Victoria Sponge Cake - Sweet World.

As you can read here, Victoria Sponge Cake is the theme for the 29th edition of the Sweet World! 29th!! Do you believe it? Amazing!! to say the least!!

Sponge Cake is a cake based on flour (usually wheat flour), sugar, butter and eggs, and is sometimes leavened with baking powder. It has a firm yet well-aerated structure.

In the United Kingdom a sponge cake is produced using the batter method, while in the US, cakes made using the batter method are known as butter or pound cakes. Two common British batter-method sponge cakes are the layered Victoria sponge cake and Madeira cake. The Victorian creation of baking powder by English food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843, enabled the sponge to rise higher than cakes made previously.

Cakes made using the foam method are not classed as sponge cakes in the UK; these cakes are classed as foam cakes, which are quite different. These cakes are common in Europe, especially in Italian patisseries. The cake was first invented by the Italian pastry chef Giovan Battista Cabona (called Giobatta), at the court of Spain with his lord, the Genoese marquis Domenico Pallavicini, around the middle of the 16th century.

The sponge cake is thought to be one of the first of the non-yeasted cakes, and the earliest attested sponge cake recipe in English is found in a book by the English poet Gervase Markham, The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman (1615).

Though it does not appear in Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy (1747) in the late 18th century, it is found in Lydia Maria Child's The American Frugal Housewife (1832), indicating that sponge cakes had been established in Grenada in the Caribbean by the early 19th century.

Variations on the theme of a cake lifted, partially or wholly, by trapped air in the batter exist in most places where European patisserie has spread, including the Anglo-Jewish "Plava", Italian Génoise, the Portuguese Pão-de-ló, and the possibly ancestral Italian Pan di Spagna ("Spanish bread").

Derivatives of the basic sponge cake idea include the American chiffon cake and the Latin American Tres Leches Cake.

Hazelnut & Chocolate Dacquoise / Dacquoise de Avelãs e Chocolate.

Dacquoise is the theme for this 27th edition of the Sweet World.

Originating in the south of France, dacquoise is a meringue made with very finely chopped nuts folded into the mixture before baking.

This dessert is named after the residents of Dax, a town in southwestern France, and is also occasionally referred to as Palois in reference to the residents of Pau, a neighboring town.

The nutty meringue is piped or spread into shapes (often round discs) and baked until crisp in a low temperature oven.

The dacquoise discs are then often layered with buttercream, sweetened whipped cream or ice cream to create a complete cake.

A popular version is the classic French marjolaine - long, rectangular layers of almond or hazelnut dacquoise interspersed with chocolate or praline buttercream.

While cakes featuring dacquoise may have their own names, they can also be referred to as dacquoise. The term dacquoise can be used to describe a myriad of desserts. Technically dacqoise is the meringue-like layer employed in cake creations but, over the years it has become common to refer to not just the layer but the entire cake as “dacquoise”, giving the term an expanded meaning.

The recipe I'm presenting today is from the fantastic book "Bake Off - Crème de la Crème" by Martin Chiffers & Emma Marsden.

The Dacquoise discs are filled with a layer of chocolate crémeux and dollops of an homemade, mixed berry compote, will give it the necessary sharpness to cut through the richness of the chocolate.

It's a very rich and indulgent dessert and perfect for chocolate lovers!

Chocolate Lamington Cake for the 2nd Anniversary of the Sweet World / Bolo Lamington de Chocolate para o 2º Aniversário do nosso Sweet World.

Here we are!!

2nd Anniversary of our Sweet World and I can't believe how time just flies by without notice.

I still remember the conversations Susana and myself had, on how to set up the challenge and the monthly rules, themes, etc.

Challenges and dates have been agreed and sometimes themes have been changed to feature seasonality or festivities but, most importantly than anything else, we have always agreed and had fun deciding the challenges, researching and setting them up!

Susana has always been a great partner for this monthly challenge and I couldn't wish for anyone better and more qualified than her to do it with me!

Over the last 23 months, we "went" to different countries and we made and asked you to make, iconic desserts, cakes or sweets from that same Country.

