Three of the Simplest Desserts Ever

I do love to get into complicated recipes, and I do it often. I love unraveling the slew of ingredients in some recipes. I love the complexity of flavors these ingredients produce. I love to experiment.

But sometimes?

I just love something really simple. Delicious, yes. But simple. And guess what? I have three such recipes; ones I return to again and again, for their simplicity and their simple, amazing goodness. 

Ginger Bars

Guess what else?

I love dessert. I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas. Honestly. Even when I am trying to lose weight, I just neeeeed something to top off dinner. Something sweet. I can manage most of the day just fine. But then I just want something to do homage to that sweet tooth. Not necessarily to fill it (that takes some doing), but at least to assuage it. Sometimes I can manage with an apple, but not usually.

So, taking into consideration my neeeed for something sweet, plus my sometimes love of making something simple, I have three dessert recipes that I want to share. Two are in the form of a "bar." One is a sort of coffee cake, and very unusual. 

Quesadilla

This last mentioned is a cheese coffeecake that comes from Guatemala, and the name of the recipe is "quesadilla." Pronounced: keh-sah-DEE-ya. You may be wondering what I am talking about, when in the U.S we know "quesadillas" generally as a couple of large tortillas with melty cheese sandwiched inside, and sometimes other ingredients too. There are similar things like that in Guatemala, but they usually call them "dobladas," which means "folded(s)." The tortilla is folded in half with cheese inside, then grilled to melt the cheese. 

This recipe is a coffee cake and it's terrific with a good cup of coffee for sure. It is great no matter when. And it has just 6 ingredients. And, it is inherently gluten free!

The ingredients in this recipe lean heavily to cheese, and the fact that it is made with rice flour means it is gluten free. These days, it is really easy to find rice flour in the stores, what with so many gluten intolerant people, or people who think eating desserts made with gluten free flours is somehow better for you, when as a matter of fact, gluten free flours are far higher in carbs and calories. Oh well. 

But, this recipe calls for rice flour, so when I first wanted to make it in the U.S., it was very hard finding rice flour at all. And then to make it worse, the kind of cheese used in Guatemala for this cake just doesn't exist - not in any store I have found - in the U.S. One that does come close, and is now mostly available all over, is Cotija cheese. It has the right consistency to shred easily. Surprisingly, Parmesan cheese - not the kind from the green containers - but freshly shredded, also works well. It is a bit more salty, but freshly grated Parmesan cheese is available in most stores these days, also. You may note that there is no salt in the recipe. Do not add salt! The cheese has plenty all by itself.

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

The remainder of the ingredients are mundane, found anywhere. And without further ado, here is a recipe for this lovely, simple, moist and delicious coffee cake that needs no adornment whatsoever..

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

Quesadilla or Guatemalan Cheese Coffeecake

Makes one 8 x 8-inch coffeecake

1 cup rice flour
2 cups shredded crumbly cheese (Queso Fresco, Cotija, Parmesan)
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
¾ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, cheese and sugar with the baking soda and whisk to combine well. This also coats and separates the cheese shreds. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs with the heavy cream. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened well.
Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, or grease with butter or shortening. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool before slicing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim

The next simple recipe is one that came about in collaboration with my brother Jim, now long since gone from us. Back in the early '80s, I'd recently returned to the U.S. after living in Guatemala for 12 years. I was getting acquainted with my brother (just a child when I left the U.S.), and he would often come to my house of an evening and we played games like Cribbage or Monopoly and others. We would chat and laugh and play old music, discuss books we'd read and just have fun. And sometimes, as it started to get late, we would suddenly get the "hongries." Sometimes I would whip up a batch of chili. Sometimes I whipped up a dessert. Sometimes we kibitzed back and forth on what should or should not go into a recipe or discuss the method of making something.

Ginger Bars

So it was that this recipe, originally clipped out of the Orlando Sentinel, became what it is that I make today. We looked at the recipe together. We both had ideas of what else would be good in the recipe. And we realized that essentially, the recipe is one big batch of streusel, flavored to please and patted into the pan to bake. And oh boy, did we ever love streusel! Realize that in order to make this fit your own taste, all that is needed is to change, omit or add to the amounts of the spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves) or the nuts and coconut. What could be simpler? The fact that the list of ingredients is longer is just because we do love our spices! The streusel itself is nothing more than flour, sugar and butter!

