Gooseberry Pound Cake with Red Currant Curd

When I am in Asturias I always take advantage of the local produce and the seasonal fruits.

Few weeks ago I had beautiful cherries from a huge cherry-tree from a relative. While they were preparing grass for the cows, I was seated under the cherry -tree having as many cherries as I could eat. That is life!

As much as I like cherries, I am always expectating eagerly the “Berry Season”. Strawberries, wild strawberries, red currants and gooseberries come first. My blueberries are in their way. I already had a couple of them. So tasty!

And at the end of the summer we will get ready for blackberries. I am already thinking in jam, pies and pound cakes ….

A week ago I “harvested” my cousin red currants and gooseberries. With the red currants I made a curd and with the gooseberries a pound cake.

I love curds. The soft texture and the intense taste are perfect for fillings or for a simple toast. I usually make lemon curd, but the red currants sounded like a good alternative for a change.

Here you have the recipes. I hope you like them!

Red Currant Curd

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 pound stemmed red currants (about 3 cups), washed

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 cup sugar

235gr unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Place currants in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, crushing with a potato masher, until berries are completely soft, about 15 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Do not force fruit through strainer; discard pulp. Measure and set aside 1/2 cup juice. Reserve remaining juice for another use.

Combine the currant juice, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until smooth.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Gooseberry Pound Cake

Ingredientes

Makes 1 loaf

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream, or half and half

1 heaping tablespoon honey

12 tablespoons room temperature (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups currants

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat. Stir in molasses. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Stir in the cream mixture, then the currants. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine.

Pour into pan, and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Las Galletas de Alex - Alex Cookies

Ya os he hablado en otras ocasiones sobre la familia de mi amiga Silvia en Ginebra. Los Domingos por la tarde en casa de Silvia y Steve eran mi “terapia familiar” , casi siempre endulzadas por algo recién salido del horno!

Las galletas estaban en los puestos mas altos del ranking de los Ritchey-Pedret. Tanto que en uno de los viajes de la familia a US, Alex me compro de los regalos mas especiales. Alex me regalo unos moldes de galletas con una sencilla finalidad: que le hiciera galletas.

Esta es la receta de las galletas de Alex. Espero que os guste!

I already spoke to you about my friend Silvia family in Geneva. Sunday afternoon at Silvia and Steve were my “family therapy”, almost always sweeten with something from my oven!!

Cookies were in the highest position of the Ritchey-Pedret family. So in one of the family trips to the US, Alex got me one of the most special gifts. Alex got me cookie cutters with a very simple goal: for me to bake her more cookies.

This is Alex cookies recipe. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

Serves 3 dozens

1 cup unsalted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla Extract

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing alter each addition.

Divide the dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle of 30 cm wide and 3 cm thick. Dip the cookie cutters in flour before each use.

Bake cookies 6-7 min. Let them cool.

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Ingredientes

Hace 3 docenas

1 taza mantequilla

1 ½ taza azúcar

1 huevo

1 ½ cucharita de extracto de vainilla

2 ¾ tazas de harina

2 cucharitas de levadura

1 cucharita de sal

Direcciones

Precalentar el horno a 200º. En un recipiente mezclar la mantequilla y el azúcar hasta que la mantequilla este ligera y “hueca”. Añadir el huevo y la vainilla. Seguir batiendo. En otro recipiente mezclar la harina, levadura y sal. Añadir a la mezcla de mantequilla de taza en taza. Mezclar en cada añadidura.

Dividir la masa en dos partes. En una superficie con enharinada, trabajar la masa hasta conseguir un circulo de 30 cm de diámetro y 3 cm de espesor. Enharinar los moldes de las galletas antes de cortar la masa. Hornear las galletas durante 6 – 7 min. Dejar enfriar.

Tarta de Platano con cobertura de Miel y Canela - Banana Cake with Honey and Cinnamon Frosting

Mis mañanas en Nueva York siempre empezaban con un “grande latte” en Starbucks. Nada mejor que disfrutar de mi café por la 6ª Avenida de camino a la oficina. Pero si el día se presentaba duro, hacia una parada en Magnolia Bakery .Cambiaba my desayuno “sano” de yogurt con granola por un muffin …. o dos. http://www.magnoliabakery.com/

El surtido de muffins por la mañana en Magnolia no es muy amplio pero muy acertado. Mi favorito: muffin de plátano y nueces.Los muffins de Magnolia me daban el extra de energía para enfrentarme al día.

La textura del bizcocho de la tarta de plátano me recuerda a los muffins de Magnolia. Tierno, sabroso y esponjoso … lo bueno de la tarta de plátano es que el echo de comerla no me prepara para nada “terrible”. Disfruto de la tarta solo por eso … por ser tarta.

My New York mornings used to start with a grande latte from Starbucks. It was nothing better that enjoying my coffee on my way to the office through 6^th Ave.But if the day looked like a though one, I stop by Magnolia Bakery. I changed my “healthy” yogurt with granola for a muffin … or two. http://www.magnoliabakery.com/

The morning muffin assortment at Magnolias is not very wide but just right. My favorite: walnut and banana muffin.Magnolia muffins gave me the extra energy needed to face the day ahead of me.

The texture of the banana cake reminds me very much to the Magnolia muffins. Tender, tasty and spongy … the good thing about the banana cake is that the fact of having a piece it does not prepare me for nothing “stressful”. I just enjoy the cake because of that.... for being a cake.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a different bowl mix together butter and sugar until well dissolved. Add mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not over mix).

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool completely before you spread the frosting.

Honey and Cinnamon Frosting

Ingredients

½ cup confectioners' sugar ( ad more if you desire a sweeter taste)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes

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Bizcocho de Plátano

Ingredientes

1 ½ tazas de harina

¾ tazas azúcar

1 cucharita de levadura

¼ cucharita de sal

½ taza de mantequilla derretida (125gr)

1 ½ tazas de plátano triturado ( sobre 4 plátanos bien maduros)

2 huevos grandes

½ cucharita de extracto de vainilla

Direcciones

Calentar el horno a 180º. En un recipiente mezclar harina, levadura y sal. En otro recipiente mezclar la mantequilla y azúcar hasta que el azúcar este bien disuelto. Añadir los huevos, plátanos y vainilla.

Añadir la mezcla de los ingredientes líquidos a la mezcla de harina. Batir hasta que la mezcla este incorporada. No batir mas de lo estrictamente necesario. Hornear durante 25 a 30 min. o hasta que al pinchar en el centro la varilla salga limpia. Dejar enfriar completamente antes de montar la tarta con la cobertura.

Cobertura de Miel y Canela

Ingredientes

½ taza de azúcar glass (añadir mas dependiendo del nivel de dulzor deseado)

½ taza de mantequilla a temperatura ambiente (125 gr.)

2 cucharadas de miel

1/8 cucharita de canela molida