Here's a resume of the last 23 months of the Sweet World:

1. UK and the "Queen of Puddings". 
2. America, NY, Brooklyn and the "Brooklyn Blackout Cake" 
3. UK and we had a choice of Hot Cross Buns and a Simnel Cake. 
4. Germany/Austria and the Donauwelle Cake. 
5. France and the Fraisier. 
6. Germany and the Black Forest Cake. 
7. UK and the Summer Pudding. 
8. UK and the Trifle. 
9. America, NY and the Baked Cheesecake. 
10. Sweden and the Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake). 
11. Scandinavia and the Saint Lucia Saffron Buns. 
12. Russia and the Medovik Cake. 
13. Spain and the Saint Mark Cake. 
14. UK and the Battenberg Cake. 
15. UK and the Bakewell Tart. 
16. France and the Paris Brest. 
17. Austria and the Spanische Windtorte. 
18. America and the Baked Alaska. 
19. America and the Fruit Pie. 
20. France and the Millefeuilles. 
21. Spain and Churros . 
22. Spain/France, the Basque region and a Basque Cake. 
23. Hungary and the Beigli (though I made a Fladen). 

Pastel Vasco / Bolo Basco - Gâteau Basque or/ou Basque Cake.

Gâteau Basque is the theme for this month and the 22th edition of the Sweet World!

Want to make a Pastel Vasco?

The rules are simple:

1. You have until the 20th of November to make and publish your Basque Cake. 
2. That same day, 20th of November, Susana will let you know on her blog, the theme for the 23th edition of the Sweet World.
3. You'll have to leave your link here, in this post, in order to be featured in the monthly round up that will be published here on the blog, on the 25th of November.

Apple Butter / Manteiga de Maçã.

I was reading Regula's (Miss Foodwise) Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe and I realized that I needed Apple Butter.

I never made or have eaten Apple Butter before (until today of course) and so, I started looking for Apple Butter recipes. Funny enough, the day I was searching recipes, Joanne Posted this picture on Instagram.

Of course, after reading her recipe, I didn't look for any other recipe as her's sounded perfect!

All the recipes I read were loaded with sugar but Joanne's recipe, seemed more balanced to me so, I marked it down straightaway as that would be the one to be tested and tried.

I just made a batch of Joanne's recipe and it turned out so well and it's so delicious that I could have eaten the whole thing directly from the pan.

The smell in the kitchen while I was cooking the apples was incredible and as soon as I added the aromatic spices, the whole house was straightaway perfumed with a very autumnal aroma.

It's incredible the amount of flavour that it packs and of course, I could have bought a jar from a shop, but I would have missed the satisfaction of making it from scratch.

Plus! homemade (everything) is so, so much better, right?

You can find the English version of this recipe here, on the Olive and Mango blog and give it a try yourselves because I totally recommend it! As far I'm concerned, that's the recipe I'll be making every time I need Apple Butter and I guess I'll be making a lot from now on.

The other good thing about this recipe, is that Marta wants recipes featuring apples for her "ingredient of the month" and I couldn't think of a better recipe for her September table.

Viennese whirls.

Viennese Whirls are a British confection consisting of soft butter biscuits piped into a whirl shape, said to be inspired by Austrian pastries, though entirely unrelated.

The most common UK version was popularized by Mr Kipling, consisting of a two biscuits sandwiched with buttercream and jam. In this sense they resemble the older Empire biscuit (this information was found here).

For May and "Our Great Bake Off". Ana asked us to make Viennese Whirls.

When it comes to biscuits, I always recur to my little but very trustable Annie Rigg book, the "Great British Bake Off - Bake it Better (nº 2): Biscuits".

I have to say that I wanted to try this recipe for ages but, like many others, I never did it so, this was the opportunity to make them and they turned out absolutely delicious and not badly shaped, I suppose...

Bakewell Tart / Tarte Bakewell.

Bakewell tart!

Something that I wanted to make for a long time but never made!

Although I already tried lots of them (shop bought ones), I was dying to try an homemade one and it doesn't take much but the Sweet World to challenge me to make my own homemade version.

It looks rustic, it looks simple, it doesn't look perfect but, does it taste damn good? Oh yes!!! The best!!

