GEVULDE SPECULAAS - My first Daring Bakers Challenge

I've been looking at joining Daring Bakers for a while. Only kept putting it off since, I didn't think I'll be able to commit to the process of baking, recording and posting with any regularity. (Which is obvious to anyone who looks at my blog!)

This year I just decided to take the plunge. And my first challenge (and this year's) was to make Gevulde Speculaas. The recipe was put forward by  Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij.

I've followed Francijn recipe to the letter and gives a nice history of these Dutch cookies. I've as usual been remiss in taking a picture of the first batch which I made as individual cookies and had to make it once more. I used lime juice for the almond paste. I did wonder if the cookies might be too 'cinnamon-y' but spice blend was well-balanced and created a delightful melange of aromas. The lime-y almond filling added a tanginess and seemed to hold the cookie together. The only think I didn't expect was the ultra-flakiness of the cookies. 

The first batch - diamond shaped individual cookies

My second batch - so flaky couldn't cut through it without crumbling.

Thank you Francijn, I'm looking forward to my next challenge!!!

Orange-Almond Cake

Every bite of pound cake would take me back to the times when our shopping cart was incomplete without a Sara Lee pound cake and a pack of Swiss Rolls......a long time ago. When I started baking, I'd begun with the basic idea that equal parts of flour, sugar, butter and eggs would give a cake (literal pound cake definition).

I've been modifying my basic pound cake to, well.... you know, spare myself those additional pounds. The cake remains dense, soft, moist and lip-smacking (without leaving a layer of grease on those lips!!). Its all about substitutions.

 Orange Almond not-so-Pound Cake Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 200 gms
Almond meal - 50 grams (ground almonds)
Butter - 50 gms
Sugar - 150 gms
Eggs - 2
Yogurt - 150 gms
Orange rind - 1 Tbsp
Orange juice - 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Slivered Almonds - 1/4 cup (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Grease, flour and line an 8" x 4" loaf pan or a 8" x 8" brownie pan. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one-by-one and beat till incorporated. Add orange zest and juice. Add yogurt. The batter will seem curdled, but that's okay. Stir the flour and almond meal and add in batches to the batter. The batter will look smooth, except for the bits of almonds that escaped getting finely ground.

Pour into prepared container and tap well to remove trapped air bubbles. Sprinkle the top with slivered almonds and bake covered for 15 minutes and uncovered till the cake passes the toothpick test. Remove and transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature. Serve warm as is or with ice cream.