0 EASTER RECIPES - RECETTES POUR PÂQUES

On Sunday the 12th of April, it will be Easter, the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year during which the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated. Passover is also a time of feasting for the Jews who celebrate Pessach as well as for the Christian Orthodox people..

It is really interesting to learn that this celebration (Easter, like most of the Christian celebrations) takes it's roots in Paganism. In fact, in order to convert Heathens, the Church adapted the Old Religion's traditions into Christianity (see link I & link II & link III for more infos), so this is why many of the Christian religious rituals have similitudes (dates, signification, etc...) with those of our pre-Christian ancestors' customs. Easter was, at the origin, a festivity that was linked to the Spring Equinox which symbolized the beginning of spring, the rebirth of life, fertility and reproduction...

In order for you to celebrate (no matter what religion or belief you have) as peacefully as possible and enjoy your free time, I've decided to compile a list of my recipes which might prove to be very helpful. In that way, you will be able to find recipes (I hope) for your menu without having to stress and while still being able to have fun with your relatives and/or friends, thus relaxing and having control over the course of the events.

My recipes for Easter (most of them are not Pesach-compatible):
Almond And Curry Bread (see recipe)
Amaretti, Apricot Jam & Coconut Bars (see recipe)
Amaretto Yoghurt Cake (see recipe)
Apple And Cheddar Quiche (see recipe)
Apple Latkes (see recipe)
Asparagus With Parmesan And Fried Onions (see recipe)
Bagels (see recipe)
Banana Bread Pudding (see recipe)
Bostoni Cream Pie (see recipe)
Brazilian Toasts (see recipe)
Buttermilk Honey Bread (see recipe)
Cantuccini (see recipe)
Caramel Cake With Caramelized Butter Frosting (see recipe)
Cardamom Crumb Cake (see recipe)
Caribbean Salt Cod (see recipe)
Challah Bread (see recipe)
Cheesecake Marbled Brownies (see recipe)
Chicken And Mushrooms In Creamy Saint Marcellin Sauce (see recipe)
Chickpea Terrine (see recipe)
Chinese Lemon Chicken (see recipe)
Chocolate Intensity Cake (see recipe)
Chocolate Mousse (see recipe)
Chocolate Valentino (see recipe)
Chopped Liver (see recipe)
Cinnamon Granola (see recipe)
Coconut Custard Squares (see recipe)
Colomba Pasquale (see recipe)
Danish Braid (see recipe)
Deadly Blondies (see recipe)
Dream Bars (see recipe)
Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse (see recipe)
Easter Lamb-Shaped Bread (see recipe)
Ricotta Fritta (see recipe)
Feta, Almond & Cilantro Pesto (see recipe)
Feta And Fresh Herb Cake (see recipe)
Five Spice Rhubarb Muffins (see recipe)
Flammeküche Pizza (see recipe)
French Artisan Bread (see recipe)
German Partybread (see recipe)
Gravlax With Mustard Sauce (see recipe)
Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes (see recipe)
Ham And Parmesan Cake (see recipe)
Hawaiian Salmon Poke (see recipe)
Italian Ricotta Cookies (see recipe)
Italianesque Meatloaf (see recipe)
Kippers Rillettes (see recipe)
Lavash Crackers (see recipe)
Lemon Buttermilk Tart (see recipe)
Lemon Curd (see recipe)
Lemon Honey Cookies (see recipe)
Lemon Meringue Pie (see recipe)
Lemon Ricotta Muffins (see recipe)
Lump Egg Pasta With Saffron Sauce (see recipe)
Luscious Lemon Bars (see recipe)
Massa Sovada Bread (see recipe)
Moist Orange Syrup Cake (see recipe)
Moqueca Da Peixe (see recipe)
Noddle Kugel (see recipe)
Oatcakes (see recipe)
Orange Cornmeal Cake (see recipe)
Orecchiete (see recipe)
Ostrich Steak Tartar (see recipe)
Pain Au Lait Bread (see recipe)
Panforte (see recipe)
Panettone (see recipe)
Parmesan And Gorgonzola Cheesecake (see recipe)
Pasta With Anchovy Pesto (see recipe)
Perfect Party Cake (see recipe)
Pesto Muffins (see recipe)
Plain White Bread (see recipe)
Potato Kugel (see recipe)
Rhubarb Cobbler (see recipe)
Rhubarb Meringue Slices (see recipe)
Rhubarb Salée (see recipe)
Rhubarb Upside-Down Pudding (see recipe)
Ricotta Brioche (see recipe)
Rosemary And Vinefruit Bloomer (see recipe)
Scones (see recipe)
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagels (see recipe)
Smoky Chili Crackers (see recipe)
Stir-Fried Matzo Balls With Bell Pepper (see recipe)
Sweet And Savory Meatballs (see recipe)
Swiss Easter Rice Tart (see recipe)
Swiss Quark Cheese Tart (see recipe)
Swiss Salée A La Crème (see recipe)
Tagliatelle (see recipe)
Tahini Cake (see recipe)
Tasty Lam Roast (see recipe)
Tender Potato Bread (see recipe)
Tex Mex Cornmeal Bread (see recipe)
Tiny Curry Scones (see recipe)
Tiramiù mOusse And Lemon Curd Tart (see recipe)
Toad In The Hole (see recipe)
Upside-Down Honey Cheesecakes (see recipe)
Vanilla & Lemon Cupcakes (see recipe)
Vietnamese Grapefruit & Chicken Salad (see recipe)
Walnut And Ricotta Pesto (see recipe)
Wheat Flour Tortillas (see recipe)
Zesty Ricotta Tart (see recipe)

