Anise-flavoured rings from Segovia,Tarta de Santiago or St. James

GINGERBREAD MEETS A SPANISH
LANDMARK
Gingerbread
takes
the
world.
But
remember
that
gingerbread
is
not
exactly popular in the south of Europe, where I live. Nor traditional.
No,
Christmas
hazelnuts
sweets
and
egg
in
Spain
yolks.
But
are
mostly
today
I
based
have
on
tons
decided
to
of
almonds,
merge
both
cultures: the North of Europe with its spicy and honeyed sweets meets a
Spanish landmark such as the Puerta de Alcalá, one of the most famous
sights in Madrid, my hometown.
In Spain we have a saying: when you can not beat them, join them. And
make your own buildings, landmarks or figurines with gingerbread. That’s
what globalization is about. So I made a template with my own hands,
ahem, and used it to make a large gingerbread centerpiece. The recipe is
from this website.
GINGERBREAD
Print
Preparación
15 mins
Cocinado
45 mins
Total
1 hour
The typical gingerbread meets a Spanish landmark, Puerta de
Alcalá in Madrid
Autor: Miriam García
Tipo de receta: Dessert
Cuisine: North European
INGREDIENTES
Gingerbread
560g of all-purpose flour
90g water
125g sugar (if using brown sugar, better grind it a little)
250g honey
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground allspice
10g sodium bicarbonate
Icing
1 egg white
200g sifted icing sugar (more or less)
INSTRUCCIONES
Gingerbread
1. Mix water with honey and sugar, and beat so that the sugar
begins to dissolve. Add the egg yolks and mix.
2. Sift flour with baking soda and allspice, and add it to the
liquid. Mix well until it forms a cohesive dough. If it is
too sticky, add some flour until you can manipulate without
it sticking to your fingers too much. Honey makes it sticky
so it will always stick a little.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic and let stand two hours in the
fridge, so that the flour is hydrated and the gluten
relaxes.
4. Put the dough on the floured counter, wait 5 minutes for it
to temper and roll it with a rolling pin to a thickness of
about 3mm (not thicker because the cookies will expand
slightly too much and look like they’re overweight… ahem).
5. Place the template on the dough and cut the outline with a
thin and sharp knife. Remove the excess dough to reuse it.
To make the gingerbread base cut an oval shape that is
slightly longer than the outline of the gingerbread
monument.
6. Also cut a couple of wedges to adhere to the back.
7. Use the leftover dough to make some gingerbread men.
8. Carefully move the gingerbread to a baking tray and bake
10-12 minutes at 200ºC (with fan) / 220ºC (without fan),
until golden brown. Take them to cool on a wire rack.
Icing
1. Prepare the icing when the gingerbread has thoroughly
cooled. Put the egg white in the stand mixer bowl and begin
to beat on medium speed. When it starts to foam just a bit,
start adding the sifted icing sugar with a spoon, until the
mixture is the consistency of fluid toothpaste.
2. With an icing spatula fill a small pastry bag with tip
number 2. Set aside, covering the tip well with plastic.
Building the landmark
1. Using the template as a guide carefully pipe the pattern
with the icing. Let it dry well.
2. Place the wedges and “glue” them with icing. Pipe more
icing on the edge of the wedge that will be in contact with
the monument with care and place the large gingerbread,
pressing to stick it properly.
3. Then pipe icing on the contact points with the base. I
decorated the front of the base with miniature candy canes
also glued with icing.
4. Let the icing dry a couple of hours. Place some tea candles
on the back to make a lovely Christmas centerpiece ;).
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I don’t know if we’ll be so cruel as to eat the gingerbread Puerta de
Alcalá for Christmas. Oh, but we can be ruthless.
ANISE-FLAVOURED RINGS FROM SEGOVIA
Revival is not for the faint of heart. Besides becoming a bit obssessed
lately with the soundtrack of my 16-year-old self (like this oldie,
Bryan Ferry OMG), I have made these anise-flavoured rings, a recipe from
the
province
of
Segovia.
A
long,
long
time
ago
I
used
to
buy
some
delicious rings sold at the Fuencarral market in Madrid, sweet but with
a consistency of dense white bread. They were addictive. I never knew
where they came from, these things did not interest me then, but it’s
been 22 years and I still remember them. There have been people in my
life who did not leave as much mark on me as these rings…
That’s the thing with getting old, revival begins to take quite some
place in your life. You do things you used to do, or that remind you of
something past. It is neither good nor bad, it’s just the way it is. So
when I saw the name of these rings, bread rings, I thought they could
resemble the ones I so fondly recalled. Big mistake, my dear. Nothing
real is never, ever, like your memories, I can’t believe it’s still not
clear as daylight for you.
