French Lemon-Poppy Pound Cake

I was thinking of lemon poppy seed cake for the last two weeks! Haha! Not just any lemon-poppy seed cake, but this cake, French Lemon-Poppy Pound Cake from "Flour" cookbook. I finally made the cake last week, so I can stop thinking about it, for now! :) Why THIS cake? Because I made it the first time a couple of months ago, and really liked it. And I am so craving for it again, with a warm cup of my favourite tea!

This cake uses a different method of mixing the batter, instead of the usual way of making pound cakes. Firstly, eggs and sugar are whipped together until really light and fluffy and gently fold in the flour. In another bowl, whisk melted butter, cream, lemon zest and juice, and poppy seeds together to combine. These are then quickly and gently mix into the mixture. 

I have reduced the sugar to 180gm (from original 250gm), and the reduced sugar works out fine, the sweetness was just right. Recipe mentioned that to bake the cake at a preheated oven at 350F, about 1 hour and 1 hour 10 minutes. However I have checked the cake at 50 minutes of baking time, and the cake was already done. Take note of the baking time depending on your oven.

There's a lemon glaze to drizzle over the warm cake, but I have omitted that. I like eating pound cakes without any glazes. 

The cake has a tight, light dense but soft, moist crumbs. Taste really good! Lemony and buttery cake, with the nutty, cracking bite from the poppy seeds. I really enjoyed this cake, so perfect with a cup of warm tea. Fearing that I'll eat most of it (like the first time when I made it!), I packed some slices for hubby to bring to work. Thumbs up from his colleagues and they are expecting more slices the next time round. OK. Got it! Will bake a whole cake for them soon!

If you are hosting a Christmas party, this cake would be lovely to serve, cut into small slices. Or if you are invited to one, it would make a lovely gift. Make the lemony glaze to drizzle over the cake for a more festive treat! Enjoy!

French Lemon-Poppy Pound Cake

(adapted from "Flour", Joanne Chang)

2 cups (240gm) cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 kosher kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (1-3/8 sticks/156gms) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to slightly warm

1/4 cup (60 gms) heavy cream, at room temperature

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

4 eggs

1-1/4 cups (250gms) granulated sugar (I use 180gm)

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup (70 gms) confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 to 1 lemon)

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, or line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick liquid. If the butter hardens into little lumps, heat the mixture gently until the butter melts again. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat together the eggs and granulated sugar on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy and lemon coloured. (If you use a handheld mixer, this same step will take 8 to 10 minutes).
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combined. Fold about one-fourth of the egg-flour mixture into the butter-cream mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining egg-flour mixture just until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and springs back when you press it in the middle. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
7. To make the lemon glaze : While the cake is cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and enough of the lemon juice to make an easily spreadable, smooth glaze.
8. When the cake has cooled for at least 30 minutes, pop it out of the pan and place it on the rack. Spread or spoon the glaze over the top of the still-warm cake, letting the glaze dribble down the sides.
9. The cake can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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 I'm linking this post to :
Cook & Celebrate Christmas 2014 hosted by Bake For Happy Kids, Eat Your Heart Out and Domestic Goddess Wannabe.

and

I'm sharing this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #19 @ kitchen flavours

Rosemary Cheese Crisps

These are delightful savoury crackers, great for snacking. There's two types of cheeses used, Cheddar and Parmesan, and chopped fresh rosemary, one of my favourite herb! I have two pots of rosemary plants growing in my little potted garden, and I can smell their lovely scent each time I water the plants, or simply touch them with my fingers, love doing that! 

I've used salted butter and have omitted the salt, taking into consideration that the cheeses are already salty. The dough has to be refrigerated for at least two hours to firm up before rolling and cutting into shapes. Sprinkle some finely grated Parmesan cheese over each cracker before baking. I don't have to tell you how the kitchen smells while these are baking, so cheesy nice!

Crispy, salty and cheesy with the fragrance of rosemary. They are perfect for snacking, and especially nice with a cup of warm tea.

I have baked them a few minutes longer for crispier bite!

Rosemary Cheese Crisps
(adapted from "The Good Cookie", Tish Boyle)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt (omit salt, used salted butter)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (use salted butter)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large egg yolk

special equipment :
1-3/4 inch scalloped round cookie cutter

1. Place the flour, Cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the rosemary, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream, olive oil, and egg yolk and pulse just until blended. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm (or up to 2 days).
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F.
3. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to a thickness of 1/8 inch, sprinkling it with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Using a 1-3/4-inch scalloped round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible from the dough and arrange them 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and cut out more crackers until all the dough is used. Sprinkle a small amount of the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of each cracker.
4. Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, for 13 to 16 minutes, until light golden brown. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack and cool completely.