Happy Easter, Pesach & Spring Dear Friends!

0 COLOMBA PASQUALE - COLOMBE DE PÂQUES

When Elra from "Elra's Baking" and "Elra's Cooking" (USA) contacted me and invited me to make a "Colomba Pasquale" (a.k.a "Easter Dove" the national Easter bread of Italy) together with four other lady foodbloggers (Cindystar ,Zorra, Lien, Natalia) my answer could not have been else than "yes, of course"!

Elra didn't have to convince me at all as it could not have been a better opportunity for me to bake that brioche for the very first time and put my sourdough know-how as well as my courage and resilience as a mad homebaker to the test...

At first, I was a little nervous regarding the recipe we were asked to use as it calls for a sourdough starter. Knowing how tricky it is to work with such an unstable living entity/ingredient, I was not too sure regarding the outcome of the recipe.

Anyway, I made Beth Hensperger's ridiculously easy "Sourdough Starter" for the first time and luckily, the "monster" proved to be more tame and stable than the ones I had made in the past and which needed more attention.

So, I followed the recipe and adapted it according to my baking modest experience. Thankfully, everything went smoothly and I came across no problem at all. This led to good results as the end product was mindblowingly beautiful and stunningly toothsome!

Rarely have I eaten such a heavenly delicacy! This lovely Italian egg brioche is somehow similar to "Panettone" or "Pandoro" (not exactly though as there are slight differences in the making, composition and texture) and is a delicate candied bread that could very well be compared to a cake as it is sweet and luscious. The tangy and yeasted flavor of the sourdough starter contrast wonderfully with the more fruity as well as nutty mellowness flavors of the "Colomba Pasquale". And, it's light, shreddy and divinely smooth texture will leaves me all the more speechless. This godly brioche is a revelation!

Homemade "Colomba Pasquale" brioches are mighty scrumptious and sooooo good that eating a slice will instantly put you in a state of total bliss that'll take hours to fade away! Trust me, it is definitely worth all the efforts and time put into their making!

This post is submitted to Yeastspotting.

****************

Cindystar at "Cindystar" (Italy) will be hosting a "Colomba Pasquale" event, so if you want to participate, here's what you have to know:

1. Bake your colomba, feel free to follow any recipe, and blog about it.
2. Please link back to this announcement in your post, and eventually to the round up.
3. Leave a comment to her post linking your entry.
4. The last day of submission is April 18th, 24.00 Rome Time.

