Marble Molasses Cake

When I was a child, I was always amazed by the fanciful swirls of marble cakes. To me, it was the work of a kitchen magician. Marble cakes may look complicated, but the truth is, they're so easy to whip up. Once the batter is made, it is divided in half, then the dark ingredient is added to one half. The marbling is created by placing the light and dark batters alternately in a loaf pan and then running a knife through the two batters to create these swirls.

I always used chocolate to create the contrasting marble effect, this time I wanted to try molasses. In Lebanon, we used to mix grape or carob molasses with tahini and eat it with Lebanese bread. We used to dip small pieces of bread and eat it for breakfast, sometimes as a snack.

For this recipe, I used organic unsulphured molasses which I think has the best flavor, because it's made from sun-ripened cane which has grown 12 to 15 months. And though molasses is derived from boiling sugar cane when it is processed into sugar, it's not very sweet, but it has a strong bitter flavor. To sum up, the cake was moist, interesting and easy to put together. Perfect with a cup of cold milk. 

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons molasses or pure cane syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Generously grease a loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork to mix.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until the mixture is light, fluffy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately starting and ending with the flour, beating at low speed after each addition.

Scoop out one third of the batter into a medium bowl, and add the molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Add both batters to the pan, a few tablespoonfuls at a time, alternating between the plain and spiced batters. Run a knife through the batter to swirl the batters together.

Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 1 hour, until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cake marbré à la mélasse

Ingrédients:
220 g de farine
1 sachet de levure chimique
1/4 càc de sel
113 g de beurre, ramolli
225 g de sucre
2 œufs, légèrement battus
155 ml de lait
3 càs de mélasse de canne à sucre
1 càc de cannelle
1/2 càc de noix de muscade rapé
1/2 càc de clou de girofle moulu

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC. Beurrez un moule à cake et chemisez-le de papier sulfurisé.

Tamisez la farine dans un grand bol, ajoutez la levure chimique, et le sel. Mélangez à l'aide d'une fourchette.

Dans un grand bol, battez à l'aide d'un batteur éléctrique le beurre jusqu'à ce qu'il soit léger. Ajoutez le sucre, et battez pour mélangez. Ajoutez les œufs et battez 1 à 2 mn, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit lisse et homogène.

Ajoutez la farine et le lait alternativement en commençant et en terminant avec la farine, battant après chaque ajoût.

Versez un tiers de la préparation dans un bol, et ajoutez la mélasse et les épices. Mélangez bien.

Ajoutez les 2 préparations dans le moule, en alternant une cuillère a soupe de chaque préparation. Passez la pointe du couteau dans la diagonale pour donner l'effet marbré.

Enfournez à 180ºC environ 1 heure, jusqu'à ce que le cake soit doré et qu'un cure-dent inséré en ressorte propre.

Source: Adapted from Baking and Books

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Brownie Puddle Tart

Brownies appear in many guises ans shapes; they can be made with nuts or without, swirled with cream cheese, they can be plump and gooey, cakey or fudgy... or just plain chocolate in a million variations. But the most important aspect of a brownie, for anyone who loves brownies, is texture.

This brownie tart has a moist, intensely chocolaty interior, with a beautiful fudgy texture. The intensely chocolate interior is achieved by the use of pieces of chocolate and cocoa powder. 

The chopped pecans add crunch, density and a delicious flavor to the brownie. Toasting the pecans bring out their rich flavor. But the most beautiful part of this tart is the addition of polka dots of ganache. Those cute little holes filled with a creamy ganache give the brownie its perfect denseness.  

Ingredients:
1 cup (113 g) pecan pieces or coarsely chopped pecans
7 oz (200 g) unsalted butter
3 oz (85 g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably fine quality around 62%
½ cup + 2 tsp (50 g) unsweetened cocoa (preferably fine quality Dutch-processed)
1 cup + 3 tbsp (238 g) sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 oz (85 g) cream cheese
½ cup (70 g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Ganache Puddle: 
2 oz (55 g) coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup (77 g) heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC).
Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mn or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

In a double boiler over hot water, melt the butter and chocolate.
Beat in the cocoa, then the sugar, beating until it is incorporated. (If you are doing this by hand, use a whisk.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When incorporated, beat in the cream cheese.

Add the flour and salt and mix only until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in the nuts; scrape the batter into the greased tart pan with removable bottom, and spread it evenly.