Like many, many traditional Spanish sweet recipes these rings use pork
lard, but never fear: you won’t notice any funny taste in the baked
rings. And you must know there was a time when every granny in Spain
knew how to make this aniseed-flavoured pastry.
ANISE-FLAVOURED RINGS FROM SEGOVIA
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Preparación
1 hour
Cocinado
45 mins
Total
1 hour 45 mins
Autor: Miriam García
Raciones: 35
INGREDIENTES
6 eggs
210g sugar
200g good quality pork lard
700-720g all-purpose flour
1 dash aniseed liqueur
3-4 drops aniseed oil (optional)
INSTRUCCIONES
1. Beat the eggs with the sugar until it dissolves, no need to
make them foam too much.
2. Add the softened pork lard, and continue beating until the
mixture is more or less homogeneous. Then add the liqueur
and the aniseed oil, if using.
3. Add the flour gradually, beating constantly, until you get
a soft dough that barely sticks to your fingers. Let stand
one hour, covered.
4. Preheat the oven to 185ºC (fan) / 205°C (no fan).
5. Take pieces the size of a tangerine (more or less) and
shape the rings, of around 7 cm. Place them on sheets of
baking paper.
6. Bake the rings in batches for 15 minutes and transfer to a
rack to cool.
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I had to guess the oven temperature, because the recipe is one of those
that do not indicate the baking time and refers to “medium temperature
oven”… Did they taste like the rings I used to have when I was young and
beautiful? Not much, but they were equally good. They are crunchy, not
fatty, with a pleasant taste of anise. And you don’t have to deep-fry
them, which is the most common way to make this type of traditional
rings. They come in handy when you need something to accompany a cup of
coffee, while watching the rain through the window in good company. Wow.
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BLUEBERRY ICE-CREAM MINI CAKES
My intention was to make a vacherin, but in the end these blueberry ice
cream mini cakes came to life. Vacherin is a French ice-cream cake that
usually consists of two meringue layers sandwiching another layer of
vanilla ice-cream and raspberry or other red berry sorbet or ice-cream.
You
can
top
refreshing,
scorching
it
but
heat
with
less
in
my
whipped
cream
and
time-consuming
kitchen,
I
nuts.
than
made
a
the
As
I
wanted
vacherin,
delicious
something
given
ice-cream
the
with
blueberries and yogurt and prepared these simple yet amazing ice-cream
cakes. The only complicated part it to make the meringue. Because in
this heat, turning on the oven is something almost heroic, at least in
my kitchen. And no, making this frozen yogurt and blueberry ice-cream is
far from complicated.
Still you should keep in mind that you need 2 days to make the icecream, because I recommend the method of draining the whey from the
yogurt I learned from Deeba, of Passionate about baking. She instructs
to drain the yogurt in a strainer lined with a cheese cloth one whole
day.
Removing
a
lot
of
the
liquid
allows
yogurt that’s a pleasure to freeze.
BLUEBERRY ICE-CREAM MINI CAKES
Print
for
a
creamy
concentrated
Preparación
24 hours
Cocinado
1 hour
Total
25 hours
Frozen mini cakes made with blueberry-yogurt ice-cream and
meringue
Autor: Miriam García
Tipo de receta: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Raciones: 6
INGREDIENTES
Almond meringue (1)
2 egg whites
1 pinch salt
50g sugar
40g almond meal
8g sifted flour
Yogurt and blueberry ice-cream (2)
180g fresh blueberries
250-300g drained yogurt (homemade is best)
180g sugar
INSTRUCCIONES
Yogurt and blueberry ice-cream
1. The first thing to do is to drain the yogurt, putting it on
a colander lined with a cheese cloth (I use a piece of old
bed sheet). I often prepare 2 liters of homemade yogurt,
leave a portion and drain the rest. Note that the yogurt
weight is greatly reduced on removing so much liquid, so
that it takes at least 500-600g yogurt to get 300g of
concentrated yogurt for the ice-cream. But I assure you
it’s worth the effort.
2. Prepare a purée with the blueberries: put them in a
saucepan with the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer 8-10
minutes, not longer. Pass the puree through a food mill to
get rid of the skins and pips and let cool.
3. When everything is cold, mix the yogurt with blueberry
puree and put in the fridge.
Almond meringue discs
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (fan) / 160°C (no fan). Whip the
egg whites with the pinch of salt until stiff. Add the
sifted flour and the almond meal. Fold gently into the egg
whites. When the mixture is fairly uniform transfer it to a
pastry bag and pipe circles on parchment paper, about the
size of the molds you want to use (mine are around 8cm in
diameter).
2. Put the meringue discs in the oven and bake about 30
minutes and then turn off the oven and dry them a bit
further with the door ajar, another 15 minutes. You don’t
need the meringue to be too hard. Take them to a rack to
cool.