5. For further information please do not hesitate to contact her at cmc(at)cindystar(dot)it. 6. The roundup will be on line on April the 21st 2009.

We all chose different recipes, but everybody is free to follow their favorite one. So, if you think it's a good challenge, if you have already done and blogged about your "Colomba Pasquale", if you are going to do so, if you don't yet know which recipe to follow or if you would like to take part in the "Happy Baking Easter" event, then this event is for you!

~ Easter Dove or Colomba Pasquale ~
Recipe by Papum and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Makes 2 breads.

Ingredients for the "First Dough":
135g Sourdough starter (see recipe)
390g Strong white Flour
155g Unsalted butter, softened
105g Castor sugar
3 Egg Yolks
150g + 50g Lukewarm water
Ingredients for the "Second Dough":
1x First dough
85g Strong white flour
15g Runny honey
4g Sea salt
30g Castor sugar
3 Egg yolks
30g Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Tbs Orange zest (organic)
300g Candied orange peels, chopped (see remarks)

Ingredients for the "Frosting":
30g Hazelnuts
55g Blanched almonds, toasted
10g Pinenuts
225g Sugar
Enough egg white to blend
Pearl sugar, for sprinkling
Confectioner's sugar, for decorating

Method for the "First Dough":
1. Over low heat, melt the sugar in 150g water.
2. Let cool until lukewarm.
3. Whisk the sourdough starter together with the egg yolks.
4. Add the sugar syrup, 1/3 of the flour and the butter. Beat well until blended.
5. Add the rest of the flour and continue to beat for about 5 minutes, until you obtain a viscous dough.
6. Add 50g water, little by little and beat well until incorporated.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise, for about 12 hours in warm place (at room temperature).

Method for the "Second Dough":
8. Add to the first dough : flour, honey, salt and sugar. Beat well with a spatula.
9. When the dough comes together in a ball add the yolks, one at a time and then the melted butter (not too hot) little by little, while beating well.
10. Then add the orange zest and candied orange peels. Incorporate well.
11. Let the dough rest one hour covered with a cloth/towel
12. Then shape (as shown here/first the wings and then the body over them).
13. Let the the colomba breads rest for 3 to 4 hours until they reach the edges of the mold.
Method for the "Frosting" and "Baking":
14. Finely mince all the dry fruits (apart from the almonds) and set aside.
15. Incorporate enough egg white to the sugar in order to obtain a soft batter to spread.
16. Cover the colomba breads with the frosting, sprinkle with the chopped nuts and almonds as well as with the pearl sugar.
17. Cover with a lot of icing sugar.
18. Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 50 minutes.

Remarks:
Instead of using candied orange peel only, you can also use any other chopped candied fruits (lemon, mixe peel, etc...).
I didn't have pinenuts, so I used 65g almonds instead of the 55g requested.
If you don't have dove paper moulds, then you can also use Panettone paper moulds or round (and high) pans.

Serving suggestions:
These "Colomba Pasquale" brioches are so good that you should eat them without restraint or moderation!!!
They are delicious with a good cup of tea or coffee.

****************

~ Colombe De Pâques ~
Recette par Papum et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Pour deux grosses brioches.

Ingrédients pour la "Première Pâte":
135g de Levain naturel (voir recette)
390g Farine à pain blanche
155g de Beurre non-salé, ramolli
105g de Sucre cristallisé
3 Jaunes d'oeufs
150g + 50g d'Eau tiède (en dessous de 50° C)
Ingrédients pour la "Deuxième Pâte":
1x Première pâte
85g de Farine à pain blanche
15g de Miel liquide
4g de Sel de mer
30g de Sucre cristallisé
3 Jaunes d'oeufs
30g de Beurre non-salé, fondu et à temp. ambiante
1 1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 CS de Zeste d'Orange (bio)
300g Ecorces d'orange confites, hachées (voir remarques)

