can't have one without the other!

how could i introduce my favourite season of (f)all with apples, and not follow without pears ....

apples and pears have always been two of my favourite fruit when it comes to baking. especially when paired with almonds or almond paste. this post, however, doesn't include pears as in the REAL fruit. here you will learn to actually make pears!

it is a sephardic recipe, passed on to me from an aunt. the recipe obviously has spanish/iberian roots as it uses ground almonds and orange flower water, the former the essential building block for massapan (or in english, marzipan), a favourite item used in sefardi baking.

one thing i do insist on telling you for making this recipe, is to use orange flower water and not omit it. it just does not have the same flavour it is supposed to have without it. rose water is not acceptable here as a substitute either. sorry folks .... some things just aren't meant to be changed or substituted without serious compromise of both taste and authenticity.

apart from that pettiness, they are very easy to make and go very quickly if you have all your ingredients near you. it goes even faster if you have help! the recipe is a non-dairy one and can, i imagine, be made without the egg whites if you use one of those egg (white) replacer items or make the flax seed replacement. don't use water as a substitute or you'll get a gummy product due to inclusion of the semolina ('cream of wheat' not durum semolina flour).


peras de massapan (almond pears)

not as rich as pure marzipan, these über-cute baby pears make a statement and are perfect for introducing fall into your home. once baked, they have a nice shell covered in confectioners sugar hiding a soft interior & a whole blanched almond. redolent of the smells of spain, these will have you longing for its coast as you feel the chill of autumn set in.

ingredients:

2 3/4 c (250 g / 8.8 oz*) of finely ground almond**
1/4 c (40 g) + 2 heaped tbsp sugar
1/4 c semolina (wheatlets/sooji/smeed/solet)
3 + 1 capfuls of orange blossom water (absolutely necessary)
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp grated orange rind, opt
2 small egg whites or 1 1/2 large egg whites***

16 whole blanched almonds
16 whole cloves

3/4 c (6 oz / 185 g) confectioners (icing) sugar

*oz by weight not volume!
** the measure is for already ground almonds
***you can use egg white replacer but you have to figure out yourself how much you need

method:

preheat oven to 350F (180C).

place the ground almonds, sugar and semolina in a bowl and mix together. add the orange rind if using.

make a little well in the center and add ONLY 3 full capfuls of orange flower water. don't mix yet.

beat the egg whites with a fork to slightly to break them up. add them on top of the orange flower water.

mix everything together. the texture should be slightly dry.

if it's wet you had the wrong sized egg whites or mis-measured your dry ingredients. to test if it's right, it should clump nicely together when pressed into a small ball. if it doesn't or is wet, then correct it by adding a bit more egg white or ground almonds. you can also add A BIT more semolina.

now add the last capful of orange flower water and 1 tsp almond extract and mix well. it should make a ball which is moist and only slightly sticky.

fill a little dish with about 3 tbsp of orange flower water and keep a teaspoon in it.

have your cloves and almonds by you also to form the pears.

procedure as follows (but read through first):

divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. they should be about a large tablespoon or so each. never measured so i have no clue.

wash your hands off and dry them well. take a 1/2 tsp of orange flower water and rub your hands with it. (rewet them as necessary —this serves to add extra flavour and to keep the dough from sticking to your hands). then, take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball.

you can also use a little bit of vegetable oil instead to grease your hands ; i prefer the orange flower water.

there are 2 methods for the shape:

shaping method a:

take one almond and stuff up its bottom {oh, my!} and make sure it is enclosed. this is done to give its body extra bulk and to include a little surprise inside!

close up the bottom.

now, make a little neck and shape it into a pear. it should sort of look like a mini bowling pin.

shaping method b:

alternately, you can form all the pears first using both hands, rolling a ball and then, still using both hands twisting the balls and elongating its neck to make it pear shaped. wish i could have included how but hard to take a picture when both hands are in action! at this point, make all the pears and then stuff the almond in the lower half and enclose it.

whether you chose method a or b, take a clove and gently press it with ball/claw side down so the end is sticking out like a miniature stem.

once shaped, adjust the neck and body shape slightly to make it appealing. they should pretty much retain their shapes as they bake.

place these on an oiled sheet or on parchment. if you don't, they will stick and you'll have problems getting them off.

bake them for 10 minutes @ 350F and then about 5 - 6 minutes at 375F. they should still be whitish and the top of the pears a little browned. the bottoms will brown.


after taking them out of the oven, let them sit and cool down slightly. they should be warm but not hot.

while still warm, very important, roll them in confectioner's (icing) sugar until they are well coated.

place on a plate to finish cooling. they must sit for at least 2 to 4 hours before eating. sometimes, these are garnished with a fine sprinkling of cinnamon (not my fave) or cocoa — but literally, only a dusting of it.

enjoy!

summer flavours

with summer almost upon us, the days have warmed up considerably and certainly gotten longer in terms of the number of hours of sunlight we are getting. warmer temperatures also mean eating fare which is both quick and easy to prepare and considerably lighter than that of winter days gone by.

salads and appetizer-type dishes are one of my favourites for this time of year. i enjoy eating dishes that are cold or room temperature to counteract the heat and humidity of my area. of course, i won't pass up a barbeque either.

one appetizer dish i especially like is the greek tzadziki sauce — a cool and creamy mixture of cucumbers, garlic and rich yogurt. making it is a breeze and the flavours seem to improve over the next day or two. i have found over many trials of different versions over the years that the best way to make this is to use seedless [english] cucumbers, a very thick mediterranean yogurt if available, and garlic which has been worked to a paste, enabling you to use less and still get a very strong garlic flavour.

if you cannot get the mediterranean style thick yogurt (8.5% MF), then the next best option is to use a full fat one and drain it for a few hours until it is thick and use as is, or add sour cream. i like the addition of sour cream as it adds a lot to the finished tzadziki.


tzadziki
garlic-laced cucumber & yogurt appetizer

ingredients:

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c mediterranean style (very thick) yogurt or,
2 1/4 c regular yogurt, drained & 1/3 - 1/2 c sour cream added later
1 large cucumber, peeled and finely grated* (all hard seeds removed)
1 large clove garlic or 2 small ones, worked to a paste with some salt

salt and sugar to taste

final (optional) seasonings:
1 -2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
1 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar) and 1/8 tsp black pepper

method:

before starting: if not using the mediterranean yogurt, drain the regular yogurt for about about 3 to 4 hours until it has reduced considerably and is very thick. once drained place in a bowl and add the sour cream and refrigerate or leave it as is. the cucumbers will add moisture and loosen it up if you aren't adding any. (it really is better with!)

peel cucumbers and seed them if necessary. the small gelatinous ones are fine to keep. *some versions include unpeeled cucumbers or coarsely grated ones. you'll have to decide how you prefer it — mine is for finely grated and peeled.

grate the cucumbers finely into a bowl. add 1/2 tsp salt and mix it together. place the mixture in a fine sieve and let it drain for about 1/2 hour.

notice that a ton of cucumber juice will be released. discard it.

in the meantime, make a paste of the garlic with a little bit of salt to help break it down. this is best done in with a mortar and pestle.

once the cucumber has drained, rinse it under cold water to get rid of the salt and press it with a spoon to get as much water out as possible.

in a bowl, place the garlic and cucumber and mix together. add the yogurt and mix well.

add salt to taste and a bit of sugar. finally, season with some extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar and pepper. this is optional as not all versions contain it.

refrigerate it for at least 2 to 3 hours but overnight is best.

serve with warm pita and enjoy!