Modern Lardy Cake

HOLIDAY BAKING

Here he produced a decanter of curiously light wine, and a block of curiously heavy cake, 

and administered instalments of those dainties to the young people. 

– Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 

Once again, we arrive in that limbo between Hanukkah and Christmas. I wait for hints, curious to know what his decision will be. Sons wiggle around us looking for clues that something is afoot, bringing up (once again) the topic of gifts. Hanukkah has come and gone in its own very quiet way amid subtle displays of joy, bringing us together as a family, and now we watch as the city dresses itself in its Christmas finest bringing a bit of cheer to the drab seasonal weather. But whether or not we will be celebrating Christmas this year has yet to be decided.



Although Hanukkah is our holiday and we do not celebrate Christmas, there is definitely something about this season conducive to baking. It could be the misty skies the color of tarnished pewter, the occasional spatter of rain against the windows, keeping us inside, cozy and comfortable with little to do except write and bake. It could be the glittering of the Christmas lights in the streets below, brilliant and gay against the dark night sky that makes us feel all romantic and warm inside, desiring nothing more than being able to offer something freshly baked, redolent of cinnamon, heady with chocolate and rum, or spiced and studded with fruit and nuts, to those we love.

Winter rolls in on a wave of misty white, the fog hanging heavy and cruel over the city. No joy, no snow. Sunshine playing hide and seek with the rain. The icy chill penetrates every pore of one’s body and no matter what one does, no matter how many blankets or pairs of socks the cold simply seeps in. But the gloom and gray of a midwinter day doesn’t dampen my excitement for the onset of this, my favorite season and all of the festivities. The holiday spirit seems to have arrived and settled in, as the bustling marketplace is alive with shoppers pushing their way towards stalls overflowing with seasonal treats. Garlands of gold and silver sneak their way in, Santas pop up on velvet hills of snow and visions of sugarplums, smoked salmon and oysters dance in my head. The first strains of Winter Wonderland and Rudolph signal the beginning of the Christmas season.

But chez nous, one never knows if it will be Scrooge, the Grinch or one of Santa’s merry elves that will arrive at our house, be blown in over the threshold on a blast of cold air. When the boys were little, Hanukkah flowed into Christmas easily when and if their grandparents would be visiting. Once or twice, a tree had indeed been lugged home, set up and decorated by three sets of hands. Once, when the boys were in high school, the Christmas spirit whipped Clem into a merry frenzy and he dragged a lumbering evergreen (or so we thought) back to our apartment, forcing our hand, demanding we not be the only ones of his acquaintance not to participate in the seasonal festivities. We decorated that tree, shared special Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve meals around it, merry and bright, and then waited post-holidays for Clem to drag it away. Until we were sliding around in puddles of sharp pine needles weeks later. And arguing over whose responsibility it was to remove the thing.

And once in a while, husband dons his proverbial Santa hat and his jolly disposition and announces that this year he would like Christmas. For someone with Scrooge-like tendencies when it comes to most holidays, it must mean that he is feeling somewhat wistful and nostalgic. It must mean that he needs the warmth of gathering us, wife and sons, closely around him, shutting out all worries and cares for the time of a long, slow, peaceful meal. It means that he desires nothing more than spending a long afternoon and evening in joy and conversation, laughter and indulgence, hilarity and delight.

Yet, no matter his choice, the season encourages baking. Something about the cold and inclement weather has me craving cinnamon-rich treats, neither too rich nor too sweet, that go perfectly, merrily, with a cup of coffee either for breakfast or snack. Homey, warming, comforting. Yet with a touch of the festive.

And so this month’s Bread Baking Babe’s challenge was perfect! Our hostess for December is the lovely Lien of Notitie Van Lien and she chose a Modern Lardy Cake, which I found to be utterly perfect for the season. Traditionally, the Lardy Cake is (obviously) made with lard, but this version is made with butter. Layers of dough reveal swirls of dried fruit-studded cinnamon-nutmeg sugar, creating a laminated bread traditionally English and eaten for special occasions, holidays and harvest festivals. So as simple as it may seem for those of us who are used to really rich holiday treats, it is a bread… or teacake reserved for a celebration. I loved this Lardy Cake just eaten as is, or dipped in café au lait while husband spread his with lots of jam.

Take the folding and rolling slowly and carefully, trying to keep the dough from tearing and too much filling oozing out. Several Babes found as I did that a total of 3 rather than 4 folds and rolls was enough. I decided to bake mine in a small rectangular pan instead of a round one. This was quite a fun bread to make and so delicious to eat that I know I will be making it over and over again. A winner!

If you would like to bake the Modern Lardy Cake with the Babes, you can earn your Bread Baking Buddy badge and be included in the round up at the end of the month. Just head over to Lien’s blog for details.

Meanwhile, check out all of the Babes’ Modern Lardy Cakes! And be inspired! This is the perfect treat to serve the family while decorating the tree and house, wrapping or unwrapping gifts and to serve friends and family when they drop by. Perfect with coffee, tea, milk or hot cocoa. And a few good old holiday movies.

Bake My Day – Karen
blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
Feeding my enthusiasms – Elle
girlichef – Heather
Lucullian Delights - Ilva
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies – Natashya
My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
Notitie Van Lien – Lien
Paulchens Foodblog – Astrid
Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire – Katie

I want to share this Modern Lardy Cake with Susan of Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting roundup!

MODERN LARDY CAKE
From “Warm Bread and Honey Cake” by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra

Lardy cake is not a cake, but a bread that is laminated with lard with some raisins or currants. We have replaced the lard with butter, giving a fresher, more modern twist on the Lardy Cake. This is not a rich bread like a coffee cake, but a lightly flavored, gently sweetened bread almost, but not quite, like a challah or brioche type bread. We loved it precisely because it wasn’t overly sweet and rich, just the perfect bread for breakfast smeared with jelly. Or eaten as a snack. It stays fresh for a couple of days. Definitely make this during the holidays to have on hand when family or friends visit.