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I'm linking this post to :
Cook & Celebrate Christmas 2014 hosted by Bake For Happy Kids, Eat Your Heart Out and Domestic Goddess Wannabe.

and

I'm sharing this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #19 @ kitchen flavours

and 4th Dec is National Cookie Day! Thanks to Louise for this info! I'm linking this post to "Cookbook Wednesday @ Months of Edible Celebrations" which I'm sharing this book "The Good Cookie" by Tish Boyle for this week.


    

Spiced Black Pickled Grapes

"Gifts From the Heart", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). With Christmas and holidays, just round the corner, it's time for giving and sharing, and what better way than to gift with something homemade, made with warm thoughts straight from the heart. The first thing that I thought of, was to make some homemade jam. I love making jams and pickles, and was looking thru Diana Henry's recipes for jams. Found this pickle recipe instead, Spiced Black Pickled Grapes, which is rather interesting to me, as I have never eaten pickled grapes before. 

Spiced Black Pickled Grapes

Black grapes.
The brine : cider vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and I've added a pinch of salt.

I have omitted the juniper berries for the brine, as I do not have any, (an ingredient I've been looking for ages!). Diana Henry has advised that any spices can be used, I have however decided to use just the black peppercorns and cinnamon stick. I've used a 500ml jar, and have used only 1 cup of cider vinegar and 1 cup of sugar, and have added a pinch of salt. The brine is made by bringing to a boil all the ingredients for the brine, then simmer for 4-5 minutes, let mixture cool completely.

Remove the grapes from the stems, wash, drain and dry the grapes. Place them into the jar, then pour the cooled brine to cover the grapes, and seal the jar. The grapes can be eaten immediately as advised by Diana Henry, but there is no difference in the taste of the grapes if they were eaten at this point, as the brine has not been absorbed by the grapes. Be patient, keep it for a few days before eating. I kept the jar in the refrigerator.

These pickled grapes are rather addictive! According to Diana Henry, she loves it best after they are pickled for 7 days. I made these less than a week ago, and the brine has not fully been absorbed into the grapes as yet. Though I think that I should wait to consume these at the end of a week, but a quarter jar has already gone! :) The grapes are crisp, sweet (they were naturally sweet!), and as you bite into one, the sweetness of the sugar, spices and sourness of the vinegar comes next. The next time I would use 3/4 cup of sugar instead of 1 cup, to make it less sweeter. And to speed up the pickling, I would prick a couple of holes in the grapes. If you like eating pickles, then you would love this! This would make a lovely gift for pickle lovers!

You will be wondering how to use this pickled grapes other than enjoying them as they are. Diana Henry has given some suggestions, "These are made for roast pork - belly or loin - and look fabulous in little branches served alongside slices of the sweet, fatty meat. But they are also very lovely with pates (and a smooth chicken liver parfait), terrines and most cheeses".
Yes, these pickled grapes would be lovely served alongside roasts at the dinner table this Christmas, or they would be great too if served as part of an appetizer.

Knowing myself, I would eat these pickled grapes as a snack, sneaking a few every so often, before they even reached the table! I'll be making these again, and will try with different spices. Love it!

Spiced Black Pickled Grapes
(adapted from "Salt Sugar Smoke" or here, Diana Henry)
3-2/3 cups (1lb 4oz) seedless black grapes
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups white wine or cider vinegar
10 black peppercorns
10 juniper berries, bruised (did not use this)
1 small dried chilli (optional)
1/2 cinnamon stick
pinch of salt (my addition)

fills 1 (1-quart) jar

Instructions :

Pull sprigs of the grapes off the main stem. Put everything else into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Boil for about four minutes, then cool completely.

Wash and dry the grapes and put them into a warm sterilized jar. Pour over the vinegar and seal with a vinegar-proof lid. You can eat these immediately. The longer they are in the vinegar the more "pickled" the grapes will taste and the more wrinkled they become. They will keep for a year.

kitchen flavour's notes : I use about 450gm of black grapes and use only 1 cup cider vinegar and 1 cup sugar, which fills a jar of 500ml. Reduce the amount of sugar if a more sour pickle is preferred. (Note to self ; prick a few holes in the grapes to quicken the pickling process!)

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I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week "Gifts From The Heart"

and

Cook & Celebrate Christmas 2014 hosted by Bake For Happy Kids, Eat Your Heart Out and Domestic Goddess Wannabe.