Assembling the cakes
1. First trim the meringue discs to the size of your molds. I
am lucky to have a cutter of the same diameter as my small
“bombe” molds, so I use this ring to cut the meringues.
Place it on top of each disc and carefully trim it with a
knife. Set them aside.
2. Prepare the yogurt blueberry ice cream as usual in your ice
cream maker.
3. While the ice cream is still soft dose it into the molds
with a spoon and place a disc of meringue on top of each.
Press carefully so that the ice cream is perfectly glued to
the meringue and take the molds to the freezer to harden.
Leave them overnight.
4. Carefully release the mini cakes from the molds (very easy
with silicone molds) and leave the mini cakes to temper a
bit before serving. You can use some blueberry coulis for
garnish, as I did, making some excess of the blueberry
purée used in the ice-cream and adding a tad of water.
NOTAS
(1) The amounts are just enough to make 6 meringue discs of the
appropriate size.
(2) You’ll make more ice-cream than needed for the cakes, but
you won’t regret it.
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You do not need to have these cute molds to make mini vacherins, flan
molds are good enough, although it is true that silicone molds are a lot
easier to handle. These ice-cream mini cakes can be made with any other
red berry such as raspberries, strawberries, etc.
And beware, because this blueberry-yogurt ice-cream is sooo delicious
you won’t be able to restrain yourself. Mind my words.
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BAILEYS POPSICLES
Popsicles do not have to be just kid stuff, I say. Let’s make some adult
popsicles. It’s so hot here in the Spanish plateau that there’s hardly
anything else to do. Eating popsicles and refreshing yourself in the
nearest pool.
I’ve always been a big buff of Baileys Irish Cream, and I’ve always been
pitied by pro drinkers, those who can’t help telling you what you should
drink: they think Baileys is not a real liqueur, it is very gooey, just
for girls … yeah, whatever. I drink what I please, which is usually
water or wine, but when I fancy some liquor shot, I then drink Baileys.
End of discussion.
To make these popsicles with Baileys I adapted a recipe for chocolate
popsicles for its creaminess. They are truly made in no time and you
don’t even need a food processor or a blender. Excellent idea for those
who see their activity cut down by half by this unbearable heat like
myself. Autumn, please come soon.
BAILEYS POPSICLES
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Preparación
5 mins
Cocinado
5 mins
Total
10 mins
Creamy popsicles made with Baileys Irish Cream
Autor: Miriam García
Tipo de receta: Dessert
Cuisine: Fusion
Raciones: 8
INGREDIENTES
350g full fat milk
180g whipping cream
100g evaporated milk
90g Baileys Irish Cream
2 heaped tsp corn starch
1 vanilla pod
1 pinch salt
INSTRUCCIONES
1. First dissolve the cornstarch in some cold liquid, either
Baileys, milk or evaporated milk, whatever you like.
2. Slit the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds with a knife.
3. Put the cornstarch mixture with all other ingredients in a
saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until
thickened. It will take just few minutes. Allow to cool
completely.
4. When cold, mix briefly as it develops a film on the
surface. Then pour it into the popsicle molds.
5. Put the molds in the freezer to harden. Place the wooden
sticks when the mixture is semi frozen.
6. To serve place the mold in warm water a few seconds, until
the pops can be carefully released from the mold.
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These popsicles have just the right flavor of Baileys, they are very
creamy because of the corn starch addition and if you’re not careful you
will
eat
them
in
one
go.
They
are
fantastic
to
end
a
summer
meal,
especially if you have guests. Good taste guests who like Baileys, of
course. But in your guests having good taste I can not help you. That’s
up to you, dear.
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CHERRY PIE FROM VALLE DEL JERTE
I loooove cherries. When in season I eat them by the bushel, and when
their time is over tears roll down my cheeks. Sniff. D’s birthday is
always during cherry season, so I make him a birthday cherry cake every
year.
I
know,
I
spoil
him
a
lot.
I’ve
been
preparing
French
style
clafoutis for years, but this time I chose to bake a very American
cherry pie with some very Spanish cherries from the Valle del Jerte, in
Extremadura. This valley is known for its delicious cherries. If you
would like to read about this beautiful place, head here. The recipe is
inspired in a Williams-Sonoma book, Pie&Tart.
CHERRY PIE FROM VALLE DEL JERTE
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Preparación
12 hours
Cocinado
50 mins
Total
12 hours 50 mins
Traditional American cherry pie made with very Spanish cherries
Autor: Miriam García
Tipo de receta: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Raciones: 10
INGREDIENTES
Shortcrust pastry
400g AP flour
250g cold diced butter
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
100g chilled water
1 beaten egg for brushing the lattice
Filling
800g fresh pitted sweet cherries
180g sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 tbsp corn starch
INSTRUCCIONES
1. If you use fresh sweet cherries like me, you have to pit
them and put them in a bowl with all the sugar and the
seeds from the vanilla pod. Mix well and leave to marinate
overnight for the cherries to release their juice.
