{ Mélanger :: to mix }

What a baking journey this has been!

This month I ventured into (very!) unfamiliar baking territory and discovered egg free, dairy free, gluten free, and nut free ingredients and recipes.

Wheat flour was replaced with potato flour, soya flour, tapoica flour, rice flour.  Butter was replaced by vegetable/canola oils, dairy free spreads or vegetable shortening.  Egg was replaced by a heated flour/water thickening technique.

I have not even scratch the surface of all the possibilities, but I am glad I have challenged myself to bake with some new ingredients and food substitutions.  To give myself a greater appreciation of what people with allergies face every day.

Thank you to everyone that also trialed some of these recipes – appears as though the Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free oat crunch biscuits (aka ‘Arnotts Kingstons’) were not just a hit in my household!  (Hint, hint….)

Big thank you as well for some of the other great ingredient substitution and technique ideas.  I am blown away by the wealth of ‘allergy-free’ knowledge out there.  It really is such a specialised area of baking.

Here is a round up of the recipes I tackled this month, plus a few from the archives that are more allergy-free by way of omission rather than substitution.

{ Dairy-free, egg-free brownies } This recipe highlights dairy-free and egg-free baking techniques. These brownies are sweet, rich, and chocolately.  They are moist in the centre and have a lovely crusty surface.  And best of all, they are a snap to bake.  5 minutes preparation and 25 minutes baking.  Simple. { Read more here … }

{ Gluten-free, dairy-free fig jam tarts } This recipe highlights a favourite of mine.  Pastry.  Just a simple tart pastry.  I adapted a previously used pastry recipe and switched out regular flour for a gluten-free flour mix, and used vegetable shortening to replace butter. The pastry seemed to work but warning … it is much more fragile than regular wheat pastry.  { Read more here … }

{ Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free oat crunch biscuits } You must bake a batch (or two!) of these biscuits. For me, these biscuits are an example of how you do not have to sacrifice taste, flavour and texture, to accommodate an allergy.  If you have not already, I hope you bake some for yourself, very soon!  { Read more here … }

{ Gluten-free, dairy-free orange almond cake } If you are a fan of the rich, intense flavour of orange marmalade you should try this cake.  There is no hiding the essence of the core ingredient here.  It is bold and concentrated.  The cake is very moist and a delicate slice (or two) is delicious served with a coffee or tea for a bit of an afternoon pick me up.  { Read more here … }

{ Chocolate Chunk Coconut Macaroons } Gluten-free and dairy-free.  These little hay-stacked cookies are a simple little biscuit perfect for a sweet indulgence any time of day.  They are simple and quick to make.  The perfect allergy-free Petits fours to whip up at a moment’s notice.  { Read more here … }

{ Calisson d’Aix}  Gluten-free and dairy-free.  Calisson d’Aix is a speciality of Aix-en-Provence.  A tiny diamond shaped sweet, made with ground almonds and candied fruits and finished with white royal icing.  They are traditionally served with coffee after dessert.  A lovely little treat. { Read more here … }

{ Chocolate chestnut cake } Gluten-free.  This cake is dense and rich, but not too sweet. More appropriately a dessert cake rather than afternoon tea cake. But in saying that, it certainly it is quick to prepare and bake.  Recommend serving a healthy dollop (or two!) of thick cream.  { Read more here … }

{ Triple Chocolate Macarons } Gluten-free.  Chocolate is my ultimate weakness in the world.  Thus, in honour of the chocolate macaron, I create a triple chocolate macaron treat.  A chocolate macaron shell, filled with a bittersweet chocolate ganache, and a healthy dusting of cocoa to finish.  { Read more here … }

Have you ever been given a gift and not appreciated its value fully?

Back in 1997, my foodie sister gave me a house warming gift.  A copy of Stephanie Alexander’s “The Cook’s Companion“.  It was a well thumbed book in my sister’s collection, and she was hopeful I would find it valuable, too.

It traveled with me to Boston where it sat mostly on a shelf for five years, and then returned back home to Brisbane.  Then one day, ready for some recipe inspiration, I bypassed by my usual baking books and cracked The Cook’s Companion open.

I could not believe what I had missed.  This bright orange book contained absolute gold.