Dough:
375 g strong white flour
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbs sugar
¼ tsp salt
35 g butter, melted and cooled to warm/tepid
± 200 ml milk, warmed

Filling:
100 g butter, softened
75 g soft dark brown sugar (make sure it is soft and lump free; if not use granulated brown sugar as I did)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
50-75 g currants, raisins or other dried fruit (I used dried blueberries)

Beaten egg, to glaze

1 – 2 Tbs granulated brown sugar (my own addition for dusting on the bread)

24 cm (9 in) round cake tin (pref. a springform) – or a rectangular pan of similar volume

Make the dough:

Put all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl. If using a heavy-duty stand mixer with a dough hook, knead until smooth and supple. If working by hand (as I did), stir the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl; make a well in the center and add the sugar and the yeast to the well and then add the warm milk and allow the yeast to activate for about 10 minutes. Add the warm melted butter and stir everything together until all the dry ingredients are moistened and it pulls together into a scraggly ball. Bring the dough together in a ball, scrape onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth and supple. Return the dough to the bowl (or place in a lightly oiled clean bowl). Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Make the filling:

Blend the butter, sugar and spices together until creamy. I used a hand mixer for this to keep my hands clean and it comes together creamy and smooth easily.

Knock the risen dough back and re-knead it briefly. Roll it out to a rectangle about 50 x 25 cm (20 x 10 in), the long side perpendicular to your body, the shorter side right to left. Spread the filling evenly over the top two-thirds of the dough sheet, leaving one outer third empty and about 4 cm (1 ½ inch) on all sides. If using, sprinkle the dried fruit over this and press down to embed. Fold the empty third over the middle third and the remaining third back down over this – you will have three layers of dough in a small rectangle “package”. Pinch all the edges well to seal the filling in. Cover with a sheet of clingfilm and leave to rest for about 5 minutes to relax.

Give the parcel a quarter turn – the new rectangle will once again have the long side straight up away from you, perpendicular to your body. Gently press the rolling pin down to seal and flatten slightly, then gently roll it into a rectangle about 30 x 15 cm (12 x 6 in) or a bit bigger. Fold into thirds again and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Repeat this procedure three more times for a total of four folds, turning the dough by a quarter turn and rolling and folding. If you find you are losing too much filling, omit the final turn. (I folded the dough in thirds for a total of 3 times)

This is a delicate, difficult and sometimes messy work as the filling oozes out in weak spots, so press and roll out lightly and gently, taking your time. Patch them up as well as you can and continue to work. All the oozing bits will caramelize nicely as the cake bakes. But you don’t want to loose too much filling as the laminating effect.

Grease the tin and put the dough packet in it, then flatten it with your hand to fit it in as well as possible. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and leave it to rise until almost doubled.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Brush the dough with beaten egg, and dust generously with the granulated brown sugar. Bake until brown; the bread may spread a bit and will not rise during the baking. The total baking time will vary: the author instructs to bake for 25 – 30 minutes but I baked mine for 1 hour as did several of the Babes.

Remove from the oven, but leave in the tin for about 5 minutes. Carefully release the clip and turn the cake upside down on a wire rack. Remove the bottom of the tin, which will probably still be attached to it, and leave to cool further. (I lifted my Lardy cake out of the pan with a spatula)

Eat warm or room temperature, cut into wedges or slices.

Read more »

Cinnamon Nut Roll Coffee Cake

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

A Babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, 

A messenger of peace and love, 

A resting place for innocence on earth, 

A link between angels and men. 

- Martin Farquhar Tupper 

The life of a Babe is not an easy one. Oh, it may look glamorous on the outside, all conviviality and dazzling bonhomie in a sisterly way. It may look all elegant ease to others, but that is all smoke and mirrors. Behind the scenes, I tell a different story. It is a tragic tale of cursed recipes, frustration, kicking, screaming and cursing like a sailor. While my fellow Bread Baking Babes, those who bake yeasty things practically for a living, seemingly with their eyes closed and one hand strapped behind their back, no doubt like my own ancestors, those great, strong women of my past; while my fellow Babes scuddle around me tossing dough with ease, adapting recipes and serving up homebaked things in kitchens redolent of the cinnamony, spicy scent of heaven, I, well, I often live quite another experience. And I live to tell about one.

 Once a Babe, always a Babe

This month, the month of August, I am the Bread Baking Babe hostess. The recipe is of my own choosing. So really, there is no excuse. But by the third try, I was beginning to feel like my recipe was simply cursed. Or the stars were not aligned or something ominous. It isn’t often that a food blogger reveals the kitchen mishaps, the baking disasters, the flops and the fiascos. But this was so huge, the blunders so enormous and so many, that I wanted to let my readers into my home, my life and share with them a little slice of what sometimes goes on in my kitchen.

Call it a series of flukes, label it simply wild misfortune or just (go ahead!) blame it on me, my impulsiveness and my impatience. But whatever you rack it up to, I decided to share the story. It is just all too incredible to be true. I am still pinching myself.

Try #1: I made the dough. A breeze! I have made no-knead sweet brioche-type dough in the past several times and this one seemed as it should. But. The following day, I should have known better than to simply dump it out onto a floured cutting board, as sticky as it was, slice it in two and begin rolling it out. I knew that it was too wet, too sticky, too difficult to handle much less to roll. I already saw where this was heading but I forged ahead. I whipped the meringue using 3 large egg whites and, again, I should have trusted my instincts based on pretty decent experience and knowledge. Although the meringue looked beautiful, I could see that it was fairly wet and loose for a jellyroll-type filling (it did not dawn on me until later that I had replaced the ground nuts which are intended to give the meringue body with chopped nuts which did nothing at all). And that there was too much of it. I was already starting to piss myself off, lose patience – I felt the steam beginning to ooze from my ears, I felt the crazy pills kicking in – but I went ahead and slathered that meringue onto the dough rectangles anyway! And tried to roll them up. They slithered and slid across the wooden cutting boards, the gooey meringue was spreading everywhere, in my hair, up and down my arms and across the counter and no matter how I fought that thing, it only got worse. No way in hell was this thing going to roll up and then behave long enough to be lifted from cutting board to pan.