2. Prepare the shortcrust pastry. Place the flour, cold diced
butter, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse till you
get a crumbly mixture. Then add the chilled water and mix
just until it coheres into a ball.
3. Pat the dough into 2 flat rounds, one slightly larger than
the other, wrap in plastic and leave to rest in the
refrigerator, at least 2 hours for the gluten to relax.
4. Roll the bigger portion and place it on a buttered and
floured pie dish. I also prefer to place a circle of
parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, to make sure the
pie does not stick.
5. Put the pie base in the freezer for at least ½ hour. Roll
the other portion into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and
keep it aside in the refrigerator.
6. Preheat the oven to 205°C (fan) / 220°C (no fan).
7. Roll the dough for the lattice in a roughly rectangular
shape to a thickness of about 2 mm. You must be able to
obtain 16 to 18 strips of dough out of it.
8. Now add the cornstarch to the cherries and toss well to
combine.
9. Remove the pie base from the freezer and distribute the
cherry mixture. The lattice is formed by placing the dough
strips over the cherries in a woven pattern. Beat the egg
and brush the lattice top.
10. Bake the pie in a low tray, with heat coming from beneath,
for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature 180°C (fan) /
200°C (no fan). Bake for another 35-40 minutes, until the
filling is bubbling and the lattice golden.
11. Take out and let cool on a rack, without unmolding because
it is too fragile.
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SOBAOS FROM CANTABRIA
Cantabria is a small region in the north of Spain (nothing to do with
the Italian Calabria…), a humid, green, lush, beautifully mountainous
region with the best dairy produce. These sobaos made with the wonderful
Cantabrian butter are typical cakes from the Pas valley, that’s why they
are called “pasiegos”, meaning “from el Pas”. They are flat and baked in
special paper cups called “gorros”, literally “hats”. By the way, the
word sobao is pronounced like this.
Though nowadays sobaos are made like any regular cake, with cake flour
and baking powder, they used to be made with bread dough before baking
powder became popular, like many typical cakes in many countries. I
wanted to try this old version and I don’t regret it… not only do they
have a marvelous flavor, but you get to use bread dough, which is always
a plus for me. And also, for those sourdough enthusiasts out there,
sourdough can be used. What could be better?
In fact, the name “sobao” comes from the verb “sobar”, meaning rubbing
or kneading, because the eggs, butter and sugar added to enrich the
bread dough were rubbed in it. You can see it in the following video (in
Spanish, but worth watching). I used a stand mixer though…
You’ll need to make your own paper cups, the method is shown in the
video, starting at 2:34. Yes, you can make them! I made them myself, and
if I can, you can.
SOBAOS FROM CANTABRIA
Print
Preparación
12 hours
Cocinado
25 mins
Total
12 hours 25 mins
Recipe for flat buttery cakes typical from the north of Spain
Autor: Miriam García
Tipo de receta: Dessert
Cuisine: Spanish
Raciones: 16
INGREDIENTES
Bread dough
300g bread flour
200g water
5g dry baker’s yeast
1 pinch salt
Or… wild starter
500g, 65% baker’s percentage
Sobao batter
500g bread dough from the previous step
280g sugar
250g softened butter
2 eggs
8g baking powder (1½ tsp)
1 dash of anise liquor or rhum
Zest of 1 lemon
INSTRUCCIONES
1. If you use bread dough, prepare it by kneading the
ingredients. Then leave it to ferment.
2. If you use a wild starter, start preparing it 1 or 2 days
in advance, using your regular starter to make a 65%
hydration starter. Ideally feed it a couple of times a day,
to avoid excessive acidity. Although some people like the
tangy flavor it imparts, as it is similar to the one
buttermilk or yogurt give.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients: sugar with lemon zest and
baking powder, egg, liquour and butter, in that order,
until everything is well blended. The batter should be
quite runny, so that it can be poured into molds.
4. Pour the batter into the paper cups halfway (do not overdo
it or it will spill over) and place the paper cups on a
tray close together to keep their shape, as they tend to
spill (1).
5. Cook the sobaos about 20-25 minutes at 170ºC (fan), always
in the bottom section of the oven. In my oven the last 5
minutes you can also turn the overhead heat, to brown them
properly (you know that if your oven is not fan-assisted
you must increase the temperature by 15-20°C).
NOTAS
(1) If you use plain parchment paper, I strongly recommend you
to make the cups with a double layer of paper.
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And enjoy the true flavor of the Cantabrian valleys…
. And if you want
superb sobaos, use the best butter you can get your hands on, it’s
really essential.
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