Tuesday, June 9, 2009

0 LEMON CHESTNUT CAKE & APRICOT COULIS

Last week, I was lucky to find the first French (Provence) apricots of the season at my local Migros supermarket. Those beautiful fruits were juicy, fragrant and had a melt-in-your-mouth flesh (absolutely not stringy nor mushy), so they deserved to get used with much respect and love...

I knew that I wanted to bake something special for my blog, but I didn't have a clue what I was going to make until I came across Good Food recipe which would enable me to finally try the chestnut flour my friend Corinne brought back for me from Tuscany...

As I wanted to create a colorful and lush dessert that would have an Italian, Mediterranean and summery touch by combining the flavors of lemon, apricot, chestnut and rosemary, I had the idea to serve Mary Cardogan's "Lemon, Crème Fraîche And Chestnut Cake" together with an "Apricot Rosemary Coulis" (a creation of my own).

Both elements pair brilliantly well in order to give a gluten-free dessert that is ambrosial, refreshing, yet not too heavy or sweet. Thanks to the use of sour cream as well as the incorporation of beaten egg whites, this cake is very airy/light and quite similar to a sponge cake, minus the dryness. Plus, I really love it's wonderful lemony and round smoky flavor. The apricot coulis adds some moisture, tang and an interesting rosemary aroma to the whole...

Perfect for the summer days, ideal for a picnic/party/potluck and easy to prepare!

~ Lemon Chestnut Cake & Apricots Coulis ~
Cake recipe by Mary Cardogan and coulis recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Ingredients for the "Lemon Chestnut Cake":
Butter, for greasing

4 Big eggs, separated
125g Castor sugar
200g Sour cream
1 Organic lemon, zested
125g Chestnut flour
2 Tsps Baking powder
Icing sugar, for dusting
Ingredients for the "Apricot Rosemary Coulis":
600g Fresh apricots, cut into small pieces
105g Castor sugar

3 Pinches Rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 Tbs Lemon juice

Method for the "Lemon Chestnut Cake":
1. Heat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Put the egg yolks into a mixing bowl with the caster sugar and, using an electric whisk, beat for a 1-2 mins until light and creamy.
3. Stir in the sour cream and lemon zest.
4. Add the sifted flour and baking powder.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cake mix using the whisk blades.
6. Pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until the cak
e feels firm to the touch and a knife comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn
out and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Dust with icing sugar.


Method for the "Apricot Rosemary Coulis":
9. Put all the ingredients in a mediun pan.
10. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the apricots have "melted".
11. Blend into a fine puree and sieve.
12. Let cool and serve together with the cake.

Remarks:
If you want a 100% gluten-free cake, then don't forget to use gluten-free baking powder.
For the coulis, you can replace the apricots by peaches or nectarines.

Serving sugestions:
Serve that speciality for afternoon tea or dessert.

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

~ Cake (Farine De Châtaignes) & Coulis d'Abricots ~
Recette pour le cake par Mary Cardogan et recette pour le coulus par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Ingrédients pour le "Cake":
Beurre, pour le moule
4 Gros oeufs, jaunes et blancs séparés
125g Sucre blanc
200g Crème fraîche
Le zeste d'un citron bio
125g de Farine de châtaignes

2 CC de Poudre à lever/cake
Sucre en poudre, pour la décoration
Ingrédients pour le "Coulis":
600g d'Abricots, coupés en petits morceaux

105g de Sucre blanc
3 Pincées de Romarin (séché ou frais)

1 CS de Jus de citron

Méthode pour le "Cake":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C. Beurrer un moule de 20cm et recouvrir le fond de papier sulfurisé.
2. Mettre les jaunes d'oeufs dans un grand bol, ajouter le sucre et battre jusqu'à ce que le mélange ait blanchi et soit mousseux.
3. Ajouter le crème fraîche et le zeste, puis bien incorporer.
4. Ajouter la farine tamisée et la poudre à lever (sans gluten, si
nécessaire). Bien incorporer. 5. Dan un bol moyen, battre les blancs d'oeufs en neige, puis les incorporer délicatement au mélange précédant (à l'aide d'une spatule).
6. Verser la pâte dans le moule et cuire pendant 35-40 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le cake soit ferme au toucher et que la lame d'un couteau en resorte propre.
7. Retirer du four, laisser dans le moule 5 minutes, sortir du moule et faire refroidir sur une grille.
8. Saupoudrer avec du sucre en poudre.


Méthode pour le "Coulis":
9. Mettre tous les ingrédients dans une casserole moyenne.
10. Cuire à feu moyen pendant 10-15 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que les abricots aient "fondu".
11. Mixer et passer au chinois.
12. Laisser le coulis refroidir et servir avec le cake.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez utiliser une poudre à lever/cake sand gluten. De cette manière votre cake sera à 100% sans gluten.
Les abricots peuvent être remplacés par des pêches ou des nectarines.

Idées de présentation:
Servir pour le goûter ou à l'heure du dessert.

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