Ginger Bars

Ginger Bars

Makes one 8 x 8-inch pan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup ground nuts
½ cup coconut
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Using hands or a pastry cutter, combine with the butter, mixing well, as for streusel, till well blended and crumbly. Press dough evenly but gently into a 9-inch square pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or till lightly golden. Cut cake in narrow rectangles while still warm.

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Last, but certainly not least of these simple recipes is nothing more than a shortbread, made thicker into a bar shape. It is completely simple in ingredients, but oh - my - goodness! There is nothing so delicious!

Simple Shortbread

Shortbread or Shortcake?

While this recipe is called "shortbread," according to Wikipedia, true shortbread is made with oats, in the Scottish way. It is mentioned that other kinds of recipe are short "cake," but in looking up shortcake, all I see is strawberry shortcake. Ah well. It will remain "shortbread."

The ingredients are just five, all easily on hand at any given time. Flour, cornstarch, confectioner's sugar, salt, butter. Period. It is nearly incredible to believe the amount of flavor in these dreamy tasting bars, and all from such basic ingredients. Not even vanilla is added and yet these are so smooth and inviting. They take no time to mix up and just 40 minutes to bake - and you don't even have to grease the pan! What could be more simple?

Simple Shortbread

Simple Shortbread

Makes one 9 x 9-inch or 7 x 11-inch pan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cornstarch and salt into a medium sized bowl and set aside (or whisk the dry ingredients to blend). In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, gradually work the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined (a pastry cutter works great, here, also); it will be all crumbly textured. Press dough gently into an ungreased, shallow 11 x 7-inch or 9-inch square pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until golden. Cut into about 12 squares or bars while still warm. Enjoy warm, cold or any which way!




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Easy and Elegant Pork Dish

Whether you are looking for an elegantly easy recipe for a nice dinner with friends, or just something for any night, these Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke and Capers are just perfect. The idea for these pork rolls came when watching The Chew one day last week. Often there will be a segment where Michael Symon pairs off with Daphne Oz. Michael will make a certain dish in his normal fashion, with no skimping on either flavor or calories. Daphne will make a version of something similar, where she will use ingredients that really amp up the flavor, but tone down calories or excessive fats. It so happens in this particular episode, both the dishes sounded amazing. In particular, Daphne (using chicken breast meat instead of Michael's use of fattier chicken thigh meat) made a wonderful filling with Castelvetrano olives, capers and a few other things. 

Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke Caper Filling

I had some boneless pork loin chops in the fridge, and wanted to try using them this way, pounded thin and stuffed, then rolled. I really liked the sound of Daphne's olive-caper filling. The only difficulty fell in that my husband won't eat olives.

I love olives. Maybe the simple black olives in a can are not my favorite flavor profile, but I will eat them anyway, if they are in a dish. Possibly my favorite olives are Nicoise. I love stuffed green olives, Kalamatas and so many others. I believe I have tried Castelvetrano olives once some years ago, but cannot be absolutely positive at this remove. After researching a bit, I confirmed what Daphne said about Castelvetrano olives being milder in flavor, and less salty. I would have loved to try them in this dish, but I figured that whether mild or not, it still might be too much for my husband's taste. 

So, What Substitutes for Olives in a Recipe?

Browning the Pork Rolls

I spent a while looking online for suggestions to replace olives in a recipe. In most cases, capers were the suggestion. Since capers were already a part of the ingredients, more capers would not be useful. Since most olives are rather salty, some suggested meats such as prosciutto. I know that meats are used as ingredients in a stuffing for another meat, but I didn't want to go with that much meat in this case (the recipe called for a cup of Castelvetrano olives, so a cup of whatever ingredient to sub). Another ingredient in the filling was Feta cheese, and as that is also salty, it seemed to me using too much salty prosciutto would be less palatable. 

And then I found a suggestion for using artichoke hearts! This seemed the perfect solution for the dilemma. Artichoke hearts are mild flavored, enough so to make the bulk of the filling without going crazy on the salt level. Hurrah!


Daphne's recipe for the filling (found here), was used to fill chicken breast cutlets pounded thin. I had pork loin chops. The one thing I really would have added to the recipe I was adapting from Daphne's was fresh rosemary. She was going for Mediterranean flavors, and I liked that profile. Rosemary is also Mediterranean flavor. However, the rosemary I had in the fridge had gone all black, and it was too late to run to the store. The recipe would have to do without, at least this time. Both Michael and Daphne's recipes used cheese in the filling. Michael used goat cheese, which I love, but I wanted to keep Daphne's use of Feta in this recipe. The mixture just sounded so good. For now, the results were marvelous. A little rosemary would have really taken the flavors even more the direction I wanted, but for now, this worked very well.

The last thing I altered was browning the rolls before popping them into the oven to finish cooking. Michael did this with the chicken thighs, but Daphne's version went straight to the oven. I chose the fry first and oven finish method, because I wanted the pork to look golden and appetizing. Twenty minutes in the oven will not brown as nicely as a quick frying will!

Quite on its own, this recipe is also completely gluten free! Michael Symon's recipe used bread crumbs, though bread crumbs can also be made easily from gluten free bread.

Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke and Capers

Makes 4 servings

Pork Roll with Feta, Artichoke and Capers

4 boneless pork loin chops
salt and pepper for seasoning
4 ounces grated/crumbled Feta cheese
1 (7-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
¼ cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons small capers, drained
2 cloves garlic
1½ cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (dried is fine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
more olive oil for browning

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chops, one at a time, between plastic wrap and pound them very thin, until they are about 5 x 6-inches. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. If using a block of Feta, grate it on a large holed grater, or chop or crumble finely. Set aside.

Place the drained artichoke hearts, dates, capers, garlic parsley, orange juice concentrate and orange zest into the bowl of a food processor. Process, while adding in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scrape down as necessary to process evenly. Pour out into a bowl and stir in the Feta cheese until combined. Divide this mixture between the 4 pounded pork cutlets. Pat to evenly distribute, leaving the end farthest from you free for about 1-inch. Roll the pork, starting at the end closest to you, without smashing the filling out. Secure the rolls with a toothpick if necessary.

Heat a skillet to high and add a little olive oil. Brown the rolls quickly on all sides, about 5 minutes, total. Set them on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Rhubarb in Cheesecake Bars Naturally Gluten Free

Continuing with the rhubarb theme, and the need to use a large amount of rhubarb that was given to me already cut up, the latest endeavor was Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. To up the interest, I used a swirl pattern in the cheesecake. Only one word for these bars: YUM!

Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars, with whipped cream and fresh raspberry.
Chiffonade of mint for color.

Gluten Free Recipe

For this recipe, I wanted to go gluten free. Not because I need to have a gluten free dessert, but only because there are people who do need things gluten free. There are so many wonderful foods, including desserts, that are naturally gluten free. While my kitchen is not a gluten free zone, and wheat, rye and barley are used almost daily, if you are on a gluten free regimen, you will already have a gluten free kitchen, or the means to make this without contamination. 

Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

When I was visiting with my sister in November, she made an offhand comment about anything gluten free tasting just awful. I tried to speak with her on this, to say that there are many things that are gluten free by their very nature, but she would hear none of it. This recipe is gluten free just because the ingredients needed are gluten free. It uses a little cornstarch as a thickening agent in the sauce and also in the cheesecake as I feel it gives a silkier texture. So with that in mind, I hope this recipe will tempt everyone, and not just the Gluten Intolerant. 

Most bars or cheesecakes have crust made with cookie crumbs or graham cracker crumbs or other wheat based crumb mixture. For most of my cheesecakes, I have used an almond or other nut based mixture, and this is what was used in this case. The recipe for the almond crust tastes excellent  and it holds up just as well as the cookie crumbs types. If you have a nut allergy, then this particular crust is not for you. For my purposes, this worked spectacularly. This recipe can be used for a cheesecake baked in a spring-form pan also, and the crust will extend up the sides of the pan to about 1 or 1½ inches. If it is used in a 9 x 13-inch pan as I did here, it is pressed only onto the bottom of the pan.

Almond Crust

Makes enough for a 9-inch round spring-form pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking dish

1⅓ cups whole, raw almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to375 degrees. Place the almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process to very small bits. Add the extract and the butter and continue to process until very fine. Press this mixture into the pan of choice. If using a round pan, press the mixture partway up the sides. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, press evenly into the bottom. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, until set and slightly golden. If the mixture pushes up during baking, press it back into place with a glass or other flat object as soon as it comes from the oven. Set aside to cool.