There's lots of controversy around this tart. Its origins, the pastry, the kind of jam, the filling so, everything is uncertain but the thing is: Its a delicious tart indeed!!

I found all the controversial information here, here and here and if you're interested, you can read it all and take your own conclusions.

This month, for the 15th edition of the Sweet World, Susana asked us to prepare a Bakewell Tart.

After doubting and reading lots of recipes, I decided to make this one.

Using puff pastry for the base, Morello cherry jam for the jam layer and frangipane for the top layer, this tart went down a storm and without a doubt, beats any shop bought one that I tasted before!

The recipe, from The Great British Bake Off - Big Book of Baking.

It is a stunner and a treat to be made over and over again whenever there's a craving for these almondy flavours.

Sweet World Challenge and the Battenberg Cake / Bolo Battenberg e o Sweet World.

It's Sweet World Day and this month, for our 14th edition, we decided (Susana and myself of course...), to ask you to make a Battenberg cake!

Is it a difficult cake to make?

Honestly? No! 

Is it good? Depends on which recipe you follow. This one was to die for. Sensational!! 

But... What is a Battenberg? 

According to my researches, the most common story is that it was an English creation to celebrate Queen Victoria’s granddaughter’s marriage. 

In 1884 Princess Victoria married Prince Louis of Battenburg and this cake represents the uniting of England and Germany. 

Marzipan is a favourite in Germany and the Battenberg cake is named after a town in Hesse. 

It encases light sponges, which suit British palettes and it is thought to be a fusion of the particular tastes of the two countries. 

Because marzipan was fairly expensive at the time, encasing the cake in it elevated the treat to a level of indulgence, while at the same time, a slice of it went very well with one of Britain’s favourite pleasures, a cup of tea. 

However, this is an unconfirmed theory and nobody knows the exact way the Battenberg was made. Similar cakes to the Battenberg also exist, such as the domino cake, church window cake and Neapolitan roll. 

There is also dispute over how many squares of cake make up a Battenberg. Some cakes call for nine squares in the checkerboard, others call for four. 

Some say the four sections represent the Prince’s of Battenberg. Louis, as mentioned above, along with his brothers Alexander, Franz-Joseph and Henry. 

This theory falls apart as some traditional Battenberg cakes have more sections but the thing is, no matter the amount of sections, it is indeed a very delicious cake that I'd never made until now and that was a real delight. At least, this Luis Troyano version which has a Persian twist. 

As you might be guessing by now, the Battenberg Cake recipe I'm leaving you today is from Luis Troyano "Bake it Great" gorgeous cook book and I'm very pleased with the final result! 

In case you don't know, Luis Troyano was one of the 2014 Great British Bake Off finalists and I'm a Great British Bake Off addicted...

Small Raspberry Treats or Hallongrottor / Miminhos de Framboesa.

I was dying to make these little treats since the day I got the gorgeous Scandikitchen Fika & Hygge cook book. A book that you all know I love A LOT and I introduced you here.

These little treats, are very easy to make and the ingredients used are staples in every kitchen but the thing is, sometimes we run out of staples and that's what happened every time I decided to make them. There was always something missing!!

This time, I was very organised and got all the ingredients ready, because they're gorgeous and delicious to bake around this time of the year and to be enjoyed in good company and a very nice and hot cup of tea.

Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake).

As you can read here, the theme for this month's Sweet World is to create a Princess Cake.

