cut them into 10/12 slices. Put the apples in a container, add the sugar, salt, cinnamon (nutmeg if you like) and mix well. Let rest for 30-40 minutes at least.

In a container put the flour, the salt and the sugar. Add the cold butter.

Start kneading with your hand crumbling the butter. After a while the whole mixture will crumble. Add now, slowly some cold water and continue kneading until it becomes a dough.

Take 3/5 of the dough (retain the remaining dough) and roll it between 2 cling film sheets (this will make it wasier to line the pie pan).

Take off the upper cling film and turn the dough upside down to line a pie pan, take off the other cling film. Put in refrigerator per 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200° C.

Add the butter and melt it. Now the apples should have released some juice, put the juice in a casserole and bring to boil, let it boil until it get slightly caramelized.

Add the corn starch to the apples and mix well. Now add the syrup.

Pour the apples into the pastry lined pie pan. Roll out the remining dough and cover the apples.

Roll out the remaining dough and use it to cover the apples. Seal and decorate the apple pie as shown in the pictures.

Bake 45 minutes.

400 all purpose ‘strong’ flour

200 gr milk

water 50 gr

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp dry yeast

a pinch of salt

half tsp baking soda

30 gr vegetable oil

Note: Use corn flour (polenta) to roll out the dough.

Put all dry ingredients in a container and mix.

Warm the milk, the water and the vegetable oil in a microwave oven for 30 seconds. Add to the dry ingredients mixture above.

Knead well for at least 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft (if it is too hard, make your hands wet with water and continue kneading).

Let rise for 2 hours covered with a wet cloth.

Knead again and roll out the dough about 1 cm thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter of 8-9 cm diameter.

Let rise again in a warm place for 1 hour. Cook muffins on griddle for 7/8 minutes per side.

Before serving, split and toast them. English muffins are great with butter and jam. You can deep-freeze them (they will be good for 2 months).

Mix: 150 gr almond powder; 90 gr corn starch; 60 gr granulated sugar

2 eggs

60 gr butter

50 gr water

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

30 gr icing sugar

Add all  ingredients to the dry ones. Mix well.

Pour in a baking pan (20 cm diameter) and bake for 35 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. Serve warm dusted with icing sugar. The almond cake is great if served with a some melted dark chocolate.

You’ll need a plum cake mould

100 gr farina gialla macinata fine

120 gr unsalted butter

80 gr all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

60 gr almonds flour

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

120 gr sugar

2 tbs rhum

To make Amor Polenta, whisk the butter (softened at room temperature) with the sugar, until fluffy.

Add the eggs and the yolk, one at a time.

Add the almonds flour.

Add the polenta flour.

Add the baking powder.

Add the all-purpose flour.

Add the rhum.

Pour into the baking tin (for plumcake) and bake for 40/45 minutes at 170°C.

Unmould. And sprinkle with icing sugar only when it is cold.

Plum Cake

Dosi per uno stampo quadrato 21×21 cm / For a square baking tin 21x21cm

Dimezzare le dosi se usate uno stampo da plum cake standard

If you use a normal plum-cake mould use half of the quantities indicated below

350 gr farina / 350 gr all-purpose flour

4 uova / 4 eggs

200 gr burro a temperatura ambiente / 200 gr butter room-temperature

2 cucchiaini di lievito / 2 tbs baking powder

1 cucchiaino vanillina / 1 tbs vanilla extract

300 gr zucchero / 300 gr caster sugar

150 gr di uvetta / 150 gr raisins

Latte q.b. / a bit of milk if necessary

Mettere l’uvetta a bagno in acqua tiepida.

Put the raisins in warm water.

Sbattere bene il burro con lo zucchero.

Beat the butter with the sugar.

Unire le uova uno alla volta.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Aggiungere la farina setacciata con il lievito e la vanillina.

Add the flour sifted with the baking powder and the vanilla.

Aggiungere qualche cucchiaio di latte qualora il composto fosse troppo duro.

Add some milk if the mixture is too tight, it must be smooth not hard.

Unire ora l’uvetta strizzata e infarinata rapidamente.

Add now the sultanas squeezedand coated with some flour.

Versare nello stampo quadrato imburrato e infarinato e infornare a 170° per 40 minuti.

Pour into the square mould and bake for 40 minutes at 170°C.

Mango & Sticky Rice

250 gr riso glutinoso / 250 gr sticky rice

400 ml circa di latte di cocco / 400 ml coconut milk

acqua q.b. / water as needed

50 gr zucchero / 50 gr sugar

2 mango / 2 ripe mangoes

Mettere il riso in un contenitore e coprirlo d’acqua. Lasciarlo in ammollo per almeno 4 ore, meglio se per una notte intera.

Put the rice in a container and cover it with water. Let it soak for 4 hours at least (better if overnight.

Ora mettere il riso in una casseruola con la medesima acqua. Aggungere tanto latte di cocco quanto ne sevre per coprire il riso di circa 1 cm.

Now put the rice in a casserole with the same water and add as much coconut milk as needed to cover the rice itself by 1 cm.

Portare ad ebollizione a fiuoco medio. Preso il bollore abbassare al minimo e lasciare cuocere per 8-10 minuti semi-coperto. Verificare la cottura e togliere dal fuoco.

Bring to boil at medium heat, once boiling go to lo heat for 8-10 minutes half covered with a lid. Check if it is ready and set aside.

Nel frattempo tagliare il mango a julienne o a cubetti a piacere. Conservare il frigorifero.

Meanwhile dice or slice the mango as you prefer. Refrigerate.

Ora, in una casseruola mettere il restante latte di cocco con lo zucchero scaldarlo finché lo zucchero non sarà completamente sciolto.

In a separate casserole, put the coconut milk left with the sugar and melt the sugar well at medium-low heat. 

Versare questo composto ancora caldo, sul riso  e mescolare bene fino a completo assorbimento.

Pour this mixture over the rice. Mix well until all liquids will be absorbed by the rice.

Comporre il piatto e servire! Io preferisco il riso tiepido e il mango freddo, la combinazione è perfetta.

Compose the plate and serve! I prefer warm rice and cold mango, a perfect combination.