So I scraped it off, all of it, straight into the trash.

Grocery store run – after much fuming and cursing and sending pathetic emails wallowing in self-pity to Ilva.

Try #2: Back to the drawing board. I upped the flour from 2 ½ cups to 3 cups in the initial mix of dough and stuck it in the fridge overnight. Still good. Following day, I kneaded the dough briefly adding more flour until it was malleable and controllable. I still have not corrected the filling and still used chopped instead of ground nuts, but I succeeded in rolling the dough around the filling and lifting it into the pan. It rose, it baked, it looked good. I took photos of it for the blog. At least I thought I did. Three, maybe four days later, the cake mostly eaten – completely by myself, I would like to add (both husband and Clem out of town and Simon is no longer eating anything sweet, thank you very much!) The last bit…. Well, I am sorry but I just could not look at it another day, another hour and sent the rest into the trash. * sigh *

I then made my Cherry Crumble Coffee Cake and was getting ready to post it on my blog when it struck me… I hadn’t seen the photos of my Bread Baking Babes Coffee Cake! What the what?! I checked my photos, I checked the camera and pffffftttttt gone into thin air. Disappeared. No photos. Not a one. Man, oh, man where are they and how am I ever going to post a recipe without photos? Especially when I am hosting the event?

Try #3: Back to the drawing board…again. And only for the sake of getting photos for the blog. But husband and son are back in town, so found comfort in the fact that there would be more people to eat it. It also crossed my mind that by the third try I have understood the ins and outs of this coffee cake. 3 cups flour to the dough, all the rest of the ingredients. As I am stirring the flour into the initial dough before its overnight rest, I am looking at it and thinking: “Hmmmm. Why is it so dough-like and not all sticky and gooey like it is supposed to be? Didn’t I add all of the ingredients?” I have a beautiful, firm yet supple dough sitting in my mixing bowl and I’m scratching my head. I skim through the list of ingredients and look around the kitchen and then it hits me. NO NO NO NO NO I have a pot with 225 grams of melted butter sitting on my stovetop, staring me in the face! “MAUDIT! MAUDIT! MAUDIT!” Is all that I can think… Cursed! This recipe is cursed! I begin wailing, cursing, throwing things around, slamming things onto the countertop as I attempt to stir, knead, whisk all that butter into the ball of dough.

This is when husband walks into the kitchen. “Look!” I scream hysterically. “Do you know how impossible it is to get all that butter into dough? I left the butter out of the recipe!” I have melted butter up to my wrists as I push my knuckles into butter-slick dough (which is sitting in an inch of melted butter), push and fold, push and fold then whack at it a bit with a wooden spoon. “Yes, I know. I heard.” He answers, actually chuckling at me! “You should change the name of your blog to Baking with the Drama Queen!” before he walks off, no help at all! Well, I keep at it for heaven knows how long until finally, finally I knead in all of that melted butter and have a unified, pretty nice, smooth dough. It actually feels…. Nice! I gave up and covered the bowl and put it in the fridge.

I briefly considered praying for the dough to turn out correctly and offer me a beautifully risen and fluffy dough, but by now I just was so fed up that I actually just wanted this entire experience to be done and finished with.

Following day, the dough is normal, risen and rolls out the dream. A sigh of relief escapes from my lips. I cut back on the egg whites and sugar to about 2/3 the original quantity, use ground nuts as I should and continue on my merry way. It fills and rolls up beautifully, I slip it in the pan, decide to treat it to a little milk wash and a pretty little dusting of slivered almonds. It rises again, just gorgeous. It bakes up giddily high and golden. I take photos of it, slice, taste and it is utterly, gorgeously perfect! I download the photos….yes, it is not an illusion, they are indeed there. And I smile. And I sigh with pleasure and relief.

And to top it all off, son and a friend of his stop by the house on their way to a party and carry the thing off.

Maybe the Baking Gods are on my side after all.

I am a Babe for a living. 

 – Gabrielle Reece 

I am hosting the Bread Baking Babe event this month with a wonderful (yes, I said it…wonderful!) Cinnamon Nut Roll Coffee Cake from the Taste of Home Bakeshop Favorites cookbook. I love Taste of Home Cookbooks; they are filled with the best of American home baking and for every level of baker. This coffee cake is light and fluffy, infused with just a delicate sweetness from the meringue filling with a hint of cinnamon and nuts. Light, moist, it is the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch or snack.

Check out if and how the other Babes managed their own Cinnamon Nut Roll Coffee Cake:

Bake My Day – Karen
Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire – Katie
blog from OUR kitchen – Elizabeth
Feeding my enthusiasms – Elle
girlichef – Heather
Lucullian Delights - Ilva
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies – Natashya
My Kitchen In Half Cups – Tanna
Notitie Van Lien – Lien
Paulchens Foodblog – Astrid
Provecho Peru – Gretchen

You too can bake along with us and be a Bread Baking Buddy. Simply bake this Cinnamon Nut Roll Coffee Cake, blog it – don’t forget to mention being a Bread Baking Buddy and link back to this blog post! Then send me the link (please include your name and your blog’s name) by August 26th to jamieannschler AT gmail DOT com with August Bread Baking Buddy in the subject line and I will add you to the roundup.

I want to share this wonderful yeast coffee cake with Susan of Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting!

CINNAMON NUT ROLL COFFEE CAKE
Adapted from Taste of Home Bakeshop Favorites.

* Note that the dough rests in the refrigerator over night, so start the process the day before! If you are using European regular flour, start the basic dough with 3 cups (390 g) flour; if using American all-purpose flour, begin with 2 ½ cups (325 g) then add more as needed the second day when kneading the dough before rolling. I have given the original filling recipe as well as my own adjustments and changes below it.

You will need a stand mixer or beaters to whip egg whites for the meringue filling and a 10-inch (standard) tube pan, preferably with a removable center.