A Princess Cake (Prinsesstårta) is a traditional Swedish layer cake consisting of alternating layers of sponge cake, pastry cream and a thick domed layer of whipped cream that is topped with marzipan, giving the cake a smooth rounded top.
The marzipan overlay is usually green, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and often decorated with a pink marzipan rose.
The original recipe first appeared in the 1948 Prinsessornas Kokbok cookbook, which was published by Jenny Åkerström, the teacher of the three daughters of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland.
The cake was originally called grön tårta (green cake), but was given the name Prinsesstårta or "Princess Cake" because the princesses were said to have been especially fond of the cake. The princesses were Princess Margaretha (1899–1977; later Princess of Denmark), Princess Märtha (1901–1954; later Crown Princess of Norway), and Princess Astrid (1905–1935; later Queen of the Belgians).
The cake is widely featured in Tom McNeal's book "Far Far Away".
This was the first time I made or tasted this cake and the only thing I can say is that this cake is to die for.
Everybody that tasted it was impressed and even some friends, that are not what we call "sweet tooth", couldn't resist it.
It's delicate, moist, delicious and very addictive and the marzipan layer adds that extra explosion of flavour.
Saying that, if, like me, you never tried a Prinsesstårta before, just try it because you'll be in love.
This recipe is a mix of recipes because after doing lots of research throughout my books and throughout the internet, I couldn't decide for one particular recipe and therefore, I decided to take what I liked from each one of them and make the cake that, according to everything I read, would be the closest as possible to the real version.
For the final decoration, you can do whatever you want.
I decorated mine with the marzipan rose, some marzipan leaves that I tinged with darker green food colouring, and white icing to create a "branch" effect, but you can use melted chocolate, only the rose or, whatever you think is appropriate.

Lemon Drizzle Cake / Bolo drizzle de limão.

There's only two, high quality, cooking shows on TV to which I am totally addicted to:

Masterchef Australia and the Great British Bake Off and since their first season that I don't miss one single episode of both of them.

Great British Bake Off is on its 7th season and not just I never missed one single episode of the 7 seasons but I also have all the Bake Off books available.

Ana had this great idea of challenging us to recreate the Bake Off technical challenges at home.

Being myself a big Bake Off addicted, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take part in this fabulous challenge.

Like Ana (great minds think alike, right?), I always thought of challenging myself at home and try to recreate the technical challenges myself and now is the time to do it.

Ana calls this challenge "Our Great Bake Off" and for October, she challenged us to bake a drizzle cake.

As you all know, I'm a big citrus lover and lemons are on top of my citrus preferences. With that in mind, I couldn't make any other drizzle cake but the only and delicious lemon drizzle cake.

This Raymond Blanc recipe was marked to be baked for years but was forgotten and this is the one I baked for Ana and for "Our Great Bake Off"!

Perfect to eat alongside a cup of tea or coffee, according to Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, a perfect drizzle cake should have a dome and a crack on top and mine has both of them so, I think I baked a perfect drizzle cake...

Victoria Sponge.

May is the strawberry month and I couldn't allow it to go by, without making my favourite cake of all times.

A Victoria Sponge!!

I love this British classic so much that, as soon as I saw this amazing recipe in Simmone Logue "In the Kitchen" fabulous book, I had to mark it down straightaway and this was the first recipe to be made.

As Marta invited us to cook with strawberries in May, I baked this amazing and delicious cake thinking of her.

Seville Orange marmalade / Doce de laranja amarga ou laranja de Sevilha.

Here at home, we are making homemade Seville orange marmalade since the last 4 years.

Every year we have a production line in the kitchen where, everybody, including the kids, have a job to do in order to recreate this very great British classic.

This year was no exception!

As we've benn making the same recipe for the last 3 years, this year we decided to try a different one.

We tried a Delia Smith recipe and to tell you the truth, this year's marmalade turned out better then ever and that's why I decided to share the recipe here on the blog.

ingredients:

1kg Seville oranges

1 large lemon

2,5L water

2kg preserving sugar

a little butter

method:

Lightly butter the base of a large pan (to help prevent the marmalade catching) and then add the water to the pan.

Cut the lemon and oranges in half and squeeze the juice out of them.

Add the juice to the water and place the pips and any bits of pith that cling to the squeezer on the square of muslin (laid over a dish).

Cut the orange peel into quarters with a sharp knife, and then one by one, fold and squeeze the quarters tightly together and cut them into shreds.

As you cut, add the shreds to the water and any pips or spare pith you come across, should go onto the muslin. The pith contains a lot of pectin so don't discard any.

Tie the pips and pith up loosely in the muslin to form a little bag, and tie this on to the handle of the pan so that the bag is suspended in the water.

Then bring the liquid up to simmering point and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the peel is completely soft (test a piece carefully by pressing it between your finger and thumb, if you can squeeze it in half the peel is ready).