Bake for 30 to 35 mn or until the batter has set. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Prepare the puddle: 
Melt the chocolate in a microwave, using 15 seconds bursts on high power and stirring several times, or in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and dark.

As soon as the brownie is removed from the oven, grease the end of a wooden spoon and insert it into the brownie, at 1-inch intervals, all the way to the bottom, twisting slightly as you insert and withdraw it, to create 23 to 28 little holes.

Using a small spoon fill the holes until slightly rounded. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. The chocolate puddles will sink in as it cools and more ganache can be added.

 

Tarte au brownie

Ingrédients:
113 g de noix de pécan grossièrement hachés
200 g de beurre
85 g de chocolat de bonne qualité (62% cacao)
50 g cacao
240 g de sucre
3 œufs
2 càc d'extrait de vanille
85 g de carré frais
70 g de farie
pincée de sel

Ganache: 

55 g de chocolat noir coupé en morceaux
77 g de crème fraîche épaisse

Préchauffez le four à 165ºC. Placez les noix de pécan sur une plaque à pâtisserie et faites-les griller, en remuant de temps en temps, pendant environ 10 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient légèrement dorées. Laissez-les refroidir complètement.
Faites fondre le beurre et le chocolat dans un bain-marie.
Puis ajoutez le cacao, le sucre, en battant jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient incorporés. (Si vous faites cela à la main, utilisez un fouet.) Ajoutez les oeufs et la vanille. Une fois incorporés, ajoutez le carré frais et mélangez.
Ajoutez la farine et le sel et mélangez jusqu'à ce que la farine soit complètement incorporée. Incorporez les noix. Beurrez un moule à tarte à fond amovible et versez-y la préparation.
Faites cuire 30 à 35 mn. Un cure-dent inséré doit ressortir propre. 

Préparer la ganache: Faites fondre le chocolat au micro-ondes, ou dans un bain-marie chaud en remuant de temps en temps. Ajoutez la crème et remuez doucement jusqu'à ce que la préparation soit lisse.
Faites sortir le brownie du four. Faites des trous dans le gateau avec un manche de cuillère en bois, à des intervalles de 3 cm. Faites 23 à 28 petits trous.
Avec une petite cuillère remplissez les trous avec la ganache. Placez le moule sur une grille et laissez le refroidir complètement. En refroidissant, la ganache va couler et donc vous pouvez continuer à remplir les trous avec plus de ganache.

   
Source: Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum

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Chicken with 40 garlic cloves

Don't be alarmed by the copious amount of garlic used in this dish, the garlic cloves when gently sweated in olive oil, morph into sweet nutty morsels with a deceptively mellow flavor.

Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic is a traditional French bistro dish. There are numerous recipes for this chicken and garlic dish, some are utterly simple, others are really time consuming. Different herbs can be used, sometimes the chicken is whole and sometimes cut into pieces, but the number of the garlic cloves is always constant!

It’s definitely one of my favorite dishes as the sauce is just fantastic, packed of flavor, and for a garlic lover it is just perfect. 

  

Ingredients (serves 8):  
2 chickens, each 4 lb., cut into 8 serving pieces 
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil  
40 garlic cloves, peeled 
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary 
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme  
zest of 2 lemons 
1/4 cup white wine 
3/4 cup chicken stock  
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces 

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200ºC).

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a wide Dutch oven pan, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chicken, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest and stir to combine. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Baste the chicken with the accumulated juices. Continue roasting, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a platter; leave the garlic in the pan. Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil.

Set the pan over medium heat and mash the garlic with the back of a spoon. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the sauce to a sauceboat. Serve the chicken immediately and pass the sauce alongside. 

  

Poulet aux 40 gousses d'ail

Ingrédients (8 personnes):
2 poulets, d'un kilo 1/2 chacun, coupés en 8 morceaux
sel et poivre noir selon goût
3 càs d'huile d'olive
40 gousses d'ail, pelées
1 càs de thym haché
1 càs de romarin haché
zeste de 2 citrons
60 ml vin blanc sec
180 ml de bouillon de poulet
40 g de beurre à températue ambiante, coupé en morceaux

Préchauffez le four à 200ºC.

Assaisonnez les morceaux de poulet de sel et de poivre. Faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une cocotte allant au four  et faites dorer les morceaux de poulet, 2 à 3 mn de chaque côté. Réservez.

Dans la même cocotte, ajoutez les gousses d'ail et faites cuire 1 mn en remuant. Hors feu, ajoutez les morceaux de poulet, le romarin, le thym et le zeste de citron. Mélangez. Couvrez la cocotte et enfournez pour 20 mn. Arrosez le poulet avec les jus accumulés et continuez la cuisson à découvert, jusquà ce que le poulet soit cuit, environ 30 mn de plus.

Transférez les morceaux de poulet sans les gousses d'ail dans un plat, et couvrez de papier aluminium.

À feu moyen, placez la cocotte et écrasez les gousses d'ail avec le dos d'une cuillère. Versez le vin blanc, et laissez mijoter 3 mn. Ajoutez le bouillon et remuer jusqu'à épaississement de la sauce, environ 5 mn. Ajoutez les morceaux de beurre. Assaisonnez, si nécessaire. Servez le poulet avec la sauce.

Source: Adapated from William Sonoma

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Samkeh harra or spicy fish - another version

You'll see many different versions of this across the Middle East. I have already posted a recipe about Samkeh harra a while ago, a recipe I took from my mom, and the only recipe I've known, because it was the only version my mother made. Today, I'll post about another version of Samkeh harra, this version I took from a friend of mine. Actually, the first time I ate it, it was during my last trip to Lebanon, a few months ago, my friend invited me over for lunch, she got married recently and was trying to improve her cooking skills! I confess she was a bit stressed, she maybe haven't fried an egg in her whole life!!

She told me that there will be samkeh harra for lunch. I was happy cause I love this dish, but I wasn't expecting such a great recipe. I loved the addition of tomatoes, peppers and onions to this dish, it gave so much flavor.  At the end, she was too kind to share her special recipe!!

Ingredients (serves 4): 1 kg white fish fillet - 1 onion, sliced - 2 small tomatoes, sliced - 1 bell pepper, sliced - 4 tbsp chopped coriander - 4 garlic cloves, pounded - 1/4 tsp white pepper - 1 tsp ground allspice - 1 tsp hot pepper - 4 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) - 4 tbsp lemon juice - 4 tbsp water - salt - 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted - 2 tbsp olive oil

Cook the fish, either grill it or steam it.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil, add onions and stir-fry until lightly browned.
Add the bell pepper and stir-fry until tender, about 5 mn. Add the spices.

Pound the garlic with the coriander in a mortar, and add them to the pan.
Add the tomato rings and cook for about 10 mn until the sauce forms.

In a separate bowl, mix the sauce ingredients: the tahini, the lemon juice and the water. Mix well and add to the vegetables, right before serving. Add the toasted pine nuts.

In a serving plate, place the flaked white hot fish, then add the sauce mixture.



Poisson épicé ou samkeh harra

Ingrédients (4 personnes): 1 kg de fillets à chair blanche - 1 oignon, coupé en lamelles - 2 petites tomates, coupées en lamelles - 1 poivron, coupé el lamelles - 25 g de coriandre hachée - 4 gousses d'ail pilées - 1/4 càc de poivre blanc - 1 càc de quatre-épices - 1 càc de piment - 4 càs de tahini (crème de sesame) - 4 càs de jus de itron - 4 càs d'eau - sel - 2 càs de pignons de pin, grillés - 2 càs d'huile d'olive

Faites cuire les fillets de poisson. Vous pouvez les griller ou les cuire à la vapeur.

Dans une grande poêle, faites chauffer l'huile d'olive et faites revenir les oignons jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient tendres.
Ajoutez le poivron, et laissez cuire 5 mn, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit tendre. Ajoutez les épices.

Pilez les gousses d'ail avec la coriandre hachée dans un mortier. Puis ajoutez-les à la poêle.
Ajoutez les lamelles de tomates, et laissez cuire 10 mn jusqu'à la formation d'une sauce.

Dans un bol, mélangez le tahini, le jus de citron et l'eau. Mélangez bien et ajoutez cette sauce à la poêle juste avant de servir. Ajoutez les pignons de pin grillés

Dans un plat de service, émiéttez les filets de poisson chaud, puis ajoutez la sauce.

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Apple and cinnamon cake

Last month was the 'neighbor's day' in France - 'la fête des voisins'. This fête was founded 10 years ago in order to encourage people to get to know those living nearby and to get them talking to each other. The idea was launched in Paris originally but now it has spread to other cities in Europe.

This year we received the invitation in our letter box with a note saying that each house will bring something for everyone to share during the gathering. I volunteered to bring dessert, so I whipped up this charming apple cake. This light and moist apple cake, wrapped in a laced-cinnamon batter filled the house with lovely lasting fragrance. It's best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also love to have it in the morning with my morning coffee.
Well, the neighbor's day was great, it was a nice evening, we met new neighbors, and we built new relationships, and the cake was a huge hit, everybody loved it and all the neighbors were delighted!!!

Ingredients:
4 apples
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 tbsp sugar
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
4 eggs
6 oz (180g) butter, softened
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
1/4 cup flaked almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven at 350ºF (180ºC). Peel and slice the apples. Toss them with 1 tbsp cinnamon and 4 tbsp sugar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, cream the softened butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Fold the sifted flour alternately with milk.

Grease a spring-form pan. Pour half the batter in then spread the apples. Pour the remaining batter. Combine the flaked almonds with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake.
Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cake aux pommes et à la cannelle

Ingrédients:
4 pommes
1 càs de cannelle
4 càs de sucre

170 g de farine
1 càs de levure chimique
une pincée de sel
4 œufs
180 g de beurre mou
200 g de sucre roux 
115 ml de lait
20 g d'amandes effilées
1/4 càc de cannelle

Préchauffez votre four à 180ºC. Pelez et coupez les pommes en lamelles. Mélangez-les avec 1 càs de cannelle et 4 càs de sucre. Réservez.

Dans un saladier, tamisez la farine, la levure chimique et le sel.

Dans un autre saladier, battez le beurre avec le sucre jusqu'à obtention d'un mélange mousseux. Ajoutez les œufs, un par un, en battant après chaque ajout. Incorporez alternativement la farine tamisée et le lait.

Beurrez un moule à charinière. Versez la moitié de l'appareil dans le moule puis disposez les pommes dessus. Versez la seconde moitié. Mélangez les amandes effilées avec la cannelle et saupoudrez le cake. Enfournez pour 1 heure ou jusqu'à un cure dent inséré en ressorte propre.

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Kafta in a tray - kafta bel sanniyeh

This is yet another wonderful dish from the Lebanese cuisine. Weeks ago, I posted the kafta kebabs recipe, today I will introduce you kafta in a tray, known in Lebanon as 'kafta bel sanniyeh'. The dish consists of kafta patties with rounds of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes baked in a tomato sauce. Slices of green peppers are also an optional topping. In Lebanon, mom used to buy premixed kafta at her Lebanese butcher, and I have always loved this dish. Here, it's not easy to find a Lebanese butcher where you can buy your premixed kafta, this is why I learned how to do it now I can make my favorite dish, 'kafta bel sanniyeh'.

Ingredients (serves 4):
For the kafta patties:
1 lb (500g) lean minced beef
1 small onion, grated
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
5 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
salt

3 medium potatoes, cut into round slices
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into rings
1 medium onion, round sliced
2 medium tomatoes, round sliced
2 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt
¼ teaspoon white ground pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the kafta patties by combining meat, chopped onion, black pepper, cinnamon powder, allspice and parsley in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and mix well. Refrigerate for about 30 mn. Divide the mixture into 12 meatballs. Flatten meatballs to form patties. Arrange in a greased baking dish.

Arrange potato slices on top of the meat patties then the onions, bell pepper rings and tomatoes slices.
In a large bowl, put water, tomato paste, white pepper, cinnamon powder and salt. Mix then pour sauce into the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a 200˚C oven for 1 hour 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Kafta au four

Ingrediénts (4 personnes):

Pour les kafta:
500 g de viande finement hachée
1 oignon, finement haché
¼ càc de poivre noir
¼ càc de cannelle
5 càs de persil haché
1/2 càc quatre-épices
sel

3 pommes de terre, coupées en rondelles
1 poivron vert, coupé en rondelles
1 oignon coupé en rondelles
2 tomates, coupées en rondelles
500 ml d'eau
2 càs de concentré de tomates
sel
¼ càc de poivre blanc
¼ càc de cannelle

Préparez le kafta en mélangeant la viande, l'oignon haché, le poivre noir, la cannelle, les quatre-epices et le persil. Malaxez bien. Assaisonnez de sel et bien mélangez. Placez au frigo environ 30 mn. Puis divisez en 12 boulettes. Façonnez des rondelles de kefta comme des hamburgers. Disposez-les dans un plat au four.

Disposez les rondelles de pomme de terre dessus, puis les rondelles d'oignons, les rondelles de poivron et de tomates.

Dans un grand bol, versez l'eau, le concentré de tomates, le poivre blanc, la cannelle et le sel. Mélangez et versez cette sauce dans le plat au four. Couvrez avec du papier aluminium. Enfournez à 200ºC pendant 1hr 30 mn ou jusqu'à ce que les pommes de terre soient tendres.

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Sheikh el mehshi - Lebanese stuffed eggplants

Lebanese cuisine is a very healthy cuisine and cooking depends on the freshest ingredients. It's healthy for its use of legumes (garbanzos and lentils), grains (bulgur and rice), lemon, olive oil, pomegranate, herbs (parsley and mint) and spices (sumac, cinnamon, cumin...) When thinking about Lebanese food, it's the fresh fruits and vegetables that come to mind. The use of fresh, seasonal vegetables plays an important role in Lebanese cuisine; some of the most prominent include eggplant, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, and spinach. 

Today's dish is called Sheikh el Mehshi which consists of small eggplants stuffed with meat and onions and served with rice. There are two ways to make this dish, some people fry the eggplants and others like me, choose the healthy method and just bake it. I always serve this dish with basmati rice, but you can also serve it with plain yogurt too.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 kg of small eggplants

Meat filling:
1/2 lb (225g) ground beef or lamb
4 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
a pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil

Tomato Sauce:
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup water
salt and pepper to tatse
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Place the eggplants on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 450ºF (230ºC) for about 1 hr. Rotate every 15 minutes for even cooking.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and saute the onion until tender. Add the meat, and cook, breaking it into small pieces. Season with salt and spices. Mix in the toasted pine nuts, and remove from heat. Set aside.

Once the eggplants baked. Remove from oven and let them cool. Make an opening along the eggplant and spoon the meat filling.

Measure one cup of water and mix in the tomato paste and pomegranate molasses. Season.

Place the eggplants in a baking dish, and carefully spoon the tomato mixture over the eggplants. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 180ºC for about 20 mn.
Serve with rice or plain yogurt.



Aubergines farcies

Ingrédients (6 personnes):
1 kg de petites aubergines

Farce de viande:
225 g de viande hachée
4 càs de pignons de pin, grillées
1 oignon, finement haché
1 càc de sel
1/4 càc de poivre
1/2 càc de quatre-épices
une pincée de cannelle
1 càs d'huile d'olive

Sauce tomate:
1 càs de concentré de tomate 
23 cl d'eau 
sel et poivre, selon goût
1 càs de mélasse de grenade

Disposez les aubergines sur une plaque à four et enfournez à 230ºC environ 1 hr. Tournez les aubergines toutes les 15 mn pour une cuisson parfaite.

Pendant ce temps, faites chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une grande poêle, et faites revenir les oignons jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient tendres. Ajoutez la viande et laissez cuire. Assaisonnez de sel et d'épices. Ajoutez les pignons de pin. Réservez.

Une fois les aubergines cuites. Faites les sortir du four. Faites une incision dans le sens de la longeur et ajoutez la farce.

Mélangez le concentré de tomate avec l'eau, la mélasse de grenade puis assaisonnez.

Disposez les aubergines farcies dans un plat allant au four, et versez doucement la sauce tomate dessus. Couvrez avec du papier aluminium et enfournez à 180ºC pendant 20 mn. Servez avec du riz ou avec un yaourt nature.

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Apple banana cake

Banana bread is one of my favorite things to eat in the morning with my coffee or tea. It pains me to see those overripe bananas sitting on my kitchen counter, but sometimes, I just buy bananas intentionally for making this bread, just waiting for their skin to become speckled with large brown spots. I just enjoy the good taste of bananas and the tenderness of the bread. This time I added slices of apple, another great layer of goodness. Now, I've always made banana bread with butter or oil but this time I wanted to try it this way, I omitted the butter, and it turned out delicious. But if you want your cake to be moist, just add 1/4 cup of oil.

Ingredients:
4/5 ripe bananas
1 3/4 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 golden apples, sliced
honey for drizzling the apples
(1/4 cup of oil if you're using)

Preheat the oven at 400ºF (200ºC). Arrange the apple slices on a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit of honey over them. Bake them for 10-15 mn, until moist and tender. Remove them, then lower the heat to 350ºF (180ºC).