For the dough:

2 packages (1/4 ounce/7 g each) active dry yeast
¼ cup (@ 65 ml) warm water (110°F to 115°F)
16 Tbs (225 g) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (125 ml) warm 2% fat/lowfat milk (110°F to 115°F)
4 egg yolks
2 Tbs sugar
¾ tsp salt
2 ½ cups (325 g*) all-purpose flour (if using European regular flour, increase total flour to 3 cups/390 g), more if the dough is too sticky or runny.

* when I measure flour I spoon lightly into the measuring cup and then level off so 1 cup usually weigh approximately 130 g: * see note above.

For the filling: (*see note above)

3 (90 g) large egg whites
1 cup + 3 Tbs sugar, divided
2 cups ground walnuts (I usually use pecans but choose what you like)
2 Tbs 2% fat/lowfat milk
2 tsps ground cinnamon

MY OWN CHANGES AND ADAPTATIONS TO THE FILLING:

2 – 3 large egg whites for a total of 2.65 oz (75 g)
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar + 2 Tbs (30 g) sugar
4.4 oz (125 g) ground hazelnuts or almonds
1 – 2 tsps ground cinnamon
2 Tbs 2% fat/lowfat milk

A bit of milk for brushing the top and the seams of the cake and slivered blanched almonds for dusting, optional but pretty

The day before, prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water; allow to activate for 10 – 15 minutes until foamy. Whisk in the tepid melted butter, warm milk, eggs yolks, sugar and salt and then stir in the flour. Beat or stir until smooth – the mixture will be sticky. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The day of baking, prepare the filling:

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup (or 2/3 cup following my changes) sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, on high speed until the sugar is incorporated and dissolved, leaving a thick, glossy meringue.

In a large bowl, combine the ground nuts, cinnamon and remaining sugar then stir in the milk until the dry ingredients are all moistened; fold in the meringue.

Prepare the Coffee Cake:

Grease/butter the bottom, sides and center tube of a 10-inch tube pan.

Divide the dough in half. On a well-floured work surface, roll each portion into an 18 x 12 –inch (45 x 30 cm) rectangle with the longer side perpendicular to your body (the longer edge lying on the cutting board left to right). Spread half of the filling evenly over each rectangle within 1/2 –inch (1 cm) of the edges. Lightly brush the farthest, top edge with milk. Roll each up jellyroll style, as tightly as possible, starting with the long side closest to you and rolling up; pinch seam to seal.

Place one filled roll, seam side up, in the greased tube pan. Pinch the two open ends together. Place the second roll, seam side down on top of the first roll, again pinching and sealing the two open ends. Gently brush the top all over with a bit of milk and dust with some slivered almonds.

Cover the pan with plastic and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Once the coffee cake has risen, discard the plastic wrap and once again gently brush or dab the top surface all over with a bit of milk and add more slivered almonds where there are spaces.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, loosen the coffee cake from the sides of the pan and lift out the center tube, placing the tube with the cake onto the rack to cool completely. Once cool enough to handle, loosen the cake from the bottom of the pan and around the tube using a long, thin blade and carefully invert, lift off the tube and flip back, top side up, onto a serving platter. Or lift off of the tube onto the serving platter.

Eat as is or drizzle with glaze or dust with powdered sugar/cocoa powder.

Read more »

Sour Cherry Crumble Coffee Cake

STAY CALM

When I sound the fairy call, gather here in silent meeting, 

Chin to knee on the orchard wall, cooled with dew and cherries eating. 

Merry, merry, take a cherry, mine are sounder, mine are rounder, 

Mine are sweeter for the eater, when the dews fall, and you’ll be fairies all. 

- Emily Dickenson

Son returned from Vietnam and immediately dashed off to the coast with his friends, spending his days on the beach, no doubt playing guitar and barbecuing, living the high life. Living much the life he lived in Vietnam for a month, hanging out on an island beach, strumming guitar and eating and drinking with friends. Oh to be young and carefree. Husband headed south, off to spend ten days with his sister and mother. I spent the week at the old homestead with second son and dog, hanging out in the warm, breezy apartment, streaming American television shows, eating salads and working. I write every day, Ilva peeping over my shoulder, prodding me on, giving the occasional suggestion as she vacations in Sweden and escapes her own work for a few weeks.

Son and V. in Vietnam: not your usual vacation. Adventure abounds!

The worries of caring for elderly parents infuse our happy household with painful reminders of reality. As JP returned from the visit with his mother who is now dependent, I receive news of my own mom, stories that are far from cheerful. After years spent watching the degrading health of my brother and my father-in-law, of sharing responsibility with siblings for their care, after losing both harshly, violently and dealing with the aftermath, we had just gotten back on our feet, were just coming to terms with the emotional ravages and here we start all over again.

My days are filled with writing as I finish one article and mail it off and start on the next and the third. I juggle several other projects and try and stay ahead of the game as I am drawn to the sofa and the warm breeze, the calm city (France in August) just perfect for strolling, ideal for finding a café, order a Guinness for him, a fruit juice for me and kick back. Spend the afternoon watching the world go by and analyzing it inside and out with husband.

I try and write the second half of the story of Ettore’s Dishwasher and must focus. This is the first time that I have written about that car accident and by the time I slammed on my breaks and turned my head left and saw that other car plummeting directly at me, felt it slam into the side of my car hard. My eyeglasses flew off as the car spun, the shock pushing my car back off the road, the sound of metal on metal reverberating in my ears flowed from brain to fingertips, from fingertips to keyboard, from keyboard to page my heart was pounding, my hands shaking. I find it funny and fascinating how the brain works. We hover around a topic, refer to it briefly in passing, but avoid looking at it straight in the eyes. And everything remains calm. But the moment we begin telling the tale, we discover how fragile we really are, how raw and painful our heart and our emotions are no matter how much time has past. All I have to do is utter the words my husband spoke to me as he drove me home from the hospital and I choke up, my eyes well up with tears. These memories, the memories of my brother as I last saw him, thinking of his death must stay partially buried, only the tip peeping above the ground like a spring bloom, a hazy, happy image. As soon as I begin to dig, I still fall apart.

