16 October 2020

Coriander & Feta Spiced Loaf for the World Bread Day 2020 / Pão de Coentros, Feta e Especiarias para o Dia Mundial do Pão 2020.


Here I am!!
One year later and another World Bread Day.
Though I thought I thought I wouldn't make it, I just found the time to make a delicious bread and, most importantly, the time to share it with you all.
With everything bad that's going on this year, this was not the year to not be able to bake the most essential and "soul comforting" kind of food of them all.
BREAD!!
Saying that, for you all and specially for Zorra, our annual fabulous hostess, Coriander & Feta Spiced Loaf from "Simply" by Sabrina Ghayour!
One of the most gorgeous books I've bought this year and a truly delicious loaf to bake and share with your loved ones, both family and friends.

16 October 2019

Chorizo and Black Tapenade Bread / Pão com Chouriço e Pasta de Azeitona Preta.


It feels like AGES! since the last time I've posted something on the blog!
I don't blog for so long that, I can't remember if I still know how to blog :))...
Anyway! It's World Bread Day 2019 and, as I adore bread, I never miss this day or the opportunity and excuse to bake a loaf of bread.
As soon as I got Zorra's invitation, of course, my brain started hitching and I couldn't stop thinking about which bread I'd bake this year.
Chorizo and Olives? Chorizo and the Tapenade (a more exquisite version of olives)?
This combination seemed very obvious, delicious and simple and that's the one I've gone for. Absolutely delicious and simple, Chorizo and Tapenade is the bread I've chosen to celebrate this year's WBD!
Hope you try it and love it as much as we did.

20 February 2019

Burnt Butter and Salted Maple Sticky Buns and the end of the Sweet World Challenge / Rolinhos de Pimenta da Jamaica, Beurre Noisette e Xarope de Ácer e o adeus ao nosso amado Sweet World.


Hi all!

It looks like I'm not posting on the blog for ages and actually, it has been for ages...

As this is the first post of 2019 - first of all - I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year (still in time right?).

2018 was a very rough year for my family and myself and 2019 is still not going according to plan so, the strength and joy of posting recipes here on the blog, every week or even every month, are none at the moment!

Today is a very special day here on the blog!

We should be celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of our most beloved Sweet World Challenge and posting a new challenge for the month but, instead, we're posting a recipe to say good bye to our beloved challenge!

Both of us, Susana and myself, our private life is pretty much out of control right now and, as we love this challenge so much and we don't want to neglect it, we've decided to put an end to it and so, today, instead of celebrating, we're ending it!

There were 3 years of learning, challenging ourselves, getting out of our comfort zones, making, trying and researching the history of sweets, we've never had the courage to try before. A lot more is left to explore and try but, at the moment, its impossible so, a big THANK YOU to all the people that, for the last three years, challenged themselves and were with us for 35 months and a HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU to my Sweet World partner Susana, who is the most talented, friendly, dedicated and fabulous person I've ever met!

To say bye bye to our "Sweet World" on a sweet note, I'm leaving you the recipe for these absolutely outstanding Donna Hay buns and the recipe is from her latest book "Modern Baking".

18 November 2018

Pecan Pie / Tarte de Nozes Pecã.


Pecan Pie is the theme for the 33rd edition of the Sweet World challenge.
Pecan pie is an American creation.
Pecans are native to North America. The nuts were propagated by Native Americans as far north as Illinois and the southern part of Iowa, according to Edgar Rose, a former engineer and self-made pecan pie expert who lives in Illinois.

Pecans grew along areas watered by the Mississippi River, spreading a bit to the east into Alabama. Following the Civil War, commercial developers brought in a few varieties of pecans to grow in Georgia (the state is now the main commercial grower of pecans in the U.S.). Grafted pecan trees also became prevalent in Louisiana in the mid to late 1800s. The name of the nut itself is derived from the French word "pacane", which is taken from the Algonquian word for “nut.” That may help explain why some believe the French invented the pecan pie after settling in New Orleans, though there’s seemingly little evidence to support that.

The earliest printed pecan recipes began popping up in Texas cookbooks in 1870s and 1880s. The first recipe that most closely resembles what we know today as pecan pie was published in 1898 in a church charity cookbook in St. Louis, but it was sent in by a Texas woman.

By the beginning of the 20th century, recipes for pecan pie had started appearing outside of Texas, but the pie wouldn’t surge in popularity until the mid 1920s. That’s when the manufacturer of Karo syrup began printing a recipe for pecan pie on cans of the product, as James McWilliams noted in The Pecan: A History of America's Native Nut. Wide distribution of Karo syrup introduced many people to pecan pie, who found it was quite simple to make.

