week Thity-siX: Flan Cake

It's a cake and it's a flan! A different way of baking - this cake takes two batters. They have different densities and compositions. They react differently. When heated one turns into a cake and the others turns into a soft flan. That's when chemistry comes to the kitchen!
And isn't life all about chemistry?

week Thrity-fivE: Portuguese Sponge Cake

Sponge Cake is the easiest recipe ever, the one everyone knows by heart. However, the Portuguese version is particularly rich, using a large amount of eggs and very little flour and sugar. As a result, this cake is spongy and has a soft and creamy sauce in the center. Portuguese Sponge Cake is more like a dessert than a cake.
The Portuguese Sponge Cake we baked this weekend is the result of a great team work! Three pairs of hands got together in an effort of baking the softest Sponge Cake ever.
Thank you girls for your invaluable help.

week Thirty fouR: Hot + Cold

This is a dessert of contrasts. The name is 'Hot and cold', but could be 'Black and white'. or 'Cream and chocolate'. The mixture is... delicious! Textures, flavors and temperatures combined to delight everyone.
More than a portuguese dessert this is a universal one. Even so, we surprised French and Brazilian friends when 'hot + cold' made its humble appearance at the table!

Week Thirty threE: Angel Hair

Contrary to the usual, the English name of this dessert has much more poetry than the Portuguese name. In Portugal, Angel Hair is simply named as Egg Threads. However, an unimaginative and descriptive name hides a beautiful and delicate dessert. All it takes to cook Angel Hair are water, sugar and eggs. However, to achieve the delicate and thin thread all the ingredients have to be perfectly combine.
The result is delicious and pretty! A fantastic texture, bright yellow, not to sweet, and perfect to decorate and combine with other cakes.

Week Thirty twO: Coconut cake

Coconut reminds me of snow. And while is sunny and warm in San Francisco, it's white and bright in Lake Tahoe! So... everyone is happy, I am enjoying the city and the unique California winter and the others are sliding down the white mountains.
A snowy cake in a sunny San Francisco!
Enjoy the weather!

week Thrity onE: Monastery eggs

Monastery eggs are make with two main ingredients: lots of eggs and sugar. And yet, after some time, anxiety and patience these two ingredients can be transformed into an unique texture and a delicate flavor.
In Portugal, Monastery eggs are served lukewarm, inside the pan were they spent long time baking. Each of the guests present helps him/herself with the desired portion. In SF, we decided that Monastery eggs deserve not only to taste good, but also to look good. So, we added some home-made lemon candy and serve them inside a mild-flavored pastry cup.
For our big surprised these Monastery eggs were made even more special for us because they were perfectly paired with a lovely 30-year old Port wine!

week ThirtY: King cake

King cake is a traditional portuguese cake eaten during Christmas time. It's made with a soft dough and filled with nuts, raisins and candied fruit to decorate. Recently, I learned that New Orleans has a King Cake as well. Theirs is eaten until Mardi-Gras and the same soft dough is used. Both cakes share another interesting fact - they both have hidden a trinket and tradition dictates that whoever gets the prize as to pay for next year's King cake!
Where did the tradition start?

week Twenty ninE: Raspberry Cheesecake

This cake is only a Portuguese recipe because it is baked by a Portuguese person. This is my interpretation of what a cheesecake is.
I remember having this cake for the first a few years ago and liking it so much. From then on, I've been baking it and passing the recipe to all my friends. However, I have been changing the recipe through the years and I bake the Raspberry Cheesecake differently each time.
I really love the color combination of the dark chocolate dough, the white and soft filling and the red and tangy raspberry frosting.
This was the only slice left of my birthday cake!

week Tweety-eighT: chocolate mousse with blueberries

The traditional chocolate mousse! Made on a whim. Easy to make and certainly brings a child-like smile to all that sit around the table.
In my memories, was my mum's way of spoiling us! My brother's favorite, he would eat it non-stop and would say: 'This is the best mousse in the entire world!".
Thanks for the recipe!

week Twenty-seveN: Mary tea biscuits

Mary tea biscuits, (Bolacha Maria) are a staple food in Portugal. These biscuits are bought in any supermarket in very typical 20-units packages.  Marias have a delicate and subtle vanilla flavor. Because Marias are so uncomplicated, they usually are the first treat in every baby's life in Portugal! And the Marias became an acquired taste and we eat them as snacks, either plain or with butter or any kind of jam. Moreover, Marias are used as the base of many Portuguese desserts such as Chocolate Salami or Cookie Cake . This time we needed some Marias to bake Chocolate Salami and could find any in SF! So we decided to bake, and thus homage, the simplest and most uncomplicated tea biscuit of the Portuguese cuisine.