And so I write. The second half of that story, which does end on a humorous note, must wait while I finish my article with deadline looming. In the meantime, I have baked a Sour Cherry Crumble Coffee Cake for everyone! This is one of those recipes that I found somewhere long ago and is scribbled in my old notebook, the one that has been dragged around the world with me for the past 30 years, collecting recipes as it fades, smudges and slowly falls into pieces. I did alter the recipe a bit here. And perfect it is! Husband and sister-in-law rolled their eyes heavenward with utter pleasure. Sweet sour cherries sit atop an incredibly luscious, moist cake layer, nestled under a crumble topping with a gentle hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds.

After the Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta topped with Rum Roasted Cherries, this Sour Cherry Crumble Coffee Cake has definitely moved to the top of the “Family Favorites” list, whether for breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert. So simple to make and maybe the best coffee cake you will eat. No cherries? Replace it with any other favorite berry, stone fruit or even chocolate chips.

SOUR CHERRY CRUMBLE COFFEE CAKE

For the crumble:

¼ cup (55 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tbs (20 g) flour
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbs (10 g) ground almonds or hazelnuts
2 Tbs (30 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (20 g) old-fashioned oats (not instant)
1 heaping cup (about 30 plump) sour cherries, quartered or coarsely chopped

For the cake:

1 ½ cup (200 g) flour *
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
4 Tbs (60 g) unsalted butter
1 large egg
¾ cup (200 ml) buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

* Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 7 x 10 – inch (18 x 25.5 cm) baking pan or a round or square pan of equivalent volume.

Rinse and pat dry the cherries. Remove the stems and pits and discard. Quarter or coarsely chop the pitted cherries and set aside.

Prepare the crumble:

Place the brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground nuts in a small bowl and blend well. Add the butter in pieces and, using either a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingertips, rub/cut the butter into the dry ingredients until well blended and the butter chunks disappear. Blend in the oats. Place the crumble in the refrigerator while preparing the cake.

Prepare the cake:

Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and blend well. Add the butter in small pieces and, using your fingertips rub the butter into the dry ingredients until well blended and the mixture resembles damp sand or crumbs. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, lightly beat the buttermilk, the egg and the vanilla together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and fold until well blended and smooth.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan; smooth and spread evenly all the way into the corners of the pan. Evenly distribute the cherries across the surface of the cake batter. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the cake and cherries.

Bake the Sour Cherry Crumble Coffee Cake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes or until the cake has risen and set and begins to pull away from the sides; the top will be golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack before cutting.

Read more »

Gâteau à la Crème for Bread Baking Babes

Vanilla Bean Rum Custard-Filled Brioche Cake

There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint. 

– Mahatma Ghandi 

That day of the month approached on little winged feet. Closer and closer it flitted, mocking, daring, grinning the grin of the devil. I stared once again at the recipe and doubts crossed my mind, piling up like bricks, weighing down any curiosity or temptation that may have slithered their way between the cracks. The very name itself gâteau à la crème promised at once heaven and hell: the divine, ethereal taste and texture of fine brioche married in perfect union with the ambrosial, smooth vanilla-kissed cream; the Satanly richness, the devilishly voluptuous cream wreaking havoc on hips and health. The Bread Baking Babes and that exasperating, dizzying, maddening deadline and the difficult choice of whether one can or cannot, should or should not attempt the recipe was driving me mad. So many eggs. So much butter. Cream galore. Visions of fat danced around my head. Images of men, not a one with much of a sweet tooth to speak of, shaking their heads and wandering away, leaving me in front of an uneaten treat and disappointment. Nightmares of fellow Babes aghast at my irresponsibility, devastated by my lack of sisterly camaraderie. My own self caught between a rock and a hard place, between the devil and desire. Pourquoi tant de haine? Why such cruelty?

The gourmand is in harmony with the outside world. 

He is in fact a normal person.

 – Édouard de Pomaine 

Yet I finally caved in. The morning of the day the post must be posted, the cake offered up to the world has arrived. As usual, I act at the last possible second. Very like me. I drag myself out of bed, now hit by the terrible cold that others in the house have been suffering for weeks. Or, more exactly, drag myself from the sofa where I had taken refuge at 3 o’clock in the morning, having woken in the night hot and uncomfortable, and begin rifling through the cupboard for ingredients. Decision made, cream-filled brioche cake on today’s menu. I make the announcement to JP who, much to my chagrin, rolls his eyes and pointedly reminds me that there is still uneaten pudding in the refrigerator from yesterday’s experiment. But he finally shrugs his shoulders, deciding to let me have my way, and wanders away, crazy wife no good.

And there he is, doubting husband, standing at the kitchen counter, eating to his heart’s content, not willing even to wait until son arrives for snacktime. His eyes glowing with delight at the sight of these treats, he is, after all, quite pleased that I baked today.

This month’s Bread Baking Babe Kitchen of the Month is Lien of Notitie Van Lien and she is exhorting us, tempting us to create an incredible creamed-filled brioche, a veritable Gâteau à la Crème for we Francophiles. Do not be afraid of the word brioche – this is one simple dough to put together. Give yourself plenty of time as the dough must rest several times, but the dough itself is one of those no-knead recipes that come together in a snap, only a bit of beating with a mixer oblige. The cream filling whisks together in no time at all, to flavor as one pleases (I encourage you to visit the other Babes to see what they have come up with).

I am so glad that I made that decision to bake, no matter the inspiration. Although I waited, although I doubted, although husband rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, this is, as Ilva stated so eloquently, a keeper. This gâteau à la crème is boulangerie-perfect, boulangerie-delicious, and the perfect recipe for those who have little experience with yeast. Next time, make the entire recipe for cream filling, divide in half and flavor two different ways, and offer yourself and your loved ones a truly fantastic and oh-so French treat. For breakfast or snack or both. Thank you Lien, for choosing a terrific BBB Bread for March.

