A Delicate Pleasure:Sweet Omlette Soufflé

When I first read this recipe from handwritten recipe collection my grandmother left to me, I remembered that she told me never to prepare this dessert when in a hurry. You will see, she said , it's very easy to cook and its ready in no time but it´s delicate as a mimosa and demands your full concentration.
As I am a rather impatient person and, very much a child of the 21st century, do like practical and no time consuming cooking, I banned the recipe in a remote corner of my cooking book collection and forgot about it.
When we got installed in Lima after a two years stay in Italy, I reorganized my books and somehow this one drew my attention.
Today, on one of this rather gray and cold Peruvian winter Saturdays, I thought, OK, why not -  let´s try it.
And boy a surprise it was.
First of all it was ready in about 10 minutes, second it was not difficult to prepare at all but tasted so delicate that, if I would not have known better, could swear that this was a very complex mission to achieve.
My grandmother proved to be absolutely right- the only thing this dessert demands is not to hurry it up and a  bit of concentration - exigencies that are well deserved after all.
Ingredients:

3 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup ripe strawberries cut in slices
2 spoonful sun flower oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 spoonful of Strawberry Jam
1pinch of salt
Meant leaves  
For the sour cream filling:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup icing sugar

Method:
 -Put the egg white in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until foamy.

-Add a pinch of salt and then gradually add icing sugar and  keep beating until firm peaks are formed and the mixture is thick and glossy.
-mix the egg yolks gently and add them one by one

-mix carefully with the egg white mixture

 -in a non-stick frying pan heat the oil and melt butter

 -add the egg white mixture

-Gently smooth surface, cook over medium heat

-cook until omelette is puffed and lightly browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. (Lift omelet at edge with spatula to judge color.)

Turn omelette gently  (the best way is to lift the omelette with the help of 2 spatulas) and cook until the other side is lightly browned.

-brush the upper side with a bit of strawberry jam

-mix sour cream with sugar

-place omelette on serving plate,top generously with sour cream filling, add strawberry slices.
-fold omelette in half ,sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with halved strawberries and mint leaves
-If you prefer you can serve this dessert as well open faced.
Serve immediately.

Serves 1 portion
Enjoy!
See you next week.

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La dolce vita at its best: Tiramisu

La dolce vita at its best: Tiramisu in a glass

There are many versions of  this Italian classic and many families like to add their personal touch to the preparation of Tiramisu.

This dessert comes originally from the northern Italian region of Veneto but  it became soon very popular in and outside Italy's borders.

Tiramisu is an easy and elegant dessert and can be served  as a  big non bake cake or in individual portions.

I prefer to serve it in small portions, presented in a glass because I think it simply looks prettier that way.

To prepare Tiramisu you need:

250 g (8oz ) of Mascarpone

1 spoonful of thickened cream, lightly whipped

2 egg yolks

2 spoonful of caster sugar

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

1/8 of cold espresso (or strong black coffee)

2 EL of Amaretto or another almond liqueur     

100-150 g (4.8 oz ) of sponge fingers

2 spoonful cocoa for dusting

1 cup fresh raspberries and some mint leaves for decoration

Preparation:

Pour coffee and Amaretto in a pot and set aside.

Beat egg yolks, sugar ,Mascarpone and lemon zest with an electric beater until thick and creamy.

Add the whipped cream, combine gently with the other ingredients.

Place sponge fingers in a large dish and brush generously with the espresso Amaretto mix, until  soaked.

Break sponge fingers into smaller pieces, fit them into a martini glass, pressing down gently.

Cover the layer generously with the Mascarpone mixture.

Repeat layers once.

Dust with Cocoa, top with fresh raspberries and a mint leave.

Serves 4
Enjoy!

See you next Tuesday  :)

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Alicias' Sensational Apple Cake

This is a recipe from my sister in law Alicia, until now a very well kept “Family Secret”.

 Easy to bake and delightful.

You need:

-1 cup of caster sugar

-1 cup of self raising flour

-¾  cup of high quality sunflower oil

-3 eggs

-8 apples (peeled and, core and stem removed)

-1/8 Cup of lemon juice

-a bit of butter to grease the baking pan

For the decoration:

-1 and a  1/2 Cup whipped cream

-lemon zest

-ground cinnamon

Preparation:

 -Cut the apples in half and then in medium slices.

-Mix all other ingredients and cream them.

-Grease  a rectangular  baking pan with butter

-Pour the 2/3 of the creamed ingredients in, then add the sliced apples and pour the rest of the ingredients over the apples.

Preheat oven on Medium heat

Bake on medium heat until slightly golden brown and  a cake-tester comes out clean.

10-12 portions.

Enjoy!

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