Crust crumbs pressed into parchment-lined pan;
crust is baked, and then pressed back into shape                 

Using this crust in a 9 x 13-inch pan for this recipe, I chose to line the pan with parchment, so the dessert could be lifted out cleanly. In a spring-form pan, obviously the rim is detachable, so this is not necessary. If you are leaving the dessert in the pan and cutting it there, the parchment liner is unnecessary. 

When planning the cheesecake filling for this dessert, I wanted a pink swirly pattern, so I first created the rhubarb and raspberry sauce. I made the crust and this sauce both the evening before, so they both had adequate time to cool. This cheesecake could easily be made in a round, spring-form pan if desired. Baking time may be different, and it would be best to use a water bath to ensure the filling does not get over baked. It was easy to watch in this low baking dish. In a deeper pan, it is more important to keep an eye on the filling as it bakes.

Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

The cheesecake part of the mixture is pretty straightforward. Cream cheese and sour cream, eggs, sugar, a little cornstarch and flavorings are the basis. Making the rhubarb raspberry sauce takes no time at all. Five minutes to cook, and then it is just a decision of how to puree. I have an old food mill, and this kept most of the raspberry seeds out of the mixture. Pressing through a sieve would take a little more time, but work equally well, if not better. If desired, simply puree in a blender. With a Vita-Mix blender, it would puree the seeds completely. However this is done, the mixture must be cooled down before proceeding with the recipe. If desired, a drop or two of red food color can be added to make the color more vibrant in the final product. I did not add food coloring; what is seen in the photos is the natural fruit color.

Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Rhubarb Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan

Almond Crust above (or crumb crust of choice)

RHUBARB RASPBERRY SAUCE:
2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut in small chunks
1 cup fresh raspberries, lightly crushed
½ cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch

CHEESECAKE:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Prepare the crust and allow to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the Rhubarb Raspberry Sauce ingredients and bring them to a boil. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the fruit has broken down and the sauce is thickened. Pass the mixture through a food mill, sieve, blender or food processor (depending on how fine you prefer the cheesecake filling to come out). Cool the mixture and chill completely.

Sauce ingredients in pan; sugar stirred in creates juices; sauce is cooked and pureed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the room temperature cream cheese (very important it be at room temperature or the cream cheese will stay lumpy) in the bowl of a mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and sugar and beat at low speed to combine. Add in the cornstarch, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing gently after each addition, until well incorporated. It is important to not over-whip the cheese mixture as this tends to cause the cheesecake to puff up while baking and then crack. Mix gently, so as not to incorporate too much air.

Divide out about ⅓ of the cheesecake mixture. To this ⅓, add all the Rhubarb Raspberry Sauce and whisk well to combine. Drop about ½ of the pink mixture onto the crust Do not spread. Drop on about ½ of the white cheesecake mixture, without spreading. Repeat this process once more with the pink mixture and then the white mixture. Once all the cheesecake batters are in the pan, use a table knife to gently swirl figure-8 patterns through the mixture. Do not over mix.

dropping dabs of cheesecake mixtures in pan; all in the pan, then swirled in figure-8 pattern             

ALTERNATELY: Combine the fruit sauce with all of the cheesecake and stir well, making a pale pink cheesecake.

Tap the pan 2 or 3 times sharply on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cheesecake bars for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees for 20 minutes more. The cheesecake may be a little jiggly in the center, but set at the edges.

Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 or 4 hours, or overnight before serving. To make clean cuts, use a knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry after each cut.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Revised Chestnut Cheesecake Stars on New Year's Day

New Year's Day Feast

Happy New Year to all!

I found a recipe for Chestnut Cheesecake many years ago, and promptly made it with a lot of revisions. The recipe as it stood seemed to be clumsy, and with far too many steps. To me, superfluous steps are anathema. I am not saying I don't make complex recipes; I have created a few of my own. I always try to make them in the least steps possible to accomplish my ends.

The recipe was made in an 8-inch spring-form pan. Plenty big enough, I guess, and we really didn't need anything larger here for just three of us for dinner yesterday. Still, if one was having guests and there was need, this revised version, made in a 9-inch pan, makes 16 narrow slices. Quite big enough for dessert, after a large New Year's Day meal of High Temperature Roast Prime Rib, Twice Baked Potatoes, Creamed Green Beans with Bacon and Brioche Buns! 

Best of all, this cake is totally gluten free!