My fellow Bread Baking Babes:
Bake My Day - Karen
blog from OUR kitchen - Elizabeth
Feeding my Enthusiasms - Pat/Elle
girlichef - Heather
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya
Lucullian Delights - Ilva
My Kitchen In Half Cups - Tanna
Notitie Van Lien - Lien
Paulchen's Foodblog - Astrid
Provecho Peru - Gretchen
Thyme for Cooking - Katie

And if you would like to bake this Gâteau à la Crème along with the Babes and earn your Buddy badge, visit Lien’s blog to find out how! Just send your link to Lien by the 30th of the March!

I will send this wonderful treat to Susan of Wild Yeast for Yeastspotting.

GÂTEAU À LA CRÈME – CUSTARD-FILLED BRIOCHE CAKE
Adapted from Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets

This is a halved recipe for 2 small gâteaux or 1 gâteau + 1 small loaf over
3 hours total preparation time, 25 to 30 mins cooking time

For the brioche dough:
250 g untreated strong plain flour (I used regular flour)
3 1/2 g salt
2 Tbs caster sugar
1 Tbs fresh yeast or 1 1/2 tsp (5 g) active dry yeast
3 ½ large eggs (approximately 200 g), preferable organic (the other half egg will be used for the glaze) *
150 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (cool room temperature)

For the crème/custard filling for 2 small gâteaux:
(half this recipe if making 1 small filled gâteau and 1 plain loaf as I did)
6 free-range egg yolks, preferably organic
60 g caster sugar
1 lemon, juice and zest (I omitted the lemon and used the seeds scraped from ¼ a vanilla bean + 1 Tbs rum or to taste)
250 ml crème fraîche (I used heavy cream)

For the glaze:
½ large egg, preferably organic *
10 g (¾ oz) butter, cut into cubes, optional (I omitted the butter)
1 Tbs or so nibbed or pearl sugar to decorate
1 Tbs or so slivered blanched almonds to decorate, optional

* to measure out half an egg, simply place one egg in a bowl on a digital scale and whisk the egg until blended. Weigh. Pour off half the egg into a small cup or recipient and reserve for the glaze. Add the remaining 3 whole eggs to the bowl with the remaining half an egg and whisk to blend before adding to the dry ingredients.

Prepare the brioche dough:

Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast (keeping the yeast away from the salt as it will attack it and damage its ability to ferment) in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs (* see note above) and mix with a dough hook attachment for 5 minutes on low speed until the eggs are completely incorporated (alternatively, place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together for 5 minutes).

Increase the speed of the beater or your stirring and beat for another 5 minutes until the dough comes away from the edge of the bowl. Add the cubes of butter a few cubes at a time and continue to beat for 2-3 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough smooth and creamy.

Remove the bowl from the machine if using. Cover with clingfilm or plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to prove. At the end of the hour, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and chill the dough for a further 1 hour; the dough will be easier to work with if chilled. Feel free to keep the dough in the refrigerator for more time if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).

Lightly flour a work surface and your hands. Take half of the brioche dough and gather it together with the palms of your hands to form a ball, then place it on a parchment-lined baking tray and flatten it slightly. Starting from the middle of the dough, gently press the dough flat and spread it out to form a circle to approximately 9 ½ inches (24 cm) in diameter, leaving a 1 inch (2 cm) edge or rim all around - this will create the rim of the tart. Be careful not to stretch the dough and try to keep the base even in thickness. Use the second half of the dough for a second gâteau or use it to make a small loaf.

Cover the prepared dough shapes with lightly greased plastic wrap (I buttered mine) and a clean kitchen towel and place the dough in the warm area for 25 minutes.

Prepare the cream custard filling:

Mix the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice together (or other flavoring) in a large mixing bowl and gradually mix in the crème fraîche (or heavy cream). Set aside.

Prepare the glaze and the cake:

Brush the rim of the gâteau with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the nibbed or pearl sugar and slivered almonds, if using. Prick the base of the dough evenly with a fork for even cooking and rising of the dough. Pour ½ of the crème mixture - ¼ of the mixture if making 2 cream-filled cakes and you have made the entire recipe - inside the rim of the dough of one gâteau, and dot with the butter if using. Pour in the other ½ or ¼ when the baking sheet is already in the oven, so you won't spill. (prepare the second one the same way) and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the brioche has risen and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, then serve.

If making the small braided brioche with half the dough, brush the braid with egg, sprinkle with nibbed or pearl sugar and slivered almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

NB: For this recipe you will need a food processor with a dough hook attachment. I used a hand mixer with dough attachments.

Read more »

CRANBERRY ORANGE PECAN MUFFINS

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The sky was dark and gloomy, the air was damp and raw, the streets were wet and sloppy. 

The smoke hung sluggishly above the chimney-tops as if it lacked the courage to rise, 

and the rain came slowly and doggedly down, 

as if it had not even the spirit to pour. 

– Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers 

While the wild, furious winter carpets the northeast with snow, as my distant friends awake to yet another morning of white silence, backyards and front stoops buried beneath glorious mounds of icy brilliance, I stand in the rain under gloomy, sluggish gray skies. Again. Not one to let that hamper my mood, I channel my inner housewife and decide that nothing sparks the baking flame like a rainy day.

Inner housewife aside, there is nothing that brings out the child in me quite like homebaked cranberry muffins. Delicate cakey muffins, just sweet enough (but not too much), dotted with deep garnet berries that burst on the tongue in a clap of fruity tartness much like the anticipated yet unexpected clap of thunder that shivers the skies. I pull out that long-ago recipe learned in the Girl Scouts or junior high Home Ec, a recipe that made me utterly once and for all fall in love with baking. And succeeded in mortifying me, making me feel completely incompetent. You see, a recipe perfectly executed under the watchful eye of teacher or Scout leader, a treat so perfect that I wanted nothing more than to rush home and duplicate the recipe for my family, somehow got flipped and shuffled around in my soft and tender young head once on my own. That original recipe, still stuck away somewhere among my youthful jottings, scratched down in my loopy grade school cursive, called for three tablespoons of Crisco. Yes, you see it coming, don’t you? By the time I gathered the ingredients and found a free afternoon to bake, in my eagerness and enthusiasm, overflowing with self-confidence, those three tablespoons became three cups.