Since, I have referenced it frequently.  Like my sister’s original edition, it is now truly well thumbed – so really, about time I share a recipe from this treasured reference.

A friend at work actually pointed out this recipe as an option for my ‘Allergy-free baking‘ month.  She had seen the recipe posted at Peter’s always mouth-watering blog, Souvlaki for the soul.

If you are a fan of the rich, intense flavour of orange marmalade you should try this cake.  There is no hiding the essence of the core ingredient here.  It is bold and concentrated.  The cake is very moist and a delicate slice (or two) is delicious served with a coffee or tea for a bit of an afternoon pick me up.

{ Claudia Roden’s Middle Eastern Orange Cake } From Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion

* Ingredients *
2 large oranges, washed
6 eggs, beaten
250g ground almonds
250g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

* Directions *
Boil oranges, barely covered with water, in a covered saucepan for 2 hours. Allow to cool, then cut open, remove pips and chop roughly, including the rind. Preheat oven to 190°C and butter and flour a 24cm springform tin. Blend oranges and eggs thoroughly in a food processor. Mix ground almonds, sugar and baking powder in a bowl, then add orange mixture and whisk to combine. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour. If cake is still very wet, cook a little longer. Cool in tin before gently turning out.

My first venture into allergy-free baking.

This recipe was given to me by a co-worker, whose children have life-threatening allergies.  For my ‘Allergy-free baking‘ month, I was keen to trial some recipes that were twists on familiar favourites.

Enter the brownie.

This recipe highlights dairy-free and egg-free baking techniques.  The dairy substitution seemed simple enough.  Oil instead of butter, and healthy doses of cocoa and dairy free chocolate instead of standard chocolate.  The egg substitution was a little less intuitive for me.  The technique of boiling water and flour to create a gluey paste that acts as a binder to replace egg was unusual for me.

But apart from that, the overall baking process, the texture of the mixture, and the final appearance of this old fashioned favourite was fairly straight forward.

So, if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.  Right?

Not necessarily.

Although these brownies appeared like regular brownies, for obvious reasons the flavour was not quite the same as the traditional variety.  The taste of the oil for me was perhaps a little too prominent, compared with the more subtle flavour that comes with butter.  And although these brownies were very chocolately, the depth of the chocolate flavour was just not as strong as other traditional recipes I have baked.

But in saying that, if I were looking for a dairy free and egg free chocolate treat, I would certainly jump on this recipe.  These brownies are sweet, rich, and chocolately.  They are moist in the centre and have a lovely crusty surface.  And best of all, they are a snap to bake.  5 minutes preparation and 25 minutes baking.  Simple.

{ Dairy-free, egg-free brownies }

* Ingredients *
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

* Directions *
Boil water and 1/2 cup of the flour over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches the consistency of a thin gluey paste. Remove from heat and let cool completely.  Mix sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa and oil. Then add the rest flour-water mixture. Mix well.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder and the chocolate chips.  Spread mixture into a greased 20 cm/8 inch pan. Bake at 180/350 for 25 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted and come out clean.

How could sweet, creamy layers of cake soaked in liqueur and topped with seasonal fruit and homemade custard be considered insignificant or frivolous?  But trifle it is.  But trifle it is not.

Perhaps it was the incongruity of the word association that threw me led me to experiment.  Or perhaps it was simply the preparation process.  With my components ready for assembly, I noticed how I had sliced up my chocolate loaf.  Like bread.  Slices of bread that were ready to make a sandwich.  So I mused, why not use slices of cake to make a sandwich?  A trifle sandwich.

And the rest, as they say, ….

It was all a bit of fun, but to be honest I do like my puddings a trifle more traditional.  But really, it only comes down to the assembly.  Same ingredients.  Different construction.

Less traditionally sandwiched, or classically layered in a serving dish, the combination of chocolate and orange were hard to beat.  The orange was injected through a delicate glazing of Grand Marnier over the cake, a caramelised orange sauce, plus fresh oranges.  The richness of the cake, the only chocolate offering, was sufficient to complement this orange trifecta.

I did take some liberty in the ingredients.  The more traditional vanilla sponge was swapped for a deliciously rich, chocolate pound cake.  But I think, if you want to celebrate a dessert, as exemplary of British desserts as the trifle, I think you can include your own twists.