Beautiful Chestnut Cheesecake II

The major change to the original recipe was the addition of another 8-ounce block of cream cheese and 2 eggs. A couple of other small changes, and with ingredients accordingly adjusted upwards, and my Chestnut Cheesecake II was a smash hit. It came out so very creamy and with such a perfect mouth feel, my sister-in-law and I were in raptures, eating it. The recipe does require a couple of expensive ingredients, particularly if you live in areas of the country where these ingredients are not available. They most certainly are not available up here where I live, but I had a can of sweetened chestnut cream/paste and a can of whole chestnuts in the pantry waiting for me to use them.

A slice of Chestnut Cheesecake II: note the coarse chopped chestnuts in the bottom.

The sweetened chestnut cream I have seen and used most often has come from France; Clement Faugier Chestnut Spread. It is a remarkably good sweetened spread that can be used for most any purpose. I love this stuff, and could easily eat it by the spoonful. This time, I had a different brand on hand; Minerve Chestnut Cream. This one is also produced in France. The key when looking for one of these products is that it be sweetened. There do exist variations without sugar; I ran into this once! Without the sweetening effect of the sweetened chestnut paste, more sugar will have to be added to the recipe. I have not tested this out, so I cannot give an alternative amount for sugar in the recipe. All I can say is that French labeling sometimes leaves much to be desired. Look very carefully.

Both these cans shown here are 17.6 ounces. I have been using this size for some time, though originally I had two 8-ounce cans. It seems easier to use this one larger can, plus the little bit extra of chestnut flavor it allows. Any amount from 16 to 18 ounces will work great.

Minerve Chestnut Cream

Clement Faugier Chestnut Spread

As for the whole chestnut part of this cheesecake, I use whole chestnuts set in the bottom of the crust and also on top for decoration. Williams Sonoma does carry whole chestnuts vacuum packed in a jar, and these are ideal. Expensive, but great quality. If you know of a source for whole, roasted and peeled chestnuts elsewhere, great. I have read that some Asian markets carry them very inexpensively. The Minerve brand also carries whole chestnuts in a jar. The last jar that I got at William's Sonoma, large though it is, was over $18. Be advised. So, this cheesecake is generally made for a special occasion, around my house. 

If you have time, and know that most of the cheesecake will be used up at once, topping with little rosettes of whipped cream and a piece of chestnut works great. If you must ready the cheesecake in advance, a little bit of frosting piped into little stars or rosettes and topped with a piece of whole chestnut works better. I opted for the latter, so the recipe for frosting will follow the cheesecake recipe. Granted, the amount of frosting I made was about double what is needed, but trying to pipe the frosting from a bag and a larger open star icing tip requires just about this much to be able to handle the bag  easily.

Chestnut Cheesecake II

Chestnut Cheesecake II

Serves 12 to 16
 
CRUST:
1⅓ cup whole, unblanched almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
--------------------
6 - 8 ounces whole, roasted, peeled chestnuts, divided


Preheat oven to 375. Have ready a 9-inch spring-form pan. Place the almonds and sugar in a food processor and process them fairly finely. Add in the extract and butter and continue to process until very fine. Press this mixture onto the bottom and up the sides about 1 inch. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. If the crust has puffed up a bit in baking, just press it back into corners as needed, while still quite warm. Cool the crust completely. Cut a large sheet of foil and completely cover the outside bottom and sides of the spring-form. Reserve aside 6 to 8 whole chestnuts and refrigerate for decorative topping later. Coarsely chop the remainder of the whole chestnuts and strew them into the bottom of the baked and cooled crust. Set aside. Leave oven on.

crust pressed into pan; crust just baked;
outside of pan covered in foil; chopped chestnuts in bottom of pan

FILLING:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
4 whole eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (17.6-ounce) can sweetened chestnut paste/cream/spread

Set the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat until smooth. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add this to the cream cheese and beat in until smooth. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the whole can of sweetened chestnut paste/cream/spread and beat briefly to just combine. Use a spatula to scrape up any unmixed portions from the bottom of the mixer bowl and stir in well. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, over the chestnut bits. Tap the pan on a counter 2 or 3 times to release any air bubbles.