 Years of Innocence

I pulled the tin from the oven and, much to my horror and dismay, discovered tiny muffin tops floating in a sea of grease. Alas. The experience dampened my enthusiasm, much like the weather that rages outside my windows. My brother – the brother with whom I spent Sunday afternoons pulling taffy across the kitchen expanse or pouring boiling sesame-studded caramel into parchment-lined pans for candy, the brother with whom I baked my first yeast breads - peered at the mess over my shoulder and comforted me in his own brotherly way. He told me not to give up, he urged me to just start the whole project over again.

Over the years, I have reconstructed the recipe, searched and adapted new recipes and developed the one I now make every single winter season, come rain or come shine. Oddly enough, this is one treat that all three of my men, each one more persnickety than the next, absolutely love. The tender cake is not too sweet, and this one I kicked up with the fragrance of winter’s orange. I added a handful or two of coarsely chopped pecans for the bite and doused the whole with a cinnamon-sugar topping just before sliding the tin into the oven. And once the scent of those homely, fabulous muffins fills the house, the men stop what they are doing and wander into the kitchen, expectations high. And we forget the rain and gloom, forget the endless chain of dreary days, forget the misery and boredom of being stuck inside the house, huddled together in front of the tv or laptops.

In the country, the rain would have developed a thousand fresh scents, 

and every drop would have had its bright association with some beautiful form of growth or life. 

In the city, it developed only foul stale smells, 

and was a sickly, lukewarm, dirt-stained, wretched addition to the gutters. 

– Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit 

CRANBERRY ORANGE PECAN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins

8 Tbs (115 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups (260 g) flour
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (125 ml) milk
1 ½ - 2 cups fresh cranberries, thawed if frozen
½ - 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Tbs sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon mixture for topping, optional

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers or grease them well.

Coarsely chop the pecans. Pick over the cranberries and discard any rotten berries; slice any large cranberries in half. Zest the orange.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Briefly beat or stir in the vanilla and the orange zest.

Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the dry ingredients into the creamed batter in 3 additions alternating with the milk added in 2: dry-wet-dry-wet-dry, beating briefly but well after each addition. Do not overbeat.

Using a large spatula, fold the cranberries and pecans into the batter until evenly distributed.

Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Don’t worry if they are mounded above the edge of the cups, this batter is firm enough that they will rise up and not spill over. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired.

Bake the muffins for 30 minutes until risen, the top golden; a tester inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. Remove from the oven and carefully lift each muffin out of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. (Use a small sharp knife or kabob spike to lift them up out of the tin so as to avoid burning fingers)

Read more »

CINNAMON SUGAR OR SOUR CHERRY JAM FANTANS

A BAKING BABE

A Babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on earth, a link between angels and man. 

– Martin Fraquhar Tupper 

Being called Honey or Babe incenses me. Unless it is my husband (although as we are not a nickname kind of family, his calling me Honey or Babe or the horrid French Cherie! would, if anything, make me laugh). Or a girlfriend. Sunshine I kind of like if it is said in a spirit of generosity. Being whistled at from a stranger comes close to falling into this same category of taking liberties, and well, if it is meant as a compliment I do believe that I would accept it gracefully. If done as one would whistle at a bad dog or monkeys at the zoo then, well, no thank you. I despise when my sons call me Dude instead of Mom, I’ve had male doctors actually pat me on the head and say “Don’t worry your little head with this, ma Kiki!” When my brother calls me Sis, I tend to shake at the knees, wondering what ultimate underlying intention is behind the outward affection. But what I love about nicknames, as normally averse as I am to them, as degrading and belittling as they can be if said by the wrong person or under the wrong circumstances, when inappropriate or said with a certain machismo, oozing insincerity, is the sense of inclusion they connote if said in just the right spirit by just the right person. I love the familiarity with which e-mails from a certain friend begin Good Morning, Hunny Bunny!; the intimacy inherent in the Bonjour, darling! from a male friend, much like an endearing bear hug; the sense of group and affection when referred to as Saucy by a special gang of gal pals. Jamela from two singular – and Jewish – girlfriends warms my heart the same way it always did whenever Dear Old Dad called me Bubbela.

So when I was recently called Babe by a group of friends and fellow bloggers, well knock me down with a feather I was absolutely thrilled! The Bread Baking Babes is, as the name implies, a group of a dozen passionate bakers dedicated to all things yeast. Each month a recipe is selected by the Host Kitchen of the Month (or shall we say Hostess?) and we bake along. The 16th of the month finds the recipe with the results on our blogs and then anyone is free to bake the same and earn the honor of being a Bread Baking Buddy, badge and all. I’ve been a Buddy a few times in the past – from the Pesto Parmesan Pine Nut Russian Rose Loaf to the Apple Kuchen, from the 5-Grain Bread with Walnuts to the Asparagus Bread and have loved baking with like-minded women, a virtual Koffee Klatch, sharing recipes, cups of coffee and gossip alongside the sharing of a great new recipe and baking tips.

So I am proud and honored to have been asked to join the group. And now you can call me Babe.

I don’t find offensive that I’m being labelled a Babe by blokes. 

I’m absolutely flattered. 