Meanwhile, chill three side plates in the fridge or the freezer compartment of the fridge.

Remove the bag of pips and leave it to cool on a plate.

Pour the sugar into the pan and stir it now and then over a low heat, until all the crystals have completely dissolved. 

Increase the heat to its highest and squeeze the bag of pips over the plate to extract all of the sticky, jelly-like substance that contains the pectin. As you squeeze you'll see it ooze out. You can do this by placing the bag between two saucers, but the best way is to use your hands.

Using a balloon whisk, whisk it into the rest of the ingredients in the pan.

As soon as the mixture reaches a really fast boil, start timing. 

Give it an occasional stir, then after 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and spoon a little of the marmalade onto one of the cold plates from the fridge, and let it cool back in the fridge, for a few minutes. When it has cooled, you can test if you have a "set" by pushing the mixture with your little finger. If it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. 

If not, continue to boil the marmalade and give it the same test at about 5 minute intervals until it does set.

After that, remove the pan from the heat and spoon off any scum.

Leave the marmalade to settle for 20 minutes. 

Pour the marmalade into sterilised warm jars, with the aid of a funnel and a ladle, so that it goes right up to the neck.

Cover with waxed discs, making sure you cover all the surface of the marmalade and put the lids on while still hot. 



Label when cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place.

__________________

A laranja amarga, também conhecida como laranja de Sevilha, laranja silvestre ou laranja da terra, é o símbolo da cidade de Sevilha.

No pico do Inverno, a suavidade do clima do Mediterrâneo permite que a laranjeira se encha de frutos que dão cor, aroma e vida ás ruas e pomares de Sevilha.

Estas árvores dão o seu fruto de Dezembro até Fevereiro.

As laranjas são muito apreciadas e a sua casca é usada para perfumar as casas.

Diz-se que, em Espanha, oferecer laranjas pela altura do Natal, é considerado um presente muito precioso.

O fruto possui casca grossa e coloração alaranjada, tendendo ao vermelho à medida que amadurece. As flores são as responsáveis pelo perfume inebriante que inunda as ruas da cidade de Sevilha, quando as laranjeiras estão floridas na Primavera.

No que se refere ás propriedades medicinais dessa árvore, sabe-se que, além do fruto, as folhas são usadas em infusões para auxiliar a digestão e em casos de gripes ou constipações.

Impossível de comer ao natural, aqui no Reino Unido inventaram a "marmalade" ou seja, doce de laranja amarga que sofreu já várias adaptações mas, a verdadeira "marmalade", é a que é feita com a laranja de Sevilha.

Por aqui, a laranja de Sevilha começa a aparecer à venda, entre finais de Janeiro e meados de Fevereiro e é nessa altura que começa a febre da "homemade marmalade" e cá em casa não é excepção.

Todos os anos, desde há uns 4 anos a esta parte, se faz "marmalade" cá em casa.

Monta-se uma linha de produção na cozinha, onde todos (incluindo os miúdos), têm um papel fundamental e uma contribuição a dar ao processo.

Como nunca tinha publicado este doce tão tradicional aqui no blogue, desta vez achei que merecia destaque, pois a "marmalade" deste ano está melhor que nunca!!

ingredientes:

1kg laranjas de Sevilha

1limão grande

2,5l água

2kg açúcar para doce (açúcar com pectina)

um bocadinho de manteiga

preparação:

Começar por untar ligeiramente o fundo de um tacho grande, a fim de que, mais tarde, a marmalade não pegue ao fundo do tacho.

Colocar a água no tacho untado.

Cortar o limão e as laranjas ao meio e espremer o sumo dos citrinos.

Colocar um quadrado grande de gaze sobre um prato.

Colocar o sumo dos citrinos no tacho com a água e colocar as pevides e tudo o que ficar no espremedor em cima do quadrado de gaze.

Caso ainda tenham muita parte branca agarrada ás cascas da laranja, raspar essa parte branca com uma colher e colocá-la na gaze, juntamente com os restos que reservou do espremer dos frutos. Atenção que todos estes bocadinhos brancos da casca e caroços, são importantes e devem ser guardados, pois têm muita pectina que vão ajudar muito à consistência perfeita da marmalade.