1st 6 ingredients whipped, add in chestnut cream, combine well, pour into crust, bake               

Set the foil covered spring-form pan into a larger pan or casserole that will comfortably contain its size. Have hot water ready. Place the pans gently onto a lower-middle oven rack and carefully pour the hot water into the larger pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the foil covered cheesecake pan. Bake 30 minutes at 375. Reduce the oven to 325 and bake an additional 30 minutes. The cheesecake is done when most of the outer edge is set, but the center is still slightly jiggly. Once done, remove the spring-form from the water bath and set it to cool on a rack for about 3 hours. Refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, well covered.

ICING for DECORATION:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
pinch salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
5 teaspoons sour cream

Beat together the butter, sugar and salt. Add in the vanilla and the sour cream as needed, adding 1 teaspoon at a time until the frosting is stiff enough to hold star shape when piped, but spreadable.

 Chestnut Cheesecake II

Decide how many portions to make of the cheesecake. On top of the cooled and refrigerated cheesecake, use a long knife to mark portions. Gently press the knife into the top once to mark the cake in halves, then in the opposite direction to mark quarters. At this point, divide the quarters into 3 or 4 portions apiece. Once the top is marked, pipe a rosette or star shape of frosting or whipped cream on the outer edge of each proposed slice. Cut the reserved whole chestnuts into 4 pieces each and set a quarter piece into each rosette or star.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

What to do with Friendship Bread Starter

I am going to leave off the "Amish" part of the title, because my understanding is that it had nothing to do with the Amish. Regardless "Friendship Bread" and the starters that are passed along to friends, have been around for a long time. This is my third go-round with it, my first being back in the 1980s, when it was called a "Herman" Starter. 

Butterscotch & Caramel Friendship Bread

The second time I worked with this Friendship Bread Starter was about 4 or 5 years ago, when I was visiting my sister Barb, in Tucson. She had a starter going and was making the breads and coffee cakes repeatedly. She has a family with a lot of friends and extended families, and always has someone visiting at meals. Since my only experience prior to this was back in the 1980s, I really had little recollection of what I had done with the Herman starter, so Barb's breads were a revelation. Moist and delicious and with varying flavors as she would switch out the instant pudding flavors and other additions. The basic bread recipe calls for 1 or 2 vanilla instant pudding mixes to be added, along with cinnamon. Barb varied this, at times using Butterscotch instant pudding and nuts, or pistachio instant pudding and adding pistachios. Dates or other dried fruits can be added, and the spice does not always have to be cinnamon (though everyone loves cinnamon).

About a week and a half ago, while  helping out at The Granary, at the Dacotah Prairie Museum's Fall History Festival, someone brought in a few bags of Friendship Bread Starter (I'll call it FBS, from here on out), with the instructions for feeding and making the bread. It had been a while since last making and working with the FBS, so I took one of the starters and the instructions, eager to come home and see how they compared with Barb's recipes. 

While Barb originally got her recipe online, she made some small adjustments, in order to avoid constantly looking for someone new and unsuspecting on whom to foist a FBS. This is a great way to find all your friends are now unavailable! On Day 10, when adding in the last starter ingredients, prior to dividing the starter into "one cup for bread, one cup to keep and 2 or 3 cups to give away," she added in an extra half cup of the milk, sugar and flour. What Barb did then was use 2 cups of starter per loaf, where most recipes call for only one cup per loaf. She made two bread recipes, using 4 total cups of the starter, making 4 loaves, thereby leaving only 1 cup of starter to begin the cycle again for herself. Freezing the spare loaves was one way to keep the loaves, and the other is to give them away - a much more palatable option than gifting the starter, for most people.

 

Pistachio pudding, flavoring and nuts in Friendship Bread

What Else Can I do With my FBS?

All that aside, if you are interested in making the Friendship Bread, or Herman Bread, making the starter at home is simple enough: yeast, flour, sugar and milk. The recipes abound on the internet. I wondered though: 

1. Can the Starter be made gluten-free?
2. The breads and coffee cakes are so sweet; is there anything savory possible with this FBS?

Yesterday while visiting at the Dacotah Prairie Museum, I asked Marianne, who is gluten intolerant, if she knew if the FBS could be made gluten free? She had no idea. Okay, I had planned to go online and look anyway. This morning I first went online to search for Herman Bread. While no place I looked seems to equate the Herman starter with the "Amish" FBS, for all intents and purposes, it is the same thing. When I looked up "Herman Bread Starter or Amish Friendship Bread", I came to a site called Friendship Bread Kitchen, exclusively dedicated to all things Friendship Bread related. While perusing the site, comparing Barb's recipes and seeing what differences there were, I found a whole section on making the starter and the breads gluten-free!