Technically classified as a “sugar pie,” the classic pecan pie recipe promulgated by the makers of Karo syrup uses a cup of the product in the mixture, along with eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and of course, pecans. Alternatives for Karo syrup include brown sugar and molasses, and some recipes add bourbon, rum, or whiskey into the mix. Pecan pie is nearly always baked in a traditional pie crust verses a crumble crust or a cookie crust.

As with any classic dish, near-countless variations have emerged. Popular additions to the traditional pecan pie include bourbon, whiskey, shredded coconut, and chocolate. There are also pecan pie-cheesecake hybrids, pecan hand pies, and, strangely enough, pseudo-healthy versions involving chia seeds. Molasses or brown sugar sometimes serve as a substitute for the corn syrup, an ingredient that’s gotten a bad rap from nutrition advocates in recent years.

The dense combination of butter, sugar, corn syrup, and eggs create the gooey interior of pecan pie, which complements the crispiness of the top layer. While baking, the pecans rise to the top, leaving a gooey layer of sugary custard below.

Early 20th century recipes for pecan pie occasionally contained items such as milk and raisins, but once the Karo syrup recipe spread across the country, the ingredients changed little (barring personal tweaks and individual preferences). The majority of pecan pie recipes published today are still based on the traditional Karo syrup recipe.
How did it become a Thanksgiving staple?
With the advent of corn syrup and a pecan surplus, the popularity of the pies spread across the country. Pecan harvesting begins in late September and extends into November, making the timing just right to fuel pecan pie baking for the holiday.

Font: Eater - A brief History of Pecan Pie.


15 November 2018

Raspberry flecked Sour Cream Cake / Bolo de Natas Azedas e Framboesas desidratadas.


Today is National Bundt Cake Day and, as a true Bundt lover, I couldn't miss it.
In case you've never noticed, there's 29 Bundt Cake recipes here on the blog.
My choice today is this absolutely divine Nigella Lawson recipe. A cake that I've already made and that is absolutely divine and to die for!
As Nigella wrote in the book (At My Table): "this cake is perfect for slicing and eating with a cup of tea or coffee. The sour cream makes for a firm but velvety soft crumb and the freeze-dried raspberries that are folded into the batter punctuate it with sharpness".
Happy National Bundt Cake Day.

25 October 2018

Sweet World Round Up (32nd edition) - Pavlova.

32nd edition of the Sweet World and we've asked you to make a Pavlova!
In case you've missed it, you can read everything about Pavlovas and check the recipe I've presented in this post.
Thank you so much to everybody that joined us this month and made gorgeous Pavlovas.
Meanwhile, don't forget to check Susana's blog and the theme for our 33rd edition!
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Pavlova foi o tema lançado para a 32ª edição do nosso Sweet World!
Caso tenham curiosidade em saber as origens desta magnífica sobremesa, consultem o post que aqui publiquei e experimentem a receita que lá vos deixei, ou escolham uma das 14  receitas que andam aqui pelo blogue, pois são todas maravilhosas.
Muito obrigada a todos os que nos presentearam com os resultados das suas maravilhosas Pavlovas e aqui vos deixo o desfile deste mês.
Já sabem, caso queiram participar na 33ª edição do Sweet World, o tema já está apresentado no blog da Susana!



16 October 2018

Blackcurrants, Goat's Cheese, Hazelnuts & Rosemary Soda Bread for the World Bread Day 2018 / Soda Bread de Groselhas Pretas, Queijo de Cabra, Avelãs e Alecrim, para o Dia Mundial do Pão 2018.


It's World Bread Day and, of course, once more, I couldn't miss it for anything in the world!
Every year, as soon as I receive Zorra's e-mail invitation, I start looking for recipes and trying to decide which kind of bread i'll be making. Such an excitement for a bread lover as I am!!
This year, I've decided to make a simple yet super delicious Soda Bread!
The combination and burst of flavours in this bread is so exciting and marvelous, that I couldn't be more pleased with my choice.
The recipe is from the most gorgeous and beautiful book I've bought this year! "Time" from the amazing Gill Meller, a fantastic Chef that I totally adore and, I've once introduced in this post.


15 October 2018

Pumpkin, Saffron and Orange Soup for the Virtual Pumpkin Party / Sopa de Abóbora, Açafrão e Laranja, para a Festa Virtual da Abóbora.


