Cakes and Desserts

Pistachio Nut and Sour Cherry Chocolate Brownie – Fistikli, Kuru Visneli Brownie

By Ozlem Warren on January 27, 2011 in Cakes and Desserts, Uncategorised 0

We Turks love pistachios. Turkey produces some of the best pistachios in the world, around the Gaziantep region at the southeast part of Turkey, and they are absolutely to die for. We also love cherries and are lucky to produce wonderfully flavored fresh cherries at home. So when I saw this recipe on Food and Travel magazine, it was irresistible to try (I slightly changed it using a little less sugar and butter). And the outcome was wonderful too; delicious brownies bursting with fabulous cherry and pistachio flavors, a real treat.

Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35-40 minutes

300 gr/2/3pound dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)
310gr/11oz caster sugar
230gr/8oz unsalted butter
70gr/2 1/2oz sour cherries (1 packet)
4 medium free range eggs
100gr/3 1/4oz pistachio nuts
60gr/2oz cocoa powder
90gr/3oz plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

To serve:
Icing sugar and ice cream (vanilla would work well).

Preheat the oven to 190 C/370 F

Break up the chocolate into pieces. Cut the butter into small cubes and melt with the chocolate, either over a bain-marie or in the microwave.

While the chocolate mixture is cooling, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, and then sift in the cocoa powder, plain flour and bicarbonate of soda. Finally add the nuts, cherries and the pinch of salt, mix well.

Line a 10in x 8 in baking tray or brownie tin with baking parchment. Slightly grease the parchment and pour the brownie mixture evenly. Cook in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice and dust with icing sugar. You can enjoy it plain with tea or coffee or treat it as a dessert and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Afiyet Olsun!

Demerara Lemon Cake

By Ozlem Warren on January 16, 2011 in Cakes and Desserts, Uncategorised 2

I very much enjoy Nigel Slater’s recipes – wholesome and delicious, aiming to use the best possible produce at their peak and not doing much to it. And he has a thing for cakes like I do too. This Demerara Lemon Cake recipe is from his brilliant cookery book The Kitchen Diaries. I am a huge fan of lemon and the caramelized lemons over this cake won my heart at the first sight. The original recipe serves the cake as a dessert with a lemony syrup spiked to the top of it with a skewer, after it’s cooked. In my version, I took away the syrup addition and adopted it in a way to enjoy it as a lovely, moist cake. Indeed almond cakes keep moist for several days, so this cake is a perfect treat to bake at the weekend (or any week day!) and enjoy through the week.

Something really satisfying about baking on Sunday; delicious smells from the oven fills the air and for me, it somehow relaxes the day, brings serenity – a little slice of it with tea or coffee and you think all the jobs can be done, no rush..

Serves 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 45-50 minutes

200gr/7oz unsalted butter
220gr/8oz demerara sugar
90gr/3 1/4oz plain flour
90gr/3 1/4oz ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Zest and juice of a large lemon
4 large eggs

For the topping:
1 lemon, thinly sliced
30ml/2 tablespoons demerara sugar
60ml/4 tablespoons water

Preheat oven at 160 C / 325 F

Line a loaf of baking tin with baking parchment paper and grease the paper with a little olive oil.

To make the topping, slice the lemon thinly and put it in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to the boil, and then watch closely for five minutes or so, until the water has almost evaporated and the lemon slices are sticky. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a food mixer till they are light and fluffy. You can expect it to take a little longer than it would with caster sugar. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl weigh the flour and almonds and mix them with the baking powder. Add the lemon zest and the lemon juice and mix well.

Break the eggs and beat lightly with a fork, then add them to the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time. Then gently fold in the flour, almonds, the baking powder and lemon to the mixture with a large metal spoon (a wooden spoon would knock the air out).

Scoop the cake mixture into the lined tin, and then lay the reserved lemon slices on top, overlapping them down the centre of the cake. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, till risen and golden. Insert a metal skewer to see if it is ready. If it comes clean, then the cake is done; if it has mixture sticking to it, it needs a few minutes longer. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool.

You can enjoy the cake with some fresh fruit (raspberries, sliced mangos or ripe/poached apricots would go well) and perhaps a spoonful of double/heavy cream by the side.

Afiyet Olsun!

Asure – Noah’s Dessert

By Ozlem Warren on December 21, 2010 in Cakes and Desserts, Turkish Festive Dishes 20

Asure; dessert of Noah's Ark; a festive treat

Asure; Noah’s Dessert; a festive treat

This delicious dessert of grains, pulses and dried fruit, referred as Asure or Ashura – Noah’s Dessert-, is most probably one of Turkey’s most famous dessert. According to the legend, Noah made it on the Ark by combining whatever ingredients were left on the ark. It is also the traditional dessert to serve on the 10th day of the Muslim month Muharrem, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Asure is always made in large quantities and shared with friends and neighbors.

Though the ingredients list is pretty rich, I believe whatever grains, pulses and dried fruit you have in your pantry will do. And if you are short of time, why not using good quality pre-cooked chickpeas and beans in cans; I am all up for it if it helps making this wonderful dessert. Adding the pomegranate seeds over the top give a festive touch and make the dessert refreshing too.

Desserts play an important role in Turkish culture and the centre piece at religious festivals, weddings and family celebrations. A wide variety of sweet treats from baklava to fruit based desserts are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. You can order a signed copy at this link, if you’d like.

This recipe is a slight adaptation from dear Ghillie Basan’s The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking; one of my favorite authors.

Serves 10 – 12

50gr/2oz haricot (navy) beans, soaked overnight (or at least for 6 hours) and drained
50gr/2oz skinned broad (fava) beans soaked overnight (or at least for 6 hours) and drained
50gr/2oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans) soaked overnight (or at least for 6 hours) and drained
115gr/4oz pot barley, with husks removed, and soaked overnight in plenty of water
50gr/2oz rice, washed and drained
115gr/4oz dried apricots
50gr/2oz raisins
50gr/2oz currants
225gr/8oz sugar
30ml/2 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch) or rice flour
150ml /1/4 pint rose water

To garnish:
2 teaspoons/10 ml cinnamon
4-5 dried figs, sliced
4-5 dried apricots, sliced
15 ml/1 tablespoon sultanas
30 ml/2 tablespoon crushed walnuts
Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

Cook the beans in separate pans of fresh water until just tender. The haricot beans will require about 50 minutes; the broad beans and chickpeas about 1 hour.

Transfer the barley and its soaking water to a large, deep pan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender, topping up with the water during the cooking time if necessary.

Add the cooked beans, chickpeas and the rice, and bring the liquid to boil again. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place all the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, then drain. Add the fruit to the pan with the beans and stir in the sugar. Continue to simmer, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens.

Mix the corn flour or rice flour with a little water to form a creamy paste. Add 30ml/2tbsp of the hot liquid from the pan to the paste and add it to the pan, stirring constantly. Add the rose water and continue to simmer the mixture for another 15 minutes, stirring from to time, until the mixture is very thick.

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Shake the bowl to make sure the surface is flat and leave the pudding to cool. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the pudding and arrange the sliced dried figs, apricots, sultanas and walnuts over the top. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over generously. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem