Marble Spice Cake

It may be a bit surprising to learn that marble cakes have been around since the Victorian era when embellishment was the order of the day. Along with checkerboard cakes, they have great visual appeal and present a contrast of flavors all in one cake. There's nothing terribly complex about making them. It’s easy to achieve the marble effect by mixing a neutral cake batter, adding another contrasting ingredient like chocolate to a portion of it and then layering and streaking the batter before baking.

This Marble Spice Cake harkens back to the late 1800s in America when the marbling was usually accomplished by flavoring some of the cake batter with molasses and spice. Since I love to work with spice, I always welcome the chance to include a good blend in my recipes. I also like the interest that just a little bit of molasses brings to the whole flavor profile. To finish the cake, I decided to garnish it with a nut streusel sprinkled along the perimeter just to add a bit more flavor and texture contrast.

I’d put this cake in a category of pastries that would make a nice choice for a brunch table or whenever a simple old fashioned cake is desired. It's certainly not frilly but serves as a delicious reminder that some of the best pastries can be made with just a few basic ingredients and minimal effort and flair.


Bench notes:
- To toast the walnuts, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They should brown slightly and give off a slight toasty aroma. Set aside to cool.
- Pecans would make a nice substitution.
- Cake flour is made from softer wheat and has about 6% - 8% protein, which produces a more tender texture. All-purpose flour has a 10-12% protein content. You can make your own cake flour with this method: 1 cup sifted cake flour can be substituted with 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- I used a large ice cream scoop to portion the cake in the pan.
- Once the batter is in the prepared cake pan, make just a few swirls with a knife for a marble effect. It’s easy to overdo this and blend too much of the batter.
- This cake would also make a nice dessert served with a good vanilla ice cream.

Marble Spice Cake
Makes one 8” cake

1/4 C walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 C dark brown sugar
1 T flour
1 T butter

1 1/2 C cake flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
4 oz (1 stick; 8 T) butter @ room temperature
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C dark brown sugar
2 eggs @ room temperature
1/2 C milk @ room temperature
1 t vanilla

scant 1/2 t cinnamon
scant 1/2 t cardamom
1/4 t allspice
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 T molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8” cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

For the walnut topping, place the toasted and finely chopped walnuts in a bowl. Add the dark brown sugar and flour and toss together. Cut the butter into small pieces and add. Using your fingertips, pinch and press the butter into the nut mixture until it clumps together in small and medium sized bits. Set aside.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Combine the milk and vanilla.

Cream the butter and sugars until smooth and light, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next.

Scrape down the bowl and add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the batter alternately in 3 parts, starting and ending with flour. Beat on medium low speed until smooth.

Pour half the batter into a separate bowl and stir in spices and molasses. Scoop portions of the plain batter in the prepared cake pan leaving gaps to fill in with the spice batter. Take a knife and swirl a few figure 8s through the batter. Sprinkle the walnut topping around the border.

Bake for about 28 – 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert the cake. Remove the parchment and invert the cake right side up. Cool completely.

Baked Lemon Ricotta Doughnuts

As we enter the beauty of spring, there are certain pastry ingredients that for me are iconic of the season. Lemon is certainly one of them and ricotta seems to belong there as well. Along with all the fruit that’s about to arrive, lemon just really evokes the desserts I gravitate toward at this time of year.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been getting back into playing with yeast and this recipe looked like something fun to do for a spring table. These are yeast doughnuts that have a simple lemon ricotta filling just sweet enough to make the pastry special. The other thing that distinguishes these doughnuts is that they are baked rather than fried. They are nevertheless puffy, delicious, much lighter than expected and very tender. And they certainly make spring all the brighter.

Preparing these little pastries does require some planning. There are two proofing sessions but once they have properly risen, they bake off in just 10 - 12 minutes. A roll in some melted butter and the sprightly mix of sugar and lemon zest complete the package. Great rustic textures and flavors for these long sunny days.


Bench notes:
- You’ll need a total of 4 lemons for all three elements: the dough, ricotta filling and the lemon sugar.
- I always mix yeast doughs by hand but I've provided the recipe directions for mixing in a stand mixer.
- To test if your yeast dough has proofed long enough in the first rise, gently press two fingertips about 1/2" into the dough. The indentations should remain or only come back out minimally and very slowly. For more yeast troubleshooting, see the Red Star guide. Check out the entire site. Lots and lots of clear information there about working with yeast.
- The recipe says to mix the ricotta filling in a food processor but I think mixing it by hand just enough to combine the ingredients results in a less runny filling in addition to chilling it thoroughly.
- I used a small truffle scoop to portion the filling. It’s tempting to portion more than recommended but try to stick to a heaping teaspoon or the ricotta will seep out as you try to seal them.
- I used a brush to coat the doughnuts in warm butter and then rolled them in the lemon sugar.
- I served the doughnuts with fresh raspberries macerated in a bit of sugar.


Baked Lemon Ricotta Doughnuts
adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller
Serves 12 (24 doughnuts)

Yeast Dough

5 C flour + extra for dusting
1/2 C + 3 T sugar
1 pkg yeast
zest of 2 lemons
1 C lukewarm whole milk + extra for brushing
1/3 C buttermilk @ room temperature
2 eggs @ room temperature
1 oz (2 T) butter, melted

Lemon Ricotta Filling

8 oz ricotta
1/4 C sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 large egg

Finishing

4 oz (8 T) butter
1 C sugar
finely grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons

Prepare one large or two medium sized baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Combine flour, sugar, yeast and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix to combine. Whisk together warm milk, room temperature buttermilk and eggs and the melted butter. With the mixer running, add the liquids to the flour mixture, then mix on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic (about 4-5 minutes). Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1 – 1 1/2 hours).

For the lemon ricotta filling, whisk together ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg just until smooth. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour.

Gently punch down the dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a very thin sheet (5mm thickness). Cut out 48 rounds using a 3” cutter. Place a heaping teaspoon of lemon ricotta filling in center of 24 rounds. Brush edges with milk, cover with the remaining rounds and press firmly to seal the edges. Transfer to baking sheet(s), cover and stand in a warm place for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the finishing garnish, melt the 4 oz of butter and set aside. For the lemon sugar, place the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl of a food processor and pulse until the sugar is aromatic. Pour into a bowl and fluff with a fork or a whisk.

Bake the doughnuts 10 – 12 minutes until the bottoms are golden.

Dip hot doughnuts immediately in the melted butter and then toss in lemon sugar. Serve warm.

Peanut Cookie Brittle

You’ve probably eaten scads of peanut butter cookies in your time. Peanut butter is such an American staple and when it comes to cookies, from school cafeterias to coffee shops to our own kitchens, we’ve all had our fair share of those crispy sandy cookies with the identifying crosshatch on top.

This is a great little cookie from Maida Heatter, one of our most beloved pastry cookbook authors and member of the James Beard Foundation Hall of Fame. These are not made with peanut butter but rather just four simple ingredients that bake into plain crispy, crumbly, buttery cookies riddled with roasted salted peanuts. They are simply addictive due to their simplicity of flavor and wonderful brittle texture.

This is probably one of the easiest cookies you’ll ever make. Cream some butter and sugar, add some flour and chopped peanuts. Press the dough into a flat sheet on a pan and bake. No rolling or cutting or piping or chilling. By the time you’ve cleaned up your kitchen, they’re done. Presto!



Bench notes:
- It's important to note that Maida Heatter sifts her flour and then measures.
- To enhance their deliciousness, add 1/2 t – 3/4 t salt, a teaspoon of vanilla or a pinch of chile powder. Or substitute honey roasted peanuts and sprinkle salt on the top.
- Although the recipe recommends using an ungreased pan, I used parchment with a bit of an overhang to make it easy to remove.
- If you don’t have the right size pan, use a baking sheet and just pat the dough out to the correct proportions, shoring up the edges so they don’t burn. The cookie puffs up a bit but does not spread much, so it works fine.
- Cut these while still warm using a sharp chef’s knife. Or you can just cool completely and break into pieces like peanut brittle. Store in an airtight container.



Peanut Brittle Bars
adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen pieces

8 oz (2 sticks) butter @ room temperature
1 C sugar
2 C sifted flour
1 cup roasted and salted peanuts, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coarsely chop peanuts and divide into two 1/2 cup portions.

Cream butter and sugar until light, about 2 –3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Lower speed and gradually add flour. When just about fully combined, stir in 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts and mix.

Turn the dough onto an ungreased 15” x 10” jellyroll pan [I used parchment]. Lightly flour your fingertips and press out the dough into a thin layer. Sprinkle remaining peanuts onto the dough and press to secure. If necessary, cover with a piece of wax paper or parchment and use a rolling pin to press the peanuts into the dough.

Bake for 23 - 25 minutes until golden brown, rotating the sheet about halfway through. Cool cookies in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove to a flat surface and slice into portions.

Walnut Maple Cake

Every year at this time we hear about the annual harvesting of maple syrup. Beginning in late February and lasting through early April, maple trees in the region of Vermont and Quebec are tapped for the gooey sap that will be boiled down to become maple syrup. Production dates back centuries, believed to have been initiated by Native Americans.

It should be noted that pancake syrup is not maple syrup. The differences are significant. Maple syrup is a natural product and the highest quality can only come from the evaporation of pure maple sap. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup, so it is a precious labor, indeed. Pancake syrup is a manufactured product that consists mainly of thick high fructose corn syrup and other additives to replicate the flavor of maple.

In the U.S., Grade A Light Amber Fancy is the lightest syrup and is what comes first in the tapping process. It has the most delicate flavor and costs the most. Then comes Medium Amber Grade A, Dark Amber Grade A and Dark Amber Grade B. The darker the syrup, the deeper the flavor. Maple syrup coming from Vermont will also have Vermont listed as part of the grade designation.

This Walnut Maple Cake is made with butter and the subtle flavor of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. It has a soft and tender crumb. The topping is made of toasted walnuts bathed in a butter maple glaze. It’s a nice little snack cake to have when you’re in the mood for a simple treat. Enjoy this season of maple!


Bench notes:
- You'll need 1 cup or about 4 oz of walnuts for the cake and the topping.
- To toast walnuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. They should be slightly fragrant.
- A substitution for the buttermilk is 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Let it stand for about 5 minutes.
- I use a stand mixer and mix only until the batter is almost thoroughly blended with just a bit of flour still showing. Then I take if off the mixer and finish mixing by hand using a rubber spatula. This helps to avoid over-mixing.
- This bakes into a short cake, about 1 1/2” high.
- I haven’t tried it but I think this would also be very good with toasted pecans.


Walnut Maple Cake
Serves 9 - 12

1 1/4 C flour
1/4 C (about 1 oz) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
heaping 1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
4 oz butter @ room temperature
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C dark brown sugar
2 eggs @ room temperature
1/2 C buttermilk @ room temperature
1 t vanilla
zest of half an orange

Walnut Maple Glaze

1 1/2 T butter
3 T maple syrup
1 1/2 T milk
1/2 C confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 t rum (optional)
pinch of salt, to taste
3/4 C (about 3 oz) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9” x 9” square cake pan with a light coating of oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.

Place flour and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground. Pour into a clean bowl and whisk together with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly and scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Combine the buttermilk, vanilla and orange zest.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until mostly blended, then take off the mixer and finish mixing with a rubber spatula.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.

For the glaze, melt the butter in a saucepan with the maple syrup over medium low heat, whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble up. Add the milk and confectioner’s sugar and whisk to blend. Cook for just about a minute and take off the heat. Add a pinch of salt, to taste, and the rum, if using. Stir in the chopped walnuts and toss to coat. Pour the warm mixture over the cake and spread evenly. When the glaze has set, gently lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment handles to assist in removing. Cool the cake completely.

Coffee Walnut Cookies

Crisp. Buttery. A distinctive shot of the best and brightest coffee. The richness of walnuts. All of these favorite things co-mingle deliciously in this fabulous cookie from Alice Medrich.

This is an adult cookie. In addition to the usual flour, sugar, butter and salt, there’s a bold level of coffee and a splash of brandy in the mix. It’s rich with all of these elements in perfect balance. Packed with flavor and texture, it’s all there in wonderful detail in every bite.

The cookie dough comes together in the bowl of a food processor, which means it can be assembled without much time or forethought if you have all the ingredients. The nuts are finely ground with the flour, so you’re biting into a very smooth and delicate crumbly texture. And, as we all know, it’s all about the crumbs, the ultimate cookie achievement.

Don’t you find it just a little bit difficult when you see a recipe that informs you that the cake or the cookie or whatever tastes better the next day? This is true for pastries that have a complex flavor profile with spices or strong flavors like coffee. When they are allowed to ripen and settle in over a day, the flavor does improve. This is one of those recipes so it bears repeating. Taste a couple of them and, if you can, store the remainder in an airtight container and enjoy them the next day. You may have to hide the cookie box. Good luck.

This is every bit a recipe to stash in your cookie file for those times when you need a gift or something to go with a hot beverage, when only a good cookie will do.

Bench notes:
- Alice Medrich bakes these cookies on ungreased baking sheets for better browning. She suggests foil if you want to prepare the sheets. I used parchment.
- Do be sure to garnish each cookie with a coffee bean. They bake into crunchy coffee flavor blasts.
- The cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
- If the dough begins to crumble at all when slicing into cookies, let it soften for a few minutes.
- I haven’t tried this with other nuts but I think almonds or hazelnuts would work nicely.
- The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for at least a month.

Coffee Walnut Cookies
adapted from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich
Makes about 45 2” cookies

2 C flour
1 C walnuts
3/4 C sugar
1/4 t salt
2 t fresh finely ground medium-roast (not espresso-roast) coffee beans
7 oz (14 T) cold butter
1 T + 1 t brandy
1 1/2 t vanilla
45 whole coffee beans for garnish

Place the flour, walnuts, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the ground coffee and process to combine thoroughly.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture looks damp and crumbly. Add the brandy and vanilla and pulse until the dough begins to clump up around the blade. Remove the dough and gather the clumps into a ball. Form the dough into a 12” log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the dough into 1/4” slices and place 1” apart on baking sheets. Press a coffee bean into the center of each cookie.

Bake until light golden brown at the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking process, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Place on a cooling rack, letting the cookies firm up before removing. Cool completely.

Yogurt Mousse with Hibiscus Berry Gelée

The winter’s earth tones of chocolate, caramel and nuts are supremely delicious but every year right about this time I feel the urge for a splash of color. My calendar tells me that the first day of spring is March 20, so there is definitely something in the air. And as the new season approaches, it’s exciting to anticipate the bright palette of fresh strawberries, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, figs and plums. So, in search of that brilliant spectrum, I bought some berries to brighten our table.

I love the lightness of yogurt mousse in combination with a cool gelée. This particular colorful mix incorporates the natural deep red hue of hibiscus flowers, also known as flor de Jamaica, to make a strong sweet tea. Then I just toss in a few raspberries and blackberries to brighten the flavor, add to the texture and deepen the color. In combination with a creamy mousse, it's a good way to transition to the longer and brighter days ahead. Incredibly simple to put together, it delivers a good dose of sunshine as the last days of winter fall away.

Here’s to the rapid approach of a gorgeous and fruitful spring!!

Bench notes:
- The hibiscus tea needs to be pretty sweet to counteract the tartness of the berries.
- When blooming gelatin, sprinkle the gelatin powder slowly into cold water rather than pouring water onto powdered gelatin, which causes the gelatin to form clumps that will not dissolve and will ruin the texture of the final product. Once you’ve added the gelatin to the water, do not stir. The gelatin and water mixture will turn opaque and look sort of like applesauce. When ready to proceed with incorporating it into the recipe, heat gently to liquefy so it can be combined smoothly and thoroughly with the dessert mixture. So it goes like this: gelatin powder sprinkled slowly into cold water becomes gel and then is transformed into liquid and combined with the ingredients, which are then chilled to set up.
- I don't recommend liquefying bloomed gelatin in a microwave because it will have a tendency to boil, which ruins it.
- To avoid splashing or spilling, I use a large glass measuring cup to pour the hibiscus gelée into the glasses.
- When you add the berries to the gelée, nudge them with your fingertip so they’ll submerge.
- Substitute your favorite colorful juice or tea for the hibiscus, such as rooibos tea or pomegranate juice. As always, adjust sugar to taste.



Yogurt Mousse with Hibiscus Berry Gelée
Serves 4 - 6

Yogurt Mousse

2 T cold water
1 1/2 t gelatin
2 C (16 oz) plain yogurt
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice, to taste
1 C heavy cream

Hibiscus Gelée

3 T hibiscus tea leaves
2 C boiling water
1/4 C sugar
2 T honey
1/2 t lemon juice
1 3” strip of orange peel
2 T cold water
1 1/2 t gelatin

6 oz package of raspberries or blackberries or a mixture of the two

For the Yogurt Mousse, bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it into a small cup containing 2 tablespoons of cold water. Do not stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the water fully absorbs the powder.

Whisk together the yogurt and sugar. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and combine thoroughly.
Whip the heavy cream just to a very soft peak.
Liquefy the gelatin by placing the bottom of the cup in a small saucepan with about an inch of simmering water.
Add the liquefied gelatin to the yogurt mixture and blend thoroughly.
Fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into 4 – 6 serving glasses or cups.
Chill for about 2 hours.

When the Yogurt Mousse has set up, begin the preparation of the Hibiscus Gelée.

Place the hibiscus tea leaves in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the tea. Add the sugar, honey, lemon juice and orange peel and steep for 20 minutes. Strain into a clean bowl.

Place 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small dish. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom. Liquefy the gelatin by placing the bottom of the cup in a small saucepan with about an inch of simmering water. Add the liquefied gelatin to the hibiscus tea and whisk thoroughly. Pour onto the set Yogurt Mousse and distribute the berries in each serving. Refrigerate about 2 - 3 hours or until set.