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with the sugar until combined. Add honey, eggs, (and the oil) and beat until combined. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and mix.

Grease a round pan, pour the banana batter into the pan. Arrange a layer of apple slices in an overlapping pattern. Bake for 1h at 350ºF (180ºC).

Cake à la banane et aux pommes

Ingrédients:
4/5 bananes mûres
200 g de farine
60 g de sucre
60 ml miel
2 œufs
1 càc de levure chimique
1 càc de cannelle
une pincée de sel
2 pommes Golden, coupées en tranches fines
miel pour les pommes
60 ml d'huile

Préchauffez le four à 200ºC. Disposez les tranches de pommes sur une plaque à pâtisserie et versez un peu de miel dessus. Faites cuire pendant 10 à15 mn ou jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient tendres et moelleuses. Sortez-les du four et réduisez la chaleur à 180ºC.
Dans un grand bol, écrasez les bananes avec le sucre jusqu'à consistance homogène. Ajoutez les 60 ml de miel, les œufs et l'huile et battez jusqu'à consistance homogène. Ajoutez la farine, la levure chimique, la cannelle, le sel et mélangez.
Beurrez un moule rond, versez-y l'appareil. Disposez une couche de tranches de pomme en les faisant se chevaucher. Faites cuire au four pendant 1 heure à 180ºC. 

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ka'ak - sesame rings

Those bread rings (or Ka’ak) covered with sesame seeds are consumed throughout Lebanon and the Middle East. They’re a staple of the Lebanese pantry; they are usually sold in bags in all the bakeries.

In Lebanon, we serve ka’ak especially with tea. I used to have it with a glass of milk when I was a kid, dipping each bread ring with milk then eating it. In Lebanon, those ka'ak are sold in many shapes, round shaped, ring shaped or as sticks...

The use of mahlab (ground cherry pits), cumin, anise seed… bring a lot of flavor to ka’ak, this is why they're loved by all the Lebanese! 

Ingredients (4 dozen): 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour - 1½ tsp yeast - 1½ tsp salt - 2 tbsp anise seed - ½ tsp mahlab (ground cherry pits) - ½ tsp sugar - ½ cup olive oil - ½ cup water - ½ cup milk - ½ tsp ground cumin - 1 egg, lightly beaten - 1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and spices in a mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Slowly, add the milk, the olive oil and the water. Knead for 15 minutes or until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl and let it rest for 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 20 balls. Cover and let them rise one more time.
Roll each ball of dough into a long rope and cut into smaller ropes (abt 10 cm) and form a ring. Brush one side with the egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven at 375ºF (190ºC).

Lay out on parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the rings, sesame side up. Bake them oven for about 15 minutes till golden. Then reduce the oven to 150ºF (65ºC) and let them dry out for another 30 minutes. The rings should be crispy.

 

Ka'ak -  anneaux de sésame

Ingredients (4 douzaines): 370 g de farine - 1½ càc de levure de boulanger - 1½ càc de sel - 2 càs de graines d'anis - ½ càc de mahlab - ½ càc de sucre - 90 ml d'huile d'olive - 100 ml d'eau - 100 ml de lait - ½ càc de cumin moulu - 1 œuf légèremnt battu - 1/4 tasse de graines de sésame

Mélangez la farine, la levure, le sel, le sucre et les épices dans un grand saladier. Ajoutez l'huile d'olive, le lait et l'eau et pétrissez tous les ingrédients avec vos mains ou au robot, jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte souple. Couvrez avec un linge de cuisine et laissez reposer 2 heures jusqu'à ce que la pâte ait doublé de volume.

Divisez la pâte en 20 boules, couvrez et laissez-la reposer un peu.

Roulez chaque boule en un long rouleau puis coupez-le en rouleaux plus petits (10 cm env.), faites une couronne en assemblant les 2 bouts, continuez avec le reste des boules de pâte; badigeonnez les anneaux avec le jaune d'œuf et parsemez-les de graines de sésame.

Préchauffez votre four à 190ºC.

Tapissez la plaque d'une feuille de papier sulfurisé et posez les anneaux dessus. Enfournez les 15 mn jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés. Puis réduisez la température du four à 65ºC et laissez-les 30 mn. Les anneaux doivent être croquants.

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