Coconut and Passionfruit Cake

In a recent dinner, organized to celebrate the birthday of a friend, I took this coconut and passion fruit cake, so fluffy and tasty. The vibrant color  and the aroma of passion fruit also contribute to make this cake a true feast for the senses.

Ingredients:

300 g sugar

4 eggs

125 ml of vegetable oil

150 ml passion fruit juice 

150 ml of grated coconut

250 g flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

(for the icing)

1 egg white

100 powdered sugar

2 tablespoons of passion fruit juice

embellishments (optional)

Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is creamy and white. Add the oil and continue to beat. Then add the passion fruit juice. You can use already prepared pulp. In case of using the fruit, remove the seeds and pulp, reduce to pulp and strain to separate the seeds. If necessary, add a little milk to make up 150 ml. Add the grated coconut. Finally, add the flour mixed with the baking powder. Bake in oven heated to 180 ° in a greased and floured baking pan. When cooked, remove and let cool.

When the cake is cool, prepare the icing, beating the egg white with the powdered sugar until it peaks. Add the passion fruit juice and mix well. Cover the top of the cake with the icing and let some drops to go down along the cake. Finish decorating with embellishments of your choice.

Gaspacho from Alentejo, a Fresh Soup

Alentejo in summer combines with afternoons spent indoors, in the freshness guaranteed by thick walls and withe walls, combines  with ​​books to read, after so many years, and combines with fresh and simple food.

The soups have to be cold and that is the name always given gazpacho from Alentejo ... cold soups, with the refreshing taste of tomato and cucumber, with the tang of wild oregano and the freshness of the water.

Ingredients:
5 cloves of garlic
2 ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/2 green pepper
400 g of hard bread (preferably from  Alentejo)
1.5 l of ice water
Salt, olive oil, vinegar and dried oregano to taste.

Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar or bowl where it will do the soups. Joins the olive oil (be generous!) and the vinegar and mix well. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers cut into small cubes, involving in the seasoning. Add the iced water and check if is needed any more salt or vinegar. And finally joins the broken bread into small pieces or cut into cubes and the dried oregano. Serve immediately while the bread is firm and the broth is fresh.

Lavender Cookies

Spring is here!

Although for me, who lived most of my life in the northern hemisphere, October is synonymous of Autumn ... Spring is here! Swallows are already making their nests on the roofs, the trees are blooming, the weather is mild and I'm trying to overcome my seasonal confusion, cooking.

What about baking some small cookies with flowers ... Lavender Flowers?

Lavender is a plant natural from the Mediterranean and its use by man in cosmetics and medicine is historic. In the kitchen you can add lavender to both meat and fish dishes as well  as to sweets. Cultivated largely in Provence, is, along with hyssop, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme and fennel, one of the herbs of Provence.

With spring as inspiration, I adapted a recipe from the book 200 Recipes for Cakes and Biscuits, to create these fragrant flowers and butterflies cookies.

Ingredients:

100 g butter

2 eggs

175 g of wheat flour

25 g of rice flour

100g of demerara sugar

1/2 tablespoon of baking powder

1 tablespoon of lavender flowers (for food purposes)

Mix the flour and baking powder. Add butter, it should be at room temperature, and crumble until is well incorporated with the flour. Add lightly beaten eggs and sugar, mixing well. Finally add the lavender flowers. Extend the dough in a floured surface with the help of a rolling pin. Cut the biscuits with a cutter of your choice (in this case I used small cutters in the shape of flowers and butterflies). Bring to bake in oven at 180 º C on trays lined with parchment paper. When the cookies edges are lightly browned remove from oven for. Leave to cool in the tray for a few minutes and then move to a rack to cool completely before storing.

Bon Apetit!