I am not gluten intolerant myself, though I know people who are. Marianne at the Dacotah Prairie Museum is one of them, so when baking something to take there, if it is made with anything gluten, she cannot taste it. As a cook and baker, I love so much to give food to people. When someone cannot even try it, I feel bad. When making things to take to the Museum, I try to always keep that in mind and make all or at least some things gluten free where possible. For this reason, I try and keep this concept in mind. I keep a variety of GF flours and all-purpose GF flour blends on hand, just so I can experiment. I know my kitchen is not a totally GF kitchen, so if baking for others this must be kept in mind. A very gluten intolerant person would likely have difficulties with my foods, even though I try to be careful. Thankfully Marianne is not so extreme and can try the things I make.

As to the third part of that question, about making savory foods with FBS, this is also covered on the same site noted above. I want to take the time to peruse the recipes at leisure, but just at a quick glance I found two things I want to try; some Cheesy Dill Rolls and Cornbread. There are others. LOTS of others on that site. Once I begin experimenting, other ideas will come, and that's my plan. 

For now, in an effort to try and lessen the amount of sugar and oil, I used Barb's 1/2 cup applesauce and ½ cup oil, rather than a full cup of oil per FB Recipe. The starter itself is terribly sweet already, so I also lessened the full cup of sugar to ¾ cup, though I believe it might be possible to bring that down to ⅔ cup or even a half cup. I will be experimenting with that also. 

Friendship Bread Starter

1 packet active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. While yeast is activating, whisk together the sugar and flour in a non-metal bowl (glass or plastic). Add in the milk and the yeast and stir together with a wooden or plastic spoon. No metal utensils should touch the starter. Place this mixture into a gallon sized zip top bag and seal it closed. Mark the bag with the date and leave it on the counter at room temperature.
 
On days 2, 3 and 4, mash the bag around a bit. If the bag becomes very bloated, let the air out and re-seal.

On day 5, mix together and add to the bag:
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

Mash the bag around well, then leave it on the counter for days 6, 7, 8 and 9.

On day 10, pour the mixture into a large glass or plastic bowl. Add in:
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups milk

Stir well, then remove 1 cup of the mixture to a new gallon sized zip top bag, mark with the date, seal and set aside.

Measure out 2 cups of the remaining starter to make Friendship Bread. There should be about 2 cups remaining in the bowl. Use the next 2 cups to make a second batch of Friendship Bread, thereby using the whole amount, or divide the remainder into 2 gallon sized zip top bags and give these away to two others, along with the instructions.

Friendship Bread (and Variations)

Makes 2 loaves (make 2 recipes to use all the starter)

My Pistachio-Pistachio Loaves, fresh from the oven

2 cups Friendship Bread Starter
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (snack cup size)
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional, depending on flavor profile
2 (3.5 oz) packets vanilla instant pudding mix, (change instant pudding flavor for variation
1 cup nuts of choice, optional
½ cup raisins, dates or other dried fruit, optional
----------------
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the last 2 ingredients in a small bowl. Grease or spray with cooking spray 2 large loaf pans. Use the sugar/cinnamon mixture to "dust" the loaf pans. Reserve any leftover to sprinkle on top later.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 on Convection Bake).

In a bowl, combine and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and instant puddings. In a separate bowl, stir together the Friendship Bread Starter, oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, eggs and milk until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Add nuts or dried fruit if using. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle any remaining sugar ad cinnamon mixture (from dusting the pans) over top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before turning out.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Revisiting a Past Recipe

Last year's Lavender Nut Tea Loaf, in pieces

Nearly one year ago, I created a recipe for a dessert loaf I called Lavender Nut Tea Loaf. I had an idea and put it together, baked it. It smelled heavenly. It ended up tasting sublime. The part in between was the rub. Trying to take it out of the loaf pan was a complete and total disaster. It came out in bits and pieces, as it stuck to the pan.

All these bits and pieces were eaten, but there was no way to take a lovely photo of any of it, as it just broke up so completely. I titled that blog "Triumph and Failure Hand in Hand." Today I was thinking about that recipe and decided to take another look. Believe me, I have thought of it many times over this past year, but only today it seemed I had both the inclination and the time to revisit this recipe.