Ingrédients pour le "Glaçage":
30g de Noisettes
55g d'Amandes blanchies, torréfiées
10g de Pignons
225g de Sucre cristallisé
Assez de blanc d'oeufs pour former une mixture étalable
Sucre perlé, pour saupoudrer
Sucre en poudre, pour décorer
Méthode pour la "première Pâte":
1. Faire fondre le sucre dans 150g d'eau, à feu doux.
2. Laisser refroidir afin que le sirop ne dépasse pas les 50° C.
3. Battre ensemble le levain et les jaunes d'oeufs.
4. Ajouter le sirop, 1/3 de la farine et le beurre. Battre énergiquement (au fouet) jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit homogène.
5. Ajouter le reste de la farine et continuer à battre (avec une spatule) pendant au moins 5 minutes, jusqu'à ce que vous obteniez une pâte visqueuse.
6. Ajouter 50g water, petit à petit et battre à nouveau jusqu'à ce que le liquide soit entèrement incorporé.
7. Couvrir le bol avec une feuille en plastique et laisser lever pendant au moins 12 heures à température ambiante.

Méthode pour la "Deuxième Pâte":
8. Ajouter la farine, le miel, le sel et le sucre à la première pâte. Bien battre à l'aide d'une spatule.
9. Quand la pâte sera homogène, ajouter les jaunes d'oeufs un à un, puis incorporer le beurre fondu (tiède) très lentement pendant que vous battez la pâte.
10. Ajouter le zeste et les écorces d'orange confites. Bien incorporer.
11. Laisser reposer, couvert (linge), pendant une heure.
12. Former vos colombes (comme montré ici/en commencant par les ailes puis en finissant par le corps).
13. Couvrez-les avec un linge et laissez-les lever pendant au moins 3 à 4 heures, jusqu'à ce que vous colombes atteignent le rebord du moule.
Méthode for the pour le "Glaçage et la Cuisson":
14. Hacher finement tous les fruits secs (à part les amandes). Mettre de côté.
15. Incorporer assez de blanc d'oeuf au sucre afin d'obtenir un mélange épais qui pourra être réparti sur le dessus des colombes.
16. Recouvrir le dessus des colombes avec le glaçage, saupoudrer avec les noix hachées et entières ainsi qu'avec le sucre perlé.
17. Saupoudrer les colombes avec beaucoup de sucre en poudre afin de recouvrir entièrement le dessus de chacunes d'elles.
18. Cuire à 180° C (350° F) pendant 50 minutes.

Remarques:
Au lieu d'utiliser des écorces d'orange confites, vous pouvez aussi prendre des écorces de citron confites ou un mélange de fruits confits (citron, orange, angélique, cerise, etc..) que vous hacherez finement.
Comme je n'avais pas de pignons, j'ai remplacé les 10g par des amandes (65g en tout au lieu des 55g requis).
Si vous n'avez pas de moules en forme de colombe, alors vous pouvez tout à fait utiliser des moules ronds (et haut) ou des moules en papier pour Panettone.

Idées de présentation:
Ces "Colombes Pasquales" sont si délicieuses qu'elles se dégustent facilement et sans modération!!!
Un bon thé ou café sera l'accompagnement parfait.

0 RIP POP - AU REVOIR POP

Farewell My Dear Pop
01.01.1925 - 02.04.2009
Derbyshire, England

~~~~~~~

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

~ Mary Frye ~

I will always remember you with great fondness, grandpa.
Love,
Rosa xxx

0 JURA - PART III

As my next recipe will be published on Sunday the 5th of April, my posting schedule is a little chaotic this week, so please bear with me and be a little patient...

Here's my next batch of pictures that I took when I went walking in the Jura. Enjoy and if you want to see part I & II, then click here and there!

0 CLASSEMENT A.F. TOUCH

I have just learnt today that Rosa's Yummy Yums is ranking amongst the first 100 (out of 520) most influential culinary blogs for which people have voted on A.F. Touch.

Je viens d'apprendre que Rosa's Yummy Yums fait partie des 100 premiers sites (sur 520) du classement des blogs culinaires sur A.F. Touch.

Thanks to all those of you who have voted for me!
Merci à tous ceux et celles qui ont voté pour moi!