 – Kirsty Gallacher 

My fellow Babes:

Elle at Feeding My Enthusiasms (our Kitchen of the Month for January)

Ilva at Lucullian Delights

Karen at Bake My Day

Katie at Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire

Pat at Feeding My Enthusiams

Elizabeth at Blog From OUR Kitchen

Natashya at Living in the Kitchen With Puppies

Tanna at My Kitchen in Half Cups

Lien at Notitie Van Lien

Astrid at Paulchens Foodblog

Gretchen at Provecho Peru

This month Elle selected these fantastic Jam FanTan Rolls. It is a very long process what with all the waiting, but each step is a cinch and a pleasure, fast and easy. Worth the doing if you have all day and other chores to fill up the in-between time. I got the yeast starter going at about 8 a.m. or so, made coffee, had breakfast, walked Marty and began my day. At about 10:30 a.m. I warmed the milk, butter and maple syrup gently and measured out the flours. The house was soon permeated with the buttery warm scent of maple and nutmeg and I began feeling as if I was in a log cabin among the pines, gingham apron tied snuggly around my waist. I blended and kneaded, gently, gently, soft and tender for no more than three minutes then placed the dough in an oiled bowl and pushed it to the back of the counter for just about two hours. By 12:30, after a quiet lunch, the dough had risen and puffed and was so simple, pliant and supple, to roll to the desired squares. Slathered thickly with sweet melted butter, dusted generously with cinnamon sugar or brushed with oodles of your favorite jam, sliced, stacked and nestled into muffin cups then elegantly (or messily) fanned out, the rolls are once again left to puff and rise, growing all out of proportion as if puffed up on compliments, rising to except the applause and then bowing ever so gracefully. Well, a tad bit more pompous than gracious, but so very well done! By 3 o’clock these babies, already threatening to tumble out of the muffin tins, attempting to slither out and about the kitchen, were slid into the hot oven. And were ready to serve for our traditional Quatre-Heure – the 4 o’clock snack.

Light, airy and delicate, the layers of each elephantine roll pull apart revealing a tender – a little bit fluffy, a little bit chewy, just right - texture infused with the flavors of whatever one chooses to brush onto the dough. One can add a glaze atop each roll much like a cinnamon bun but really wouldn’t it be overkill? Husband and I each grab a Fantan or two, a cup of steaming milky coffee and settle down for the perfect snack; the simplicity of the not-too-sweet buns are just what we need to comfort and relax as we watch the pewter skies threaten snow, as we see the misty whiteness of the air through our windows.

I would like to share these Cinnamon Sugar & Jam Fantan Rolls with Susan of Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting!

I also would like to share the great news that Life’s a Feast is now catalogued on the wonderful Eat Your Books website. Eat Your Books is like a large library devoted to food where thousands of cookbooks, cooking magazines and now select food blogs have been indexed by recipe. You will now be able to find a recipe in seconds, create your own bookshelf and join a forum where you can discuss, search and research.

SWEET CINNAMON-SUGAR or JAM FANTAN ROLLS

Makes 12

You will need a standard 12-cup muffin tin, buttered.

3-4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (I measure 135 g per cup)
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 package (8 g) of active dry yeast yeast mixed with ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water + ½ cup (67/68 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup non fat evaporated milk (see note*)
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla

3 - 4 Tbs (45 – 60 g) unsalted butter, just melted
2/3 cup marmalade (about), warmed (see note**)

* I used ½ cup (125 ml) lowfat milk + ½ cup (125 ml) 0% fat fromage frais or fromage blanc; others have used half milk/half plain yogurt

** I used 3 rounded tablespoons of sour cherry jam for 6 of the Fantans and about 3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for every 2 tablespoons granulated sugar) for the remaining 6 Fantans.

Prepare the yeast starter by blending the active dry yeast with the ¼ cup of warm water and ½ cup flour. Allow to activate for anywhere from 2 hours to 24 hours (I let mine sit for 2 hours; other Baking Babes have had successes with various times)

Preparation:
Sift 1 cup (135 g) of the all-purpose flour, the 1 cup (135 g) of whole wheat bread flour, salt, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Place evaporated milk (or milk + fromage frais/yogurt), butter and maple syrup into a saucepan and heat until butter is nearly melted. Remove from heat. Stir a few minutes until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is cooled to tepid. 110° F / 45° C.

Add the frothy yeast mixture to the tepid milk mixture, then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture in a large mixing bowl; beat or whisk well to blend. Add the egg and vanilla; stir until blended. Add 1 ½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour, stir until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, rather sticky dough; the rest of the flour use for keeping the work surface floured while kneading.

Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured surface. Knead 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and silky. (Add the additional flour while kneading, but only enough to keep it from sticking.) Place the dough in a cleaned oiled bowl, turn dough to lightly coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Butter the 12 cups of a regular/standard muffin tin.

Dust your work surface with flour. Punch down the dough then halve it. Wrap one half in the plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the other half into a 12×12-inch (30.5×30.5 cm) square. You may have to roll slightly larger, and then trim the ends to even out the square. Brush dough with half the melted butter. Spread the surface of the dough with about 1/2 the warmed marmalade. Cut into 6 equal strips then stack the strips on top of each other. Cut through the layers into 6 equal pieces - you will now have 2-inch squares of dough stacked 6 high. Carefully place each set of squares into a buttered muffin cup, standing up so the layers are visible. Gently fan them open. Each will have six dough pieces with marmalade or other filling in between. Repeat with the remaining dough and the rest of the marmalade for the other six cups of the muffin tin. Make sure the 6 layers of dough are not sticking together.

Cover the tins with a piece of plastic wrap and then a clean tea/kitchen towel and let the rolls rise in a draft free spot at warm room temperature until the dough doubles, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.

With Cinnamon Sugar

With Sour Cherry Jam

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Place the rack in the middle of the oven.

Remove the towel and the plastic wrap and bake the rolls in the preheated oven until they are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch the Fantans carefully for the last 10 minutes – the high sugar content in the jam can easily and quickly burn.

Remove from the oven to a cooking rack and cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove the Fantans from the muffin tin and transfer to the cooling rack and allow to cool before serving. If desired, drizzle a glaze of 1 teaspoon milk whisked together with enough confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) to make a drizzle that is not too runny. Let dry before serving the rolls.

 With Cinnamon Sugar

With Sour Cherry Jam

Read more »