Thinking back, I was of the impression I had used yellow summer squash in the recipe, but that was incorrect. Today I did have some little patty-pan squash on the counter, so in making a revision of the recipe, and I did add some of those. Other things I decided to change were lowering sugar content as well as fat content. I skipped eggs completely and used flax meal and water as an egg-substitute (soak for 10 minutes - 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons water to equal 1 egg). I used applesauce instead of some of the fat. I kept the same amount of lavender flowers in the recipe since these were the main flavor component.

Today's loaf, perfect and whole

In the past, using gluten free flours has seemed to result in a more moist bread, so I went that route. I found, when breaking out the calories, carbs and all those other nutritional considerations, that gluten free flours are far higher in carbs than regular all-purpose flour. Oh well. I used some of the recipe mix for a gluten free flour of: 6 cups brown rice flour, 2 cups potato starch and 1 cup tapioca starch  as the flour in the recipe. To the 2 cups worth of this flour blend used for the loaf, I added ½ teaspoon of guar gum.

When mixing up the final recipe, I completely forgot to add in the nuts. I intended to use ¾ cup, just as in last year's recipe. Instead, I lowered the amount, since the batter was already in the loaf pan, and just lightly chopped and pressed them onto the top of the batter before baking. The bread rose beautifully and baked in about 48 minutes. It is still cooling in the kitchen, so I have yet to see how this comes out of the pan. I did spray the pan with cooking spray and then used one narrow piece of parchment to line the pan across the bottom and long sides. I pray this will be enough to release the loaf. I will find out shortly. Here is my revised recipe, gluten and egg-free.

Lavender Nut Tea Loaf II

Makes one (8 x 4-inch) loaf

Lavender Nut Tea Loaf II

3 tablespoons (0.18 oz. / 5 g) dried lavender flowers
¾ cup (6 fl. oz. / 180 ml.) 1% buttermilk
2 tablespoons (0.50 oz. / 14 g.) golden flax meal
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1½ cup yellow summer squash, grated
½ cup (4 oz. / 113 g) unsweetened applesauce
½ cup (3.67 oz. / 104 g.) sugar
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 packets Sweet Leaf Stevia
2 cups (4.70 oz. / 132 g.) gluten free all-purpose flour mix
1 teaspoon (0.14 oz. / 4 g.) baking powder
1 teaspoon (0.18 oz. / 5 g.) baking soda
½ teaspoon (0.07 oz. / 2 g.) guar gum
½ teaspoon (0.11 oz. / 3 g.) salt
½ cup (1.85 oz. / 51 g.) walnuts or pecans

Spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment, at least one way. Spray the parchment. Set pan aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection Bake).

Set the lavender flowers in the buttermilk to soak for at least 15 minutes. Set the flax meal into the 6 tablespoons of water to soak for at least 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the grated squash with the cooking oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla and stevia packets. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk or sift together the gluten free flour mixture with the baking soda, baking powder, guar gum and salt. Set aside.

To the squash mixture, add in the buttermilk and lavender mixture with the soaked flax meal and all its liquid. Stir well to combine. Add in the dry ingredients, stirring until all the ingredients are well moistened. You do not have to worry about over beating with gluten free flours. Either add in the nuts to the batter and mix, or pour the batter into the pan and place the nuts on top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with barely a crumb or two. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Based on 12 slices, each slice contains: 225 calories, 3.5 g protein, 4.6 g fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 
42.5 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber, 42 mg potassium and 256.5 mg sodium.

To make this recipe vegan as well as gluten free and egg free, substitute a nut or seed milk for the buttermilk, reduce the baking soda to ½ teaspoon and increase the baking powder to 1½ teaspoons. If nut allergies are a problem, simply leave out the nuts.
 

Lavender Nut Tea Loaf II, perfect and whole

The Verdict?

The loaf came out of the pan with great ease, even leaving the parchment behind in the pan. The ends did not stick at all. I believe this recipe revision would allow for not lining the loaf pan at all. 

The flavor is as good as I remembered, i.e. delicious! The loaf baked and tested done all through, yet is still so moist it is difficult to slice. Not impossible, mind you, only difficult. Using regular all-purpose flour would likely remedy this part, as wheat flour seems to be drier in general. In future I might bake it a bit longer or add in an extra ¼ cup of the GF flour blend to the recipe. 

I am pleased..... 😁

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.