pistachio and almond cake with yogurt

It's called a cake, but it's really a loaf. This delicious recipe is from the A16 cookbook, one of my favorite restaurants in San Fransisco. We cooked dinner for friends the other night and this was the dessert that my husband requested I make.

Everyone loved it and it's a good one to make ahead, because upon serving, the cake is sliced and reheated in the oven to crisp the edges slightly. So it's warm when serving.... mmmmmmm....

I made some substitutions to the recipe such as using spelt flour instead of "00" flour and using rapadura organic whole cane sugar instead of regular sugar - I noted these substitutions below in parenthesis.


PISTACHIO AND ALMOND CAKE
from A16 Food + Wine (Nate Appleman + Shelley Lindgren)

1 1/3 C unsalted sheled pistachio nuts
1 1/3 C blanched whole almonds
1/2 C plus 2 TB (5 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 C plus 3 TB sugar (I used Rapadura Organic Cane sugar)
3 lemons for zesting
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 C plus 1 TB "00" flour or all purpose flour (I used spelt flour)
1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 C plain whole milk yogurt (I used sheep milk yogurt - or creme friache)
unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 300° F.
Butter a 4 x 8 " loaf pan. Then using a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a processor, combine the pistachios and almonds and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.


Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate the zest from lemons directly into the bowl.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla just until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the nuts and mix just until incorporated. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stir in t he flour and salt and mix just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake sides, invert the cake onto a plate, and lift off the pan. At this point the can can be served warm or allowed to cool completely before being sliced and reheated.

To serve reheated, preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the cake into generous slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake the slices, turning them over once, for about 5 minutes, or until warm and slightly toasted on both sides.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a few pistachios. Serve immediately.

Chocolate peanut butter crispy bars

I first saw this recipe a couple of months ago on Smitten Kitchen and it has been on my mind ever since.... driving me crazy. I finally made it yesterday for a gathering at my friend's house and the consensus was that they're pretty darn good.... but very, very rich... so a little goes a long way.

It's hard to see the 3 layers in my bars since I used dark chocolate for everything, they all kind of blend in together.

Below is the recipe from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from
Baked: New Frontiers in Baking... and I noted the changes I made along the way also...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Crust
1 3/4 C crisped rice cereal
1/4 C sugar
3 TB light corn syrup ( I used golden syrup)
3 TB unsalted butter, melted (I used salted)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer
5 oz good quality milk or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used bitter sweet from Mon Aimee in Pittsburgh)
1 C creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Topping
3 oz dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cocoa), coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli 60% chips)
1/2 tsp light corn syrup (I used golden syrup again)
4 TB unsalted butter (I used salted)

Make the Crust
Lightly spray an 8" square pan with non stick spray.

Put cereal in large bowl and set aside.

Pour 1/4 C water into small saucepan and gently add the sugar and corn syrup - do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan). Gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the mixture is combined. Place a candy thermometer in the saucepan and cook over med-high heat, bringing to a boil. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage fo 235° F.

Remove from heat, stir in the melted butter and pour mixture over cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated then pour it into the prepared pan. Using a spatula lightly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. (Do not press up the sides) Let the crust cool to room temp while you make the next layer.

Make the milk chocolate peanut butter layer
In a large non-reactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for an additional 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and place pan in refrigerator for an hour or until top layer hardens. This step took several hours for me.

Make the chocolate topping
Combine chocolate, corn syrup and butter in a large nonreactive metal bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove bowl from pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour mixture over chilled chocolate peanut butter layer and spread. ( I took the advise of rolling the pan around and allowing the topping to spread itself over the peanut butter layer and this worked nicely without even touching it!) Put pan in refrigerator for at least an hour or until top hardens.

Cut into 9 (or many more because these are very rich) pieces and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days... if they last that long.