Category: Cakes

No. 562Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Autumn is here and with the season arrive persimmons, a perennial favorite in the Bijouxs Kitchen here with a new recipe. Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars made with a little gleaning, always a little jewel in the kitchen.

GLEANING FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Let’s start with the gleaning of the persimmons. Gleaning is new term to me, defined as the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers’ fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Turns out I have been gleaning for years.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Along my neighborhood walks I find crops of fruit and vegetables that have fallen to the ground, soon to be food for the critters. I’m careful not to encroach, but lemons, avocados, and persimmons which all thrive in the beach-influenced climate fall off the tree, often sitting for a days are perfect candidates for gleaning. I know my neighbors and they have give me clear reign to collect fallen fruit.

PERSIMMONS IN FALL

Persimmons have a storied place in my blog. Some of my very first posts way back in 2012, with my recipe for Persimmon Pudding, which is the crown jewel recipe for the season. I also have made wonderful cookies which were shared by a dear friend.  I only had a small gleaning of 4 persimmons which I had used in a “punk ikebana” floral workshop with the amazing Ojai artist Louesa Roebuck. I love her works are her books are amazing, so beautiful check them out here.

PERSIMMON BARS

I was seeking a new way to use persimmons, and with only four I had some limits. It is a natural jump from cookies to bars, which is where my mind went, sort of a persimmon bar like a brownie. Seems there are a plethera of persimmon bar recipes, so I had some choices. This recipe is one of the minimalist recipes, close to a cookie but thicker and softer with a crackling lemon glaze.

Now, my four ‘gleaned’ persimmons may appear a bit sad, however, I ripened them in a paper bag along with an apple. Although they had not visually changed they were soft and ripe, perfect to cook with.

This bar recipe is very easy. I used my stand mixer to complete the final mix of the batter, but you can do it by hand. I found that if the baked bars are covered, they are even better the next day, with the crackling lemon glaze.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Persimmons are fall’s little jewels.

 

 

No. 561Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Italian Prune Plum Torte

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plums are in season, but savor them now in this classic Italian Prune Plum Torte, the newest Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Collection.

ELUSIVE ITALIAN PRUNE PLUMS

I wait every year for this time, scouring the markets for the elusive Italian prune plums. Then one day on a walk through the market, there they are. Usually they set off to the side in smaller crates alongside the other plums. I grab my shopping bag and purchase a generous amount enough for the torte and a small batch of jam.

Italian Prune Plum Tart | Bijouxs Little JewelsItalian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TORTE VS TART

So, what is the difference between a torte and a tart? A torte, from the Italian word torta means “cake.” So, a torte has a batter base, more like a cake. A tart like this one is baked on a crust like this one on my classic Plum Tart. Once you look at them both the difference becomes apparent.

ITALIAN PLUM TORTE

This cake or torte is very easy to prepare. This recipe originated from Marion Burros. 40 years ago and The New York Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for this Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1995. A very iconic recipe.

A simple batter is topped with the plum halves, sprinkled with sugar and baked until the plums are bursting.

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plum Torte \ Bijouxs Little Jewels

My grandmother had an extensive garden and grew this variety of plums, as well as a couple others. She mainly ‘put up’ jam and preserves with the stone fruits.

I have been baking this torte since 2012 since I first became aware of Prune Plums for my original Plum Tart post. So moved, I posted my favorite poem from Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams. This is just to say…

No. 557Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A cake to love-Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake, a simple cake for anytime snacking.

LEMONS & BLUEBERRIES

Two of my all-time favorites of the summer season join forces to create a cake that will always be appreciated. Living up in the Central Coast citrus and fruits abound. The lemons go rampent this time of year, so many on the trees it’s hard to use them all. My neighbors supply me with even more lemons that I can use so I freeze the juice in ice cubes tray to brighten up the not-so-sunny winter gloom of days to arrive soon.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake| Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

RICOTTA CHEESE

The magic of this cake is the whole milk ricotta cheese which adds a dense, creamy texture-the cake will keep for a few days making it a favorite mid-day grab with an espresso.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

BAKING THE CAKE

As I has previosuly reported, my move up the coast has placed me is a new home, with an old wall oven that always burns the edges of everything! I have tried many tactics, nothing left but to pray to replace the oven soon. Your cake will not have  the dark brown crust on the edges, but in case you are destined with an old oven, not to worry the crust does not distract from the tender texture of the cake.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

BEAUTIFUL FOOD BY DESIGN

I finally have completed my 4th cookbook Belle du Jour (beauty of the day). It has over 120 pages, lots of new recipes and has been a labor of love. I produce all parts of the book myself (call me crazy) from recipe preparation, photography, and book design, and publication. I offer the book, like my others, in digtial interactive format and print copy, both will be on my website shop just like my other cookbooks.

My next cookbook is already in my mind. That you for you support!

 

 

No. 536Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake 

Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

 

All recipe roads lead me back to Chez Pannise, and to the incredible recipes from chefs born out of this legendary restaurant-Italian Rosemary Cake–No. 539 from the Membership Collection.

CHEZ PANISSE CHEFS

 

Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

 

Besides the founder & lead chef Alice Waters, so many incredible chefs did a stint at the classic Berkely Restaurant. Alice Waters really did change the California food scene with the lasting legency of farm to table cooking.
The list of alums reads like a star list of chefs including Andy Baraghani, Dan Barber, Paul Bertolli, April Bloomfield, Suzanne Goin, Joyce Goldstein, David Lebovitz, Deborah Madison, Mark Peel, Jeremiah Tower and Jonathan Waxman, to drop a few names. I am truly blessed to have eaten at all of the chefs restaurants. I was living in LA and connected Hollywood/food scene.

ITALIAN ROSEMARY CAKE

 

 

Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake 

Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake 

 

This recipe was originated from Paul Bertolli, from Cooking by Hand, 2003 then adapted by Tamar Alder in The Everlasting Meal, 2012, both available on Amazon. i love this cake it is easy, not too sweet and it keeps well (if it will stick around for long!
Reheat in warmed oven and serve with a scoop of gelato-delish.
Savor Italian Rosemary Cake, another Little Jewel from the Recipe Membership Collection. Note: I love this cake so much I posted it

 

No. 537Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Simple Strawberry Tiramisu

Simple Strawberry Tiramisu | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Strawberry season is finally upon us. The berries are beginning to show up at the roadside farm stands along the Central Coast. I always pull over and grab some berries, early season or not, they are still sweet. Simple Strawberry Tiramisu is my go-to for an easy, light true Little Jewel from the Kitchen.

STRAWBERRY SEASON

Just as the berries burst on the scene, so does the California Strawberry Festival. 2024 is looking to be a better year for the berries. The festival is being held at the Ventura Country Fairgrounds. The festival is sponsored by major companies and best of all money raised is donated to charities.

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

This recipe was inspired from the great Chef Ottolenghi’s Strawberry Tiramisu Cake. Roasting the berries produces a sweet syrup to layer with the Ladyfingers. My changes included sizing down the recipe, making one 5×8 inch loaf. To further simplify, the filling consists of thick Greek yogurt lightened with whipped cream, vanilla and a shot of Grand Marnier. So good. I also used supermarket Ladyfingers, they are usually right next to the strawberries. All the ingredients are easy to find in local supermarkets.

Simple Strawberry Tiramisu |Bijouxs Little Jewels

SEASONAL SWEETS

Along with my classic Strawberry Shortcake that is from my From the Garden Cookbook.

 

Simple Strawberry Tiramisu | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Finally, there is a chance the rain will stop here and the sun will once again shine along this magic shore. Happy Spring to everyone.

 

Still Hungry?