Cortar as cascas das laranjas em tirinhas fininhas e colocá-las dentro do tacho, à medida que vai cortando, evitando assim que sequem.

Quando todas as cascas da laranja estiverem cortadas e dentro do tacho juntamente com a água e o sumo, apertar o quadrado de gaze com um fio de cozinha (não apertar muito perto do conteúdo), por forma a formar um saco (tipo saco de dinheiro) e colocar este saco de gaze dentro do tacho, deixando-o a boiar e atando o fio à asa do tacho.

Levar o tacho ao lume e quando levantar fervura, baixar o lume e cozinhar delicadamente por cerca de 2 horas, ou até as cascas da laranja estarem macias (poderá não demorar tanto tempo, dependendo da espessura do corte das cascas).

Para testar se as cascas estão macias, retirar uma casca do tacho e espremê-la entre o polegar e o indicador, se a casca partir ao meio imediatamente e sem muita pressão, é sinal que está pronta.

Entretanto, e para quem não tem termómetro para fazer doces, colocar 3 pires no frigorífico.

Retirar o saco das pevides do tacho e deixá-lo arrefecer um bocado sobre um prato.

Deitar o açúcar no tacho e, sobre lume brando, mexer até o açúcar estar completamente dissolvido (atenção que é importante que esteja mesmo bem dissolvido).

Levantar o lume para o máximo e com as mãos ou entre dois pratos, espremer o saco das pevides sobre o tacho, tentando extrair o máximo possível da espécie de gelatina que vai sair do saco (pectina). Esta parte é chata mas é mesmo necessária e importante.

Depois de bem espremido, descartar o saco com as pevides.

Misturar muito bem todo o conteúdo do tacho com o batedor de varas.

Assim que a marmalade começar a ferver ferozmente, começar a contar o tempo e mexer de vez em quando.

Eu aqui usei o termómetro e esperei até este atingir o ponto "doce".

Caso não tenham termómetro, retirem o tacho do lume ao fim de 15 minutos e coloquem um bocadinho do doce num dos pires que colocaram no frigorífico. Deixem arrefecer uns minutos no frigorífico e depois testem, empurrando o doce com o dedo. Se o doce formar uma superfície bem rugosa ao ser empurrado, então está pronto. caso contrário, voltem a colocar o tacho ao lume e a ferver a marmalade, e vão testando a cada 5 minutos.

Quando pronto, retirar o tacho do lume e, com uma colher, descartar qualquer espuma que se tenha formado à superfície.

Deixar a marmalade repousar no tacho por cerca de 20 minutos e depois distribui-la por frascos esterilizados ainda quentes, cobrindo bem a superfície da marmalade com discos de papel vegetal encerados.

Tapar os frascos, deixar arrefecer e, depois de frios, etiquetar e guardar em local seco, fresco e escuro.

Recipe / Receita: Delia Smith "Delia's Complete How to Cook".

Apple rose tart to celebrate Mother's Day / Tarte de rosas de maçã para o Dia da Mãe.

The first time I came across gorgeous apple roses wrapped in puff pastry, and I was like "WOW", was on the great Richard Bertinet instagram account (here).

Much later, on Steller, I saw these gorgeous apple roses in this profile and I read the step by step recipe.

I was astonished with how easy they were to make and, with some leftover homemade puff pastry that I had at home, I tried them and I posted them on instagram. Here!

As today we are celebrating Mother's Day here in the UK, when I saw this gorgeous tart in this March issue of BBC GoodFood magazine, I decided that it would be a fabulous recipe to celebrate the day. TODAY!!

The difference between these roses and the ones that I mentioned above, is that, whilst the previous ones are wrapped in puff pastry, the ones used in this tart are wrapped in marzipan.

Homemade marzipan is something that I never have made until now but, because I wanted to practice it for another recipe (that I'll talk about later in another post), I decided that this would be a great opportunity to make it from scratch.

I must say that, it is very easy to make homemade marzipan and it went pretty well!!

Saying that and before sharing the recipe, I wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's that are, today, celebrating the joy of being a mother.