It's Virtual Pumpkin Party Day 2018 and, I so love to cook with pumpkin, that I couldn't miss this day for anything in the world!
It's my 3rd year participating in this fabulous initiative and, here and here, you can check my previous contributions for this fabulous event.
This year, I've decided to make this amazing Ottolenghi soup. A recipe from his brand new, and absolutely FANTASTIC book "Simple".
This is a recipe for soup lovers and to be enjoyed now, that the days are getting cooler and cooler. Full of warmth and autumnal flavours, this soup is a must try!
Just in case you want to have a look and check all the fabulous bloggers that are celebrating this virtual day and all the fantastic delights they've cooked, check Sara's blog and enjoy the pumpkin feast.

20 September 2018

Fig Pavlova for the 32nd edition of the Sweet World / Pavlova de Figos para a 32ª edição do Sweet World.


After a wee Summer break, the Sweet World challenge is back for its 32nd edition and the theme for this edition is my most beloved Pavlova!

Pavlova, as you know, is something that I truly adore and if you look under the "Pavlova label", you'll find 14 Pavlova recipes for this dessert so, you're spoiled for choices...

1 September 2018

Sweet World Round Up - Chaja Cake / Bolo Chaja.

After a very hectic Summer and not having had the time to write this post in time, here it is! Finally!! the round up of the 30th edition of the Sweet World.
We've asked you to make a Chaja Cake and, just in case you don't know what is a Chaja Cake, you can read everything about it in this post.
Only four of us made the cake but, saying that, the all four cakes are super gorgeous and beautiful and we are very grateful to the ones that support the SW month after month. Thank You!!

Meanwhile (and unfortunately I couldn't make it), Susana challenged you all to make a Clafoutis for the 31st edition of the SW and hers look so gorgeous and delicious...
The SW is now taking a Summer break and will be back on the 20th of September with a new exciting theme. Stay tuned and drool over these gorgeous Chaja Cakes!
__________________

Olá, olá!!

Depois de um Verão em Portugal, onde matei saudades de Lisboa, da família, de amigos da vida e amigas foodies e bloggers; um Verão com alguns altos e muitos baixos momentos; um Verão com altas e baixas temperaturas; com dias de praia e Sol e calor e dias de chuva, chuviscos e céus cinzentos...
e após umas férias que, por motivos pessoais e familiares e tristes, se prolongaram mais que o previsto...

muito, muito atrasado e acompanhado de um enorme pedido de desculpas, aqui vos deixo, finalmente, o Round Up da 30ª edição do nosso SW, cujo tema foi o Bolo Chaja.
Caso não tenham lido ou desconheçam as origens do Bolo Chaja, leiam este post e ficarão a saber tudo.
Apenas 4 de nós tiveram tempo ou paciência para o testar mas, dito isto, sejam 1, 4 ou 5.000, a felicidade e gratidão será sempre enorme para com todos os que, mês após mês aqui estão, ávidos por conhecimento e dispostos a conhecer e descobrir novos sabores e combinações.
Muito, muito OBRIGADA a todos, SEMPRE!!

Entretanto (e infelizmente eu não consegui participar), A Susana lançou aqui, o tema da 31ª edição do SW.
Viram que lindo e apetitoso ficou este Clafoutis da Susana?

O SW está agora de férias e voltará no dia 20 de Setembro com mais um, muito interessante e delicioso tema (eu adoro!!! aviso já!).
Esperamos poder voltar a contar com a presença de todos os "veteranos", "noviços" e "curiosos" participantes.
Até lá, deliciem-se com estes lindos Bolos Chaja!


20 June 2018

Chaja Peach Meringue Cake for the Sweet World / Bolo Chaja com Pêssegos e Suspiros para o Sweet World.


Chaja Cake is the theme for the 30th edition of the Sweet World.
Chaja (chajá) is an Uruguayan dessert.
Delicious layers of sponge cake, meringue, whipped cream, and peaches.
This cake was invented by Orlando Castellano in the late 1920's at the Confitería Las Familias in Paysandú.
The unusual part is that it's named after a large, odd-looking local bird, el chajá (also known as a "crested screamer"), which has pockets of air under its skin. Apparently, those pockets of air, were the ones that inspired Mr. Castellano to add the crushed meringue to the cake.
I couldn't find much more information about this cake but I'd be happy if any of you know more about it and want to share it with us.
Actually, apart for the addition of the meringue, to me, this cake, is nothing more than a Victoria Sponge with peaches instead of strawberries or raspberries but, saying that! it's a very moist and delightful cake.
So? Do you want to make a Chaja Cake? Rules, as always, are simple:
  1. You have until the 20th of July to make and publish your Chaja Cake. 
  2. That same day, 20th of July, Susana will let you know on her blog, the theme for the 31st edition of the Sweet World. 
  3. You'll have to leave your link in this post, in order to be featured in the monthly round up that will be published here on the blog, on the 15th of August. Yes! This time and again, as I'll be in holidays, I can't post the round up before that date.