{ Chocolate & orange trifle }

If you prefer the more classic styling of a trifle, simply follow the directions below.

* Ingredients *
Chocolate pound cake, recipe below
Grand Marnier
Caramelised oranges, recipe below
Vanilla custard, recipe below
Whipped cream, optional

* Directions *
Slice the chocolate pound cake and layer the bottom of glass serving bowl.  Brush over the Grand Marnier so it soaks into the cake.  Top with the caramelised oranges.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Top the cake and oranges with the vanilla custard.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, top with whipped cream.  Alternatively, you can create multiple layers of cake, orange and custard.  Just simply refrigerate as appropriate at each stage.

{ Caramelised Oranges } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

* Ingredients *
3 oranges
1/4 sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

* Directions *
Segment the oranges and set aside in a bowl.  Bring sugar and orange juice to the boil in a small saucepan until the mixture starts to darken.  Add Grand Marnier and remove from heat.  Pour syrup over the prepared oranges and set aside to cool.

{ Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake } recipe by Sur La Table’s, The Art & Soul of Baking

* Ingredients *
1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/1/4 cups (8-3/4 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon water, at room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup (2 ounces) unsifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup (4 ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature

* Directions *
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and position an oven rack in the centre.  Lightly coat the pan with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray and fit it with parchment paper to extend up both long sides to the top of the pan.

Cream the butter and sugar:  Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium-high until light – almost white- in color, 4 to 5 minutes.  You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results.  Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.

Add the eggs: In the small bowl, stir together the water and espresso powder until smooth.  Crack the eggs into the bowl and beat to blend.  With the mixer running on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next.  About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then continue adding the eggs.  Scrape down the bowl again.

Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately: With the fine-mesh strainer, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into the medium bowl and whisk to blend.  With the mixer running on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk; repeat, then finish with flour mixture.  Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand if necessary.

Bake the cake:  Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.  When cool, remove from the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and serve.

{ Vanilla Custard } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

* Ingredients *
¾ cup milk
¾ cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

* Directions *
Prepare a bowl filled with ice and top the ice with another clean bowl.  Put to the side together with a fine sieve.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.  Set aside.  Gently heat the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan until small bubbles appear around the edges.  Remove from the heat, and add ½ cup of the mixture to the eggs whisking together immediately.  When blended, add the egg mixture back to the milk over a low to medium heat.  Keep whisking as the mixture starts to thicken.  Be careful not to overheat the mixture or the eggs will curdle.  For accuracy, measure the temperature and remove from the heat when you reach 80C /176F.  Without delay, pour the hot custard through the sieve into the prepare bowl.  The ice will help cool down the custard and ensure it does not overheat.  Allow to cool, and then refrigerate.
Makes 1 ½ cups

This month, I injected a few traditional savoury ingredients into typical sweet dishes.  As a conservative baker, I challenged myself to take some classic recipes and twist them to introduce some unusual flavour combinations — I was curious how far I would experiment with solid, timeless dishes.

Tried and true recipes such as apple pie, chocolate mousse, shortbread, and crème brûlée were given a flavour make-over.  Enter rosemary, fennel, Chinese five spice, and coriander that featured in the line up this month.

Want more savoury flavours?  How about basil, thyme, pepper and salt?  These usually savoury ingredients were the focus of a citrus tart, chocolate brownie, gingerbread cookie, and caramel chocolate cupcake showcased previously on Mélanger.

Here is the round up for the month. I hope you enjoyed your own experiments in the baking kitchen!

{ Coriander spiced apple pie } Although cinnamon and apple go hand in hand, a temporary substitution made for a surprisingly delicious flavor combination.  The nutty, spicy and rather citrusy flavour of ground coriander pairs unpredictably well with apple in these modest little pies.  { read more here … }

{ Chinese five spice chocolate mousse } For me, there is nothing like chocolate to soothe an unsettled soul.  In this case, a Chinese five spice chocolate mousse.  Inspired by a Belinda Jeffery rich chocolate cake showcasing the same spice these little aromatic pots were a delicious spin on the usual.  { read more here … }

{ Fennel & olive oil shortbread } The rich, sandy texture of the shortbread is preserved despite the variations.  The fennel flavour is prominent as soon as you take a bite.  The olive oil flavour comes through at the end.  It is subtle, but there.  This shortbread sure does lend itself well to different flavours. { read more here … }

