Smelling cookies in a hot summer day

My fellow Baltimoreans suffer with the cold, I suffer with hot temperatures, here in Sao Paulo.

One of the issues we face, while living here, is that on days very hot, with very low precipitation, the pollution reach high levels, and we can't step out the house.

Well, what do you with a jumping toddler, that has recently discovered the pleasures of sweets? You bake cookies!

We decided to bake chocolate and peanut butter cookies. The recipe was taken from Better Homes and Garden. 

The outcome was spectacular! I was able to entertain my little one for a while, he tasted his first cookie dough, and was bragging to everyone that wanted to hear that he made the cookies!

A very sweet 2014!

I know that many of you are making plans to cut on sweets for the new year.
But wishing to be a nice daughter-in-law to my Mother-in-law, I made two typical portuguese deserts: Papo d'Anjo (translated as angel's double chin) and Molotov (an egg's whites pudding).

Papo d'Anjo:
10 egg yolks
2 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
butter

Yields around 24 (will depend of the size of the forms/tins used)

Turn the oven to 350F (180C). Butter small forms, if you don't have them, use small cupcakes forms or mini-muffin tins.
Whip the egg yolks at room temperature during 15 minutes in a small hand mixer or 5 minutes using a kitchenAid mixer. You will want to have the yolks doubled 4-5 times, obtaining a creamy mixture.
Fill the forms up to the top. Set tins/forms in a bain-marie (about one inch of hot water in a shallow pan)   Bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool down (is a very quick process). With a toothpick make 3-4 wholes on them. Put the Papo d'Anjo in a serving bowl and pour the sugar syrup over. refrigerate at least 12 hours.

Molotov:
10 egg whites
10 tablespoons sugar
Liquid caramel
Salt

Turn oven to 400F (200C).
Whip the egg's whites with a pinch of salt until they triple of size. Add the sugar one tablespoon a time. The whites will be done when you can have a clear cut done with a knife.
You can add at this point some liquid caramel, or not. Pour the caramel over a bundt-style pan. Add the beaten egg whites, and pressed them down. Set pan in a bain-Marie for about 15 minutes. Turn oven off , and let the pan inside for another 30 minutes. During this time do not open oven door.
Turn Molotov over a serving tray. If you are having issues,, release the top with a knife.

Bom apetite!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Quick dinner in less than 20 minutes!

My radio silence has many reasons, but not enough to keep me away any longer.
Being a mom of a tiny wannabe gourmet (my son has been smelling and tasting new food offerings before eating for a while, now...) forces me to take new approaches with basics.
I will call it M lasagna, it takes less than 20 minutes from preparing to putting on the table:

Step 1:
Boil 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut them in small pieces, add a pinch of sea salt to the cooking water
Cut 2 small/medium courgettes, and cooked them in olive oil and add some herbs
Cook 1/2 pound minced meat, with a drizzle of olive oil

Step 2:
Assemble the small oven bowl with butter, sweet potato puree, meat, courgette, and finally add shredded mozzarella cheese.

Step 3:
Put the bowls in small counter oven for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Step 4:
Enjoy! Bom apetite!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

A berry nice jam: everything and figs!

One of my fondest memories of my childhood is the aroma from a pot full of blackberries being slowly transformed into the best jam one could wish for!

Now a mother myself, I try to create olfactory memories for my son.

Over the summer I enjoyed the peak, and consequently the low prices, of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and figs to buy extra, freeze them up and few couple of months (2-3) later put all of them in a nice jam.

You can do jam for each fruit separately. I just decided to do a melting pot of all them!

I took all fruits of the freezer and covered them with sugar, I used very little as all fruits were ripped and were very sweet. I after coating them with sugar, I pour them into a heavy pot, I used my Le Creuset, and left them over night. This way the fruit juices are released.

After a bath of sugar overnight:

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-35 minutes:

Give some whizzes with the immersion blender, if you don't have (go and get it now!) you can use your blender. 

I have already shared at least 2-3 cups with a good friend of mine, and the remaining I just put it in a weck jar. The remaining I will be doing berries vinaigrette, roast chicken, you name it! Many potential ways to use!

They will not be here for too long! Many teas with crackers, or mini toasts, with goat cheese, are seen ahead!