Dessert

Blueberry Almond Cake
Back to Top Blueberries cover an almond-flavored cake that has a cookielike texture. Great for dessert, for tea, or to pack on a picnic and eat with your fingers.
1/2 cup		unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup		sugar
1		large egg
1 tsp		vanilla extract
1/2 tsp		almond extract
1 1/4 cups		flour
1/2 tsp		baking powder
1/4 tsp		salt
2 cups		fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp		sugar
1/4 tsp		sugar

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until blended.

Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract until pale and creamy.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until well mixed. Don't overwork the batter.

Chill 30 minutes, or until the batter is no longer wet and sticky

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with a removable rim.

Mix the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon. Fill the tart shell.

Bake 40 minutes, or until the cake is a rich golden brown.

Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack, then place the tart pan on an inverted bowl and pull down the rim.

Return the pan to the rack and cool completely before serving, about 1-1/2 hours.

Orange Almond Biscotti
Back to Top This is my favorite biscotti recipe. Easy to make and full of flavour, these aren't so hard so it's not essential to dip in coffee to enjoy them.
2 1/4 cups		flour
1 1/4 cups		sugar
2 tsp		baking powder
pinch		salt
3		eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp		vegetable oil
1/4 tsp		almond extract
1/2 cup		chopped almonds
		finely grated zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the dough in half.

Shape each half into flat-bottomed logs, 1 inch high x 21/2 inches wide by 8 inches long.

Return to oven with cut side down for 15 minutes or until slices are brown. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

The Senator's Chocolate Bourbon Cake
Back to Top This recipe from The Senator Restaurant, is from Pamela Steel's book, Great Canadian Cakes, (Prentice Hall, 2001)
2 cups		butter,softened
2 cups		sugar
3		eggs
1/2 cup		brewed coffee, room temperature
1 cup		espresso, room temperature
1/2 cup		bourbon
2 cups		flour
1 tsp		baking soda
		chocolate ganache or whipping cream and chocolate shavings

Cream together butter and sugar for five minutes or until very pale and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add coffees, bourbon and flour/baking powder, alternately in thirds,beginning and ending with the coffees.

Stir in melted chocolate and turn into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake on the middle rack of a 350F oven for 1 hour or until it springs back to the touch.

Cool on rack for ten minutes, then invert to remove from pan. When cool, top with ganache or serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

Pamela Steel

Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Back to Top This luscious and light lemon cheesecake is from "Divine Indulgences" by Rose Reisman (Prentice Hall Canada, 2001).
		Lemon Curd
1/3 cup		sugar
1 Tbsp		corn starch
2/3 cup		water
1 tsp		finely grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp		fresh lemon juice
1		large egg
		Crust
1 3/4 cups		graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp		granulated sugar
1/4 cup		water
1 Tbsp		vegetable oil

		FILLING RECIPE - SEE BELOW

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable spray.

Make curd: In a small saucepan off the heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, rind and juice until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4 minutes or until it is thickened. Remove the saucepan from heat.

In a bowl, beat egg. Whisk the lemon mixture into the egg.

Return the mixture into the saucepan and cook over the lowest heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until it is smooth and thickened. Transfer it to a clean bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon. Chill while you make the cheesecake.

Make crust: In a bowl, stir together graham crumbs, sugar, water and oil until mixed. Pat the mixture onto the bottom and side of a prepared pan.

Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the cheesecake in the centre of the oven for 60 minutes or until it is slightly loose at the centre.

Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake. Let it cool on a rack until it is room temperature. Chill.

Rose Reisman

Filling for Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Back to Top This is the filling for the above recipe.
2 cups		smooth, 5% Ricotta cheese
4 oz.		light cream cheese, softened
1		large egg
1		large egg white
1/2 cup		low fat plain yogurt
2 tsp		finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup		fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cup		sugar
1/4 cup		flour

Rose Reisman

Gingerbread with Dried Fig, Apricot and Cherry Compote
Back to Top Serve this with the accompanying Dried Fig, Apricot and Cherry Compote.
3 cups		flour
2 tsp		baking soda
2 tsp		ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp		cinnamon
1/2 tsp		cloves
1/2 tsp		salt
1 cup		unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 cup		packed brown sugar
2		large eggs
1 cup		hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.

Beat until well blended. Gradually beat in molasses. Beat in eggs.

Add dry ingredients and beat until well blended.

Gradually beat in hot water.

Stir in chopped crystallized ginger.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake about 55 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes. (Can be made ahead. Wrap in plastic. Let stand at room temperature)

Cut cake in wedges. Place on plates. Spoon some compote alongside each wedge. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and serve with dried fruit compote

Dried Fig, Apricot and Cherry Compote
Back to Top This is to be served with the gingerbread. Also sensational over vanilla ice cream.
2 1/2 cups		water
1 cup		sugar
2		cinnamon sticks, broken in half
8 oz		dried Calimyrna figs, stemmed and halved lengthwis
6 oz		dried apricots
4 1/2 oz		dried tart cherries
3/4 cup		brandy
3 Tbsp		crystallized ginger

Combine water, sugar and cinnamon sticks in large saucepan.

Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add figs and simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mix in apricots, cherry and then brandy.

Remove from heat. Stir in crystallized ginger. Cool.

(Compote can be prepared 3-4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate).

Serve at room temperature or chilled.