{ Rosemary & orange crème brûlée } Rosemary was infused into the cream before making the basic custard for the brûlée.  The zest of one orange was also folded into the final mixture.  The injection of a less traditionally sweet flavour balanced the incredibly rich brûlée.  The end result was a typical creamy brûlée, with subtle suggestions of pine and some zing.  { read more here … }

{ Lime-Basil Tart } The traditional citrus tart is given a twist with the addition of fresh basil.  The fragrance from the basil is subtle but brings out the zesty overtones of the limes.  These flavours pair especially well with a basic sweet tart pastry.  { read more here … }

{ Thyme Brownie } This is the ultimate brownie recipe.  The end result is chewy with the right about of ‘bite’.  The slight variation with the thyme was subtle.  It produced a slightly earthy aroma to the rich, chocolately flavor of the brownie.  If you are a fan of a brownie that is not too cakey, and not too fudgey, this is a must try for you.  { read more here … }

{ Pfeffernussen } Pfeffernussen means ‘pepper nut’ in German.  This cookie features pepper (but no nuts!), and a range of spices such as cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and cloves.  The light sugary coating of the cookie complements the peppery flavour deliciously. They are incredibly airy and light, and have a beautiful peppery flavour.   { read more here … }

{ Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes } The salted caramel harmoniously melds with the rich chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting.  Lightly sprinkled to finish, the grey flakes look misleadingly innocent.  When you savour the taste, the flavour faintly lingers urging you to immediately go back for more.  { read more here … }

Citrusy. Fruity. Spicy. Zesty. Peppery. Creamy. An entire spectrum of flavours was packed into a just handful of simple and quick cakes this month. Proof that quick and simple does not have to mean boring.

I have reconnected with the fundamental joy of baking this month. Creating something by hand. Something very simple, but enormously satisfying. (And enjoying an ever fragrant kitchen in the process!)

Here is a round up of my recipes this month. I certainly now have started to build a repertoire of simple and quick cakes.

{ Lemon and sugar bundt cake } For me, the lemon and sugar bundt cake was hands down my favourite. Simple ingredients packed with flavour. If you are partial to a zesty, syrupy cake, you will not be disappointed with this one bowl wonder.  { Get recipe … }

{ Moist date loaf } The recipe was as traditional as date loaf can be. Delicious with a huge slab of butter and washed down with a cup of tea. The crumb is lighter than the more traditional cake, and as a result, the date almost has a marbling effect.  { Get recipe … }

{ Swedish visiting cake } It does not get any easier than this cake. It was quick and easy, and the hidden gem was the taste. The cake is light and airy, and with additional texture provided by the roasted flaked almonds, you are offered great crunch to each mouthful.  { Get recipe … }

{ Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake } The cake is very moist thanks to the zucchini. The small addition of cinnamon draws out a warm spicy flavour that combines well with the sweet and bitter orange marmalade.  { Get recipe … }

{ Fresh ginger cake } This is the perfect cake to lure along some cooler days. The cake has a rich, spicy flavour from not only the large injection of fresh ginger, but the addition of rich spices such as cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.  { Get recipe … }

{ Chocolate chestnut cake } This cake is dense and rich, but not too sweet. More appropriately a dessert cake rather than afternoon tea cake. But in saying that, it certainly it is quick to prepare and bake.  { Get recipe … }

I also have scores of new ideas to test out in the future. Many of you have your own favourite go-to recipe. For my upcoming baking trials, I now have 25 suggestions.

Pound cake, Caraway Seed cake, Banana loaf, Friands, Chocolate and Orange Storecupboard cake, Wacky cake, Lemon bundt, Chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream, Chocolate chip banana bread, Black Magic Cake, Chocolate Applesauce cake, Cinnamon coffee cake, Devil’s food cake, Coffee cakes, Butter cake, Lemon glazed butter cake, Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake, Banana Date Tea Cake, Orange cake, Hazelnut cake, Yoghurt cake, Chocolate buttercake, chocolate bourbon bundt cake, Norwegian Pear cake.

Thank you, everyone. Looks like there is definitely room for a few more ‘Simple Cakes’ month in the future!

My first Passover Seder.  It was all so new – and I was like a child experiencing it for the first time.  I remember the decorative Seder plate including the six symbolic foods.  The four cups of wine drunk during the Seder.  The cup of wine — and door left wide open — for the Prophet Elijah.  The afikomen.  (I could tell you a funny story about the hiding of the afikomen, but I may leave that for another time!)  And last but certainly not least, the Passover songs.  Chad Gadya was firmly my favourite.

So tonight at sunset, there will be Passover Seders in homes all around the world.  It will mark the beginning of Passover.

During the eight days of Passover there are additional Kosher restrictions around grains and cereals.  Never having to really consider food restrictions myself (for religious or allergenic purposes), I watched the planning required to avoid those key food groups during Passover.  With all the recipes now available online for Kosher Passover food, however, I hope it is easy to find something new to try.  Like this cake.

This cake slightly breaks the Simple Cakes mould in that, due to its richness, it is  more appropriately a dessert cake rather than afternoon tea cake.  But in saying that, it certainly it is quick to prepare and bake, so a Simple Cake indeed.

One taste and I immediately I conquered up images of that heavily advertised butter substitute.  You know the one…

I can’t believe it’s (not) Kosher!

{ Chocolate Chestnut Cake } recipe by Nigella Lawson

* Ingredients *
16 oz / 439g canned unsweetened chestnut puree
1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rum (I omitted this ingredient)
6 large eggs, separated
9 oz / 250g bittersweet chocolate
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

* Directions *
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C.  Beat the chestnut puree with the butter, then add the vanilla, rum, egg yolks and melted chocolate.  Blending well.  In another large bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt until they are foamy.  Add the sugar gradually to form stiffer, glossy peaks, and then sprinkle the brown sugar over and either fold in or whisk in slowly.  Fold the whites, gently into the chestnut mixture, a third at a time.

Pour into a prepared 8 inch / 20 cm spring form pan (greased and lined with parchment paper).  Baked for 45 minutes, until the cake has risen and is firm on top.  It will look dry and cracked, but don’t panic, it won’t taste dry.  Cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then turn out on a rack.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

{ Chocolate Chunk Coconut Macaroons } Looking for a more traditional Passover sweet?  Try Chocolate Chunk Coconut Macaroons. These little hay-stacked cookies are a simple little biscuit perfect for a sweet indulgence any time of day.  They are simple and quick to make.   { Get recipe … }

It seems I am not the only one who loves this cake.  This light, moist ginger cake is the most requested recipe of pastry chef and blogger, David Lebovitz.  I first stumbled upon this cake on another of my favourite blogs, Passionate about Baking.  Deeba made this ginger cake just before Christmas, and I instantly knew I had to pop it on my list.

As the temperature starts to drop here in Australia, and winter approaches (albeit, very slowly!), this is the perfect cake to lure along some cooler days.  The cake has a rich, spicy flavour from not only the large injection of fresh ginger, but the addition of rich spices such as cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

With new season pears now available in stores, the recommendation to serve this cake with this poached pears would be ideal.  But given my goal to find some quick and simple cakes this month, I kept it fuss-free and simply enjoyed with a small (okay, large!), dollop of cream.

I now have baked this cake with almost the same level of frequency that Mark, from No Special Effects, made Tartine’s  Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake (previous post).   If you love the flavour of ginger in cakes, you will instantly love this cake.  I know this will not be the last time this cake is baked in the Mélanger household.

{ Fresh Ginger Cake } recipe by David Lebovitz

I find unsulfured molasses difficult to source here in Australia (if you come across blackstrap molasses do not use for this recipe!).  For any recipe that calls for a mild molasses, I simply substitute a light treacle (ideal) or golden syrup (backup).  Be sure to check your cake after 30 minutes to check how quickly it is browning.

* Ingredients *
120g or 4 ounces fresh ginger
1 cup mild molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature

* Directions *
Position the oven rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Line a 22cm / 9 1/2 inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.   Peel, slice, and chop the ginger very fine with a knife (or use a grater).  Mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.  Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture.  Stir in the ginger.   Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter.  Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.  Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan.  Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

Around three o’clock in the afternoon I start to think about a little sweet yum-yum to get me through the rest of the day.