Notes:

• I used homemade puff pastry (recipe here) to make my tart instead of the one described in the recipe.
• I used a rectangular fluted loose-based tart tin instead of the specified square tin.

for the pastry:

100g butter

200g plain flour

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 egg, separated

splash of vanilla extract

method:

Rub the butter and flour together in a large bowl using your fingertips.

Work through the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk (reserve the white), vanilla extract and 2 to 3 tsp of cold water to form a ball of dough that leaves the bowl clean. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 190ºC.

When chilled, roll out the pastry in order to fit a 23cm square fluted loose-based tart tin and trim the edges with scissors so they stand up, about 5mm above the edge.

Prick the surface of the pastry a few times with a fork.

Place a layer of foil on top, add some baking beans and blind bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the beans and foil, brush the pastry with the reserved egg white and return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes until biscuity.

for the roses:

3 red apples, cored, halved and thinly sliced

juice 1/2  lemon

100g marzipan

method:

Put the apple slices in a large bowl.

Squeeze over the lemon juice and cover with water.

Microwave on high for 4 minutes, then drain and pat dry on some kitchen paper.

Roll out 75g of the marzipan out on a surface dusted with a little icing sugar until it’s approximately 20 x 15cm.

Cut into 3 rectangles and lay eight apple slices down the long edge of each strip of marzipan and reserve the rest.

Fold the bare edge of each strip over to cover the apples, then roll up from the short edge (see here how to roll).

Place the apple roses in a muffin tin so that they hold their shape.

Roll the remaining marzipan into small balls.

for the filling:

100g butter, melted

100g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

140g ground almond

75g plain flour

1 tbsp milk

method:

Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, almonds, flour and milk together in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.

for the glaze and to finish:

4 tbsp apricot jam

icing sugar, for dusting

method:

Take the tart case out of the oven and spread with the filling.

Gently press your apple/marzipan roses into the filling, evenly spaced out, then scatter over the balls of marzipan.

Fill the gaps with the remaining apple slices so that the filling is covered, curving the slices a little as you go to create additional petals on the roses, or rolling them up tightly to look like rosebuds, all with the peel side facing upwards.

Return to the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, then leave the tart to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan until simmering, then pass it through a metal sieve into a bowl.

Brush it over the surface of the tart while both the jam and the tart are still warm.

Serve the tart a little warm, or leave to cool, then turn it out onto a serving plate and dust with icing sugar.

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A primeira vez que vi umas rosas lindas de maçã envoltas em massa folhada, foi aqui, no instagram deste grande Chef da Pastelaria, o Richard Bertinet.

Confesso que na altura fiquei de queixo caído com a beleza daquelas rosas!

Meses mais tarde, no Steller, vi, neste perfil, estas rosas lindas, com descrição do passo a passo de como fazer as rosas.

Como na altura tinha um resto de massa folhada caseira que não estava a pensar utilizar, decidi experimentar as benditas rosas que me andavam a deixar deslumbrada.

A experiência correu lindamente e, embora não as tenha publicado aqui no blogue (por ter sido só uma experiência), publiquei-as aqui, no meu instagram.

A revista BBC GoodFood deste mês, traz a receita desta tarte linda, que hoje vos deixo e que eu, assim que a vi, decidi logo que seria a tarte a partilhar para comemorar o Dia da Mãe, pois todas as mães adoram rosas, certo?

Hoje, aqui no Reino Unido, celebra-se o Dia da Mãe e assim sendo e antes de partilhar a receita da tarte, desejo um muito feliz Dia da Mãe, a todas as mulheres que têm o privilégio e a alegria de ser mães.

Notas:

• A diferença entre estas rosas e as de que vos falei na introdução, é que estas são enroladas em maçapão.
• Eu fiz maçapão caseira, pois nunca tinha feito e como queria praticar para uma receita de que falaremos mais adiante, achei que esta era uma boa altura para fazê-lo. Devo salientar que é facílimo e correu lindamente.
• No que diz respeito à massa da tarte, embora vos deixe a receita da massa original especificada na revista, eu usei massa folhada caseira (receita aqui) e não a que abaixo descrevo.
• A receita original é feita numa forma de tarte quadrada, mas eu resolvi fazê-la numa forma rectangular.

para a massa:

100g manteiga

200g farinha de trigo branca

1 colher sopa de açúcar refinado amarelo

1 ovo, separado

umas gotas de extracto de baunilha

preparação:

Numa taça larga, misturar a farinha e a manteiga, esfregando com as pontas dos dedos, até obter uma mistura areada.

Adicionar o açúcar, a gema do ovo (reservar a clara), a baunilha e 2 ou 3 colheres soap de água gelada.

Misturar tudo muito bem, até a massa se juntar e taça ficar limpa.

Embrulhar a massa em película aderente e refrigerar por 30 minutos.

Aquecer o forno a 190ºC.

Com a ajuda do rolo, estender a massa sobre uma superfície ligeiramente enfarinhada, por forma a que fique com um tamanho suficientemente grande para forrar uma tarteira quadrada de fundo amovível, com cerca de 23cm (ou outra que queiram usar).

Cortar o excesso da massa com uma tesoura, por forma a que a massa fique 5mm acima da bordadura da tarteira.

Picar toda a superficie da massa com um garfo, cobrir a massa com papel de alumínio ou papel vegetal, encher com bolas de cerâmica ou leguminosas e levar ao forno por cerca de 15 minutos.

Remover o papel de alumínio ou vegetal e as bolas de cerâmica ou leguminosas, pincelar a massa com a clara do ovo reservada e voltar a levar a tarteira ao forno por mais 10 a 15 minutos, ou até a massa estar douradinha e com aspecto de biscoito crocante.

para as rosas:

3 maçãs vermelhas, sem caroço e fatiadas em meias luas muito fininhas

sumo de 1/2 limão

100g maçapão

preparação:

Colocar as meias luas de maça numa taça. Regá-las com o sumo do limão e cobrir com água fria.

Levar a taça ao micro ondas, na potência máxima, por cerca de 4 minutos.

Escorrer as maçãs e secá-las muito bem com papel absorvente de cozinha.

Estender 75g da maçapão sobre uma superfície polvilhada com açúcar em pó, por forma a obter um rectângulo de 20 x 15cm.

Cortar o rectângulo em 3 rectângulos iguais e colocar 8 meias luas de maçã numa das extremidades mais longas de um dos rectângulos.

Começar a enrolar a maçapão com as meias luas de maçã, por forma a obter um efeito de rosa (ver aqui como enrolar).

Repetir com os dois rectângulos de maçapão restantes.

Colocar as rosas de maçapão e maçã numa forma de muffins, para que não se desmanchem até serem utilizadas.

Com a maçapão que sobrou, moldar bolinhas e reservar.

Reservar as meias luas de maçã que não forem utilizadas nas rosas.

para o recheio:

100g manteiga, derretida

100g açúcar refinado branco

2 ovos

140g amêndoa moída

75g farinha de trigo branca

1 colher sopa de leite

preparação:

Numa taça, misturar todos os ingredientes, por forma a combinar tudo muito bem e obter uma mistura cremosa.

para pincelar e finalizar a tarte:

4 colheres sopa de doce de alperce

açúcar em pó, para polvilhar

preparação:

Espalhar o recheio sobre a base da tarte pré cozida.

Delicadamente, colocar as rosas de maçapão/maçã sobre o recheio, pressionando-as ligeiramente.

Colocar as meias luas de maçã reservadas, sobre o recheio, dobrando-as aqui e ali, por forma a formar pequenos botões de rosa ou pétalas soltas.

Espalhar as bolas de maçapão reservadas, sobre a tarte.

Voltar a levar a tarteira ao forno e cozer por cerca de 30 a 35 minutos.

Deixar a tarte arrefecer na própria tarteira, por cerca de 10 minutos.

Entretanto, aquecer o doce de alperce num tachinho e coá-lo de seguida.

Pincelar toda a superfície da tarte, enquanto quente, com o doce coado e também ele, ainda quente.

Servir a tarte morna ou deixar arrefecer completamente e polvilhar com açúcar em pó antes de servir.

Recipe / Receita: BBC GoodFood magazine - March 2016.