Sure, ideally I would reach for some fresh fruit, yogurt or pre-prepared vegetable sticks to curb those afternoon hunger pains.  Well, easier said than done with a sweet tooth like mine.  So admittedly, I regularly enjoy a sneaky sliver of cake, some deliciously rich chocolate, or even a melt-in-the-mouth cookie (or two!), around that time of the day where your will power is surely tested.

The moment I saw this cake on one of my favourite blogs, No Special Effects (taken from the Tartine book), I immediately got up from my laptop, walked to my copy of the book and marked the page immediately.  Mark had made this tea cake four times in two months.  It was that good.

Never having made zucchini bread before, I was eager to try the combination with a bitter orange marmalade (marmalade is a breakfast favourite in the Mélanger household!).

The cake is very moist thanks to the zucchini.  The small addition of cinnamon draws out a warm spicy flavour that combines well with the sweet and bitter orange marmalade.  I had omitted the recommended walnuts from the recipe, but they would bring a lovely crunch to each mouthful, too.

I can see why Mark made this cake so frequently.  It definitely is a perfect slice to sit down in the afternoon and enjoy with a cup of tea.

{ Zucchini and Orange Marmalade Tea Cake } Recipe by Tartine

* Ingredients *
1 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

* Directions *
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Grease a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 12 cm) loaf tin.  Set aside.  Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugar and marmalade until just combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour until just combined.  Add the nuts until incorporated.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 60-70 minutes until a tester comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minute, then turn out to let cool completely.  It will keep well, in the refrigerator for up to five days.

:: Today is Macaron Day, Jour du Macaron ::

All simple cakes are perfect to enjoy for an afternoon pick-me-up.  Except perhaps today.  If you have a Parisian patisserie close to hand, I dare say you will be enjoying a French macaron, or two! Today is Macaron Day, or Jour du Macaron.

For those with a keen eye, I honour this day by including a feature on French macarons from an issue of Régal magazine as a prop in the above photographs.

Looking for an afternoon macaron pick-me-up?  Try one of over 25 flavours of French macarons on Mélanger.

For me, food and travel is inextricably linked.  Travel inspires my food exploration.  Food motivates my travel destination choice.  Some of my fondest memories of traveling revolve around food.  Food tells you so much about a place.  The culture, customs and traditions.  It is so central in defining a location.

I was fascinated by the history and origin of this Swedish Visiting Cake.  This Scandinavian sweet treat comes from Dorie Greenspan.  The recipe was passed on to Dorie by her Swedish friend Ingela Helgesson who said you could start the cake when you saw friends coming down the road and it would be ready by the time they settled in and sat down for coffee.

The key for me was how quick and easy this cake seemed to be.  The hidden gem was the taste.  The cake is light and airy, and with additional texture provided by the roasted flaked almonds, you are offered great crunch to each mouthful.

Mr Mélanger actually selected this cake for Simple Cakes Month.  Flipping through Baking: From my Home to Yours he noticed the photograph, threw his hand down and immediately pointed to the picture exclaiming, “Can you make this?”  We then eyed the recipe title, paused, then laughed.

Being half-Finnish, I figured he has some built in Scandinavian/Nordic food radar.  Or perhaps he recognised the style of cake from his travels through Sweden while living in Finland.  Either way, it was the best selection he could make.

Knowing this was meant to be served with coffee, I had to make one key adaptation of the recipe.  I removed all traces of the vanilla extract and almond extract and replaced with one generous tablespoon of ground cardamom.  Cardamom and coffee is one of the ultimate food combinations around.

Coffee is such a significant part of life in this area of the world.  I can vividly picture friends or family sharing this cake, sipping piping hot coffee and sitting around table tucked away in a cosy Swedish kitchen.

{ Swedish Visiting Cake } Recipe by Dorie Greenspan, from Baking: From my Home to Yours

I omitted the vanilla extract and the almond extract.  As a substitute, I added 1 tablespoon of ground cardamom and folded into the batter along with the flour.  Original recipe below.

* Ingredients *
125g (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for preparing pan
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds

* Directions *
Centre a rack in oven and preheat to 350F/180C. Butter a seasoned 9-inch/22cm cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet.  Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.  Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist.